News & Updates from Vicki Avcin ~ AusCrafts · Page 86

We have been babysitting our granddaughter, Zoes kitty for the past few months as the unit they were staying in said they had to get rid of her.

So little Georgia came to visit till they could move to somewhere else they could keep her.

Shes been such a good little girl and got up to some antics, the latest being pinching the bread when hubby has been mixing up the bird slop that we feed the Lorikeets, Corellas and other birds in the afternoons.

She took to sleeping on our bed at nights and would lie at the end of the bed watching the TV.

Very much an indoor cat, she loved to sit at a window and watch the geckos on the outside ceilings and windows after dark.

She didnt want to chase them, although maybe in her mind she wouldve like to, but she hated being outside.

When the family came to pick her up I think she wanted to stay, as she went and hid. She is settling in back at home now and Ive told Zoe if they need a place for her again, that she has to promise to bring her back.

We do miss her, she is such a beautiful gentle little girl.

A few weeks ago I put up a news item about how my design had been chosen to be the front of a Challenge Coin for our Fire Service.

Ive been dying to see one for real and a couple of weeks ago while at the AFAC conference I was talking to a girl that works at Head Office.

She recognised my name on my delegate tag and she was so excited to meet me.

Then the next day while at one of the forums, our Acting Assistant Commissioner was sitting a row in front of us, the lass from Head Office was in the same forum and we were sitting together, and she leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder and told him I was the one that designed the coin.

I said to him how I cant wait to get one in the presentation box that they said would be presented to me and I couldnt wait to see one.

He dug around in his bag and pulled out one in a little plastic pocket.

To say I was over the moon to actually see it, feel it, is an understatement. I actually had tears in my eyes!!! I went to hand it back and he told me to keep it. I kept saying no, Im getting one eventually but he insisted I keep it saying Well now you will have two.

Later that afternoon I ran into our Commissioner and she told me that Mark had said hed given me one, but Im still getting one in a presentation box.

Our Commissioner also told me that every speaker at the conference had been given one. So my design has gone round the world now in the form of the Challenge Coin. Pretty exciting…….. well I think so!

I recently attended a weeklong conference in Brisbane for AFAC which stands for Australasian Fire Authorities Council, which is the governing body for all Fire Agencies here in Australia.

I was one of 17 delegates sponsored by our association (RFBAQ) here in Queensland and QFES which is Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.

All my accommodation, travel, meals and entry to attend the conference and trade show was paid for. What a massive week it was. Brilliant and informative speakers and forums with over 1000 delegates in attendance.

The trade show had over 300 displays with all sorts of equipment and vehicles under one roof in the convention centre.

They even had a helicopter in the building! Choosing which speakers/forums to attend was difficult with sometimes 2 or 3 on at the same time so I had to decide which ones I would go to.

Such a varied range of topics from fire related to community recovery after disasters or large incidents, Incident Management, roles of women and the resistance to include women within the service, floods and cyclones forecasting and effects of prescribed fires when there is a wild fire.

All of the speakers were excellent and a lot of knowledge collected. The first day was all forums, with 2nd and 3rd days the actual conference with the different speakers.

On Wednesday night there was a Gala Dinner with the theme of the conference Getting the balance right carried into the entertainment at the dinner also.

This was a black and white theme where our dress code was black and white. We closed on Thursday afternoon with an interesting discussion panel made up of the retiring and past presidents of AFAC interviewed.

I came home on Friday very tired but on a massive high after an exhilarating week.

It was recently my daughters birthday and each year I try and make a very special card for her. I dont get to see her often so the significance of making something that she can have as a keepsake is so important to me.

This year I made a card that I used my Silhouette Cameo using one of Tina Fitchs cutting files but tweaked it to suit my way.

I couldnt find small flowers to work so these beauties caught my eye at the local $2 shop and I think they worked perfectly to make the beautiful card pictured.

Thanks Tina for the base and inspiration for her card.

I felt quite proud as my daughter told me that she keeps every card I make her. Im happy that she likes and appreciates them as I prefer to design cards rather than make them mainly because of my busy life I tend to not have the time to spend making as I would like to.

Several weeks ago the call went out for emergency service personnel to send in concepts for a Queensland Fire and Emergency Challenge coin here in Queensland.

People could submit as many design concepts as they liked but they had to represent who we were and what our core values are and what we do.

A challenge coin for those that dont now are a token memento given out to members of the executive leadership team for presentation to international dignitaries, corporate stakeholders and operational partners.

I wasnt going to try but hubby encouraged me to send in some designs.

I sent one set of front and back and displayed them, one in gold and one in silver for both front and back.At the close of submissions, there were 34 entries.

A friend heard back weeks ago that his design had been one of three shortlisted and when I didnt hear anything I thought well thats it my designs missed out and thought nothing more of it.

Then about 3 weeks later I got an email to say that my design had been picked to be the front of the coin!

Wow I was over the moon……… ecstatic was an understatement. But although I couldnt show anyone the design I could tell them my design was going to be on the front of the coin.

So finally earlier this week it was announced for official use the successful designs.

They tweaked it slightly as I had a black band around the edge with the text but the design was for Queensland so they put maroon (Qlds colour) on the band instead of my black, but otherwise ……… yes…..

MY design. I get a coin in a presentation box given to me so really excited to see what they look like made up.

And the back side of the coin went to my friend too so that was awesome.

The photo is the front and back of the challenge coin. Please note these photos are copyright and cannot be used for any reason.