Habitat for Humanity Mailbox benefit auction

Finally completely finished with the last mailbox for the auction.

Painted Mailbox for Habitat for Humanity Benefit

New mailbox just waiting for the right bidder. This mailbox was painted using the One Stroke Painting method and will be auctioned off at this years Vernon County Habitat for Humanity benefit. One more mailbox to paint then they can be turned in.

Wedding cookies anyone?

Yes these are cookies that will be eaten at a wedding in Pennsylvania on June 20th, 2009. Five dozen to be exact and each one just a little bit different design than the next. Cookies are hand painted with edible paints - which I will soon be selling on line - along with candy making and cake decorating supplies. I can't wait to share it all with you. The company is a relatively young company from right here in Wisconsin and I am proud to be signing on with them and hopefully I can inspire a few of you to start painting cakes, cookies and cupcakes....yes, I said cupcakes!

First I am going to start you off with a recipe so you can try your hand at making your own fondant. Not only is it better than the store bought brand, but it is less expensive to make and well a lot messier - but in the end - YOU made it.

MARSHMALLOW FONDANT

16 ounces white mini marshmallows (use a good quality brand - don't skimp here)

2 - 5 Tablespoons of water

2 pounds of powdered sugar - again - it pays to use the better name brand for best results.

1/2 cup Crisco shortening - place in a bowl or on a plate near where you will be working.

Place marshmallows into a microwaveable container and add 2 Tablespoons of water. (You can also use a double boiler). Place the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir and microwave for another 30 seconds. It is important that you do the stirring after each 30 second interval as the stirring is what blends the melted marshmallow together. Continue to do this until melted - usually 2 to 2 1/2 minutes is perfect. Place approximately 2/3's of the powdered sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mix.

Now the fun part. Please take of your rings and actually if you are baking for someone else, please remove any jewelry that has stones in them. Grease your hands very generously - do not skimp- palms, back of the hands between fingers and I even do part way up my wrists. Now grease the counter as you will be using it for the kneading process. Now dump the marshmallow and powdered sugar mix onto your counter into a pile. Start kneading as though you would knead bread dough. Now is when you will see why you greased your hands and counter so well. Keep kneading, this batter is sticky at this stage of the game. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and continue to knead some more. If the fondant is sticking to your hands or counter - use a little more Crisco. If your mix is tearing easily it may be too dry and you can add a little more water - but easy does it. A little water goes a long way and if you add too much - well it isn't pretty. Add about a half teaspoon at a time. I seldom use the whole 5 Tablespoons indicated in the recipe. Keep kneading until the dough/fondant is smooth and elastic. It should stretch without tearing. You can roll it out right away - however, it seems to be best if you let it sit overnight if possible. I have used it both ways. Prepare the fondant for storing by coating it with a layer of Crisco, wrap it very tightly in plastic wrap so no air gets to it and then place in a Ziploc resealable bag. Again, squeeze the air out of the bag before closing.

Drilling holes in Wine bottles

Drilling holes in Wine Bottles

You are going to need a good Diamond core drill bits - don't waste your money on the carbide bit from your local hardware store - been there done that and wasted a lot of money and broken a lot of bottles. Core drill bits have a hollow center and cut a circle in the material to create a hole. I tend to use a 1/2" size.

It is important that you use the appropriate speed, as well as low drill pressure and plenty of water for lubrication and you shouldn't have any problems. A hand drill works fine using a starting template and a clay dam - for a few glass bottles. However, an inexpensive drill press is worth the cost if you are going to make a lot of painted/drilled bottles. A drill press makes drilling the bottles fast and easy compared to using the hand drill. Make sure to rinse the bottle out immediately after drilling to keep the particles from drying to the inside of the glass. Once dried it is almost impossible to get the bottle clean.

Use a glue gun with clear glue to adhere ribbons and bows etc. I have learned that I like to use E6000 glue with a dab of hot glue to hold the item in place while the E6000 glue dries. I find that if I use a glue gun alone - you are probably going to have problems down the line. Insert your lights through the hole you just drilled. If you need to reposition lights, use a wire coat hanger (that you have straightened) to move lights around inside the bottle. Experiment with multi color lights, clear and single color lights and find what works best for you and the design. If you are worried that the bottle may get too hot due to the lights and for where you are going to use it, then look for "LED" lights - you will probably need a string of 60 or 100 as it takes a few more lights because they are small - they also cost more, but they create no heat and the bulbs seem to last forever.

Prepping Paper Mache to feel like wood

Question: How do I make paper mache feel like wood?
Answer: To make paper mache feel like wood, follow these steps:
1. Using the best quality boxes, give them two (2) coats of gesso inside and out.
2. Set the oven to 250 degrees, and when it has reached the desired temperature, it off.
3. Place the boxes in the oven and leave them until the oven is cool.
This will 'dry out' the glue and the gesso and harden the paper mache to a consistency very much like wood. People often think it is.
Once this is done, the surface can be sanded, and painted without the problems sometimes experienced with the combination of paper and water-based paints.
Alternative: Try simply substituting an underbody/primer product for the gesso – it works just as well and about one quarter the price. Sealers per se are not as good as any primer (on paper, that is). You can purchase underbody/primer in the paint section of Wal-Mart or Home Depot. Check with a local paint store like Benjamin Moore for advice.

Custom Fused Glass Keepsake Pendant of Infants feet

Custom order your special keepsake pendant for that very special person in your life. This makes a great gift for the new parent, grandparent, godparent, etc. Keychains, Sterling Silver bracelets and other keepsake items available. Glass pendant is approximately 1 inch in size and you can choose from a silver plated or gold plated finding. Pendant comes on an adjustable black cord. A good quality digital file will need to be sent to me at time of order for the second kiln firing. Image will not fade or wear off.

Handpainted Sugar Cookies wiith Oooh Sooooo Sweet Buttercream Frosting

When I get an order for these delectable hand painted Oooh-sooo sweet Sugar Cookies with the homemade sweet buttercream frosting (Lots of butter in this recipe - definitely not low fat) topped off with my homemade Marshmallow fondant, I will not use any other butter other than Organic Valley Butter. I swear it is the best and I could tell the difference every time I tried another brand. Even when I cook with it (and I do that way too often) there is less spatter in the fry pan and the taste is wonderful. Organic Valley adds live cultures to fresh organic sweet cream from pastured cows and let it ripen slowly before churning up small batches. This time-honored style of butter making enhances the inherent sweetness of the butter, while making it even easier to digest. Organic Valley's Cultured Butter is unsalted to protect the cultures and their beneficial microbial flora. If you want flakier pie crusts, fluffier cakes, and tastier cookies then you have to give Organic Valley Cultured Butter a try. I won't use any other butter for my cookies when I know the taste has to be the best. Whether you slather it on fresh baked bread, saute vegetables in it, or melt it for seafood dipping Organic Valley Butter can't be beat!

Is it really Upcycling or Recycling

Based on the definitions below, I am really going to have to go with Upcycle instead of Recycle as my definition for these reclaimed Milk Cans. If Downcycling or recycling is taking a material and making it into a product of lesser quality, then no way, no how, these are not going to be called recycled! That is the end of that - Upcycle - learn the word and Upcycle to beautify!

Upcycling is a component of sustainability in which waste materials are used to provide new products. It is generally a reinvestment in the environment. "Upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value." Per Wikipedia definiton - This process allows for the reduction of waste and virgin material use.

Downcycling (per wikipedia) is the recycling of a material into a material of lesser quality. A clear example is plastic recycling, which turns the material into lower grade plastics. The terms downcycle and downcycling were first used by Reiner Pilz of Pilz GmbH and Thornton Kay of Salvo Llp in 1993, along with the terms upcycle and upcycling.

Aaah....such sweet words in my horoscope - if only they were true...

Although home, family and real estate continue to be a major focus, you're unusually assertive in all your communications with others this week. When you open your mouth, people listen! In part, this is because you won't hesitate to say what you mean and mean what you say. This gives you an edge if you teach, act, sell, train, drive, market or need to persuade others for any reason. (You're unstoppable.) Your money scene is solid this week. Finally, you can take a breather. (Happiness is a positive cash flow and you know it!) Look for ways to make money as well as collect it. Working with groups behind the scenes just might be the ticket. (If at first you don't succeed, believe harder.)