New Books!

New Books for Polymer Clay and Jewelery Design!

Oh you have no idea how excited I was when the Purolator man came by and dropped off my books!  I got them on Friday and I ripped open the boxes I received (thank you Amazon.ca!!!).  I am so excited to get into more Jewelery making with Polymer Clay... learning a few things from Donna Kato and her Polymer Clay book and some Sherri Haab jewelery techniques.  I have to say that the little sea urchin rings sold me on the book!

I'm hoping to get a few projects up and running and hey, maybe even completed while I have a few days off work.  I really like the colourful beads that Donna makes and I'm always wondering about different techniques to make the clay look the way it does when so many talented people make their beads and I'm left going... how??? So I figure once I've got a few new techniques under my belt (hey, even figure out how to make a few polymer clay canes.... without them getting warped when I make them smaller..) I would be so stoked.  Maybe get a few more items into my online store... and finally get my Etsy store up and running.

I'm excited to get started and I'm really going to try to make some time to get creative and get the crazy work life out of the way... because that does nothing but make me mad.  So out with the negative and in with the good vibes.... seriously.

Illustration Friday: Asleep ... Part II

Illustration Friday: Topic ~ Asleep

Well I thought I'd be spending a bit more time on creating my little sleeping kitteh in clay... but in total it took about 3 1/2 hours and most of it was for making the green carpet under the kitty.  Each of the little tips of the carpet were hand rolled and made of various sizes... and I did it all while watching Harry Potter, so the time went by and it was a fun little project.

I decided to throw in a ball of yarn that the kitteh played with and then got so tired that she needed a nap on the squishy chair.  I really enjoyed myself making it and gave it to my daughter once I'd snapped a couple of pictures of it. 

My Muse.... Sweet Fluffy Kitteh

Illustration Friday: Asleep

Illustration Friday :: Topic ~ Asleep

I've been wanting to try my hand at Illustration Friday for a while and if you've been reading this blog, you've seen the Illustration Friday icon on the sidebar navigation.  Have I yet had the time to get a little creative with the ideas that come up weekly.... well.... no.  BUT!!!  Today I decided I'm going to do, as I've got a few days off and I plan on enjoying them (and not just spend the entire time cleaning and puttering and generally wasting time until I have to go back to work).  Well, that's the plan anyway.... so I'm going to put together a little clay creation of a sleeping kitteh in a funky chair with some crazy shag carpeting.  Have I ever attempted anything like this before?  Nope.  So it should be fun, challenging and hopefully not too frustrating...


  I put together the illustration in Fireworks and I have to admit since I've been away from doing anything with graphics for almost 3 years.. getting back into it is challenging.... what use to come pretty naturally is SO NOT the case.  I put together the illustration above using Adobe Fireworks.  I love that program.  It just doesn't feel as bulky as Photoshop and Illustrator... and has always been my preference when putting together graphics, editing photos, and general illustrating that have an opportunity to do.  I'd like to get back into making graphics and even trying my hand at creating web templates or something like that.

I'm getting way ahead of myself on that topic... for now I'm going to enjoy making this little clay creation.  Wish me luck!

"Sinful" Cinnamon Buns

So after coming off a pretty successful Homemade Buns experiment in baking I decided that my sweet tooth couldn't be ignored... and what better than to try making some Homemade Cinnamon Buns...mmm.  So this is the first time I've ever tried making homemade cinnamon buns, so I didn't really know what to expect and I did find it a bit of a challenge to find a recipe that didn't involve a bread maker or a big-ass blender with dough attachment thingy.   Blah.  But I did find the cinnamon bun recipe at Cooks.com and it didn't require any equipment I didn't have and apart from waiting for the dough to rise... it was pretty easy.

The recipe:

4 1/4 to 4 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
6 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 recipe Maple Nut Glaze or Powdered Sugar Glaze

Step 1: In a large mixer bowl combine 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour and yeast. Heat the milk, granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup butter and salt just until mixture is warm (120 to 130 degrees) and the butter is almost melted, stirring constantly.

Step 2: Add milk mixture to flour mixture; add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds; scrape sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. (Dough will be soft.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball.
 
Step 3: Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours). (The dough is ready for shaping when you can lightly and quickly press two fingers 1/2 inch into dough and indentation remains.)
 
Step 4: Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half; shape each half into a smooth ball. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes.
 
Step 5: On lightly floured surface roll half the dough to 12x8 inches. Spread with 3 tablespoons softened butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half over rectangle. Roll up from a short side. Seal edges. Make a second roll with remaining dough, butter and sugar mixture.
 
Step 6: Slice each dough roll into 8 pieces. Arrange slices, cut side down, in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Cover; let rise until nearly double (about 30 minutes).
 
Step 7: Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Invert at once onto a wire rack. Cool slightly. Drizzle rolls with Maple Nut Glaze or Powdered Sugar Glaze. Serve warm.
 
Makes 16 rolls.

MAPLE NUT GLAZE:

In small bowl combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup or 1/2 teaspoon maple extract and enough water or milk (2 to 3 teaspoons) for drizzling consistency. Stir in 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans.

POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE:

Combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (about 3 to 4 teaspoons) for drizzling consistency.

FREEZING AND REHEATING:

Bake and cool rolls as directed, do not glaze. Wrap in moisture and vapor proof wrap. Seal, label, and freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat in a conventional oven, wrap frozen rolls in foil. Place in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until warm. Drizzle with your choice of glaze.

 

To reheat in a microwave oven, wrap 2 of the frozen rolls in microwave-safe paper towels. Micro-cook on 100% power (high) for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until warm. Drizzle with glaze.

Letting the dough rise... waiting to knead it

Rolled with cinnamon and brown sugar.  I added some with raisins... yum.

Baked up and now waiting for some powdered sugar icing

Yes... they were dee-lish and completely gone in record time

Yup, they lasted 2 days and they were gone.  They were a hit here and I gave some to my Mum and Dad and they said they were really good.   So two sets of thumbs up on this recipe and if you have the time and feel like getting right back to the basics and making food that is truely done by your own hands - this recipe isn't hard... just a bit of waiting for the dough to rise.  After that part is over with - the fun part for me began.... loved putting it all together and even better when everyone loved them.

Hiding out in the land of Homemade Buns

Wow, I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted here... my bad.  I've been busy creating new beads, pendants, focal beads and just basic faffing around... is that a word?  ANYHOO!  Lately I've been baking like a mad woman.  I'm not sure what it was that made me feel like I just HAD to do it... I just really wanted to make something with my hands and I guess I was a bit fed up with feeling like I was getting nothing accomplished.

The other day I had a wicked craving for homemade buns.  I didn't have to look far and I found a really good recipe from a most unexpected website.  I found it at Expecting Mom... and no I'm not expecting a baby.. just some awesome buns!

Yummy Homemade Buns!

The recipe from the lovely Mom Mom on the Go:

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup of LUKEWARM water
4 TBS sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 TBS yeast
1 TSP salt
4 cups (or so) flour

Now lets get mixing.....

Take the lukewarm water and place it in a nice size bowl. My Mom always said that the bowl should be a special one because the bowl that the dough is mixed in helps make the bread good. I agree with this and so I always mix my bread in my Royal Worcester large mixing bowl. Superstition I guess! Also, make sure the water is lukewarm.....too hot or too cold will make the yeast not work as well. 

With the lukewarm water in your gorgeous bowl, put in the 4 TBS of sugar, the 1/4 cup of oil (vegetable is what I use) and 1 egg. Mix all that together. I use my whisk and get it all good and mixed up. 

Now go get that TBS of yeast and sprinkle it over your mixture. Let it sit for a few seconds and then just gently mix it all together with the whisk. Don't get all excited and kill the yeast mixing it too hard though! Now put the 1 TSP of salt in the misture and gently mix it in again with your whisk. 

Now we are ready for the messy part to start.....so far so good and easy though right?!

Take a cup of flour and pur it in the mixture. Get a plastic or wooden spoon and stir it in. Once it is mixed well add another cup of flour and mix it too. Sounding repetative, but grab that third cup of flour and pour it in there and mix it in as best you can. Ok now you have to ditch that spoon cause it just will not be able to mix well enough anymore.

Get two more cups of flour ready in a measuring cup on the counter beside your bowl. I know I said it only takes cups of flour, but it usually takes a wee bit more than that to make the mixture perfect. 

Add a fourth cup of flour and mix with your hands. You should have a cup of flour still in the measuring cup sitting beside our bowl. Now we are having fun and we are also at the important part. You have to mix that dough with love. Get it all nice and mixed evening and together. You probably have dough stuck to you hands and that is a sure sign that you need to reach over and grab that cup of flour in the measuring cup on the counter and put a BIT in. Do not put the entire thing in. Mix in a bit at a time until the dough is smooth and you can handle it without it sticking all over our hands.You will now when the dough is perfect because it will be smooth as a baby's bum. 

Now put the dough in the special bowl. Put some oil or melted butter, whatever you prefer, into your hand and rub the top of the dough you have placed in the bowl. Cover it with a clean dish towel and let it rise for 15 minutes. 

After 15 minutes go punch that dough down. Pick it up and knead it a bit and it should feel smooth and you might even hear some air pop out of it. Perfect! Now get your non-stick pan out and grab chunks of dough and roll it into smooth balls. Make the top look good, because any cracks will be seen on the top of the bun when cooked. I like my buns smooth! Make the buns whatever size you want. I like to make 12 buns with this recipe because I like a good sized bun. As you have each one ready, place it in your non-stick pan. once all of your buns are in their pan, then get your oil or melted butter again and rub the tops of the buns. 

Now cover the buns with a clean dish towel and let rise for one hour. When you return in an hour, your buns should have grown and look awesome. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degress F and when ready put them in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes. You will know that the buns are ready when the tops are a nice golden brown. Take them out when ready and get them out of the pan and cooling on a cooling rack. 

There you have it.....amazing buns.

 .... She's totally not kidding.  They were substantial - to the point that I only needed one for my lunch.  They weren't heavy but just enough to make me feel like homemade was the way to go and seriously where have the been all my life!  If you give the recipe a try I'd love to hear about it - and I'm sure if you popped by Mom Mom on the Go, she'd love to hear about it too.

Risen to puffy, squishy goodness... now off to the oven!



Fresh out of the oven

So good I just wanted more.. but I was soo full after one