Takin a sickie

ring ring....
ring ring......
um hello, its me, Melanie.. yeah , look, I wont be in for the next few days because I'm sick. Ive been sick since Saturday and its getting worse. ....wait, why am I calling, I dont have a boss, I AM the boss! Oh well in that case then, Im going back to bed.
click

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Thursday Craft Shoppe

Kodak Retina 1b

My dad gave me this ages ago. He got it when he worked at Kodak in the early 60s and I stored it away with all of his other stuff, just in case, because you never know when you might need something. My Dad is still with us but he gets rid of anything that he calls"surplus to requirements" which is sad for my step mum because she dare not leave any of her stuff laying around.
Well, anyhow, I was just thinking recently how I would love to do photography because I am so crap at it but I want to do the old fashion stuff first, click wind. As I was clearing my shabby chic stuff to make way for my new simple earthy style, there it was in a decoupage box and I gave a little squeal with delight. I have researched it and for color its not the best but most reports say that for black and white pics it is on par with some of the best modern cameras. I will probably do it no justice but I am going to give it a go. Good greif, do I really need another hobby... OF COURSE I DO.
Catch ya, off to gather up Joyce and then to the craft shoppe. have a fab Thursday.
Click, wind........................................

At the craft shoppe


Today was filled with much laughter.
We received a postcard from our boss showing us some of the sights in Switzerland which gave a few old married chicks some giggles.


Julie said the charity function at the Inner Wheel went well and lots of money was raised.
G came in to collect some stamps left for him and I found out that his church actually sells the stamps and the money gets sent to Somalia to a non government organisation that assists people there. Its amazing how many charities there are and many aren't even heard about. On ya G! I wouldnt be much use because I never get letters from fancy countries with fancy stamps. Emails have fixed that.
Last but not least. We have boxes of fabric marked down for a quick sale.

Well that was Thursday. Now back to mundania and some real work

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Refreshed, inspired and ready

Well, tomorrow my dear M goes back to work and that means our holiday is over. 5 days of eating crap, sleeping in until 11am, staying up until 2am and some days I didnt get out of my jammies at all. THATS what a break is. It was awesome. Because I have just been hangin out with my husband playing games and watching movies on our new entertainment system, not a thought of anything else existed. Now I am refreshed. My brain is overflowing with business ideas and I am inspired. Time to get to bed though, I have to get up early tomorrow blerk. Back to mundania... TTFN

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Good Saturday Reading

This is what I read on Saturday mornings
Craft Juice - a fab place for show and tell
absolutely beautiful things - its like a glossy home decor mag only free and much less writing YAY
All things bright and beautiful - more superb interior decorating eye candy. Oh to be rich!
Zen habits - not too heavy brain food

I'd like to thank Ravenhill for emailing me information about Etsy

Time to redecorate :)

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Nothing to do with craft, craftiness or crafting

I said to my husband " NO, I will NEVER EVER get a plasma TV. You know they use SO much power if every one in the UK owned one they would have to build 3 extra power plants" Well that's what I read anyhow. So for a year I went bla bla NO bla bla.
Look what we got tonite
a 50" plasma TV
I need to go plant 3 million trees to remove the huge footprint I have just left on the planet. Ok so I have expressed my guilt now so we can move onto the " OMG its so ACE"
I gave in because I was jealous about my BIL buying a new house in the US and I was having a pity party about how I wont be able to buy a new house EVER(insert lots of pathetic wife whining here about how hard done by I am because my house is old now) So I did what any one would do. I totally redid the colors in the bathroom, new towels, new furniture and the ensuite and then I started on the lounge and ripped all the shabby chic stuff out and now I am redecorating the lounge.
I dont know how I will fit all of that redecorating in because something that most crafters could care less about happens this weekend
evil time wasting polluter(my husband made me do it)

Something that my husband and I have awaited for a long time and he has taken 3 days off of work so we can experience it together. We have upgraded our computers, we have raided our savings so we can slouch around and eat take away during this period because Saturday at 5pm US time which is 3am Aussie time the game Age of Conan goes live and we have early access because we got one of the limited pre orders YAY So our alarm will be set on Sunday morn 3am, oh yes we are that serious about a new game going live, and for a few days I will be immersed, along side my husband, brother in law and friends all around the world, on a journey into another world, and this world will not exist for the next 5 days. My pulse beats faster just anticipating it. I wish I could create the art that people who make games do, I would live there forever, and make myself really really thin :)
I will be back when my husband returns to work. I am so excited right now I could burst.
/Wave
Have a great weekend

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Help me please

Incoming begging....If there is anyone out there that can help me do a mosaic thingy like all the really smart bloggers do. Please email or leave a message. I'm begging. My head hurts from trying.flickr and bolgger FAQ are infuriating.
OK begging is over

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Thursday Craft shoppe Gossip

Craft shoppe

It took me half the day to work out how to do this...(the above thingamajiggy) Now the kids are hungry and I still haven't done it right. I need a degree in Flickrology 4sure. Looks like its dogs eye and dead horse for dinner. (Pie and sauce) yes, I am old, I speak rhyming slang :P
OK, back and eating a pie with a teaspoon, from inside out. Yum
I arrived to find new table in the shoppe today. It is rumoured that there will be a knitting/crocheting group held after it was noticed there was a few enquiries about the availability of one so I guess the new, bigger table is a sign it maybe happening. Now we can fit more ladies YAY! I better get a notepad because I can only remember about seven tea or coffee orders and combinations.
LC had a customer(she is our resident beautician) so she buffed and polished nails whilst I went mad taking photos so I could practice doing my first mosaic.
LC brought me in this cool bag from her trip to Vietnam wondering if I would like it because she found she had one spare and I'm like " omg, as if you have to ask, its a bag!!!!!" Check out the cool handles.

JS brought in a stack of Vinyl numbers for bins. She is selling this lot for $1.00 each 11.5 cm high and approx 8cm wide depending on the number.
If you would like some vinyl cutting done call Julie at the craft shop for more info. Below is an example of what Julie can do upon request.

It was such a beautiful day today. We even got a visit from one of our favorite volunteers for morning tea(only because there were no scones being offered from the aged care folks). Yeah we are onto you G! He is a top bloke and cracks me up every Thursday but he makes me sick how he can eat a plate full of cakes and remain thin. Most of us crafty chicks are trying to be good in 08 so we don't bring the customary cream cakes and chocolates which is why I think G has given us the flick. Today JS brought in a plate of home made anzac bikkies and what do ya know, in comes G, as if he could smell a cookie a mile away!! He works bloody hard for the community center so we love spoiling him when we can. This coming Monday we are supporting an Inner Wheel function for charity and Julie was madly packing stuff to take for our display. They are kindly letting us hold a stall to promote our shop before the lunch. Yay! Well, I cant wait until next Thursday. By then I will work out how to do mosaics properly like all the pro's do and hopefully I will have a bucket load of goodies done and ready for delivery to the shop. After all, I have 200 sheets of felt I need to use (grumble grumble, stupid order mix up)
Before I go. I cant stress enough the benefits of supporting our local community craft shoppe so whether you just want a chat or a hand made gift, please don't hesitate to come and see us. Or just come in on Thursday morning when I am there and show me how clever you are:) Take care and have a FAB Friday tomorrow.

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Mothers Day. Bring on the loot!!

A week of sewing, tag making and loot.
My daughter is doing courses in high school as part of her entry to her Degree (fashion design and technology). Some times my mind boggles at this because she resents having to use a sewing machine and avoids it like the plague. Here is one of her first real sewing projects, very expertly done for some one who was happy just to draw fashion and was disgusted at the prospect of actually having to make it like the rest of us peasants. ( 15 yr olds are just too full of themselves, gotta love em eh!)


I am a fully fledged lover of loot. Bring it on. Lather me with gifts I say and who ever buys me the best gift is my most favorite child.
My youngest got me a chair for my mobile phone, now that is cool! The middle 2 got me these doona slippers and the choccies(courtesy of Dad on his lunch break , wink wink)
Check out the Doona Slippers from Blumoose.
They were weird to wear at first but within hours I was hooked. They feel so clean and fresh.
The best present from the best child was.... all of them, because they were nice to me all day, including my eldest who refrained from expressing any 17 yr old angsty stuff all day. YAY
I have an inner ear infection so I think maybe the pained look on my face is making them behave. Oh well, if it works, who cares :)

Last week I spent many hours working on swing tags and labels. I had many failures and by the end of the week I had accomplished what I set out to acheive.
The picture below shows my mobile phone chair thingy, my queen bitch book from my mum ( she so gets me) and all of the gizmos I need to run stuff back and forth to my shed and various computers. I purchased a hole punch and used publisher to create the tags.

cost per swing tag (not including ink or string) 3 cents.
I am yet to take a picture of the end product so these average almost perfect ones will have to suffice just to mark the event.
Tags done.
Labels done.
Made by me, at home, minimal outlay and minimal environmental impact. I am very happy with it
Why have I got 2 mobile phones? Well, I upgraded our phones for free and was left with 3 phones. The LG phone has an awesome Led torch light on it and I use it when tinkering with my computers/peripherals. This phone lights up the entire inside of my case on my main computer and it also has a great alarm and calender. So next time you go to throw an old phone out( the kind that cant be changed to a different server etc), think about repurposing it. If only for the extra video/camera capacity, you never know when you need a spare camera lol

Now to do my tax...................................

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Remnant and recycled dog bed

Ingredients
Remnants of denim from a printing factory saved from land fill
Remnants of luxurious curtain fabric from the Berwick Custom made Drape shop
1 old polyester doona/comforter (unused spare taking up space in my linen press) single bed size, cut to shape, stacked and sewn together on the inside.
I forgot the handle to hang in up in the laundry when not in use( my dogs are lazy, it will always be in use.
To wash, all I need to do is throw it in my machine as I did when it was a doona.
100 percent reused, recycled, recreated.
75cm x 55 cm to suit my small kelpie size mutt. Will need a bigger one for Pig the humungous labrador
Love it!

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Thursday @ The Craft Shoppe

It was a quiet day today and most likely people are snuggled up because of the weather. Last month it was up to 40 degrees Celsius(100ish F) and now puddles are a plenty and I am seeing the scarves get dusted off to ward off the chill. People in the Northern hemisphere would laugh at what we call freezing but to us it is freezing and even so you will still see some daft Aussies out there in shorts...
We had a chin wag about the Softies for Mirabel that Meet me at Mikes is doing and it looks like I can lure some of the awesome ladies there to contribute on behalf of the Shoppe. They don't take much luring though as they always put their hand up for a good cause. More of that though when it is pondered on a bit. If you are the crafty sort go that a look at Meet me at Mikes. I love when I stumble across people in the community that promote the spirit of helping and devote their time and effort in being involved. OK OK , I do go on about it don't I? These men and women that help other folk with out asking for so much as a thanks are worth prattling on about in my book, so I'm not sorry for going on and on:)

I have never mentioned this before because I didn't think it relevant but we are right next door to the community centre opportunity shop (thrift shop). I know there's a few thrift shoppers out there so I thought it would be handy info. PLUS you can come and see us, even if its just to say hello! We are right next door.
I got a few sets of nice old anodized knitting needles from there. .75cents what a bargain! I am going to add them to my collection.
Ta Ta for Now!

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Hands up if you LOVE Melbourne!!!

*puts hand up and jumps up and down*
"me, me, me!"

Love the querky shops

Love the graffiti when its put where it is supposed to be

Love the ally ways and lane ways

Love the contrasts

and I LOVE doing lunch there!

Love being inspire by everything here.

Thanks mum for a lovely day!

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