Australia Day/Survival Day/Invasion Day?

On the 26th January, Australians celebrate Australia Day, marking the arrival of the first fleet.

But be aware that Aboriginal Australia does not celebrate with you.
To us, this day signifies the beginning of the end to life as we knew it.

When you celebrate this day do not forget to remember the thousands upon thousands of Aboriginals who were massacred, pushed off their land and herded like cattle (in chains) to be placed on Missions and Stations.
Remember the Tasmanian Aboriginals, who after the arrival of the first fleet were decimated to a mere 12 survivors.
Be aware that we never gave up our land or our culture, it was cruelly taken from us. No Treaty was signed or beads exchanged.
Remember that until 1967 we were not even classed as Citizens of this country that we had occupied and cared for for over 50,000 years.
Remember the "White Australia Policy" in place from 1907 and officially overturned in 1973 that did not allow blacks of any race to enter this country as migrants. (that included darkish skin Europeans)

So while you are having the traditional Aussie BBQ on Australia Day keep in mind that Aboriginal Australia does not, cannot and will not celebrate this day with you.
For on this day we will mourn our ancestors, remember their struggle and try to make sense of injustices.

.....................Kerri

Domino Magnet Tutorial

As this is my very first tutorial, I'm going to make it an easy one (mostly for my own benefit lol) I've been playing around with dominos for a little while now, covering them with nice paper and also stamping images. I've made them into both magnets and pendants.
In this craft tutorial I will teach you how to make Domino Magnets using scrapbooking paper and embellishments.

Materials :

• Domino's (this really goes without saying right lol)
• Scissors
  
• Mod Podge, or some type of decoupage glue
• Scrapbook papers (or any type of paper really, even magazine cuttings will work)
• Embellishments of your choice
• Magnets (I use the free calendar magnets you get with your junk mail, they are perfect for the job)

1. Firstly you will need to lay a domino over the paper of you choice and trace around it with a lead pencil.
2. Cut the paper out
3. And glue onto your domino (make sure you glue this on the flat side)
   
4. Add embellishments
5. And seal it with a few coats of Mod Podge
6. Cut the magnet into strips (this is only if you are using the free ones) and glue magnets to the back. I find that a hot glue gun works perfectly for this, but you can use whatever strong glue you have on hand.

When you have finished, you should have something like this...

Wardrobe Refashion 4mth Challenge

Hi Crafters,

I've joined up with http://nikkishell.typepad.com/wardroberefashion/ for their 4 month challenge.

The rules are as follows........

The Rules

• 1.
  No buying new! (handmade is excepted; So this allows for Etsy purchases etc!!) All clothing must be Recycled, Renovated, Preloved or Thrifted, or Handmade only for the term. Employment related and special needs clothing (ie sports, school), shoes and undies are excepted from the rules, although you are encouraged to have a go at making these.
• 2.
  In extreme circumstances, maybe a special event, or the worlds greatest and most amazing never to be repeated sale that you simply can not pass up, you may use the Get out of Refashionista Jail Free card. You are able to use this card once during the 2 month part of your contract; ie 1 for 2 months, 2 for 4 months etc. Of course you need to fess up on the blog and display the button!
• 3.
  You must post on the blog at least once a week to let the community know what you've been up to. This will not only give you brag points, but inspire and encourage others! Of course you need to display the button on your blog and have copied the pledge in at least one post, and provide a link to your pledge under the button.
• 4.
  You need to be honest and admit when you've fallen off the Refashionista Wagon! Go directly to Refashionista Jail, do not pass GO and do not collect $200! Apply for parole once there.

I've only done a few minor refashions before, so wish me luck, theres a good chance I might walk around looking like an idiot for 4mths lmao

I've bought a gorgeous 70's maxi dress from the thrift store and plan to start refashioning it into a summer dress tomorrow.

The Pledge

I Kerri, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 / 4 / 6 months. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings! Signed, ME :)

Happy New Year fellow Crafters!!!

I started the new year off organising my craft space. Sharing 2brm house with 3 males makes it really hard to have some space just for myself. But I succeeded!!!

Mum bought Mike and I a BBQ for our family Christmas present. At first I thought, oh how unfair, a new toy for Mike buttttt (and yes that's a very big but), he's been cooking on it every single night since Christmas Day. So in all fairness, I got the best gift EVER!!! NO COOKING FOR ME!!! Thanks Mum, bestest Christmas present in the history of Christmas presents I think :D
Soooooo....I've moved our old dining table and chairs outside under the Gazebo. AND TAKEN OVER THE DINING ROOM for my crafting purposes. Ok, not really the best idea in history, but it works. I now have a space, all to myself and away from fighting brothers and the noise of teenagers and the playstation. Do I rock, or do I rock???!!!! (Ok, that wasn't really a question lol)

So, here in all it's glory is my very own crafting space. I know it's not the grandest, nor do I have expensive crafting doodads or fancy furniture, but it's all mine :D And I love it!!

Softie Challenges

If you are anything like me you love entering the odd craft challenge (or two). I've found a great challenge blog run by an awesome lady. The first challenge has just been posted, so head on over to http://softienation.blogspot.com/ and check it out.

HandMade Cards

Last night I made a couple of cards for a beginners card swap on swapbot. Didn't really have a plan just jumped in and started glueing. To my suprise they turned out pretty good, even if they did take me 10mins each to do.

MatchBox Shrine

Over the last few days I've been making my first matchbox shrine. It's for a swap on swapbot, however I made mine with a bigger matchbox than stated so will have to make a smaller one to send.
The theme for the matchbox was birds.
I had recieved 4 cute little birds in a swap, one of which I used in the box. It's been covered in glittery paper and I added a little branch from my garden which I painted white. A pink ribbon closes the box and it stands on feet of white beads.

Hello Helen

Over the last week or so I've been working on and off on another felt owl for a swap.
Making the owl was easy, getting the wings on so they look even was another story. After about half and hour and many f*&$%#Hells later I finally got them on.
My son Malik wanted to name her, so she is now officially known as Helen :)

The travelling Stuffie

Over the next month or so on Swap-bot a group of my swap buddies and I will be taking part in a Stuffie Round Robin.
We all make or buy a small stuffie each and send them onto the other participants.
Once you receive the stuffie, you can add anything to it that you'd like, stitch on a flower, a little embroidery, whatever takes your fancy really. Then you send it on to the next swapper and so on.
Some of the women came up with the idea of sending a notebook with theirs so we can write about our time with the stuffie. Another has sent hers off with a map of Australia so we can map out her stuffies travels.

I made a basic gingerbread shaped stuffie named Candi.
She's quite plain at the moment but I'm sure she'll return home looking absolutely fabulous!
I also printed up a little booklet about her and have left space for the other women to write a little something about their time with my stuffie.

I will do another post when she arrives home....

GoodBye Candi...Safe travels :D

Say 'Hello' to Owlivia

At 2am a few nights ago I sat down and drafted an Owl pattern. A couple of days later Owlivia was born.

I'm thinking about selling the pattern on my etsy, so please let me know what you all think.....

Hope you all have a fantabulous weekend....Kerri

And another one.......

Malik lost another tooth yesterday, with the rate he's going he'll put the Tooth Fairy out of business lol.

Once again he put himself to bed in anticipation of his nightly visitor. This time the Tooth Fairy left him a letter and another $10.
When he got up this morning his Dad took him shopping to buy a Ben10 Omnitrix, he's already got one but this is the new improved version.

He's now wiggling all of his teeth, hoping that maybe he'll lose a couple more soon to buy the new Xbox 360 game he's been coveting. It costs $50, so all he needs now is to lose another 5 teeth.

PS, Please excuse his bed hair lol

Cupcake ATC

Last night I made a Cupcake ATC. I've only ever made 1 ATC before and swore that I would never make another again, buuuuuuut that was before seeing a swap on swapbot for Cupcake themed ATC's.
Who can pass up cupcakes??

Swapbot Stuffie

Tonight I made a swapbot stuffie for a swap on swapbot. If you look over to your right you should see a little envelope, he is the swapbot logo. We had to make a stuffie to send to 1 partner.

I'm pretty happy with the way he turned out, especially since I forgot how to blanket stitch at 16 and this was my first go with it again...

Happy Easter!!!

Today after our Easter lunch and get together I thought I'd get a little crafting in.

I wasn't really sure of what I was going to make and after some thinking decided upon a cupcake pincusion (you can NEVER have too many pincushions right). While looking for my cupcake liners I spotted a new pack of egg cups I'd bought for Easter breakfast but didn't get around to using.
The little lightbulb in my head went off and I set upon making EggCup Pincushions.

I'm sure it's been done before but none the less I'm really happy about my little brain wave.

Thinking of listing some on my Etsy, so please let me know what you all think...

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter, Kerri

Altered Matchbox

Tonight I made an altered matchbox for a swapbot swap. You get a matchbox, cover it with paper and any other pretties you have on hand and fill it with bits a pieces.

My theme colour was blue and I filled it with blue buttons, beads, ribbons and such.

It's been covered in this awesome bird scrapbooking paper I've had for a while but didn't want to use or cut. Do you do that? Hold on to pretty things and can't bear to use them. I do, for both fabric and paper LOL

Anyway, it was my second matchbox and I'm starting to really like making them. Oh no, that is just what I need, another craft addiction LOL

My latest Dotees

The last few days I have been making dotees, both for swaps on swapbot and just because :D

I made the Flower Dotee a few nights ago while teaching a friend of mine to make them. I used some gorgeous Amy Butler fabric I got in a swap on swapbot, in fact I love the fabric so much I'm finding it hard to part with the dotee.

The Tea Time Dotee is for a friend of mine. I bought the fabric from ebay and got the cute teapot button from, yes you guessed it, swapbot.

I made the Pirate Dotee tonight for a Pirate Dotee Swap on swapbot. She's turned out better than I thought. Arrrrr she be a good dotee :D

Thrift store find...

I found this Woman's Day crafting book from 1973 yesterday at my local Salvos for $2.99. It's full of awesome (and some not so awesome lol) patterns and tutorials. Here are a couple of my favourite crafts from the book...

Song of Hope - My Favorite Poem

I thought I'd share with you all my favorite poem. As an Indigenous Australian this poem really means something to me. It's written by an Indigenous author and poet named Oodegeroo Noonuccal /Kath Walker.....

SONG OF HOPE

Look up, my people,
The dawn is breaking,
The world is waking,
To a new bright day,
When none defame us,
Nor colour shame us,
Nor sneer dismay.

Now brood no more
On the years behind you,
The hope assigned you
Shall the past replace,
When juster justice
Grown wise and stronger
Points the bone no longer
At a darker race.

So long we waited
Bound and frustrated,
Till hate be hated
And caste deposed;
Now light shall guide us,
And all doors open
That long were closed

See plain the promise,
Dark freedom-lover!
Night's nearly over,
And though long the climb,
New rights will greet us,
New mateship meet us,
And joy complete us
In our new Dream Time.

To our father's fathers
The pain, the sorrow;
To our children's children
The glad tomorrow.

My first Altered Letter

A few weeks ago I made my first altered letter for a swapbot swap.

At first I found it a bit daunting but the more I got into it the more I enjoyed it. So much so that I think I'll do it again.

The only setback was, I cut out and glued the paper on the letter before I realise I had the letter facing the wrong way. Arrrgghhhh, next time I must remember to triple check everything before cutting out.

Please excuse my crappy web cam pic, I forgot to get a good one before sending it off....