Come and learn our skills at my home-away-from-home unit at the Sydney Gateway Resort, Parklea.

Sun 16th till Sun 23rd October - Fabulous Fabrics - both basic and advanced, with a Silk Painting day on Friday 21st Oct.

Go to the Events tab on my website, and click on the Workshops and Classes page.  You'll be able to find full details of this workshop program via a link to a Word document.  Or phone me if you'd like to talk with me about any of the topics.

Some sessions are already full.  Catch up with me soon to avoid missing out!

School Holiday Workshops - Friday 23rd till Monday 26th September 2011 - 10 am till 4.30 pm each day

Fri 23 - Sensational Silk - traditional silk painting skills made easy using our own non-toxic colours.  Liquid RAdiance can be used on any fabric whatsoever, but is especially beautiful when applied to silk in the methods you'll learn during this workshop.  (TWO VACANCIES as at 1st Sept)

Sat 24 and Sun 25 - Fabulous Fabrics (two-day workshop) - I refer to this as my "Rolls Royce" workshop!  If you're looking to enjoy the creativity of designing your own fabrics, this really IS the way to go!  Liquid Radiance is non-toxic and non-polluting, and can be used on any fabric at all.  You'll find out just how simple (and safe) it is to use during this very exciting workshop.

Mon 26 - "Fabulous Fabrics: Beyond the Basics" - wanting to explore our fabric designing skills further?  This program will cover skills once regarded as 'complicated' or 'difficult'.  My experience in the fabric designing world for SO MANY years has enabled me to take the traditional skills and reintroduce them with safety and simplicity.  yes, all the pleasure 0 and great results - without the pain!  (Attendance at a 'basics' program is a must for attending this advanced day.)

Excited to let you know you'll be able to come and design your own Silk Scarf at our stand at AgShow in Toowoomba next week.  You'll find me at Stand #154 in the main pavilion, Toowoomba showgrounds.  Workshop times are 10 am, 12 noon, 2 pm and 3.30 pm each day, Tuesday 6th till Thursday 8th September.  I've done these workshops at the Easter Show in Sydney for eight years in the past, so I believe it's about time our 'local ladies' had an opportunity to enjoy them too.

You'll be able to watch demonstrations of LOTS of our fabric designing skills at AgShow, between 8.30 am and 5 pm each day of the show ... and of course talk to us about our workshop programs and how - and where - you can go to learn the skills.  Or perhaps you'd like to talk with us about planning a workshop for you and your group.  Have car ... will travel.  You can come to us, or we'll come to you.

You MUST experience the excitement of designing fabrics with this new Liquid Radiance technique!  Create several layers of fabric that will go together perfectly when putting your quilts or patchwork together.  Great for making bags or home decor too.  Colour two layers of damp fabric, one on top of the other, using the Five Finger Foam Brush technique (don't forget to blot out any excess colour if required.)  Using our Water Soluble Resist as you would a pen, draw your design over the wet colour.  The resist is clear, so will be tricky to see!  Allow to dry.  Your design will be revealed as the resist and colours dry in the fabric.

We have a wide range of products available for purchase - Express your individuality with our huge range of designs:

• Design Books
• Fabric Paints (Unique formulation, Australian made)
• Glass Painting products
• Stencilling (stencil burner, stencil sheeting, fine black marking pen, stencil burner stand)
• Brushes and accessories

Our qualified instructors can also help you explore our painting products and techniques.

* Our DISPENSER BOTTLES are perfect little bottles in which to put your shampoo and conditioner, or washing up detergent (or other liquids) when travelling!

* POOL SALT can be purchased in large bags for a very small price! It is perfect for use in our salt texturing techniques (instead of rock salt or cooking salt). Pool salt is the same Sodium Chloride (NaCl) as 'food salts, only not as highly refined for eating.

* IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER ... when designing your fabrics using salt texturing techniques, it is VITAL that the fabric is rinsed thoroughly (maybe three or four times where lots of salt has been used) to remove any saltiness from the fibres even after the physical salt grains have been taken off. Our Handbook "Fabulous Fabrics" has full details to help you with this colouring technique.

1.  Enlist an assistant ... our Siamese cat Samai LOVES to help.  But hey, you can do it without a helper.  It's so easy! ...

2.  Prepare Liquid Radiance in applicator bottles - dilute your required colours 1 part concentrate to 3 parts water - but up to 1 part conc in 6 parts water will still give good strong colour.

3.  Wet socks in water and squeeze them out well to remove excess water.

4.  Put socks onto a piece of poly-pipe (or you can use a large drink bottle with straight sides),  one at each end ...

... then scrunch them along the pole, and hold socks in place with rubber bands at each end.

5.  Lay socks on an old towel ready to colour.  You'll roll the socks across the towel as you work.

6.  Press the prepared colour into the socks.  In my samples here I have worked down the pole, applying different colours. 

HINT: Leave a small 'gap' between the colours at first - about 1/2 cm should be enough, but this will varty according to the thockness of the socks being coloured.  The colour should spread through the fabric and meet up.  If after about ten minutes the colours don't meet up, add a little more colour.

7.  Touch up the toes where colour hasn't bled in completely.

8.  Sit pole onto something like an up-turned plastic container so the wet socks are suspended, and allow to dry.  An up-turned egg carton will hold the pole securely too.

9.  When dry, remove socks from the pole.

10.  Cover with an old teatowel and iron each sock for about 1 minute to permanently set the Liquid Radiance colours.

NOTE:  Socks are totally washable.  However, you may notice a little colour come out in the very first wash water, depending on the amount of colour used and the amount of elastane in the socks.  After the first wash, colours will be secure, and only wear out as the socks do.

We have made the decision NOT to be at the other large craft shows in capital cities in the foreseeable future, due to the ever-increasing costs of exhibiting at these events.

You will find us at smaller local shows, enjoying the opportunity to bring our ideas and skills to people who might otherwise not have the opportunity to enjoy them.

TEXSTYLE FORUM WORKSHOPS - 29th November till 4th December, at Surry Hills, Sydney - hands-on program for textiles teachers and students from all over New South Wales. Contact me for further information closer to the time.

Genesis Creations is a Direct Selling business offering craft enthusiasts the opportunity to join our teaching team ... and opportunity to develop your own creativity and share the skills with others, while working within a team of like-minded people.

If you love our skills and products and would enjoy sharing our ideas and techniques with others, please contact us and see how you could become 'one of us'.

"The teacher's purpose is to set the class thinking. To guide them gently into the world of art and craft, to help them forget for a few hours the stresses of the outside world." [From "The Art of Teaching Craft" - J Spencer and D Kneen]