Peek at My Week (Sep 6-12)

At the end of each week, I like to do these little reviews to share some of the creativity and beauty I find in my days as well as some of the struggles I face. This is to help remind you and me that it's not always sunshine and rainbows, you have to ride out the storms too. Take a peek.

I was up extra early on Sunday and actually caught the sunrise.

Just as impressive was the light that hit the trees as the sun rose.

Pat and I spent much of the day prepping the pool and food to have a couple of friends over for some outdoor fun. 

Monday was a holiday, but I still got up and made myself take a morning walk. 

I discovered that the ditch in one of my favorite areas had been mowed so that I could get to the fence line easier to take pictures. 

The morning was spent knocking out a few chores that could be handled at home, then we enjoyed the holiday in the pool.

Once we were good and waterlogged, I made Red Beans and Rice with our favorite local sausage, Conecuh. 

On Tuesday, I focused on getting several NEED-TO-DO tasks tackled.

I priced some jewelry for the Bargain Bin at my booth at Southern Antiques and Accents before taking it up there in preparation for Saturday's Super event. 

In the afternoon, I took product pictures for Etsy.

This time of the year, it's so hard to get outside to get the pictures in the heat. Of course, it's no fun in the dead of winter either. But, I suffered through and knocked it out. Yay me!

On Wednesday's morning walk, I spied more flower vines on that same fence.

I was able to squeeze a little creative play into the day before I did a little thrift shopping in the afternoon (while I was out for a needed supply.)

After my walk on Thursday, I sat out on the deck for my planning and reflection time.

This has been a habit of mine since about the beginning of the year. And, it's really become my favorite time of the day. I try not to rush through it. It's lovely. The rest of the day went off without a hitch.

I have to admit that I was super irritable on Friday and didn't want to focus on household chores. Once I knocked out the direst of them, I needed to turn my attention to something more desirable.

I'd been itching to make a journal for a few days. And, after watching the tutorial for this Eco Printed Link Stitch Book, I decided to try the technique. Before binding it, I took care to make it just like I wanted it. And, that included some stitches on the sewing machine to create pockets. 

The book came together beautifully - even though I had to trash two of the signatures because the vintage book paper they were made out of was too fragile for this technique.

Now I just need to add a few treasures in the pockets!

I also did some more hand-stitching on my haphazard embroidered mandala in the evening while we watched TV. That helped ease my frayed nerves. 

On Saturday, I skipped my walk since I knew I was likely to get some exercise working in the yard later in the day. After coffee on the deck and chatting with one of my brothers, I braved the heat and humidity of the day to trim some limbs and sweep the porch.

Of course, I found myself stopping to admire the foliage as well. 

I spent the early part of the afternoon prepping videos for upload before Pat and I ran up to his studio so he could take care of something while I uploaded a couple of videos.

Back at the house, we lazed on the couch while college football aired in the background on the TV.  Alabama won't be playing games for another couple of weeks, but it was nice to have a little normalcy for a "Saturday in the Fall." 

Here's some of the inspiration I found over the week. I hope it inspires you too!

• Now that it's September, we can look ahead at making Fall-related crafts. I think this upcycled Sweater Sleeve Pumpkin Tutorial is a perfect example. 
• And, if you need even more pumpkins, here's a cute DIY Paper Pumpkin that you can make and even put a little electric candle in. 
• At The Beading Gem, you'll find a tutorial for making Faux Lava Rock Jewelry from Polymer Clay. What a neat idea!
• This tutorial for Faux Metal Earrings with Gelli Arts combines my love of jewelry-making and papercraft into one project.
• If you're ready for Halloween crafting, how about making some Halloween Cat Earrings with Polymer Clay?
• These book sculptures from Barbara Wildenboer are something to behold. Really, go see them!
• Somehow all the polymer clay tutorials are showing up for me right now, and I hardly ever use it. But, if you're interested in exploring it some more, here are 10 Polymer Clay Jewelry Projects to check out. 
• Something about these botanical porcelain sculptures feels magical. 
• I really love these Ephemeral Bird Assemblages. They're very in-the-moment but so sublime!
• Here's a list of jewelry tutorials that aren't polymer clay: 17 DIY Choker Necklaces. 
• Ohmygoodness - go take a look at these segmented glass sculptures. Something about their shape has me wanting to touch them!

We're currently preparing for a possible hurricane here this week, but hoping that it won't be too bad. And, I definitely want to knock out a few creative projects as well. Here's hoping you find the good in your week ahead as well. Enjoy it. 

Peek at My Week (Aug 30-Sep 5)

 As the summer is beginning to wind down, I've found myself really trying to focus on knocking out some of the tasks I need to, want to, and should do. Look at me trying to be a grown-up! 

To start with, I didn't get any pictures on Sunday. I did a few chores done and got ready for an afternoon in the pool. I cut my thumb while slicing onions for burgers and have muddled through with that all week. But, on Monday, I was up early and out for a walk.

It's been my habit to look for any beauty I can find in these walks as that and the podcast I listen to keep me entertained. Of late, my subjects have mostly been mushrooms and sunlight.

As for the rest of the day, I'm not sure where most of it went - only some of my chores were accomplished. 

I did pull out my InkJoy* pens to get started on planning out my September.

But, even that didn't get done until the next day.

Tuesday started off beautifully!

This is just one of several photos I captured that day in the misty morning light.

From there, I felt like I was running all day long. The morning was consumed with my grocery errands. Then, in the afternoon, I focused on business tasks like updating the booth at Southern Antiques and Accents.

I also ran to the coffee shop to upload a few videos that afternoon.

Wednesday was more productive as I was actually able to work on some jewelry and in one of my art journals.

Though I didn't spot anything new on my morning walk, there was this amazing mushroom in my yard in the afternoon.

And, even with all that, I was able to tackle some of my less-than-fun tasks like making bases for jewelry backers and sorting through my old stock of jewelry. 

Thursday was another fairly misty morning and I overloaded on taking photos. However, surprisingly, this is the only one I shared.

It's surprising because I'm no fan of spiders. Yet, there I was: on the side of the road, wading through knee-high weeds, to capture this dew-covered web. It was a definite act of bravery! Maybe that's why I had to share it. 

I also made a new friend on my walk.

This little grasshopper was just sitting on that leaf. And, he stayed there through the whole picking-up, photoshoot, and being put-back-down process. He was a trooper!

The chaos of my craft room and desk has been making me a little crazy, so I spent much of the afternoon trying to right that. I got the desk and a couple of shelves managed but became frustrated with my storage options and had to stop. To free up some space, I decided to store my Distress Oxides and Inks on their sides. So I started creating labels for them.

I hope it will make it easier to find what I want now. 

Friday was full of hustle. I knocked out my heavy household cleaning in the morning then snapped a few art journal shots on the deck around noon.

I got the pictures I needed, but I don't know what I was thinking trying to get pictures in the middle and heat of the day in summer. Dur! But, I needed them so that I could upload a couple more videos before taking some pictures for my sister-in-law's band. 

On Saturday, I skipped the morning walk so that I could take care of other tasks. I found myself really drawn to knocking out as many creative tasks as I could fit in the day.

I started with rust-dying and avocado-dying. The above is my rust-dye. (The avocado dye didn't work out. I'll try again another time.)

I worked on finishing up several jewelry projects.

I threw fabrics and papers that didn't work in the rust or avocado dyes into a coffee bath. It was a full Saturday!

Since it was the end of the month, I finished the cards for the #SouthernGals5Min challenge. 

It's been really great finding my creative mojo once again. For next week, I hope that I can get my craft room tackled and keep the creativity flowing. Here's some inspiration for your week ahead.

• This DIY Ombre Lace Jewelry was included in another jewelry-making roundup I shared the other week. But, I just needed to make sure you saw this tutorial because the results are so pretty!
• Rena at Jewelry Making Journal shared her Hoops and Chains Earring tutorial. 
• I've been sharing so much embroidery lately, but here's more...These 3D Embroidered Designs are stunning. 
• I love most anything with a fantasy and whimsical element to them. So, this collection of Black Women in Ethereal Portraits had me making goo-goo eyes at the screen. 
• Y'all...I love the imspiration from My Modern Met. Here's one last one before we move on. These paper-quilled works are A-MAZING!
• I would happily take any one of these Derpy Animal Scultures. They are too cute. I espcially love the chameleon though. Just sayin'.
• For something cute and fun, here's a roundup of 10 Pom Pom Jewelry Tutorials. 
• This post is from several years ago, but it's still a great resource: Harry Potter Cross Stitch and Embroidery Patterns. 
• And, since it's just a tiny bit starting to feel like Fall, here the first of what's likely to be many pumpkin-themed crafts: Upcycled Sweater Sleever Pumpkins. 

What creative endeavors do you have planned this week?

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Peek at My Week (April 26 - May 2)

I left the house more this past week than I probably should have. But, I was preparing for another birthday - Pat's (my husband)!! It kept me busy and distracted. And, that's always a good thing. I did take all the necessary precautions: mask, sanitizer, social distancing! I promise.

Sunday was much like Saturday. We lazed around most of the morning, then did a little yard work followed by a float in the pool. (Admittedly, that will likely continue to be our weekend plans until it gets cold again!) 

I stayed super busy on Monday with my usual errands (grocery shopping) and chores then spent the afternoon like this.

No, it wasn't for another trip to the store - I was soldering! The re-breather is a bit of overkill, but I like to take precautions. 

Once I had tackled the soldering I needed and wanted to get done, I took a little break out on the porch before making dinner.

It's been my habit lately to have a beverage and enjoy the outdoors before it gets dark. It helps me break up the day and decompress. On Monday, I actually grabbed my good camera and my big lens to get some shots of the birds.

We just got a new hummingbird feeder, so those have been my obsession lately.

They're so cool. Most of the time, the birds are actually perching on the feeder. Our previous feeder didn't have a perch, so they would just hover. I'll have to share some of the perched photos later. I was just smitten with this photo. It's the only hovering one I got.

After getting Tuesday's chores started, I went out to try to get some videos uploaded. I started at one of my best friends' houses but the videos ended up stalling out after a while. Then, I drove through a local coffee place and used their WiFi. I was able to get one video up before the next one stalled. DANG! At least the coffee was yummy. In the evening, I got some puppy snuggles to console me.

I'm not even sure what happened to Wednesday. I mostly spent it finishing up my projects, taking pictures, and writing my post for Thursday's reveal for the Art Elements Bee Theme Reveal.

Thursday also included one of my biggest excitements of the week. I discovered my first gardenia bloom of the season!

It's not the prettiest thing, but it smelled spectacular!

Friday is always my main house-cleaning day, but it was also the first day of the month. So, I started it in my bullet journal, getting my monthly tracking set up.

And, before I got the bathrooms cleaned, Zoe got cleaned.

Despite the photo, she was thrilled to be clean. (I was holding her tennis ball to get her to look at me!) I ran a few errands that afternoon to pick up some things for Pat's birthday and try again to get videos uploaded. Again, I had trouble at the coffee place but found another location that worked out great, and I didn't have to interact with anyone or get out of the car. That really made my day! 

Saturday was Pat's birthday, and I did my best to make it special with loads of presents and some of his favorite foods. A few friends stopped by but kept their distance as well. We spent the afternoon out by the pool. And, it was really lovely.

We topped it off with a yummy meal and strawberry shortcake. It was low key, but I think he enjoyed it. I'm sure that today will likely be another weekend repeat. And, we have no problem with that. 

I've continued to work on my #The100DayProject of #MakeArtDontFakeArt. Though I fell behind a few days, I made sure to catch up. What can I say? It's been a busy week!

I combined days 19 (thin Masking Tape) and 20 (Distress Crayons)

Using a napkin on Day 21 was difficult, but I think I made it work.

I put off using my mounted stamps (Day 22) for a day then ended up just embossing and watercoloring a few of them. They were cut out and added to a page for Day 23 (Master's Touch paint set).

On Day 24, I was to use at least part of a page from one of my vintage timesheet books. The focal (above) worked out great, but the rest of the page...

ehhhhhh......

I fell behind again on Day 25 as I couldn't decide what to do with my StazOn ink. I toyed with the idea of doing a little metal etching but thought about it too long. And, I ended up not getting to them until the next day when I made myself just use some stamps that were sitting next to my desk.

I then incorporated one of those stamps into the page for Day 26. I was to use the ink from ink pads through stencils. I used some Distress Oxides and added them to the art journal both with water added and without in order to see how well they worked. I like how precise the non-watered ones were as compared to paint, which often seeps under the stencils.

Again, I fell behind on finding inspiration as I was staying so busy. But, there were a few links to share.

• Lisa at Wisconsin Magpie totally transformed a few thrift store decorative birds by Decoupaging Newspaper onto them. You really need to see them!
• This roundup of Super Sassy Embroidery Patterns really tickles me to no end. I may have to get a few and test out my embroidery skills again. 
• At Jewelry Making Journal, there's a really easy Fabric-wrapped Choker Tutorial. 
• If you've got a die-cut machine, check out this free DIY Feather Earrings SVG File at Mad in Crafts.

And, that was my week! How are you hanging in there?

Peek at my Week: Jan 20-26

I'm not even sure how to describe this past week. I was able to check off so much on my to-do list, and then accomplish tasks I didn't even plan on doing. Of course, that meant that some things did fall to the wayside. Sigh. It's always a balancing act, isn't it?

Since it only takes 15 minutes out of each day, I was able to keep up with the #UseItUpFillItUp2 challenge from Tiffany of Southern Gals Designs on Instagram. 

And, I have to admit that I think this was my most favorite week of the challenge yet. It goes to show that creativity breeds more creativity! 

Sunday began with some serious thinking about my business and organization and focus - all which have needed to be done for some time. In that spirit, Pat and I headed up to Serda's, a local coffee shop, where I did a little planning for the week ahead in my bullet journal. 

Yes, I like ALL the office supplies!

On the way home, I saw the HUGE orb that was the moon rising and remembered that it was going to be a Super Blood Wolf Moon with a lunar eclipse that evening. So, as soon as we got home, we headed out to the back of the property to get a better look at the sky.

By that time we made it all the way back there, the moon wasn't as large, but it was still a phenomenal sight. Later that evening, we hopped outside in intervals to take peeks at the eclipse. I did get a few pictures, but they're nowhere near as breathtaking as some of the others you can find online. (Basically, I got a picture of a red dot in a sea of black.)

Since we stayed up so late watching the moon, Monday was a tad slow-moving. 

Not fans of the moon, the kitties found comfort in the sunshine while I knocked off tasks on my list.

Tuesday and Wednesday were a blur of getting things done. Though, I did spend time with my family celebrating my mom's birthday. I also had a bit of a happy surprise myself as I found out that Shel C on YouTube did a shoutout video in which she shared my channel!! What!? I was in shock - blissful, happy shock!

Thursday was more chores and business, though there was a bit of a struggle to get anything done for the cute in the window. 

Friday's my big house-cleaning day. Once the chores were tackled, I dove into using up the overripe bananas on the counter.

I really love this Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread recipe. Though, I did add pecans to it. 

While that baked, I focused on the prompts from the Allegory Gallery "Bead in the New Year" Challenge that I had woefully fallen behind on. I picked up where I left off and made jewelry for days 18, 19, & 20.

Day 18 was to focus on metal, day 19 was to be inspired by a piece of art, and day 20 was to use natural materials. I'll share more about these once the whole challenge is over. 

Saturday was a flurry of creating for both Pat and myself.  He worked on finishing a step on the deck.

And, I broke out the sewing machine. First, I made a small pocket bag for my Kindle.

It was a lot of trial and error since my sewing skills are minimal. I did share the who process in my Instagram Story and saved it as Sewn Kindle Bag as a highlight on my profile so y'all could view it. 

While the sewing machine was out and loaded with thread, I decided to pull out a stack of miscellaneous paper and fabric.

And, I made little stacks for art journaling.

I know, it looks like a mess of trash. But, I'm hoping to make something beautiful with them. 

Before starting my sewing endeavors, I did run to the store for a few things and found Girl Scouts gathered around a small table.

I ended up bringing home five boxes of cookies. I couldn't help myself!!

And now for some creative links and inspiration:

• I adore Sadie Seasongood's ability to upcycle just about anything. In this roundup, she shares 30+ Craft Storage and Organization Projects. 
• The ArtBeads Blog shared a Guide to Seed Bead Stitches. Maybe one day I'll find that useful, probably not, but perhaps you will!
• Over on Craft Gossip, there's a short list of DIY Valentine's Gifts for Him. I've actually made something similar to several of the ones mentioned but did see another idea or two. Oh, and you can never go wrong with baking something. Cookies are always a winner. 
• Nunn Designs shared a cool Crystal Point Necklace and Ring Tutorial. 
• Encasing beads or other objects is always so intriguing. It's no wonder that this YouTube Video on Making a Cube Pendant to hold stones without holes drew my attention. 
• Somerset Place (magazine) has a few tips on how to Improve Your Handwriting. 
• Nunn Designs' new online catalog has a new format in which it includes links to tutorials on making some of the pieces pictured. Here's Part 1 of Using Resin, Clay, Molds, and Organics. 
• This super simple Love Embroidery pattern would be a lovely gift or decoration for Valentine's Day. 
• The Beading Gem has a post that includes some beautiful Copper Wire Art and Tutorials from Earth Balance Craft. 

As this post is going up on Monday and half the day is already gone, I'm already running behind on this week's plans. But, at least I have a plan. Bright side! Here's hoping you find the bright sides to your week too!