Crochet a pudding warmer

Our first edition of Amelia (Winter 2014) includes a delicious recipe for a Golden Syrup Pudding baked in a jar (for subscription information, look at the column on the left!). What a yummy treat for a winter afternoon, sitting snuggly in a sunny spot and warming up holding this in your hands (and enjoying eating it, too!).

To help keep it warm (and keep your hands from getting too hot if this has just come out of the oven) we have a cute little warmer for your jar that you can crochet. You could use this around a cup, too! 


You will find the instructions here to download. If you have not done any crocheting before, that's fine! There are instructions for crocheting basics here to download, also.

Happy crocheting!

How well can you keep your craft tidy and organised?

It's so nice being able to do craft when you want to and enjoy having time to be creative, isn't it? While it's wonderful to enjoy this, there is some responsibility that goes along with it.

Your mum really doesn't need extra work in cleaning up after you do craft. Keeping your craft area organised, putting things away when you have finished and leaving it clean are so helpful and really show you can be responsible, organised and show initiative.

The little servant girl in Naaman's house must have been very responsible, organised, clean and tidy, as she was listened to by Captain Naaman. What she did around the house must have been part of her showing God's love to Naaman and his family.

Why don't you try showing God's love in your home today by being helpful and responsible?

(If you'd like to read more about the servant girl, have a look in a bible in 2 Kings 5:1-27)

Get organising your craft!

It's coming up close to holidays here. Do you have something special planned for your holidays? Our holidays, amongst other things, inevitably end up with some sort of major bedroom clean-up, and of course, some craft! Do your craft supplies need some organising? Here are some tips and a free printable to help you get ready to do lots of craft, hassle-free, during the holidays!

Grab mum and get her to give you a hand. Mum's are really good at giving advice on how to store things, what things to keep or throw out, or just to label containers. It's also a great chance to have some time just with mum. I'm sure it will make mum really happy to see you taking some responsibility with keeping your things tidy and organised! (there's a little card on the printable sheet, mum, that you can give your young girl as a thank you for her hard work!)

• Find or buy some boxes, recycled tin cans, pencil cases or trays that you could use to store your craft things in
• Make sure your bedroom is tidy to start with, because you will need some clear, tidy space to spread out on!
• Take out all of your craft things, and set up the storage boxes and containers on the floor so they are easy to get to, and have a rubbish bin or plastic bag close by to put rubbish in
• Print off the free printable, cut out the labels and attach them to the appropriate storage containers. You could laminate them or print on cardboard so they are more durable. Try attaching them with pegs, or sticky tape and ribbon, or even blu-tac (if you think you might change your mind!)

• Start sorting through your craft items - check that textas work (if they don't throw them out), if you have craft things that are too 'young' for you, are ruined, or you don't think you'll ever use them, throw them out or set them aside to give away to a friend or the local charity organisation
• As you sort, put things in the new storage containers
• When you've done that, find a place to put your storage containers. You might like them out on a desk or shelf so you can easily use them, or you might prefer to put them on shelves in a cupboard so you don't have too much clutter!

Well done! Stand back at look at all you've achieved! Give mum a great, big hug and thank her for helping you. Take a moment to be proud of yourself and give yourself a pat on the back! Now you can do craft to your heart's content (when you're allowed to, of course!) and know where everything is and it will be easy to use (but, remember to pack it away in its right place when you're finished)! 

Click here to download your free printable!

What does your mum get up to?

Have you ever wondered what your mum gets up to during the day? Mums have so much they do - whether they work outside your home, work at home, or are a wonderful stay-at-home mum.

Why don't you stop and take a moment to think of all the things your mum does - much of it for her family . . . washing, cooking, cleaning, tidying, paying the bills, organising things for school, groceries, helping with homework or music practice, driving you to and watching you at music lessons or sport, being home to greet you with a smile when you get home, listening to what you did with your day. 
Reading A Day In The Life of Amelia Magazine would give my kids an insight as to what one of my days might look like. 
Even more than that, your mum would also . . . listen to you talk about the not-so-good parts of your day, encourage you when your courage fails, snuggle with you, hold you when you cry, mend your injuries, feel your pain when you are sad and hurting, pray for you, think of what she can do to make your life nicer, happier, more peaceful . . . the list could go on.

God gave us mums because He knows just what we need. He thought they are so important, He made sure His son, Jesus, had a loving mother here on earth.

I think a lot of mums know just how special they are, because they know something very special - you are not just her child, but you are one of God's children, too - one of His daughters (or sons - if there are any girls sharing this with their brothers!). Your mum knows she is a care-taker, if you like, of one of the greatest treasures God has created - you. And that makes her job just that much more important to her.

As kids, you probably never before thought of how special that makes your mum. Why don't you hop of the computer, give her a great, big hug, and tell her just how special she is to you!

A day in the life of Amelia Magazine!

Have you ever wondered how an Amelia Magazine is put together? We thought you might like a little look at what goes on at Amelia Magazine! Sometimes it can be interesting to see 'behind the scenes'. There is a lot to do to get a magazine ready for you lovely girls to read.

As editor, a fair bit of my work can be done at night time, but there are some parts that have to be done during the day. So, between being a mum to three kids, and a teacher, I set aside a good bit of a couple of days a week (or try to anyway, when I'm not running kids to appointments, picking up Grandmas from plane trips - just ask your mum - she'd be able to tell you all the sorts of things she has to juggle things around!).

Are you ready to spend a day with me? Here we go!

I start off every day with reading my Bible and special prayer time. I ask God to show me what He wants me to get done with my day, to guide me with all that I do, and to give me wisdom in all things (as well as other things I pray for, of course. What are some things you pray for each morning?).

Then there are the usual things with getting my kids ready to go to school! I often don't do anything during this time except get the kids ready!

8.00 am - While juggling those last minute rushes to get the kids out the door to the bus, I send an email to our graphic designer. I had an edited article to send through to her, to put in our second edition of our first issue

8.15 am - Yeah! Kids are off to school, hubby has gone to work, now to more of my typical 'mother' things - unpack tents from camping, etc

9.00 am - Drop the cat off at the vet's

9.30 am - Washing, give the kitchen a clean - you know, more typical 'mother' things!

9.45 am - Aahh! At last . . . I'm able to work on Amelia! On the plan for today - a number of photo shoots, and a play with a new craft! 

So, to start with I need to prepare for the first photo shoot of the day - dolls for an article. I need to find the dolls I would like to use, make sure they're as clean as possible (they are much loved and some are quite old - one is over 30 years old!), and collect all the other bits and pieces I think I might use. Then, take it all out into my backyard near the veggie patch to take photos.

10.40 am - Well, that's done! (just need to put some washing on the line!). Go upstairs to check the photos and make notes of any new or different photos I want to take, and then I head back outside to take a few more photos!

Time to pack it all away now! It's always a good habit to get into putting things away as soon as you've finished with them - saves things getting messy and un-organised!

11.15 am - Have a look at those extra photos, while having my 'recess' (morning tea!)

11.20 am - That was a quick break! More photos - this time of silver cleaning!

11.45 am - Doily colouring photo shoot!

12.05 am - It's getting quite cold - stop and have a hot cuppa!

12.10 am - Time to play! Having a play with an upcycle craft possibly for a future issue of Amelia!

2.00 pm - Well, back to being a mum! Time to go for a walk and then do all of the after-school things like music practices, homework, but most of all, catching up with my beautiful children and spending the afternoon with them!

Amelia is so much fun, and as much as it is hard work at times, I love spending time on the magazine and all the other bits that go along with it! Maybe another time, I'll share with you a day when we do something different here at Amelia Magazine!

Be brave!

Did you know you have been called to be brave? courageous? strong? firm? They can be pretty hard to do, right? It can seem like a really big thing and that can be overwhelming.

My daughter has started a new school this year. Have you ever started at a new school? Was it hard to settle in? Don't get me wrong, she loves the school. But, it is difficult to make new friends. You can (and probably want to!) keep your friends from your old school but it is nice to have friends at the school you go to, as well. There is plenty of love in the world to share!

Well, her teacher from last year reminded her of a verse in the Bible that calls us to be brave. Not only does it all us to be brave, but loving and sensible, too. You know, anything is possible with God living in your heart. Wow!! Think of what you could do if you were bold, loving, and sensible! You could make a real difference in the world around you. And it would make a real difference in YOU as well.

Give it a try! Pray to God that He will help you to be BOLD, LOVING and SENSIBLE! You can print of this free printable poster and hang it in your room, the hallway (or even in the bathroom!) so that every time you see it, you will remember that God will help you to be brave! 

Click here to download your free printable!

The beauty of history!

I have this lovely, old, silver-coated tray that I picked up at an op-shop nearly 20 years ago! While I was re-arranging and setting up the studio, I found it again, sitting on top of a cupboard.

As I held it, I wondered if I should actually complete it's journey with me and send it back to an op-shop (or even throw it out!)! It was covered with rust spots coming through, some other odd marks and was rather tarnished. You could imagine where a vase or cup might have sat for a long time. I certainly couldn't use it if I was having a tea party - maybe, I could get away with it for a vintage one at a pinch.

Having seen on pinterest the idea of using a tray as a magnetic board hung on the wall, it occurred to me that it could be rather handy, like that, but would need to be pained to cover up its 'oddities'! But it is also beautiful being 'silver'! Cleaning it up might remove enough rust and tarnish to make it serviceable, so I tried that.

It was amazing how shiny parts of it turned out to be! I could actually use it as a mirror - a marked, scratchy mirror in spots, but shiny enough all the same. I would be a shame to paint over something so beautifully shiny! There was a beauty about it even with all its spots that showed it age!

My mind turned to ageing (something you young girls are probably not thinking of yet, but your mum might be!). I'm a mum and I'm starting to see wrinkles on my face, which I'm of two minds about. I don't want to start looking old, but as I get older, I realise that I'm not super young anymore anyway!

You know, our wrinkles, freckles, scars, tell a story of our history, just like the scratches and rust spots on my tray do. They show the laughter, the smiles, the squinting . . . that has been on that face. And there is a beauty in that - seeing someone's life on their face.

What would someone see about your life on your face? Would they see the dimples of your joyful face, perhaps a chicken-pox scar, or freckles coming out from a summer spent outside? Would they see eyes wide with wonder and full of love?

Next time you see an older person, rather than think of their wrinkles, how about you try to see their history in their face. What a wonderful God-given gift to be able to see!