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| People waiting for the new stuff to come out |
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Mini score on silver
Monday, October 20, 2025
Auction Adventures 2025
I made the drive down to Salinas this weekend which is over an hour away. I was a little nervous as it was hard to find the house on Google maps. There are two streets reasonable close to each other with the same name. The address numbers were almost the same too. I bid on several Eldreth Santas so had a lot of money invested not to go. It was in a neighborhood of big custom homes up in the hills that surround Salinas. The home looked like it was built in the early 70's (very stylish) with beautiful views of the mountains. I was sad that I didn't get the whole collection of Santas but two pieces went way over the resell value. I was disappointed that the one piece I really wanted was the wrong size. That is one down side to online auctions as you don't get to see anything in person. Would I have bid on the collection if I had known the true sizes, probably not. But it was my fault for not doing a deep dive in researching what sizes these Santas came in.
Since I was there, I went to the Goodwill bin outlet. There you pay per pound. Books are .75 per pound, metal and glass are .99 per pound. Not sure what the clothes sell for as I didn't get any. It was a slow day at the bins and not a lot of people there. Not sure if it was because it was Sunday and most resellers are selling at the flea markets or because of the fear of ICE raids. I was one of the few who did not speak Spanish.
Thursday, October 16, 2025
No King Day
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| No King Day 10/18/25 |
Creative Play Time
Sunday, October 12, 2025
Eldreth Pottery Santa
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| Eldreth Santa |
Friday, October 10, 2025
Ink Pen Nib Storage 2025
I've been on the search for a way to store all my pen nibs. That's a big part of my hobby, craft storage. Do I know how to use all the nibs and inks I have? No, I do not but I did find out there aren't as many sizes as I thought. After sorting them out by size, finding a storage system was easy. I picked up some pill boxes at the thrift store, which are donated all the time so super cheap. One of my "when I'm bored" tasks is to try out each nib size and practice. Some inks flow better than others but it could be because of the age of the inks. The pricier inks seem to hold up better than what I can only guess are the cheaper brands. Since I got all my inks at estate sales, I have no real idea what's good.
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Trader Joe's Mini Bags
As a reseller I try to stay away from fads, think beanie babies. When the first release of mini Trader Joe's bags came out, I just happened to be at the store at the right time before reselling them was a thing. They are a big hit in Europe as it's something you can't get there. I didn't like the colors they had for Easter so I passed on them. I do like the orange and lime green handle ones. The black bags are the most popular if you planning on selling.
While I was standing in line (only did this because my daughter wanted them) I watched some Japanese ladies from Hawaii (yes, I know them) get at least 50+ bags. The store limits how many you can get at a time, 12 in total. So grandma stands in line and when she gets close she switches places with her daughter. When her daughter buys them, she comes back out to the line hands them to grandma and switches places again after she's taken the bags to the car. Have to say everyone was very nice in line and it went pretty fast. The guy in front of me wasn't even there for the bags, just wanted something for breakfast. :)
Monday, October 6, 2025
Pen Nibs and Inks
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| Just a few nibs in my collection |
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.
Saturday, October 4, 2025
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
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. 
First Go Around
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 |
Friday, October 3, 2025
Washi paper to the rescue
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. :)
Thursday, October 2, 2025
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.
Monday, September 29, 2025
Catch Up Time
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.
Sunday, September 28, 2025
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.
Friday, September 26, 2025
By The Teashore - New Place in Town
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Mini Scrapbooks Done!
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
My Go To Meal Prep Dish
Monday, September 22, 2025
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.
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Morning Coffee Routine
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| Last of the lactose free milk |
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.
Saturday, September 20, 2025
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.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Early morning surprise!
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.
Monday, September 15, 2025
Perfect looking Coffee this Morning.
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| Pretty cup of coffee |
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.
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Carnival Glass Swung Vase
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%!
Friday, September 12, 2025
Artwork I missed out on 2025
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Simple Book Binding Practice
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
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.
Monday, September 8, 2025
Found the perfect planner
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.
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
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. :)
Sunday, August 31, 2025
Fabric Cover up

Thursday, August 28, 2025
Eraser Carving with Sandy Allnock
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. :)
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Sandy Allnock Eraser Carving Jig
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| First Practice Round |
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! :)
Monday, August 25, 2025
Sandy Allnock's Erasers Printing Making Class
The crafting stars are just lining up for me.
Sunday, August 24, 2025
Visited the ReStore in San Jose
Thursday, August 21, 2025
RIP - Chocolate Oat Milk.
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| RIP |
I'm trying out the regular oat milk but it's not as tasty.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
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.















































