It all comes down to this...

A little about my small town...
Although I have lived the majority of my life in Chester County Pennsylvania, I didn't move into downtown West Chester until I was in my early 20's. I love my hometown. West Chester is a cute little town that is has been fueled by the ambition and imagination of it's younger residents. Some grew up here, some left and came back, and many WCU students decided to call West Chester home after they graduated. People like to shame you for not straying too far from home, but I really do love living here. I know that I will not always want live within the borough, but for now being able to walk a few blocks for a cup of coffee, perusing the new consignment shop and making a visit to the bead shop on Gay St. makes for a perfect afternoon in my book.

The Restaurant Festival

Poster designed by Brian Barto

I have been posting all summer about my booths at the Swinging Summer Thursday festivals in Downtown West Chester and how this was all going to prepare me for the biggest event of them all...The Restaurant Festival. This is by far the biggest event Downtown West Chester will see all year. Held on a Sunday every September from 12-5pm featuring more than 50 local restaurants and  nearly 110 arts and crafts vendors. There are also 3 stage areas for live music and a beer garden where everyone can sit and relax with a refreshing brew. I have loved attending this event for years especially because it is only a few blocks from my home. 

Initially the idea of setting up a stand at the Restaurant festival seemed like a million years away. I didn't know if I would actually have enough nerve to really go for it, or was this something I just talked about doing. Well...there is no going back now. I am in. I called this morning because I am too impatient to wait until they mailed me my acceptance letter (it came in the mail a few hours later). I don't even know how many people attend this event, but it will be far more than I have faced at any other festival. Not to mention that I will know many of them. This is intimidating and exciting at the same time. All I can do is keep making my jewelry and stand proudly by everything that I display. There is no point in focusing on the nerves because either way, I am doing this and people are coming. As much as the potential crowd overwhelms me, I am really proud of myself for going through with this. This may not seem like a huge step, but for me it is. For me this is the ultimate in exposure and vulnerability. Here goes nothing....

Boxes and boxes of beads!

I did the unthinkable this weekend. The unimaginable, the unspeakable, the unbearable!! I organized my dreaded and ever accumulating pile of rejected jewelry projects. Bracelets I made years ago before I had any idea what I was doing. Necklaces that were never finished. Earrings that never became a pair. Strands of beads that I forgot I had purchased. 6 years of misfit beads!

I have wanted to do this for so long, but dreaded the idea of sitting down and committing to what I knew was going to be such a mindless and tedious task. I don't even know how it started last night. I just started. It was a Saturday night without plans and I was too exhausted from a fun filled day of learning how to ride a motorcycle to make any. Instead I watched old, cheesy horror flicks and tackled the pile. I cannot tell you how satisfied I was to accomplish this task. I had tried once before but I kept thinking I wanted to keep everything as it was and repair or finish each of the projects. I didn't want to throw away the time I had already spent on making them. Or admit to myself that some were just not appealing enough to complete. Last night I was in the right mindset. I know that my style and technique have taken a vast detour from my earlier projects so it was time to put them all to rest. It was time to take the beads and put them back into the box so that they could become part of another, better piece that will actually be worn and appreciated. My whole work space feels better to me without this box of rejects hanging around taunting me. Ahhhhhh!!!! It's done!

Someday I would like to reorganize my actual bead storage boxes. I buy containers as my collection grows so it has become somewhat of a mix-matched method. I started boxing by color scheme but at the time I didn't have a lot of beads. I admittedly was not thinking ahead and I certainly wasn't dreaming my inventory would grow to the size it has. In the beginning I organized rows by color not boxes by color. So I ended up with boxes containing pinks, purples and reds. Now I could devote an entire box to just shades of pink. So what has happened as my collection has grown is that I end up with several boxes containing several different colors. The box that started out greens, blues and teals has grown into 3 boxes filled with each color because I have had to add spillover boxes over the years. I'd like to just dig in and separate those 3 into the designated color.

Do I really want to sit down and do this?? Do I really want to add that many more boxes? If I keep going at this rate the box count will inevitably grow anyway so I might as well start organizing them now while it is still somewhat of a manageable task. I know I will be grateful down the road. Do I even want to organize by color or do I want to group them by style and texture? Is the idea way too obsessive compulsive to be considered anything other than just anal retentive? Why can't I just be satisfied that I conquered the reject pile for now?! It's a domino effect as always...

Vacations always come and go way too fast.

Catching up on the latest issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry.

This past week I went on my annual trip to the beach with my sister. We have been coming to this beach with the family for as long as I can remember, but as I became older the trips became fewer and further between. A few years ago my sister and I decided to start going down to the family condo again. It began as a sisters weekend while we were both single, and as our lives have changed over the years, so has the vacation. Last year she was pregnant during our vacation and we sat on the beach talking about how different and wonderful things were going to be next year with a little one. I could not wait to bring my baby niece with us. So finally this year came. Waking up to her sweet, smiling face every morning was exactly what I needed right now. I was so excited  to watch her experience the sand and the water, to see it all for the first time through her little eyes. It reminded me of all of the trips we have taken there through the years with the family. I have always looked forward to this trip, but now I know every year will be even better. I felt like I have been waiting my whole life for this little girl to join us. As you get older you forget about some of the fun things you did at the beach as a child. Now I have an excuse to play in the sand, feed the seagulls and run around the boardwalk from ride to ride.

Beading on the beach...?

While I was packing I really considered bringing some of my beads with me. I love the beach and I always feel very calm and relaxed which is the perfect mode for being creative. It would be a shame not to be able to tap into this source while the creativity was flowing. My sister also likes rummaging through my beads and creating a "wish list". But I decided that would be ridiculous since I have way too many boxes of beads to make them mobile, and I didn’t want to burn myself out. I deserved a break even if it was from something I love to do. Instead I packed up all of the jewelry magazines I have been meaning to sit down and read along with a notebook so I could sketch out any design ideas as they hit me. It was perfect, sitting by the ocean catching up on some of my favorite jewelry magazines. I felt refreshed and motivated to return home and begin working on some new projects. Even though sometimes you may be reluctant, you always need to take a break. I love making jewelry so the idea of bringing some beads with me didn’t feel like something I had to do because I was behind on projects, I wanted to bring them because I am admittedly obsessed. I was going to one of my favorite places with some of my favorite people and I wanted to bring some of my favorite things. I am glad that I allowed myself to take a breather. Everyone needs to recharge from time to time.

I should be embarrassed by this.

I posted about how terrible my work station had also become...Well it has become even worse. This past weekend I had a bunch of work to do and I was having trouble getting started. I needed a change in scenery to allow the creativity open up. It really didn't have to do with the mess of my current station, it was more about the room I was in...I need to shake things up once in awhile. Sometimes I work in the kitchen, living room or my bedroom. Just moving from the table to the couch or even the floor actually helps sometimes. So I opened up one of the tables I use for my festival setup and took over the living room. Thankfully my roommate was away this weekend, otherwise I do not think this would've gone over so well. I made sure to have it all back to normal by the time she returned. Why subject her to this madness.

It worked out really well and some really great pieces came out of my temporary setup this weekend.

Uh...this is my work space?!

Typically I wouldn’t expose this madness but I am starting to find it rather comical, and my friend over there at Helen Ethel Studio blogged recently about how overwhelming her space had become. I figured I would let her, and all of you know that you are definitely not alone.
This is my beading station. It is a complete mess. I keep finding random projects I started and put down only to be lost in the rubble because I was either stumped or more excited about the project that just popped into my head and had to move on.

I keep telling myself I should clean it. It would probably help me think clearer and work faster. But every time I start I become distracted and end up making something. Which is definitely not a bad thing. I guess I am afraid to mess with the area. I am on a roll right now and I feel very inspired. I sit at this table everyday and I am making some of my favorite pieces to date. If I start with a clean slate I am worried it will mess with my flow.

The beads and clay that are covering the table are the beads that are making sense to me right now. So for now, I return to the tiny workspace I cleared for myself amongst the wreck that is my beading table.

S’mores Trifle

This one is great for the kids!

For my Grandpop’s 80^th Birthday party this weekend I volunteered to bring a dessert with me. I knew there would be a cake so I didn’t want to make anything “cake-like”. I also wanted to make something light  because of the heat. I went with the perfect summer themed dessert…S’mores!

Ingredients

1 container of marshmallow fluff

1 boxes of chocolate fudge pudding

1 box of graham crackers

1 bag of mini marshmallows

1 bag of chocolate chips

1 (8 ounce) container of cool whip

  

Base layer

Graham crackers-I used one sleeve of crackers per cracker layer. You can just quarter them or crumble a little bit (not too much so they don’t get mushy and your layers seep together) and scatter them on the bottom.

                                                                               

Mortar layers
Originally I was just going to do a layer of the marshmallow fluff but I thought that would be too thick and gooey so I blended it with the container of cool whip. This turned out to be a nice creamy texture. I may tinker with this layer a bit more the next time I make it.
-You can do whatever you want here. Just fluff would’ve been OK once I tasted the trifle.

Of course you need some chocolate so I chose to use chocolate fudge pudding.

2 layers of pudding= 2 boxes. One box per layer.

                                                                            

Focal Layer

I sprinkled the mini marshmallows and chocolate chips around for this layer to add some substance since the trifle didn’t consist of any cake or brownies.

Top (my favorite part of this trifle)

Sprinkle some of the chocolate chips all around the top and crumbled graham crackers. In the center I placed some toasted marshmallows. I didn’t have a campfire handy yesterday morning so I layered a cookie sheet with foil, sprayed it with nonstick cooking spray and piled on some marshmallows. Then I stuck it in the broiler. *Keep an eye on it because you just want to toast the marshmallows a little bit and they will catch on fire.*
To remove them I waited for the foil to cool a little and then turned it upside down so the toasted layer plopped in my hand. Then I gently flipped it on top of the trifle.

Everyone was really impressed with the appearance of this one. And it was so easy!!

My second and expanded festival display.

As I mentioned in a previous post, my second festival this summer was going to include some changes to the set-up. All along I took an experimental approach to my first festival back in June. I knew that I was only going to set up one table to test the waters, but I was pretty sure the second would be expanded. And expand I did. I noticed a few problems with the one table set up, mainly traffic flow and congestion (technically I had 2 tables, but the one was mainly for the cash box and bagging the purchased items). In July I set up in a U shape with one 5ft table in the center and 2 4ft tables along the side. This was so much better. It allowed my visitors to spread out and circulate through my area without feeling cramped up against other shoppers. This also made my banner more prominent as it was framed out by the side tables.

 

The addition of 2 more tables didn't require many more props because I just spread out what I already had. I did however add a few new things just because I wanted to, but it wasn't required. My favorite addition being a new log to display my bracelets. I found an old telephone post at my father's house that was perfect. All I had to do was stain it to match my other tree props. I also added another corner basket to balance out the main table and I elevated my mirror a bit so that visitors didn't have to crouch down to see themselves when trying on my creations.

Using props found in nature allows me to expand whenever I want to because I will always be able to locate additional items to match. And well, it's really inexpensive! The response to the new display was wonderful and I plan to stick with this set up for the rest of the season.

Read my earlier post about how I made most of my display.

4th of July Trifle

What do you think of when you think of a great 4th of July dessert? Probably something with strawberries and blueberries right? Maybe strawberry shortcake or fruit pizza? Well that is exactly what I didn’t want to do. I was trying to steer away from the typical desserts. I was also in the mood for chocolate, but I didn’t want it to be too rich because this day was going to be a scorcher. When I was at the market I saw some raspberries and blackberries on sale and I thought that could work to incorporate the 4th of July theme and add a nice light pairing to the chocolate. Now for the “mortar layer” I thought back to a trifle I made for Christmas that called for white chocolate pudding. This was a big hit and I knew it went well with chocolate and would pair well with fruit too. So there you have it… A brownie, blackberry, raspberry and white chocolate trifle.

Ingredients

1 box of your favorite brownie mix

1 pint of black berries

1 pint of raspberries

1 box of white chocolate pudding

1 container of cool whip (8 ounce)

I made the brownie according to the directions on the box (add an extra egg for cake-like brownies). I always split the batter and bake them into 2  9" round cake pans. Some people prefer to cut the brownie into squares for their trifle layers; I prefer a more solid layer so I push the whole round right down into my trifle dish.

I found early on that making the brownie mix with 3 eggs instead of 2 was better for the trifle because it gave the brownie a more fluffy “cake-like” texture instead of a thick fudgy texture. You have to be careful not to make your trifle too rich and dense because you already have so many intense flavors working together.

                                                                                   

Make the white chocolate pudding and set in the fridge to cool.

While you rinse your berries set aside enough berries to decorate the top. However many you want, just pick the prettiest berries.

Next, mash the rest of the blackberries and raspberries with a potato masher. I mixed in a TINY bit of cornstarch and honey to thicken and sweeten up the berry mixture. Next, layer as you wish.  

Click here for my layering tips.
Top the trifle with a layer of cool whip, berries and a chocolate drizzle. This trifle was especially pretty with all of the bold layers of color.

Stopped in my tracks.

It always happens the same way. I go into the craft store with a list of supplies in hand and I see something out of the corner of my eye, I look at it but don't really know why I am being drawn to this particular item. I go on my way. I almost always end up circling back to whatever it was I stumbled upon. I say to myself, I don't know what I am going to do with this or when I am going to do it, but I know that I must make something with it eventually. And this is how I ended up with these wonderful floral pieces created by paper craft designer,Tim Holtz. I love that they are feminine because they're flowers and yet made with a rustic style. Perfectly pairs with almost everything that I create, whether it is a piece of jewelry, painting or a home decor item.

Originally I passed by them because I knew they were intended for scrap booking and card making which I do not really get into much (I didn't say never). I thought about using them in an art piece, jewelry or maybe accenting a picture frame with them. Then I thought...Polymer clay! Yes! Duh! Of course they belonged in clay!

I couldn't wait to start experimenting with them in my jewelry designs. I love when something strikes me this way. When you know that you found something that inspires, motivates and excites you so naturally that you don't even have to really think about it, you just have to start creating. I spent that weekend held up in my studio (bedroom, studio...all the same) working on some amazing pieces. I uploaded my new collection a few days later on my facebook page, and the response was overwhelming. I was so happy to see that everyone loved them just as much as I did. I went back to the craft store and purchased every pack they had and then  went online to order many more.

When I flip through this seasons jewelry and beading magazines there are 2 completely unrelated trends that seem to be monopolizing the pages; floral and industrial chic/steampunk. In my humble opinion I feel that my new floral collection blends both of these current trends very well. My personal style is always been caught somewhere in between feminine and a more relaxed vintage/rustic/hippie style. I think these new necklaces and bracelets are a perfect fit for me and I hope for you as well.

I am currently in the process of uploading these new items to my Etsy page, so in the meantime please contact me if you would like to purchase one for yourself.

Or click to the right to see where you can visit me at an upcoming festival.

Update on the rooftop edibles

My rooftop garden is growing wonderfully. I spotted my first green pepper this week and a few days later it was an inch bigger.

When I purchased the cherry tomato plant it already had a little green round growing. This week they started turning colors and I have spotted about 4 more on the vine. Too bad I don't really like tomatoes. My roommate will make good use of them, and I plan to use them for sauces and salsa.

The herbs are amazing! The cilantro, basil, dill, oregano, sage and thyme are all very plentiful. I am planning on making my first batch of sauce and pesto this weekend. I cannot wait to taste the flavor these fresh little herbs are going to add to my favorite recipes.


I knew I was going to enjoy this, but it has become far more gratifying than I had anticipated. Going out on the roof everyday to see if anything new has sprouted is so much fun. I cannot wait until I go out there and spot some red in the tomatoes. I am also really anticipating my first jalapeno pepper. I know I will get tons of use out of them. Beware family and friends...when you see me I will probably be handing you bushels of freshness!

My first festival!

This past Thursday I participated in my very first festival. The event is called "Swinging Summer Thursday" and it is held in my home town, West Chester Pennsylvania on the first Thursday of every month from June until September. I chose this event as my first because it is a local festival (2 blocks from my house) and I figured a Thursday evening was perfect for my first. My town hosts many outdoor events, but this one seemed less intimidating. I wanted to experiment with a more low-key festival so I could work out my kinks. All in preparation for the biggest event of the season...the overly crowded and insane Restaurant Festival held in September.

I wanted my stand to compliment the style of my jewelry without spending a ton of money, all while keeping in mind that my display will grow so I want to easily add matching or complimentary pieces later. I didn't want to purchase something and then come back a few months later searching for matching pieces. I also wasn't impressed with the jewelry displays available to me so, being the overly zealous DIY girl that I am, I decided to make it all myself. This was an inexpensive and practical solution for the long run. If I made a few t-bars to hang my necklaces from and decided later that I needed more, I could simply make them and they would match perfectly.

I wanted to go with a material that would match the rustic style of my designs and be something I could find years later if I so desire. I went digging around my Dad's house and found some firewood, dowels and old deck boards to construct a few t-bars with. I absolutely adore them. I then scoured the rest of my belongings to find other unconventional materials for my display. Everything I used was either something I already owned or picked up at a discount store. The banner was purchased on vistaprint for only the cost of shipping. Table clothes were less than $10 each, the lace runners are curtain valances I picked up at the goodwill for a $1 a piece (purchased 6 for future tables). The tent (rain was in the forecast) and tables were all borrowed.

Overall I spent around $50 on my display. The response was wonderful. People were commenting on my stands all night.

Leading up to Thursday I was very surprised how relaxed and comfortable I was. This was the first time I was opening myself and my designs up to the general public, and I am sure any artist/designer/crafter will tell you that this can often feel like a very vulnerable and scary thing. I become very attached to my pieces so releasing them was fairly emotional for me (I did have a little bit of separation anxiety the night before) but I was happy to share my work when it was all said and done.

We had an excellent turnout and I sold more pieces than I had expected. Many of my friends and family showed up to help and support me, which was incredible. The fellow participants were also very supportive of one another and I am looking forward to July's Swinging Summer Thursday!

A week until my first festival.

Here I am at 1:30 in the morning, a week before my first jewelry show searching and investigating the possibility of learning a new technique. I have so many other things that I should be doing to get ready for this show. But what I want to do is be inspired and make more jewelry. I know I have to stop right now. I have enough inventory. I need to prepare other things for the show. Truly one of the things I love best about making jewelry...I never get bored. There is always a new technique to learn and a new style to develop. Every piece I make leads to another. Sometimes I get so excited about what pops into my mind while making one, I set it aside to quickly make the other and then I return to the trigger piece. I admit to I having several partially unfinished "trigger" pieces laying around.

Living off the land...I mean roof.

I planted my first vegetable and herb garden yesterday. I certainly do not claim to have a green thumb, but I do enjoy planting very much and hope to someday figure out how to grow successfully. I currently live in an apartment and although I do not have a yard I do not let that keep me from the post Mother's day dirt diggin. I hang baskets filled with petunias, geraniums, impatience and whatever else strikes my fancy that year. Some seasons I am very successful and some are a complete flop, but I keep trying. I figure if I knock out a few years of fumbles and failures while I am in the apartment I will be a pro by the time I have a real garden to tend to.

Which brings me to this years experiment, vegetables and herbs. The rooftop of the floor below me extends way past my porch and is hit with direct sunlight all day long. Perfect for growing some edible plants. I myself have never grown anything other than flowers. I purchased a few books, asked some experienced gardeners for tips, went to my Dads garage for some large galvanized tubs and just dove right in. Although I have grand ideas of homemade salsa, spaghetti sauce and fresh vegetables to eat, I do not expect to have too much success come harvest. You learn from your mistakes, and mistakes I am sure I will make. I have fun learning and experimenting with my planting and it is all to build up to the larger garden I see in my future.

Stay tuned to see how my garden grows!

Thank you "SweetLady"!

Sweetlady's Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

This is the trifle that started it all. I made it a few years ago for Christmas and many, many times since. Everyone loves it and asks for the recipe. It is also my Grandmom's favorite so I can't help but make it often for her. Truth be told whenever I am making a trifle to bring to a family gathering I always think about whether or not my Grandmom will like it. She is the boss after all. At least according to my Grandpop she is.

I usually make this one in the winter because it is very rich. Delicious, but rich. Next time I make it I will take pictures for you. This one is a show stopper. Everyone starts salivating as soon as I walk through the door. The full recipe is located at the link below, but I have made a few adjustments over the years.
Click here for Sweetlady's full recipe.

You can tell this isn't my recipe because it contains measurements.
Ingredients:

Servings: 
24
Brownies boxed brownies work just fine. Don't stress yourself too much. Use 3 eggs instead of 2. It makes them a little more cake like and not so dense.
24 24

Servings Size

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  Servings
  

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Peanut Butter Filling

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter I add a little more peanut butter. 
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 (16 ounce) Cool Whip
• 4 peanut butter cups, chopped. I have made this so many times that I hardly follow the recipe anymore. I just looked over it again and saw she only calls for 4 peanut butter cups. 4?! No way. I use many more. I don't know how many, but it is a lot. At least 8. I don't mix it in the the rest of the filling either. I make it a layer of it's own. Makes it prettier and yummier that way. Plus I crumble some on the top.
• chocolate syrup

Directions:

Prep Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 1 hr

Brownies:

• Preheat oven to 350.

1. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
2. Combine dry ingredients in large mixer bowl; stir.
3. Add wet ingredients and stir well.
4. Spread into prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Let cool completely.   

Trifle:

1. Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth
2.  Add in peanut butter and milk. Combine.
3. Fold in Cool Whip until combined.
4. Take half of the brownies out and crumble in large glass bowl, if you have one, or in a 13x9 pan.
5. Add a layer of the peanut butter mixture.
6. Take the other half of the brownies out and crumble on top of the peanut butter mixture.
7. Put the last half of the peanut butter mixture on top.
8. Drizzle chocolate syrup on top.
9. Add the chopped peanut butter cups on top.
10. Refrigerate until serving time.

Why blog? Why not?!

I am an artist and crafter through and through. I usually do not sleep very much because I cannot seem to convince my brain that it is time to rest. I am usually doodling in my "design journal" or getting up out of bed, pulling out my craft bins and sitting on the floor to experiment with whatever I have conjured up in my head at 2 in the morning...

I am a compulsive crafter!

I love cooking, painting, party planning, photography, jewelry making, interior decorating, planting and who knows what other hobby I will pick up tomorrow. I fantasize about parties that haven't been planned, rooms that haven't been built, paintings that have no where to be hung and cakes that have no reason to be baked.

I am a compulsive crafter!

Why blog? Why not?!

I firmly believe in making mostly everything myself whenever possible. I find it challenging, fun and always adds a personal touch to anything I am doing. I do not often have the money to spend on fancy craft supplies. So, throughout the years I have come to realize that I do not need to spend a ton of money to create something personal and visually appealing. What I make is how I express myself so I always make sure I am doing the best I can (and can afford) without compromising the integrity of the final product. I am often shocked by what I was able to create with a little ingenuity.

Of course I run into some snags. No matter how great the final product is, there is always something I probably would’ve done differently. This is where the idea to write a blog came from. I am bringing you a little bit of this and a little bit of that. All of the my experiences, tips and blunders to save you time and money!