Thursday, July 28, 2011
Preview
I have finished 16 fall-themed necklaces! Now I am working on taking good photos of them so they will be ready to add to my shop in September. I have this great Canon Power Shot camera and it takes really good, high-quality photos. Sometimes though, when I try to take close-ups of my necklaces it focuses on the background instead of the necklace. Sadly, it did that with almost all the photos I took yesterday, so I will be re-shooting today. Next week my official models (also know as my friends who I bribe with food and wine...) will come over so I can get some more photos of them being worn. In the mean time, here is a preview:
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Two Pumpkins and A Squash
Inspiration struck today and I made a few more necklaces for my "fall line". I feel like it is a bit presumptuous to be making a fall line since I have only sold two necklaces so far... but I suppose it is thinking positively! It feels like fall in Germany; it is chilly and rainy with no sunshine, so fall necklaces seem an appropriate topic.
In other news, earlier this week I made some of the most delicious pasta salad I have ever had. I got the recipe from my friend Nike and not only is it easy, but it makes a lot, so it is a great thing to take to a cookout. You can pretty much put in whatever you like in pasta salad because the magic ingredient is the dressing - Weight Watcher's Balsamic dressing! Here is what I put in:
1 box bow tie pasta
1 package sun dried tomatoes
1 bunch arugula
1 ball fresh mozzarella
1/2 ish grated Parmesan cheese
2 containers Weight Watchers Balsamic Dressing (they were in the refrigerated salad section of the grocery store)
(those are all the ingredients I had, but you can also add 1 diced tomato, sliced black olives and small capers)
1. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box.
2. Chop tomatoes, arugula, and mozzarella.
3. Mix all ingredients together and enjoy! (if you don't eat it all in one sitting, refrigerate)
In other news, earlier this week I made some of the most delicious pasta salad I have ever had. I got the recipe from my friend Nike and not only is it easy, but it makes a lot, so it is a great thing to take to a cookout. You can pretty much put in whatever you like in pasta salad because the magic ingredient is the dressing - Weight Watcher's Balsamic dressing! Here is what I put in:
1 box bow tie pasta
1 package sun dried tomatoes
1 bunch arugula
1 ball fresh mozzarella
1/2 ish grated Parmesan cheese
2 containers Weight Watchers Balsamic Dressing (they were in the refrigerated salad section of the grocery store)
(those are all the ingredients I had, but you can also add 1 diced tomato, sliced black olives and small capers)
1. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box.
2. Chop tomatoes, arugula, and mozzarella.
3. Mix all ingredients together and enjoy! (if you don't eat it all in one sitting, refrigerate)
Friday, July 22, 2011
Featured!
Thank you to Anna K who featured my work on her blog today! Please take a look: http://annakaycreations.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
I created a facebook page today! I am new to the world of facebook, so please visit my page and "like" me!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dancing-Brick/143635092383186
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dancing-Brick/143635092383186
Tomatoes vs Sweet Peas
I tried making some new necklaces yesterday and just was not happy with the way they turned out. I was trying to recreate a sweet pea blossom that I saw on my flower walk last week:
The necklace looks ok, but kind of funny. So, I decided to try a new recipe instead of making jewelry and I had much better luck! I made stuffed tomatoes from a German recipe I found in a magazine (and I only had to look up about six words!). They were delicious and I will definitely make them again.
Here is the recipe in case you want to make them:
4 large tomatoes
handful of fresh arugula
1 small red bell pepper
1 small yellow bell pepper
2 Tablespoons sour cream
100 g frischkäse (if you don't have this German cheese, use cream cheese instead)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon olive oil
fresh sage (I didn't have any, but the recipe called for 4 leaves of fresh sage plus a few for garnish)
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 F).
2. Wash and dry the tomatoes, then cut off the tops and scoop out the seeds with a small spoon.
3. Wash, dry and chop the arugula, bell peppers and sage (if you are using it).
4. In a bowl, mix together the sour cream, Parmesan, and frischkäse/cream cheese. One it is well blended, add the arugula, sage, peppers, and sunflower seeds and season with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the cheese mixture into each of the four tomatoes (I had some mixture left over).
6. Pour the olive oil in a small cooking pan and place the tomatoes in.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes then serve hot!
The necklace looks ok, but kind of funny. So, I decided to try a new recipe instead of making jewelry and I had much better luck! I made stuffed tomatoes from a German recipe I found in a magazine (and I only had to look up about six words!). They were delicious and I will definitely make them again.
Here is the recipe in case you want to make them:
4 large tomatoes
handful of fresh arugula
1 small red bell pepper
1 small yellow bell pepper
2 Tablespoons sour cream
100 g frischkäse (if you don't have this German cheese, use cream cheese instead)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon olive oil
fresh sage (I didn't have any, but the recipe called for 4 leaves of fresh sage plus a few for garnish)
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 F).
2. Wash and dry the tomatoes, then cut off the tops and scoop out the seeds with a small spoon.
3. Wash, dry and chop the arugula, bell peppers and sage (if you are using it).
4. In a bowl, mix together the sour cream, Parmesan, and frischkäse/cream cheese. One it is well blended, add the arugula, sage, peppers, and sunflower seeds and season with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the cheese mixture into each of the four tomatoes (I had some mixture left over).
6. Pour the olive oil in a small cooking pan and place the tomatoes in.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes then serve hot!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Pink
While pink is not my favorite color, there are some pinks that are so vibrant I can not help but be drawn to them. I am hoping a beautiful pink necklace comes from these:
Frustrations
I have the most beautiful picture in my head of a leaf necklace that has bright red veins that fade into an orangey-red and then has some orange at the tips. I can not seem to make it a reality. I got so frustrated that I just rolled all the clay up together into a swirly mess!
Sigh. Now I am trying to brainstorm how I can change my methods so that I can try again. In the meantime, I tried a few wintery necklaces. I really like the snowflakes and I think I can make them even thinner so they will look beautiful and delicate.
Sigh. Now I am trying to brainstorm how I can change my methods so that I can try again. In the meantime, I tried a few wintery necklaces. I really like the snowflakes and I think I can make them even thinner so they will look beautiful and delicate.
Friday, July 15, 2011
My First Sale!
I sold two necklaces on Etsy! Yes they were to a friend, but I am still very excited :) It is a great boost in confidence.
I found this fence near the river on my flower walk the other day and found it very inspiring:
I have always loved spirals and use them in my drawings and paintings as well as in my jewelry. I think they are just beautiful!
I found this fence near the river on my flower walk the other day and found it very inspiring:
I have always loved spirals and use them in my drawings and paintings as well as in my jewelry. I think they are just beautiful!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Thinking Ahead
As I was walking by the river the other day, this leaf caught my eye and I had to stop and pick it up:
As much as I love my bright, flowery designs, I have been thinking about a "fall line" of necklaces and this delicate skeleton of a leaf was a great inspiration. I have been playing with fall colors and looking for a way to capture how bright and colorful the season is and how much beauty you can find in a single fall leaf. I will continue to experiment with some other ideas I have, but this is what I have developed so far:
As much as I love my bright, flowery designs, I have been thinking about a "fall line" of necklaces and this delicate skeleton of a leaf was a great inspiration. I have been playing with fall colors and looking for a way to capture how bright and colorful the season is and how much beauty you can find in a single fall leaf. I will continue to experiment with some other ideas I have, but this is what I have developed so far:
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Flower Walk
A few months ago I spent some time wandering around a beautiful garden at Villa Hügel and taking pictures of the flowers. When it came time for me to make new necklaces, I used a few of the photos to help me create different varieties of flowers. Here are some of the results:
This blue flower became this necklace:
This puffy pink flower became this necklace:
This purple daisy-ish flower became this necklace:
I am hoping to take a walk later today and find some more inspirations in the gardens of Kettwig!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
My Artistic Debut
Welcome to my new blog! After starting my own Etsy site I have been reading all the tips about how to promote your site and having a blog is one of them. So here it goes! I will post about my projects, inspirations and frustrations as I continue to create new jewelry, paintings and drawings.
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