Urban Comfort

Off the Boards: Shibori 101 Roundup

Just crickets around here, but I've been going over old territory lately, cooking things I've already shared and making a ridiculous number of paper flowers, which you've also heard enough about even if I'm hopelessly, hopelessly obsessed. I've even had to pack up my supplies until I've met my work deadlines. They're just too much of a temptation.

But I can never fully abandon new projects, especially when I'm supposed to be working, so I finally broke out my indigo tie dye kit, rounded up all the tutorials I'd pinned on Pinterest, and gave Shibori 101 a go. I'm so glad I did! It was easy and a whole lot of fun (and a great way to procrastinate when you're struggling to get into the Christmas spirit in June). 

For my first effort, I tried hard to just let go, keep it loose, and see what happened - which was exactly what I needed creatively. I'm sure on my second round that I'll get more particular with my folding and placement, but that's one of the things I like about Shibori so much - the option to be either precise or imperfect, yet still achieve something interesting either way. 

If you haven't tried it yet, it's a great summer activity and certainly a trendy one at that. It's also economical and a good excuse to get your girlfriends together for an afternoon. Here are some of the tutorials from my Pinterest boards as well as a few of my observations along the way:

 

1.  You can follow any of the tutorials for folding and get an approximation of that design. If precision is really important to you, you'll do better by ironing your folds flat and making sure that each layer is exactly the same size, meaning that an equal amount of fabric will be exposed to the dye in each layer. if you're less precise in your folding, you'll find greater concentrations of dye in some areas and less in others, making for more of an organic design. 

2.  If you buy a tie dye kit, it comes with small pieces of wood and rubber bands. But you can buy additional pieces of balsa wood from craft or hardware stores and cut your own pieces. This will increase the range of patterns you can make and allow you to fold multiple pieces at once. Also, use what you have on hand. Binder clips, clamps, rubber balls, marbles, etc. All will lend themselves to interesting patterns.

3.  When you're dyeing your pieces of fabric, do one piece at a time and don't let it settle to the bottom of the dye vat. Instead, hold the fabric just under the surface of the dye (you don't want to create splashing, which will introduce oxygen to the dye vat and shorten its lifespan) and gently manipulate it with your hands so that the dye gets to all exposed areas of the fabric.  

4.  I dyed my pieces anywhere from 3-7 minutes, with 5 minutes being my most used time.

5.  Heat set your dry, dyed fabric pieces with a warm iron, then wash them in cool water with a mild detergent such as Woolite. Conversely, if a piece turns out darker than you wanted, wash it with a mild detergent before you heat set it. This will cause a bit of fading. Another note about color - the wet shade of the dye will be much darker than it is when dry.

6. Make sure you use gloves (and I suggest long ones) and that there are no holes in them. I can tell you from personal experience that it takes about 3-4 days to remove indigo dye from skin and seems to be permanent on nails (judging from my single nail that was dyed a week ago). 

7. Lastly, you need to use natural fiber fabrics for this, cotton being the most popular option. But I loved the technique on linen. Buy some to experiment with after you feel comfortable with the process. Gray Line Linen has economical, nice quality linen in a variety of weights and is available by mail order if you're not in the NYC area. 

 

Tutorials:

DIY Shibori from Honestly WTF

DIY Shibori Designs 4 Ways from Design Sponge

Hand Dye Coordination from Kinfolk

Make It Happen: A Shibori DIY from Anthropologie

Indigo Tea Towels from Francois et moi

Itajime Shibori Process from Kaizen Journey

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Simple Snack with Homemade Strawberry Jam

Strawberry season comes earlier in Louisiana than the rest of the country. Just when it nears the end and I'm finally in step with spring, I end up scrambling to pick the last of the harvest. Which is exactly what a friend and I did a few weeks ago, batching those berries into countless jars of jam (and if you're going to make 6 batches of jam after a day of picking, I highly suggest the company of a good friend). 

I love this particular recipe from the cookbook, Dam Good Sweet.  It's the second year I've used it, and I find it more complex than your basic strawberry jam. There's just enough citrus to brighten up the flavor and not so much sugar that it's cloyingly sweet.

I have more than one friend who simply eats it with a spoon, like candy.  But my favorite way to enjoy it is with goat cheese and Triscuits (after a side-by-side comparison, I like the Reduced Fat version best with this). It's a heavenly snack, even better when shared with friends. 

PONCHATOULA STRAWBERRY JAM

Adapted from (and courtesy of) DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style [Taunton Press, 2009]  [cookbook by David Guas and Raquel Pelzel]

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered
3 1/4 cups sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons pectin

Directions 

Place a small ceramic or glass plate in the freezer. Place the strawberries in a large pot and, if desired, mash the berries a bit with a potato masher. Add 3 cups of the sugar and the lemon zest to the strawberries and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, folding the strawberries and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a simmer, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the pectin with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Add the pectin mixture to the strawberries and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 220ºF, another 30 to 35 minutes (note that the jam will stay at around 217ºF for what seems like an eternity - be patient, the temperature will rise, so stick with it), skimming the foam from the top and stirring every so often. Take the plate out of the freezer and spoon a small dollop of jam onto it. The jam should set up semi-stiff, and when you run your finger through it, the trail should not run back together immediately. If it does, keep cooking. If it doesn't, turn off the heat and let the jam sit for 10 minutes. (This helps ensure that your berries don't float to the top of the jam jar.)

Fill a large stockpot or canning pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the jars, lids, and bands, and simmer for 10 minutes. Use tongs to remove the jars, bands, and lids to a clean kitchen towel. Once cool enough to handle (but still warm) fill the jars nearly full with strawberry jam, leaving a 1/2-inch space at the top. Screw the lids on.

Add more water to the pot if necessary and bring to a boil. Place a canning rack in the pot and set the filled jars into the rack. Boil the jars for 10 minutes (the filled jars should be completely covered by the boiling water). Using tongs, remove the jars and place on the kitchen towel. If refrigerating, be sure to cool the filled jars for a few hours first. Unopened, the jam will keep in a cool, dark place for a few months. After opening, try to eat the jam within a week or two.

Makes five 8-ounce jars

 

Tips:  

Even when using small strawberries, I prefer that they be mashed into smaller pieces. But if you like to keep the fruit whole in your jam, simply quarter the large berries and leave small and medium berries whole. The whole berries will stay suspended in the jam and disintegrate into a schmear when you spread it.

The cooking temperature in the original recipe specifies 220ºF to 222ºF. However, I start checking it at 218ºF. I found some of my batches were ready at 219ºF, but most often, 220ºF was perfect. Anything beyond that was overcooked. (For tips on canning 101, I find this post to be helpful.)

You may not want to put the effort into homemade jam. But you can still experiment with store bought - try mixing in finely grated lemon zest to taste. My favorite tool for grating citrus is my Microplane Zester.

 

Thank you to chef David Guas for sharing this recipe. 

 

Making Paper Flowers

In the midst of the hustle and bustle these last few weeks, I’ve been making flowers. Every day, a flower in the morning with a cup of coffee, a flower before bed, a flower in the stolen moments between those bookends of time.  It’s the most focused I’ve been in a long time. Something has clicked into place. It’s a meditation, even while an act of utter frivolity.

I haven’t finished them or made leaves or attempted to coax them into perfection. I just make them, plunk them into glasses strewn around my house. I will get to the details later.

My brain is busy, already thinking beyond the confines of instruction and books. I’m learning, technique and process, but my spirit is already in the garden, thinking about what I can recreate.  It’s beyond rhyme or reason. For now, just simple medicine.

 

**I'm making flowers based on instructions from The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers by Livia Cetti

Blackberry Dye

Three times in the last month I've been to the woods where the wild blackberries grow. I've learned one thing about myself during these outings - if I see a berry that's ripe, it's impossible for me not to pick it. Impossible. So we eat some and my husband makes batches of blackberry shrub to enjoy in winter cocktails, but then I still find myself with leftovers. 

With the luxury of abundance, I opted for some experimentation outside of the culinary. I've been curious to see how blackberries work as a natural dye (since they stain your fingertips so well) and these were so juicy and almost overripe that they were begging to be used. The process was easy and the resulting color is just divine. 

I used the dye bath for a yard of linen (you must use natural fibers or the dye won't take) and I dip dyed sheets of watercolor paper as well (good for gift tags). Here's the process, very simple and so gratifiying. 

Blackberry Dye

Prep:  When working with berries, you will need to prep your fabric with a salt fixative. I used 1 cup salt and 16 cups of water (you can cut this in half if you're dyeing a smaller piece of fabric). Combine them in a pot and bring to a boil; stir to dissolve the salt. Put the fabric in the pot of boiling salt water and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove fabric and rinse with cold water.

 

 

Dye Bath:  You'll find various recipes and ratios for natural dyes, along with varying times for dyeing, but this is what I did to achieve the color that I did. Experiment for other shades.

3 cups of berries
6 cups of water

Combine in a pot, mashing the berries to release as much juice as possible. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes. (I read here that too high of a temp would release tannins from the berries and give me a more "tannish" color, which is not what I wanted.)

After 30 minutes, strain the berries out of the dye bath and return the dye bath to the pot. Place the wet fabric in the warm dye and agitate it with a spoon for 15 minutes (to get the color shown here. For deeper colors, you'll need to leave it in the dye for longer periods). After 15 minutes, my fabric was a raspberry color, but after washing the fabric with cold water and Woolite, I was left with the delicate color shown below.

 

To dip dye watercolor paper, I just stood a sheet of paper in the (now cooled) dye bath and let it stand for about 30 minutes to get the color here. If you let it stand longer, the color will turn more of a bluish purple. 

Great Resource for Linen:  Gray Line Linen (graylinelinen.com).  I used the open weave linen (Style #8064) in white. It retails for $9.50 a yard.

 

Inkodye Sun Print & the Inkocap Roller

It's been so quiet here, and yet my life has felt so full. It happens to me sometimes, the need to go away and do things without documenting every moment for public consumption. But then I get excited about stuff and I want to share and well, I come back. 

Yesterday was a good day. I set out with my husband just after my son went to school. We were in search of wild blackberries, which we found in plentiful supply, but first was the discovery of mulberry trees (and mulberries that begged to be picked), then photos to take and nature to enjoy. I snipped a few graceful, leafy sprigs to make sun prints with before the day turned cloudy. By early evening I had a new piece of artwork on my mantel (which is constantly changing) and blackberry cobbler in the oven. My kind of day. 

I tend to have a wide variety of craft supplies on hand, not just because it's my profession, but because I want the freedom to be spontaneous, before the moment disappears. I had a few bottles of Inkodye sitting around, waiting for spring, and I also had a kit the kind people at Lumi sent last year. It was a classic kit with a new tool - the Inkocap Roller. That roller, it changes everything! 

The hard rubber roller attaches directly to the bottle cap, with the Inkodye distributed out of a small hole in the cap. It eliminates waste and cuts my application time in half, at least. There's also very little cleanup, just removal of the roller cap and a quick rinse. If you're at all interested in using Inkodye, I can't recommend this little gadget enough. It'll allow you to make faster prints, making each session more productive. I thought it also helped me get more even coverage during application, which is helpful.

I was dissatisfied with some of my earlier botanical sun printing techniques, so I decided to shake it up a bit. I wanted a more moody, ephemeral feel, so instead of using pressed leaves or placing Plexiglass over my designs to weight them down, I focused on printing some areas sharply while allowing others to be less defined.  I love the results of this process, more organic, less structured. 

Yes, I should have taken a photo of the process, but it was breezy with the cloud cover starting to roll in, and there was a lot of moving around in search of light, so this is not the step-by-step tutorial you might have appreciated. But still, it's pretty simple and you can see some of my other tips on working with Inkodye here and here.

Basically, I applied the Inkodye (using the roller cap) onto a piece of white cotton muslin that I taped to a piece of smooth plywood (directly onto the wood, so use a scrap piece that you don't mind dyeing). Then I arranged my sprigs on the fabric, tacking down some of the leaves with short dressmaker pins with a flat head (longer pins are likely to cast a shadow beyond the leaf and then you'll see them in the final print). I used about 6 pins, concentrating mostly on the leaves around the edges so that I'd have some basic structure to the print. Those leaves print the sharpest, then gradually fade as the other leaves allow more light under them.  After about 7-10 minutes exposure (since I was dealing with variable lighting), I washed the fabric until all the excess dye was removed, then let it air dry. To finish it off, I wrapped my fabric around a 16-x-20-inch canvas frame and stapled it to the back.

All in all, a super easy project. Oh, and before I forget, more good news! Lumi has finally released new colors. They were on hold, trying to work out some manufacturing issues. But the old colors are back, along with a couple of new ones, I think. I especially like the new black. It's less blue than the old version. In some light, you see a bit of a navy tone, with dusky lavender/purple tones in some of the shadowy areas. It's really beautiful. I liked the last black as well, but this version feels deeper and richer.

So fun!  I have a million different things I want to print. Have I mentioned how much I love springtime?

Mother's Day Gifts from Uncommon Goods

Whenever I ask any of my mom friends what they want for Mother's Day, they usually tell me they want a day off, an opportunity to sleep in, or a massage (which also, conveniently, gives them an hour to themselves). While all of that sounds good in theory, when it comes right down to it, it's the sentimental gifts that move me the most, reminders of this particular journey I've been lucky enough to embark upon.

It also helps if those sentimental gifts are unique, which is where a company like Uncommon Goods comes in. As a maker, I can't help but appreciate the wide range of artisan made products. Add an underlying message or a compelling bit of symbolism and you have a meaningful gift that transcends the ordinary (and lasts a whole lot longer than that massage).

Here are some of my sentimental favorites from Uncommon Goods' Mother's Day Collection, found here:

The necklaces have it this year, with lots of options to choose from, at all different price points (Clockwise from top left). Click on image to enlarge.

1. The Mother and Child Necklace - I have moments when my son surprises me by slipping his hand in mine. I dare not call attention to it because I know the moment is fleeting, less certain as he gets older. This necklace is a nice reminder of those times, linked together, whether it's just the two of you or a whole brood of three.

2. Nest Egg Necklace - This is one of those under-the-radar sentimental gifts, since birds are a classic theme. But I love the surprise of the Peruvian opal "eggs" hiding inside. You can get it with up to 4 eggs.

3.  Latitude Longitude Pendant - This is another one of those secret gifts that look cool, but are privately meaningful. Choose the place of conception or birth, a favorite spot you share with your children, or just to commemorate a single, meaningful day out of many. The options are endless.

4. Motherhood Necklace - Maybe once upon a time you wished upon a star, for a baby of your very own. Commemorate that wish come true with a necklace that depicts the Big and Little Dippers, the story of a mother and child whose love was so strong that it was written in the stars. 

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For other gift ideas (Mother's Day or any other upcoming occasion), also check out this page for their large collection of handmade gifts.  I don't know if this A Tree Grows necklace could be considered a sentimental gift, but give me some time and I'll come up with the symbolism to make it work. Lovely!

 *This post was sponsored by Uncommon Goods, but all product selections and opinions are my own. 

 

DIY Floral Decoupaged Tray

It wouldn't be springtime for me without flowers, even if it's just in craft form. So this weekend I decided to reinterpret a floral painted wooden bowl from Mexico that I'd taken note of in a friend's country house last year. Inspired by the design, I decided to make a papier-mache version using a manufactured base and floral cutouts from a sheet of gift wrap designed by Rifle Paper Co. The flowers are lush and bold, girly but grown-up.

This is an easy gift to make for Mother's Day and you're certainly not limited to a tray, or even papier-mache for that matter. It's also the kind of project that you can make all your own, whether it's choosing a different background color or in the way you arrange or cut out the florals. I took some creative liberties in layering, adding additional leaves, buds, or berries when I wanted to fill out an area - which is half the fun because ultimately, you create a one-of-a-kind piece for whichever one-of-a-kind woman you're celebrating (even yourself).

Here's how to make it:

 

Materials:

• Papier-mache tray (see Resources below)
• Floral gift wrap (see Resources below)
• Fine-tip scissors and/or X-acto knife
• Spray primer (in black)
• Mod Podge in Matte finish
• Flat paintbrush to apply Mod Podge
• Gold leaf sheets, gilding adhesive, narrow flat paintbrush, small stencil brush, and cotton gloves (optional)

Directions:

Step 1:  Using the fine-tip scissors, cut out floral elements from the sheet of gift wrap (I ended up using 4 larger cutouts, along with a number of smaller pieces, such as individual buds, berries, and leaves). For small interior cuts, use an X-acto knife. 

 

Step 2:  Spray paint your papier-mache base with 2 light coats of black primer (I use black primer in place of black paint because it dries very quickly and seals the papier-mache without raising the grain on it.). Set it aside to dry.

Step 3:  When the tray is fully dry, arrange the floral cutouts on the surface (if necessary, go back and cut additional elements from the paper and layer as desired). 

Tip:  It helps to take a photo at this point for reference, since you'll need to remove all of the pieces in order to decoupage them onto the surface.

Step 4 (not shown):  Usually, when you decoupage cutouts you apply decoupage medium to the cutout itself. However, if you want to apply the floral cutouts in their entirety instead of cutting off stems and leaves and decoupaging those separately, I suggest brushing the Mod Podge over an area of your tray (larger than the cutout you're applying) and then placing the cutout onto the wet tray. Smooth out any air bubbles with your fingers (Should you have difficulty working out wrinkles or air bubbles, brush Mod Podge over the cutout and use your fingers to continue working with the cutout while it's still wet.)  Repeat this process until you've covered as much of the tray as desired.  Set aside to dry.

When the first layer of Mod Podge has dried and all the cutouts are glued in place, go back over the entire tray with a thin, even coat of Mod Podge. Do the same on the back side of the tray.

 

Step 5 (optional):

If you want to create a gilded edge, brush a thin layer of gilding adhesive along the flat edge of the tray. Let it dry until tacky (about 15 minutes), then press a sheet of gold leaf along the edges of the tray. Let it dry for about an hour.

 

When the gold leaf has dried, use a small, stiff stencil brush to remove the excess leaf (you can save the flakes for future projects). With a cotton gloved fingertip, rub over the edge of the tray to make sure all gold leaf is adhered.

 

The original inspiration, above.  Finished papier-mache tray, below.

Resources:

Papier-mache tray from DCC Crafts   (other tray shapes available) 

Mint floral wrapping paper, available at Paper Source

All gilding supplies from Martha Stewart Crafts for Plaid, available at Michaels 

All other supplies available at most craft stores

 

Black not your thing? Here's how this floral looks against a pale background (Martha Stewart Crafts paint in "Cloud" with a gold painted rim). The great thing about this particular paint color is that it almost exactly matches the background paper, allowing you to include things like the berry clusters, which can't be cut out individually. Just cut around the whole cluster. You'll barely notice it in your finished piece.

I think these florals would also look beautiful against a soft white background with a gilded edge. A completely different vibe than the black.

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway Winner

The random number generator selected "2" this morning, which means that Jan Vallar is the winner for the Exquisite Paper Flowers book givewaway.  I hope everyone else will secure a copy for themselves immediately. You won't be disappointed!

We're on spring break this week, so I'm going to spend some time with my son and dip into a creative project or two. I'll be back here next week.

Tim's Real Easter Basket Grass

Aesthetically, I've never been a big fan of colored plastic Easter grass. Even as a child it was simply at odds with my personality (and I may have wondered why the Easter bunny couldn't just tone it down a bit). As I've gotten older and more interested in eco-friendly solutions, I've turned to natural shredded wood as filler.  But this year I have a new option, one that feels more organic to the Easter season and works both environmentally and aesthetically.

Consisting of organic, field grown Timothy grass, Tim's Real Easter Basket Grass is grown and harvested on 124 acres of hay fields along the Connecticut River in Canaan, Vermont. Naturally fragrant, this is a filler that will remind you of being on a farm, not inside a chemical plant. (I suspect the Easter bunny will like it a lot better, too.)

There's a generous amount in every box, enough to fill several baskets. What you don't use can be added to your compost or used to line animal cages. It's not necessarily meant to be kept - it's generally harvested and boxed just before shipping out to customers - but if you're feeling thrifty, you can save leftovers until next year. Just make sure you store it in a cool, dry place. 

Have a very happy Easter!  (And don't forget, the giveaway for Livia Cetti's The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers ends at midnight tonight.)

**Tim's Real Easter Basket Grass is sold at Whole Foods in 31 states. For other vendors, check here.

 

 

Waterlogue

After a busy weekend of too many parties, I found I wasn't quite up to creating Easter projects yesterday, so I settled for the bi-annual purging and organizing of my son's room. Something mindless but productive. It's all good in theory, but about halfway through. the tedium starts to burrow a little hole in my brain and I look for the nearest escape hatch - you know, just a 15-minute break. Well, that 15 minutes turned into more like 2 hours once I settled in with Waterlogue, a fairly new app that I've been meaning to play with since it was introduced.

I did eventually finish my son's room, but only so I could get back to playing with Waterlogue. I love this app so much I had to share! I've been looking for a great watercolor app for awhile now, and while I found some decent ones, this is the app I really wanted. It's quick and easy. In fact, it feels like magic. My only regret is not having more photos to experiment with.

It doesn't work with every photo. If you're like me and you like shooting with a very shallow depth of field, the app won't always make the details clear enough (like the water glass that nearly disappears in the image above). On the flip side, if you have a photo that's so-so in it's current state, but lacks a little something to make it a truly great photo (such as flat lighting), the Waterlogue app might just give you something worthy of framing.  I's not going to make up for poor composition, however. Fortunately, that's a skill everyone can achieve with practice.

To use Waterlogue, start with photos that lend themselves well to the watercolor effect. Scenes from nature and travel, portraits, still life. There are 12 different watercolor filters you can use to further customize your work, though I was drawn to the default Natural filter every time. If I were running photos of buildings through the app, I might be more inclined to use some of the others. But the filters are easy to use and you can compare them with your original as you work (something I wish you could do in Instagram). I'm not going to do an entire rundown of the app because I'd rather use this space showing off some of my photos, but you can get an overview from this post at Design Work Life. You can get tips on saving and printing your images here.

Try it out. I think you will absolutely fall in love! You can also post your completed images to your Instagram account or Facebook or just save them to your camera roll. For a limited time, it's available for .99, but I would have gladly paid a lot more. (One note - it requires iOS 7.0 or later and it's compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.) 

Before I forget, for those of you on Instagram, I have finally started using my long dormant account (all that peer pressure from photographer friends marveling at my Neanderthal ways). If you wish to follow along, you can find me here. I'm just getting started with it  - and realizing how dark and murky everything looks. Spring is a great time to lighten things up, but I'm going to have to explore some new filters and apps. (Anyone have a good recommendation beyond Afterlight, or is that all I need?)  At any rate, I'm finding that I like seeing in "squares." Just another way to be creative.

Happy Monday!

 

Still Life ---

Coral Honeysuckle

 

Butterflies and Ferns

 

Still Life with Citrus

 

Grandfather's Blueberries

 

Travel --- 
(Okay, I didn't leave my home state, but it's a place worthy of travel!)

Rural Barn

 

On the Porch

 

French Quarter Courtyard

 

Swamp at Sunset

 

 

Striped Eggs

 

I've done exactly nothing for Easter so far, but first up on my agenda this weekend are these striped eggs from the April issue of Martha Stewart Living. The technique is so simple I can't believe I never thought of it before! If you're less of the organic type and want a clean stripe, this is the technique for you. I think the pearl finish paint is a nice touch, too. 

You make these eggs with blown-out eggshells, which means you can keep them for next year. To make egg blowing easier, I like to use this nifty tool, but you can watch the video on Martha Stewart.com for pointers on using household objects to do it as well. 

Here's how you make the stripes:

Supplies:

Small square cardboard box
Awl or corkscrew tip
Wooden skewer
Blown-out egg with holes centered at top and bottom
Adhesive putty
Paintbrush 
Craft paint

Directions:

1. Cut three pointed notches in one side of the box, as shown below.

2. With awl, punch holes on opposite sides of the box, 1 inch below top edge, as shown.

3. Push skewer in one side of box, then through holes in egg (enlarge as needed), then through other side of box.

4. Knead 2 chucks of putty until soft. Pinch onto skewer and each end of egg to hold in place.

5. Dip brush in water, then in paint. (The larger the brush, the wider the stripe will be.) Hold brush handle in a notch, with bristles resting on egg. Use other hand to turn skewer to make a stripe. Repeat in other notches for more stripes. Let dry.

Resources:  Multi-surface craft paint by Martha Stewart Crafts, available at Michaels

All photos by Burcu Avsar

 

For more Easter ideas, pick up a copy of the April issue on your local newsstand.

 

 

The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers Giveaway

"Who needs another book of paper flowers?" you may ask. You do, because Livia Cetti's gorgeous interpretation of this timeless craft is not to be missed! The materials are humble - mostly tissue paper, bleach, and green paper, but the results are anything but. 

I've followed Livia's work for years, in numerous publications, poring over the photos, wondering at the realism of her craft. Then I saw her flowers in person at John Derian's shop in New York and I fell in love all over again. So when her publishing company sent me a pdf of The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers last year, I was doing a happy dance while struggling not to tell any of you the good news. 

But the secret's out! The book was released today, just in time for spring, and I've already dipped into it with the fritillarias pictured above. They're so sweet and dainty, and they make me just as happy as real ones. I can't wait to tackle the other projects.

One of the materials that Livia uses to create realistic specimens is bleach. I had no idea it would be so much fun, but It's a simple and effective technique that contributes greatly to the finished flower. The fritillarias required hand painting with bleach and a Q-tip, mimicking the faint checkerboard pattern of the real flower. It's that attention to detail that will bring your flower making up a notch.

But enough of my blathering. The best news is that I have a copy to give to one lucky reader! Just comment below and tell me what you think of paper flowers. I'll keep the giveaway open through next Friday, April 18 (11:59 PM PST). The winner will be selected in a random drawing.

Good luck!

More projects from the book:  All photos by Addie Juell

A gorgeous spring centerpiece

 

Not your average wreath (This reminds me of a fabulous Dutch masters painting!)

 

Camellia blossoms - As a Southern girl, I simply can't resist these (or the jasmine vine in the book, either).

 

For more information on Melanie Falick craft books, visit their blog.

Orange Blossom Ice Cream

 

The orange blossoms are nearly spent now, the courtyard awash in a cascade of yellowing petals, the pungent aroma lingering, slowly stealing up through the decay. When inhalation isn't enough to sate the senses, it's time to move on to ingestion. Fortunately such desire isn't limited to the short lifespan of orange blossoms, a fragrant bottle of orange blossom water will do nicely (my favorite is from Mymoune). 

This ice cream is perfect for spring, before desire for the sharper, crisper tastes of summer prevails. Heady, but delicate enough not to overpower. Quite simply, a spoonful of springtime. 

 

Orange Blossom Ice Cream

2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons orange blossom water (or to taste)
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the heavy cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add a little to the egg yolk mixture to warm it, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from curdling. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk mixture, whisking the milk constantly as your pour.

3. Return the custard to the stove and cook it over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove the custard from the heat and pour it through a sieve, into a bowl. Let cool completely.

4. Stir in vanilla extract and orange blossom water.  Chill until thoroughly cold, at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

5. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacter's directions. 

Living Between Seasons

I've got spring fever in my veins and the slightest signs of its appearance make my heart swell with delight. On top of that, I've been aching to jump into some projects with a decidedly springtime feel, but I don't dare. You see, I'm working on a Christmas assignment at the moment and I'm like the horse who needs blinders. One step in the direction of spring and this whole holiday vibe will disintegrate in a heartbeat. Fortunately we've been having plenty of cloudy, rainy, somewhat chilly days to keep me in check. 

But I did take a little detour from my holiday frame of mind this past weekend. A friend and colleague, Brie Williams, was photographing my cousin's house for Garden & Gun.  I tagged along to do the styling and I'm so glad I did! The photographs are so wonderful we almost had to pinch ourselves to believe we pulled it off. I can't wait to share it with you when it hits the newsstand (and tell you more about my cousin in the process). 

It was a long, labor filled day, as most shoot days are, but I stole a few moments to photograph this bowl of Coral Honeysuckle, native to Louisiana, which had just made its appearance in the garden. After the long days of winter, this promise of spring was just what I needed and it cleared my brain fog better than five cups of coffee.  Which makes me realize that I really must hurry up and finish with all of this Christmas business so I can jump into spring with both feet. I'm guessing after the long, dramatic winter that most of the country has experienced, the rest of you feel exactly the same.

Almost there...

 

Coming and Going

I've gotten lost in the rabbit hole of Carnival these last few weeks, something that is nearly impossible to explain to anyone who hasn't lived in New Orleans. Fat Tuesday isn't so much a single day of celebration as it is the culmination of a season of festivities, which can be all-encompassing. It's been fun, but Ash Wednesday can't come soon enough, and I'm not even Catholic. 

At any rate, while I strive to get back to my normal routines, I thought I'd share a Q&A session I did with Shalagh Hogan of the blog, Shalavee. One of the topics Shalagh covers is creativity and motherhood, and all the ways in which they intersect, something most creative mothers grapple with regularly. 

So wander on over to Shalavee and stay for awhile.  I'll see you back here soon!

 

King Cake

It's all about Mardi Gras now. My dining room table is littered with masks in process, the marching bands pass in front of my house for daily practice, filling the air with a palpable electricity. The bleachers have cropped up downtown along St. Charles Avenue, the houses are decorated with all sorts of banners and flags and Mardi Gras lights, and of course there are king cakes piled to the sky in every market and bakery across town.  Mardi Gras is impossible to ignore here, and I dare even the most jaded not to succumb to the excitement. 

But the one tradition that I've always half-heartedly embraced is the king cake. I partake in one or two of them during the season, simply as a nod to tradition, but I'm definitely not passionate about them. There are the cakes that are too dry, overstuffed with creams and fillings to salvage the dry dough. There are the ones that are more sugar and icing than cake, giving me a quick headache. Some are too dense and doughy, better than dry, but simply too much. 

There's a change in the air, though. Over the last couple of years, new king cakes are emerging, with only a nod to tradition and a focus on quality. There's the king cake from Domenica, created by Chef Lisa White, a decadent concoction filled with bananas, mascarpone cheese and pecans, then gilded with salted caramel and edible gold flakes. It's over-the-top, insanely delicious. We had two of them last year and they were demolished within minutes. I was lucky to get a forkful. Alas, the king cake from Domenica is only available to locals.

My other favorite hews closer to the traditional king cake, but less toothachingly sweet, moist, light and wonderful. It's the kind of king cake you can eat for breakfast and not feel guilty (or sick) over. This king cake, created by Sucre, is really the only king cake I want to eat (when I'm not in the mood for absolute decadence). The good news - they ship around the country. Which means, in the words of Dirty Coast, my favorite local T-shirt retailer, you can "be a New Orleanian. Wherever you are."

Order your king cake through the end of the month, right here.

A Season of Women

I've never been one to hang out with the girls, instinctively preferring the company of boys. The boys, they liked me, I liked them, and it was pretty easy to crack their code. Girls on the other hand, they were nuanced and mercurial; they felt like trouble, high seas at high tide. 

As I get older though, it's my relationships with women that see me through the days and months and years. These relationships come in all shapes and sizes, the women in all ages, personalities, and locales. They take up huge chunks of real estate in my heart, gracing and inspiring me, rounding out my sharper edges, bringing the details into focus. It is different than what I share with my husband, but finally, just as necessary.

The pettiness of youth falls away under the weight of a life fully lived. All of us are both less and more than what we were. Sorrows have been endured, disappointments shouldered. There is a certain heaviness that bestows a lightness of being.  My generation of women, we are older now.

There is less competition for the joy in life, an understanding that there's enough to go around, indeed that it's better when shared. We support and hold each other aloft, finally having learned that jealousy eats holes into the very fabric of our being, leaving us less than whole. 

There is more laughter now, more weariness, too. We speak in truth not code, our time too precious for anything less. The fears and weaknesses so carefully shrouded in our youth have become more exposed. There is less judgment now, more compassion for ourselves, leading to more for others. It is often those very flaws that expose the beauty. 

It is a new season for me, this season of women. The timing is right now. So to all of the women who grace my life with their friendship, whether peripherally or in the trenches, I give you my whole heart in this season of love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

DIY Clay Tree Trunk Pencil Holder

If I were brainstorming gifts for my son it's unlikely that a pencil holder would come to mind, but that's exactly what he's getting from me this Valentine's Day and I think he's going to love it. It all started with pottery classes, which I've been taking since September. My son has enjoyed watching my progress, taking particular delight in my mishaps since I am always reminding him that we get better at just about everything through practice. He mentioned recently that if I ever got past being able to make something other than bowls, I should make something for him. I think he suggested something totally ridiculous that I could never make in a million years, but I appreciate his confidence.

At any rate, I had purchased a wood grain texture mat and made a vase to use for the holidays, which I liked a lot and was continuing to experiment with, working to create a more organic, slumping profile that felt treelike. While making a slender vase and working with an unfamiliar clay, it stuck to my work surface, which tore jagged edges along the top. It reminded me of the hollow, jagged cypress tree trunks rising out of the swamps here and so I left the clay exactly as it was. And as I looked at that petite little vase, I thought it would make a cute pencil holder, which made me think of my son who's always looking for a pencil, and then I thought of the book The Giving Tree, which my son still enjoys even though he's moved on to chapter books, and then the fleeting memory of his little finger always tracing the heart outline on the tree in the book...and Voila! It was suddenly the perfect Valentine's gift. The red, personalized pencils I found on the Oriental Trading site sealed the deal. Red is his favorite color and I suspect he'll be very fond of seeing his name in print.

To continue this very long story, the pencil holder pictured here is not the one I'm giving him. His is made out of fired clay. But I thought I'd experiment and see if the technique for making the pencil holder out of pottery clay would work with air dry clay. Turns out, other than the glazing and firing, the process is exactly the same. Which means you can make a pencil holder or a vase or whatever vessel you might like. Just keep in mind that it won't be waterproof. If you want to use it as a vase, you'll need to line it with a glass or plastic container. 

It's also a little more difficult to carve the heart into the air dry clay, but I made my initial carving when the clay was fresh and then went back after it had dried for a few hours and used a wooden skewer to make the carving more pronounced and clean up the raggedy edges. Overall, I think it worked almost as well as the fired version.  Of course, if you have access to a kiln (some studios will allow you to pay just for firing) and some pottery clay you can make a more durable, waterproof version by following the same steps.

Here's how:

 

Step 1: Create a base. Roll out your clay (I used a wooden rolling pin) and use a round cookie or clay cutter to cut out a circle. I often cut it freehand, too, which can give you a more organic shape. Also, I made my base a good 1/4-inch thick since I wasn't sure how sturdy the air dry clay would be.

 

Step 2:  Make slip. What I didn't know before I started taking pottery lessons was that "slip" is the glue that holds clay together. Otherwise, the clay simply won't adhere to itself and your piece will break apart. All slip is, is a mixture of the clay and some water. I found it a little harder to make slip with the air dry clay, but just keep working the water into the clay until it starts to feel sludgy. 

Step 3:  Roll out the clay to form the body of the tree trunk and press the wood grain texture mat into the clay, using your fingers or the rolling pin.  Tip:  You control how much texture the mat leaves by how firmly you press it into the clay. For this project, I made a very strong impression. For the holiday vase I made, I used a much lighter hand so that the wood grain was just barely visible. It's all up to you.

Step 4:  If you wish to carve into the wood grain, this is the point at which I'd suggest doing so (I found it easier to do when the clay was flat). Use what you can find to work with - a toothpick, wooden skewer, etc. Just be gentle at first so you don't push right through your clay. Don't worry if the design looks a little messy, you can clean it up after the clay has firmed up a bit. Also, if you carve your heart in the middle of the clay, you can control the placement of it when you're shaping the clay into a cylinder.

 Step 5:  Trim any excess clay from the bottom edge so it's mostly even.  You can use a clay knife, though the needle tool worked just fine.

 

Step 6:  Scoring.  I use a needle tool (found in craft stores), but you can use a toothpick or something with a sharp tip. Score around the base. This roughs up the clay so that the slip will cling to it, joining your pieces.

Turn your wood grained piece of clay over and score along the bottom edge as well.

Step 7:  Apply slip along the bottom edge of the wood grained piece. (You can use your fingers to smear it on.)  You can see that my slip from the air dry clay is still a bit lumpy, but it didn't seem to matter. 

 

 Step 8:  With the scored base in hand, begin rolling the wood grained piece of clay around the base to form a cylinder.

 Step 9:  When you've finished rolling your clay into a cylinder, trim the excess clay, leaving enough to overlap and form a seam.

 

Step 10:  Score along the edge of the seam, as well as the area on the trunk where the seam will meet. (You can be a little neater than I was here. I had a camera in my hand at the same time.)

 Stand the cylinder up and begin smoothing out the seam with your fingers so it's less linear and chunky.

 

Holding the cylinder gently in your hand, begin to smooth out the bottom as well so that you don't have a seam in the bottom.

This is what the cylinder looks like without further manipulation. It's too top heavy for me, so I'm going to go back and pinch clay from the top to create a rougher edge. I can also manipulate the shape of the opening if I want, just gentle pulling and pushing with my fingers.

This is my cylinder after I've manipulated the clay.  You can see that the heart carving is still very rough looking.

Drying:  I set my clay on a baking rack to dry, so that air can get under the piece at the same time. You can see after a few hours that the shape has started to set and that I've been able to clean up the heart carving a little more (You can also gently sand round edges after the clay is fully dry, using a fine grade sanding sponge.)

Here's the air dry version next to the fired version.  The fired is a little whiter and brighter (I glazed with a Matte Opaque White), but the biggest difference lies in the carving. I suspect with a little practice that could get easier, too.

Finishing: (not shown)  I used a liner paintbrush and some acrylic craft paint to fill in my carving after the clay was completely dry. Once the paint is dry, you can spray it with a clear acrylic spray (a fixative) to seal and protect it. You can find these supplies at most craft and art supply stores.

Resources  

Clay:  I use DAS brand air dry clay.  It's my favorite of all the brands I've worked with. I buy mine at Michaels, but you can find it at multiple online sources, including Dick Blick.

Mat: If you like to work with clay and want to do handbuilding, I highly recommend the SlabMat. The larger size will run you $10 and the clay won't stick. Available from The Ceramic Shop.

Woodgrain Mat:  The Ceramic Shop carries various wood grain texture mats in different sizes. The one I used was purchased from The Big Ceramic Store.

 

Quick & Easy Tissue Dyed Silk Scarf

I didn't mean to disappear for a month. It was an avalanche. Easter eggs, a spring party, and finally, a Halloween photo shoot. There was so much crafting, the more leisurely pace of February is a welcome relief.  A relief I celebrate...by making more things. This time it's Valentine's Day, one of my favorite holidays to craft for. All the red and hearts and sparkle...I can never resist. 

I learned how to dye silk scarves with color bleed tissue at an Anthropologie workshop I went to at the end of last summer. It felt like grade school (in a good way) and our masterpieces were completed in under an hour. One of my favorite parts of crafting in groups is seeing individual interpretations of the same materials. It always feels like magic. 

I was pretty happy with my original scarf that felt like a mix of tie dye and watercolor, but I knew there would be further experimentations, so this time I worked with a more controlled application to see what I would get. The end result is the most beautiful coral pink, with subtle variations throughout, a shade I could never have produced with just one color of tissue. It's perfect for Valentine's Day (or an antidote to winter, the welcoming of spring, Mother's Day, or just because).

The directions below are tailored to this specific design. But once you know the basic technique of layering tissue and silk (which is nothing, really), you can experiment with all kinds of designs. A single pack of multi-color tissue goes a very long way and the scarves themselves are inexpensive. If you're feeling indecisive before you begin, buy an extra scarf and cut it into pieces. That way you can experiment with colors and layouts before you begin. 

 

Choose your colors and tear the tissue into pieces (Think about your pattern to determine how to tear the tissue. Because I was covering the entire scarf and working in a striped pattern, I mostly tore my paper into strips.)

 

Starting at one end of the scarf, begin covering the fabric with pieces of tissue (a single layer of tissue is sufficient unless it's a very pale color, in which case I double up).

 

 Continue adding tissue to the scarf in vertical rows.

 

After a portion of the scarf has been covered, you will fold the scarf so that it covers the tissue layer, as shown below.

 

 

 

Continue covering the scarf with tissue, matching the pattern of the colors to the layer below. Fold the scarf over the second layer of tissue and add the last layer of tissue until the entire scarf has been covered.

 

Once the scarf has been covered with tissue, use a spray bottle and liberally spray the entire area with water. Use your fingers (if you don't wear gloves your hands will get dyed, but can be washed off fairly easily) and work the tissue into the cloth. Gently turn the scarf over and make sure the water and tissue are worked in there as well.

Let the scarf sit for about 5 minutes (or until most of the color has been transferred off the tissue, then begin to remove all the tissue paper (not shown).

 

Once the tissue has been removed, hang the scarf to dry (do not rinse), placing a few paper towels underneath the scarf if it's particularly wet).  You can air dry or use a hair dryer to speed up the process.

 

As the scarf dries you can begin to see the subtle color variations. When the scarf is fully dry, heat set the dye by ironing your scarf.

 

That's it.  So easy, you'll want to make more!  (See this post for a multi-colored approach.)

Resources:  Spectra Bleeding Art Tissue Paper (colorfast tissue will not work); I used this 15x72-inch silk scarf from Thai Silks (other sizes available), but you may find even better deals at Dharma Trading. (Dharma also carries the same bleeding art tissue, which may be a more economical choice if you're ordering the scarves from them.)

Off the Boards

As I've mentioned before, I'm a complete Pinterest addict. Being a visual person, it works for me on all kinds of levels. But with more than 7,000 pins on my boards, I thought it was time to start unearthing the treasures, not just sharing the pretty pictures or inspiration but actually making or doing the things I've pinned. How else do you determine if something really works or if a recipe is destined to become an heirloom? I'm not going to set a schedule to these posts because I'm terrible when it comes to rules and deadlines here. But when I've done a few things that I think are worth sharing, I'll post.

Recently, it's been all about food. There was a lot of holiday baking going on and now it's really cold, so comfort food seems in order. Any of the following recipes will provide just that, a little comfort.

 

Scandinavian Almond Cake

I made this Scandinavian Almond Cake from Outside Oslo more than a dozen times over the holidays. It's super easy and quick to make, perfect for giving, and sure to become a staple in our household, in every season. You can order the traditional almond cake pan from Amazon. I ordered this one and I've been really happy with it.

My Notes:  

1. This version is slightly different than the traditional Scandinavian cake, with the butter being creamed instead of melted. I think this gave it a lighter, moist texture that was perfect.

2. This recipe also calls for an additional 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract over the original.  I had a nice extract from my local Fresh Market and the 2 teaspoons in the recipe were perfect. But if I were making it with a more readily available extract, such as McCormick, I might go with the traditional 1 1/2 teaspoons and see if that's enough. Just comparing them by smell, the McCormick brand seems more bitter than the Fresh Market brand.  

3.  I knew this cake had a reputation for being very delicate and breaking if it was removed from the pan before it had completely cooled. However, I had absolutely no problems. I sprayed the pan with Pam Bakers spray (which I find works better than Baker's Joy), then lined the pan with toasted, ground almonds, as specified in the recipe. I let each cake cool for 30 minutes, then popped them out. It worked like a charm, not a crack to be found.  

Rosemary Butter Cookies

Apparently I've had this recipe from Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies since 2005, but I have to admit, it was this lovely photograph from Cupcakes and Cashmere that compelled me to make them. I am so, so glad I did! I made several batches of these over the holidays as well, and this recipe is a keeper. 

 

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

After all of the holiday baking, I'm happy to spend less time in the kitchen for a little while, at least when it comes to the everyday stuff. This slow cooker Honey Garlic Chicken from Just a Taste takes minutes to prep and it's just as satisfying as it looks. The only note I have is that I needed to reduce the sauce more than 3 minutes. Otherwise, it would have been too thin to cling to the chicken the way it does in the photo. Good, happy food.

 

Stay warm, people.  It's cooooold out there!