Family Weekend

We had a rather eventful weekend last weekend. Our grand daughter, Amy Rose was born a couple of weeks earlier than expected and in a big hurry. Our daughter made it to the car park of the hospital. She and her husband left their home at 3.50pm and Amy was born at 4.10pm on Sunday afternoon, but all are well and happy, including big brother, almost 4 years old.

It was quite a weeeknd for him. On Friday night and Saturday afternoon, he performed in his first ever dance concert. Friday night was a little traumatic, with tears on stage, but with encouragement from his "big" cousin on Saturday, he performed like a seasoned star.

The concert was followed by his birthday party, held a week early to accommodate the predicted arrival of the new baby.

Little sister of course had other plans and made it a weekend to remember for the whole family. Welcome to our fourth beautiful grandchild, Amy Rose.

Handmade Treasures and Good Causes

The annual Handmade Treasures Sale is over again ... it was a hot and hectic day, but I think we created a great atmosphere which lived up to the prior advertising as ‘stress free and non-commercial Christmas shopping for good causes – and free morning and afternoon tea included!” The work from all the contributing artists was stunning, and everyone who came commented on the quality of the work.

I was very fortunate to have made contact with the Hunter East Timor Sisters after I saw the movie ”Balibo” and we had beautiful hand woven tais to sell to support an educational scholarship for a young East Timorese woman.

Other money raised goes towards the purchase of a Rotary Shelter Box , temporary accommodation and emergency supplies in a “box” ready to be taken anywhere in the world where people are made homeless by natural disaster. Humanity Coffee and bilums (string bags from Papua New Guinea) were also on sale to supplement the funds for medical equipment at Goroka Hospital (Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea). Tonight, I am proud and happy to say we raised a substantial amount for all three very worthwhile projects . It has taken me hours today to do the bookwork and sort out the money for each artist and the packing up but I love hosting this event every year. Everyone benefits from this sale – the customers , the artists and people worldwide needing support.

Close to home, the outstanding success of last Thursday’s Hunter Homeless Connect Day is still being broadcast.

About 1500 people attended the day and participated in the services available – health checks of all kinds, swine flu vaccinations, birth certificate recovery, financial advice, housing and accommodation advice, haircuts, massages and facials, living skills and creative workshops, and of course our Rotary daily essentials bags- all for free. The 250 bags we provided didn’t really go very far – we needed many more, but the ones we distributed were gratefully received. Congratulations to our friend, Nicola, who was the coordinator for this amazing event – sad it is so needed, but happy we have been able to participate to make life just a tiny bit easier for those doing it tough in tough times.

And next week, I am temporarily going back to work for a couple of days in the Principal's Unit at Callaghan College ...for a rest!

Felted Fallalery and Homeless Bags

What is fallalery? It is the using and making of fallals (trifling, decorative ornaments). This was the basis of my talk at NCEATA – Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists on Saturday. I have recently joined this group and will be one of the tutors at their Creative Retreat in May 2010. I am offering a workshop called “Felted Fashion and Fallalery”. The felted art bowls in the photos are samples for the workshop where participants will create beautiful handmade felt for fashion accessories and jewellery and/or decorative art pieces like these bowls or art dolls and embellished them with handmade polymer clay pieces, buttons, beads and embroidery. More information from NCEATA website

Second episode of the Homeless Day - packing night was last Sunday., the hottest day of the year so far. I don’t think it needs too much explanation About 20 Rotarians friends came to our place , brought more donations, packed 250+ daily essentials packs and made up beautiful "hampers" to be distributed at the Hunter Homeless Connect day. Each pack has a towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, other toieltries, underpants , tissues, bottle of water, and a few other useful bits and pieces. Nicola, a young member of my Rotary club is one of the coordinators and sent this message “. On behalf of the Hunter Homeless Connect Day organisers and guests, my thanks to Rotarians for your efforts in collecting and packing goods for our special day this week, and the gorgeous hampers which will bring extra joy to a few who are probably not used to being 'winners'.   Thanks of course for your own generous donations and to your suppliers for their care for those in tough times.  “

and a last reminder about the fantastic HANDMADE TREASURES CHRISTMAS SALE

  Saturday, 28th November, 8.30am - 5.30pm

Diary for 2010?

It just seems too early to think about a diary for 2010, but this week, I ran out of room in the back of my 2009 diary with dates already booked in for next year. I have made a couple of felted diary covers this week in preparation. I am not sure why I have been attracted to red the last couple of weeks... colour biorhythms? In my colour bible, it says " ...wear red when you need a pick-me-up, or when you are tired or lethargic or need to encourage physical exercise and a competitive spirit. Red will help with positive progress and success, and to put your plans into action..."

Putting plans into action is certainly on the agenda this week.  A couple of Rotarian friends and I had an idea about two months ago and we weren't sure how or what would eventuate, but it seems to have come together. We heard about how a city council had destroyed belongings of homeless people, and thought we should do something about  supporting the homeless in our own city.  Coincidentally, a young member of my Rotary club was also coordinating a combined service clubs/welfare agencies day to support homeless people in the Hunter. So, we became involved with 20 other groups supporting the Hunter Homeless Connect Day - a day of education, support, advice, care and goodwill dedicated to the homeless, including those living in refuges in our city.  Our Rotary club is taking care of "daily essentials" and we have been overwhelmed with donations from our community of soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc......

Here is my lounge room in readiness for the packing day on Sunday.

 During the week, Dylan made a headstart with packing a couple of bags in readiness for the Hunter Homeless Connect Day on 26th November. Never too early to learn about helping others.

Weeekend Gatherings

What a weekend of activity....family and Christmas sale gatherings.

Yesterday the new socksillies gathered for a Christmas photo before getting ready for my annual charity Handmade Treasures Christmas sale. For those who have not seen socksillies before, they are my silly soft sculptures made from a sock or two socks. The photo shows them looking very festive.

LamboArt friends, Bobbi and Jane also came over to bring their handmade treasures to go on sale on 28 November. They will be in USA then, so gathering and sorting their work had to be done early this year.

On Saturday, it was the annual gathering of the “Yan” family at Budgewoi – a central meeting place. It was great to see cousins and their families again. Jim used it as an opportunity to gather more information for his family history documents (now two huge folders and about 600 people on the family tree). The children particularly had lots of fun – love those orange peel smiles!

Winner of the Pink Giveaway!

Here is Dylan who has the responsibility of drawing the name of the winner of the Pink Giveaway from last week . The names were printed on paper. folded and put into a  Thomas the Tank Engine box.  The print you can see on one piece of paper is just because we used recyced paper -no cheating.

Just take one piece of paper, Dylan. And the winner is...

Show us the name, please

Turn it over so we can see it, please ...

And the winner is Berrylicious Buttons - congratulations

 Sorry to everyone else who entered and thanks, Dylan.

 A great blog to visit this week:  Visit http://magpiescollectables.blogspot.com for another fantastic giveaway and to see some beautiful beaded art.

Pink Ribbon Giveaway

Today, 26 October, is Pink Ribbon Day. We started the morning at the community centre with my Rotary club, the Rotary Club of Wallsend-Maryland, and cooked pink pancakes and bacon and eggs (their natural colour) at a fundraising breakfast for Breast Cancer Research. I also bought a couple of items of pink merchandise to support the cause. The pink ribbon and pen are part of this week’s blog giveaway. It’s a pink parcel – a pink fabric bag, made from a Laurel Burch print, a beautiful flower made by my mum, one of our Rotary club’s angels of hope and the pen and ribbon. There may be some other little pink surprises which I may add during the week. All you have to do to win this prize is leave a comment, either about Pink Ribbon Day or one of the photos in this blog post. I will put all the names in a container and draw one next Monday, 2 November, 9am Australian Eastern Summer Time.

The photos are of things I’ve finished this week. The beaded doll was started ages ago, before I went to Papua New Guinea, and I only picked it up again this week to finish the few rows of beading at the base. The “forest messenger” doll was merely a scrumble, and polymer clay head lying amongst all the other unfinished projects on my work table, so I took both and put them together.

Remember to win the pink giveaway,  please leave a comment, before 9am, 2 November, about any of the photos or about Pink Ribbon Day and make sure I have your email details to contact you. Please support Breast Cancer Research.

Stacker beads and Surprises

One day last week, I woke up early, and decided to play with some polymer clay . I had been intrigued for some time with stacker beads (ovenfried beads) and so tried to make some. I did eventually after many attempts, and was happy I had managed to get the technique right. Then, of course, I looked at the mess of reject clay I had from all of the failed attempts, so thought I should on the spot use the clay rather than store it, so I made lots more beads. So now I have lots of other beads just for two stacker beads. Some of my Dolly friends said they thought the beads made out of reject clay were just as good anyway.

Besides clay play, it’s been a big week. My Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Wallsend-Maryland, District 9670, held its annual community awards last Tuesday. Six people in the community were recognised for their service to the local community. My husband , Jim, was also presented with a “fun” award for services beyond the fall of duty , referring to his accident in Papua New Guinea while on a Rotary volunteer project. I now realise that this was a diversion so I wouldn't guess that he was also being recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow – a big surprise for both of us, but especially for Jim. Occasionally, Rotary Clubs recognise the service of non-Rotarians so our family feels very proud that he has been recognised for his untiring support for humanitatrian projects. The award reads ' in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.' Thank you to the many many Paul Harris Fellows around the world for their service to their communities.

It was also Jim’s birthday last week, and a good time was enjoyed by all.

Think Pink in October

For some strange reason, I have been making quite a few things in pink in the last couple of weeks. This week I finshed a little felt face brooch and a polymer and silver necklace - all very girly and pink!  Perhaps my new granddchild due in December will be a girl?

The little brooch is made from a piece of handmade felt which I made while doing a demonstration at a workshop , and the spikey bits came later, again from a felting experiement. I put them together with one of the little faces I use for my Feltfollies, and here is a different look brooch.  The necklace heart pendant was designed to fit one of the little silver pieces I made when I was first learning to work with silver clay ( Precious Metal Clay - PMC). Then, I used to have bits of clay left from projects because of poor planning, and to practise, I used to make buttons or pieces I could use on dolls. This one didn't get that far and found its way onto a polymer clay shape.

Thinking Pink in October, however, is a good thing.  October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in a couple of weeks, Monday 26th October is Pink Ribbon Day.http://www.pinkribbonday.com.au/  If you haven't thought about it yet , please remember to buy pink merchandise from the Cancer Council campaign, hold a "Girls' Night In "to raise money for Cancer Research, or  just remember to take good care of yourself , book in your mammogram, and stay healthy.

New Tools, New Techniques

With the October long weekend holiday and daylight saving adjustment, I have been working in a mind "fog" today, and kept wondering what I would write about in this blog this week... it was so obvious.

Last Friday I had the great privilege of attending a workshop conducted by visiting US master artist in Precious Metal Clay, Hadar Jacobson. Please see why I have been so excited about attending this workshop - please check out  Hadar's website. The workshop covered many new techniques for me and challenged the way I have previously thought about approaching, executing and finishing a silver project. I learnt new finishing techniques using a handheld rotary tool  and yesterday bought some new attachments for my dremel . My husband, Jim was really surprised when I got up early yesterday excited about going shopping at the local hardware store!

 I made a small pair of hollow form earrings. In retrospect, I chose rather uninspiring shapes, but as this was the first time this year, I had even touched silver clay, I thought I should try to be a bit conservative. This was also the first time I had set a precious faceted gemstone into the silver, so I was really happy with the end result and have been happily wearing the earrings today.

It was also a great opportunity to meet up again with friends from the Contemporary Clay Instructors' Program a course which I completed  at The Eclectic Studio in 2007-2008.  It is also great to work with other "like minded" people - what a creative atmposphere!

Of course, I have now reignited my interest in working with clay. How many hours are there really in a day?