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What a Trip!

  I had an absolutely fabulous time teaching at the Bath Textile Summer School this year and cant wait to share my trip with everyone. I am back home and busy as ever, totally worn OUT...or 'poop tucker'd '  as daughter would say. On top of that, I am getting sick, but for me, that was the plan~ didn't care how sick I got when I got home...just as long as I was well when I was in England (and France!).  I got home late Saturday night, and the children started school on Monday~ so not even any time to unpack.

   I was greeted with hugs and 'I miss yous' when I came home, which was nice..I think they really did miss me.  I wasnt in the door a minute before Pip presented me with this box, jumping up and down saying open it open it!!

  Am so proud of her~ she made me a whole box full of little food creatures~ stitched them all herself, and this is a BIG accomplishment for her. She spends most of her time during 'Mommy Scouts' trying desperately just to thread her needle.  She wanted them to smell good too, so inside the apple, she put cinnamon in with the stuffing.....but my favorite (the thought, not so much the smell)....inside the lemon, she put Lemon Pepper seasoning out of the spice rack! LOL.  These are going in my special Mommy Box for sure.

And even more surprising, husband missed me too~ Sunday morning when I woke up, there was a new path from the gallery to my new workshop waiting for me complete with lights and pretty flowers~ how cool is that?  Wonder what he will make for me when I am gone to teach at Bath Textile Summer School in 2019????

Diamond K Folk Art Unavailable Aug 14-28

Teaching at Bath Textile Summer School 

   I am off to the UK soon to teach my 17th c Beadwork workshop at the Bath Textile Summer School  at the Holburne Museum , pictured above.  Super excited to meet my students and see England. I am taking my camera and hope to share some of my travels with ya'll when I return.  

I have had several questions about this years ltd edition Ornament~ it is still coming! I do apologize that it is late coming out this year. I have been focusing on classes and building the new workshop, so am a bit behind (as usual it seems).  

on eBay this week!

One of a Kind 17th c Blackwork Slide Top Spool Sewing Box

 So yesterday I shared with you the original embroidery pattern I adapted for my box~  I really love it, it just spoke to me. The minute I saw it, I had a vision of it painted to look like blackwork embroidery. Now days, if one says blackwork, people think of cross stitch and patterns made by back stitches on even weave cloth....17th c blackwork is nothing like that. Above is photo of a coif~ the majority of the shading is done with Fil Turk...or speckling stitch, and all in one color. (the above just happens to be done in red, so I guess, technically its redwork)

 All of the things I make are hand made~ and by hand made, I mean....I actually make it, with my hands. and then, I paint it, with my hands! Its not some cheezy deal on there!  I planed the wood to thickness, cut it, and actually made the box~ yes, I did! Do I follow plans? No. I just thought it up, and make it as I go....it looks the same construction as the last box I made, but is slightly different size because, well, like I said, I make it as I go, so everything fits perfect!  I hand draw the design, after I have designed it, onto the piece, then I paint it, and then varnish over several days. After All that varnish dries, then I finish the inside with a hand made Italian marbled paper....why Italian? Cause its hand made of coarse, and its pretty, and I love it!

 There are 6 coats of black on this piece, to get the deep dark hues and depth that I wanted.

To finish, all is overpainted in real silver ink! I love love love silver~ the black and silver embroidered jackets are some of my all time favorite,  and its high time I put some silver on something. Dont know why I waited so long, because its really beautiful~ its very subtle~ you really dont notice it until you move the box just the right way, and then the light just shines off the silver...and it wont tarnish because its under layers of varnish!

 Inside is a pretty coordinating blue grey peacock pattern marbled paper

Absolutely it is one of a kind~ if you would like to see large pictures where you can really zoom in, it is on offer this week on eBay~ you can see it here , or click on the link to the right in the sidebar to my eBay specials~ (I also have a spool palette on this week if you dont need a whole box!)