G'Day from Katie in sw Brisbane!

Hi everyone...
basic rundown on me (I tend to be longwinded and too detailed...I'll *try* to be brief!)
I was born in Germany, raised in America, met my husband online and moved to Australia in 96.
Married for 13.5 years, 4 kids.
I have always been an artsy/craftsy type person, painting, drawing, clay sculpting, crocheting, kniting, very amature at sewing, made a few puppets with the kids, I mosaic-ed our old dinner table recently. I bought a couple of woodcarvings and cleaned them up and painted them...
I once had a very basic wood burning tool and had a play with that, but couldn't get my hands on any good wood (at that time) so I found it a new home....if its not being used I try and move it on (less for me to clean up that way!)
soooo I just bought (last night) another very basic wood burning tool....I don't even think it would pass for "pyrography" but I want to have another try at it....
if there are any pyrographers in or around the southern side of brisbane or anywhere down the gold coast that would be interested in sharing their knowledge or teach a class or are in a club that they could let me know about, that would be great!

my husband recently made an outdoor "coffee" table (for our burboun and rum cans) for weekend BBQs out of some scrap wood he brought home from a finished job and I thought I could decorate it with a burning of some sort....

maybe he could make tables and I can decorate them for weekend markets at Forest Lake shopping centre...who knows!

thanks for reading everyone...hope to make some contacts soon!

Katie

Welcome aboard Katie. :2tsup:

Welcome. There is a woodworking club that meets in the Bayside area and some of the members there are into pyrography. I can't remember the name of the club, but it's something like bay area woodworking club.

Peter

Ahhh! Another Qlder. Welcome.

thank you Munruben and Peter and Enfield Guy.

so Peter....the bayside....hmmmm sounds like an adventure if I can find the club hahaha! might be fun...
traveling to unfamiliar territory isn't nearly so scary now that I have a navman....nav-lady hahah she's very patient with me!

thanks again for the welcome guys!

Welcome Katie, you will find all sorts of helpful folks here.

There is a woodworking Club that meets at Redcliffe and from memory there are pyrographers there.
If this is handy to you I could get the details for you, ie. address, meeting times and a phone contact.

Just realised you had mentioned Forest Lakes so if you are out that way then Redcliffe would be just a tad out your way

Colin.

Thanks Chippy71...i was hoping to find something a bit southerly of brisbane...like Inala, Acacia Ridge, Archerfield, Browns Plains or maybe anywhere from Springwood clear down to Robina (I am more familiar with those areas) but the closer to Forest Lakes the better.....thank you so much for your willingness to help! I appreciate your efforts!

There's a big ww club in ipswich. Even if they don't do much burning they could probably put you in touch with the others.

Obviously ipswich is closer if your in or near forest lake.

Most people here are quite polite and respectful of one another. If you see something that doesn't fit that it's probably an in joke between people who know each other, so don't get hot under the collar too quickly :) I mention this because not every internet forum is as friendly as this one...

Of course we're all drunk, obnoxious and insane, but that's another matter alltogether...

Found the website for bayside: Bayside Woodturners and Woodcrafters Club Home Page
Peter

Thanks heaps Peter!

LOL @ Damian! I don't get upset easily and as far as "drunk, obnoxious and insane" having 4 kids 10 years and under i am always insane and almost never turn my nose up at a drink hahahahah!

Welcome Katie,
Let me be the first Victorian to welcome you on board, we are also a friendly bunch down south.
Looking forward in seeing some of your work, when your ready.
Best Regards
Jack:aussie5:

Thanks Jack!
would love to see Melbourne one day!

when I first moved to Oz I was in Wollongong, then Menai/padstow/Revesby (all bankstown area) in NSW
then we moved up to Qld, Upper Coomera (where all the theme parks are) and now half an hour north of there...I love love love QLD! (I think because we were in the more business part of town of NSW it felt like a rat race and where we moved to in QLD was a more touristy area so people tend to be more friendly so that you will spend more dollars *wink wink* hahahah!)
My hubby was born in Wagga so I have seen some of the southern part of NSW (Wagga, Hay, Yass, Canberra) but that is about the extent of my travels in the 13 years I have been here.

I was raised in South Western USA so it was real desert country (though we still had 4 seasons which was awesome) thats where I first saw what pyrography was...I thought it was really cool and loved the smell....but thats as far as it went....the lady was doing a REALLY intricate dragon with lots of scales...it was awesome, on a rough cut slab (?) I guess that lay dormant in my mind until I came across a wood burning iron in tandy I think...I had a bit on fun with it but it was on cheap craft wood you get from the craft shops (I read that its pulp and glue that is molded....and that you shouldn't work on it for the fumes from the burning glue...good think I didn't get hooked then before I knew better, hey?)
I just ordered another cheapy one from hobbytools.com.au (its in victoria too!) so i'm anxiously awaiting its arrival....then our rental property not only has to worry about termites getting at any tree stumps around here, but me too! (hahaha ok...they are only palm stumps and they are already so eaten out I wouldn't even get a look in....)
sorry for being long winded...I was just filling time while dinner was cooking....

Welcome aboard Katiemac,

I am surprised "Tea Lady" has not said "Hello" to you yet
but feel sure she will. You both share similar interests
although I don't know if you specialize in chocolate ripple
cake at woodturning gatherings.:D

Allan

Welcome to the forum.

Yep I guess the intro was short. :)

thanks Allan, I saw the table that Tealady made recently....i'll go back to that post and introduce myself....as far as cakes...well I have been known to make enough chewy/soft peanutbutter and chocolate chip cookies (not everyone's taste) to sink a small ship. I love peanut butter and chocolate together! when I do cake I just buy the no name brand ones and throw in some chocolate to have it molten hot when it comes out and then drown it in cold custard....oh i'm getting hungry now! hahahah!

Thanks Christos! :D

just wanted to fix a mistake...it wasn't TeaLady who made the table but she commented on it....gosh i'm observant! *shaking my head* need more coffee!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Katiemac77

Thanks heaps Peter!

LOL @ Damian! I don't get upset easily and as far as "drunk, obnoxious and insane" having 4 kids 10 years and under i am always insane and almost never turn my nose up at a drink hahahahah!

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Just wait till they are all teenagers simultaneously :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Katiemac77

thanks Allan, I saw the table that Tealady made recently....i'll go back to that post and introduce myself....as far as cakes...well I have been known to make enough chewy/soft peanutbutter and chocolate chip cookies (not everyone's taste) to sink a small ship. I love peanut butter and chocolate together! when I do cake I just buy the no name brand ones and throw in some chocolate to have it molten hot when it comes out and then drown it in cold custard....oh i'm getting hungry now! hahahah!

Thanks Christos! :D

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Hmmm..........Peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, sounds good.:2tsup: I like peanut butter and I like chocolate but have never had them together.What is your recipe?

It never surprises me what you can put with peanut butter, tomatoe, jam, banana and honey, all go well.:D

Colin.

Yeah Damien and 3 of them are girls (if you listen quietly you can actually hear my hair turning grey!)

Colin my cookie recipie is
1/2 cup of margerine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 brown sugar
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 bag choc chips

mix margerine and peanut butter with electric mixer, add flour, sugar, egg, baking soda, baking powder, beat thouroughly til combined. hand mix in choc chips.
the recipe says to make one inch balls and then flatten in a criss cross with a fork...I just roll the ball and flatten slightly before laying it down. bake at 150C for 6-8 minutes. I bake for 6 minutes, let the batch harden up as it cools a little (remember these guys are soft/moist) while I am loading up the next cookie sheet and then put on a cooling rack.
they are a bit on the sweet side....it actually calls for another 1/2 cup of white sugar as well as brown but thats WAY sweet...plus I have a diabetic daughter so I don't want to have to inject a litre of insulin to counteract the sugar, ya know?
I love these though and make them several times a year...I double the batch though because they are so easy and quick to cook....:U

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Katiemac77

Yeah Damien and 3 of them are girls (if you listen quietly you can actually hear my hair turning grey!)

Colin my cookie recipie is
1/2 cup of margerine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 brown sugar
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 bag choc chips

mix margerine and peanut butter with electric mixer, add flour, sugar, egg, baking soda, baking powder, beat thouroughly til combined. hand mix in choc chips.
the recipe says to make one inch balls and then flatten in a criss cross with a fork...I just roll the ball and flatten slightly before laying it down. bake at 150C for 6-8 minutes. I bake for 6 minutes, let the batch harden up as it cools a little (remember these guys are soft/moist) while I am loading up the next cookie sheet and then put on a cooling rack.
they are a bit on the sweet side....it actually calls for another 1/2 cup of white sugar as well as brown but thats WAY sweet...plus I have a diabetic daughter so I don't want to have to inject a litre of insulin to counteract the sugar, ya know?
I love these though and make them several times a year...I double the batch though because they are so easy and quick to cook....:U

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Many thanks Katie, I will ask the LOML if she will make some.
My intake of these sorts of goodies has been severely curtailed as I lost a lot of weight last year and I have been told that it is not going back on. I must admit I feel much better too.:rolleyes:
As we have two of our grandchildren staying with us while their new home is being built, I think my chances are pretty good.:D

Colin.

Colin!
thats wonderful!!! i am hoping to get back to the US for a visit sometime this year as it has been 10.5 years since i have been home, so i am hoping to shed a few (that being an understatement!) kilos before returning.
makes me feel hopeful when i hear others have done it! Fat is very hard stuff to budge!
maybe after the cookies are made they can be frozen and reheated individually in a damp paper towel to retain the moisture to get that just out of the oven feel...but you can have it in moderation?

i used to joke with my girlfriends that the protein in the peanut butter cancels out the sugar and fat content....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Katiemac77

Colin!
thats wonderful!!! i am hoping to get back to the US for a visit sometime this year as it has been 10.5 years since i have been home, so i am hoping to shed a few (that being an understatement!) kilos before returning.
makes me feel hopeful when i hear others have done it! Fat is very hard stuff to budge!
maybe after the cookies are made they can be frozen and reheated individually in a damp paper towel to retain the moisture to get that just out of the oven feel...but you can have it in moderation?

i used to joke with my girlfriends that the protein in the peanut butter cancels out the sugar and fat content....

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Moderation??????

That word is not in my vocabulary.:rolleyes:

Just back from a lunch of nice hot savoury cheese and bacon muffins, can't beat them.:U

Have a look for the thread Body Trim, it was discussed on here recently, that is the diet I am on and it works a treat. It is not actually a diet per se, it is more a change of lifestyle and how and what you eat.
I hope you make the trip back home, the trouble is, when you get there after a number of years away, everything has changed, friends married, moved away, not the same anymore.
Some years back I was out of Oz for over ten years and I was amazed at the difference when I came back.
I stayed though as there is no better place to live.:)

Colin.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Katiemac77

Yeah Damien and 3 of them are girls (if you listen quietly you can actually hear my hair turning grey!)

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Ha, mines already well greyed.

I had many years of laughing as I watched a friend and his wife who had carelessley spaced their children so all three were teens simultaneously. They had 2 boys and the eldest a girl. Funny!

But they are all good kids so both parents and alive and still married to each other :)

I'm sure it'll be fine, and if not you can always use your burning iron to threaten them ...

3 girls. 3 teenage girls. Hm. You won't be bored...

Well Damian,
I spaced mine every 2.5 to 3.5 years apart...I don't know if that is "careless planning" but I started getting "clucky" everytime one was old enough to be independant of me...my thinking is that if I had them young I could travel when I was older and could appreciate it more....

Colin,
I will look up that thread...always looking to gleam health info where I can get it. I know what you mean about time away and things changing....it had been 2.5 years the first time I went back to america....not much had changed, but everyone was so preoccupied with their lives...with work and uni...I was halfway through my first pregnancy. I think I expected fanfare when I went back....I don't expect it this time...although the computer has made the world a smaller place...at the end of the day...I don't think people matter as much as they used to (or should)....what is in each persons life is important to them, and what is in everyone elses....not so much....
its very sad....but it pretty much holds true everywhere.....
I am hoping that my two sisters and parents can fly into New Mexico where my brother lives to see me (if) when I get there....would be awesome....would be more awesome if I could take all my kids with me...
it's been 13 years since I saw my dad, 10.5 since I saw one sister and my brother and none of them have met any of my kids. it's been 7.5 years since I last saw my mom and she has only met 2 of my kids and it's been 4 years since I saw my eldest sister and she has met 3 of my kids.....
so itd be nice to see them all again and eat green chili until I puke hahahaha man I miss New Mexico Hatch green chili....on EVERYthing!

oh dear...I am sliding down the new members board....I guess this is where I have to spread my wings and start getting into the other threads....wish me luck and hope to bump into you guys over there!

ok I added a couple photos to the rougues section...
I thought I saw somewhere an artwork thats non woodie related somewhere....I have some more photos to go there....

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Originally Posted by Katiemac77

oh dear...I am sliding down the new members board....I guess this is where I have to spread my wings and start getting into the other threads....wish me luck and hope to bump into you guys over there!

ok I added a couple photos to the rougues section...
I thought I saw somewhere an artwork thats non woodie related somewhere....I have some more photos to go there....

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Hi Katie,
where are these photos?
Regards
Jack

found them

still haven't found where to post my non woody art pics....

maybe I should start an album....if I can work out how were to do that....ah well, the hunting is fun!

I worked out that if I clicked on my name I could add an album to my profile thingy....yay!