scratch ‘n’ sniff |

I recently attended my 20 year school reunion and prior to the night we were sent a reply form in which we were asked slightly awkward questions like “What are your plans for the future?”. I ummed and ahhed and eventually, resisting the urge to write “scale Everest and achieve 3 alcohol-free nights per week”, I wrote something inoffensive like “travel and enjoy watching my girls grow”. But when it came to the question “Memories of school” I had no such hesitation. Two things loomed large in my memory: hot cheese buns and scratch ‘n’ sniff stickers in our song books.

Yep, I might not be able to remember a SINGLE thing I learned in maths nor the dates of the exquisite Edo period in Japan, but I can recall the smell of a bubblegum scratch ‘n’ sniff sticker on the inside cover of one of my books like it was yesterday.

So when I was planning my Christmas in July snowflake and cinnamon extravaganza, I knew cinnamon-scented cards would be fab as invitations. And while these cards aren’t your traditional scratch-it-with-your-fingernail variety they do release a scent if you shake the card little and scratch the fabric. Then again, what doesn’t? I think a brick would release some kind of smell if you shook it and then scratched it. But back to the cards…

What you need:

Note the piece of very fine muslin sitting just behind the paper punch. It is cut to a square just a fraction smaller than one half of the red card.

What to do:

1.Cut card to rectangle in desired size, fold in half and then unfold.

2.Punch snowflakes only on one half of the card.

3. Lay muslin (or any nearly transparent but finely woven fabric) on top of card where you have punched flakes. Punching snowflakes sounds a bit violent to me. Something evil Christmas elves might do. So let’s not do too much of that.

4. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

5. Fold red card in half so that fabric and cinnamon is sandwiched between red card and then holding red card horizontal all the while, lay it on your white card and then stitch around the entire red square.

6. Shake it. Scratch it. Krump it up a little.

Here’s another version using dried lavender.

You can just make out the lavender bits in this close up.

For this one I sewed a little pouch and then taped it (inelegantly) into the interior of the card as I just wasn’t digging the stitching around the image in this case (read: I totally lost my sewing mojo today).

Now I don’t want you to get me wrong. I’m not one of those freaks who need to smell everything. No, that would be my husband. He feels the need to smell the most unlikely things; concert tickets, camera straps, light bulbs. You know, things ordinary folk like you and me wouldn’t necessarily be compelled to sniff. Yep, totally freaky. Unlike me. Who makes cards that smell. That’s totally normal.

As is what this genius has done: raised funds to create an entire scratch ‘n’sniff book about New York City. And yes, I do want to smell New York sewer steam.

The end.

Okay, now onto three more things I need to tell you.

First, I’ve done so much crafty stuff over the last little while that I want to share here that I’m almost paralysed by the sheer volume. I’ve been trying to organise things into some semblance of order and continuity by making lists of what I want to post about but the list itself is so long it threatens to paralyse me again. So I am just going to plunge in and post. Lots of stuff. So if things seem a bit random or disjointed (eg, Christmas cards in August…WTD*?), I apologise. I’m trying to overcome my inner need for order. Slowly but surely I am getting there. But no matter how hard I try, it still shits me royally when the bed skirt gets caught up and doesn’t sit properly. Some things simply can’t be cured.

*WTD = what the dickens. An oft-heard phrase in the twirling betty household. Has been used to replace my far too liberal use of the well-known WTF and has the added bonus of amusing me enormously when Sophia (age 6 now [insert denial here]) says something like: “A camel can store water in its hump for months? What the dickens?”.

Much like Justin Timberlake did with sexy, I’m bringing “what the dickens” back. Join me.

Second: You might recall my earlier post about being filmed for the fabulous series Made by Hand which has been screening weekly on Channel 31.

I’ve just loved every episode and have made a list of places to visit in Melbourne as a result, including Wilkins and Kent furniture makers , Reverse Art Truck and Northcote Pottery. The episode I am in is screening tomorrow night, Wednesday at 8.30pm AEST on Channel 31 and will be available from 9pm on the website.

To be honest, I am feeling a bit nervous. Which is so silly because I’m anticipating my contribution will be about 30 seconds of a 20 minute episode as I’m there to chat about how I sell in Australia, ie on Made It, rather than what I make and sell. But it’s just the anticipation of wondering how I’ll come across on tv. What if I seem like a bit of a dick? What if what seemed like well-crafted but spontaneous answers at the time, come across as trite rubbish. What if….what if….my double chin is magnified to horrific proportions?

To get the answers to all these ‘what ifs’ and draw your own conclusions you’ll have to tune in. Eeek.

The third order of business is the auction that’s going on over here. You might remember Jenni’s ADORABLE girls from this post on little people rocking twirling betty visors on the other side of the world. Jenni’s girls are the ones with hilarious hair before and perfectly groomed hair under twirling betty visors after.

Jenni is raising money to fund the adoption of her niece, Norah. Jenni’s sister Carrisa, passed away in a heart-breakingly sudden way and left behind her dear little daughter Norah, now 2 years old. Jenni and her husband took Norah into their care and have now decided to cement Norah’s place in their family by formalising her adoption. But it costs a BUNDLE to do that. So they’re trying to raise $1,500.

By contributing just $10 towards Norah’s adoption, you go into the draw to win one of three beautiful packages of goodies brimming with things donated by crafty people. Bundle 3 has my contribution: a visor and some bunting cards. So pop on over and donate if you’re inclined. Jenni and her husband are inspiring people and little Norah and her cousin, Maya, Jenni and Brett’s firstborn daughter, really are the cutest little possums. Please do note that the competition is only open to US residents. But you can donate no matter where you are in the world.

And…………..scene.