Allowing a proposal to brew....

I'm currently working towards an exhibition proposal, some processes of which, have been slightly interupted by the great sending of humanity to their rooms my Mother Earth. Other aspects have been greatly booned by this pause, ie. the makings themselves. It's a bit like working a spell, containing the energy, allowing it to build and then releasing it's energies out into the world....

We live in an age of social media, that shows and shares our, sometimes daily, existence with those who choose to engage in the ethernet. I made the call to withdraw from such arenas several months ago, it wasn't a hard call really, twas doin' my head in at the time, but as the crescendo builds I'm itching to share what I've been working upon these months, and will be in the next to come. The same desire for a sense of community that led me to give Instagram a try, calls me. Yet, there's magic in patience, secrets n mystery. This is what I hope to preserve and allow to soak, mayhap even ferment a little, by holding off....

My assistant / familiar, whilst watching over procedures, is encouraging me to be the witness to these feelings (as she is to the practicalities). Take a deep breath, and continue to dye n stitch quietly, for the love of. Tis a practice in and of itself. Aaaahh wise teacher....

I have shared with my family n circles close, it's inevitable. Their encouragement and posativity have urged me onwards, thanks folks....

I am a crafter n maker. Have been since a little one….

 

 

There are parallel themes of creativity, and connection to nature, especially Australian plants, in my family, on both sides.….

My maternal Grandmother, Bea’s, garden was a blend of both Australian natives, and English cottage plantings, in a manner years before her time. As was the Native Tree Preservation Society she helped establish to protect coastal Tea tree vegetation near her home in Beaumaris, Victoria. It’s still going strong.

My paternal Grandmother, Alice, was a gatherer of clothing she would tantalisingly reveal to me on visits. Cupboards of Victorian lace, and museum quality costume pieces. Upon retiring, she promptly created a crafting room ‘down the garden’, where she made mysterious things happen. Paper from recycled phone books n plants, pressed dried flowers, patchworked, sewed. A ‘she shed’.

My Mum, Diana, is a Landscape Architect now turned peasant, nomad n watercolourist, with a deeply ingrained passion for Australian plants. My Dad, Julian was a Television director, who made, amongst other programs, the insightful and far ahead of its time ‘Babakiueria’ a role reversal of who were the indigenous folk In Australia, he was also an avid ‘Mr Fixit’. Fella’s crafting.

In my own life, the act of creating has led me into several tangents over the years, remaining a sturdy tree under whose shade to nourish, in a not unchallenging life.

During the last few years, the path I currently walk, usually ambling barefoot, has emerged and developed….

In my current works, and this proposal, I am stretching my wee wings and finding my own ways. Experimenting with hand sewing with intention, what I am coming to call ‘witchin’ stitchin’. Upcycling scavenged / foundling clothes n fabrics into other forms in a kind of metamorphosis. Then bundling them with a mix of gathered /windfall leaves and boiling them in a cauldron, thus colouring them with 'plant echoes’.

This exhibition would be my first, and I do hope to begin from this place…..

Dark moon shifting into New, time for planting seeds n making tinctures....

As we move towards dark moon, the shadow aspects this phase of the moon can bring forth are being felt in the collective, and for many of us on an individual basis. However, this is also the time for introspection and reassessment, dreaming up in the void. I've heard it said 'the Earth has had enough, and is sending us to our rooms to think it all over'.

This drawing epitomises where my focus has returned to over the last couple of weeks, and I'm not alone in this. I was inspired to draw it spending time with a lovely earth friend woman. With people's awareness turning to how food is sourced and transported, nursery's are having trouble keeping up, online seed companies have had to close their doors, and baby chickens are rare as hens teeth (pun intended, if somewhat bad taste). So, after an obsessive plant echo / ecodye phase, my garden called me back for some quality time spent together. This is one of the potential areas of awakening I see through the chaos, listening to, reconnecting with and hearing green folks, as sentient beings, also as both food and medicine...

In the dark of the womb we begin, as do these wee Capsicums, within the cauldron of the soil. Dark moon on into the first 2 weeks of the waxing moon, the Earth is exhaling, releasing moisture and nutrients to be absorbed. Time for planting annual seeds and seedlings, especially of which the foliage is the desired part of the plant. Creation births in darkness, followed by light, or as in seedlings case reaching for the light!

This is also when I begin tinctures of above ground parts, to be later decanted, all the funkier if on the full moon. I was keen to jar up Yarrow tincture and Elderberry Elixir, being the way things are, stocks were low. Juliette de Bairacli Levy speaks of Yarrow used in treating pneumonia, pleurisy, inflamed throat and it's my instinct that Ive always worked with Achillea millefolium to keep such greeblies at bay. Technical term of course. You can see my wordology comes from my own experience and thus take it at your discretion please....

Having said these things about timings, I use my inner guidance n compass, and if there's a patch of Dandelions I am hoping to make Medicine from whilst making space for seedlings going in, I'll do so. Ones garden (indeedy life) is a microcosm of the macrocosm, the more time spent tending and simply being with her spaces in intentional respect, the more likely we are to freakily find ourselves aligned with timings, such as lunar cycles. As within, so without. As above, so below.

Seasonal differences are a whole nother layer. Here in the Subtropics Summer's heat is as to furthur Souths frosts n cold snaps. This is primo gardeningk time in our region, n ain't that sweet! We are out of drought, and the Dandelions show it. Wild greens are an excellent indicator of soil quality, so bless em weeds, eat n medicine make wiv em'. I remember the first wee Dandelion that self seeded here, I was stoked! Look to native trees as indicators. Although climate change, oh sorry am I a fool not in denial, has messed with the seasons and rainfall. I watched the drought take native Scribbly gums whose leaves with whom I had dyed skirts n shirts with a few months earlier,  but I digress. Now said same are resiliently sending out shoots, new growth and gum nuts appearing!

As the moon cycles round her ways, the Scribbly gums sprout new leaves, let us hope that when this passes, some of the awakenings of this time remain with us. The enjoyment of simple pleasures, small freedoms and gratitudes.....

Blessings and good vibes....

Full Moon Sunday making tangents n the rain just keeps a falling....

Full moon Sunday, n the rain just keeps coming here....

Yesterday my ecodye n crafting space was all a flood, literally, as were some of the streets in town. Mayhaps when there were prayers said for rain during the fires, specific amounts weren't mentioned! In fact it's quite cosy, for those of us who live on sandy soils which drain in the pauses, creativity n cuppa's. Garden n tree's loving it...

 

Mostly Ive been immersed in '29 Days' the magical mystery day at a time e-course with India Flint's, School of Nomad Arts. I thought I went slow, but these processes are chilling me out in an intentional yet not serious assed way. Lesson one, allow bundles to brew overnight in cauldron!! Wait till morningk to unfurl, rather than leaping with excited hands to do so right after cooking. Patience has it's own rewards.....

Shan't say too much more except that I'm loving it n my Tai chi practice is also benifittting!

This year I chose the word 'gratitude' and it was not such a bad idea, I've been going thanks, gratitude, blessings, thanks ever since 2020 rolled on in!

Last night I synchronicitously blundered across the work of a Japanese embroiderer called Junko Oki, oh and ahhh! Mostly, I'm a bit behind the times, from her book 'Punk' published in 2016. Some of her pieces have references to crosses, which I don't dig, but her circular and organicy stitchings I loooove! Simple stitches, blanket, running and backstitch, the kinds I can pull off and not too anal in her approach, obviously. Her written words are also beautiful....

'Memories can be implanted into material.'

 

Next weekend I'm doing a workshop 'Indigo and Shibori Dyeing'  with local woman Anne Leon. It'll be big for me, go the group situation for two 6 hour stints, but she'll be right! So looking forward to the learnings. I've never reaaallly been a blue person, although I had a go at growing Woad due to me Gaelic ancestry, so will be interesting to engage with the Indigo and her rather ancient processes. Having said that, I now notice my forearm which is covered in a blue tattoo. Oddly enough that colour was called 'Earth'! Ha! It's my Suffolk oceanic honouring! Maybe Indigo n I will have more in common than expected ;). I'm hoping some of the Shibori techniques can be applied to my 'plant echo' experimentations.

Gawd sounds like a terribly name dropping hoo ha few paragraphs, but when one discovers fellow folk who inspire, it's a force of nature I find, and ripples out in surprising ways n tangents. In this age, online is oft the form of information sharing it seems!? Certainly it allows access to teachings I could otherwise not be blessed with, and in turn when brave I can share mine through such arenas. Although, social media does my head in sometimes, and I have to go off grid a whiles to engage with face to face reality. You'll notice the gaps. It's a bit like grounding spirit work. The making is indeed the prime focus I keep reminding myself.  

Happy Full Moon

Blessings n Good Vibes

 

Crafting for mental health, yup that includes 'voice hearers'...

I am a crafter n maker, have been since a wee tacker immersed up to the fingertips in homemade red fingerpaint. While few formal qualifications have held my interest over the years, the act of creating has stayed with me through a not unchallenging life.

During the last year or so, as you may have read, I have been exploring eco dye, what I am coming to call 'plant echoes' and sewing aka 'witchin stitchin' (I swear I didn't hex Scott Morrison, he did it all on his own steam. Not really worried if I spelt his name wrong btw). Back to the main story. Plant echoes require time. Its a slow, ambling art, with leaves soaking for weeks, mordants brewing in jars for months and cauldrons full o bundles boiling for a number of hours. I have chosen to devote time to developing my skills in this form, and it's my pace. An amble, or potter...

Now here's where I reveal a wee secret that is part of that not unchallenging life. I hear voices. No, not the internal dialogue type, yes the sounds like someone is talking (yelling, oft times) which I hear through my ears. Now before you tell me I'm psychic (hence it's a beautiful thing), or that when a certain portal shifts I will be cleared of this phenomena, or they're entities and if I keep sending them into the light all will be well, or all I have to do is think in affirmations and they'll go away, I've bloody heard all of that already! Thought of, n conciously worked with. Now if you've ever tried focusing on anything whilst someones hurling abuse at you, you know its trixy. Be that brushing your teeth or writing a song ( believe me the lyrics may not be pretty). However, a saving grace for me is crafting / making / art. Not only do I enjoy it, I can at times (not always) do it with the choir screaming along.

Let me give you an example. Today I awoke, there was the choir, morning lovelies...So I couldn't get myself out of the house, its a bit difficult to navigate the world under such circumstances. However I could, and did, spend about one and a half hours getting this picture of my cauldron, to pop on my brand spankers Instagram account as a metaphor for what Im brewing up in relation to the overwhelming natures of whats happening in our land with the fires and climate change. I didn't feel it was appropriate in that post to describe the distress Ive been experiencing, and HEARING for some weeks now. If you've made it to this blog, not many folk do ;) you get the scoop!

Point being I could focus on this process, and it was enough to get me going for the day. From where I was then able to engage with some plant echo play, to a) distract myself and b) create a wee bit o beauty, juz a wee bit, but it ALL counts. You might get the vibe from my squeee of excitement followed by 'wow' at end o footage...

 

The footage was taken upon request by my beloved Miles,who is highly aware of the a) shitfull moments hearing voices can bring and b) magic o making in my life. So with an ever supportive *sigh* agreed. Damn good eye too!

 So you can see that despite the odds I had a day with wonder n joy included that might otherwise have been missing. Is that therapy? I suppose so. Better than some I would argue. Go creative expression whatever the form I say! If you, or someone you love hears voices, encourage this stuff. Mayhaps even go buy them a copy of the book "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I know she wrote some book called 'Eat, Pray, Love' I never read, but this one I did and really dug it. I found a copy in the opshop for 50 cents, scavenging n synchronicity combined! It will loosen your making muscles n give you a laugh, and if you hear or see stuff, you may well need that some days eh....

Green oats tincture and ecodye loving as we head gathering in towards the full moon....

Hhhmm it's been a while since I typed, much has happened. Indeedy, I hardly know where to begin. It's now nigh on December full moon, and there has been a definite building feeling this cycle round...

I'll begin this post with a magical process in the garden which mayhaps epitomises this time. We were gifted a couple o bags o shit, not by life as is oft the case, but by a neighbour, to fertilise the soil. Gathered from a not too distant horse race course, this had born within it, seeds. Special ones for a nervous system in need of tonifying....

 Oats! I've been wanting to make green oats tincture for a whiles but didn't think they'd grow in the subtropics. In the bottom picture, along with dyers fingernails, you'll see the succulent milk exuding from the ready to harvest oat as I squeezed it to test for readyness. Exciting! Tinctured those babies up. Learning that you can simply harvest the tops and the rest will grow, and hence seed, again. Sustainablity.... :)

So, as with the coming of the oats, life has brought nourishment, and abundance. I feel more loved and supported than ever in my life. Had a few wee cries about it, and the beautiful paths I find myself now walking accompanied....

In a series of furthur eco dyeing adventures, the learning curve continues! I now have an Instagram account which focuses mostly on such plant ally craftings, 'opalplantways' if you'd like to see what I'm up to. That's probably where I'll be hanging out mostly....

I was doing some experiments with mordanting the leaves, rather than the fabric, I know mindbending (hinted at generously by 'Elemental Leaf')! Which resulted in a surplus of leaves that had soaked for some days in a strong brew of iron potion. When I came to do a batch of bundles with previously mordanted items, I popped a few of these leaves onto a linen collared shirt I had dyed some time before, but which turned out very pale. This is what happened, check out the rusty looking coloured patches....

I actually really dug the look of them! It was like abstraction, rather than aiming for 'perfect' leaf prints. Now, that's not to say, those aren't beautiful, they are, but there was something here I enjoyed. So, I followed that line of vibe and had a go on some damask (dahlinks) tablecloth scraps from the op shop....

It was done with Eucalyptus and Bracken leaves that had been soaking so long they were on the verge of becoming compost, and I simply harvested some Geranium leaves fresh from the bush at our front door! I was in an utter state of play, which was lovely! I also reckon I made a few discoveries about the blend I'd like to achieve of clear leaf prints and oozing dyepot magix!

                                       

            I have no idea where this will all lead! Thank the goddess! I'm just flowing with it.....

New moon, new Cauldron and pondering what's brewing in the next cycle...

The New Moon sees me hillbilly stitchin' aka hand sewing a jacket o sorts, made from the gathered together parts of other pieces of clothing. A linen shirt's sleeves n back, cotton skirt's waist band , the hem of another. I'm a running n back stitch woman, not the neatest but it keeps my fingers dancing!

 As I gaze lovingly at my new cauldron :) yep, bought it this morning from Aldi for $50. Stoked! With subsidy by my bemused fella. Exactly what she will brew up in this cycling of sister moon, is yet to be revealed, like the Hagstones I find washed upon da shore after morningk swims. Bit like the clothes I sew, evolving a lil at a time. What timing for such a blessing as this bubble bubble toil n trouble tho!

When I was at art school eeek some 20 years back, a comment was made to me that if I put as much effort into my studies as I did the gear I wore to tech, I'd be getting better results! Ha! Now I find a resurgence in such once frowned upon tangents n outlets for my creativity. Flavoured by a love of plants, recycling and a chilled pace...

I am now over 9 weeks no booze! Keepin it real there! I still take my herbal tinctures as medicine, believing they behave a different way in my body. Would not be without my wildcrafted Wild Rose tincture, so good for the heart chakra. Drop doseage, rather than glass, or jarfull tho ;).

The crafting I do, has cranked up in volume to keep me deeper connected to my veriditas path, and indeed on track. On Dark Moon I brewed up another stainless steel Cauldron, bundled a variety of leaves onto cloth formed into wearables, clothes we calls em, bound em up with string n popped em in for a' boilin'. Bracken Fern, WA fancy Eucalypts (from a florist n all) n my trusty local gum leaves that print so reliably, after a bit o' a soak for a few weeks. Go the Scribbly gum eh! Handy hint there!

Above feet endowed pic is Bracken fern n fancy Eucalyptus leaves laid out that dyed blacks n greens, upon Dianamum's apron. Sewed up in continuing homage to India Flint's pattern idea's. Wasn't so happy with outcome o dat piece, in terms of colours n leaf prints, back into Cauldron with you my deary! The greens however blended better on a linen shirt gifted me by a lovely and generous friendly for some medicines...:)

I had my first go at a solid colour, with a rather lush mohair jumper op shop foundling. Purely by surprise, as when I 'cooked' my clothing bundles I found a piece of felting wool in the dye bath which had turned a delightful, to mine eyes, green grey, Hence...

I feel mayhaps this upcoming lunar cycle may be a bit like the discovery of that floating piece of felting wool, and the trail it led me down. Whilst holding the intentionality of remaining booze free is priority, as is attending our new local 'Hearing Voices' group, we'll see where the craftings n curiosity lead! Indeed, what evolves within that Cauldron o mine heh heh cackle cackle....

Aries full moon buildup, the witch who cleans with intent and candles ablaze...

I was turning into a right grumble bum in this lead up to this Aries full moon. I hadn't quite reached god o war proportions, but was silently approaching it. The worst way to do so. I am nigh 6 weeks off booze and it's been a challenge at times. Twas a call I needed to make (that's another story for another time), but when I hit distress in the now, it's rather a double whammy. So, I put in a request to my beloved for a couple o days space, and he being a loving (and wise) fella, headed off to his man shed to study.

The fire was in me. Even before Miles left, I began to be the witch who tidied, sorted and smudged. Now, in my natural state, I will craft away while the dishes pile up, the floors gather fluff n dust bunnies. Not so at this time. I was a woman with a mission to create a cottage as altar vibe. My dear sister, sacred tool maker, artist n shadow worker, Vicki, called it 'reigniting the sacred', she'd know! I liked that too! I had candles burning all over the joint, oil burners going, scented strong with Lemon Myrtle. Inspired by the inspiringly spoken words of the likes of Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Starhawk and Susun Weed, blending with the kick ass earthy singing of Ruby Hunter and the Gaelic soundtrack to Roan Inish. I was waking the intentions, setting the scene, but it was an evolving thang, developing as I went with chux, sponge and detergent...

On the second day, there was light, nah just kidding, well kinda. I had been gifted by another dear sister, creative ecologist Ilka (of 'Cloud Tales') some resin from a tree in Aoteoroa, and some red ochre from her soils, which she had recieved from Sundance a potent plant woman of that same land. I decided a) I was blessed to have such rockin' sisters in my small circle, and b) the time to burn the resin was here. I heated the charcoal, popped one half of it on and BOOM, I was in sacred space offering prayers, placing requests and counting blessings. I ground a little of the ochre and ran it down from my third eye to nose tip, on my heart chakra and the words flowed out. Special....

My familiar Nomad aka Mushcat thought all this was a) wonderfull but also b) nap worthy, thus oscillating betwixt the two.

I peeled n stewed apples and I made a shitload o pate (using creatrix Diana's latest canelloni beans added recipe). I washed n delabelled herbal bottles and jars that had been loitering for months, love removing labels ;)! I love jars! Nothing pisses me off like a good jar where the manufacturer has used a type of adhesive that means you can't recycle it! Well mayhaps climate change, inane politics or ugly yet expensive public art. I'm not making light of climate change, but I was channeling my rage into cleaning jars well. Reusing them for everything from cotton reels, buttons to pens, shells gathered and sticks found.

In between, I followed the tricky n amazing pattern from the ecodye alchemist India Flint, for transforming an old men's shirt into an apron. I previously made myself one and when preciously mentionedDiana-mum visited last time, she dropped a few hints about it. Having scored a couple of fancy XXL pure cotton collared shirts at the op shop I began hillbilly stitchin' hers. Twas just recently her birthday after all, and if anyone could think of 101 great uses for an apron it would be she!

At this point, I was unsure if my fella was ever coming back form his joint, but he did return after his journey of being head down, bum up on the Samsung tablet typing away. Reunited we dined on pate and both promptly crashed!

This morningk I awoke with the urge to decant the tinctures I had awaiting. Most of which had brewed for 6 weeks, some more. Timing close to perfectimundo I felt, near enough anyways. 'Perfect is the antidote to done' as Clarissa says. I always save the spent herbs when I strain off the tinctures, leave it in the sun a day to evaporate the alcohol so my worms don't get drunk, and then respectfully add to the compost. Back to the earth from whence they came, as some day shall I!

 I was pleased for my apothecary stocks this time around, as I hadn't been on a bender or dipped into the vodka based medicines before their magic had ensued. They reached maturity, and now my shelves and what I have to offer up is growing :). People can even place an order and I can say in my best herbalist / medicine woman type manner 'oh I'll just see if I've got any!' yay!!

So all in all what could have been a shit fight of a build up to this full moon has worked out rather gloriously! I have focused my intentions upon several of my favorite tangents or aspects, and done so in a sacred manner. In a shamanic journey, I didn't even have the chance to shift to the otherworlds for long before Julian-dad was there, my bro Dylan and grandma Alice. All of whom I miss terribly. Simply seeing them was enough, but they were affirming my path, each in their very individual ways. I came back to ordinary reality feeling affirmed and like I am doing ok being what some call a crazy chick who hears voices ;)! Ha! That's yet another story for another time!