Harbor Island, Blue Crayfish, and Burgers

Wow, I sort of forgot I had this blog! I'll just pretend a year hasn't gone by and jump right in.

Yesterday Eth and I had a fun visit to Harbor Island. I took Ethan's picture since he's looking so cute, and we found a bunch of blue crayfish claws laying all around. We collected some and brought them home. The idea was to dry them out and do something crafty and interesting with them. Eth said that I should put them in the oven at a low temperature to dry them out, so I did. Now the cool blue claws have red patches on them. Oops! I so didn't mean to cook them! Now I'm not sure what to do with those claws.

After Harbor Island we went to the nearby Culver's for $1 Butterburgers. They were tasty; its been a long time since I had a real burger. Eth folded his wrapper into a bug.

When Zombies Attack, I Will Hide Out Inside Target

The last two days I've been trying to make as much stuff as possible, but it turns out, that isn't much! I managed to finish six book bags yesterday, then two more tonight (four are now listed in my shop). I want an assistant!

I managed to get Ethan into the dollar section in the front of our Target store today, and we found all sorts of neat things! I got a dry-erase board ($2.50), a journal ($1.00), a hooky thing that hooks over the door that I can hang my wristlet purses on ($2.50), a pencil holder ($1.00), and a little organizer tray that I put all of my metal findings and beads in for making purses and stuff ($1.00). Even Eth got a bag to put under his new table saw for wood chip collecting ($2.50). Quite a nice stash of stuff for only $10.50! Target is definitely in my top five all time favorite stores. Sometimes I think I could live there. If zombies ever attack, I'm going to barricade inside Target for sure.

Kitty Makes a Face

"My" kitten, Hiro, (as opposed to the other two cats, who just love my husband), was perched on a kitchen chair looking so cute, I thought I'd get a neat picture of him. I took a dozen frames, and the coolest one was of Hiro making this funny face. I never did get that perfect face out of him; he looked left, looked right, decided to lick his paw. . .

Now I'm back to the workshop to try to finish some new book bags! All of the buttons and beads are on; now its time to cut the lining and assemble.

Give Me a Hand. . . Model

Last week I received the ring blanks I ordered from Judaju and have been having fun making fun rings with them. I buy lots of buckets-o-buttons because I love working with that random assortment, and sometimes I get a button that is so cool, I think it should be a ring. Above are a few of the rings I made by layering flower shaped buttons (except for that jacquard green one); I like wearing them!

Its a good thing I'm not going to sell them, because I realized I don't really have a photogenic hand. I see my hands every day and I'm totally fine with them, but the second I imagine them modeling rings, I find lots of faults! They're too red, too dry, the cat scratched me, where's the emery board? I think I would have to buy a plastic hand to model them. How many people have perfect hands?

"Arrested Development" and Hedgehog First Look

Sunday night is drawing to a close; time to gear up for big Monday packing and shipping day. I normally would have everything ready to drop off at the post office, but I need the shipping boxes that are scheduled for delivery tomorrow. All of my weekend orders are lined up and ready to be boxed.

Last night we finished the last DVD of Arrested Development, season 3. I'm in love with that show! I just discovered it on Netflix a couple of weeks ago (I'd rather watch TV series than movies; we don't have cable, so we can't watch TV the "normal" way). I'm so sad that only three seasons were made. Its one of those DVDs I'd love to own; I could watch the whole series over again. I'm sure there were lots of funny lines I didn't catch the first time!

I'm trying to work out some new designs for my wristlet purses and book bags. The other day I put together a chocolate ice cream cone, but I've been having trouble trying to figure out what critter to put with it. I tried and rejected a panda bear, then settled on a hedgehog. Pink Kitty, my faux shop cat, models the new wristlet above. It should be on sale in my Etsy shop later this week.

Minty! Minty!

I'm going to start this blog off in the middle of things. . .

Mint green is the color of the day. I was in JoAnn Fabrics, wandering around looking for inspiration, and found some mint green/sea green gemstones that I fell in love with. I even carried them around the store with me. But I'm not a jeweler -- I'm a midas when it comes to that, and I hate everything I make for myself -- so I put the gems back with the intention of just buying an oceanic necklace from a fellow Etsy artist sometime before summer. But I did make this mint green squirrel cupcake wristlet purse, and I so like it that I'm going to order more mint green wool felt!