Illustration, The Universe and Everything

BleurgghhhAhhhhhhhahhhoMmmmma. That is exactly how I feel.

Productivity-wise, I've not been having too bad a day. (Yesterday was absolutely rubbish. We skived off for a bit and went to Portscatho for a play in the rockpools) I've been making paper windmills. They were one of the things I optimistically said I'd make for the etsy shop launch, but, even though I bought the paper for them weeks and weeks ago, they still remain unmade. So I've been having a bit of an experiment with putting them together and deciding which is the best glue to use. To my utter dismay, it's the dreaded lung-killing spray mount.

Here are my first attempts:



The one on the left is fixo gum, the right spray mount. I just have to let the glue dry for longer before I start bending over the corners, so I've made up a batch that are busily drying ready for assembledge tomorrow. They should be fun, I think. Something more affordable for the shop. These are 18cm across, and I'd like to make some monster ones, maybe 30cm or so, but I'll have to find some bigger card first! My windmill tutorial comes from Danielle Proud's fab book, House Proud.

I've also been beavering away with my precious buttons. Oh, how I love them! If red buttons could pay the mortgage, I'd marry them. This bracelet here is my absolute fave:



Look at all the fabulous varieties. I love the toggle and the square one just right of the top centre. It's going to be hard to let go of that one.

I read on Penny and Toby's blog about clear elastic thread, and I thought that was just such a genius idea I had to get me some. It's amazingly professional stuff, and looks so much better than the stringy old bit of white elastic I first had in mind.

I've also had a go with making a necklace with yummy white buttons, but I think the varying button sizes - which work so well on the bracelets - are just too chunky and random to wear around the neck en masse.



I think I'll un-string it and only use smaller more uniform buttons for necklaces and leave the crazy size free-for-all for the bracelets.

And on the dairy-free side of things, things are also going OK, although I could kill for a glass of the white stuff. After trying a lot of milk substitutes, I'm going for Oatly, which is oat milk. Unlike the custard powder-smelling rice milk, it only has three ingredients, and they're ones I've a) heard of and b) can pronounce. I made some fab vegan cookies with it on Sunday. Thank God we bought this book a couple of weeks ago. I heartily recommend these Oatmeal and Peanut Butter Cookies from it. Triple yum: