It's Spring Break! I'm not actually on vacation this week, but it occurred to me that I could try to insert something fun into my Monday through Friday, something I wouldn't normally do during the work week. Of course, this being Colorado, a big snowstorm with a blizzard warning blew in late Wednesday, so my activities ended up being mainly indoors. I took time to read a few chapters of a novel, watched some art videos, fixed afternoon tea, and did a little sketching. And lest you think that my leisure time was still too productive, I also squeezed in a nap!
On My Work (Art) Table
A friend sent me a mini Buddha board as a gift and it's been fascinating to use. Basically, you draw with water which eventually evaporates. While the drawing's wet, it looks like a deep black ink. It's a good way to make sure you don't get too attached to your work!
In the Kitchen
I made chai concentrate with whole spices for the first time! It turned out fairly well, although I'm going to continue to tweak the recipe. (I'll share a recipe once I've nailed it down.) I splurged and bought these vintage-style pink Ball jars to store my concentrate in the refrigerator. I needed only one or two, but they were sold (at Target) in sets of four, so I'll have to figure out what to do with the extras.
What I'm Reading
I just finished The Lantern's Dance, which is a historical mystery in the Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King. She's been writing this series for 30 years! I enjoyed this particular volume which had a mystery which centered around the family of Sherlock Holmes and takes place in France and India.
On My Library Hold List
A tween I know recommend the graphic novel The Drawing Lesson by Mark Crilley. She thought it was the best book she'd ever read on how to draw, so of course I put in an interlibrary loan request for it.
What I'm Watching
I've been watching season 6 of Flea Market Flip (streaming on Hulu), where two teams buy used (and often broken or rusty) items at a flea market, transform them into something usable, and then sell them for profit. In this season, I've seen some clever uses of old laundry folding tables and card catalogs, but my biggest surprise is how many bars the teams have made out of various carts, bookcases, desks, or other items. It seems like at least one team on every episode, sometimes both. Bars or bar carts always do seem to sell, so it's a smart move if you want to win the game. I just can't help thinking about how easy it would be to turn this show into a drinking game.
Art I Admired
I've loved seeing the in-progress photos of the woven textiles that Teresa Dunne shares on Threads. Her color palettes are beautiful!
Made Me Laugh
This isn't funny ha-ha, but it did spark a laugh of surprise when I saw this headline: "Fort Collins bookstore is paying people to sit down and read quietly." What?! Can we say "dream job"? If you read the article, you'll see that it's not something you can live on -- you get paid in books and coffee -- but still ... wow!
New in the Shop
I've made new layered keychains using hand stamped copper circles and metal charms for knitters and scientists.
I also made coordinating fabric designs (including these lacy hearts pictured on the napkins below) to go with my lacy shamrock pattern. It's a little late for St. Patrick's Day this year, but sometimes inspiration doesn't arrive in advance of holidays. I'll try to take advantage of all the snow and cold this week to think about Christmas designs!
See you next month!