A Look at My Craft Room

Ever since we moved out here to Silverlox (the name we've given our property), I've been hesitant to share a look at my craft room. It's considerably smaller than the one in our other house and a constant work-in-progress. But, Cat at Cut Out + Keep has very nicely asked (several times) for a tour and interview. So, I cleaned it up the best I could and gave in. You can find the pictures and my interview for Hope's Craft Room on their site. 

In addition, while I had the room in some semblance of order, I went ahead and did a quick video tour of my craft room. It's wobbly and a little rushed but was needed before I expand (hopefully) in a few months. 

Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions about how I store things in my room or if you want a better idea of what all I've got packed away in here. It's a big, cluttered mess. But, it's mine! I'm very fortunate. 

Oh, and if you want to see what the craft room in our other house was like, here's the post I did about it. 

Peek at My Week (Jan 24-30)

What a week it's been! I feel like I've accomplished quite a bit, but really, it's only been a couple of big tasks. Take a peek. 

Let me first mention that it's been a big week for "the chicks" too as at least two of them have started laying! On Sunday, I found these two eggs in the nesting boxes. On the left is one of Bertha's and on the right is one of the chicks. woohoo!

After I finished packing up the Bead Soup for my partner, I turned my attention to the big task that took up so much of my week: cleaning and organizing the craft room.

Above was my limit of organizing on Sunday. I had been working on it for hours and finally hit my maximum frustration and had to stop for the day. I had to remind myself that it always gets worse before it gets better (and this wasn't even the worst of it!)

I worked a little more on it on Monday, but the majority of the day was spent with my mom to celebrate her birthday.

We really didn't do much as we just stayed at her house, but I think she had a good day (after she got done working.)

I busted my butt all day Tuesday to make up for missing out on my errands on Monday. And, there was more craft room sorting.

In the afternoon, Artemis had a vet appointment for more vaccines. She'll be going every two weeks to get all of them in since she had such a bad reaction to getting them all at once last time. 

Later, I was feeling a little frantic about all I was trying to accomplish. However, I had a fabulous reminder to just stop and appreciate the beauty around me.

This stopped me in my tracks while taking Zoe out for a few minutes.

Speaking of Zoe, she got some snuggles on Wednesday evening.

I should also mention (for my own record) that our other cat, Rosalina, had a rough week as she was acting weird: not eating, staring off into space, walking weird. It went on for only a day or two, and she had us plenty worried. But, she's back to herself now.

There was more paper-sorting on Wednesday.

On Thursday, I finished the craft room overhaul! I'll give you a little peek now, but I hope to have some better pictures and maybe even a quick tour for you later.

Once that was done, I could focus my attention on the next big undertaking: the 100 Day Project! I mentioned previously that it's starting early this year (TODAY, actually!) at the request of many. I didn't have a problem with the early start but did need to make a decision on what I wanted to do. Because I haven't gotten much jewelry made lately, I knew it needed to be focused in that direction. However, I didn't want anything that felt too strict either. After some thought and research, I decided on #100DaysofMakingJewelry for my project.

I felt that would give me enough flexibility that I didn't have to have a FINISHED piece each day but could include my process as part of the project. We'll see how it goes.

With a clean craft room and that decision finally made, I dove into a couple of projects. First, there was some earring-making. I'll share the results of that later. Then, I played in my art journal.

On the spur of the moment, Pat decided to light a fire in the firepit on Friday night. It felt good to sit outside for a while after spending a week so focused on the inside.

Sunday was FULL!

With a basket full of fresh eggs, I made a full breakfast that incorporated them along with some delicious CaraCara oranges. 

At noon, I had a scheduled video go live. I was able to participate in the You, Me, Same 3 mixed media collaboration this month and made this Inspiration Prompt Junk Journal.

I may share more about the process later (with pictures), but the link above will take you to my YouTube process video.

While popping something in the mail, I had to stop in wonder at the handful of silly azaleas that are blooming a bit early.

As the day wore on, I felt restless and needed to do something with my hands. Trying out encaustic art has been on my list for ages. So, I decided, "what the heck, why not." and went for it.

While I'm pretty happy with this result, I realized how little I knew from the few tutorials I've watched and that I need to learn a little more. But, it's something I'm doing more research on now, and am happy I went ahead and tried. Now, I need to test out some of the other skills that are on my dang list (i.e. using a metal saw and enameling.)

If you're looking for some inspiration, I've got you covered:

• I'm taken with this project of artists creating working on vintage envelopes. 
• Here's a discus earring tutorial from Moois Van Mie. 
• The Beading Gem shared some Tips and Tricks for adding Colored Resin within Frames. 
• Here are 16 Valentine's Day Embroidery Ideas. Maybe one day I'll actually do some embroidery!
• You should totally go check out these DIY Polymer Clay Crystals. They are too cool. 
• I am absolutely, completely in love with this easy DIY Rainbow Butterfly Wreath from the amazing Jen of Epbot. 
• How cute are these Wild Animals Interrupting Photographers?
• Make a Yarn Statement Necklace with this tutorial using plastic canvas. 
• I'm over the moon for this simple tutorial on making an XOXO sign using junk stuff. 
• My love of quilting and jewelry-making has me enthralled with this Quilted Jewelry Tutorial. 
• Y'all! Check out these Embroidered Leaves. So neat!!
• I think this little Embroidered Heart Charm is just so sweet. 
• Similarly, here's a list of 19 DIY Felt Valentine's Day Decorations. 
• For a quick project (this might be good for my 100DayProject!), how about a 5 Minute DIY Scarf Twist Bracelet. Could be fun to try. 
• Crafty Little Gnome has an Easy Origami Heart Tutorial if you want something sure quick and easy. 

And now, I really need to get to that 100 Day Project - I don't want to miss it on the first day! I hope you have a week full of inspiration and creativity. Enjoy it!!

Peek at My Week (Jan. 10-16)

 How was your week? Hopefully, it was better than the last. I know mine was. 

I spent some of Sunday working on an art journal spread that used a variety of techniques from artists I've been watching on YouTube lately. You can see the full piece on Instagram, but I'll also be publishing a video of my process for it in the next week or two. 

I snapped a few quick pictures of our old blue tractor as Pat had listed it for sale and I wanted to make sure I had some record of it before it left us. It was a few days before it was gone, but wasn't she pretty? I hate that we're just not mechanical enough to have given her the care she needed. It sounds like the gentleman who bought her is more mechanically inclined.

I had Brussels Sprouts planned for dinner (as per my weekly menu), but was just going to roast them. It hit me that I could try air frying them!

They were really good - slightly more crisp than roasting would have been.

Monday was spent just getting things done and keeping busy before the College Football National Championship game. Bama won. ROLL TIDE!

After a late-night watching football, I'm surprised how well I stayed on-task on Tuesday. I spent the bulk of the day in the craft room and forced myself to tackle the chaos.

I'll admit that there's still loads of that mess to conquer, but the portions that were worrying me have been handled. My main concern was making sure there wasn't anything too bad that this little Miss could get into as she explores.

It felt so much better to have my desk cleaned off and some of that closet organized. I was even able to work on a little more art.

As I let the chickens out on Wednesday morning, I discovered a couple of eggs! It's the first time in MONTHS that we've found an egg in the nesting boxes.

I'm fairly sure these are from our older hen, Bertha, and not the "chicks" yet. 

I even decided to crack one open for part of my breakfast.

It was really delicious.

I decided to introduce Artemis to the spot of sunshine that is in our bedroom for a few hours each day (most of the rest of the house doesn't get sunny spots.)

That's where I left her when I headed out to take my niece to a dental appointment and spend the afternoon with her in Mobile.

After the drive across the bay, I realized just how bad my brakes were sounding and took my car to the mechanic on Thursday. Back at home, I decided to make a point of showing that the eggs I had found the day before weren't as monstrous as they seemed in the photo above. I seriously just have tiny hands.

The eggs on the left are the ones I buy from the farm market, the ones on the right are Bertha's, and there's my tiny hand. Ha.

After picking up my car from the mechanic, I noticed how amazing the sunset was and had to pull over to capture it.

I busted my butt Friday morning getting the house clean as I've been avoiding some chores (like mopping) for too long. With that done, I let myself just watch videos and create for the rest of the afternoon.

When I went to take Zoe out later in the day, I was struck by the long shadows and the beams of sunshine in the front yard.

Pat and I committed ourselves to tearing down the smaller chicken coop on Saturday (the younger chickens have had a separate coop from Bertha until they could get used to each other. However, the older coop is the one with the nesting boxes that they need to use soon.) So, we knocked that out as fast as we could and freshened up everything. 

I spent the majority of the rest of the day working on a specific project that I'll reveal at the end of the month. But, here's a small peek.

As Pat and I watched TV in the evening, I was itching to do something other than scroll through Instagram, so I grabbed a scrap of fabric and some embroidery floss and experimented. 

It's a little messy, but I kinda love it!

Here's a little more inspiration from my week.

• How 24 Artist Break Free of Creative Limitations from ArtistsNetwork. 
• At The Beading Gem, you can find all the links to watch an artist create an amazing Polymer Clay Portrait Cane. 
• Lifehacker suggests Asking Yourself These Questions to Find Meaning and Purpose. 
• Did you know that #The100DayProject begins early this year!? The project starts at the end of this month, so get to thinking and join the party. 
• You can find the A to Z of Denim Crafts at Pillar Blox Blue. 

I feel like I'm brimming with ideas for loads of projects but can't seem to focus on just one long enough to get anything done. So, this week, I hope to work on centering in on what I need to do and knocking it out. Wishing you a productive week as well! What do you hope to accomplish?

Peek at My Week (Nov 3-9)

It's been a full-spectrum of emotions kind of week. Let's start with last Sunday. I mentioned the extra hour in the day thanks to Daylight Savings. It made the day feel full of possibilities. 

I had taken a little of my birthday money and treated myself to these Stabilo Woody watercolor pencils that I've been wanting for a few years now. They come organized in a box with their own little compartments, but I found it hard to get them out, so I threw them into this old tin and just love how they look in it. 

Pat needed to take care of a few things up at the recording studio, so I went with him and worked on last week's post while he tidied up. 

From there, we jumped right into "Puppy Fun Day" and took Zoe with us as we went to explore a couple of new locations for disc-golf baskets.

The first 5-basket course was in a little park that has this creek running alongside it. Before we headed to the next course, I had to snap a picture. There were at least five families with photographers up there getting their family pictures done. It was a madhouse, but the beauty of the location is undeniable. The next course was a little less picturesque but also less crowded. It was nice to get out in the cooler weather. 

I realized a few hours later that the time change also meant that it got dark an hour earlier. Yeah, I'm not a fan. But, that also sent us to bed a little earlier and rising a little earlier. So, I decided to take advantage of that and spend some time outside with morning reflections while swinging on my new porch swing.

I've done a pretty good job of getting out there each morning to take in the new day, organize my head, and enjoy the outdoors. I hope I can keep it up. It definitely feels like it's helped me focus on what I want to accomplish each day.

I knocked out my errands and chores on Monday and tested out a new recipe that evening.

This One Pot Zoodles and Meatballs recipe was really simple. And, we FINALLY tried Zoodles (zucchini strips that mimic/replace noodles). I learned that this recipe made far too much for the three of us so I would probably half it and just use ground beef instead of the meatballs next time. But, there will likely be a "next time". So, there's that. 

I was up and out on the porch on Tuesday morning.

I do love that view! 

I finished up some projects and ran a few errands before I realized that I looked like this.

The outfit I thought looked so cute also looked like a Minion. If I hadn't mentioned it, I'm sure no one would have thought of it, but it cracked me up to no end, and I didn't bother changing clothes.

My grandmother had an appointment on Wednesday morning, but that didn't stop me from spending a few minutes outside in reflection and doodling first.

Usually, Wednesdays at my mom's house get away from me. But, I was determined (somewhat) to accomplish something. So, I worked on getting a few videos edited for YouTube.

On Thursday, I made a point of getting those videos uploaded to YouTube so I made a point of heading before lunch to get that done while I sipped a smoothie at a local coffee shop.

Back at home, I started the intimidating task of cleaning and organizing the craft room. 

My pile of tins to be broken down was out of control and made it difficult to get to other supplies. So, I took some time to stack them within each other with the lids off. Then, I stacked the lids within each other. There was something so satisfying about this stack of round lids.

Unfortunately, that was all the photos I took for the week. As I worked on the craft room more on Friday, we heard emergency vehicles heading down our dead-end street. While we still don't know what's happened, we're fairly positive that both of our elderly neighbors are no longer with us. I hope to get more information as the week progresses. 

I had lunch downtown Fairhope with a couple of girlfriends on Saturday before watching the Alabama vs. LSU football game. It was an emotional roller coaster of a game that Alabama ended up losing. I have to remind myself that we can't win them all. 

Today, I'm working on processing the events of the last couple of days and looking forward to a class I'm taking this afternoon. I'm sure I'll have more to say about it next week.

Despite the highs and lows of the week, I did find some inspiration to share:

• I'm kinda in love with these quirky animal Assemblages by Debra Broz. 
• This quote by Kurt Vonnegut shared by Austin Kleon touched me. 
• For a really simple jewelry project, check out this Chalk Painted Statement Necklace. 
• I've possibly shared this Rectangle Hoop Earring Tutorial before as it seems really familiar, but it's worth a look anyway.
• I have to admit that I LOVE wrapping paper. There's something so pleasurable about ripping into a package someone's given you as well as watching someone tear into what you've given them. And don't get me started on the endless pattern choices! But, that kind of wastefulness is wreaking havoc on our environment, and we need to start considering alternatives to paper wrapping and bags. Enter the Reusable Fabric Gift Bag! The tutorial I've linked up is only one option. But, think about the implications and possibilities. There are tons of fabric patterns too. And, you're not only gifting someone with the actual gift but the bag as well! Think about it. 
• Speaking of Christmas, it's time to get those Holiday crafts underway. I love every one of these Hand Embroidery Patterns! The problem is deciding which one to make. 
• This layered pendant tutorial on the Ice Resin blog combines the use of a few materials I would have never considered before. 
• There's science to back up the need to make art. It's scientifically proven!!
• ArtBeads has a tutorial on a Creamsicle Necklace that uses a variety of bead caps to add texture and interest. 

Wow, that's more than I thought I found this week! I hope this past week has treated you well and that the week ahead is full of magical moments. 

Days of My Craft Desk

I'm always a little amazed at the sheer variety of projects that come across my desk. And, that can mean the actual physical desk in my craft room or any space in which I work. I thought you might like to see a snippet of an actual span of several days. Mind you, this doesn't include the mounds of work I do on my computer (writing, photo editing, blog-reading, video-watching, social media, and video-editing to name a few.) 

I try to start each week with a bit of forethought and planning in my Bullet Journal. I do say TRY, because not everything, including the planning, works out as planned. Above was my Sunday morning planning as I worked on your Peek at My Week.

Since a thunderstorm canceled our afternoon plans, I worked on a few projects. When I sat back, I realized how much of an unintentional Fall-theme I had going on!

I picked up a few new supplies (mostly findings) on Monday afternoon then sorted them into where they needed to be. That was really all the action the craft desk saw that day as I was busy out of the house almost all day.

Tuesday, I worked to make ear wires for a few new tin pieces (made the previous week) along with the chain for the wrapped key.

I really needed to take product pictures this week. Usually, I take advantage of the natural light outside, but it's just too hot in Alabama right now. So, I set up in the sunroom instead. Zoe was a bit skeptical about the situation. 

While creating and finishing the chain for the wrapped key, I realized that my box of chains was severely overloaded. The main culprit was a large bag of thrifted chains that hadn't been sorted. So, those were dumped onto a bead mat and organized by metal (or re-donated).

Before heading out for the day on Thursday, I had little time to create. So, I took a few minutes to work in my Soul Food art journal. 

Since I was at my mom's most of the rest of Thursday, I made sure to have Bead Box 6 with me. I was able to work on one of the projects while I had dinner in the oven. And, I still consider this my craft desk, even it was really just a clipboard at my mom's house.

This is the condition of my desk at this exact moment. The art journal is still there along with another lingering project that I'm pondering. I'll get to it all once a few more chores are done. 

Some weeks, I'm so busy with other tasks that my desk never changes. Other weeks, it changes every hour. What about you? What's come across your desk recently?