Heyyy Dabblers,

Happy mid-Winter! Been a weird ol' week, weather-wise, but that's enough about that (ooh how about a silly little competition?! Count the number of times someone talks to you about the weather for the next week and if you've got the most, I'll shout you a chai) 🌦

Interestingly, there seems to be a bunch of stuff on tomorrow (Thursday), I could have filled the entire section just with Thursday stuff (must be something in the air...(that doesn't count)) 🤔

Speaking of prizes, I'm squirrelling away on some giveaways, competitions and dealios, hang tight!
For now, enjoy some piping hot activities and some opportunities for slowing the heck dowwwn. Take what you need, leave what you don't.

C.x ✨

Wednesday 16th July

🖼 Printmaking Classes (8 week block)​
Become a master of printmaking over 8 weeks, so everyone you know can receive snazzy, handmade prints. Actually, custom portraits would be siiick! #stealthisbizidea
​Where: Starling Studio, 27 Essex Street
​When: Start Wed 16th July, morning or night blocks available
​Entry: $320
​Tickets: https://www.starlingstudio.nz/​

🤽 BugPolo: Intro Night​
Waterpolo 🤝 Foot-powered rafting on a miniature banana boat?! I dunno, but it looks fun...and exhausting. 🐛
​Where: Jellie Park Rec Centre, 295 Ilam Road
​When: Wed 16th July-17th Sep, 7pm
​Entry: $120 pp or $720 team of 6 for the Winter tournament + pool entry
​Tickets: https://www.facebook.com/events/1674455603198493​

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Thursday 17th July (all about 🗣 voice tonight, apparently!)

🎤 Karaoke Open Mic Night @ Muy Muy​
Take the 'er' out of your shower singing, and you're left with a SHOW (see what I did there?). They say it's your "moment to shine", so it must be true - let 'em hear it!
​Where: Muy Muy Bar, 44 Welles Street
​When: Thu 17th July, 6:30pm-9:30pm (3hrs)
​Entry: FREE (but you best book)​
​Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/sing-it-right-muy-muy-night-tickets-1482986585799​

🎼 Sanskrit Chants​
Includes guided chanting of ancient Sanskrit mantras, explanations of the meanings and spiritual significance of the chants, and a meditative atmosphere to inspire peace and harmony.
​Where: (behind) Lotus Heart, 363 St Asaph Street
​When: Thu 17th July, 7pm-8:15pm (1hr15m)
​Entry: FREE (but you best book)​
​Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/sanskrit-chants-tickets-1359858907599​

🏺 Amplify: The Creator Series (Ep: 7)​
Hear Lyttelton-based Ceramicist, Cheryl Lucas talk about her creative process, bold ideas and the art of expression. While we're usually bigger fans of "doing vs viewing", this is a nice chance to meet other creatives and gain inspiration.
​Where: Warren and Mahoney, 254 Montreal Street
​When: Thu 17th July, 5:30pm (6pm start)
​Entry: FREE (but you best book)​
​Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/amplify-the-creator-series-tickets-1416003728269​

🏞 Camino Frances! What I would do differently next time!​
A certain French--Spanish hiking trip on your radar...? Get insider goss about what socks to pack, from someone who's just landed back here (and hopefully caught up on laundry).​
​Where: Further Faster NZ, 57A Buchan Street
​When: Thu 17th July, 6:30-9pm (2.5hrs)
​Entry: $20
​Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/camino-frances-what-i-would-do-differently-next-time​

💐 Intro to Flower Arranging - A Hand Tied Bunch​
This time you get the insider goss on getting your blooms to behave in a bunch (while drinking bubbles)! - This is absolutely on my to-learn-in-the-near-future list.​
​Where: Mrs Bottomley's Flowers, The Tannery, 3 Garlands Road
​When: Thu 17th July, 6pm-8pm (2hrs)
​Entry: $189 (all materials + snacks and drink included) - only a couple of spots left!​
​Tickets: https://mrsbottomleysflowers.nz/product/introduction-to-flower-arranging-a-handtied-bunch/​

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Friday 18th July

💃 Intro to Kizomba + Brazilian Zouk Dance Party​
Shimmy into some beginner-friendly Latin dance moves (with Reverson & Kate from Nossa Dança) and keep shimmying into a full-on party afterwards. This calls for your swishiest threads.
​Where: Riverside Market (upstairs), 96 Oxford Terrace
​When: Fri 18th July, 6pm (party from 6:30pm)
​Entry: FREE
​Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/23976638235330783​

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Saturday 19th July

🧘 Mat Pilates @ the (Garden City) Midwinter Christmas Mākete​
While you're there, you can check out and support a bunch of talented peeps showcasing their hobby-related businesses.
​Where: Wolfbrook Arena, 55 Jack Hinton Drive
​When: Sat 19th July, 2:30pm and 4:30pm starts (12:30pm fully booked)​
​Entry: FREE (but you need to register)​
​Info: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/mid-winter-market-mat-pilates-session-tickets-1416468237629​

🛰 Learn to play Star Wars Unlimited (card game)​
You love Star Wars? And Games? How are you not all over this?!
​(is now a good time to admit I've never watched any of them...? 😬)​
​Where: The TCG Collector, 59B Carlyle Street
​When: Sat 19th July, 3pm
​Entry: FREE (but you need to register)​
​Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1281189670266750​

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Sunday 20th July

🧘 Tai Chi: 8-Form for Beginners (2 sessions)​
"A gentle yet powerful daily routine that supports relaxation, balance, and nourishes your holistic wellbeing in just a few minutes". Self-care AND new dabbling combined 💛
​Where: Mary Potter Community Centre, 442 Durham Street
​When: Sun 20th and 27th July, 9:30am-1pm (3.5hrs each)
​Entry: $188 (or bring a friend for $134 each)​
​Tickets: https://www.healinghutnz.com/8-form-tai-chi-for-beginners​

🥗 Winter Salads Reimagined: Cooking Workshop​
Margo & Rosa (Two Raw Sisters) are gonna fashion some veg into some fanceh chlorophyll-filled dishes for us to sample and serve as inspiration. Crisper-drawers rejoice!
​Where: Merivale Mall, 189 Papanui Road
​When: Sun 20th July, 10am-12pm (2hrs)
​Entry: $99 (or $179 for two)​
​Tickets: https://merivalemall.co.nz/winter-salads-workshop-with-two-raw-sisters-at-merivale-mall​

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Monday 21st July

🎨 Intro to Watercolours​
Learn dreamy watercolour painting techniques and use this newfound skill to create pressies for those who weren't keen on linocut prints...
​Where: CWEA, 59 Gloucester Street
​When: Mon 21st July-8th Sep (8 sessions, 10am-12pm)
​Entry: $96 (BYO gear)​
​Tickets: https://www.facebook.com/events/1722656581789723/​

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Tuesday 22nd July

🚵 Adventure, Sport and Environmental Film Festival​
"Join us for an evening of adventure, sport and environmentalism-themed short films - free kai provided". On ye bike!
​Where: UC in Ernest Rutherford building (room 140), 15 Arts Road
​When: Tue 22nd July, 6pm start
​Entry: FREE (but you need to grab a ticket)​
​Tickets: https://www.facebook.com/events/4227958414100345​

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OTHER STUFF COMING UP SOON THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA BOOK ASAP:

🎧 Silent Disco: 80s chooooons​
If you're not ready for the world to hear your beautiful karaoke, can I interest you in some headphones (so no-one can hear your screa...singing)? Plus, you get to boogie to some absolute bangers 🕺
​Where: Air Force Museum, 45 Harvard Avenue, Wigram
​When: Sat 9th Aug, 9:30pm-12am (6:30 session sold out already)
​Entry: $58.78+
​Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/80s-silent-disco-in-air-force-museum-of-new-zealand-saturday-9th-august-tickets-1292887534419​

If 90s are more your jam, peep the sesh at the Cathedral on Fri 15th Aug (6:30pm sold out, too) - https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/90s-silent-disco-in-canterbury-cathedral-friday-15th-august-tickets-1234679743349​

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🏮 Turkish Mosaic Lamp Making​
"Dive into the 500-year-old art of Turkish mosaic crafting, combining vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and your own unique style to create something truly one-of-a-kind". (Couldn't have said it better myself, so I didn't)​
​Where: Bromley Community Centre, 45 Bromley Road
​When: Tue 9th Sep, 6:30pm-9pm (2.5hrs)
​Entry: $99.50+ (everything's provided)​
​Tickets: https://3dscan.nz/turkish-mosaic-lamps/​

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​Want your event featured? Get it to us here​
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Reverse Crossword Clue (I give you the answer, you smash that reply button and give me your best fake clue. E.g. Answer: “Meatloaf.” Reader clue: “Beige rectangle that screams 1977”. Ready?):
​MOUNTAIN BIKING
​(unofficial winner announced in next week's edition)

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(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter)

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🍬 If I knew having a 'mobile lolly shop' was a viable "career" option as a kid, I probably wouldn't be here sending you this right now. But I have other things simmering, so if you nodded at any part of that previous sentence...? Here's your chance. Plus, by the sounds, they've already pre-booked some events and it's ready to roll. Call your boss and tell them to stick(y) it?! 🍭
​(maybe we could go halfsies?)

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Otherwise, if you're wanting to stay on-side until your side gig takes off, this one allows you to play dress ups while getting paid. Sweet deal:

📸 Turn guests into models, memes, and magnets Classic Photo Booths are looking for people to operate cute photo booths/pop-up studios at weddings/parties/festivals/corp events. Got photog chops (or oodles of audacity)? Thought it might be a bit of you 😘 Check out the job listing (not sponsored or affiliated, just thought it was cool)

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⚪️ I'll fetch the sand, you snag this ($1 reserve) Pétanque set and someone to jimmy up some box framing?

🚛 This hand-crafted house truck has seen many hours of woodabbling and is perfect for intrepidabbling (shhh, let me have them) 😍

♟ Is this the cutest Chess set you ever did see?! Kiwi or Pukeko, which one are you pickin?

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I went to dig up an "on this day" trivia snippet, and came across something even cooler - so, on 21st July 1916, this guy, James Wishart Campbell gave a talk (at the Canterbury Microscopical Society, of course) about Hydra Viridis—a tiny freshwater polyp. Who? A what? Why should I care?​
Well... You don't have to care, but he sounds like he was an interesting chap - a dentist by trade, and a photographer, amateur entomologist and fly-catching menace, by play. There's even a cicada named after him (Maoricicada campbelli)!
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​If you're into local history, dentistry, photography or insects, and have 10 min, this is a neat read. The author (Lemuel) has done a great job! Unfortunately it seems like James spent the most time behind the camera rather than in front, so according to Lem, this might be him?!

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I'm sneaking in a cheeky shout out this week - ✨ Natasha Mitchell ✨ for putting her Project Manager hat on off-duty to ensure a bunch of us were fed (with dinner booked (secondary shout out to Evil Genius for delish vegan dishes and lovely staff)) and entertained (organising Illuminate tix (they're on sale now, go get 'em!)).
The chaos in me sees the order in you 🙏 Blimmin' legend.

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👉 Here are your quick links:​
Got a community event/fun thing to share? That's this one​
Classifieds, paid events or newsletter sponsorship? Intro offers active! Go, now!
Keen to share your deepest hobby-love? Brag away here​

👀 I know you know someone who needs a gentle nudge (or a loving shove) toward something new... tell 'em I sent you (i.e. forward this).

Now go plan your South-Island-House-Truck-Extravaganza itinerary!
​(waaaait, what if we towed the lolly trailer behind the house truck, and funded the trip with taffy sales...?! 🤯)

C.x ✨​
​Publisher, The Dabbling​
​Ōtautahi’s Unofficial Hobby-Hypewoman

Fun answer:

🏖 What's the lie? C - Alas, Sumner has really dropped the shovel on hosting sandcastle comps. Ah well, maybe next Summer...?

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☕️ How are we feeling about the layout and content, so far? What do we wanna ditch? What do you want to seeee? I've got my big pants on; hit me, I can take it.