Sunday, June 27, 2010

That Dress!



Everybody loves that dress! Whenever I wear it somebody stops me to compliment me on it.

I made it for my book, Contemporary Dyecraft (Metz Press) and Ivan Naude (http://www.planetivan.com/) took this fabulous picture of it for me.

Do you know that it was dyed using only the three primary colours, yellow, magenta and turquoise? All the other colours that you see on the dress were blended on the cloth during the making. If you would like to make one for yourself, why not order your copy of Contemporary Dyecraft for the technique.

It is available through all the regualr channels, including Leisure Books, Kalahari and Amazon.

The dress was made for me by a talented young designer in Johannesburg called Yoriko Alty. Her label is Wild Fig. You can contact her on +27825652675 to order your designer garments or you can view the Facebook page under Wild Fig Clothing to see her latest collection.

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

+27835689150

http://www.dyeandprints.co.za/


Monday, June 21, 2010

Colour Technicians Course



I taught this fabulous group of people this weekend at Oppi Stoep in Lyttleton, Pretoria.
We unpacked colour mixing with dye in great depth to build colour swatch charts that the students can use for their various activities.
The group was made up of clothing manufactureres, fashion designers, school teachers and craft enthusiasts who all wanted to learn how to mix their own colour rainbow.
While the methodology can be rather boring, the personalities in the group certainly were not, and we had a tremendous amount of fun. Just look at their hands! And the big smiles to go with them. It certainly looks as if everybody had fun.
Teaching is an amazing experience for me. I always leave a class feeling as if I have learned more than I have taught, and this class was no exception. This vibrant group of people are all so passionate about what they do, it excites me to think of what they are going to do with the tools that I gave them this past weekend.
Sunet Wagner (http://www.minimax.org.za/) is re-educating teachers in the Visual Arts so that they can teach kids about Dance, Drama, Singing and Crafts. She saw the colour wheel come alive this weekend and is taking her new knowledge to her holiday camp this week.
Bets and Cindy are school teachers and they are going to share their new rainbow experience with kids in their classes at school.
Elsa Young plans to empower rural women with what she learned.
Colleen Jack wants to build a Teambuilding experience that engages all five senses. Hopefully this class will help her with one of the elements that she needs.
Reiniette Katoff makes clothing and plans to use what she learned to batch dye garments and Wilco plans to add a fresh new twist to his underwear collection (Bone Wear).
Hanneke van Linge is re-inventing herself as a craft teacher. She is a serial entrepreneur who is looking for her next business.
Corrie van der Merwe came all the way from Lydenburg to have some fun. She is one of my most enthusiastic students and a gift in my life.
I cannot wait to see the ripples in the world that this weekend's activities are going to set off, and I am grateful to be part of such an amazing process.
Follow the link below to see the rest of the pictures on Facebook.
Have a great day in full colour!
Kind regards
Melanie
+27835689150

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Hobby-X Pretoria


There is a real treat coming up for all craft enthusiasts at the end of July. Hobby-X is coming to Pretoria and www.in2crafts.co.za is presenting an awesome opportunity at the show.


You can sign up to do four 90 minute classes each day during the show. You pay R500 and get all four classes and VIP treatment for one very special price. You get free entrance to the exhibition, a Goodie Bag, lunch, and all the materials for all four classes. There is a wide variety of classes to choose from, from papercraft, to mosaic, to jewellery, to pewter, to textile crafts and more! This is great value for money for a full day of crafting entertainment. Owen (Craftwise Magazine) has invited only the best craft Teechas to teach at this event so that you are assured of a high quality standard throughout.


I will be teaching two classes during the day. You can sign up for Printing With Found Objects in the morning and Lino Block Printing in the afternoon.


Would you like to make your own printed fabrics for quilting and crafting? Do you think that it is an expensive exercise to print your own fabrics? Let me show you how to make an infinite range of options using simple techniques and materials that you can find around your home. Learn to make prints on a shoestring budget.


Would you like to make your own hand carved stamps for printing on fabric and other surfaces? Do you think that it is difficult or expensive? Let me show you how to make your own stamps. It is easy and quick. This direct technique can have you printing in a very short time. These stamps can be used on fabric, card, leather, pvc, wood and many other surfaces.


There are a limited number of seats available and they are filling up fast. Sign up today at

http://tucats.co.za/in2crafts/


If you would like to pop in to talk to me or get your copy of my book signed, I will be in the Metz Press stand in between classes.www.metzpress.co.za
I look forward to seeing you there!
Have a great day in full colour!
Kind regards
Melanie
+27835689150

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

UFO's



UFO : Un Finished Object
Every crafter seems to have a few of them scattered around the house.
Human beings are full of ideas. We get caught up in a moment of inspiration and tear off to start a new project. It takes time to finish and we get bored. Then we are struck with a fresh idea and before we know it, the first project is forgotten and we are off at a tangent, making something else.
The worst thing a crafter can do is to actually count the UFO's. The list often gets so long that we become overwhelmed at the task of finishing all of them and we sink into depression at the thought of all the work we have to do to complete them!
The only cure for the growing pile of UFO's is to sit down and systematically tackle them one at a time. You will feel a small flash of victory as you complete each one, and that will fuel your energy to finish the next one.
This leaves you with the question, what does one do with all the fresh ideas that you get as you sit in that zen space working on the UFO's? The answer is simple. Go off and create! Yes, you are just making another UFO, to be added to the growing pile and finished at a later date. The point is, if you do not begin to act on a bright idea it is very often lost completely. We forget so easily.
All great work is created in chaos. Life is chaos, and, much like life, the creative process begins with wonder, then a period of tedium and routine follows, and then it ends with a great deal of satisfaction as you sit back and admire the beautiful thing that you have made of it.
If you are feeling inspired, start something new. If you have no new ideas, go and finish a UFO. Trust the process and have fun.
Have a great day in full colour!
Kind regards
Melanie
+27835689150

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Never Give Up!

I have been an Entrepreneur for most of my adult life. My businesses have not always been successful, which got me thinking...
When does a business end? Whe does it shut down?
Is it when it is in a financially stretched state the the Entrepreneur cannot get out of? Is it at the point of liquidation? Is it when the business owes a whole lot of money to a whole lot of people?
If those were the criteria, I could have closed my company down many times. There were periods when I could have shut down every month at month end. Many entrepreneurs will beg, borrow, co-erce and convince whoever they need to to pull their business through such times. Those who survive to thrive will find any means to pull their "child" through the difficult times.
This said, when does a business end?
I believe that it happens in a moment, and there is only one cause. It happens in the moment when the Entrepreneur gives up, and says "I cannot do this anymore." The single biggest cause of businesses failing is that people give up.
It is tough. I cannot kid anybody and claim that it is easy to perservere. I do not blame people for giving up.
If you are an Entrepreneur and you want to build a successful business, the best piece of advice I can give you is to never give up. If you never give up, you will surely get there. Don't shut down the dream, look for another way, even if it does not seem that there can be a solution. Look for another way.
Have a great day in full colour!
Kind regards
Melanie
0835689150