Spooky season and the month of October has gone so fast; time for an October recap. This first photo reminds me of a stained glass window or an oil painting.
I was hoping to do something to, I don’t know, celebrate spooky season. But Halloween is three days away, so it’s all kind of missed me. I haven’t even watched a horror film. I did manage to put staff gifts together, which is always kind of fun. And I sent Halloween cards to family and friends.
I’ve been thinking of my 2025 goals and starting to think of putting together my new bullet journal. This thinking has led me to shut down my Etsy except for zines, and end the whole Feral Cat Crafts Facebook, Insta, plans for craft fairs, all of it. I did manage to get two mini-zines done this month. One is a memory zine, and the other is an instructional zine for the upcoming Slow Stitch Meditation Roll class I’m teaching at the senior center November 6. Both zines were colored with Caran D’Ache neocolor ii crayons, which I am absolutely loving. I guess you would call them watercolors, or maybe pastels?
We’ve been working on finishing up the roof project, and have started cleaning up the leaves. Soup day went well enough. I finished listening to the audiobook of “Slewfoot” by Brom, and started listening to “Fantasticland” by Mike Bockoven. Slewfoot started out pretty good, but I didn’t think the ending was great.
November will be busy, with starting to write out holiday greeting cards for work and home. I’ve got the aforementioned class I’m a bit worried about. And then there is Thanksgiving. I hope to have my holiday gift shopping done entirely by the end of November. Not sure what the election results will be, though everyone is a bit on-edge.
It’s time for a June update, since we only have three days left in June. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going these days. Things at work have been stressful, and honestly I’m just not feeling very well physically. I need a week where I can catch up on house cleaning, a week to fix the issues in the garden, a week to catch up on my various side hustle projects, and then a week or more to sleep. But instead I get two days here and there, sometimes over the actual weekend, sometimes not.
Mutt Market Prep
The Mutt Market is coming up August 17 and I’m working away on market prep. Once again, Mom and I have a booth in addition to my running the whole event. Right now I’m planning on selling the following: – Swivel Snap Wristlets (8, have not made one yet) – Slow Stitch Shopping Totes (6, have not made one yet) – Slow Stitch Keychains (10, have made just one so far) – Slow Stitch Brooches (maybe up to 20? I have completed 6) – Slow Stitch Lavender Sachets (10, have not made one yet) – Slow Stitch Meditation Roll Kits (5, have not made one yet) – Whichever zines I have completed and have copies of, an assortment – Leftover crochet hair scrunchies from last year – Leftover crochet leggy froggies from last year
I had an idea and patterns for some beach towel bags, but I doubt very much I will get any of those done. As always, I have so many more ideas than I have time to work on them. I have some ideas for tshirts and more totes, but maybe I can work on those over the winter? I’m working on social media posts for all of my accounts for the side hustles, and I’m pulling together the actual set up for the Mutt Market. I got new lights for the canopy. I am planning on making watermelon and strawberry bunting as a decoration. I have a few new displays coming as well. Looking back at the photos from last year, I am not super pleased with how the table looked. Fingers crossed for this year.
Storm Damage
We had some storm damage a few weeks ago. Our big maple tree was hit by lightning. Bob did a great job cleaning everything up and is working on roof repairs. As you can see, part of the tree came right through the ceiling of the back porch and destroyed the cat tree.
Zines
I continue to make and sell zines on Etsy. I’ve had a total of 36 sales since January 1. I also just put together a zine for the presentation I’m doing at the Marshall District Library July 9. My next zine, whenever I get back to it, is on the religion of Spiritualism. I found some old copies of TNS publications from the 1990s. I played the piano one summer for the Memorial Spiritualist Church many years ago.
Garden and Health
Maxy’s garden here is looking pretty good. The rest of the flower borders are not. I haven’t taken a video since May, and I really need to just so you can see the problems. We’ve had more slugs this year than I’ve ever seen in my life, and they decimated all of the annuals. I’ve tried beer traps and egg shells. Then there’s the problem with deer. They’ve eaten the ferns, all of the violas, the dianthus, and all of the coneflowers. There aren’t many flowers in the flower gardens this year. I just haven’t had the time or energy to get out and spray to keep the deer out. Thankfully the fencing is keeping the vegetable garden going though it would be better if I could get it watered. I’m really hoping for rain tonight as I have an event after work again. I just haven’t been feeling well. Lots of headaches, quite a few migraines, intense exhaustion and joint pain. I need to get some answers, as this is no way to live.
Even though I haven’t been feeling up to it, time does move on and so it’s time for a Misc. March post. Today is actually the first day of spring, but this week is very cold. Yesterday we had snow and likely will again throughout the week. Mom and I went to Meijer Gardens to see the butterfly exhibit a week ago (photo above) and it was lovely and warm in the greenhouses.
I’ve been spending some time collaging altered playing cards and making Artist Trading Cards again. There’s something about collaging that is therapeutic when you just…can’t even. It’s fiddly and relaxing, selecting colors, ripping things, cutting them, gluing them, and then coating the whole thing with mod podge. I’ve had some sales of my zines on my Etsy, and I’ve been enclosing a card in the mailing. Because why not? Also, what I am going to do with them when I’m done?
I did work on a zine that I had blocked out in February. I painted each half-page panel in gouache. It’s currently at the printer, as I kept trying to get it to copy right and I just couldn’t make it happen. I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out, actually. Unless I get inspired though, that’s only one for the month out of two as a goal.
I crocheted eight cup cozies for the coffee pull for the upcoming May Whisker Mixer. This is a variegated yarn that striped so nicely and was delightful to work with. I could finish a cozy just about each evening.
Have you ever felt like you’ve died inside and you’re just waiting for your body to catch up already? See you in April.
One of my goals for this year is to create two zines a month. In January, I did slightly better than two. So here are my 2024 zines part one. In addition to these three, I did a completely hand-drawn piece that will not be circulated but was more of an experiment, and a fun piece for a dear friend that was just copied and sent to her.
This is a mini-zine, eight pages including the front and back cover, was made using washi tape, fancy paper, mini sticker photos, printer text, hand text and drawings. I had 50 copies printed at Allegra and have sent some out to pen pals and for zine trades. It is also available on my Etsy and I actually sold one yesterday! That’s right, first ever zine sale to Redondo Beach, CA. Super excited about that one.
Next zine up is a slightly larger zine, again eight pages including front and back cover, stapled. This zine was created with washi tape, vintage wrapping paper, vintage wall paper, vintage postage stamps, hand lettering, and the whole thing was typed up on my 1965 Olympia SM9 typewriter. Then I had it printed at Allegra as well. I have also been sending it to pen pals and in trades, but still need to put it up on Etsy.
Finally, we have Brood XIX. This is another eight page mini zine including front and back cover. It’s hand drawn and handwritten, and then photocopied on plain paper. However, it does come with it’s own sticker! Again, I need to get this one up on Etsy. I have been sending it in trades and to pen pals.
I’ve got a couple of zine ideas written down, and I am working on painting one right now. It is a slow process though. For whatever reason, February seems to be especially busy and I don’t have much time for projects as of yet. Hoping that will change a little. Keep an eye on the old YouTube channel, as I will be doing flip-throughs on these zines and a review of some excellent zines I’ve purchased or traded for recently. Hope your February is off to a great start!
Can you believe it? It’s time to welcome 2024! The holidays always go so fast. There’s just something about a fresh new year, though. Full of possibilities! You’ll see my bullet journal vision page spread above. I’ve selected my word of the year, Creativity. I let go of things I cannot control by finding peace. I find peace through my creativity. I also plan on continuing to improve my health, and getting better control of my finances. My yearly bullet journal is where I track my daily activities, as well as my progress on goals of the year. By the end of 2024, I will have increased financial security, health, peace, and creativity.
2024 Goals
Health
I made some good progress on my health in 2023. However, the older I get, the more work seems to be required to maintain. This year, I need to lower my A1C and get my LDL Calculated and Non HDL lower.
Finances
This year, I am going to track every purchase I make and see if I can’t do a better job of planning or stopping the frivolous purchases. I’m going to review my IRA and see if I can’t have a plan for better growth as well.
Creativity
In 2024, I want to get back to regular painting. I find great peace while painting. I already have a project I need to start on right away, so that will be a great start. I plan to paint one piece each month. After taking the prose poetry class last year, I have not made time to keep up with regular writing. It is important to me, and I want to place greater emphasis on it this year. In 2024, I will write four prose poems and month. By the end of the year, I will have one prose poem published. I love zines, and would like to work on creating and sharing more this year. In 2024, I will create two zines per month.
Social Media
I maintain a number of social media pages and groups. In 2024, I want to keep a regular schedule of when things get published and make sure I’m keeping up. I’d like to grow my YouTube channel specifically. Want to help? Here are the links:
My goodness, the January blues are here and they’ve hit hard. We are down to the last week of the month. Yesterday we had a tiny bit of sunshine, and we really haven’t had much sun at all this winter, but today is a dump of snow. The polar vortex is on the way next week, and it will be super cold again. It always seems to correspond that the January blues happen and we have a bunch of sick or stressed cats at work. I am counting down the days until spring, and I know time is passing, but there’s nothing I’d rather do more than curl up in bed. Fortunately for everyone around me, I am somehow able to get up and remain a productive human being.
I haven’t managed to get my latest scarves up on Etsy. Maybe I can muster the energy this weekend? Since the start of the new year, I’ve finished four scarves or cowls and I’m working on a fifth. My next one after the one on the hook will be Tunisian crochet for sure. Mom got me some hooks for my birthday and I’m anxious to give it a try.
The sun briefly came out for Mom’s birthday. We had lunch and made some zines. That’s right, I’m back on my zine making and zine collecting. I even forced a bunch of Girl Scouts to make zines.
Yesterday was also the Oscar Nomination ceremony. I’ve seen three of the ten nominees for best picture already, one of the documentary shorts (plus five on the short list that weren’t nominated), one of the animated shorts, and none of the international, feature documentary, or live-action documentary. I’m going to have to get busy.
We are past the vernal equinox, and spring is officially here. Mom’s crocuses are up, and perhaps after a warm start to the week ours will be up at home as well. Next weekend is supposed to be cold and snow again, but that’s pretty normal for this time of year. We almost always have a snow in April when the daffodils are in bloom, but we are getting to the end of that kind of weather. In less than a month the oriole and hummingbird feeders will be up. We are starting to hear more spring songs from the birds in the mornings, and Bob’s coworkers have heard the spring peepers. I will start working on the hardscaping on the garden soon and the gardener’s group at work is getting started.
I’ve been working on some zines, and as a side project I’ve been doing some linocut block printing. It’s not great so far, as you can see, but it’s a skill that takes practice for sure. I’m really enjoying it though. I put myself to sleep at night thinking about linocut designs.
This is my first real completed zine. I started out with one on declawing, but I have to adjust the margins to get it to print. I’m working on one on monarch butterflies now. I’ve also amassed my own nice little library of other people’s zine creations. Zines are a lot of fun.
Obsessed with mid-century motels? Also really enjoy cats and crocheting? Welcome!
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