Peace flags a'fluttering...

Barry and I have been doing a fair bit of tidying up and sorting out around the place - a bit like a Spring clean I suppose.  In doing so, we came across our range of peace flags from this year and last and thought to ourselves; why don't we just hang them altogether?

We chose out the back near the peace bell deck, where we already fly Jennifer's flags from last year.

In the end we strung the recycled baby-wipes flags, Barry's metal flags, my peace crane fabric flags and Barry's last year's rainbow umbrella flags.

I think they look great and make me smile whenever I see them!

Looking out from the house...

Looking back at the house...

Closer up from down below…

From the side with the peace bell…

Closer up from the side with the peace bell and the breeze!

We also have my handmade paper with origami peace crane flags still flying out the front of our house as a welcome. I am so happy they have made it thru since 21 September…a month a half outside is not bad for paper I think!

Just wanted to share some of the ongoing joy of the peace flags around…go well.

Steph's peace flags

Steph lives nearby Barry and Fiona in Australia, and here are the flags she made this year. You can see her flag from last year here.

This is what she said about her flags this year...

Also have had fun and enjoyment with my little flag today.  My theme for this year for me is "Interdependence and balance give rise to Peace"
It is all biodegradable having painted on 600gsm paper and pegged on the web I made from string indicating the web of life -  and of course I have my little peace dove holding an olive twig (not quite a branch).

Steph

Fiona's weathergrams are beginning to fly

I am making weathergrams again this year and have started hanging them in the tree at the top of our driveway.  I have plenty more to go and will be getting up on the ladder later in the week to make sure thee is a good set there for Saturday 21 September.

Barry has helped out by writing messages for peace as well.

Here they are in the making and the early hanging...

And a Hipstamatic late afternoon shot...

I also have some fabric flags I am hoping to screenprint later today - fingers crossed I get them done!

And I also remembered another random set of flags we were hoping to pull together, so the front yard should be ablaze with flags and colours on Saturday I hope, reminding people of peace and to stop for a minute at midday and be silent...

The day draws closer

Weirdly Fiona and I had the same idea-urge this afternoon to finish part of our Flags for Peace 2013 - most likely spurred on by MJ's reminder of 28 days to go (even less now).

We met on the Peace Bell deck with flags in hand to give them a test run and take a few photos for this blog. I think Fiona will be posting on this test run as well later on so readers will have to put up with a bit of overlap and repetition - guess that is ok in the pursuit of peace.

As you can see from the photos mine are outdoor metal ones and Fiona's is one of her indoor ones (hand made paper with imbedded peace cranes). You can see a set of Jennifer Q's flags from last year that still manage to survive and fly on the Peace Bell deck.

More Maleny ripples...

We have managed to track down a few more flags as the day has gone by so here are a few more sets from over our way.

First tho I'd like to start with the window display in our favourite book shop in town - Rosetta Books.  When we asked a few months back, Ann agreed straightaway to do a window display around a peace theme and I think it will be on show for a week.  What fabulous support, and thanks to Noela for the photograph, and for tracking down all the other images here as well (I am just the post-er person).

Here are Christine's peace flags - bright and beautiful...

Christine created these peace flags with school children whilst doing a weed printing project. They are a stunning welcome and reminder on the school fence.

Audrey also managed to make a great flag, despite only just having returned from a big trip. Audrey works with reclaimed feathers - and you can imagine the amazing stash she must have for this rainbow and peace dove flag...

And Steph over in Montville made an elegant and gentle dove peace flag...
which her dog thought was gorgeous!

Barry and Fiona's Peace Flags

My flags (weather-grams) have been growing on the tree for a few weeks now and each day there are more and more.

Nonetheless I wanted to record what they looked like flying on International Day of Peace itself, so here are the images from this morning.

Of course, a really big storm hit this afternoon, so I thought I should take some 'after' shots as well...

Barry's flags have worked out brilliantly. He took an old rainbow umbrella and re-worked it into a stream of flags.  They handled the downpour and wind really well and are still flying happily.

I had also made an indoor set, but thought they were bright and breezy and could maybe hang outside this morning, so we did.

After hearing thunder grumbling and watching the sky darken, we took them inside this afternoon and here is how they now look - another 'after the storm' shot!

I think it's interesting that our peace flags have generally survived the storm. Some have fallen, but most remain on the tree. Barry's are really resilient and my other ones just needed a little hand to keep going strong.

A nice little way to think about peace on this day...

Go well and with peace.

Maleny ripples of peace

On this side of the world we get to start the ball rolling on  International Day of Peace itself, so here are the first images from Maleny, Queensland, Australia.

Our friend Ken put out the call for local artists to get involved in the Flags for Peace project and we have had some beautiful flags created as result.  We are hoping to get good photographs of them all and then create a book of images to remind us of peace and to share peace around a bit more.

Here are some of the Maleny flags, flying proudly today on International Day of Peace...

Mieke van Sambeeck's ceramic flags hanging on bamboo rod against some corrugated iron.

Noela Mill's peace banners draped off her verandah. These flags can be seen from the road and as people drive by they are beautifully noticeable. She has written peace in English, Japanese, Tibetan and Arabic.

Kim Schoenberger's rusty rural peace flags.  Kim has had the letters cut by water-jet through the rusted metal.

The guy who cut Kim's metal, Steve Powell, also made some flags - his are cut from experimenting with water jet cutting different fired clay bodies.

Ken Munsie's earth bound flags are bright and beautiful and uplifting.

Hopefully there will be more to come through the day...

Peace.