What’s Brewing in the Craft Room This Week
Quite a lot, apparently.
But before we discuss beads, markers, paper, questionable craft-store pricing or the potential need for 75 additional storage bins, we need to discuss the cup.
My daughter and I had a little shopping excursion today, and she bought me this fabulous Gilmore Girls mug because she knows me very, very well.
And I firmly believe that it absolutely matters what cup you drink your coffee out of.
There is, however, one tiny flaw.
Apparently, whoever designed this mug assumed that all Gilmore Girls fans are right-handed. As a left-handed coffee drinker, I feel I’ve been personally wronged, and I would like to formally request a Stars Hollow town meeting.
I’m fairly certain Taylor approved the mug ordinance.
Nevertheless, the coffee tastes better in it, so here we are.
And speaking of things brewing… there is a LOT brewing in the craft room this week.
There were actually 2 flaws - the cup was cracked and shortly after this photo coffee was puddling everywhere :(
Apparently Beads Are Precious Metals Now
Yesterday I went to Michael’s.
I picked up a few strands of absolutely gorgeous beads, but can we talk about bead prices for a minute?
Michael’s. What are you trying to pull here?
I also needed some bracelet wire, and the price of that was high enough that the 40% off coupon wasn’t merely appreciated—it was a requirement.
There will definitely be some experimenting with my outrageously expensive little treasures this week. I’m curious to see what they become and whether I feel slightly less offended by the price once they’re sitting in a beautiful finished bracelet.
We shall see.
But Then I Found $1.27 Markers…
And obviously I bought some.
At $1.27 each, I couldn’t resist picking out a few colour combinations that looked like they might blend nicely together.
So we’re going to put them to the test.
Can a $1.27 marker actually blend? How do the colours work together? Can we create a nice little blend without pulling out the more expensive markers?
And perhaps the more important question:
Can I simply test a marker without turning it into an entire project?
We all know the answer to that.
I fully expect a character to get coloured somewhere along the way. Then that poor little character will be sitting on my desk without a home.
And then we’ll need to make a card.
Obviously.
The 75-Cent Plot Twist
On my way home, I stopped at Dollar Tree and found a strand of glass beads for 75 cents.
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS.
I’m fairly certain this may be the only thing left in Canada that you can purchase for 75 cents.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
They are strikingly similar to a strand of beads I had just picked up at Michael’s.
Oh yes.
We are absolutely investigating this.
I want to put them side by side, take a closer look and, most importantly, actually make something with the inexpensive beads.
Because this could turn into a really interesting little experiment: does spending more necessarily mean you’ll end up with a more beautiful finished piece?
I have my 75-cent suspects ready for questioning.
Michael’s Paper Surprised Me
While I was there, I also found two beautiful pads of patterned paper.
I know.
Michael’s paper and I have had a somewhat questionable relationship over the years, but these two pads got me.
And almost immediately I thought…
notebooks.
Which also reminded me that it’s probably time I finally turn on the camera and show you how I take an ordinary dollar-store notepad and turn it into a fashionable little handmade notebook.
Nothing fancy to start with. Just an inexpensive notepad, some beautiful paper and a few supplies from the craft room.
By the time we’re finished, nobody needs to know its humble dollar-store beginnings.
I love projects like that.
Previously on Bead Dynasty…
There is trouble in Stars Hollow.
I’ve been making more Gilmore Girls themed heishi bracelets, but I’ve run out of some of the colors I need.
No problem. I’ve ordered more.
Except…
I couldn’t find the same ones I normally buy.
So new heishi beads have arrived from Amazon, and now all the questions begin.
Will the colors match?
Will the thickness match?
Will the bead sizes play nicely together?
Will they happily move into my existing heishi bins as though they’ve always belonged there?
Or will this end with me staring around the craft room trying to determine where exactly I’m supposed to put 75 new bins of heishi beads?
Money. Power. Pony Beads.
Stay tuned.
So… What’s Brewing?
Apparently quite a bit.
We have outrageously priced beads, 75-cent beads, $1.27 markers, a likely card, beautiful patterned paper, a dollar-store notebook makeover and a potential heishi bead storage crisis.
In other words…
a perfectly normal week in my craft room.
I’ve got my new Gilmore Girls mug.
The coffee is flowing.
And there are already several projects competing for my attention.
Now the only question is…
Which one do you want to see first?
