Mosaic in progress

After over two years gathering great ideas from our gardeners, neighbors and other community members, the design work for our mosaic is almost complete! Artists Vicki Robinson and Cheryl Knox have a template for the final artwork. There will also be more opportunities to participate during our mosaic production and installation process, so make sure to keep an eye out for those announcements if you'd like to help out.

Mosaic design taped to front wall

The materials will be very durable (grouted glass). Seattle Mosaic Arts in Wallingford has volunteered their time to tutor the two artists though the process, as the 4x 7' mosaic involves a good deal of steps. Claire and her assists have provided ongoing support to the process.

The glass pieces are put on a semi-adhesive surface (contact paper) underneath is the original drawing.  

Vicki and Cheryl try out iridescent glass on the honeybee's wings.

When the image is ready to be put in place, a much more adhesive film of plastic is put on top, and then it's pulled away from the contact paper. The piece is then ready to be set into the permanent surface with thinslip.

Here's Claire Barnett at Seattle Mosaic Arts tutoring us in the process.

Claire Barnett at Seattle Mosaic Arts

Vicki and Cheryl created sample mosaics to learn more about the indirect process of making mosaics.

Sample "test" leaf made by Vicki and Cheryl

It's going to bee beautiful!

Neighborhood Night Out 2012

Hazel Heights P-Patch has been the organizing sponsor of the Night Out for the 4200 block of Baker Avenue NW for the last 6 years. This is an annual event hosted by the Seattle Police Department as a national Crime Prevention event. Night Out is an opportunity for neighbors to close down their streets and get to know one another through social activities. Both police and elected officials have graced our events in past years.

This year, Hazel Heights P-Patch was again the organizing sponsor for Night Out 2012 for a potluck gathering in front of the P-Patch. We met some new neighbors and had some tasty barbecue!

Pictures to come!

A place for tools

Our new small but mighty permanent "Dave's Tool Shed" is ready to use!

There's a place for a broom and garden tools ...

... a seed exchange and first aid kit ...

 Walt's organic fertilizer and various other gardening supplies.

We even have a growing library of gardening books ready when you have a question when you're on site.

Hooks for the garden cart are on the outside, with garden buckets/totes, burlap & bamboo poles for all to use tucked in alongside.

Special thanks to Peter Wilson, who took the lead on working out all the design details based on the sketchy input from site co-coords & gardeners, and volunteered his great craftsmanship over many hours with beautiful and durable results. He also donated the metal roofing material.

Thanks also go to Salat Tawinwong & Toby Thaler for helping out with construction, and to Jack Tompkinson for the glass tiles.

And of course we're so grateful to Judie Clarridge and the Clarridge family for funding. The tool shed project, which is named in memory of her late husband Dave, who was instrumental in getting Hazel Heights off the ground.