My last post was the beginning of October? Holy smokes! I knew I was busy, but wow, seeing it in concrete dates makes it mind-blowing. I didn't end up participating in the craft fairs. There just wasn't enough time to DO ALL THE THINGS (partial reference to one of my favorite Hyperbole and a Half posts. Work, commissioned crafts, a sister's wedding, holidays, all of it seemed to pile up, and next thing I know it I'm here, at the end of November. Now its time for more crafts, more holidays, and soon my wedding. I see a vicious circle forming here!
Currently my Etsy shop is empty. Its very sad indeed. It will soon have some items back up in it, many of them are custom orders for Sharktoplushies. A lot of people are wanting them to give as gifts for the holidays. In addition to the open orders for them I have, I'm going to make a few others to put up in the shop, and sadly that will be my last few items for sale until after the wedding in March. However, someone else has their own version of a Sharktopus Plush for sale on Etsy. So if you aren't able to get one from me, you can try there.
But I'll still be posting some crafts and artwork that I've yet to post about. I have somethings to wrap up for the upcoming Baby Canvases show that opens this Saturday at The Soundry. Also, I have several crafty presents I'm working on for family and friends. I will still be planning for my shop reopening after I'm married, lots of ideas and brainstorming to do. Luckily I have the kind of brain that thinks non-stop.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Its October!
I absolutely love fall. Fall and winter are my favorite times of the year. And now that its October I'm thinking about Halloween, which is also another favorite holiday of mine. I don't necessarily go out and do much in celebrating the holiday, but its probably my favorite holiday aesthetically. Images of pumpkins, black cats, ghosts, and skulls are all some of my favorite imagery anyway, and Halloween has it all!
Because I know there are many people out there who love zombies, and because I haven't posted this piece yet, here is a zombie painting. I created this for a partner in a Craftster swap. She really liked zombies so I decided to try and make her this painting, showing the cuter side of the undead.
Because I know there are many people out there who love zombies, and because I haven't posted this piece yet, here is a zombie painting. I created this for a partner in a Craftster swap. She really liked zombies so I decided to try and make her this painting, showing the cuter side of the undead.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
FREE PATTERN - Skully Unicorn
Hello everyone. I've decided to occasionally put up free patterns, as well as tutorials from time to time. So, to start off, here is an embroidery pattern for a unicorn. I came up with this design while trying to find a unicorn pattern to use for a craft swap. Not finding anything that really jumped out at me, I decided to make my own. Now I'm offering to the glorious interwebs for all to enjoy!
Click on the image to open and download the full size.
Here is the piece I made with this pattern. I eliminated the skull, and added some short stitches in the mane and tail to give it a hair like appearance, as well as some satin stitches to the horn and hooves.
If you use the pattern, I'd love to see what you do with it!
Click on the image to open and download the full size.
Here is the piece I made with this pattern. I eliminated the skull, and added some short stitches in the mane and tail to give it a hair like appearance, as well as some satin stitches to the horn and hooves.
If you use the pattern, I'd love to see what you do with it!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Announcements
Things have been busy for the past couple of weeks. Because of this, I've been planning out the rest of my year to try and balance both work, crafts and my upcoming wedding. All of this planning has led me to make some announcements for upcoming craft fairs, commission taking, and my Etsy operating statuses.
Craft Fairs:
September 24 - ART CARNAGE at the Soundry in Vienna, VA.
October 29 - ART CARNAGE at the Soundry in Vienna, VA.
ETSY Shop Updates: (actual date/time of updates TBD)
September 26 - 30. Big Shop Update. Introducing NEW ITEMS!
October 17 - 21. Shop Update.
November 21 - 25: Shop Update.
December 5 - 9: Shop Update.
ETSY SHOP VACATION:
January 5 - April 7: The shop will be closed during this time as I will be preparing for my wedding. Being who I am this means a lot of DIY things, so I'll be devoting all my free crafting time to wedding related things. I will be updating my blog and other sites with the projects I'm working on for the wedding, so there will still be some crafty fun to read about. The shop will reopen after I become a Missus.
Commissions
I'll still be taking commissions on a rolling basis, up through January, depending on when the item/s are needed. Currently October is full. I'll be in contact with those who have requested items shortly to finalize dates, plans, prices, etc.
Craft Fairs:
September 24 - ART CARNAGE at the Soundry in Vienna, VA.
October 29 - ART CARNAGE at the Soundry in Vienna, VA.
ETSY Shop Updates: (actual date/time of updates TBD)
September 26 - 30. Big Shop Update. Introducing NEW ITEMS!
October 17 - 21. Shop Update.
November 21 - 25: Shop Update.
December 5 - 9: Shop Update.
ETSY SHOP VACATION:
January 5 - April 7: The shop will be closed during this time as I will be preparing for my wedding. Being who I am this means a lot of DIY things, so I'll be devoting all my free crafting time to wedding related things. I will be updating my blog and other sites with the projects I'm working on for the wedding, so there will still be some crafty fun to read about. The shop will reopen after I become a Missus.
Commissions
I'll still be taking commissions on a rolling basis, up through January, depending on when the item/s are needed. Currently October is full. I'll be in contact with those who have requested items shortly to finalize dates, plans, prices, etc.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Stubby Dog Art Auction - Teasers
Back in July I was asked to participate by donating some items to Stubby Dog's Art Auction. Stubby Dog is a Non-Profit organization dedicated to changing the public perception of pit bulls to allow people to see that pit bulls are truly loving animals, pets and friends. While I do not have a pit bull, I do own three black cats, who are also often discriminated against as pets. Also, every pit bull I've personally met has always been a sweetie pie, and nothing other than a big ball of happy.
I'm working on a few things for this auction, but I thought I'd give a sneak peak of some of the felt ornaments that will be included. I'm hoping to show the cute side of this breed through my pieces. I think this ornaments are doing the job pretty well. :D
I really like how these turned out. I may consider making some for my Etsy store after the Auction is over.
I'm working on a few things for this auction, but I thought I'd give a sneak peak of some of the felt ornaments that will be included. I'm hoping to show the cute side of this breed through my pieces. I think this ornaments are doing the job pretty well. :D
I really like how these turned out. I may consider making some for my Etsy store after the Auction is over.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Delicious fall-style dinner
The other day I was inspired to make a nice dinner that would be perfect for a fall night. I know its not fall yet, but its my favorite season, and I wanted something reminiscent of it. I was inspired by a recipe I found on allrecipes.com for Apple Butter Pork Loin.
I did make some changes to the recipe, but it turned out super delicious. So did the roasted acorn squash stuffed with apple and onion couscous. I'm listing the adjustments I made below. There are probably some more adjustments I'd make to the couscous recipe, but I will list what I did, and then list the adjustments I'll probably make next time.
Apple butter glazed pork tenderloin
First I used a pork tenderloin instead of a pork loin. The main difference this made was a shorter cooking time since its a smaller cut of meat. Also I marinated the pork for 4 hours in a plastic bag with about 2 cups of apple juice with a bit of apple cider vinegar and about a 1/2 tsp of each, sage, rosemary, and salt. When I removed the tenderloin, I sprinkled it all over with salt and sage and rosemary and gave it a good rub before putting it in the oven to begin cooking. Follow the cooking instructions as given in the original recipe, except for modifying the cooking times for the size of meat being used.
Apple butter glaze
Roasted acorn squash stuffed with apple and onion couscous
*Note, I made the entire box of couscous which is way more than needed, but great for having leftovers.
- Spray a small cookie sheet, or roasting pan with some nonstick spray, and place the squash "flesh down" on the sheet/pan. Bake for 30 min at 350-375.
- After 30 min, take out the squash, and brush it with the apple butter glaze. Place back in the oven, but this time "flesh up" for another 30 min at 350-375.
- While the squash is cooking, peel and cut 2 apples and 1 onion into small pieces.
- Put 2 cups of apple juice on to boil.
- Saute the onions in about 1 tbsp of olive oil and a little salt and onion powder, to taste, adding the apples halfway through until soft.
- Pour an entire box of Near East plain couscous in the boiling apple juice. Stir in the apple and onions. Cover and remove from heat and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes.
- Fluff with fork.
- When the squash are finished, fill their cavities with about 2/3 to 3/4 a cup of the couscous. Put back in the oven for 5-10 minutes if desired.
- Drizzle some of the pan drippings from the roasted pork on top of the couscous and serve.
What I'd do different
- I'd brush the acorn squash with some olive oil or butter before beginning to cook just to help keep it moist.
- I forgot to add some oil or butter to the "water", in this case apple juice as it was boiling. I'd make sure to add it next time so that the couscous wasn't as sticky while eating.
- I'd use 1 cup of apple juice and 1 cup of chicken stock instead of 2 cups of apple juice, for cooking the couscous. Especially if not serving with the pork, and not being able to use the pork/apple butter drippings/juices.
- I'd probably adjust the apple/onion ratio to 1:1
And that's it. It didn't really take that long at all, and the thing I liked best was having enough time between things to prep the next step. I'm normally super bad at getting a meal all together at the same time, so this was perfect for slow pokes in the kitchen like myself. :D
I did make some changes to the recipe, but it turned out super delicious. So did the roasted acorn squash stuffed with apple and onion couscous. I'm listing the adjustments I made below. There are probably some more adjustments I'd make to the couscous recipe, but I will list what I did, and then list the adjustments I'll probably make next time.
Apple butter glazed pork tenderloin
First I used a pork tenderloin instead of a pork loin. The main difference this made was a shorter cooking time since its a smaller cut of meat. Also I marinated the pork for 4 hours in a plastic bag with about 2 cups of apple juice with a bit of apple cider vinegar and about a 1/2 tsp of each, sage, rosemary, and salt. When I removed the tenderloin, I sprinkled it all over with salt and sage and rosemary and gave it a good rub before putting it in the oven to begin cooking. Follow the cooking instructions as given in the original recipe, except for modifying the cooking times for the size of meat being used.
Apple butter glaze
- 1/2 cup apple butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Roasted acorn squash stuffed with apple and onion couscous
*Note, I made the entire box of couscous which is way more than needed, but great for having leftovers.
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 box of Near East Plain couscous
- 2 cups of apple juice
- 2 apples
- 1 onion
- olive oil, salt, onion powder
- Spray a small cookie sheet, or roasting pan with some nonstick spray, and place the squash "flesh down" on the sheet/pan. Bake for 30 min at 350-375.
- After 30 min, take out the squash, and brush it with the apple butter glaze. Place back in the oven, but this time "flesh up" for another 30 min at 350-375.
- While the squash is cooking, peel and cut 2 apples and 1 onion into small pieces.
- Put 2 cups of apple juice on to boil.
- Saute the onions in about 1 tbsp of olive oil and a little salt and onion powder, to taste, adding the apples halfway through until soft.
- Pour an entire box of Near East plain couscous in the boiling apple juice. Stir in the apple and onions. Cover and remove from heat and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes.
- Fluff with fork.
- When the squash are finished, fill their cavities with about 2/3 to 3/4 a cup of the couscous. Put back in the oven for 5-10 minutes if desired.
- Drizzle some of the pan drippings from the roasted pork on top of the couscous and serve.
What I'd do different
- I'd brush the acorn squash with some olive oil or butter before beginning to cook just to help keep it moist.
- I forgot to add some oil or butter to the "water", in this case apple juice as it was boiling. I'd make sure to add it next time so that the couscous wasn't as sticky while eating.
- I'd use 1 cup of apple juice and 1 cup of chicken stock instead of 2 cups of apple juice, for cooking the couscous. Especially if not serving with the pork, and not being able to use the pork/apple butter drippings/juices.
- I'd probably adjust the apple/onion ratio to 1:1
And that's it. It didn't really take that long at all, and the thing I liked best was having enough time between things to prep the next step. I'm normally super bad at getting a meal all together at the same time, so this was perfect for slow pokes in the kitchen like myself. :D
Monday, August 8, 2011
Plans for the rest of the year
Things have been a bit busy lately. I'm glad I was able to get a few things finished and up in my shop before things got hectic with work. Now that our big conference is over, I'll be making things and posting more regularly.
I'm planning what I'll be working on for the remainder of the year. It seems a bit early to be thinking about the end of the year, but I know from experience that time sneaks up and whizzes by way faster than you think. I recently found out that there is going to be an Artomatic even held in Frederick, MD. It wasn't on the main Artomatic site, and instead has its own site. I've been wanting to do an Artomatic event for a while now, so I was considering participating in this one.
But I've decided not to this time. I've got a lot of projects on the "to do" list. I'm in a few craft swaps, and I've got a few craft fairs coming up. Not to mention holiday items and more plushies. I've sold my two ready-to-ship Sharkoplushies, and already have a customer who bought a made-to-order one. Plus there is another show I want to do coming up soon as well. So timing wise, its just not right. Hopefully, I'll be less busy and more prepared next time an Artomatic show comes around.
I also am considering sending some of my work, like my ornaments for Art Star to look at and decide if they might like to sell them in their shop and on their website.
Besides all the art and craft things I have planned, I'm looking at teaching myself more about designing websites in WordPress. I need to learn more about WordPress for work anyway, and I'd really like to learn how to design sites in WP. I've hand-coded sites, and do web editing for my job, so I'm already familiar with HTML and CSS. I'd like to get used to using XHTML coding, as well as learning a little PHP, at least enough so to be able to create customized websites and templates through WP's system. I look forward to making a Suzannah Ashley website, and my wedding website.
I'm planning what I'll be working on for the remainder of the year. It seems a bit early to be thinking about the end of the year, but I know from experience that time sneaks up and whizzes by way faster than you think. I recently found out that there is going to be an Artomatic even held in Frederick, MD. It wasn't on the main Artomatic site, and instead has its own site. I've been wanting to do an Artomatic event for a while now, so I was considering participating in this one.
But I've decided not to this time. I've got a lot of projects on the "to do" list. I'm in a few craft swaps, and I've got a few craft fairs coming up. Not to mention holiday items and more plushies. I've sold my two ready-to-ship Sharkoplushies, and already have a customer who bought a made-to-order one. Plus there is another show I want to do coming up soon as well. So timing wise, its just not right. Hopefully, I'll be less busy and more prepared next time an Artomatic show comes around.
I also am considering sending some of my work, like my ornaments for Art Star to look at and decide if they might like to sell them in their shop and on their website.
Besides all the art and craft things I have planned, I'm looking at teaching myself more about designing websites in WordPress. I need to learn more about WordPress for work anyway, and I'd really like to learn how to design sites in WP. I've hand-coded sites, and do web editing for my job, so I'm already familiar with HTML and CSS. I'd like to get used to using XHTML coding, as well as learning a little PHP, at least enough so to be able to create customized websites and templates through WP's system. I look forward to making a Suzannah Ashley website, and my wedding website.
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