August in a Nutshell

This month has been quiet in some areas and I've a lot going on in others. It has been a lot of little things adding up. Part of the reason I haven’t done a whole lot is because I had minor dental surgery done and it took a lot out of me for a week. A lot of the projects I have been working on have been fun little projects. The projects related to mental health mean a lot to me since I struggle with anxiety.

Exciting happenings

Stratford Craft Show - It didn’t go as well as I hoped but it wasn’t terrible either. At least I met some great new fellow makers! Once we got everything set up we went and got coffee from Revel Coffee. If you go to Stratford go there for coffee and some yummy baked goods. I bought a cute pair of pink mushroom earrings that glow in the dark from a neighbouring vendor. Lots of people stopped by to chat about what I do. My stickers were a hit the most popular one was “Your anxiety is lying to you”. Most items that were sold at the show were new items that I just made. It wasn’t as busy as I thought it would be. There were points where it was slow and then it would have a small rush. It was a really nice day outside and I think people just wanted to enjoy some of the last summer days. I hope the Christmas one I signed up for goes better, but it was still a good time overall and I love doing them and will keep doing them whenever I get the chance.

I won earrings from @KeepCreatingCrafts Instagram - I enter contests on Instagram sometimes and I never win, until this one. They make the cutest dangling and stud earrings out of polymer clay. I got to pick a pair that I wanted from their Etsy shop. I chose cute pink rose dangles. I don’t normally wear dangly earrings, but, I mean these are super cute and I am super excited for them!

Maggie Rogers concert in Toronto - It was a great night her music is always good ,always upbeat, good dancing music and her vocal range is crazy. You can hear her vocal range in her songs but you can really hear it in person. We went to Toronto early and had coffee and pastries at Balzac's and dinner the LOCAL Eatery in Liberty village before the show. We spent some time walking around and just hanging out. During the show there was a thunderstorm starting and after the song "Begging for Rain" they had to stop the show due to severe weather alert while crazy rain, wind and thunderstorms. Everyone that was not under the roof had to be brought in until the storm passed. We had to wait about 15 minutes before the show resumed. If you get the chance to see her in concert you will not regret it.

Projects and on the blog

But first coffee with a cup and beans stickers - this is one of the first coffee stickers I made for my coffee sticker line. There are different coloured backgrounds and have a sparkly overlay.

Books with a coffee cup - this design was just kind of put together by just playing around and having some fun. The books are different shades of the same colour and the coffee cup is a mixture of the different shades of colour. Such as pink, green and blue. (link coming soon)

Made my own coiled notebook - This is something I have always wanted to make and never had the tools to make it but I decided to buy the cinch machine to help me start making them. (link coming soon)

Creating a mental health planner - This project is going to take me a while to build. I have a rough outline and idea of what I want it to have, finished a cover, and some title pages for sections. This project means a lot to me because I deal with anxiety. A lot of what I am putting in the planner is what I do and use. There is still a lot more to do and work on. 

“You can brew it” stickers - This was the first coffee sticker I made. I wanted to make something cute and fun. I worked on it for days and absolutely love how cute it turned out. I honestly think the saying is my favourite part. (link coming soon) 

Fall and Pumpkin banner - I love fall and pumpkin everything and I wanted to make a fall banner for myself and to share with others! It has fall colours, patterns and pumpkins! (link coming soon)

Pumpkin wooden cutting board sign  - I wanted to make another fall decoration and it turned into a tester to project to see if it was something I wanted to do and potentially sell in the future which I am still deciding on. (link coming soon)

"Your anxiety is lying to you" sticker -  This was a really popular sticker at the craft show I did this month. People loved it and thought it was funny. It was super easy to make. It honestly hits home for me since I do have to say that to myself sometimes. I made it with different colour backgrounds and made them sparkly with a vinyl overlay.

Item signs for the craft show - I wanted to label what the items on the table for people just in case they weren’t sure what something was. There are just little 2 by 3-inch pieces of cardstock with floral designs. I did the same for my Christmas shows and I just packed them up for when I needed them again. (link coming soon)

Price list for craft show - I didn’t want to price every single item. It would have been a lot of work. I created a simple list on Canva and printed it on a piece of photo paper and put it in an acrylic stand. Not really sure if anybody really looked at it but it was there if needed. 

New tools/materials

Cinch machine - I have wanted this machine for years. It looked like so much fun to use and you can make so many fun things with it. You can make photo albums, memory books, planners, notebooks and so much more. I wanted one to make my own notebooks and to make my planners. I have seen so many different videos of other crafters using it to make notebooks out of old books and movie covers. So far the only project I have made with it is a small notebook to get used to using it before diving into bigger projects. I am super excited to make some notebooks out of old books!

Polymer clay cutters and tools - There are super cute latte, pumpkin and coffee stud earrings everywhere and clearly need some so I decided to make my own. I already have the clay. All I needed was the tools. This is new territory for me and I am excited to learn. These are the cutters and tools I bought. Afternoon tea cutters, Thanksgiving cutters and tools.

Macrame cords - This is another new craft I have wanted to try. I ordered two different shades of pink and gray to try out. Now it's time to learn about the different knots and techniques. These are the colours I bought Pinkish grey, grey and meat pink.

Books

Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena - This was a really good book and I suggest you read it. I hope her other books will be just as good. (review coming soon)

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - I am still reading the book at this point but so far it has been good. I wanted to read the book before watching the movie but I ended up watching it before finishing the book. (review coming soon).

TV/Music

Red, White and Royal Blue - It was a good movie and watch it when you can. The dialogue was good and kept with the book from what I have read so far. There are parts from the book I wish they had kept in but it happens. The actors were great for their roles. You can watch it on Prime Video.

Maggie Rogers - Some of my favourite songs are, Love You for a Long Time, Anywhere with You, That's Where I Am, Light On, Want Want but there are more.

New Decor

Pink pumpkin that lights up - It may not be fall yet but I have already started decorating here and there. I found this pumpkin at Shoppers. It was there last year and I regreted that I didn't get it then so I'm so glad I got it this year. It fits so nicely with my pumpkin candle.

Pumpkin coasters - These are super cute coasters and go so well with all our other decorations. They are very neutral, one half is wooden and the other is marble. I wasn't going to get them at first and go back for them another day. I got them because I knew if I didn't get them then I never would as always with stuff from HomeSense. 

White pitcher from Wills & Prior - I have been on the lookout for a white pitcher that I could use for a flower vase. It was hard finding a nice one that was at a decent price but that wasn't easy. I was super lucky to come across the vase on their sale table. This little store in Stratford is one of my favourite places to shop when we go. 

Upcoming events

I am looking forward to doing this show again. I really enjoyed the day hanging outside in the sun and talking with people. 

Old South Artisan & Vendor Fall Market

September 23 2023, 10am - 4pm 

301 Wortley Road - Wortley Public School

Come out and support local small businesses!