The Butterfly Project

I have an invitation for you and I really, really, really hope you will join in and spread the word.  I received an invite to be a part of this amazing project a few days back and I am really excited.  The Holocaust Museum Houston in Texas is hosting this project.  The museum is dedicated to educating people about the Holocaust, remembering the 6 million Jewish people and  other innocent people who died and honouring those who survived.  They teach the dangers of hatred, prejudice and apathy, using the lessons learned from this and other genocides.  The web page reads Stop Hate.  Starting Here.  That interests me.

Did you know that approximately 1,500,000 CHILDREN, INNOCENT CHILDREN, perished as a result of the Holocaust!!!!!!  The museum is collecting 1,500,000 butterflies in memory of every child lost.  In Spring 2013 these butterflies will then become a breath-taking exhibition to serve as a memory of this event and those children.

Can you imagine 1,500,000 children lost transformed into 1.5million butterflies.  The project is based on the following poem, written by Pavel Friedman on June 4, 1942.  He was born in Prague in 1921, transported to the Terezin Concentration Camp on April 26, 1942.  He died in Aushchwitz on September 29, 1944.  He was 23.  I want to cry right now, this poor boy.

 I Never Saw Another Butterfly

The last, the very last,

So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow
Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing
against a white stone.... 
Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly ’way up high.
It went away I’m sure 
because it wished 
to kiss the world good-bye.
 For seven weeks I’ve lived in here
Penned up inside this ghetto.
But I have found what I love here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut branches in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly. 
That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don’t live in here, in the ghetto. 
Written  by Pavel Friedman, June 4, 1942 

Drop in to Suzi Blu's to see her amazing butterfly and then please, PLEASE, please, make a butterfly with me, whatever and however you want to.  Remember one of these poor children lost to us forever.

HOW TO DO IT:

Send your butterfly to the museum by June 30, 2012

with your name, 

organization or school, address, 

email address 

and the total number of butterflies you send.

Create and have fun creating as many butterflies as you like, be creative, really let your creative energy go with this, let's make beautiful butterflies for these beautiful children.  Then post to......

Holocaust Museum Houston 

c/o Butterfly Project

Education Department 

5401 Caroline St.

Houston, TX 77004   

Follow these simple instructions so your beautiful butterfly can be eligible:

•Butterflies should be no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches.

•Butterflies may be of any medium the artist chooses, but two-dimensional submissions are preferred. 
•Glitter and all glitter-related products should not be used. 
•Food products (cereal, macaroni, candy, marshmallows or other perishables) also should not be used. 

For your interest visit these sites.

Two Dresses Studio

Trudie is collecting butterflies sent to her and photographing them to show on her blog, this is an option for you if you want to join in. She has a wonderful catalogue of butterflies sent to her already.

The Butterfly Project

Please let me know if you are going to participate and please show us your butterflies.  And spread the word.

Elle of course is one of my inspirations to participate and of course Lucas her beautiful brother who is one the children I will be thinking of and crying for as I make my butterflies.  I would like to do 3 one for me and one for Elle and Lucas.

I know what is to lose a grandbaby, but 1.5million precious children, that is too many to ignore.

No Screen Thursday

Yesterday was my no screen day and this is some of what I managed to achieve simply by not watching the tele or turning on my beloved computer.  I am still making butterflies for the Butterfly Project and this is the one I started yesterday for Elle.  Totally different from Lucas's butterfly.   I want tis one to be all girly and pretty, just like Princes Elle aka Sweet Pea.

I cut out my butterfly in two different patterns of card and glued them together.  Then I hot glued the flowers and beads on.  Now that was fun I had that darn stringy hot glue everywhere, I swear it was like mozzarella cheese, strings of it all over my fingers arghh!!

I painted the back of Lucas's butterfly too and added his name, using the tip of my paint brush.  See I really am not very arty, but I don't really mind I just want them each to have a butterfly hanging up with all the others in Houston.  Elle comes today so I probably won't get into my studio, she tends to steal all my time haha! Not complaining mind you.

I also took these photos......

A rose from our garden that dried up and looked so lovely still I kept it, with the intention of photographing it, of course as soon as I picked it up it fell apart, so I made a rose out of the remains.

Oh and i picked up these little cuties, Quatamalan worry dolls the other day.  I thought they would be cute to photograph, but before I could do too much they took off on their magic carpets.

I hope when they return they have tales to tell.

So no screen day was a success I look forward to my next one.  Why don't you give it a go.

Off now to get ready for my Princess to arrive oh how I love Fridays.

Making Butterflies

I have finally started making butterflies for the amazing "Butterfly Project" I told you about a few weeks back. Remember the Houston Museum is looking for 1,500,000 butterflies to  display to represent the 1,500,000 children who perished in the Holocaust.

Now just remember as you gaze upon my so very wonderful butterfly here, that I do not have a very good handle on all things crafty.  I love to photograph and edit, I like to cook and I like to fiddle with a lot of things, but fiddling and not perfecting anyone thing leads to the above.

But hey I am going to make 3 of these little suckers no matter what.  I am making this one for Lucas, in memory of him and all the other little boys who will not get to make their mark on the world, in a physical sense.  For all the grandma's and mum's who miss their little man like I do.

Then I am going to make one for Elle, I want one to be hung there to represent both these beautiful little ones who have meant so much to us.  And then I will make one for me.  So as I finish them I'll give you a little peak okay.

Oh another fresh egg yesterday afternoon and one this morning.  The girls are hard at it.  good to see.  They have to earn their keep you know.

Ashleigh's feet at Amy's wedding how she stood all day and half the night in those shoes is beyond me, what a legend.

So back to the butterflies, are you joining in? See you certainly don't have to be talented or even very artistic as I have so simply shown you.  I can't wait to be a part of it actually, come on join me and show me your creations.