Finally....something crafty!

I know it's been a while since I posted anything that's been made by my own hands. I have made a few birthday & anniversary cards, but nothing blog-worthy, so I thought I'd show you this card compendium I made for a friend's birthday recently.

While she is very crafty herself, she doesn't often make cards. (Can you beleive it - she's only studying full-time in her honours year, writing her thesis, working as an intern and being wife and Mum of two high-needs kids at home - how she doesn't fit in card-making I don't know.)

So I made her this little number:

It's a concertina file with 4 spaces inside to hold cards, for the special occasions that she does make them. Of course, I didn't want a gift that entailed lots of work and expectation, so I gave it pre-loaded...

Happy Birthday A!

P.S.  "I believe that the best learning process of any kind of craft is just to look at the work of others. "  Wole Soyinka

Thinking outside the pinata...

A couple of weeks ago the small one attended a birthday party (with a science experiment theme! - it was fab) but I knew there would be a problem as soon as I saw this...

 Arrgghh! A damn pinata. With a stick. And a set number of treats to be divided very unevenly between a large bunch of pushing and shoving party guests.

 Those of you who know him might have trouble believing it, but the small one is actually quite shy around strangers. He is not really the pushing and shoving type (except with his brothers, where he is not only the pushing and shoving type, but also the yelling and hitting type) and for him a jaunty pinata swinging in the breeze is a sign of a quivering bottom lip, tears and glumly crossed arms to come.

So I was delighted to come across a great idea for a birthday 'pinata' that echoes the sideshow cry of "Every Child Wins a Prize!". Have a look how Brook of 'Inchmark' blog solved the problem at her latest kids birthday bash -

The kids threw darts at a wooden board, to which she had stapled balloons filled with different treats. Each child took a turn, even the littlest ones, and collected whatever fell out of the balloon they burst with their dart.

In a word , brilliant! Read all about her cool balloon themed party, including how to fill the balloons with treats, here.

Such good ideas out there! I love blogland.

P.S. “Last week the candle factory burned down. Everyone just stood around and sang Happy Birthday.” Stephen Wright

Way Cool...

Have you seen these?! Aren't they great!?

As my boys are equally fond of ninjas AND gingerbread, these guys will definitely be making an appearance at our house as soon as we can source them in Oz! 

Christmas will never be the same...

P.S. "Had I but a penny in the world, thou shouldst have it for gingerbread."
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)