Featured on Friday - Workshops at The Ideas Hub Chelmsford

Today my blog is about things or people that have been part of my life recently. I'm also doing a little show of past work just to remind myself of my Artists Journey.

Several of us Artists and Designers are attending "The Artists Way" Course at The Ideas Hub.

This course is really helping me identify me as an artist. This is the book we are using The-Artist-Way-Discovering-Recovering your creative self . You may find cheaper on Ebay, several versions of the book are out there.

The idea from the course came from Cherry Ann Art a lovely arty friend of mine, the link takes you to her blog, she is a very talented Mixed Media and Textile Artist. Also  there was Julie Howe Paper Mache, Paint and Print are her main loves. Her blog is always full of lovely pictures from days out and details of her imaginative work. Then I must also mention  Linda Wilks currently she's taking a City & Guilds Course in Photography. You'll find many wonderful photographs on her site and some crochet and quilting. It's always good to get together with friends.

More on The Ideas Hub, I will be leading some of the Saturday drop in art demonstrations there. One thing we will be making is Valentine Hearts from recycled card, paper and tinfoil, and another day will be tissue dyed paper and book pages. I shall be bringing lots of lovely things from my craft and textile stash so goody bags can also be purchased.

Now onto some past works. This is one of my paintings in Mixed Media, a detail, I used Poppy Seed Heads, just the top for the flowers. I also used the seeds for the texture in the painting.

Below is a detail from a painting, again Mixed Media. The surface which is house paint mixed with pollyfiller and PVA is then cooked with a decorators heat gun. This makes it bubble. Then painted with a variety of acrylic paints and mediums. The effect looks just like the sheen of colour you get when petrol mixes with water over the road surface.

A little box covered with tinfoil, painted with acrylics. Then bitumen is used to give the dark colour in the ridges. All varnished and decorated with old watch parts. Inside is covered with Victorian images.

A stitched paper and fabric collage, one of a series with a cat retelling the tale of Goldilocks and the Three bears.

This last one is a mixed media acrylic painting, cut up and then restitched together. I've used this to cover one of my art ideas books. Can you see the bird right in the centre?

I am so blessed to be able to make all this art and have some lovely arty friends that encourage me.

Another Sewing Studio Clean-up

Do you ever get to the stage with your workspace when you can't stand to be there any more because it is so untidy. Well mine reached critical mass today. All tidy now and I rewarded myself a small Sloe Vodka.

Embroidered and plain tablecloths

Two boxes of fabric

Four boxes of braids, trims, labels, ribbon and elastic

  

Small box of coloured doilies and overflowing box of white or cream doilies

Huge box of white - ish linen some still with lace on. Soon to be chopped off.

Huge bag of used curtain lining. I use this under any applique and machine embroidery as its been washed so many times no problems with shrinkage.

Lastly one of those big fold up linen baskets with all the whole curtains in. On top is a Sanderson pattern called Chelsea. Now all stacked under the work table. It's good when you achieve something and you can see the difference.

I've even hoovered and eaten some of the yummy chicken.

Soup A Doup A Chicken Recipe Tutorial

Yum Chicken Roast with Chinese Stir Fry Vegetables.

You need:-

1 x Chicken - whatever type you usually buy.

2 x large onions roughly chopped

Garlic to taste - I used 3 x cloves

1 x Pack of Chinese Stir Fry Vegetables - best is Sainsbury's £1.00 bag.

1 x mug of dissolved Chicken stock

Pepper to taste - no need for salt enough in the stock cube.

No oil required plenty of fat in the chicken skin.

Deep casserole dish that will take all the ingredients or one of those chicken brick terracotta thingys. 

Pre heat your oven to 180C

Place the onion, garlic and stir fry vegetables in the bottom on the casserole.

Clean chicken, remove the string holding the legs.

Place on top of the vegetables.

Pour over the chicken stock. I use Telma Sainsburys carry it.

Cover with tinfoil, make sure that you wrap tightly and seal to keep the steam from escaping,

Place in middle of oven and cook for 1 hour.

Take out, lift chicken out, rest on plate, stir vegetables. Replace chicken and put all back in the oven.

Cook for another 1/2 to 3/4 hour, check if chicken is almost done then take off tinfoil and brown. If not shove it back in covered and leave another 1/2 hour. Times are a bit varied according to size of chicken and your oven.

Should be done now. Take off tinfoil and leave in oven till skin is nice and brown and crispy.

You can use the lovely stock for some gravy, then whizz the rest up, veg and all, in the blender and use as a base for really tasty soups.

Chicken should be really moist and very tasty. You can slow roast some spuds, root veg on the lower shelf as well. Enjoy.

Excellent one to put in the oven and go out for a long walk, or church on Sundays.

Retro Divias Kit - Update

Yay finished taking pictures and completed the latest Retro Diva.

Completed Retro Diva, earring, heart badge, and patch on her boot.

In the kit you get hints on what to do with the left over bits of material.

Detailed close ups when it is important to place items accurately.

A wonderful selection of vintage and retro fabrics to make your doll.

I am so excited to be able to do this and launch my own doll kit. It is a lot of hard work to get to this stage.

Now I need to test the kit and instructions. So I am doing a giveaway of one kit. Please apply if you would like to be my guinea pig maker of a Retro Diva. You need to be able to make the doll, comment on the instructions, pattern and pictures. I need an honest person who will tell me if there is a problem and give constructive feedback. I really want to make sure that all abilities of maker can handle this kit. Contact me at madbirddesigns@aol.com. I was going to ask you to leave your email on blogger but that would make it too public.

All those that apply will get a 10% discount to purchase a kit when it is launched.

Later in the year I will be running a "How to Make & Design Your Own Retro Diva" Workshop. 

This will be at a local village hall - near to me in Wakes Colne, just outside Colchester in the lovely countryside. Bring your own machine and lunch. All your Vintage & Retro materials, thread, trims, instruction, tea coffee and biscuits will be provided. Limited to 10 people as I think this is as many as I can cope with and ensure that you get individual attention. Running from 10am - 4pm.

I'm in talks with the village hall to get dates, times, health and safety sorted.

Again leave me a message if you want to go on the list for the workshop.

Once this course is up and organized I have ideas for more.

What a fun start I am having to 2013!!!

Video Tutorial Sweet Beetroot Relish - Yummy

Off the beaten track on this post. Thought I would share a tutorial video I made 3 years ago.

Had lots of beetroot and tomatoes on the allotment so I found this really yummy recipe from Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall. It is just the best beetroot use ever.

Update on Retro Divas Kit. I have finished taking all the pictures, seven pages of instructions written. Loads more to do. I had almost finished sewing the doll when my friend Jennifer phoned. Late birthday invite to her 60th. So yes that doll has now gone to a new home. Thinking I might just make another doll and try to video the process.

Tomorrow my friend Julia is coming round I'm going to help her learn to make curtains using an electric sewing machine, we will probably have a good gossip too. She's also got to choose the fabrics for a Retro Diva for her granddaughter.

Thank you for all the lovely comments you leave and welcome to my newest follower.

Those Peg Dolls are about again.

So some of the peg dolls came home along with their poppy headed friends.

Hope they find new homes soon. 

The Naked Tourist Shocks Etsy.

Oh Ho Ho Ho do you think my little Naked Tourist will get the Etsy censors upset?

Here he is posing outside Bucking ham Palace.

Norwich Cathedral

And sailing at Cowes Week.

More views in my Etsy shop

Also some ACEO mini art works, mounted in sets of 12 have been added.