Summer Sketch Project

A summer project of sketching 99 ordinary objects is made is easier with a swatch card deck for colored pencils | SuzerSpace.com

Every year I somehow stumble upon The #100 day project.

And every year I swear I’m going to do it … next year.

I’ve talked before about how I am no fan of summer. The entire season is too hot, sticky and buzzy buggy for my tastes. For unknown reasons, I never noticed all the marketing around the concept of 99 days of unofficial summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day), but this year I saw it and it really sparked something …

If a 100-day project appears to daunting to join, how about a 99-day “tester” project. It’s like “charm pricing” – you know where $3.00 is too much to pay for something but if it’s $2.99 just take my money?

And thus, the SuzerSpace 99 Days of Summer Drawing Ordinary Objects Edition project launched.

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Friday on My Mind

Friday on my Mind | SuzerSpace.com

Today is Friday the 13th, and while I’m not a victim of Paraskevidekatriaphobia or Triskaidekaphobia, the date really puts Friday on my mind and if there’s an excuse for a craft, I’m in.

Over the last several years I’ve been working on my hand lettering, and at first I was concentrating on brush lettering. In fact, I kind of thought Brush Letter was the ONLY form of hand lettering, but boy was I wrong.

I’ve branched out quite a bit, and lately I’ve been fascinated by Graffiti style lettering. I don’t know if it was because a co-worker asked me if I wanted to work on a logo that required it, or the trains covered in it on my daily commute, but all of a sudden this year I’ve been doodling a mix of balloon/cartoon/graffiti letters.

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I have links to share…

I’m a sucker for lists. 

And lists of links? Oh man.

I kind of think I might not be alone, and I like to be helpful, so here’s where I’ve been recently:

Quick note – NONE of these links are affiliate. I’m just sharing because I want to.

  1. So last month I posted my mini bujo, and my the algorithm  that feeds my social media accounts flooded with real bullet journal information. Somehow I never read the actual instructions from the original founder of the system, and it turns out it’s not all about making pretty layouts to share on the ‘gram.

2. My feeds are also full of some $99 face brush that vibrates and promises to keep your pores clean. I’m in my mid-fifties (OMG that hurt to type!) and still struggle with acne . I bought these which are not sonic powered but are also a fraction of the cost. I keep one in the shower and one at the sink and I feel super influencer-like when I use them. No wait. I feel like my skin is clearer than it used to be, and that’s a good value for 9 bucks in my view.

3. I have made this recipe before many times, and it’s great as written, but if you want a much quicker version to make on a worknight, just use a jar of good pasta sauce, a can of white beans and a bag of shredded cheese.  Mix in proportions that make you (or your cheese-loving family member) happy (reserve some cheese for the last broil) and bake in a casserole pan until bubbly. Add that last cheese and broil until until golden brown and volcanic hot.

4. Have you been using Canva for creating artwork? If not, you should check it out. The free version has a ton of features, and some great templates for setting up web art for social media or even flyers and logos. I’m an Adobe snob because of work, and even I liked it. And now, Adobe has a competitor product which also looks like it would be worth checking out. 

5. We are super late to the party, but we finally installed a video doorbell. If you happen to have a Ring, you might be interested in this little spare parts kit.

Mini Bullet Journal Planners

New Year, New Planner - Mini Minimalist Bullet Journal Planners | SuzerSpace

If it’s January at SuzerSpace then it’s a pretty safe bet that I’m trying out some new planner/journal configuration. 

There’s a concept called “planner peace” which suggests you’ll keep hunting and searching for the perfect planner – the one that you enjoy working with, that also keeps you all super organized, happy and bestows magical powers on all who see it. Just kidding about that last part. And actually, just kidding about all of the parts – I don’t actually believe that planner piece has as end point.

I think it’s like searching for the perfect shoes, perfect hand bag or perfect ProCreate brush – most of the fun is in the hunting.

For this year, I’m trying out a mashup of an idea I hadn’t seen since sixth grade (the single sheet ‘zine) and an idea I tried before but didn’t stick with (the bullet journal). 

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Lessons learned: DIY Car Window Sticker

I hope something good happens to you today window sticker

Some time ago I heard a comedian define crafting as when you see something you want, and instead of buying it, you realize, after a lot of time and just a little bit more money you could have a slightly crappier version.

For me, most of my crafting involves scraps and things destined for the trash, so the money isn’t really an issue. But definitely the time factor and slightly wonkier outcome ring true.

Case in point – last week as I was driving home I saw a big SUV with a sticker in the window that said “I hope something good happens to you today.” Great sentiment! I didn’t even bother looking it up online; I already knew I was going to make my own.

Shouldn’t take a minute, I thought, to diy a car window sticker. 

Spoiler Alert: It took more than a minute.

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