tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87127006428632629852024-03-14T06:32:14.164+00:00Helen Smith : Artist, MakerHelen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.comBlogger217125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-28948418466684971702015-08-30T10:17:00.000+01:002015-08-30T10:17:10.201+01:00Reclamation, part 2Well, the previous reclaiming of the blog didn't come to much, did it? I realised that it was mainly because the blog didn't really feel like me any more, I have moved on quite a bit since I started it. As you will know, if I have any readers left!<br />
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So yesterday I finally decided to do something about it; I hope you like the new look. The menu now links in to my main website so I'm not having to keep up with 2 separate sets of pages - and now my website links back to here too - a definite incentive to post more often! I did think about moving the whole thing over to wordpress (which hosts my website) but I felt I had too much history here to leave behind. So I'll see how it goes. I hope the transition from one to the other doesn't feel too clunky.<br />
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But enough of the tech talk... in the meantime the 'Reclaimed' exhibition I spoke about last time is up and running, still plenty of time to see it if you are anywhere near; for more details see the <a href="http://thiscraftinglife.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">TX Creative Textiles website</a>. It really is an excellent exhibition, well worth a visit, though I say so myself! There are two other exhibitions running at the same time in the arts centre and a rather nice cafe on site - perfect for a day out.<br />
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Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-83749986303621885322015-04-21T20:35:00.001+01:002015-04-22T16:16:19.936+01:00Reclamation<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lately I have been thinking it was about time I reclaimed my neglected blog. Especially after a good friend recently left a (pointed?) comment on my last post, which admittedly was written just over a year ago...
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And coincidentally, 'Reclaimed' is the theme of a group exhibition I will be taking part in in the summer. Although I already use reclaimed materials in my work wherever possible, not wanting to repeat myself I was struggling to come up with a direction for new pieces that I was satisfied with. Until, I came across a job lot of damaged vintage linen on ebay, a bundle of pieces not fit for anything else; some stained, some fraying and some quite simply falling apart.<br />
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At first I thought I would disassemble the linens and combine individual motifs with the reclaimed picture frame glass I like to use for my glass work. But while the samples I made were pretty things in themselves they still didn't feel quite right.
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So I decided to turn the concept around and try to 'mend' the damaged linens with my reclaimed glass. I'm much happier with this idea, with the strange mismatch of the materials, the idea of trying to effect a repair with something intrinsically fragile, and the way the glass magnifies the damage to the linen while at the same time covering it up.</div>
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Here are the first couple of pieces:<br />
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If anyone happens to have any tatty table linen they'd like to get rid of, do let me know. And as you can see from the first piece above, the tattier the better!</div>
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<br />Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-62351324749905247662014-04-01T21:37:00.000+01:002014-04-01T21:37:16.797+01:00A room of my own, at lastLooking back at my <a href="http://thiscraftinglife.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/theres-something-at-bottom-of-garden.html">last post</a>, it has been quite a while. And it was quite sunny then, looking at the beginnings of the base for my new studio. Of course it didn't stay sunny, most of the country had appalling weather and although ours wasn't as bad as some, the construction of the studio did take rather longer than expected.<br />
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But it <i>is</i> finished now (bar a few extra coats of paint) and I am beginning to settle in.<br />
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I did have to move a lot of 'stuff' in rather faster than I expected, due to the unexpected collapse of a ceiling in the house. But I am working my way through the clutter now, getting rid of things I don't need and rediscovering things I'd forgotten I had. It is strange, but it does takes time to settle in to a new workspace, to find places to put things where I can access them easily and, more importantly, remember where I put them! I'm still waiting for help to move my main kiln in, but that should happen in the next couple of weeks.<br />
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I suppose part of the reason it is taking me so long to settle in is that I am having to take time to reflect on the direction I want my work to go. I have come so far in my journey and have learnt so many different techniques, and I have the collection of tools and materials to show for it. And even though my studio looks enormous from the outside, it really isn't, I need to be disciplined if it is not going to disappear under piles of 'stuff'.<br />
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Plus of course I have been trying to organise yet more builders to come and sort out the ceiling in the house. And once that is done there will be decorating to do... I only wish the lovely people who built my shed did ceilings as well. Busy times!Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-62042466507302912742014-01-16T11:22:00.000+00:002014-01-16T11:22:02.917+00:00There's something at the bottom of the garden...Remember <a href="http://thiscraftinglife.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/gardening.html" target="_blank">this</a>? Now we have this...<br />
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Something is definitely happening at the end of the mudslide that used to be our garden.<br />
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I'm just beginning to allow myself to get excited about it. Just a little bit...Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-29740057328792876612014-01-07T20:15:00.000+00:002014-01-07T20:15:35.057+00:00Exhibiting here...Some of my work will be on show at the Society of Design Craftsmen 'Designer Crafts 2014' exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London, from Friday this week. As we have been hanging the exhibition I have been stunned by the quality of the other work and feel really honoured to have been selected. I can't recommend a visit to the exhibition highly enough if you can possibly make it.
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<br />Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-7958328318317093612013-09-12T16:58:00.000+01:002013-09-12T16:58:56.296+01:00A patch of blue skyI dusted off my sewing machine (and I mean dusted!) for the first time in a very long time today, to patch and piece together the beginnings of a corner of blue sky.<br />
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I dyed the fabric in my usual haphazard 'chuck it in and see what happens' way at the beginning of the week and it just so happened that the resulting colour of the fabric perfectly matched this morning's sky.<br />
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Now, shall I add clouds, or shall I not?Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-20809089991376720312013-09-03T16:52:00.000+01:002013-09-03T16:52:22.723+01:00GardeningDid you see this?<br />
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I think I posted it on Facebook, maybe not here. But this is what the bottom of our garden looked like a few weeks ago. Very green, overgrown, and not much space for anything. The poor old garden has been rather neglected while I was doing my degree (and, if I'm honest, for a while before that, I'm not much of a gardener at the best of times, and the summers have been so miserable for so long I rarely had any desire to go out there... )</div>
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Today we have this.</div>
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There is still more to do, the buddleia on the right needs to come out along with various other shrubs, and beyond that there is an apple tree that needs a serious haircut once we've picked the apples (a bumper crop again this year!). Behind me is a pile of hedge trimmings that need to be carted to the tip, but believe me, it is less than a quarter the size of the pile that <i>was</i> there.</div>
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Maybe, just maybe, there will be space for a shed...
Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-81883856060070821712013-08-21T09:07:00.001+01:002013-08-21T11:35:05.688+01:00The other sideLast week we spent a few days over on the east coast in Scarborough. The light and the general feeling of the coastline over there are markedly different from here in the west; sometimes it's a bit <i>too </i>bracing for someone like me who is used to the gentle west coast air, but last week the weather was lovely.<br />
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We spent one morning at Saltwick Bay just south of Whitby. We were dodging the rain showers, but in between the showers the light, the moody skies and the colours of the land and sea were just beautiful.<br />
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Behind the nab is the mysterious wreck of the 'Admiral von Tromp'.<br />
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Looking a bit like the bones of an ancient creature laid out on the beach.</div>
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It is rusting rather beautifully.<br />
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We all spent quite a lot of time looking down at the ground; some of us were searching for fossils, but I was fascinated by the patterns that the tide had made with hundreds of little pieces of slate all carefully positioned on end.<br />
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I shall definitely be going back to visit again!Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-38374420897196577942013-08-17T18:24:00.001+01:002013-08-17T18:25:21.007+01:00TX Creative Textiles ExhibitionThe annual TX Creative Textiles exhibition is now on at <a href="http://www.castleparkarts.co.uk/?q=visiting" target="_blank">Castle Park Arts Centre</a> in Frodsham, and, as usual, it is well worth a visit. This year the group worked with a local group of published poets and each selected a poem or part of a poem as the starting point for their work; resulting in a wide variety of excellent work.<br />
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The exhibition is on until 15th September, so plenty of time to catch it yet. If you are travelling a distance to visit, please bear in mind that the centre is mainly staffed by volunteers so call ahead to make sure all is well. You can find opening hours and contact details on their website <a href="http://www.castleparkarts.co.uk/?q=visiting" target="_blank">here</a>.Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-17952093656732499402013-07-31T20:29:00.001+01:002013-07-31T20:29:21.498+01:00tching!<br />
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I took this rather lovely thing out of the kiln on Monday. It was quite cool to the touch and survived being cleaned up with no problem. But the kiln shelf underneath must have been warmer than I thought and the sudden change in temperature shocked the glass; because as it has been sitting on the desk beside me, every so often I hear little 'tching' noises as it has gradually started to crack... you can see the biggest crack in the bottom left hand corner but there are others all up that side. Aah, the joys of working with glass!</div>
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So this piece is destined to be used in a 'what if' type experiment.</div>
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Whereas the piece below is from a different firing and is behaving itself; at least I managed to get one piece finished and framed up. Better go and cut up some more glass!</div>
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<br />Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-87216113608999035672013-07-20T17:30:00.000+01:002013-07-20T17:30:47.871+01:00And the sea glass is onThe internet has been behaving today so no more crawling around on the floor (I am informed it was off at 2am but since I am generally asleep then I'll let it off...)<br />
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So I had a nice peaceful afternoon stitching the sea glass pieces on. I do like to see the little rectangles all lined up like this; maybe I should do a collection of them on a canvas or in a frame some time, what do you think?<br />
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But this lot were destined to be cards.<br />
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I think some will be going out to a local shop, and I just need to find time to photograph the rest so I can list them in <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/hypsela" target="_blank">my etsy shop</a>.Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-28492015881844913562013-07-19T21:29:00.000+01:002013-07-19T21:29:20.210+01:00Slow Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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They look a bit more interesting now, don't they? I had hoped to spend a peaceful afternoon stitching on fragments of sea glass but instead I spent the time on the phone to our internet service provider, and crawling around on the floor connecting this and disconnecting that... it seems to have worked, I'm posting this after all, fingers crossed!<br />
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And the sea glass will still be waiting for me tomorrow.Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-78210716777233741132013-07-15T18:36:00.000+01:002013-07-15T18:36:49.097+01:00RestockingI've had a little run on my seashore art cards during this last week or so. And the lovely thing is, I actually have time to make some more! The <a href="http://thiscraftinglife.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/making-textured-paper-backgrounds-part.html" target="_blank">process</a> is a bit longwinded but I do enjoy it. So on my table today are...<br />
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They're all a bit samey at the moment but that will soon change.<br />
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I've also had time to stock up on a few of my silk and wire hearts, now available <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/hypsela?section_id=7688858" target="_blank">here</a>; the red ones have been out of stock for ages, but no more! Here they are, hanging up to dry.<br />
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<br />Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-20765912622134441182013-07-08T14:14:00.000+01:002013-07-08T14:14:00.624+01:00Things I might have time for now...<div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsdesign/7963116534/" title="Looking out by Helen~S, on Flickr"><img alt="Looking out" height="250" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7963116534_f1807846cd.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<li>Walking on the beach (instead of creating work about it)</li>
<li>Catching up with all the people I've promised to have coffee with when it was all over</li>
<li>Teaching my boys to cook something more adventurous than bacon sandwiches and omelettes (although they do make a mean bacon sandwich and omelette, and most excellent chocolate muffins)</li>
<li>Reclaiming the garden from the wilderness it has become (more on that later...)</li>
<li>Making myself a dress (I've had the fabric for ages)</li>
<li>Walking to the local independent shops instead of making evening runs to the supermarket in the car</li>
<li>Finishing off the myriad repair and re-decoration tasks which have been on hold for the last 4 years</li>
<li>Housework (just a little bit, I'm not going to break the habit of a lifetime and go overboard on it!)</li>
<li>Trying out all the creative ideas I've had to put on the back burner during the course of the degree</li>
<li>Building a business!</li>
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I've had my post show slump - which seems to have been much shorter than I expected, maybe the good weather has helped - and I'm looking forward to the future!Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-73509168719482515942013-07-06T22:26:00.000+01:002013-07-06T22:26:17.988+01:00I've finished!Finished my degree that is... apologies for the complete lack of blogging over the last few weeks but it had to go, along with cooking, laundry, in fact any housework at all, and even, at times, sleeping.<br />
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Am I glad I did it? Yes. Am I glad it's over? YES!<br />
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So here are some pictures of my final collection of work. They're not the most brilliant photographs, I seem to have created work that is camera shy, but I've done my best to capture it and please take my word that everything looks better in real life!<br />
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There are more pictures over on <a href="http://helen-smith.com/" target="_blank">my new website</a>. And normal blogging service should be resumed here shortly...Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-1818385903805037692013-04-23T19:37:00.001+01:002013-04-23T19:37:51.229+01:00Drawing the horizonI'm still plugging away, firing more and more glass strips. I laid out all the ones I'd done so far this morning.<br />
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It's getting there, but not quite what I want yet. I lined them all up a bit better and added the prints for the next sets of strips to the end and it began to look a bit more like it...<br />
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Laying the strips nice and straight rather than a bit haphazard made quite a difference; it's something I'm going to have to take into consideration when I'm fixing them all together.<br />
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<i>(Apologies for the poor photographs, it's not easy to find the space to lay them all out, impossible to find somewhere with good lighting as well!)</i>Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-76473019542979704672013-04-14T21:17:00.000+01:002013-04-14T21:17:10.906+01:00Today's post is brought to you by the letter RIn June I will be taking part in the <a href="http://de-junkre-junk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/de-junk-re-junk-2013.html" target="_blank">de-junk, re-junk! exhibition</a> of art made from... junk, of course! The exhibition brings together a variety of work from Merseyside based artists and this year it is at the Willliamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead.<br />
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The exhibitors are busy making new signs for the exhibition and I have been allocated the letter 'r'. I have to make 2 'r's, one 'subtle' one, and one 'bright' one; there is not much time left so this weekend I decided I really needed to get on with them.<br />
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This morning I took my first r out of the kiln...<br />
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It is made from strips cut from a stack of old picture frame glass and I'm really rather pleased with the way it has come out; it was worth all the cleaning! Glass has to be scrupulously clean when it goes into the kiln and using old glass which has been knocking around in someone's loft or garage for a while does mean an <i>awful</i> lot of cleaning. Now I just need to figure out how I am going to attach it to a backing board...<br />
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So that's my 'subtle' r; this afternoon I made a start on my 'bright' r using plastic carrier bag strips.<br />
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It's a bit further on now but it will certainly be keeping me occupied for the next few evenings!Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-39498103098177531582013-04-03T14:54:00.000+01:002013-04-03T14:54:20.902+01:00Something completely different...Towards the end of April, as part of our course, the final year students will be creating a pop-up gallery/shop in Wrexham, and we are tasked with stocking it with lovely things at affordable prices. Since the glass pieces I have been working on are somewhat experimental I wasn't sure that they would be suitable (or finished!) so I have gone back to my first love, textiles, and combined it with my second love, printmaking.<br />
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I've used various scraps of trim and edgings, some vintage, some reclaimed and some just 'spare', to make a series of collagraph plates. It's a great way to use pieces that are too small for much else, and even pieces that are falling apart; they can be 'repaired' when they are glued to the plate. All you need to remember when you're making the plates is that you can ignore the colour and just concentrate on the texture.<br />
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My idea was to create printed backgrounds from the trims onto which I could add 'real' pieces of trim. I originally thought I would ink the plates in a brown colour to give that vintage feel, but I didn't really like the results, even the palest colour seemed to overpower the delicate pattern and texture.<br />
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So I decided to stick to blind embossing, which is a much quicker and cleaner process without the ink, better all round! I've been having fun 'auditioning' buttons from my button tin and scraps of trim from my ribbon box and I have finally made some decisions and sewn a few on... I'm struggling to decide which is my favourite. What do you think?<br />
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The paper size for these prints is just under A5; I think the size works well with the scale of the elements. I am wondering whether to do some A4 sized ones as well or whether the extra 'bits and pieces' needed to fill the space will make them look too cluttered.<br />
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When I'm embossing I nearly always have a few disasters where either the plate or the paper moves and the whole thing ends up crooked. There's nothing really that can be done with those prints except tear them up, which is ideal for making cards.<br />
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I was so pleased with these cards that I made a couple more prints on scraps of paper just so I could make some extra for my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/hypsela" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>; I'll be listing them just as soon as I get some decent photographs.<br />
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And if you're anywhere near Wrexham during the week 22nd to 26th April, do pop along to the People's Market to see what other lovely things we have on show.Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-79297313274979399512013-03-31T19:03:00.000+01:002013-03-31T19:03:26.039+01:00A beautiful day for a walkAfter the snow, the weather has been cold and so bright it has given me a headache. Today I remembered to take my sunglasses when we went out and felt much better. The light was so bright and clear that all the colours seemed saturated; I haven't done anything to the colours of these photos. Apologies if you're getting bored of pictures of the beach!<br />
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<br />Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-76943489085129005112013-03-26T20:02:00.000+00:002013-03-26T20:02:50.100+00:00Progress and SetbacksSince I posted about <a href="http://thiscraftinglife.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/finding-my-way.html" target="_blank">finding a technique</a> I wanted to explore, I had a bit of a setback. I did a series of experiments and made various samples and, all of a sudden, it stopped working. Cue a mild attack of panic and a series of unsuccessful experiments, followed by a quiet afternoon trying to remember what on earth, what tiny, seemingly insignificant thing, I had done differently before. Fortunately it dawned on me, I had an anxious day waiting for the test kiln firing to finish, but it worked... phew!<br />
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So I've been putting together some little glass-and-wire fences. Or maybe trees.<br />
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The next issue to sort out was the wire; the first one I used broke when it was twisted tightly. The next one was a bit flimsy; although I do want to channel broken down fences, not so much that I can't get the thing to stand up at all...<br />
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On to the next wire; this one is quite a bit thicker and I did think it might be too thick, but I'm pleased with the way it has turned out. The pieces have a nice sturdy feel to them and I do like the black colour of the wire. Although I might attack it with a little salt and vinegar and see what happens...<br />
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And so, on to the next challenge, to sort out the image printed on the glass. Currently it's a bit too 'all over' for my liking.Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-26236254487521762272013-03-24T17:52:00.000+00:002013-03-24T17:52:12.268+00:00IciclesUnusually we have been hit by the recent snowy weather too (snow doesn't usually bother with this little corner, surrounded as we are by so much water). Not far away there is a lane that often floods; and the combination of the chilly weather and the flooded lane have given us this:<br />
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Every time a car drives through the puddle the hedge is sprayed with water; it had a few more soakings as we watched. Isn't it lovely?<br />
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<br />Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-17873892374822217152013-02-28T17:38:00.000+00:002013-02-28T20:55:47.675+00:00Finding my way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q0EJhoha_68/US6B2mEiCDI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/iMkuUOrQwNU/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q0EJhoha_68/US6B2mEiCDI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/iMkuUOrQwNU/s320/026.JPG" width="319" /></a>Isn't it funny how trying just one thing can suddenly make everything fall into place? And about time too you might say, as I am very nearly at the end of my degree course.<br />
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In the first year of the course I fell in love with collagraph printing. Creating the plates; the way the ink echoed the texture of the plate and the unpredictability of the print itself; the variations in the strength of the marks; everything.<br />
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Ever since then I have, sometimes consciously and sometimes not, been trying to replicate that effect in glass.<br />
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First I tried copying the images I had created from the collagraphs and screenprinting them onto the glass. That worked, up to a point, but for me the screenprinting process meant that the images lost the essential sense of texture that they had as prints on paper. They were just too definite, too clean.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsdesign/6715458385/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Untitled by Helen~S, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6715458385_a0310db892.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Then I tried creating plaster moulds in the same way that I create collagraph plates and casting the glass in these moulds. <br />
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So far the results of this have been somewhat unpredictable. I dare say if I pursue it, eventually I will get it to work as I want, but it is a time consuming process, and also one which uses a lot of expensive glass frit. I have also realised that to do this I will have to get used to using more robust materials to create my textures; both to stand up to the mould making process and to create definite enough marks on the glass; and I'm not sure that I want to change my materials so much.<br />
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But then the other day I had one of those 'I haven't tried that' moments and these little printed strips were the result.<br />
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They may not look much but I am very excited about them. The print on the back of the glass was taken from one of my collagraph prints; the glass was laid on top of it in the kiln and has 'picked up' the image, but in a much more interesting and sketchy way than a direct screenprint. There is just enough texture on the back of the glass; I can see endless possibilities in these two little strips of glass...<br />
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<br />Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-25095099406119602382013-02-16T21:46:00.000+00:002013-02-16T21:46:34.680+00:00EdgesI've been waiting until I could take better photographs of these pieces because they really need the sun, and lately the sun shining and my being around with the camera have not happened at the same time. So I've given up waiting and here they are.<br />
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Living where I do, I have been looking again at the textures and light on the estuary, the edge of the land and water. And working with glass I have been fascinated by the play of light on the edges (which is why I was waiting for the sun for the best effect.)<br />
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I've combined the glass with paper, either rusted or embossed, and, of course, stitched it all together. I can't seem to get out of the habit of sewing things to paper!<br />
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This one has paper embossed with fishing line from a tangle I picked up on the shore.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsdesign/8480162890/" title="Edges: embossed paper, glass, stitch by Helen~S, on Flickr"><img alt="Edges: embossed paper, glass, stitch" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8103/8480162890_bd1c44d262.jpg" width="375" /></a></center>
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And this one, I rusted the paper using a piece of scrap metal collected a little way up river.<br />
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I spent quite a while wondering whether these pieces were perhaps too 'minimal' and worrying that perhaps they looked as if I hadn't done anything much. But then I find that I tend to start off with a busier design and gradually edit it down to something far more restrained; stopping at the right point is the skill I suppose. I think I've got it right...
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsdesign/8480163254/" title="Edges: embossed paper, glass, stitch by Helen~S, on Flickr"><img alt="Edges: embossed paper, glass, stitch" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8480163254_5bc1c60361_n.jpg" width="183" /></a> . <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsdesign/8480162476/" title="Edges: rust, glass, stitch by Helen~S, on Flickr"><img alt="Edges: rust, glass, stitch" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8480162476_8e0ed74a0e_n.jpg" width="178" /></a></center>
Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-18970989706692898772013-01-13T19:43:00.000+00:002013-01-13T19:43:42.810+00:00QuietI've been quiet lately, I know I have. The final year of my course is speeding along and I have been trying to find a way of working that suits me.<br />
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Perhaps because my work is quiet in feel, I find I work better in my own space at home rather than in the noise and bustle of the university studios. Plus each day I stay at home saves me 2 hours of travelling time and quite a lot of petrol money; yet I can't get over the silly feeling that somehow I am 'playing truant'. Despite this feeling, since Christmas I have been strict with myself and have stopped dashing around, giving myself time to think about my work and where it is going.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a sneak peek</i></td></tr>
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I have also been worrying that my work has been getting so restrained that it is barely there at all; this timely <a href="http://paperponderings.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/thursday-thoughts_10.html" target="_blank">post from Fiona</a> has really helped me to resolve that in my own mind.<br />
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So this week I shall be quietly arranging and rearranging my fragments of glass and hope soon to have some resolved pieces to show you.Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712700642863262985.post-25327407334995261852012-11-19T18:52:00.000+00:002012-11-19T18:52:16.557+00:00Fundraising Art AuctionRegular readers will know that I am doing a degree in Applied Arts; what you might not realise is that I am in my final year now. I know, its come round really fast, hasn't it? <br />
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So we final year students are holding an auction next week, to raise money to take our work to the New Designers show in London next June. Lots of generous local applied artists are donating work and we students will be putting pieces in too.<br />
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You are all invited... there will be mulled wine and mince pies and the perfect opportunity to buy some really unique Christmas presents.<br />
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<br />Helen Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17360142897304650781noreply@blogger.com0