PILLOW TALK

Hand painting, stenciling, silk screening and stamping can all turn plain cotton fabrics into luxe textiles in minutes. With a bit of paint, cotton fabric and a little inspiration, you can add a splash of summer color to your rooms or make a unique gift. It's just that easy! Check out these fabulous one of a kind works of art!

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH KNIGHT NYC

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PRISCILLA MAE ET AL

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLE NEVINE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JUDY BLACK

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAROL NIVEN

PHOTOS COURTESY OF YELLIKELLI

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAM MARWEDE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MONICA MAGNESS

GIRL GONE THREAD WILD

Be Bold! Be Inspired! Be Creative!

IN CONVERSATION WITH KIM THITTICHAI

Kim Thittichai is a textile artist, tutor and author based in Brighton, East Sussex UK. Her specialty is creating 3 dimensional textile forms and surface decoration. Known for breaking boundaries and helping students to think out of the box, Kim lectures, delivers workshops and exhibits her work whenever and wherever possible. Her first book Hot Textiles is a fabulous guide full of inspiration and techniques for anyone wishing to experiment, burn, layer, melt or distort a wide range of exciting materials with heat tools. It has become one of our favorite resources and we were so pleased that Kim was able to grant us this interview.

KIM THITTICHAI

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS STUDIO: Morning person or night owl?
KIM THITTICHAI: Morning.

RWSS: Dogs, cats or.............
KIM: Dogs - DEFINITELY!

RWSS: Favorite place you've been or lived?
KIM: My current house, after 10 years I finally have it how I would like and enjoy opening for the Brighton Open Houses in May and December. It makes me clean my house at least twice a year!

CAPSTONES

7FT WIDE

RWSS: Who's on your i-pod?
KIM: Doobie Brothers, Seal, Outkast, Carly Simon, Anastasia, Gabriella Cilmi.

RWSS: Mac or PC?
KIM: PC

RWSS: What book have you read recently?
KIM: I hate to say it - my next book Experimental Textiles - it's at the final proof stage. I THINK it's good!!!!

EXPERIMENTAL TEXTILES

RWSS: Have you ever held a traditional 9-5 job?
KIM: No - have managed to escape - so far.......

RWSS: If you had to choose another career what would it be?
KIM: A gardener or a chef.

RWSS: Favorite quote?
KIM: Be sure your sins will find you out!

COLOURED COLUMNS

VESSELS RANGING FROM 4-7 FT TALL

RWSS: What inspires you?
KIM: Triumph over adversity.

RWSS: Are there any of your own pieces that you can't bear to part with?
KIM: My ceramic vessels that I made for my degree show many moons ago.

RWSS: Favorite medium to work with?
KIM: At the moment - CS800, similar to Lutradur 130. It gives amazing effect when zapped with a heat gun or can be soldered for a smooth edge.

EARTH JEWELS
5 FT TALL

RWSS: Any indispensable tools or equipment?
KIM: My heat gun.

EARTH JEWELS DETAIL

RWSS: Best advice you've ever received?
KIM: Slow down, don't try to do it all at once.

RWSS: Worst advice you've ever received?
KIM: "God only sends you what you can cope with". It's very irritating and patronizing and not what you want to hear when you are at a low ebb.

RWSS: What do you do to unwind?
KIM: Walk, play in my studio and work in the garden.

TORN

24" x 12"

RWSS: Best part of your day?
KIM: Waking up.....

RWSS: I'd be lost without......
KIM: My sister.

RWSS: What's on the horizon for 2010?
KIM: I'm hoping to do a PHD.

RWSS: Do you do anything special for your birthday?
KIM: CELEBRATE!!!!!

ICE AND PARTY GIRL

5 FT TALL

RWSS: Best dessert?
KIM: A good chocolate mousse or New York cheesecake or homemade ice cream or lemon tart or..........

RWSS: What would you like to be remembered for?
KIM: Being a good tutor and making a difference to one or two lives.

KIM TEACHING AT A WORKSHOP

RWSS: What would you do with a few extra hours each day?
KIM: My own work.

RWSS: Any words of wisdom?
KIM: I know it's a cliche` but ......... this is not a rehearsal !!!!!


We are delighted to carry Kim's first book Hot Textiles in our online shop and look forward to the release of her second book Experimental Textiles in August 2009.

HOT TEXTILES

LIFE'S A BEACH

We consider ourselves fortunate indeed to live in beautiful British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada on Vancouver Island. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, we are but minutes away from the beach and all that it has to offer.


Realizing that not everyone has the ocean at their doorstep, we have decided to share some photos for inspiration today in a salute to summer! Click on the photos to enlarge the detail. We hope that you enjoy them!

A SEA OF GREEN

The textures and variety of driftwood never cease to amaze!





Mother Nature's own form of embellishment - barnacles, kelp and seaweed abound!




There's always an unusual rock to admire ..........


And last, but not least....does anyone else see him in the picture below? It looks to be "The Man in the Moon".....or perhaps we had too much sun! What do you think?

THE MAN IN THE MOON

We hope that you are able to take time to explore the outdoors this summer and enjoy Mother Nature at her best!

IN CONVERSATION WITH ANGIE HUGHES

Angie Hughes is a textile artist and tutor who lives and works in Ledbury, Herefordshire. Her artwork is inspired by many themes, particularly poetry or text, the natural world and especially plant forms. Since September 2006, she has solely run Ledbury Artplace - a recently renovated 18th century building comprised of purpose built art studios and workshop facilities used for teaching a variety of drawing, painting, textile and craft subjects. Stitch, Cloth, Paper & Paint is her first book and is full of wonderful mixed media ideas and inspiration.

ANGIE HUGHES

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS STUDIO: Favorite place you've been or lived?
ANGIE HUGHES: The Knapp and Papermill nature reserve near Alfrick, Worcestershire any time of the year, though in the spring it's the most beautiful place in the world to me.

FLOWER BOOKWRAP

RWSS: Morning person or night owl?
ANGIE: Morning - I usually go swimming if I'm at home.

RWSS: Dogs, cats or.........
ANGIE: Tadpoles.....very low maintenance, cost nothing in vets bills and leave home on their own!

RWSS: If you had to choose another career what would it be?
ANGIE: A musician.

RWSS: Do you do anything special for your birthday?
ANGIE: Not particularly, though a friend of mine always carries a marrow with him on his special day.

HUNG WITH STARS

RWSS: Best dessert:
ANGIE: Anything with lemons.

RWSS: Mac or PC?
ANGIE: PC - I spend far too much of my time in front of it though.

RWSS: Who's on your i-pod?
ANGIE: PJ Harvey, T-Bone Burnett, Dan Auerbach, The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir, The Be Good Tanyas.

URIEL

RWSS: Best advice you've ever received?
ANGIE: If you can't stick it, stitch it!

RWSS: Worst advice you've ever received?
ANGIE: Wait!

LIVE LIFE BAG

RWSS: Are there any of your own pieces that you can't bear to part with?
ANGIE: A piece I made last year called What Lies Beneath - it's too personal to let go.

WHAT LIES BENEATH

RWSS: What is the most rewarding part of being involved with Ledbury Artplace?
ANGIE: The exchange of ideas with the students, I learn as much from them as they do from me.

RWSS: Best part of your day?
ANGIE: 4 o'clock at the end of a workshop, the humdrum of noise dies down and reflection sets in. I love teaching but enjoy the silence afterward.

GARDEN BOOKWRAP

RWSS: Favorite medium to work with?
ANGIE: Velvet. It's a lovely surface to paint and stitch and it has super quiltyness about it.

RWSS: Who would you most like to meet and how would you spend the day?
ANGIE: Myself at the moment!

BABEL

BABEL DETAIL

RWSS: What would you do with a few extra hours each day?
ANGIE: Sleep. I think it's me age.

RWSS: Favorite quote:
ANGIE: "Time flies like the wind, fruit flies like a banana". Groucho Marx.

BEJEWELLED BAGS

RWSS: What is the one thing that people would be surprised to find out about you?
ANGIE: I sing and play guitar and perform quite regularly.

RWSS: What's on the horizon for......
ANGIE: I'm trying to write another book, but I find this process hard to start.

INDIAN ARTIFACT

RWSS: I'd be lost without........
ANGIE: My sewing machine a Bernina and my guitar.

RWSS: Any words of wisdom?
ANGIE: Don't think too hard - it doesn't change anything. Always carry a camera and sketchbook, eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired.

SUNDIAL DIPTYCH

DIPTYCH DETAIL

Beautifully illustrated, Angie's new book Stitch, Cloth, Paper & Paint explores an exciting range of mixed media techniques and their effects on fabric and paper. Filled with inspiration and know-how, this book is sure to become a favorite with textile artists, embroiderers, quilters and papercrafters.

STITCH, CLOTH, PAPER & PAINT

We were delighted that Angie was able to fit our interview into her busy schedule and wish her much success with her first book. To learn more about this entertaining and talented artist, please visit

www.angiehughes.com.