weekend wandering

Weekends are for:

colour+chaos - dolls on a stick
tastes+sugar - strawberry icecream, fairy floss
dagwood dogs with tomato sauce
oh the smells - up close with the animals
riding the waves - crowds, crowds, crowds
the Ekka...

discovery

'The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.'
Marcel Proust

Riverbend classes * short description

We have had a wonderful influx if enquiry regarding the RIVERBEND BOOKS + TEAHOUSE classes - thank you for visiting here, welcome!
I apologise if you have had trouble determining the cost of classes, I have added a note at the top of the website, please email to take advantage of some great discounts! There is a chance these classes will book up today so hurry and book now!

Some who have recieved emails from me today will have a brief outline of the Riverbend workshops...I thought it would be useful to post a brief description here!
The 'gathering' series of posts will detail some of the wonderful materials + inspiration we will be using in our classes!

WORKSHOP 1: 'the insect detective'. Exploring the wonderful title by Steve Voake, we will design and create a textural+tonal collage using timber veneer in the style of Eric Carle!

WORKSHOP 2: 'owl moon'. A classic title wandering into the world of night time wildlife, we will make a tactile fabric owl family to hang in a beautiful garland!

WORKSHOP 3: 'why I love Australia' a stunning collection of Aborigional-inspired images + poetry by Bancroft, we will design and paint our own geometric + abstract designs onto a beautiful wooden cube - a perfect gift for Fathers Day!

WORKSHOP 4: 'collecting colour' a sensational local tale of the art of weaving, we will use natural and textural materials to introduce children to basic weaving techniques and produce a beautiful artwork!

You may attend one, or all of these workshops - please take advantage of the discount for booking multiple classes. All mixed media workshops promise to inspire the imagination and teach techniques that enable your child to produce beautiful works of art!
look forward to meeting you soon xx

gathering * part II leather goodness

We are very excited about the creativity that comes forth at the hand of your children as they learn to carve their very own stamps! In this second series of stamp making, we will look at new inspiration in geometric shapes and patterns.
Right now, we are loving the leather - soft and beautiful - ready to be made into exciting products and stamped with their very own designs - notebooks, keyrings, bookmarks - just the perfect gift idea for a special Dad on Fathers day!
Book now for this exciting 3 week series running on Thursday afternoons from 3.45-4.45pm at the Gallery Cafe Carindale.
PLACES ARE LIMITED AND FILLING FAST! We start two weeks today - Thurs 24th August 2011!

wool and more wool

these beauties are causing quite a stir in my household - for family and guests alike!
We now have a neverending supply of wool for projects, present-wrapping...and if you are very creative like my children...wrapping up a WHOLE house!!
If you are curious, leave a comment on this post and I will let you in on the little secret of where to get these from!!

gathering * part I

What do these four things have in common you might ask!..

Timber + insects + 'The insect Detective' by Steve Voake + Eric Carle!
Our first 'BOOKS' workshop at Riverbend of course!
We will be digging deep into the wonderful story 'The Insect Detective' by Steve Voake. Overturning leaves, looking under bushes....all to discover where our favourite insects are hiding!
Timber is such a warm, textural, inviting material...we are going to use recycled timber 'veneer's' for our art project in this class, calling together a beautiful contrast of colour and texture in the style of Eric Carle!
Where Eric is a master of colour collage, balancing colour and texture, we will be focusing on the warm + cool tones of timber to create variation in our creative collages of our favourite insects!
These collages will not only be a beautiful creation at the hand of your children, they will be display-worthy in their modernist simplicity also!
Please visit www.riverbendbooks.com.au or instore for a wonderful selection of Children's books, including 'the Insect Detective' which will be available for purchase in connection with our class!
Really looking forward to beginning these classes xx

yellow

These days are Golden aren't they...
The only time of year that the sun warms + comforts...I love it!
This colour is vibrant, startling even, and it is playing out a winter-symphony against the olive greens, grey-brown bark and brilliant blue of the sky.
I am captivated by the...

:: cotton-wool ball wattle blossom

:: The magnificent jacaranda leaves singing their finale in golden yellow before falling softly bare

Are you noticing the 'yellow' around about you in these days?
I am inspired to bring a little inside - golden-yellow makes me happy!
In fact, I think a little yellow painted artwork with the children is calling...

just because * part I

Last week these arrived
Just because...

It has been a big few months
There has been considerable success
There is cause to pause and be grateful

And as these cut beauties dip their heads,
I gather their feather-soft but still radiant petals
to chanel my creative energies into a new experiement
natural dying using gathered and found things, kitchen produce,
adding a new sense of purpose to our wanderings
I will bring you part II of the experiment soon...

new classes * exciting new venue!

We are thrilled to announce a new + exciting venue to compliment our already thriving classes at the Gallery Cafe, Carindale.
WEAVE+WONDER are partnering with

RIVERBEND BOOKS + TEAHOUSE
to bring you a new series of four stand-alone workshops based around exceptional book titles!
Riverbend's commitment to literacy for children and good quality literature marries well with WEAVE+WONDER'S passion for inspiring children to greater forms of self-expression through reading great books!
I have spent many a happy hour - with my children and not - browsing the wonderful bookshelves at Riverbend and enjoying an exceptional coffee on the tree-curtained front deck. I am really looking forward to running this first series of after school workshops in this wonderful venue!

Classes commence Monday 22nd August 2011 at 3.45-4.45pm.
These are run for 5-12yr olds.
earlybird, multiple class booking + sibling discounts apply, BOOK NOW!

The four book titles we will be featuring in these classes are coming together with some great projects to encourage your child's creativity as well as producing high quality art using natural materials and themes.
I will be posting the book titles as well as project descriptions and planning here in the coming days so keep an eye out!

Please pop on over to RIVERBEND WEBSITE for online book shopping, location details and more!

new classes * gallery cafe

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
ALL NEW THREE WEEK STAMP MAKING SERIES

We had such a successful + enjoyable time in the after school stamp making classes last term, there have been requests to repeat this series - HERE IT IS!

COMMENCING THURSDAY AFTERNOONS 24th AUGUST 3.45-4.45PM
RUNNING FOR 3 WEEKS

In these classes we will explore the technique of handcarving and experiment with different mediums, eventually carving our own rubber stamp designs. We will then make some exciting products using our stamps and learn about printmaking in the process!

THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE UNIQUE GIFTS FOR FATHER'S DAY!
We will provide lots of exciting ideas to make within our last class.

I highly recommend this series as the children really enjoyed learning how to carve, experimenting with the tools and design ideas until they were happy with their creations. The children came away having learn't a new skill, made some beautiful stamps that they could continue to use and some wonderful products with those stamps - journal cover, gift tags and drawstring bag to keep their stamps in!
I urge you to book now as there are limited places in this class - earlybird and sibling discounts apply!