APPLES & JAM

Soft toy birds at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Tree with birds hanging from its branches at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Soft toy birds at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Permablitz team taking a guided tour of the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Timber crate shelves at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Close up of timber crate shelves at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Shelves and tree branches at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Birdcage hung from the ceiling at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Swan and paper decorations at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Succulent indoor plants in painted tin cans at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Felt party hats at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Blackboard messages at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Theatre stage at the South Melbourne Commons

Shadows on the floor at the South Melbourne Commons

The Little Vegie Path Crate Veggie gardens at the South Melbourne Commons

 

When we got home we collapsed in a weary heap, that is I collapsed, Dylan decided he had to finish making a plywood box for our straw bales to live in. He is mad you know. Today I ticked off my second Permablitz and Dylan his third. It was at the South Melbourne Commons, a complete overhaul of the gardens there that has been chugging along for a couple of years. More about the Blitz later, after lunch we went for a tour of the Commons building. Inside the lovely old red brick building was hiding a treasure. The Apples & Jam Playhouse, where children’s parties and playgroups are held. Little patchwork birds hung from the lichen covered branches of a tree, swans dived between paper baubles hanging from the ceiling and toadstools sprouted from the floor towering over our heads. It was all very gorgeous and magical so I couldn’t resist putting some photos up. Creating a little world for children to play in must just be such a lovely job, you can just be so free and creative.

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JUST ADD WATER

I have been dabbling into book binding and would love to make some notebooks to sell on etsy. I want them to be as eco friendly as I can so today I attempted to make my own paper from bits and bobs that would otherwise go into the recycling bin. Some bits of dried grass got in there when I scooped some spilled paper back in, and it actually looked quite nice, I might try some experimenting.

I promise if my books ever reach your shelves the pages will be a lot more uniform than these gentlemen hanging on the line. But a little dash of individuality makes life more interesting right?

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THE WOOMERA PIPELINE

The tutors told us to bring out paint brushes and nothing else. No easel, no paper. We drove along a dirt road and they told us to get out. It turns out the Woomera-Adelaide water pipeline was going to be our canvas. It was such a fun morning, half way through some of us abandoned brushes and fingerpainted, later I found a tennis ball and Brent and I loaded it up with gouache and took turns throwing it at the pipe. Some of my clothes were the worse for wear afterwards, but it was just a blast.

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