Butterfly Effect

The butterfly effect is a collaborative project being hosted by Trudi Sissions of Two Dresses Studios. I stumbled across it when Seth Apter, Lisa Jurist and Kim Palmer posted butterflies that they'd made on their blogs and decided to jump on in.

I thought a butterfly would be easy...but I was wrong! It should have been easy but I kept over- complicating it. I tried loads of different combinations, layouts and colours and hours later (literally hours!) it suddenly occurred to me- stick to what I know!

So....

I started my design with a nest!

Recycled, red electrical wire, beads, cotton string, cotton doily scrap shaped into a nest...bliss!!

FYI:  Lisa J also makes stunning wire nests! See here for just a few of hers. I have a feeling wire nests could be very addictive!

Red wire practically begs to be shaped into a heart!

My butterfly. Recycled beads, fabric, lace, recycled plastic netting and wire.

I think a nest is a perfect addition to the butterfly, not just because it is very 'me' but because the project is about the holocaust and the great cost children paid. Those children needed and deserved a nest made of love and comfort but what they got was in stark contrast. My nest is symbolic of the one they should have had and symbolic of the inner beauty of each child who suffered in the terrible holocaust.

This butterfly will flitter it's way over to Trudi and eventually find itself in an exhibition of butterflies to remember the children affected by the holocaust. To read more about the project or take part in it visit Trudi's blog.  There's loads of time left to play.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post about the birds. Sadly Ang joined Ash in birdie heaven. I don't know why, he/she was chirping away all day and ate eagerly so it was a sad surprise to find him dead in the morning! I trust mother nature knows best...

Coming soon...my 400th post! This is post 396 so I better put my thinking cap on and think of something special to celebrate the big 4-0-0 with!

International Kindness Day- November 13...no kidding, there is a international date dedicated to kindess!

ICE collage #2...currently a work in progress:)

Fragements, Vestiges and Remains- Kim Palmer's book

All done! The last stitch is in place and Kim's book is on it's way Debrina! I am pretty pleased with my pages and I'm grateful for all the wonderful and encouraging comments you've left me along the way. You guys rock and  Deb's is so incredibly patient she deserves a medal! I've have had this book a long time with all of the things going on here and Deb's has been without a book for quite a while now!

So, here it is! My tribute to the British Soldiers. I hope you've got a cuppa near by:)

Kim's book has taken on a star burst shape as it bulges at the seams (or should I say spine!) with our contributions. My Maori page opens up vertically to allow room for Lisa Jurist's stunning work to be viewed. In fact, the book is so fat now it's the only way to see it! The photo above shows how 'closed' the book is when my page is folded down, the one below shows how much extra space is gained when my Maori page is open. The British page is the spread which physically attaches my spread to the book.

The close up's......

I like how the pages all have common elements and I enjoyed the rough stitching.

It is about war after all!

One of my photographs of the gate way to the site of the battle as it looks today.

This page is on the back of Lisa's spread and is actually straight! I had to photograph it while it was vertical hence the crooked shot!

Above:

General Cameron pokes out of a pocket. One of the biggest streets in Tauranga is named after him.

Below is a map piece showing the North Island of NZ. The map sits rolled up in the pocket next to the General along side some information about the British attack.

You can see Tauranga (where I live and the battle took place) and Wellington, our capital. It was decided in Wellington that land further up the island needed to be obtained and it was decided to senfd  Brittish troop to claim fertile land in the Waikato (Hamilton area) for the Queen's movement. Part of the reason the battleof Gate Pa took place was to stop supplies getting to the Maori in Waikato. Simply put, supplies were getting to the Waikato maori via Tauranga. The Brittish thought that by taking Tauranga they could hinder the progress of Maori in the Waikato and thus giving them sought after land in both regions. While it is true that the Queen's movement suffered and embarrassing defeat to the King's movment in the Battle of Gate Pa ,the war was far from over and the lessons in this battle where later used to avenge there loss here.

My completed page! General Cameron had gone AWOL when I took this shot, he should be in the pocket next to the flag piece. That aside, this page is finished. I was trying to avoid the use of flags as Kim already used a flag piece in her own spread but now that it's there I am glad it is!

If you're interested in seeing all 3 pages together in the one post please visit the Pulp Redux blog.

I'm blog hopping tomorrow so I hope to *see* you all soon!

3 things...

Thing 1:
Oh, I need a  picture of thing 1 and thing 2! Never mind! Thing 1 on my list is the giveaway!
Congrats to... ....drum rolll please.....JASMINE of Nature's Whispers! Jasmine won my Blog Action Day giveaway of a Water themed fabric collage. Congrats! It will be on it's way to you soon.

Water themed fabric collage from 99% recycled fabrics.

Thing 2:
I signed up for LaWendula's ephemera swap...and here's what I am sending her.

Fabric bits (lace, vintage lace flower, teeny-tiny daisies...) Paper bits ( hand made paper,nest lino print, vintage cigarette cards, bird book pages...) Odds and ends (Round discs from an old kids game, hero buttons, bottle cap, brads...) The butterflies are fabric and cut out from the print of an old pajama top. Too beautiful for the rag bag! I made the card (with the bird of course!)  from an old photo album page, cigarette card, fabric and papers all either recycled or gifted to me.This will all be on there way to Eliza from Druga Szesnascie very soon.

Thing 3:
It's PULP REDUX! I spent 5 blissful hours buried in the pages of Kim's book yesterday and my final page is not only 99% finished the whole lot is all glued into place in the book. Wahoo! This book is being posted to Debrina's .
Here's a sneak peek of what I did...

My representation of the British flag. I opshop trawled for months looking for the right image for Kim's book. I found souvenir tea towels, scarves and tablecloths from nearly every country but Britain! In the end I conceded and stitched something instead. You know what I will find now I now longer need it don't you? haha.

 

It's been very productive in the land of Pulp Redux lately. Alicia has finished her stunning pages in my book....

A small part of Alicia's contribution to my Labyrinth book.

Artwork and photo by Alicia Caudle.

Lisa Jurist has also been working on pages for Alicia's book "The museum of forgotten things." There are fabulous peeks on her blog and you can see all the work Alicia's done in my book here. It's a bit of a maze to find it all...Alicia decided to keep in with the theme when she posted!

Next post....The big reveal!

Pulp Redux- Kims book Update

Wahoo, it's pulp time again! I'm doing things out of order, having completed the first page and then the last page without doing the middle page...which I've started but not finished! The first section was dedicated to the Maori Warriors who fought at the battle of Gate Pa, the second sections belongs to the Brittish Soliders and the last section is a tribute to Archdeacon Brown and his wife Charlotte. On January 4 1838 the Archdeacon and his family returned to Tauranga after a period away establishing another missionary site. He built a library and chapel on land which is now known as "The Elms." His role was that of preacher, counsellor and community advisor. His library housed books that served the needs of not just his parish but the wider community.(Incidently, many of these books are still housed in the mission library which is now a small museum.)

Archdeacon Brown was able to speak both English and Maori and as a result he was able to work with both of the fighting parties. Imagine the torment this must have caused this peace loving man? To see his friends at war with each other?

On the night before the crushing defeat suffered by the Brittish 14 soldiers dined at his table, the next day all but 1 of those men were dead.

Below are 2 passages from the poem kept inside the pocket on this page 

Then, when the meal was ended, tale and joke

died into silence as the kind host spoke.

Lost are his wods today, we only know

that those who listened felt their hearts a-glow

With pentince; and, kneeling side by side

Grim Verteran and the lad in youthful pride,

they took the sacrament of endless life

then rose, strong-hearted for the morrow's strife.

Within this room, when but two nights had fled

was sound of mourning for the gallant dead;

Of all those happy guests who feasted here,

but one was left to tell the story, drear

Of ambush, vain and of its bitter cost

When heroes, Pakeha and Maori, met

in that grim strife that we would fain forget

Poem by Kathleen Hawkins

It's hard to know how illustrate a story like this. Its potentially one of suffering and strife. Luckily there's two sides to the story!  In the christian faith believers go to heaven, far away from warfare and pain, to a place of peace and love.

While it's true that the Archdeacon witnessed many hardships and lost countless friends he was also a source of comfort to the soldiers and warriors. His job was  to give hope and unconditional love in the midst of one of NZ's most significant landwars.

I chose to reflect the love held within his home and his heart. Evident in his actions and appreciated by many.

 

Still in this place today the quiet light

falls on a room scarce changed since that past night;

and in its quietude the questions rise

Was this the vision seen by dying eyes?

Did that glimpse of homely peacefullness

shine through the pain of wounds to heal and bless?

And did the kindess freely given

help some brave soul find his way to heaven?

The house(in the photo) was built after the library and parish. The soliders (in the poem) dined in the great dining room housed in that very building. These days it is open to the public, the room preserved as it was that day. Having been there I can tell you the room has a stillness about it. A quieting effect that causes you to sit, be still and be thankful. The portrait is of the Archdeacon Brown.

The 'trap door' style flap opnes to reveal the poem.

I've used 100% recycled and second hand fabric, lace and beads. You can see glimpse of the red scarf fabric I used on the Maori page. Kim loves copper so I used an old copper wire 'thing' found inside something electronic...my son finds me the best things! The copper wire (see above pic) is delicate and broke easily but I love the way it looks nestled between the coffee dyed cotton and bits of lace and mutton-cloth. 

This page sits on the back of the Maori page which will lift up to reveal the Brittish page and this one. The peacemaker between the two parties, in the middle like he was in life.

 Coming soon: Blog Giveaway!! I've created a fabric collage with a water theme to commemorate International Blog Action Day so watch this space to be in the draw!

Also coming soon...Altered matchboxes for Bad Penny's 12 days of Christmas Matchbox swap! It's been ages since I've altered matchboxes but it's been fun!

 *See you all soon*

Pulpy Love

Yay! A long last it's time for a Pulp Redux post! My son got out of hospital 5 nights ago after a 3 week admission. Time sure goes a lot faster here on the 'outside' lol. I'm not sure how long he'll be home for but every day at home is a day to recharge and I fully intend on doing that! On the first full day home in forever I created...and then for a few hours last night... and a few more today...yay! I am happier already!

Here's how you last saw my "Battle of Gate Pa" page in Kim's book.

And how it looks now... 

 I love the addition of red to the page. I cut up an old silk scarf I found in the second handshop and also added a string to close the fabric door. It dosn't make a lot of difference visually but atleast the papers can't fall out now!  I'm really happy with the way this page has turned out.

Open the door...

The Maori warrior was a magnificent, brave and fierce fighter. Their strong spiritual ties to the land led them to fight with passion and vigour.

This is the story my pages are based on, The Battle of Gate Pa.

The Battle of "Gate Pa" is probably the battle which made the greatest impact in the history of the New Zealand Wars.

In an effort to cut off reinforcements and food supplies which where filtering through to the Maori rebels in the Waikato area, the British sent their troops to Tauranga, in order to attack the fortress. The word Pa means ‘fortified settlement.’

Around 200 warriors from the Ngai-te-Rangi tribe were in place one side of the Pa, and around 35 warriors, mainly from the Ngati Koheriki tribe, reinforced the other side.
On 29th April 1864, the 43rd British regiment attacked the Pa. 1700 soldiers armed with a strong artillery train : 8 mortars, 2 howitzers, 2 naval canon and 5 Armstrong guns. The soldiers opened fire on Gate Pa, and during a short time bombarded it heavily. The following day the troops bombarded again, for a longer period, and this time succeeding in breaking opening a large point of entry to the pa.  An elite Brittish assault force was sent to penetrate the breach opened up during the bombardment.

The British had thought their previous heavy bombardment had taken effect, owing to the fact that there had been little response fire from within the Pa. However, on entering via the breach, the British troops found themselves being fired on at very close range from Maori in hiding.

A reinforcement group of soldiers was sent to relieve the trapped assault force in the Pa. However, the reinforcements found themselves caught up in the retreat from the pa by the first assault force. From two separate areas of the pa, the Maori were firing on the two groups of troops, who were by this time caught up in the deadly crossfire....

Depsite being signficantly outnumbered and under-armed the Maori won the battle and caused the Brittish troops to rethink the battle plans for other parts of NZ. Never again was the threat of a fortified pa under-estimated.

The above close up is a sneak peak of the page I have planned for the Brittish soldiers.

The story has pretty much been told on the 'Maori' page in the pile of papers found bundled behind the door but the Brittish soliders left a lasting impact on Tauranga and that story is still to be told.

The 3rd part of this story is that of the missionary's who befriended both the Maori and Brittish troops. I've almost completed this page which is dedicated to Archdeacon Brown and his wife. It's not ready for it's reveal yet but here's a quick preview...

If your not all 'pulped out' yet then make sure you check out the Pulp Redux blog and see the utterly amazing work done by Kim on Lisa J's book (Roots- beneath the layers.)  My book ' Labyrinth' is currently in the very capable hands of Alicia Caudle and she posted a pic on her blog a side profile pic of my book on her blog. You can see it here- look how FAT it is! Bulging (litterly) with layers of lovely texture and fibre! Wahoo!

Now, my turn to surf! Can't wait to pop in on ya'll over the next few days!

 *See you soon.*

Fragments, Vestiges and Remains- Kim's book

Isn't it wonderful when the art drought finally ends? I've been having a great time working on my pieces for Kim's book. I am the 4th person to work in Kim's book. Kim, started it off with touchhing and thought provoking ANZAC themed piece, Alicia was next with a spread on the misfortune of those who found themselves underground in the Portland tunnels. Lisa J was the 3rd person and she created a stunning piece about immigrants coming to Baltimore seeking a better life but instead finding drought and hardship. So far we've each completed a piece about a historical event that took place in our own areas so my piece is about the Battle of Gate Pa. This is one of the most signifcant land battles to have taken place on NZ soil and Gate Pa is about 4 km from where I live. Here's what I've done so far....

The Queen's movement vs. The Kings movement. Maori intelligance vs British artillery. This is the Battle of Gate Pa.

My spread is not yet attached to Kims book but the work so far is largely secured to the backing cloth. As you can see I am working on the Maori part of my book and this will be followed by the British story and lastly by the story of Archdeacon Brown and his wife who befriended both sides.

The blue face is a Maori design from a silk scarf. It's non-traditional in colour but I loved the fabric so much I had to use it. The blue face has been stitched around in black thread. I didn't intend on doing so much stitchwork when I first decided on the silk but I took it with me to the hospital and had plenty of time on my hands! I am quite pleased with the results as I was trying to reflect the tribal war and wanted rustic looking detais for the page. The face piece doubles as a book cover which you can see open above.

    I was incredibly pleased to find the leather offcut with wonky eyelets in the scraps basket at a second hand shop. It was meant to be here! It was a pale (ugly) grey so a bit of black shoe nugget was dispatched to give it an older mottled look.

The Maori design at the bottom was black and white originally so I gave it the coffee treatment to stop it from being so bright. I was at the 2nd hand shop looking for appropriate Brittish piece when I came across a tatty tourist tea towel. Perfect! I really wanted to incorporate traditional Maori art on my page but it is perfect in design, symmetrical and lovely even lines. Not my strength at all. Thank goodness for tatty tea towels!

The photo to the left shows the fabric flaps lifted up to reveal  the area where I envision the factual information will go. As you can see from the pic I've already made a start on the inside of the book cover.
 It wouldn't be my blog post without the close up photos...

Thank you again for all the well wishes recieved.I've just started visiting a few blogs again and hope to visit more tonight and tomorrow. I miss seening what everyone's been up too! My son is still unwell but well enough to be home. I'm learning to balance my time better and channel some of my energy into my artwork. It's certainly proven to be a sanity saver for me this past week...and surprisingly productive too!

Home Sweet Home!

Check out the names on the issue slip...I wonder who 'lover boy' is?

It was a great relief to have my son finally discharged from hospital after a long 11 day stay. Unfortunately he's still unwell and at home. This sure has been a long road! Thanks to all of you who sent your well wishes, they are really appreciated and much needed! We've got another appointment with the Doctor tomorrow and we've started my son on a gluten free diet (I'm gluten and lactose free) so hopefully it will do the trick and we'll back on the road to recovery in no time. Here's hoping!!

I haven't done any art in ages and the call of my papers and threads is getting deafening! All up it's been about 4 weeks of no play and I am seriously craving some quiet time lost in the textures and colours. It's hard to find the balance between family and art.Actually, I've come to the conclusion that sometimes there is no balance. Sometimes the needs of one quite simply outweighs the other and nothing can be done to balance them out. I must say though, that even though there's been no play it doesn't mean no fun. I've managed to visit a few blogs (literally a few! please don't feel left out if I haven't made it your way yet!) which has been refreshing and inspiring and the postman has been bringing me wonderful mail!

I took a few photos of some of the things a blog friend, Danit sent me. She has just shifted back to Israel and I was lucky enough to be sent some of the things she needed to find new homes for!

This image came from a wonderful old first aid book. I'm already planning the collages for next years ICE and I think this book is going to be very useful! The image above is also from a book Danit sent me.

Old wooden stamps. They are a wonderful mix of old and new. Aged wood and rubber with glitter-ink remains on them!  I am really drawn to the old wood and text I am not sure if I should use them or display them!

Wooden bingo numbers. Off centre and quirky- just the way I like them! I had actually received a few of these before in an art swap with Danit but I've used them so you can imagine how happy I was to see these in the mail!

Look what else arrived! No wonder I am itching to play! This is Kim's book for the Pulp Redux Collab  (see her blog link on my side bar) and the pages you can see are Alicia's and Lisa J's. Their links are also on the side bar if you're curious! I still have Alicia's book here (remember Charlotte?) and my next post should be the final installation for my part in the "Museum of Forgotten Things" story. It's been painfully close to finished for what seems like forever now! Watch this space:)