Paper Flowers...

Just over two years ago I made a YouTube tutorial on how to fold paper flowers. My friend Yumi and I had taught this fun project to a bunch of kids and everyone made such lovely blooms.

I pop over to YouTube after receiving questions and comments and it is so nice to hear how people have been using their new flowers... Weddings, Scout Meetings, Mother's Day Gifts, Festivals... I'd love to see where your flowers end up too! If you have made paper flowers and have some photos I'd love to post them up on the Feeling Fuzzy? Blog!

Oh, and thank you to my Two Million visitors!! Two Million?? Wow!!

Wild & Windy Weekend Picnic at Strickland House, Vaucluse

Nathan and I celebrated our fourth year of being married with a picnic at Strickland House, Vaucluse. The sun managed to sneak out for a little while, but I quite liked the blusteriness of the day. There was very little company and we felt like we had the whole of the foreshore to ourselves.

We had a custom made hamper from The Sydney Picnic Company and it was more than delicious... olives, cheese, lovely salad and brownies ta boot! Lovely touches of craftiness swathed the basket and inside were hidden brown boxes tied with string, polka dote napkins, cutlery tied with flowers... the perfect combination of aesthetic yumminess, which I think reflected quite well our two loves... food and design.

This is my job now. Really.

A day at last to start making again. My fingers have been itching. It has been a few years since I have thought to make pieces of felt... just like riding a bike. Came back to me right away!

(Chocolate & Chai helped the process immensely, as they generally do.)

Gabrielle Mordy: Curious Maiden

"I am a passionate advocate for exploring intuitive paths and discovering what comes." - Gabrielle Mordy

"How did a story that was recorded centuries ago by two German brothers inspire Australian artist Gabrielle Mordy to immerse paper within pots of boiling eucalyptus leaves? The Handless Maiden is a relatively obscure fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm which tells the story of a young girl who, when betrayed and maimed by her family, takes off into the forest to find her own pathway in the world. This traditional German fairy tale has been a central inspiration behind theCurious Maidens exhibition, which features artwork created entirely from plant dyed watercolour paper." Taken from Mordy's Artist Statement.


Exhibition Details:
Barometer Gallery
Opening: Thursday 26th April 2012, 6-8pm 
Friday 27th April - Sunday 29th April 2012 11am - 5pm
13 Gurner Street Paddington, NSW, Australia
9358 4968

Solipsist: Colour Colour Colour

SOLIPSIST from Andrew Huang on Vimeo.

Image from Solipsist from Andrew Thomas Huang.

I was chatting to a colleague about how I often feel after teaching a class at COFA that I come away having learnt a huge array of new things just by talking to my students.

I don't know if they realise that I love seeing where their ideas come from, what inspires them, and how they travel from that point with their own perspectives. This is the creative journey that I love to see and be a part of.

This Vimeo Solipsist by Andrew Thomas Huang inspired one of my students in her textiles project and I can see why. Looking forward to checking out more of his work. Oh, and the Making of Solipsist is here!

Colour Colour Colour,
Pattern Pattern Pattern,
Movement Movement Movement,
Texture Texture Texture!

Enjoy on your Wednesday mornings as much as I did and thank you Alyce for bringing this little gem into my world.

Women with Clever Hands, Object Gallery, Sydney.

Image: Object Gallery Twitter Feed

Image: Julieanne Gitjpulu Malibirr, Looped string mat, 

Photo: Leise Knowles

Object Gallery Website

This morning I went along to the Women with Clever Hands demonstration and talk at Sydney's Object Gallery. This is an exhibition of fibre work celebrating the creativity and skill of the artists of Gapuwiyak. Animals, bags, necklaces, mats and baskets of beauty that are woven, looped, twined and coiled are displayed for us to see the stories of these women. The stories of their families, their community, their bodies and their history.

I mentioned in the last post that I've been thinking long and hard about story and narrative forming a concept for creative designing and making. Looking closer at the information about each piece in the exhibition you can see that each is named accordingly:

"String Bag Story"

"Close Coiling Story"

"Past Times Story"

"Working Together Story"

Every aspect of this work literally weaves stories into the pandanus, along with sacred feathers and seeds. Chatter and talk, demonstration participation and observation. This is what the gallery floor became when we were invited to participate in the making process. The value of story resonates through the room.

Louise Hamby and Lucy Malirrimurruwuy Wanapuyngu curated the exhibition with the help of their fellow sisters. Many of the pieces honour and remember those who have now passed away. 

Women with Clever Hands: Gapuwiyak Miyalkurruwurr Gong Djambatjmala

Object Gallery

417 Bourke St Surry Hills NSW

Tuesday - Friday 11am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm

31 March - 9 June 2012

Gaawaa Miyay: Lucy Simpson, Textile Designer

I've been talking to my design students this week about developing concepts for textile design. What is a concept? What is the purpose of a concept? Where does a concept come from?

Concept is a mysterious notion - I see it as the idea that holds the design process together. It's the starting, middle and end point. It keeps you on track and allows you to communicate your ideas creatively. It may be a few different ideas joined like a dot-to-dot puzzle. It could be a piece of inspiring music. Sometimes it is a story.

Lucy Simpson, creator of beautiful textiles that make up Gaawaa Miyay (River Daughter), is an expert at visual story telling. Each of her designs respond to memories of storytelling, people and places. She draws from her ties to the Yuwaalaraay country of Northern NSW and interprets her connection through visual narration.


Next week Lucy is holding an Open Studio Night at Addison Road Gallery, Marrickville. If you are in the area I'm sure she'd like to see you there.


In the mean time you can look to these sites:


Gaawaa Miyay
An Interview with Lucy by Craft Australia
Lucy's Collaboration with Julie Patterson at Cloth.

Image Credits: Lucy Simpson & I Ran the Wrong Way

For rainy days in Sydney...

Tuning into Folk Radio UK (Frukie) is the ideal background music. I like to stay local with most things, but when the climate becomes something resembling Britain if you can't beat 'em, join 'em I say!

Check what's playing now here. Lots of James Vincent McMorrow and other acoustic people.

Speaking of the weather, my thoughts are going out to all the flood effected towns. My grandparents are in Griffith where the town is suffering quite badly. They are safe in their home a little up the very low hill, but it makes me worry about all the senior citizens who might not have very good health. Keep safe!

Sublimation Printing

A trip into sublimation printing - also known as heat transfer printing.
Polysol dyes do the trick... find out more here.

Kinfolk: I like to read this

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