Frenches Forest Organic Farmers' Market. Sydney. Australia. Original Photography.

Whimsical and fanciful. Artworks to delight:
The 'Child Within.' The 'Creative Muse.' The 'Nature Lover.'
~Ally.

The Frenchs Forest Organic Farmers' Market began as a small organic food market more than 20 years ago and gradually other stands for clothing and gifts have been introduced. Today, you can buy virtually everything you need from this market: Fruit and vegetables, bread and eggs, milk and honey, kombucha and kefir, mushrooms and sprouts, olives and cheeses, hemp seeds, clothing and linen, seedlings and plants, roses and herbs, crystals and jewelry. ~Ally. Source.

This coming Sunday will be the very last market day of our local Organic Farmers' Market at Frenches Forest, a northern suburb of Sydney. Every week or sometimes every second week, for the past 15 years, we have not only shopped for ALL our fruit and vegetables and other health-giving produce at this market but have made so many new friends there.

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But as one door closes ~ Another door opens.

Although this Sunday will mark the end of what has been an incredibly happy era, another Organic Farmers' Market will open the following Sunday at Mona Vale.

Mona Vale is a little further for us to travel to, so we'll have to plan our shopping days accordingly and perhaps not visit the market quite as often. However, the positive side of the market's new location is that the beach close-by is one of THE best in Sydney with beautiful clean white sand and fabulous surf alongside picturesque reefs and a rockpool swimming pool. So I'll be looking forward to taking you on a few #WednesdayWalks, along the shores of Mona Vale beach very soon.

In my article: The Red Pot in Sylvia's Garden I mentioned making my own Christmas Tree and decorating it with four little birds made from green hessian, with tails of sparkling organza and different types of feathers, made by J'Qui, a Canberra based artisan.

As well as being an Eco Artist and Gypsy Gatherer, J'Qui is a Transpersonal Art Therapist and Holistic Counsellor, a Creative Care Facilitator and a SHE Creative Circle Creator. Source.

J'Qui takes solace in and is inspired by nature. She gathers about her natural elements that she collects from nature and then makes such a diverse range of products: From collaged butterflies to birdcages, dream catchers to mushroom pods, nests to notepads, smudges to trees. ~Ally. Source.

Qui Trees Collective is J'Qui's marketplace for grassroots connection to the community. And it all began more than ten years ago, in the Red Centre Desert of Australia.

I'd never met J'Qui or seen her work before and as you can imagine, I immediately resonated with her incredibly creative use of natural materials in her artwork. And as I was taking in all the amazing products she had made, I was hoping 'with all my being' that she would allow me to photograph her stall. ~Ally. Source.

With permission granted, these are some of the photographs taken at J'Qui's marketplace at the Frenches Forest Market, where I tried to capture the enchantment of her artwork for #MarketFriday initiated by the @dswigle.

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Magical mushrooms.

These quirky magical mushrooms are made from paper mache. The larger ones, at the back on the left were beautifully formed and immediately attracted my attention, but then even more appealing were the tiny mushrooms in their round paper 'caves' within their tear shaped glass houses.

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Creativity is a journey. ~J. Qui.

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J'Qui's Stall.

It was hard to take in all the different products on display in J'Qui's Stall at a glance. So many uses of fabrics, twines and feathers, lichen-covered branches and seeds, crystals and Spanish Moss.

I could see an old birdcage and tree wheels, hearts and butterflies, hessian flags and mushrooms.

Eco Trees.

Green crystal bracelets and hanging ornaments dangled from a tree made from a branch twinned with string. All fascinating ~ But it was the little hessian birds that really captured my heart.

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Another nest.

Just under this Eco Tree were a group of baskets: One a nest for some other green sparkling birds.

We are all born creative. Creativity is nurturing your imagination to visualise and create abundant possibilities. ~J. Qui.

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Hessian Flags.

Radiating out in four directions were lines of triangular hessian flags with strips of hand-sewn fabrics and cords inbetween each flag.

Creativity evolves as we experience, explore and express. ~J. Qui.

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Hessian Flags and Strips in closeup.

I loved the hand-stitched strips of fabric and the harmonious mixture of tones and textures of cords with fabrics.

I sat in dry river beds, in circle, beading native seeds, I whittled away time in the formation of trees. ~J. Qui.

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Green Spirit Healing Baskets.

I was really curious about all the different things that were contained within these Green Spirit Healing Baskets. And so I bought one for a friend as a Christmas gift.

For as long as the seasons have changed, I have had curiousity to experience, explore and express creatively. ~J. Qui.

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Flatlay: Green Spirit Healing Basket.

After giving the basket to my friend, I asked to borrow it so that I could arrange and photograph all the different items: A green parrot feather, a metallic green ceramic leaf, a green gemstone, a packet of green incense, a crystal bracelet of green-toned crystals, and a small drawstring calico bag.

When we reflect on our place in the cycle of life, in the cycle of creation of which we are an integral part, we learn that the cycles and seasons of our existence each have a valuable part to play in our creative development. ~J. Qui.

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Feathers and ceramic containers.

I didn't ask at the time and so I'm not sure now what sort of bird the feathers were from or where they came from: They could be owl feathers and/or emu feathers. I presume if J'Qui didn't collect them herself that they would have been ethically sourced.

I'm also not sure if they were for sale or part of the display. Which was one of the things that I absolutely loved about the Qui Trees Collective: The blending of display and saleable items.

Nature is my companion, my medicine and my craft. ~J. Qui.

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Creative Packaging and Gift tags.

Hand scripted cards were attached to items by string and beads, and mini-wooden pegs. And items like these Nature Nook Collections were beautifully wrapped in an open-weave hessian tied with stitched calico ribbons.

I gathered gifts from nature to nurture my inner nature. ~J. Qui.

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Hessian mystery bags.

Hand printed mandalas on circular wooden boards. Now I’m curious about what was in those hessian bags labelled Tree Lover Collection.

Creativity my compass and the Seasons my guide. ~J. Qui.

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Smudge and Ceramics.

Wishing now that I’d bought an Earthing Collection to see what the individual items in these natural coloured containers were.

Ceramic birds in black and then one in green as a candle holder.

Beautifully bound smudge sticks in a carved boat-shaped bowl. There was no end to the wonderful creativity of J’Qui.

I called on my creativity to find my courage. ~J. Qui.

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Smudge in a Bowl.

The natural textures of dried Sage and Thyme branches/vines bound by string to make smudge. Again I wished I’d been able to buy a bundle for the clearing, cleansing and protection of our home.

I have created my life journey. ~J. Qui.

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Finishing with my favourite little Mushrooms.

Within teardrop-shaped glass houses, mounted on what looked like slices of squiggley gum tree branches, were paper mache 'caves' that housed tiny mushrooms/toadstools entwinned with Spanish Moss. Such delightful and magical pieces.

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Your Inner Nature is calling to you for more play, more connections, more nurturing and more creative time. ~J. Qui.

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Notes from Nature.

I would personally love to attend one of J'Qui's circles down in Canberra sometime. It's on the ever-expanding Wishlist.

If you would like to find out more about her creative artwork, workshops and gatherings, as well as her 'wise words and moon musings' you can sign up for her 'notes from nature blown in on the breeze direct to your inbox: HERE

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A heart that is holding infinite possibilities.
A creative who is learning to trust the mystery of what will be.
A spirit that is willing to fly into new creative realms and share the journey. ~Ally.

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Photography: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
SONY Mark2 A7.

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