New Newsletter just uploaded...

Hi everyone,

Just a quick post to let you know the new newsletter has just been uploaded. 

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the download button on the right hand side. (Not the docstoc button!)

A dialogue box will open and you will have the option to open the file with Adobe Reader or save the file to your computer.  **If you save the file, you can find the newsletter in - my computer, my downloads box.

Happy reading,

Mandy :-)

Nexct Week ... 31 October 2011

Happy Halloween!!! Muhahahahaha.........

Look what I just picked off my mulberry trees, mmmmmm... going to have some of them on ice-cream for dessert tonight and the rest are going into the slow cooker to make apple & berry jam, delicious!!! Especially on hot scones with cream....drool :-P

Apple and Berry Slow Cooker Jam

1kg apples - peeled, cored and chopped

500g granulated sugar

grated rind of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons water or lemon juice

250g berries (e.g. raspberries, blackberries, mulberries)

• Put all the ingredients into the slower cooker in the order listed.  Cover with lid and cook on high for 4-5 hours, stirring once or twice during cooking.  By the end of cooking time the fruit should be thick and pulpy.
• Spoon into warm clean jars.  Seal and leave to cool.  Label and store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.  
• (The jams low sugar content means that it does not keep as long as conventional jam and must be kept in the refrigerator.) Enjoy!

I have been busy beginning my Christmas sewing gifts, with this cute bag for my mum (who is computer illiterate and therefore it's safe to show you the photo!!!) and a Christmas placemat for the table.  Also finishing off the newsletter so it will all be ready for you next week.

The Christmas Card Workshop is all ready to go and is open for bookings!  On next Saturday, 5th November from 10 am until 4 pm.  $35 for the day in which we will be making a whopping 24 Christmas Cards - that's less than $1.50 a card!!!!  I am going to show you how easy it is to make cards in bulk and we will get them all done.  We will share our lunch as we normally do for these all day workshops. Strictly limited to 8 places. You will need your basic tool kits, inks, foam mounting squares, corner rounder and pritt strong adhesive.  If you have a cuttlebug, Couture Creations Bauble Tree embossing folder and cuttlebug ornament tag with bow you can bring them along so you don't have to wait, but don't feel you have to :-D

Next Week's Workshop is ... Faux Stitching  $19

Monday 7-9pm; Wednesday 12.30-2.30pm and Thursday 9.30-11.30am

 

Stitches, stiches everywhere but not a thread in site!  You all know I love to stitch on my pages, well on this page we are stitching everything, but we will be using a permanent marker instead of thread.  Always handy for those hard to stitch bits and looks just as fab as the real thing!  You will need one 4x6” portrait photo, your basic tool kit and a title. 

Whoa - listen to that rain!!!  Bugger have clothes on the line!  Oh well, second rinse cycle courtesy of mother nature :-)  Also means my rainwater tanks are filling up quite nicely.

Have a great weekend, think of me in the rain under a marquee at the Findon community centre tomorrow night!!

Happy Scrapping,

Mandy :-)

Sebastian is already getting into the Christmas spirit and he's been good!!

Next Week ... 24th October 2011

What a funny week weather wise! I guess we got a taste of a hot summer to come!

Off to see Dusty! The Original Pop Diva tonight, dinner at Ying Chow beforehand, mmmmmm!  Going to be a great evening :-) Then I have a band performance at the Adelaide West Uniting Church's Annual Fete tomorrow from 11:30am (on Sir Donald Bradman Drive).  If you get a chance drop in - they have the best bargains, I always find something every year, this year I'm looking for plants!

Tomorrow night is ... Halloween Scrap'n'Roast, 4pm - midnight. Don't forget to dress-up!! 

Next Week's Workshop is ...

Attack Your Stash - Paper Piecing   $10

We haven’t done this in ages, so I knew it was time to bring it out to the workshop again!  So much fun and using up lots of little bits of paper, we are going to make a cute house, owl, bird and trees.  You will need 4 photos, 3@4x4” square and 1@4x6”landscape.  You will also need 2 patterned papers for your background, 1 cardstock for your photo mats and lots of scraps to make the elements.  Plus your basic tool kit, inks, journal pen, foam mounting tape or squares, leaf punch and a border punch (for the roof top of house).

I put all my furniture items on Gumtree this week and I sold everything except these items...

If you are interested give me a buzz or find them on www.gumtree.com.au - all $20 each.

Phone not included with phone table.

Lamp not included with bedside unit

Happy Scrapping,
Mandy :-)

Next Week ... 17th October 2011

Hi, here we are again at the end of another week! 

School holidays are nearly over and I have finally made time to teach Jennifer to use the sewing machine - her smile was huge when she finished her first project, a pencil case!  I put the zip in, bit tricky for first time at the machine, but she did everything else :-)  Sew cute!

Now she is just sewing bits of material together!!!  Lucky I've got heaps!

Next weeks workshop is... 

Border Punch Layering   $16

We all love border punches, they can really make the difference to any layout from drab to fab!  We are going all out on this layout using our border punches to the max with a film strip to help tell the story!  You will need 20 photos, 4@4x6” landscape, 16@1¼x¾” landscape - index prints go well in here, but if you can’t manage it, you can just use patterned paper as decoration or perfect for your title :-) You will also need your basic tool kit, a border punch, inks, a title and foam mounting tape or squares.

FOR SALE...FOR SALE...FOR SALE

Our tenants have moved out next door leaving us high & dry with a houseful of furniture!!!  There are 6 wardrobes (3 pine, 3 oak veneer), beds (2 single, 1 queen), 2 desks with hutch & chair, 4 2 drawer units (we had these as bedside units), round table with 4 chairs & cushions, glass top coffee table with black metal frame, TV stand, slow cooker, microwave, kettle, 2 fluoro desk lamps, wooden side table - I think that's it.  Pop in any time for a look and give us a reasonable offer...it all has to go before the new tenants move in.

Next weekends Halloween Scrap'n'Roast (22nd) is a sell-out!  A super busy day for me as I have a band concert in the early afternoon!!!!  Put on a scary face and I'll see you there!

Happy Scrapping,

Mandy :-)

This Week ... 10 October 2011

Hi everyone,

I hope you got the face book post on Friday, try as I might, I couldn't get blogger dashboard to work on my iPad.  Never had that problem before, only since they have upgraded.  

I know I said I would upload photos last night, but it has been a emotionally draining last few days...

Tragedy for my brothers best friend, who is like my second brother - he spent more time at our house when we were growing up in Canberra.  His young 5 year old daughter, Phoebe, was killed in a motor accident on Friday night.  His wife was injured and is going to lose her foot, maybe her leg.  Amazingly their youngest daughter escaped without a scratch.  My brother is not emotional like me, but when he answered his phone and I said "it's Mandy", he just burst into tears - well you know what an emotional wreck I am!  Before I rang I knew he would have been on the first plane to be at Aaron's side and sure enough he was at the hospital, it was only a few hours after the accident when we spoke.  Heart wrenchingly I spoke to Aaron too, he was glad that I had met Phoebe in person in February.  It's just so hard to imagine and I feel so useless being so far away.  Even more heart wrenching is that Aaron's wife wants to see Phoebe, but the hospital won't allow her to.  Pete & Aaron were trying to find a way to smuggle her out to the morgue (a few blocks away).  I hope they succeeded, she needs to be able to see her daughter and say goodbye for her grieving process to begin. The funeral is today and Huong is not allowed to leave hospital to attend.

Treasure each moment.

Here is this weeks workshop info again, with photos this time!...

Make Your Own Flourishes   $23

Monday 7-9pm; Wednesday 12.30-2.30pm and Thursday 9.30-11.30am

Do you love the bling and pearl flourishes that are around, but not the price??  I am going to show you how to make your own flourishes in this workshop and you are going to love it!!!  You will need 4 photos, 2@4x6” landscape and 2@4x6” portrait.  You will also need your basic tool kit, border punch (I used three different ones), inks and your title.  I used lots of colour with my papers for this layout, so I printed my photos out in black and white so they didn’t compete with the papers.  The result is stunning and the photos look stunning!!!  Something for you to think about for not only this page but others as well...

See you soon,

Happy Scrapping,

Mandy :-)