Feeling the Need for Creativity - July 4, 2011

As I type this, rain is pouring down complete with thunder and lightning - so the manmade fireworks apparently are going to be postponed.

Things have been uneven lately. And when the going gets tough, I get crafty/creative/antsy. Here's what I've been working on and/or have planned:

• New obsession - cold-brewed coffee. I found out about it here first, and then I found this recipe and this article and this blog post with a lively discussion in the comments. It's so crazy easy that I wonder what took me so long to try it! I've already gone through the first batch and have a second in the fridge. I tried it hot, and it was fine (I'm still devoted to my Keurig), but iced coffee is AMAZING with it. 
• I've made the iced coffee with agave and with Torani syrup, but it also inspired me to make my own simple syrup. I only had Sucanat in the house, so the syrup came out brown rather than clear, and I probably should've used more of the Sucanat than I did, but it was an easy and fun experiment, now chilling in the fridge. 
• I acquired a bunch of fabric scraps - some a few months ago, some more recently - and am going to use them to make pinback buttons and pocket mirrors and bottle openers and so on. (I have one in my Etsy store right now.) But cutting circles by hand is a pain - so today I bought a fabric circle cutter (not the super-expensive one that I totally covet, but a less-expensive yet not-the-cheapest one that should work well with only one minor concern I have that I'll have to test first). 
• Because I wanted to do something to make the fabric easier to cut in this way, I also grabbed some freezer paper. I'll iron it to the back of the fabric to stabilize it. But that means I also looked up other craft ideas and now have plans to use it to create a stencil to decorate a blank tote bag for my kid to take to school. PLANS I tell you - I bought fabric paint and brushes and a new craft knife and a self-healing mat and I designed the lettering already and....big plans. I'll post pictures when it's done. 
• While buying craft supplies online may be cheaper, there's still nothing like going into a store, coupons in hand (of course) and walking out with new projects. 
• I still want to make Scrabble-tile necklaces (which I know everyone makes, and I already make necklaces, but...) but maybe I'll save that project for a few months from now. I have the tiles. I have the bails. I have the chains. I even have some art. I just don't have the glues and glazes.

Here's to a crafty July!