Community Knitting project and Clay Crucibles

We visited Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre

the day before ANZAC Day this year. The centre is a wonderful tribute to Australian gold mining history. I was surprised how great it was. I was reminded of the tragic mine accident that happened at the Beaconsfield gold mine in 2006 in Tasmania. The Beaconsfield Mine collapse occurred on Anzac Day 25 April 2006 in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia. Of the 17 people who were in the mine at the time, 14 escaped immediately following the collapse, one was killed, and the remaining two were found alive after five days, using a remote controlled device. These two miners were rescued on Tuesday 9 May, a full two weeks after being trapped nearly a kilometre below the surface.

I was taken with these clay crucibles. I did a hand building clay class years ago with Andrea Toomey at Brisbane Institute of Art. We did saga firing which I loved. These crucibles brought up these memories. And I just love the text on the crucibles.The gold goes into these then put in the furnace to melt the gold then it is poured into the molds, Bullion cast. (Think gold bar)

 I was also reminded how valuable community is and how people pull together in the face of tragedy and find creative ways to bring about union and support. If you like this knitting project you may like the knitting project Chrys Zantis is working on.

Build it and they will come

Rhody making paper with Darren Simpson- paper maker.

Creative Paper Tour, Makers Workshop Burnie, Tasmania

I've found the most beautiful handmade/recycled paper in Burnie, Tasmania, 'Creative Paper'. The Makers Workshop a new airy architectural gallery style building is home to 'Creative Paper' some of Burnie's local artists studio's the Paper Mache People which are just wonderful by artists Pam Thorne and Ruth Rees and home to the visitors information centre.

Rhody and I took a tour of Creative Paper, to see how it was made and also made our own paper. It's the edges that I am drawn to, uneven, worn and torn looking, so beautiful. My black and white blurry photographic prints integrated themselves well into the Artist Quality white paper, to make them look more like ink splotches which I was hoping for.
They have different gsm (thickness of paper). And now after trialling some photography prints. I'd like to next trial some thicker card to produce some postcards. I just have to find away of getting the thicker card through the printer. Maybe I will have to buy a special printer.

'Melbourne Marks' my photographic prints on Artist quality handmade paper from Creative Paper


Creative Paper started out as a government initiative to help local people gain skills and employment. It looks like it has really helped to turn the small town around. Tasmania has many of these council/government initiatives in small rural towns, whereby the community is encouraged to participate. They are often artistic in nature. Railton has Topiary gardens, the town has rallied together and Topiary figures are planted and maintained through out the town. You just have to get a map and drive around the town and look at peoples gardens, much like driving around looking at Christmas lights on Peoples houses. Sheffield is the mural town and Wilmot is the letter box town. As a tourist if it wasn't for these attractions I don't think I would have visited and spent my money in the local stores. It is really refreshing to see such community spirit. I'd love to come back to Railton in 10 years to see the well established Topiary gardens.

Paper Bundle wall, Creative Paper Studio

Creative Paper's dry studio area, front wall. I love this paper bundle wall

We drove around for 20 minutes looking for Creative paper and saw this in our travels. I love the text and missing letters.