Decorex Johannesburg 2008

Decorex JHB starts today at Gallagher Estate in Midrand and is on until Sunday, 3 Aug.

I will be going through tomorrow. I have a press pass, so I will be able to take lots of photos.

This year they have a marvelous SA Handmade Collection. I am especially looking forward to seeing what is on display there. Here is a Press Release…

Everything happens for a reason

Photo by Leonard Cillo

I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. Even when I don’t really know what that reason is or understand why it happened.

Last night while attempting to sew the bag lining for the very special bag that I mentioned yesterday, I found that my 7 month old sewing machine was broken. So, I couldn’t sew a stitch.

I asked my husband to try and see what the problem was, but we ended having a huge fight and my sewing machine is still broken.

Everything is connected in some way and for the life of me, I couldn’t seem to think why or how my broken sewing machine is connected and what it means.

I seemed to blame everyone except myself for the broken machine, why do we do that.

After reading an article on the subject, I now understand a little better.

Everything that happens is either a gift, a lesson or an opportunity.

As I began to dig deeper I realise that this could have happened for several reasons:

• This time while I wait for my sewing machine to be serviced and fixed I could take the time to think and plan my bag design (instead of just rushing to get it finished).
• I could use this as an opportunity to improve my hand sewing – something I am not very good at…
• I have learnt that I can’t expect my husband to be a ‘jack-of-all-trades’, and expect him to be able to fix anything.

I’m not yet sure which one of these, if any, is the real reason for this misfortune. But I am sure that it will come to light soon.

I really did want to show you the completed bag today, but alas, it is just not meant to be…

How to line a bag

I am busy making a very special bag for a very special person (I don’t want to give anything away, just in case she sees this post) and needed some help with the lining.

I came across this excellent blog Futuregirl.com and she has a fantastic tutorial on how to line a bag.

Thank you Alice, I have learnt something new today.

Once I have finished my project I will most definitely let you know how it went.

*Photo: Alice Merlino www.futuregirl.com

Kids Party Cakes

The most popular post on my blog is the racing car cake that I did for a friend. It is a little embarrassing as the photos are terrible. But I would like to expand on the subject of Kids Party Cakes.

The best site for ideas for kids cakes is kraftfoods.com.

They have detailed instructions on how to bake themed cakes such as; racing car cake, fire truck cake, Barbie Doll cake, daisy cake and many more.

Kraftfoods.com also has great classic cakes and cupcake recipes and provide adequate information regarding party planning.

• Always use the best butter you can afford, as it will be worth it.

• White butter is best for baking – I use Wooden Spoon Butter

• Royal icing (made with butter and icing sugar) is always a hit on kids cakes

• Use gel food colouring as the colour achieved is far better.

• Invest in good quality icing nozzles, they will last for years and are great for completing various icing techniques (I will soon post some icing techniques and how to fold parchment paper into piping bags)

Craft Room Storage Ideas

I have been a little obsessive with craft room ideas lately, so here is some more advice…

1. Every craft room needs an inspiration board. Here is the perfect place for you to express yourself and pour your personality into. You can change it as often as you like and is especially effective when used as inspiration for your current projects.

2. Even if you only have a small space to work in, you can make the most of it. Always make sure that you have good task lighting, it will make working at night much easier.

3. Organising your cotton and thread is important. This will ensure that you don’t purchase duplicate colours and they are handy when you need them, saving you time and energy. Sorting by colour and type is rather effective.

4. Transparent storage is another wonderful idea, as you will be able to see what is inside, making things easy to find.

I will have some more ideas for you soon…

Veld Fire

Last month I wrote a post on the fact that there have been no field fires in my area yet. Well last night there was a fire in the field behind my house. As you can see in the picture it was under control as a fireman kept close watch. It was quite facinating to watch.

Is TV frying your brain

Today I read a thought provoking article by iafrica.com’s Kabous Le Roux. It has really inspired me to definitely switch the TV off…

TV rots the brain. According to Wikipedia, the results from a study in New Zealand involving 1000 people from children to adults indicate that ‘television viewing is strongly associated with poor educational achievement’.

TV makes one fat. Countless studies have shown a strong correlation between hours spent watching television and obesity and it has been proven that watching television decreases the metabolic rate to below what is normal for people at rest.
Don’t mind being a twit and a large one at that? Well, would you ditch your TV for a million dollars?

In a recent blog entry on The Times’ website, blogger Robert Laing refers to a US finance column, ‘How to earn $1-million by not watching TV’, where the author claims that lifetime savings of over $1-million is possible if you don’t own a TV.

The obvious costs include the television sets that one buys and replaces, the entertainment cabinets and couches that go with the TVs, television licence fees, pay TV fees, DVD players and game consoles, DVD rentals and electricity.

Add to this the less obvious opportunity cost of wasting 3.5 hours a day in front of the boob tube. How many university degrees could you have earned? How many businesses could you have started?

But these examples pale in comparison to what you could save if you weren’t exposed to the most expensive aspect of owning a TV — advertising.

Economist Juliet Schor estimates that for every hour of TV a person watches each week, he or she will increase his or her annual spending by about $200. In 2005 a Nielsen Media Research report indicated that the average American watched about 4.5 hours of TV per day or 31.5 hours per week. If Schor’s estimates are correct then those people spend an extra $6300 a year due to watching God only knows how many ads!

Television is advertising. It convinces us, more successfully than any other medium, to buy what we don’t need. We don’t actually need anything advertised on TV! We need things like food (not Pringles or Coke), shelter, clothing, safety, companionship, a sense of meaning and, of course, love.
The solution to our problems doesn’t lie with the purchase of a product!

Well, I am definitely going to watch less TV! That is for certain… I will have more time to craft, loose a little weight, have more money and become more intelligent!

“All you need is love.” – John Lennon

Craft Room Inspiration

My craft room is in serious need of attention, so I thought I would gather some inspiration and here is a summary of my findings…

• Storage seems to be the most important component, which makes sense. Because if, like me, you dabble in a few crafts, you will want versatile storage that will change with your needs. Lightweight, movable storage will do the trick.
• Give yourself some time to design and organise your space. It won’t happen overnight, so become familiar with your space and how you work in it for a while before making concrete installations, such as shelves and storage furniture.
• Colour inspires creativity. So, pick colours that speak to you and use them in your organisation. I love pastels in interior decor, so they will be my inspiration.
• Customise your space – it is yours after all. You need to be comfortable and organised to easily create. Even if your space is small, use corners and height to install shelves and cupboards.
• A place for everything and everything in its place. Hmmm, this is a difficult one, especially if you are like me and are not good at being tidy. I can’t even remember how many times I have wasted hours looking for something. It not only wastes time it wastes energy as well. Lesson learnt “Cut the Clutter”- I need to be more tidy and organised.
• Ah, Martha Stewart. Love her or hate her, the chick has built an empire. There is a whole section on her website on how to organise crafts, click here, to check it out.

Here are some inspirational photos…

Do you have any great tips for me?

Satala Hammock

I feel like just curling up and drifting off into lala land…

Aqua Creations have created these brilliant hammocks – they look oh-so inviting!

The Satala Hammock has a coated metal body and a goose-down filled pillow.

They are available in South Africa at Pure Light SA at the Design Quarter Fourways.

Wrist Warmers

On the weekend I finished these wrist warmers, the pattern is from the knitters bible.