Needle Felting

Here are my Needle Felting Guidelines and the photographs of some of the samples of Needle Felting which I have on my Exhibition Stand.

whooooops - they have have something on the blog and I can no longer load the photos from my computer - as an alternative here is the link to the page on my website which has all the information and the photos http://www.theframeworkshop.co.uk/needle-felting-instructions-and-examples.html  By the way if anybody is technical and knows how I do this please let me know!!!

NEW PRODUCTS

I have some more New Products to bring to you, which I am hoping to add to the stand for the Exhibitions in the Autumn.  The carriers seem to be coming through our doors at lot at the moment with deliveries and I still get excited at opening the boxes to see the new items.  The Kunin felt has been very successful for me so I have added 2 more prints to the range.  Kunin felt is the one that you can use a heat gun to distress it into holes (though I should add it does need a pretty strong heat gun i.e. mine is both 150 and 300w and both heats work for me).  You can of course also use it as an ordinary felt for sewing/glueing.  Kunin Felt is available in a wide range of Rainbow colours, with embossed finishes and with a glitter finish.  There is then the printed Kunin felt shown below.  The 1960's Tie Dye have had for some time (but it has been out of stock until yesterday) and the new ones are the 2 animal prints - Leopard Kunin and Zebra Kunin.



Kunin Felt 1960's Tie Dye



Kunin Felt Leopard

Kunin Felt Zebra



Hand made Indian Wooden Blocks

The other products I have just added to the range are hand made Indian Wooden Blocks.  Traditionally used for fabric printing, particularly silk, they can also be used in Friendly Plastic for texture.  I took them to both Doncaster and the Motorcycle Museum and they were very popular.  Limited at the moment to 8 different designs I am now looking to expand the selection.  As these are all hand made the sizing etc can vary from block to block.

Take a moment out to view the products on our website http://www.theframeworkshop.co.uk/ or follow the link on this page to either our website or facebook pages.

GLITTER FABRICS

 These beautiful A4 sheets of
Glitter Fabric have just arrived into stock.  Available in Gold, Peacock and Fucshia they can be used in Mixed Media, card-making & fashion etc.  The example on the right shows the glitter fabric as the background and then combined with Tyvek, 3D Medium and of course Friendly Plastic.  (Finished with Glossy Accents).
This is not Glitter Paper or Card - the backing is a tightly woven cotton fabric - in fact it is the same one that Gok Wan used in his series to cover shoes.
Priced at £3.99 per A4 Sheet - Glitter Fabric choice of colours

Sequin Waste Update

Following my earlier post about the new colours of sequin waste I have now added even more to the range.  Having run out of the gold colour (yet again!! - I have lost count of the number of Olympic torches being made) I spoke to my new supplier again.  In addition to the new colours - there are now 12 - I have also been able to get a better price.  It is now from 50p to £1 per metre depending on the quantity you order - just follow this link and scroll down the page to see the discounts and the colours available.

New products - Chains

I have just added some silver plated chains onto my website.  They are the snake type of chain and are 18" long.  Packed in 10's at £3.99 for the 10.  Visit my website to view them via this link.  This should be the start of me extending my jewellery components.  I have other things in the pipeline but have only just received the minimum order at the moment and need to play with them first before I launch them and order more stock.  I will have examples with me at Sandown Park and the forthcoming shows.

Kunin Felt

I have now loaded the Kunin Felt on the web-site.  There are 22 different plain colours together + glitter felt, embossed felt and an Alligator finish in Black.  Kunin Felt is the one that as well as being stitched into can also be burnt with a heat gun so that it forms holes, this makes it ideal for Mixed Media work.  I had this on the stand at Festival of Quilts the other week-end and it was extremely popular.

Friendly Plastic 101 Project Book

The goods news is that The Friendly Plastic 101 Project Book has arrived.  Whilst it has been reprinted with a new cover the book has the same projects as previously.  This book is brilliant for ideas and it is very easy to follow because it has so many photographs, including work in progress photos.  Even better news is that the price has been reduced from £14.50 and it is now £12.  I will have stocks with me at the Quilt Show next week.

                         Some of the ideas which
                         are illustrated in the book

Moorcroft Cards

Now for something completely different to Friendly Plastic.  If you haven't seen the Moorcroft Cards which I sell on my website they are certainly worth a look.  The quality of the cards is superb and they are great for keeping as spare cards at home - they are blank inside so they cover all occasions.  There is also a range of Christmas cards - these do have a message inside.  I have just received the brand new release of cards which are now available.  This is the set of 8 cards which are available either individually or as a set of 8.

Set of 8 Moorcroft Cards 2011 release

Angelina Fibres

If you are using Angelina Fibres with your Friendly Plastic you might be interested in the packs I have just introduced to my web-site http://www.theframeworkshop.co.uk/.

There are 3 colours in each pack and they are £7 per pack. 




There are 4 different colour variations available:
2 Blue shades with silver
Gold, Bronze & Crystal Aurora
2 Green shades with Crystal Green
Purple, Amethyst & Calypso
(Approx  total of 15gms per pack)

Masks

The Masks have arrived!  I have just unpacked the box and loaded the stock onto the internet site.  So I now have in stock the following:
2-eye mask, Full Face Mask, Shaped Full Face Mask, the Long Nosed Masked the new Phantom Mask as shown on the left.  This Phantom mask is the only one in brown.  I have already said that the brown masks are nothing like as smooth as the white papier mache, so the technique of using the Alcohol Inks directly onto the primed mask would be nothing like as good as on the white surface.  You can of course though still use Friendly Plastic on the brown papier mache.  (I should also say that I have had to put a 'handling' fee onto the masks (either 50p or 80p) depending on the mask.  This is because for posting I have to pack them into a box.  If anybody needs to order multiple masks let me know.  For multiple despatches I only need to add one handling charge, but of course the computer sales system will not allow this and it will add 50p for each mask ordered.

One other point to mention is that there are now only 2 Cobra Friendly Plastic strips left in stock!

See my earlier blog (under the label Masks) for examples of some decorated masks, including some decorated with Alcohol Inks and Friendly Plastic combined.  This really is a very quick and economical way to create a mask.

Friendly Plastic - COBRA & PEWTER

Remember that lovely Black & Silver Snakeskin effect Friendly Plastic?  Well although it is discontinued some has turned up - albeit only 20 strips!!!  (For however long they last!)   It looks as though it is still discontinued, however checks are being made with the manufacturer for a definite answer.  I will let you know as soon as I know.

I have also reintroduced Pewter back into my Friendly Plastic range.  At one time it became very difficult to tell the difference between Pewter and Silver Friendly Plastic.  I have had another look at it and you can now tell that the Pewter Friendly Plastic is darker than the Silver Friendly Plastic - so it is back in the range.

Blank Papier Mache Masks

Now for some good news, particularly if you are one of the people who have been asking me for the Long Nose Blank Mask.  I have managed to resource them and they are on their way to us now.  I have the full face mask, the shaped full face mask as shown below, and the long nose mask all coming in.  The 2 eye mask is already in stock.  All these are in the white papier mache.  When I blogged the finished masks recently I did not dare mention that I thought I had resourced the blanks in case it backfired on me.  I also have a new shape coming in which is a half face mask, like the Phantom of the Opera type.  This mask is in the brown papier machier rather than the white.  Friendly Plastic still works on the brown but I find that the white is a smoother finish (particularly for painting or colouring with Alcohol Inks).  I'll let you know when the box arrives!

Friendly Plastic - new colours

Whilst not new Friendly Plastic colours I have had requests for these colours and have now added them to the web-site.  African Violet on the left, Confetti on the right and I have also added Navy Blue (which is a very dark, almost black Blue colour and not metallic).

DMC Threads for the Stitcher

Now for something different to Friendly Plastic.  This Wooden Box is a Limited Edition item from DMC and contains 30 DMC Skeins.  Perfect for the stitcher, as a gift, or just to treat yourself.  It also includes free chart which is a nice big A3 size.  It is of course on my web-site (In the Needlework and Cross Stitch Section - subsection Kits and Threads - and also under new products).  It is £24.99 which is actually cheaper than buying the threads on their own.

New Products - Textile & Mixed Media

I have now added Angelina Fibres, Texere Variety Packs and material packs to the web-site.  These can be used for general textile work as well as Mixed Media and incorporating into Friendly Plastic.  They are in the section Textile Fabrics/Mixed Media and then subsection Fibres & Materials for Mixed Media (as well as being listed under new products).  I have also used these products alongside Lutradur.  If you haven't worked with Lutradur it differs from Tyvek in that when it is heated you can still stitch through it.  I have found that over the Spring Shows that Lutradur has been more popular as soon as I have explained the difference.  Tyvek does however produce more of a '3D' shape.

New Items - Flash

  Flash is a heat resistant flake which is perfect for adding to Friendly Plastic to give that extra sparkle.  It is available in 2 colours.  Galaxy is a rich blue, with a hint to turquoise and is the one shown at the top of the sample to the left.  (Also shown on right).  The other colour is Stellar which is a mother of pearl finish.  You can also use Alcohol Inks on the mother of pearl colour in particular, to achieve other effects.  It can also be applied with glue to other mediums.  Now available on my web-site - £2.50 per tub.                                       

Cloud Clay

Some of you may have seen Liz's ideas with Cloud Clay - she really does keep coming up with those good ideas.  I saw her last weekend at the NEC Trade Show and saw the Cloud Clay.  I am sure I am going to be asked for it - so I now have it in stock (in the shop under Friendly Plastic Accessories).

So far I have made my bases as you can see in the photo so I have just got to cover them with Friendly Plastic.  I can't see me doing it before
      Glasgow as I leave on Tuesday for the SECC.  I will take them with me
do them at the Show.  When they are done I will photo them and add them to the blog.

I am hope to have other new products for Glasgow too - mostly for mixed  media work - and other new lines to arrive at the end of April - its all very exciting!