http://archive.aweber.com/whipupA weekly newsletter from whipup.netTue, 30 Apr 2013 08:50:38 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/whipup/GckVE/h/A_bit_of_this_and_that.htmwhip up » Newsletter Have you been enjoying the series this month on Functional Creativity? Shelter and Clothe are the latest additions :: with a tutorial on giving new life to old clothes and the Handmakers factory fitting in really well to this month's theme too! Also this week a new reviewer at Whipup reviewed Textured Stitches. Next month we have a new theme and a new set of guest edited posts -- very excited as there are lots of resources for starting up your creative business. Some crafty links :: Anne emailed in a cute tutorial for a knitted rose :: Check out this photographic granny duvet cover -- uhm what do you think? :: Make a craft apron :: Yoghurt panna cotta -- yum! :: Gotta make some boy suspenders :: A list of cool craft blogs :: Goat cheese and chive biscuits (uhm scones in the UK and Aus) :: Weave a living basket :: Cultivating creativity in kids. With Google reader about to close up shop forever i have been looking at alternatives :: Feedly seems like the forerunner I've signed up and it is nice to use -- you can import your google reader account very easily too) :: Pulse is another one. What's up with me ? ... As many of you probably know or have guessed -- I am travelling with my family on a year long camping trip around Australia. It has its ups and downs. I have learned a few things :: Change is good. Homeschooling is hard. Kids are stubborn. Cooking over the fire is fantastic. Sunsets over the ocean are bliss. Country town libraries and laundromats are an amazing resource. Don't trust your husband with the keys -- but do trust him with driving. Homemade ice cream and cake is the best. Don't you just love that pic of the house above -- creative inspiration for sure! ……. During most of 2013, Whipup.net will hosting a monthly mini-series, each month edited by different crafters and designers. Enjoy! :: April is Functional Creativity. DO get in touch if you are interested in writing a guest post for whipup this year! Send me a short email with your idea Kathreen {at} whipup.net —————————————– More Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter via email My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page] My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee Instagram @whipup Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup :: Pinterest Follow along on our year long road trip at the Action Pack blog I am writing a book to be published by Roost books. Similar Posts: From Kath... the holidays {a bit of this + a bit of that} | A bit of pumpkin anyone? | Kids Crafternoon: A bit of a peak at my new series {+ fabulous giveaway} | wanting to be a bit hip? Knit something! | Flickr group: A little bit unusual | Share and Enjoy: Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:50:38 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/whipup/8y1Lk/h/Change.htmwhip up » Newsletter Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself. Rumi When we make a change, it's so easy to interpret our unsettledness as unhappiness, and our unhappiness as the result of having made the wrong decision. Our mental and emotional states fluctuate madly when we make big changes in our lives, and some days we could tight-rope across Manhattan, and other days we are too weary to clean our teeth. This is normal. This is natural. This is change. Jeanette Winterson There's still time to change the road you're on. Led Zeppelin You would think that taking a year away from your ordinary life would be change enough. Or perhaps this oasis is merely a catalyst for more change. Taking a year away seemed like such a huge step, to pack up and live on the road with minimal stuff and in a confined space is like the wind of freedom blowing through your life. A chance to step out of the ordinary and the chaos of comfort to contemplate the bigger picture -- to look at where you are going and what you want to achieve. This perspective has been life changing is many small ways for us -- it has taken a couple of months to relax enough to even get to this stage of contemplation, to be able to let go of the worries and pull of our regular life -- and we are still not fully there yet. We still worry and wonder. But now we have begun to make plans, to visualise a life of difference, to see beyond what is in front of our nose and to seek new horizons. I am not even talking about anything major -- we won't be living in an ashram, and we won't be building a treehouse in the woods, but a list is beginning to emerge -- priorities and importances. Some big changes are in the wind, but it is the smaller changes I am most excited about. A commitment to live more fully in the now, to create small everyday adventures, and listen to our hearts. What changes would you / could you want to make -- small or big, realistic or dreamy -- or are you completely happy where you are right now? ....... During most of 2013, Whipup.net will hosting a monthly mini-series, each month edited by different crafters and designers. Enjoy! :: April is Functional Creativity. DO get in touch if you are interested in writing a guest post for whipup this year! Send me a short email with your idea Kathreen {at} whipup.net —————————————– More Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter via email My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page] My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee Instagram @whipup Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup :: Pinterest Follow along on our year long road trip at the Action Pack blog I am writing a book to be published by Roost books. Similar Posts: easy change mattress protector | Exchange for Change | how-to: change eyes for odeco and nikki | Right now I am | Some things that have been happening | Share and Enjoy: Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:40:20 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/whipup/P1dI./h/Right_now_I_am.htmwhip up » Newsletter Right now I am ... Sitting in the library in a lovely little town in the South West corner of Australia. I am catching up on emails, fixing a few illustrations for my upcoming quilt book, and writing blog posts. Thinking about the swim i'll be enjoying later this afternoon. Smelling the bread roll that is sitting next to me, I can't eat it in the library so i'm waiting to finish up here so I can go and sit in the park and eat a fresh roll and finish up with a crispy apple. Planning what we are having for dinner tonight. We have some dough rising back at the campsite to be made into campfire pizza. In awe of the amazing scenery we passed through on the drive to this lovely town and looking forward to driving back through it on the way back to the campsite. Looking forward to a cold ginger beer around the campfire this afternoon. Wondering where my family has gone -- they are no doubt reading comic books in a bean bag in the corner of this wonderful library. ---------------- At whipup ... Lots of lovely book reviews :: Fairy Tale Knits :: Elegant Quilts :: Lazing on a Sunday Crafternoon Guest Posts :: During most of 2013, Whipup.net will hosting a monthly mini-series, each month edited by different crafters and designers. Enjoy! :: Second series is themed around Functional Creativity the first article is Build the Hearth :: First series was Making something from Nothing -- articles include -- Stash Busting, and Thrifty shopping for craft supplies. —————————————– DO get in touch if you are interested in writing a guest post for whipup this year! Send me a short email with your idea Kathreen {at} whipup.net More Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter via email My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page] My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee Instagram @whipup Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup :: Pinterest Follow along on our year long road trip at the Action Pack blog I am writing a book to be published by Roost books. Similar Posts: Right now I am ... | Right now I am | Right now I am ... | Right now I am ... | Right now I am ... | Share and Enjoy: Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:43:40 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/whipup/IJEJU/h/Easter_craft_edition_of_the_whipup.htmwhip up » Newsletter Easter is on its way -- a little earlier than usual -- end of March, so it will creep up on you before you know it. As we are camping without extravent cooking facilities I am thinking of making some chocolate easter bark -- which I think will be achievable, delicious and not too fussy -- I was thinking of a toasted almond and a ginger or mint snap version. This gorp version would be great for camping and this coconut and macadamia version would go down very well, do you have a favourite chocolate bark recipe? Don't forget to grab a copy of the Easter Special edition of Action Pack Magazine from our shop. Some more quick and fun easter crafts just in time for this weekend. Happy weekending! Knit rabbit egg cosy tutorial Very prettily and simply decorated eggs [picture above] Cute easter egg gift packaging Sleepy bunny gift bags A dozen eggs decorating countdown Bunny in a hoop embroidery Printable easter treat bags Hot cross buns Carrot cake bars Cherry blossom cookies Easter candy bark Braided easter bread Birds nest cupcakes Cadbury creme eggs diy —————————————– DO get in touch if you are interested in writing a guest post for whipup this year! Send me a short email with your idea Kathreen {at} whipup.net More Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter via email My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page] My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee Instagram @whipup Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup :: Pinterest Follow along on our year long road trip at the Action Pack blog I am writing a book to be published by Roost books. Similar Posts: 10 Edible Easter Craft Projects | Whipup flickr group: easter projects | whipup roundup easter weekend | whipup newsletter no.12 2010 | 10 easter craft projects for kids to do | Share and Enjoy: Wed, 27 Mar 2013 08:43:58 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/whipup/BCP2Q/h/News_and_quilts.htmwhip up » Newsletter The past month has been a bit quilty in the online craft scene With the first of what looks to be a biannual event -- QuiltCon was apparently a resounding success even taking teething issues into account. My good friend Julie (this is her quilt), attended and participated in workshops and volunteered her time, as well as helping to hang the quilts -- she met an amazing bunch of women. Hopefully next time i'll be able to attend too! This pic above is the quilt con quilt! QuiltCon reviews are around with pics of the winning quilts :: Sew Katie Did :: Freshly Pieced :: Swim Bike Quilt :: Pile O Fabric :: TrueUp March is national quilting month - and there are many official and not so official events happening all over to help celebrate. What will you be doing -- do you have some quilts on the go? And you may have heard that my new book :: Brave New Quilts: 12 Projects Inspired by 20th-Century Art From Art Nouveau to Punk and Pop  :: is now available for pre-order -- it's not due out for a few months yet -- but i'll be chatting more about it as we go along this year. During March on Whipup I begin a monthly Guest Editor series, where I have invited a bunch of lovely people to curate a short series of posts each month. We kicked off with Abby and Stacey for the month of March with a series of posts focussing on their art/craft practice and how they re-use and recycle. Abby's first post discusses her place in the art/craft world, and Stacey's first post offers a tutorial to create a magic ball of yarn. Next month my guest editor has sadly had to bow out at the last minute due to a personal crisis and therefore i'll be filling in with a series of my own -- still thinking of themes -- any ideas? Also recently we launched the latest edition of Action Pack magazine for kids. This edition is themed on Water -- the first in a four part series focussing on the elements. A great issue with a bunch of fantastic contributors which was put together while on the road -- libraries and tents and beach side writing -- lots of ingenuity involved. If you are interested in contributing for further issues check in here. In the meantime do grab yourself a copy of this issue -- only $6 for 40 ad-free pages of projects. Book reviews this year are being managed this year by Julie and reviewed by a great team of crafty gals. Check out Feathered friends. —————————————– DO get in touch if you are interested in writing a guest post for whipup this year! Send me a short email with your idea Kathreen {at} whipup.net More Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter via email My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page] My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee Instagram @whipup Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup :: Pinterest Follow along on our year long road trip at the Action Pack blog I am writing a book to be published by Roost books. Similar Posts: Quilts for sale | Quilts, fabrics and more | craft nectar from weeks ringle of fun quilts | Crafty links and news | crafty news | Share and Enjoy: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:39:43 -0400http://archive.aweber.com/whipup/9VIiA/h/Action_Pack_Elements_WATER.htmwhip up » Newsletter 2013 Elements: WATER edition Cover image: Jo Newman  and her children make natural watercolour paint The first issue for 2013 is part of our Elements themed year, and begins with WATER. So versatile and so necessary for life. In this issue we have 15 contributors, and more than 20 projects, these wonderful contributors from around the world walk us through arts and crafts, science, experimentation, adventure, cooking and play -- all related to water. :: Jo Newman  and her children make natural watercolour paints and salt from the sea :: Susan Schwake and her students show us some water colour techniques :: Vicki Smith makes paper mache bowls with her students :: Joanie Gorman and a bunch of kids make a fleet of boats and cork sailors :: Marcie Cuff and her daughter send a message in a bottle :: Kathreen Ricketson and family [that’s me] investigate ocean flotsam and jetsam, make some ephemeral beach collections and experiment with sea jellies :: Gina Vida and her children make two ice projects :: Helen Bird shows us a fun wet felted project :: Natalie Kramer  experiments with water tension four different ways :: Jo Ebisujima and her son experiment with water density and quiz us on water usage :: Alex Kelly and her kids go fishing and learn a lot about fish while using a Japanese printing technique :: Melissa Wastney bakes water crackers :: Lucy Hordern and her daughter create a water bottle rainbow :: Dawn and Wesley Smith make a water rocket :: and Jackie Boucher has designed a water themed word search and colouring page This is an e-magazine - you will receive a download link to a high quality printable pdf [you can save the file to your hard drive and access it, read, and print it anytime and you can view the pdf on a Tablet or iPad]. Image: Joanie Gorman's cork sailors and pirates FREE PROJECT EXCERPT Make these cork sailors and pirates to sail on your boat (project also included in this Action Pack) - DOWNLOAD 1-page PDF here. Image: Natalie Kramer  experiments with water tension Image: Helen Bird shows us a fun wet felted project Image: Gina Vida's ice lantern Image: Lucy Hordern's water bottle rainbow  When tackling these projects be sure to: Ask permission first. Organise your area, use equipment safely and follow the safety advice. Prepare and organise your space, ingredients and materials beforehand. Be safe and careful when handling heat and knives and sharp instruments. Clean up afterwards. Have fun. Important: After purchase you will be directed to a page where you can download the PDF. And the pdf magazine will also be automatically delivered via e-mail as soon as your payment is received. The e-mail you receive will include a link to download the file directly to your computer. Please note that the link will only allow you to access the file for a limited period (150 hours or 5 tries), so please make sure to download and save the file on your own computer as soon as you receive it. Lost files may be replaced for a period of 30 days following purchase. Very occasionally your email provider may mark this email as junk, so if you do not receive the email, then first check your junk mail, as a precaution download the file from the webpage directly after purchase. Purchase in the shop Similar Posts: Action Pack - Go Tribal | Action Pack :: Easter Special | Action Pack :: Issue 5 {Chalk Cheese} | Action Pack: Issue 9 :: Mad Scientist | Action Pack: Issue 4 {The Great Outdoors Mega Issue} | Share and Enjoy: Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:47:56 -0500http://archive.aweber.com/whipup/8yLXQ/h/Some_things_that_have_been_happening.htmwhip up » Newsletter As I work and play and read and relax while camping, it is not all fun and games. Camping can be hot, and strenuous and sweaty and dirty and tiring too. It is not all starry nights and birds chirping, sometimes there is blaring music and noisy neighbours. However after a week of moving around, fixing broken stuff and staying in some run down sad caravan parks, we have found a little corner of paradise. Fishing is good, the weather is hot, the campsite is small and quiet, the water is lovely and we have internet -- so I can catch up on emails and blogging and various things like that. I found out through friends on twitter that my new book is now available for preorder on Amazon -- very excited about this book, such a labour of love, a lot of work, a lot of sweat and tears and lot of design decisions. You can pre-order it now, or wait until September -- don't worry i'll remind you! And i'll talk more about the book in the months to come. Brave New Quilts: 12 Projects Inspired by 20th-Century Art From Art Nouveau to Punk and Pop. Also the latest Australian Quilters Companion magazine is out with an article I wrote about online quilting groups. At whipup lately I have been on a bit of a knitting buzz : 5 knitted hotties :: 6 nerd knits :: 20 lovely hats. It was valentines day -- did you celebrate or just is it a day that you don't care much about? Love links :: and other inspirations. In case that was not enough -- make sure you check in on my pinterest boards -- my blankets / afghans and rugs board is pretty fun. DO get in touch if you are interested in writing a guest post for whipup this year! Send me a short email with your idea Kathreen {at} whipup.net —————————————– More Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter via email My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page] My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee Instagram @whipup Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup :: Pinterest Follow along on our year long road trip at the Action Pack blog I am writing a book to be published by Roost books. Similar Posts: Childhood dreams and ice creams | Knitting and crocheting on the road | Right now I am ... | Several things | Right now I am | Share and Enjoy: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:34:49 -0500http://archive.aweber.com/whipup/GQ4Xg/h/Right_now_I_am.htmwhip up » Newsletter Enjoying the amazing weather. No rain, wind or tears. Sunny blue blue blue skies, green water and soft grey pebbly beach. The water is calm as are tempers. Reading Sherri S Tepper books -- first Grass and now The Margarets. Complex and interesting characters -- science fiction but concentrating on the people and the environment rather than on technology -- I like that. Listening to the crazy noisy bird life -- Cockatoos and Galas. Observing the people -- fellow campers are an interesting mixed bunch of people. Grey nomads, young couples in love with tiny tents and a hippy van, lots of people traveling with dogs, one couple have 3 dogs and a parrot in a cage -- the woman as the most amazing long silvery grey hair. Another couple travelling with their 21 year old son and hoping he will find some happiness (and maybe a job and a girlfriend) along the way -- they sold their house and plan to spend 10 years on the road. A family of 5 in a swiss army style caravan (lots of gadgets and nifty nooks that fold out and fold back again). Another homeschooling family with 3 kids and a giant vintage caravan. Giving in to my craving for black jelly beans. Finishing up this post while the family wait for me to go for an afternoon swim. Enjoying spending quality and quantity time with the kids. Repeating the words -- Tolerance and Respect over and over and over (our new family mantra this trip). Working on my book and some crafty projects and taking lots of photos. Finishing up the editing for the next Action Pack -- a great one with a focus on Water related projects DO get in touch if you are interested in writing a guest post for whipup this year! Send me a short email with your idea Kathreen {at} whipup.net —————————————– More Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter via email My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page] My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee Instagram @whipup Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup :: Pinterest Follow along on our year long road trip at the Action Pack blog I am writing a book to be published by Roost books. Similar Posts: Right now I am ... | Right now I am ... | Right now I am ... | Right now I am ... | Right now I am ... | Share and Enjoy: Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:50:22 -0500http://archive.aweber.com/whipup/PBgCw/h/Knitting_and_crocheting_on_the_road.htmwhip up » Newsletter This town has been yarn bombed The first day of homeschooling on our year long road trip luckily coincides with us being in a glorious beachy campsite, with wonderful weather. We spent an hour this morning discussing the slang used in Enders Game, as well as the prisoners who were hanged at Adelaide gaol. Quite a mix! But what I really wanted to tell you about was the very cool yarn bombed town we recently spent some time at. The whole town had trees wrapped in blankets, knitted flags strung along the streets, park bench and bicycle cosies too. Really loved it, made me want to get my yarn on. I have made a pact with myself not to be buying anything new this year and to make use of crafting materials from natural, recycled or found or second hand sources. So I began with making some plastic bag yarn -- better known as plarn, and got my crochet on. Not having crocheted with plarn before, I feel that I have a lot of learning to do. In fact I need some advice. How fine can / should you cut the plastic bag strips? What is the best / easiest stitch to use? I think I'll be making a bag of some sort for my first plarn project. Photos to come next time. 20 hats to knit Thoughts on slow living Manly knits I like this plarn board DO get in touch if you are interested in writing a guest post for whipup this year! Send me a short email with your idea Kathreen {at} whipup.net --------------------------- More Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter via email My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page] My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee Instagram [view: followgram or webstagram] Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup :: Pinterest Follow along on our year long road trip at the Action Pack blog I am writing a book to be published by Roost books. Similar Posts: Guest blogger series | Crocheting through life's seasons | Childhood dreams and ice creams | Right now I am ... | Knitting designer series: Creating a knitting pattern | Knitting designer series: 2 months of knitting essays | Share and Enjoy: Mon, 04 Feb 2013 08:37:45 -0500http://archive.aweber.com/whipup/71T2A/h/Childhood_dreams_and_ice_creams.htmwhip up » Newsletter I missed a newsletter last week, due to travel and beautiful weather and beaches and not very good internet coverage. This week I have the internet and I still have the beach too. We are chilling out, slowing down, relaxing, reading and swimming in a sleepy South Australian coastal town where the fish are biting and the water is an ethereal milky green colour because of the limestone -- and the waves are perfect. Slightly overpriced and under facilitated camping makes the area just less than otherwise perfectly lovely.Follow along on our year long road trip at the Action Pack blog and/or follow my instagram feed @whipup {followgram or webstagram}. Latest blog post about where we are right here.This beautiful old beach umbrella was spotted outside the general store at the sweetest little town, it was sitting in this abandoned fashion amongst the milk crates and recycling bins. I couldn't resist taking a snap of it, the retro rose pattern and the fringing reminded me of my grandmother, and childhood dreams and ice creams.This past week at whipup you'll find 7 easy cowls to knit, a review of the self published knitting book -- wherewithall, and a review of The sock knitters handbook, and 7 sexy knits.My pinterest boards are worth looking at: Make sure to stop by my quilting and yarn boards for some great inspiration and patterns.DO get in touch if you are interested in writing a guest post for whipup this year! Send me a short email with your idea Kathreen {at} whipup.net---------------------------MoreSign up here to receive our weekly newsletter via emailMy kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page]My new book  Little Bits Quilting BeeInstagram [view: followgram or webstagram]Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup :: PinterestFollow along on our year long road trip at the Action Pack blogSimilar Posts:Right now I am ... |Cooking with tea: Ice cream |Guest series :: Manifesting your dreams |Book: Blog tour :: Imagine Childhood |how-to: make an ice wreath |Share and Enjoy: Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:32:58 -0500