Polymer Clay Cuffs

This post has come because I feel the need to proclaim my new found love for polymer clay. I have been steadily working with the material for almost 2 years now, but I went thru a period where I was lacking some motivation and creativity when it came to coming up with new stuff...until recently.

I can't to stop making cuffs. I love them! There are so many possibilities when you are working with clay. I can mix pretty much any color I can imagine, use many different stamps in many different ways and then accent the design with any paint color I chose. If I mess up, I just roll up the clay and start over.

There is nothing like rediscovering a favorite material and becoming inspired by it all over again. The kind of inspiration that makes you feel like you have just stumbled upon something new that kick starts your creativity triggering a marathon of new projects. A domino effect that all crafters, artists and designers understand.

You might be familiar with a material and think you know all that you need to know about it, but sometimes there is a moment when you are introduced to it an a whole new way. Maybe you accidentally mixed the wrong color...or haphazardly sliced your clay in an unintended angle, or prematurely pressed down on an imprint leaving the design off center...What do you do when this happens? Roll up the clay and start all over? Sometimes, but most of the time I just go with it because I have learned by now that these are the moments that often produce my favorite pieces.

This green floral cuff was a "happy accident". I have had this large flower stamp for awhile, I just never really looked at it until the other night. I was actually trying to work on something other than a cuff, and I was only experimenting with the stamp in some spare green clay I had sitting on my work station.

I'm pretty sure this might be one of my favorite cuffs so far. Everyone I have shown it too seems to be just as enamored with it as I am. Too bad I sold it last night. I will make another one...or eight!

How I make my cuffs...

First you have to condition the clay. I have come to realize that I must be patient with this step. Sometimes I am too excited about my idea and I do not work the clay long enough, but it really is worth the time. Run it through a pasta machine (designated only for polymer clay), roll it and work it with your hands, turn on a bad 80's movie or anything that stars Schwarzenegger and hand it to the man hanging around. He'll be so zoned out watching the movie that he won't realize how long he has been working the clay.
What..? My hands hurt after awhile...his are bigger and stronger!
He has mixed some pretty bad ass colors for me...Thank you, Jeff!

After the clay has been sufficiently conditioned I run it thru the pasta machine again. Then I use a rolling pin to gently smooth any lines the pasta machine has made. I will trim my piece a bit at this time, but not down to the exact size that my finished cuff will be because when I press down with the stamps it will distort the edges and you will have to trim again.

Then stamp it up, bake it and paint it.

What? Did you think I was giving away all of my secrets? :-) Leave a comment if you have any questions about my process.

Here are some more of my favorite cuffs...
If you want to see more, visit my Etsy shop and my facebook page.

Welcome Patrick Edward!

This past weekend my family welcomed my Sister's second child and first boy, Patrick Edward. A nice strong Irish name for a beautiful baby boy.

When my Sister had her first child, I made a slideshow of the pictures taken during Elizabeth's first few days to share with family members who live far away, so of course I made another one for Baby Patrick.

I chose "Circle of Life" by Elton John mainly because of the theme my Sister chose for Patrick's nursery. She went with an adorable Lion King crib set from Babies "R" Us. If you are wondering how I made this video, I used Microsoft Live Movie Maker. It is actually a pretty easy program to use if you are just a little patient with yourself. If you take the time to use all of the features they offer, your video will turn out really well.

I also felt that the song was a good choice because of what my family has gone through these past few months. Edward is our Grandfather's name who recently passed away this April. My Grandfather was a wonderful man and although he had many children (8), many grandchildren (14) and now 4 great grandchildren...he loved each and every one of us just the same, and made us all feel just as important as the first. Unfortunately my new nephew is the first member of our large family that my Grandfather will not meet, so it is very fitting that he carry his name with him. I am certain my Grandfather is watching over Patrick and the rest of the family that he and my Grandmother so lovingly created during their 58 years of marriage.

Aunt Ryann likes to paint...
In preparation for both of my Sister's children I offered to make paintings for their nurseries. I struggled a bit with Patrick's painting because I wasn't too sure about trying to paint a Simba...so I went with other parts of the nursery set.

Once I got started it all seemed to work and flow together. The spots above are from the crib sheet and the rest mimics the crib blanket. I just wanted to incorporate all of the colors to pull the room together.

I really enjoy painting. It is very relaxing and helped pass the time while I was eagerly awaiting Patrick's arrival.

I am so happy to welcome Baby Patrick into our family. I have loved watching Elizabeth learn and grow over these past (almost) 2 years, and now we are able to share in the life and growth of two new family members!!

Elizabeth is a little skeptical of Patrick right now, but little does she know that Mommy and Daddy have given her a friend for life. I don't know where I would be without my Brother and Sister.

Etsy Treasury

The other day I received a notification on Etsy that one of my cuffs had been added to a "treasury" list made by Get Crafty on Etsy. Although I was honored that any of my items have been added to any list, I didn't exactly know what this meant. Etsy has a lot going on and I admit that I am only beginning to really understand all that this online market place has to offer. I quickly realized that "treasuries" were galleries comprised by fellow Etsians based on a theme. This immediately became my preferred method of searching for random delight-fulness on Etsy. Whenever I am on Etsy I stumble upon something fantastic that I wasn't even remotely looking for, so searching the treasury list is an even more effective way to randomly discover something fantastic and unique.

So I decided to take a crack at my own treasury list today. I am glad that they only give you 16 slots, otherwise I would have been adding items all day!! I chose to make 2 treasuries; One called, Sweet Baby Girl- Pretty in anything but pink and Little Man. I chose these 2 themes in honor of all of the new babies that have come into the world recently, and for some that I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of. I had so much fun making these treasuries and while searching I came up with many more ideas for future treasury lists.

I loved some of the items so much that I wanted to share them here on my blog. For the complete list visit my treasury.

Treasury # 1 Sweet Baby Girl- Pretty in anything but pink
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with pink, but I wanted to make a list that excluded the normal "girly" shades of pinks, purples and reds for those ladies that know you can feel just as pretty in a neutral color palette. So I chose shades of green, brown and ivory. I loved some of the items so much that I wanted to share them here on my blog.

0 to 3 Months Baby Bootie Boots, crocheted, dusty green by Handmade Baby Love

Ava. Baby Shoes by Ivory and Moss on Etsy

Austria Maria Dress by MilliLee Designs on Etsy

 

Treasury # 2 Little Man
My sister is having her second baby (a boy) in less than a month!! In order to contain my excitement and not drive my sister crazy, I decided to peruse some items for the "little man". I absolutely love the hats they are making for little boys now!

Dark Grey Loafer Baby Booties by Tilly Whistle on Etsy

You have to check out the rest of Tilly Whistle on Etsy...All of the shoes are ADORABLE!!

Brown Eyed Boy Brimmed Beanie Newsboy Hat by Sunset Crochet and Quilt on Etsy

Matching Baby and Parent Army Style Hats by Owl and Dot Dot on Etsy

 

I had so much fun making these treasuries, and while searching I came up with many more ideas for future treasury lists. I will be sure to post them when I do.

Rooftop Vegetable Garden

One of the first posts I ever wrote for this blog was about my little rooftop veggie garden last year. Well it is that time of year again, and I was very excited to give my rooftop garden another go. I'm still limited by my location, but I am not feeling as clueless about planting vegetables and herbs as I was last year.
I love the excitement of starting out with a brand new garden and all of the hope that my little edibles will thrive and produce this summer.

Recap of last year...
My little container garden started out pretty strong the first month. Every time I went out on the roof I noticed something new had sprouted. Sometimes I only saw a new leaf or two but I knew I was generating growth, and that was an accomplishment. The jalapeno peppers and cherry tomatoes started out the strongest, followed by the cowhorn peppers and bell peppers. The herbs did well all season. Herbs are pretty easy as long as you harvest them regularly.

The downfall of my rooftop garden came after we were hit my a huge summer thunderstorm. One of those short, yet powerful storms that do a lot of damage in just a few minutes. Many homes were out of electricity for a few days. I was at work at the time of the storm, so when I came home I went straight out to the roof to assess the damage. Any plant that had any height to it was uprooted and saturated with water. I did the best I could to revive them, but I never saw another pepper or tomato the rest of the summer. The cherry tomatoes did come back for a short time, but shortly met their demise after some intense heat. I admittedly lost my enthusiasm after I lost the majority of my crops and didn't pay as much attention to the cherry tomatoes as I should have.

Second season brings a little more experience...
As with anything you do, there is always room for improvement the second time around. This year I made a few changes, corrected a few problems and added a few more crops.

Last year I made a couple of mistakes, and this year I made a few changes...

• The main and most embarrassing mistake being the lack of drainage holes in my 2 large galvanized tubs. I have been planting flowers long enough to know that you need proper drainage so your roots don't drown. This is even more important when growing vegetables. DUH!! I don't know what I was thinking. I probably meant to and just dumped in the dirt out of eagerness and excitement, forgetting about the holes. I am admitting this obvious FAIL so anyone reading this remembers to be patient and double check your containers. I had to laugh once I realized what I had done. Also explains why my peppers never recovered after the storm!! Luckily the Boyfriend was around on gardening day to help me pound holes into the tubs this year.

• A change I have made this year is to plant a bit more in each pot. I'm sure well experienced gardeners and rule followers would advise against this because of those little tags that come with each crop telling you to plant everything miles apart from one another. That's crap. I've been following those tags for years and all of my flower pots and baskets always turn out so sparse and lame. Plus, when you go to the garden centers or read the magazines you'll see way more in their containers than those little tags tell you you're permitted to plant. So screw it. I'm not saying I'm going to plant 10 seedlings per pot, but I am going to push the limit a bit more this year.

• Much of my research last year told me that planting a vegetable container garden was limited to tomatoes, herbs and a few other vegetables. I don't like tomatoes very much, but I still planted 3 different types last year because I wanted to plant SOMETHING! After doing a lot more research and gaining a little bit of confidence from already having one season under my belt, I realized that I really can plant anything in a container, they are just going to be smaller and require a bit more patience and attention. So I added a few more things this year. There are so many more edible treats that I would like to try, but I had to stop somewhere. For now...I do have a big enough roof to keep expanding...

• Planting on a slanted roof wasn't really a problem except for the rolling of fallen peppers and tomatoes, which did not please my landlord very much. This year I planted my tomatoes in the back followed by the other flight risks and the herbs went in the front because they will not leap out of their container. I had left over flowers after I finished stuffing my hanging baskets and porch pots so I planted them in 2 window boxes to act as an additional barrier. If anything falls, hopefully they will be blocked by the pots in front. If that is still not enough I am going to add chicken wire to the front pots.

• Last year I layered the bottom of my pots with foam peanuts. They seemed to work fine until the end of the season when they rose to the top of my poorly draining pots and went flying. Again, not pleasing my landlord very much. Plus they were expensive! I needed another method for layering my pots this year. Pebbles and broken pots are often recommended, but I am fearful of overly heavy pots on the roof so I don't think they are a good idea. This year I read online about gardeners using crushed up water bottles. They seemed to be a perfectly inexpensive, weightless solution that I was happy to discover. We shall see how they work.

What did I plant this year?

Peppers

• I planted a lot more hot peppers this year - I love cooking with them, and I'd like to someday grow one hot enough to hear my Dad actually admit that a pepper is hot. 

The butterflies indicate the 2011 additions to my rooftop garden.

Veggies

• Crookneck Squash

• Zucchini

• Pickling Cucumbers - Hoping to make my own pickles using the dill seeds from my dill plant

 Herbs 

• I planted most of the same herbs as last year with the addition of Lemon Thyme. 

• The Cilantro makes me a little nervous because it is such a pungent and plentiful herb. I am concerned that they are going to take over.

• I omitted rosemary this year because I hate rosemary. I planted it last year for my roommate, but she didn't get much use out of it either.

 
I have a few simple goals this year...

• Yield enough vegetables to make a meal primarily from my garden!
• Make pickles!!

The point to my ramblings about my tiny little rooftop garden is to hopefully inspire more "urban gardeners". Just because you have a tiny outdoor space or think you have very little to no green thumb, you can still get out there and see what you can grow. Clearly I do not know very much about growing an edible container garden, but I am learning and that is part of the fun. I don't think I would be nearly as intrigued if I knew all of the secrets and was certain I would have a bountiful harvest. Right now just a tiny little jalapeno bud (spotted this morning) is something I can be proud of!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Trifle

For Easter this year I made a new trifle that I have not made or even tasted previously. If you have read my recipes before, you already know that I try to make what I know my Grandmom will like. She definitely has a sweet tooth and will enjoy most desserts, but anything incorporating chocolate is always sure to please her.

Usually I make something lighter or fruity for Easter, but my Grandmom has been going through a very tough time after the loss of my Grandpop earlier this month. So if I can make something that will give her some enjoyment even for 5 minutes, I am going to try my best to do so, and this means chocolate.

I had other things to cook/bake the day before so I needed something easy. I have to admit that this recipe needs to be played with a bit. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and the trifle dish was empty, but I think that the combination has the potential to be awesome, and I think I am just not quite there yet. I am posting the recipe because I am totally open to suggestions, and I think it will be interesting to see how it develops.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Trifle
Probably the easiest trifle I've made so far. 

                                        

Ingredients:

• Chocolate chip cookies - I cheated and used store bought cookie dough. I will probably make them from scratch next time because I think this will cut down on the richness. 
• Brownie mix - Follow the "cakelike" instructions on the back of the box. 
• White chocolate pudding mix
• Homemade whipped cream
  

Bake the cookies until they are done but still a little soft. You do not want them to be too hard or crunchy. I didn't pay any attention to the shape or size when I loaded them up on the cookie sheets. I knew I was breaking them up anyway so it didn't matter what they looked like. I set aside a little bit of the dough to make small round cookies to decorate the top.
Bake brownies- set aside to cool.
Make the pudding so it has time to set in the fridge.

Layers: 

• Layer the bottom of the trifle dish with half of the brownies.
• Top with half of the pudding.
• Break up the cookies and cover the pudding then top with half of the whipped cream.
• Repeat the layers finishing with a layer of whipped cream. 

Top of the Trifle:
You can do whatever you want on the top. You can see in the picture what I did. Have fun with it! My boyfriend topped the trifle with the final layer of whipped cream, I pushed in the cookies in a star/flower pattern, he spiraled the chocolate syrup on top, and then we finished it with the cookie crumbs. He wanted to add oreos too, but I told him that was a whole other trifle.

Last night while I was trying to sleep I had trifle combinations flying in and out of my head, and I came up with one that I am really excited to try. You know those TastyKake candy cakes with the peanut butter and chocolate? I'm not going to actually use them, but I am going to base the trifle off of that flavor combination. I might have to go ahead and make this for no reason because I am excited to see how it will turn out.

Why I love making trifles

I am very lucky to have a large family and we try to get together as often as possible. Because there are so many of us, one person cannot cook all of the food for everyone so we always chip in when we are having one of our family gatherings. Over the years some of us have established our “usual's”.  It may change with the seasons, but overall everyone kind of has their staples. My Mom does deviled eggs, taco salad for the summer months, and green bean casserole (yuck) and sweet potatoes in the winter. For the past couple of years I have been bringing trifles. In the winter they are usually some sort of chocolate, peanut butter, or caramel. During the summer I go a little lighter with a fruit trifle like strawberry shortcake.

I really enjoy making trifles because while I am creating something delicious, it is also beautiful and I can use my creativity to “design” my dessert. I always consider what it is going to look like in the trifle dish. I admit that I am kind of cheating because people are "wowed" by the dessert just by looking at all of the beautiful layers in the glass bowl. Anything set on a pedestal is going to entice you, even if it is just a pile of brownies and cool whip.

I have recently begun experimenting more with my trifles. Whenever I cook I usually do not follow a recipe. I know with baking you need to have the exact measurements for technical execution, but other than that I usually try to wing it. I blame/thank my Father for this. He is a really good cook but he is always just throwing stuff together. I can do this with a trifle because of the different layers. I can make the brownie or cake according to the recipe and then wing it with the fillings and layers. It really is the perfect combination for someone who likes to cook and decorate!

Would it help if I looked at a recipe for the exact measurements? Probably. Do I make inedible crap sometimes. Yup. But this can happen even when you follow a recipe exactly. I made this brownie, pretzel, caramel mess one time and it turned out terrible. Tasted good, but was rock hard.  I followed the recipe exactly.

I started coming up with my own trifles because I was becoming bored with the recipes I was finding online. I always kind of know what I want to make based on the event/holiday and or who is going to be eating it. Searching for a recipe to match my idea was becoming annoying. It is good to use a recipe as a jump off point to get some ideas and then add your own twist. I'll either look for recipes as a base idea or back at trifles I’ve made and already know were a hit to take some of ingredients as ideas to help me create a whole new trifle.

I would like to share my favorite recipes with you. I may provide a link to some great online recipes or explain how I made my own. Trust me, everyone will salivate over your dessert before they even taste it simply because it is so pretty.  

• My Trifle Rules Whenever I am making a trifle I follow a few rules that I have come up with along the way. You'll find that I don't have too many measurements listed. I apologize if this bothers you, but like I said, I usually just wing it. Allow yourself to have fun and play with too!Think about your layers and how they will go together when you make a trifle.You don't want anything too mushy and of course all of the flavors need to blend together well. I also try to think of the visual construction of the layers and how they are going to look together. With any trifle there are usually 3 different types of layers.

"Base layer"

This layer goes on the bottom of the trifle dish and in the center to provide the structure. 

I like using brownies because I know that they will not be as absorbent as a cake. (I found early on that it is better to make the mix with 3 eggs instead of 2 because this makes it a little less dense and fudgy. There is already so much going on in the trifle, I don’t want it to be too rich of heavy). I have also found that angel food cake is good because of the crust it forms on top when you bake it. It provides somewhat of a seal so that the moisture from the other layers doesn’t absorb too much. I do not like using a regular cake as the base layer because I think it is too absorbent and will end up mushy.

Cookie layers work pretty well too.

“Mortar Layers”

I am calling these the mortar layers because it is what pulls everything together. Sometimes you'll want 2 mortar layers and sometimes you just need 1. If I am doing 2 then it goes...base, mortar, focal, mortar and then repeat. It is usually a cream, pudding or a mousse layer. I place this between the base layer and the focal layer.  This is also where you get your visual contrast from. If I am doing a brownie I try to do a lighter cream. If I am make a white cake trifle, than I usually go with a darker cream like chocolate pudding of mousse.

“Focal Layer”   

This layer is where the fun stuff comes in. Usually layers of candy, cookies or fruit. This layer adds the theme and color to the dessert. I always place this layer in the center before you begin to repeat layers and on the top as decoration to identify the Trifle. For example; a brownie and reese’s peanut butter cup trifle consists of peanut butter cups in the center and are then sprinkled on top.

This list will continue to develop as I learn more tips and tricks. Trifles are a very attractive dessert and always get a lot of attention, but they are incredibly easy to make. I will use any shortcut I can come up with to make it easier on myself because if it is a hit you will have to make it again and again, trust me. If you have any tips, suggestions or recipes please feel free to share them with us here!

Jewelry Parties

Since the festival season is on hiatus during the winter, I began hosting home based jewelry parties. I needed a way to keep the momentum building after all of the positive responses I gained over the summer. Plus I had no intention of slowing down in the studio, so I had to do something with my inventory before I had necklaces hanging from every corner of my home.

The first party was at my Sister's home in December. I felt very comfortable with having my first party at her house because it allowed me a chance to test it out and see how different a  house party was from a festival. My Sister is very encouraging and supportive so I knew this was a safe place to get my feet wet. She invited some of her friends and coworkers, provided tasty snacks and beverages for everyone to enjoy while they perused my designs and caught up with one another. The afternoon turned out very well. I enjoyed being able to interact with everyone in the more intimate setting of a home that a street festival seldom allows.

Having a jewelry show in a home also allows your guests to really think about their purchases and try things on without feeling rushed by crowds coming through. Plus you know they are coming to buy. Which was a little bit awkward for me at first because I felt reluctant about "forcing" myself onto everyone. Then I thought about another benefit of the facebook business page - I upload pictures whenever I create new jewelry, so they have seen my work and they already know they like my jewelry or else they wouldn't be coming to the party.

I've had 2 more parties since then. One at my Sister's friend's house in York, Pa. One at my house with my friends and coworkers, and this Saturday we are having another one for my roommate's friends.
I really enjoy having them in my own home because it allows me plenty of time to set up, and I can work the jewelry into the decor of my home. For example; I picked up 2 large old wood frames for $5 each, painted them, backed them with screens and inserted S hooks for the necklaces and earrings to hang from. I then placed them on my walls in place of our regular wall decor so they worked right into the room like they had always been there.

As with the festivals, I learn something new every time I host a house party and some of the rules are different than they are when attending a festival.

• When setting up for a house party I consider the fact that this is a more intimate event. They already know who I am and why they are there so I try not to overdue it with the marketing. I leave my business cards on the table and my earring cards are marked with my information, but I do not hang up my banner or plaster my information all over the house. I just feel that this is tacky. This is just my personal opinion, you may feel otherwise. 
• I also decided after the first 2 parties that I wasn't going to place price tags on everything. I may revisit this decision later on, but here is why I have decided that this may be a good idea; Hanging tags from everything disrupts the flow of my display. I don't really like them - although I know they are absolutely necessary when dealing with a festival crowd. Removing them from the home shows allows me to interact more with everyone. I make it known somewhere on an 8x10 framed sign that everything is under a certain price so my guests aren't apprehensive about asking and being shocked.
• I made invitations that I can send in an email, facebook or snail mail. I had to design them for the first party, then I decided to order some off of vistaprint for the future. I put my contact information and a few pictures of my designs on the front and left it mostly open on the back for the information to be written in. That way I don't have to create new invitations every time someone offers to host a party for me. 

• Be prepared to take orders. Mark them down with as many details as possible. I say this because I made an error with one of the orders I received at my Sister's party. I mistakenly marked down the wrong color of clay (the difference between a matte gray and a shiny gray). I made the piece sent it along and received an email telling me that this was not the color she originally ordered. I was embarrassed by this mistake and quickly made her what she had asked for and sent it along. Had I been more specific when I wrote the order down I would not have made this mistake. Lesson learned!!
• Always provide the hostess with a gift. I base this on how many people attended and my sales.

I have really enjoyed the jewelry parties, and I look forward to doing more of them throughout the winter. But right now I am getting super pumped about the return of the festival season and I have BIG plans for my booth this year. To think the thought of being a street vendor last year made me so nauseous. Now I can't wait!! I will see you out there!!

Screw Jared's. He went to Michaels!

Gift giving can already be a pretty difficult task. Add into the mix that your girlfriend designs jewelry and that automatically scratches one of the go to ideas off the list. Don't get me wrong, I will always enjoy something sparkly, but when the occasion just calls for something small like a pair of earrings or a bracelet, it doesn't make sense to buy me one when I can make it myself.

So what do you give your jewelry designing girlfriend?

Well this Christmas, our first Christmas, my boyfriend figured it out. He wrapped up polymer clay tools, jewelry supplies, pendants and findings so I can make my own jewelry! Not only did he venture into the craft store, but he went into the jewelry aisle where any man would feel out of sorts and clueless. This could not have suited me any better. He earned points for several reasons...going to Michaels, understanding that it really is the simple things that make me happy while also thinking outside the box and not going the typical route most guys do when it comes to gifts. He also scored some style points by selecting items I am actually able to work with.

He tells me I am supposed to make jewelry out of these gifts to sell. How am I supposed to take something so thoughtful and meaningful and give it to someone else? I won't be doing this. At least not this year. This year I am making jewelry for myself to wear. Wear proudly because I have such a thoughtful man in my life.

So what am I going to make?

The first thing I made out of my awesome Christmas gifts was a necklace using the dragonfly pendant Jeff gave me. I have been wanting to take a break from my orders to make a new necklace for myself, and this gave me the perfect excuse. It has been a long time since I had a sentimental piece of jewelry. One of the downfalls of making your own is that I can't say oh this necklace was given to me by...when I...to celebrate...Of course my jewelry is special to me because I made it, but I am a sentimental sap and I always like a hidden meaning in things. The plan was to use this pendant in an "everyday" necklace that I can wear frequently. so I chose to accent the dragonfly with brown beads to keep it neutral. I chose the the converter design so I can wear it with many different outfits.

Why am I calling this a converter necklace?

Because it is 2 necklaces in one! I use the loop of a toggle class as a decorative and functional piece. I just double up the chain and slide the bar through the loop when I want to wear it as a short necklace. I will be using this design often so I can offer my customers a piece that they can get the most use out of. I am looking forward to discovering the possibilities.

Happy 2011!! A new year of fresh ideas and possibilities!

Happy New Year!! I took a bit of a break from posting over the holidays to work on some personal projects and allow more time to keep up with some holiday orders. I have also been experimenting and learning a few new techniques that I am excited to share with you very soon.

I also had my first house party in December and it went very well! I enjoy small gatherings like this because it allows more time to talk with the ladies about what they like and want to see in the future. I pay attention to the colors everyone is gravitating towards, what looks best with certain skin types and hair colors as they try on my jewelry, and of course I listen to all of their comments. From this first party I was able to book another one for later this month! This is a great way to keep the momentum growing during the winter months while I am waiting for the busy festival season to begin again in the spring. My goal is to have at least one party scheduled each month.  

Let me know if you would like to host a jewelry party in your home. All hostess' receive their pick of the jewelry depending on the turnout. 

I am very excited about what is to come in 2011, both personally and professionally. 2010 was a very exciting year, especially after I launched my business on facebook last winter. I cannot believe it has been less than a year since I began sharing my jewelry with everyone. I never imagined that my little hobby of making earrings would have turned into and all of the great people I have met along the way because of it. I am so very grateful for everyone's support and I am looking forward to what is yet to come!

Happy 2011! Let's all have a great year!

A Handmade Christmas

Someone please remind me next year to start thinking about my Christmas gifts EARLY!
Waiting until the last minute to do your shopping is one thing, waiting until the last minute to decide you are going to make something for someone is a totally different kind of procrastinating. I often make many of my own gifts. Don't get the wrong idea...I am not crocheting oven mitts for everyone, but I do make several gifts each year. Occasionally one big project will take over my holiday season. The past 3 years have all been gifts for my Sister and her Husband.

Christmas 2008 - The wedding album.
In this album, I chronicled the year my Sister was married. I had pictures from the time they became engaged all the way up to the wedding reception and every dress fitting in between. Needless to say I love taking pictures. The album ended up being somewhere near 500 pictures. Ridiculous. I know. I am a shutterbug.

This is not however, a scrapbook. I have never been much of a "scrapbooker", but I don't mind making a few pages here and there. Mostly, I prefer to let the pictures speak for themselves. I make title pages and then insert plastic photo sleeves behind each occasion.

Christmas 2009 - The calendar. 
On October 10th, 2009 my beautiful niece was born. To help my sister document her daughter's first year, I made a calendar for her to write things down on easily throughout the days. Yes, you can always buy a baby book and my sister kept one, but homemade gifts are always a welcomed treasure.
I look forward to projects like this. It is always better to be creative when your whole heart is into it. So if someone wants to do the work for you...let them.

Christmas 2010 - Album for Elizabeth.
As I am sure you suspected, I took many, many pictures throughout Elizabeth's first year. So for Christmas I took the Calendar back that I made in 2009 and placed the pages in an album along with all of the pictures. Each calendar page became the heading for that months pictures. Luckily my sister did a great job of filling in the days. Made it very easy for me to match up the pictures with the correct month.

The wedding album was more of an undertaking because I sat down and made all of these cover pages in only a few days at the end of the year. For Elizabeth's book, all I had to do was match up the month with the calendar page and organize the album. This is why I made the calendar on 12x12 scrapbook paper so I could insert them easily into the album a year later.

If you ever feel inspired/crazy enough to take this project on for yourself or someone you love, here are a few things I will remember to do the next time...

• Plan ahead! I was snapping pictures all year long, however, I should have been printing and organizing the pictures all along instead of a few days before Christmas. Not to mention the cost could have been spread out throughout the year. 
• If you plan to do this for several important years like I did, buy more than one album when you purchase the first one. You want a book like this to be set out and enjoyed. It should work with the decor of the home, so I like the idea of matching or complimentary albums. A baby book doesn't have to be pink bunnies and bows. Choose a cover that works with the decor of the home or neutral enough to blend.
• During a year of firsts, take your camera wherever you go! The greatest thing about digital cameras is that you can capture and delete later. I didn't miss anything with Elizabeth. My sister wrote on the calendar the day she had her first bottle in a restaurant...guess who took a picture of it! OK so that may sound a little overbearing, but I always have my camera with me, so if I see a moment worth capturing I will take one quick picture. 
• Include everyone. My brother-in-law's family lives far away, so I was sure to take pictures whenever they came to visit.
• Collect pictures from everyone. Especially if the album is not for you. I wasn't able to be there for all of Elizabeth's milestones, but my Sister and Brother-in-law certainly were. Her first Christmas, the first time a tooth popped out, the first time she went to the pumpkin patch...we captured everything!
• Make sure you do the same for the siblings. We've all heard that the first baby has the filled and documented baby album. By the time the 3rd comes along...you're lucky to even have pictures. I know what all mother's will say...once you have more than one, you just don't have the time. I get it. Just pace yourself. Print pictures once a month and take a nap time or an early morning alone to throw them into an album. Or just hope that you have an awesome Aunt Ryann to do the work for you.

What a great thing for Elizabeth to look through when she is older. Wouldn't you want to know the first time you ate string beans?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays because it isn't about what you are going to buy and how many gifts you are going to get. It is simply about spending time with your family while eating a good meal.

I have mentioned before how large my family is, so to host the entire clan is quite an undertaking. Sometimes the count may even reach around 30, but on average about 20-25. This year was a little different because my Aunt Maureen, Uncle Alan and their 3 boys moved to Utah this summer. For the past several years Maureen has always hosted Thanksgiving dinner. Every year I went to Maureen's the day before to help her set the table. You wouldn't typically think that setting a table would take all afternoon, but when you are trying to fit 20 some people all around one table, it takes some time. Thanksgiving Eve was always a special time for me because it allowed me an opportunity to spend the afternoon with my Aunt Maureen who is also very much my friend. Maureen would be working in the kitchen putting together what she could a day ahead and I would be clipping flowers assembling the centerpiece while catching her up on whatever drama was currently going on in my life. An afternoon I will be missing terribly this year.

Thanksgiving was special at Maureen's for several reasons. She always made sure that we were able to fit everyone around the table. This usually meant putting together many different sized tables stretching out into the hallway, BUT we all sat together.

One of the many tips I have picked up from Maureen- Keep notes from year to year. Maureen had notes  scribbled next to her recipes about what worked and what didn't. She also drew little diagrams of the table configurations we came up with so that we could refer back to them in the years to come depending on the amount of people. Trust me, we came up with some creative table shapes.

Maureen's hosting skills have always impressed me. She never went too fancy or crazy with the food. For Thanksgiving I believe you should stick with the basics, but do them well. There is no need for fancy stuffing with crazy ingredients. Save that for a regular night when you are just having pork chops for dinner, Thanksgiving already has so much going on. Maureen also kept up with many small and perhaps unnoticed touches every year, like the pickle plate. We always had a pickle plate on the table. Things you may not notice year after year, but definitely do miss when they are gone.She always went above and beyond but somehow made it seem effortless. The reason is because she really does enjoy putting everything together, and you can tell by the way her food tastes and the atmosphere of the evening. The worst is when you go into someone's home and they are freaking out, running around, and look as if they might stab anyone who dares enter the kitchen. Don't offer to host if you are going to act like it is the biggest inconvenience, it makes everyone uncomfortable. If you do not have a choice...plan better, ask for help and keep reminding yourself that it DOES NOT have to be perfect. When all else fails grab yourself a glass of wine.

In Maureen's absence my Aunt Diane and Uncle Michael hosted this year. The dinner was delicous and the company was lovely, but it just wasn't the same and probably won't be for some time now. I might just have to go to Utah next year for Thanksgiving.

An Experiment in Personalizing

Recently I began experimenting with personalized pendants using resin. I have played with resin before, but I was frustrated with the limited products available to me, and how long the process took. I am not very patient when I have an idea. If I envision a necklace I need to make it right then and there while the picture is still fresh in my head. By the time the resin was dry (a good 12 hours) I had already moved on to something else.

What's different this time? I found these brass bezel charms from Vintaj Natural Brass Co., they are right up my alley. I love them so much that I am confident the inspiration they stirred up will be around for a long time. They automatically triggered so many ideas in my head. I love the vintage look of anything brass. I don't want to just make a charm with a picture in it. I want to match the look of the jewelry I typically make and that is a semi vintage/rustic style. I also have plans to incorporate polymer clay, whether it be an initial, hand-sculpted flower or just accent beads. So I can work on the polymer clay accents while I am waiting for the resin to cure.

I experimented with 2 photographs. One of my very dear friend Lauren on her wedding day, and my beautiful and adorable baby niece. I figured if I was going to experiment with a new technique I should be able to share them as potential gifts...if they turned out. So far so good. 12 hours later the resin has cured, and is thankfully bubble free!

What's the plan?
Personalized jewelry incorporating pictures, names, charms, dates...

• Wedding photographs accented with polymer clay flowers sculpted to match those you carried on  your wedding day.
• Photographs of your children, adding more as your family grows. 
• Treasured family photographs from many years...perfect with the vintage style.  

When you're creating something personal the possibilities are endless because every picture, theme, and story will be different. I am very excited to see what else I can make.
Stay tuned...

Fall Weddings

Now that the month of October is officially over, I can finally share with you the jewelry I made for two fall brides. I wanted to wait until after the weddings so I didn't spoil any of the surprise. Designing wedding jewelry has quickly become one of my favorite requests to work on. It is such an honor to be asked to create something for such a special day. Not to mention a little nerve-racking because it is such an important day. Both brides are dear friends of mine and working with them was an absolute pleasure. We spoke a little about what they wanted and the colors, but for the most part they left it all up to me. It felt great that they both trusted me so much.

October Bride #1 - Andrea
Andrea's wedding was a self-described earthy/natural wedding in a beautiful, historic farmhouse in Lancaster County. Her colors were simple black and white. Because her wedding was on the "rustic" side I was able to incorporate one of my favorite materials - polymer clay. We also discussed varying the styles so each girl would have a look that suited them best. I made 7 necklaces; one for the Mother of the bride and six for the bridal party. I decided to go with 3 different styles for the girls (2 necklaces of each ), Mom got her own altogether. When I delivered the necklaces to the bride she was visibly excited and pleased with what I came up with. She actually clapped and hopped a little - I have never seen her do this before so I was definitely ecstatic to see her genuine reaction. She even took time out of her actual wedding day to send a text letting me know how great the necklaces looked on each of the girls. I was so touched that she took the time to do this on such an overwhelming and busy day.

Congratulations, Andrea and Jesus! I know you will have a wonderful life together!

Happy Couple!

October Bride #2 - Danielle
I had the privilege of attending Danielle's wedding this past Saturday. The whole day was so beautiful. Weddings are always so much fun, but especially when you are celebrating a couple who are so obviously meant for each other like Danielle and Brian.  The spirit of the wedding and the mood of everyone attending, clearly solidified that we were all there to support and celebrate 2 people coming together for the right reasons. It was a perfect wedding, and I am still very sore from dancing all night.

Danielle was happy to hand over the reigns in deciding what the girls should wear. We decided to go with an earring and bracelet combo. All of the girls are in their early twenties so it was important to keep things classy, yet youthful and hopefully make them something they would want to wear again. This time the color was a bit trickier because it was a brownish/purple. At one point I called it smokey brown, but we settled on Mulberry. So the girls wore beautiful mulberry dresses and I was lucky enough to actually find beads that matched perfectly. I made 2 strand bracelets with just a bit of sparkle. I must say that I was very pleased with the final outcome. It was a style I have not done before, but one I will certainly be working with again.  It was especially gratifying to be able to attend this wedding and see the jewelry as it was intended.

Congratulations, Danielle and Brian! I am so happy for you both and love you very much!

I would like to again, thank both Andrea and Danielle for allowing me to design the jewelry for their weddings. You are both wonderful women and I was so honored that you asked me to contribute to your special day. Thank you.

Pumpkin Trifle Recipe

A few weeks ago I asked my facebook friends which autumn trifle they wanted to try more...pumpkin or apple. The votes were basically split down the middle, although the pumpkin fans were much more enthusiastic about their love of ANYTHING pumpkin. I knew I definitely had to figure this one out. Personally, I have never met a dessert I didn't like, but pumpkin pie is not on the top of my list. I do, however, love everything else pumpkin. So the trouble with coming up with this trifle was trying to steer clear of the all pumpkin puree layered trifles I was seeing in the recipes online. They seemed to be trying to duplicate a pumpkin pie in a trifle dish. Just eat a pumpkin pie then!

I finally figured it out, and it was very tasty! Just the right amount of pumpkin.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin bread- From scratch or a box. Either way will be fine. Make or buy 2 just to be safe. So what if  you have extra. Toasted pumpkin bread for breakfast...yes please! 
• 1 box of white chocolate pudding mix
• 1 can of pumpkin 
• 1 box of spiced wafers
• Whipped cream- Homemade or cool whip (I am sticking with homemade from now on).

That's it! Now see how easy it is to make...

Base layer:

Bake your pumpkin bread according to the directions. You could also just pick up a loaf at your local orchard or market. Homemade doesn't have to mean made in your home right?
Cube the bread.
Layer the base of your trifle dish with half of the loaf. Set the rest aside for now.

Mortar Layer:
Make the white chocolate pudding (vanilla will work too if you cannot find white chocolate). Allow the pudding to set for a few minutes in the refrigerator.
Once the pudding has set beat in 1 can of pumpkin. Mix well with a hand mixer for at least 5 minutes.
Spread half of the pumpkin mixture over the pumpkin bread in the trifle dish. 

Focal/decorative layer:

Put a little less than 2 sleeves of wafers in a large ziploc bag. Seal tightly. Using the back of a wooden spoon, mash up the wafers. I broke them up into dime sized pieces. Spread half of the bag over the pumpkin mixture for your 3rd layer.
Then top with whipped cream and repeat all 4 layers finishing with the rest of the whipped cream.


Top the trifle with a sprinkling of wafer crumbs!


If your family is like mine, you always have pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, but a lot of people don't actually eat the pie. Try this recipe out as an alternative and watch how fast it goes.

"Antiquing"

This Saturday my Stepmom and I made a trip out to Adamstown, Pennsylvania. Known as the "antique capital of the U.S.A." Adamstown is located near Reading right off of exit 286 from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. If you like perusing old stuff, I would definitely make the trip. There are tons of antique shops and outdoor markets. I would suggest going on a Sunday if you can because some of the places are only open on Sundays.

I myself am not really into the fancy old expensive antiques. I hate saying that I am going "antiquing" because people seem to associate the term with stuffy old trinkets that smell of mothballs. I like old crap, but I can't really say I am going to spend my Saturday routing and rummaging through old junk without also raising some eyebrows. I bet some of you would be surprised to find how much fun you would have doing this. I have a few friends that I know would really enjoy spending the day at one of these markets, but because of the stigma associated with it they moan and groan whenever I suggest the idea - Losers...it's cool...go green! Reuse!

I usually head to the junk in the corners or the stuff set outside. On this visit we headed straight to Shupps Grove. It is a huge outdoor market and my favorite place for digging and dealing. I like old vintage slightly beat up items that I can either refinish or love as is for all of their flaws and history.

When you are visiting the antique markets, it is OK to have an agenda and specific item in mind, but do not be afraid to veer off and discover items you never thought you would love. If you find the piece you were looking for...fantastic and congratulations! But be patient and don't allow yourself to be disappointed if you don't. I have done this. Focusing on finding one type of item closes off my creativity and prevents me from discovering the possibilities in something else. It took my Stepmom 10 years to find a washing stand for her antique pitcher and bowl set - she finally found it this weekend and it was worth waiting for. Mainly, I love looking for old jewelry that I can work into a new piece. 

A few items that are always on my list:

• Jewelry
• Props for my jewelry displays
• Old glass bottles
• Beer cans- recently added to my list after this weekend. I began collecting beer cans and I have a feeling it is going to become a new obsession. Not something I am entering into for monetary purposes. I just love them. The marketing ploys companies used back in the day are hilarious.

Meet Miss Olde Frothingslosh- Apparently she is a trapeze artist who loves arm wrestling, soap carving and of course the 1969 "pale ale with the foam at the bottom" Olde Frothingslosh from Pittsburgh, Pa.
Ain't she a gem!
She is the one who started it all for me.

What is Olde Frothingslosh? 

I can't wait until I find an old rusty pbr can! Classy huh?I have since been reading a lot of good information about collecting beer cans. I am excited to see what I can find now that I will be looking.

More importantly I did find some really good jewelry pieces. Some are old and some just struck and inspired me. You may look at them now and wonder what the heck I liked about them and what on earth I plan to do with them (after I clean them up of course) well you will see...

I try to ask the vendors if they have any broken stuff hidden away. Since I am going to break everything apart anyway, I can get some really good deals asking to see what they didn't expect to sell in the first place. 

My favorite find from Saturday is these 2 little buddies. The charm was actually hanging on and old bottle no where near any other jewelry and just by chance I found it. I am not sure why I love it so much, I just think they are adorable. Stay tuned to see what I make with it...

Another good one is this silver leaf my Stepmom spotted. Leaves are big this year in jewelry and will make for a perfect fall accessory to any wardrobe. The detail is beautiful. Looks just like a real leaf!