Empress Bat's Journal: March 2014

The Documented Life Project: Have you joined in?

I have just found an amazing website about an artistic, creative project called the "Documented Life ". Each week you are provided with a journalling prompt challenge. On January First 2014, which was challenge one, you had to photograph, sketch, paint or incorporate your front door.

I have only just started, and although you can start from whatever week you first found out about the project I want the full year !! So i think I can catch up if I do two pages a week at least.

The creators of the project are using a Moleskine planner/diary, but I am using my limited edition blank paged Minnie Mouse journal as I wanted to use it for something to keep and this seems just the project!

They have a facebook group, if you are interested in the project why not join it?

Information about the group of artists who started this project is at this link.

I think this would be a great addition to my goal to be positive this year! So I have joined their facebook group and have started the challenges!

(I have so many to catch up on considering it is already the end of March!)

These are the weekly challenges they have listed so far:

January 1, 2014 - Week One - Photograph, sketch, paint or incorporate your front door.
January 5, 2014 - Week Two - Selfie
January 12, 2014 - Week Three - Add an envelope from your mailbox.
January 18, 2014 - Week Four - Write a secret message then paint over all but one key word.
January 25, 2014 - Week Five - Add a doodle border.
February 1, 2014 - Week Six - Open your Pinterest board and be inspired.
February 8, 2014 - Week Seven - Draw one shape - repeat - add color.
February 15, 2014 - Week Eight - Add a flap to your flap.
February 22, 2014 - Challenge (Week Nine) - Collage something you recycled.
March 1, 2014 - Challenge (Week Ten) - Make a list of the things that make you YOU.
March 8, 2014 - Challenge - Week Eleven - Draw, photograph or collage a bird onto your page.
March 15, 2014 - Challenge - Week Twelve - Cut up a magazine..add!
March 22, 2014 - Challenge - Ask someone else to draw on your page - finish it

I will post images form my journal to this blog, and if you are doing the challenge to, I'd love to see links to your journals! (just put the info in the comments section!)

I will post images from my art journal for the DOcumented Life on a page in my blog.

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About Me: I work full time, I am also studying for a therapist qualification in Naturopathy specialising in Herbalism, I have a small craft 'business', I am co-admin of an auction page on facebook to help other small hobby businesses, i maintain my own 'store' facebook page, I blog at least once a week and I maintain a facebook page created to support small home businesses and hobby sellers

Printables: Purple and Blue diagonal stripes note paper

Always on the look out for happy looking stationery, I have been creating my own of late.

Here are two printables I have created, feel free to use them.

Note Paper

To Do list

more free printables for you can be found on these pages in my blog:

Free Downloads

Positive Energy

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Desk Disaster: Part Four of the 'Organise and Beautify' saga

My desk is a mess... a real disaster! I cannot find anything.. I am a computer nerd so there are many USB drives, external hard drives, cables... I am artistic so there are pencils and pens everywhere.. I read a lot so there are books... I am studying so I have notes .....there is stuff everywhere.

I just tidied my desk... spot the difference??

DESK: BEFORE

DESK AFTER

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Coffee sack tote bag: should I sell them?

I just finished making this bag, it took me three hours to make from start to finish. I do not use patterns and made it up as I went along!

It is very strong, made from double layer coffee bag sack jute and fully lined in good quality poly cotton, double stitched seams and triple stitched handles for strength. .

The coffee sack comes from Cafe Buzz, Peachtree Walk: if you are in Port Macquarie NSW visit their cafe!

The bag itself is 45cm *35 cm making it plenty large enough for books, pens, pencils, wallet, phone, magazines. A great 'holiday' tote bag. Machine washable on gentle, and iron on HOT with starch for best results!

I am considering making more of these to sell in my etsy store and via my facebook page.

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DIY: Easy Fabric Bunting

A few days ago, a friend of mine who has a market stall called Wytchway was asking on facebook about where she could buy some waterproof fabric bunting to decorate her stall.

If you are in the Dayboro Queensland area and interested in Wytchway's stall or to purchase from her online please have a look at the information on her facebook page.

I decided to attempt to make some bunting.

Just to see if I could.

Step 1

Created a template out of cardboard for the size and shape I wanted, allowing for the hem (to feed the string through)

cardboard template

Step 2

Drew around the template on the fabric and then hand lettered the 'WYTCHWAY' with a fabric ink pen

Step 3

Ironed fabric and then placed the clear fabric plastic coat stuff on it, covered it with baking paper and ironed on a low setting

Step 4

I cut out the triangles with sharp pinking shears (keeping my fingers well out of the way for fear I would end up with pinking shaped abrasions on my hands!)

I then sewed around them and sewed the hem in which the jute would go to string the bunting

Step 5

After each triangle was sewn I then threaded them with the jute to form the bunting. After all triangles were on the jute I pushed them closer together and did a zig zag stictch over the hems and the inserted jute.

I then went over each letter adding embellishment in the form of gold paint pen shading. (yes I AM ambidextrous which is why the top photo shows me writing with my right hand and this photo is my left hand)

The bunting is ready to hang!

My sewing machine is old and falling apart, i cant afford a new one at the moment, so it kept breaking the cotton. I think if my sewing machine worked properly i could have made this bunting so much faster, and with less expletives.

Remember this one is only a prototype. So excuse it looking a bit dodgy!

I think these could be improved if a stiffener was used such as stitching the triangles onto acrylic felt, or ironing interface on the back.

VERDICT: easy to make, so give it a go!

For teeny bunting, use washi tape and twine!

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Shameless self promotion: my second blog is called Apothecary Greens

Hello Batlings!

If you read my blog regularly you will have realised that I like to promote small home businesses with reviews and links so you too may become a happy customer of their establishments.

Today however I am shamelessly promoting one of my own projects!

With my studies of Herbalism, and my many years of personal research reading about Medieval treatments, natural therapies and craft with herbs and flowers, I have decided to start a new blog, called Apothecary Greens, to chat about alternative therapies.

Some of the blog post 'discussions' may feature therapies I may not personally 'endorse', but I like to venture forth through life with an open mind, and hope you all do too, and the posts will reflect that.

I hope that some natural therapists I know will also contribute with guest posts, particularly Galaxy Aromatherapy and Ocean Soul Sanctum.

Never fear Batlings, this blog shall continue as well, I have merely added one more thing in my always large to do list!

Please help my new blog get a solid readership as well, and if you know anyone who would like to be in the links page, or who would be happy to do a guest post for that blog please let me know.

Please visit my new blog and bookmark it!

thanks~

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REVIEW: Chiyogami Designs washi tape

My third review for the year! I will only review stores that I have personally used and vouch for, and I prefer to review small home businesses as these are the ones that need the most exposure.To recap on this year's reviews, I posted two in February: one about Galaxy Aromatherapy and the other about Beaded Webs.

Today's review is about a favourite washi tape supplier, one that I purchase from frequently, Chiyogami Designs.

If you have been reading my blog of late Batlings, you will notice my obsession with washi tape. I use it in my filofax, on pegs to decorate them , and even on pendant blanks to create trendy costume jewellery. I love washi tape so much I even have a board about it on Pinterest!

So as washi tape doesnt grow on trees..( actually its usually made from rice paper, so its more likely to be growing in .. er.. rice paddies..??), I needed to find a store that sells a good range of high quality washi tape at affordable prices. I was so happy when I discovered Chiyogami Designs as they are that store!

Chiyogami Designs sells from an ebay store, the store has an amazing range of washi tape that is added to regularly. Each time I visit their ebay store page I find more washi tape delights. They also have a facebook page, if you are a fan of washi tape make sure you like their page, as new items in their ebay store are often featured there, you will get the scoop on their new listings as a fan of their page!

The tape is always reasonably priced, good quality, a wide range to choose from, packaged well, and sent fast. The store owner is friendly and reliable , and is also a DIY crafts person type. What more would you want in a washi tape supplier I ask?

Some of my favourite washi tapes so far from this store are:

You may recognise this cat themed tape
from the pendants I made?

I use this tape in my filofax on all my herbalist notes
for the qualification I am studying!

Purple trio of tape!

If you like washi tape as much as I do, please check out this Australian based store, for affordable, quality, and large variety of washi tape!

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Washi Tape Wonders: things to make with washi tape

I really like washi tape.

If you have read my blogpost about decorating wooden pegs, or my post about setting up my filofax you will see references to the tape and see how i have used it.

The tape comes in all sorts of colours and patterns, with a low level adhesive making it both decorative and useful.

For those yet to experience the wonders of washi tape, allow me to elucidate.

Washi tape is a type of decorative masking tape, traditionally made from rice paper, first created in Japan by the company Kamoi Kakoshi Co.Ltd. and sold as MT masking tape. It dates back to 2006 when a group of artists approached the company with an art journal featuring illustrations created from masking tape.

Many companies make and sell versions of the original MT masking tape, and it is generically referred to as Washi Tape.

There are so many designs of washi tape to chose from; patterns, pictures, and solid colours in matte or metallic finishes.

The tape has a less sticky adhesive just like masking tape, so it is easy to remove if you have made an error in placement, or if you only want it stuck temporarily; the adhesive is however still strong enough to stay put on paper, envelopes, diaries, and all manner of things if you wish it to be a permanent decoration!

I use it as a temporary label on the plastic freezer containers I store left overs in. I stick a piece of washi tape on the lid and write a description of the container's contents on there. The washi tape remains on the lids in the freezer and only comes off when I peel it off prior to washing the containers up.

Tonight I just received a bulk order of Washi tape, and am experimenting with using it on metal pendant blanks to create novel pendants for costume jewellery. I will write about that in another day's post. Here is a sneak peak at a few I am working on. Two are using a cat themed washi tape from Chiyogami Designs, and the other is a postmark/letter themed washi tape I picked up a few years ago.

pendants with washi tape

I use washi tape in my filofax, on pegs to decorate them, and as I mentioned , I am also trying out what washi tape will look like on a pendant. It is great in scrapbooks and the less formal Smash books, as well as pretty on packages to decorate a gift!

I have a lot of washi tape but it isn't wasted, I use it for so many things!

some of my washi tape

There are so many uses for washi tape, I am still finding uses for it, and find it such a versatile craft supply.

In case you are looking for some lovely washi tape designs at very low prices, I buy most of my washi tape from Chiyogami Designs , they have an ebay store and I have always found them to be reliable and honest sellers, with an amazingly diverse range of washi tape as well as Japanese print origami paper.

Do you use washi tape?

What do you use it for?
Please feel free to comment.

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Pegs as creative storage solutions: Part Four of the 'Organise and Beautify' saga

In my constant struggle to declutter and keep myself and the house organised, I have decided to be creative with storage. It is more a MUST do, rather than a 'oooh isn't this creative lets do it', due to the lack of spare cash in the household!

The house is small, we need to use the walls as much as possible to stash things. Cash is limited so we need to use what we have to create a storage solution.

As I have been decluttering the house I noticed so many paper bits: receipts, bills to attend to, memos... lots of bits of paper that may not need long term storage but need to be in the forefront of my consciousness until they are actioned.

I decided they could be stored on the walls, with clothes pegs. I haven't gone completely insane..yet.. my batlings, stay with me on this.

All i needed was a long piece of picture wire, some nice hooks, and some pegs. I have all those things so no need to buy anything extra here.

The pegs looked a bit hohum, and as you know I do not like drab and dull. I looked at my box of washi tape and knew just how to decorate those wooden clothes pegs!

wooden clothes pegs and washi tape, what a great idea!

Covered in washi tape pegs are useful and decorativet!

After covering the pegs with washi tape, I then put some small brass hooks into the wall, (you could also use removable adhesive ones if you are renting) and attached picture wire, the wire is taut so it can handle weight of the paper without sagging.

Finished storage solution: I can even put my spare fountain pen ink there!

You may have noticed I have a lot of washi tape, and as I said before most of my beautiful washi tapes come from Chiyogami Designs. Where do I store these?

On a trouser hanger of course!

Decorative tape stored on a trouser hanger

I would love to hear your creative storage ideas for organising and decluttering, please feel free to let me know them in the comments!

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Challenges and Obstacles to organisation: Part Three of the 'Organise and Beautify' saga

I really want to get the house decluttered, organised, beautiful and peaceful. I have been reading a lot of blogs by proud 'stay at home' people who spend a lot of time organising and making things white and shiny. (Their blog photos also show them beaming with fresh shiny faces and not one hair out of place and not a pimple in sight..yeh bitter i may be...) From what I can tell, as they do not have 'day jobs' outside of the home they can spend a lot of time in this domestic pursuit of organising and beautifying their homes.

Please do not misunderstand me, I am not saying these people are NOT working, I am just saying that as their WORKplace IS the HOME and FAMILY fulltime, they can spend the time WORKING on making the house organised and pretty. I acknowledge that they are working and working very hard.

Additionally the How to Organise your house bloggers all seem to have large houses. One blog I read about making the laundry organised and a happy environment, had a laundry bigger than our loungeroom/dining/kitchen/bathroom combined. Not to mention a blog I read last week about how to organise a loungeroom; their loungeroom was as big as our house.

These blogs however are inspiring and motivate me to work out how to make our house an organised, pretty and decluttered peaceful home with what we have; and make me think of ways to overcome the challenges of making the place peaceful and organised, while facing obstacles of:

not a lot of 'spare' cash,
a very small house,
a house that was a 'flood victim ' in 2011 with no insurance paid out, still trying to replace furniture
working full time outside of the home with long commutes (equating to only having weekends to actually do anything in the house).

So let me look at these challenges and think of ways to work with them to success in my declutter/organisation goal.

Not a lot of cash

This means I need to be even more creative by working with things I already own as well as keep an eye out at second hand shops and ebay auctions to purchase things we need at a low cost.

I have been decorating and repurposing old cupboard boxes as storage boxes and I use them for stashing craft supplies, fabric, and stationery. You can read about my 'upcycling' of old cardboard storage boxes here.

We recently purchased second hand solid pine shelving unit from ebay, for $40. New it would have been well over $200. We keep an eye out for good quality storage bargains and sometimes we find great things at a low cost.

A very small house

A small house means, keep the clutter at a minimum, THINK before we buy anything (do we need it, where is it going to be stored, what gets donated/discarded to make room for it).

It also means we need to think of storing UP: taking advantage of walls and putting floor to ceiling shelves in for example, and hanging things up on hooks on the walls to clear floor space.

Lost our furniture in the flood

Okay yep I know, the flood was three years ago, but as the insurance refused to pay anything, we have got by with the generous donations from friends, family, and total strangers. We have re-stained, varnished and repurposed the donated shelves, tables, and chairs, and are doing a lot to make the items we were given look refreshed as well as useful. (it is amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do)

No time

We have almost a four hour round trip each day to and from work, and then an eight hour day in our workplaces, this means that we are exhausted by the time we get home. In order to get us some time, we cook on the weekends and freeze meals to reheat on week nights. That way husband, his son, and I have nutritious meals to choose form and with the flick of the microwave are eating in less than ten minutes.

I utilise my filofax to keep me organised and allot certain tasks to certain days. I do not put times on the tasks, just assign them to block days so i know that sometime that day this needs to be done.

On the weekends we get the washing done, cook meals for the week, and do the basic housework that needs to be done. We need to be organised with our time so that we can manage to find a few hours to relax in a week.

We also assign small ad hoc tasks to ourselves: for example today I am sorting through my clothes, discarding the torn, faded clothes that are beyond repair (assigning them to car rags), and repairing the ones that need and can be fixed; adding any good clothes that i no longer want to a charity bag, and then neatly placing my To Keep clothes on the hanging device i have for them ( i do not have a wardrobe).

To conquer the 'we have no time' to declutter and organise the house obstacle we need to be in control of our time.

Storage boxes i 'prepared earlier' organised in a shelf

I would be very interested in ideas on how others conquer challenges to keeping the house organised and beautiful. Particularly if you, like us, have a small house and need to be inventive on how to organise the things you need or want to keep.

Please feel free to comment.

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About Me:
I work full time, I am also studying for a therapist qualification in Naturopathy specialising in Herbalism, I have a small craft 'business', I am co-admin of an auction page on facebook to help other small hobby businesses, i maintain my own 'store' facebook page, I blog at least once a week and I maintain a facebook page created to support small home businesses and hobby sellers
............................................................................................................... Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat ...Please visit me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat handcrafted gothic goodies at bargain prices. see me on etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/empressbat

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Not a lot of cash

A very small house

Lost our furniture in the flood

No time