Sneaky Peek...

I have teamed up with RobotMunkey and we have been making some awesome t-shirts! We have been busy little bees and have been designing, screen printing, mixing, cutting, embroidering, and sewing to create some fabaroo stuff. It will all be going in my shop over the next few days, and we still have loads of ideas left to make! Here are a few sneaky peeks at one of the designs...





I hope you like them!

University!

On June 13th 2009, I decided to attend an open day at the University of Cumbria. I was really impressed, and found out about a course which sounds ideal for me, Outdoor Leadership. Problem is, I already have a degree, so finding funding would be tough, and the closing date for applications (the dreaded UCAS form) was June 30th! I had a good think about it, and decided to apply anyway. I finally managed to get my UCAS form in on the deadline. That was stressful!

On Thursday 9th July I got a phone call....I got in!! I start in September!!

At the moment, I am not sure if I will be taking my duct tape with me so I am currently offering free shipping on EVERYTHING in my etsy shop, so please go and check it out!

Slash/Slash Nottingham

What are you doing Saturday 2nd May? I'm going to be having a stall at the Slash/Slash event in Nottingham!

The event is on from 12 noon until 6pm, at the Rescue rooms, Masonic Place, Goldsmith Street in Nottingham. Entry is FREE! I will be there, with my duct tape wallets and bags, and even little Wally will be there to give me a hand!! I will also (hopefully!) have my new hula hoops making their debut appearance!! Get yourself there :)

Check out the Slash/Slash event on their facebook page 

How To Clean and Re-Proof Your Tent

After cleaning and re-proofing too many tents, I realised that there aren't many good, up to date guides on what you're meant to do, so I figured I'd write my own simple and easy to understand guide on How To Clean and Re-Proof Your Tent. If you've just been camping and your tent is wet and muddy, dry it out as soon as possible.

You will need;

• A bucket of water
• A sponge
• A soft brush
• Tent wash or pure non-detergent soap
• Rubber gloves
• Clean but old tea-towels
• Waterproofing products
• Hosepipe
• Good weather
• Washing line

1) Wait until summer.
Now, I know summer might be a long way off, and there are only 2 weeks of good weather anyway, but waiting until summer is usually the best option. Your tent will need to completely dry out, and this could take up to 3 days. Depending on which proofer you use, you may need to let your tent dry twice (taking up almost half of those 2 weeks of summer). Of course, if you really can't wait, you can always check the weather, and hope it's actually right.

2) Pitch your tent, slowly.
If your tent has an outer which you can pitch on it's own, do that. Pitch it slowly so you can check all the seams, joins, stitching, zips, elastic, Velcro, eyelets, poles, guy lines etc. Make any necessary repairs. Remove the guy lines to be washed separately.

3) Wash your tent.
If there are any big clumps of mud, get rid of them using a soft dry brush. Get the hosepipe out and wet the tent. Using a soft sponge, go over the tent, section by section to remove any dirt. If you don't have a hosepipe, a bucket of warm water and a sponge will do. If your tent is being particularly naughty, and insisting on keeping it's muddy stains, you're going to have to tackle it a bit harder. Don't use bleach or any strong detergents, the clever people at Nikwax and Fabsil have developed a tech wash and a Universal Cleaner for cleaning things just like tents. Handy! Follow the instructions on the bottle; dilute in a bucket and apply with a sponge. If you don't have this, or can't be bothered to go and buy it because you are already soaking wet from washing your tent with water, you can also use a non-detergent soap, or 'pure soap' if you happen to have any! Don't forget to wash the inside of the tent too!

4) Rinse.
Get the hose back out, and give the tent a really good rinse. It might take a few gos to get all the soap out, but make sure it's all gone! Leave to dry, preferably in the shade.

It's time for Questions and Answers!

Q. Why can't I just put my tent in the washing machine?
A. Firstly, would your tent actually fit in the washing machine? Secondly, you shouldn't put your tent in the washing machine because it is waterproof. The fabric would get full of water and when it spins, it would put far too much tension on the seams, and you wouldn't want busted seems! Thirdly, unless your washing machine is brand spanking new, it will have bits of detergent and fabric softener left in it. These will all break away the protective coating already on your tent, and we don't want to do that! Although we will be re-proofing the tent, it is best to just 'top up' the original proofing, rather than start from scratch.
However, if you really must fulfill your urge to put your tent in the washing machine, please don't let it spin, clean the drawer out fully before hand, only use a cool wash cycle, and stick some Tech Wash in there too. Happy now? Is your tent OK? Is it?? IS IT??? Mine was :D

Q. My tent is moldy!! Will that wash off?!
A. Eewww! That's what happens when you pack your tent away when it's wet and then leave it, packed away, all wet, I bet you put it next to a radiator too, hoping it would dry out, when really you've just created the perfect breeding ground for mold. Lovely.
Mold and mildew are alive! No matter how much you 'wash' it, it won't be gone unless you actually kill it off (sorry mold & mildew).
This is the ONE and ONLY time you can use BLEACH. Don't go overboard, just dilute a little bleach with some water, and get scrubbing that mold. The bleach will kill the mold & mildew and it should also remove that lovely stain. Wash the area as soon as you're done, don't let the bleach sit there for any longer than it has to. Warning: Bleach might damage the colour of the fabric and it will strip off a lot of it's original protective coating. Prevention is better than treatment. There are also some more natural methods, but bleach kinda works best :)

Back to the tent!!

5) Inspection!
Is your tent all nice and dry? Is it all clean? Inside and out? Is the mold/mildew gone? Yes? Sure? OK.

6) Re-Proofing!
There are many different products on the market for re-proofing your tent. What you are wanting to do, is to waterproof and protect your tent so it is back to being as good as new. Please be aware that not all tents are actually meant to be 100% waterproof, and if your tent has an inner and an outer, you really don't want to be proofing the inner. If your tent has a single skin (i.e. no inner), when you re-proof it, you need to make sure the fabric maintains it's breathability or else you'll end up with a very sweaty tent.
I recommend Fabsil Aerosol, Fabsil Liquid, Fabsil Gold (applied to dry tents) and Nikwax Tent & Gear SolarProof (For double wall tents i.e. tents with inner & outer) or Nikwax TX. Direct (for single walled 'breathable' tents i.e. no separate inner). Both Nikwax products are applied to wet tents. Always check the bottle before you buy.
Tips!

• UV damage is the biggest tent killer (after drunk people and really bad weather I'm guessing) so make sure your proofer has UV protection too.
• Wear either old clothes, or waterproof clothes when re-proofing your tent.
• Wear rubber gloves (waterproofing your hands is just too weird)
• Have at least 2 old yet clean tea-towels to hand (these will end up waterproof too and of little use!)
• Check the weather before you do it, your tent will need to dry for at least 3 hours.
• Oh and you only need to re-proof the outside of the fabric!
• Re-proof one section at a time
• Use the old tea-towels to remove any droplets and also to give each section a wipe over after spraying, but check specific instructions first.
  

7) Let it dry and clean the other bits which you removed in step 2.
I washed all of my guy lines and tent pegs in a bucket of hot soapy water. Make sure you wash all of the soap off as you don't want it leaving a residue on your tent next time it rains when camping. Sort our your tent pegs, are any of them too bent and rusty to be used again? Now might be a good time to chuck them out and get some new ones. I also washed the bags from the tent poles and pegs, and also the bag my tent lives in. It is a good idea to pad-out your tents bag with plastic bags, and re-proof that as well. Once your tent outer is completely dry, you can pack it away.

8) Cleaning the inner and groundsheet.
If your inner and ground sheet are separate, great! It is fine to wash the inner in the bath, with some warm water and your feet. If there is any mold/mildew, follow the Q&A bit to remove it. If you can pitch the inner to let it dry, do so. If not, hang it on the washing line. The groundsheet can be hosed down quite easily (do this outside, don't try to hose it in the bath!). Hang the ground sheet on the washing line to dry it off, remember to turn it over to dry the other side too! If they aren't separate, clean as much mud off the ground sheet as possible, before getting the inner wet. Once the groundsheet is clean, you can clean the inner fabric with some universal cleaner or tech wash, or even just some mild soap. Make sure you clean the inside too. Don't waterproof the inner!

9) Check your groundsheet.
You can often spot any holes in your groundsheet just by having a quick look. If there are any obvious ones, you'll see them. If not, it's a good idea to have some friends hold up the groundsheet while you tip some water over it. Check for leaks. If you find any leaks, you can patch them up with your tent repair kit.

Your tent doesn't have a repair kit?! You can often buy or 'obtain' small samples of groundsheet fabric from outdoor shops or army shops or by contacting your tent manufacturer. Alternatively, you can patch it up with duct tape! Put duct tape on both sides of the area in need of repair so you aren't left with any sticky bits. You can re-proof your groundsheet (I'd recommend re-proofing the side that goes on the ground) but this isn't always necessary.

10) Check your tent poles
Clean all the tent poles and pegs as you are putting them back in their bags, look out for broken poles. If you have any broken poles, they might be covered under your tents guarantee, so check with the manufacture before you go buying new ones. Split poles can be repaired with good duct tape, but are best replaced with new ones. Just make sure you get the right thickness, the length can be cut down with a junior hack-saw. I have found some in Millets and also all over the internet. Reattach your guy lines.

11) Pack tent away and....
go camping! Don't let that tent get too muddy this time! The new waterproofing awesomeness of your tent should help keep the mud off, so it shouldn't get as dirty for at least a year. Happy camping!

Borsch & camping

As some of you may have heard, I went camping two weeks ago, and since then, I've been going on about Borsch. So what is 'Borsch'? Why have I become obsessed with it?! Well, best friend Kurt and I go on adventures, and this time, we decided to take someone with us, his name is Chris. I'd never met Chris before, and he turned up in Kendal with a load of Polish food, some of which, was Borsch! He introduced Kurt and I to this weird Polish soup, we didn't like it much, so we added things until it tasted better! In the end we had borsch with pasta, bread and noodles too!We had such an awesome time camping that we decided to go again, really soon, today in fact!! But this time, we were going to hold a Borsch competition! We all have to make our own borsch and take it camping for the others to try!
Problem is, I had no idea what borsch was, how to make it, what made it good or bad?! So, I went on twitter, and found someone awesome :) (Well, I think she found me actually!) She has a shop on etsy, called daisyspetals. Daisyspetals gave me her Mother in Laws Borsch recipe for me to use in the competition! I've been making borsch today, I made the recipe she gave me first, kept half of it, and then I wanted to see if I could add my own twist to it, so I have been playing with the other half, adding leeks, potatoes and parsnips. I think it's tasting great now, and I can't wait for the boys to try it when we are camping!
I think I might have made a tiny bit too much though!!

Left to right; Strained borsch, Daisyspetals recipe, my added stuff boiling away before being added.

So, have a go at making your own borsch, it's fun and if you get it right, it tastes great and it's really good for you too! Maybe eat it in your own home though, instead of in a field in a tent when it's -1°C! I must be mad!

Wait, weight?

I went to see the dietitian today after waiting for what seems like forever! Anyway, she told me that I need to eat more in order to gain weight, a mix of protein and calories, which I can get from the 5 food groups, by eating 6 meals a day. Yes, 6. She said I need to aim for 3000 calories per day. That is the equivalent of eating 6 McDonald's Crispy Chicken Deluxe sandwiches or 28 kit kats a day!
There was also some good yet bad news. I have grown an extra inch and a half, so now my 'ideal' weight is half a stone more than what I was aiming for! *headdesk*

I am so sorry

I have totally neglected my blog! Thing is, I have sooooo much I want to blog about, I just haven't had time! So, here is a quick list of things to come!
How awesome twinklyspangle is
How awesome camping was
How awesome daisyspetals is
How I am going to rock at climbing.

But right now, my food is ready, so I have to go :)

Copyright images

When people use other people's images without permission, it is likely that they are infringing copyright and committing an offence.
If an image doesn't have a copyright symbol on it ©, or a watermark, it doesn't mean that you are free to use it as you like. Do some research, check out the website's copyright policy, find out who the owner of the image is, and ask them for permission to use their image.

So, who owns the copyright? If you took the photo, chances are, you own the copyright to that image. There are of course, a few exceptions to this rule.

You can buy the rights to an image or indeed, if you ask nicely enough be granted permission to use an image. The likelihood of being given permission will also be affected depending on what you want to use the image for.
Example 1;
Using someone's image on your blog to promote their item/shop/website. You are very likely to be given permission to do this as it will benefit the owner.
Example 2;
Asking if you can make copies of someone's image for commercial use. You are less likely to be given permission, but the owner may offer to sell you the rights to the image.

What should you do if someone has used your images, without permission?
Contact them. Send them an email or leave them a comment. Depending on the severity of it, you may also want to contact a lawyer.

Is there anyway I can protect my images?
Have a copyright policy in place. This can be in your shop or website, on your Flickr account, wherever your images are. You can also register for a copyright. Holding a registered copyright will help you if you ever need to take anyone to court over an infringement.
Adding watermarks to your image can also deter people, but these can easily be taken out by anyone who is good with photoshop. They can also look pretty terrible.

Yin Yang wallet, KMCdesigns

Should I really be taking legal advice from a blog on the internet? Are you a lawyer?
No and no. I am merely providing some information which I have found helpful when dealing with people using my images. I suggest you do your own research and seek legal advice if you need to.


Wiki
UK
USA

And so that was Christmas....

I hope you had fun! I went up to see my family. I set off on Saturday, and it took me four days to make the 3 hour trip! I ended up staying with some friends in Middlesbrough for 4 whole nights! (Thanks guys!)
I had a brilliant time :) I even ended up at the top of a hill at midnight with my friend Kurt!
When I FINALLY made it to my parents, we went over to see my cousins.....can you spot me? I don't think we look that alike, but some people (my boyfriend) can't tell us apart :P
Well, so that was a snippet of my Christmas, I hope you had a good one too! Now that I am back, my shop on etsy KMCdesigns is open again for your buying pleasure :)

Eye training

I decided that I wanted some new glasses, and my friend TheCyclingArtist showed me a website where you can upload your prescription, pick some glasses and they send them out to you! So I found the perfect pair, and made an appointment to get my eyes tested!
Well, at my eye sight test, I was told that my prescription has changed, and one of my eyes has got weaker! Instead of me getting new glasses, I have to go to the hospital to see a specialist! At the hospital, one of 4 things will be decided;

• Do nothing, but get new glasses
• Have eye physiotherapy
• Get new glasses with prisms in them
• Have my right eye taken out and operated on. (They would put it back in again!)

I have decided to do my own 'eye training' to prevent me having to have it taken out!So here I am, reading my favourite book from my bestest friend! Do you think it will work?!