FREE hand printed sketch book...

FREE ‘Swoop of Swifts’ hand printed felt sketchbook with every Artwork purchased in January 2013 [worth £17]
Click HERE to link to the ARTWORK page

Offer ends 31st Jan 2013, excludes Sale purchases...available until stocks last!

Workshop SALE!!! £20 off

To kick start the New Year on a creative high, I'd like to offer you a fabulous workshop discount.

My ONLINE Silk Screen Printing workshop has been a great hit over the last year.  Now there's £20 off so you can enjoy the delights of printing your own fabric at home.

Be quick this offer ends on 20th Jan...

Latest Commissioin

The commissioning process can be daunting for some people but good communication is the key.

I’ve been working on a lovely commission recently.  A customer got in touch after seeing some close up images of recent work on my website.  Unfortunatley for her the pieces she liked were already sold, but we chatted via email and I found out exactly what interested her plus I was able to see images of the room the piece is intended for – as well as the other striking artwork in the room.

“I always think that something on the chimney breast, that is strong with blacky/inky blue and some generous sharp lines would stand up to the other picture without it all looking too busy; and you can appreciate the subtleties as you walk a bit closer.”

From this information I created 2 initial pieces: images were sent and some rough print outs made to place on the chosen wall so that the final decision could be made.

This is the selected print – a mono print landscape.

“So no. 2 it is;  that feels like a cliff or a coastline and we both adore the Atlantic Coast in Brittany and further South.  And those swerving lines are really beautiful – the other details remain a surprise.”

I love the fact that customers make their own associations and connect my work with their own vision of a place.  The commissioning couple have faith in my ability to create and deliver – they have seen and admired my work and are confident in their selection.  I haven’t been compromised in the way I create, but have been able to offer choices to my customers in an unpressurised framework.  It’s an exciting and responsive scenario.

The next stage is to add some stitch…that’s todays job! Then to stretch, title and sign.  The work will be well packaged and delivered via a courier.

Happy customers,  happy Artist.

My last newsletter of 2012...

You are receiving this email because info@dionneswift.co.uk is subscribed to Dionne's email list or you've bought/been in contact with me in recently. You can also view it here Dionne Swift - Textile Artist Well the holidays are nearly here and I'm looking forward to some down time.  I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully creative New Year! Thank you for following my mutterings, visiting my exhibitions and taking part in my workshops :-) Take good care of your & yours Dionne xxx PS. Back in the New Year, refreshed and ready! Dionne Swift Textile Artist 'Mountfield' 12 Cinderhills Road Holmfirth West Yorkshire HD9 1EE Mobile : 07974 747080 Email : info@dionneswift.co.uk Website : www.dionneswift.co.uk     Friday 14 December 2012 Xmas present... This weekend is the last online shopping weekend before Christmas - so let me make it a little easier for you. Use MerryXmas at the checkout to get a fabulous discount 10% OFF ALL ARTWORK WORKSHOPS SUPPLIES Visit site HERE use by midnight [GMT] on 16th Dec Tweet this Like this on Facebook Follow me on Facebook Send to a friend - If you know someone who may be interested in receiving this newsletter, you can easily forward up to five copies at once . Unsubscribe - If you no longer wish to receive this mail please unsubscribe .

An Award Winning Week!

I was ecstatic  to receive the ‘Outstanding Artist’ award at Holmfirth Art Market  - it’s a huge vote of confidence.  A big THANK YOU to all the Art Market team and all the other lovely exhibitors and visitors too.  My prize is a free stand in June and support from the fabulous Fiona at Happy4pr.
Images copyright Michael J Oakes

A few days earlier I was proud to receive The Embroidery Magazine Prize at the Open Contemporary Craft Exhibition, Unit Twelve, Stafford – it’s wonderful that my new work is being so well received.
You can now purchase my work online  HERE and there’s a little ‘sale’ area HERE 

November's newsletter: followers offer!

For those of you not yet subscribed to my monthly newsletter - here you go!  There's a money off code for purchases on my website - valid until 1st Dec, so get shopping!!
If you would like to get these newsletters delivered directly to your inbox, please visit my main site & add you details to the box in the lower RHS. :-)
Happy reading, Dionne

You are receiving this email because [email address suppressed] is subscribed to Dionne's email list or you've bought/been in contact with me in recently. You can also view it here

Dionne Swift - Textile Artist "Movement & texture so skillfully captured in paint, print & stitch..." 'Sky Swoop' available from www.madebyhandonline.com Developed through a series of sketchbook developments: I love to build layers of imagery and watch their interactions.  This piece is printed with dyes, then opaque pigment finally stitched - but from the reverse...so I don't always know what's going to happen. I adore the surpise!  It keeps it fresh and exciting. Well the 'C' word is creeping into our daily chat and I have to say I'm well prepared - well sort of.  I love to buy wonderful handmade and create gifts for my friends and family: I've been feretting away gems as I've discovered them throughout the year. [not to mention collecting a few special pieces for myself!] At a fair/event you not only have a nice day out, you meet and chat to talented and creative individuals.  I enjoy supporting my lovely network of making friends who I see at shows and events.  It's wonderful to know who/where/how a piece has been made.   I'd like to encourage you to enjoy that purchasing experience and enjoy buying gifts this Christmas whilst meeting the creators and discovering the story behind their work. Buy Handmade.... Here are a few options where you can buy fabulous work...mine included! :-) 1st - 4th Nov Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead There's a 241 offer HERE I have 2 pieces exhibited in to the Contemporary Craft Open Exhibition at Jennifer Collier's gallery: Unit Twelve.  1st - 25th Nov with a PV this Saturday 3rd Nov 2-4pm Meet me here: 10th/11th Nov Art Market in my home town of Holmfirth. It's the celebratorary 10th edition of this event - don't miss it is gonna be great - I'm making a new stand display and some brand new work! Meet me here: 30th Nov - 2nd Dec Made by Hand is at Tredegar House, Newport, Wales. Such a beautiful location and stunning work on show.  I'm also part of a collection of Christmas shows across the country - check out full details  HERE  and HERE  [find links to the specific events] I hope I'll see you at some of the forthcoming events :-) Back to the studio now - there's plenty of work to be done to get ready! Anon...Dionne x Dionne Swift Textile Artist 'Mountfield' 12 Cinderhills Road Holmfirth West Yorkshire HD9 1EE Mobile : 07974 747080 Email : info@dionneswift.co.uk Website : www.dionneswift.co.uk

Friday 2 November 2012 Subscriber gift... Overwhelmed with work I now employ my daughter, Ellis, to help out making the kits and packaging the orders for the little 'Textile Supplies' side of life - it's great to have her on board. We have plans to create a new website for the supplies I use but in the meantime you can purchase everything HERE I sell the items that I use: simple! Use GIFT5%OFF to get money off all supply purchases until 1st Dec 2012 The gift of learning... 'Painterly Embellishments' workshop  The longest lasting present, that of a new skill and experience!  LAST FEW PLACES:  Accessible Screen printing  Work with me at this studio workshop in Sheffield: Stencils, manutex mono-prints, breakdown printing, flour paste prints Silk Screen Printing  ONLINE Developing Sketchbooks  ONLINE  NEW: Drawing for Texiles ONLINE NEW: Free Machine Embroidery  @ JANOME NEW DATE: Paintery Embellsihements @JANOME See the full line up with dates and details here. Tweet this Like this on Facebook Follow me on Facebook Send to a friend - If you know someone who may be interested in receiving this newsletter, you can easily forward up to five copies at once . Unsubscribe - If you no longer wish to receive this mail please unsubscribe .

Another little award! :-)

I was very pleased to have my work accepted for the Open Contemporary Craft Exhibition at Jennifer Colliers Unit Twelve and even more trilled to have been awarded the Embroidery magazine award by the editor Jo Hall.

Thank you so much!

If you haven’t seen this wonderful exhibition yet please make the effort – you will be well rewarded!  It continues until 25th November.

October newsletter...

I know I don't blog too much, but I do send a regular newsletter to all my subscribers. Click HERE to enjoy my ramblings!!!

Learn to silk screen print...ONLINE!

So you can't imagine taking such a practical scenario as an ONLINE workshop - well Jackie did & she loved it:

"The videos are brilliant - very clear and easy to follow. Just enough information to be able to get started without overwhelming my limited brainspace! I have to admit to feeling a bit pressured at first when the workshops came thick and fast, but once I started, I found it was good to have all the information at hand when I needed it, rather than having to wait for more to come, so I think getting it all upfront was great - I just needed to calm myself and do it at my own pace! 

Although I would have liked to be able to do a workshop with other people around (always great to share ideas and experiences), this has been an invaluable alternative - I have certainly been able to take more time perhaps to consider what I have done before I make the next move, without knowing I have to complete it all by the end of the day, so I have probably spent more time on it than I would have done on a workshop. However, I have tried to treat it like one of your studio workshops and learn the techniques without getting bogged down in developing ideas at this stage. The course has been fantastic for this and I have been inspired by what I have learned - I had never done breakdown printing or used flour paste before, and I am wowed by them both - cant wait to develop them further. 

It has been a great way to learn the techniques - I can't think of any constructive criticism to give - it has been a well planned and structured programme and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. You mentioned the possibility of other online courses - I would be very interested in learning more! 

Great value, great education and great inspiration!!"

Visit www.workshops-online.org for more information and click HERE to book your place on the next course starting in August 2012

Exciting Exhibitions in June

Next month is an exciting time for Art fairs and Shows. I hope you'll add the dates to your diaries and pop along for a look!

The Art Market



The Contemporary Craft Festival

A Fabulous Craft Festival.  I'm a newbie at this show and incredibly pleased to have been accepted - it will be amazing to be surrounded by best of the countries designers and makers & all in festival atmosphere!



Dulwich Craft Fair Saturday 23rd June
- this is the first time at this event and I'm really excited to have been selected and be showing in the capital!

New Website, New blog!

Well folks, in an aim to bring together my website and blog I have developed [am still developing!] an new wordpress site.
I've moved across many of my recent blog posts and from here on in www.dionneswift.co.uk will be the direct address for my latest news and information. 
I really appreciate your support and hope that you will continue to follow my mumblings....!

Janome sponsorship

I am delighted to annouce that having followed the progress of my work for many years, Janome are supporting my work by delivering 2 fabulous embellishing machines to my studio next week. I already have one of my own & love it - although intially I was dupious & thought they were another faddy item.  But having fully explored the potential of needle punching, I'm hooked and regularily use these machine to draw on cloth.

If you would like to learn more about using an embellisher to create unique marks on cloth join my Drawing for Textiles workshop 22/23 February 2011

If you can't wait to get your hands on a machine and have a go for yourself, then you'll find a list of Janome stockists HERE

Thanks Janome :-)

Master Class at Alexandra Palace

10 lovely ladies attended my 'Drawing for Textiles' master class at the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace yesterday.
They liberated their drawing and translated their marks into cloth with stitch and embellishment. Janome sponsored the workshop by providing a collection of embellishers, so big thanks to them and to all the wonderful students for making it such an enjoyable day.

Special Workshop Offer

Workshop Wednesdays: 13th October, 17th November and 15th December
SPECIAL OFFER £135 that's 10% OFF!
Drawing for textiles; double dying; designing; printing on cloth; dip dying; fabric painting; discharge; stitch; devore; acid dying.
Good clear teaching - approachable tutor who anticipated what is complex/confusing.  Nice friendly atmosphere.
The studio is really well laid out, very friendly atmosphere.
Thoroughly informative.
Excellent studio - much more spacious than I would have expected.  Well equipped

Creative workshops to help you explore and expand. Offering new skills and techniques with 1:1 mentoring to enhance your creative development.

All workshops run from 10am - 3 pm and include initial materials, tea/coffee and cake [often home made!]. Radiant Works, Back Union St., Huddersfield HD1 6AL

Secure your place for the 'Wednesdays' in the Autumn term by sending a cheque or paying via Paypal. Click the 'add to cart' button for a secure transaction

Developing a new statement...

It's so tough putting together the words to support your creative work. I've been struggling with it for days - in desperation I tried to talk to my husband about it and get his opinion on my initial script ideas.  He's not from an Arts background and whilst he's supportive, he isn't really interested....he just looked at me with a 'I haven't got a clue what you're mumbling about' - Cheers love!
So I resort to cyber space for help...that's you!  What do you think - I'll take the good, the bad and the ugly.


'If I said black you'd say white...' [My Dad]
I'm still coming to terms with the fact that we all have differing points of view. Goodness don't you all see things my way? 
Using a mostly monochrome palette I investigate the world from unique and unusual angles.  Photographing and drawing lost corners; finding intriguing compositions by viewing them form a different perspective.
'That sordid of all havens, the corner deserves to be examined' [Gaston Bachelard]
Order gets disrupted and angles are skewed as I play with texture, techniques and processes to create a collection of abstract mixed media wall pieces.
Dionne sees the broken patterns and distorted rhythms created by edges that aren’t quite straight and angles that don’t quite match; waiting frames reared up against a wall; a half open set of drawers. It is these discrepancies in order which inspire the stitching, cutting, and layering onto and into the printed felt that adds further depths and gives the finished work its warmth and physicality.
Dionne Swift brings to her work the energy and excitement of one who delights in the discovery of new approaches and techniques. In this new collection there is no doubt that the same delight will be shared by her audience.  [Jo Groner, print maker and Lee Corner, Mentor]
I studied for my degree in Textiles at Goldsmiths College and my Masters was awarded by UCE. Work exhibits extensively throughout the UK: I was a featured Artist at the popular Knitting and Stitching shows 2009, my latest exhibition NEW GROUNDS was reviewed for Embroidery Magazine by June Hill in 2010.
Supported by a collection of teaching qualifications I have lectured at Higher Education level for over 20 years and continue to offer a selection of creative workshops from my Yorkshire based studio.

Does it say enough about my work so as to appeal to a wide audience?  I hope it's open enough to allow me to freely create under it's banner...I just don't know, text has never been a strong point, so all your thoughts are so much appreciated....I'm sure I've not 'finished' it correctly ...I'm sure you'll let me know.

Saltaire Arts Trail

I've just delivered a collection of Fabric Ground Series pieces to 75 Albert Road, Saltaire [A browsers of unframed works too]. It's part of the well established Saltaire Arts Trail which runs of the next 2 weekends - the private viewing is this Friday evening.  I presented an artists talk at the festival last year. 
Residents of this wonderful village transform their homes to accomodate an abundance of artworks & visitors have the opportunity to view art in domenstic environments rather than possibly slightly sterile gallery scenarios.
I'm  going to be at 75 Albert Rd. on Friday evening & for most of Saturday - so come, take a look and immerse yourself...

New Creative Workshops

I've consulted my diary and found a little gap next April [while the lovely Ellis is on Netball tour] to plan a wondrous weekend of devore. I know devore inside out and upside down - I can tell you it's much more than just a bit a balding velvet!
So if you want your devore turned the wrong way round come join my workshop: Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th April 2011.

If your traveling a distance - the studio is a quick walk from the station, I can suggest a range of accommodation and additional attractions to enhance your visit.

HOST: Open studio trail

Each year we open the doors of our studio and invite visitors to come and see how we work; chat about why we work and possibly sell a few precious pieces too!

Sat/Sun 18th/19th and 25th/26th September 11am - 5pm

Radiant Works, Back Union St., Huddersfield HD1 6AL

Contact me for a FREE brochure!

This year, as well as the resident artist of the studio we have invited guest artists to make a exciting collection of viewing for your delight & entertainment!!

• CarolAnn Allan Showcasing Textile Artist, recently receiving a wonderful First Class Honours Degree!
• Kerry Mosley Showcasing Textile Artist, you may have seen Kerry's delicately knitted portraits at K&S last year.
• Alison Taylor Showcasing Textile Artist, Ali graduated from Textile Crafts at the University of Huddersfield, now teaches textiles in a local school & has been involved in my workshops for a number of years.
• Fiona Wilson Resident Textile Artist & this years Embroiderers Guild Scholar
• Julie Ann Seaman Resident Jewellery Designer.  Julie runs wonderful jewellery evening classes from the studio - come along to find out more.
• and of course myself, Dionne Swift Resident Textile Artist. I'm planning to use the occasion to have a studio sale, so there will be plenty of bargains to be found.

Here's a map to help you locate the studio, there's usually plenty of free street parking right outside and my mobile number is on my website if you need more assistance.