Fun with Pills

you don't have to be mentally ill for this craft, but it helps

now i know what you’re thinking.

“its been a while. do you have any kind of schedule for this substack? when are you going to send this thing out?”

well, to borrow (and tweak) a quote the opening of bam margera’s hit show, viva la bam.

yes i did make this image myself using instagram

we’re keeping things real loose and casual here! it’s fun! its a surprise!! you never know what’ll happen here. and if you see any typos, no you didnt. (this means you, ee!!!!!!!)

the truth is, i was unable to complete the next craft i wanted/promised to write about. im sure most of you have had this EXACT SAME PROBLEM so i dont know why im complaining. but, i switched from hot glue to e6000 glue, which turns out to have a real scary label on it that says its carcinogenic. and in my google research i learned that i would need a respirator. so i ordered a respirator and when it got here i noticed the chunky pink doodads that make the respirator…. idk… respirate? did not come WITH it. and that i still needed to buy the cartridges. and well, that just really took the wind out of my sails.

im not sure why i felt the respirator cartridges were so necessary to continue crafting. i have welcomed previous carcinogen with open arms and lungs! i smoked for a large portion of my life, and then vaped for a couple of years after that. but, now that im 33 im older, wiser, more anxious.

i spent so much money buying crafting materials (pom poms, googly eyes and sequins aint cheap, yall!) and had no idea what to make with it. i hadn’t thought that far ahead when purchasing, but needed to hot glue some shit ASAP so i looked around the house for items i could enhance. after exhausting all the frames and recycled containers i could find.

now i have an unofficial rule where i can only craft with shit i already have at home. preferably shit i would have thrown away. (the downside to this is now i have a bag filled with bean cans, and talenti gelato containers)

Pillz Pillz Pillz

materials: pill bottles, hot glue, hot glue gun, decor of your choice. feel free to bust out the e6000 but do so at your own peril. (full disclosure here, i did abandon the cancer glue and went back to my trust hot glue gun.)

i highly recommend treating yourself to this craft kit. my friend caroline’s daughter has the same one. she’s five, so it truly is fun for ALL AGES.

Instructions

sequins, half pearls and pipe cleaners. this is the fucker that i tried to be glue-fancy with and it almost broke me.

1. find a licensed psychiatrist in your area, preferably that takes your insurance if you have insurance. (NOTE: if you dont have the luxury of needing psychiatric medication, you can use your allergy pills, tums bottles, antibiotics containers. you dont have to be mentally ill for this craft, but it helps)

2. eventually call said psychiatrist several weeks later once you can no longer live with the symptoms and issues that lead you to googling said psychiatrist in the first place.

3. pick up prescription from pharmacy of your choosing. (make sure, if it’s your first rodeo with meds, you give em some time to work, and if the first pills dont work keep at it. it took me three tries in my most recent quest to be medicated to land on effexor, and im STILL not totally happy with it)

4. take pills OUT OF container. ok i dont actually know if this IS necessary, but it FEELS necessary to me if youre gonna be slathering this bitch up with hot glue? like what if the hot glue is so hot, it somehow effects the pills inside and idk melts them or makes them less effective? idk? can you tell i have anxiety?

5. start decoratin’ as you see fit. I recommend pipe cleaners, glitter, googly eyes, buttons, tiny babies, confetti, beads, other pills, teeth, whatever, to make your pills more festive.

Looking for other cool shit?

each newsletter im gonna try and recommend some stuff i like.

• Whimsy by Shannon McLeod - i was lucky enough to read a version of Whimsy a couple of years ago, and i haven’t completely stopped thinking about it since. i preordered it, and you should too!!

• The Closer!!!! ok, this show aired from like 2005-2012. my friend jackie has recommended it for years, but i only got my shit together after she gifted me a couple seasons on dvd with the worlds most thoughtful gift basket. i love det. brenda leigh johnson as much as i love jackie (which is a lot). You can watch all seven seasons on hbomax.

• Thread Or Die - are you looking for some high quality crafting context? then follow emily. she is so so talented. i commissioned an embroidery from her and ive had it a few weeks now and am still amazed by how beautiful it is.