A WOW Shipping history

With more and more of us sharing photos of our babies on their way to WOW, I thought I'd put together a little collection of ours leaving us over the years! Every time we do this, we are reminded again of how much we rely on the Mainfreight sponsorship. Without them, we just couldn't do it, so thank you, Mainfreight, for helping me be a part of the WOW family.
Unfortunately we have no photo of the 2008 entry Beyond Chrysalis going off in two battered suitcases, secured with old ties! However, it made it safely, and was my first work to be seen on the World of WearableArt stage!

I missed 2009, as I was working on my first exhibition, from which the idea for my 2010 entry, BioLumina, emerged. For this, Matt built what we now affectionately refer to as 'The Pink Coffin' (first place to look around here if I go missing...). A fine work itself, this was when the documenting of shipping began!

BioLumina won the International Runner Up Award, and was acquired by the World of WearableArt Museum, so we asked for the empty crate to be returned to us. For 2011, we packed Fimbria Figura into it.

In 2012, I made the giant beast that was Euphony Iridacaea. Made of fibreglass, she required a lot more room and security, so Matt picked up a crate, reinforced it, and built 3 drawers for it to contain the fibreglass pieces.

 Amazingly, the three works I made for 2013, Hakuturi, all fitted in the pink coffin, which at this time had a wee face lift as it was looking a bit tired after all its travels.

Hakuturi won second place in the Air New Zealand South Pacific section, as well as winning the International Award for Australia/South Pacific, which was an acquisitive award, and so the empty crate returned once more.
In 2014 I managed two entries, which nestled up neatly together in the big crate. This year I started decorating the crate with a few images to indicate what was inside - a snowflake for Isolda and a Phoenix for Fènghuáng. Fènghuáng remains in New Zealand, having won the Internatioanl Award for Australia/South Pacific.

2015 was another double, although entered as a single entry, and once again, both fit in the coffin! A few stencils of purple beetles were added this time.

In 2015 I made two separate entries, another giant of a piece for the Aotearoa section, and my first Bizarre Bra, so it was back into the big box! Some clouds were added to the crate for Aotearoa, and some antlers for the bra.

Unfortunately, Aoteoroa was not selected, and was returned, languishing in storage ever since as I could not bear to look at it!
However, the crate was required for this year, so unpacked it must be, along with Return to Earth, which having  being kept for display at the museum, returned home just in time for this year, when my three entries required both crates!

I did have this one as a back up - a nice score from Reverse garbage, and with this continuous addiction to entering WOW, I'm sure it will one day get its time in the spotlight.

WOW Delivery 2017

This seems like the longest WOW process ever. Oh, hang on, have I ever done three separate entries before? With an extra one thrown in for Wearable Arts Mandurah?!! Errrr, noooo.....
This week marks the farewell of the 3 entries for WOW 2017. My first ever entry in the UV section, themed Float, Fly, Flow. My second entry in Avant Garde - last entered in 2008, my very first year, and my third entry in the WETA Workshop section.
It has been both fortunate and unfortunate that this week I have also unpacked 3 other large entries - one which I haven't been able to face since its rejection, the other which just returned home this week! Both crates are needed to send this years three entries, a new record for me. I know, I know, last year I said I would definitely be having a break this year.... clearly, I am not to be trusted.
The photo-shoot occurred last Friday, with the delightful Angelina of ASIARA Photography behind the lens. We last worked together on a similar shoot featuring leather and feathers also. My sister Kiri was my amazing assistant for the day, giving up most of her day off to be ordered around by me!! She helped me transport the garments, ran out to buy emergency socks, documented the day with the camera and took notes of changes to be made. I wanted to reward her with a nice lunch out, but all she wanted was some sushi!

an 'ooooo'

a 'phew'

and some gigglez!

Heidi and Fleur

Although Angelina and I have worked together before, the rest of the team was new, including model Heidi Sun, makeup artist Fleur Liu, and Angelina's partner, who was quite fabulous. Stepson Liam's girlfriend stepped in to fill Stepson Callum's usual role, in bringing the character piece to life - thanks Ciera!
Massive thanks to all involved, and a special thanks for the many months that my Bunneh has put up with random photos of weird stuff that I am working on late at night asking for approvalz, and the biggest thanks of all to Matt for living with it all!! He really lives it with me, never minding the mess (or is that never vocalising?!), always supporting , surviving design/engineering sessions with me (ahhh, the clash of cultures!!), and this year, even modelling my UV piece for me, and absolutely bringing it to life. I honestly couldn't ask for more.
Today I went to college to sew 3 new bodysuits for my entries, (the black one for the UV section I had bought online was rubbish after all, the one I had made for the WETA entry was very small, then I couldn't decide out of two replacement materials) then down to the shed to finish packing. Realising I had left one last piece at the studio, Matt popped in to pick it up before taking me out to the port for actual drop off, involving the loading of Fred the Studebaker, the very careful drive there, and an hour's wait in the queue, before finally watching it drive off!

As we wave goodbye to this year's progeny, we return home to ask "where the hell am I going to put last year's?"

Bunnehs in Ballarat 2017 Part 4

Last morning, off to class!

Wary after the previous mornings' weather, the Bunnehs step outside Wigan House, and the Blonde Bunneh declares "Oooh, that's better!" whilst the Pink Bunneh whimpers, shivers, and clings to the wall..... BB looks after PB and we walk around the lake with the wind behind us! Exactly one hour later we return to eggy goodness, and our last day in the classroom, with many projects to finish off, and scraps to use up. After a solid days work, we pack up (in 15 minutes - beats a felt making workshop hands down!!) and deliver our works to the display, quickly buggering off and leaving others to set up - well, it's not going to take 12 of us, is it?!! We get most of our packing done before dinner...
The last night is the formal dinner, which turns out to be some rather excellent grilled salmon or chicken. Hurrah! As we had not used our Cocktail Night outfits, we were able to dress up in these, and join our glamorous classmates at the class dinner table.

Classmates Jacqui and Alison

They did a great job of the display! And yes, giant pink earmuffs were worn most days - I am a QLD Bunneh!!

 After dinner, the fundraising auction was held - the amount of items (70+!) made it a drawn out affair, and thank goodness BB came up with some cash for a bottle of wine to help us through it!! We finally made it to the class displays, where we saw the results of Jeanette's encaustic workshop, as well as the work of new friend Julia Sant-Mire from the artists book workshop. She was sweet enough to gift me one of her works, which I have since placed on the wall with a kimono I brought back from Japan last year.

Julia Sant-Mire's artist book and my kimono

Artist's book workshop display

The Bunnehs and Jeanette, whom we met on our very first Bunneh Advenchurrr at Grampians Texture!!

Our final day starts with BB saying "Going home day. Good!" It's not that she doesn't enjoy the time, but after a week she just misses the real world. Me, nawt so much...! We had a busy morning of  emptying our rooms, grabbing coffee, then brekky at the dining hall before making a quick getaway. Unfortunately, we relied on my GPS system to get us to the car hire drop-off, a system which has a bad history, which was further solidified as she led us to the wilds of Essendon before saying "GPS signal lost". Well, thanks!! Luckily we had already realised we were off course, and successfully got back on track to drop off the car, and get on the Busy Beaver Bus, which gave us a smooth run to the airport, where the Bunnehs boarded the flight back home to reality. Where we will head in 2018 remains unknown, but greatly anticipated!

Bunnehs in Ballarat 2017 Part 3

Jenelle and the deceptively norty Alison

Sunday morning, and our lake walk goes only as far as Macca's for coffee due to miserable weather. Instead we have a relaxed morning, enjoy our eggs, and gird our loins for the day ahead. It was my turn to lose my tiny mind, as the long winded instructions continued, further extended by questions from the class which had our eyeballs rotating, along with the dissemination of 'helpful' information. Look, the sharing of potential suppliers is great, but when you're talking about butane - that's right - the gas in the can - you're just wasting my time. Srsly, So, I lost said tiny mind, and I'm afraid it exploded, verbally, and noticeably. But managed to be swept under the carpet. Our wonderful classmate Alison tuned into our wavelength, and after I had put away my awl (potential stabbing implement) offered me some tweezers as a replacement. It took me a moment to realise she was on to us! Jenelle felt absolutely vindicated in her loss of mind the previous day, when I must have had my 'very patient' pants on. There were all sorts of 'helpful' suggestions given to both bunnehs this day....... despite which, there was a reasonable level of satisfaction with the days progress.

Bunneh turns into a lamb!

Bunneh blowtorching!

The evening brought on a torrential storm, so we made our way to the shops for umbrellas and more warmz! The Bunnehs revise the day with a bed picnic of nuts and snowpea chips, which Jenelle declares to be a very good picnic, as all food is within arms reach!

Munted brolly

The dash to 'Cocktail Night' with the new umbrella proved to be most comical, with the umbrella turning inside out! The leaving of the dining hall was even more ridiculous, with Glenys Mann shouting out 'Bloody Queenslanders' as we squealed our way out of there in the cold, wind, and rain, managing to completely munt the umbrella in the process!









The next morning we awake to sideways wind and rain, and this Bunneh says a giant nope to the morning walk, whilst the weather tolerant one goes out, returning with a coffee for the weather-wary. Class goes well, with work beginning on titanium cuffs - so well that we - amazingly - return in our free afternoon to do a little more work before we each receive a massage from Magic Morgana.
After this, we got some more picnic supplies, and the common-room-less Bunnehs crash the Hayhoe one. I set myself up on the floor as I often do at home, and, as I also often do at home, spill my drink all over the floor. I settle into a giant moose as a kind of a bean bag to write the daily notes.

Tuesday morning brought disappointment with the weather, and 2 rounds of coffee were required for this Bunneh, as 'This face needs more cawfee!!"

'This face needs more cawfee".

Once in class, Alison provided more levity, wielding the umbrella we had picked up for her, declaring it was 'The Umbrella of Power'. Jacqui also provided fits of giggles, declaring that the noise of sawing through the titanium sheet sounded like a Frenchman saying, "Ohh hoa hoa hoaaa!!"

On this particular day I managed a few injuries, firstly slicing some fingertips open when attempting to drill small aluminium discs in the drill press (I know better than that) and then giving my thumb pad an almighty whack with a very large hammer. Running from the room to get ice, I alarmed the tutor who asked if everything was alright, and I said, "Yeeeees, I just need to get some ice..." 

Despite the injuries, it was a pretty successful day - I finally braved the titanium anodising process, and was very happy with the results.

We chillaxed in the not so chill, but rather toasty Woodbridge common room, where we returned after dinner to spill another glass of bubbles on the floor... just evening things up....