Tag: doer

Leather Journal

When I make things, they need to have a purpose. I might want a leather pouch to store an almanack for example. Or else I get consumed with the desire to possess something beautiful and feel compelled to make it myself.

The latter was the case with this beautiful hand bound journal. My friend Kate came over to visit recently and she was sewing a journal to use at Uni. I fell in love immediately. The veg tanned cow hide was beautiful as was the stitch on the spine binding the pages to the cover. I was filled with must make!

Luckily for me Kate was happy to barter some leather for an avocado button I had made. You can turn avocado pips into pendants, buttons and earrings with a small knife and a bit of imagination.

When I first started making the journal I got very excited. I was having so much fun and it was so easy. I'd already ear marked money from next pay to buy some leather and was trying to figure out which paper would be the best to use for the pages. Not too heavy and not too light. Something with texture and durability. I imagines making lots of journals and selling them.

And then it took longer than I anticipated. And it got trickier that I first thought. And after that I decided maybe one was enough after all 🙂

April 7, 2020
Nature Connection Cards

I started these cards on Sunday to encourage us to venture out into nature each day. They are designed to be gentle invitations or a way to set an intention. It's all too easy to get stuck in the house and forget all the plants, trees, birds and insects out there.

It's been wonderful have a pencil in my hand and sketch little pictures. Inspired by my 13 year old daughter, I tried to draw the pictures from memory. She draws the most incredible portraits without copying anything. However when it came to the fox, kangaroo and owl I had to resort to copying images I found online. My original fox looked like a daschund zebra (wish I had taken a photo of it!) and the kangaroo looked more like a rabbit wth a pouch!

I based the cards on the core nature connection routines described by Jon Young of the 8 Shields Institute. Jon visited Australia last year to run two workshops and I attended the Music, Nature and Storytelling event held in Hawks Nest, New Soul Wales. Something as simple as a daily sit spot is a powerful way to connect to nature and the land around us.

Like most of my projects, I started with heaps of enthusiasm and energy and got lots done in the first couple of days. Then my energy waned and the cards dragged on. I know we need to take time to rest and refresh but wouldn't it be great if we could keep the same joy for the whole of a project?

April 3, 2020
My Backyard

It's officially the first week of the school holidays. We are supposed to be out bush at the Wild by Nature Village Camp in Riddells Creek. But we're not. Like everyone else we're confined to home.

Luckily for us there's now a virtual village where we can connect several times a day online and also share what we have been creating and discovering. The best bit of the virtual village so far has been the daily invitations drawing us out of the house and into nature.

Here are the invitations we received during the course of the week:

Day 1 – set up a camp in your house or back yard (some folks have put up a tent in their lounge rooms).

Day 2 – notice something you haven't seen before in your backyard / local park. Plus an invitation to create a treasure hunt for your family with objects or draw a map of your backyard / local park.

Day 3 – make your own nature journal and draw in it something you discover on your sit spot.

Day 4 – explore your wild self by imitating an animal using camouflage

Day 5 – make a magic wand using a stick

I'm really enjoying setting up a 'camp' in the backyard. I'm feeling so grateful for our little spot of green and thankful we're no longer in a flat. We have a little grove of trees next to the shed that we never use and this week I felt drawn to setting up there. Usually I throw down a rug on the grass near the clothesline just outside the back door which means I don't have to go very far at all. So far there's a fire pit waiting to be christened surrounded by logs to sit on. In one corner I've strung up a tarp and we spend most days sitting under it, reading, drawing and chatting. Yesterday I added a bit of bunting and today I plan to set up a nature table and string up the hammock. It's starting to feel like our little piece of camp. I'll post more pics as I add to the space.

I'm also heading out for daily walks or rides along the trail that runs next to the creek near our house. We're normally so busy we don't get time to come here. So far I've seen a rabbit, yellow-tailed black cockatoo and a new bird I've yet to id. Plus lots of people. Our suburb is usually a built wasteland, devoid of life. Now we see lots of people out and about walking their dogs or riding their bikes. In a strange way I feel more connected now that we're in isolation.

I'm counting my blessings at the moment and feeling so grateful for our community and the enforced isolation and social distancing which is providing time to slow down and breathe. We have time to appreciate what we have right here. And I now know our backyard really is wonderful.

Note: I updated this post on 4/4/2020 with the rest of the week's activities from Firekeepers and more pictures of our 'camp'.

April 1, 2020
Sew Slow

I've been spending a lot of time lately creating in the digital space using my thoughts and ideas. If I'm honest I have to admit I'm a bit burnt out. There's only so much staring at a screen (no matter how creative I'm being) I can tolerate before my brain starts to turn to mush.

In the last couple of weeks I've been making a tentative return to hand crafts. It's a strange process. Because it's been so long since I've made anything I feel a bit like a rusty old motor that's finding it hard to kick over. Sure I can produce a spark but getting the engine to rev and catch hold has been more challenging. At first I was feeling frustrated with myself for not being able to dive straight back in. Now that I've realised what's happening I can be easier with myself and take it slowly.

The wonderful things with craft is you can take it with you wherever you go. I did just that with this leather pouch I'm hand sewing. I have a thing for bags and pouches. Especially custom made ones with hidden inner pockets. I'm making this pouch to store copies of the Pocktery Almanack. Next up is a pouch to store my leather tools so I can take them anywhere I need to go. An awl, overstitch wheel, divider, ruler, needle, thread and scissors are all in my basic kit.

What are you making?

March 27, 2020
Fresh Air and Friends

Earlier this week I met up with some friends to go for a walk. We were in the Pirianda Gardens in Sherbrooke, Victoria. I hadn't visited the gardens before. Since moving to the area 15 months ago I haven't done much exploring. My day to day activities and responsibilities usually keep me very busy. However all the normal activities have been cancelled so we now have time, that rare and elusive beast, on our hands.

The gardens were beautiful. An incredible range of plants from Australia and around the world, all beautifully landscaped. Hard to believe this was once someone's home. I can't imagine living anywhere so grand or having enough energy to maintain it all. The best bit about the gardens were all the signs for the plants with their taxonomic and common names. So good to finally put faces or rather trees to names! I've read about yew, alder and birch for years. This time I got to meet them up close and personal.

If the gardens stay open the girls and I will be coming back here often in the coming months.

March 25, 2020
Breathe

Everything else may be closing but nature is always open.

March 20, 2020
~ Author Photo Credit: Brendan Bonsack ~

Indrani Perera is a Sri Lankan/German/Australian poet, creator of The Poets’ Express e-mail newsletter, founder of The Pocketry Almanack print journal, host of the poetry podcast Pocketry Presents and maker of useful things.

Indrani describes her poetry as narrative plainsong – poems that tell a story in plain language. She shares stories about being a writer and a mother and she has recently started to untangle the knots of her mixed race heritage.

Indrani is obsessed with reading, researching, writing, editing, designing, printing, making, binding and collecting books. Secretly she has always wanted to be a famous actress and loves getting up on stage to perform her poetry at open mic nights.

Forthcoming Workshop!

Latest Book!

Indrani invites you to come take her hand; to dance, spin and twirl with her words.

‘It is an intimate invitation to savour the music of our bodies in language and to be immersed in the dance of words.’

~ Emilie Collyer, poet and playwright

Online Shop

Buy bespoke zines, chapbooks and bookmarks featuring Indrani Perera’s poetry and original photography.

Poetry

Burn

the blood, the blood

runs deep

they say

Read More

Performance

‘Absolutely gorgeous. I love your words, and your voice

– there’s nothing like hearing you read your work yourself… Encore!’

Sue Totterdell, singer and musician

The Circus of Similes

An online poetry portal from Indrani Perera where you can download print ephemera to inspire your creative process and create new poetry.

It’s a mashup of word games, children’s toys, paper craft, book binding and poetry.

Visit!

March 26, 2019
~ Author Photo Credit: Brendan Bonsack ~

Indrani Perera is a Sri Lankan/German/Australian poet, creator of The Poets’ Express e-mail newsletter, founder of The Pocketry Almanack print journal, host of the poetry podcast Pocketry Presents and maker of useful things.

Indrani describes her poetry as narrative plainsong – poems that tell a story in plain language. She shares stories about being a writer and a mother and she has recently started to untangle the knots of her mixed race heritage.

Indrani is obsessed with reading, researching, writing, editing, designing, printing, making, binding and collecting books. Secretly she has always wanted to be a famous actress and loves getting up on stage to perform her poetry at open mic nights.

Forthcoming Workshop!

Latest Book!

Indrani invites you to come take her hand; to dance, spin and twirl with her words.

‘It is an intimate invitation to savour the music of our bodies in language and to be immersed in the dance of words.’

~ Emilie Collyer, poet and playwright

Online Shop

Buy bespoke zines, chapbooks and bookmarks featuring Indrani Perera’s poetry and original photography.

Poetry

Burn

the blood, the blood

runs deep

they say

Read More

Performance

‘Absolutely gorgeous. I love your words, and your voice

– there’s nothing like hearing you read your work yourself… Encore!’

Sue Totterdell, singer and musician

The Circus of Similes

An online poetry portal from Indrani Perera where you can download print ephemera to inspire your creative process and create new poetry.

It’s a mashup of word games, children’s toys, paper craft, book binding and poetry.

Visit!

March 26, 2019

Books

Step into this handy time machine, set the controls for the distant lands of 1997 and read the book that started my whole poetry journey.

You can buy a copy directly from the publisher, Ginninderra Press or through Amazon.

Pas De Deux

My latest collection of poetry.

Buy now from the publisher, Ginninderra Press or Amazon.

Stockists

You can also find copies of my poetry collections, Defenestration and pas de deux at one of these very special bookshops:

South Australia

East Avenue Books

53 East Avenue, Clarence Park, South Australia 5034

Victoria

Belgrave Book Barn

1630 Burwood Highway, Belgrave, VIC 3160

Dymocks Knox City

Knox City Shopping Centre

Shop 3110C, 425 Burwood Highway, Wantirna South VIC 3152

Online

Rochford Cottage Bookshop

Blue Mountains, New South Wales

If you operate a bookshop and you’re interested in stocking Defenestration or pas de deux, please email hello@indraniperera.com with ‘Stockist’ in the subject line.

July 9, 2018