Hello everyone, and welcome to the blog! It is officially April, and I can hardly believe how fast the year is flying by. When I woke up on the first of the month, I genuinely thought the calendar was playing an April Fool’s joke on me! But here we are, in the fourth month of 2026, with plenty of crafting updates to share.

A March to Remember: The AI Stork Project

March was an incredibly busy month for me, largely consumed by a project that I took on wholeheartedly. While I was in Mexico, I spotted a beautiful stork hanging from the ceiling of a restaurant and immediately started wondering how I could recreate it as a soft sculpture.

With the help of my son and some creative use of AI, we developed a three-dimensional pattern based on the photos I took. It was a painstaking process to enlarge the pattern and construct the bird, but the result was so rewarding! I have already released a reveal video for the stork, and I have eight more technical videos coming your way very soon. These will dive into the specifics of using canvas bags, jointing techniques, and the overall progression of the build. It was an incredible experience that has me anxious to try more “photo-to-form” projects in the future.

Easter Upcycling: From Plastic to Papier-Mâché

Easter is just around the corner, and I’ve been busy with some table decor. I hate throwing things away and prefer to upcycle whenever possible. I had a two-piece plastic Easter egg that I originally intended to use as a weight for the stork’s body, but it didn’t quite fit the stuffing. Instead of tossing it, I decided to give it a makeover!

I experimented with a simple papier-mâché mix of glue and water. Instead of using messy newsprint, I used ripped-up paper napkins from the dollar store. It worked beautifully! After a few layers and two days of drying, I painted it with acrylics and added some little hearts. Inside, I’ve placed aquarium gravel so it has a lovely weight and stands perfectly on the table.

Felt Bunny Place Settings

To go along with the egg, I also made some adorable felt rabbits. I picked up some hard felt bunnies from the dollar store and gussied them up by ironing on fabric using Heat n Bond. I added felt faces and ears, then finished them off with a classic blanket stitch using embroidery floss. I made four in different colors—one for each plate setting—and they look so charming standing next to the papier-mâché egg.

Keeping Christmas Alive All Year

If you’ve been following my journey, you know I’m doing a 12-month Christmas theme this year to keep the spirit alive even in the warmer months. February was spent in the sun, so March was about catching up! I worked on some festive placemats made from rounded board covered in plastic and tablecloth fabric.

For April, my theme is Christmas trees. I’m planning to create a “God’s Eye” ornament in various shades of green. It’s a project that combines a pattern I found in a book with the inspiration I gathered from my time in Mexico.

New Resources and Looking Ahead

I’m always looking for new techniques to embellish my work. Lately, I’ve been inspired by a few wonderful creators:

• Amy: A fantastic resource for beading. I’m finding that beadwork is a wonderful way to add a bit of sparkle and detail to soft sculptures.
• Luzme: She creates darling felt projects like little roosters and trees, using intricate embroidery and beads to “gussy them up.”

In other exciting news, I received a call from the Vancouver Island Exhibition! I’ll have my very own table there this year, which will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase my work and share the website with even more people.

Taking Care and Moving Forward

Because I’ve been working so hard with doll needles and heavy canvas, my hands have been feeling the strain. I’m going to take a bit of extra care this month to make sure I don’t overdo it. April will be about dusting off the spring decorations, playing with more AI-generated patterns from Pinterest, and expanding the portfolio for the website.

Thank you all for joining me on this journey. There is always so much to learn and so much to do. Happy crafting, and I’ll see you in the next update!