This week our letter to the neighbourhood is from an arts festival producer. And it’s quite a sobering read. For those households impacted by the shutdowns but NOT eligible from Jobkeeper this letter really brings home what a tough year it has been. Collect your letter from the butcher shop window and find out how your neighbour has managed … and read about the dilemmas and challenges her family faced.

How interesting is this project? Helping us all have a bit of a wider view and more empathy …

We had our community art bin out last weekend with bits of wood, sharpies and instructions, and asked people who stopped by to draw a little picture for the scrap wood community Christmas tree that we we are making.

Thanks to everyone that took the time to do a picture or a pattern. They were all pretty cute.

Note, there may still be more bits of painted timber that Lee will be putting out over the coming week … so keep your eyes peeled if you are walking past. We’d love you to contribute too!

Projects are already afoot as the Women in the Shed learn to use new tools and build their confidence and ability to tackle new things.

This week Debbie started restoring a timber garden chair, Anne decided to learn mosaics so she could breathe new life into a broken ceramic duck, and Sheryl began making bamboo cutting boards from offcuts she sourced at a local business.

We will share some images of these projects as they progress and hopefully the final results. It is quite exciting to see how quickly everyone is progressing.

This week our letter to the neighbourhood comes from a medical research scientist. Collect your copy from the butcher shop window.

Unfortunately the fabulous Alphington Open Studios weekend has been unable to run this year, but local artist Bridget, who is part of this annual event, contacted us to let us know that she will be having a weekend opening at her house as part of the Australian Ceramics Open Studios.

Call in this Saturday or Sunday, 22-23 November, to admire and/or purchase works by Bridget Foley (ceramics) and Avis Gardiner (jewellery and sculpture).

30 Smith Street, Alphington from 10am- 6pm.