Art Therapy Packs

I am offering those who are interested, some art therapy ideas to do at home. I've been busy creating, pasting, cutting, sewing, and of course drinking many pots of tea by the fire to get these ready....and am very excited to announce the opening of my new shop on Etsy! You can find it at etsy.com/shop/HandCraftedPacks. At the moment I have two types of packs for sale: Paper Lotus Flowers and Soul Dolls. Here are pictures of the packs below.

They come in a variety of colours and textures, each one unique. Each kit contains all you need to make your creation, clear instructions, ideas for how to delve deeper into the process as well as a special story about the projects' inspiration.

Below, you can see all the colours to choose from for the Paper Lotus Flowers.

The Soul Doll kits can be made with a rainbow assortment of coloured wool and material from my treasure stash! Most colour requests can be catered for.

I want to share the stories on this blog as I feel they can express why these processes have been special to me.

The Lotus Flower Story

"This activity is inspired by a man who created over a thousand paper flowers for his family and friends, when for a time, he was separated from them. He arrived in Australia as a refugee and was living in a detention centre when I met him. He brought this technique of folded paper flower making with him from his home country. The flowers would be gifts for his loved ones to celebrate being reunited once again. As his hands folded the paper, he thought of each loved one in turn and the qualities he appreciated in them. I was fortunate to sit beside him sometimes as he worked, and he took great pleasure in passing on his knowledge to others. So it is my honour to continue sharing this beautiful and gentle practice with you now.

The lotus flower is a stunning plant which grows out of the mud, emerging through murky but purifying water and rising into the sky. During the night, it sinks once more into the waters only to re-emerge into the sunlight each new day.  It is said that the muddier the water, the more beautiful the lotus flower will be.

Creating paper flowers is a deeply peaceful and healing activity, which can be enjoyed on one’s own or with others. They can be made as a beautiful gift or used as support in moving through life’s challenges." 



The Soul Doll Story

"Making dolls is an age old practice continued today across the world. It is a nurturing and gentle way to tap into the inner creativity and vitality that feeds our souls. It is also a lot of fun!

As a child, I first made and exchanged dolls with my grandmother when our family moved overseas. These dolls quickly became part of our communication across distance and I could feel our love being sent and received through them.

Since this time, I have used the magic of dolls often in my own life to move through life’s challenges, to make a wish, or to give as a meaningful gift to others."


So I send these creations out into the world with much love and hope you enjoy :)

Birth Art

This post is in celebration of my journey through pregnancy. I have been journalling through drawing and words as my belly becomes fuller and I can feel my baby growing beautifully inside me. It is a truly magical time which I am relishing.

This journey also brings up all of my doubts and fears as the event of our child's birth becomes more real. Art making has helped me to make sense of my feelings which are at times overwhelming!

The drawing above shows a tree of life nurturing my little one in a protected womb inside the earth. Maybe I am within this tree, which is opening with new life. There are ten moons around the edge of the mandala - before the time of our current medical knowledge, pregnant women would know their baby would be arriving in ten full moon's time. These moons show the passing of time. I realised as I made marks on the page that the dark areas of the moon were just as important in preparing our baby and I for the birth as the brightest full moon was.

The next drawing documents what I imagine the landscape of birth to be like. This idea comes from a wonderful book, 'Birthing from Within' by Pam England and Rob Horowitz that has lots of art making activities to inspire inner journeys thorugh pregnancy.

In this image, I have made it through a forest to the top of a steep mountain, my beautiful partner by my side. I realise that I still need to get back down the other side of the mountain, crossing rivers and plains till I reach the ocean shore where our child will be born. I am nourished by the land, the support and love from family and friends.

The labyrinth represents knowing I must go inside myself, alone, to make the voyage. As I stand at the top of the mountain I am aware of both my partner's presence in the room and the inner lanscape I am traversing within the same moment. When I look at this image, it makes me smile and I feel excited about going on this journey! 

 

Soul Doll Making at The Craft Hive

What a wonderful experience I had in facilitating a Soul Doll workshop a few days ago! The experience has remained with me like a warm happy glow. The group was a great mix of women, each with her own story which she wrapped into her doll.

We began with some stories of how dolls are used as part of traditional culture around the world. 

Then we set an intention for our dolls. We wrote this on paper and placed them inside the body of our little created beings.

Next we made the ‘inner core’ from pipe-cleaners.

And filled the body out with coloured wool

I loved getting to know the women who came and to share the practice together in such a beautiful, warm, light space. It felt just like crafting in my lounge room! Kristan, who has set up The Craft Hive, has created a most special space to make in – check out her wonderful blog here: http://thecrafthive.com 

I find the dolls will usually make themselves how they want to come into the world, so you just need to be the hands. Sometimes it takes a few days to keep adding to them until they feel finished…

At the end of the workshop we gave the dolls a little celebration and listened to their stories. 

In gratitude to all who came along.