Peek at my Weeks (June 14-27)

I've not been so great on the blogging front lately. I've been distracted and only semi-inspired. But, I'd hate to get too behind on posting and lose any momentum. So, I'm here with another peek at the last two weeks.

Dealing with our three baby chickens has taken up most of my time and attention. Two weeks ago, we began introducing them to the outside since they've been living in Pat's office ever since we brought them home. 

The following Tuesday, I noticed that my swap lilies were beginning to bloom. And, they were quite productive this year!

As I worked on my 100 Day Project on Wednesday, I was taken with the water droplets of ink in one of my palettes. Don't they look like little jewels?

On the way to bed on Monday, I had to snap a picture of these sleepy chicks. We were headed to bed ourselves.

As the rain began to subside on Tuesday, I was taken with the drops coming from the trees. It felt almost magical.

After we discovered one of the chicks in Pat's office chair on Wednesday morning, we knew it was time to get serious about moving them out there. So, we spent a portion of the morning covering the chicken yard with netting to keep predators out. And, since then, the chicks have spent daylight hours out there.

While working on the netting, I spotted this dried oak branch that looked like it had dreadlocks. I was so tickled over it! Somehow, it reminds me of a Muppet. 

Thursday was full of cuteness from some of the other pets. Rosalina was in desperate need of some head snuggles. (She loves my hair!)

And, Zoe can't help but be cute; especially when you're holding toes and she's super confused by it. 😂

On Saturday, we got serious about building a small coop of the chicks. They're not quite big enough for the big coop or for being introduced to Bertha without a barrier. We EXHAUSTED ourselves in the humidity. Alas, all the rain has turned the pool green and we couldn't even jump in there to get relief from the heat. We didn't quite finish their new habitat so they spent one last night int he house. (They should be sleeping out there tonight!)

I did a better job over the last two weeks of keeping up with my #The100DayProject.

Day 69 was all about using some of the rolls of medical paper tape I have hoarded. I used it both to create texture for the flower as well as for background to my sentiment. 

I struggled a bit with days 70 & 71, especially combining the neon gel sticks and the rustic Tim Holtz scrapbook papers. I think this kinda works in the end.

Though I only have a couple of stamp-and-die-cut sets, it was my task to use at least one of them (I've never used either of them) on Day 72. 

Since I love my Nickel Azo Gold fluid acrylic paint so much, obviously I never use it. It's too precious. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!? So, on Day 73 I was forced to break it out and create something...amazing.

Again with the hoarding of precious treasures, I forced myself on Day 74 to use a couple of tickets from a stash of ephemera I had won last year.

On Day 75, I used some of my homemade alcohol sprays to create the above page. I dig it!

Using some of my letter stencils was the task for Day 76. It's not as awesome as I had hoped, but it worked. 

On Day 77, it was all about using one of the images from the Botanical set from Tim Holtz. That was easy enough.

Seam Binding and Bias Tape had my attention on Day 78. Since there were a couple of tags already on my desk, waiting to be used, I thought they would be perfect for the fabric pieces. 

When I finally realized that my use of double-sided tape could be foam tape, I was all over Day 79's challenge. 

Using my Posca paint pens on Day 80 didn't sound too hard. But, I made sure to keep the page simple so that the marks still stood out. 

For Day 81, I had assigned myself using paper from a yearbook. That's never too hard for me, but I struggled a little as I had JUST used an image only days before. 

I should have also gotten day 82 completed, but working on that chick coop zapped all my energy. No worries...I got it caught up today. 

As usual, I like to leave you with a bit of inspiration from the internet, so here goes:

• Here's a simple, but smart Connected Earring Tutorial from Moois Van Me. 
• These intricate and beautiful wood sculptures from Xavier Puente Vilardell are mind-boggling. Their twists and turns and loops and curves are mesmerizing. 
• This vintage linens garland is so super easy, but such a great way to upcycle bits of fabric that it needed to be shared. 
• Not long ago, I struggled with making some crescent moon wire frames myself, I really could have used this tutorial. 
• I'm always on the lookout for ways to upcycle. Here's a great roundup of some ideas for old jeans. 
• Make a pair of beautifully delicate flower earrings with this tutorial from Rings & Things. 

I hope you're finding loads of other inspiration. If so, I'd love to hear about it!

Peek at My Week (March 22-28)

How are ya hanging in there? All this social-distancing and self-isolation is making me a little batty. But, I realize it's for the best. And, I really hope you're out there making good choices, washing your hands, and staying healthy. Let me give you a peek of what I've been doing with myself this week to keep busy. 

Sunday started off cloudy like Saturday, but the afternoon turned beautiful. So, we headed outside to get started on some yard work. On the way to the pole barn to get our tools, I spotted this little bunch of clover flowers and couldn't resist snapping their picture. Don't they just make you smile?

As Pat helped me trim away the bamboo and weeds in the old burn pile, we discovered this beauty of a bird's nest. We waited several hours before removing it to make sure it wasn't occupied. I was mesmerized by the craftsmanship. The outer layers are made of small sticks and twigs. Then, there's a layer of leaves. Finally, the inside is a comfy layer of straw and grass. It's beautiful!

On Monday, I took my niece in Mobile to the dentist for a root canal. Afterward, we picked up lunch and hung out before deciding to get a little crafty in the kitchen.

Y'all! I forgot how easy it is to make rice crispy treats. We added M&Ms for an extra level of yum.

Tuesday was all about catching up on chores and errands. I did get this beauty of a necklace into the shop too.

It's already sold!

I've been walking the property in the mornings to kick the bamboo shoots. It's the only way we've been able to keep bamboo from taking over the backyard. And, it's good for me to get outside and move around a little. Plus, I get to find treasures like this while I'm out there.

On Wednesday morning, the bright blue of this tiny feather stopped me in my tracks. 

I let the beauty of it carry on through my day as I worked on both some jewelry and a page in one of my art journals.

I was tickled that they ended up with a similar theme. But, I shouldn't have been surprised as both the tag and the sticker are Tim Holtz products. 

Once I got some business handled and lunch taken care of on Thursday, I let myself give in and picked loquats for jam-making.

In the process of cleaning and chopping the fruit, I remembered why I was so hesitant. It takes forever to process loquats. But, once it was all said and done, I think it was probably worth it.

Mmmmm, Jam. 

Friday is always big-chores-day for me. I knocked out as much as I could before lunch and was ready for something yummy. Pat and the niece wanted leftovers, but I was in the mood for something...lighter.

A snack plate seemed perfect. And, ohmyggodness, it was so good!

After a little more work, I grabbed a beer, some watercolor supplies, and my phone and headed outside for a mini Instagram concert from one of my favorite music artists. 

I've been seeing more and more of these little performances, and they warm my heart.

Saturday was all about the Gnome Reveal for the Art Elements Theme Challenge. 

It was a beautiful day outside, but I was feeling crummy. So, we stayed inside and indulged in a couch-day. As busy as I've been lately, I think it was well-deserved. 

I hope you're allowing yourself to indulge just a little too. If you're looking for some inspiration, here's what I found over the week.

• Last week, I shared a tutorial for making a bubble wand. It only seems right that I share a tutorial for making some bubble art this week. 
• Check out these earring DIYs from Moois Van Me. First, these dotted ones are too darn cute. Secondly, I really admire how she hung these color blocking earrings. 
• Artist Ayumi Shibata creates amazing landscapes with white paper. Check out how some of them change depending on the light source. So cool!
• Since we're all looking for some inspiration, how about checking out these 50 Inspiring Quotes from Powerful Women. 
• If you're looking for some luck, why not create your own with this DIY Stamped Lucky Penny tutorial?
• Okay, I know, they look like eyeballs. I see it too. But, if you take out the black and white from these Rainbow DIY Pom-Poms, I do think they would really look like flowers. 
• These Beaded Wire Maze Sculptures are intended as a kids' project. But, I could totally see using up some of those art beads you can't part with to make something a little more elevated and sculptural. Can't you just see it?
• Here is a confetti and resin earring tutorial from Etsy. 
• A magazine local to my area did this round-up of local webcams. There's a few of the beach!

That's it for me this week. I just finished all my shopping for the week and hope to spend the rest of it hunkered down deep in my craft room - or out wandering the property. I hope you're making the most of this unusual period in time. What's inspiring you right now?

Peek at My Week (Oct 13-19)

Apparently, I am no good at taking pictures during the week anymore. I think perhaps there's so much of my time spent doing household and repetitive tasks that I just don't think to snap a picture. I really need to take a little time to find some beauty in the everyday. In any case, here's some of what I captured during this past week.

Pat and I were so busy with other obligations on our actual anniversary that we celebrated it on Sunday with a trip to the beach. First was a stop at The Gulf for lunch and a drink. 

We had to make a stop to put our toes in the sand and the water. And, we were a little disappointed in ourselves as we didn't grab our swimsuits before leaving the house. The water was perfect! We had expected it to be chilly outside, but it wasn't. I ought to know better than to head to the beach without swimming gear. Ah well, it gave us time for our next stop.

Rather than heading home the way we came, we veered into Florida then looped back around. As we were driving, we realized we were close to Pirate's Cove and needed to stop for a Bushwacker. Yes, needed! All in all, it was a beautiful day to celebrate our anniversary. 

I did get a few pictures on Monday

I started the day with a little art journaling, but that was all that I did all week. I can hardly believe it myself. 

Instead, I got obsessed with this new contraption - a bead loom - and messed with it much of the week. Though, I only got one whole bracelet made all week. The rest of the time was spent experimenting with ideas. 

I did make it up to Southern Antiques and Accents on Monday to update the booth before Tuesday's Ladies' Night. 

I also checked on my citrus trees. These Satsumas were starting to look ready to eat. I had seen some at my local farm market that were green on the outside and ripe on the inside. So, I thought maybe these were ready. They aren't. Thankfully I only picked one of them for us to try! We'll wait a few more weeks before we try again.

On Thursday, I played around with something other than the jewelry loom. You'll see the final reveal of this project tomorrow. (I have to admit that I did work on my bead loom bracelet design between drying stages of this project though!)

Once Pat was done with work, we headed up to his recording studio to move from one space to another. I helped haul a few things across the hall for him, but let him handle all the actual music equipment. I'll be sharing his site and everything soon.

On Saturday, I headed to Mississippi to help surprise another friend for her 40th birthday. It was a lot of fun. And, I really do think she was surprised.

Before I knew it, I needed to head home before it got dark. I did let myself pull over to capture this beautiful sight. 

The sunset on Mobile Bay couldn't be resisted. I saw another couple of people pull over as well!

Alabama played a late game, so we settled in to watch as our team battled Tennessee's. It was a rough game to watch, but our boys pulled it out in the end. 

As for inspiration for this week...

• These glass sculptures from Ben Young absolutely mesmerize me!
• The Beading Gem shares Tips and Tricks for working with Polymer Clay and Wood Frames. 
• How cute are these bottlecap pumpkin pins? I love the upcycle aspect for sure!
• Moois Van Me often transforms simple findings into something a little bit more. This is the case in her latest earring tutorial. 
• Laura of Little House Big Alaska shares 100 Ways You Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint. Most of these are small things!
• Finally, here's a simple tutorial on Creating a Vintage-Inspired Cabachon Pendant. 

And, that was the week for me. I hope yours was awesome and that you're looking forward to an even better one ahead. I know I am!!

Peek at my Weeks (June 10-23)

It's time to give you another inside look at some of the goings-on in my world. The last few weeks have been kinda bumpy as I went out of town for several days, and I just haven't been able to catch back up - but I'm trying!

Before heading out of town, I made sure to check the garden and nesting boxes. What a bounty!

I made sure I was caught up on both #The100DayProject and ICAD2018 before leaving. As well, I packed materials so I could work on both whilst away. However, I barely touched my supplies. Fortunately, I've been able to catch back up since I got home (over several days' time).

I decided to work with altering tin over the last few weeks to keep it simple. 

And, I got quite a few components made! Now to just turn them into jewelry!! I also recorded my making of 78-80 and hope to get those up for your enjoyment...later.

Even making the index card art (ICAD 2018 at Daisy Yellow) was difficult to get to, but I got it done.

I also recorded most of these, but will only be sharing a few of them (the more complex and most liked (by me) ones).

While picking up supplies before heading out of town, this contradiction caught my eye. Yes, Wal-Mart was advertising its commitment to American jobs right next to the self-checkout machines that are replacing American cashiers. It just bugged me. Is it just me?

One of the fun activities we participated in while I was away was the painting of a cross as taught by a talented young artist (Emily....I can't remember). I was happy to have some creativity in the mix of responsibility. 

The other fun activity was a trip to the McWane Science Center in downtown Birmingham. While the center is designed for kids (and the kids with us really enjoyed it), my mom and I had a lot of fun exploring the place. I especially liked the bubbles and the touch tank! That's my mom up there with the big bubble. 

After the fun activities, there was much formality, business, and fraternity for the Alabama Grand Assembly. Before long, it was time to head home.

This bridge (nicknamed the Dolly Parton) is one of the last major landmarks before hitting Mobile - meaning we were almost home. 

It took almost a whole day for this sweet kitty to forgive me for leaving her. 

And, it wasn't long before I was out in the yard discovering things like this cool turtle!

Being out in the yard also meant that the mosquitoes were discovering me too. I decided to try my hand at mixing up a homemade bug spray. It didn't work at first because I mixed it in one container before transferring it to the spray bottle. I think many of my oils stayed in the original container. I've since added more oils so we'll see how that works!

I taught the oldest niece how to do acrylic pour painting. These two are mine. I'm SO HAPPY with that top one. The bottom one is great, but the paint shifted in the car on the drive home. 

After almost two weeks, I was able to get back in the pool as we took a night swim. I was entranced by how pretty the lights leading out to and around the pool area looked in the dusk. Once it got dark, bats were swooping into the pool for a drink. It was awesome. 

And, then we spent the bulk of Saturday in the pool as several friends and family members dropped by to enjoy it with us. 

Oh, and the 20% off sale at my booth at Southern Antiques and Accents is still going on for a few more days. You should definitely take advantage of that!

I'm in the process of working on several videos and getting to all those jewelry components, so I hope to have more to share with you very soon.

What's going on in your corner of the world?