APRIL ART MAKING

I decided to paint on my recycled paper, I was inspired by two images from the the April issue of Marie Claire. My recycled paper was perfect for water colour, and I got a great result.
Ive already sold one! And the money is going straight to the Australian Childhood Foundation.

AM

MAKING MY OWN PAPER

This is a very basic paper making recipe.

First cut your magazine in to small pieces

            Fill blender half full with the cut paper

            Add approx 2 cups of hot/warm water

           Blend water and paper together, adding more water if
          consistency is to thick

           Remove from blender, if you want your paper a particular colour
          add a few drops of food colouring. My mixture was grey so I used
          blue food colouring but red or purple would have also mixed well
          with grey to give a nice soft, consistant colour

Roll mixture onto mesh netting. An old flyscreen and a cyder bottle did the trick. Make sure your net frame is off the group so the water can drain from the paper

       I left my paper in the sun all day and in the evening carefully
       lifted the paper from the screen and rolled out any excess
       moisture by rolling it in between two pieces of newspaper.

 

    I then had my own paper from recycling my Marie Claire. I left
    my new paper to dry from DAYS! It took so long to dry because  
    my paper was very thick.

   
   
    ....Now I can draw on it!

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION: Pledge your support and help stop the abuse of children in Australia.

The Australian Childhood Foundation are a not-for-profit organisation that helps protect children. By supporting children and families effected by abuse, violance and neglect, through counselling, research, education and support programs.

The ACF’s Heartfelt Therapeutic Art Program, uses art to help children express their feelings and encourages their imagination, as well as giving counselors an opportunity to identify the childs grief and get an insight onto how the child may see their own world.

The ACF is currently lobbying for change to the Working With Children Check - a mandatory legal check for employees and volunteers working within child related services. The aim of the Working With Children Check is to decrease negative influences, recognising the harm that comes from all kinds of abuse towards children, so children and young people may feel safe and valued.

The ACF’s current problem with the Working With Children Check, is that it’s ONLY valid within the state - unless you visit South Australia where a valid clearance from your own jurisdiction is accepted. Otherwise a visitor from any other state in Australia, as an employee or volunteer, can work with children without needing a check for previous convictions for serious offence against children. In Victoria, ‘any interstate visitors working with children who do not ordinarily reside in Victoria are not required to undergo employment screening.’ Click here for my info on statewide requirements

Marie Claire in conjunction with the ACF started a Stop Child Abuse campaign, helping build lobbying power for change. The ACF are calling on the federal government, to have all states and territories apply a national umbrella to the Working With Children Checks. Having a national consensus to stop child abuse within our communities and making it a nationwide goal.
By signing an online petition that pledges the adequate support and better protection for children NATIONWIDE.

AM

CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION: Pledge your support and help stop the abuse of children in Australia.

APRIL!

April, 'the fashion issue'... pages and pages of over priced products, and images of a fashion world, a lifestyle, so far removed from my own.

Images of Christie Turlington and Galliano, both identifiably big names in fashion. Similar to Tribe Called Quest and Biggie in hip hop, they're names that helped identify an industry and shape a subculture.

But those days are done! Christie (god bless her) now has a family, Galliano has been black listened after making a insensitive Jewish comment that Natalie Portman didn't take kindly to. Biggie is dead and Tribe Called Quest, are at the end of a rapidly fraying rope.



I knew what I wanted to do with this issue...Rip, rip, rip, I ripped out each page. And as I cut my April issue of Marie Claire into tiny little rectangles, I had an evil smile of satisfaction. How ironic is was, the time and money spent on creating this issue, the symbolic images of fashion, now just little pieces on my floor.



My pleasure in cutting, may have something to do with watching Catwalk one to many times as a teenager - Catwalk is a doco that follows fashion week in the early 90's. I'm thankful I no longer care about that world like I use to. 'That's what I think of that' I though while holding my scissors in triumph. Gallianos head cut, and lost in a sea of paper.



Photographer Troyt Coburn.
At First Sight Marie Claire



What am I going to do with all my little bits of paper you ask? I'm going to make my own paper! But I'll blog about my recycled paper later. Because first I wanted to let you know that I did keep some pages of Aprils Marie Claire.

A feature on The Australian Childhood Foundation's, Heartfelt Art Therapy Program, I'm looking forward to blogging about this program. As well as images from two gorgeous photoshoots. Sharp Contrast and At First Sight Along with my usual cut out collection of pretty and inspirational 'images'

AM

'MY BIRTHING KIT' by Layla Tan

The Birthing Kit Foundation provides women with basic equipment in order to birth in clean conditions. Knowing that the physical environment is safe allows a birthing woman to concentrate her energy on the act of birth itself – which is undoubtedly one of the most powerful events in the exploration of womanhood.

A month ago I gave birth to Araluen, my boy was born at home on a night where rain poured down and the evening's pink sunset had promised a warm autumn morning for his first day out in the world. Our midwife was still on her way when Araluen popped into his Dad’s hands, his Nanna and Aye close by and his big sister sleeping soundly in the next room.

In the west birth has almost become a medicalised phenomenon. Often involving drug therapy, surgery, constant physical examinations and monitoring. For many women, birth has left natural and spiritual realms.

I’m fortunate enough to live amongst a community that supported my decision to have a homebirth and provided me with my own birthing kit, to birth fearlessly and safely.

My personal birthing kit was mostly made up of people. While preparing, I decided to have my partner, my mother, my aunt, two girlfriends and a midwife with me during the birth. I was lucky enough to be able to choose these support people and the roles they would play. But when it came to the actual birth, things happened so quickly (a 42 minute labour!!) that only my partner and Mum and Dad (who just happened to drop in) were there for the birth. As things turn out, I was so happy that it was these people who helped me bring Araluen into the world.

The other key element of my birthing kit was ceremony. A week before Araluen was born my partner and I celebrated the upcoming birth with special men’s and women’s ceremonies. With my home filled with the women in my life, I received blessings and the energy of my community, to enter the birthing process fearlessly. The love generated during these ceremonies transformed our home into a sacred birth space.

This birth was undoubtedly the most empowering experience of my life. Not because I birthed at home, without medical assistance or a professional attendant, but because being at home allowed me to connect to the birthing process spiritually and energetically in a safe physical environment.




Donate to the Birthing Kit Foundation today...
www.mycause.com.au/recyclingmymarieclaire

MARCH GIFT PACK

Well it was my first month of making recycled magazine jewellery for you, and it was fun.
I will admit I wasn't so adventurous, I kept it simple with three necklaces. I made a few other things but they didn't make the cut...
Leave your name and email when you donate through our mycause website
www.mycause.com.au/recyclingmymarieclaire
and you could be the lucky fundraiser to receive these three necklaces recycled from my Marie Claire magazine... Winner will be contacted March 30th

AM

YAY IT'S INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY!

That means our fundraising for the Birthing Kit Foundation has started and will run for the next 20 days until the 28th of March!!!


The Birthing Kit Foundation is a non-for-profit organisation. They puts together small birthing kits, including, mats, gloves and sterile scalpel.
The kits are then sent out to remote communities in developing countries, providing safer conditions for home birthing.


If this is a cause you would like to support, please donate as little or as much as you feel you can.
And then you'll have the chance to win a gift pack filled with recycled jewellery from my March issue of Marie Claire


Donate through... www.mycause.com.au/recyclingmymarieclaire


Read more about the Birthing Kit Foundation here and jump onto their website.

AM