Must .......

......pay more attention to this blog!  Exciting things have been happening and I haven't mentioned a peep!

The wonderful Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield very kindly contacted me about my portrait work and it has now been on exhibition in their foyer for the last month.  It was fantastic to see it in such a large open space........a real treat!

We have had a number of meetings of the Reveal Group and everyone's work is really coming together for the Farfield Mill, Sedbergh exhibition in September this year.  The last meeting we had was particularly inspiring.  I am hoping to get a dedicated website up and running over the summer for the group......so watch this space!

The SDC Hallam Group have agreed to exhibit again this year at the Sheffield Art in the Gardens and we have been meeting to plan that in amongst everything else.  We did this event last year and it was an absolutely wonderful experience.  The gardens are beautiful, the art fabulous and we got to know some very kind and generous people.......can't wait for it all to happen again!

AND .....the icing on the cake, and very, very exciting ......I have just agreed to rent a shared studio space in the Northlight Art Studios in Hebden Bridge.   It is an artist co-operative with a myriad of artist working in all sorts of media.  I am sharing a lovely white, bright space with another textile artist who also works with machine embroidery.  We are hoping to have the space up and running in time for the Open Studios event in July.   So if you are in the area at the time do pop by and say hello.

A very interesting time.......

 .......at Creative Stitches in Glasgow.   It was a long journey up but a beautiful one along the A1 next to the Coast.  So wonderful to see the sea.  Where I live you can't get much further from it if you tried!  The show was great and I met some wonderful people.  Thanks to Rachel Powell and her mum for taking pity on me and taking me out to dinner one evening.  Hope to meet up with you again sometime soon.  I was demonstrating whilst on my stand and found it very difficult to draw and stitch whilst being watched - but I did get a lot of very nice comments about my work which was lovely. 
Unfortunately I missed out on the opportunity to see the City of Glasgow itself.  Next time, if I get invited again, I intend to make that a priority. 

Off to Glasgow.........

.....to exhibit and demonstrate at the Creative Stitch event at the SECC Exhibition Centre on the banks of the river Clyde.  It's an ICHFevent and the link for further information is here. 
It's all a little bit dauntng as I shall be on my own this time (hubby staying at home to mind the kids!) and so it will be all down to me - driving there (aargh! hate driving to or in places I don't know), setting up the stand and manning it for four days in a row.  Not quite worked out yet how I am going to manage for loo stops - maybe there will be a quiet moment or two along the way.

If you follow this blog and make it to the show stop by and say hello - there's a free postcard in it for you! 

Hope to see you there.

Preview night........

......tonight at the Clocktower Gallery at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield.

The exhibition is on till 29th March 2011 so if you can't make it tonight do pop by before then ......we are all members of the Society of Designer Craftsman and have formed a Hallam Group.   

Shame on me....

....half way through February already and I haven't posted once yet in 2011.  The days seem to just run away with me right now.  Sorry to anyone who is still hanging on in there following this blog.  Life just seems to get busier and busier......and I have been busy.
I finished the commission I was working on.
I have been meeting with the Reveal group members and doing some sketch book work around my ideas in readiness for our joint exhibition at Farfield Mill in September.   It is a joy to be part of such an enthusiastic and dedicated group.  We decided on an exhibition title of "Unfolding Stories" and it is interesting to see how we have all differently interpreted that theme.  The ideas and work are all coming together and we are all looking forward to it.  We hope to have our own dedicated website up and running in time for the exhibition.
I am also a member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen (Hallam Group) and am exhibiting with them at the Clocktower Gallery at the Sheffield Northern General Hospital next week.  The Preview evening is on 24th February from 6pm to 8 pm.  Come and join us if you live over that way. 
Just yesterday I was at the Embroiderers' Guild Lincoln Group who had been kind enough to invite me to talk to them and give a mini workshop in the afternoon.  I thoroughly enjoyed the day and met some wonderful people.  It is great that there are so many textile enthusiasts out there.
On top of all that, I am trying to get everything ready to go to the Creative Stitch Show in Glasgow from 3rd - 6th February where I have been invited to exhibit and demonstrate my work.  Not been to Glasgow before other than to pass through so should be interesting to spend a little time there.
So you see it has been a little busy so far this year with preparations and organising and general business all round.  I shall though try and be a little more diligent at keeping this blog up to date in future.......

  Happy Valentines Day!

So long since.....

....I posted here!  Sorry to any followers that are still with me after so long a gap.  I am still working away in my very cold studio mainly on a commission for which I did some sampling recently.  Thought I would post a picture .......

I quite like the black and white combo!

New news.....

...or at least something I can now mention as it has all been confirmed.  The Reveal Group of which I am a member have been invited to exhibit as the prestigious Farfield Mill in the Autumn of 2011.  We shall be exhibiting a new body of work under the exhibition title of "Unfolding Stories".  I am already buzzing with ideas and starting to work tentatively in my sketchbook and am looking forward very much to a new project for the New Year.  You can check out the exhibition dates at this link, and I shall be posting them on my website in the New Year.  I only recently visited Farfield Mill for the first time to attend a course given by Cas Holmes - its a wonderful venue in a splendid area of the country and very much worth a visit.