Recent Shop Goodies

I’ve painted galore in January and have finally posted the last newly painted items to Etsy tonight. Whew. Listing the painted stuff is fun, but it gets to be a longish job and one that I tend to put off. I’d rather dream up new designs or paint. But here, for your viewing (and buying) pleasure are a few of the new pieces in The Ring and the Lion, as well as Unwhite Art Etsy shops.

Back to Blogging

I’m back to blogging for a bit after having my blog invaded by WordPress’s horrible ads. They want me to upgrade for $100 to get rid of them, so I’ll probably be moving to a new platform soon. But for now, I do miss blogging, and I’ll put up the posts I’ve been meaning to publish for the last few months.

Candied Oranges

Winter is the time for citrus, at least here in Florida, and it’s fun to try new things with all the oranges I have in my fridge. The Feb issue of Martha Stewart Living had a great recipe for candied orange slices dipped in chocolate—similar to this recipe.

If you like simple recipes (two ingredients!) and eating something that looks akin to a stained glass window slice—all pretty and sparkly—then you should try it too. Besides, with chocolate and orange, it’s really hard to go wrong!

 

Homemade Scarves = Easy Gifts

I am not a seamstress (emphasis on the stress.) But I have enjoyed sewing a straight line on the machine. So much faster than by hand, provided your machine cooperates. And much prettier than my hand-sewing, anyway.

I’ve enjoying finding different kinds of items with a former life and turning them into scarves. Take a look here at some of the different items you can make just sewing straight lines.

 

The Vintage Handkerchief Scarf. (Just line up four handkerchiefs of similar color and size and sew together.)

 

The Pillowcase Ruffle Scarf (Sew two basting stitches down the middle, pull to ruffle, then finish the edges.)

 

The Former Blouse Skinny Scarf (This one I sewed all the cream ruching into. It took forever. I won’t be making one quite like this again.)

 

The T-Shirt Loop Scarf (This one I got in great shape for $1. It was just too short for me to wear. So I cut off the main shirt portion and just handstiched the hem down. I’ll probably need to follow up with some fray check on the raw edge, though, before I wash it.)

There you have it! Four easy styles and only straight sewing required. Have fun making up your own designs with leftover clothes or pillowcases. It’s a lot more fun than dropping $19.99 on one from Target or AE.

 

 

Sorry About the Ads

Guys, sorry about that video ad in my previous post. I was just as surprised as you to see it there. If WordPress keeps this up, I’m moving to my own domain or anther platform. These ads are not a part of my blogging, and I am upset to see that they look as if I put them there on purpose. Apparently WordPress is trying to make everyone move to a paid, Pro version to avoid ads.

Again, I apologize and I’d like to emphasize that I don’t encourage you to view these ads.

Thanks,

Sarah

Work Clothes

My life is full of joyful work. I relish shop days, which are usually Wednesday or Thursdays, set aside to focus on Etsy work. Porcelain painting, decoupaging, photography, and writing all happen in a long, glorious succession as I make a piece, photograph it, list it, sell it, and update my business ledger. Although it’s fun, it’s also work that requires focus. And I can boost my focus first thing in the morning if I dress the part. So on the days I work on Etsy stuff, I also try to don new ensembles that focus on the artsy. Those kind of clothes get me into the crafting spirit.

Peppermint Fudge

Sometimes you wish for the tastiest and prettiest of desserts to be the easiest, and in this case, those wishes have come true. This recipe is one of the simplest and those few ingredients and a bit of time sure are worth it!

Of course, I made a few modifications to the original recipe. No extract or milk chocolate for me. Semi-sweet all the way. I crushed the peppermints quickly by pounding them in their wrappers with a hammer—a few quick taps. Then I unwrapped the crushed mint into  the measuring cup.

Enjoy!