Peek at My Week (Oct 17-23)

 It's my birthday today, so I'm hoping to make this short and sweet.

Last week began beautifully with a fun day with a friend exploring the Daphne Jubilee Arts Festival and then having lunch.

On Monday, I was determined to try to get some work done, so I gathered all my treasures to find some inspiration.

Tuesday included a few fun bits. Of course, there was laundry duty too. Artemis was no help as she climbed into my basket.

She's lucky she's cute!

I had won an Amazon gift card and bought myself a little treat that came in late in the day.

This Himi Gouache set was on sale.

I didn't have time to test them out before I ran to the library for an event.

We made pumpkins from old books!

Back in the craft room on Wednesday, I created some mark-making tools.

These are for The Magpie's Nest, a workshop from Aimee Bishop on Jeanne Oliver's site. 

I finished up several earrings for the booth on Thursday as well as went about my day. Once again, a cat got in on the act of my chores. 

Rosalina insisted on staying in the bed when I made it. lol!

I took the new pieces to Southern Antiques and Accents on Friday morning.

From there, I headed to Mobile to visit with my mom for a little while.

I also announced a giveaway on YouTube for reaching 2,000 Subscribers. 

Saturday was a bit slow, but I busted out a few tasks I needed to work on like the You, Me, Same 3 for October. I'll share that reveal on Saturday. But, I also spent some time in the yard and admired my little collections from this week. 

In the evening, we watched football. And, Zoe crashed out with us on the couch with her own ball. 

And, here are some links I found inspiring this week. 

• DIY Earrings with Wire and Ceramic Pendant
• Ten Activities for a Creative Autumn
• Beginner Floral Embroidery Pattern
• DIY Halloween Garland with Free Printables
• Flame Cut Wood Decoupage Jewelry
• Abstract Art Journaling Techniques from Tiffany of Southern Gals Designs
• Real Life Horror Film Locations you can visit
• Easy Yarn Tassel Ghost Garland
• How to Make a Spiral Pendant Necklace

So that was the week. What do you have planned for this one?

Make your own Alcohol Ink Sprays

You don't always need the fanciest and most expensive supplies to create art. Sometimes, you can make the materials yourself using more affordable products. This is the case with these alcohol ink sprays. They're both easy to make and inexpensive!

And, even if you can afford the more expensive and name-brand sprays, it can be fun to make and customize your own art supplies too!

Now, this idea was not my own, I learned it from someone else many years ago and have since lost track of who it was that had the bright idea to combine markers and alcohol. But, as I've been asked several times how my Alcohol Ink Sprays were made, I thought it best to just go ahead and share the process. It's so simple. 

I was able to find all the materials I needed for these sprays at the dollar store (Dollar Tree). 

While I've really only used them as sprays, they can work as inks as well.

You can just put them in bottles without a spray nozzle and splash them onto your page.

As always, I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have about this or any of my other crafts. Just comment here or over on the YouTube video! 

Thanks

Thrifty Thursday - February Thrifty Haul

I've said it many times, I love me a great deal no matter whether it's from a craft store, thrift store, dollar store, yard sale, etc. You never know what you'll find. This month, I found quite a few deals, so let me share some of them before the video that reveals all at the end of the post. 

First, there was the thriftiest of them all: free books and magazines from the library!

There were also several trips to the Dollar Tree this month. Most of them were for needed items, and then I picked up a few other things that caught my eye. 

Possibly my favorite score this month was finding that Hobby Lobby had a bunch of their Tim Holtz products reduced to clearance prices. YES!

I just can't resist those sales. 

To get a better look at everything I picked up thriftily this past month, make sure to watch my February Thrifty Haul video on YouTube. 

So, have you found anything good lately?

Peek at my Week (May 31-June 6)

How are you doing? Seriously. How are you? As if this year couldn't be full of any more drama, we've finally reached a boiling point on race relations in the US and elsewhere. I know Black Americans have been fighting for their rights for decades, and I stand with them. I hope you do too. Now, we've probably all seen the news, but it's time to share what some of this past week looked like for me. 

On Sunday, I had an alarm set so I wouldn't miss a Lord of the Rings reunion on YouTube. Everyone in the house watched. It had me laughing, crying, and yearning to rewatch the trilogy (which I started yesterday). There are a few other cast reunions on Josh Gad's channel that I'm hoping to catch up on as well. 

After that, we had a dip in the pool. It was the weekend after all!

Monday meant groceries and other errands before I headed to Mobile to check on my mom, step-dad, and niece and have dinner with them. Tuesday was Black Out Tuesday, so I focused on sharing Black Lives Matter material, voices, and inspiration as well as knocking out some of my own work (privately)

On Wednesday, I headed back to Mobile to take my niece to an appointment. Back at home, I found that my order from Jerry's Artarama had come in!

But, it was late and I needed to tackle other things before bed so I waited until Thursday to try out my new supplies. That's real restraint!

As I checked the mail on Thursday, I had to stop to admire the gardenias. They're just about done blooming, and I'm going to miss them so much.

I kept myself busy on Friday. 

While refilling the birdfeeder, I spied this little mushroom.

Look at the little fairy door at its base!! Ahhhh! It's so awesome. 

I had to upload a few videos, so I made a trip into town to use the public wifi. I saw that the Library had its carts of free books sitting outside, so I picked up...a few.

I can't resist free books!

Back at the house, I decided to go ahead and try eco-dying papers on my own.

I've only ever done it with others on a retreat before. The papers turned out beautifully!

I was so happy with the results that I was back out in the rain in the yard on Saturday (tropical storm Cristobal) picking plants for more eco-dying materials.

The above arrangement of weedy flowers made me smile. 

And, into the pot they went!

Now, I just need to decide how to use all these luscious, dyed papers. I'm sure I'll come up with something!

Speaking of papers, I've done an okay job keeping up with my #The100DayProject.

On Day 55, I was to use some of my distress inks. That's never a problem for me. In fact, I used them quite a bit this week. But, to mix it up, I first carved a couple of stamps to use with the inks. I'm totally digging them. 

Here's where I began to falter. I was so busy on Monday that I had a tough time getting to day 56's task of using stencils on my small gelli plates. I started this spread on Tuesday but just wasn't feeling it and put it aside to finish on Wednesday. 

Using something from one of these Dover sticker books was the focus for Day 57. However, I think that's part of what held me up on Tuesday. None of them seemed to quite fit in (I mean...they're holiday stickers...) Instead, I decided that they no longer need to be in my stash and were transferred to my donation pile. 

I needed to use my sewing machine with some of my miscellaneous fabrics. While I think I had grander plans when I set my tasks for the project, this worked for Day 58. It made it into the spread I had been struggling with and helped finish it. 

Tissue tape was my material for Day 59. It was easily worked into the background of this art journal page.

Using my Colorix Crayons was Day 60's assignment. I really let myself play and tried not to go overboard with this page. 

Using some of my scraps of paper on Day 61 almost felt like cheating. I use scraps in most of my art journal pages. While I struggled a bit with this page, it came together in the end with the addition of the blue. 

Since the week was fraught with turmoil, I didn't feel very inspired or find much inspiration. However, there were a few things...

• I encourage everyone to watch this video to understand some of the Black Lives Matter movement and some of the inequalities that African Americans face. 
• On a lighter note, Jewelry Making Journal has some examples for making Lariat Necklaces. 
• And, this very short video on Lifehacker might inspire you to Finally Start that Creative Project. 

Here's to a brighter future and better days ahead. I hope you have an inspiring week!

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. 

Thrifty Thursday (February Thrift Scores)

Like last month, I decided to share the deals I found over the course of the previous month. While they are not all thrift store scores, they are thrifty in the respect that the prices were deals in one way or another.

Alas, I was not on top of taking pictures of each of my scores as I was intent of finding them new homes in the craft room. Instead, I made sure to video record my un-bagging of the items. I did sneak in a few pictures once I realized my error.

Over the course of the month, I discovered a plethora of tins a the thrift store.

Also at the thrift store was this belt. I'm sure I can do something with the buckle, but I really bought it for the leather.

Do you see that paper under the belt? That was my favorite find of the whole month. It's a ledger from the 1910s and 20s that I unearthed at an antique mall.

In the process of making the video, I realized that the ledger itself had been printed at a local stationery company. How cool is that?

There were also some crafty scores.

Hobby Lobby marked down some of their jewelry stock.

And, there were the general art journaling finds as well.

Those were from Tuesday Morning, Hobby Lobby, and the Dollar Tree.

Like I said above, the pictures only show the haul that I could get my hands on when I needed to snap a few pictures. If you want to see everything I found this past month, take a look at my February Thrift Haul video on YouTube.

I seriously hope you found some good deals this month too.