The FilmLife Project Bloggers Challenge

What’s your take on or experience with organ donation, and why did you choose to take part in the FilmLife Blogger Challenge?   

For me, the answer to this question is simple.... I need some new strong healthy lungs.

I've been on the waiting list for a double lung transplant since August 31st 2011. I'm not quite sure how much longer I can last without them...


Blogging is a great way to be able to educate and to spread the message about the amazing gift of organ donation, and I'm hoping that lots of my fellow bloggers will also be inspired to answer these three simple questions.

I've been a registered organ donor ever since I was old enough to legally sign up. It wasn't until I was 27 that I was told that I would end up eventually needing a transplant myself.  Now ten years later, it's become a reality.

If you were to donate your organs, which one would you love to donate, and why?(nb. this question is intentionally quirky so feel free to be creative and have some fun with it)

If something happens to me, I'm donating everything.... except my pesky dodgy lungs of course (trust me - nobody wants them)!

I think my heart would be perfect for donation. It's grown big and strong from taking on all the extra workload and having to pump so fast while trying to distribute oxygenated blood around my body.

It's full of love for all my family and friends who have stuck by me along this wild and crazy medical ride.  


It has empathy and passion and creativity.... and seriously, who wouldn't want a bit of that?

Who in your family would you need to talk to about organ donation, to be sure your loved ones knew your wishes?

Absolutely everyone in my family, and all my friends know my wishes. We've discussed it endlessly. I'm also officially registered on the Australian Organ Donor Register via Medicare

I know that my family will ultimately have to make that final decision, so it's vitally important that they all know my wishes.



Would you like to join in the blogging challenge and answer the three questions?

Just blog your answers to the questions and add your details to the linky list. I'll tweet your post with the #filmlifeproject hashtag and it will then be added to the official FilmLife Blogger Challenge Page.






FilmLife Project Website
FilmLife Project on FB
FilmLife Project on Twitter

The FilmLife Project

Have you heard about the FilmLife Project?

As part of DonateLife Week 2012 (19th - 26th February), young filmmakers between the ages of 16 and 35 have the opportunity to make a 5 minute short film using the theme of organ and tissue donation, to raise awareness of organ donation, and specifically the very important issue of discussing your wishes with your family.

If you have a budding filmmaker in the family, its the perfect opportunity to have some fun while discussing an important issue. There are great prizes on offer and award winning filmmaker, and liver transplant recipient Paul Cox is one of the judges.

For those of us who are bloggers (not filmmakers), there's also a FilmLife Blogger Challenge.

I'm really hoping that all my fellow bloggers might join in and take on the challenge.....


From the FilmLife Blogger Challenge Page:

We’re looking for bloggers to help spark conversations about organ donation among young people, by taking part in a challenge we are putting to people in the engaged blogging community!

It’s helping us raise awareness not just about organ donation but also for the film festival in February where young people creatively interpret this fulsome topic and people’s experiences with it – from both sides of the track.

FilmLife Project is a collaborative project in conjunction with Donate Life Week 2012 (19-26 February), that aims to inspire and encourage young people to have conversations that ask and find out their loved ones wishes around organ and tissue donation.

Here’s how we’re asking our fabulous, engaged blogging community to take part.

A. Answer these questions:

 

1. What’s your take on or experience with organ donation, and why did you choose to take part in the FilmLife Blogger Challenge?
2. If you were to donate your organs, which one would you love to donate, and why?(nb. this question is intentionally quirky so feel free to be creative and have some fun with it)
   
3. Who in your family would you need to talk to about organ donation, to be sure your loved ones knew your wishes?

B. Create a mini-film as your FilmLife Project (optional):

 

We’re running a spin-off of the FilmLife Project on our Facebook page, where people capture a day from their life, this January, in 12 seconds. We’re calling it the 12 Seconds FilmLife Project. If you were in the mood, we’d love to see your 12 second video on the blog post too!

C. Link Your Blog

 

Please link your blog to www.filmlife.com.au so that anyone interested in submitting a film or attending the free filmmaking workshop on 21, 22, 28 January in Parramatta can register their interest. The workshop is worth $3,000 per person and there are only a few more places left.

D.  Tweet

 

Tweet your blog out using the hashtag #filmlifeproject - and we’ll retweet via our twitter account, @filmlifeproject.

For more information, here are some factsheets with statistics around organ donation in Australia to help you introduce your blog challenge. 

 

A huge thanks to all the bloggers who have already expressed interest and are taking part – your contributions will raise awareness and spark conversations about organ donation in young people and in doing so, help to save lives.

 

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I'm going to blog the answers to the blogging challenge questions over the weekend. Who else would like to join me?

FilmLife Project Website
FilmLife Project on FB
FilmLife Project on Twitter

PS - I have to thank Cathie for letting me know about it....

Sometimes you find a gem...

Tulips Necklace by Greg Mann Jewellery from Gleaners Inc

My sister came to visit for a day out last week, as part of the last hurrah of her Christmas holidays.

After a visit to Tinniegirl, and spot of lunch, we headed to Gleaners Inc where I'm quite sure that the last time I'd visited, I'd vowed to Liz that I had to stop buying necklaces.

I mean seriously..... how could I possibly resist???

The Pacman Poll

Thanks so much for all the Pacman feedback yesterday via blog comments, twitter, and facebook messages.

It's a really interesting topic that generates lots of discussion for and against. My conscience immediately tells me that I could never go ahead with this design (other than printing a panel for my own personal use to make a cushion for my couch).

I did receive some interesting twitter feedback from peeps in the Legal IP fraternity (just another reason to love the connecting power of twitter). There would definitely be concern over passing off/unfair competition.

There was also some discussion over who would be responsible if a corporation decided to take action. Michelle directed me to the Terms of Service regarding proprietary rights and copyright over at Spoonflower.

For anyone who does need some advice on a subject such as this, they also advised contacting the Arts Law Centre of Australia. 

I tried to respond by email to everyone who left a comment, but lots of blogger ID's don't have an email address enabled which makes it impossible, so apologies if you haven't been receiving a reponse!

So riddle me this Batman Pacman

Sometime about a year ago, I was doing lots of sketching and drawing for my next range of pouches and cushions, and I drew this Pacman illustration.

I really liked it, so I digitally coloured it and had a sample printed, and it looked fabulous.... but then I started to question it.

Some corporation somewhere in the world owns the Intellectual Property rights to Pacman.

I don't think I have the right to use their intellectual property (even if it is my own hand drawn illustration) and I certainly don't have their permission.

So, over the holidays, I was reading blogs and the Spoonflower Top Ten Indie Fabric Designers  and Top Fifty Fabric Designs for 2011 were announced....

Mock Pacman 2.0 fabric by pixeldust

.....and this was the 7th most popular fabric!

So... in your opinion - do you think I should be able to print my drawing and sell pouches and cushions with my design, or do you think I'm stepping over the Intellectual Property boundaries?

Banishing the UFO pile - Specimen Two

Following along from last weeks UFO triumph, here's another one that's finally been finished and therefore banished from the UFO pile!

I started making this backpack for Ms L around this time last year.

My original intention was to make her a fairly lightweight backpack that she could use for her Uni course. It just needed to be large enough to fit some A4 notebacks and some writing tools.

I wanted it to be quite sturdy so I used a dark denim and interfaced it with a layer of Vilene S320.

Cathy helped me to pick the cute penguins from her stash to make the front flap.

I'd previously made the backpack from Nikki's fab book You Sew Girl before making this one, so I used the technique from the book to make, and to place, the adjustable backpack straps.



Now, the outside of the backpack is totally functional..... but the magic happens when you see the inside...

 

Can you see those gorgeous bright stripes? The inside of the flap was cut from a piece of silk taken from a skirt that Ms L's Mum had made for her many moons ago....

But I've left the most romantic part til the end .........the light blue fabric for the inner part of the backpack was cut from the shirt that Ms L was wearing when she met Cathy, so every time she opens the backpack, there's a little reminder!

Sunday Snippets... via Instagram

There's something kind of strange about this time in early January... lots of shops and cafes are closed, most of the city is on holidays, there's no work to be done (well actually there is, but I'm not doing it), no medical appointments to attend, nothing much to do but take a break and indulge in some silliness....

.... like seeing how many meals I could eat this week containing either bacon or pineapple.... or as a complete indulgence - both! (there were six in total for those of you playing along at home)

I wonder how many times Michelle has had bacon this week?  We've been playing bacon show and tell over on Instagram.

There was also a little bit of organising (Lissanne would be proud)

 The contents of my fridge - chocolate, doggie meantballs, and eggs... nice

Some more eating... the Hello Panda's were delicious thankyou Cat (Raspberry Rainbow)!

A new coat rack - thankyou little brother

Oh and the final special one for the Bethenny fans!

Sunday Snippets via Tinniegirl

2012 - Your Awesome Year

Have you been over to visit Tinniegirl lately and checked out the amazing workshop that she has planned?

Here's all the details just in case you missed it!


From Cathy....

I've been absolutely busting to spill the beans on the super-secret-squirrel business that Louise Gale and I have been working on for the past couple of months.

I first met Louise in 2010 when I traveled to the USA for An Artful Journey Retreat.  By a stroke of good fortune we sat at the same table and spent an incredible 3 days painting, laughing, eating chocolate and connecting.  Louise is vibrant, funny, warm, engaging and full of the most fabulous energy.

We've been friends ever since the retreat and share a passion for art, for dreaming and for inspiring other souls in their journey.  When Louise told me that she was coming to Australia to visit I was so excited.  I am so looking forward to soaking up some of Louise's amazing energy.
 
It occurred to both of us that it would be fantastic fun for Louise and I to organise something special for Melbourne peeps {or anyone who can get to Melbourne to join us}.  I'm so pleased to unveil our very exciting project: 

Are you ready to create Your Awesome Year in 2012?

Vision your dreams and plan an amazing year ahead in this one day in-person workshop with artists and dreamers Cathy Kirwan and Louise Gale.

Join Cathy, Louise and a lovely group of creative souls to get 2012 off to a great start.  Through visioning, creative exercises, meditations and tools to create “Your Awesome Year”, you will leave the workshop full of ideas, energy and focus. We will use the power of this time between the new & full moon to plant dream seeds and cultivate a plan. Using inspiring tools & techniques to see our dreams & plans unfold in the year ahead.

{the details}

Saturday January 28^th, 2012

12pm – 6.30pm (includes lunch)

CERES Environmental Park
East Brunswick 

Cost: $125  
Limited places available



 

The workshop includes:

• A beautiful day at the gorgeous CERES Environmental Park with instruction from Cathy & Louise.
• Guided visualizations and meditations
• A light lunch and sumptuous afternoon tea
• Time to explore, relax and let your dreams unfold
• Reflections on 2011 – celebrating success, farewell to the year
• Affirming ourselves – creating positive messages to carry into the new year
• Creation of your 2012 Vision Board
• A goodie bag of tools & additional resources to take home with you

By the end of the workshop you will have:

• A clear vision of your dreams and goals for the year ahead.
• Reviewed and celebrated 2011.
• A vision board to pin up at home to inspire you throughout 2012.
• Let go of any negative thoughts or feelings so you can move towards your dreams.
• Met other creative souls to be inspired, share and have fun with.
• Set the wheels in motion to see your dreams become reality in 2012.
• Found your truth, positive affirmations and courage to move forward and make 2012 Your Awesome Year.

 
 
What to bring:

• Poster board (A3 or larger)
• Glue stick
• A photo of yourself that you really like (to put on the centre of your vision board)
• Any magazine images, quotes, inspiring words you might have already gathered
• Additional magazines to use and share
• Any additional favourite art materials you may like to use (pens, markers, glitter, stickers) (please note: due to venue restrictions to paints)
• Any snacks or drinks you'd like in addition to what's provided
• An open heart and mind
• Extra money for cafe purchases
• A small item to contribute to a gift exchange (more details in the registration pack)

 

Payment Options
 
You have the option of paying in full for the workshop now, or making 2 part-payments, one now to secure your place and the balance in 2 weeks time.  Please note all payments must be made in full by Thursday January 19th 2012.

Join us to make 2012 Your Awesome Year?

To register and pay in full click here.

To register for the installment plan click here.  
 

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A Little About Louise & Cathy

Louise Gale is an artist and life coach, passionate about the energy of our thoughts and how we express ourselves creatively.  For many years she has been using vision boards, visuals and the law of attraction to realise her own creative dreams.

Louise spends here days painting, exhibiting, coaching and creating programs to help other creative souls identify their passion and find a way to make it a greater part of their daily life.  Living and creative life and helping others to do the same is Louise's passion and life purpose.

Louise is from the UK, lives in the USA and is currently traveling Australia and New Zealand, expanding and nourishing her creative spirit.

To learn more about Louise and read her blog visit here, connect on facebook or on twitter @louisegaleart.

Cathy Kirwan  is an artist, writer and dreamer.  She has been dreaming of living a creative life for as long as she can remember and over the last few years has made that dream a reality.  Cathy is a self-taught painter, exhibiting and selling her work in person and online.  She writers regularly here at {tinniegirl} and spends her days dreaming big dreams.

Cathy has been facilitating groups and leading personal development workshops for over 20 years.  She is passionate about creating opportunities for others to vision their dreams and live their most authentic and creative lives.

 

A Jenaveve Bag

I think this might be one of my favourite things that I've made lately... (oh, and look - it matches my header and sidebar)!

This photo not true colour as it has been instagrammed.

Emma from Ballarat Patchwork sent me this stunning fabric so that I could create a custom handbag for her.  It's from the new Jenaveve Range by Valori Wells for Free Spirit (this print is Floral Birds).

It's a linen/cotton blend which makes me love it even more as it has a really beautiful textural look to it.

It worked perfectly with this gorgeous bright orange drill from the stash...

... and I even had the perfect complementary lining fabric on hand.... 'twas meant to be.

Oh, and doesn't Emma have fabulous taste in fabric colours (as they completely match mine *ahem*)!

Banishing the UFO pile - Specimen One

I've seen quite a few crafty peeps confessing their *UFO sins in the past few days, and considering there was another day of hibernation from the heat on the cards yesterday, I thought I should join in.


But, I didn't want to just join in and show you what was unfinished, I wanted to take the opportunity to finish them!

I'm hereby introducing you to specimen one - a dodgy bag for my mum.

I think I started making this bag in about 2006. It was while I was still working full time, and trying to work out how things were constructed. I wasn't using any reference materials or patterns at all.

I made the outer shell from a skirt that I'd picked up at the oppy, and the lining is some fabric from the Spotty remnant bin.

At this point, I had zero clue about straight grain/bias grain, or fabrics that had some stretch, or how to join a bag outer shell and an inner lining together. So when I found it still lying in the UFO pile, it was a bag outer which was sort of cut on the bias, and an inner lining using a cotton fabric with a slight stretch, and I'd already attached a magnetic snap to the lining, after sewing a piece of vinyl to the back to add some strength. Can you tell that I was just making it up as I went along?

Notice that I didn't even bother changing the thread colour either!

When I found it yesterday, I could have just chosen to throw it in the bin, but I think it's a perfect lesson to illustrate that anyone can learn to sew, and with lots of practice and perserverance, you can only get better and better!

So after sewing together my mismatched outer shell and lining, and making a new adjustable strap with some lovely antique brass hardware, I can now pass along the dodgy *OFMM bag when I go to Colac tomorrow.

The best thing is that my mum won't take any notice of the dodgy bits, she'll love it anyway!

*Un-Finished Object.... thankfully not Unidentified Flying Object
*OFMM - Only for my mum

A Summer A-Line

 

I probably should have ironed it before taking photos, but it's waaaay too hot!

While hibernating from this horrid Melbourne heat yesterday, I thought I'd take the opportunity to tick something off my 'to do' list.

I'd promised a friend that I'd make her an a-line skirt, so I grabbed Nikki's A-Line Skirt pattern from the stash, and then started searching for Carly's measurements that I'd written on a notepad... somewhere.... before my latest clean up!

Alas, my search yielded nothing nadda zilch!

So, never one to waste an opportunity, I decided to make one for myself instead.

I've had this fabric in the stash for at least four years. I bought it from Spotty because I loved how the pattern is printed along the selvedge on both sides.

I used a plain balck cotton drill for the waist section as there was no way that I was going to be able to match up the pattern, and I actually like the way that it adds a bit of definition (I also love the way that the interfaced waist and facing section holds my tummy in)!

The only problem with the fabric is that the white section at the top is a bit see through, so tomorrows mission is to buy some lining fabric from spotty and add it to the inside.

Here's hoping that it's cool enough to leave the house for that!

A backwards step

Now that the whole Christmas/New Year shebang is over for another year, I can take a step backwards with some handmade christmas pressies.

I had these little square panels printed aaaaaages ago and they've been sitting in the stash just waiting for a project.

All printed from from my original hand drawn illustrations......  as you can tell from the wonkiness of Pacman.

I just overlocked the edges and made them into simple unlined zippers pouches. One for each of my older nephews (to hold their iTunes vouchers), and the Owl for Little Miss (in her favourite colour).

The funniest thing about the Pacman pouch, was watching the boys on Christmas Eve and waiting to see how long it took for them to work out what it was. First guess was Space Invaders......

Oh Galaga, Pacman, Donkey Kong and Frogger. How I miss thee.

Bring on 2012 and Fill it with Colour and Music and Coffee....

 

Happy New Year from me and Mr Limpy Houdini Dog!

Goodbye 2011.... I'm not sad to see you go.

1. Bunting 4, 2. flying ducks wip, 3. Biancas handbag 1, 4. Edna 1, 5. Dress1 2, 6. Go Granny Cotton - 3, 7. Becs Cushion 1, 8. Go granny blue, 9. Treasure bags, 10. Dress 1, 11. Granny shade - evening, 12. Couch, 13. iphone pouches, 14. WA Bag 2, 15. chooky cushion 3, 16. Beads 1, 17. Red Brooch 1, 18. Cloth doll - dress, 19. Teatowel bag , 20. Brooches, 21. Flowerpress tea towel bag 1, 22. Dolly apron dress front, 23. Doiley skirt 2, 24. Desert Island - blue and yellow, 25. CurlyPops 5, 26. Pocket mirrors 2, 27. humphrey 3, 28. Texta Roll - owl - close up, 29. Kitchenaid Cover 1, 30. T-shirt quilt finished 1, 31. Shell close up, 32. Apron 1, 33. Connors pencilcase close up, 34. CurlyPops 1, 35. In Full Bloom 4, 36. Ruffle Skirt 2

Thank goodness 2011 is over. It really has been my annus horribilus. I don't like to whinge and whine in this space, but seriously, this year had quite a few sucky bits!

A New Years Day ambulance trip and a week in hospital,  another few days in hospital having lots of horrible tests,  and eventually being listed for transplant....

There were various battles over medical funding with both federal and state beauracracy.......... and then there was that false alarm....

Just for my own amusement, I'm going back to the list that I made at the start of the year to see what I managed to tick off.

• Stay out of hospital (that one actually is my number one priority)! (half tick)
• Have more fun (half tick)
• Work on more illustrations (half tick)
• Work on more textile art pieces (half tick)
• Apply to take part in a group exhibition (gold star - I took part in 2 this year)
• Indulge more in my love of eating lunch at nice cafes (gold star)
• Remember that exercise is a necessary evil (half tick - I haven't missed many PR sessions)
• Spend more time properly planning meals and cooking for myself (fail - no interest in cooking)
• Experiment with more coffee blends and make a shortlist of my favourites (half tick)
• Procrastinate less (have decided that procrastination is actually part of my creative process)
• Remember that me time on the couch watching trashy tv is good for my soul (half tick)
• Improve my writing skills (fail)
• De-clutter more of my life (gold star)

Overall, I'm pretty happy with that list of things.

There's no list for this year - living in limbo, and waiting for a phone call that will change your life forever sort of negates the need for any forward planning. I'm not going to indulge/frustrate my inner control freak by making plans that I know I can't keep.

Instead, here's a teeny tiny little look back at some really amazing stuff that happened in 2011.

• The Hottie Challenge
• Cosmo Magazine Fun Fearless Female Nomination in the blogging category
• The release of my Go Granny fabric printed right here in Melbourne (and it was the inaugural Frankie & Swiss order).

Looking back through my flickr stream, I can see that even with the sucky bits, I really managed to achieve a lot.

So, it's hooray to a brand new fresh year. Hopefully a year that will bring me some new lungs..... and a brand new lease on life!

Forty

I forgot the camera so I only have an iPhone snap

It was my sister's birthday yesterday, and a very special one at that!

I don't bake these days, but lucky for me, I know someone who is an exceptionally talented baker and cake maker....

I asked Cathie to make a chocolate mud cake with chocolate ganache, and OMG it was absolutely delicious.

The boys loved the decorative stars, and even sang a special rendition of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' before we all joined in to sing Happy Birthday.

She received a new Kindle for Christmas so I made a Kindle Sleeve to protect it while it's in her handbag.

Happy Birthday Rach!