Your Drill Instructor

Your Drill Instructor Just a Utah mom who loves diamond art and seeks to create a sense of community and belonging.

Finish two of my challenge!I have several Make Market kits in my stash but must admit: they are all rounds. I started ...
09/04/2026

Finish two of my challenge!

I have several Make Market kits in my stash but must admit: they are all rounds. I started a square kit and was so frustrated that I finally put it away. I’d heard their round kits were better so was eager to give them a try.

That feedback was correct! I was pleasantly surprised by their round drills and truly enjoyed working on this kit. I’m a sucker for pink and flowers so I was DEFINITELY “sucked in.” The canvas size was the same as my last one but this was a full kit instead of a partial. Surprisingly, though, I finished them at nearly the same time. For me, this is definitely a two 👍 kit (if still available).

CANVAS: Roses
ARTIST: Make Market
VENDOR: Michael’s
DEETS: 16x20” 🟢 44 colors

🚨Big intro, small update. Instead, incredible experiences and memories shared with my hubby while off-roading over the ...
09/03/2026

🚨Big intro, small update. Instead, incredible experiences and memories shared with my hubby while off-roading over the weekend (my prime dotting time). On we go…🚨

I think I set an unrealistic expectation on how fast I could get through some of these sections. In past weeks I’d knock out a surprising amount; this week I’m wondering if I even picked up my pen and tray. REMINDER TO SELF: it isn’t a race, it’s a hobby. I’m not earning 💰but finding peace and joy which matters much more.

Beauty in Chaos (Munimade)
Daisy Shore Retreat (Fallon Gems) Woman in Glasses (AE)
Halloween Night (Awesome Pattern Studio)

I think this week’s installment in the “Out in the Open” series should make those of us WAY into the hobby—and the peopl...
09/01/2026

I think this week’s installment in the “Out in the Open” series should make those of us WAY into the hobby—and the people that love, or more accurately put up with us—laugh. The simplest caption for the photo should be “Tell me you diamond art without saying you diamond art.” These drills follow me everywhere, most recently to Delta, Utah and Baker, Nevada. Big spills while road tripping probably shouldn’t be unexpected, but they surprisingly are—except on this trip where I had not one but TWO major spills—both with the same color. Let’s just say I’m leaving my legacy one mile—and drill—at a time….

I’m so excited to share my first finish! This one is considered a partial since the background doesn’t include any dri...
08/28/2026

I’m so excited to share my first finish!

This one is considered a partial since the background doesn’t include any drills—and we all know how I feel about partials. 🎉🔥

I have a whole bunch of these Bohemian animals from DD and held off on doing them because I was worried about the quality. This one laid all those fears to rest and made me realize I should add them to my regular round of . Their special drills are always fun and the drill quality is excellent. I have a feeling this collection will be popping up in the near future!

CANVAS: Bohemian Elephant
ARTIST: Carlie Edwards
VENDOR: Diamond Dotz
DEETS: 16x20” 🟢 54 colors

This week’s update is shorter than expected which can only mean one thing: finishes are afoot! As you flip through the...
08/26/2026

This week’s update is shorter than expected which can only mean one thing: finishes are afoot! As you flip through the pix, can you guess which ones are missing, er, uh done?

Beauty in Chaos (Munimade)
Daisy Shore Retreat (Fallon Gems)
Woman in Glasses (AE)
Halloween Night (Awesome Pattern Studio)

Do you find when we pick up a new hobby or discover a new band, author, artist, or TV series that we immerse ourselves? ...
08/24/2026

Do you find when we pick up a new hobby or discover a new band, author, artist, or TV series that we immerse ourselves? Week 3 of the “Out in the Open” series spotlights just that. When I first picked up Diamond Art, I wanted to find ways to incorporate it into my gift-giving. I’ve shared before the coasters I turned into ornaments for our neighborhood holiday gifts, but what I haven’t shared are the cute corner bookmarks that I made for my kids. One of Christmas Eve gifts we give (along with pajamas) is a book of their choosing. If they are going to be up all night, they might as well have a good book to keep them company!

Anyway, I found these kits and loved that they weren’t your typical bookmark. The leather page corner markers came in a variety of colors and I could easily give each person a set of 3. (If they were anything like me and how I work on kits, they’re probably reading more than one book at a time.) These are durable and had that personal touch which I always appreciate. While I’ve also made more standard bookmarks to share, these jumped out as a step above the ordinary.

08/20/2026

Let’s whip through these for our weekly update! Im over halfway through 2 of the 7 which means I might possibly have a finish for Friday. (Did I just jinx myself?) Here they are from 1 to 7:

Beauty in Chaos (Munimade)
Daisy Shore Retreat (Fallon Gems) Woman in Glasses (AE)
Solar Surf (The Diamond Art Gallery)
Halloween Night (Awesome Pattern Studio)
Bohemian Elephant (DiamondDotz)
Flowers (Make Market)

Week 2 of the “Out in the Open” series starts with a reminder. I’m a big fan of showing things as they are, which means ...
08/18/2026

Week 2 of the “Out in the Open” series starts with a reminder. I’m a big fan of showing things as they are, which means pix and videos from my phone are as original as possible, unfiltered and unedited. Why? Because life is imperfect and unedited! (And in this picture I was balancing my phone while holding an infant!)

Before our sweet granddaughter was born, she was nicknamed “Baby Goose” by her aunt. I was thrilled to find these 2 canvases in a 12-pack from ArtDot and knew I had to get them done before she was born and got through them fast enough to gift them for Christmas! (Guess what I was framing Christmas Eve?)

Handmade treasures have special meaning to me. They come with love, thoughtfulness, and the gift of time. It’s why it made be incredibly happy that this is out in the open for anyone who goes in Baby Goose’s nursery. Our love for her is just as visible!

Have you made for or received from any special gifts? I’d love to hear about them or see a picture!

With my phone back online again, I can finally share my other off-road finish! As I said a couple weeks ago, I ♥️ a part...
08/14/2026

With my phone back online again, I can finally share my other off-road finish! As I said a couple weeks ago, I ♥️ a partial kit. This one—another from Diamond Dotz—has a beautiful pastel hombre background complementing the truck. (And while we off-road in a beast of a machine, a classic truck decked out with flowers is much more my style.)

The special drills were simple enough to give it a POP but not distract from the design. It’s also nice to not worry about perfect alignment of drills since these aren’t in a grid pattern (not that I super stress about it anyway).

Diamond Dotz continues to hit the mark when it comes to its kits. They are fun and easy, especially in a portable travel situation. I can’t wait to see what else our future together holds!

CANVAS: Spring Delivery
VENDOR: Diamond Dotz
DEETS: 14x11” 🟢 22 colors

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