The distractions of Spring

I've been a little remiss in my indoor creative endeavors lately. Spring has arrived to the Pacific Northwest AND there was a break in the rain. This means I've been weeding, planting, dividing, mulching and just in general out enjoying some nice weather with color bursting all around me. It still isn't warm enough for planting any veggies but peas and lettuce but my rhubarb and asparagus are poking their heads up making me want to plant more, more, more! We moved into this house a year and a half ago and I've been building the garden since then. Gardening is full of surprises, my favorite here has been peonies. Growing up with a gardening mother I had never seen a peony until one bloomed here at our new house (and a tree peony at that!). I am hooked! I've since planted 8 more. I received another surprise this spring that the two boxwoods I've been trying to dig up and remove (then gave up and pruned to a round ball) are in fact, compact azaleas. Poor things have been too stressed to bloom until now. Okay, okay...they can stay. :)

The rain returns tomorrow so I'll be back inside crafting away then.

New Etsy items

I've been working on some new items for the Etsy shop. I love these little trinket boxes and am experimenting with both painting and woodburning the tops. What do you think? 

Nailed it!

Like many creative folks I'm a huge fan of Pinterest. I found a great tutorial at Design Folder that dyes glass bottles and even makes them waterproof so they can be vases. Fail. Hers turned out perfect, streakless and beautiful. Mine are splotchy, spotty and in general a mess. Well, I should say....literally a mess. Every time I touch them my fingers blue and I had to throw away a paint brush I used on the project. So ya....nailed it! Not.