A wonderful couple of days at Art van Go

I can't believe it is now two weeks ago that I was at Art van Go for a lovely relaxing two day workshop with Frances Pickering ... but that is how life is at the moment - disappearing fast! The workshop was my reward to myself for getting all my quilts finished and delivered to Grosvenor shows - which I did, just in the nick of time. So I packed up a bag of gorgeous stuff and went off with my friend Jenny to enjoy ourselves. So here are lots of images of what I was up too ... hope you enjoy them:

We were making fabric books and this is the cover of mine - nice and fat and full of pages and over twice the size of anyone elses (typical)

And here is the back... All the fabrics I used were recycled/vintage and they were a joy to rummage out and use. We added images on top of the fabrics - in this case a print and a drawing I made, using the fabrics as inspiration

Here are a couple of the prints I made, using some clear flexicut 'soft' lino (available from AVG and wonderful|). I was able to put it over an image in a very old book of flowers I found in the charity shop and use the outlines to carve my stamp

Another page being tried out - with another print (I made lots, I always do). The writing is done with a fine sharpie and is just thoughts I had about the flowers. On the left you can see a gorgeous vintage fabric, which I will be using as inspiration for more stamps and applique to go on that page

Another spread - this time a gazania I painted on top of a printed fabric and then softened around with a little gesso. The right side is another vintage fabric, with an overlay of the same fabric, which I plan to applique in place when I have finished painting it. Also lots of lace around ....

A closer shot of the gazania (definitely not botanically correct - although Frances' are)

and here is the rose, just as I have started to colour it in with pencil

Another lovely page of vintage fabric, where I have started adding some stitching

and another possible arrangement

and another (very addictive this) - this one will have the pen drawing I have made on some old yellow linen stitched on

Another pen drawing ready for use ... these drawings were based on another old fabric

And the book laid open - front and back showing 

I have still along way to go, but this is such a lovely relaxing project, I shall definitely get it finished and post images here. The books Frances does are small and beautifully detailed with drawings and paintings. I suspect mine will evolve to be rather more 'busy' than hers, and definitely bigger ... but I love the technique and idea, and will take it further when I have time I think.

I did manage to get to Grosvenors' Malvern Show with a couple of friends yesterday, and had my first viewing of my quilts and many others of course. I was sort of dreading it - it can be hard to look at your own work. But Vicki and the team have done me proud and I was so pleased with how they had the exhibition looking. I promise to post some images from the show and about the day next time - so please come back! - Hilary x