Peek at My Week (March 8-14)

Wow...what a week it's been! I'm talking about the news and panic and confusion. As if general politics didn't cause enough of that, now we have a pandemic that's resulted in shut schools and canceled events. But, here in my bubble, things have been less chaotic. 

Let me share with you some of the joy and beauty and fun I found in my week in the hopes that it will inspire you to find those moments in yours. To begin, I'm following up on something I mentioned last week - the glow of pink in the house from the azaleas blooming out in the yard. 

Yes, those were just from the azaleas! Look at the amount of pink on Pat's office door. 

CA-RAY-ZEEEE!

After breakfast out, Pat and I worked in the yard. It was a beautiful day, and that extra hour of sunshine in the afternoons means so very much to us.

These are the same azaleas but on the pool-side instead of the house-side. They were my view as I raked around the pool. 

Since it's been warmer, it's been easier for me to get outside in the mornings to doodle and meditate. I found that these seed pods I had collected were covered in dewdrops. There was something magical about them.

That was a lovely start to my Monday before I focused on grocery shopping and other errands. 

Tuesday's chores and tasks kept me at home most of the day. I was able to create for a while in the craft room and even worked in one of my art journals. 

This was partway through one of my most favorite ever art journal pages!

As usual, I went to Mobile on Wednesday. I ran errands with my mom but cut my day with her a little short to head out with Pat and some friends to try something new.

We went to a new bar to try out ax-throwing. Despite the bullseye I did make (as pictured), I had a hard time sinking the blade into the wood and became frustrated after many, many attempts. I may try again another time now that some friends have offered other tips.

I then played around on the dartboard and was surprised that I did relatively well too, until...

All of my darts hit the board except the one above that somehow hit a tiny crack on the concrete floor and stuck there, straight up and down. It was weird and awesome. 

I don't often plan many chores for myself on Thursdays, but that meant that I had time to finally begin to tackle the dreaded paperwork sorting for taxes. 

I made a pretty rainbow-shape in my process of stacking receipts by month. I actually didn't even notice it until I got up to grab something. HA!!

Once I had most of the CraftyHope side of things taken care of, I decided it was time for a break. So I headed outside with Zoe, a book, and a hammock for half an hour.

Just as I was finishing up the much-needed break, I realized I had a visitor in my hammock. He's cute, but I'm pretty sure he's one of those caterpillars that sting. So, I knew it was time to get out of the hammock and head back inside. 

I was excited about that night's dinner plan as it was something I knew we'd all enjoy!

Those dumplings are easy to make but just take a while to fold. However, it was absolutely worth it as we loved them and there were NO LEFTOVERS to clean up. I'm not sure those dumplings would have re-heated well anyway. 

Friday began as quite a foggy day. I'm no fan of spiders, but I was fascinated by the condensation that coated the webs on the property. 

It was my big-clean day for the house (Fridays always are.) Once the inside was spiffy, it was nice to head outside and take in more of the beauty out there. 

These daffodils are always a happy surprise when they bloom. 

I filled Saturday to the brim - beginning the day with a batch of waffles before Pat had to head out for a gig. While he was gone, I worked in the yard for a little while. Once I had tackled the tasks that were on my mind, I enjoyed the glorious weather in my own way.

The pool still needs a bit of work, but we've got a little time before the water warms up enough to get in it. 

Part of my yard work was picking all the lemons from the lemon trees since I didn't get to it earlier in the year. I realized that some of the lemons were still in pretty good shape so I brought them inside to juice for lemonade.

Since I've still got another cup of juice, I'm thinking about using it to bake something today. Mmmm!

Once Pat was home from his gig, we needed to run to the store real quick. Since it was Pi Day, I convinced him that we needed a pie. 

We do not regret that decision. 

See, I said it was all about finding the good stuff in your week! Let me you help by adding some inspiration to your week with the following links:

• Check out this roundup from The Crafty Blog Stalker of 20 Unique Handmade Necklace Tutorials. 
• My husband's recording studio is Jellyfish Studios and while I've always loved jellyfish images, they're catching my attention more and more. These amazing Jellyfish Embroideries from Yuliya Kucherenko would have caught my attention either way. 
• Over on the Ice Resin blog, you can find a cool Geode Mechanical Necklace tutorial. 
• Likewise, Rings & Things shared a tutorial for making a pair of Love Bead Threader Earrings. 
• I love all things fantasy, so these adorable Wool-felted Creatures from Natasya Shuljak are right up my alley. 
• While seed bead creations are not really my jam, I can't help but appreciate the time and attention that's devoted to them. The Beading Gem shared three novel beaded bracelet tutorials that she claims are easy!
• In addition to my jewelry work, I love to create with paper. These collages from found paper and photographs from artist Hollie Chastain are such eye-candy!
• I know, I know!! I'm supposed to be sharing inspiration. However, if you're worried about your small business during this chaotic time, Wellspring has curated/is curating a list of resources to help you stay informed and deal with the changing atmosphere. 
• Back to the inspiration! Here are some ideas for upcycling fabrics for your home. This is a pretty long and interesting list. 
• I should probably just direct you to go check out everything on My Modern Met because I love it all! How about these sculptures from Stephanie Kilgast that creates vibrant ecosystems on discarded trash? Just wonderful!!

 And, that's it for my week. I'm already collecting beautiful moments this week to savor when the stress of the rest gets to be too much. I hope you really do take the time to savor the small things! Enjoy those moments this week!

Make a Simple Necklace Backer

When it comes to packaging handmade jewelry, I think it's important that the packaging reflects the style of the shop and the overall feel that the seller wants to give. For me, it's important to upcycle materials to make that packaging. I've previously shared how to make the bases for jewelry backers using thin cardboard and book paper. As well, you can find my method for creating fish hook earring cards and earring cards for lever-back earrings. But, I haven't shown you how I use the bases to make a simple necklace backer.

It really is a super simple process. Start with your basic backer base (I love alliteration!) along with a pair of scissors, a regular-size hole punch, and your necklace.

Keep in mind that the size of your backer will depend on the necklace itself. You'll want to lay the necklace out on the backer first to measure how you want it displayed. From there, punch two holes at the top of your backer, about 1/2-3/4 inch down from the top edge where the necklace chain will cross.

Use your scissors to cut slits from the top edge down to your punched holes.

Insert each side of the chain of your necklace into the slits, centering your focal piece on the backer.

If the back of the chain hangs too long, you can twist and loop it up and insert it back through the slits to secure it like I did in this quick video tutorial on the process.

Of course, you could also bag up the chain in a small baggie and staple or tape it to the back too.

These backers are ideal for shipping necklaces that I sell on Etsy as they provide a sturdy base for the necklace and bubble wrap. 

You can see the rest of how I package an Etsy order in another post if you're interested. 

For the necklaces in the booth at Southern Antiques and Accents, I find it better to use simple handmade tags that hang from the chain. I may share that process with you at another time. However, if you have any questions about how to create these Necklace Backers, please don't hesitate to let me know.

March Challenges and Inspirations

I love a good challenge. It always helps get my creative juices flowing, even when I'm not feeling inspired to create. As such, I often find myself on the hunt for challenges and keep my eye out for the ones I know occur regularly. Since I'm all about sharing and really enjoy seeing how others approach the same inspiration, I like to make sure there's a list out there of the challenges and inspirations of which I'm aware. This is that post!

• Each month, Sarajo's husband (Eric) gives her a photo for design inspiration. She shares it on her blog for the rest of us to use too and calls it the Honey Do List. This month, Eric selected a picture of an ornate door in Prague. The reveal is on March 23rd. 
• I'm a huge fan of the Art Elements Theme Challenge each month. A member of the team selects a general theme and they open the challenge to any blogger who wants to participate. As well, you can design in any medium you desire. So fun! This month, Jenny chose Gnomes for the theme. To participate, you must have a blog and comment on the original post letting Jenny know that you want to play along. The blog hop is scheduled for March 28th.
• Also. March 28th is the deadline for submitting to Art Bead Scene's Art Journey #2: The Luminous Beauty of Victor Zaretsky. For this challenge, you must use an art bead to make a piece inspired by one of the selected artist's highlighted works. Entries should be posted on the Art Bead Scene Lounge page on Facebook. See the blog post of all the details. 

Unfortunately, that's all the challenges I've been able to find so far this month. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you know of any I may have missed. I can't wait to see what you create!

Peek at My Week (March 1-7)

March, y'all...it's MARCH!! I don't even know how we got here. One of the local schools had prom last night, today is Daylight Savings, and Spring Break will soon be here. (While my pool looks like a scummy pond - ick. I'll spare you the pictures!) But, here we are. Time marches on. How was your week? I think mine worked out pretty well. 

I spent much of Sunday with a rust bath.

I used the Rust Dye instructions from ArtGirl Creations that included hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, salt, and rusty bits. It took most of the day to soak.

Before it got dark, I pulled everything out of the tub to start drying.

I had all kinds of amazing bits and bobs stuffed into the tub. You can see my whole process in the highlights section of my profile on Instagram. 

By Monday, I was ready to speed up the drying process.

I hung all the fabrics on the line and a few of the saturated papers. While the sun was out, the wind was a little too much for the papers. So, those had to come down before they tore. 

I let the rusty bits sit inside.

I don't know how you feel about rust, but this makes my heart skip a beat! While everything sat, I ran my usual Monday errands. 

Tuesday was voting day and I woke up a little concerned about what choice I should make. My daily watercolor doodling helped calm my mind.

I was ready to make my choice.

Back at home, I couldn't help but gaze at the glow of pink outside the Craft Room window.

 Y'all, there's a pink glow all through my house as these azaleas dominate the North end. The color is reflecting off all the surfaces. I'll share a picture of the glow next week!

On Wednesday, I went to my mom's and ran errands with her before a friend came over to visit us both. Then, I talked mama into going to an antique store with me. I didn't find anything to bring home but was sufficiently creeped out by this display.

Y'all! That was almost a full case of porcelain monkey dolls dressed in baby clothes. They were very well done, but just weird enough to give you the willies!

I worked on getting a few things done at the house on Thursday before meeting a good friend for lunch. In the afternoon, I set about getting the craft room in order. It was a serious disaster!

On Friday, I got a few household chores accomplished before working on getting things organized for the booth at Southern Antiques and Accents. After lunch, I headed over there to clean out the pieces that had been in there too long and swap them out for jewelry that was newer and felt more seasonally appropriate. 

That peek doesn't show you that I also re-stocked the "Bargain Bin" that's full of handmade jewelry priced to sell at about $1 each. There are some serious steals in that bin.

Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day! I seem to get a bit more done when the sun's out. So, I worked on a couple of art journal pages, made some jewelry, and even took Zoe on a hike through our woods.

 We discovered that a tree had partially fallen (at an angle) across one of the trails, and we had to work our way around it. (Zoe wanted to go under and I wanted to go over.)

Once on the other side, we found all the treasures that it contained - including the mossy knot in the above picture and these fungi below.

While the tree across the trail is a problem, I was giddy about these finds. 

Unfortunately, while I stayed so busy all week, I didn't have much time to find inspiration. Though, there were a couple.

• Jewelry Making Journal shared another tutorial. This one is for a pair of Easy Bird's Nest Earrings. 
• And, while looking at how to rust, I found another video on How to Easily Create Rust for Your Artwork that requires less mess than the one I used. However, the one I used acts faster and has a neat process. Both are great methods. 

And, that was it for my week. How has yours been? Are you looking forward to more daylight in the afternoons since Daylight Savings began today? I know I am!!

Recent Art Journaling on YouTube

I'm still trying to play catch up after falling a month behind. But, that's okay. It ensures that I have something to share with you amazing people! Most of my art journaling endeavors are shared on other social media and YouTube. But, I like to pop in here once a month or so and make sure that you can find the links and/or at least see a picture of what I've created. Without further ado, I present my art journaling for January and February.

I'm not even sure how long ago I actually made this Mixed Media Art Board featuring that little cutie. However, I'm smitten with him. 

It's not often that I use molding paste in my art, as I usually forget about it. In this Art Journal Play video, I recall why it's so awesome. Just look at the texture!

I did share this Mixed Media Valentine Art with you but can't resist showing it off again in case you missed it or didn't have time to watch the process. 

Sometimes I don't know when to stop once I get started playing. This Grungy Art Journal Page is the perfect example of that. I just kept adding things until I realized I had added too much. It's all good though, it's a learning process. 

You've likely already seen this Letters Art Journal Page for the Art Elements reveal. In case you haven't, I didn't see any harm in showing it off again. 

I'm seeing a lot more of my bead friends getting into art journaling. And, that excites me so much! I know that just means more inspiration and eye candy for me to take in. I hope I've helped add to your inspiration just a little. 

Peek at My Week (Feb. 23-29)

There was an extra day in this year, and it was this past week. Did you spend it wisely? I sure hope so, ad I know I did. As the 29th (Leap Day) was the last one of this week, we'll get to it last. Let's start our peek at the beginning: Sunday.

This photo may mean nothing to you, but it's how Pat and I spent most of Sunday: out in the yard, tearing down the raised bed garden and its fencing. When we made the garden, we used untreated wood so the chemicals wouldn't seep into the soil and spoil the plants. That also meant that the wood rotted away pretty quickly. The fence also became a problem as instead of keeping nature out, it was simply a structure for the weeds to climb. When we re-do the garden, I'm hoping to use cinderblocks instead of the wood to make it withstand a little more of our weather.  We exhausted ourselves with this one task. It was an undertaking for sure!

Monday was a bit of a slower pace as I knocked out my usual planning and shopping tasks then decided to sort through my spray inks and unclog the nozzles of ones that wouldn't spray. This meant testing ALL OF THEM. But, I made some pretty paper in the process. 

Tuesday was Mardi Gras. While I usually head downtown with my mom and nieces, the nieces had other plans and it just didn't seem like a time for celebration after the last several weeks. So, I stayed home and partied at the craft desk! I began by working on my pendant for the Letters reveal for Art Elements.

I also spent a nice chunk of the morning organizing my spray inks.

See all the swatches on the tops? I spent much of Tuesday spraying round stickers to label the tops of the inks. Now, I hope to find and use my inks more often.

And, in the end, my thumb was glorious! I don't think I could have made it make that rainbow pattern if I had tried. So, I was a little fancy for Mardi Gras!

As I headed to Mobile on Wednesday to help my mom take care of some of my grandmother's things, I couldn't help but revel in the debris left behind from the Fat Tuesday celebrations in downtown Mobile.

Check out that tree with all its beads!! Don't worry, I was still stopped at the light when I took the picture and didn't put anyone in danger fiddling with my phone. 

Thursday was a beautiful but chilly day as I knocked out quite a few tasks on my to-do list.

Zoe just reveled in the sunshine!

While taking Zoe out on Friday, I couldn't help but stop and take in the azaleas that have popped. 

It was still quite chilly, but they were insisting that spring had sprung.

Pat received a shipment of t-shirts for his new recording studio.

Aren't they great!?

Leap Day Saturday was a majorly busy day.

I made sure we were fueled up for the day to come by making my first ever frittata. We LOVED it, and I will definitely be making many more!

After Pat ran to the studio to collect some of his gear, we ran by a garage sale in the neighborhood and scored a large pile of reclaimed barn wood for a steal. I can't wait for Pat to make some picture frames with it. From there, we went to Cafe Acadiana for lunch. 

I don't care what you order there, it's always good and always looks like a magazine shoot. 

We were lazy much of the rest of the afternoon as we knew we'd be out late. One of Pat's bands had a gig at The Hangout in Gulf Shores, and I decided to go too.

As they set up and had sound-check, I watched the sunset.

Then, the real show began!

Though it was windy and still chilly, it was a nice way to end the week. 

I've already packed some creativity into this week, but can't wait to continue that trend. Here's some inspiration for you to stay creative as well.

• I'm always trying to work recycled elements into my designs and have worked with old belts before. These DIY Leather Cuffs from Old Belts at Make It & Love It have a few new takes on this idea. 
• Artists Network shared this list of Art Apps that might help your work go a little more smoothly. I know I saved this list to work down it and see how I might benefit from them. 
• Stacking a few laser cut pieces can make a little Shadowbox Pendant. The Beading Gem walks you through the process. 
• While I've seen a few of these tutorials, many of them are new to me. Check out this roundup of 20 Handmade Earring Ideas. 
• Sizziz shared its list of the Top Five Benefits of Crafting. I love me a good list, and one about crafting just can't be turned away.
• You have to see these AMAZING tissue paper flower sculptures from Marianne Erikson Scott-Hansen. They are something to behold!
• If something a bit more delicate is your style, check out the impressively elaborate designs cut from a single sheet of paper from Pippa Dyrlaga. 
• Rings and Things shares a DIY  technique for combining Vintaj Patina and darkening brass blanks that I'd never considered before but will very likely be testing out soon. 
• Waste not, want not is the perfect way to think of this project from Mill Lane Studio. She saves all that excess resin and turns it into rings. It's not for beginners, but definitely worth a look!
• I have to admit that the beads and whatnot used in this Beaded Suncatcher Tutorial are not really my jam. However, the technique and idea are pretty sweet. 
• I learned so much reading through the several ways Julie created the texture for her Antiqued Heart and then added depth with her paint techniques. It came out beautifully.  

As I mentioned, I'm already off and running with the creativity this week. Make sure to check out my Instagram feed if you want to see more! I hope your week is full of sunshine and creativity too!