Miller March 2026 Monthly Update
- JM Miller
- 2 days ago
- 19 min read
Updated: 15 hours ago
This past month has been quite busy, from our first craft fair of the year to diving into our chosen craft for the month.
This blog post, though, will start with our upcoming plans if you’re looking to participate in some crafting with us!
<<The blog is long, but most of it is video recommendations at the bottom, so don’t stress about the length!>>
April 11th – Skill Share at the Concrete Couch [Free] 9am–12pm 601 S. Institute St, Colorado Springs, CO https://www.concretecouch.org/
April 12th – ATCs at Rainy Day Anime [Free] 11am–1pm2350 S Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80910
April 24th – Artist Trading Cards at WGAS [Free] 11am–1pm
April 25th – (CCF) Christian Craft Fellowship (Rescheduled to the 25th from 11am–1pm)→ Please sign up at The Road at Chapel Hills website
We hope to see you at one of these crafting events!
Edit: Paper Day was rescheduled this month.
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Now moving on~
John and I have been crafting a lot lately, working on completing various ideas from prior months (and even years). John has completed his Papercut Stamp Art Collection! However… Penguin may get axed and replaced, so maybe snag one before he retires it.
I’m sure you’re also curious to see what the set looks like, so here is the gallery!
Each one is $75 and ready to be framed. There is a discount if you purchase the whole collection.
I’m quite proud of how dedicated and focused he’s been on this project to complete the full set! I think he’s also beaming with pride at the result of his hard work.
We will also be selling sticker sheets with these designs if you’d prefer something more stamp-sized. These will be up in our store as soon as I finish putting together the file. As you can see in the picture gallery of the quality of photos for this post, they look nice—but not that nice when you try to cut them apart individually. So I’ll need to go through and take another set of photos. Feel free to send in a pre-order if this interests you, and we can ship yours out as soon as the design is ready!
John’s main focus lately has been stamp papercut designs. If you have any ideas you’d like to commission, feel free to reach out.
Now for my side of things—I bounced around a bit between various projects, unearthing older ones that needed to be finished. I was halfway through my demo piece for an upcoming class when I stumbled across a use for my handmade papers and the pile of embroidery floss I normally use for junk journals.
Dun DUN!!
Embroidered handmade paper cards!!
Though they are ATC-sized, not all of them will be ATCs. Many will be ACEOs, which are Artist Collectible Editions and Originals. These are art pieces meant to represent the quality work of the artist. Each piece is handcrafted very carefully with time, patience, materials, and thought. I usually explain this simply as an art piece that takes more than an hour to complete.
There are artists who are extremely skilled and can create artwork in 5 minutes that sells for thousands—yes, that absolutely happens. But when explaining things to people who aren’t typically part of the art world, and who may not fully grasp that range or depth of value, I think this helps provide some perspective—especially for younger kids.
I’m going to go into a bit of the process and how I got into this, because it’s actually been developing for almost three years now.
You may or may not recall my obsession over the past few years with making my own paper.
<I’m still in that obsession, but it’s currently on hold for other… higher-priority obsessions>
I was a little frustrated that I had such a large backlog of handmade paper—many pieces that needed to be fixed or remade if they were going to be high enough quality to sell. My mind wandered back to a few customers who had asked what they could be used for, and one specific woman who talked about using handmade paper for embroidery. I believe she mentioned collecting twigs and natural items to sew onto thick handmade paper she finds.
And I thought… why not do that?
I can make my own ATC-sized artworks using my handmade papers! They were already somewhat small, round pieces, so ATC sizing made sense. It usually meant one card per round with a few off-cuts, which wasn’t the best yield—but the look of the handmade paper trimmed to size, showing off those precise edges, absolutely captivated me.
I mean, LOOK AT THEM!!
Gorgeous. I love them so much. I’ve been going through tons of my papers that aren’t quite good enough and cutting them down to size. The off-cuts still have a lot of beautiful color, and when stacked, they look amazing together!
Anything extra can literally be thrown into my next blending session and remade into new paper. It’s a win-win. I use every bit of my recycled paper—and even recycle that paper again!
I do want to add that I absolutely love seeing how much I can reuse my craft materials until there’s nothing left to throw away.
One day, we’ll purchase machines that can help us ramp up our recycled materials for future use!
<<Big plans… and I mean BIG plans if we can get sponsorship/assistance>>
With the shapes and colors, I wanted to create simple, abstract art pieces. The mix of rough, bumpy, fibrous paper with clean-cut edges, light and dark tones in either contrast or complementary combinations, matte paper paired with the sheen of embroidery thread—it all comes together so beautifully without too much effort.
The most I’ve made in a day is about 21. Of course, that was also the day I had a pretty bad sunburn across my upper back and shoulders, so I couldn’t move much… and didn’t move much.
Each piece can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to assemble. I usually lay out about 8–10 at once and rotate between them. I still have 20 waiting to be embroidered from the original 60 I started with—and that’s after finishing 30. Yesterday, instead of completing those 20, I made a different set of 8. I don’t work in a strict order, so the timing isn’t always straightforward. Many pieces sit for a few days while I decide if I really like the design or if it needs to change.
<<As of posting this I have completed all that needed to be embroidered totaling over 80 cards in less than 2 months>>
Also, don’t forget—these handmade papers take hours (sometimes days) to create, plus at least one to two days to dry properly.
So while the stitching might only take 5–10 minutes, the materials themselves may have already taken a full 24 hours (or more) to prepare.
This year, I’m going to start releasing ACEOs of my artwork that I’ve put a lot of time and effort into. Since I’ve made a few hundred ATCs to give away for free over the past few years, I think it’s time to expand into selling at this level. I’ll still be creating hundreds of free ATCs, but now you can also expect higher-quality pieces that are more accessible to purchase. Some of our best work is rarely seen, and we’d love to make more of it available moving forward.
Here’s a sample of other artwork I’ve created using handmade paper and embroidery. We now have quite a few large framed pieces around the house—and we’ve picked up several frames over the past month. This year, we want to focus on framing our artwork and making it wall-ready. You have no idea how many pieces we’ve forgotten about simply because they weren’t framed—they got buried and shuffled around for months.
Not this year!
Oh right—the images:
I’m currently working on some larger pieces, but I’ll need to make larger sheets of handmade paper first. That should be happening in the next month or two—once I catch up on everything else. Further down that wall, you can see a set of 9 embroidered ACEOs. The protective film on the acrylic will stay on the frame until purchase. I can’t provide detailed close-ups yet since these aren’t officially released.
The photo of the laid-out pieces isn’t finished yet—it’s still a work in progress. I’ve spent several days trying to figure out what to do with it. John suggested I embroider down some of the layers, so I might try that. It may end up looking very different from what you see here—we’ll see!
Another thing—we’re slowly working on properly labeling the backs of our artwork. We’re realizing how much we overlooked this step, even just last year.
When we first started selling our art, we didn’t have much confidence in ourselves or our work. We didn’t see the importance of packaging, labeling, or telling the story behind each piece. We were focused on paying the bills, so our mindset was mostly about how much we could get for something—not the value behind it.
It’s not that we didn’t love what we created—it’s that we didn’t allow it to hold value. So we pushed it out quickly, often underpricing it… which ultimately undervalued the time and effort we put into it.
That mindset fed back into how we saw our own work. It made us want to lower prices even more—sometimes giving pieces away for free just because someone said they liked them. But we always ended up at a loss. We didn’t even recover the cost of materials or time, which meant no funds to reinvest into future projects.
It also left us feeling like our art wasn’t worth paying for—because we never gave people the chance to value it. We never got to see that value reflected back.
So this year, we’re slowing down and being more intentional with every step. We’re relearning what we already knew—but with purpose.
If we want to be professional… what does that actually look like? What examples do we see around us? What feels unnecessary versus what actually builds a meaningful connection with potential customers? And how can we do all of that while still feeling like us?
We want our art to exist across a wide spectrum—from free, chaotic, fun creativity to serious, heavy, emotionally deep pieces. That means we’ll approach different audiences in different ways. Not because we’re hiding who we are, but because there’s a time and place for each type of creative expression.
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Remember when I mentioned my awful sunburn? That happened when my little sister came down for Spring Break, and we had planned to go fishing!
I didn’t actually fish. John and my sister both really enjoy it but don’t always have people to go with them. I do like fishing… but I almost ALWAYS end up tangling the line, and that frustrates me way more than the joy fishing brings. So I just enjoy watching others have fun and succeed.
Plus, I’m not responsible for cleaning the fish afterward—so that’s a win!
I drove us out, and we ended up at Red Rock Canyon in Colorado Springs. Just a fun note—John and I took our engagement photos there back in 2017!!
It was a little concerning, though—the pond we planned to fish in was REALLY low.
But look at all these fish!!
These are goldfish or carp.
To share some quick info:
We bought fishing licenses for the year (x2).
We called Colorado Wildlife and specifically asked about these fish—they gave us the green light to catch as many as we wanted.
These fish are invasive and were going to die anyway.
There’s also a risk of health issues that could spread to the native fish population, which the wildlife department is trying to prevent.
They were likely going to die because the pond they were in is essentially locked, overpopulated, and the water level is less than half of what it should be. On top of that, people had been dumping these fish there—even though there should be NO fish in that pond.
I’ve got to say, though… some of them were really pretty. Their swimming and grouping patterns were also very unusual. So if you’re looking for some beautiful fish, you could technically collect some here! Just make sure to keep them in a separate tank for a few weeks first—to flush out their system and monitor their health before introducing them to other fish.
John and my sister each caught 3 fish, for a total of 6! They were biting a lot in the middle of the day, which was fun—and then suddenly they just stopped. Still, it was a fun and successful fishing trip!
We were going to try cooking them, but the method John’s sister told us about didn’t work out for us this time. It involved catching them during the coldest part of the year, immediately cutting off the tail on ice, and draining the blood (something along those lines). It’s supposed to keep the meat from becoming tough and tasteless.
As you can see...it was not a cold day so that didn't work. But we had a lot of fun.
Fun fishing trip photos!
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STICKER SHEETS!!
Here’s a quick preview of all our current sticker sheet designs. I’m currently working on getting these into our shop and will send out another message once everything is up and running—so expect one more update from me this month. Thank you!
I even made a fun one for one of my favorite games! I’ve been playing Merge Mayor for almost 4 years now, and this is the first “artwork” I’ve created for it. Even John made art for the game before I did a year or two ago.
I can also make custom sticker sheets—so if you have a game you love and want fun images to stick everywhere, feel free to reach out!
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Don’t forget—we’re also selling many of our items at American Classics Marketplace if you’re interested! Be sure to stop by and check out our creations in person!
We are quite pleased with our selection available. If there are items you'd like to see more of, just let us know.
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Have you been to Who Gives a SCRAP! lately? We now have a spot in their sticker machine! For $1, you get a limited-edition Photography Artist Trading Card plus a bonus sticker.
These ATCs will only be released 5 times—and never twice in the same year (and only if I remember… so it might be three years before set 2 comes out 😆).
These feature photographs we’ve taken (mostly by Michelle), along with a piece of the story behind each one. Since our business is about our creative journey, we wanted to share moments we’ve seen, experienced, and created. This is a simple, non-overwhelming way to step into our perspective for a moment.
Let’s just say—I have thousands of photos with meaningful stories we hope to share with you!
The sticker is a fun bonus from our experimental phase. We were just learning sticker-making at the time and don’t really love those designs anymore—so you’re getting a great deal while adding to your ATC collection!
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Last but not least… more RECOMMENDATIONS!!
These gummy worms are delicious—and a more “natural” option. By that, I mean they don’t swap in questionable ingredients just to claim they’re healthy. I had been searching for gummy worms that didn’t taste artificial or just… bad like many “healthy” snacks do.
These? These are perfect.
<<Also amazing in a cup of chocolate pudding with crushed Oreos>>
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Now onto some fun YouTube recommendations!
Quick note—we watch a LOT of YouTube. Not always actively watching, but we usually have something playing in the background while we work, catching bits of information here and there. Most of the time, we’re physically exhausted but mentally awake, trying to rest enough to get moving again. That process alone can take 2–3 videos.
We probably go through about 15 videos a day on average—and more than half of them are for research and learning.
(I think I know why I'm stressed...I'm processing so much information all day I'm in overload by the time I go to bed...)
The first one I want to share is about writing resumes! It might seem like a random topic, but we were helping my sister with her resume for a summer internship and needed a refresher ourselves.
I came across this woman who did an AMAZING job explaining and walking through the process. Then, just today, I found out she posted a newer video about two weeks ago! So I’ll include both and let you choose—but honestly, if I needed to rewrite my resume, this is exactly where I’d start.
This one was posted 7 years ago and has more than 10 million views—I believe it’s the top search result for resumes.
How to Write a Resume | For Freshers & Experienced People (Step-by-Step Tutorial)
This one was put out about 2 weeks ago:
How to Write a Resume? | For Freshers & Experienced People (Step-by-Step Tutorial)
Highly recommend you check it out—even if you don’t need to write a resume right now—and send it to someone who does or might need it!! This could save people a lot of time and unnecessary headaches.
Next is kind of an odd one. We came across a video of a woman talking about how she is now an ex-Mormon, sharing details of what she went through—essentially describing it as a cult and how she escaped. Since we’ve recently moved to an area with a noticeable Mormon and Jehovah’s Witness population (and their newer churches), we may encounter them more often.
Now let me share something a little embarrassing that I just learned (or re-learned): The Church of Latter-day Saints and Mormons are the same. I know I was told this back in junior high, but that information got buried—probably because I was learning about 10 other religions at the same time. Still, it didn’t fully click until recently.
So with that in mind, learning how much is hidden—and how little those going door-to-door may actually know—has been eye-opening.
To be fair, I feel like I kind of grew up in a similar kind of church environment—where one thing was taught or shown, but the Bible sometimes said something different. This led us to think more deeply about church structures in general… or at least from a different angle than before.
We also watched one of her videos discussing how Twilight was written as a Mormon analogy—and honestly, she might be onto something. It does seem like a lot of fantasy writers are Mormon… and openly so.
Alyssa Grenfell has been a fascinating creator to stumble across. I’m always interested in hearing about people’s lived experiences—what they went through, how they got out, and what their lives look like now. Since there are overlaps between Christianity and Mormonism, I think it’s valuable to hear directly from someone who experienced it firsthand.
Her channel directly:
Signs Twilight Was Written by a Mormon
This one was especially interesting. I remember reading Twilight as a young teen and thinking it represented “love.” Later, in college, I learned that many of those same behaviors are actually major red flags for unhealthy or even abusive relationships. Hearing her explain it through the lens of Mormon influence—and knowing the author was open about that connection—makes a lot more sense from a religious and cultural perspective.
Another video of hers I haven’t watched yet but want to is:
The Bizarre Reason So Many Fantasy Authors Are Mormon
I’m curious about her perspective and what connections she draws. Then I want to step back and ask: Have I read any of these books? Does this pattern make sense? Or have I heard others talk about these books in a way that connects to this idea? I’m not linking it yet since I haven’t watched it, but feel free to look it up if it piques your curiosity.
She’s one of the first creators I’ve personally watched who talks about her life as an ex-Mormon. Previously, I had watched two women discussing their experiences leaving Islam—one of whom studied Hebrew and Arabic roots and pointed out inconsistencies in teachings. Both highlighted a lack of archaeological evidence in certain areas, or how deeper investigation was often avoided or redirected.
Now, I know there are people within Mormonism or Islam who are genuinely kind and good people. But good people can still be misled or influenced into harmful systems. It’s more the doctrine—and especially the leadership—that I think deserves careful examination.
I’m focusing on the teachings and those leading those teachings. We hear about people being in cults, and we may recognize some signs—but how well do we identify systems that shape a person’s entire worldview? At what point can we tell whether someone is following their faith of a higher text… or the direction of human leadership? Many people who leave these environments describe being controlled, misled, or having information withheld from them.
And to be clear—I absolutely believe that this can happen within Christian churches as well. John and I both grew up in the church, and while we do believe in the Bible and have experienced many meaningful truths, we’ve also witnessed harmful behavior within church environments—caused by people, not the faith itself.
This connects to another video we came across by accident. For the past few years, we’ve been hoping for meaningful church reform—something that avoids the patterns that can turn genuine worship into something unhealthy or performative. There are definitely red flags to watch for if you’re serious about your spiritual growth.
What’s kind of funny is that there’s a recognizable “pastor speaking style”—specific word choices, pauses, and cadence. Both of us tend to hear that style and instinctively feel cautious. So we weren’t expecting to watch much of this video…
But this guy sounds more like a professor than a pastor, and the video ended up being really engaging.
We’ve personally experienced quite a few of the issues he mentions—including being part of families involved in starting churches. As kids, we were underage, expected to work, and witnessed firsthand some of the risks and problems within those environments.
Red Flags: Mark & Avoid These Churches!
John and I are considering writing out our own list based on personal experience—which would honestly be much longer than 16 minutes. Many of these are also signs of environments where people may prefer comfort over growth—where services focus more on making you feel good than on honest reflection and improvement. A really good resource to go over. We even have to be wary of people speaking Christianese at our churches too. (That is speaking the right speak but not really having the action to back it up).
Then we moved into more biographies and documentaries about different public figures:
Paul Reubens | The Man Behind the Bowtie | A Docu-Mini
This covers the man behind Pee-wee Herman. His story is both heartwarming and incredibly impressive. He truly seems underrated and deserved more recognition than he receives.
The REAL Story Behind Jones BBQ & Foot Massage
This one is about comedian Robert Hines, who became an unexpected viral figure. We first saw the fake commercial years ago and never forgot it. It was really fun to see someone break down how it all came together. The character, Toby Jones, has multiple fake commercials and is genuinely entertaining.
The World’s Only Female Autistic Savant Twins | The Rainman Twins Full Documentary
This one caught my attention randomly. For nearly two decades, I’ve been fascinated by savants—ever since I first watched a TED Talk on the subject. After seeing Rain Man, I became even more curious about people with those abilities in real life.
I’ve also always been intrigued by twins—I used to wish I had one growing up, or that I might have twins someday. On top of that, I’ve been learning more about autism and the differences (if any) between autism and Asperger’s.
So when this documentary combined three of my major interests, I had to watch it.
These women are absolutely worth learning about. Their memory is both a gift and a burden—being able to recall everything in such vivid detail. Their story includes deeply difficult experiences, but it also seems like they found greater peace and happiness later in life, especially with their younger sister.
I haven’t finished the full video yet—I’m saving the rest for when I have the time and mental energy to really take it in. I’m close to the end, though, and would definitely recommend others check it out.
Chevy Chase: The Most Horrible Celebrity On Earth
Then we get into this guy… whom I both knew of and knew nothing about. I vaguely recognized him from Parks and Recreation when it came out, but I couldn’t place where I knew him from. He just had that very “generic tall older white guy” look.
Then I found out THIS guy helped start SNL. You’d think he’d be hilarious—but to be so difficult that you end up banned from your own show just a few years later? That’s shocking. Honestly… I can see why people didn’t like him.
Now shifting back to a more interesting tone—music!
The Oldest (Known) Song Ever
Just fascinating. Not much needs to be said—this is something you really have to see and hear for yourself! Do you recognize this tune?
JK Takes a Photo Every Day for 25 Years (Age 22–47)
This is incredibly impressive. Taking photos every single day for 25 years is wild. I don’t think people realize how fortunate you have to be to maintain that kind of consistency for so long.
John and I have struggled with consistency due to things from our childhood that still affect us today, so this hit on another level. Also, we rarely saw him looking sad (like puffy or teary eyes), which was more normal for us growing up—so seeing almost none of that was surprising.
Watching his facial structure change over time was also fascinating. So much changed, yet so much stayed the same! And the mustache going back and forth was honestly pretty funny.
I Trained an AI to Beat This Absurd World Record
AI training!! This ended up being way more interesting than we expected. The idea of training AI to beat a top human player in a speed-based game sounds easy—but it really wasn’t. Definitely something to learn from here.
What Happens if You Blur and Sharpen an Image 1000 Times?https://youtu.be/7oCtDGOSgG8?si=p1Q5y343AkOKu8gl
Videos like this always bring me back to that Rick and Morty quote: “Art is more science than art.” And honestly, I keep seeing that everywhere.
Understanding how the world works—and how to recreate it—takes so much knowledge. For example, if you’re creating a 3D room with light coming through a window, it’s not just about drawing the light beam. There are reflections, refractions, highlights, color interactions, and so much more.
To recreate reality well, you have to understand what’s happening, where to place it, and what details matter most. The same goes for painting—like using underpainting techniques to create realistic skin tones. It’s all part of understanding the world deeply enough to recreate it convincingly.
Anyway—super interesting watch!
Every Jewellery Metal Ranked (Some Are Terrible)
This guy goes so in-depth into gemstones and materials that it’s hard not to learn something. It also helps that he works with these materials professionally.
A lot of our opinions about certain gems have shifted because of his insights—especially regarding durability. I don’t think I’d want to invest in a gemstone for a ring if it could crack from a light bump in the wrong direction. Fun (and practical) stuff!
Inside an Incredible 500-Year-Old Tower (With a Nasty Surprise on the Wall)
A bit random, but we’re really interested in the passage of time. Historical sites are one of the best ways to observe that. Not just how they look now, but how they compare to historical records.
Many places have changed so much over time that it’s hard to grasp the full extent of that change. This was a fun watch—though it does feel a little strange seeing places in Britain that we may never visit in person. It also makes you think about how much longer recorded history exists there compared to the U.S.
Lastly… we’ve been watching a lot of commentary on Chinese culture and subcultures from three different Asian creators. Their perspectives and cultural insights are fascinating. You also get to observe how large groups of people—sometimes in the hundreds of thousands or even millions—respond to societal structures and expectations.
There’s a lot of overlap in their content, but each brings slightly different perspectives and details. Overall, it’s been a really interesting deep dive into a culture I feel like I should know much more about.
I’d definitely recommend browsing their channels—you’ll quickly get a sense of the kinds of wild stories and topics they cover. And remember, many of these situations involve massive numbers of people, not just small groups.
Well, that’s all we’ve got for now! Hopefully by the next blog update, we’ll have the base of our website fully set up. By that, I mean our landing page, store, “About Us,” and some free downloadable content. From there, we’ll slowly build it out over the year, making sure everything stays functional and up to date.
This time, I didn’t go too deeply into health updates. We’re still struggling in several areas, but we’re starting to find some patterns and balance. One big thing has been allowing more flexibility in our schedule—especially so I can nap during the day when needed.
Honestly, the best sleep I get is usually during the day, when I can wake up naturally with daylight. John has also been napping more, so slowing down and staying home to rest has helped a lot.
More on that either in a separate post or in the next monthly update. For now, we’re focusing on taking smaller steps at a slower pace—actually getting things done without overwhelming ourselves.
Let’s go, April!!
See you in the next update~
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