Come to Where the Flavor is

The April Newsletter is here and full of cookie cutter marshmallows, polka dot potatoes and spaghetti trees.

Hello there April, you kinda snuck up on me. This year felt slow to start and now I keep wishing things would slow down. I hope everyone has been enjoying the first month of my Substack newsletter. From here on out unless you are upgrade your subscription we are back to our regular monthly newsletter format.

If you have enjoyed getting the Glue Gun Gazette, keeping up with my 100 Day Project and reading interviews please consider becoming an official glue stuff to stuff member. I’ve got fun stuff planned for April like interviews, studio tours and live hangouts.

Eggs Are Expensive

If even the Waffle House is up-charging for eggs things must be rough. Worried eggs are too expensive to hand over by the dozen to the kids this year? Never fear, I’ve got options for you over on HGTV.

• How to Dye a Marshmallow - I ate more than I dyed while making this project but it was fun. Also have you seen the size of s’more marshmallows? Le whoa. P.S. I don’t know who needs to hear this but you can use cookie cutters on marshmallows.

• How to Make Air Dry Clay Eggs for Easter - The best part about these cuties is you can use them year after year. Now that I think about it if you kept them out of the heat those marshmallows would probably last forever too.

• How to Dye a Potato - Light skinned taters take food coloring surprisingly well. I also thought it was fun to add polka dots.

Who Wants to Come Hang Out With Me?

Texas and California - let’s get crafty together! We can paint, collage, make leather jewelry, bind some books and of course glue stuff to stuff.

• 4/6 - Framed Flower Bouquets - Oil and Cotton Dallas, TX

• 4/22 - Fabric Covered Journals - SLO Life Mercantile San Luis Opisbo, CA

• 4/23-25 - Craftcation - Ventura, CA

• 4/26 - The Glue Stuff to Stuff Experience - Brooklyn Charm Ventura, CA

• 4/27 - Painting Weirdos Workshop - These Hands Los Angeles, CA

Oh and guess what? I’ve got some online classes coming soon.

Etsy Shops and Ebay

If you are looking for obnoxious jewelry and slightly quirky paintings check out my Jennifer Perkins Art Etsy Shop. Love the vintage look but don’t like thrifting? I’ll do it for you in The Huntress Gatherer Etsy Shop. If you prefer eBay I’m there too and 10% of all those sales go to various charities.

The Glue Gun Gazette

These listicals are my favorite part! Don’t forget subscribers get a version weekly.

• Hope you didn’t fall for too many April Fools Day pranks earlier this week. As I was driving to my neighborhood thrift store I heard an NPR story about a prank from the BBC in 1957. Reminded me of the time my kids flung rainbow spaghetti all over my yard.

• I’ve written about the closing of JOANN Stores in a previous newsletter but I saw that there was another spoof this week on Saturday Night Live that I mostly didn’t laugh at and found slightly offensive but… JOANN: “You know what ruined us - Feminism. Teach a woman to read and she’ll never craft again”. That bit made me laugh.

• JOANN news adjacent Creativebug has a fun free Easter themed class next week with two different versions of Reusable Easter Eggs. Have you ever seen the free online Halloween Ornaments class I did with Creativebug? I have an No-Sew Felt Easter Bunny version of one of the ornaments too.

• One last thing about JOANN and I swear I’ll stop. Have you ever seen the adorable Perler Bead Jewelry Kits from Aaliyah Taylor who according to Craft Industry Alliance won the inaugural Minority Creative Grant from JOANN. I need this kit stat as me and big bold colorful earrings are besties. Looking for more melty bead action? Might I suggest a few projects I’ve whipped up including: picture frames, coasters, keychains and you guessed it - Easter Eggs.

• “Art is just trash with more commitment”. This is according to Meow Wolf who recently started offering mystery subscription boxes called Cratetivity so you could create your own small immersive experience at home. Have you ever seen the 1lb mystery boxes of kitsch in my Etsy shop? Lot’s of possibilities.

• The quote about art and trash reminded me of this video I saw from TerraCycle. Be sure to listen to my podcast interview with TerraCycle GVP Tiffany Threadgould. Also made me think about this Up-Cycled Mini Toy Frame I made for HGTV, Muck n’ Brass, Jason Mecier and this fun mirror by Venus Flytrap Vintage.

• My friend Vickie Howell has started a new community for yarn lovers called Stitchwell Social Club. Lot’s of great knitting related content plus guests like moi. That’s right I have no idea how to knit but I do love me some primary colors which is the theme for April. I’ll be the special guest for Stitchwell Social Club on April 30th. Tune in and let’s get crafty.

• If you are looking for your second favorite newsletter I’ve got a few suggestions. Run a creative business? Check out Craft Industry Alliance. Create Whimsey slants towards quilting but also features lot’s of other inspiring creatives. Kelly May Krenz newsletter is always full of color and an adorable free monthly download.

• What I’m watching: Often times I find myself aimlessly clicking around through my streaming services and never stopping on anything. I have a really hard time getting into most shows (yes I’m watching White Lotus). I think it’s an ADHD thing. I do enjoy documentaries. I saw this article in the New York Times about Thomas KinKade and a new movie about him called Art is For Everybody that I can’t wait to watch. I love the idea of comparing him to a performance artist like the Andy Kauffman of mall art.

• My parting gift is this video by Red Velvet. My daughter is very into K-Pop right now and recently sat me down for two hours worth of video watching. The sewing machine sequence in this ear worm caught my eye. Reminded me of these synchronized dancing Singer sewing machines in Barcelona. I also really want a Red Velvet Klangphonics mashup.

  Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom! See ya next month. Don’t forget to tell a friend, subscribe and make sure this very important email is going to the correct spot in your inbox.