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Jumpers and Jazz 2017 – AOK exhibition

Jumpers and Jazz 2016 saw some of my World of Wearableart entries on display in the front store window of AOK Clothing. AOK owner Anna said that there was a really positive response to the display. It was with really short notice that Anna asked if she could again display some of my work. I wasn’t too sure what to use. In a hurry, I threw a few of my tree jumper entries into a big plastic tub. Once I completed my tree jumper installation I dropped off the tub to AOK. I wasn’t able to help Anna set it up due to prior commitments.  That was a really good thing. An hour or so later I received a MMS image of what she had set up in the window. OMG. My jaw dropped. I could not believe how incredible it looked. Even though I had made the jumpers, I did not recognise them at all. I should’ve known that they would make fabulous wearableart shouldn’t I? They really did!

In the tub, I also threw in my 2 carnivorous pot plants that were included in a display at the Warwick Town Hall in last year’s festival and some random creepy monster potted plants. For something that didn’t have any direction or concept, it looked a treat. Anna reported that the feedback from visitors was again very positive. I’ll have to start thinking about what to do for 2018 – if she’ll have me back of course!

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Jumpers and Jazz 2017

The Jumpers and Jazz festival has been another fantastic one for me. This year tree jumper installation day kicked off very, very early. In fact morning television early. The Today  Show arranged for live weather crosses with weather correspondent Natalia Cooper in chilly downtown Warwick. My bestie Helen and I were among the brave group of folks to arrive ‘on set’ before 6 am. It was a beautiful time to be up and it also allowed us to get a car park right next to our respective trees. Most convenient. We gathered around behind thebrightly coloured crochet tree jumper action of the first cross. Once the cut was called it was time to commence Operation Installation. My tree was known as “Tree 64” this year. There is a building in place of the vacant site now. I think in all It took me 3 or so hours to stitch my tree jumper “Sherbert” onto my tree. I really enjoy how that process unfolds. I have an idea in my head when I start as to how it might look. Then it changes to how I  imagine it might look as I see it flat on the floor in my home. As it starts to be stitched on those images changed quite dramatically for me this year. It ended up looking very different to and happily even better than I thought it would.

entry tag details Sherbert by Jessica Thompson

The festival introduced a new section to the competition in 2017: the Hall ofFame Award. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the awards ceremony this year. Tara and Fast Eddie from Better Homes and Gardens were on hand to make the announcements. I am bloody proud to say that I was named as the inaugural inductee into the Jumpers and Jazz Hall of Fame!! The Warwick Daily News wrote an article about me Bright star in hall of fame. And there’s also a very quick glimpse of Sherbert in the trailer for the episode that Better Homes and Gardens crew filmed over 3 days. I wish the full episode was still available, but it appears to have expired from the Plus7 site. The show really showed how beautiful, fun, and exciting the Jumpers and Jazz in July festival is. I felt very proud to be a part of such wonder.

tree jumper at night with lights on close up of tree jumper at night with lights on

I included a light element to my tree jumper again this year. I stayed in town on installation day night so I was able to head down the street to see the lights in effect. It was pretty darn cool, if not quite difficult to capture.