SALE! SALE! SALE! 15% OFF EVERYTHING IN STORE! SALE! SALE! SALE!

Giggleberry Creations is on SALE!!


From the 1st to the 15th of December - that's 2 whole weeks - everything listed at www.giggleberry.etsy.com is 15% off the listed price!!
All you need to do is convo me to tell me the set you would like and quote "Xmas Special 15% 0ff" and I'll adjust the price accordingly ready for your purchase - Easy!

And as a special offer for all bloggers out there - If you blog about Giggleberry Creations SALE with a link to the shop or add my button to your blogs sidebar you will also receive half price shipping on top of the 15% off!!! - again just convo me a link to the blog where you posted the button or SALE details with the flag set you choose and I'll adjust the listing for you to complete checkout!!



With over 45 sets listed in store right now and more sets to be listed within the next few days there is surely something there for everyone.... and what a perfect time for you to grab a bargain at the same time as ticking off a few more from your Christmas gift list - Happy shopping!!

The html code you'll need for adding the Giggleberry Creations Button to your blog:

<a href=" http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5801814" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Giggleberry Creations Button" src="http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo149/giggleberrycreations/gbanimatedad.gif"/></a>

Happy Birthday Milla!!!

One year old today!! Hip, Hip, Hooray!


At about 8am this morning Miss Milla was opening her birthday presents (with Fliss's help) - that time last year Matt and I had just arrived at the hospital and were getting comfy for our long day before meeting Milla for the first time at about 8pm that night!

We had a picnic party all planned for last weekend that was rained out so we went to plan 'B' and had lunch at a local bistro which happened to have free face painting for kids... perfect for my nieces and nephews. We took along Milla's echidna cake a a huge bundle of helium balloons and had a great time.


Milla seems to completely understand the whole ripping open presents thing and with Felicity's help all her gifts were opened in seconds - good practice for when the big guy in the red suit visits next month!


We can't believe it's been a year already but what a fun year it has been!!

All done!!

Yay, I now have a completed and fun animated blog badge/button thingy (very technical of me I know).
Only a few posts ago I asked for your assistance to decide on the wording for it - Thank you to all who gave suggestions, it made the process allot easier and I went with 'handmade fun fabric banners'... I figured that with the pictures as well I can't confuse to many people, right?



So what do you think? Once again Amanda of Henryrabbit has done great work - Thank You Amanda!!

It proudly sits on top of my blog sidebar now and will take anyone who clicks it straight to Giggleberry Creations the shop - how fun!!
If you would like to add my shiny, new, fun, fabulous and fancy button to your blog thank you and feel free - here is the html code you'll need -

<a href=" http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5801814" target="_blank"><img src="http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo149/giggleberrycreations/gbanimatedad.gif" border="0" alt="Giggleberry Creations Button"></a>

If you do add it let me know by leaving a comment on this post and Thank You!!

Giveaways, giveaways, giveaways....

With Christmas in just one month today do you have all your shopping done??? I'm pretty close now I think. But what about when your 2nd cousin shows up on Christmas day with a 'friend' and you have a gift for everyone else in the house except him or her?? well I say enter a bunch of giveaways and fingers crossed you'll win the perfect item to have stashed away in the cupboard for this very situation... and if no random guests show up then Merry Christmas to you!!!

Head over to Momma Findings Blog who is hosting a whole collection of giveaways in her Christmas


Like A Blog Makeover from Goodness Sake Blog Designs - just head to her site HERE and pick your favorite blog design pack then return to the original post HERE and leave a comment about your pick - Easy!


Or from Retro Rugrats a Crayon Roll that will be personalized with what ever name you choose!! Just make a comment at the bottom of the post HERE.


Next is from Whimsical Creations... TWO GIVEAWAYS!!! either one of her gorgeous snowflake ornaments or her fun and cute cupcake ornaments. Pop into Whimsical Creations Shop HERE pick your favorite item and then go back to the original post HERE and comment about it to be in the draw!!!



Then what about this great one from Green Toys, a complete Green Toys Tea Set!! again it's easy to enter just go to Green Toys shop HERE pick what fun toy set you would like the most and return to Momma Findings and comment all about it.


That's just 4 of the many giveaways at Momma Findings and they are all ending soon so hurry over there and take a look and be sure to enter away!!!

On it's way!!!

Oh goodie - I have finally decided on a Fairy Door!!
Some of you may remember a few months back I did one of my Friday Theme Days with a fairy door theme....

"Not all fairies like to live in the garden. Some are metropolitan dwellers who take to suburban homes and apartment buildings. But how do they get there and where do they live? Well, if you want fairies to enter your home, you need to install a fairy door.
Fairy doors can only be opened inwards using Fairy magic and if they are forced open the fairies will see this as a break and enter and will flee to safer pastures."

I have wanted one for my home for such a long time now but just haven't been able to find the perfect one - until now!!
Last night I was floating through one of my favorite websites and a great online kids boutique, Monkeytail and Wellington. I thought I'd check out the Christmas Gift Ideas tab and there they were - Design Your Own Fairy Doors!


You get to choose from 8 gorgeous styles and the pick whatever color door and whatever color trim your heart desires!!!!! For our home it will be the door design no.2 in classic red with white trim. I just LOVE the mini door knocker, door knob and letter slot - so cute!!!

Each fairy door comes with a miniature key and a vial of fairy dust, and instructions on how to install your fairy door. Fairy doors attach to the wall with double sided tape and are removable, so if you move home your fairy can move with you! Each door is 1/12th the size of a regular human door, which is approximately 25cm high by 15cm wide.


The plan is to 'install' the fairy door late this Christmas eve then just wait for our girls to notice it in the coming days...... I can see many years of baby teeth being left outside the fairy door for the tooth fairy to take and maybe swap for a treat? and anytime anyone wants to make a wish we can just write a tiny note and leave it out for the wish fairy to collect!! I just have to decide what room of the house the fairy door should be placed so that the fairies feel the most welcome....

Weekly Featured Artist - Carley of Vanilla Pixie

The featured artist this week is a fellow Aussie and my eldest sister, Carley of the etsy shop Vanilla Pixie. Carley handmakes and sells unique hair accessories and you know they must be fabulous as Carley has had her etsy shop open for only 3 months but has had over 60 sales!!! Wow!
You can also follow Carley through her blog HERE.

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
I am a wife & stay-at-home mum to three blessings - both being jobs that I love!! When I went looking for accessories for my girls I found that there was nothing available that 'grabbed' me, nothing that was different. So, why not create something?? Hence, Vanilla Pixie was born to fill a void for unique & gorgeous hair accessories.

How long have you been creating your craft?
I have only been doing this for a few months, but so far the response has been amazing. I obviously wasn't the only Mum out there who was looking for beautiful accessories!! I have had just as much fun (if not more) sourcing my materials, as I have actually creating the clips.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
One of the biggest things I've learned is patience. Of course, when we all start out we want to be busy & successful straight away. It doesn't work like that & we have to enjoy the ride on the way to success - learning what works, what doesn't, where we can make changes. But most importantly, what I do must be fun!! The day that this is no longer fun for me, is the day I give it up.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
All my clips are variations on a simple design, so it's hard to say, but... probably my first custom order. It was so much fun to create something that was so specific. And having the buyer so happy with the result was an absolute thrill!!


Is there a basic 'household' item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual 'tool'?
My 'tools' are very few but my major problem is having my hot glue gun drip glue everywhere. I've found that an old baking tray/cookie sheet underneath the gun catches the drips perfectly - and is so easy to clean afterwards.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
Either a Snickers or a bag of liquorice bullets - hard to go past either...


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
I have three wishes (is that allowed??) - tornado chasing across the US, a flight with the 'Top Guns' in a fighter jet & a trip to Canada/Alaska. One day...

No more sleeps!!! WHAT A NIGHT!!!

THE ENTRY TABLE

Well after months and months and months of planning, organizing, rallying, emailing, phone calls, knocking on doors and so much more our masquerade dinner fundraising event Behind The Mask of Autism is all over!!
Last night went off without a hitch! what a great night and a fabulous success. Our day started early at Mona Vale Golf Course, setting up the room with our auction item tables, decorations, posters, centre pieces etc and as it came together we all began to get more and more excited about the night ahead.....


BEGINNINGS OF THE CENTRE PIECES


ROOM ALL READY

then before we knew it the time had arrived to start welcoming the guests! just like a wedding the night flew past but everything went to plan and all feedback so far has been 100% positive - we've been asked to make in an annual event.... we'll see!! We are all VERY tired but it was so worth all our work.


JUST SOME OF OUR GUESTS LOOKING FABULOUS!

All our 120+ guests looked fantastic in their formal attire and masks and everyone got into the spirit of the night, had a dance, a great dinner and lots of bids on both our loud and silent auctions - all 77 items went!!


THE SILENT AUCTION ITEMS BEING SUSSED OUT BY GUESTS


THE ROOM BEGINS TO FILL WITH GUESTS

We are only just starting to get a tally together of the generosity of the amazing guests from the night and so far with just ticket sales and auction items we are at $25,000!!! AMAZING!! with donations and other bits and pieces not yet included we are just overwhelmed at the outcome for our three amazing children, Blake, Hannah and my daughter Felicity, who were the stars of the night!!

I will be sure to fill you all in on the final amount raised toward our amazing children's Son-Rise Programs that day by day takes us closer to recovering them from Autism, and I'll post more photos as I receive them from the many people who took some of the night.
Thank you to all especially those who donated towards our auction items (see side bar for list of shop names), without you our night would have been nowhere near as fantastic!!! THANK YOU!!

Tim Sharp - 'Laser Beak Man' - 1 SLEEP TO GO!!!

Some of our readers may know that I'm one day away from a fundraiser Masquerade Dinner called Behind The Mask of Autism. We are raising funds for three severely autistic children, one of them being my daughter. The night is shaping up to be a fabulous one with a scrumptious three course meal, live band, celebrity MC's and a fun silent and loud auction with heaps of wonderful items that have been donated to us from all kids of people and places like restaurant vouchers, jewelry, sports memorabilia, home wares, limited edition books, art works and even a years supply of chocolates!!
This is the bit I wanted to share with you - one of our kind donors is a very talented and internationally known, award winning artist diagnosed with Autism, Tim Sharp.


This is Tim's Story:
"At only 20 years of age, Tim Sharp has not allowed Autism to prevent him from achieving so much in his young life. Tim’s inspiring story has been documented on the ABC’s Australian Story and immortalised in the Eternity exhibition at The National Museum of Australia, his art has been exhibited at the Sydney Opera House, Washington DC and New York, and his work is sold to collectors throughout Australia and around the world, including London, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC and Hong Kong. Tim has twice been nominated as a Queensland finalist for Young Australian of the Year, and incredibly has overcome an initial prognosis at age 4 that the best thing that could be done would be to “put him away and forget about him”. That he would never talk, go to school or have any quality of life.
At age 16, Tim was the only Australian selected by jury in the young adult drawing category for the VSA (Very Special Arts) Festival in Washington DC. Australian Story (ABC) told the story of Tim’s trip to Washington DC and won awards for that story. At the festival Tim carried the Australian Flag into the opening ceremony at the John F Kennedy Performing Arts Centre and later met with John F. Kennedy’s sister Jean Kennedy-Smith who founded VSA arts 30 years ago.


Tim’s art features the adventures of the colourful super hero Laser Beak Man, who he invented when he was 11 years old. Fans include Wayne Bennett, Ms Quentin Bryce the Governor General, Ken Done, Alex Perry, Alan Jones, The Wiggles and his latest exhibition in Brisbane was opened by Ms Anna Bligh Premier of Queensland. Now in its third year Tim has a touring exhibition with the Queensland Arts Council, he is the youngest person they have ever toured and also the first with a disability. He also has his own range of Laser Beak Man t shirts and a book.

Tim is a delightful, polite young man who is an inspiration to many. Art allows him to enjoy some of the things he wants most in life, a happy smile and friendship. The future is quite limited for Tim, he will always require full time care and support but Laser Beak Man is helping him to build a brighter future for himself and step outside the loneliness of Autism".

On the night of our fundraiser both the pictured pieces of Tim's art are up for auction. Half the takings of the winning bid will to the three children the night is in aid of and the other half will go to Tim. Thank you Tim!!
You can read more about Tim and see much more of his great artworks on his website www.laserbeakman.com

I need your help..... PLEASE?!

Okay I have finally decided to have a blog button/badge thingy made for me. I have tried to make one myself many times and have had little success so I went to the wonderful and talented henryrabbit who designed my blog and shop banners and I have given her the task.
So I am in thinking mode for ideas of what it will look like and say.
Obviously it will say Giggleberry Creations but I would also love to add a punch line type explanation of what I make.... something along the lines of "Handmade Fabric Banners"..... the tricky thing is my banners can be called so many things like bunting, banners, garland, pennant strings, swag, flags the list goes on.
This is where you come in.... what would be the best explanation for you if you were a passing reader of a blog and saw a button/badge for my flags? What make sense to you? What would catch your eye?

Any and ALL suggestions, tips, ideas, do's and dont's are more than welcome - just leave a comment on this post - and THANK YOU in advance! I promise to show you all as soon as it's complete.

Giveaways, giveaways, giveaways....

Hmmmm lets see what I can find to share with you all this week......

Oh here's a great one from Macaroni and Glue!
Trendy and gorgeous, these simple note cards feature a minty-blue flourish and a simple message. A perfect way to add some elegance to your everyday correspondence.


To enter to win this gift worthy boxed set, please leave a comment HERE at the Macaroni and Glue blog. Be sure to either include your email address or, for Etsy sellers, a link to your shop. Entries will be accepted through midnight EST, Thursday, November 20th. The winner will be announced HERE and on the EtsyGreetings blog.

As always there are a handful of giveaways to be entered on Fabulous Fun Finds blog - the two that caught my attention this week are
The Baby Legs Giveaway


One lucky winner will select a pair of seasonal baby legs (Flurry, Santa's Helper, Stocking, Scarecrow or Cornucopia). To enter please visit Baby Legs, then head HERE and comment on your favorite design by midnight November 23. (The winner will be announced at the same blog post).

And the other is Jenny's Gift and Fine Art Giveaway


One lucky Fabulous Fun Finds blog reader will receive TWO "diva does" hairbrushes from Jenny's Gifts and Fine Art! To enter please visit Jenny's Gifts and Fine Art, then go back HERE and comment on your favorite item before midnight 11/24. (The winner will be announced at the same blog post).

Weekly Featured Artist - Christy of My Lil' Doodle Bugs

I just love custom 'one of a kind' items and when it's hand made it's even more tempting!! Christy from My Lil' Doodle Bugs fills that description perfectly with her gorgeous hand painted items... can't you just imagine your childs names on some (or all) of her unique pieces??


Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
Hi, My name is Christy Price and I am a stay at home mother of two precious, crazy, and energetic toddler boys (a 4 year old and 2-1/2 year old). I am also the artist behind My Lil' Doodle Bugs. I specialize in custom children's artwork and gifts. Custom Wall Hangings, Growth Charts, Name Panels, Hair Bow Holders and more. Everything is personally hand painted on canvas. I can match fabric or any room decor. It's a wonderful way for my clients to take part in the design process and create something truly one of a kind for their loved ones.

How long have you been creating your craft?
I have been painting my whole life, but didn't really start children's artwork until I was pregnant with my first son. I couldn't find the right artwork for his room. Theme, size, colors, etc. I had an idea of what I wanted - but I just struggled finding the right piece. So I decided to create it myself. I ended up painting a 36x36 wall hanging. It was the perfect size for over the crib. Later, I started making things as gifts -- for birthdays, baby showers, and holidays.
After receiving such wonderful feedback --- I started My Lil' Doodle Bugs this past April..
So although I have been painting for many years, My Lil' Doodle Bugs is still relatively new. I’m still learning -- and having fun along the way.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
My biggest lesson learned from craft selling would probably be to value my customers. I try to put TLC in every painting that I do. Every piece is personal to me. It incorporates my vision along with my clients. So listening and valuing what they say is a huge part. So many people think they are not creative --- but they are. I love to hear their ideas and coming up with something truly unique.
I love seeing people’s faces once they see the finished product. In return I hope they come back again and tell all of their friends about My Lil’ Doodle Bugs


Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
Oh wow. That’s a toughy. If I had to pick one I would have to say that I love making my growth charts. I love the fact that they are personalized, not only with a name but with the décor of the child’s room or interest. I also love the idea that this is something that will be charting the child’s growth. Being that they are made of canvas --- they can be easily rolled up and stored away --- and us mom’s can easily go back and take a sneek peek of how big our little ones have grown.
They just get big too fast! ------ That reminds me of something funny my 4 year old said the other day. He told me that he wanted to put a brick on my head, so I wouldn’t get bigger or older. Don’t you wish that you could do that??? I love this age my boys are in.


Is there a basic 'household' item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual 'tool'?
......Hmm..... I don’t want to give away all my secrets. Just kidding!
I had to really think on this one. I guess I do have one. I always pre-sketch out my paintings in pencil before I paint them. I free hand everything except my polka dots. When I am doing a polka dot background --- I like to draw and lay out my polka dots by tracing them with a shot glass. It makes perfect size circles. And you get two different sizes with one shot glass. A smaller polka dot and a larger one.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
Ok, I am going to sound soooo boring. My absolute favorite candy bar is a classic Hersheys Chocolate bar with almonds (but in the freezer). I love chocolate and nuts. But then I love it really cold. It's a weird thing I do --- I do the same to my Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. Love them freezer cold.
Told you pretty boring.


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
Oh that is such an easy one. My dream vacation is to go to Italy. I dream of spending my time in Tuscany and along the Amalfi coast.
Along with painting, I am a big foodie. I love to cook. I would love to go and just take a cooking class there--- sampling food from the outdoor markets ---- drinking wine!....ahhh...ok, back to reality!

You an also check out more of Christy's items at her blog www.mylildoodlebugs.blogspot.com which she is using as her portfolio.

What a deal!!!

Okay - we all know I have a slight addiction for hair clips (SEE HERE) so when shop owner (and my sister) Carley of Vanilla Pixie decided to start a brand new on-going promotion in-store I just had to share!!!

Anyone purchasing 4 sets of clips (in one transaction) will now receive a 5th set - ABSOLUTELY FREE!! All that's needed is to wait for an adjusted invoice - easy!!



All of the Vanilla Pixie clips are gorgeous and they stay in even the softest of hair believe me, my daughter has a growing collection! The clip she has in her hair in these photos was custom made by Carley to match her outfit for a wedding back in August.


What an awesome deal and with less than 6 weeks till Christmas every penny saved is totally worth it.... now all you have to do is head to the shop Vanilla Pixie and pick which ones... Classic, Ribbon Bows or maybe even Christmas clips.... hmmmmmmmmmmm

Movember!!!

As any readers of this blog would know I am in the midst of fundraising efforts for my daughter and two other Autistic children so I know first hand how HUGE it is when those around you pitch in their bit no matter how small. So when I was asked to donate to a good friend, Matty's, Movember efforts I jumped at the chance!


What is Movember?? I can hear you all asking...
Movember (the month formerly known as November) is an annual charity event held during November in Australia.
At the start of Movember guys register with a clean shaven face. The Movember participants, known as Mo Bros, have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their Mo (Moustache), raising money along the way to benefit men's health - specifically prostate cancer and male depression.
Movember culminates at the end of the month at official Gala Partés, Mo-Office and Mo-Town parties where Tom Selleck and Borat look-a-likes battle it out for their chance to be the Man of Movember.
While growing a Mo is left to the guys, Mo Sistas (ladies who support their guys or just love Mo's!) form an important part of Movember by recruiting Mo Bros, helping to raise funds and attending the highly anticipated Gala Partés.

This is Matty so far - 12 days in


What a fun way to support a great cause - even if there will be plenty of strange looking men walking the streets of Australia until December 1st.
And I get this fun badge for my blog just for donating


Click HERE if you too want to donate to Matty's Mo - you can even do it easily with paypal!!

They look fabulous!!.......11 Sleeps to go!!!!

Busy, busy, busy!!! Now only 11 sleeps until our big fundraiser for my daughter and two other Autistic children. Every time we cross something off the 'To Do' list two or three more things seem to appear at the bottom of the list!!

The job I was able to cross off the list today was a fun one - Make the kids Hampers from the wonderful shop owners who donated hand made items. It has been a blast having the postman deliver all the packages of different shapes, sizes and weights for the past few months but it was even more fun today getting all the kids items out and putting them together as planned.



The boys hamper has:
2 Mini canvas wall arts from Bedknobs N Broomsticks
4 brightly colored plastic kids sized coat hangers
A Dine'n'Doodle chalk mat from Lil B Designs
2 packets of glitter glue pens
1 sun catcher activity pack
A set of trucks themed fabric flags from Giggleberry (me)
A Popsicle Iron On Applique Patch from Little Bird Creations
3 hand towel/burp clothes from The Sewing Chic



The girls hamper has:
2 Mini wall art canvas' from Bedknobs N Broomsticks
A Dine'n'Doodle crayon roll with crayons from Lil B Designs
A set of Girly Lady Beetles fabric flags from Giggleberry (me)
A Popsicle Iron On Applique Patch from Little Bird Creations
3 sets of hair clips from Vanilla Pixie
4 sets of hair clips from So Bella Creations
A hair clip and a key fob chain from Precious Angel Originals
A girls tie dyed shirt from The Tie Dye Girl

Weekly Featured Artist - Kori of Kori Clark Designs

I was stunned to discover that this weeks featured artist, Kori, has only been painting her beautiful wall letters and hairbow holders for 6 months - they are so exquisite I had assumed Kori had been doing them for years and years!!!
Pop into Kori Clark Designs today and take a look at the entire collection of unique, hand painted items.

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
My name is Kori and my shop is KoriClarkDesigns. My shop is full of my hand painted Wall Letters and Hair Bow Holders. I try to paint things that are personal and original and can be treasured for many many years to come! When I am not painting, I am a wife to my loving hubby, Chris, and a mother to my wonderful daughter, Charlotte.

How long have you been creating your craft?
Although I have been painting since my mom trusted me with a paintbrush, I have only been doing the wall letters and hairbow holders for about 5 months, and in that time, I have painted about 65 - 70 items.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
That practice really does make perfect! No, I know I am not perfect, but I feel like the more I paint, the better I get.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
I have fun creating each one! I think the one I enjoyed most recently was my Apple Orchard Letters, I loved trying to sneak little critters into the picture throughout the letters.


Is there a basic household item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual "tool"?
LOL! Great Question! I actually do, sometimes I have paint globs or stickers on the wood that I have to peel off and it is a HUGE pain! I have now converted one of our old cheese knives into a "scraper". It is perfect with the short knobby handle and wide flat blade!

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
Peanut Butter M & M's! They are little, so I can munch on them for a while and they are the perfect mix of my two old favorites, M&Ms and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issue where in the great wide world would you go & why?
All over! No, really, if money, time, and responsibilities weren't an issue, my husband and I would LOVE to spend at least a year (or many years) sailing the world! That would be our dream come true.

Theme Day - Autumn Art!

Oh how I LOVE autumn. I love the changing colors, the cool change in weather, the smell, the dropping of leaves - everything about it!!


In Australia at the moment it is Spring so this may seem like a strange theme to choose but since hubby and I have just got back from the States where Autumn, or Fall as it's called more often, is in full swing and I went crazy with the camera taking photos of every tree with changing colors (that one of my the pics above) I thought what a great way to share some gorgeous handmade items in celebration of a season I love so much.
Now if you go to etsy and type into the search bar Autumn or Fall you'll have thousands and thousands of items to sift through so I decided to narrow my search to Autumn inspired children's art work and just look at some of the wonderful ones I came across...

Firstly I came across this gorgeous print from The Blue Egg perfectly named "Autumn". How cute is the tiny little furry friend in her pocket??

Next find I came across was this cute print from Flutter Brush called "Umbrella". I want an umbrella just like this one!!



Another great one that captures the Autumn wind is called "Up in the Clouds" from Chantal Marie.



I realized that all my finds have had little girls in them so I went on the hunt for a boy print and found this stunning piece from Joseph Blake called "Starting Over" - It's so very sweet!!

Now the Jetlag has worn off.....

Now that the crazy switch of complete opposite time zones has faded away - like waking at 3am wanting dinner, feeling like you should be sound asleep tucked in bed in the middle of your day and at dinner time wanting to eat cereal instead of meat and veggies.... I finally feel like I'm functioning 'normally' enough to share our trip with you all.


It's been a week and one day since hubby and I landed back in Sydney, Australia from our trip to the States for further training at The Autism Treatment Centre of America in our daughter Felicity's full time Son-Rise Program.


Hubby and I have named this week away 'Happy Camp' as it gives us such a great boost of motivation, ideas, confidence and rest that we come home bouncing of the walls wanting to play with Felicity in her playroom at full throttle!! We are sure she must think we are crazy and would probably love us to be able to go over to the ATCoA more often so we stay this focused and pumped up all the time.
The week long course we completed is called Maximum Impact, and it's true to it's name. We had theories taught to us at the Start Up Program followed up with great detail such as volunteer training, and the importance of feedback but the biggest lesson we walked away with was all about attitude!!
Felicity is like the perfect lie detector and she knows in an instant if we are in the playroom with her not really wanting to be there - it's these half attempt times that both her and us will not get the amazing benefits possible through the Son-Rise Program if we are in the playroom with real Energy, Excitement and Enthusiasm!!

We can't wait to see what amazing changes we see in us, the program and most importantly Felicity from this week course and so it's heads down bums up into the program - Woo Hoo!!!

If you have just 13 mins to spare take a look at this video which will help explain the revolutionary breakthrough in Autism treatment - The Son-Rise Program - that has and is still recovering children world wide from Autism!!

Giveaways, giveaways, giveaways....

It's Wednesday again which means I share with you guys any fabulous giveaways I may have come across recently.....

Check out this fun giveaway from a fellow FAM team member - Marissa of Elegant Snobbery. This giveaway isn't your regular 'go to my shop and pick your favorite item' giveaway - oh no, It's so much more yummy and fun than that - Marissa would like our help on her next cupcake drawings - think flavors, icing, sprinkles, cherries, cream - anything!!


How do you enter? Simple. Just think about a lovely little cupcake, the cupcake of your dreams and be sure to let Marissa know all about it in the comments of her blog post HERE.
On Saturday, November 8th, two winners will be chosen and the talented Marissa will illustrate their lovely little cupcakes.
What do the two winners get? An 8 x 8 print of their cupcake design, as well as a set of 8 matching gift tags.

Another fun one I have come across is from Chelsea of Paper Cakes - a brand new shop just opened on Etsy.


To celebrate the grand opening of Paper Cakes any purchase made before November 7 will have FREE SHIPPING! that's right no matter what you buy or where you live, shipping will be FREE!
Chelsea is also running a giveaway from her blog HERE with the chance to win a prize worth approximately $50! And all you have to do is share the great news about Paper Cakes opening on your blog, twitter, facebook, website or any social networking site really - too easy!!

Weekly Featured Artist - Katie of Boy Girl Boy Girl Design

I 'met' and have gotten to know Katie through one of my Etsy Street teams - FAM (Fabulous Artistic Moms). Katie along with her mom create gorgeous hand painted and dyed items like onesies, shoes, dresses, tote bags and more! Katie says "We see each piece of clothing as a blank canvas ready to be turned into wearable art. Since we each have a different style of painting there is something to suit just about anyone's taste". Thank you to Katie for being this weeks Featured Artist.

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?
My name is Katie and I have two wonderful children. Brandon is ten and Lauren is three.I have a degree in Early Childhood Education and that has sure come in handy. I am a self-taught artist and have had my businees painting children's clothing for about two years.

How long have you been creating your craft?
It all started when I painted an Easter outfit for my little girl. My Mom loved it so much and thought I could easily sell outfits. She has been a professional artist for quite awhile and had been looking to change directions. So together we started a business and it has been a partnership that has worked out well. She dyes all the clothing and we both design and paint it. Etsy has made a huge difference in our business and the experience has been so rewarding.


What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?
The biggest lesson I have learned..there are so many...is that promotion is key to our business. It takes a great deal of our time but is absolutely necessary. The internet provides so many ways to do this..blogging, MySpace,YouTube...and I have learned to do them all. The other thing I realize is that not everybody will love your stuff but the people who do, really do and that makes all the difference when it comes to motivation.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?
It is hard to pick one item that I love to do over any but every time I do a pair of Boo Shoes I get a smile on my face. The little ghosties are so appealing.


Is there a basic ‘household’ item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual ‘tool’?
I love to use toothpicks to do detail work on the designs and freezer paper is amazing. We iron it on the backside and it keeps the fabric smooth for painting.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?
Godiva is my favorite candy but really anything that uses chocolate as a carrier would not be turned down by me.


If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?
I had always wanted to go to Italy but now that I have children I think it would be wonderful to travel the United States. There would be so many interesting and fun things to show the kids.We live in a great and wonderfully diverse country and I cannot help but think they should see it all.

Pop into Katie's Etsy shop boygirlboygirldesign and take a look through her many items including some fun bits for the coming Christmas season.

Happy Halloween

I'm sure this day was made just for people like me - with an excuse to dress up and eat all kinds of chocolate and candy, there aren't too many better days of the year!
But sadly in Australia we don't really celebrate Halloween. There might be a few bits of dress up outfits and themed candy in the shops but no one decorates there homes and it's rare that you'll have any little dressed up child knock on your door hoping for a sweet of some kind.
My hubby and I have just returned home after a short trip to the US and being so close to Halloween we were lucky enough to see the holiday lead up.... we saw pumpkins galore, dress up outfits, decorated shop windows and homes from a few pumpkins on the front porch to full blown pretend grave yards built in the front yard!
We must have looked like crazy tourists every time we pulled over to jump out and take photos of peoples homes but I was just amazed at the effort some people put in!!
This one was our favorite... amazing!




We even saw someone's boat that was docked all decorated too. It's not a great photo but if you look closely you can see all the things they have put up including a skeleton in the dingy!!


We had a ball looking at it all and getting caught up in the hype along the way.... I was inspired to go with the spooky halloween thing when we came across this graveyard that had one dying creepy looking tree hanging over some really old head stones and with the old abandoned house in the background I just had to snap a shot in the spirit of Halloween.
Happy Halloween Everyone!! Enjoy!