Mutawintji revisited

It's ever so slightly Tuesday here but that's OK.  I am combining my mindful arrangement activity with necklace arranging and as I make the rules here who's to say that's not perfectly fine?Regular readers will recall a visit to Mutawintji National Park a month or so back.  I may have passed the comment then that there was a necklace waiting to be made.  And it is still waiting but so much closer to birth that I am hopeful of even updating this post later in the day with the completely assembled Mutawintji Mala.  No pressure.Most of the elements are polymer with the exception of a few purchased beads-the oval jasperite bead and the slightly shiny green and peach coloured disc beads-which were so perfectly Mutawintji coloured that they begged to be included. The rest- the bark, the bones, the stones, the compressed mud, the gum leaves and the goat droppings- are all polymer.  If I was being really authentic, there would almost be so many goat droppings as to spoil the necklace but that would be taking literal realism too far and denying the power and beauty of the place that still shone through in areas where the goats had not crapped quite so much.Today, I have also included a shot for history!  Since returning from Nepal, I have used a home made light box that I made following instructions on the net.  (Quite a big deal for me!)  It has been great and I could alter diffusion effects with the addition or removal of Tibetan farewell scarves (kattaks) which made it almost a religious activity.  Draping the scarf took on a ritual quality.  But, the box was wobbling increasingly and the I had replaced the diffusing wall a couple of times and it is not at all transportable.  (Learning this may have contributed to the wobbles.) So, I have decided to purchase a table top studio on a friend's recommendation and will report on this when it arrives.  If it works and is easy to use, the plan is to take it to Nepal to photograph the ladies' work over there.  It looked good on paper!  Herau.And the observant reader will have noticed a new button on my page!  This allows anyone who would like to, to donate to the building fundraiser we have for Samunnat.  This has been organised by two incredible people, Ron Lehocky and Cynthia Tinapple .  Thanks to the generosity of the polymer community, we are over half way there.  Read more about this here and here.