Mini score on silver

I don't normally deal in gold and silver but it just seems to find me. While I was at the Goodwill bins in Salinas I went through the very picked over cutlery bin/table. I went through it because no one else was around it. I saw this butter knife and noticed it was monogramed. Very hard to see, but it's there. Thinking someone would only do that on the good stuff and with metal only being .99 a pound it wasn't going to cost me a lot. The gold and silver guys came in today, so I had them check it out. Turns out to be the real deal and I made $10 which covered the cost of my entire Goodwill haul. I know it doesn't sound like a lot but I only paid about .10 for the knife. That is a very good return on my investment. Now I'm wondering if I should have looked for more of that set. :) 

People waiting for the new stuff to come out

 

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. 

I picked up an American Test Kitchen cookbook (2001-2015) that weighs almost 7 pounds. No, I do not need another cookbook but this one was in perfect condition and I don't have it in my collection. The other things I picked up were't super special. I'm hoping the butter knife is silver but the whole lot came to $6. I think because the vintage glass pitcher was heavy.

 

No King Day

No King Day 10/18/25

When I dumpster dive I save the used canvas the art department throws out. Yes I saved a lot of them to make protest signs. I was planning on making very professional looking signs using my Circut machine but then I thought this is a grass roots movement.  I would have loved to do the frog but my free hand drawing is very limited. I did make extra is case your in my area and need a sign. 
 

Creative Play Time

I'm a night owl and it's really kicking in now that I don't have to get up at any certain time. My body still wakes up at 7:00 am no matter what time I've fallen asleep but my most creative time is after midnight. 

I went dumpster diving Wednesday as I prepped the bins for the Hope truck pick up. I like to the have things in boxes or bag (as they requested) so the loading of the Hope truck is easier on the guys. I found a big basket to cards by Theresa Robinson that were on their way out. Her original artwork was done in pen and ink. They were turned into greeting cards that I can only guess didn't sell well. At first I thought maybe my friend who does collage would like them but she passed on them. I had to think of something else to do with them as I didn't want them throw away. I first separated out the envelopes that I can use for my workshops at some point. Then I decided to practice my using my color pencils and gamsol to color in the images. Using the images like a coloring book and a jumping off point to make alter art. I can also practice using my ink pens to alter her images as the ink doesn't bleed on her cards. At some point I will break out my water colors pencils and paints.  

This morning plan is to make a few No Kings Day signs for this weekend. It's been on my list of things to get done before this weekend. 

Eldreth Pottery Santa

Eldreth Santa

I use to collect Santas years ago when I had a big house to decorated every Christmas. Now I just have the ones that are super special to me. Twenty plus years ago I saw this Santa at a small store in town. The woman in front of me picked it up and I waited to see if she would put it down. Yes, I followed her around the store. She didn't so I've been on the hunt for it all this time. Took me many years to figure out who made the Santa, way before Google or even eBay. Someone (on MaxSold) collection is up for auction. So now I have to decide if I should buy the whole collection to make it worth the long drive. It's way out of my normal driving zone.  Sell off the ones I don't want to cover my costs? Is there still a good secondary market for these Santas? 

Ink Pen Nib Storage 2025

I think crafters fall into two categories, those who do and those who collect. I lean more toward collecting and organizing. :) Yes, most of the time I know what to do with my "stuff" and now know where it is but do I actually use it? 

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. 

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. :) 

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.