Anzac Day

Lest we Forget - these photos were taken at Tyne Cote Cemetry in Flanders, Belgium last year.  So many have died.  This year, we again attended the Dawn Service with our middle son (serving in the Army) at Enoggera Barracks here in Brisbane.  His battalion was formed during the Vietnam war & as they read  out the names - you cannot help but feel humbled by their sacrifice.  No matter how you feel about the current conflicts (& who doesn't hate war), our servicemen & women deserve to be supported.

Bundles of...

Not quite sure how I landed in this project. Visiting my friends who make up a group of textiles artists called "Broadstrokes" - for lunch & to say Farewell to Kate who was going OS - then Tricia Smout arrived to talk about her Artist in Residence stint at the Mt Coot-tha Bontanical Gardens http://www.triciasmout.blogspot.com.au/ Next thing I know, this group of six 'friends' have roped in their 3 guests & we are taking part in this collaborative work with Tricia.  We each make 3 bundles - one to hang in the Gardens, one in our own garden & one to be buried.

Mine has tea-tree bark, onion skins, newspaper, a couple of different fabrics, lace & crepe paper wrapped up with beetroot-dyed calico.

I have tied mine into a bundle - others have loosely tied theirs together.  Not sure if mine is too tight to allow any disintergration - time will tell .

Hanging in our garden - next to the Cycad that has seven new fronds - it looks magnificient.

Buried in a 'garden' under where HofM feeds the lorikeets. In a few few weeks the hanging ones will be displayed at an exhibition at the Botanical Gardens (Richard Randall Studio 21st - 29th June) & around October the 3 bundles will be opened so we can make a piece for the final exhibition with Tricia in November (Richard Randal Studio 6th - 14th November).  The Richard Randall Studio is within the grounds of the Botanical Gardens.  Don't quite know where this journey will lead!

Busy Hands........

Still working on my FloodArt - this piece is the back of a damaged photograph - I am always amazed at the designs, colours, shapes & this one inspired a garden. Some machine stitching finished off the piece.

Another finished block for my Antique Aussie Quilt.  Think I will have to lay them out to see how many more I'll do or if the number I have will make an interesting quilt.

Mail Art - Going out & coming in

Still battling along with Mail Art 365 - this is No: 164 - almost half way there. This is made from an old calendar & a bit of collage.

From Jill in USA - lovely piece - bright & sunny all in yellows.

From Sue in South Africa - lovely silk stamped with a grid.

Weekend Away

 Took HofM away for a mystery weekend - we flew to Cairns.  Well, the sun didn't really shine on our weekend but we did make the best of it. Above - a shot of the Esplanade - then it showered - see below.

 HofM always assures me it does not rain on Golf Courses & it didn't for the 4 hours I drove the buggy.

Saw some great sights - this sign, on the side of the fairway, tickled our fancy - we didn't attempt to retrieve any golf balls in this area.

Golf courses are really pretty places - this is a pod of some sort.  It was leaves that appeared to have been glued together & it was hollow - obviously whoever lived there had departed.  Perhaps someone might know what creature used this as its home.  It guess it was in the tree before it was on the ground.

Golf was finished off with a beer, martini & food in Cairns at the Crown Hotel & watching the rain come down.  It was a restful couple of days.

Mystery Quilt

 This is a mystery quilt I'm doing - it's a fund raiser for the Bedford Foundation in South Australia & run by the Quilters Guild of South Australia.  They provide all the material with inital cuts.  First part as above - now just have to sew pairs together to make 156 pieces.

Sorry this is a little blurred - if you are interested in this fundraiser check it out on http://mysteryquiltbedford.blogspot.com/  or Faye Packham on fsae@optusnet.com.au Lessa Siegele on siegele@internode.on.net

WIP

This will be a "Five little ducks" Quilt - for a neighbour's baby.  I intend appliquing ducklings on the last blue border.

Four days off!

Had dreams of spending all four days in 'HerShed' - this did not quite work out that way.  Managed to make some MailArt -9 pieces - some paper collage, some flood art.  The middle one started as a painting done by a 2 year old with cotton reels I had given to her - it's going back to her as a postcard.