Now the new blog is up and running I can use this blog to document my own work and nothing else. The plan is that this will lead to more frequent posts on both blogs. I do get distracted by all the wonderful work people make and show on the internet and end up looking at that instead of updating my blog, so now this blog has focus I should be less distracted. I will still talk about other artists that I feel have influenced me in some way. The appearance of both blogs will change soon and links will either stay or move to the other blog, this is a job I keep putting off because its takes ages.

New work is on the way at last. Some of the inspiration for my new work is connected to the stories from the kitchen table blog, they have developed quite organically alongside each other and now are real instead of being lots of notes jotted down in my little notebook. I have been interested in the use of text in art work for many years and it seems to be everywhere at the moment. I have previously talked about the use of a diary as a vehicle for expression also. I see them all as a way of telling stories, no matter how simple or complicated. I had previously thought of making objects which had a history, a story to tell but I have since realised what I need to look at is the story itself and the act of story telling. I have been reminded of this recently because I have lent a friend a book I read about 10 years ago If on a winters night a traveller by Italo Calvino I love this book and really should read it again. It takes the art of storytelling to a new level and whisks you the reader away on an amazing journey. So my new work is a collaection of minature stories, presented in different ways and using a variety of marterials and process with stitch being central to it all.

This first piece is a book using stitch and letter stamp printing and tells the oldest story of all – boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily everafter. I still haven’t decided on the finished form yet.

I would like to learn more about printing and particularly letterpress printing, we have a traditional letterpress printers close to where I live and I keep saying I’m going to go and visit and never seem to have the time. Recently Sue from mouse notebookdid go and wrote this amazing piece about her visit. Sue has also written a very thought provoking piece about the price of handmade and competing with the likes of Tesco selling bags for £2.50, well worth a read here.