I have just added some new backgrounds to the blog, which I found at The Graphics Fairy-click on the button for more info. There are masses of beautiful images to download, all free of charge. Be warned that if you look at this site you may get addicted to it! There is so much to look at!

Woodblocks-experimental printing

I have been doing some printing experiments with the woodblocks I got for Christmas. I used a variety of papers and inks/acrylics. Here are some of my favourite results.

Acrylic on hand made Indian silk paper.

Stamp block inks were used here, and embossing powders using the heat gun. I tried different colours and textures of paper.

Tag Tuesday-Vintage

The theme for this week's Tag Tuesday is VINTAGE. You can find it on www.tagtuesday.blogspot.com.

Finished tag, made using English patchwork technique

Image of Victorian lady in winter clothes

Vintage stamp

Seed-heads - experiments in textiles

The photos I took in a garden in Kent in October were the starting point for my work on seed-heads. The photo above inspired these experiments.

The first is collage, made from layers of voile snippets in several different colours.

This one is collaged newspaper with foreign text for interest.

Then I mixed voile and stamped newspaper snippets and stitched them to coloured calico.

I returned to voile and stitched layer upon layer. I wanted to reproduce the effect of spikes in the photo, but with soft fabric.

White

1. Snowcake soap (from LUSH)

1. Ceramic light shade

3. Frost crystals on velux window

4. Winter jasmine against wicker chair

5. Winter jasmine shadows

This week's theme for Tag Tuesday is "white" which inspired me to take some photos of white texture.

Tag Tuesday-White

This week's tag theme is "white". I love working in one colour, it shows the

texture beautifully. Visit the Tag Tuesday blog for more details of the methods used.

Tag Tuesday- Winter Sports and Games

This is my tag for Week 2.

Carolyn Saxby's Tag Tuesday

I have just joined a group blog-Tag Tuesday , set up by Carolyn Saxby of Love Stitching Red. The challenge is to create a tag each week on a set theme. As I have never made tags before, and it seems like a good idea. I thought I would give it a go and take the opportunity to experiment with some mixed media. Go and have a look! It is really interesting to see how many interpretations can be made from the same idea. This is a picture of my first tag.

Christmas books

What would Christmas be without a big pile of books to keep you going through the long, dark days of January! Richard and I went to Waterstones together to choose presents for each other, so this way we are sure of getting things we like as we hint heavily at our favourites! I have this lovely Art Deco book of postcards, with plenty of images to look at, and even at the back a section of postcards to detach and send.

I really like this book about American Christmas cards. It has some nice pictures and some text about the history of cards in America.

At last, something I didn't know I wanted, but I really did-a colouring book for artists! some beautiful pages for me to fill with watercolours!

Woodblocks

I did enjoy using the Christmas tree woodblock , so asked for some more as a Christmas present from my sister-in-law, thanks Rosemary! Watch this space, as I think I might have great fun with them in my textile experiments!