Beanied There.... Done (Doing) That

 After 5 years away,I am back in Central Australia ! Where all roads meet, in Alice Springs, for the 17th Beaniefest. 

 This is 'Beanie Central' where shortly masses of volunteers, (chomping at the bit!), will descend on the Araluen Cultural Centre's 'Witchetty's', to begin getting out the first of 6,000 Beanies for sale.

 Yesterday I helped out in the Main Gallery, checking that all the Competition entries, where all accounted for and on display. Giving assistance to Jo's mother-in-law Jonny, as doing it alone would take forever, and maybe not be accurate. Even with the two of us, (one reading out the barcode number, the other marking it off the list, with 4 different fluoro markers), we had quite a few boards or sections of wall needing a double or triple check ! hehe.
I was very lucky,and have had a sneek peek preview of the exhibition ! ....and the calibre of the work just keeps going up.

That's not to say there aren't some that  are quite weird and wonderful (in their own way), they certainly gave us some laughs.

One hat gave very welcome relief to 'cranky' curating/hanging' Mez, after she chatted about her 'beanie reasons' for crankiness; it shows two hands joined in friendship on the front,whilst on the back, is a hand meant to be showing the symbol for peace.

Buuuuut........

the the fingers are showing 'fingernails', meaning the they are facing the wrong way.
I 'awarded' it to Mez (in jest), for her to wear...... forwards, until any 'silly' problem enters her radius, when she can just turn her beanie around, with out saying a word, hehehe..........
Beaniefest Madness begins.....

When I arrived on Tuesday I spotted the front page of the paper on the reception desk

 Monday morning dawned with gentle winter sunshine,in the Northern Rivers, on my departure day. 

I had a moments panic, weighing my heavy case, full of crochet creations (8 wraps and about 20 extra hats, plus some miscellaneous water bottle holders, skirts and a new hand muffller/scarf/thingy. Did a minor shuffle into hand luggage.

Got to 'Check In', nice and early,and had a very nice 'fresh'  staff member let me thru with my hand luggage slightly over 20kg, ...  and offer me a window seat !!

[Gotta run now ..... Jo just rang and asked if'd let the ABC interview me! so will continue later ]

.......and then even let me thru with hand luggage weighing 12.64kg  (Thankyou universe) ...... but what would the next flight check in staff do in Melbourne the next morning ??

So after a lovely afternoon catching up with my beautiful niece, who then cooked a very delicious dinner of veggie 'meat balls' (eggplant and cauliflower),

 I spent quite some time juggling weights between case and hand luggage, and leaving behind a bag of extra yarn and miscellaneous beanie festival useful things.   I needn't have bothered, as my case weighed 19.7kg and then being near the end of check-in she didn't even bother to weigh my back pack and shoulder bag !!

The Melbourne - Alice Springs flight had me in an inner isle seat, chatting to my aisle neighbour, whilst crocheting. Amy, (a japanese or inuit woman from Quebec, was keen to find out free campsites for hitchikers, and the best places to try and visit in their limited time. She took copious notes. The two seats beside me, were occupied by two Japanese girls, who slept the entire trip ! I had to stand,with one knee on my seat, to peer out the windows, when we were flying over Central Australia.

On the flight from Coolongatta to Melbourne, I was blessed with a window seat and even an empty middle seat, to facilitate my crochet work. That is when I wasn't peering out the window, taking photos as the plane flew over Mt Warning !

 Mount Warning and some of the inner ring of mountains within the caldera. It is the largest extinct volcanic caldera in the southern hemisphere.

 The red dot in the top of the following photo is where I live, on the lower heights of the 'long mountain ridge' that continues all the way up to the top of the Macpherson Ranges, and the Queensland border.

 I am currently working on two 3D pieces, (with more planned), of Mt Warning Caldera. One is on a Wrap/Stole, the other is a hat

 So every chance to capture these aerial views, even if thru a plane window's curves and reflections, gives me greater understanding of the hidden valleys etc.

The Pinnacle extends out and down, like a ski jump between Brays Creek, Back Creek and Pumpenbil and Tyalgum, with Limpinwood Valley on the far side of 'long mountain'

 As the Skybus wisked me into Spencer Street station, now called Southern Cross, I snap one of where I used to live beneath the towering silos in Munster Terrace, North Melbourne.

An old warehouse, which we, the Jack Family renovated in the 80's. Living Rainbows Workshop - art studios, rehearsal and underground performance space, pin-pointed by the red dot.

 Then my niece Shantala, picked me up and we caught up with each other all afternoon, on the waterfront of St Kilda.

and drove me to the airport early next morning, thanks Shay !

48 Hats in 17 Days !

Phew !  ....as I now try and tag all my Beanies with their swingtags, ready to post off to Beaniefest by 27th May, I find I have made 48 in the past 17 days !! ....so picking two more from those already made, I have my 50 beanies allowed, as I will be a volunteer again this year ! I have booked my tickets ! Via Melbourne, so I can catch up with my niece, and visit a few Opp Shops !!

Today I logged in and tagged just 16 beanies, while I sat 'Viridian' our artist's co-op gallery, thru the little door on the right, in the above photo.  Hopefully tomorrow I can all the rest done. 'Tho it could be a busy day,as in here in the Tyalgum Community Hall, there will be a horde of people being fed lunch during a filming session at the local General Store, an American TV series called Camp. 

Hats Hats Hats

I am progressing well with my hat making, having made 14 hats so far, I think I should be able to reach my target in time.  I should even be able to make some to leave here in the gallery, for while I am away, and taking all the hats currently in there.

30 Beanies to make in 3 weeks Challenge

Right.......  today before lunch, I have made hat number one ....not in my usual style..... whilst cleaning up some
of my artistic 'clutter' I found some sample 'Flower' crochets I was playing with a few months back, and decided to combine them together into a 'normal' ie.  non-pointy hat, and Voila ! here is hat #1

Do you like my new hat model ?

OK I have briefly checked my emails, done alittle more houeswork (!)  and Now I'll start Hat #2 

I read a comment on the Beaniefest web page, from last year, that people wanted some cheaper hats ...so that is what I am going to aim for ...... cheaper price, but still colourful and unique ??

Here are hats #2 and #3 and it's still light outside, so I'm about to start on Hat #4 .....These will receive some embellishments later .....

Mad Beanieologist Books Tickets to Beaniefest !!

Yay ! After a 4 year absence, I am once again heading out to Alice Springs this June for a week of Beanie Madness. 

2010 Theme 'A Head Full of Love' 

Just booked my flights, via Melbourne on the 17th for an overnight stop,  at my niece's flat ?, or a friends place ?, and a little Opp Shop 'fix' hehe.

 

2011 Theme 'In Our Element, Earth Wind Fire Water'

This year's theme is 'Friendship - Of The Heart'

I haven't quite finished my second entry hat, still working on the fine detail, but my first entry is for the Tea Cosy section, The Sister to Beanies. I have made it out of my very first felted beanie that I made in '92 or '93, and old trusty 'friend',and according to a new friend made last Saturday, I have 'Channeled' my Elders, in the two figures, needle-felted into the top ....... (and it can still be worn as a hat)

I am already excited, and now have just 3 weeks to make 20 or 30 new beanies for Beanie Central, as I will be there as a volunteer.

I made one of them today, and finished another....  tomorrow I plan to make three more.

I love having target dates, to motivate me......... 

Later on in the year (Date TBA) I am putting on a Textile Exhibition with a friend, to which we may invite some other textile artists to join.

Originally we thought September or October, but tonight when she phoned, we discussed having it slightly earlier, while it is still cool.  

Whenever it is, it is still a date in the near future, for me to have insight, and 'InTouch' with my many textile projects that I am working on simultaneously. I find it works well  to leave various projects 'sit awhile', as I 'muse' on the creative processes involved with each piece,

If I worked just on one piece, from'start' to 'finish', before allowing myself to 'start a new piece, I may not have had time to 'allow' the 'Spirit' of the piece to Evolve.  

Hmmm I quite like 'InTouch With Art' as a name for a Textile Exhibition

New Beginnings

Artwork needs creative energy ...... Creative Energy needs vital life energy ......... and passion !

I am regaining my Energy ...... I  'Will' my Creative Energy, back into the Vibrancy of my younger self  ...... I will conquer the Fatigue that has been sapping the life out of me for 4 years

Back to Blog Week

Testing Testing Testing ..... I can  finally post in here again !! after a long spell where none of my posts would publish ??

I had decided to overhaul my blog, or start a fresh one and saved all the old posts etc to copy the important ones to new blog.....then I also decided to try a new format with this one when I couldn't actually re-post into the new blog ( nothing would publish!) 

Then I couldn't access my blog .....  I had to make new passwords, forgot the new passwords? or they/something wouldn't work??  Aiiieeeh ! it was an online nightmare, nothing I tried worked, so I have just left it by the by.....

Today a friend has returned to writing in her blog after along break after being 'blog bullied', and so I made a comment, went to post it,got directed to Log In, typed in new password, it 'Worked' this time ! ....lost the comment posted on friend's blog!   .......  but found out I have access back in here ! ........(fingers crossed)