This summer has been a whirlwind of activity -- SO MUCH happening. It's been super fun, but I'm ready to get cozy with some cooler weather, nights by the fire, and a little time to just breathe.  

One of our mid-summer highlights was a crafty day party that a friend surprised me with. She pretended it was just going to be her and me, and then once the date was secured -- she let me in on the fact that she'd planned a day with a bunch of our girlfriends where we'd be DIY-ing it with some of our kits. Flattering and a little embarrassing all at once! 

Our friend Kathy has a small farm in the Woodinville area (wine country right outside of Seattle). Around their day jobs, she and her husband grow produce and raise chickens, alpaca, and most recently -- two little lambs. The farm is a long-time dream that they've made come true -- and they've been working hard at turning their fixer upper into a magazine-worthy little slice of magic. In other words, it's a perfect setting for a girls day. 

She put out a beautiful brunch with quiche made from her own chicken eggs and filled with homegrown rainbow chard, along with a delectable freshly picked green salad. Add in some local wine, and we were ready to start making. 

We used our tea towel kits along with our cactus stencil pack. I loved watching how different people designed their towels using the same basic materials. Such a range of possibilities!

I also made a t-shirt using one of our cactus stencils and an old black tee (my steps are shown below). I was happy to see that the rose pink from our fabric paint kit covered the black jersey fabric well. 

Our friend Irene worked on crocheting a Ruby cactus, and got through the pot  part of the project while we worked on fabric paint.

This was such a great day. I'm grateful to have supportive friends getting involved in the business we've been working on, and I'm also excited to see our kits (and our concept!) in action.

One key thought behind our kits is that they make it easy to handcraft something that looks good without being an expert. 

When I was working my corporate job I found it really hard to find time to be creative. Frankly, it was difficult just to get to the grocery store, never mind the craft store.

If I did make it to Michael's or Joanne's, the sheer number of choices overwhelmed me, and I sometimes left in defeat. Offering a few curated kits is my attempt to solve this problem and let you just get started making. You know, the fun part.

Maybe you'd like to host your own Wine & Crafts Day / Girls Night In?

Here are the key party ingredients: 

• Friends 
• Wine (Washington and Oregon wines are our faves)
• Food (quiche and salad is quite nice)
• Craft supplies and projects in mind

Happy making! BTW, we'd love to see photos of your creations -- tag us with #globalbackyard on Instagram (we're @globalbackyard).