Crafty Inspiration & Cat Photos 😸
#13: Plus amazing Small Businesses and Lots of Books!
Hi Friend!
It’s Friday! Let’s all take a collective breath, clear our timeline and talk about crafts, fun small businesses, books and cats, shall we?
This week, I tried to put into practice the balance I talked about last week. And it was so much fun! I definitely got the dopamine I was so sorely missing and you can see the fruits of my labor further down in the Crafts section. Now, we’ll see if I can keep up the momentum on the longer-term projects I’m working on 🤞
♡
April was full of ups and downs. Lots of doctor’s appointments, a chronic illness flare-up (I’m fine! Or, as fine as a chronically ill girlie can be) and lots of tests that came back ✧*̥˚ normal *̥˚✧. The mystery continues and I’m just along for the ride.
It was also a month of realizations and renewal with me finally recognizing my own patterns and spring arriving after waffling for a few weeks. I also took the best cat photo ever at the beginning of April and if you do nothing else with this newsletter today, please make sure you check out that link, scroll all the way down and look at it! Glorious.
In summary, April was A LOT. Crossing my fingers that May doesn’t do quite so much!
♡
Ok! On the the fun stuff!
Podcast!
This week is a new Snart Episode! We’re doing printmaking during May (print-may-king? I’m so sorry.) and I’ve got a lot of fun ideas that you can do yourself or with others. I love a good Snart episode!
Check our the full episode below (or listen on Apple, Spotify or watch on YouTube).
#24 - Snart Theme for May with Becky
It’s time to Snart it up with Printmaking! I’m so excited to print and stamp my way through May! Keep reading for inspirational artists and books, plus lots of activities and project ideas to keep you busy all month long.
Small Biz Wishlist!
Yuk Fun - This shop is amazing and hilarious and this notepad just made me giggle.
Kerchung Creative - I know the ceramic pendants are sold out right now, but they’re too good to not share! Look at these bats! She’s also got other products available, but I do hope I can snag a pendant some day.
Hey Ricochet - Look how cute these cauldron clips are! They’ve got a whole ACOTAR collection, too!
Tiny Deer Studio - I know I talk about Jess a lot, but it’s not my fault she makes such great things! Look at these strawberry hoops!! She was also on my podcast and it was so fun chatting 🥰
Pottery by Unha - I am utterly obsessed with these muffin bowls! What a genius idea and absolutely gorgeous. Watch the video to see how amazing they are!
Casey Starks Studio - How cute is this tumbled hearts vase? I think her work is darling!
Crafts!
I told you last week that I was going to make so many earrings and I made good on that promise. I am still having a lot of fun using vintage and reclaimed beads to make weird, 80s/90s, mismatched earrings.
And this pair inadvertently matched my current manicure and I love it so much. I don’t know what I’m going to with the oodles of earrings I’m making, but I can’t stop lol.
I also learned how to sew flying geese for a new quilt project and Beans made it more difficult that it needed to be. Also, the project is just a table runner, so please don’t mention the two other full quilt tops that I still need to baste, quilt and bind. Let me get side-tracked! I’m just a girl!
Also, don’t forget about Snart if you’re looking for some crafty ideas!
April Reads
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (audiobook on Libby) - I was listening to the end of this book while cooking dinner and had to put everything down and literally sob at the counter. Andy was genuinely concerned for me when he finished work. 10/10 no notes, please read this book.
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi (audiobook on Libby) - Again, any time I thought I was safe to listen to this book in the car, or out in public, I was wrecked emotionally. AGAIN, 10/10, no notes, this series is so good and has you considering so many opposing points of view (but Zélie is always right 💁♀️).
Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi (audiobook on Libby) - Ok, I mentioned this last week when I finished the series that this one kind of takes a turn. It’s very different from the first two and there are new characters, but I was along for the ride. And AGAIN, wrecked. I’m so glad I read this series and I can’t wait for the movie!
Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli (paperback) - I just finished this one the other day and really got into it by the end! I predicted some things, other things caught me off guard and I’m definitely going to keep going with the series.
Hamlet by William Shakespeare (audiobook via Libby) - The link here is to Libro.fm, but I listened on Libby. I just wanted to make sure you found the same one because there are so many! Michael Sheen did a phenomenal job as Hamlet. It had been so long since I’d read any Shakespeare and I just wanted to brush up. I took a whole course in college about him and wanted to get back into it!
Books Bought This Month
This photo took me forever to take because I kept having to grab more books. I forgot how many I bought last month! They’re all from either Schuler’s, The Fox and the Feather or Meijer and I’ve already started reading Enchantra by Kaylie Smith because her first book, Phantasma is my favorite read of the year so far!
♡
I’m still working through Annie Bot by Sierra Greer (checked from the library-you can see the haul and my initial thoughts on the book here) and will probably finish it this weekend. It was a good reading and book collecting month with lots of trips to my favorite book stores.
This Week
Thanks for reading this week and this month! Writing these little newsletters each week are a true joy for me. I love collecting things to show you and chatting about my quiet little life. I hope you enjoy it, too.
I’ll leave you with this Beans Ball. He’s very sweet when he’s sleepy and a holy terror when he’s awake lol.
♡
This weekend, I’m planning to make some more earrings, finish up my table runner (mostly because our table was stained this week and I want to cover it up as quickly as possible 🙈) and keep working on the dining room. We’re all homebodies and love spending our time in our little quirky, mid-century house. Oh! I’m going to plant some potatoes this weekend, too!! Wish me luck!
Don’t forget that you can comment on this newsletter (and it lives forever) on Substack!
K, love you, byeeee!
♡ Becky
Cool 😎!