Christmas Cards

It is Christmas card making time again and I found a gorgeous stamp by Inkadinkado http://www.inkadinkado.com/ . Looking forward to card making with this gorgeous stamp.

Birds Galore item#LM807625

Also bought some die cut Reindeer and Angels from Paper Fusion.

Fairy Party

All the toddlers are turning One. Here are some photos from our friend Jessica's first birthday. She had a fairy party on the 25th October.

They all looked sooo gorgeous!

1st Birthday

We celebrated our daughters first birthday in October. We had a wonderful day and the weather was gorgeous. We held the party at Grandmas place, which has a beautiful garden and gazebo. Here are a few scans of the birthday invite and thank you cards...

Here is a scanned copy of the invite. There is a thin white border that is not showing up on this scanned copy. The base of the cupcake and the number One were both sprinkled with pink glitter that sparkled in the light. The papers and the number One I bought at Scrapbook Central in Joondalup.

Here are three examples of the 10cm x 10cm thank you cards, each card had a different bird all cut from brightly coloured papers. Bought the birds at Paper Fusion.


I will post some photos from the day very soon.

We're unhappy little vegemites

My 12 month old girl has just taken a liking to vegemite, which prompted me to check the additives on the label and I was surprised to find the following additives in vegemite...

220 Sulphar dioxide - Asthmatics should avoid, gastric irritation/damage, hyperactivity, behavioural problems, possible mutagen. Can be fatal to asthmatics.

150d Caramel iv Sulphite Ammonia Caramel - Linked to gastro intestinal problems, hypersensitivity.

508 Potassium chloride - Associated with gastric ulcers, circulatory collapse, nausea, liver toxicity. Should NOT be given to children.

I think I'll stick to cheese on toast or Jam.

Sulfur Dioxide in Grapes

The following article was taken from the May 2008 newsletter, which is on the additive alert website http://www.additivealert.com.au/ .

Recently I discovered by accident that it is routine practice Australia wide to treat fresh grapes with sulfur dioxide gas to extend shelf life. All grapes which are going to be stored 5 days or longer are likley to have been exposed to the gas.( Source: West Australian Agriculture Department).
Unfortunatley, there is no requirement for this to be declared at point of sale. I only discovered this because Coles DO declare this in their packaged grapes voluntarily. ( Pat on the back to Coles!!)
This is a big concern for asthmatics in particular. It is well known that sulfur dioxide is a virulent trigger for many asthmatics and many people go to great trouble to avoid obvious sources of sulfites such as dried fruit, but it is not commonly known about grapes. The WHO has recommended that the use of sulfites be phased out because of the known risk to asthmatics worldwide.
Please, if you know anyone with asthma or kids with asthma, pass this information on so they can make informed choices and avoid grapes if they need to.
Discoveries such as this just reinforce the sense of buying fresh, local produce , in season and preferably organic where possible. They longer the grapes have to be stored , the greater their exposure to SO2 will be.

Meditation

My friend Marco has studied Psychology and is a very spiritual soul. Over the years he has passed on a few tips along the way. I always write down everything he shares with us as I find his knowledge so valuable. I thought it was important to share this knowledge so I will be posting some of his wisdom from time to time. In January 2004 he taught my husband and I how to meditate, this skill has helped both of us tremendously. The first 6 weeks I meditated every night for about 10 - 15 minutes and, to be honest, I thought I would never be able to do it and then all of a sudden...bliss I was able to quiet my mind.

1. Make sure you are in a comfortable position and your back is straight.
2. Take three deep breaths. Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
3. Look straight ahead and without moving your head look up with your eyes to what some people call the third eye (or you can pick a spot on the ceiling to look at). By doing this you activate the glad situated in the middle of your forehead that is full of serotonin (the feel good drug your body naturally manufactures). Hence the fact it is hard to think negatively while looking up.
4. Concentrate on your breathing, although not too many deep breaths while meditating or you'll pass out.
5. At the same time as you're looking up try to stay in peripheral vision. When you are first training yourself to do this it is helpful to hold both your hands out to your sides about 20 -30cm away from your head and slightly in front of your head (about where you would hold up your hand to wave at someone). Concentrate on being able to see your hands out the corners of your eyes as well as looking up at the same time, this will keep you in peripheral vision when you're not used to doing it.

If you have made sense of what I have written then you are now meditating and this is where it gets interesting, as what I like to call "the Monkeys" in your brain start to try to take over. The brain doesn't like to be told what to do and by meditating you are disciplining your brain. So your brain will try to distract you by any means possible and suddenly your thinking about that bill you have to pay or what you have to do tomorrow. When those thoughts enter your brain thank your conscious mind for this message and then give permission to your conscious mind to send it away with love. Avoid letting your brain control you. Concentrate on relaxing; if prayer is your thing, this is a good time to pray as prayer is a form of meditation.

With discipline and regular practice you will begin to reap the rewards for being able to quiet your mind. My husband and I now meditate for about 1/2 and hour to an hour every night and it feels so good sometimes it's hard to come back to reality.

At the beginning, while you are learning, I would suggest keeping your eyes open as you are trying to learn to look up and stay in peripheral at the same time, which is easier to learn with your eyes open. Eventually when you have learnt to do this you will be able to do this with your eyes closed. Yes, eventually you will be able to stay in peripheral with your eyes closed!

Good luck, stick with it, you will eventually be able to do it and most importantly make sure you stay in peripheral vision - this is the key.

Honest and True, you will succeed

Band Name: Stoutsville

Name of Album: Honest & true, you will succeed

My friend Wendy http://sicefamily.blogspot.com/ made up a pretend Album cover for a band an idea she got from the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland blog.

Make a pretend album cover for a pretend band as follows...

1. Google 'wikipedia.com' and select 'random article' from 'the sidebar. The title of the first article is the name of your band or artist.
2. Google 'random quotations' and select the first entry. The last four or five words of the last quotation on the page is the name of the album.
3. Google 'Flickr'and explore the Last 7 days. The third picture is the album cover art.
4. Use photoshop to put it all together.

Talking about my friend Wendy, she has opened her own etsy shop full of her gorgeous cards, some lovely Alice in Wonderland card packages available...check out whimsicalworks.etsy.com

My Album cover turned out more like a folk band, but I must say I loved the message in the name of the album. Love your album cover Wendy and the pic is awesome. I know my Sister Kaz will be trying this one out. Come on Kaz, I know you want to. Kx

First Birthday Cards

We have a few 1st Birthday parties to go to over the next few months and we also have Chloe's first birthday party in October, so I'm starting on the birthday cards. Here is the first lot and also a pic of the Lolly bags I have made for Chloe's Birthday.

I have used present wrapping paper in the first two cards. The pink card has been embellished with clear and pink rhinestones.

Mackintosh Inspired Cards

These are the first of my Rennie Mackintosh inspired cards, very fiddly but I'm getting the hang of it. The creative juices are starting to flow. I will add more cards as I finish them.

I know I did promise in an earlier post that my next lot of cards would be the butterfly/music script theme, however the Mackintosh cards have taken over. My Mum has been away overseas for a while and I think this is my creative way of expressing how much I miss her, Mum being a Mackintosh fan and all.

Charles R Mackintosh

I was first introduced to the architecture and designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh by my Mother who absolutely loves his work. I have decided to make his work my inspiration for my next set of cards, so stay tuned for the results.

I adore his design work and have attached a few photos and some history on this very talented Scottish Architect and designer.

Gorgeous chair

Mural

Lamp

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was born in Glasgow in 1868 and started his architecture career at 15 years old after he was apprenticed to an architect, called John Hutchinson. Mackintosh worked for Hutchinson between 1884 and 1889. He also attended classes at the Glasgow School of Art where he met Margaret MacDonald (later became his wife).

In 1889 he became a draughtsman for a new firm of architects; Honeyman and Keppie and became a partner there in 1901. It was during his time at Honeyman and Keppie that Mackintosh designed the new Glasgow School of Art, a commission that he won as part of a competition, which was to be the project that made his reputation.


Mackintosh has a very distinctive architectural and interior style. There is a definite modernity to his style but also a strong Scottish tradition combined with Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts influences. The Mackintosh style combines sharp right angles with subtle curves and his work is peppered with decorative floral motifs, the most famous being the Mackintosh Rose.

Taste Book

I am currently putting together a book of family recipes as well as some recipes that I downloaded off a great website called http://www.recipezaar.com/ . The recipe book is a book you put together online at http://www.tastebook.com/ and is similar to the momento photobooks but instead of photos it is filled with your own recipes. You can add a dedication page and you can choose from a heap of cover pages with beautiful pictures, you can add your own photos to the pages with the recipes and heaps more great options. I am currently asking my family and extended family for their favourite recipes. I can't wait until the book is finished, it is a great way of preserving those special family recipes.

If anyone would like to share their favourite recipes with me I would love to try them.

Top 100 Baby Purees

Thanks to my sister I have come across a great book with 100 quick and easy meals for babies. It is written by Annabel Karmel who is a best selling British author on nutrition and cooking for babies and toddlers. Her website address is www.annabelkarmel.com It has lots of great info on weaning your baby, time-saving tips for food preparation, freezing and reheating, and 100 recipes.

Peaceful Protest

The Australian Orangutan Project (AOP) will hold its first ever protest, this Saturday, 30 May in Perth City. AOP supporters will conduct a peaceful rally to protest a proposal for the clearing and destruction of High Conservation Value rainforest that has recently been put forward by Asia Pulp & Paper/Sinar Mas Group for the buffer zone of Bukit Tigapuluh (Thirty Hills) National Park, Central Sumatra, Indonesia. This globally important ecosystem provides a safe haven for many species which are threatened by extinction including the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan, tiger and elephant.

The peaceful protest will start at noon at the corner of Barrack St and Murray Street Mall and will run until mid afternoon. AOP supporters will invite people to sign a petition http://www.gopetition.com.au/petitions/orangutan.html against the proposal. Almost 3,000 people have already signed the petition which started on Friday, 22 May. More than 100 orangutans have been released to date via the Bukit Tigapuluh Sumatran Orangutan Reintroduction Project – the only reintroduction site for this critically endangered species. Scientists spent decades to discover how to successfully reintroduce critically endangered orangutans from captivity into the wild and it could take Asia Pulp & Paper/Sinar Mas Group just months to destroy an important part of their new habitatBetween 1985 and 2007, Sumatra island lost 12 million hectares of natural forest, a 48 per cent loss in 22 years. By 2007, the island had only 30 per cent natural forest cover (around 13 million hectares).The Indonesian Ministries of Forestry, Environment, Public Works and Interior, as well as the governors of all 10 Sumatran provinces, including Jambi, last year announced their collective commitment to protecting the areas of the island with “high conservation values.”The natural forest slated for destruction by Asia Pulp & Paper/Sinar Mas Group – Bukit Tigapuluh – is a prime example of the high conservation value areas that the governors promised to protect.
Many environmental NGOs and Government organisations work in the landscape (including WARSI, the Sumatran Tiger Conservation and Protection Foundation, Frankfurt Zoological Society, Zoological Society of London, WWF and the Australian Orangutan Project). Several Australian Government and NGOs also financially support the landscape including the Australian Orangutan Project, Human Society International (Australia), Perth Zoo, Auckland Zoo, Zoos South Australia, Australia Zoo, and Dream World. Hundreds of individual Australians also provide financial support for the Park’s protection through the Australian Orangutan Project’s Safe Guard Program.
AOP supporters are encouraged to attend this event and wear orangutan/tiger/elephant etc T-shirts. If you have any enquires then please contact AOP Project Coordinator Kylie Bullo at projects@orangutan.org.au

Additive Alert #2 - Better Choices

In Julie Eady's book "Additive Alert" she suggests that we all make better choices for our children. In particular, steer clear of junky breakfast cereals, flavoured savory biscuits, chips, rice crackers, two minute noodles, pasta snacks, popper fruit juice drinks, brightly coloured foods, white bread and processed meats. These are not good for anyone but especially not for young children.

She says you can still buy ice creams and lollies for treats if you want to, but make better choices. She suggests Chocolate Billabongs, Maltesers, White and Chocolate Freddo Frogs as good choices.

Be aware of how you motivate and reward your kids in relation to foods instead of using a trip to McDonalds or the candy bar as a reward use a small toy or book, or take them to the park to spend quality time with you, read them a story, buy them an exotic piece of fruit at the greengrocer or a soft bun at the bakery.

The following products have no additives linked to health risks - : Kelloggs Corn Flakes, Farmland Butter, Crusta Orange Juice Preservative free, SW Whole egg Mayonnaise, Mainland Light and tasty cheese slices.

The bookmark above has a list of the main additives you want to avoid. This list includes the worst additives that most people may want to avoid.

Julie has done a great job and has put together a very informative book with some great suggestions. I highly recommend getting a hold of a copy of this book.

Additive Alert

There are numerous food additives still in use today that are known to be dangerous and which, given the choice, most of us would choose not to consume or feed to our families.

With help from this great book by Julie Eady I have been making changes to the brands and or types of food that I buy. I will regularly feature on this blog page some simple changes she has recommended. You can also find out more on her website www.additivealert.com.au

I regularly used one of the well known brands of mayonnaise, little did I know, it was packed full of harmful additives. I now buy the Thomy Delikatess Mayonnaise, which according to the ingredients listed on the jar, has no additives or preservatives (You can pick this one up at IGA).

I have also cut out peanut butter. As mentioned in Julie's book, many brands of peanut butter in Australia contain a particularly nasty chemical known as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). This chemical is known to cause stomach cancer in rats and mice and is strongly thought to be a human carcinogen. Usually there is no mention of this additive on the label due to a loophole in the labelling laws in this country. Other equally effective, non-toxic additives exsist that can do the same job, but BHA is cheaper and so is more widely used.

Food Additives: Are they making us sick?; A current Affair factsheet 17 January 2002; www.ninemsn.com.au .

Hope this information helps. Wishing you all good health and happiness.

Australian Orangutan Project

For those of you who don't know, I am a member of the Australian Orangutan Project and I help out by fund raising - selling chocolates and going on walkathons and doing what I can, when I can. It has been a great experience as they are very grateful for any help and there is no pressure to do any more than you offer to do. They are a really nice group of people as well, I highly recommend getting invloved. The following is their latest campagin to raise money for the orangutans.

What is a Mother?
We know the answer of course.... but there are over 2,000 orphan orangutans in care who would struggle to remember. Their mothers were either killed or died as a result of the logging and deforestation in Kalimantan and Borneo. Others were snatched to be sold as illegal pets. But the result is the same - they don't have mothers to protect them.
However, there IS something you can do.
Make a donation to support the care centres who look after the orphaned orangutans.
They need funds to buy medicines, nappies, food and the basics of life. Their charges require one-on-one attention for the first 8 years of life because that's the time it would take for an orangutan mother to teach her infant to survive in the rainforest. It's a costly business.
Mother's Day is a day of celebration. Please help the orphans to celebrate too by giving them a future. You can donate by visiting http://www.orangutan.org.au/ and following the prompts. Or why not adopt an orphan in the name of your mother or your family?
Thank you! The orangutans will love you for it.
Australian Orangutan Project
more details

New Card designs

I was making up some cards for my friend Wendy and decided to get creative with some new designs. I received some bling bling blue gem stickers from my Mother-in-law and have incorporated them into the designs.

My Cards

Here are some pics of cards I have made recently.

I have been trying a technique I saw at Lala Design in Leederville where they sewed their cards with a sewing machine. It was very effective for last years Christmas cards. It was my first time on a sewing machine.