Rough Stuff

Perfectly faceted beads can be amazing and I do thoroughly enjoy them but there is something about imperfection that makes my heart skip a beat and beads that are rough cut or shaped with a hammer usually capture that raw look that I am after. Well, I just received the most amazing hammer shaped beads and simply had to create something so here is the result, three of them being a series of the same design but with a very different feel due to the stone.

Winter getaway

So you may have heard of the Ice Hotel in the northern part of Sweden, but did you know the hotel is 20 years old? Living in an abode of ice is nothing new. The Eskimos have done it long enough to prove it makes perfect sense in an arctic climate. However, you may not find a home as luxurious and artistically carved in an igloo as you do in the Ice Hotel located in Jukkasjärvi in Sweden. They offer accommodations for those that want to sleep on a bed of ice as well as the adventurous at heart but in need of heat, who can stay in regular heated rooms. During the day you can experience dog sleding, raindeer sleding (yes Rudolf is alive and well in Sweden), ice course driving in a brand new Saab or checking out the Norther lights on top of a horse. Life is too short not to plan your next adventure and this should definitely be on the list! By paying a visit to the hotel website you will find all the hotel has to offer.





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Busy hands

As I'm typing, there is a row of earrings in front of me waiting to be listed. There simply are not enough hours in the day but they will hopefully be in the shop by the end of the week. I feel as though I am finding myself through my jewelry and my shop is now evolving into something that is more me. To be honest with you, when I opened the shop there was no clear direction for where I was going other than to create jewelry that I hoped others would appreciate too. These days, my pieces have become darker, more earthy and I believe they carry a part of me in them. Funny how soul searching can happen through jewelry making! Here are a few of my latest additions to the shop.

The perfect crop

If I can make my mother in law go "How on earth did you make this crust?" I must be on to something and luckily for you I am sharing my recipe for this amazing apple pie. This is the perfect time for apple picking and I hope you have the chance to get out there and harvest what is supposed to be the best crop of the century, at least up here in Maine. We went apple picking as a family and my daughter ate more apples than she picked, which is fine with me! The orchard we went to had more apples than the branches could hold and it was a treat for the eye. Unfortunately, you have to take my word for it as the batteries in the camera died right before we arrived at the orchard. I will however share with you the view from one of the hills in the area overlooking the White Mountains of Vermont. Fall is a breath taking time in Maine and I hope everyone has a chance to make it up here in their life time. This pie recipe may take up at least an hour of your time but you won't care when you taste it.


The Perfect Apple Pie


Crust:
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup chilled shortening
8-10 tbsp. cold milk

Blend the ingredients together with a pastry blender or a knife. Make sure the shortening is cold and place the mixture in the refrigerator until the filling is done. Divide into two equal parts and roll out to two circles slightly larger than the pie plate. Line the pie plate with one pie circle.

Filling:
10-12 golden delicious and cortland apples or any of your fresh favorites
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla concentrate
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom (if available)
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp. butter cut into slices
1 egg
sugar for sprinkling on the pie crust

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

Slice the apples thinly and put them in a bowl. Pour the lemon juice on the apples and mix. Sprinkle the dry ingredients on top and mix well. Pour the mixture into the crust lined pie plate. Place the sliced butter on top of the apples. This is a large pie with apples piled up as high as possible. The more apples you can pile on it the better. I make mine 5" above the pie plate! Carefully move the second pie crust on top of the apples and pinch the edges together. Cut a hole in the center and little slits all around the pie. Brush the pie with an egg and sprinkle a little sugar on top. Bake at 350F for 1h 20 min. If the pie turns dark, turn the temperature down to 320F and bake a little bit longer.

Let cool for at least an hour and serve with vanilla ice cream or custard.

A time of inspiration

It's that time of year when we no longer want to wear the summer designs and for most that means switching to warmer, richer colors and textures. Autumn happens to be my favorite season and the trees in my backyard are already turning golden and fiery red. It's a time of inspiration and a time of frustration. Frustration because I have more supplies on hand than I have minutes in the day right now. Also because I am learning the ins and outs of ordering supplies from suppliers I don't know and learning that some don't have very high standards. Don't worry, you won't see any chipped beads or stones in my shop but lately, dealing with returning damaged beads has taken up a lot of my time.

There will be plenty of new designs in the shop in the next few weeks including many more wire wrapped pieces and a few with gemstones I am very excited to share with you. I am fairly sure we will have another summer next year but to make room in my limited work area, I have decided to have a $10 sale of some of my summer designs. Grab them while you can!

Also, when you consider making a purchase of any kind of handmade goodness on Etsy, search for items involved in Etsy Project Embrace. All or some of the proceeds of these items go to the American Cancer Society. This project started in support of fellow artisan Laura Slocum who is battling ovarian cancer. She is now in remission so let me hear a big ol' Yahoooooo from all of you! For me it is also personal, in memory of my beloved father who was a fighter but lost the battle.

He had it comming...

A dog is a dog is a dog. Well, this dog is THE dog. At least to our family and I had to share some photos of him. Bullseye is the son of my parents-in-law's boxer Annie who is now half his size. He has been part of our family from day one and my husband even saved his life as the umbilical cord broke off and he was about to bleed to death. He was born with a big brown dot smack on top of his head, surrounded by a large white ring. Hence the name Bullseye. His markings have since changed but the name remains. My daughter is four months older than him so they have grown up like sister and brother, playing dress up, horsie, and sharing ice creams whenever mommy's legs couldn't move fast enough. He truly is a man's, woman's and kiddos' best friend!

Click on the first pic to see the facial expressions of my son at 6 months and Bullseye:-)

Essentials for fall

I constantly come across amazing items on Etsy and wonder why anyone would ever need to go to the mall with so many handmade goodies available online. Here are a few of my current favorites that are oh so perfect for fall. Enjoy these shops!