Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

Background : Today is Tuesday -  Tag day. I belong to a very talented group of artists who weekly produce a small work of art as a tag. We post photos of our tags  on the Tag Tuesday blog .  Currently our theme is alphabet, and we each could decide on our own sub-theme. I chose Australian plants and each of my tags is an experiment with a textile art technique. Here are February's tags and a brief  descriptions of the techniques used.  Technique 1 :  Heliographic Art (Sun Painting)  as in the photo above - close up of Tag E . When special sun/light sensitive paints are applied to wet fabric where objects have been placed on top, the outlines and shapes of the objects are transferred to the fabric. In this example I placed dried Eucalypt (gum tree) leaves on top  a piece of originally white cotton painted with yellow and orange" Setacolor" transparent paints and left it in the sun for about an hour. I then cut one of the leaves out and ...

 Happy Chinese New Year - the first day of the lunar year was last week, but with celebrations continuing  for at least two weeks, we had our family get together last night. We all look forward to the celebrations because they all mean something special to each of us Chinese New Year = colourful Lion dances  Chinese New Year = loud music and fun  Chinese New Year = lucky red packets of money  Chinese New Year = a special event and dressing up Chinese New Year = yummy food and lots of it Chinese New Year = family and friends celebrating together All the best to my family and friends all over the world during  the Year of the Snake.

Tumbuna Bottles  Here are a few pieces which are no longer on my work table - yay,  they are finished! Tumbuna collage Tumbuna Bottles: Tumbuna means 'ancestor' in pidgin. I have been wanting to make some dolls inspired by my experiences in Papua New Guinea , so finally finished some last month.  These art dolls are 'guardians of memories' . I have put inside the bottles little trinkets and bits and pieces I brought home from various trips to Papua New Guinea , and  created a personality for each bottle, shaped from my remembered images of respected ancestors in PNG villages.  My plan, of course is to make a series of these bottle art dolls inspired by other travels ... looking forward to creating the Chinese, English, German, Finnish, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian versions and including little souvenirs from those places in the bottles. little Tumbuna bottle  Tags: This year the first 26 weeks of Tag Tuesday are following the alphabet .....

The Gentle Arts book  While I am always reluctant to make New Year’s resolutions, I openly declared that 2013 was going to be a “gentler” year. Coincidentally, while sorting books I came across “The Gentle Arts – 200 Years of Australian Women’s Domestic & Decorative Arts”. It is full of  amazing textile work – from hand coloured photos to filet crochet,  delicate embroidery to  weaving – fine and gentle work.   … which motivated me to learn shuttle tatting.   A friend gave me a shuttle and lent me a basic instruction book – first attempt not so successful! I hate to say I failed, but the results were certainly an alternate version of tatting! I just could not get the right thread knotting around the other!   History of tatting in  Australia in "The Gentle Arts"  Tatting instructions  While on holidays, my mother taught me to needle tat and that seemed quite easy, so back to working with the shuttle with even more det...

Polymer clay head by Bobbi Oliver Happy New Year - cheery fellow isn't he? What a creative beginning to 2013 I 've had. A visit to my friend's studio always motivates me. This week, I was there for only a few hours and came home with new knowledge and ideas.  Bobbi Oliver, from Lamboart   is a talented  figurative sculptor and art doll maker. Her partner, Jane Lambert ( hence the name, Lamboart) is also a talented paper artist. Their studio is alive with creativity, fun, laughter and joy.  Bobbi and some of her works in progress  Bobbi demonstrating clay techniques.  Bobbi has also helped me with the beginning of the "Spreading Wings" project for International Women's Day. Here is the link to the fantastic event, with a new sponsor -  the City of Newcastle , Making your Place program. Read more about this by following the link  ... in summary, " Spreading Wings " is a series of textile art skills workshops where small swa...

I wish you a very happy new year . May 2013 be a very special time for us all. 

Christmas collection  Christmas colours at our place - in the hallway ...    Family stockings  and in the garden .....  flowering syzygium  and in my art ...  doll created for a friend   and even on my desk ....  USB Christmas tree  Merry Christmas to my wonderful family and friends - I hope you enjoy the peace and joy of Christmas with all the people who are special to you.