NEW WORK

I set the challenge for my group AFFINITY a few months ago.  We are working on 4 pieces of work to a set size on the same theme but inspired by different eras.
I have 3 pieces created for the first era.  All different sizes (whoops) on the theme of BIRDS.  For many years we have kept Budgies, so I am fond of birds.  Hoho thought I, this will be a good theme. Wrong with a capital W or R.
The first pieces are inspired by Strawberry Thief by the master William Morris.  Great, I am quite happy with doing lots of pieces...dum...de...dum
Now about the other 3 eras hmmmm Nada...full stop, excuses abound in greateth numbers, but it all boils down to nothing seems to mean anything much, until this morning.  Great news last night re the dreaded, followed by the marvellous Skype episode and a lovely sunny blue morning.
I found this

Yipee a 1950's tin toy of a....Duck...nope its a bird,  nope its a duck, well I dont care its fabulous

A bit more digging found this

Another one, yey

 

So this is my inspiration.

Now what am I going to do with it??  All will be revealed, but designwork came to a halt with a phone call from Bee Inspired offering me a table for their HAND MADE MARKET this Saturday at Market Street Mews, Kettering from 10am

So I have made a decision to SELL some of my hand made BAGS.  I did have to sit down and drink a coffee (not the usual black tea) to calm down.  Its a bit like parting with a small chunk of me....oh Ive already done that havent I, 10 days ago, oh hahahaha.

So if you would like a ONE OFF unique hand made bag by yours truely, with no postage costs, nip along to the market, have a cuppa and cake in the Mews cafe, saunter into the Dolls House shop & browse around the toy shop, quite a nice few hours out & all your goodies can be stashed in your unique bag.

For those of you who live too far, I will put what does not sell either on here, in my bigcartel or etsy shop.  There decision day.  I have sorted out some quilts as well, goodness what has come over me!

SKYPE

Isnt it wonderful - Skype - yey, from a sitting room in the cold northern hemisphere to a hotel room in the southern hemisphere, gosh I am so glad that I live in these techno times.  If you have never tried it, its free & connects with loved ones anywhere there is a good connection.  I just had a lovely half hour yey!! x

FOLGATE SAFETY

NEW WEBSITE:  http://www.folgatesafety.co.uk/
Check out my sons new website for all your safety requirements. Please pass it on, lets help out small businesses during this recession single, double or triple dip!
Thanks x

NEWSLETTER

January newsletter is in the ether, it contains a mini technique which you might find interesting.  Its only for the newsletter which is free to sign up for and arrives from time to time and lots of times contains newsletter only mini freebies and sometimes maxi freebies

Image has nothing to do with anything, just a lovely bright flower to warm up the chilly evenings and dream of spring.  I have just watched The Land Girls and the closing shots were of daffoldils, made me long for spring

April 2012 to cheer us all up, it will come again, goodness me how melancoly, maybe something to do with the music program Im watching at the moment about the history of music, fascinating & very good.

CAT TALES

Hahaha, that was funny, after another dump of snow last night, I sat on the sofa in the dining room, looking at the maximoon trip with the curtains open and a bright watery sun streaming through.  Cat was no where to be seen.
Then she jumped out of her des res and did a funny sort of hopping dance with an amazed look on her face.  Side splittingly funny, then she jumped back into her hut again, I am still laughing altho Ive been out, cleared the snow off the feeding table and around & she is now scoffing her food.  Godd to laugh first thing in the morning, hope the sun stays all day, a thaw yipeeeeeeeee, have a good Saturday, freebie is still there, though have to hunt for it!  Such fun lol x

FREEBIE 3 IS STILL THERE

Freebie 3 - GENIE IN THE BOTTLE is still there, but, for fun, gotta hunt for it under one of the tabs!!

FREEEBIE 3

GENIE IN THE BOTTLE - CATCH IT BEFORE IT EVAPORATES!!!!!
Not around for long, find which tab its under and click on the link - poof!

SKETCHBOOK ENVY?

I have just been reading Margaret Cooters blog HERE, about sketchbooks, its very interesting & I thought Id add my sixpennyworth.

CLEAR PRIORITIES - VICTORIA FOLGATE

As a City & Guilds tutor, one of the requirements is to make 'back up' work for each item made, this is never called a sketchbook but it is exactly that, it lays down sketchy ideas & formulates resolutions.

BURN-JONES SKTCH OF WILLIAM MORRIS

At the moment there seems to be some sort of sketchbook snobbery around the internet, where beautifully constructed pieces of art are de rigeur.  Most of us are mere mortals and are not artists, not trained or naturally gifted or dont have the time or indeed the want to produce sketchbooks, beautifully laid out, individual little pages of art

There are many blogs and courses showing altered books which quite frankly are a complete mess.  Slapping stuff down & saying look at me, I am an artist.  Nothing wrong with that except it 'aint' art its playing, experimenting, making a mess, very few pieces that I see are constructed, thought about, considered pieces of what is called art.  Im all for people giving stuff a go, keeping notes etc, practising making what are in effect sketchbooks.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SKETCHBOOK - ME

 Many of the beautiful 'sketchbooks' are not sketchbooks they (to me & its my blog so its my opinion) are individual pieces of art.

TEXTILE SKETCHBOOK OR SAMPLES

There is so much envy, WHY???  Do it YOUR way, not their way, do it with your knowledge, build on your knowlege, do workshops expand your knowledge in your SKETCHBOOK.  Write rubbish, stick any old thing, then when these ideas have been explored, create little pieces of art from a CONSIDERED view.  Ramble on Folgate.....

I have beautiful art pieces, photography, I have rubbish, I have sketchbooks, I have design books, I have a diary and I have this blog, all help me to grow as a textile artist.  But I am trained, I know elements & principals, I choose to employ or reject them, but I know the bottom rungs of the ladder.

STITCH SKETCHING - ME

What is the point of this rambling....it is to help to quash to ENVY that exists when a mostly trained artist who can indeed draw and make something look like THEY want it too, who has explored over a period of time, the colours & styles that work for them.  I read comments that say, if only, or I wish or wow. 

TECHNIQUE SKETCHING

Come on people its a short life, grab any paper or fabric work out ideas as a sketchbook and carry them forward into your own piece of art or art textile, dont be envious of others, use others as inspiration, print out, cut up images, stick in or on something & STUDY it.  That is the word STUDY, really look. 

EXPLORATION

I use a work looksee, maybe I made it up I dont know, but LOOK & SEE, ponder on the word, it means a huge amount.  When I create my workshops, I try to looksee what I think a PRACTISING artist would want to do, I would hope that purchasers or indeed freebiers would experiment in a 'sketchbook' so that they have REFERENCE material for further exploration.

SKETCHBOOK ON CIRCLES

I could make a lovely designed sketchbook, offer it as a course, bring about the envy! What on earth would the point of that be, copying my notes and way of working, what would that achieve, lots of little clones, not what I am about.

SKETCHBOOK ON KEYS

So to sum up what is a heartfelt rambling, YOUR sketchbook is done in YOUR way, the most important thing is to START, grab paper or fabric and a big marker pen & mess up the the first page or part of the fabric, take the worry away.  My students have been horrified when I do this in their nice new sketchbooks, but it makes a point, DO IT YOUR WAY, but DO IT. 

FRANCES PICKERING

When you have explored many ideas in your sketchbook, be it on paper or in fabric - which is commonly called SAMPLES, then MAKE SOMETHING using a combination of your sketchbook (sample) ideas. If you dont know what to make, well shameless self promotion - buy one of my workshops or see if there is a FREEBIE available & one is a-coming

STEPHANIE REDFERN

VICTORIA FOLGATE

CREATIVE CHALLENGERS - ME

 

 

Ramble over, what do YOU think??

SNOWY

A hermit, thats what Ive become since

This was two days ago, its much worse now.  Yipee my husband qualified for the winter fuel payment and I guess we have spent it over the last 4 days.  A re-arrange of the sitting room gives me a lovely seat right next to the radiator.  Two pairs of slippers and toasty feet oh and a plaster where a pin went right in, yep right in (gross) whilst tidying up the STASH.  Oh goodness the Stash is overwhelming, its become like that monster that sticks to that man on the advert on TV for catarrh.  Twenty boxes of cotton fabric, then 4 boxes of hand dyed and goodness knows how many of embroidery fabric, soft furnishings, ahhhhhhhhhhh its out of control, I need the life laundry.  Its all sorted now, I needed something that I could do whilst not seeing properly following the biopsy, took a few days to realise that I was putting it in the wrong eye.  Uh its my right eye, then why put it in the left eye??  Then I noticed that it said one centimetre not 10 centimetres, no wonder I have not been able to see for most of the day, duh, memo to me, read and read and read instructions.  So alot of blurry TV has been watched.  The internet is so slow & I cant view any videos, so a Quilt Show fest has been out of the question.  Has any one else had this problem?  Ive installed flash player so many times its driving me bonkers

Cant post any more pictures, it wont let me, ahhhhhhhhhh again.  Rotten weather, rotten face, rotten international news, off to bed, night all thanks for reading x 

SINGAPORE

Here is my daughter on her maximoon in Singapore, see if you can spot her!!

This is her husband Owling

Hilarious

Notice they are outside Prada, I wonder if a bag will magically appear eh?

ITALY 2014

DALE ROLLERSON  is teaching at Abruzzo school of creative art, in ITALY in October 2014, click on this link
An Artful Journey 
Straight after Alexander Palace, what a wonderful holiday this would be

Its snowing here at the moment and very windy, so much of this is going to be done today

To produce some of these

Or maybe some of this

And a bit of indulging

Have a good Friday x

CHANGI AIRPORT

Look at this little video of KINETIC RAIN at Changi airport, terminal 1, Singapore, its so beautiful

STRANGE

Strange day

• Terrible crash of helicopter and crane in London, such a miracle that more have not been lost or injured
• Freezing fog
• Ive had skin biopsy today, sitting here with a huge pad over half my face, how very dramatic & daft, frightened the life out of my husband.  My hair needs dyeing, grey roots, bright red coat, ear muffs and a white eye patch - not a good look whilst driving up a misty road, I didn't know if to hysterically laugh or cry at the look on his face, he said he thought I had had my head shaved on one side, hahahaha
• Excuse any typos, its hard to see.  Met a fellow sufferer had a good chops with him, kindred spirits, onwards to next appointment.  Ive gory details but will spare you that
• When I can see properly Ill post another freebie

SLUSHY

Its here, but not a lot and is slushing already - wonder what tonight will bring

The Freebie has now gone, but it can be purchased from under the workshop for sale tab, some of the workshops have a click through to sample pages

One of the altered pages from FOLLOW MY HEART, lots of different techniques in paper and then adaptations into fabric & stitch

Lollipop Lane

Both with click through under workshops tab

Looks pretty everywhere here, hope its okay where you are

UPDATES

Ive updated the PAGE TABS & hopefully have sorted out the workshop buttons.  Please let me know if they are not working.
Some of the workshops have view a few pages, like Amazon click to view option.  Some have a snippet others have a bit more
FREEBIE or free workshop still available - these will change, disappear & re-appear

This is an up coming workshop

Here in England we are awaiting the snow.....

FREEBIE TWO

Quick there is another FREEBIE under the FREEBIE TAB at the top of the blog

LEAF BE HAVING YOU

FREE DOWNLOAD FOR SHORT TIME ONLY

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Today has been very busy.  The light fitting in my storage room (aka smallest bedroom) broke and the light bulb fell out.  This room is tiny and filled up with boxes and bags.  So it get it fixed I had to clear out a space.  18 months ago I shelved out the room and put my stuff into boxes on the shelves then filled the room up with bags being used each week.  After moving a heap of stuff I discovered an ottoman that I had forgotten about. Hmmmmm whats in here I thought.  Ah ha it will be soft furnishing stuff from my previous business.

WHOO HOO a whole ottoman filled to the very top with PATCHWORK fabric, lovely lovely, I felt like I had won the pools, oooh so much lovely stuff.  It is now residing in various boxes and bags waiting to be sorted in the only spare room that is not filled with my stuff.

Shattered now so it will have to wait until tomorrow to get fondled.

GONE

Hiya, wow what alot of hits for the FREEBIE.  Its gone now, but another will arrive soon

Horrid day here, foggy, grey, cold.  Lovely day out with my friends, lunching, shopping, having fun

Brassai, Paris fog, wonderful image

ALARM

Life with us never seems to be dull for long.  I am still on Christmas holidays, not a choice but there it is.  So its a lot of TV watching, especially films & last night decided to sit up and watch a program about daft British winter customs.  So got to bed just before 1 am.
OMG whats that, whats going on, my husband shouting about the alarm clock & a really loud bell clanging
UP he jumps semi naked and not the half that should be and starts for the bedroom door, followed by me, not at all awake, he is shouting its 1.30am, fire alarm is going off....so he starts down the stairs, I decide to follow him as back up in my peach nightie and then I pass the ledge outside the bedroom door and spy A WEAPON...oh goodie...a WEAPON... I pick up A FLY SWATTER and a broken one at that.  Seems totally logical after under an hours sleep, with heart racing and following the shocking husband with blue fly swatter in hand we creep down the stairs and turn the alarm off and creep back up the stairs and then we wake up and he pulls on pants and picks up a snooker cue and I realise that I have a FLY SWATTER in my hand and I run and cower in the bed, he returns downstairs..ALONE (what a coward I am) and finds nothing.... (thank God) ... then hears other alarms going off and we realise that we have had a POWER CUT & for some reason its set off the alarm
So we sit in bed and stuff energy sweets and shake and realise just how very stupid we are & how awful it is for anyone who has had a burglar. Our son popped in today & we recalled the story and he gave me one of those oh dear they are going senile looks when I told him about the fly swatter & then burst into laughter.  
I have been thinking of how lucky we are that we are safe and how awful it is for the people in Australia & Tasmania who have and are losing their homes.  Home is so precious isnt it

Protect yours with the latest burglar deterrent !

x

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

CABBAGE

Hooray, I've got an image to load.  Had to use Chrome as AOL or IE would not work.  I  am considering downloading Firefox as well, but, a question, will doing this mess up my settings? I would appreciate any advice please.

OSNABURG & WHIP STITCH & TWIN NEEDLING

TRIAL

Hiya, I am trying something out & for a short time there is a totally free full workshop under the page tab at the top of the blog.  I just ask that if you view it, could you comment or email me with your comment on shelaghfolgate@aol.com
I am not sure if its worksing
Blogger has a problem with images at the moment which it is trying to resolve
By the way if you are a newsletter subscriber there was a free workshop in the last newsletter, just a reminder!
Thanks x

“I’ve always found this a trying time of the year. The leaves not yet out, mud everywhere you go. Frosty mornings gone. Sunny mornings not yet come. Give me blizzards and frozen pipes, but not this nothing time, not this waiting room of the world.” CS LEWIS

“I’ve always found this a trying time of the year. The leaves not yet out, mud everywhere you go. Frosty mornings gone. Sunny mornings not yet come. Give me blizzards and frozen pipes, but not this nothing time, not this waiting room of the world.” C S LEWIS

What an inspiring quote.  At the moment in England & the Midlands, where I live it is just like this quote, I would add, not this GREY waiting room of the world

Grrrr this profound words were to be followed with some selected images, but blogger wont let me upload any at the moment, seems like an attack of the greys has hit it as well

Still there is a new drama tonight called Mr Selfridge, lets hope that its entertaining x

WELCOME TO 2013

A very happy new year to you.  England has been renamed the land of wet lately, but when the clouds clear and the sun appears, oh what a glorious place this is.
This morning this is the usually dry pond locally, so full that I nearly slipped in trying to wade through, such a laugh
With the canopy so bare the sun reflected the trees beautifully in the pond, such a joyful scene

Full of mysterious things, look at the shapes and textures & the glorious colours, very inspiring

 

I met a lady here who said she had shoved the dinner into the oven, told her kids to go play outside as they looked pasty, pulled on her boots & hurried out to enjoy the day.  Chance encounters really are a joy are they not?

Looking back over 2012 mostly it was a joyous year, the highlight being my daughters wedding, followed by Lindisfarne & then the Olympics

It is so sad to welcome the new year with none of our parents, very poignant.

This year starts with my ongoing health issues, a mega trip for some newly weds & myself sans transport for the first time nearly ever.

My studio has not had its annual clear up ..yet.. just don't feel up to it at the moment, actually I like working in a heap, yep that's a decision.

I gave up on new year resolutions, because mostly it was 'must lose weight' then I didn't & then I felt miserable, well it happened for about 8 of 30 odd years so I suppose the odds are not that bad!

This is the beer quilt, mentioned before, made as a Christmas gift & very well received.  I enjoyed making pressies this year, applicable to the recipient

FREE workshop available now as a NEWSLETTER subscriber

Thank you for supporting me during the last year, especially during my long absences.  I am pondering on where to go at the moment & holding off making decisions for a while.  Do please keep popping back
I have released - for sale - TORAN TORAN a workshop making BUNTING / FLAGS that was part of the Smashee suite of workshops.  All information under the TORAN TORAN PAGE at the top of my blog

x