Loupe'y Beauties

I am in the midst of my second bridal party custom order - yippee!!! These are turning out to be much more fun than I would have thought custom orders would be. I have even found myself looking around to see what other handmade goodies I can find that would go with what I am creating. I'll show you once they are completed.

I found some jewelry that could go with the clutches! My bride's colors are pink with some pale yellow and green - very light & springy. I found a beautiful necklace & matching bracelet by Annette Piper which she makes out of her home studio...aren't they awesome? ...plus, they are all one of a kind:




Pretty awesome stuff from DownUnder...rural NSW Australia to be more precise. She even lives with cows. I don't know why, but it makes me smile everytime I think of such beauty coming from a mom who lives on cattle property. Guess I'm a little loupey myself :P

Not only does she create this fabulous jewelry (she has a background in gemology), but you can get to know her better over on her blog: Under the Loupe. I have been a follower of her blog since early on in my bloggin days (a whole 7 months ago - woo hoo!). I tend to look around & just drool, so keep a washcloth nearby - lol! Her jewelry that she showcases is gorgeous in and of itself...but the pictures of them are amazing too.

Easter Cakes

I wanted to share a couple cakes with you today instead of on my usual Friday food post. I found
both of these recipes on the Eating Well website.

They turned out great...well, I did not have any of the carrot cake (not my taste) but I was told it was yummy...and the second helpings showed it.

click on pics to go to recipe

There were a few changes I made to the recipes:
Cheesecake - for the crust I used 1.5 times what was called for.
And the carrot cake - the store did not have pre-shredded carrots, so I bought whole sized and it took about 4 carrots to make the 4 cups called for.

Promote a Sister Sunday: FlowerFly

It's time again for a Carried Away Bags team member post...and being the beginning of Earth Week...I chose Flower Fly for her reusable snack bags.

These are such a great idea - I am always pushing my boys (yes, that includes hubby) to use the plastic storage boxes for lunches instead of the bags...this is even better.
She makes them in different sizes and has a bunch of different fabrics. And right now she has a buy 3 get 1 free offer going in her Etsy shop...so stop in now!



She also makes these cozy looking crocheted slippers and you can find iPod cozies too.




And I can't go without giving a shout out of congrats....she is due April 30th!

Always Wired

Being part of a blog ring is fun! I get to discover so many new blogs and wonderful artisans with my Creative Bloggers. Joella of Always Wired Bead Lady is another one of these. Her jewelry is right up my alley - lots of silver and stones. You can find her goodies over on Etsy and Art Fire. These are a couple of my faves:




Over on her blog you can read about her beading journey and her life...with some sprinklings of other artisans and bits about the online world (like etsy, artfire & tehnorati).

BlogFire Guild on Blockhead Radio

You have probably seen a few write ups here about Blockhead Radio...yes, I am a fan. And now one of my teams will be featured on their show!

The BlogFire guild of ArtFire will be on Tuesday April 21 at 8 pm EST. It is a 90 minute show and a wonderful opportunity for some promoting!
This is a FREE promotional opportunity. If participating during the show you can plug any shop, any venue, that you wish. It's all about us, who we are, what we do, and our shops/endeavors.

If you are a fellow BlogFirer (firer? firean? fire person?) anyway...be sure to hop over there & sign up now for a chat room log in. And stick around for a bit to listen - it's always a hoot when a show is on...and even on off show times, there is great Indie music playing. And the chat room is always open - you never know just who you will meet.

Even if you have no clue what a BlogFire is...check out the show- it'll be a blast!

3 Cheese Quesadilla

photo from Simply Light Cooking

This is one of my faves that I have been making for years. And it is very easy to change around to add in your own choices of "fillings"...chili peppers, meats (already cooked), squash...whatever floats your boat :)

serves: 2

Ingredients:
1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, strips; or green
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 ounces reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 dash cumin
1 dash crushed red pepper
2 tortilla, 6"

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450*.

2. In small nonstick skillet add onion, bell pepper & garlic - cook until bell pepper is tender crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

3. In small mixing bowl, use fork to combine remaining ingredients (except tortillas)

4. Onto bottom half of 1 tortilla spoon half the veggie mix & top with half of cheese mix. Fold in half & gently press to close.

5. Arrange filled tortillas on nonstick baking dish & spray each w/cooking spray.

6. Bake until cheese melts, about 8 minutes.

Nutrition:
Per Serving (1 tortilla) : 350 Calories; 13g Fat (32.9% calories from fat); 6g Saturated Fat; 14g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 25mg Cholesterol; 586mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Source: Simply Light Cooking, 1992

Selling Venues Series: Advanced Search on Etsy

Etsy has a new advanced search feature (finally). I gave it a quick spin tonight and was rather pleased with the results. Although there is still a bit of back & forth that I had to do.

I started with the basic search on the front page for "puppet", handmade. This gave me 2,258 results (108 pages).



I then went to advanced search options and narrowed it down to handmade: toys: search in title, tag & description. There is a sort by feature where you can chose most or least recently listed, or priced high to low or low to high...I went with priced low to high (nice feature). You can limit a price range as well, which I did not.



This resulted in 562 results (27 pages).



I then narrowed the search, from the same result page, by adding NOT finger. This gave way too many results, 465 results (23 pages). I think it reverts to the basic search since I did not go back to the advanced search page.



So then I went to the advanced search page using the NOT finger. This gave me 323 results (16 pages) - much more doable.



It was a decent advanced search, but it would be nice if when the results were shown, the advanced search options were still available without clicking back to that page. And were they all hand puppets? No. But that is not so much the fault of the search, but that of the seller...and fault is too strong. There were quite a few I saw that having hand puppet in the description made perfect sense...not in the tags or title though, of which there were some.

Wanna see the goodies I found? Click here to go to the treasury post I compiled.

Wordless Wednesday

This brooch, "Time Crunch", can be found in Time and Materials Etsy shop

Rambling On

...in a good way....over on Heather's Ramblings. On her blog you can find lots of artisan spotlights, life ramblings and jewelry goodies. She has two shops you can check out. One is her own site Square One Beads where I found this awesome lampwork collection, "Spring Bouquet".




Then there is her ArtFire shop, Heather Designs...go check it out now ... she has a limited time 15%off sale going on. Here is just one of her lovelies...and there are 5 pages of goodies to check out!


Or you can try her Etsy shop for something like this...



Heather is an aesthetician, hot glass artist, jewelry designer, and oil painter.

and I thought I had lots going on!

Happy Easter

Daffodil Cake

I made this cake for a few holiday get togethers (forgot to take pics though)...It was a huge hit every time! Don't let the lengthy time deter you, a lot of it is sitting or cooking time.

Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Start to finish: 2 hours 35 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
12 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. Set a 10x4-inch tube pan nearby. Sift cake flour & 1/4 cup granulated sugar into a small bowl.

3. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites in a large bowl until foamy, about 2 minutes.

4. Add cream of tartar, vanilla & salt. Increase speed to med-hi & beat just until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining 1c sugar, 2T at a time, until stiff peaks form.

5. Sift one quarter of the flour mixture ove the egg-white mixture & with a large rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture just until blended.

6. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture, one quarter at a time. Transfer half the batter to another large bowl.

7. With mixer on high speed, beat the egg yolks in a small bowl until thick, about 5 minutes.

8. Fold in 1T lemon juice & 2t lemon zest. Gently fold the yolk mixture into the batter in one of the bowls.

9. Alternately spoon spoon the white and yellow batters into the pan. Gently run a thin-bladed knife through the batters to marbelize.

10. Immediately place in the oven & bake until the cake springs back when touched lightly, 35-40 minutes.

11. Invert onto a bottleneck or inverted metal funnel & cool completely, 2-3 hours.

12. To loosen the cake, run a thin-bladed knife around the sides of the pan & around the center tube. Unmold the cake onto a serving plate.

13. To make the glaze: whisk together to confectioner's sugar, 1T lemon juice & remaining 1t lemon zest in a small bowl until smooth.

14. Add enough of the remaining 1T lemon juice to make a thick glaze. Spread the glaze evenly over the top of the cake.

15. Let cake stand until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition:
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 202 Calories; 3g Fat (11.8% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 6g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 106mg Cholesterol; 103mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.

Notes:
For best results, separate the eggs one at a time into two small bowls; then transfer each white & yolk into two larger bowls - this makes it easier to remove any shells. This is also important because fat from the yolk will prevent the beaten whites from forming stiff peaks.

Source: Weight Watchers Magazine, April 2006

Wordless Wednesday

You Gotta Have ARRRT

I love journals. I used to have a collection...never wanted to use them because they looked so nice. But I always do. Carrying around a beautiful journal helps my creative juices flow. And now I have a new place to shop for them... Arrrt! And that logo rocks!

Alexia of ARRRT creates these awesome unique & handmade journals. You can also find card wallets, purses & other interesting things in her shop.

This is one of my faves:

And don't forget to check out her blog for a glimpse into Arrrt!

Vote for Me!! ...please

I'll even let you campaign within 200 feet of the voting site :)

I am in the Artisan's Challenge this week and I need you! Well, your votes anyway...your love & devotion is merely a bonus :) Ok, your like & semi-regular visits are awesome just as they are.

If I were to win, I could win some much needed advertising and promotion on one of the coolest sites out there...Blockhead Radio!

And don't forget to vote every category! You may just find your next handmade gift for your mom or sweetie or your weird Uncle Stu.

VOTE HERE!

btw...this is my entry:

Wordless Wednesday

Clear indicator of a very cold winter

The Biggest Stalker

Blockhead Radio...gotta love the Artisan for Artisan mentality. I know I do. And now there is not only the Artisan Challenge...but the Biggest Stalker....



The Biggest Stalker is determined by several things...

Most importantly is how often we "see" your pretty faces :) Whether it be in threads, in the 24/7 BHR Chat, in the BHR forums, emails we've received telling us what you've done to prove you're the Biggest Stalker.... (although we do require that you refrain from doing anything illegal).

If you've chained yourself to a lamp post and screamed "Listen to Blockheadradio.com" as everyone passed by... we wanna see the video.

Of course you don't have to take it to that level. But that would be cool ;)

Let us know when you've blogged! Bring a friend to the show. Support the BHR Charity Sampler Box. Email us if you've told some random person on the street. Get that random person to email us. Tell them to let us know you sent them.

How the Biggest Stalker is decided is totally up to the Stalkers and the precedents they set forth. Bombard every host in every way you know how. Emails, blogs, chat, shows.... Just stop short of hiding outside their houses in the bushes. Remember, I have a broom and I'm not afraid to use it :)

Dazzle us with your persistence and creativity.

I will tell ya this... The Biggest Stalker every month will be handsomely rewarded!

Pass this blog along. Let us know ya did. It'll earn ya those frequent stalker points. No little annoying card to keep up with either.

Blockhead Radio is committed to exposing handmade and indie artists to the world. Check it out today!

Etsyblogger of the Month: Nora

I am a bad girl. I waited until the very end of the month to bring you our blogger of the month. Maybe I will just think of it helping to spread the love all month long :)

Two things you need to know: where to go for her blog and Etsy shop :)
Once you pop on over to her blog, you can click over to her Twitter and Facebook too. This girl is everywhere.

I like how she sums herself up..."I love to read, write, draw, paint, make jewelry, make greeting cards, play with polymer clay, listen to music, watch movies and fool around on my computer!" I love when artisans have a long list of loves...especially when they match mine.

And I can't sign off without sharing some faves from her shop:

Michabella Creations

Looking for some Spring jewelry? or just a fun blog to read? Well look no further.

The duo at Michabella Creations have got you covered.
The blog follows "the Crazy Life of a Stay at Home Mom and Jewelry Designer! ... in my ventures through motherhood and business."
That is not the only place to find her writing. She posted about an article she wrote as a jeweler...check it out here.

And the jewelry...awesome! Just look at these earrings...a set of four different blooms...



Want to see more creations...just visit the website Michabella Creations.

Do you love to blog about other bloggers? or just find new reads?
Just visit the Creative Bloggers and enjoy!

Brag Time...Big Time

...I have been on a bit of a giveaway sign up kick in the past month or so...and I've won some, ok, lots, of great goodies that's I'd like to show off.

The first win was a while back: a bead by Beadwright which I featured on my treasury blog here.



Then there was a custom banner & avatar from Landrithandco on My Funny Bunny Handmade's blog. I will be sure to show you these once they are complete...I can't wait!

Quirky Dolls is sending me an awesome frame she made, which I'll show you once it arrives. Thanks to Love Etsy Feedback blog for featuring her giveaway!

I still need to go shopping at Kangaroodle with the gift certificate I won through Green Earth Journey's blog.

And once I get my gift certificate...I'll be doing some designing and shopping on T-Shirtmonster...that one was from Simply Stacie's blog.

Then, on the blog Kee's Baby Love there was a Tree of Life Pendant from her She's All That's etsy shop Kee's Juicy Gems . You should really go peek at her blog, she just had a beautiful baby boy...so cute! I have not received this one yet, but I do have a pic:



I won a tiny tote from Aggie's Bag which I gave to my son...he was quite excited. He calls it his Boy Purse.





On From Athena's Desk I won a custom headband from Goldilocks Boutique. I just love this headband...it doesn't pinch, slip or hurt even after wearing it all day. And she has a large selection of fabrics you can choose from. I went with the Michael Miller Stitches in pink.



And last, but certainly not least...a makeup bag duo complete with handmade soaps & a Burts Bees blemish banisher from The Fab Miss B. So cool!

Roasted Scallops and Fennel

Servings: 2

Ingredients:
6 ounces sea scallops
1 cup fennel bulb, chopped, (1 bulb)
7 ounces artichoke hearts, 1/2 of can, chopped
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400*. Spray 2-qt ovenproof, flameproof, baking dish (pyrex ok)

2. In a medium bowl stir together all ingredients and pour into baking dish.

3. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and increase heat to broil. Drain dish of any liquids.

5. Return dish & broil 5 minutes or until deep gold.


Nutrition:
Per Serving : 256 Calories; 6g Fat (22.2% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 20g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 28mg Cholesterol; 638mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat.

source: Weight Watchers Complete, 2006

note: the pic is a tad light, couldn't capture it well...but it's yummy :)

If you have not had fennel before, click here to see me post regarding fennel: what & how to cut.