Our newsletter for 12th December 2019
Our tree is up and Christmas preparations are in full swing. Amelie’s list is growing by the minute and I’ve made the cake (it’s too late I know, but it’ll be fine).
I know at this time of year there never seems to be enough hours in the day, but I always like to set some time aside for creativity, for the sake of my sanity! I hope you will be able to do the same.
This week we have a brand new video workshop for you where I’ll show you how to make this beautiful bauble. If you’re in full-on Christmas mode, then be sure to head to our Christmas Classroom where you’ll find lots of inspirational videos and posts. Most of the content there is free too!
First let’s take a look at Module 3 of our Creative Sketchbooks course. Here’s Linda…
I promised a few words about Module 3 of our Creative Sketchbooks’ course this week. Students taking the course will discover the first video in this module is Laura reviewing the coursework covered so far. We’re always here to offer advice and guidance but I think if you watch Laura’s video it will explain so much about how a sketchbook becomes a very personal and valuable visual resource when you develop ideas and begin to explore the possibilities that arise with a thoughtful combination of techniques.
The main focus of Module 3 is print. We demonstrate block printing, printing with compressed sponge and of course our favourite monoprinting techniques. Sketchbook pages aren’t just a place for sketches – they are the perfect place to explore design and composition. If a page of your sketchbook is successful that’s an end in itself but it will almost certainly translate into other mediums, whether that be a quilt, an embroidery or a much larger painting. With that in mind Module 3 also looks at how pattern, frames, edges and borders can complete a page effectively.
In devising the activities, writing the workbooks and making the samples to illustrate the techniques Laura and I know this course inside out! BUT reading through the modules and watching some of the videos again recently I have been inspired. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are – working through a structured course always leads to new discoveries and improved technique. There, I’ve said it in front of witnesses – I’m going the take the course again just as though I’ve never seen it before. I’ll be posting some pages of my work here in the news, but lots more in the Online Courses section of our website, just for our students. I think it’ll be really fun to work through the course together. I’m off to find a new sketchbook and get started – watch this space!
New on DesignMatters this week…
Video Workshop – Foiling on Fabric
Has anyone really got the time to embroider a bauble? I know, I know, it seems indulgent. But honestly, there’s so much throwaway, mass produced plastic tat around at this time of year, I just need to do something that’s handmade and special. So I present to you, my machine embroidered bauble.
Join me in this new workshop to try working with dissolvable fabric, freehand stitching and gemstone embellishments and make something beautiful for your tree. If you’ve recently bought one of our Madeira thread boxes they’ll be perfect for this project!
Ways to watch:
If you have a DesignMatters TV Membership you’ll find this workshop is automatically available to you, just click on the link above.
If you don’t have a Membership, you can purchase this workshop as a one-off for £1.50. You might like to use Classroom Credits to do this. As you know we are gradually phasing memberships out and a couple of months ago we introduced the Classroom Credit option. Many thanks to those of you who have already added credit to your accounts – we hope you find redeeming them against any of the new videos or any title in the Classrooms is really straightforward. And don’t forget, any purchased videos stay in your account for unlimited viewing!
Jackson’s Painting Prize 2020
The announcement that entries are open for the Jackson’s Painting Prize 2020dropped into my inbox this morning and I thought you might be interested in it.
Even if you’re not a painter yourself, you might enjoy looking through the long lists from previous years where there is some really fascinating and beautiful work.
Above: ELSECAR CANAL’, IAIN NICHOLLS
Christmas Card Free Printables
If you’ll be sending greetings cards this year maybe you’ll be interested in our free printables that you’ll find on the website. We have the robin, below, and this year’s new image, the partridge in a pear tree. Both are original paintings by Linda and if you click on the images you’ll find printable versions to make your own greetings cards.
Last Posting Dates
The last posting dates for Christmas delivery from us are:
To Australia and New Zealand order by 11th December
To Canada and USA order by 13th December
To Europe order by 16th December
To the UK order by 20th December
Please order in plenty of time to be sure!
In the online shop you’ll find our new batch of sketchbooks. These are our usual favourite sketchbooks but with a jazzy gold logo on the front! We love them, hope you do too. Sketchbooks are £6 each. We offer flat rate shipping so why not add one to your basket along with the new thread sets?
Thank you for reading our news this week. We will be back next week with more! In the meantime please follow along with us via social media (the links are below) and if you have any questions about anything please feel free to email.
Love Laura
x