Unseasonal Spring Flowers

Unseasonal Spring Flowers #1 - tea stains and stitching : Wilma Simmons

I am sure this is not what Tag Tuesday followers will be expecting for the theme of Spring Flowers.
My tags this week aren't the popular beautiful interpretations of favourite Spring garden flowers - they are monochrome tea stained canvas tags, with hand stitching. I think it is amazing when you put wet tea bags onto canvas, the shapes of the tea stains are so like flowers and when the tea stain from the string makes a line, it looks just like a stem.

Unseasonal Spring Flowers #2 - tea stains and stitching : Wilma Simmons

While those in the northern hemisphere are really looking forward to Spring and a burst of floral colour, we in the southern hemisphere are experiencing the end of summer and depending on where you live, perhaps a little Autumn breeze and a slight drop in temperature. So, my tags represent Spring flowers- out of season.

Unseasonal Spring Flowers #1 and #2 - tea stains and stitching : Wilma Simmons

Here also is an image of another subdued interpretation of Spring flowers. This embroidered card was made by a friend, but I just love the simple and calm beauty it portrays.

Embroidered card by Margaret Adams, Newcastle NSW Australia

Hope you will have a look at the fantastic art tags created over at Tag Tuesday - all interpretations of Wendy's theme, Spring Flowers.

Too Precious to Waste

Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons More than a year ago, a decision was made. The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2] A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as wrapping str

Wednesday's Child /2

Work in Progress - 3 of the 193 for "Stitched Up"- Wilma Simmons The work for the "Stitched Up " Project continues. See the previous "Wednesday Child" post for the background to this art project celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Newcastle Industrial School. I have been documenting the progress of my work, so I thought it might be interesting to share some of the early stages of the "stick dolls" ... Here are some of the beginning steps.. Sticks collected while walking the bushland in my neighbourhood Drying and getting rid of any insects - oven heat 75 degreesC for approx 1-2 hours. Trimmed and cut if necessary Ends sealed with matte sealing solution. Drying - solution goes on white but dries clear. First wrapping - foil to create a body shape Second wrapping - stretch fabric. Third wrapping - fabric strips Some stitching - more stitching and embellishment to come. Follow thi

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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