The Blogcademy: Mind Explosion.

Just under two weeks ago, I attended The Blogcademy workshop at Curtain Road Studios in London. After two jam-packed days, I left with a head exploding with knowledge, inspiration and turquoise rainbow sparkles.

As if the promise of exploding-brains isn't enough to get you to The Blogcademy - the awesome goodie bags - filled with headbands, cutesy-kitsch hairclips, solid reading material, sparkly ears, yummy treats, gorgeous bracelets, glittery star necklaces and ceramic tweet badges will make you feel like you've gotten your money's worth before the class has even started. The studio decor and flowers alone are enough to bring any blogger into a frothing instragramming frenzy.

I actually won "best overall instagram" for the video I made below - 

I won a "Blogcademy- I have to instagram this" phone cover -

it's pretty epic.

and Just LOOK! at my phone sitting right there next to Kat and Gala's -
am TOTES in the gang.

Over the two days there is so much information and knowledge that is poured onto you - it's like a rain-shower of glittery wisdom. At the end of the first day, it's quite hard to tell whether you are learning anything at all because you barely have a second to actually take it all in. I found that it's only once I have had time to sit alone at home, with my scrawled notes, my own ideas and the application of that knowledge to my own blog that I've realised how much I have learnt.


There are a few mantras, ideas and bits of information that have really stuck out for me in The Blogcademy teachings. In order to keep myself inspired (in the days, weeks and months away from The Blogcademy) I have made myself some little "reminder mantras", printed them out and stuck them on the wall next to my computer:





If you attended The Blogcademy and would like a little reminder of these mantras, (or if you didn't attend The Blogcademy {you should} and would like a little tease of "the goodness") I have made these into some printable downloads that you can stick up next to your computer. Because I'm nice like that.

Above Left: Shannon from SLR Photography, Me and Cat from Insanely Loving Life (launching soon).

Apart from the good tips and sound blogging advice, The Blogcademy is the perfect platform for meeting and networking with other bloggers, creatives and freelancers who are inspiring in their goals of making it for themselves. I am so excited to watch their blogging journey's.

What is the main thing that I learnt from The Blogcademy?

Surprisingly, the main thing that I got out of The Blogcademy wasn't good SEO practise, or how to write killer content, or tips for social media usage or even good advice for blog monetisation -although these topics were covered and I have 34 pages of scribbled notes to show for it. At the end of the day, it wasn't the blogging tips that have made this course so invaluable to me - the main thing I have taken from The Blogcademy is a sense of renewed self confidence. The belief that if these three mega babes are doing it - their way, their rules, their own career paths that they are carving out for themselves - then I can do it too. It is possible, it can be done - and there I am, mingling with the proof.



Kat: Made it.
Shauna: Made it.
Gala: Made it.
Ché: ERRRRHHHMAAAAGERRRRHD!!! ME TOOOOO!!!

No worry, we'll get there.

(Side Note: MUST. learnt the art of "staying cool")

Over the next few weeks and months, there are going to be some changes that I'm testing out on little indieBerries - My new website design is in the process of being coded and you can look forward to some new regular features and social media changes - which I will be telling you about this coming week!

* * * * * *

To Shauna, Gala and Kat

Thank you so much for the most inspiring and incredible two days. Thank you for picking me as one of your scholarship winners - to let me bask in the awesomeness that you all exude. I feel inspired, motivated and driven to succeed in blogging, in goal setting, in creating and in life in general. Thank you for being brave enough to 'just do it'  - because you've inspired us all to do it, too.

Eternally grateful

Ché
x

Thank you! {and a free printable download}

A little while ago on the blog I asked for everyone to complete a quick survey - so that I can get a better idea of what you all like about indieBerries, what you want to see more of and why you keep coming back. It was really insightful and some of your answers and extremely kind words made me almost a bit teary. (I'm serious).

I promised free bananas for all those who completed it

and I have subsequently run out of bananas - 

but for those of you who would like - I designed a set of  business card sized "compliment cards" (like the one above) a few years ago - 

in the time long before my SLR

(can you tell?)

Now, I know this is no substitute for a banana, but they do make lovely additions to any gift wrapping project or for a quick note to hand to someone, or to leave on a pillow, mirror, lunchbox or whatever for someone special to find it.

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You can download a PDF printable set of compliment cards here.

and you can download the .jpg (slightly quicker download) here.
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I also recently posted an easy-peasy tutorial for drawing your own Mickey Mouse, I've had some awesome submissions from readers which I thought I would share - 

Left: Andrea Motley & Right: Janina Oberholzer

Left: Alice Stevenson & Right: Kerry Wickens

And my favourite - "retro Mickey"

from By word of mouth :

Am well impressed with all your Mickey Talent!

If you haven't seen the drawing tutorial - 

give it a bash here.

Happy Thursday x

{Printable} Easter Box Freebie

Easter is fast approaching and things have been crazy with the wedding coming up so soon (6 April!!) I haven't had time to create anything new for Easter this year - but last year I created some printable Easter boxes which you can download print, construct and then fill with whatever tickles your fancy. I filled mine with mini Smartie Eggs and also some boiled eggs for the healthier breakfast-in-bed- version!

 

Included in the Easter box download are some rabbit circle tags which you can use to stick onto jars, eggs or Easter cards, or even to tie up your Easter breakfast cutlery. Because who doesn't want Easter-Egg-n-Bacon-Breakfast-in-Bed served with pretty tied up cutlery?

I also made a very quick and easy tutorial for making this Bunny Rabbit Facecloth which holds an Easter Egg - it's a really nice gift - if you want something that quick easy and practical. And all you need is a facecloth, scooby wire or pipe cleaners, an Easter egg and a couple of elastic bands.

You can read the full blogpost here - 

which also has a link to the free download

Have fun!

Pinterest fail.

I'm an avid fan of Pinterest and I curate a variety of different Pinterest boards - to get inspiration, ideas and links to awesome things. I always have a "silent chuckle" at the people who pin so many crafty things, workouts, dinner meals etc etc and never get around to actually doing them. {side note: I am one of those people who actually does attempt/adapt pinterest DIYs.} 

The other day I  came across an AWESOME link to Pinterest Fails. 

It's freaking lol-tastic - and I suggest that you click this link to check it out.

(I was going to copy it in here - but then i realised that each image was separate and it's already 12:15pm and i didn't feel like staying awake any longer to resize and upload them i was lazy)

But, you should in fact see that list of pinterest fails before you continue on with this blog post.

 * * * * * 

So! I decided to make a batch of SO CUTE AND DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS PINTEREST REINDEERS! for my mom to take to some of the Grade 1s at her school. LIKE SO:

So cute. so delicious. so reindeery. 

Now, as with many pinterest tutorials the link back to the actual tutorial is often missing - so you see a picture and you try and replicate it. There is no handy "DIY instructions" so - for the benefit of anyone attempting the CUTE REINDEER DELICIOUS BISCUITS! I am here to help you and offer some invaluable advice.

Things that went epically wrong during my baking fiasco:
Number 1: "mmm... it looks like those noses are made out of red smarties... mmm.. i don't feel like the hassle of sorting through an entire box of smarties just to find the red and brown ones. Plus that'll take about 200 boxes of smarties to find enough red ones. I'll use this jelly sweet instead and some liquorice- that'll work!" (um, no. no it won't). See how cute they are pre-baking?

oooh... so cute!
Do not be fooled.

Those little red-nosed suckers started bleeding all over the baking tray. Their noses were oozing out their skulls, their eyeballs were popping out their heads. It was a massacre. I felt bad.

Fail Number 2: Not being much of an actual "baker" I decided to make the cookies really nice and BIG so that each kid could get a big fat cookie. It turns out- the particular biscuit recipe I used (and apparently cookie recipes in general) ensures that once in the oven, the cookie mixture spreads like the plague. It will turn your sweet little reindeer into frankendonkeypig-monsters -  Which, is obviously perfect for Halloween. (NB: PIN THIS TUTORIAL IMMEDIATELY FOR OCTOBER.)

The frankendonkeypig-monster. NB Halloween treat.

Anyway, I had a grand ol' lol at myself in the kitchen. Then decided those santa-mushing-cookie-faces were NOT going to defeat me. So i tried again.  

NB: this time, I replaced the red-jelly noses with some red liquorice we had in the cupboard. I also made the cookie bases much smaller which worked better. Definitely the best option would be smarties for the eyes and nose - but after the original cooking fiasco I just wanted to use what we already had at home.

You little sucker-heads.

So here is the round two attempt and I mean, they certainly were not "pinterest quality" But, we all survived. And, I decided to make a little label to quel any confusion.

"mmm, maybe if i put this frankendonkeypig cookie on this label that says "REINDEER" people will

be tricked into thinking it's the  CUTE REINDEER DELICIOUS BISCUIT! Yes, let's do that."

I packaged each frankendonkeypig into a plastic bag and attached a REINDEER label. 

If you would like to attempt to make these  CUTE REINDEER DELICIOUS BISCUITS! and you have a little "fail" feel free to download the 'im-not-a-frankendonkeypig-im-a-reindeer-silly!' cookie labels that I designed in the link below:

Well, the kids liked them.. and, whatever. I have other talents :P

Download the label HERE.

and you can follow my (ambitious) pinterest boards HERE.

The biscuit recipe I used:

BUTTERSCOTCH BISCUITS (i doubled the recipe)
175g marg
1 pkt butterscotch instant pudding mix ( I used caramel)
3 tablespoons corn flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream marg and sugar. Add the egg. Add instant pudding powder (can substitute other flavours) and other ingredients. Mix well . Roll into balls. Press with a fork. Bake at 175'c for 10 mins. 

{Printable: One for the Teachers}

For the end of the year - my mom asked me to make a 2013 calendar for her Grade 1 classs to colour and take home to their parents - I left a bit of a space at the top for each kid to have their photo taken and to stick it to the top of the Calendar. We then laminated the calendars so that you can use a red or black board marker to circle important dates. Here is the calendar:


I didn't get a chance to see any of them once they were fully coloured but i'm sure they came out beautifully :)

and some of the snaps I took of the class - 

(that's my mom in the middle, not a kid ha)

Some of my favourite individual snaps - 

(i didn't have time to edit 100 kid photos so these are all straight out the camera)

and my absolute favourite of all - 

cuteness.

If you would like to download a copy to print and colour and give away as a Christmas gift, you can download the jpg version here and the PDF version here.

Merry Christmas y'all.