what is a book...

Well it can be anything you want it to be. I am telling the story of when I visited the Gregynog Press and the connection I felt - "The Embroiderer meets the Press". One of my books is this small vintage spool with digital print stitched onto vintage ribbon. The words telling the story, unfolding as you unwind the spool.

A good day.

Last few weeks

It is a hectic time so not a lot of posts!

Postcards and business cards (above) were printed today and self-promotion boards to do tomorrow. Finishing off all printing required and the last slog of technical notes (which takes a very long time).

I am in the process of creating two covers for textile art books and all the embroideries which are to be captured within them (doesn't sound much when you write it down.....) I am tired but I must say really enjoying the last few weeks of this degree process. Its 22.46 and I was up at 6.15 this morning and still working.

We have been given our spaces for the college degree show and I am getting excited - reality is lots more work to do before then. Keep you posted and photographs to follow.

Problems solved

Regarding exposing of screens and the drama - discovery today was that half of the bulbs had gone in the exposing unit. So it wasn't me................................ Poor Ian and all the hard work involved but you couldn't tell until the unit was actually opened.

A good day today as I have finally finished setting my typography, results will be shown in a few days. I need to prepare all my lovely paper, order binding materials and get on with making my book covers - oh and lots of embroidery.

I am just beginning to appreciate what I have actually learnt in my 4 years at Bradford College and how much it has changed my work from simple hobby craft to thinking wider and being an artist. It has being very emotional (friends will testify to that!) and tiring but also exciting.

Keep focused, keep ticking off the "to do list" and I aim to enjoy my last few weeks of finishing my final collection.

Happiness in Stitching

I just thought I would say......................... I love embroidery.

Another week over!

It has been a crazy week - very busy in the print room and finally got my last two designs onto screen. If anyone was jinxed on the screen development front it was me. My "boxes" design is hand drawn and very small boxes (monotype casting) and finally after the 4th attempt exposed correctly - not sure what went wrong as it came out in different patches on different screens! Poor Ian (in Print Room) will have had enough of me by the time I leave - a last resort was to get it exposed in the Printmaking Department (thank you Helen Wood). Will show all the results in a few days.

My other screen is "scratched surfaces" taken from a drawing of the Greygnog Press floor, but also inspired by the scratches on all the lovely machinery. It has been a week of printing samples in different colours with my new fabrics and I am very happy with the results. Just ordered more fabric as I need to print two 3 metres lengths from two designs.

The photo shoot was today for self-promotion and I was nervous - but also tired as days have been very long this week (what's new?) so I admit to be rather hyper (hysterical..... whatever.....). Anyway thanks to Hannah Lamb my tutor for giving advice on positioning for photography.

So it is another tick off the list. Because of all the hard work put in this week I finally see some of the end results I want. That isn't to say the "to do" list is nearing its end but I am beginning to get excited about the degree show and New Designers (she says with a very large glass of wine in her hand............................). Happy weekend.

Book Binding - 1st May

Had a wonderful relaxing day on Saturday with my good friend Fiona Wilson. We attended a workshop for basic book binding in Wakefield by Victoria Lucas.

www.victorialucas.co.uk

www.axisweb.org/artist/victorialucas

We made 3 books - concertina (hard back), Japanese stab binding and a hard back book. I can read lots of instructions but there is nothing like actually attending a workshop and seeing the procedure. Everyone learns in different way, I guess I am more tactile. This has helped me enormously with ideas of how to bind together my final collection of papers etc. My hard back book wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it highlighted to me the skills required to be a good book binder and why the apprenticeship is 7 years. It takes organisation, precision, patience and importantly - time.

Learning new skills is always exciting and all the better to be joined by a friend - and if your lucky you meet new ones along the way.