Madeira Code Red/revisited

Madeira Code Red weed eco film shoot at Reeseville was a lot of fun.  Did a little playing with the deadly weed which takes over everything and grows from every part of the plant.  Jill who owned the property found some madeira vine and put it in a plastic bag to take it and deal with it later.  Found it 12months later still in the bag and growing. 

I did a silly experiment and used it for dyeing and boiled it up for 3hrs to see if that was enough to kill it.  NOOOO tossed it in my garden near my front door to keep an eye on it and 11months later shoots appeared and started climbing eeeriely up my port wine magnolia tree.

Now I am on constant vigil to find shoots/tubers/any part to burn it.  Only way I feel kills it for good.  The film was finished and you can google youtube under elcoateart and find it if you are interested. 

 Japanese Sunflower is one of my favourite weeds to dye with.  It won't be long until it is winter and the mountains where I live will be alive with colour.   Boiling up the flowers and using them to dye the silk is always a favourite pastime for me.  These scarves were treated with alum mordant to open the weave of the silk to the dyes.... before tying shibori /and or laharia style.  Weeds are so useful.....dyeing, eating edible weeds and I even felt them into my soy silk fibre pieces.
In fact they are a major part of my art life and kitchen these days.  I don't eat the Japanese sunflower though.  I have cobblers pegs/purple splash amongst the salad tonight.

New way of looking at weeds

Aaron is only 13 yrs old and did a great job with our very own specialist on edible weeds Isabel Shippard shining in this eco film which I made for the Real Food Festival last year.

LEMON AND GARLIC CREATING HEALTHY PATHWAYS

Rain, rain and more rain....decided to make up my lemon and garlic artery clearing juice before the electicity went on me.  If you haven't made it before it is 30 cloves of garlic and 5 lemons and you are on your way to helping your body clear blocked arteries.  It is an old recipe which has worked it's way to me thank heavens as my arteries are in need of clearing ....well according to my carrotid artery ultrasound anyway.  It is quite easy:

Step 1: you just peel the organic garlic and wash lemons well and pop them in the blender.  Put them with a little water from 1 litre to help with the blending.
Step 2:  pop it all with the rest of the litre of water and bring to the boil and remove immediately to cool.  After cooling put through your seive or juicer.  Take with your early morning cups of warm water and after your main meal of the day. 

Important to have for 3 weeks then take 8 days off and repeat the cycle.  It has helped many people and I am hoping I will be added to this list after my next C.A.U.  Good juicing!