Interesting Reading

Glass Gem Corn too good to eat

A great lesson in adversity using carrot, egg and coffee

How to make Paste Paper

The Calligraphy Office in the White House

Beautiful black and white postcards to view

A wonderful artist decided to cheer her friend up with illustrated postcards of Morris Mouse adventures

The face of napalm human suffering, wonders of science can give her a better life

JingJing the penguin, an unlikely friendship

Check out this cool tutorial using tiles, sharpies and isopopryl

Down to Earth posted this homemade Tomato Mozzaralla and Basil pizza, I love homemade and our basil has decided to replant itself into every other pot plant surrounding it lol

 Basil in chilli plant on left

Basil in thyme, luckily I like basil

T for Tuesday

I was taking a photo of my latest tea craze to show my sister the size of the bottle compared to my tea cup. It's called Masala Tea as you can see, it has a fragrance of cloves, cinnamon and other spices that is used to make curry but it does not taste like curry as my brother thought LOL.

Joining Elizabeth and Bluebeard for T for Tuesday Meme

Interesting Reading - Triggers Big Trek around Australia

I saw on facebook channel 9 news this trek around Australia to raise funds for PTSD, a man and his dog Royce and Trigger, fascinating story of one mans goal to raise funds for this, a journey that will take him 2 years or more to do. Triggers big Trek. Follow his journey on this MAP. He started his journey about 27 September 2015, I will be following it and updating here as well.

Go Royce and Trigger!!!

Decorated Envelope - September - Ava Campbell Texas USA

I am assuming this envelope is part of the Envelope Exchange for September, the clue was that it was empty.

I love the idea of writing a poem on the front as part of the design...here I was thinking I had run out of ideas to decorate envelopes.

Jean Wilson and Jan Hardt of Pushing the Envelope display more envelope designs and organise this envelope exchange every month

Pocket Pages - Gina Rowles

I received this gorgeous Pocket Page letter from a penpal Gina. Pocket Page Letters are based on the ATC sizes and uses the same pockets. This craze was started by Janette Lane. You can send these to penpals. and include a letter in one of the pockets or if your letter is too big to fit in there then just add it to the parcel when posting. 

Gina and I write long letters so they don't fit into a pocket.

Thanks Gina

PCAD 119 - A Postcard A Day - Box of Postcards

I answered a message on the recycling group locally from a lady who was giving away her collection of postcards. Some of these postcards were dated 1985 so they are getting to the vintage stage. I happily put my hands up to go and collect them.

I found this delightful one in the box, I thought it was great. The lady's mother had sent it to her. I love the almost illegible (SORRY) on it.

If you'd like to play along with this meme, post your Postcard A Day and link up below so we can all visit your blog. Please add the direct link to your post and not just your blog so the post is easy to find. Link back to this meme so everyone can play too. 

Interesting Reading

Interesting reading about USA mail and posting requirements

Australian postal guidelines

How/where to find penpals.

Another penpal site

Rescuing burnt food

An amazing house transformation that took blood and guts and the original house cost $10,000

I love Capellas, mesmerising and this one of Hotel California is one of my favourite, done with out a band

Woman finds Handwritten Letters from 1915 in ceiling and returns them to their family, heartwarming story-Atlanta Georgia USA

My Dream Home had a walk around it and it was to die for

Wonderful rags to riches Philipino The Voice winner Lyca Gairanod taking her family out of poverty at such a young age

Pay it forward Rosa's $1 pizza, such a heartwarming story of generosity

A Classic example to never judge a book by its cover, A US ARMY Veteran was left a note on his car saying he didnt LOOK HANDICAPPED, his come back note was classic and humble and to the point.

There is a text/email/phone tax scam going around Australia, who knows it may hit other countries, I myself have been targeted by it via sms and email but ignored it.

Amazing behind the scenes from the AFP view of MH17

It's sad when loved ones deploy to save the rest of the world and put their lives on the block to save us, here is a story of what deployment does to those left behind. And HERE is her blog to follow their journey of deployment.

I have also followed this story for years of Stephanie Howell whose husband is currently deployed to Italy but the whole family is there, I have seen her twins born and now she is about to give birth to another one, awesome woman and guy

HUMANS OF NEW YORK what a great thing this guy did with one goal, to take photos of 10,000 people and talk to them

Gorgeous photography of a mums dedication to dressing up her little girl for the current occasions and celebrations WILLOW

Decorated Envelope - September Exchange - Kate Riley

Kate did this envelope, love the lettering in my last name, she pasted 3 black lengths of paper to the orange envelope to hold the address lines. She also included a zentangle which I love

Jean Wilson and Jan Hardt of Pushing the Envelope display more envelope designs and organise this envelope exchange every month

WOYWW 332 - A Day of Fun with the Ladies

 Shock horrow, I had to find a place for two friends to come around and craft for the day. My usual desks did not work so I had to clear of the dinning table that lives in the craft dungeon. This is the lovely clean table. My daughter gave me the chalkboard you see hanging upside down, she keeps writing on it upside down and I dont have the heart to rub it off so I just hang it like that hahaha.

 I took over the table with my Galaxy Envelope decorating, Doreen kindly let me take over her side of the table to dry off my envelopes as she had finished all her projects by then and we were just sitting around chatting.

I didnt take a photo of the mess when the ladies were here, this was the cleaned up version that will hopefully stay like that and I have a work top to work on from now on because all the other desks are chockablock. Yep my craft room is the kitchen and the laundry as well, I told the ladies all I needed was a bed in there and I'd never have to go upstairs hahahaha.

 A close up of stuff. The two Christmas cards were Doreens contribution to the projects we did. I forgot to photograph Annette's which was Christmas themed and mine is the tiny little fridge magnet holder beside the bone folder and has a calendar on it. It can hold a quote that turns into a bookmark or a gift card

Of course we had to have food, I provided the lunch of make it your own sandwiches in the form of triangle bread rolls. It was a yummy experience. We sat outside to eat as the table was full of craft stuff. Still bummed that I forgot to take a photo of us crafting and making a mess, oh well we were having too much fun for me to remember!!! LOL

There was a craft fair on last week. This is the first craft fair I have attended since we moved to Brisbane so I had no idea what to expect. It had a lot of quilting stalls, so wasn't the best crafting show, I will have to attend the other two earlier on in the year to judge what is the best show. Can you see my scissors haul LOL. I will never run out nor worry if I lose one now hahahaha.

Joining Julia's Stamping Ground and her fan of Deskers for a sneak peak around the world

Decorated Envelope - September Exchange - Jan Hardt

 Jan sent me this envelope for the September Envelope exchange. Those leaves are tactile and I believe are made with paste and a stencil. You should see me with these envelopes when i get them,I run my fingers over the envelope like a person reading braille, so I can feel the organic feel as I am a tactile person. I can also smell where it has been, hot weather, cold weather, smoker or non smoker , did you know different countries have different smells?

She's also decorated the back of the envelope

Jean Wilson and Jan Hardt of Pushing the Envelope display more envelope designs and organise this envelope exchange every month

T for Tuesday - Yummy Frittata

 I was inspired by a crafting friends lunch that she served up to me one crafty day. She had made a vegeless frittata...she had gotten a recipe online for vegetable frittata but her family did not like the vegetables she had so she took everything out except the bacon egg and eggs and milk. It was very yummy thank you.

My frittata consisted of
11 eggs
250 ml milk
1/2 a red and green capsicum diced
100g Chorizo slices diced
1/2 a Spanish onion diced
4 cloves garlic sliced
2 carrots grated
4 mushrooms diced
salt and pepper to taste

Fry up onion, garlic until onion is translucent, add vegetables toss for 5 minutes and add milk egg mixture. Lay in oven proof dish lined with baking paper. Bake in 180C oven for 30 minutes, leave out to cool 15 mins before cutting. I made mine in 2 dishes

 As you can see I just lifted the frittata out of the dish using the nonstick baking paper. My OCD doesn't like how hubby nipped off the corner of it LOL

Linking up with Bluebeard and Elizabeths T for Tuesday Meme

PCAD 112 - US-3610617 - Sallie Gilomore -Kansas USA- Elvis birthplace

I am just so in love with all the Elvis cards coming in. This one came from Sallie Gilmore in Kansas. Elvis's birthplace in Tupelo Mississippi. Here is a VIDEO tour of his house, what a humble home
Jan 8 1935 was his birthday. $180 it cost to build this home that was borrowed from Mr Orville.
I get goosebumps everytime I hear Elvis singing.

If you'd like to play along with this meme, post your Postcard A Day and link up below so we can all visit your blog. Please add the direct link to your post and not just your blog so the post is easy to find. Link back to this meme so everyone can play too. 

PCAD 111 - TR-244186 UNESCO Cappodocia Turkey

This UNESCO postcard arrived from Turkey my first postcard from there. Goreme National Park and the rock sites of Cappadocia are a spectacular landscape entirely sculpted by erosion,  the Göreme valley and its surroundings contain rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art in the post-Iconoclastic period. Dwellings, troglodyte villages and underground towns – the remains of a traditional human habitat dating back to the 4th century – can also be seen there.

If you'd like to play along with this meme, post your Postcard A Day and link up below so we can all visit your blog. Please add the direct link to your post and not just your blog so the post is easy to find. Link back to this meme so everyone can play too. 

PCAD 110 - A Postcard A Day - DK 44530 -Rita-Denmark

Rita from Denmark sent me this lovely postcard of the view of the cliff of Stevns which is a UNESCO site.

"Stevns Klint

This geological site comprises a 15 km-long fossil-rich coastal cliff, offering exceptional evidence of the impact of the Chicxulub meteorite that crashed into the planet at the end of the Cretaceous, about 65 million years ago. Researchers think that this caused the most remarkable mass extinction ever, responsible for the disappearance of over 50 per cent of all life on Earth. The site harbours a record of the cloud of ash formed by the impact of the meteorite – the exact site being at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. An exceptional fossil record is visible at the site, showing the complete succession of fauna and micro-fauna charting the recovery after the mass extinction."

What a cute stamp, I also like the different ways AIRMAIL is written in different languages

If you'd like to play along with this meme, post your Postcard A Day and link up below so we can all visit your blog. Please add the direct link to your post and not just your blog so the post is easy to find. Link back to this meme so everyone can play too. 

PCAD 109 - CH 257195 - Jacqueline

Jacqueline sent me this Swiss flag card, it has started my small collection of world flag postcards that I am collecting. I love the stamp of the old car, pity they cancelled right on top of it, they could have cancelled the edge of it and preserved the picture. We need OCD people to work in post offices who appreciate stamp collecting LOL

The flag of Switzerland consists of a red flag with a whitecross (a bold, equilateral cross) in the centre. It is one of only two square sovereign-state flags, the other being theflag of Vatican City.^[1] (The civil and state ensign, used by Swiss ships and boats, has the more common proportions of 3:2.)^[2]

Use of the white cross as a military ensign (attached to the cantonal flags in the form of strips of linen) has been used in the Old Swiss Confederacy since the 14th century, but the modern design of a white cross suspended in a square red field was introduced only during the Napoleonic period, first used in 1800 during the Hundred Days by general Niklaus Franz von Bachmann, and was introduced as officialnational flag in 1889.

If you'd like to play along with this meme, post your Postcard A Day and link up below so we can all visit your blog. Please add the direct link to your post and not just your blog so the post is easy to find. Link back to this meme so everyone can play too. 

Mystery Postcard from Perth Australia-PCAD 108

I received this postcard today posted on 6 October signed by someone whose name starts with an S but I cant make out what the name is. This person lives in Porkward 6149??
This is the back of the card. So if its you or anyone recognises who this is from, please let me know so I can acknowledge it.

There is no Postcrossing ID if it did come from that group.

EDITED: Sami has replied and let me know it was her who sent it as a private exchange, thanks for getting back to me 

If you'd like to play along with this meme, post your Postcard A Day and link up below so we can all visit your blog. Please add the direct link to your post and not just your blog so the post is easy to find. Link back to this meme so everyone can play too. 

Interesting Reading

I read through these articles this week, some are so inspirational and feel good and tear jerkers, especially the Bindi Irwin one, I cried through it all and could hardly see it

Why is the Ocean Blue? I found this article by Nasa very interesting

I love this instagram of Celeste Barber, she takes off celebrity photos and makes her own similar ones.

Postal nightmare in England

Experimenting with Ken Oliver's Colour Burst By Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

A story about love, cancer, inspiration and THE PINK TUTU

Dancing With The Stars Bindi Irwin a tear jerker

Decorated Envelope - September Exchange - Amy Scott Des Moines USA

Artists are such talented people, I admire them so much because I can't draw to save my life.
Amy Scott is one such talented envelope decorator.

Pushing the Envelope are taking signups for October, click on this LINK to go to the information. deadline is 13th October to sign up. Envelopes need to be posted by Oct 31st.

Jean Wilson and Jan Hardt of Pushing the Envelope display more envelope designs and organise this envelope exchange every month

PCAD 106 - A Postcard A Day - DE 4562625 - Angelina- Elvis in Black and White

Very interesting reading about Elvis and his time in Germany. this postcard came from there sent by Angelina. I cant read what it says on the back because its in German. But here's a LINK about Elvis in the German Army, lots of black and white photos on there that I love, hopefully they made them all into postcards which i will have in my collection someday.

If you'd like to play along with this meme, post your Postcard A Day and link up below so we can all visit your blog. Please add the direct link to your post and not just your blog so the post is easy to find. Link back to this meme so everyone can play too. 

WOYWW 331 - Secret Project for 2016 and Down To Earth

So these are the ingredients for my secret project all sitting on the brown cardboard. Tissue paper, cardboard, gold paint, glitter glue, dylusions spray. No one asked me to do it but i have always wanted to do this project, its a huge one and I am starting now as the deadline is around May 2016 so I have lots of time - says we all- who know how time flies if we don't get our act together.

Its a project I have no idea how it will come to fruition so at least I have some of the ingredients, I have to hunt for the others, I know what I want to do but I need a theme. I will show you progress pictures along the way until such time that I cannot show you then it will be the big reveal when it is publicly shown.

Stamps to the left from Stampendous, some washing rolls. Some quote on cards that I printed for my Decorated Envelopes....and why is chicken noodle soup doing on my desk? I have no idea hahahaha.

Joining Julia in her Stamping Ground for more not so secret desks to see what they are up to.

My blog and Michael's quiet place got published in the Down To Earth blog by Rhonda Hetzel a series of My favourite Places submitted

PCAD - A Postcard a day - Ceejaye - USA

 Ceejaye from Postcrossing sent me these Amish postcards that I love. She writes Lancaster in Pennsylvania is a peaceful lovely fertile farming area known for the Amish Community- a Christian sect who reject tech and modern ways and choose to live very old fashioned lives in old fashioned ways using horses. 

She also sent me another one which she didnt have to, so that was really generous of her.

These were the stamps that were on the envelope, I wonder if each state has their own stamps?

Ceejaye also enclosed these used stamps for my collection, so kind of her and love it when people read your profile and send you your hearts desires.

THANK YOU CEEJAY, you have made my day!!!

If you'd like to play along with this meme, post your Postcard A Day and link up below so we can all visit your blog. Please add the direct link to your post and not just your blog so the post is easy to find. Link back to this meme so everyone can play too. 

PCAD - A Postcard A Day 75 Alina Denmark

Postcrossing Alina sent this  lovely almost black and white postcard from Denmark, love the flower pot NEED LOVE

PCAD - A Postcard A Day 74 Agrita Latvia

Postcrossing  Agrita sent this from Latvia, she wrote a few Latvia traditions
* We love to sing and every 5 years we come together for a song festival
* Women wear flower flower crowns for summer solstice
* We eat peas with fried ham and onions for Christmas

Love the stamps

Decorated Envelope - Stamping Daze - August and September 2015

There is a stamp club I attend once a month that sends out newsletters either digitally or as snail mail. Last year  had it send via snail mail until I realised the envelopes are decorated so this year I opted for the snail mail version. The ladies in the club including myself volunteer to decorate the envelopes. some of them are exquisite.

PCAD 73 - NL 3156470 Lineke in the Netherlands

 I received this from Lineke, she writes there is not much room to write on 2 sheashell (sic) or draw but she did manage to draw some pictures and do a bit of zentangle I never thought to draw the weather and put the temperature, the things I learn everyday from receiving a random postcard from Postcrossing

Interesting Reading - Harold Hackett Message in a bottle

Well who would have thought that message in a bottle works, read one mans story of how he sends messages in a bottle and they arrive, Harold Hackett does just that.

This Vimeo creator and CEO published about about getting back to nature called CabinFever CabinPorn and unplugging from the rat race we live in. Holy Moly I think they published the whole book on this blog.

Heartwarming story of a nurse reunited with her burn victim 20 years later via facebook Amanda Scarpinati

FB's or Friendship Books read this interesting article. I have only known FB in the crafting world where we decorate a book destined for someone else and they have no idea its been made for them until they receive it then they make a book for the original designer who started their book in return.

Interesting accidental photograph of a Wedding Couple at Sydney Harbour, I dont think you could plan this any better

A tear jerker Wedding where a brides father took the step father down the aisle to both walk her down

This sink hole happened last weekend near where we went camping this year and drove through to go to Fraser Island last month, pretty scary happened around midnight. Experts say its more of a sand slide because earth quakes have been happening close by.

I stumbled upon this blog that shows isolated cabins around the world, just looking at the pictures is so serene CABIN FEVER and this amazing treehouse video of it  being built. I would be scared of the tree rotting and falling over eventually.

A dough for everything,just what a cook needs right HERE

Decorated Envelope - Christie Juhaiz - USA

Christie left a lovely note in there (love notes) to say this is her first time playing, well she did a great job and I love it Christie..THANK YOU for such a beautiful envelope.

This is for the September Envelope exchange run by Jean Wilson and Jan Hardt of Pushing the Envelope. 

Decorated Envelope - September - Carol Campbell USA

A gorgeous bright envelope arrived today from Carol. 

This is part of the September Envelope exchange run by Jean Wilson and Jan Hardt of 

Pushing the Envelope.