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Post by MTRuth on Feb 19, 2013 14:36:08 GMT
Sorry this is late but I'm traveling. It is hard to get everything done when you're on the road. Blogging was especially painful. But at least I managed. I have been stitching and sketching.
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Post by jufergu on Feb 19, 2013 20:53:29 GMT
Can't imagine traveling and trying to keep up with all the things you do, Ruth. I had extra time today, as my husband was gone and I got up too early. I did some work with my graph paper and scanned it into a document so that I can print it off for students or attach it in an email. I also made some small samples with fabric strips for illustration. When I am finished with all this, I will put it in a box and maybe I will teach this class again. You never know. Teaching painting is a little different than fiber art. Everything must be simplified. Not too much detail for fiber.
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Post by lyn on Feb 19, 2013 23:15:17 GMT
You've done well Ruth! And you really got organised today Judy - don't you find that an hour early in the day is worth two later in the day?
I spent an hour or two this morning photographing for a tutorial, then when I looked at the pictures on the computer I realised that I would have to re-do most of them. Ah well. I did at least get a decent template cut.
To achieve my goals this coming week, I've used my diary to break them all down into baby steps, spread over the week, that I can cross off one at a time.
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Post by zed on Feb 20, 2013 8:20:44 GMT
I crossed lots off my list yesterday, the most important finding out that I can try self employment on a government scheme, so I can finally start selling things felt and fibre related
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Post by koffipot on Feb 20, 2013 8:32:45 GMT
Good luck with your enterprise Zed.
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Post by zed on Feb 20, 2013 8:46:01 GMT
Thanks, Judith
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Post by MTRuth on Feb 20, 2013 18:03:49 GMT
Way to go Zed! I know it took a lot of work and patience.
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Post by jufergu on Feb 20, 2013 21:24:41 GMT
I feel like Lyn and I are on the same task. I made one more sample for my strip landscape class. The thing is, I want to show the steps involved. And it has to be simple enough for beginners. So, I am making mini samples. Not easy to do. But I will complete this by the end of the month. I also used the last of my bread dough clay. I rolled it out on my breadboard with the rolling pin and cut it into small organic shapes. I then took various kitchen tools and made impressions on them. I really like the look. I can paint these later and use them for embellishments. But....I still think it is better to use polymer clay. It is much easier to handle.
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Post by lyn on Feb 20, 2013 22:00:00 GMT
It does seem so Judy!
You know, I'm sure I can see an ear-to-ear smile Zed's face.
My grand-daughter and I had a go at making felt balls in a tub today (http://www.megacrafty.com/2011/09/tip-easy-way-to-make-felted-balls.html) well, I don't know what we did wrong, but after two failed attempts (we ended up with felt balls that looked like brains) we went back making them by rolling in our hands and we got perfect results.
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Post by zed on Feb 21, 2013 9:18:56 GMT
Thanks Ruth It's hard being clear and simple without feeling like you're talking to a child or idiot when you try to explain things simply to a beginner isn't it Judy? I try to think of all the foreign felters and what would be clear to them. Yep, I do have a big smile, Lyn, it'll be bigger when I get my first sale! That felt ball thing looks too easy to be true! Maybe it needs batting?
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Post by janekiwi on Feb 21, 2013 10:43:36 GMT
Most impressed with what you have all been up to. I seem to of got off track slightly, with more than just my crafting, but working on smalls steps to claw it all back into balance. I have been adding things to my felt covered journal ( the cover of that is still a work in progress) cut up a piece of spare felt and made coasters ( blanket stitched round the edges for a nice finish) and at the request of a friend here have made some wire work dragonflys. Which brings me to the subject of writing instructions! Karen had commented on my flickr post of the dragonflys that her daughter would like them, so I said I would send her one and the instructions on how to make them. I had made the pattern up from a photo my friend had liked, realised that writing good instructions is not that easy. Ran the first draft it past a crafty friend who said makes no sense, you can not assume (we all know what that leads to) that people will have the same background knowledge of what ever it is you are writing instructions for, so have revised and written a better I hope, step by step version. Karen if you are reading this - sorry for the delay and posting them off to you tomorrow, have included an advanced version as well, but i am sure not up to writing instructions for that one. If anyone else would like to test out my instruction writing skills, send me your address and I will post instructions and bonus basic dragonfly.
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Post by zed on Feb 21, 2013 11:03:57 GMT
I missed your dragonflies and other felting from not being around the last few weeks. They look great I tend to do a rough outline of instructions before I start, then write more notes as I make/do and photograph it at lots of stages, you can always use less stages/photos once you come to put it together and see how clear your photos are. Then I usually ask my girlfriend to read over them, and if it's clear to a non-felter, then I'm happy I've never done wirework, so e-mail me the instructions if you like, I'll see if they make sense
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Post by MTRuth on Feb 21, 2013 17:18:12 GMT
Writing instructions is hard. What makes perfect sense to you may not make any sense to someone else. I do the same as Zed. Outline, take photos, make notes, rewrite and then have a novice read the instructions. Then keep rewriting/editing. It is a lot of work.
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Post by jufergu on Feb 21, 2013 20:27:56 GMT
Spent most of the morning making my last class sample. (I hope) Tomorrow I will spend the day on my lesson plan outline. It is all floating around in my head and I need to get all these points organized into logical sequence. It is hard to teach something as complicated as Design, to people who have no experience in art. However, I recognize that traditional quilters do have a good sense of things, even if they work with patterns. So, I think that most of them will be fast learners.
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Post by koffipot on Feb 21, 2013 22:49:57 GMT
Lyn, I tried those felt balls made in a tub too. The best I got had just one 'slit' and resembled a coffee bean, the others all looked more like brains! Back to the tried and tested, which don't really take much longer.
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