Thanksgiving is next week and I haven't bought anything for it except cranberries! (Stay tuned next month for my tutorial on how to make an entire turkey dinner and pumpkin pie out of fresh cranberries! Just kidding. Probably.) Anyway, here's what's been happening around here:
On My Work (Art) Table
It's that time of year! My table is full of items (charms, stitch markers, ornaments, keychains) that need to be assembled and shipped. Here's a photo from a few weeks ago showing some metal ornaments in progress. I put a felt backing on the metal for a finished look. (These were the ornaments I sent to the Commonwheel Artists Co-op for their Holiday Market.)
I also got one more set of fabric designs to proof and list in my Spoonflower shop. I'm going to need to come up with a project for these swatches eventually.
And finally, I didn't even know that oil-based (not wax) colored pencils were a thing, but after reading a bunch of rave reviews, I bought a set for myself. It's too early to know if I'll like them better, but it's always fun to try something new!
In the Kitchen
Have you heard of ruby chocolate? This pink chocolate was introduced in 2017 and is made from ruby cacao beans. (Food Network has a brief article, "What Is Ruby Chocolate?" if you want more details.) I finally tried some (a Chocolove bar) and thought it tasted like white chocolate with a little bit of berry sweetness. I'm going to stick with my usual dark chocolate, but it was fun to try.
I read two good books recently: World of Wonders and The Ride of Her Life. World of Wonders by poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil is a book of essays that combine specific animals and plants with her own life. This is the kind of book that's short, but takes a long time to read because it's so beautiful and compelling that you want to savor it.
The other book, The Ride of Her Life, is a true story written by Elizabeth Letts. She writes about a Maine woman in her 60s who decides to ride a horse across the U.S. and see the Pacific Ocean for the first time. The story takes place in the 1950s and really shows what a different time it was, as the account of her ride is featured in newspapers and people eagerly open up their homes to her along the way. I do wish that photos had been included, but I can understand that it might not have been easy to do so.
On My Library Hold List
Actress Melissa Gilbert of Little House on the Prairie fame has a new book out on fixing up an old house. The book is titled Back to the Prairie and takes place during the early days of the pandemic. It's hard for me to resist a home makeover book and I'm curious to see her take.
A Crafty Update
I mentioned back in May of this year that our local grocery stores were requiring that you bring your own bags for shopping. I'd been thinking about designing a bag (or bags, on the days I feel ambitious), but it wasn't until I got a coupon for a free tote bag (I paid shipping) that I actually did anything about it. Since I was working on a short deadline, I combined some of my older illustrations with some new ones. My inspiration was the baking aisle at the grocery store. I chose the saturated color option at checkout (at Shutterfly) because I like bright colors. I'm glad I did because it still looks a little faded to me.
What I'm Watching
Does your library offer Hoopla? It's a free service that lets you watch TV shows and movies. I'm currently using it to watch back episodes of Handcrafted America. Each episode showcases three makers and walks you through how they create one of their signature creations. I really like that they show you the tools and explain materials. It's not a step-by-step how-to show, but I feel like other crafting or art shows skip these details which I find so fascinating. I want to know that the woodworker uses rusty nails as part of his process to create a deep blue stain or that the milliner uses vintage flower molds to make the fabric roses on her hat.
Art I Admired
Diana Cotter creates these beautiful birds and other animals using leaves.
Made Me Laugh
I do love those funny felt board signs that people make. Here's one about cookies and one about being indecisive.
New in the Shop
So what do you do when you make a mistake when you're crafting? I like to see if I can turn it into something new. These new wood-and-copper postage stamp ornaments are a good example. The wood postage stamps (my original design) were supposed to be engraved, but I accidentally cut them out instead. They sat on my work table for quite awhile before I came up with this ornament design. These would be cute for a pen pal, a mail carrier, or anyone who likes to send handwritten notes.
If you liked my 2023 paint-themed calendar I shared on an earlier blog post, you can now get it in a mini format for your desk or a poster.
See you in December!