Peek at My Week (Oct 20-26)

This past week passed in a blink! I guess that's because I kept myself pretty busy.

We started the week on Sunday with what we call "Puppy Fun Day." Basically, it's our attempt to get outside and drag Zoe with us on an adventure of some sort. We even took the niece who lives with us!

While out on one of the trails I spied an enormous dead grasshopper. He was almost as long as my hand. After spotting him, we spied a few more. The one above is one of the live ones we found. Apparently some people think it's gross, so I'm sorry if this weirds you out.

As usual, Monday was full of knocking errands and chores off my list. Those bled into Tuesday.  However, I did work on a few creative endeavors.

I've been mad over playing with my bead loom!

That evening, I did something else a little out of the ordinary for me.

I went to Pat's band rehearsal and took pictures for the studio. Fun. 

Wednesday was spent at my mom's where we celebrated my birthday with a delicious cake baked by another one of my nieces.

Thursday was my actual birthday, and I spent it out and about shopping for new clothes. After shopping, we met some friends for dinner. 

I spent much of Friday just playing in the craft room. Pat did interrupt me to go outside and check out this little guy he found in the grass.

It's a tiny green tree snake. Isn't he cute!?

I also made a run to the store to pick up a few new supplies including this set of watercolors I've been wanting!

Fun!

And, Saturday was all about college football.

Roll Tide!

As for inspiration, that lacked some too, though I did find a few tidbits.

• I am IN LOVE with these beaded sculptures of decomposing fruit. They're so Wabi Sabi!
• Here's a sad reminder to all us creative individuals that we should always observe safety first when working with our materials. 
• Here's a great little video tutorial on how to make a cute pair of earrings. 
• Nunn Designs has kicked off its Fall Semester of video tutorials. 

And, that's it. I'm already running behind this week with everything. So, I'll leave it at that and wish y'all a wonderfully creative week. 

Peek at My Week (Aug. 25-31)

It's a holiday weekend (Labor Day), and in true form, I'm running behind. But, that's how you know you're having fun, right? Actually, I was doing yard work. Soooooo... Anyway, let's take a look at the week that was. This week was a bit scattered. I started it off strong with taking pictures, but things went a little kaput in the middle of it all. 

Pat and I started off Sunday with a trip to the new Fairhope Market for coffee and a treat from the bakery. We really love this little place inside a converted Rite Aid that includes not only the bakery, but a butcher, seafood market, hot bar, salad bar, and general groceries. And, so much of it is focused on local products. It's kinda awesome. 

Pat's been working on getting his recording studio set up, and I tagged along to hang out with him while he worked. I got my own tasks done too - last week's Peek at My Week was written and my octopus stamp was painted while he added grommets and hung moving blankets to buffer the sound in the space. 

Back at the house, I worked on my Octopus art journal spread for the Art Elements reveal. 

We ended the day the way we do most Sundays with friends or family out by the pool. This was the first time we tried grilling green beans. They were yummy!

Monday was all about running errands and knocking out chores. In my running around, one of my junk drawer windchimes caught my attention. I love how the components have faded and rusted since I first made them.  

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Mobile helping with family matters.

Tuesday my niece's cat was fixed, so I needed to stay there to keep an eye on him. 

Wednesday was a little more complicated as my grandmother had an appointment in the morning. After that, I visited with a friend who just had surgery. Then, I went to my great-aunt's house to check on her and help her out some while my cousin is in the hospital. 

Needless to say, Thursday was all about catching back up at home.

Fortunately, this goober of a dog tried to keep my spirits up with her silly self. 

Friday is my big clean-the-house day so I took care of that. While outside at one point, this fuzzy guy caught my attention.

Despite his tiny size, his fuzzies make me think he might sting. So, I didn't dare touch him. 

Saturday was the real kick-off to College Football, one of my passions. I had a list of things to get done before our game got underway.

While filling the birdfeeders, this weedy thing waved at me. The architecture of it is so neat. And those tiny flowers are so adorable!

It was finally game time and despite a slow start to it, we enjoyed the victory. Roll Tide!

For inspiration this week, most of what I found were simple jewelry-making tutorials, with one exception. 

• This one is titled African-print Stackable Bracelets. However, I can see using any variety of fabrics if you can't find any of the lovely African prints. It's really the bracelet base that I thought was innovative. 
• I don't make a lot of rings, but this Wrapped Stack Wire Ring tutorial from Jewelry Making Journal looks easy enough. 
• The Beading Gem shared links to an Etsy store that has SVG files of amazing jewelry that can be made with a die cutting machine. Go see them!
• Here's the only non-tutorial n this list: take a look at these paper sculptures from Lee Ji-Hee. They're sublime!
• Make yourself a pair of these super cute Pom-pom earrings. Since it is football season, I can absolutely see making them in team colors!

I'm juggling a big project in addition to family obligations and the rest of my usual tasks so it's been tough to keep up with everything. I'm hoping blog posts don't fall to the wayside, but it's always a possibility. I just want y'all to know. For now, go out and make the most of the week ahead. I know I'm going to try. What do you have planned?

Peek at My Week (Aug. 18-24)

Another week of living and learning. And, somehow we're nearing the end of August. Is this year absolutely slipping by, or is it just me?

It was a beautiful day on Sunday, and we wanted to be outside. Friends came by for swimming and grilling and brought their baby squirrel. He was rescued after his mother was killed, and they're taking care of him until he's old enough to do so himself. Since he has to be fed every several hours, they brought him over in a carrier. Isn't he cute?

In addition to admiring the squirrel, we enjoyed homemade guacamole poolside before the rest of the food was ready.

Monday was a big day as our oldest niece (the one that's currently living with us) had her first day of college. Once she was off to classes, I spent the day with errands and Zoe went to the vet for a few issues to be checked out.

I packed in as much on Tuesday as I could. Even the appliances were working overtime! I made rice for fried rice later in the week (it has to be leftover/cold or it's no good) and made use of a chicken carcass for stock.

When I had a chance, I ran up to Southern Antiques and Accents to straighten up the booth before Ladies Night. 

Zoe and I enjoyed a brief walk around the property after a rain shower, and I couldn't help but admire the flowers. These hydrangeas almost look rusted. So cool!

After hitting up Ladies Night real quick, I made a quick, invented meal that we're calling Tat-chos. (In reality, I found several recipes for them online.) It's just tater tots, topped with cheese and taco soup (chili) I could see also adding sour cream and avocados to them - or whatever else you like to top chili-cheese nachos. They were GOOOOOD!

My grandmother had an appointment on Wednesday, so it was a short morning for me before I needed to leave the house. I did put a few touches on an art journal page before running out the door to pick her up and spend the day in Mobile. 

I also got to spend time with this silly niece (and her baby kitty) later in the evening.

Thursday was a fantastic day!

Once I finished some chores, I headed to Serda's Coffee to get a little work done away from the house. It's always nice to break out of the routine. 

We had a game night planned with friends but first met them for dinner at Dragonfly Foodbar. After dinner, they had to run an errand before we met them back at their house. So, I convinced Pat to drive us down to the Bay to enjoy the sunset. I wasn't disappointed. 

I'm not sure how many pictures I took in all, but not one of them is bad. We then had a great time learning to play Settlers of Catan. 

Friday was less fun as I spent the majority of the day cleaning the house. Once that was done, I made sure to set my sights on figuring out what I wanted to make for the SJ Honey Do List reveal. I was pushing it since the reveal is tomorrow!! 

No worries, I did finally work something out, but it took a lot of supplies!  I played in the craft room for most of the morning before Pat and I had a late lunch at a new place. 

Over lunch, I told Pat about a weird mushroom I had spotted, and he shared where he had seen some interesting ones too. That meant I went on a bit of a mushroom hunt when we got back to the house.

In the process, I spotted this tiny guy in the grass. Look at his antenna!!

Oh, and college football started on Saturday. I was thrilled to watch some College GameDay in the morning and finish the day with a college football game. Granted, my team doesn't play until next weekend, but it was awesome to get to gear up for it like that. 

How about a little inspiration from elsewhere?

• I'm personally don't need any NEW hobbies (I have plenty), but Lifehacker shared tips on How to Explore a New Hobby without Breaking the Bank. 
• You must know I love recycling and looking for ways to reuse materials, so when Lisa Yang shared how to Make Jewelry Displays from Boxes, she had my attention. 
• While I'm enjoying the time in our pool, I know lots of people are ready for Fall, particularly Halloween, to get here. If you're one of those people, The Graphics Fairy has begun sharing some of their free printables perfect for gearing up for spooky crafts. Here are her Black Cat printables. 
• Embroidery always catches my eye. These tiny pins from Irem Yaziki are miniature wonders!
• I've seen loads of bracelets with sliding knots but have never considered using them on a necklace. Rings and Things has changed that with this Sliding Knot Necklace Cord DIY. 
• Who doesn't like an inspirational book? My Modern Met shares 10 Art Books to Nourish Your Creative Soul. I know I saved this list for later. 
• And, if books aren't your thing, My Modern Met also has a list of 6 Inspirational Documentaries about Artists. Let me know if you're able to find these on any streaming services, I haven't looked yet. 

I hope you find inspiration every day this coming week. And, please, share with me what's inspiring you! Have a wonderful week. 

Peek at My Week | May 20-26

At the end of each week, I like to show a quick round-up of what's been going on in my corner of the world. Some of this includes what I've previously shared on social media, some of it was simply stowed away on my camera roll. As an addition to this weekly review, I'm going to start adding a few inspiring, funny, or interesting links that I found during the week at the end of the post. Let me know what you think of the addition. 

Over the week, I worked with altering leather for The 100 Day Project. 

48: This first piece proved to be a real test of my patience. I originally was going to do the cuff I made on day 51, but the snaps I had weren't right, so I had to use another piece of leather. I was happy to have learned to add snaps to leather at least. From there, I wanted to add the Tim Holtz tag, but riveting it on took me MUUUUUUUUUUCH longer than I had anticipated. I was determined though and finally successful! And, I really like it too. It's a shame I've since lost it in the craft room. Seriously, I've been searching for it all week. It's just...gone.

49: A belt that's been in my stash forever was the base for these earrings. I think cutting out the shapes so they somewhat matched was the hardest part. 

50: This was the other leather belt I have on hand. I used the embossed tin piece I made for day 19, using eyelets to rivet it to the leather. 

51: I was able to pick up the right size snaps for that leather belt and quickly add them to make it a cuff. It needs some finishing touches, and I need to work on where to position the snaps, but I totally dig this upcycle. 

52: I awoke with a design similar to this result in my head. It was just a matter of executing the use of leather, eyelets, and beads to get the desired result.

53: This project should have been a snap to make. But, I learned that I really should think through designs before adding permanent glue. It came out fine in the end.

54: My beading friend, Divya of Jewels of Sayuri, shared a great tutorial that included leather and ribbon crimps. She totally inspired me to do something similar.

As for the rest of the week...

Sunday was completely consumed with making that bracelet. I used ALL THE TOOLS to try to get it to work. 

Monday was a full day that started with some gardenia admiration. Y'all! I can't get enough of these.

Leeloo was up to her own antics...yup - that's toilet paper pulled from the master bath, through our bedroom, and into the craft room. Yay! It wasn't near as fun to roll it back up.

Luckily, I was able to recover by having lunch with a friend. We almost completely devoured these fried pork skins and queso at Dragonfly Foodbar. Don't judge - they were SO GOOD!!

On Tuesday I got to feel super old as my oldest niece received her class ring, signifying her becoming a senior in high school. Super old.

On Wednesday, I admired the gardenias again as they were gloriously still dripping from a rain shower.

There were other flowers to admire this week as well. The zinnias I planted forever ago have finally begun blooming. Now to wait for the sunflowers and see if the daisies ever show up.

We had a ton of wildlife visitors this week. I found a baby Scarlet King Snake just under the lid of the pool skimmer. He startled me, but he's a "good snake" and not dangerous at all. We've had bunnies in the yard all week. They're so skittish, this was the best photo I could get of them. And, yesterday these baby armadillos emerged from under the porch. (I had an inkling that there were babies about.) Seriously y'all, it's the armadillos that are the biggest nuisance of these three. While they are great at eating the ants, they leave holes all over the yard. And, I'm prone to tripping in those holes. We're going to have to do more catch and release. 

It's a three-day weekend here in the States for Memorial Day. Here in South Alabama, we're waiting for Tropical Storm Alberto and expecting wet conditions all weekend long. During one of the showers yesterday, I pulled out my newest supplies to try more acrylic paint pouring on my own. I went with a dirty pour method. The above canvases are still wet in the photo, but I'm absolutely loving the process. You can bet I'll be sharing more about it later as I experiment and learn.

As for the links I promised, 

• Made Urban has an article on Where to Sell Handmade Crafts Locally. You may be familiar with the options they mention, but it's a nice reference to have on hand.
• Suzanne Walcher wrote on The Grace Notes Blog for Bella Grace Magazine a post about "The Other List" that is made up of simple joys and happy actions. I adore this idea. I hope you do too. 

That's the week for me. We actually have a reprieve from the storms for a while today, so I'm hoping to have a bit of outside time. But first, to figure out what my altering focus for the week will be. Hmmmm..... Any suggestions?

How's your week been?

Week in Review

Another week in the books my friends. Here's a view of how mine looked.

One of our nieces stayed the night Saturday night. On Sunday, she worked on some projects she came up with to decorate her room. Here, she covered a jelly jar with some dictionary paper. I cut a hole in the lid, and she covered it with washi tape. She's decided to use it as a vase, but planted the fern and elephant ear in dirt when she got home.

We also decided to turn the outdoor kennel we bought for Zoe into a larger run for the chickens. Basically, we just threw a tarp over it. They seemed to dig it.

On the way to take the niece home on Sunday, we stopped in at Goodwill and I saw this table. While I passed, I woke up Monday thinking about it. Had to go back to get it. It's perfect on our front porch!! Now to find some chairs to go with. Darn, more shopping.

After that, I tried to hit the deadlines and played around with some of the beads for the Bead Peeps Swap N Hop. These are actually the duplicates of the ones I sent my partner. While I didn't get much further than this on Monday, I did get some ideas.

I put these button and sea glass earrings in the shop this week.

On Wednesday, I took my grandmother to a doctor appointment. I had to giggle a little at this gentleman's socks. Couldn't help it.

Pat was out of town until Friday, and there were all kinds of things I had hoped to accomplish. But, after a morning sitting at the doctor's, my motivation was way gone. Instead, I enjoyed the beautiful Spring weather on the front porch and made lists of the tasks I wanted to tackle. It definitely helped clear my head.

Wednesday's list-making must have helped because before I knew it, I was gesso-ing frames and canvas boards. It was a good start.

By the end of Thursday, my craft desk was a disaster - in a good way. I worked like a maniac and completed what I could for the Swap N Hop. I can't wait to share what I made on April 8th.

I spent almost all day Friday cleaning as I've rearranged my whole chore schedule so that the bulk of my cleaning is done on Fridays in preparation for the weekend. I think it's nice to have a clean house as the week comes to a close. And, I hated to think of Pat coming home to the disaster I had made (see above images!!)

Oh, and when Pat's away, 

. . .the puppy needs extra snuggles.

I did spend some hours (many, many to be exact) on the front porch while the above-mentioned puppy played in the front yard. While running though the yard, she uncovered this little baby.

That's an old glass marble there. Alas, it's quite chipped on the other side. But still pretty!!

Yesterday, we basked in the glory of Pat being home. So yeah. . .we stuck close to home and just hung out. Actually. . .I started on Friday filming some basic jewelry-making videos (FINALLY! Right!?) and worked on editing them. Stay tuned for that!! 

I'm looking forward to the week to come and all the possibilities it holds. I hope your week was full of awesome. What'cha got planned for this one?