Just a Hodge Podge of Sorts

Yes, this is my Shrinky Dinks Maker that I hope to one day use to make some
wonderful mixed media stuff for my work. I thought it would work better than using
my kitchen oven. Though temporarily in moth balls, I have every intention of using
it someday, hopefully sooner than later! Doesn't it just look like fun waiting to happen?

Today I am going to run the gamut of all kinds of different subjects for discussion. The variety will be very cool of course.....I hope! LOL!

First of all there are a couple of articles in magazines that I want to bring to your attention because they are just marvelous. The first one is in Quilting Arts Magazine/October-November 2017 issue. The article is "Mosaic Imagery in Art Quilts" by Heidi Proffetty. Heidi makes these amazing quilts that look like they are made from small mosaic tiles using a digital cutter. Her designs are intricate and detailed and the overall effect is jaw dropping. See her website here:
http://www.heidiproffetty.com/home.html

The second is in Cloth, Paper, Scissors, September/October 2017 issue. Now they have really great articles and information in this issue which I am still poring over again and again, but in particular I want to draw your attention to Julie Haymaker Thompson and her article "Shrink Plastic Whimsy". I have to tell you I fell in love with shrink plastic when my daughter was young and we played with Shrinky Dinks and used our kitchen oven. When they re-emerged all these years later I hurriedly bought some shrink plastic sheets and a real Shrinky Dinks oven! I haven't gotten around to using any of it yet, but am so excited about the possibilities with mixed media! Well, Julie gives wonderful ideas for this fabulous medium with a necklace she shows you how to make using it. Julie has even made special tools to use with shrink plastic that she sells on her website, amongst other great things and even kits with tutorials! She also has a fun Etsy shop with all kinds of great stuff too! She is a very talented mixed media artist so be sure to check out her sites here:
http://www.juliehaymaker.com/about

https://www.etsy.com/shop/bisbeebliss

Diana Springall

Now for fantastic books! If I could meet one fiber artist, it would be Diana Springall, I am a 100% dyed in the wool fan! Ever since I picked up her book "Embroidery", published in 1980, I have been enthralled with her work and the sheer variety of what she does, and how well she does it all! She was a pioneer in the world of embroidery and still believes that embroidery should be regarded as "fine" art, as can be seen in her book "Design for Embroidery-A Fine Art Approach". This book, signed by Diana, is one of my greatest treasures, in which she gives detailed information on Concepts, Application, and Thread, and Equipment and Techniques (as listed in the Table of Contents). Next is her book "Inspired to Stitch-21 Textile Artists". Now notice the description "Textile Artists" as opposed to embroiderers, which shows how she has expanded the term to include a larger variety of surface design styles and techniques. This gives detailed information about each artist, almost like a resume or curriculum vitae of sorts, and then lovely examples of their work. Last, but certainly not least, is "Diana Springall-A Brave Eye" by June Hill. This book is about her life and her work with beautiful photos throughout. It covers her early years up to its publication in 2011, so pretty comprehensive.

Diana is a national treasure in Britain, and rightly so. She has worked diligently not only at her own craft, but sought to expand needlework to textile art, the operative word there being "art". She has shared her fund of knowledge with the rest of us in furthering the use and popularity of needlework and to expand its view beyond current definitions. If you are a needleworker  or just someone that loves and admires the resulting works, and you ever get a chance to look at these books, please take the opportunity to do so because you will be richly rewarded in information and inspiration.

Here is her website with textile art she has collected over time from other artists:
http://dianaspringallcollection.co.uk/

Thanks for visiting and here is a thought nugget until next time:

"People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it's simply necessary to love."
~Claude Monet