BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all, although I'm really not sure where the week even went! It was Sunday and blink....

Hope everyone's had a good week. I know weather is hitting the MidWest. Son slept through losing power in Chicago last night 🤣. Like father, like son. When those two are out...

I just have to accept that I'm not much of a Summer crafter. I think I just need to embrace it and get on with my favorite seasons. I can't pretend I don't have enough Halloween and Christmas supplies to play with. 

I have fallen back in love with Zen Doodling, or just doodling. It's meditative for me, which, as someone who's had lifelong anxiety, is calming. I just need to figure out what to do with all of them!

Doodling My Life Away

Love seeing your creations each week so here are a few features from last week's party! 

Selep Imaging shared this stunning Mosaic Stepping Stone! What a work of art. 

If you host Girls Nights, or have wanted to, check out 3 Winks Design for how to throw one featuring mini-foods and Shrinky Dink and Charm Crafts!

This hits home! I've run hard my whole life. School, work, family...and I lost some of myself along the way. I started really learning how to let go of the guilt about what I'm not doing, which is going to be something I have to work on for the rest of my life. This post, How to Let Go of Productivity Guilt,  is a FABULOUS resource to remind ourselves that sometimes, just BEING, really IS enough! From Serenity You! 

Likewise, always trying to eat better and these Chocolate Greek Yogurt Overnight Oats from Esme Salon look both healthy and yummy! 

Thank you to everyone who linked up and I can't wait to see what you have to share this week!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Doodling My Life Away

 

While I haven't been as busy in my craft room lately, I have been busy with my sketchbook and pens. I fell into doodling several years ago, and it kinda fills the space when I don't have time or ideas of things to make. 

What I've found on my doodling journey is that I prefer what I call freeform doodling. Zentangle, which is a more formal program you can follow or become a certified instructor of, is more structured with pattern repetition. I just kinda prefer to look at the space and do what I feel like doing. There's still repetition of patterns, but I just go where my pens take me. 

What you do need for this is minimal. I use:

• A Mixed Media Sketchbook (Canson, Michaels or where sketchbooks are sold)
• Smear-Proof Pens (I use a set from Art Minds at Michaels)

For me, there's no right or wrong. This one started with the big flower. 

Similarly, did an abstract flower and went from there. Mr. Chocolate treats these like Rorschach tests, telling me what he sees. 

It's a very relaxing process for me. I've found it to be calming and helps me manage anxiety. I have books filled with doodles I need to figure out what to do with!

Until I figure that out, I'll just keep doodling my life away! 

Pinterest and YouTube have TONS of ideas to inspire you! I recommend starting with a couple of patterns, practicing repetition, and then going where your creativity leads you! 

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BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve and Happy June! JUNE! How did it get here already? 

I hope everyone's had a good week. Mine's been better than recent weeks, and even shared a few things I've had a chance to work on. Met with a new doctor on an ongoing issue that's been frustrating, so that's helped mentally.  I always had this idea that my retired life woud be chill. Instead, it's been one medical thing after another between my mom, husband, me! But fingers crossed, we're done for a while! OK enough whining. 

This week I shared: 

Mandalorian Father's Day Cards

What to Watch Journal

 And now let's take a look at some fun features from last week's party! 

The Apple Street Cottage shared how to make a beautiful Stepping Stone from Thrifted Plates. 

Petticoat Junktion shared how to use Ric Rac in Home Decor after being inspired by current trends. 

Master Pieces of My Life shared how to make a Wire Cloche from a Dollar Tree Trash Can. 

After all that creating, treat yourself to a piece of this delicious Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Coffee Cake from Cindy's Online Recipe Box! 

Thanks to all who've linked up, and for all of the well wishes as I've been going thru some stuff. Appreciate you and this space remains a haven for me, and I hope for you, too!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Papercrafting and Stashbusting: What to Watch Journal

 

In this digital / AI age, sometimes, the best solution is an old-school analog one!

Age or too many choices? Not sure. But we can never remember way too many shows we see advertised as "coming on XY date" or shows that we might want to watch. We think we will...NOPE! 

Sure, either or both of us could keep a list on our phones, iPads, etc. But I came up with a simpler solution and made this small TV Journal where we can jot them down. It was also a great way to use up paper scraps. 

Supplies:

• Mini Composition Books (Dollar Tree)
• Paper Scraps
• Embellishments

Behold, the eponymous composition journal! But in mini-form. And my bin o scraps. I have one for black/white/neutrals, and another for colors. 

Speaking of colors, they come in these three colors. 3 of these for $1.25! Not that the colors mattered since I was covering the notebook but ya know...FYI in case you want them as is. Shown on the paper scrap I chose for my journal. 

I measured the paper to a little larger than the cover, covered the cover with tape using my tape runner, and applied the paper. I used a brayer to get good adhesion. 

After the paper was applied, I trimmed the corners just using the notebook covers as a guide. I covered the front and back with the same paper. 

The paper scrap I chose was reversible! So I cut down a piece smaller than the cover and used the reverse side to make a panel for the front cover. 

I dug through my embellishment scraps and picked out some self-adhesive metal studs that coordinated, and grabbed a "T" and a "V" from some alphabet stickers on hand, and added them to the front. 

And now we have a convenient place to reach for in the moment when something new we want to watch is advertised! It sits in the thing I call the "spindle" where we keep the remotes. 

Next, I'm going to make one for all the songs Mr. Chocolate thinks he knows the titles of, is usually incorrect, and he fights with the smart speaker to play! 

Papercrafting: Father's Day and Misc. Cards

 

Sharing some cards I've worked on recently. Got an early jump on Father's Day cards, and I have some June birthdays to celebrate, so here's what I've been up to! 

We loved the Mandalorian series, and I fell hard for little Grogu. Natch, we had to see the movie and that was my inspiration for this year's Father's Day Cards for friends and family. 

Mandalorian Father's Day Cards

• Cardstock 110lb (Recollections) 
• Metallic Silver Paper (Recollections)
• Black Glitter Paper (Online)
• Creatology Star Stickers
• Misc Embellishments 
• SVG File (Free SVG Planet)
• Digital Cutting Machine (Cricut Maker)

I gathered my supplies, including these Craft Mirrors I found at Dollar Tree (I bought every shape they had!). Don't sleep on the kids' crafts section at Michaels, which is where I found this bag o stars. Self-adhesive! 

My first challenge was finding an image I wanted to use, but thank goodness for Free SVG Planet, which has a bunch of FREE character files! I found the one I used, downloaded it, and imported it into Cricut Design Space. I sized it to fit my card, and within CDS, combined it into a panel. 

I layered these so the silver would show through, using the CONTOUR function in CDS to remove image detail for everything but the text. 

Using a tape runner, I adhered the black layer to the silver, then adhered that to a slightly larger green panel, then to the card as shown.

 

I grabbed a bunch of embellishments from my stash and used them, in conjunction with the mirror tiles on some of the cards, to approximate Mando's armor. 

I did a coordinated message for the inside. Just did these in PicMonkey, printed, cut to size, and adhered to the inside of the cards. 

Misc. Cards. 

For birthday cards, I always try to make something that goes with the recipient's hobby or personality. 

Birthday Card for a dear friend.

One off Father's Day Card. My FIL won't "get" The Mandalorian, but he was a big Gardener.

FIL also happens to have a June birthday. Oops, a little crooked on the bottom but I know he won't mind. 

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