I have been spending some time experimenting with resin again, and I have four new projects that I am especially happy with. There is something satisfying about working with a material that can take a project in so many different directions. Sometimes I start with a fairly clear idea of what I want to make. Other times, I am experimenting, adjusting, trying something a little differently, and hoping the finished piece looks somewhere close to what I had pictured in my head. The first is this little turtle trinket holder. I have always enjoyed pieces that are both decorative and useful, and a small trinket holder fits that description perfectly. Because it can sit on a dresser, nightstand, desk, or wherever you need a little place for those tiny things that seem to wander around the house. But I think what I like most about this one is simply the turtle. There is something cheerful about making an ordinary useful object into something with a little personality. Instead of being just a c...

 I'm so excited to share my newest project.  The  Pink Polkadot Butterfly   has a home on Substack ! And our main theme is Making Joy. This little corner of the internet is where I'll be sharing stories, behind-the-scene videos and pictures of my creations, encouragement, reflections, and the everyday moments that remind us there is beauty, hope, and joy, even in life's unexpected seasons. If you subscribe, every new post will be delivered directly to your email inbox as a newsletter, so you'll never have to wonder if you missed one. Whether you've been following Simply Making Life for years or you've just joined our community, I'd love for you to come along on this new journey. I can't wait to share this next chapter with you. It's free to subscribe, and I'd be honored to have you join me. Blessings, Patricia

Today, I want to share a little secret with you.  Until recently, I simply couldn't make biscuits. No matter how hard I tried, they always came out of the oven looking beautiful, but they were as hard as rocks! I honestly thought biscuit-making just wasn't one of my talents. A few years ago, my Aunt Jane shared a little bit of biscuit-making wisdom with me. She explained that I was adding too much flour while trying to keep the dough from sticking to my hands. Without realizing it, I was making my biscuits dense and dry before they ever went into the oven. That was good advice, but I still didn't have the confidence to make rolled biscuits using less flour. Instead, I continued buying the frozen ones. Then I recently discovered the simple recipe on the back of a  Bisquick  Original Pancake and Baking Mix box, and everything changed. This recipe uses only three simple ingredients. I love that, because I'm all about simple.  The best part about the recipe is th...

 A Little Backyard Haven: Finding Joy in Flowers, Wildlife, and Simple Moments There is something peaceful about stepping into your own backyard and realizing that you have created a place where life feels welcome. Our backyard is not a perfectly manicured garden. It is something much more special to me—a little haven filled with flowers, wildlife, quiet moments, and reminders that beauty often comes from the care we give to the things around us. Almost every day, I'm outside watering, pruning, checking on my plants, and yes, even talking to them. Some people may laugh at that, but I believe plants respond to the love and attention we give them. Gardening has become one of the simple pleasures that brings me peace and helps me slow down and appreciate the little things. Recently, I spent some time enjoying the visitors and blooms that have made our backyard such a special place. A Bumble Bee’s Visit to the Pansies One of my favorite recent visitors was a little bumble bee that dec...

I recently posted about using clear glue as faux water. In that post , I mentioned that I thought that some other advice about using a shallow pour, cure, shallow pour, cure, and so on would be the best way to use clear glue as faux water, but it turns out that is wrong as well. Because when I poured the glue on top of the cured glue, it remelted the first pour. So, after waiting for about 2 weeks for the first shallow pour to cure, I had to wait again for the now-deeper pour to cure. In other words, the shallow pour is a bust if you want to gradually go deeper since the lower layer of glue will melt once the upper layer is poured into the vase. Also, the glue shrinks when cured and doesn't appear to look like water after all that careful work and weeks of waiting. I highly encourage you to not use the glue as faux water for your fake flower arrangements. And I hope my experiment helps you make better decisions. My advice: don't always believe what you read or see on the inte...

 Audrey Hepburn said, To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.   image courtesy of Jan Canty via Unsplash The time to sow our seeds is almost upon us. Whether you're a raised bed veggie gardener or container gardener who loves flowers or full-on farmer, welcome to spring ! My rose bushes in the yard already have leaves and are growing new limbs. So, they should be covered in blooms before the end of April. Earlier in the month when we had warm temps, I added some liquid fertilizer to the soil in my empty containers. Before sowing my seeds, I'll mix the soil up a bit to make sure I'm planting in loose soil to allow for root growth, and I'll add more of my Miracle Gro liquid fertilizer when I plant my seeds or repot my flowers. If you've been following me for the past few years, you know I'm a [mostly] container gardener. I tried growing some veggies last year in my containers with little success. This year, I'm going back to all flowers, and I'm look...

I've watched many videos about using clear glue as faux water. Everyone talks about how pretty this is once it dries. They will say, "This doesn't dry right away, so you have plenty of time to rearrange your dried flowers until you're satisfied." BUT no one tells you how long the glue takes to dry. So, I'm here to share an experiment I'm trying, using clear glue as faux water.  First of all, most people use Elmer's clear glue. I used the Dollar Tree Jot 4 oz. clear glue for my experiment. Either way, Google search AI reports that glue, such as Elmer's glue will take longer to dry with a deep pour. Apparently, 4 oz. is a deep pour. Because my first pour, which used the entire 4 oz., isn't showing any signs of drying soon. All other glue brands take just as long and cost much more.  For beter results, Google AI and Reddit forum users recommend a shallow pour. So, pour a shallow layer, allow to dry, add another shallow layer and allow to dry. Con...