Other Handmade Wonders...

I was just reading Betty Jo's linoforestblog and remembered that the Northcote Winter Artisan market was on this weekend. The weather was miserable, but it sounds like there was some beautiful stuff there. Here are some of the links that I followed and loved: Finki
curlypops,Polly Pratt.

I am particularly inspired to try the freezer paper stencilling, but just keep wondering what on earth 'freezer paper' is? Will have to look out for it at the supermarket. I usually use powerpoint slide plastic for my stencils. That way you can wash it and reuse it. Stick it on with masking tape. It's a bit harder to cut through than card or paper, but the fact that you can use it a number of time makes up for it.

I had considered applying for the Northcote market, but just couldn't bring myself to stand out in the freezing cold and then have to come home and give a babysitter my take for the day! There are many times I have actually ended up paying more money out than I have made... can you believe the craziness of PAYING to stand in the freezing cold and wet all day????? Crafting is madness you realise!

Love

Fat Mumma

Being caught up in oneself...

I realise to day, as always, that's it's really very hard to know what's going on in other people's lives. I think the world of blogs and twitter kind of sums it up that we have fleeting comments to each other, and short conversations and often things are missed. In the past week, I have been surprised to hear that friends are getting divorced, that family has lost some of their closest friends, that neighbours have been diagnosed with cancer for a second time and that others are contending with parents who've had strokes. All of these events go on without me even realising. Is this a symptom of our social networking that we learn to communicate only in soundbites.... a friend even got married on the weekend, and I was completely unawares. Someone will have a baby tomorrow and I'll be like... 'wow... I didn't even realise you were pregnant'!

I'm not saying I don't think highly of all of these people, and that I remain close to them in all sorts of ways... but it merely highlights that the larger our social network, the less time we have to spread ourselves around! It's a tough one, as it's fun to have heaps of friends... but does that make me a bad friend to show small bouts of attention to lots of friends, rather than lots of attention to a select few?

The answer of course is, 'I'm doing the best I can'... but I just want all those that are suffering to know... I'm thinking of you!

Love

Fat Mumma xxxx

Feeling inspired...

Here I am deciding to finally make the website more automated. I have placing band-aids on a few things for a while, but have finally decided that I need to revamp it entirely. Of course, to you, the dear reader... you won't notice a thing, but for me, it will mean many hours less web tinkering and hopefully a much faster way of updating our products. To this end, get yourselves signed up for the newsletter as discounts are on there way to all those subscribed!!!!

Spread the word!!!!!

Love

Fat Mumma xxxx

If you had one wish...

Was just reading a profile of someone on twitter that said... "I like to dance to Miley Cyrus and go on vacation". I pictured a scene where someone was granted one wish and that their one wish was to do that all day everyday for the rest of their lives. Wonder if that person would feel the same way about liking it?

This made me ponder on what I liked to do as a teenager and if I had been granted a wish like that what kind of purgatory would I be stuck in? "I like to dance to The Smiths and sit in my room contemplating suicide".... thank god I never got a wish fairy for that one!!!!

On a brighter note, I discovered a new colour today which is called "Cheesy Grin". What a great name for a yellow!

Love

Fat Mumma

The weather brings us all down...

It's lovely to have the rain falling... watering the gardens and filling the rainwater tanks... but by gum it's brings everyone crashing down doesn't it? I really feel that running a small hand-made business from home is hard enough to stay on top of things without having a freezing cold office to work in as well!!!!

The good thing is we have holiday season almost upon us... so lets hope we manage to sneak in a few hot sunny days somewhere to break up the sunless monotony! :)

The sick children don't help either...

I did however find the motivation to finally update the shop today. The new backpack photos are now up http://tinyurl.com/l5llff. Just have to do the mini bags, day bags and zip-up-shoulder bags (before we change the design again!).

Love and Peace

Fat Mumma

School fundraising and not forgetting the 'FUN'!

If you have been following me on Twitter you will have seen some cryptic messages about 'Joan Jett' and 'I love Rock n Roll'. Well, my singing lessons finally came to a climax last week at our school fundraising night. The Idol, is something that has been running for the past three or four years at my daughters school and it's a great fundraising initiative that I have to spread the word about!

If you are looking for fundraising ideas or thinking of organising something similar let me give you the basic rundown:

The night was organised by parents from school who are musicians and were willing to practice a couple of times with each group wanting to put themselves out there for ridicule. The basic format was Intro, Trivia, 3 X Idol contestants; then interlude, then two more sets of the same (three in total with 9 budding idol groups).

The fundraising element came from selling tickets for tables of people, enticed by the trivia as well as the Idols. Also, at the back of the room were 9 tins, all representing an act and donations were encouraged to be placed in them. This then raised money and the highest amount won the Idol trophy (which was a gold sprayed microphone).

There was a trophy for the trivia winners and a disco for those that wanted to hang around afterwards for an hour!

So, the basic format is quite simple, but it does involve some very enthusiastic organisers and supporters. If you are interested in more details, comment on the blog and I'll respond with answers :)

Love

Fat Mumma

PS - We didn't win... but loved, loved, loved it and can't wait to get back up to do it again next year!!!!

Mixtape Zine

We love living in a hand-made world and being part of fantastic zines like Mixtape. We have our first article and ad in Issue 9! Woopee!!!

Love

Fat Mumma xx