Animals , Wild or Tame ... Tags

For the Tag Tuesday theme " Animals, Wild or Tame ( no insects" , I made two small tags, both with my favourite collage material - postage stamps.

For the first one , I chose an Australian stamp , issued in 1982 , rasing the awareness of the endangered corroboree frog. Here is some information about it....

Corroboree Frogs are Australia’s most iconic amphibian species and amongst the most visually spectacular frogs in the world. They can be readily distinguished by the bold yellow and black longitudinal stripes on its top, sides and legs. Its belly is marbled black, white and yellow. Both the males and females have the same colouration but females are slightly larger than males.

These frogs are found in marshlands and sclerophyll forests under logs, and subalpine bogs of south-eastern NSW and the ACT. Catching a glimpse of these stunning creatures is a rare and exciting occurrence. They are largely nocturnal but are also occasionally active during the day on cloudy days.

From high altitude bogs and swamps, the male Corroboree will call to the female during mating season (January – February). This song that is more like a ‘squelch’ begins the life-cycle of these tiny amphibians. (from https://www.taronga.org.au/animals/corroboree-frog)

The second tag is a Hong Kong stamp issued in 2007, to mark the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Pig - a much favoured animal in the Chinese Zodiac ... With a round and fat face, the Pig is the symbol of wealth, felicity, honesty, and practicality in Chinese zodiac culture. Many money pots (Chinese piggybanks) are made pig-shaped as people believe Pig invocation will bring good luck monetarily.

Of course, pigs have been more maligned in the wild state in Hong Kong - perhaps you have seen reports like this in the news.

Hong Kong authorities have captured and euthanised seven wild boars as they began a campaign to reduce their numbers in urban areas around the financial centre after one bit a policeman last week.About 30 boar attacks have been reported in recent years, authorities said.

Hong Kong’s policy had been to capture the animals, then sterilise and relocate them to remote, unpopulated areas.The city is home to about 3,000 wild boars, according to government data, and they are not a protected species. Boar have at times been seen on subway trains, or waiting for the traffic light to turn green at pedestrian crossings by the harbour... ( from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/18/hong-kong-begins-hunting-wild-boar-amid-public-safety-fears )

Bilby Infatuation

Wrapped wire and fabric bilby sculpture : Wilma Simmons 2016 Over the years I have been fascinated with the plight of the bilby and it has inspired quite a few of my cloth creations... With long pinkish-coloured ears and silky, blue-grey fur, the Bilby has become Australia’s version of the Easter Bunny. Unlike the rabbit, bilby numbers are falling rapidly. There were originally two species but the Greater Bilby is now commonly referred to simply as ‘the Bilby’ as the Lesser Bilby (Macrotis leucura) is thought to have become extinct in the early 1950s... Bilbies are nocturnal, emerging after dark to forage for food. Using their long snouts, they dig out bulbs, tubers, spiders, termites, witchetty grubs and fungi. They use their tongues to lick up grass seeds. Bilbies have poor sight and rely on good hearing and a keen sense of smell. To minimise threats from predators they’ll mostly stay within 250m of their burrows, but sometimes roam further afield depending on the food...

"Temari Or Not Temari?" Tutorial

Background Information: Temari (literally translated “hand ball”) is a Japanese folk craft that is alleged to have originated in China and was introduced to Japan five or six hundred years ago. Traditionally, the balls were constructed from wrapped kimono fabric remnants and silk threads. They were made by mothers and grandmothers for children to play with. Nowadays, decorative embroidered temari represent a highly valued and cherished gift symbolizing friendship and loyalty. Recently I've wondered if your don't use traditional techniques whether you should call what you create "temari". That is an ongoing debate but today I share what I do to make a "non-traditional temari".... 1.I start with a polystrene ball ( traditionally the balls were wound silk scraps or other organic materials) and begin to wrap with approx 4 ply wool, turning the ball as I wrap. 2. I then wrap another layer of wool in a similar fashion , this time a 3 or 2 ...

Countdown to Christmas 20 - Fruitcake song!

There are many songs about fruit cakes - not all of them referring to the Christmas cake we know and love.It is really surprising to learn via Google that there are 89 listed songs with references to Christmas cake or fruit cake - not all of them complimentary. Probably one of the most famous folk songs about Christmas cake is Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake (a favourite sung by The Irish Rovers). This first recorded comical Christmas song was written by C Frank Horn in 1883 in Pennsylania, as a variation of an Irish folk song, 'Miss Mulligan's Christmas Cake' . The chorus might give you the hint that Miss Fogarty's cake was not for the faint hearted or those who suffered from a weak stomach. Chorus : There were plums and prunes and cherries, There were citrons and raisins and cinnamon, too There was nutmeg, cloves and berries And a crust that was nailed on with glue There were caraway seeds in abundance Such that...

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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