The Perils of Pinterest

A couple months ago I signed up for this really fun website called Pinterest. On it's most basic level, Pinterest is just a digital pin board (similar to a real life cork board you might have in your office or studio space) where you can collect images and ideas from around the internet into one central location. Since I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to beautiful images and fun ideas, this website seemed like the best present the internet has ever given me. So naturally I start pinning to my hearts content. I pin art that I love, I pin recipes I want to try, I pin clothes and jewelry I lust after. It was all fun and games until I realized that I have been pinning many things I want to try and do, but I haven't actually taken steps to do any of them! I liked Pinterest so much because it was different than just saving an image to my computer or bookmarking a recipe for later. I practically never sift through my bookmarks, and the times when I remember to flip through the images saved on my computer are few and far between. So Pinterest allows me to constantly see and check in on these ideas and images and I can continue building on them, similar to how when I was still a design student I would make idea boards and watch my thought process grow and change. So this week, with all of the rainy weather we have been having, I decided it was as good a time as any to pick something I have been wanting to try from one of my Pinterest boards and set about making it happen.

I stayed away from my craft themed pin board because after all the craft fair prep my sewing machine and I are a little burnt out. My wallet is as skinny as ever so I wasn't going to be doing any impulse buying based on my style pin board. So as I was flipping through my food pin board I came upon the above image and remembered how excited I was when I pinned it and decided that was what I was going to do that day. Now on Pinterest, when you pin something you don't just save the image, it also links back to the website you found it. Most images link back to either a website you can buy from, or a blog where there is a tutorial on how to do something. This particular image is just a photo. No tutorial, no tips, just a link to the photographers website. The photo was set up by Tara Sloggett who is a decor and lifestyle stylist from the UK. Her website can be viewed here and I encourage you to go look at it as there are some really wonderful images on it. So without any DIY tips or recipes to help me I decided that I was going to do it my own way, and just make it up as I go along. After all, if Pinterest is just an idea board, I can just take the idea and run with it right? I don't need to follow everything exactly as pictured.

Looking at the photo I assumed they were using sugar cookie dough. Sugar cookies are fine, but they are not my favourite, and no one in my family is a huge fan of them, so I decided to pick a different type of dough that might just be close enough to work. Shortbread. I love it. It is delicious and buttery and perfect with some tea. Who can say no on a cold rainy day when tempted with some shortbread? Yes, shortbread was definitely the way to go. So I armed myself with Ina Garten's shortbread cookie recipe and got started. I washed and dried one of the many doilies that I have lying around these days and set up my work space. The project only felt a little daunting when the dough became extremely crumbly as evidenced by the above photo. After some kneading and half hour in the fridge though it came together a bit more and I keep working.

Without a circle cookie cutter at my disposal, I decided to go with a heart shape. It was that or a kangaroo, which would have been funny, but wasn't the look I was going for. (Note to self: buy more cookie cutters in a wider variety of shapes.) When the dough refused to be rolled out with a rolling pin, I had to resort to rolling out small balls of it. I also found that I got a better impression from the doily if I rolled the dough onto the doily, as opposed to rolling the doily onto the dough.

As I rolled each small bit of dough out and cut out each heart I become more excited about this baking adventure. The doily prints were turning out lovely and I couldn't wait to see the finished result.

I had just enough dough to fill up two cookie sheets with hearts. I felt a little bad for the last small ball of dough which was too small to be rolled out into a heart, so I just pressed it into a doily and decided that it would be the first one I ate in order to gauge how well they turned out.

I was a little disappointed when I took them out of the oven because when they puffed up from baking they lost a bit of the doily pattern. It really wasn't that big of a deal though. They still looked like the cutest cookies I had ever seen and I could barely keep myself from eating the small scrap dough piece before it had completely cooled. Luckily for my tongue I restrained myself. Those little suckers were hot!

After cooling for about an hour, I melted some chocolate in a double boiler and dipped them in it. I figured if I was going to make a cookie with this much butter in it, the least I could do was go whole hog and pack as much sugar into it too. Plus, I think the little dip into chocolate makes them look like they belong in a cafe that much more. They taste glorious with a cup of tea, just like I knew they would. I am glad they came out so well. They definitely brightened this stretch of rainy days for me.

So what do you think my readers? Better than the original photo from Pinterest? Of course now I am even more anxious to try another Pinterest project, but I think I might have to pick a slightly healthier recipe this time!

If anyone is intrigued by Pinterest you can check out my pin boards here and just leave a comment below with your e-mail if you would like me to send you an invite. It is still in the beta stage so you have to get an invite to participate. It is a lot of fun though and is my newest internet addiction. If you are already on Pinterest please leave a link to your boards so I can follow you. I love finding new and interesting boards to follow, and of course getting new followers. ;)

Art Star Recap

It has been quite rainy here in Philadelphia the past couple days, and it promises to keep being rainy for a few more. Luckily, the pups and I have enough work to keep us busy indoors.

The Art Star Craft Bazaar this past weekend was wonderful as always despite the rain. A rainy Saturday proved who the diehard craft fair shoppers were. All of them walking around with their ponchos, rain boots and umbrellas. Nothing could stand in their way when it came to bringing handmade goodness home!

Here are a few photos of my booth setup as it looked on Saturday before I had to put my walls up. I forgot to take photos again on Sunday. I like to set my booth up a little bit different each time I do a craft fair. Since I am still relatively new to doing craft fairs I am still trying to figure out what looks best and what sort of displays people seem to respond to more. I think I have finally started getting most things right. I am still figuring out how to display my aprons and scarves though. They can be a bit tough.

Now that Art Star is over I have to play catch up and make sure I steadily put all of the inventory on my etsy shop. So while I might not be sewing and working like I'm competing in a crafty marathon anymore, I still have my work cut out for me when it comes to making sure my items get to go to new homes.

My mom and dad had a good time wandering around the Bazaar and picked up this lovely packet of fat quarter fabric pieces for me from Sara Lee Parker. Her print designs are beautiful and of course I had a textile geek moment where I just stared at the fabrics in awe of her impeccable printing and beautiful line quality.

I especially like the print with pups on it. It is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I am very excited to use these fabrics to make something special. I am not sure exactly what that is yet, but when I figure it out I know I will share it with you all here!

This weekend when it wasn't raining it was busy, and when it wasn't busy, it was raining, so I did not really get to walk around and check out the other vendors until about 5:30 on Sunday. Nothing like waiting until the last minute to check everything out right? So I ended up not being able to do the shopping I was hoping to do, but I got to chat with some other lovely vendors and I encourage you to go check out their shops!

I talked vintage fabric with Gretchen Miller of Dahling Accessories. Her purses are beautiful and I swooned over this lovely blue clutch made from a vintage blue ditsy floral fabric. Too cute!

I got to chatting with Caitlin Phillips of Rebound Designs. She makes these amazing purses from old books with beautiful covers. Since she always keeps the inner pages, she is constantly looking for people to use them and graciously offered to send me some to use in my cut paper pieces.

Rebecca Harkin of Chirp and Bloom took some lovely photos of the banners in my booth set up and featured them on her blog Threads and Snippets! I love her use of vintage fabrics and I was drooling over photos in her blog from a trip she took antiquing. I am sure you will see why when you go check it out!

So while it may have been rainy, it was still a good time all around. I got a few offers from local shops who want to carry my items and I was happy to see some of my favourite items find new homes. The rest of my inventory will be posted on my etsy shop as the week continues, so keep an eye out for some of the new lines of products I have been busily working on and be sure to let me know what you think!

Sneak Peek at Art Star Craft Bazaar Items!

Shhh! Don't tell anyone my dear readers, but I am going to give you a sneak peek at some of the items I am bringing to the Art Star Craft Bazaar this weekend! I am very excited to be debuting some new products there and I hope everyone enjoys them as much as I have enjoyed making them!

Remember, if you are in the Philadelphia area this weekend to check out the Art Star Craft Bazaar. It is on the 14th and 15th from 11-6 on Penn's Landing. There are over 100 wonderful vendors and you are sure to go home with something fantastic, even if you are on a budget!

Here are some of the vendors I am excited to check out:

- PidgePidge - http://www.etsy.com/shop/pidgepidge I am a sucker for a good hand woven scarf. I can't wait to see all the beautiful colors and textures!

- Chez Sucre Chez - http://chezsucrechez.com/ Beautiful cross stitch work. I have admired their booth at a few craft fairs, and I think think this time I will go home with a piece from them and maybe even one of their kits so I can try it myself.

- Hello Bluebird - http://hellobluebird.net/ They are actually a store from West Reading, Pa and their booth always looks fantastic. So many wonderful artists and pieces to choose from! I bought a print from them last year, and I think I will probably walk away with something from them this year too!

- Twig Terrariums - http://twigterrariums.com/ I have the opposite of a green thumb. The other week I thought I accidently killed the small succulents I have. It would be funny if I were joking but sadly it is true. That being said, I still love greenery, plants and little bits of life that you can place on a desk, bookshelf or anywhere else that might need a little brightening up. I am really interested in seeing what Twig Terrariums has to offer and maybe if I am feeling brave and up to the challenge of more plants then I will be bringing a wee terrarium home with me.

That's all for now kiddies! I will be back on Sunday night or Monday with photos of my booth set-up and of course photos of the items that found their way home with me! Hope you enjoy your weekend no matter where you are, and if you have the time, please do an anti-rain dance for us here in Philly this weekend! It's looking a bit stormy...

Recipe for a Puppy Spring Surprise Salad

I have been keeping myself more than a little busy with preparing for the Art Star Craft Bazaar this weekend. So in lieu of a blog post from me, my pups have put together a post on their current favourite spring snack. I guess we will just call it the Puppy Spring Surprise Salad. Mostly because I am still surprised that they eat this sort of thing...

You will need:

- A handful of maple tree seeds. (You know, the crunchy helicopter kind)

- A pinch of onion grass (The smellier the better)

- The heads of 3 dandelions (for a garnish of color)

- A cup of clovers (for good luck)

- A smidgeon of regular grass (for texture and nutrients)

Toss all ingredients together until well blended. Season with some dirt to taste and add a few bugs if you are in the mood for a more exotic tasting salad. Serve outdoors in a free range manner. Serves two small pups. Mieze and Biene recommend doubling the recipe if you expect company.

I am not even remotely kidding when I say that my dogs eat these things every time I take them outside. I have looked up what it means when dogs eat this much greenery and usually it just means that they are about to be sick. My pups never get to that point, and yet they still keep eating these things. I would venture a guess that they are vegetarians, but the way they lick their chops when we are grilling chicken tells me otherwise.

I would complain about their affinity for these things, but I know that as soon as it gets colder again they will just start trying to eat the leaves that fall off the trees. When it snows they will try and eat their weight in snow. To my dogs, the outdoors is like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, everything is edible.

One Week Until the Art Star Craft Bazaar!

For the past couple weeks I have been working on some new and lovely items for the Art Star Craft Bazaar on May 14th and 15th here in good old Philadelphia. This will be my second year as a vendor and I am very excited to be a part of it once again. It continues to be my favourite craft fair not only as a seller, but as a buyer as well. I get a pretty good haul of items every year there, and I am looking forward to the hand made goodies that will be making their way home with me this year.

Here is a sneak peak at one of the items I have been working on to sell at the bazaar. I've been making some tea cup pin cushions and this is one that I dropped off at Art Star yesterday for their raffle. So make sure if you stop by the craft bazaar next weekend, that you take a chance on some of the fantastic hand made items that myself and other vendors have donated!

Just look at that strawberry button, how could you deny yourself the pleasure of having a pin cushion with a strawberry button on it? I know I couldn't. I am making a couple others with the strawberry buttons since they are so adorable. The rest of them have vintage buttons and all are made from old tea cups and repurposed fabrics. Giving an item a new lease on life never looked cuter! If only I had the space in my sewing area to accommodate as many cute pin cushions as my heart desired. *swoon*

Can I interest you in a margarita?

In honor of Cinco De Mayo, and my love of Mexican art and food, I thought I would bring you lovely blog readers a treasury. With any luck I will partake in some guacamole and margarita goodness later today. I hope this treasury inspires you to do the same! Enjoy!

The lovely possibility the first post in a new blog brings!

Why hello there! If you are reading this that means you have somehow stumbled onto my blog. There may not be much here right now, but there are lots of big things planned for my humble little blog! I hope you take the time to come back later and read some more about all that we have been up to.

In this blog I am going to focus on my adventures in living a creative life. I believe that there is always opportunity during the day to think creatively, search for new possibilities, and make something lovely. I am a sewer, knitter, crocheter, dyer, weaver, spinner, printer, maker, doer, thrifter, scavenger, risk taker, go getter, and willing to learn about everything I don't already know about.

I own two sweet pups. They are my partners in crime and will probably be making appearances in my blog from time to time. Let me introduce them to you now.

Mieze (rhymes with pizza) is a rat terrier with an

attitude. She looks sweet, but can be cranky. Mieze means "kitty cat" in German. It is a pet name, similar to if someone called you a sweetie or cupcake in english. She likes sleeping on the back of the couch like a cat, so I suppose the name fits. She always looks sad, unless you are giving her cheese, so this is the most cheerful I could get her to look for a photo.

Biene (pronounced bee-na) is also a rat terrier. According to the SPCA (where I adopted them) she and Mieze are sisters. I am inclined to believe them, but they are so different in temperament and body build that sometimes I wonder... Biene means "bee" in German, and is also a pet name. Biene is much more social and is definitely my little buzzy bee. She always has to check in with everyone and see what is going on. She is also always looking happy, so it was easy to get a photo of her looking cute.

Mieze and Biene may not have the most dexterous paws when it comes to making things, but they love to follow me closely and get their noses in whatever I am working with. So as my two little studio helpers I am sure I will be talking about them a lot.

I hope that gives you enough of a peek as to how things will be around here. I am working hard at bringing you some new posts about a variety of crafty topics in the upcoming weeks and I hope you stick around and share your thoughts on them with me!