In the bag.

Wanted to give you a little heads up about a cool competition that is being run over at Camera Couture this month - They are giving away an instax mini camera, instax film and a designer camera bag. HOLLER!

The camera bag they are giving away is the Gracie Mint - which even has space for your iPad. It's the same company as the designer camera bag that I have (above). I really love mine and it's so awesome being able to take out your camera in a bag that doesn't make you feel like you're part of the mafia.

 

To enter the comp, you have to write a list on the Camera Couture Facebook page -  about all the things you would keep in your camera bag. Or you can tweet them @Cameracouture or even whack up a list on your own blog - but make sure you let them know.

Below is what I used to keep in my camera bag when I was back in Korea - 

But right now, if I had to streamline it -

I'd stock it up with -

• My Canon SLR and lenses obvs. Plus Instax, wide angle camera and film.
• A magical self-replenishing wallet.
• A tub of hand cream - because I'm very old and mature now.
• A few negative calorie chocolate bars. Because, SNACKS.
• A few bricks so that I can carry my camera bag AND get my arm workout in. Winning. #gym
• The winning lotto ticket. And also tickets to all the festivals in the world.
• Handy fold-up tent, Festivals. See above.
• lip balm, sunscreen.
• And my LUCKY PINK RABBIT!

Just kidding guys - 

My rabbit is purple.

For more details see the Camera Couture Blog or hit up their Facebook page.

{Giveaway} WINNER! Consol Glass

A little while ago I received a lovely package from Consol Glass complete with amazing glass jars and bottles of all sizes, stripey paper party straws and lovely little cocktail umbrellas to make tropical cocktails. I ran a cocktail competition for a glass hamper giveaway - you can read about my cocktail: Santa's sneaky sleigh sipper here.

I would love to give you all a Consol Hamper - cause they are so awesome, but unfortunately there can only be one winner -

Beverley Johnston and her Lickable Lemon cocktail
which includes lemongrass, pineapple, sprite zero and crushed mint leaves.
Lemongrass makes me think of thailand... so fragrant and delish!
Don't those ingredients just make you want to test run this yummy drink!
(You can actually find her full recipe on the indieBerries facebook page)

I had some awesome entries so just wanted to share a few with you in case you needed any cocktail inspiration -
Cherry Cranberry Beer Margaritas  - from Claire Kirkman
A "healthy" version of a White Russian (milk, kahlua, vodka and ice-cream)  - from Georgie H
A Pimms concotion with mint and Strawberries  - from Dhesh
Liquid Glass with rum, pineapple and ginger ale - from Zai Khan
And some Christmas cocktail specials (below)  - from Cleverbird



Thank you all for your entries and you can keep up to date with any other Consol Giveaways by liking their facebook page. They currently have some awesome Valentines Day glass ideas  -

pretty ne?

As a little something extra, Consol have come out with a Glass Inspiration Digital Magazine - which is packed full of awesome Glass DIYs and other inspiring things to make and do with glass. You can download a copy here.

AND! Something even more awesome - Consol have also come out with a range of  downloadable printables - all those gorgeous labels you see on those glass jars? You can download a variety of them here ranging from gift tags, fathers day tags, lid decals (my personal fave) to cake bunting and envelopes. They are all so gorgeous - and there are a couple of designs for each category. Definitely download them all right now!

(And Guess what Warren is getting for Valentines day? lol)

{giveaway} glass

After seeing the Consol giveaway - One of my friends sent me a pic of her Christmas pressies - yummy biscuits in glass jars with blackboard paint. This type of glass jar is such thoughtful gift packaging because after chowing down on all the delicious treats, the recipient can keep the jar to be filled with anything they choose.

You could fill a glass jar with any kind of small present - any crafter or seamstress would I'm sure LOVE to get a jar like this filled with pretty buttons (or pens or washi tape!!) or to kids filled with farm animals or mini action figures. Or send one to a golfer filled with golfballs and golf tees. 

I am currently running a giveaway with Consol Glass - they are giving away a hamper of glass goodies which is absolutely amazing! You can read about and enter the giveaway here. Good luck!

{Giveaway!} Consol Glass Party Hamper

Was super spoilt the other day when a huge package arrived for me from Consol Glass filled with all kinds of awesome goodies that are perfect for holiday entertaining!

The package is filled with a bunch of cocktail party umbrellas, lovely paper straws (my current obsession) and of course a whole host of cool glass jars for you to concoct your own fancy cocktails in. Imagine hosting an epic festive cocktail party where all your guests are drinking from different glass jars and bottles - FUN!  (or... if it was me... I'd have a glass jar decor station where guests can jazz-up-their-jars with cocktail umbrellas, doilies, ribbon or heck... even a whack of glitter glue! But, that's just me.)

The consol hamper also includes a really cool 2013 calendar which has so many different pics and ideas of things to do with your glass jars - right from the "traditional" (jars filled with jams and pickled things) to the more "modern" (jars filled with delicious cocktails or jars filled with golf balls and golf tees - to gift to a golfing fan)

I got so excited about this little hamper that I started planning some Christmas party things -
First I decided to experiment with a little Christmas cocktail -
I call it:

Santa's Sneaky Sleigh-Sipper
2 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup cranberry juice
1 cup vodka
1 cup soda water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup syrup (or to taste)

Mix it all in a big punch bowl and serve up in your glass jars -

I "garnished" mine with a red ribbon and a Candy Cane.

I also froze some dried cranberries into some ice blocks which I popped into the jars when they were ready - it's a nice touch because by the time you get to the end of your drink, you're left with some cocktail infused cranberries. yum.

There are so many awesome things to do with these glass containers (I'm really not just saying that because Consol gave me an awesome hamper). I got a bit carried away with all the Christmas planning and have decided to use these blackboard chalk jars as cute name place cards for our Christmas dinner - 

(would also be very handy for name cards at a wedding - and they would double as a very cool wedding favour filled with treats.... mmm....)

NOW it's YOUR TURN!

The lovely folk at Consol have given me a party hamper just like this one to give away on indieBerries. (and seriously, you want this hamper!)

How to enter:
To enter, leave a comment on this post or on the indieBerries facebook page telling me the name of a cocktail you would create to put in these jars and an ingredient that you would put in your cocktail. You can be as creative as you like! (You can also have a look at the Consol Facebook page for some cocktail inspiration!)

The competition is open to South African readers and it closes on the 5 January 2013.

(what a good way to welcome in the new year!)

ALSO - Consol is giving away 12 Mixology Parties for you and your mates - All you have to do, to win an entire party, is head over to their facebook page and send in a pic of yourself enjoying a drink  from a glass bottle/jar before 10 January 2013. The first round of judging is based on reader votes - so get your friends involved!

I will be posting a few more cocktail ideas and glass loveliness in the next few days - so stay posted. x

Art Unlimited.

I've been in love with postcards for as long as I can remember. I think it started when we went on our first international holiday to Australia as a family (way back when) and I was forced encouraged to write postcards to all my friends and family back in South Africa. When I came across the Postsecret website - A website where strangers mail postcards to a man named Frank in the USA and every week he publishes a select random few - I was hooked on postcards. (You can read about my strange Postsecret encounter here).

Anyway, I digress...

I was contacted a few weeks ago by Art Unlimited - an art company based in the Netherlands who offered me some Postcards as a giveaway/DIY. (yay!!!!). The added bonus of this art shop is that they are  based online and sell to 35 different countries. You can shop by artists and photographers, product categories (postcards, posters, stationery, calendars etc) or by a topic/subject (ie vintage, nudes etc). I gave them free reign and asked them to please send me "anything black and white".

Here's a little peak at what I did with them - it's super fun, super easy, super awesome and if you win the giveaway at the end of this post - it's super free too. (If you don't win the giveaway - you can always order some postcards online here!) Woop!

Since I had a stash of awesome black and white postcards from Art Unlimited, I printed out some black and white pics off our home printer - to keep with the neutral-toned scheme and started to fit the black and white pictures together with the postcards to make a little black and white headboard for our bed. Start in one corner and fit them together like a puzzle. It's usually easier to cut your own photos (esp if they are computer printed - so use your own pictures as kind of "fillers" between the postcards.) Make sure you vary the portrait/landscape ratio to keep it interesting.
i LOVE the random mix of black and white pics - I think my fave so far is the bedraggled cat. lols. He is the one that's right next to the union jack pillow (that warr bought me - after my obsessive-pillow-posting).

It's really fun to have the mix of personal pics and fun postcards mixed up together because you really have to look closely to pick out which is which. ha

 
This is such a fun and easy project to do and it can work well for any space in your house or any kind of feature wall. You could get some awesome vintage-themed postcards off the site and make an awesome feature wall like the one above (via apartment therapy)
Or if you want something less cluttered more colour-pop, you could opt for some modern/cubist style prints. Another cool feature of the Art Unlimited site, is that you can specify if you would like the postcards/posters to be portrait or landscape in your search  - which definitely helps when you are making a "puzzle" type wall.

Thanks to Art Unlimited, I have a bundle of 15 black and white postcards to give away to an indieBerries reader - so you can go and create your own fun headboard. Alternatively, these postcards are awesome for scrapbooking, art journalling, making postcard books, turning into wallpaper or just sending them off to a friend. How about some of these awesome heart postcards: this one, this one, this one to make a big mushy lovey-dovey collage.

Ok, I'll stop.

To enter the giveaway  - please leave your name and a comment below - or you can write a wall post on the indieBerries facebook page. Winner announced next Wednesday.

Software Winner

The Winner of the My Memories Software giveaway - 

is Claudia :) 

Congrats - 

Will be in touch for how to claim your prize :)

winner - consol glass

Here is the draw for the Consol R500 glass voucher giveaway -
Excuse the video - I'm sitting on the floor in a pile of my own trash photo-booking/art-journaling, I had a false start on the video and my hand also got stuck inside the jar. Enjoy.



Congrats to Fiona Rossiter! I'll be in touch for the voucher details :)

buttons buttons

Today I want to share a quick and easy button DIY. Actually, this DIY comes from my crafty friend Laura - she made this little arrangement for me as a pretty "just because" gift.  It's the perfect alternative to flowers - because they are bright, fun, easy to make and they never die. (high-five immortality.)

I wanted to take some pictures of the DIY process - but then I realised that I can't find my camera SD card. (Currently I'm dealing with "room-of-doom" and i hope i have not accidentally thrown out the SD card in a pile of sneakily disguised papers. Ahem, at times i can be quite possession-retarded.) Anyway, no snaps of the DIY process - but since it's such a quick and easy one - I thought a little cartoon would suffice:

What you need:

• variety of buttons
• florist wire or thin wire
• glass bottle
• ribbon (optional)

just like this:

et voila!

Thanks Lolo for the lovely button flower tutorial. (Laura is my crafting muse so if anyone follows my boards on pinterest - they may as well just follow Laura because I basically just pin everything she does. lol.)

Also, in honour of international glass week, I am currently running a giveaway for a R500 voucher from Consol glass - that you can use to buy glass jars, candlestick holders, glass decor, glass bottles (like the one in this DIY) and other glass goodies.

You can enter the awesome voucher giveaway here

winner will be announced on Monday :)

*clink clink*