Peek at My Weeks (March 29-April 11)

It might be time to catch up. I haven't been posting lately because all this staying at home has made me feel as though my days are carbon copies of the days before, but that's not entirely the case. And, I don't want to let these posts get away from me completely. I like having them here for my own personal record as well as to show you what I've been up to. So, without further ado, let's get to it!

After a bit of a sit on the couch on Sunday morning, Pat and I finally decided to get out of our funk and tackle more of the old burn pile. It was hot and miserable, but so good to get out and move around for a bit. As usual, I kept my eyes trained for any cool bits to add to my found object collection. The above was my haul: an old wind chime, a marble, part of a door hinge, and whatever the wheel-like thing is. Score!

On Monday, I braved the grocery store and a few other errands. It was upsetting to see how few of the things I needed were available at the store. But, I also celebrated finding some items that I didn't think I'd find (cans of beans!)

When I couldn't find any ground meat for the enchiladas I had planned for dinner, I did discover that the Beyond Meat crumbles were on sale. So, I took that as an opportunity to try them. The taste was good, but the texture was a tad off for my niece and myself. That may have been due to me accidentally defrosting them when it's recommended that you don't. 

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent nailing down my idea for #The100DayProject and knocking out chores. But, on Thursday, I hammered out another idea.

These fun earrings had been inspired by something I saw on TV. I couldn't shake the inspiration. I recorded a video of my process, but now need to find a way to get my videos uploaded. (Our internet here in the country is horrible!)

Part of my mornings the past few weeks have been spent "kicking bamboo." That's the technique and term we use to keep the spreading bamboo on the property from spreading to other areas. While surveying an area for the bamboo shoots, a specific scent caught my attention.

Honeysuckle! That sweet aroma gave me flashbacks of my childhood. I said something to that effect on Facebook and had many of my friends agree that it's a nostalgic scent. 

Pat and I were determined to finish clearing the burn pile area and made some wonderful headway on Saturday. 

This picture may mean nothing to you, but that entire brown area had been covered with bamboo and weeds, which made it hard to get to the junk (mostly old carpeting) that the previous owners had tried to burn out there. 

Of course, I also found some treasures.

Those rusty bits and glass may mean nothing to some, but they're worth more than gold to me!

I also spent a good chunk of the day working to re-stock my Bead Box. You'll get to see what's new in it soon! Actually, doing yard work and Bead Box stocking was how I spent Sunday too! By Monday, relaxing was on my mind.

Pat has been working SO HARD to get the pool ready for the season. And, it's finally clear enough to get in. But, it's still FREEZING cold. When it's like this, we like to float. However, we believe that a trip out to the store buy new floats wouldn't do any of us any good, so I worked on Monday to clean the old ones that were still in fair condition. 

Speaking of being ready for the season, I needed a bacon cheeseburger. While it would have been so much better on the grill, I did my best with a cast-iron skillet.

Oh, and I tried my hand at making French Fries in the air fryer. They were okay - a few of them needed a little more time. 

In addition to kicking bamboo each morning, it's blackberry season here. So, I've been walking the property for the berries.

Delicious! My morning walking, kicking, and collecting routine has been one of the most repetitive ones the past few weeks. But, it's also been SO GOOD for me to get outside and get a little exercise and fresh air. And, the practice of it is also a bit meditative - except for when the blackberry briars attack. 

By Tuesday, our pile of recycling was out of control, and I had to make a trip to the bins. Just as I finished loading up my car, I noticed a little bird hop out from under my hood. On inspection, I found that she had built a nest there.

It wasn't just any old nest either. It was one of the prettiest nests I've ever found - loaded with skeleton leaves, a feather from another bird, and five tiny eggs. I was absolutely in tears when we moved it to a spot nearby, knowing that the mother would likely not be back for it. And, she wasn't. I'm devastated about the whole thing. 

Tuesday was also the start of #The100DayProject and my project - #MakeArtDontFakeArt in which I'm working with a different material from my stash each day in an attempt to actually USE THEM!! I'll do a little roundup of what I've made so far a little farther down this post. 

On Wednesday, I was determined to get some organization done around the house. The drawers that contain my findings in my bead cabinet were OUT OF CONTROL!!

I was having a hard time telling what I have and what I need. So, parts of Wednesday and Thursday were spent getting those six drawers in order. I also tackled my kitchen pantry. You have no idea how long a few items had been expired. Oops!

I spent a few minutes that afternoon relaxing by the pool and enjoying Pat's progress on getting it all clean and pretty!

Isn't that a sight to warm your heart?

While going on my morning walk about the property on Thursday, I spied what I thought was a small twig hung up on my satsuma bush.

Nope, that's the caterpillar of a Ginat Swallowtail Butterfly who is cleverly camouflaged! I almost flicked him off the bush. But, since I love me some butterflies and the satsuma didn't bloom this year, I let him be. And, after the nest disaster, I needed to just leave well enough alone. 

I needed a bit of a break in my routine. So on Friday - I made cupcakes.

For a pop of color, I added sprinkles! 

Speaking of a pop of color, on Saturday morning, as I began my walk routine, this pop of color jumped out at me. 

I have no idea what kind of bird this is from. But it was a tiny feather and a great surprise to start the day. 

As for how my #The100DayProject has gone

Day 1: Paper, Thin Scrapbook

I took some of the uglier scrapbook paper that I had on hand and altered both sides with a variety of techniques. It took up most of the day!

Day 2: Stamps, Texture

I added texture stamps to scrap papers to make them perfect for adding to a junk journal or just collaging with them. 

Day 3: Paint, Dylusions

Somehow I always overlook the bright Dylusions paints in my stash. I made a point to pull them out with some stencils and more of the scrap papers. It was messy but so fun!

Day 4: Ephemera, Map

I've got quite a collection of maps that never seem to work their way into my work. So, I took a large one and altered one side with black and white acrylic inks.

I also used a rust-dyed one in my new junk journal. The pages of the journal were made with many of the papers from the previous days and I used the technique I learned from Roben Marie's Free Transitions Journal Workshop. 

Day 5: Ink, Lindy's Sprays

I lucked up a few months ago and scored a ton of the Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays at an estate sale for a steal! But, I haven't sprayed all of them yet. So, I did just that by laying out a variety of papers on the backside of the altered map and spritzed and sprayed all day long - allowing the inks to dry before switching out the papers. It was another messy, but fun process.

While many of my days have felt repetitive, having #The100DayProject to play with each day, has definitely made my creativity snowball as of late. I can't seem to focus on just one project before I'm ready to hop to another. But, I suppose that's better than the alternative. And, it goes to show that Being Creative Breeds More Creativity. 

To help you get inspired to be creative, here are some things I've found online lately:

• My friend, Rosantia of Bairozan's Blog, shared her Planet Bead Tutorial for those of you looking to expand your wire-wrapping skills. 
• There are so many possibilities once you master these DIY Beaded Hoop Earrings from Jewelry Making Journal. 
• The Jewelry-Making division of Craft Gossip has a roundup of Lava Bead Jewelry Making Tutorials. Now, I may need to see if I got rid of all those lava beads I used to have!
• I know I've got some wood beads floating around here. And, this DIY Marbled Wood Bead Keychain might be the perfect craft for them. 
• Polymer clay is a craft supply with which I've struggled for years. While I know I couldn't make anything that looks like these Clay Tropical Flower Earrings, the author does a great job of making it look so easy!
• Interweave was kind enough to share a list of 10 Free Jewelry Making Projects for you to do while you're at home. 
• If you're like me and just have TONS of paper supplies, you might want to Make Your Own Notebooks with Scrapbook paper. 
• Sadie Seasongoods always has some great ideas. For those of you looking to upcycle some of the things you just have laying around, check out her roundup of 40 Crafts with Waste Materials and Household Supplies. 
• I think this Dollar Tree Foil Tray Sunflower Tutorial caught my attention because I actually have a few of those trays sitting in the craft room right now!
• If you've never taken a gander at the Epbot blog and you considered yourself any kind of geek, you really need to explore her site! The other week she shared this list of 10 Fun Craft Kits that you can order to entertain yourself while at home. 
• Moois Van Me always shares some great earring tutorials. This one that she calls DIY Kokrobite includes some great ideas for how to deal with a bead that has a too-large hole. 
• I'm always blown away with some of the amazing things people do with resin. This Ocean Inspired Resin Bangle Tutorial makes it look pretty easy to create a beachy bracelet. 
• Somehow, I've never stumbled on the Jewelry Headquarters YouTube or Blog. But, when a friend posted her version of their Leather Infinity Links, I had to go check them out. The video tutorial is short, concise and just happens to be a skill I was wondering about. WIN!!

Alright, this post is WAY long. And, if you've stayed with me all the way through it, I thank you! What are you doing to stay busy at home?