October half term

It's HALF TERM! Thank heavens. There is so much to do! 

Started off the break with some design work on a commission. I've been a happy user of iDraw for a while now, but it's become clear that to do all the things I'd like to do, it was time to start using Illustrator. Subscription bought (thank you, education discount) and a couple of days of practise later, I'm pleased to have a basic level of understanding already. Becoming proficient is going to take years I should think, and once again I'm eternally grateful to the people of YouTube for posting tutorials and explaining things in very short words. 

Today's painting is a small sign, testing out a new font. It was a good excuse to use the emerald green 1 Shot that had been one of the first tins of paint I bought but had never actually used... It's quite an acidic hue that stands out beautifully on the grey board. It needs a couple of additional lines and perhaps a boarder.

I also welcomed a new arrival this week, a wonderful, wonderful thing. Her name is Big Mabel, she's from Paul at Classic Carders and I'm in love with her. The carder I'd used previously was an old Louet one with much coarser tines, a bizarre ratio that meant the fibre went on much too quickly, and just wasn't suitable for the finer fibres that I like to use. Big Mabel is an absolute dream to work with, and though I've only tried her our with merino so far, the batts she produces are divine. Now I need to learn how to diz off the drum! Looking forward to playing around with various things later in the week, with a hopeful wish for some dyeing time too. 

Edit: the lines really lift it!