Interview with Sundari of Moovmint

Today we are featuring an interview with Sundari from Moovmint, a talented footwear and clothing artist.  Thanks, Sundari, for taking the time to talk to us!

Can you tell us a little bit about your history with arts and crafts?

I guess I was born an artist. I was always making something from nothing. I have this need to make things pretty to beautify my surroundings. As I have gotten older and more confidant my art has gotten better and has more meaning. I started making clothes by hand. It was way before I had a sewing machine and I would sew every stitch by hand. I was a total hippie and would also make hemp jewelry. I got my first sewing machine for my 21st birthday and went off to fashion design school. I loved learning and being able to create better pieces. I liked designing clothes but still felt something was missing.

How did you arrive at your current art form? You could make anything in the world, why boots with hearts and skeletons and mirrors?

I spent a lot of years lost and not doing my art. I didn't know what my art was. Nothing spoke to my soul. Nothing my hands made seemed worth any thing. Then It all started with a black pair of boots. It's not that I'm not a fan of black, I just like color. So I set out to make these boots anything but black and I had no idea the door that would open for me. FINALLY. I have found something that speaks to me. That makes my soul sing.

What part of you do you think speaks the loudest through your artwork?

I think my inner child shines through into my art. I like to add a little fantasy to my work. I want it to be fun.

What has people's response to your work been and what kind of people do you find tend to be drawn to your work? 

When I designed my first pair of boots I was stopped all the time and complimented and asked where I got them. I started to think maybe I should make more. So I started going through all the amazing things I have collected over the years and coming up with different designs. I made enough pairs to do a fashion show and then started my shop on Etsy.

What is your favorite thing you have ever made and why?
I don't even know how to answer this. I think my favorite pair of boots I have made are the Sunrise in Tokyo. I have a thing for pink. I have been going back to my roots as a fashion designer and started making dresses again. I think every new dress I make now becomes my favorite.

What do you love the most in life?
um? Wind! It makes me feel so alive.

If you could make everyone in the world understand one thing, what would it be?
Make your life fun. It makes it more worth living when you do. AND Love your self. Love your self more than you ever thought possible.

And Finally, where can we find you and your art?
You can find my art on ETSY I have two shops now. My Boot shop and my new dress shop.

Visit my boot shop at: www.etsy.com/shop/moovmint
Visit my Dress shop at: www.etsy.com/shop/TheTatteredTailor
 

Creation Sunday - Christmas Part 4 - Kickin' Cocoa

Today Hillary is going to finish out her "What I made for Christmas" series with an awesome recipe for hot chocolate mix.

As you may well know, Alton Brown is my favorite foodie because his recipes are grounded in good cooking science, he explains his methodology clearly and his show is so gosh-darnded silly while being incredibly well-informed and informative at the same time.  Many moons ago, I saw his Cocoa episode and promptly forgot it for something else like macaroni and cheese or pouch cooking.

A few months ago, I got a migraine in the middle of the workday and had access to ZERO chocolate.  Some people say that chocolate aggravates migraines, but, for me, it seems to help my pain and improve my mood.  I sent a message to my husband saying I wished I had some hot chocolate.  When I got home, I was handed a large mug with a lot of whipped cream on top.  "Hot chocolate?" I said, "I thought we were out?".  "Yes" he said, "Taste it."  So I did.  It was rich, chocolatey, and spicy.  The blend of flavors was very unique and perfect.  "Where did you get this?" I said.  "I made Alton Brown's Cocoa mix" he said.  That was the beginning of what became my favorite cocoa ever, affectionately referred to in my house as "Super Cocoa."  Right then I made him promise he would make some for Christmas presents and he agreed.

As time marched on and the holidays loomed, we both got more stressed out and tired.  His reaction to that, like any sensible person's, is to rest.  My reaction to that is to create things, and so, I ended up making the super cocoa and of course, I had to modify it a little so it became "Kickin' Cocoa".  Below are the links/recipes for both.

Super Cocoa is pretty much just Alton's Brown's Recipe Straight up.  You can find the recipe here and a video on how to make it here.  The only difference is that my husband's "pinch" of cayenne was an awfully heavy pinch.  It was excellent, but it took several cans of whipped cream to get through that batch.

Kickin' Cocoa is only slightly different.  I added a half teaspoon of cinnamon and a very scant pinch of cayenne.  The cinnamon is a nice warm, wintry flavor and the little bit of heat you get from the cayenne enhances that all the more.

To make it into "gifts", I simply made  a couple of batches of Kickin' Cocoa, Put it in plastic bags, put the bags inside pretty gift tins, added a coffee scoop from the dollar store (2 tbl scoop), stuck on a pretty label with the directions on how to turn powder into a yummy drink and that was it.

We hope you enjoyed the recipe! See you soon for more recipes, interviews, and awesome updates!

Creation Sunday - Fruit Puree Muffins Part 3: Clementine/Orange

Today, for "Creation Sunday", Hillary is continuing her 4 part series on variations on a muffin recipe. It was originally going to be a 3 part series with blueberry being the final recipe, but she says the blueberry recipe is still a work in progress.  In the meantime, she found a way to make yet another variation.

In a Creation Sunday, many moons ago, I started a series on fruit puree muffins which began with my favorite Banana Muffin recipe,  This week, We will take that same base recipe and create a unique muffin with a twist - clementine/orange.  This recipe happened when I went to make my pumpkin muffins for our special Christmas day breakfast and I realized that all the cans of pumpkin I had just bought were bad.

For our clementine muffins, we'll start with the same base recipe, which can be found here on the Post website. Again, my modifications generally follow the rules I set out in my cookie post.

Here are the changes I make:
-Like with my Banana Muffin recipe, I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of regular flour.
-I added a good dash of pumpkin pie spice (or something equivalent) in with the dry ingredients.
-I used turbinado sugar instead of white sugar.
-I substituted a cup of a combination of clementine zest, fresh clementines and orange juice in place of the bananas.
-I added approx 1 tbl of honey in with the wet ingredients.
-I used orange yogurt instead of regular yogurt.
-This time, I used Total Honey Almond Flax for the cereal.
-The batter seemed too wet, so I added about 1/3 C of quick oats.
Once the muffins were baked, I realized they were too dry, so I mixed up a quick batch of glaze based on the Glaze in this Lemon cake recipe, substituting orange juice for the lemon juice.

The verdict on Christmas day was that they were totally awesome and should appear on the table again. I was glad because the day before I was losing my mind over the fact that we might not have good muffins for Christmas day.

We Hope you enjoyed the recipe and hope to see you back soon!

Frustrations and Realizations part 2 - The Beginning of the Journey

Back in December, I posted about the frustration that happens when I go to craft shows and my items don't sell well.  It's not just about money, it's about validation.  In fact, I didn't start making art because I thought "there's money in that!"  I started making art because I love making things.  I started selling it because I had so many things I was making that they couldn't possibly all live in my house or all be given to family.  Sure, making a steady income would be nice, but it's not why I create.  It's just that not selling feels like such a rejection.  I want people out there to connect with my art enough that they want to take it home.  And sitting all day at a show (or many shows), where that doesn't happen is frustrating.  When I talk about wanting to give up because I can't sell anything it's because I would have a house full of items with nowhere to go, even if I just created with no shows/sales in mind.  Like I mentioned before, clearly the answer isn't to give up and stop creating because clearly I love it and it comforts me and it's good for me.  Also clearly, people do connect with my work because for all the shows where I don't make back the fee, I have some where I do.  And even at the shows where I don't make any money, people smile, compliment my work, take my card, etc.
I think I stumbled upon a little bit of what I need to make this all work.  I went to a show with my other business and did quite well.  It was a very "niche" kind of thing.  I need to find whatever the "niche" is for this business.  You would think 10 years in that I would have but A. it's not always easy to find and B. It seemed like I had for a while, but people change, times change, the economy changes, etc.  This business needs to find it's own corner of the earth to blossom in.  Also, maybe it's time for me to grow as an artist and work more on pieces that are out of the ordinary for me.  Maybe this is the universe's way of telling me it's time to slow down and focus on fine tuning everything.

Creation sunday - Sketches 12-18-11

This week,  I am going to take a break from recipes because I hven't been cooking.   I have been sick and sitting on the couch and got an early Christmas present of a set of awesome drawing pencils from a friend.   So,  what I've been creating recently is sketches.   Enjoy!

Interview with Cocoa L.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi there! My name is Cocoa, I'm from Huntsville, AL, and I'm a 17-year-old photographer. I read a lot of books, doodle, and sometimes do theatre, but mostly I just take pictures of stuff.

How did you first get interested in art and photography? 

To tell the truth, I honestly just fell into photography. However, I've been doing "artsy" stuff all my life as I'm very right-brained. When I was very little I drew a lot, and I also have a bunch of community theatre experience (which I still do in high school), and that's great because it helps me entertain the young kids and keep them focused. As for photography, though, I started off playing around with my mom's point-and-shoot and taking photos of my backyard and pets and whatnot. I remember I used to take her old Kodak around the Target shopping center and take photos of everything just for the heck of it, but eventually I realized that I wanted to learn more about photography and get more serious about it. I think things just kind of went from there.

Most people would consider you very young to be so skilled and talented, is there something you did or something that happened that you think helped this process?  

Practice, practice, and more practice! I carry my camera just about everywhere and try to take photos, whether it be for clients or just for me, at least once a week. I also spend a lot of time reading photography books, magazines, and online things. For the most part I'm self-taught.

How did you decide to start a business?

There was never really a conscious decision, to be completely honest. People started asking me to photos and so I eventually I made a website, got business cards, and before I knew it I was getting tons of job offers. It's kind of funny how that stuff works- I never really meant to become this involved, but I love it more than anything and I want portrait photography to be my career.

What would you say to other artists who are trying to get a start?

Again, the most important thing is to practice lots! Also make sure to listen to constructive criticism, but don't let rude people discourage you. I was told on a forum when I was just starting out that my work was garbage, which upset me a lot, but I eventually learned not to let that kind of negativity get to me. If you love it, keep doing it. It's as simple as that.

What is your favorite thing in the entire world? 

I have lots of favorite things- my camera, my hedgehog Finnegan, wintertime, good books, stormy days... I could go on and on. I think it's safe to say that I really enjoy life in general.

Do you have a favorite photograph (your's or someone else's)? What is it and why?

For some reason I always get this question, but I can never really think up a decent answer. I tend to favor the recent stuff when it comes to my own photography. Normally I'm particularly fond of whatever's on the front page of my website, and that changes a lot. As for other people's work, well, I don't know! I look at so much photography that I really don't have an all-time favorite image. Tough question!

Last but not least, where can we find you and your art?

My website is http://photosbycocoa.com/, and if you live in the Huntsville area, you should definitely check it out! I shoot everything- children, families, seniors, engagements, weddings, you name it. I also have a blog, which you can find at http://photosbycocoa.wordpress.com/. I should also mention that I'm working on getting a studio at Lowe Mill alongside the fabulous Kayla Byrge of Fig Tree Jewelry (http://www.etsy.com/shop/figtreejewelry), which should be exciting. Lastly, if you want to become a fan, I have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/photosbycocoa. Voila!

 

New stuff 11-25-11

Hillary Wanted to share with you some new custom work!

Interview with "Just Give Me Peace"

Today we are featuring an interview that Hillary did with Sing of Just give me Peace.  Hillary Said that she was drawn to Sing's art because it is colorful, has a very unique watercolor style and is very retro/hippie much like Hillary's own work.

How has art and self expression been a part of your life and when did your involvement with it start?

It's funny, but we were allowed to color on the walls when we were little. To paint lines down the middle of the sheets and write our names on our pillows. To paint make-up on our Barbie dolls and dye their hair with magic markers. To tattoo them. I don't ever remember a time when I wasn't talking with colors. And painting stories with them.

How did your styles of expression develop over the years? 

When I look at my work, some of it 40 years old, I still see the same lines, a cobweb of no rules. And as much as I think I've changed, I really haven't. I'm most comfortable with the same mediums I used as a child....Markers, acrylics, watercolors, pencils, ink, food coloring. And silly as it sounds, the only style I have is hippie, no fine art training, so I guess I just go with the flow...

Your shop features a very eclectic mix: some drawings, some paintings, some done on paper or more traditional "canvases" and some done on re-used items like records. You also feature poetry that goes along with each image. How did you come to this mixture of expression?
That's an 'always been'. The poems. Because all my work first begins with the thoughts, the words or remembrances of a moment...the painting or drawing itself just takes over where the words leave off. I think I did my first piece to poetry my senior year of highschool, and that was a really, really long time ago. My friends call me the 'keeper of words', and most of my works are just that. As for what I paint or draw on, it's whatever I can put my hands on, and often even the canvas works and papers are hand-me-downs, reclaimed and put to use again. Nothing is safe 'round here. :)

What is your creative process like for an individual piece of art? Do you do things in a specific order (e.g. writing the poem first), do you have an idea for what the finished work will be, or is it more stream of consciousness?

I never ever know what the finished piece will look like. There is no choreography at all, and usually it just begins with the thoughts I'm going to write about, maybe one line scribbled on a paper towel....and one single color. Sometimes it flows, sometimes it's splashed, sometimes I bounce back and forth between mediums and methods, but always, I'm lost in thought. It's like some kind of quiet therapy, a little yoga for my spirit.

Where does your art come from?
It comes from my heart. From my beliefs. From the tiny sometimes unimportant and yet totally profound moments in an ordinary day. Sometimes it comes from the sound of rain, the expression of a stranger, but always, from my heart.

Is there something that you hope that your art does for others? 

Art is so very personal. I can only hope that every now and then, someone is moved by it. Feels it. Connects with it. When someone is touched by my work, I feel like they've given me a gift. Like we've shared a heartstring.

Is there anything you like us to know about you that we haven't already covered? 

Nah, pretty much my whole world is covered in the words tethered to my paintings, but Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview. It was an unexpected invitation, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it.

Finally, Where can we find you and your art? 

Online, at www.etsy.com/shop/justgivemepeace and in real life, well, you just never know :)

Creation Sunday - More Pumpkin

Today, Hillary thought she would continue the pumpkin trend that she started last week.

 Todays "Creation Sunday" is going to be a gem of a recipe I found many years ago that somehow manages to make biscuits with minimal fat!  These pumpkin biscuits are super easy, easy to tweak to your liking and extremely tasty.

Here's the base recipe.  I don't actually tweak these very much.  Instead of the 1 Tbl of water, I add 1 Tbl each of honey and molasses because of the hygroscopic factor that we talked about in the banana muffin post and to add a little more sweetness.  I also add a pinch of salt and a touch of vanilla to every baked good I make because it helps bring out flavors more.  Sometimes I use turbinado sugar instead of straight brown sugar and sometimes I use pancake mix instead of Bisquick (I add a touch more leavening in this case), but all work equally well.

The first time I made these, I added some chopped dates for additional sweetness and flavor.  The most recent incarnation had no dates, but had some bitter orange liqueur (I used Patron Citronge) added for a little more "brightness" in the flavor.  I also served the most recent version with some awesome homemade maple butter (sometimes I split and scrape a vanilla bean into this, but the recipe is awesome on it's own).

The great thing about this pumpkin biscuit recipe is you can tweak it quite a bit to match your tastes.  I make it sweeter, but you could easily leave the extra sweeteners out.  Personally, if I wanted to make it less sweet, I would use 3 tablespoons of light brown sugar and a tablespoon of molasses or honey (trust me, the extra moisture makes a much bigger difference than you would think) and leave out the vanilla and/or liqueur.  In this case, you might need to add some of the water called for, but probably not all (this biscuit dough is usually a little on the mushy side until I roll it out with the flour as called for).

Now that I've started thinking about savory muffins, I wonder what this would taste like with no pumpkin pie spice (maybe a little cumin instead) and some fresh sage or rosemary... or some pumpkin pie spice but also some garam masala...
Hmm...I may have to try this and report back.

AldoJeffrey Interview

Today we present an interview that Hillary did with Aldo Jeffrey of Art by Aldo Jeffrey.  Hillary said that she was drawn to Aldo's work because it displays excellent technical skill while expressing some very personal and private emotions.

First, Tell everyone a little bit about your background as an artist.

I've always drawn. I started by doodling, but then moved on to copying drawings out of magazines of videogame characters when I was younger. I never really considered being an artist until I realized that you can actually make a living doing it (if you do it correctly). When I was about 22, I had the opportunity to sell some of my drawings at an art fair.. They were terrible drawings, I scotch taped them to a little table, just the pieces of paper, and stood on the side of the road for about 5 hours, while people drove by or walked by. I didn't have any prices for anything, so most people just looked, but one guy bought a drawing for $7...and that was enough motivation for me to become an artist. The first month I had 5 drawings, the next, I had about 25. I've been drawing since.
Eventually, I would go back to school to learn how to make 3d art for videogames. So now I'm a 3d Artist as my job and career, and 2d 'fine art' as my hobby.

Your art seems very personal. How did that develop?

I've never really given much thought to it, but if I was going to guess, I'd say it's probably a combination of a few things. When I started out, I would spend most of my drawing time, drawing for girls in school. I wanted them to like me, and so I would draw for them....some people write notes; check yes or no. Not me, I just drew drawings. So I think just from those, I would put all my feelings and emotions into them, so they were pretty personal drawings, even thought they were usually of things like flowers or mermaids or whatever the girl liked. Once I realized what type of guy that made me, I stopped drawing to get girls to like me (or tried my best to). I think it probably did have some effect on what direction my artwork would eventually go though.
I think another reason why my artwork is so 'personal' is because I know when people look at my artwork, they don't really know why I made it or what it says about me...they can never be in my mind. They can only take it for what it is, what they see...so whatever they say about my work (in regards to the 'personal' things), is more telling about them as a person and how they see life, than what my artwork means or says about me.
Probably the biggest reason though, is my family. I grew up in an environment where everyone was pretty honest with each other, and I think it just seems like the most efficient way to approach life...so I try and be honest with all the things I do, including art. I'm not sure if growing up in that environment made me not be afraid of just putting stuff out there, but I know that for me, it's probably not as hard as some other people (just because of the experiences I've had in life).

I also noticed that some of your art is very dark in theme. Some people shy away from expression of darkness. How do you feel about creating art with dark, melancholy or otherwise unhappy themes and why do you choose to do it? 

When I was younger (about age 12 to about 22), I was terribly depressed. All I could see in life were dark things. I didn't understand how people were able to just go about being happy when there was so much misery in the world. I would ask them for answers, but no one really had any other than...well, if you think about those types of things, it'll make you sad, so don't think about those things. My reasoning was always that if you didn't think about it...that's how you end up being someone who doesn't care about people (or become detached from your empathy)...and I didn't want to be that, so I kept thinking about stuff that was depressing. So I think I've always been sort of drawn to darker/depressing things. I started really drawing when my heart was broken and I just wanted to die, so I think it started out sort of dark and continued that way
Honestly though, I don't consider my stuff to be that 'dark'. There are a few that are, that I made when I was battling depression, but for the most part, I think there are always different ways to look at my drawings....good and bad. And so someone might look at one drawing and cry and another might laugh, because they see it as sort of like a dark sense of humor, others, just see it as dark; others, don't focus so much on the dark in the drawings, but the light...and so they see it as being hopeful, little bit of light in a dark world...that type of thing.
Why do I do it? I'm not sure, but I'd guess: I've spent most of my life trying to come to terms with the dark things in this world (and in me) only to realize that most people ignore it...and I don't ever really want to be like that, so I make the type of art that I make. I make it for a younger version of myself. I make the type of art that would get my younger attention, sort of shallow and obvious on the surface, but if you look into it, maybe you could see the bigger picture or at least see it in a different way. I think of this like this....when you're depressed or your life is surrounded by darkness, you don't really see all the helpful things around you...you don't look for it...you look for the dark...and so when those types of people see my artwork, it immediately draws them in, because they relate to it...it's 'them'...and so they would investigate it...look into it...THINK about it...and how dark it is....but then maybe they'd look up, and see me smiling...and look at some of my other stuff, and see that it's not all dark...and so maybe they will consider some of my other ideas, or maybe they will ask me about whatever 'dark' theme the piece is about...and so I'll get to talk to them...maybe point them in the right direction to the answers they're looking for. I don't think of it as being important or anything like that, maybe it's just a way for me to connect with people.... and it just as silly as when I tried using my artwork to get laid, but hey, at least I don't feel bad afterwards. :)

What is the most important thing for you as an artist?

The most important thing to me as an artist: This is probably one of the harder questions but I think it's not having to feel like I have to sell art to make money. I think it changes the creation process when you know you have to be able to sell something. So I try to avoid ever feeling like I HAVE to make money off of my artwork.

What would you tell other artists who are seeking their own voice or trying to "make it."

As for what I'd tell other artists trying to find your own voice: Don't. Whatever you find, it won't be really be yours. (generalizing, I know) It will be what you think other people want, or it will be what you think hasn't been done before, or maybe even....it will be your voice...but you wouldn't know it...trying to find your voice is a lot like trying to find love...you don't really....love finds you. See, it's because the person that will love you, will love you for who you are...and so if you improve yourself and become the person you want to be...then the person that will love that person (you), will find you....but you can't just sit around and wait..so you date. See what's out there, see who you like. That's basically the same thing with art. Your goal might be to find your voice and style...but really...just try and be a good artist and you won't have to find your voice, it will find you...it's almost impossible for it not to, if you're a good artist. So focus on being a good artist, you'll voice will develop....just go out there and see what's around....try different styles, different things....anything that you like...do it...copy if you must. See, starting out...you suck...it's important to recognize that you're not good...so you have freedom to really do anything you like...it's all just training. It's how you learn. A lot of people get caught up because they think artists think....I want to say 'this' with my drawing...and then they draw it...but really, it's more like....you'll draw, and you'll think...hmm, something is missing...what should I put here to balance out the drawing? Oh, maybe a clock....oh, maybe lots of clocks....and you enjoy drawing it. Over the years, all of these types of small decisions will add up...and someone will look at you and say....oh, THIS is your voice! And you'll think...oh no, that's not what I was aiming for...I'm going to start doing these other things...and then your voice becomes that....and so all your little preferences that you make...down to things like...what type of medium you want to use and all that stuff adds up to being your voice....and it's not something you can look for or really plan (well you can, it's just not as efficient)...it's just something that develops on one's quest to become a skillful artist.

And finally, where can we find you and your art?

http://www.aldojeffrey.com and my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Artwork-of-Aldo-Jeffrey/287186624721
My facebook will have all my updated work. Everything else (including etsy) always gets updated later due to procrastination.

Creation Sunday - "Fruit Puree" Muffins Pt. 1 - Banana

Today, for "Creation Sunday", Hillary is starting a 2 (or maybe 3) part series on variations on a muffin recipe.

I love baking and I love eating.  One of my favorite things for both is muffins.  They are mega tasty, easy to make and can be as nutritious or junky as you want.  Today, I want to share my favorite Banana Muffin Recipe, and over the next few weeks, we'll explore some variants on it.  First, if you're not familiar with Alton Brown's Book "I'm Just here for more food: Food X Mixing + Heat = Baking", I would strongly suggest getting your hands on it and reading the "Muffin Method" section.  It explains very clearly why you use certain ingredients, what they do and why mixing them a certain way is very important.  In fact, this book is an excellent reference and recipe book for all kinds of baking and I would highly recommend it.

So, for our banana muffins, we'll start with the base Recipe, "Banana Crunch Muffins", which can be found here on the Post website. I make a few modifications, following similar rules to what I discussed in my cookie post. 

Here are the changes I make:
-I use whole wheat pastry flour instead of regular flour to make it heartier, healthier, and, IMHO, more flavorful.
-I add a pinch or two of nutmeg in with the dry ingredients for a little more flavor.
-I add approx 1 tbl of molasses (or honey) in with the wet ingredients because it adds a little more flavor and because molasses and honey are more hygroscopic than sugar which means they help the muffins stay moist better than sugar.
-For the yogurt, it varies what I use:  I usually use plain nonfat yogurt, but I have used lowfat yogurt, vanilla yogurt, low fat sour cream and a host of other things as well.

-I substitute Cranberry Almond Crunch for the cereal because it gives it more varied texture and flavor than using grape nuts does.
-The final touch that I add to these muffins that I think adds that perfect little extra "pop" is sprinkling the tops with cinnamon and sugar. 

Actually, I owe the discovery of the last change to my current career as a nanny.  One day, I went to work and there were overripe bananas in the house so I asked the little girl I watch if she wanted to make muffins.  As I was searching around for spices to add in, I found the cinnamon sugar and thought it might be fun for her to sprinkle that on the tops of the muffins.   I knew it would be tasty, but I found that it took my favorite banana muffin recipe from the mountain top to pure heaven.

One note about these: Since this recipe is fairly low in fat, it cannot be made into banana bread as the middle will not cook all the way (trust me).  I have made larger single muffins in ramekins with success, but I have never tried a whole batch of large muffins in a large muffin tin, so I am not sure if that would work.

That's all for that recipe, but tune in over the next few weeks for some awesome variations on that recipe (here's a hint: they're not banana, but they're just as awesome!)...

Humanitarian Beaders and Businesses Everywhere

Last year, We shared a news story from NPR about an organization that was helping women in Manilla who would otherwise have to eat  garbage or starve by teaching them to make jewelry from trash.  We got a very positive response from our readers, so we thought you all might be interested in these stories as well.

The first is about a project in Kentucky that helps refugee women earn money by teaching them how to make jewelry and helping them make the business contacts to sell it.

The next one is about two women who started a jewelry business together and then fell into selling beading supplies.  Now, through the supply shop they own, they regularly make donations to charities, help locals who need assistance and sell the work of local jewerly artists, helping both the artist and the local economy.


The last one is about a business that specifically purchases the jewelry work of low income Ugandan women who would not easily have another way to sell or distribute their jewelry.

Hillary has been a long time supporter of humanitarian efforts and said that she thinks it is fantastic that these people found a way to turn what is often considered a "luxury" or "hobby" into something that helps people in need of financial assistance.  We hope you enjoyed the stories!  Come back soon for more blog updates with interviews, new jewelry pieces and more news.  Thanks for stopping by!

Creation Sunday - Handmade Upcycled Scarf Journal

It is getting ever closer to the holidays again and Hillary is making some fantastic things for her friends anf family.  However, she can't post them here until after the holidays.  So, today Hillary is going to share with you a project she made for her mother last Christmas.
My mother keeps a journal regularly and loves having pretty books to write her thoughts in.  Last Christmas, I made her this lovely book using the instructions in this video.

For my version of the project, I bought a purple plaid fleecey, flannely, scarf from the thrift store and cut it in half cross-wise.  The scarf ended up being an excellent choice because the pattern was pretty, the scarf was exactly the right width across, the fringe was a nice, decorative touch and the fabric did not fray at all. In addition to the pretty fabric, I used a dark red thread for a bit of contrast and a hand painted a black button that I painted myself with bright colors of acryllic paint.  The only thing I did differently as far as technique is that I got a small awl from my local leather-working shop to help punch holes through all the paper and fabric.
As you can see, it turned out beautifully.  This was an excellent, personal gift that was both easy and inexpensive to make.  We hope you enjoyed seeing our project and hope it has inspired you to create!

Interview with Bre of Breekola on Etsy

Today We are featuring an interview with Bre of Breekola on etsy.  Bre Is a talented quilling artist, fabric artist and all around Jack of all crafty trades. We were glad she took some time out of her day to answer our questions. 

First, Tell us about your history with arts and crafts.
I was your normal little girl growing up with dolls, playing dress-up and and playing with make-up but my mother told me I was happier when I had fresh paper, markers, and paint. When I was three years old, mom put me in ballet so I also have a history with the performing arts. I remember mom sewing my outfits, costumes, drapes and curtains when I was very young. I knew I wanted to do creative things as well. I started taking art classes for my electives in high school and had a few pieces featured in local art shows. I graduated with art awards and when I went off to college, I knew fine art had to be my major.

Much like too many others, I dropped out knowing I did not want any student loans once I reached the end. I started working full time at a desk job and sort of got off track from from art. Not only was I working 40 hours a week in an office but I was also teaching dance for 15-20 hours as well. I put art on the back burner in hopes that one day I would have more time.

Finally, a few years ago, I decided that I must make time to do crafty things because my need to feel creative was growing stronger and stronger and I felt that my skills were getting weaker so I focused on hand-made gifts for family and friends. My best friend and I decided to have craft nights once a week to get our creative juices flowing and to stock up on items to give away for mother's day, birthdays, christmas, etc...

Before I knew it I had a huge collection of things I had made. Paintings, flower pots, jewelry, decoupaged goods, and my living room was starting to look like a craft haven.

 How did you settle on your current art form? 

I am not sure that I have settled just yet as I find that I love so many mediums in the art and craft world. I tend to knit more in the fall and winter months then decoupage or paint in the spring and summer months. My paper flowers started when I received the most beautiful bamboo vase as a gift and decided I couldn't just put it away when there weren't any flowers in it. I saw some really cute flowers and gift toppers made from newspapers in a craft magazine.. The wheels were in motion right then and there so I sat down to try my hand at it and found different techniques that worked for me and put more of my self into how they would look. Before the flowers, I had made a couple mirrors (one is in my shop at the moment, I sold the other one) using recycled wine crates and magazine paper for beads. I am always trying to find other ways to use magazines or upcycling other resources to create beautiful art pieces. I learned how to fold origami kusudama flowers a while ago and fell in love with the idea of making those from magazine pages. I can't wait to find other uses for them.. I'm constantly learning and putting my own twist on different ideas.

Do you feel that the different forms of art you have done have influenced each other? 

Oh sure but it also depends on the medium I guess. It all comes down to your personality that you have in one piece that more than likely will carry on to the next.

What do you hope to do with your art? 

I would love to one day be able to make a living by my creations, I know it takes a lot of time and work. But I have been happy to just give away my hand-made items as gifts. If that's all that I do with it, I'll be just as happy.

What do you hope that your art does for others? Nothing makes me happier than seeing other people smile or laugh and I would love to know that anything I've put time and heart into brings joy to them. That sounds so sappy but it's the honest truth. It's all about the little things in life to me, that's what's important. If a little decoupaged trinket, knit beanie, or paper flower makes someone's life a little brighter and makes them smile, I've done something right.

If there is one thing you could tell other artists out there, what would it be? 

Do at least one creative thing every single day. Big or small, it doesn't matter but if you have those days where there is so much going on, don't beat yourself up. Don't get too lazy with it because your arts and crafts won't sell themselves and they certainly can't get out there for the world to see on their own. Find something that makes you happy and become a master at it. Keep on keepin' on...

And finally, Where can we find you and your art? 
I live in Huntsville, AL and would eventually love to sell some of my things at local craft shows or independent shops but for now, Since I work two jobs, it looks like my art can only be found here in my etsy shop.

(sort of) Wordless Wednesday

"Creation Sunday" - Creating "boutique bakery" style cookies from a mix

In an effort to bring more regular and varied content to the blog, we are going to start a regular segment called "Creation Sunday" in which Hillary talks about what she has been creating recently.  We show off pictures of new merchandise all the time, but this will be a chance for people to see other projects such as recipes, drawings, paper crafts, etc.  Today's "Creation Sunday" is about creating "boutique bakery" style cookies in your own kitchen, with minimal fuss.

Cute little storefronts with stripey green or pink polka-dot logos, sparkling cookies, cutesy cupcakes and unusual flavors like "strawberry soda pop", "banana split", and "mocha with sea salt and caramel" are all the rage these days.  But you don't have to go to a pricey bakery or spend hours in the kitchen to get uniquely flavored treats with a professional flare, you can easily make them in your own kitchen in almost no-time.

Before I dive right into the recipes I created for a couple of different "boutique style" cookies, I wanted to share a few secrets and pointers so that, if you're so inclined, you can think about how you would create your own:

-I almost always cook with a mix.  Scratch baking produces results like no other and is generally healthier than anything made with a mix, but, if I want to make something good, fast, using a mix saves a lot of time and effort.

-Any time I cook with a mix, I add flavor somehow.  Even if I am just making a yellow cake with the yellow cake mix, I add vanilla or rum.  For "boutique bakery" style treats, the flavors are usually unique, but they range from wildly unusual to simple, slight twists on classic flavor.  For example, you certainly could make "bacon and dark chocolate cookies", but you could also simply take a classic combination like chocolate and raspberry and kick it up a notch.  How?  What about orange Liqueur or Amaretto or Fresh mint?

-For flavors, any variety of things could be your inspiration: the season, a favorite ingredient you have in the cabinet, your favorite alcohol, something you picked up at the farmer's market, a random craving you've had or the herbs you have growing in your back yard.

-When you add flavors, the less artificial, more fresh, and more "real" you can make the ingredients, the better.  We're starting with a mix, so to get it to taste less "mix-like", it needs to taste less processed and pre-packaged.  A good way to do that is to make sure you use real vanilla, and actual juice, herbs, fruit or liquers instead of "flavoring".  "Rum flavoring", "Raspberry Flavoring" and the like all have their place in the baking world, but, for this project, we're starting with something processed and artificial tasting and trying to make it taste as much like homemade as possible.

-You can substitute ingredients that a mix calls for if you're careful.  If you substitute liquid for liquid, fat for fat, etc. you can generally get away with switching things up.  Why would you want to do this?  Because you can either add flavor (try lemon or lime juice in your sugar cookie mix) or change the consistency a little (try substituting something like half and half if you want a recipe to be richer).

-Experimentation is not a bad thing.  Don't be afraid.  The worst thing that could happen is that you have to eat cookies that aren't quite what you intended, which means OMG BAKING MORE COOKIES!

Now, On To the Recipes (these are actually recipes that I came up with, but, great minds think alike, so if this looks a lot like anyone else's recipe, it's totally unintentional):

Recipe #1: Mega-Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

-1  (17 oz) Package of Peanut Butter cookie mix (I used Betty Crocker)

-1/4 Cup Peanut Butter

-2 Tablespoons Half & Half (not fat free)

-3/4 Teaspoon Real Vanilla extract

-1 Egg

-1/2 Cup peanut butter chips

-1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I used Ghirardelli)

-1/2 Cup Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Directions:  

Preheat oven as directed on package.  Put cookie mix, peanut butter, egg, half & half and vanilla extract in bowl.  Mix until well combined.  I usually stir with a large spoon or spatula until it gets too hard to mix and then finish mixing with my hands.  Add peanut butter chips, chocolate chips and peanut butter cups.  Mix until candy bits are evenly distributed throughout.  When you add them, you will think that there are too many candy bits for the amount of dough and you'll almost be right, but if you keep working it until everything is even, you shouldn't have any candy "left over".  Use a tablespoon or small disher to scoop cookies on to sprayed (or greased) baking sheet.  Smash each cookie flat with your fingers or a spoon (using a fork like the cookie mix calls for won't quite work with this variant).  Bake as directed on the bag of mix.  Cookies are done when bottoms are brown and very edges of cookies have barely started to brown.  Cookies may look underdone but will solidify by the end of cooling.  Makes A LOT of cookies.

This recipe doubles nicely.  In theory, you could triple it and use all of the candy bits in each bag, but I have not tried it that way yet.

Recipe #2: Chubby Hubby Inspired Cookies

Ingredients:

-1  (17 oz) Package of Double Chocolate Chunk cookie mix (I used Betty Crocker)

-Oil, Egg and Water called for by the mix

-3/4 Teaspoon Real Vanilla extract

-1/2 Cup peanut butter chips

-1/2 Cup Pretzel M&M's

-1/2 Cup Malt Crunchies I used Wilton brand,  but I can't find a link to theirs online.  Here is a link to a similar product.

Directions:  

Preheat oven as directed on package.  Put cookie mix, oil, egg, water and vanilla in large bowl.  Mix until well combined.  Add peanut butter chips, pretzel M&M's and Malt Crunchies.  Mix until candy bits are evenly distributed throughout.   Use a tablespoon or small disher to scoop cookies on to sprayed (or greased) baking sheet.  Bake as directed on the bag of mix.  This recipe also makes A LOT of cookies.

This recipe also doubles nicely. 

Aside from their full and interesting flavor, the best part of the above recipes is that they only take 25-45 minutes from start to finish, and only about 15 minutes of that is baking time.  If you wanted to add to the "boutique" feel of your cookies, you could buy or make a cute box to put them in and even label them.  I know that "boutique style" cookies in 30 minutes without spending an exorbitant amount of money doesn't seem possible, but I just had a friend tell me today that she thought the cookies I brought the last time I was at her house were from a specialty bakery when, in fact, they were the chubby hubby inspired cookies above in a cute fall colored "treat box" that I got from a chain craft store.

Child's Play Kickoff, new pieces, free shipping and other updates

We mentioned in an earlier post that we would be donating a portion of our profits to Child's Play. Here's the official announcement: 20% of sales from http://hippybeads.etsy.com and http://artfulunity.etsy.com will go to http://childsplaycharity.org, a charity that helps out children's hospitals throughout the world. They have already raised over half a million dollars in the last month and hope we can help give them some more. I started keeping track on thanksgiving and will turn the final donation in on Dec 30th. All sales count including sale items, custom items, and in person sales (if you know me in real life). These guys rock; help them out!

Why do they rock? Because it's a couple of passionate gamers, who write a webcomic, who got tired of the negative light that the media painted gamers in and decided to start a charity for Children's hospitals. They decided to buy toys and raise money for a couple of hospitals in their area. They ended up with about $200,000 in donations and toys that year in a one month period just by putting it out there to their readers. This is their 6th year and they more than doubled that figure their first week this year. They are now up to over $700,000 worth of donations since the beginning of November, and it all goes to help kids.

Hillary is an avid gamer and was raised in an environment of helping. She continues that spirit of helping every day as a social worker. She loves that there is a way that her jewelry businesses can help out and she really loves that there is a charity that promotes a positive image of an amazing group of people that she is proud to belong to.

In celebration of her Child's Play event, Hillary has made shipping to the US and Canada free, and international shipping only $3 per item. She has also updated the shop, put some more items on sale and added some new pieces:







Thanks for stopping by, have a great holiday and remember: http://childsplaycharity.org !

New creation from the hardware store?

A few months ago Hillary posted on how she gets inspiration. Apparently, she gets it from the hardware store as well. Hillary and her husband were around looking at appliances and counter tops dreaming of the day when all those lovely things would be a possibility when she noticed that the laminate counter top samples had little holes in the top... and beautiful colors. She took one home and wire wrapped it while watching ace of cakes, and then took a couple of quick pics with the webcam. She promises better pics in the next few days.

Recycled BottleCap Chandelier earrings

As promised...

Charity, personal challenges, upcoming features

We have some potential interviews in the works to be featured at a later date, but in the meantime, we wanted to share a few things with you:

- Mario Marathon is doing a fundraiser for Child's Play, a charity founded by gamers to provide children's hospitals with much needed toys, video game systems and other forms of entertainment for the children in said hospitals and their families. We contribute 20% of our sales to this Charity every year from about Thanksgiving to about Christmas. Since our founder is a die hard video and board gamer, she wanted to make sure you knew about this fundraiser for one of her favorite charities.

- It appears as though Retro Handmade may not be having a monthly challenge this month, so we came up with a personal challenge. We are going to work on these two sketches and turn them into a reality. Hillary says that, for an etxra challenge, she wants to create these necklaces in both the styles of Happy Hippy and Artful Unity.





- Hillary reached 200 followers on twitter and wants to celebrate! We are offering free shipping and free gifts to anyone who types "TW200" in the customer comments section of their order. Both Happy Hippy and Artful Unity are participating in this sale. Originally the sale was until midnight tonight, but we are extending it through midnight Wednesday!

- Lastly, we have been working hard at trying to produce weekly content for our blog. We don't simply want this to be a collections of link lists, a bunch of unrelated posts or a mirror of Hillary's other blogs. We aim to keep this blog filled with interesting content and well thought out posts. To this end, we have decided to decrease our official posting schedule to twice a month. We will try to keep to once every two weeks, but, depending on scheduling and time needed for articles we are working on, it may work out differently. Also, if we have enough conent for more than 2 posts per month, we will certainly post it. We are sorry to have to announce this decrease, but we see no other way to maintain and improve the quality of our posts.