This week I have been posting some of the new items for the 2009 - 2010 season. I haven't been able to properly work on my jewelry for a while, because of other responsibilities, so I finally get a chance to play with some of my new beads and gemstones.
This Easter, I took a nice trip with my best friend to New York, where we both got the chance to buy some lovely beads in the Fashion District. Some of my favorites were these luminous faceted prehnite drops, which boast a perfect spring green color. I paired them with lustrous button-shaped pearls in two sizes, tiny faceted peridot rondelles and icy blue moonstone rondelles.
The delicate color palette was perfect for a regal set of princess-length necklace and matching cascade earrings: The Faerie Queene set. Named for the famous poem, it really reminded me of a mythical fairy: delicate, regal and beautiful. The necklace features a handmade chain of pearls and gemstones, individually wrapped in sterling silver wire. A lovely prehnite is the focal pendant, topped with a cluster of pearls and gemstones. This necklace is a bit longer than what I'm used to making, with 18 inches of pure luxury. The earrings feature gradating sizes of pearls, with subtle accents of peridots and moonstones. Each bead has been individually set on a sterling silver chain.
I will be gradually adding more of the new pieces to my Etsy shop!
Today I listed a new item in my Etsy shop: a boxed set. A cute fabric-covered box unfolds to reveal a matching journal. These elegant sets are the top-of-the-line items in my shop.
The process of making the book and its box is quite time-consuming, but makes for a lovely end result. First, I need to make the backcloth. Fabric cannot be easily pasted to the book boards, so it needs to be backed with paper to make it stronger and easier to paste. This takes about a day for the fabric to dry and be ready to use.
Meanwhile, I make the signatures for the book, folding and tearing the paper, then grouping the leaves to make the signatures. Then it's time to measure and cut the boards for the covers. Once the backcloth is ready, I measure and cut fabric for the covers, a bit for reinforcing the spine and three little strips for sewing the book. I punch the holes for sewing the signatures and once the book is sewn, I reinforce the spine with a bit of gauze. Finally, I cover the boards with fabric and paste the signatures to the covers.
Once the book is ready, I measure it so I can get precise measurements for the box. Then I cut the boards for making the box, as well as the fabric and endpapers. I always use the same paper for the signatures and the endpapers in the box! I cover the boards and assemble the box. Before covering the inside, I attach the ribbon ties. Finally, the book and the box are left to air dry for a couple of days, and voilá! A new boxed set is ready.
I have made five of these boxed sets since I learned how to craft them. As you can see, they take a while to be ready, so they become a major project for my bookbinding sessions. I hope you enjoy them!
http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men-contest-2009/2009/10/ycbmm-09-tracy-timm-joan.php
AMC's Mad Men Contest--my awesome actress friend Tracy is SOOOOO close to being in the Top 20--GO VOTE FOR HER NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men-contest-2009/2009/10/ycbmm-09-tracy-timm-joan.php
In January, I took a wonderful class on handbinding techniques. It came as a surprise how much I enjoyed working with paper: folding, tearing , sewing and pasting papers to make colorful little books soon became a much needed distraction from work! I've always collected unusual papers and it was finally clear what I could use them for.
We learned many different techniques, from simple butterfly and album style bindings, to beautiful Japanese sewings, exposed spine bindings and we even made our own bookcloth for a boxed set.
Since then, I've tried to make time for a little bookbinding every once in a while. I still find it extremely relaxing, and it's always a great experience to be able to work so closely with paper, fabric and thread. I started learning on my own: I purchased some books (Keith Smith is a great teacher!) and started trying some interesting sewings. Soon, I realized that I enjoyed coptic stitching the best, and created a line of cute little journals that used this beautiful stitch.
My Washibooks combine some materials I find particularly enjoyable to work with: Costa Rican banana paper, which has a great texture and is also good for the environment; Japanese washi papers, which feel almost like fabric and have some of the most beautiful designs I've ever seen; and cotton and hemp threads in many colors. I especially love putting together the combinations of papers and colors that will make up each book. The covers, back covers, endpapers and thread can feature wonderful harmonies or vibrant contrasts.
The loving process of tearing the paper for the signatures, covering the boards for the covers and sewing the book together is a wonderful experience, and it always produces a cute little book that can be carried around, admired, and used for writing or drawing whenever the inspiration strikes.
You can now find my Washibooks at my new Etsy shop!
I'm doing fine. I recently started working again after almost six months of chemotherapy and surgery. I blog quite frequently on my Swedish blog, and I have more or less decided to discontinue this blog.
My puppy is growing up fast. She is now 7 months old, and she is so beautiful!
Lifetime is airing a new cooking show called "Cook Yourself Thin" which shows you how to make all of the foods you love, but in a healthier, lighter and even tastier variation. The idea is that if you can make your favorite foods healthier, then you can stick with changes and therefore see long-term results. Intrigued by this idea, I have decided to give it a shot. There are a ton of recipes on their website already that I really want to try, so it should keep me preoccupied for awhile. Here, I'm going to review a few of the recipes and provide some additional insight and modifications that I did.
Side note: It seems like all I ever write about on here is food, but I'm not sure I am quite ready to bite the bullet and pronounce it a food blog, per say. *shrug* Anyway, on with the deliciousness!
Look Ma, Steak and Mashed Potatoes!
Last night I tried the Steak and Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes. I am pretty sure that I am not eating the right serving size of the potatoes, so I need to measure it and figure it out instead of just slapping two heaping spoon fulls on my plate. It doesn't matter what diet you are on if you ignore portion control. Keep that in mind when you are preparing any Cook Yourself Thin recipes.
LEVEL: Easy, 1hr
This recipe was very easy to prepare, though a bit longer than a recipe I make reguarly. The food processor we have is apparently not very powerful nor big, so I ended up dividing the cauliflower into about 4 different batches. Next time I will put everything into the blender, which should save some time. I also had to cut the flank steak in half because it was too large to fit in my skillet, which also added some minutes. Without those issues, it would have been a more reasonable 30-40 minutes.
I attempted to make the balsamic sauce, but it didn't quite work out in my skillet (let's just say I am glad the fire alarm didn't sound). Instead, I took the juices from the meat and poured them into a small cup and mixed in a little balsamic vinegar and the tiniest drop of olive oil. Whisked it all together with a fork and stuck it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. I also used dried rosemary for the salt rub because I don't keep any fresh herbs in the house. I also did not want to have half a head of cauliflower go bad, so I doubled the potatoes recipe and omitted the buttermilk. I also skipped the cherry tomatoes mostly because I just forgot about them and didn't get any in the store.
TASTE: Delicious
Okay, so the potatoes were not quite the same, but it was not necessarily a bad thing. It had the same creamy texture with mashed potatoes, and the hint of butter, scallions, salt and pepper actually flavored it really well. I also sprinkled a tiny bit of shredded cheddar cheese on top (approx 2tsp). The steak was fantastic, but if you don't like medium rare steak you may want to cook it longer. I am typically an A1 girl, but it is seriously not necessary - the rosemary, salt and pepper seasoned perfectly. I typically add garlic to everything, so it was with great restraint that I did not add any garlic in the potatoes or steak, but I may try it next time. I wanted my initial trial to be consistent with the recipe as much as possible, though on the show they encourage you to change the spices out to your favorites and play with some new ones.
OVERALL: Success
Hey, even the hubby liked it, and he doesn't usually like "diet food." He has said before that I can make whatever I need to and he can fend for himself, but I think it's important for him to eat healthy too, even if he doesn't have any extra pounds to lose. My gut (no pun intended) is that most people wouldn't realize it was supposed to be diet food. Now, if I can just make sure to follow the recommended serving sizes I may get somewhere with this.
This is Wilma, now a member of our family. She loves sleeping in my or hubbys lap, and chewing on things. Preferably shoes. She is also very energetic. Why walk when you can run? She w ill be 10 weeks old on Wednesday.
Since I started my new Swedish blog, http://blogg.curlygirl.se/, it appears that I have forgotten about this blog here on Vox. It's just that it is a creative blog and I haven't been up to much creative activity lately that is worth blogging about. These last few days I have made some more jewelry, I'll post pictures when I have taken some.
What I have done in a creative way is designing my new blog (see link above), and also designing logo and website for my husband's new business. It's not quite finished yet though.
So what else is new. Well...in just four days we're getting a puppy! A little Parson Russel Terrier girl, and we're naming her Wilma. Here is a picture of her in my arms when we visited the kennel last Wednesday. Isn't she beautiful?
So Publix makes this AWESOME Chicken Salad with Tarragon and Almonds, but it costs like $4 and I can get a large can of chicken at Aldi's for $1.89. Not to mention, Publix's Chicken Salad has a ton of calories because they are quite liberal with the mayo. So, I decided to buy some Tarragon and see if I could make something that tasted similar, but had a lot less calories from using less mayo (or light mayo). As it happens, I had some raw almonds in the pantry. So, I threw together some chicken, mayo, chopped almonds, tarragon and some garlic powder. I was a bit disappointed at first because it didn't seem to taste the same, but after having it for the second time once it had some time to sit in the fridge, it's perfect. It tastes EXACTLY the same. Which is totally awesome because I will never have to buy the expensive $4 chicken salad again. I was so excited about it that I just had to tell you all... and now my phone alarm went off and I have a baby shower to go to that I will be late to. Oops!
OK! I'm finally in the running. I'd appreciate any votes. You'll need a threadless account to vote.
