Fake Cupcake Frenzy

Fake Bake Strawberry "cupcake" photo prop

My work area, usually neat with a few scraps here
and there, has been taken over with all sorts of mediums that I normally don't work with.

 Trial, error, eye-rolling, leaving and coming back to the task to try and tackle it again in the hopes of some form of success, this is what it has been like for the past 3 days and these are what I have to show for it.

Now, I don't care who you are, where you are from and what tutorials, videos or advice you use when starting an endeavor such as these faux sweets...  There is something left out from each one that leaves you scratching your head and bagging up some wasted materials and time.
 You still need to find your own way and I am still trying to find my road to near perfection.
   Pretty though - no?  (the smaller ones are ornaments with loops to hang from ribbon)




The pink ones have painted red wooden balls for cherries and a dusting of glitter...

faux strawberry cupcakes

The yellow ones have white plaster dogwood blossoms with yellow centers and glitter...

Fake Lemon Cupcakes and mini cupcake ornaments

And the very first ones I made, have pale blue "frosting" with a dusting of glitter and some clear snowflakes...

Frozen in time - Fake glittered snowflake cupcakes

Some bunny's been busy making wabbits

I am alone quite a bit during the day, I don't chat on the phone or linger over tea and a book (though if I ever get back to it, I'm almost finished with "proof of Heaven" - awesome read)
- most often times you can find me at the sewing machine or (crushing candy) yes, I'm a crushing candy addict...
This past week I was in the sewing room working on some sweets that are not for crushing or for eating.
When I'm alone, I find that I talk to myself and while making these pretty stuffed bunnies, I chuckled while the sewing machine hummed on and said " Shhh,,,,  be vewwy vewwy qwyet.  I'm sewing wabbits" (in my best Elmer Fudd voice)  Yeah, I probably am going a little cwazy.

I've finished several different ones, four are in French postal cloth.
The rest are simple mixed florals.

What I've been doing in my dissappearance...

It gets somewhat discouraging to post to a blog and not have feedback so I go into my own little world and ignore it thinking - if nobody is reading the thoughts or seeing the triumphs and failures then why share.

Needless to say, I have the blog so I'll come back to it for now and update what I've been up to since the holidays.
I made and sold this pretty muted roses rag quilt on Etsy...

And I have since finished a six and a half foot square Spring blooms - colorful "window pane" style rag quilt along with a baby-sized version as well - Both are up on Etsy, hopefully they'll sell soon and brighten up someone's bedrooms with their cheerful and bold colors...






Thoughts of Easter and bunnies entered my mind this year - even before Winter's chill had finished it's visits.  Particularly, Beatrix Potter's Bunnies and animals.
So I printed out my muslins and batistes and stitched up some sweet pillows and even a bunting for a baby's room...  Also on Etsy.




Tried my hand at some piping and love how it turned out.
I'll be doing that more often ;)



Even made some cute little glass magnets in this theme and will be selling those at the local Art Festival this month. I'm nervous - even though I sold some on Etsy already, I'm hoping the locals like them,  I don't really feel like I fit in with the "artist" crowd and want them to feel comfortable having me join them on that day.


I've also listed a metal stamping kit on Etsy incase you know of anyone who may be interested. I used it once as explained in the description over there - and am selling it for less than what I paid plus offering free shipping inside the U.S.  - it is Jeannie 4mm lowercase, with block and hammer.



I've been up to so much more than this - yesterday I went out for an oil change and ended up also getting a tooth surgically removed - fun.  (not)  And today I helped my 14 year old daughter work on some bottle necklaces she's been wanting to try.  I will get a picture of them and put that up here tomorrow if possible.  I think they came out great - she is wanting to sit with me at the festival and sell them but I think she'll sell them all even before the festival to the kids at school.  Very happy she has an interest in cooking and crafting (squee) ...
 OK, I have a few pictures ready from the bottle necklaces she finished.  She's already sold about 5 since listing them on her FB to her friends =)

 

"Trader Joe's-Inspired" - Cookie Recipe

Our nearest Trader Joe's is about a twenty five minutes to a half hour away, so visiting often is not something I get to do.  However, my wonderful mother sent me a TJ's gift card and made my Christmas (smile) One of the items I purchased was a package of Trader Joe's California Thompson seedless raisins.

There were several to choose from, golden, organic etc.  I just got the ones shown and loved the way they felt so soft and plump in the bag. 
 I knew right away that they would not only make a great snack but were definately going into a batch of homeade oatmeal cookies.

   I don't like super flat cookies nor do I like ones that bake up like tiny dry cakes.  I like them to be chewy from day one to the last crumb on the plate. 

Here is the recipe I used:

In your Kitchenaid or large mixing bowl:
2 sticks of softened salted butter *
1 Cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
    = Mix sugars and butter together, then add eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended.
Dry ingredients:
3 Cups Old Fashioned oats (these I place in a food processer and pulse until the flakes are half their size. (few good pulse hits ought to do it - the point is to not turn them into powder but not keep them whole either)
Toss oats into a mixing bowl with 1+1/2 Cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp apple pie spice
(* if you use unsalted butter, use a pinch of table salt in here with the dry ingredients)
Mix all your dry ingredients together, add your raisins (I used 1/3 of the 16oz bag)
to the sugar/butter mixture as well as the mixed dry ingredients and mix until throroughly blended.
Drop by Tablespoon full, onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets and place into pre-heated 350 degree oven in middle rack  - set timer to 8 minutes, remove cookies from oven and slide paper
(cookies and all) onto cooling racks.

I had a TJ's tote to giveaway when I posted this on the 9th -
However, after promoting it on two facebook pages and posting it here, there was not one
single comment or like in three day's time so I have removed it.
Appearently I need a better item to giveaway ;)
(sorry you missed it.)

 

A new FaceBook Page & Fundraiser Fatique...

Well what's not to say?
Wev'e all been there right?
Sewing and gluing, folding, piecing, crafting to the sound of birds going to sleep and then right on up to the morning songs and sunrise....
Pack up the totes, boxes, crates, after what seems like 10 minutes of sleep the night before.
But it's a Fall/Holiday craft show so surely someone is bound to find something you've made that they just have to have -

Fumble for the car keys, grab the to-go coffee mug - one last frantic look through the doorway...
Wait a minute.  Think....    Do I have everything?
Calculator, receipt book, tape, pins, paper, pen-pencil, sweater, money for change, all the totes, bags, boxes ....?

I must. 
So, lock the door and try driving without taking the corners too fast - crap - forgot something, back I go.  Now I'll be late (when will I learn?)

Ok, back on the road, in a bit of a hurry - mind the speed limit but - hurry!
Wha???  Arghhh!  Took that corner too fast - what the heck was that?
Oh I can't wait to see the rear floor of this vehicle when I get there (yay)

Get in and set up, omg, I still need to label all of these?
I thought I had this priced already?!
Wow, this looked better in my head, maybe if I set it up this way....

Ok, come on people, start arriving.
And, they do.
Doesn't seem to matter if it's a slow day or a good crowd.
We ALL have had those days where people barely give your wares and offerings a second glance as they stride right past and even WORSE - when they pick something up and put it back down just as quickly without looking at another single thing you have in your space!

And the day lags on.
You smile as they pass and if you are anything like me, blurt out things like (make me an offer) or (half off) and the insanity just balloons the closer you get to the end of the show as you see other vendors start to pack it in.  Holding on to those last few moments even though you know it's probably a mute point at that hour of the game.

Tired but still smiling, especially at your fellow vendors and crafters - you pack the car lacking the excitement and enthusiasm you'd had when heading out this morning.

You think to yourself about the stock pile of goods you now have and if ANYONE on Etsy, eBay or otherwise, will appreciate your work for what it is.  Now what?  Do you look for another fair/show?
Do you go to bed for 3 weeks occasionally getting up to use the bathroom or grab some pizza rolls and Ben&Jerry's?  Do you load Etsy and have a heck of a sale?

Me?  I loaded Etsy, marked things down and started a facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/NCsewingNOOK

I thought I'd share with you some other folks thoughts and experiences through a link to a wonderful blog that I found when I was discouraged earlier in the year off the heels of - yep - another craft fair.

Check out all the comments below her post as well....  See, you're not alone.  ;)
http://sweetmariesewing.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/learning-from-failure-craft-fair/