Technique of the month and other things

The latest technique of the month was painted lace. I fused the lace to a piece of calico, then sprayed with some brusho colours in spray bottles.

It looked really bright after the first pass, so next I added some gold foil, before painting over with watered down Lumierre metallic colours. I sprayed some glitz spritz over everything, then added some green pearl-ex pigments to the watered down paint and brushed lightly over. You can't see the gleam in this photo, but I like the finished colour. It will probably end up as a case for glasses.

I took these photos at the Botanic Gardens, the firs is the flower head of the Comersonia Bartramia, a common tree all along the coast, especiall along creek beds. they make a lovely show in the summer.

What I really find interesting though are the seed pods, they look so spiky, but are really quite soft, even when they turn brown.

I have been trying to practise my photography with not a lot of success at doing my homework. The University of the Third Age in Mackay is running classes to show us how to make the most of our digital cameras. We have to take certain sorts of photos and then Alistair puts them up on his computer in the class for us all to learn from each other's mistakes - or their successes. I have certainly learned a lot about the different functions of my camera already, I just have to keep practising so I remember it all! I need to look carefully to see what camera I am taking home too - the lady sitting next to me has exactly the same camera as I do, very handy for comparing notes and looking up our manuals. BUT - on Saturday I wanted to use my camera and found I had all the wrong photos on it, when Irealised we had taken each other's cameras home!!! I had a quick trip to her house to exchange cameras and commiserate with her over the tree still leaning on their house waiting for the tree removalists to deal with it. She is hoping it will be gone sometime this week - not classified as urgent as their roof is not leaking.

I heard a funny story about a landholder's experience up on a remote property in the ranges behind Mackay. The noise of the wind had spooked his dog who took off in the middle of the night, then rushed back and jumped into bed with the landholder - but - the dog was covered in leeches! The landholder must have had a good sense of humour, he said he and the dog bled together for the rest of the night! He also had a massive tree on his roof, as well as about another twenty fallen over between his house and the road. The SES didn't get access to his place for about 4 days, he was without power for 8 days, no water for 3 and no phone for 7, but he was still joking as he told his story and said he wasn't too badly off. I think we got off very lightly.