The Nerdy Farm Wife

Outside of crafty stuff, I'm taking several courses on cyber security, cryptocurrency/blockchain & ethical hacking. I casually play MMOs a few times a week. I've also been studying Japanese this year in preparation for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (and hopefully a trip to Japan after I pass it!)

I enjoy finding uses for the flowers and herbs that grow around me - turning them into everything from soap to salves to bath bombs, plus simple herbal remedies for my family.

I've also gone through intense spells of quilting, sewing, black & white photography, baking {allergen free foods}, genealogy, scrapbooking, and more than I can keep track of, so my craft spaces have adjusted to whatever hobby I'm into. Right now, soapmaking is a favorite and most of my home office is filled with soap-related stuff.

I have attention issues, so can't watch TV or listen to podcasts, or even have anyone talking to me while I'm crafting or else I get everything all mixed up and many mistakes are made!

My great aunt Alice handmade most of my Barbie doll clothes and I wanted to be like her, so I tried handstitching some scraps of cloth to some of the shirts she made, to turn them into dresses for my dolls. I come from a crafty family, so also spent time as a kid sanding and staining cabinets, working with ceramics, cross-stitching, painting, decoupaging all the things, and playing with scraps of fabric.

Soap is currently my favorite thing to make, along with tinctures and salves made with flowers/herbs.

I have to confess that I rarely read other crafting blogs. Instead, I follow a few sites related to tech and science.

I'm the author of two published books! One is called 101 Easy Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health & Home and the other is Simple & Natural Soapmaking.

You can check them out on my Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Jan-Berry/e/B00M1AWDF2/