What I’m working on – April 2026

This post is as much recap of March as it is looking to what I’m working on in April. There’s a lot of photo goodies here so feel free to cruise through and enjoy all the handmade goodness.

Speaking of handmade, I’ve reworked my post footer where I invite you to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve added a bit about AI and the fact that you won’t see any AI generated slop here. I feel like it’s important to start highlighting the handmade and actual brainpower and human power behind the art we love. I probably just need to write a whole post to be a second part to my Generative AI post. Until then, know I’m about art that is made by real people.

Where you can see my work

Three of Wands (A phylogeny of my creativity) will be part of Embracing Art 2026 at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center running from March 24-May 10, 2026. If you are in the area, I hope you will make time to see this fantastic showcase of North Alabama artists. I’m honored to be among them.

Six of Cups (Cherishing memories of Big Spring Park) will be in From Source to Sea: Alabama Streams of She at The Library Art Gallery at Birmingham Botanical Gardens from May 1-June 25, 2026. There will be a closing reception Thursday, June 25, 2026 from 5:30-7:30 pm.

I’ve waiting to hear back on three other things this month so cross your fingers for me, will you?

Open calls I’m working on

I lackadaisically looked at CaFÉ this week and there was nothing outstanding that I wanted to apply for so I’m not currently working on any open calls. I’ve applied to five so far this year so I’m cool with taking a small break. I’ve been concentrating on a couple of other projects instead.

Paper things

One of the goals I set for myself for 2026 was working through the backlog of classes I’ve bought over the past few years. After I finished The Star (Light my way) this past month I decided I’d take some time and work through a few of those classes.

The first class I chose was on making a book. Because of course I did. It turned out as sort of a hybrid sketchbook/junk journal/art journal/inspiration book. It’s full of my art and other pieces. Here’s a few shots of pages that I think turned out particularly cool. (This book is the cardboard cover in the header pic that says “Creative Resistance” – also printing on cardboard is my new favorite trick.)

I also made a couple of concertina sketchbooks for a different class.

For the yearly sketchbook challenge that I enjoy and will be working on in April, the book this year is the Australian Piano Hinge Book by Sarah Matthews. I really loved how this one turned out and the structure is super versatile. The pages are made up of tabs and keys which means the pages can be replaced or you can glue an additional page to the tab and key for an additional page. (It’s the turquoise book in the group pic.)

I also made a Hungarian Map Fold prototype because it’s been on my list of things I wanted to try for quite sometime. It’s fun because the pages fold up so compactly and then blossom open like a flower. (In the group pic this book is the small horizontal tan ecodyed cover book.)

I’ve been catching up on my backlog of zines as well. Another goal I set for myself this year was to make a zine about every project I finish. I got behind and now I’m trying to catch up. I currently still have five zines to make for finished projects. Or I guess even more zines if I’m making them for the books too?!?!?! This could get way out of hand very fast!

I plan to continue to work on some classes this month. Since I have approximately 843 unwatched classes. Those Jeanne Oliver 40% off one class sales get me every time!

Crochet things

I finished a few things in March. A cowl and shawl I’d been working on since December. The cowl, on the left, came out with an absolutely stunning zigzag color pooling effect that I couldn’t have designed if I’d tried! It’s in the mail to an internet friend right now! I hope they enjoy it!! The shawl, on the right, is giving big bat energy and I’m not even mad about it. I’ve yet to do the zines for either of these projects but they are on the to do list!

I started a Mandala Cardigan in March, which sounds great, right? but I feel like if you are going to call something a cardigan it has to have sleeves?!?! Maybe I’m being pedantic? Also, it’s called a mandala and the center was just plain double crochet so I found a doily pattern I liked and dove in with that and then merged the two pieces together.

I won’t tell you that I had to ask my younger young adult to help me work out the math. I am mathematically challenged at the best of times. Anyway, it took way too long but we got the stitch count to come out right!! Victory over yarn math is what I live for. I’ve still got a ways to go but plenty of yarn, so I’ll probably end up adding some sleeves because after doing the math for grafting on the center piece, sleeves should be EASY.

I’ve still got one more shawl that’s been in progress for a while. I did work on it this month but the pattern is tough and there’s a lot of parts as well as a lot of black yarn. It’s slow going. But now that there’s more light every day, maybe I can sit with it outside and make some headway.

Other things in progress

April is National Poetry Month! And a Discord server I’m in is hosting a Poem a Day for National Poetry Month challenge. I gave myself permission to work on this every day this month as a way to stretch myself. As with any creative challenge, my goal is to get the rhythm going so I might build it into something. So I’m not trying to write good poetry. I’m just trying to get back in the habit of writing any poetry at all. Today I wrote about eating my imaginary twin in the womb so this is going GREAT.

Thank you for stopping in! Nothing on my website is AI generated. Not the art I make and not the words I write. If you’d like to keep up with what I’m working on, I’d love to have you as a newsletter subscriber. I include blog posts from here, cool things I find online, and occasionally pictures of my dogs. Sign up here.