Twinkie Chan 
I’m packing a suitcase for my first summer vacation in over a decade: a family trip to Iceland. What I’m thinking about most is the real estate inside my luggage. Iceland is cold and rainy right now and will require layers ranging from a swimsuit for the Blue Lagoon to a hooded coat for rainy 45F nights. And of course, I need to leave room for a travel-friendly craft – or two. We’ll be on a cruise ship for ten days, and there’s a lot of down time.
Which Creative Projects Do You Travel With?
I wrote an entry for the Creativebug blog in 2022 about how to stay creative while traveling, but it’s honestly really hard to pare down what I want to bring.
I started July’s Daily Practice, Magpie Sketchbook with Rebecca Ringquist, which I’m loving and don’t want to stop. What makes her sketchbook style so special is all the layering of different media and ephemera, so I’m having trouble making decisions. I have a case of colored pencils, a plastic bag of Posca pens, a travel watercolor palette, and a glue stick and scissors. It feels like a lot and maybe less travel-friendly than I’d like. And as a crochet designer, I have to bring at least a hook and a ball of yarn. Right? Or do I want to work on another hand-stitched quilt instead?
I’m leaving in two days, and we’ll just have to see what gets left behind. The paint pens? A pair of jeans? The ultrasonic cleaner for my Invisalign? I can hear my bestie saying (about any conundrum, big or small), “Anything you choose is perfect.”
If you start sweating the small stuff like I am, whether you’re traveling somewhere far away or enjoying summer at home, let’s all try to remember that anything we choose is perfect. Any way that we enjoy this season and experience it in paint, pen, yarn, or fabric, is perfect.
Here are some other things that I’ve been enjoying this summer:
Reading: Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart by GennaRose Nethercott. Someone I follow on Instagram recommended it in her monthly book stack. She owns a garden shed that looks like a gingerbread house with pink trim, so I felt like I was in good hands. It’s a little bit magical, a little bit wicked, sometimes sad and dark but also sweet and beautiful. It’s a collection of stories so it’s great for someone like me who doesn’t save a lot of time for books. (You can learn how to make a bookmark or friendship bracelet with lettering in my friendship bracelet class.)
Watching: I just started Season 3 of The Bear on Hulu. I think this show gives a lot of people anxiety, but I like it quite a bit. I lived with a classically trained chef for eight years, so food/restaurant life is always interesting to me. There is a lot of art and love in food.
Making: I’m on an everlasting journey to make friends with my sewing machine. Next on my list is the Bubble Frock by Lydia Naomi. I’ve never sewn in a zipper before, so wish me luck. I’m also prepping two new crochet patterns for Creativebug classes, so stay tuned! One you can wear and one you might want to eat….
Nibbling: I have been absolutely loving making banana nut bread (from smoothie-bananas gone brown). I know it isn’t really a summer treat, but I live by the ocean in San Francisco, and it’s still chilly at night. I use this recipe with whole wheat flour, cut the maple syrup to ½ cup, and add chopped pecans. After baking, I slice it, wrap it, and freeze it. Pop a piece in the toaster for breakfast or dessert with tea and YUM!
