A box, some bookmarks and banksias

I have managed to have a bit of a play this week, and made this little box from cardboard heldtogether with masking tape, then a layer of moulding paste spread over the top and textured with a pallette knife. The flowers on top are stencilled on. I am quite disgusted that I can no longer find the sheets of green or red plastic stencils we used to see in all the discount stores and also Spotlight. They are a nice thickness for stencilling through, but must no longer be in fashion, or the wholesalers have gone into liquidation. Now I shall have to find something of a similar thickness and make my own stencils - all takes time! I played with various colours on top, using some of the ideas from the Fibre-in-form class I took, but haven't yet completed. My sisiter is coming to visit on Tuesday for a week, so hopefully we will have some playtime and can do a bit more.

I also made up a very cheerful red poppy paper napkin into a couple of bookmarks and another padfolio.

This photo is of a banksia integrifolia and the one below is on its seedpod. This is growing in our Botanic Gardens. I love banksias, and I now realise May Gibbs must have used integrifolia for her big bad banksia men in the wonderful Snugglepot and Cuddlepie books my mother used to read to us till we were old enough to read them ourselves, and we all sobbed our hearts out but insisted she keep reading!

These two photos are of banksia spinulosa and its seed pod - not nearly as fearsome! The foliage is amazingly different also, much more delicate. The seed pods really need fire to make them germinate easily, all part of the wonderful ways of nature in the Australian bush.

I took these photos this morning when there was a very busy gardening bee taking place, over 240 plants were placed in the ground so everyone went away well satisfied. I don't do any of the actual gardening, my arthritic feet don't like that one bit, but I get the smoko ready and take it to wherever the action is taking place - quite a logistical effort sometimes, especially with an urn of hot water on the floor of the front seat of the car - doing over bumpy paths is interesting to say the least!!!

We have had the most magical autumn weather for the last week, but the forecast is for some showery weather to arrive in the next day or so. Once more we have missed out (thank goodness) on the dreadful floods and deluges which have been happening in SE Queensland and northern NSW. Awful pictures on the news of the damage, the only good thing is that Brisbane's water storage looks like reaching 50%, so they will be allowed to hand water every second day and even wash their cars again.

Time for bed. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.