Vintage Wallpaper

This week I have been immersed in vintage wallpaper. The Moruya Museum is having an exhibition based around a most gorgeous book by Peter Freeman, called 'The Wallpapered Manse'. The book was shortlisted for the NSW Premier's History Awards, and it's a gem. Through the layers of wallpaper and peeling paint, the author traces the history of this 1860's Georgian building, the Presbyterian manse next door to the church. 



I've been photographing the old newspapers used behind the wallpapers, and fragments of the various layers of wallpapers since 1865 that have been lovingly salvaged to put together a poster for the exhibition, as well as fragments of painted timbers and lino scraps. 

The wallpapers are TO DIE FOR!

These are just some of the poster ideas. The dates and exhibition title are still to be decided. I found a couple of ads in 1950-60 newspapers for shops that still exist in Moruya...

I've also been working on a poster for our next concert... that's me 3rd from left, and my hammered dulcimer is on the left. It was tricky setting the timer and running to be in the photo!

That's my creative output for this week, as well as practicing for the above concet and  for the 50th National Folk Festival in Canberra, Australia.

Here's the performers List so far...

http://folkfestival.org.au/2016-performers/

I'm linking to Simply Neutrals Tuesday, hosted by Wen on her blog AppleApricot.

Wishing you creative time to play and reflect and make something beautiful...

Jesse

Simply Neutrals #16 Carillon Bells and Fairies

Greetings, friends! It's a busy time of year for us here on the South Coast of Australia. My partner and I are off tomorrow to Canberra for the day (a 4 hour return trip) to do a quarterly maintenance on the Carillon bells there. The children are back to school and all the after-school activities - gymnastics, basketball, swimming etc that keep us driving everywhere.

Since the bells are very neutral-coloured, I thought it might be fun to focus on them as well as some 'pretty stuff'. This is me at the top of the frame that holds the bells. It shakes when the bells ring, especially the biggest one at the bottom. We usually switch the automatic chimes that ring on the the quarter, half and hour, but sometimes we forget, and have to cover our ears as quickly and tightly as we can and brace ourselves - especially if it's 12 O'Cock!!!

There are 57 bells. Only one ladder up, no safety rails or handles - we are still waiting on all that to happen after about 118 years of doing this.

Here are the four big bells at the bottom. You have to duck or you'll hit your head. The frame you see here is about 3 stories high.

This is what it looks like from the outside. A beautiful building. It has a lift, and one fire escape. It's tough on the legs when the lift fails!!!

Now for some pretties... a gorgeous vintage book and metal bookmark...

And a favourite old album cover waiting to be altered (maybe, if I can get the courage up!) with vintage baby shoes I found at an op shop.

I have been making some more fairies for my craft room. It's an easy portable thing to do. I bring the printed fairies and scissors wherever I have to wait for the children's activities.

I'm still not finished, but here are a couple so far:

The first is my daughter (about 11 years ago)

The second is from a cabinet card. I've added lace and a crown.

I'm linking up to Wen's Simply Neutrals Tuesday. Pop over to her blog AppleApricot and see more gorgeous neutral beauty.

Have a great week, see you soon :) I'm off to bed to listen to the wonderful rain...

Hugs,
Jesse