Beaniefest time again

Aaaah I have finally sent off my 12 hats for this years Alice Springs Beaniefest.
The theme is 'In our element - Earth, Air, Fire and Water'

I have had much fun creating my two exhibition competition hats which I will post pix of soon.

Just getting the 12 hats detailed and hung with their swing tags, their details written onto entry form and swing tag, took me most of the day, and then I had to drive 25 kms into town to get the box into the mail, for slow post.

I had weighed and priced the box the day before at my local PO and it was just over the 1kg, which meant it would be cubed and priced accordingly, we cut a bit more off the cardboard box, but it still had 50gms extra. Local PO worker said it'd be OK.

Today with the 5kg express bag  full with the above 10 hats sealed inside, I had to open the box and take out one competition hat and send it in a separate tough bag, as "It would be fraud" said the PO worker, ( in larger town), when I asked if she could just let it thru.  No you'd have to pay $28.74  (an extra $15.68 ) than the stamps I already had on it.
Buying an extra tough bag and postage came to $5.40

Yay they're off at last and on their way ! I won't be able to make it out there in person again this year,  :(  ......but,    maybe next year I'll get back out to the Amazing Alice Springs Beaniefest !

It is an incredible feast of Colour and Yarns

Flood Relief AppealShop

Being a member of DUST, the Down Under Street Team, I got involved in helping set up a online shop on Etsy, the Australian Disaster Flood Appeal Shop.


At first I just volunteered to make a shop banner and Avatar for the shop for Manda of 'City Kitten'  who has taken on the role of chief co-ordinator of the whole shop.




 I soon found myself quite busy helping out with the 'flood' of enquiries about how people could donate items from their shops of handmade or vintage shops.

So far over 226 shops have donated wonderful things for people to buy, with 100 of the money (less Etsy's  and Paypals fees), to go to The Queensland Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal

In 4 days the shop has had 310 sales, with a tally of US$3541.68 to date.

We have 256 still listed for sale, with more being listed daily by a small team of **Listing Fairies**.

Please support the shop, as it gives everyone a sense of being able to help those in need, by donating something personal that they have made, particularly those who can't afford to donate cash.

The shop has had Donations from the US, Slovenia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, France, Germany, Britain......

....a Land of Flooding Rains

This weeks devastating floods have affected so many people.

We hear about some of the loss but some people just accept the loss, and don't make too much of it.

Yesterday as we went about our normal market at Byron Bay serving Chai to the community,

 our dear friend Lewis, calmly replies to Liffy's question, "so how have things Been lately ?" with .......

"Oh I lost my house and 2 jeeps"

Someone rang him during the devastating flood of water that tore thru the Tabulum area, Lewis asked him "How's my place, can you see my place?"
"No says the friend,  it's just all water!"

Lewis, tells us that normally the creek is 150 metres below a cliff !  His house was torn off it's stumps, and "went turtle-ing down the creek", he jokes.

My mum Liffy, asks him, were you insured , ....what are you going to do... etc

Lewis smiles and says " Aaaaah...  I'll go and live in a cave "

This strong and proud man is  Uncle Lewis Walker
The Keeper of Bunjalung Country.

He is the last man to walk through the old song lines and story lines and corrobaree grounds and still doing it today.

He is a warrior who believes in the oneness of All Universal Spirit. He is teacher to those who are willing to learn about the pearly fruits that will heal those who thirst for healing upon the Sacred Land that we walk upon.

He recognizes and lives the truth that we all come from the spiritual enlightenment.

He is a wise storyteller, a cultural reclamation leader, a unifying force between separated peoples, a healer, lover of all beings.

Uncle Lewis teaches us to feel and think with our hearts about the inner sacredness contained within everything.

Uncle Lewis believes that the children and the elders are to be treasured, respected, learned from and taught to be what they really are shining like the morning star.
The First Light People!
He leads groups of people on walkabouts to discover the true wealth of this world, that which is given by the Creator.
If you are interested in having this kind of experience, please feel free to contact Sky at skyhemp.gmail.com

Lewis is an acclaimed artist, with large paintings selling for upwards of $5,000
Some of his Bunjalung Dreaming Drawings can be viewed here

Lewis spoke 13 languages by the age of 14, when he came out to the white world, and learnt to speak english.

We had a brief first meeting at the market yesterday, to begin organising, the recommencement of the annual dancing of the Rainbow Corroborree.

This corroborree, was meant to be Danced every year, it hasn't happened or many years.
Lewis first heard about it 30 years ago, and is determind for it to be Revived.

A small team will begin to organise 3 events in 2011, in preparation for a large Rainbow Corroborree in Central Australia in 2012
Julinbah Yowarl


Lewis's house was near Tabulam, which  is a rural village in the far north east of New South Wales, Australia, 800km from the state capital, Sydney. Tabulam is located on the Bruxner Highway (Highway 44) between Tenterfield and Casino and on the Clarence River.
Tabulam is a picturesque village and its position on the northern catchment of Australia's most voluminous river affords it geographical and environmental significance. According to the 2006 Census, there were 573 people living in Tabulam. Tabulam is locally administered by Kyogle Council.

Etymology

The name Tabulam is derived from Bundjalung Dahbalam..

History

Originally, Tabulam and the surrounding farm and bushland was inhabited by Bundjalung Aboriginals. The land was first settled by Europeans in 1839.

Heart of Arts

Well ..... what has been happening in my artistic life lately ....?
Not much in the way of creations, as I struggle to find energy within, to complete the re-organisation of my studio, which is much smaller than my old warehouse in North Melbourne....... aaaah ......(dreams of all that space .....!)
Yet it is far bigger than a camper van or little bus ! So I can't complain.

I just wake up exhausted each morning, despite how much sleep I get, and many days never seem to pick up, so it's hard to even start to feel creative.

I am way behind on the last few finishing off jobs on the bus also. Soon it will be able to be parked under cover, when a new carport and back veranda roof are added onto the shed.
This will help me in the studio, as it will allow me to devote areas for each type of artistic work, and utilise the outside without the searing sun making it way too hot.

Every Wednesday I am now looking after the Heart of Arts Gallery Shop, in Murwillumbah, which has moved into being a Co-Op and I have finally begun putting my hats and shirts in here.
It is helping me to feel more inspired about getting back into creating work again.

'A Head Full of Love'

As I continue to wait on the final results of this years Beaniefest Awards, that being the People's Choice Award, I shall post some pictures of my hat taken on the 1st of May, during it's creation.

Modelled for me by the lovely Lisa, of The Nimbin Environment Centre

Beaniefest Special Mention

Well I didn't win a'Camel Trophy' (if they indeed do have them again this year).
but I did receive a 'Special Mention' with my hat in the Loveliest Madcap section, second to a 'Wild Thing Monster hat, by friend Louise Thackeray.

I still wish I could have been there this year, to see for myself the calibre of artistry, that whichever judges they choose to judge the event, failed to really see, (yet again).

Whilst glad to receive a Special Mention, I am almost 'offended'by the section.
I spent many many hours layering and adding fine detail working directly to the 'theme', (A head full of Love), and I am again totally bamboozled by the judges decisions. How can four people all agree on many of the 'winners' they chose ?

Why do they 'go for' the relatively boring ones, over those that really stand out with creativity.

Have a look at what I mean here


Fingers crossed for the People's Choice !!

Fingers Crossed and Wishing I was There !!

Well it's now Friday 25th June ( although it's only 1:15 am as I begin to write ).
For the past two days, my mind has been deeply focussed on a large room, in 'Alice' s Araluen Centre, where a hive of very busy women and men, scurry like Beaniologists can only do, creating Beanie Central, which last year had 6,000 Beanies in a Riot of Colour and Yarns. I love helping set up for the Worlds most Bizarre Festival of Beanies........even 'tho it can and does become 'Beanie-Bedlam' at times !!   lol

Today is the day they judge this years entries in the National/International Beanie Competition at the 14th Alice Springs BeanieFest. My fingers and toes are crossed,hoping the judges, will choose mine, amid all the other incredible masterpieces, there will  be there again, undoubtably  !

I realise I never got around to posting a follow up piece about the hat when it was finally finished, partly because in the busy final week of it's creation, I was journeying down to Buundi( Bondi Beach), with The Chai Tent (See Here for that story Part One), and in the busy-ness of that week I totally forgot to take any proper photos of it......(D'uh !!!  lol )

Luckily I did get a few more during it's mid-way point during Mardi Grass Festival at Nimbin, where I gave my hats a rare 'outing' at The Chai Tent.  ( See Here for that Story ).

And while giving the finished hat a final Needle-Felting prior to gently placing it in it's travelling post box, a beautiful young 6 year old girl Mirinda,

and her 8 year brother Lance, took some pix of my working on it, as we ate breakfast at a cafe on Bondi Beach, before we commenced our journey home.

It was wonderful to have it with me over the weekend, as the inspiration for this hat, has very strong connections to the Ceremony, Celebration, and Parliament of Sovereign Originals, that occurred that very special weekend. And yet, I only 'knew' of the gathering about 4 days before heading down to it !

I shall post this now, and go and edit photos which I have been too busy to do since I took them.  It will have to wait til after the Exhibition ends and the hat returns to me, to take some more detailed photos.

..