Sad Little Garden

June 25, 2008

Busy

Filed under: sustainable living — nzecoworrier @ 10:06 pm

Hoorah! I’ve finally become the kind of person who can do something crafty and then blog about it! (And shout hoorah! a lot apparently. I’ve just read Swallows and Amazons which may explain that one).

Anyway, I’ve come across freezer paper stenciling on a few sites now and wanted to try for a while but because I’m broke I haven’t been able to shell out for fabric paint nor this fancy freezer paper stuff (available in craft shops in NZ). But my mum has let me in on a sneaky secret: the wrapping paper from a ream of photocopy paper will do the trick just as well*. Free! Free and environmentally responsible! Hoorah!

And she also told me I could use ordinary school acrylic paint instead of fabric paint: just paint, alllow to dry and heat set with the iron. I wish I could share photos of my son’s new stag beetle shirt. It looks very cool, and actually very professional. And, can I just say again, free!

I love free craft. I’m planning on doing a lot more – not just “freezer paper” stenciling but anything where I don’t have to spend any money to create something. If you’d like to have a go at the stenciling, these are the best instructions I’ve seen: The Artful Parent.

Photos will come again, I promise.

*it has to be the stuff which has a shiny side. The shiny side will adhear to the fabric when ironed on at cotton setting.

June 13, 2008

Good

Filed under: Uncategorized — nzecoworrier @ 1:12 pm

I spotted a new magazine at the supermarket today and I would have bought it except I’d already filled the grocery budget with more non-perishable items to ease my jittery feelings about the food and oil stuff (etc. etc…) Jittery feelings that were not helped by a sign at the supermarket announcing that due to the world shortage of rice that some of their normal lines would be unavailable, and even though the shelves were still stacked full of bags of rice I couldn’t help feeling like I should be at home planting stuff in the garden*.

Anyway, luckily the new magazine has a website: Good: New Zealand’s Guide to Sustainable Living

Maybe next week I can find the cash to buy it, although I have the feeling I should start a collection of one of the DIY magazines instead. Perhaps something that would teach me how to build my own wind turbine…

*That would be planting the 12 silverbeet seedlings which I impulse bought (hey, $2.95!) and will have to plant in the space I cleared for the garlic! Nevermind, must get onto digging out the new garden bed. And then planting the garlic.

June 3, 2008

Speaking of…

Filed under: garden, sustainable living — nzecoworrier @ 5:11 pm

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