Pen Nibs and Inks

Just a few nibs in my collection 

Once again Sandy Allnock got me to break out my very large stash of pen nibs and inks. Go check out her new series about working with pen and ink. 

If you go to or do enough estate sales you will find boxes full of nibs. I've been collecting them for years. Don't ask me why when I'm left handed and calligraphy is a right handed thing. I've also found bottled ink at estate sales but most of the time they are way over priced. It's better to buy a new bottle even knowing the ink doesn't really go bad. So I'm looking at all these nibs and not knowing anything about them wondered how artists know what each nib does when you have hundreds of them. Went down the rabbit hole but never found anyone who showed how they store their nibs and keep track of what sizes they have. Yes, you can break out a magnifying glass and look at the numbers on each nib and I'm guessing if you work with them enough you'll just know. But what about us crafters who just break them out when we're bored?

Since I'm also working on my book binding projects I made a little booklet. It's a design in progress so don't judge me. I like the idea the nib is on the same page that shows what it does. 

I also have several very old fountain pens that need to be filled or need new cartridges. Sandy has a tutorial on that too so I at least know what I'm looking at. 

Joy of Cooking

There are days when the small wins are great. I found a copy of the Joy of Cooking with the how to cook squirrel at the library book sale. Years ago when I was in Michigan, the family talked about when the squirrel population got out of control, Grandpa would say it's time for a squirrel dinner. For some reason I looked up how to cook squirrel in one of the few cookbooks at the cabin. To my surprise I found a recipe! Alton Brown just talked about having the Joy of Cooking book with the squirrel recipe, which I thought was hysterical. It must be a thing as he was very proud to mention it.  :)

No, I'm not making squirrel for dinner but I am using my table top oven for the very first time! Baking chicken wings until crispy, sautéing eggplant and broccoli with a big pot of rice. I don't use an oven very often anymore so it was no big deal my place (designed to be a man cave) doesn't have one. The smell is amazing! :) 

Paper Weaving Covers

 

First Go Around

I did some paper weaving with my washi paper because I have a lot of it squirreled away. They turned out just ok. The tricky part is to get the right size to fit into the binding machine. 

The first round, the ends were a little ratty so I had to cover it. I didn't like the way it turned out. The second one just by accident was the exact size where I could just fold over the strips. A little too exact to do for a class. The other down side is that it's just a faction too big for the binding machine. If you look at the top left corner it's a little too close to the edge making it very thin.

My next attempt will try a patch work design and see if I can get that to work. 

Second Try

Washi paper to the rescue

In the beginning of the day yesterday, I made this little book. Finding the right size to fit a machine that was made for the standard 8.5X11 paper has been the challenge. Then getting the thick wallpaper once wrapped around chip board to fit has been another hurdle. 

As I was housecleaning during my domestic diva time, I found these stamped images from Hero Arts.  I made them several months ago when I was dog sitting. I decided to whip out my very large stash of washi paper and make a little book. Washi paper is much easier to wrap around the corners and easier to glue up. I'm still trying to make the wallpaper work as that is what FabMo has in stock.

I'm a night owl so around 10:00 pm I got the idea of making a book cover by paper weaving using my scrap washi paper. Today at some point I will try and turn it into a book cover. :) 

Testing Binding Machines

Today is going to be a domestic diva and creative recharge day. I need to put things put away and do some general house cleaning. If the rain stops I'll even do a little gardening.

I picked up two more spiral binding machines at an estate sale. Did I really need two more (and one was broken) to make my total of four? No, I didn't but I thought for class I could have each machine set at the correct size for each project. Last night I tested if the machines were cutting exactly the same and interchangeable. Found out they're not. I made a 7X10 book of watercolor paper as my first test. In my mind I will someday go outdoors to paint so thought the bee cover would be appropriate. The arrow shows where the two machines didn't line up with each other. They looked like they would but they didn't. I also have to figure out how thick the cover can be with each machine. The orange one can handle thicker (not by much) covers than the gray one. The broken one can still punch holes but the binding part is broken. I took the machine apart only to find the plastic parts inside completely broken. Someone had to really strong arm this machine to break so many internal parts.

Catch Up Time

It's was a long week of helping out at an estate sale. Mainly cleaning up and organizing after the family had gone through the house to take what they wanted. One of the family members pretty much ransacked the house dumping things on to the floor. I was tasked to make it safe for the public to walk through. Because it was very physical labor, I was exhausted when I got home. All of my side projects just had to wait. 

I'm slowly getting my jewelry carded and ready to go into my booth at Cottage Crafts. I've only kept the more interesting pieces the rest went in glass jars and sold off in bulk. 
 

Things You Think Of After A Long Day

 

I picked up some samples of wallpaper at FabMo for my future book binding class in 2026. Wall paper is a little too thick to wrap around regular chip board. That has been a challenge for me to get it to work. On my drive home after a very long day helping out at an estate sale, when I wished I had a self driving car. The thought of wetting the wallpaper to make it more pliable to turn the corners on thick chip board. Since wall paper already has the glue on the back it should work, right? The butterfly wallpaper will be the one I use in class as there's enough but I'll practice with the bee print. 

By The Teashore - New Place in Town

Not even sure how I found out about this new high tea place in Half Moon Bay called "By the Teashore".  After my research, I thought it would be a nice place to take a good friend for her birthday. 

One of the things that really interested me was their request for nice china sets. Almost every intake day the store gets a set of china. That's like 12 china sets a month! It's not something that sells well or fast but takes up a lot of space. Being able to donate them to someplace that will actual use them is super! At least they get a second chance to be used even if in a restaurant setting probably won't last long. It's a very nice place to slow down and chat with friends. It's a small place in a tourist town so going mid week is the best option. Prices are around $40 for the whole high tea service, which I think is reasonable. The food is simple but fresh. I gave it a 5 star rating. :) 
 

Mini Scrapbooks Done!

Finished the mini scrapbooks for the boys. During the glueing process I weigh the pages down with my hole puncher.  It came out of storage when a friend asked if I had a way to add an extra hole to his leather belt, he's lost a lot of weight. :)  While I had this out I thought it could also be used in my bookbinding projects. I'm working on doing a bigger book of water color paper for those trips I plan (in theory) to make to the beach to paint. 

 

My Go To Meal Prep Dish

Being single and having a gluten issue I meal prep at least once a week. Sunday being one of the days I cook up a big batch of something. I buy the chicken tenders at Costco which I know I'm paying a premium for but it works for me. They cook up fast with little to no mess. I heavily season the chicken with almost everything I have in my spice cabinet. Make a pot of rice with chicken broth and chopped up whatever vegetables I have that are also heavily seasoned. One small packet of chicken makes about 6 meals for me. Not having a regular schedule anymore meal prepping is the way to go.  The other plus side is I only have to run my dishwasher once a week. The rest of the weeks I use it as a drying rack. :) 
 

New Jewelry Display 2025

Sunday is my domestic diva day. I tend not to go anywhere as the stores are crowded. I like to leave space for people who can only shop during the weekends. One of the many projects I tackled was cleaning off my very large coffee table that came with the place. It's a beast that just attracts all my misc art projects. :)

One of the many things on my to do list is making a new jewelry display for my booth at Cottage Craft. It's a vintage metal lap tray I got at the thrift store. I reduced down my jewelry section to only the more interesting pieces and sold off the rest in bulk. I think it highlights the jewelry a little better even if it takes up a lot of space. The master plan is I will do the display in themes. I've had all the parts (magnets, backings etc) of awhile now but just didn't take the time to sit down and put everything together. Hopefully this will boost sales. 

Morning Coffee Routine

Last of the lactose free milk

Nothing more cozy than drinking a warm mocha mug of coffee in your big fuzzy bathrobe!

Since I can't get chocolate oat milk from Trader Joe's anymore I decided to make it myself. I only shop at TJ and Costco so I was going to have to use what they had. Oat (milk) beverage from Costco and coco power from TJ.  It's not rocket science, just have to get the portions right. 

I was thinking this morning would I go to all this trouble if I still had young kids at home? Heating the water to the right temperature, grinding the beans, heating the milk, adding the coco, whisking it all to get the foam and doing a pour over.   
 

Mini Scrapbooks 2025

Working with my binding machine in getting the settings correct for something that is not a standard size. The machine was made for 8.5 x11 paper so when working smaller it's a challenge to get the holes lined up. I made this little 5x5 scrapbook out of a 12x12 scrapbooking paper. You can get 4 covers out of one sheet so that determined the size. One advantage of spiral bond books is you can add pages. If I decide add captions it will make the book thicker. Not sure who designed the paper as it came into the thrift store opened with no cover. It's a perfect pack for junk journals so I picked it up. I made these little books for my grandsons, (Henk & Mees) knowing they will get trashed. They won't stand the test of time in the hands of a 4 and 5 year old. Just some random pics when they were here for the holidays. 

Early morning surprise!

Very nice surprise this morning! I've been watering this tree all summer while the automatic sprinklers are being fixed. I thought it was a lemon tree and was waiting patiently for them to turn yellow. The tree is just loaded so I decided to cut one open and to my surprise it's a lime tree! I haven't lived here long enough to know what all the trees are. 

Now I have to go get some ginger beer and make a Moscow Mule Mocktail. A few months back I wanted to see if using a copper mug really made a difference. I was bored and there was a lime tree right outside the door of where I was staying. We get them into the thrift store all the time, that should have been my first clue. Since I don't like the taste of alcohol, I left that part out. I did like the ginger beer (which is non alcoholic) and at the time Costco was stocking it. Then my supply of limes ran out and Costco stopped carrying it, I haven't had it since. 

 

Perfect looking Coffee this Morning.

 

Pretty cup of coffee

A perfect looking cup of coffee, IMO. I think because it looks like a big warm cup of chocolate. :)

I like the smell of coffee but not so much the taste. I also enjoy testing out all the new coffee gadgets that come out, most of which are a total waste of money. I pick them up when they come into the thrift store so I'm not paying a lot but there's a reason almost new gadgets get donated. I've also been trying to find something to replace the Trader Joe's discontinued chocolate oat milk, which was a favorite. I'm using lactose free milk now (being Asian, I can't handle milk) so I dug out my frother wand which works well. I'm working on adjusting how much milk I need as just a little bit of milk foams up to a lot! That was the first mistake I made. Still it doesn't mask the taste of coffee enough, so the search continues. 

Carnival Glass Swung Vase

This carnival glass swung vase is what I picked up on MaxSold this week. Paid $20.74, that includes all the taxes and fees. It's a little more than I wanted to pay after you figure in all the extras. The resell value isn't too high, maybe around $25, so after the store fees there isn't a lot of profit. I still think it's a cool piece and will look good in my booth.

We had a discussion if people bidding on MaxSold think about all those fees you have to pay at the end. The auction premium of 25% plus the 10% in taxes. As a reseller that can kill any profit you may make. I've seen a lot of newbies make the mistake of not doing the math while bidding, especially at auction houses where the fees can add up to 50%! 

Artwork I missed out on 2025

These were two pieces of artwork I was bidding on this week. Sadly they went way over my budget. The water color is of Ano Nuevo State Park, a place my family has gone to for years. The sea lions come into shore every year to mate. Massive animals that is something to see. The artist Trevlyn Williams is very well known in the area. The second one is also a local artist from the Bay Area, Yan Inlow. I'm learning more about the art of hand embroidery, which is just amazing! I was hoping to add the crows to my collection but again went over my budget. Still it's good to see their work is appreciated. 

 

Simple Book Binding Practice

I've been working on simple book binding techniques. Things that can be taught in a two hour class. I do the classes at FabMo for fun and to use up my massive craft stash. :) 

I have two of these comb binding machines (use to have 3) because you can pick them up for free most of the time. This is one of those things Google lens isn't going to be accurate about the price. I picked this one up down in Carmel for $5 (things are expensive there) and the other one as it was headed to the dumpster. It has its limitations for the any paper crafter. It was made to bind standard size paper and has a height limit. Found out my chip board is too thick. A lot of trial and error before I got the holes punched where I wanted them to go. Making little memory books for grandsons for my practice rounds. 

 

Another MaxSold Buy - Mugs

I didn't really think I would get this lot of handmade mugs on MaxSold last week but I did. It only works out to $1.87 for each mug (that includes fees and taxes) so hopefully an easy flip selling them for $6.99. They came from an estate of a local potter who back in the day did all the high end shows. I don't think this was her best work but I can appreciate the time and skill. 

I plan to take them into Cottage Crafts today and make a whole wall of these mugs. It will add a little more interest to my booth (fall theme) and give that handmade vibe. 

One of the side benefits of getting this lot was I got to chat with seller who's an estate cleaning guy. There weren't a lot of people picking up when I got there so he had time to show me some things coming up of auction. We chatted about some artwork that couldn't be easily found on Google. They do try and be as accurate as they can, but you can't always tell when something is behind glass. I've been on the search for interesting local artwork for my son's place up in Lake Tahoe as I've filled up all my walls. I buy original art that speaks to me. The only piece I have that isn't an original is an almost full size Picasso. Copies of an original artwork can't be the exact size, something has to be different.

Found the perfect planner

I know using a paper planner is old school but there's something about writing something down. During meetings I'm still faster looking up my calendar than those using laptops. :) 

I'm not into doing all that sticker stuff, I just need the bare bones. I'm getting booked out for next few years so finding a three year one was perfect. I know down the road the cover will get beat up but I can alter it or even replace it completely. 

Mini journal book 2025

 

On Labor Day I decided tackle the book binding project I've been saving up all the chip board for. After moving all the armoires into my bedroom space, I finally put together a crafting corner. My paper cutters are huge so I needed a big flat open space. It was a fun day of working on several projects at a time. :) 

The fabric is a sample square of linen from FabMo. I think I got it from the free room but if I didn't it was only .25.  If I'm careful I can get two mini books out of one 12" square.  Making the book part was easy but adding the pages was a challenge. So many different ways to add them. This project will at some point be a workshop for FabMo. I'll have to make several more before I'm ready to teach. :) 

Fabric Cover up

At the store we use black sharpies to prices everything. I made the mistake of not putting the cap back on tight enough when I put it in my shirt pocket. Pocket protectors aren't a thing anymore so of course I got a big black ink stain on one of my good shirts. Where the stain was a small patch wouldn't work. 

My first thought was to have a friend machine embroider something over the whole pocket, like a cover up tattoo. While I was at FabMo a few weeks ago I saw a fabric sample with a very large embroidered bird. So today I ironed on some fusible backing and cut it out. Keeping the pocket would make it too bulky so I removed it. You can see where the stain was.  The bird isn't quite big enough to cover the whole thing but still better than a big black ink stain. Now I just have to decide if I'm going to hand stitch or machine zig zag. 

Eraser Carving with Sandy Allnock

As I go down the rabbit hole of eraser carving with Sandy Allnock, I've started investing in the tools needed. 

I first started out with the kid's craft set by Kiwi Crate Inc. I found the kit at the thrift store so I did't have to break the bank gathering up the supplies. Didn't know this is a local company in town! Have to say the blade in the kit was really sharp and just a little different than the Speedball blades. With this kit it at least got me started to see if this was something I would like to keep doing without breaking the bank. 

I liked the project enough to invest in the supplies Sandy suggested. The Speedball blades were very dull compared to the one in the Kiwi kit for kids so that is being sent back. Now do I spring for the more expensive set that Sandy recommend? Still not to sure about the sharper but that is a learning curve thing. Sandy said to read the directions first which of course I did not. :)  

 

Sandy Allnock Eraser Carving Jig

 

First Practice Round

When I saw the jig that Sandy Allnock (Google her, she's easy to find) made for her upcoming eraser carving class, I knew I had the right materials to make one!

I've been collecting thick chip board from old 3 ring binders for months. I pull apart the binders, which I find for free at the thrift store. I have plans to do a book binding workshop for FabMo (I donate my time to teach) so needed to find inexpensive chipboard. 

Made the jig and it's working out great. Now I just have to decide which set of blades to get! :)

Sandy Allnock's Erasers Printing Making Class

Sandy Allnock, an artist that I have followed for years is doing a class on carving and printing with erasers. If I knew how to link her YouTube I would but I don't. She's easy to find if you Google her name. Since by crafty luck I came across some carving tools specifically for making stamps. Not only that but when I stopped my local  Staples store the erasers were on sale for .75!!!  Do I need 36 erasers? I know I will make a lot of mistakes and at this price, (it's a seasonal school item) why not! Now off to make Sandy's jig so I don't slice my fingers!

The crafting stars are just lining up for me.

 

Visited the ReStore in San Jose

I finally made it to the ReStore store in downtown San Jose. It's been on my list of places to check out since I shopped a lot at the one in Oakland for the Thrifty Kitty. I was in the area dropping off and picking up things from friends so decided to hop on over. 

It is a very clean and modern store (solar parking lot etc..) but much smaller than the other ReStore stores. Prices were way better than Oakland by a lot, which was a surprise. Didn't have a big variety of things for someone building a home. More furniture (most of which looked new) than anything else. I can only guess the location is new or newly rebuilt. I think there is a work program, help find a job section to this location as well. There was part of the building looked like a business center. I didn't check to out as it looked like some people were getting help. 

So unless you're looking for furniture or doors (had a lot of those) it's not worth the drive. 

RIP - Chocolate Oat Milk.

RIP

Another sad day in my food world. Trader Joe's discontinued my favorite chocolate oat milk. I've used it for years as my stomach can't tolerate straight milk. I like the smell of coffee in the morning but drinking it is another thing. I have to mix it with something and I found oat milk or beverage as TJ calls it, works. I'm now on the search for a replacement that doesn't break the bank. 

I'm trying out the regular oat milk but it's not as tasty. 

Space Planning 101

I've been at my place for 6 months now and I always knew that I would move my furniture around. Nothing was in its forever place. I learned a long time ago to live in your space (home and work) to get the feel of what will work for you. 

There are several big pieces of furniture that came with my place. Since it was originally designed to be a man cave everything is very dark. I wouldn't have picked black armoires (there's no built in closets) or black bookcases but that is what I have to work with.  The super sized TV (which I never use) fills one wall and it's solid black. I'm thinking of set up a DVD player (yes very old school) to at least have something playing to light up the wall.  Being a night owl, I decided last night to move both the armoires into my bedroom space. That means emptying both out of everything I've squirreled away. Take the artwork off the walls and move the bed. It's going to take all day and fingers crossed I'm making the right move. 

Update: the move went well and I'm very happy with the results. I'm now researching how to add removable wall paper to the armories doors to lighten up the room. 

Tomahawk Steaks

As you can see my son was super happy with the two tomahawk steaks he got for his birthday. His friends asked what he wanted and it's always these steaks. He does ask me but knows it's not going to happen. I think he needs better bath towels and sheets but that's just me being practical. 
 

Bird Theme Friday

This was an impulse buy at FabMo on Friday. Do I really need 5 yards of fun fabric, no but I just couldn't resist. What do I plan to so with it, I have no idea. 

What started my path down the road of no return was this embroidery sample. Last week I made the mistake of putting a sharpie pen in my shirt pocket without a cap. Yes, it made a hot mess and the stain didn't come out. So my first thought was to put a patch over it. Didn't find any I liked so then I thought of asking a friend if she could embroider something over it. Wasn't too crazy about that idea because it would be big and may weaken the shirt fabric. Then I saw this sample at Fabmo, which was right on top of the pile. I think it was meant to be. The plan is to use fusible interfacing and cut the parrot out. I'll then stitch it on to the shirt. I'll lose the use of the pocket but I'm not good at remembering to put the caps back on my pens anyways. I'm also looking to find a  thin pocket protector, which are very hard to find now days. 

Wildberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Is Back.

I only really shop at two stores, Trader Joe's and Costco. Thankful they're not on the boycott list! 

TJ does seasonally items and this was one ice cream I really liked. When this one went out of stock, they came in with all these alternative flavors that were just down right weird. It was like what can we mix together that really has nothing to do with traditional ice ingredients and still try calling it ice cream. Now the dilemma is do I stock up on it because it's a seasonal thing? 

 

Security Cameras Everywhere

Today at the store we got one of those "Karen" types during closing. I don't know what was happening but one of the volunteer who loves everyone and never has a bad word to say about anything came back to warn us not to go out to the front. So you know it had to be really bad. When the store is getting ready to close the manager will announce please head to the counter to check out about 10 minutes before closing. The Karen was upset about how slow the check out process was and that she was being rushed etc... I only walked out there to make sure the manager was not going to get hurt.  Of course the usual, "I'm going to call and complain" comment was made. The manager said here's the number and you can talk directly to the security cameras which are recording everything. The Karen got very quiet after that. I'm surprised that she didn't realize security cameras, especially at the cash registers would be recording. 

I posted this Lego Shakespeare book on Facebook market place today.  When it came in, I thought it was funny enough to post. I'm sure it won't sell but it's worth the shot. I mean who thought to put lego figures and Shakespeare together! 

Anthropologie - 2023 Faye Plate

 

I thought this plate was interesting. It's from Anthropologie, the 2023 Faye collection. That of course sent me down the rabbit hole to see what else was in the collection. No, I won't be collecting them all, I just liked this one. It was interesting what the artist or artists decided to combine together. A bee and a radish, snail with a scallion, butterfly with sweet peas and a lemon with strawberries. Looks like there maybe a cherries, blossoms with a long tail butterfly but it's not as 3D as the rest of the collection. I think it was the usual pairing that caught my eye. I know this type of plate won't last long if used. I was surprised the wings were still in one piece. 

Thrifting in Reno 2025

Line to pick up Aki's pink guava cake

Drove to Incline Village this weekend to celebrate my son's birthday with one of his favorite cakes, Aki's pink guava cake. They sent out a confirmation email and said to make sure to pick up on time because they had another engagement to attend so will close at 2:00. The line went fast as everything is preordered. The only downsize for me was having to leave so late (10:30) to make the drive to Tahoe. Traffic was bad all the way up but I didn't have to deal with semi trucks like I did on the way home on Monday. That was super scary!

Since I didn't want to go mountain biking we went thrifting in Reno. It was a treat to get chauffeured around and not be too concerned when we went to some sketchy area where most thrift stores are. Didn't find much but that was no surprise. I picked up a few puzzles and this small glass basket. It glows green so is vintage but doesn't really have a high resell value. Paid $2.99 (no tax in Nevada on non profits) and will tag it for $12.99 

Next trip we're going to visit the pawn shops!

Vinatage Duncan & Miller Basket

Fenton Glassware Worth It?

I finally did the make over on my booth on Thursday. Not 100% sure it looks better but at least I got it done. I was totally exhausted when I got home because of all the people that wanted to talk to me. I think that added another 3 hours to my day. People overload for sure! Posey had to wait for her evening walk as I had to take a nap. 

One of the people I talked to was another vendor. We have different opinions on going to estate sale. I normally don't go because the prices are just too high to resell, even on the last day when everything is 50% off. We then got into the discussion about vintage glassware. The secondary market isn't all that great IMO. As she rattled on about all the vintage brands she's picked up I said the people with the money (younger generation)  aren't buying at least not at full retail. Way too easy for the them to look it up and buy it online if they really want it for a lower price. 

These are vintage pink Fenton candy dishes were given to me. I would price them between $9.99 - $12.99. Knowing that who ever buys it will probably be another reseller.  The other vendor would price them at $36 which is full retail. I know for sure I will sell them quickly which is more important than getting the maximum amount.   

Water Time Fun

The boys are in Mackinaw, MI for a few weeks. It's a family vacation cabin on the lake. From the looks of it they're have a great time. The water is very shallow so it's a little safer for the boys to paddle around and play. 

The only downside to the cabin is there's no mail service. As it's a family compound (five homes) there was a PO box back in the day. Not sure if it's still active as another family took ownership and no one lives there full time anymore. 

 I did ship out a few boxes to a trusted former sister in law, that a long story why that's important.  She was going up to visit with my daughter for the weekend so I shipped everything to her.  My daughter asked me to source jeans for the boys which are very hard to thrift and very expensive in Holland.  Boys that age are just very tough on pants so hard to find in good condition.  I  shipped out most of the  Trader Joe's ubi pancake mix I got for the boys as it's their favorite.