samples sketchbook and collages

how time flies ~ I realise now its only possible for me to come to my web log once a week ~ there just aren't enough hours in the week at present.
Monday is City and Guilds day at college ~ we found out this week that the city and guilds format is changing again as from next year ~ its to be run more like the Higher National units Im taking which are run by SQA ( Scottish Qualifications Authority) a similar body runs in England and I think they are having some input into the new C and G ~ we werent told much detail ~ does anyone know anymore Id love to find out.
So on Monday the class was full, everyone turned up which is very unusual so I didnt manage to work on what Id taken in to do cause I needed space to work on my project, so instead I worked some of my many samples Ive to do here's a peep .....

above ~ shadow work ~ looks really lovely in real life

above ~ practising my whip stitch
and below the reverse

above cutting and burning and reverse below

Tuesday my new life drawing class started ~ Im in a class full of young students but they are all very lovely and I had to draw one of the guys in the class and then he drew me ~ his drawing was amazing and he made me look very young :) I will try and photograph the drawing I did of him this week ~ I was really pleased with my first attempt ~ whenI got home I had to draw again so here's Jim in his working gear watching the football !!!

my first drawing of Jim!!
he doesnt have a moustache ~ its shadow!

Wednesday and Thursday I worked on my new Thursday class project ~ the Fabulous 50's. I had searched eBay for anything 50's the previous weekend and the goodies had started arriving ~ there werent many magazines on eBay though from the 50's (in the UK ) and it'll take too long for things to arrive from the USA ~ so I got some sheet music, a butlins flyer, and board game, wrapping paper, I'd sourced some vintage wallpaper from Sweden but cant find any from UK, even it arrived!! I also found out about a fantastic designer from the 50's; Lucienne Day her designs are amazing ~ well Glasgow school of art have permission to digitally print some of her designs so they are sending me some samples! Im so excited to receive them. I also got some pictures from a vintage flickr group Im in where we share images ~ there were some wonderful images there for me :) So this is my inspiration and from all of this I am now making my development designs ~ I love this bit. I have to make thumbnail drawings/sketches paintings taken from my inspiration. So this is now very much work in progress.

above ~ quick painted thumbnails based on the
Ford car

above fabulous colours from sheet music cover and painted background

lots of inspiration

and below some little collages made with mixed media

Friday

I did do some cooking and cleaning today!!!!

For the last few weeks Ive been painting this little case for my sewing goodies its painted and collaged


breaking news............................. Saturday ~ saving the best until last ..............................

went back to work at our local beauty salon The Complete Look ~ Yes quite a momentus day, I went back to the salon where I used to work to see what it would be like to go back ~ just for Saturdays ~ it was amazing and like Id never been away, am seeing the 'bosses' on Wednesday ~ they are two of the most 'beautiful' lovely warm people ever and it would be lovely to be back with them again ~ so watch this space ~ this time next week I might be in very part time employment doing my beauty and complementary therapies again.

Sunday

Church this morning and Im really missing my children today it always hits me in church where its quiet and Im still, there's always lots of lovely people asking after them too which is lovely but brings it home how much they are loved. Miss you Rach and Lu Stevie and Scarlett xxxxx

This afternoon I worked on my projects whilst Jim fixed our roof!!!

Now Im off to catch up on my friends blogs ~ till next week ~ have a happy week
Judy xxx

sketchbooks felting and wedding accessories - what a week

some more judrops in progress

I've had another extrememly busy week finishing up lots of things ~ here are some more of the pages from my sketch book for the DCA project, its done and Ive passed I saw the paper saying I had last Tuesday ~ a great big yipee!!! Loved this unit too but found it very stretching ~ why???? the colour ~ the subject ~ the size of the piece ~ having to evaluate my work after; a great learning curve. But I learned from it and am now preparing for my next units, Tuesday I have life drawing !!! I am really excited about this one and then on Thursday I have a 'graded unit' where we're given a brief and have to work to a time plan which we have to set ourselves and be mentored along the way ~ we're not allowed any help from our tutor and at the end have to present it ~oh my goodness ~ thats scary ~ but its an exciting project ~ we have to design a range of textiles for kitchen ware ~ tea towels, aprons and oven gloves etc. Ive chosen the 50's from the selection that was given. Ive had a wonderful week researching this era which I shamefully knew little about ~ here's some photos ~









Last Saturday 28th Feb my Embroidery Guild held a workshop with the wonderful Margaret Lappin we worked with felt and made it to pre felt then stitched into it and added fabrics then felted it completely ~ we also made chunky felt jewellery which was great fun ~ here are some of the pieces I produced as a result ~ loved every minute of the workshop ~ wonderful friends, laughter, chatter and lots of tea and biccies!

prefelt during stitch

prefelt with a little more stitch

finished pieces

above in my fav colours :)

starting to make prefelt and below
with stitch

above finished piece

this is for my city and guilds accessory project just some little finishing touches! Almost there with this one too :) Once its finished Ill post the pics on my other blog 'specially for the course ~ have a fab week ~ Judy xxx