Peek at My Week (April 18-24)

There was a lot in the works this week. Take a peek.

While doing some yard work on Sunday, I caught a glimpse of the red flash of berries and discovered our first patch of ripening blackberries. They grow wild here and are really a nuisance because of the thorns, but the berries are so tasty that I can't help but get a little excited. 

Once the yard work was done, I couldn't bear to sit in the house on our first nice day in a week (SO MUCH RAIN!) So, I took my beadwork outside to enjoy the weather. 

Monday was a standard, get-things-done day full of errands and whatnot. I did decide to try something new on the bead table though! (It didn't work out but has spurred some other ideas.)

Since the weather has been so nice, I started the day with a walk in the neighborhood. I was rewarded with finding loads of beauty and a patch of ripe blackberries on the side of the road. Of course, I picked a few before heading home. 

Those roadside berries were easily worked into my breakfast!

We were happy to see that the nice weather brought out the concrete guys to finish framing up the foundation of the new building. In the evening, we met a few friends (and bumped into a few others) for dinner at an outdoor venue. 

My plans for Wednesday included helping a friend set up her own Facebook Page for her art then visiting with my mom for a few hours. Since I knew I was going to be out of the house most of the day, before I headed out I did a little prep-work for a soldering idea I had. 

I worked on adding copper foil to those bubbles and a few ceramic shards on Thursday but had to put them aside after a while because I had a lot of tasks on my list to get to including making the cake for my niece's birthday. 

Friday was FULL of activity.

It began at 5:30 in the morning with us waking to the dog barking and someone knocking on the door. The concrete guys were back to pour the slab. That was great news, but we didn't know they were coming and they couldn't get to the framed area until we moved our cars. We were frantic and there was a line of trucks down the street trying to get in our driveway. 

At the end of the day, we had a concrete foundation! Now, we have to wait for the metal to come in, and they have no idea when that's going to happen. sigh.

The frenzy of the morning and the hum of trucks in the yard left us exhausted all day. I stayed at my desk and worked.

I finished copper foiling all the pieces to be soldered but knew that I wasn't in the right place mentally for soldering so I put it aside for the next day.

Instead, I played in a couple of art journals with some paint and other mixed media supplies. I'm really happy with the results.

In the evening, I got my second wind as we headed out to celebrate my niece's 21st birthday.

It was a long day!

Saturday's stormy weather gave me a chance to recover from the day before. 

I worked my way through the You, Me, Same 3 reveals.

And, I soldered almost all day long. 

I'm in love with how some of these pieces turned out. My original idea that had spurred this soldering stint didn't work out, but another technique I've been wanting to try did. So, it was a win. And, a couple of the ceramic shards have already sold to an Instagram friend. Woohoo! I'm actually considering opening a section of my Etsy shop to selling some of the pendants and charms I made (soldered, resin, tin, etc.) rather than hoarding them away for my own designs. What do y'all think of that? I'm toying with a couple of ideas related to that but would LOVE your input. 

Here's some of the inspiration I found over the week:

• Tammie of Daisy Yellow shares some Ideas for filling a Tiny Journal. 
• Over at The Graphics Fairy, there are 25 Nest Clipart Images that could be great for a spring project of Mother's Day. 
• This Feather Sculpture is not only gorgeous, but it's also a beautiful tribute to the aid the American Indians gave to the Irish people during the potato famine. 
• I feel finding ways to make your own flowers. I guess it's because of spring. This Edwardian Rose made from Ribbon is especially nice. 
• All of the elements in this Earring Tutorial from Moois Van Mie make for a really fun accessory. 
• Helen Wells shares how to Make a Sketchbook from One Piece of Paper. 
• These little stop motion food prep Lego videos are so impressive and cute at the same time. I do love me some Lego. 
• I've always got a stockpile of mason jars so these 10 Mason Jar Craft ideas are definitely right up my alley. 
• I am gaga over these amazing, colorful sunset embroideries. 

I hope you found something to inspire you in that list. I know I've been feeling uber inspired myself. What have you been making lately?

Have a fantastic week!