Hobby-X Feedback

I taught six classes in three days and it was fabulous! The students were SO enthusiastic I could not help but have a wonderful time.

They learned how to print with found objects that they can find around their home and I think that they returned home after the class with new eyes.

I also taught them how to make their own hand carved lino blocks for printing. Although I favour textiles, these stamps can be used to print on paper, card, wood, leather, pvc, candles and many other surfaces.

The ladies enjoyed playing with colour and especially liked printing on the hand dyed base cloth that I supplied.

In between classes I spent my time at the Metz Press stand promoting my book, Contemporary Dyecraft (Metz Press). It has been available for seven months now and I still enjoy signing copies for my fans.

A big "THANK YOU!" to the Hobby-X organisers for putting together another quality event, and to Owen Calverly from TuCats (Craftwise Magazine) for orchestrating the classes.

To those of you who participated, you rock! And to those of you who did not make it to the event, we hope to see you there next year.

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

0835689150

Contemporary Dyecraft

Contemporary Dyecraft (Metz Press) is selling very well and the feedback that we are getting so far is very positive. Here are some of the comments that we have received...

"I started reading my treasure last night. It is just like being with you in a class. Reading your book has really got my juices going again." Michelle Russell.

"May I say that it was love at first read! Congratulations, I am blown away and very excited." Patsy Hamilton.

"Thank you for your book----it is absolutely awesome! Received it today and honsetly know that it will be hugely inspiring and informative!" Basil and Liz, Square Tomato

If you would like to order your copy online, you have a variety of options. You can read more about it on the publisher's website at www.metzpress.co.za

You can order from:

Leisure Books www.leisurebooks.com

Kalahari www.kalahari.net

Amazon www.amazon.com

Red Pepper Books www.redpepperbooks.co.za

It is also available in North America from the Canadian Publisher, Firefly Books at www.fireflybooks.com/bookdetail&ean=9781554077298

Order your copy today and join in the fun! The DVD to support the book with more techniques will be available very soon. I will keep you posted as soon as I have stock in hand.

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

+2735689150

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

Gratitude

I sit down to write this blog today with a deep sense of gratitude in my heart. I spent four whirlwind days at Hobby-X promoting Contemporary Dyecraft with my publisher, Wilsia Metz. It was just the most amazing experience of my life!

I am deeply grateful to all the people who made it such a special experience.

First, I must thank Wilsia Metz. It has been a great privelege to work with such a professional publisher. The quality of her books is impecable and her efficiency is makes it an absolute pleasure to work with her.

It was fabulous to meet my fellow authors under her umbrella. Fransie Snyman, Sandy Griffiths, Tracy Boomer, Di van Niekerk and Retha van der Walt... thank you all for your contribution to the weekend. You were a super team to work with.

I must also thank all of my customers and supporters who popped into the stand to say hello. I was especially excited to see how many of you have tried out the techniques in my book already. The young man in the picture came all the way from Louis Trichaardt to show me what he had made, using the book as a guide. Money cannot buy such an experience.

Thank you to Owen and Sharon Calverly from Craftwise and Stitches Magazines for their ongoing support for the Metz Press brand.

Thank you to Steven Hall from Free The Orange, and Kim from Trinitas for coming to the event to shoot some footage for our records. It is going to be awesome to have a dvd of this wonderful event for our archives.

Thank you to our fellow-traders. Your smiles and laughter carried us through a long event.

Thank you to the organisers of the event. Hobby-X is the premier event for the Craft industry in South Africa and we look forward to it every year. I am sure that many people will agree with me that Hobby-X 2010 was the best one yet.

All the excitement has left me buzzing (and quite exhausted) and I am going to take a few days to regroup.

Thanks again! It would not have been the same if there were not so many fabulous creative people to share it with.

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

Metz Press

Metz Press is an independent publisher of high quality information books and illustrated non-fiction for the South African market as well as the international co-edition market. Their focus remains on crafts, gardening, parenting and life (which includes several self-hep titles). One of a small number of independent South African publishers to have successfully penetrated the international co-edition market, Metz has sold rights to their books in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Turkey and Russia. After many years of hard work and a consistent presence at the Frankfurt International Book Fair, Metz has convinced international companies that they can meet their high standards of quality content, production and delivery. Most of their overseas editions reprint regularly and the list is growing.

Metz Press continues to attract the best craft authors for our project-based craft books. Their creativity, combined with a practical, hands-on approach and the service of top photographers in this genre all contribute to a range that simply stands out from the rest. Last year's success with embroidery doyenne Di van Niekerk's ribbon embroidery and stumpwork designs for a selection of Cecily Mary Barker's exquisite Flower Fairies TM is bound to be equalled by her recently released Monograms and words in ribbon embroidery. Fabric enthusiasts are sure to be thrilled by Simply Fabulous Fabric, as well as the forthcoming Contemporary Dyecraft (by Melanie Brummer). Their well-known and growing parenting list has also been boosted by the addition of BabyGym, MindMoves and a new edition of their top seller Baby Sense. In Adjusting The Boundaries, the fourth book in her boundaries series, Anne Cawood offers parents wise and sympathetic cousel to help children and teens cope with separation and divorce.

You will know a Metz Press book when you hold it in your hands. It has a very special look and feel that is quite distinctive. Read more at

http://www.metzpress.co.za/

Have a great day in full colour!

Kind regards

Melanie

Contemporary Dyecraft

The journey of this book began on 2001, when I began writing the first draft. It took me five months to lay down the first copy. I did my research in the stores. I walked into the craft section of every bookstore I went into and picked up all the books by local publishers. The Metz Press books all had a certain look and feel in my hands and I decided that this was the publisher for me.

I then spent some years trying to get hold of the publisher. I sent volleys of e-mails and heard nothing back from Metz.

On a level I gave up and moved on to other focusses. After all, you cannot kill all of your time on one thing.

Then, in 2007 I went to Cape Town to teach at Keen On Crafts with Craftwise Magazine. I had a free session where I could choose to do any craft that I wanted to and I decided to do embroidery. The teacher was a wonderful lady called Fransie Snyman. She asked me if I was not interested in writing a book, since I knew so much about my medium. I told her about my dream to publish. She told me that she had written a book and could put me in touch with her publisher, Metz Press.

I sent a volley of e-mails to the address she gave me, and heard nothing.

Six months later I went to the Keen On Crafts with Craftwise Magazine event in Pretoria. A friendly blonde lady walked up to me, and introduced herself as Wilsia Metz. Her sister Fransie, had told her all about me. She had signed up for my class.

From there things have flowed and Contemporary Dyecraft is almost a reality. It will be available in stores from January 2010!

My advice to aspiring writers : Never give up.