if at a loss, make it an adventure ...

What do you get for $12??? How about:

* A vintage suitcase

* A wooden open tool box

* A CD player (for the art studio at school)

* A couple of metres of black velvet

* An old quilt

* A gorgeous piece of linen, appliqued by hand and in mint condition

* An old shorthand text book for collage

* A Korean ginseng tea tin

* Vintage English linen thread in mint condition (x6) on wooden spools plus a variety of crochet cotton.

* A vintage glass jar (for my white button collection which currently sit in an ugly old plastic peanut butter jar).

* A bunch of old rusty bulldog clips for dyeing fabric with

* Vintage 'how to crochet' book

* Vintage sewing patterns for collage

* A bag with at least one dozen old silk stockings (the kind that obviously had a garter belt at some stage)

* An old builders leather tool belt

* A pair of burnished metal earrings

* A cool spikey metal bike gear cog

* Two old builders fold up rulers (one white, one wooden)

* Two semi-spherical glass things.

* A cool teaspoon with no 2. on it.

* Vintage patterned fine scarf (perfect for nuno-felting on).

I LOVE TRASH PALACE.

Later this afternoon we went for a walk out to the far end of Plimmerton, to Hongoeka where local Maori still own and reside on tribal land.

First I collected some eucalyptus leaves from our local tree down on Pohutukawa Lane. Then we drove out to Hongoeka, not ten minutes from my home. Hongoeka Marae is right on the sea shore. A marae is a Maori meeting house. Each tribe has one. It is the heart of the tribe.

I collected some of that bright green leafy seaweed and filled my big white bucket with sea water. The seagulls swooped around us thinking we were going to feed them. I found some nice pieces of rusted metal on the beach, took some more photos of birds, bird tracks on the sand, and found paua shells and feathers. I also managed to get one of my self-portrait challenges in. Ok, so I heard about this idea of self-portrait challenges on Nina's blog, and now I challenge myself to take photos of myself in as many different locations as creatively as possible. I got some amazing photos but the internet will not let me download tonight. I have been trying for about an hour now. I also took some flax flowers from a bush in the carpark outside the marae. We do not enter the marae grounds, because accordingly, one must be officially welcomed on by the Tangatawhenua (people of this land), and the tapu (sacredness) must be lifted from the manuhiri (visitors) before one can enter. Once you are welcomed though, you become tangatawhenua too for the duration of your visit. As we left, I smiled and waved as Patricia Grace drove by. She is an amazing Maori writer, alongside the likes of Witi Ihimaera who wrote "Whale Rider". I have had the fortune to meet this woman, and her name is also her spirit. She is very gracious and kind, and exudes a quiet strength.

Why, you may be asking, am I collecting eucalyptus leaves, green seaweed, seawater and rusted metal? For the dye pots of course. As I wait for my sanity to return, prepared cloth will soak amongst the good things I found today. I also wandered along the rail lines as I am apt to do and found some more large rusted iron bolts. (I would just like to clarify that they are lying away from the actual lines, and any derailments are not related to my collecting habits). Furthermore, during my brief foray to the supermarket for a few groceries, I found the onion box full of skins (end of the busy day is best to collect these). It is always interesting when one declares to the checkout operator that the bag has no onions in it, just the skins. And my sons usually disappear as I just about fall into the onion containers to get those skins at the bottom. Anyway thanks to India for this suggestion. I also purchased some white vinegar and some soy milk to help prepare my linen shirts for the dye pots. A nice Supreme coffee from a cafe at Plimmerton and some fish and chips were the perfect finale. Now if only this internet would let me drop my photos ... I will try again later. I hope you had a lovely day.

Yay, photo's are up now ...