Treetrunkwise

Spring Stationary

2012-01-27T11:10:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I took a dizzying trip to the paper store, which I nearly left empty-handed after close to an hour of considering the possibilities. So many! So incredible! So fun!

Settling on the minimum number of pieces to make a set of ten cards, I finally chose a palette of grey, yellow, teal, and pink. The colors and patterns were bright and springy, while classic and sophisticated.

Here's a sample of the finished cards:
Happy Spring (almost)!

DIY Tile Coasters

2012-01-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

I recently came across several tutorials for DIY tile coaster and couldn't wait to try them! (Here are a couple (1, 2) of the tutorials I referenced to make my coasters.)

The idea that really caught my eye was using paint color swatches as the focal point of the coasters. I decided to make three sets of coasters as Christmas gifts, each individualized to the couple receiving them. I ended up making one set of paint swatch coasters, one set of map coasters, and one set using vintage paperback book covers.

Here are some pictures of how they turned out:

Summer Recipe Share: Watermelon Fresca and Super Gingerade!

2011-06-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to get enough fresh juice during this early summer season. Since I don't have a juicer, I have been choosing fruits that go well in the blender, and using my own judgment on whether or not to strain anything out. Here are my two favorites right now.

Watermelon Fresca:
watermelon
filtered water & ice
agave nectar
fresh mint or basil leaves
optional:
pinch of sea or himalayan salt

Juicy, sweet, bright red watermelon certainly seems like the fruit of the Gods this during this time of year! And it is! Watermelon is a highly alkalizing fruit with an amazing myriad of healthy properties. Drink a glass or two of this to cool down, wake up, or energize yourself! I tend to buy watermelon in quarters or halves for our small household of two, so it stays fresh. As soon as I get it home, I slice it all up and store it in a plastic container or ziplock bag.

Throw about 2 cups of cubed watermelon into the blender and add about 1/3-1/2 cup of filtered water (this will help the blender start blending the fruit). Add 1/2 Tbsp of Agave Nectar (optional), a handful of mint leaves (or a few basil leaves) and pinch of sea salt. While blending, add a little more water if needed. At this point, you can strain the juice if you'd like less pulp. Add ice and blend until slushy and delicious! Drink and be refreshed!

Super Gingerade:
juice from 1/2 lemon
juice from 1 lime
organic apple juice (about 1/2 cup)
1 large piece of ginger, peeled (about 2 TBsp)
agave nectar
optional:
a few leaves of cilantro

Throw all ingredients into the blender and blend until very smooth, adding filtered water and other ingredients as needed. Push through a strainer once or twice to remove the fibers from the ginger. Pour back into blender and blend with ice, if desired. Enjoy your healthy tonic!

The Light Collective: An Interview with the Creators of the Otis Under Sky Light Art Project

2011-02-27T10:43:00.000-08:00

The Light Collective: Illuminating the World’s Connections

(Full Interview by Treetrunkwise)

Austin independent film, Otis Under Sky, has not only captured the attention of the SXSW Film festival, it also has the SXSW Interactive community buzzing. The film features a light sculpture that represents the collective consciousness and connections between people.

The sculpture is made up of thousands of optical fibers and electroluminescent wire, whose light patterns are controlled in real-time by an Arduino connected to social networks. Sound like a mouthful? Otis Under Sky creator and director, Anlo Sepulveda, interactive designer, Per Nilsson, and custom software creator, Andrew Duhan, enlighten us.

* * *

TTW: Where did the idea come from and does this thing have a name? A working title?

Anlo: It is an interactive light sculpture the people behind it are called the Light Collective. Originally Otis was going to film and post on the internet a fake act of self-emilation (setting yourself alight) to call attention to war and suffering. I decided to go with a less dramatic and a more peaceable way to reflect positive energy into the world. My friend Paul Collins is a conceptual designer so I discussed the Interactive light project with him. We decided it should reflect positive energy by having a website where users could physically click the page to effect the light project. Then I met Per Nilson, an interactive designer, and I had no idea how to make this concept, and Per was able to take the idea and make this reality of it. The more we worked with it, the more we learned to manipulate it. Now it is capable of having different data streams reflected in the sculpture.

TTW: Who were the main people in the think tank for this project?

Anlo: Paul and I birthed the idea and he developed a simple web-based design. I met Per Nilson and his wife Rachael at a music festival and Rachael said “Yeah you should talk to my husband and Per said, ”Yeah I know how to do that.” Andrew Duhan came on board as the technical designer to develop the functionality hardware, and all of them together will develop the algorithms and use their electronic wizardry to make the project glow. There were a lot of people instrumental in helping with the workload, like Johnny Villareal and Corey Sepulveda who helped assemble the physical project. Sean Gaulager from the Co-lab gave us some perspective on showing the installation and allowed us to use the Co-lab for our first art exhibition.

TTW: Without giving anything away, can you talk about the piece from the main character's point of view? Does Otis change the project from its original intent?

Anlo: Otis wants to build a reflection of the positive energy that lives in the digital realm in a way that it hasn’t been done. For Otis, this is an existential project that evolves as his ideas about the world around him evolve. The project is in part finished, and is in part, still happening. Since its inception the potential for it to evolve and be productive and interactive has grown. There are so many different potential data inputs on the internet and its still being developed. Who knows what it will look like in 5-10 years from now. That is what is exciting about it--it is a static and immediate reflection of the positive energy of our existence.

TTW: You didn't just make a movie prop--you made an entire living art project. What inspired you to take this prop to the next level?

Anlo: We came up with the concept for the film and had to make the prop but because it was such a beautiful idea we figured we might as well make it real. I like a film to be more than just a film. There’s the vlogs that can exist on the internet and be its own thing. Even the music can live outside the film. Instead of having a narrow self-focused thing I wanted to make multiple components live outside the film.

TTW: Will the installation live on after the festival?

Anlo: Yes. Definitely. I hope the film helps pique interest in the installation and it will continue to live and evolve and to connect to other users who will try to affect the data stream. You can watch the film, go home and find the art project on the internet, and know that your data stream is affecting the glow of the light collective. I hope it creates its own legacy and the two, the art project and the film, can sort of prop each other up, like if you go to the film you will hear about the art project, and if you discover the light collective, you will hear about the film. Everything all connected.

TTW: Anything you'd like to add?

Anlo: The most critial thing is that this is an extremly colloborative project. Without people contributing time and creativity this light project could not exist and becomes ineffective. Its a group of writers, actors, and interactive artists who have created this dynamic thing that helps other people to connect. The sum of parts is greater than the whole. There is no way to conceive something like this on my own, and it could not have happened with out everyone’s help, and the project itself is useless without the energy of all the people on the internet and this planet. This whole thing is about connecting people with other people and to reflect the beauty of that.

TTW: Hi, guys. Per, you were the first part of the team brought on by the film’s director, Anlo Sepulveda. How did that come about?

Per: I met Anlo at a music + art festival called Art Outside in 2008. He was running this amazing stop-motion animation station in the middle of a field, where anyone could come up and make claymation shorts. My wife and I struck up a conversation with him, and told us he was working on a movie and needed someone to build him a light installation. We started planning the work right away!

TTW: And how did you become involved with the project, Andrew?

Andrew: I'd seen the first version when it hung in Co-Lab (an East Austin Art Space where it was on display to the public) and immediately started dreaming of the possibilities. It actually inspired me to learn quite a bit more about microprocessors and higher-power circuits. A short time later, Anlo contacted me and asked if I could help bring the piece closer to the final vision and of course I jumped at the idea.

TTW: Can you describe the installation physically- what it looks like, what it’s made of?

Per: It’s made of over 2000 strands of optic fibers- yes, I counted. They’re cut at different lengths, distributed throughout a large space, and then suspended from the ceiling. It kinda looks like stars- or underwater fluorescent plankton. From a central light are hanging a couple hundred feet of electroluminescent wire, which is a phosphorous-coated wire that glows when you apply a high-frequency AC current through it.

TTW: How does it actually work?

Andrew: The installation is driven by a circuit built around a microcontroller using the open-source Arduino platform. Bundles of fiber optic cable are lit by super-bright LED and spread throughout the space. The LEDs and Electroluminescent wire are controlled and dimmed individually within a matrix. The system interprets the data it receives and translates the values into a visual experience.

TTW: From a technological or programming standpoint, can you tell us why this is an original or relevant idea?

Per: I don’t know that you can say that anything in programming is original, but the combination of using software PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) and light effect algorithms across a massive amount of light points is one example of the Arduino’s versatility. The idea that the collective consciousness, or the "health" of people's thoughts, can be represented as points of lights in a three-dimensional space is relevant from an information visualization perspective. First and foremost, though, it's an art piece, and should be regarded as such.

TTW: The light sculpture in the film was originally built in an art space in East Austin (Co-Lab) where it was on view to the public. How did people react to it?

Per: Very positively! You could see people "swimming" through the lights, laying underneath the installation gazing up, and walking through it with their eyes closed, feeling the optic fibers brushing against their faces. The interaction was purely visual and tactile back then- the light patterns were manually controlled, rather than data-controlled.

TTW: How has the technology changed since you began working on this project back in 2008?

Per: The availability and robustness of real-time APIs, like Twitter's search API, makes it possible to let the installation reflect the "pulse" of certain parts of the online community. The concept of the installation is to represent people's thoughts and prayers around the world. The challenge, then, is how to make this connection obvious to the audience. We are experimenting with different inputs, including sensors in the installation space itself, providing direct feedback to the audience interacting with the lights. To me, the most important thing is to provide our audience with a dazzling and immersive display of lights.

TTW: How will the installation change for the SXSW festival. Is it bigger? Does it represent something different?

Per: From a technical standpoint, we are adding more channels. More channels means more fine-grained control of the lights, and we'll be able to create more interesting effects within the space of the installation. We will customize the layout depending on the space, so the installation will look different every time it’s set up. The effects in the first version were driven by a light sequencer written in Pure Data. This time around, the effects will be natively coded on the Arduino board for better performance. Also, for the new version, we want to make the installation react to people's presence. We'll be adding either ultrasonic rangefinders, or implementing some sort of blob detection.

* * *

The Otis Under Sky light sculpture will be on display at the film's premiere party during SXSW.

Anlo Sepulveda is the writer and director of the feature-length film, Otis Under Sky, which is an official selection of the 2011 SXSW Film Festival. Anlo has created several short films and documentaries, and has been recognized for his film work in numerous projects such as The Force for Change Award for Wear the Sun, and the CASE Award for Hip-hop Congress. Anlo currently works at Texas State University as a Digital Media Specialist

Per Nilsson has a BSc in Interaction Design from Malmö School of Art, Culture and Communication, where he studied under David Cuartielles, one of the inventors of Arduino. Per has taught physical interaction design at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC, and at 911 Media Arts Center in Seattle. He now lives in Austin, TX, and is having a blast making social games as a software engineer at Zynga.

Andrew Duhan is a software developer and sound engineer with a penchant for shiny things. He currently lives and works in Austin, TX.

Otis Under Sky Connects with its Audience, and now with the SXSW Film Festival.

2011-02-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

You may remember this post from a while back when I did some screen printing for a friends' fundraiser. The fundraiser was for the film Otis Under Sky, an independent movie shot in and around Austin and San Marcos, Texas. The friends were Anlo Sepulveda, the writer and director, and his wife Mandi, the producer and all-powerful-organizer.

Since then, Anlo and Mandi have had a baby, built an eco-apartment under their house, and generally had a crazy amount of stuff going on- and their friends have since had a baby who carries the moniker Otis! Also since then, Otis Under Sky has finished filming, started the final editing process, and been selected as one of only nine Texas films to be featured at the 2011 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival here in Austin. Wow, what a ride!

The film follows a "socially inept video artist", Otis, through his enlightening and painful one-way love affair with Ursula. Otis is played with beautiful awkwardness by renowned slam poet Anis Mojgani. Google Mojgani and you'll find a multi-award winning, multi-talented artist- with plenty of live videos and rave reviews to back it up.

There is a little bit of Otis in all of us, especially those who've grown up with the internet. On one hand, it allows the painfully shy to reach out and connect with some level of anonymity to protect their fragility. On the other hand, it can simultaneously errode the real connections we have by turning them into disjointed and superficial digi-relationships.

One of the film's features is a light installation which is created as Otis's opus. It is a warm, pulsating, and glowing sea of thousands of tiny points of light and color, which responds to people's interactions with it. Hopefully in time for the movie premiere, the installation will be set up at some location in or around Austin, and the movie website will allow people all over the world to manipulate with the installation by interacting with it online. This is the part of the project that my husband Per has been helping with, so I'm sure it's going to be a busy few weeks for him before the SXSW film festival starts! (Check out his crew credit on the crew page! So proud.) :)

There are two trailers for Otis Under Sky available to watch on Vimeo:
http://www.vimeo.com/17308214
http://www.vimeo.com/1603686

How can you support Anlo and Otis Under Sky?
*Create some internet buzz for distributors to notice of by tweeting, blogging, or Facebooking about Otis. Comment on the video trailers and articles on the web.
*Like Otis Under Sky on Facebook and tell your friends to check it out, too!
*Donate: Anlo and crew are also accepting donations to help them along in the final push to make Otis festival-ready. Every little dollar helps! Plus, they are offering some cool rewards as a thanks for donations!

New Year Brings Winds of Change

2011-02-01T06:39:00.000-08:00

It's been a year since I last posted anything here. That seems reasonable as I think over the last year. I was kind of a hermit in 2010, but I can't think of many crafts or creative things I did while holing myself up. I hope that is about to change.

I have a list of new projects I'd like to get started on- many of them have to do with a camera. It's been years since I took pictures as an artistic outlet, but I have a lot of ideas rolling around in my head.

I also hope to start up a craft night again. I feel starved for the company of my friends, and women in general. Not sure if these will still be centered around knitting, or maybe something a little more visceral, like painting!

I did make some nice holiday cards this year (see picture), but I was a little lazy about actually sending them out. All that really means is that I still have a couple of my favorites to send out whenever I like. And I like that. This was my first time to buy these somewhat pricey sets of stickers, but it was worth the cost! I used the stickers sparingly among my own designs and cut-outs. Fun!

It's been a strange couple of weeks. I've had a building feeling in my core of the desperate need to create and to share company with friends and family. I'll take this as that gut feeling one is always supposed to trust. I have broken away some of the earth to allow more space for the water and the fire.

It has felt like spring for the last few day, and today it feels like winter has completely taken over. Wild winds whipped through last night; they blew down a tree limb that cracked the wooden fence. And they blew away some parts of me that were in doubt. It feels like autumn in my heart, and that means I need to create: words, images, sounds, relationships...

I'm really looking forward to it.

I ♥ Moss!

2010-02-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

I miss Seattle. I miss the little city in the midst of the big rain-forest. I miss the sidewalks that are broken and pushed up by massive tree roots. I miss stairs and concrete covered in moss. I MISS MOSS!

In the last week, I have seen a series of postings via CRAFT magazine on how to build your own little moss terrarium in a jar. I freaking LOVE this idea! I adore shadowboxes and miniature environments that make me want to crawl right inside. The moss terrarium beautifully combines my love of mossy and tiny environments into an absolutely spell-binding tiny mossy environment!

I cannot wait to try this.

Here are some links on the how to.

A great little tutorial including the word "frippery"
See how Becky Stern's moss terrarium turned out.
A more in-depth how-to, including ideas for both closed and open containers.
Use a wine bottle as your "mossarium" container.
Martha Stewart gets into the act making "fairyland terrariums" with Dame Julie Andrews.

image credit: becky'smossarium

Kia Neill: Terrain

2010-01-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

If your heart is warmed by twinkling colored lights, moth wing silouhettes cast on a wall, and fantasy worlds made real, then you must experience this!

Kia Neill creates environments using textured and atmospheric media. In "Terrain" you will enter the dark, cave-like room to walk the winding paths between turrets and stalagmites made of papier mache, netting, lights, and little gems. Kia has created an atmosphere that transported me back to my child-like mind, where I wished to live in the fantastic worlds of The Dark Crystal, Fraggle Rock, and The Neverending Story. A dream!

"Terrain" is twinkling at the Women and Their Work Gallery in Austin at 17th & Lavaca, now through February 25, 2010. Thanks to our friend at The Austinist for the fantastic tip!

No Non-Stick Nonsense

2010-01-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

No beating around the bush: Recent studies have linked non-stick cookware to cancer. Cast iron and stainless steel remain the safest cookware you can have in your kitchen. And they're probably the highest quality and longest lasting, too.

We are fortunate to have both in our kitchen, but cooking in our cast iron skillet never seemed to be followed by an easy clean-up. Then I read about cast-iron being the original non-stick cookware, and needless to say I was a little confused. I started looking into the seasoning process, which I had always assumed meant oiling them after cleaning, or simply not using soap to clean them and there by seasoning them with flavor.

I came across this very simple tutorial on how to properly season cast iron to create an excellent non-stick surface. After completing the easy process our pans look and feel amazing, and they cook like a dream! I highly recommend taking time to do this once. Your pans and your cooking will thank you!

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 225/f.
STEP 2: Clean cookware and scrub off rust or uneven spots.
STEP 3: Coat entire pan- inside, outside, handles and lid- with vegetable or canola oil.
STEP 4: Place pan upside down on cookie sheet or aluminum foil to catch any oil drips.
STEP 5: Bake in oven at 225 for two hours.
STEP 6: Wipe clean of excess oil and allow to cool completely before using.

When the heat causes the pan to expand, the oil seeps in. When the pan is allowed to cool, the oil forms a permanent non-stick coating. Simple!

Invitations

2010-01-15T22:16:00.001-08:00

Finally getting around to posting a couple of pictures of the invitations I made back in October for my friend's "Naughty or Nice" bridal shower and bachelorette party.

The Bachelorette party was 80's themed and included a trip to the private 80's karaoke room at The Highball. The party favor bags were filled with Krazy-Straws, mini Rubik's cubes, Silly putty, Pixi-Stix and Nerds candies. I had a lot of fun choosing the papers to use for this invitation and laying out the design.

["Her single life is gone like the 80s; Let's bring it all back in one night with the ladies!"]

Vinyl Record Bookends

2010-01-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to get our tiny house organized lately, adding shelves, and trying to find new ways to to use space creatively. Per put up some very utilitarian bookshelves a couple of weeks ago, which have been a fantastic addition to our little dining area. They even make the ceiling look higher.

The only problem with using this kind of shelf for books is that you need bookends. Bookends can be really expensive. Sure, I bought a simple metal set at IKEA for a couple of bucks, but IKEA is too far to go for a couple of cheap bookends. Besides, I was hoping for some bookends with a little more style. I have been trying to think of creative ways to make them, but in the end I found myself searching online for other peoples ideas.

That's when I came across a tutorial that shows you how to turn old vinyl records into super cool bookends with very personal touch. I happened to have a few crappy records, along with a couple of duplicates of some favorites, so I jumped at the chance. The person who wrote this tutorial says they originally found the idea as someone else's tutorial and then decided to post their own with some improvements. I'm going to do the same thing.

I fumbled around with my first record, bending this way and that, coming up with weird unwanted curves where I didn't want them and a misshapen curve where I needed a good crease. There were a couple of problems with this method: Getting the whole record wet is unnecessary and creates a lot of extra work, and unless your sink is 100% flat and not curved (which is highly unlikely), then you shouldn't do this in the sink either.

After a quick brainstorming session, I decided to try something completely different. Within two minutes I had mastered it and was turning out perfectly shaped bookends in under a minute. This is the quick and easy way I recommend doing it for anyone who'd like to try:

Supplies:

-Flat rectangular cake pan (wide enough to hold the width of the vinyl record)
-Boiling water in a kettle or saucepan for easy pouring.
-Flat, sturdy tool (this will vary a bit, but I found the PERFECT tool in a little 8"x8" bamboo cutting board. you want your tool to be wide enough to flatten the bottom of your bookend out and sturdy enough to apply some weight.)

1. Choose a record you don't mind never listening to again- actually you'll need two if you are making a set. For this tutorial I'll be using Sting: Dream of the Blue Turtles. Do not use a Sting album unless you have a duplicate (as I did), or unless it is scratched beyond playing. I just can't condone that kind of irresponsible wastefulness. I love Sting, what.
2. Decide which side of the record label you'd like to display on the outside of your bookend (favorite songs, cool artwork, etc)
3. Set the cake pan on a flat, sturdy surface like the kitchen counter or a dining table, and leave some room to one side to use as a clean work space.
4. Hold the record upright in the cake pan. Make sure the side of the record you want to be on the outside of the bookend is facing away from your tool. *If you are going to hold the record in your left hand while working with a tool in the right hand, the label should be to your left- facing away from the tool. Also, check to make sure the words or picture on the label are at the correct angle- Just because the label you're looking at on the front side of the record is right-side up, doesn't mean that's the case with the label on the other side!

5. While holding the record upright, slowly begin pouring boiling water over the bottom half of the record, filling the pan an inch or so. (Make sure the water is boiling.)

6. The record should begin to soften almost immediately. Gently press the record downward into the pan until the point where you'd like the crease to be- usually just below the label is enough. This way you have plenty underneath for holding books, but your whole label can show on the outside of the bookend.

7. When the bottom (wet side) of the record is very soft and floppy, immediately place it on your counter workspace, still holding the top part upright with the bottom part bent at a right angle on the table. Use your tool like a squeegee to flatten and smooth the bottom of the record and the crease to a good right angle with a flat surface. Work quickly, as the record will begin to harden again as soon as it's out of the boiling water.

8. Once the record has cooled, towel dry it completely and test it out with some books. If the angle or flatness needs correcting, repeat the process.

Stitch N' Bitch Yarn!

2010-01-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

Debbie Stoller, the powerhouse needle-wielder who wrote the Stitch Nation/Stitch N' Bitch series, has come out with a new line of yarn! There are three yarns to choose from and more than fifteen super-sweet colors to be indecisive over! This is exclusively for Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft stores.

Here's the link! http://www.stitchnationyarn.com/

MAKE My Heart Skip A Beat!

2009-05-15T16:22:00.001-07:00

The new issue of MAKE Magazine is out and it's positively incredible! This issue, Re-Make America, should in the hands of every school, home, and workplace in the country. How inspirational! It's time to start thinking outside of the recycling bin!

Screen Printing For a Cause

2009-05-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Last week was the busiest I've had in a while. Per and I have been helping some friends on various aspects of an independent film they're making. In the film, Otis Under Sky, the main character is building a huge interactive light installation. Per has been helping to make the physical installation a reality since we met Anlo and Mandi (the film's parents) back in October of last year. This weekend was finally the unveiling of the light installation as well as a fundraiser for the film and a public sneak-peek. It was an awesome event and here are some of the reasons why it was particularly awesome for me:

*I screen printed shirts to sell at the event and also set up a live screen printing station on site. People could bring their own shirt to have printed on, or just give me the shirt off their back. Mandi said the shirts brought in the highest amount of donations out of everything at the event.

*Being in charge of the screen printing definitely made me feel ready to start offering my lessons more officially to the public. I decided to list my screen printing workshops on Craigslist and am already gaining some interest.

*The space where the event was held is called Co-Lab, an independent media art space and community center in East Austin. I talked to the proprietor, Shawn, and he was very enthusiastic about the Treetrunkwise mission and having me do some workshops there.

*In brainstorming about possible interactive installations to bring to the Co-Lab space, Per and I have unearthed the Beautiful Machine project and are working on several exciting new appendages to the photo collection. These will be interactive elements which bring the participant into the world in the photos. We are very excited about the possibilities and hope to have something to present to Co-Lab sometime this year.

Sometimes you just have to take a moment to step back and realize how lucky you are. I am thankful for the opportunities I've recently been given, and I hope to use the experience and connections I've gained to further advance the dream! Cheers!

Here are some pictures of me screen printing at the event...

..And some beautiful pictures of the light installation.

**All of the above pictures were taken by Don Mason and I have posted them here with his written permission. You can see more of his work on his Flickr page. Thanks, Don!

Great Stamping Tips

2009-04-27T15:26:00.001-07:00

This site covers everything from paper qualities to embossing techniques to markers for coloring. A great resource!

Gotta share this great stamp idea! The empty glass jar stamp has endless possibilities. Fill it with stickers, drawings, buttons, or whatever! But the funnest idea I've seen is to stamp it onto printed paper- all of a sudden it looks like your jar has a beautiful design all over it! Thanks to Jordan and Rachel for the stamp-inspiration!

Blueberry Muffins and Vegan Mac (n' Cheese)

2009-03-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

RECIPE SHARE!

I haven't shared anything in a while, so I thought I'd post the link to (and my thoughts on) the recipe for the blueberry muffins which were such a hit with the girls last night.

These were really very good, although I think we all agreed they seemed a little more like biscuits or scones- at least on the muffin-tops. I made only a couple of modifications:
1) I didn't have any fresh lemons for zest, so I added a little lemon juice to the yogurt instead. I think the zest would have been much more flavorful.

2) I used salted butter, so I cut the salt content down slightly. I also used sea-salt, which is a bit saltier than regular table salt, so I cut down to account for that, too. I cut the salt down to about half the amount in total.

3) This recipe says it yields 12 regular sized muffins, but this is probably for jumbo muffin tins. Several people commented that they had to put this recipe into two regular 12-count muffin tins. I made half of this recipe in two mini-muffin tins (24 mini-muffins), so I assume that the full recipe would indeed take TWO of the standard size 12-count muffin tins, as suggested by other reviews. For mini-muffins I baked for 22-25 minutes.

While I'm posting recipes, I'd like to share one that a friend shared with me. She made it for a potluck and it was gone within minutes. Even the real-cheese eaters couldn't resist the creamy, savory Vegan Mac (n' cheese) (-great for the lactose intolerant, too!). Now you should know, this recipe makes a family-sized (or potluck sized) dish of the stuff, so cut the recipe for fewer people- even if you want to have some leftover.

You'll need a blender to make the "cheese". Also, stirring and letting stand for at least ten minutes after baking is part of the key to the creamy consistency. Enjoy!

Knitting In Front of the Fire

2009-03-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a while! The cloak pattern is going great - I need more yarn! I'm so happy I chose a difficult pattern to start with because I've learned so much! I learned three different increases. I used the M1 for this pattern. I learned to wrap and turn- cool stuff! And I learned the Kitchener stitch! I can't believe I am making it! :)

Stitch n' Bitch Thursday's continue as usual, and tonight a new friend, Lisa, joined us. She learned to knit and took home a cute little hot pad that she'd made by the end of the night- good girl! It was a small group tonight- just Mom, Melanie, Lisa and myself. The weather had turned very cold, so I got a fire going before everyone showed up. We all sat in front of the fireplace with our wool Swedish house-socks on our feet, eating snacks and talking- and stitching, of course. Very cozy!

This week Melanie taught me the basics of crochet! I'm excited to learn a new craft, especially one that two of the stitch n' bitchers have been doing during the Thursday night gatherings. I'm still kind of clumsy at it and my hands feel cramped when I put down my work, but I'm hoping I'll start relaxing as I get the hang of it. There are some crochet-alongs on the web, which I've suggested we do together. A new project would be fun!

And lastly, I cheated a little and opened my birthday present from Sweden a little early- what! I've had a tough week and I needed some cheering up! Boy, was it overwhelmingly fantastic. I was speechless. Two more pairs of wool house-socks (one of which is a tiny one for our friends kids who come over-- or are they??!!), five beautiful skeins of wool yarn and two sets of double pointed needles to make the socks (project time!!), a gorgeous Scandinavian design needle and hook holder, and lastly... Per's mother's collection of knitting needles and crochet hooks- which are extra special because she died when Per was just ten years old. I cried. I felt undeserving and not a little spoiled... but now I just feel happy and incredibly grateful. I am very lucky to have such wonderful in-laws. When we go visit, I can't wait to knit with Per's step-mom (who makes us the socks) and her mom!

Knitting is truly bond-creating craft for women, and I'm so happy to have finally taken it up in earnest!

Little Red Riding Hood

2009-02-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

[Image Cred: Artist: Kneil Melicano. This design was the winner of a most prestigious award for the year's best on Threadless.com. If you don't know about Threadless tee-shirts, check it out!]

This year I have reason to start thinking about my Halloween costume early. One of my oldest friends is getting married on Halloween and I am her maid of honor. The entire wedding is Halloween themed, and everyone including the bridal party will be in costume. As of right now, I think Per and I will be dressing as Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.

I found the most amazing pattern for a knitted and felted red hooded cloak from CRAFT magazine. It's out of my league for now, but I'm pushing myself to learn all of the techniques required in the pattern. I may opt out of the felting part, as I really like the way the knit looks on it's own, but that will require some resizing of the pattern.

THREE girls have learned to knit since I started the Stitch n' Bitch three weeks ago! Congratulations: Sarah, Mandi, and Casey! Hope to see you all at the future hen-house knit nights!

I HEART VOGUE.

2009-02-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

It tends to surprise people that one of my most prized little indulgences in this life is my subscription to Vogue magazine. Every time my new Vogue arrives, I have to run to get a cup of tea, and maybe some chocolate, so that I can curl up for the next hour or so turning page by page through the magical world of high fashion and world renowned artistic visionaries. How could this possibly be a surprise? I love fashion. I love art. Vogue is the absolute world class Queen of Fashion Art.

Sacrebleu! What is this? How on earth could I miss such a sweet little succulent.. er.. Vogue?!

I just bought my first issue of Vogue Knitting, and I'm absolutely transported by the incredible knits inside. I want all of them. Page after page of heart-skipping, voluminous, chunky-soft yarn made Fashion Art. I'm in heaven.

The best part about Vogue Knitting is that, unlike it's predecessor, after drooling over piece after piece that you'd like to walk down the street in-- you can actually turn to the back to find the patterns to MAKE THEM YOURSELF!

We Stitched and Oh, How We Bitched!

2009-02-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

The first weekly Stitch n' Bitch has just ended; the last girls have left. How I love having women around and doing crafty things! Sarah learned to knit; Casey learned to cast-on; Melanie and I worked on our circular needles for the first time; Melissa used a knitting loom to weave what would have taken me hours! We snacked, laughed, gossiped, and caught up: It was great. Who knows if we'll be knitting next time or if this will eventually evolve into a general craft night or something else. All I know is, I love my friends and I love getting together with them!

Stop-Motion Commotion

2009-02-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

A few months ago we went to a camping art and music festival on a friend's recommendation. The Oxblood Masquerade was a festival of the arts in the middle of the woods. There were stages, music, costumes, crafts, and the one that caught my eye the most- art in a field. Here was a big field with artists sitting at their easels and other "canvases" just doing their thing right there in nature. You could just walk up and watch it all happen.

Our trip to the field brought us to the most extraordinary set up, where we incidentally ended up spending the rest of the evening. It was an interactive station set up to allow anyone to walk up and make their own stop-motion movie. Per and I were on cloud nine. There was scented play-doh and chalk. We got started on our spontaneous story (see it here) and spent the rest of the evening waiting around to see everyone's movies played on a projector in the field (see them all here). We made some good friends at that installation and Per got a great project out of it.

Last night we joined those friends for a continuation of that installation: The Edge of Imagination Station (oh, how I love alliteration!). Set up in a small gallery space in east Austin, this time there was a white wall, colored balls, paper, stickers, props, and chalk. The idea this time was to steer away from claymation by providing other mediums to work with. People were getting creative! Per used chalk and paper for his underwater animation, and I was able to take one of my favorite art forms, paper cutting, to bring the changing seasons to life. We couldn't wait to see the final results. The animations weren't shown last night, but I will be sure to post a link as soon as I get one.

Purlina Purlizkova

2009-02-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

It's Superbowl Sunday and it's quiet on the streets of the University campus neighborhood. Per is at the skate park skating and I'm home alone on this gorgeous, sunny, warm first day of February. I decided today was the day to learn to purl, so I took up my knitting, my "Stitch 'n Bitch" book, and a short video from YouTube.com.

Well, not only am I purling, but I am now proficient at the stockinette stitch, ribbing, and seed stitch! I made a really fun swatch that has several rows of each of these stitches. I can use it as a reference in the future... and it looks neat!

I just sent out my first invitation for a Stitch n' Bitch right here at my own place. I'm looking forward to seeing my girlfriends and continuing on the almighty path of the kneedle!

Something About Knitting

2009-01-07T21:51:00.001-08:00

As a souvenir to this time in my life I am knitting a candy cane striped scarf. It's only the second scarf I have ever knit. It's cute, but I'm not convinced that it's entirely right.

I'm following the method for making stripes in the infamous knitting handbook "Stitch 'n Bitch". It basically states that to start a new color, or stripe, you cut the old color with about six inches to spare, hold the new color with this piece at about the same length, then just start knitting with the new color at the beginning of the row. With these six inch pieces that are hanging from the side of your scarf, you tie a loose square knot and then later, untie and weave it in.

It looks horrible. I have a bunch tassels hanging off one side of the scarf. I have yet to try weaving them in, but something just doesn't quite feel right. In the future I may try knitting one color, then weaving the stripes in over the knit piece. That might make for some nice texture.

On another knit note, I finally bought myself a knitting basket which I love. Time to start collecting yarn!

Jan 13, 2009. KNIT NOTE!
I visited my grandmother this weekend, a lady with over 50 years of knitting experience! I showed her my scarf and asked if I was doing anything wrong. She assured me that it was exactly how it should be, and even showed me a couple of other methods which may have even been more difficult.

She showed me how to weave in my leftover ends where the new colors begin and end, and even gave me a needle to do it with. The needle is thick and has a rounded point and a large eye to thread yarn through. To weave my ends through, first I'll untie any small knots I've made to keep them in. Thread the piece of yarn through the knitted stitches (of the same color) at least a third of the scarf's width or more. The most important thing at this point is to grasp your scarf width wise (not length wise) and give it a good pull, or stretch. This will allow the yarn to settle deeply into the knit and not be easily pulled out later by simple daily stretching of your scarf. Once you've done this, you can snip off the end of the now hidden yarn.

Embossing Bliss!

2008-12-31T16:53:00.000-08:00

CRAFT SHARE!

There is no joy in my heart like the joy of embossing. I never grow tired of setting the heat gun to the powder and watching it melt into a glorious foil or wet-paint-like finish. It amazes me every time. Geeky, I know- but if you remember the first time you saw that powder run, you know just what I'm talking about. It makes me want to emboss my entire living space, my closet of clothes, my furniture, my friends...

This holiday season I will once again observe my tradition of sending New Year cards rather than Christmas cards. At some point I realized that I liked sending cards out after the new year. I like starting the year off by reaching out to friends and family. I like the idea of sending a card to someone after all the holiday madness has died down and it's just cold, lonely January. Really, how often do you just get a card or letter in the mail these days? It's a dying art, letter writing.

So this year I am not sending handmade cards, but I did want to personalize them. I did this by embossing the fronts of the envelopes in gold, red, and robin's egg blue. I'm also going to make some stationary for my grandmother.

If you don't know how to emboss, it's easy!! Here's what you'll need and how it works:

You'll need:
*Embossing ink pad
*Embossing powder
*Rubber stamps
*Heat gun
*Paper or other surface to emboss

How it works:

1) To start, cover your rubber stamp with embossing ink. For larger stamps, make sure you have a raised embossing ink pad so that you can cover the entire stamp with the ink.

2) Stamp the image onto your paper or surface to be embossed. The ink is clear but slightly tacky, so you should see an impression of your image.

3) Sprinkle enough embossing powder over the stamped image to cover it sufficiently. Make sure the image is well coated with powder, then lightly tap off the excess powder onto a piece of scrap paper. (Use this scrap paper to funnel the remaining powder back into the container for future use.)

4) Carefully wipe or lightly blow any excess powder away from the image, paying close attention to the details.

5) Once the image appears exactly as you want it, get ready to heat set! Turn on your heat gun and hold it carefully over your image (start at about 6-8 inches away). You will see the surface of the powder start to "melt" into a smoother texture. Move the heat slowly around the image until all of the powder is evenly melted. Do not hold too close or too long as this can cause scorch marks.

6) Set embossing aside to cool for at least one minute or until cool to the touch.

So easy and so impressive!!

Cookie Candy Canes (aka Polka Gris Pinnar)

2008-12-28T14:11:00.001-08:00

RECIPE SHARE!

The first time I made these I made them from scratch, but the store-bought cookies dough works well, too. Since I was kind of making the idea up and didn't really have a recipe, I learned that the more candy cane you use-the better! Actually, the more candy cane you use, the longer it may take to bake the cookies since the candy melts into a liquid. But it's well worth it!

1 package sugar cookie dough
1 box candy canes (8-12)
*1-2 tablespoons butter* *optional

Soften the butter and the cookie dough.
Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or no-stick spray.
Crush the candy canes to a fine powder, leaving plenty of small course pieces for looks. This can be done in a coffee grinder, with a mortar and pestle, or by placing them in a ziplock bag and crushing them with a hammer or other blunt object.

Add the candy canes (and butter) to the dough and mix throughout.
Bake on the lower side of the package directions (i.e. 8-10 minutes if package says to bake 10-12 minutes).
Take out of oven when puffy and white and let cool until cookies centers sink to a flatter appearance.

Roll each cookie up like you would a cinnamon roll, folding one edge slightly over onto the cookie and then continuing to roll in that direction until you have a "straw".
If cookies are still very soft, place back in oven for the additional 1-2 minutes, but don't overbake them. The chewy texture is what makes these so special.
Remove, let cool, and enjoy your extra chewy cookie candy canes!

Soap-pourri (harhar)

2008-12-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

IDEA SHARE!

*Put a bar of homemade soap in a small organza bag (drawstring bag of fine, breathable, mesh-like material).

*Fill the bag with dried herbs and zest (i.e. cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange zest, anise star, lavender, chamomile, etc.).

*This makes a nicer presentation of the soap; and when the recipient takes the soap out to use, they can leave the pretty little bag of herbs on the countertop as a potpourri.

Rubber Stamp Inquiry

2008-12-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Combing over the selection of rubber stamps at the local craft stores always inspires ideas. But the last time I was there I saw some stamps that baffled me. When I think of buying a rubber stamp, I'm thinking of how versatile it is; How many times can I use it, and on how many different projects?

Who buys the oversized cartoon stamp that says,"I'm smiling because you're my sister. I'm laughing because there's nothing you can do about it." It would seem the creator/purchaser of the stamp is planning on sending his/her sister the same birthday card every year for the rest of her life. Or maybe he/she is planning to taunt her on a daily basis, crazily stamping the same image and phrase on every surface in the house- windows, walls, plates, toilet-until the sister is driven mad. That, or he/she has an endless supply of sisters. Creepy.

I don't know. I just can't see buying a pricey stamp that doesn't have reusability appeal.

Screen Printing tips

2008-12-27T22:36:00.001-08:00

TIP SHARE!

Tip 1. BURN TIME

The time it takes to burn a screen with a photo flood light bulb is about 6 minutes at a distance of 18 inches. Closer/longer can cause over-burning- a mistake from which there is no salvation. The emulsion should rinse easily off of the screen. Using the soft side of a sponge for detailed areas can be helpful, but if you find you're using the scrubby side and having to put your back into it, chances are you've over-burned your screen.

Tip 2. TAPING THE SCREEN

When taping the borders of your frame, try taping on the inside where you'll use the paint. It keeps paint from sneaking into the cracks, which can make cleanup a lot messier and more time consuming.

Normally I use clear packing tape to tape of unwanted portions of the screen, but after being stuck with duct tape the last time i had some realizations. Duct tape is good for re-use. During my last session I was able to peel and re-stick several times, which saved both time and tape. Once packing tape is wet and pulled off the screen, you pretty much have to toss it and tape anew. The only thing to be careful of is that duct tape is so sticky off the roll it could potentially tear some emulsion and/or screen. A couple of swipes across an arm, palm, or even shirt will lessen the stickiness just enough. It's still sticky enough to tape- and re-tape!

TIP 3. WORK WITH A DRY SCREEN

After rinsing one color of paint from your screen, allow enough time for the screen to dry completely before moving on to the next color or design. Even a tiny bit of dampness can cause running and loss of detail when pressing the paint through- especially if you're already working with a thinner paint. Working with two screens help relieve the "watched pot" syndrome while waiting for a screen to dry. While one is drying you can be working with the other one and vice-versa.

A Homemade Christmas

2008-12-26T08:20:00.000-08:00

Let this be a reminder that deciding to have "a homemade Christmas" requires time- lots of time.

Let this furthermore be a reminder that the idea of having "a homemade Christmas" for the purpose of saving money is something of a farce. Buying supplies can get pricey.

And then there's the pressure. Let this be a reminder that if one is hoping to enjoy the magic of the season, one must:
a) allow plenty of time for the purchasing, creating, messing up, and remaking of homemade gifts,
b) not decide to try out a lot of new crafting ideas hoping for the perfect result on the first try, and
c) maybe not try to do completely different crafts for everyone on one's list, but rather decide that everyone that year should receive the same type of craft, or at least one of two to three pre-chosen crafts.

My projects this year included:
Soap and potpourri making
Screen printing
Sewing and stuffing herbal sleep pillows
Re-covering the inside of a knitting basket
Knitting
and Baking

This was decidedly too much. Luckily the soap had to be done early and I've made it before, but as for the rest... Well, I've never even used a sewing machine. My husband ended up making the herbal sleep pillows the night before and doing a much better job than I could have. Screen printing also got left to the night before, and had I not anticipated failure and made an extra screen, I would have been S.O.L. Baking was pushed back to the moment the dessert table was being set and knitting was cancelled altogether. Re-covering the basket was completely out of my league. I ended up ripping out everything I'd done, taking it to my mom, allowing her to do 99% of what got done, and still presenting a work in progress to my sister for Christmas.

She didn't mind. Her homemade Christmas was going the same way. The present she was making for me got ditched after a mod-podge substitution gone horribly wrong. The box of make-your-own-candles she bought sat in her room collecting dust. I helped her screen print a number of shirts the night before the gift exchange, and during her down time she was painting bird houses- something she was forced to enlist the help of my dad to get finished. She stayed up until six in the morning, pressing flowers into picture frames and who knows what else.

My dad had long since wrapped all of his store bought gifts and put them under the tree and was happily relaxing and enjoying some Christmas cheer.

As for my mom's homemade Christmas, well, all the gifts I saw were store bought. The pot holders we were all supposed to get as gifts didn't even make an appearance at the gift opening celebration. But then, she had started that knitting basket re-covering project of mine, and that particular project has really put her in the lead to be fair.

To sum up, I'd just like to remind myself that Christmas is still not about the gifts. This year I was trying to get that point across to myself, but it ended up sounding more like, "Christmas is about making gifts, not buying them- but if you don't have time/money/can't/don't want to make them, then you should waste even more time and money running around looking for meaningless store bought gifts to impress them, then return half of that when you realize what you've spent and stay up all night the night before trying to make last minute presents that you should have made weeks ago."

Possible solutions for next year include:
Starting earlier
Drawing one person's name to give a gift to
Not giving gifts

I have a whole 364 days to think about it.