A couple of months ago I listed several exhibitions I want to enter this year, with the works I’d enter to each. A couple would be great for the new works I’d be making, anyway. By entering Interpretations 25 yesterday, I have now accomplished one of my 2025 goals.

Also this week I completed my entry and submitted it for the second glass+textile salon for latin American artists working in glass, textile and other media really, to submit small works (max 20cm sq.) These works need to combine something of both glass and textile material and technique. Entries are open until 10/2/25, as the closing was recently extended a few days beyond the original date. Whether It gets selected or not, I’ll post the image here after the announcement of selected artists.

This time of year I usually make the 12″ sq. piece to submit later in the year to the annual SAQA Benefit Auction, as it is often a test piece/sample for a larger work. I might make it up using one of the ideas I have in mind for Art Quilt Australia 25 One of the categories in this biennial is for quilts substantially comprised of wool, as per the entry conditions.

My 2023 entry, “Moth Buffet”, didn’t make the cut 🙁 but for my 2025 entry I still have plenty of the factory wool samples that unravelled into 6 strands perfect for hand stitching, and this morning it struck me how that beautifully that wool tones with the wonderful peweter metallic finish polyester fabric I was compelled to buy a few months ago, purely on account of it being a glitter fabric I’d never seen before 🙂

I’m about to test a bit of the wool thread in diluted acrylic metallic gold paint to see if that adds anything of value, and on some lovely pure wool fabric I have, I’ve tried a bit of dilute gold paint which has given an encouraging result to think about…

Oh, and have I ever mentioned how much I love a bit of glitter?

I’m thinking about what to make as an entry for the second INTERNATIONAL GLASS AND TEXTILE ART SALON exhibition, open to South American artists, with similar rules to last time: entries can be 2D or 3D, maximum size 20cm x 20cm x20cm, open technique and theme, and must combine glass and textile materials and techniques in some way. You might remember my piece from the first one, which I was in, last January – and of course I hope to be accepted for this next one – particularly as the exhibition will be at the Museo Arte Precolumbino y Indigena – MAPI – a great little museum in the Old City Montevideo. one of our favourite places

I’m thinking glass beads, definitely, and probably fibreglass again. I still have plenty of fibreglass from last time, but the glass bead supply is a bit meagre, prolly because I’ve only done relatively little beadwork down the years 🙂 Still, I’ve found some lovely green beads from that same collection of Egyptian handmade ones, and I have a few ‘green’ ideas – green being my favourite colour. My textile friend Felipe has suggested I visit another friend of his who retired from a haberdashery/merceria business and may have plenty of the tiny glass beads, or indeed others, so I’m meeting with her next week, fingers x…

In rummaging through my ‘bead bag’ and opening every little container I discovered several things I’d forgotten, including these things I made in some bead jewellry making classes I took here 12 or 13 years ago. There are a couple of revolting brooches, too.

It is interesting, but not ‘me’, and might dismantle it and use the beads for something goldish some time… and what on earth was I planning for the little construction beside it – tie it on to something to wear as an amulet, or something? I don’t seem to have any notes or charts from tha class, and don’t remember who taught it, so this is a dead end. I am taking bids if you can’t bear to think of me pulling it to bits!