Adorning Schemes

Shameless Plugs: Allison Gold

2012-02-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a fellow New Englander from Cambridge, MA, Allison Gold. She fabulous sketcher and dedicated animal lover!

1. What made you decide to turn sketching into a business?
Well, my best friend, Harry was always really encouraging about my drawings. So, he introduced me to his friend who owns a local art gallery, and that guy put me in a show where I made a sale and also was commissioned a piece of work to do. After that, I figured ''maybe people are interested in my work'' and took it from there! The art show was around 7 months ago at this point, and I finally started selling work on Etsy in late October '11.

2. Have you ever made a "mistake" on a piece and did you solve it or toss it?
This might sound silly, but there is no way for me to make a mistake in my art, it is so abstract and surreal that anything one might consider a mistake usually adds to it or brings me in a wonderful new direction for that piece.

3. Do you sketch from what you see or what you imagine?
ABSOLUTELY from what I imagine. I am inspired by pretty much everything around me, but I don't sketch from what I literally am looking at. What I imagine tends to be a blend of images from the world around me as well my stream of conscientious which seems to be full of abstract concepts and emotions that eventually are conveyed in my drawings. My background is in psychology and I believe that really comes through in my work, as well as my passion for animals and animal rights.

4. If you could be any animal for a day, what would you be?
I'm gonna cheat and be 3 animals during the day. Each of my pets. I have two cats, August and Wesley (brothers), and a dog Bruno-Luke. I would love to know what they're thinking, because their personalities are all completely different so their perspective on what's going on around them I assume would be different. I would give almost anything live in their world for a day!

5. Where can I buy your artwork?
You can buy my artwork on Etsy! I would love the challenge of a custom order, so if you like any of my numerous styles but have a particular theme in mind, I would be more than happy to create a custom piece. I donate 15% percent of my sale proceeds to an amazing farm animal sanctuary out in Santa Clarita, CA called The Gentle Barn. They rescue abused and neglected animals, take them in and heal them both physically and emotionally. They also host groups off at risk youth teens and also disabled people of all ages, to attempt to heal them as well! An amazing organization overall.

Fill in the Blank Friday

2012-02-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

I realize that this fill in the blank was from a week ago but I missed doing it and there isn't one for today so how about I finish off some procrastination?

1. The love of my life is Alex.

2. Falling in love is a breath of fresh air this time.

3. Marriage is a good idea for later.

4. The longest relationship I've ever had was 4 years.

5. The key to a good relationship is fun.

6. I feel loved when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for me.

7. My favorite quote about love is "Love is your favorite food for every breakfast, lunch & dinner" .

To Cook: Potato-less Au Gratin

2012-02-23T16:36:00.000-08:00

Rachel and her husband, Colin, have recently switched to a low starch diet due to health reasons. I am also officially joining my boyfriend as gluten free. As if feeding two GFs and one vegan (now vegetarian due to a cave in on cheese but still refuses eggs) with one plate was hard enough, now we have to do away with lots of flours, rice, potatoes, etc if we want everyone to have a full belly. Thankfully, Rachel and I prove once again to be good schemers.

Note: We did substitute potatoes with turnip and radish. We understand that turnips are still considered a "starch" vegetable which is why this is labeled as low starch. Turnips have much lower starch and only 1/3 of the carbs that potatoes do. Additionally, "Turnips provide an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, manganese, pantothenic acid, and copper. They also offer a very good source of thiamine, potassium, niacin, and magnesium. In addition, they are a good source of vitamin B6 and E, folic acid, and riboflavin." - everythingnutrient.com

Gluten Free Low Starch Potato-less Au Gratin

1 turnip

1 radish

2 Tsp butter

1 tsp flour/thickener (we used sorghum flour)

1/3 cup milk

grated cheese

salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

crushed almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Skin and slice the turnip and radish. Boil in water until slightly soft.

In a separate pan, melt the butter. Whisk in flour/thickener. Add spices.

Slowly pour in milk and a little of the cheese until you have a nice thick creamy sauce.

Fill a dish with alternating layers of vegetables, sauce, and shredded cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Shameless Plugs: Staci Egan

2012-02-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

Hey Readers, meet Staci Egan, a jeweler from the state of Pennsylvania. She creates gorgeous pieces inspired by the nature around her as well as fulfilling custom orders for brides. Not only does she sell on etsy, but she actually owns her own local art store in Boalsburg, PA!

1. What landscapes/foliage do you find most inspiring?
That's a tough question for me. Every season contains amazing moments for foliage and landscapes. I love the beautiful autumnal colors and the bright colored blooms of summer. Snowy mountain tops and Dogwood blossoms - I love it all!

2. What prompted you to open up your own shop locally as opposed to just selling online?
I believe the key to online success is building relationships. Getting out and doing art/craft shows, join networking groups, donating to local charity events. Having an online business is one small piece of the puzzle.

Prior to opening my own shop, I was part of an artist Co-op. That was a great way to "get my feet wet". People like to stop in, see what you're working on and chat. Just a few months ago, I found my dream space in am old historic village. So, I took the plunge and opened my own shop.

3. Do you have a favorite metal or stone to work with?
As you could probably tell... I love freshwater pearls. I enjoy the beauty of their simple imperfections. They come on a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. They are also affordable, which makes me feel comfortable with design experimentation.

4. You mention you enjoy designing custom pieces for brides. What do you find most challenging when designing custom pieces over designing for yourself?
I never really design for myself. I believe every piece of my jewelry belongs to someone, but they may not have found it yet.

I love doing custom and bridal work because it's a challenge. Custom orders give me inspiration and keep me focused.

5. Where can I buy your jewelry?
You shop is in Boalsburg, PA and called Contempo Artisan Boutique. I sell online at www.contempojewels.etsy.com.

I also have work at the Gallery Shop in Lemont, PA - Simply Elegant Gowns in State College - Bedford Arts Center on Bedford and Green Home Goods in Altoona

V-Day Aftermath

2012-02-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a delightful Valentine's Day this past Tuesday. I personally am not a huge fan of the holiday as I feel like it has become too much of an excuse for people forced out one day out of competition rather than having sentiments of romance and generosity year round. But any excuse for extra treats is essentially a good one!

I received several delicious valentines from coworkers. Sadly, I am phasing out gluten entirely this week and most of the chocolate and cookies given to me weren't actually things I can eat. I will make one last exception for this awesome sugar cookie lollipop.

V-Day 2012 has too memorable achievements in my book - I think I outdid myself in GF baking and I received my first ever bouquet of flowers from a significant other. It definitely made me feel special!

As for the baking, I decided to try a personal favorite of mine: gluten free red velvet cake with sour cream frosting. I found this amazing recipe on another blog, Gluten Free on a Shoe String, and made a few alterations. Instead of a "baking mix", I made my own with 3/4 cup sorghum flour, 3/4 cup almond flour and 3/4 cup potato starch. I also added a 1/2 cup of brown sugar to make it extra rich.

I would share my frosting recipe but it was a slight fail. It seemed to separate and thin out a little. However, the taste was right and together, it is quite amazing.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

Good morning fellow schemers, crafters, artists, and followers! And what a beautiful morning it is indeed!

Sunny Los Angeles is at a whopping 45 degrees this morning, and I'm sure others are just as cold out there. You aren't alone! So let's say that we give out some warmth on this cold February day - shall we?

My other blog (gasp - I'm cheating on you all!) is a writing blog (yes, yes, I'm a writer - not an author... yet, but a writer!). But I also do book giveaways. To be exact, I've decided to do a book giveaway a month for the rest of the year.

If you like YA Books, you should check out Coffee and Cigarettes this morning. On top of having my own giveaway, I link to another blog that lists 30-50 blogs that are all giving away YA Books. Fantastic, right? The giveaway ends on February 20th (11:59PM), so you should definitely check it out!

Shameless Plugs: Emma Dickie

2012-02-13T22:15:00.000-08:00

Introducing Emma Dickie, a fellow multi crafter from Scotland who specializes in sterling silver jewelry, knitted scarves, hand-sewn patchwork cushions and cross stitch.

1. Where does your etsy name come from?
My shop name comes from my college days and a painting I did of a tree with a lollypop head. It was accompanied with a short poem - "The Candy Tree will make you dandy and free, is that really what you want to be?" sounds a bit trippy now that I look back on it! When I started making jewelry the name seemed to fit my style, especially when teamed up with the tagline "jewelry that looks good enough to eat".

2. I see you are a multi crafter like myself, is there one craft you are drawn to more? Do you stay focused on one till completion or do you hop around?
I am definitely a hopper when it comes to crafts. I usually have about 3 crafts on the go at one time and a list of about 20 different ideas I'm waiting to try out! I love all crafts and love trying something new, but jewelry will always have a special place in my heart as it's where I started. I've also started combining different crafts to create something a bit different, for example my cross stitch earrings and knitted fabric rings.

3. What craft have you been doing the longest?
I've been making jewelry the longest - I made my first pair of earrings back in 2005 after buying a pair of handmade earrings online and wanting to give it a go myself. I started off using plated findings but once I became more confident in my designs I made the jump to sterling silver. The quality is far superior and I love the look of sterling silver against shimmery freshwater pearls and glass beads.

4. Do you have a favorite crafting color scheme?
I just love colour to be honest, especially vibrant tones and rainbows. My favourite scheme at the moment is pinks and purples, which work especially well with sterling silver jewelry.

5. Point me to your etsy store and other ways to connect with you!
My Etsy shop is here - www.thecandytree125.etsy.com
I also Tweet via @TheCandyTree125
My Facebook page is www.facebook.com/thecandytree125.com
My Blog - www.thecandytree125.wordpress.com
And my personal website is here - www.thecandytree.co.uk

Fill in the Blank Friday

2012-02-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

1. I started my blog because I wanted a place where all my scheming could come together.

2. One thing I love seeing on other blogs are fun and original crafty ideas that I can learn from and help keep my creativity flowing!

3. Something I love about blogging is having a place to collect my thoughts and experience growth as a community. I feel like I learn the most daily through other people's stories and reader feedback.

4. A favorite blog post of mine is definitely Rachel and my speaker herb garden. It was our first collaborative project and I like watching how essentially trash has blossomed into a useful and beautiful garden.

5. Something my friends in real life know about me that I've never before mentioned on my blog is

I'm a recovering trichotillomaniac or as I prefer to say: trichster. I started pulling my hair out in high school probably dealing with all the stress of being so busy in the art programs (my days at school were 7 AM to 10 PM somedays). It's finally become less of a problem recently with the help of Rachel and Alex but I just caught myself doing it which impelled me to confess it!

6. My new favorite blogs are constantly changing. I tend to hop from one to another when I see something of interest. My most visited are probably Rachel's writing blog, Coffee and Cigarettes, and her mother-in-law's, Gluten Free Goddess.

To Bake (Fry): Gluten Free Fried Ice Cream

2012-02-08T22:30:00.000-08:00

I surprised Alex with a delicious after work treat this afternoon. It's really too simple to provide a full written recipe but it was too awesome to not share.

Freeze balls of ice cream for about an hour. Crush up gluten free honey Chex cereal in a ziplock bag. Next, heat up a pot of canola oil (enough to drench an ice cream ball). Whisk an egg. Next roll the ice cream in the egg, then Chex, and drop into the oil for 8-10 seconds. Immediately place back in the freezer for a half hour (I had a plate sitting in the freezer and I'd use a slotted spoon to run the ice cream from the fry oil to the freezer.

This is definitely worth the hours of waiting and the embarrassment of your roommates watching you in a ridiculous relay race against melting ice cream.

Fill in the Blank Friday

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

1. If money wasn't an issue, the first thing I'd cross of my life list is buying a house! I love traveling and moving around but I really want my own space where I know that no matter where I visit, all my stuff, my boyfriend and my pets will be either with me on my travels or waiting at home. Plus, I definitely need my own craft room.

2. Mustard on french fries is not nearly as good as animal style.

3. If my life were a movie right now, the title would be "Identity Crisis" I'm currently organizing all my email accounts, online profiles, etc and I kind of miss the days I had a home number and a home address end of story. Plus that is my favorite graphic novel so I would hope my life movie would turn more into a super hero story.

4. Three things I am looking forward to this month are paying off my debt, a new mattress, and sewing more.

5. My favorite song to sing in the shower is I don't actually have the habit of singing but Rachel has made several theme songs for my daily activities so more likely she'd be in my room singing to me.

7. One thing I'll never grow tired of is scheming with Rachel and enjoying downtime with my boyfriend.

Fill in the Blank Friday

2012-01-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

1. My favorite place i've ever traveled to is Europe. I absolutely love to travel.

2. New Zealand is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by reading magazines, playing on my iPhone and watching movies. I like playing cards and talking if I'm with a companion.

4. My three must-haves when I travel are iPhone, camera, and a credit card (the last one is quite dangerous)

5. My favorite travel companion is Rachel. We spent a month in Europe together and only pissed each other off once. I can't remember why. I really want to plan my first trip with my boyfriend and see how that plays out.

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is on the way to Greece with ten members of my family. Logan Airport had a fire in a hanger and delayed us three times. Then they told us we had to leave one person behind in the changeover to Germany. Once that was straightened out three of my cousins had puked (one on my Aunt). When we arrived around a day later, they had lost our luggage. Several of us had to stay in puke clothes for two hours till we got to the house and the next two days were spent in oversized complimentary t-shirts and underwear.

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is an elk burger.

8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live The answer to this was California however I just made my first out of state move here. I really wouldn't pick anywhere else as I love it and want to stay forever. I did very much enjoy Chicago on my way out here so that might be my second choice or Ireland.

9. I have been to twenty-four states in the U.S. More if you count just driving through!

Shameless Plugs: Emily Reiter

2012-01-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

Introducing Emily R, the lovely girl behind the lens of Anna Delores Photography! Not only is she a popular etsy seller, she is also a writer of her own blog. I had the pleasure of being interviewed last week on her blog and now I've had the pleasure of interviewing her here :)

1. What attracted you to photography?
I've just always liked taking photographs for as long as I can remember. I got my first camera, a purple plastic Kodak 110 film camera, when I was 10 and I've been smitten ever since. I find that photographs help me reminisce and hold onto life's moments for a little longer; it sounds cheesy, but I really love that about photography -- that an otherwise fleeting moment can be captured and looked back on for years to come.

2. What equipment/programs do you use for photographing and post-production?
My main camera is a Samsung NX10 DSLR and I have a few different lenses and filters for it, including a Lensbaby Composer, which is super fun when I feel like getting especially creative. I also just got a Holga lens kit that fits the Samsung NX10, which is awesome -- I get the cool vintage effects of a Holga, but on a digital camera where I can look at the images right away. I love it! I also have a plastic Holga film camera and a new Panasonic LUMIX that my boyfriend bought me for Christmas -- it's more portable than the Samsung so I can keep it in my purse at all times for whenever inspiration strikes! For post-production, I work mostly in Photoshop.

3. Describe your favorite photo that you ever took.
This is a really tough call. I think at this point I have to say that "Vintage Rome" is my favorite -- it's also been a best-seller (http://www.etsy.com/listing/71272504). I photographed this in Rome, Italy in February 2009, before I had gotten VERY serious about photography, with a point-and-shoot Olympus camera. I also almost got run over by a truck for stopping in the middle of the street to take the photo, but it was worth it.

4. If you had to live in one city for the rest of your life without leaving, what city would it be and why?
Another difficult question! Probably Paris, France. I've been there a few times now and I still feel like there is so much I haven't seen of that city. But I don't speak French very well, so I might get frustrated (although I'd probably learn pretty quickly!). Regardless, it's a lovely city that I've been in love with since I first visited almost 10 years ago! Ask anyone I know: I'm obsessed with the city of Paris. My other choice would be Los Angeles, which is where I live now. It's a big city with tons to do and access to pretty much everything, and I do love living here already, so I think I could manage without ever leaving, per the terms of this question. :)

5. Your prints are spectacular. Where can I get some? Why, thank you! The best place to get my prints is from my Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/AnnaDelores. I also hope to have my own website, www.AnnaDelores.com, up and running very soon! Stay tuned!

Want us to shamelessly plug you? E-mail us at fancydodocrafts [at] gmail [dot] com and let us know what your art/craft is and we will feature you in our next open slot!

Top Secret Project Revealed

2012-01-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

Lorelai and I have been hard at work (or hardly working? No, definitely working hard). We have created a new video in solidarity of crafters everywhere! It was actually really fun to work on this project, and I hope we get some other awesome ideas in the future. But if we've been a little quiet, it's because we've been scheming our way onto youtube. And we might scheme our way into other things, but for now - it's just youtube.

Don't forget that we have t-shirts available at Adorning Schemes Spreadshirt! We wish we could live in a magical happy land where money didn't matter and we could craft all day. But sometimes we have to sell things to support ourselves. Regardless, our spreadshirts are pretty fun (zombies, dolphins, and a dog on a horse - what's not to love?)

Without further ado, here's our top secret project:

Shameless Plugs: Aaron Wood

2012-01-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

Meet Aaron Wood. He's a graphic designer who has created fake (but amazing) propaganda posters for social media websites (and recently - ones for chocolate, bacon, and cheese!!). His posters are pretty incredible.

What attracted you to graphic design originally?
I've always loved to draw and create. I chose to go to college at the Art Institute of Boston for Illustration. While I was there I picked up on a lot of typographical and digital skills which in turn lead me towards a career in graphic design.

What was the inspiration behind your propaganda posters?

I was inspired by the imaginary "war" that was going on between the people on Google+ and their hatred for Facebook and Twitter.

Other than your posters, what is one of the favorite things you have done artistically?

My favorite thing I have done artistically, besides my posters, would have to be the three issues of a comic book some friends and I produced between 2003 and 2006.

If you were stuck in a dystopian society where social media ruled the world, which side of the war would you choose: Twitter, G+, Facebook, Youtube, Foursquare? Why?

I'd more than likely choose Facebook! All of my real life friends are there.

Where can we find all of your posters?

You can find all of my creations in my Etsy store! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Justonescarf

Aaron also has a G+ account as well as a Twitter account which he posts updates on posters that he's designed.

Projects Galore!

2012-01-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry for my absence on the blog lately, but Lorelai and I have been knee-deep (no, probably neck-deep) in projects! One of the projects we worked on all morning, finishing the rough copy. We will post more on the super awesome, top secret project later (or who knows, maybe it will be done and we'll post the super top-secret awesome project later)!

Over the last week, I've been working on a lot of writing and reading challenges. While it takes away from my craft time, it gives me great satisfaction to make progress on my writing. I am now working on manuscript number three. (You can see excerpts on my writing blog).

Yesterday, I finally made progress on my graphic design project and am pleased to announce that Adorning Schemes on Spreadshirt now has another t-shirt available. It is called "My Pet Zombie." We hope to come up with more shirts in the same kind of style as this one. It now joins the league of "It's okay, I'm a writer" and "I'm on a horse!"

I was excited to not only have this t-shirt designed in one day, but also to get it up and posted. Additionally, if you want a wallet or something else with this design, you can check it out on My Pet Zombie on CafePress.

I am very willing to customize the name as well (for an additional $2). Anyway, we've still been scheming over here as always - planning things and occasionally being very mischievous. Lorelai and I will be getting back into the swing of things - though I know she posts more often than me!

Tomorrow, we'll be hosting a graphic designer for our Shameless Plugs segment. He's really awesome (and super nice and fun). But, I'll keep it a secret until tomorrow!

From your very aloof writer,
Rachel

Fill in the Blank Friday

2012-01-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

Sick on a Friday is no fun especially when you are looking at a three day weekend consisting of medicine and hanging out in my room :/ I thought I'd join the ranks of another blog's weekly feature!

1. The last thing I ate was a bowl of honey nut cheerios.

2. The last song I listened to was whatever my roommate is recording.

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell {Lorelai}...air, ill, ale, oil, roe, lie, liar, aloe, rail, role, lore, oral .

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick I think most of my wardrobe is black but I would pick green since it is my favorite color and there are so many shades .

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find wallet, keys, business cards, temporary license, a lollipop.

6. When I finish filling in the blanks I'm going to find something to watch.

7. My all time favorite song to dance to is anything by The Lonely Island. "Jack Sparrow" has a particularly fond memory in it.

Shameless Plugs: LJ Cohen

2012-01-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Meet LJ Cohen, the author of the YA Novel, The Between. The book just came out and we have the inside scoop on the author!

Tell us a little about your YA novel!

I have a longer 'blurb' on the backcover of the novel, but the heart of The Between is this: When theFae force Lydia back to Faerie, they didn't count on her stubbornhumanity. This is a story of a young woman finding her strength andmaking her own choices, against a backdrop of an ancient war betweenthe Faerie courts. And as much as the powerful Fae try to changeLydia, she changes the Fae in ways they certainly didn't anticipateand probably won't ever understand.

What do you loveabout writing, specifically writing YA stories?

As far back as I can remember, I'vebeen reading, writing, and getting in trouble for letting myimagination run away with myself. It always seemed easier to expresswhat I was feeling by writing it in words. Writing novels seemed anatural extension of that early love of words. Why have I gravitatedto YA stories? Well, I'm 48 and I still remember when I read AWrinkle in Time and 'met' Meg Murray. For the first time, herewas a heroine who I could be like. She wasn't perky or popular orbeautiful. She was awkward and unsure of herself. She got angry. Shegot in trouble. And she saved her world from darkness, along the way,rescuing her father and her brother. I was such an awkward, unhappykid, always out of step with my peers. The pages of books were mysalvation. To this day, I return to YA books and when I started towrite novels eight years ago, that was the genre that called to me.

What was your favorite book whenyou were a "young adult"?

Guess that would be A Wrinklein Time. I've read it many times in my life, includingrecently, and have been struck at how it holds up. There is nothingdated or anachronistic about the book and the story of its strongfemale protagonist still resonates today.

If you could meet any author,dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Not surprisingly, Madeline L'Engle. She has always been one of my idols, the writer I wanted to emulate.She once said, "You have to write the book that wants to bewritten. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, thenyou write it for children." Her work never talked down toits young readers at a time where many books for children and teenscould be preachy or overly simplistic. I never got a chance to meether and mourned when she died in 2007.

I did get to meet another one of mywriting heroes this past year: Patricia McKillip. Her Riddle Mastertrilogy remains one of my favorite reads of all time and one Ire-read about once every year. Her writing is lyrical, lush, andpoetic. She was gracious with my tongue-tied fan-girl self, and Ihope I didn't say anything too stupid to her! I've actually been very fortunate inthat I've had a chance to meet and chat with Tamora Pierce and JaneYolen, two writers of YA novels who I have a great deal of respectfor and whose work is rich and complex.

Where can we find your noveland other writings?

Homepage(www.ljcohen.net)
Oncein a Blue Muse Blog(www.ljcbluemuse.blogspot.com)
Facebook(www.facebook.com/ljcohen)
Twitter:@lisajanicecohen
Google+(http://gplus.to/ljcohen)
email:(lisa@ljcohen.net)

You can find all the links to purchase The Between on Lisa's website:

http://www.ljcohen.net/the-between.html.

Extra Question: How has the self-publishing world been for you?
This has beena wonderful and exciting and often terrifying journey. I finishedthe first draft of The Between in early 2009. After being revised andedited several times, it went out on submission via my agent, NepheleTempest of The Knight Agency in 2010. The editors who read it,praised the story and the writing, but chose not to buy it for marketreasons. It was a great disappointment to both Nephele and me. Ultimately, I faced the decision to either bury the story on my harddrive or do the work to release it and let it find its own audience.

Being your own publisher isn't going it alone; it does mean,however, that the buck stops with you. Everything becomes yourresponsibility to organize: the layout, the cover, the editing, theformatting, the promotion, the distribution. I was fortunate in thatI was able to find skilled and talented individuals to support me inthis venture. Now, with the book just published, I feel like this was the right path for this project atthis time. I am proud of the work and can't wait for it to find itsreaders.

To Bake: Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Donuts

2012-01-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

Truthfully, I never thought of myself as a huge donut fan. Dunkin Donuts, yes; I just never actually order donuts. Yet my first fall in LA, I realized that cider donuts and apple picking were a crucial missing piece to enjoying the seasons change. Luckily, my heterosexual life mate, Rachel, and her husband got me a donut maker for Christmas! (and a slinky!!)

My first time using it, I altered Gluten Free Goddess's Donut Recipe, but lacked the ingredients to make them vegan. Stubborn Rachel made her own donut version next to me while complaining how she couldn't fry them due to me not letting her gluten flour touch my fryer for my boyfriend's sake.

And thus, I woke up early New Year's Day, to create the perfect donut to please the household.

Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Donuts

1 cup GF flour (I used GF pancake mix)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthum gum

1 egg replacer

1/8 cup vegetable shortening

1/8 cup vegetable spread

1/4 cup almond soy milk

1 square melted baker's chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, xanthum gum and egg replacer into a bowl. Use a double boiler to melt the baking chocolate with a little bit of the vegetable spread. Fold the shortening, rest of spread, melted chocolate, milk and vanilla into the mixture.

I used a mini donut maker which takes about a teaspoon of dough per donut and takes 5 minutes to bake each one. Enjoy!

Sunday Schemes: The Final Purge

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

I managed to ditch about 2 car loads of stuff in Massachusetts before coming out to California and yet I'm still buried in stuff. I find that lots of things that were once super important (i.e.. favorite clothes from high school, winter coats, hand held video games) just aren't making the cut in my new LA life. Rachel and I did a ton of purging this weekend to kick off a good destash and new year! Here's what I have ALREADY done:

Sold most CDs and DVDs for $10 cash.
Traded in several sega games and spent previous $10 on 3 new video games I wanted.
Took a suitcase, winter coat, and box of stuff that just was not worth selling to good will for tax credit.
Traded in DVDs worth less than a cent for Amazon credit.
Listed several items on amazon and ebay and so far made a total of $10.

Overall, I only needed to spend about a day to actually get all this stuff done. My pile of junk has shrank to half the size for roughly $10 profit, a tax slip, and 3 video games I wanted. I'm quite happy to just have less stuff in the way and I was able to benefit myself as well.

Shameless Plugs: Daniel Burke

2011-12-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Meet Daniel Burke! He's the owner of D Visions Discs, a player of disc golf, and he makes some pretty awesome looking discs - check it out! We had never heard of disc dyeing before, so we personally thank Daniel for educating us on the finer points of dyeing. I'm fascinated!

How did you come up with the idea for disc dying?
I've been playing disc golf for about eight years now. My mom got me into it when she bought me a set of discs on clearance at Wal-Mart. I have been enjoying it ever since, but it wasn't until earlier this year that I found out about dyeing the discs.

A friend of mine told me about it, after he saw some on ebay. He bought a dyed disc, and sent one of his own out to get dyed with a custom image. He showed me them and we talked about the potential profit margin involved. He also turned me on to a website (DGCoursereview.com) that has a forum for disc dyers. I read up on the forum about the basics of dyeing and watched a few youtube videos on it. I figured it out and bought the materials the next week. Initially, I only had my own personal discs to experiment with. I did a few basic designs, and gradually got better at it. It took about a month or two before I had done any dyes that were considered "impressive" by my friends. The first dye I did that sold my friend (the same one who introduced me to it) on my abilities was a basket coming out of a skull. It is only a monochrome dye, but it's fairly detailed and I dyed it on the underside of a translucent disc. You can see the design from either side, and not many people are good at that. After that, he bought a wholesale package of misprinted discs and gave them to me with the agreement that I'd dye them and them he'd sell them on ebay and we'd split the profits. I also got to experiment with different techniques on his discs, learn some new methods, and put together a portfolio of my work.

It was during that time that I decided to branch out. I started promoting my work online and contacted a retailer about selling some dyes. I met with the guy who runs a Pro shop in the suburbs and he was pretty excited about working with me. He had tried dyeing discs in the past, but didn't have the time or patience for it. He gave me six new discs to dye, which was pretty cool of him since I didn't have to buy them or give him anything except my word that I'd bring them back. I also got to be creative with what to dye on the discs. I got my first experience with dyeing multiple colors (one of the most complicated aspects of dyeing), and when I returned them, the guy loved them and gave me more discs to dye. This worked out really well for me because I didn't have any money to invest in discs myself.

All of the dyes I've done have grown my portfolio and I continued to push my business online. The online portion of the business is what I think is the best selling point for me. Potential clients look at my work alongside other dyers' and can see the differences in styles and techniques. I think what sets me apart from the competition is that I do it all by hand. I draw all the pictures instead of printing them out, and cut all the vinyl stencils by hand with a razor blade. Not only is it cheaper that way(as opposed to buying a printer and a plotter, and maintaining them), but I also can do finer detail than most plotting machines. Drawing the images also gives me a better understanding of how the final picture will look and what I can change to make it look better.

Currently, what is your favorite design?

My favorite design that I've dyed is a fairly complex image that I got from DeviantArt. It's a multicolor picture of a girl and a target. There isn't a huge amount of fine detail in it, but it required me to kind of develop my own techniques to get the shading right. It's a weird picture, but I think it suits the disc really well, and I've never seen anything like it elsewhere. I'm a big Star Wars fan, and have done several Star Wars themed dyes, but so has everyone else. Star Wars dyes are my most popular sellers, and I take pride in having better, more detailed, character portraits, but I love doing dyes that I know other dyers can't match.

What is the most challenging part of disc dying?
I think that is the most challenging part. Doing technicolor dyes is hard and tedious, but it is just a technical process that can be followed step by step. The real difficulty is in pushing the envelope and inventing new techniques and effects. It's pretty rewarding, and a little frustrating sometimes, to see other dyers trying to imitate my style and copy my techniques.

Do you play Ultimate Frisbee?
I've never played Ultimate Frisbee, and hadn't even heard of it until a couple years ago. Prior to playing disc golf, I had only played catch with frisbees in the yard or while tailgating. It probably put me at a disadvantage in disc golf, because I sucked at it for the first few years. I didn't know how to throw for distance, or even that different discs fly different ways. I didn't even know there was other courses than the one near my house until a co-worker told me about one near his house. Now, I have played at 44 different courses in two states, and play competitively.

Where can we go to buy your discs?
Some of my work can be seen/purchased from Disc Caddie in Marietta, GA. I have a website where you can view my work, read my blog, look at concepts and projects in progress, enter contests I hold, and even contact me about custom orders.

My website is http://DVisionsdiscs.co.cc , my G+ business page is http://gplus.to/dvisions, and I have a FaceBook page as well, but don't like FB and want to get away from it. Of course, anyone is also welcome to contact me via my personal G+ page, or email me directly at this address.

Want us to shamelessly plug you? E-mail us at fancydodocrafts [at] gmail [dot] com and let us know what your art/craft is and we will feature you in our next open slot!

Sunday Schemes

2011-12-18T21:10:00.000-08:00

As I work on the new layout for our growing blog (we've hit over 6,000 views!), we'd like to introduce to you our knew weekly section which requires participation! Rachel and I started this blog as somewhat of an organizational tool alongside sharing our creations. We'd like to invite fellow bloggers to scheme-a-long with us on Sundays. We are always plotting - some ideas are realistic and others, well...let's say a work in progress. Each Sunday we and any who wish to participate will post roughly 5 ideas they have decided to accomplish either this week or some day. Let's hope this sort of forum of idea board helps organize yours and our "to dos". Let me kick this one off.

This week, I swear I will finish the curtains I promised my boyfriend ages ago and figure out what is wrong with my machine.
Rachel took me to the library on Saturday and I plan on making this a weekly occurrence at least. I also hope that I can get myself into reading some actual novels not just graphic novels and episodes of Deadwood.
Someday soon, I hope I get a puppy.
I will finalize the new blog layout and finish the website for the band, Nouveau-Expo.
I will finish cleaning out my possessions on ebay so my boyfriend doesn't have a heart attack when I come home with more things from back East after Christmas.

What are your schemes?

Spice up your Life

2011-12-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

With all of our CSA goodies and our herb garden, my fear of having too many fresh spices is coming true. Even with four people putting dents in our selections, we are finding it hard to use up without going bad.

Rachel was genius enough to twist tie some of them in bundles to our wine rack to dry some! Pictured is our current parsley stash and we just finished a batch of mint to dry.

I've been using up a lot of the dry mint now for tea to fight off this wonderful nasty cold I have. (Thanks Rachel. Sorry I gave it back!)

I'm definitely going to keep drying out the extra spices we don't use up and refilling our jars with them. Shout out your favorite things to do with spices!

To Cook: GF Perogies Lasagna

2011-12-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

Homemade gluten free pasta seems like a task I'm not quite willing to tackle quite yet, however, my boyfriend was pretty insistent on wanting some perogies. I love perogies and thought that I could cheat with GF lasagna noodles and mashed potatoes. I tried to boil the noodles until they were al dente and using a fork, attempted to close mashed potatoes into the noodles.

The noodles still seemed to firm and kept popping open. I thought about trying to cook them all the way through and not boil the perogies in the end but then Rachel had a different idea: Perogie Lasagna! We did a layer of noodles, mashed potatoes, parsley, onions, more noodles, more mashed potatoes, cheese, rest of noodles, and topped with cheese and more onions. Then we baked it at 350 for about 15 minutes. The result:

A completely delicious gluten free dish that tastes exactly like regular perogies! I think Rachel and I can safely say we succeeded at GF perogies.

To Bake: GF Vegan Black Forrest Cake

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

I seem to be craving rich holiday desserts recently and wanted to try to create a GF vegan cake. This cake came out so delicious, I was actually fighting vegan Rachel away from the batter so I could actually bake it. My roommates made half the cake disappear seconds after I frosted it. It's so rich and moist my sweet-addicted boyfriend actually did not make it through a whole slice. He was getting sick and lost his appetite but still I call that a feat!

2 cups GF flour (I used Arrowhead GF pancake and baking mix)
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon xanthum gum
3 EnerG egg replacers
1 cup vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 can cherry filling
1 can vanilla frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder and xanthum gum into a bowl. Stir the egg replacers, almond milk, canola oil, and vanilla extract into a second bowl. Slowly blend the wet ingredients into the dry.

Pour the batter into 2 greased 9 inch circular pans and bake for 35 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool to room temperature. Frost the first cake layer with vanilla frosting and top with cherry filling. Carefully layer the next cake on top. Frost and top with cherries in the same fashion as the first.

And finally, hide it from your roommates if you want to ever try it yourself!

Shameless Plugs: Paul Carroll

2011-12-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Meet Paul Carroll, a writer from Dublin. He has a novella coming out soon (for free)!

Tell us a little about your novella?

Stepping Forward has a simple premise: Carl disappears one day in 2010 and reappears without his memories a little over a year later. In the meantime, his best friend Alan has had to put up with the backlash of the media and the legal investigations, his life falling apart around him. It's not just a story about helping Carl realize who he is, or about how Alan survived the events following his disappearance: it's about friendship, and all the silly little things that can get between people.

How has your journey as a writer been?

Up until recently, it's been going at a very slow pace. I started writing back when I was fourteen - a whole six years ago! - but it wasn't until I discovered the Internet that things really took off. I set up a writer's group, I made a lot of friends and we released a book of short stories for charity. During the summer, I got a job writing articles for The Phantom Zone and set up my own website. Even more recently, my play The Rest is Silence has been picked up to go on stage in college. The past few months have really made all the work I put in on various projects seem completely justified!

What was the first book you read that blew your socks off? How old were you then?

The first book... wow... I think it must have been In Deep Dark Wood by Marita Conlon-McKenna. I think I was about eight, then. It really got me reading, before I discovered the likes of Harry Potter and the Lemony Snicket books.

So, you live in Dublin, eh? What is there about your life that isn't cliché?

That's a tough one! I wish I could say "I'm actually entirely original, thank you very much," but I'm also a twin! I have this wonderful affliction where, no matter what I do, I still look almost exactly like someone else. And we have reddish hair. Does it get more cliché than that?

But seriously, I do my best to stick out from just about everything that I can. I think that comes from the twin-thing, and the Dublin-writer-thing, and the red-hair-thing. So I do Drama in college, putting on half a dozen accents, and I write weird fiction in a few different genres. Stepping Forward is definitely one of the weirder ones in terms of placing it into a genre, while I've also written more general fiction and some Sci-Fi.

Where can we find your novella and other writings?

My novella can be found on Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/pcarrollwriter) on Thursday, December 15th 2011. It'll be available as a free download. My other writing can be found through my website, http://paulcarrollwriter.com. Links to my Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Blogger accounts are all available there, along with some short stories, articles and poems.

To Cook: CSA Shipment Recap

2011-12-08T10:42:00.001-08:00

Imagine having your well stocked fridge always overflowing with fresh greens..ours is! We have gotten a couple of CSA shipments since I last posted about it. We are pretty good about using everything we get. We have to get a little better at using up our lettuce and cabbage but most of it ends up in our food, in compost for our herb garden, or frozen for Rachel's vegetable stock. It is so awesome for food to taste so fresh!

Yesterday we received butternut squash, fennel, romaine lettuce, grapefruit, broccoli, plums, collard greens, chard, kiwis, green heirloom tomatoes, and mint. A few of the tomatoes were too overripe and had to be tossed. Rachel and I immediately dug into a kiwi and it was by far the best kiwi I have ever had.

Ever see kiwis this giant and funny-shaped? It makes me wonder what they do to the kiwis at the grocery store to make them so perfectly oval..

Out of all of the vegetables I have tried since starting CSA, I'm looking forward to the chard the most. It reminds me of giant prehistoric greens that would be eaten by dinosaurs! I'm not even sure how to eat it. Doesn't look like our cat knows what to do with them either.

To Bake: GF Vegan Apple Pie

2011-12-06T08:04:00.001-08:00

Apple Pie has always been one of my absolute favorite foods. When I was younger, I would ask my mom to make me a pie instead of a birthday cake. I would eat slices of pie for every meal until it was gone. Once I was old enough, my parents taught me how to make their version and it became my role to make 2-3 apple pies for every Thanksgiving and maybe 1-2 more for Christmas (My extended family is large enough to go through 7-8 pies in one sitting).

This year, I had my first Thanksgiving with my new LA family. Considering two members are gluten free and one is vegan, it was time for a new pie recipe as well!

For starters, I got a gf crust recipe from my darling friend who is still back in New England. She posted her recipe on her blog, Soul & Pastry. Originally, her recipe was not vegan but she adapted it from her friend as I adapted it from her. It's amazing how recipes travel and change, the way old stories go.

Anyways, my friends believe that this crust is the best gf crust for fruit pies and with my alterations, my Thanksgiving guests seems to agree.

Bri's Pie Crust (as heard by Jess, created by Bri and retold by Lorelai)
2 1/2 cups Arrowhead Mills multipurpose GF flour (this has the baking soda and xanthum gum added already!)
1 teaspoons vegan sugar
zest of one tangerine
3 tablespoons orange juice (the tangerine and oj replace my lack of orange zest)
1/4 cup vegetable spread (ie fake butter)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening)
1 EggG Egg replacer
3 1/2 tbs almond milk
1/2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1-4 tbs cold water
pinch of salt

Wisk all dry ingredients in a bowl. Knead in vegetable spread and shortening. In a separate bowl, combine the egg replacer, almond milk and vinegar. Fold liquids into the dry bowl to combine. The crust is a bit on the dry side without the egg, so cold water is the solution. Start by adding one tbs of cold water. Once the dough seems ready, separate into two balls. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and begin the filling.

Lorelai's Apple Pie Filling

3/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons gf flour
6-8 large, firm, tart apples (I used 4 fugi apples and 3 gala apples)
2 teaspoons vegetable spread

My first secret tip: While peeling the apples, leave them soaking in a bowl of water as if you were bobbing for them. I add a bit of lemon to the water too. The water and the lemon prevent the apples from browning and the lemon adds to the warm citrus flavors later.

Next, I add the dry ingredients into a bowl. Slice the apples relatively thick (my boyfriend does them smaller than I do and there ended up being a combination which was fine too). Add the apples gradually into the dry ingredients while stirring constantly.

At this point I formed the bottom crust into the pie plate, poked several fork holes in it, and baked it for about 5 min on its own.

Next fill the apples into the pie. I then take several flakes of vegetable spread and distribute them around the top of the apples. Next roll out the top crust and cover the pie. I take a fork and press it all around the pie edges. Then I use a fork to poke an 'x' into the top of the pie. Again, my boyfriend stepped in and added his own knife pattern for additional air vents so I guess go crazy if you desire.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Hope everyone continues to have a tasty holiday season!

Giveaways: Barbie Plate Set

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

To Create: Cat Stockings and Countdown

2011-12-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it is already December and yet I'm sporting t-shirts in 70 degree weather. It's going to be shocking to fly home for 60 hours over Christmas weekend to New England. I've started getting myself in the holiday spirit though it's going to be a pretty low key holiday due to my lack of funds. I hope to come up with some good craft ideas for family gifts but my mind is still pretty blank right now.

For starters, I got these adorable little felt stockings at Michael's for .79 cents a piece. I used some red puffy paint to personalize them for each of Rachel's four kitties. I'm sure the cats are already dreaming of cat nip and new toys to loose under the refrigerator.

I had quite a few glass marbles lying around from an old swap project so I decided to make festive A Christmas Story magnets. I honestly don't really rank that one high on my christmas movies but the imagery is so obvious. In my opinion, it is not December until I have watched Home Alone so I definitely need to make some McCauley Culkin magnets!

Giveaways: 12 Days of Christmas Sneak Peak

2011-12-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a time of giving and what's the best way to give thanks to your readers than by hosting or sponsoring a giveaway! To Sew With Love is hosting a 12 Day of Christmas Giveaway Event which will rin from December 5 - December 16! No sign-up fee! If you are interested in joining, click here.

Rachel and I will be giving away a set of Barbie decorative plates with Andy Warhol quotes on them. We upcycled the plates with images from old calendars.

The first is a gold plate that says, "It's all in your attitude" with Barbie in a dress collaged with her own images. The second is purple with Barbie in pink and says, "The less something has to say, the more perfect it is. - Andy Warhol". Both are coated with a sealant. They'll make perfect centerpieces for the holidays or gifts for any vintage Barbie lover.

Don't forget to come back on December 5th to sign up for the giveaway! Also check out the other participating blogs below. Most of them will be posting sneak peaks of theirs as well. You are welcome to join all of the giveaways so make sure you do!

To Create: Polka Dotted Hobo Bag

2011-11-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

I know I've been slacking recently. With the holidays around the corner and my second week at a new job, I just haven't had the time to post. Fortunately for me, I have gotten a lot of organizing and cleaning on the side so my crafting space is getting more manageable.

I want to share a hobo purse I made a few weeks ago out of some of the fabric I received from one of the craft swaps I did on craftster. I found this wicked cute tutorial on how to make a ballet tote and altered the pattern to my liking. I also taught myself how to crochet a week ago and attached my first crochet flower to the purse. I made extra flowers and turned them into barrettes which you can buy on etsy from me!

My favorite part about this bag is that it fits my new laptop perfectly. I'm definitely going to create some similar hobo style purses to sell in the near future.

To Give Back: The Holiday Spirit

2011-11-19T12:49:00.001-08:00

As we head into Thanksgiving week, I have clearly been too distracted with projects and getting ready to start my new job and I haven't gotten around to sharing. I will try to be more on the ball with my posting.

With that, I am not one to rush over Thanksgiving for Christmas (personal rule: Home Alone, holiday music, and decorating cannot happen before Dec 1). However, it is never too early to get into the spirit of giving. That is why I woke up this morning and wrote my letter to Santa.

It's a pretty childish activity but definitely fun! Plus if you bring your stamped letter addressed to Santa at the North Pole to Macy's, they will donate a $1 to the Make-a-wish foundation. So do a fun holiday tradition and have it benefit others. I'm dropping mine off on Monday.

Still feeling generous? Living Social has a deal going for the next 5 days where you spend $5 and it donates $10 to Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. If you are anything like me and head over heels in debt this winter yet still trying to get into the giving/spending mood, these are pretty sweet deals to jumpstart the holiday season :)

Shameless Plugs: Kate Daly

2011-11-14T08:27:00.001-08:00

Meet Kate Daly, an inspiring actor from the Boston area who is currently pursuing her career in the spot light in Ireland!

Why pursue acting in Ireland over anywhere else?
I wanted to go to Ireland to study acting, partly because that's where my family is from and it was important to me to get back to my roots and heritage. I have a lot of family members in the Irish countryside, so I knew I'd have a support system nearby, which was a great comfort. And Ireland has such a rich history of drama and storytelling that you can see even in the everyday people. I knew I'd learn a lot.

How do you prepare for a role?
For me, it takes imagination to prepare for a role. I have to do my best to put myself in the character's place and react naturally to what they are going through, whether or not it's something I've personally experienced.

What was your favorite role?
My favorite acting experience thus far has been playing Catherine in David Auburn's Proof. It was also my first acting experience, so I guess it's good that I started out happy!

If you could talk to any actor/actress, dead or alive, who and why?
I've always wished that I could have a conversation with Katharine Hepburn, but I've also always wanted to sit down and chat with John Cleese. I feel like that would be an extremely entertaining day...

What is your future in acting?
Hopefully, something really really good! I'd just be happy if I got to keep doing it for the rest of my life.

To Bake: GF Vegan Pineapple Persimmons Bundt Cake

2011-11-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

With our next CSA shipment on the way today, it seemed time to clean out the fridge. Two carrots didn't make it and we ended up tossing them. The celery will end up in Rachel's vegetable broth and half the cabbage is leftover which my boyfriend, Alex, plans on making into a stew.

As for the last very rip persimmons, I wanted to try a cake with. However, I didn't have enough puree from one persimmons so I ended up using the rest of a puree Alex had made from pineapple, mango, onions, and pears. The cake itself was delicious but I think the overkill of fruit made it too moist and it sank a little in the pan. If I were to make this again, I would double the recipe to fill the bundt cake pan more and add a bit more flour. Mine was spongy and reminded me of flan but again...delicious!

Photo by Alex Allrich

Gluten Free Vegan Pineapple Persimmons Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups airhead mills all-purpose baking flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup persimmon pulp
2 egg replacers
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup puree of pineapple, onion, pear, mango, canola oil

Topping:
powdered sugar
water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bundt cake pan.

2. Whisk together the flour baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a bowl, set aside. Whisk together the eggs, persimmon pulp, milk, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until smooth. Fold the persimmon mixture and fruit puree into the flour mixture until no dry lumps remain. Pour into the prepared pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan, and glaze with a mixture of powdered sugar and water. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar when completely cool.

Shameless Plugs: Jessica Fontaine

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Our second Shameless Plug features Jessica Fontaine, a lovely Gluten Free baker from Connecticut.

Why gluten free?
I suffered from pretty regular migraines for several years before seeing a naturopathic physician in 2007. She had me record my diet and my symptoms for a bit over a month and we started looking for patterns. It turned out that things I loved, (pasta, baguettes, Honey Nut Cheerios!), seemed to trigger headaches. I slowly eliminated gluten and my headaches started to fade away. Dairy was the missing piece and since I eliminated both gluten and dairy, I am nearly migraine free!

How did you start selling your baked goods?
Selling my baked goods kind of happened accidentally. I love baking so much and one of my favorite things to do is share my treats with others, so I started bringing cookies and blondies to the gallery where I work. The owner's husband is a chef at a nearby restaurant and heard about my gluten free/vegan baking adventures and approached me about baking a gluten free dinner roll. It turns out there's quite the demand for gluten free bread in Northeastern Connecticut and the rolls have been wildly successful!

What was your most memorable baking disaster and were you able to salvage it?
Oh dear, it was quite the disaster. A few years ago I had to bake the cake for my sister's friend's bridal shower. It was going to be two tiers - chocolate and vanilla with chocolate ganache and raspberry buttercream. (Not vegan or gluten free!) I baked the cakes my sister's house. I left the layers cooling in the very center of Jill's dining room table while I hopped in the shower. I came downstairs to check on everything and two of the four cakes were on the floor...right next to Jill's dog, Penny. She ate a full chocolate layer, plus maybe half of the other. It was a complete disaster - Jill had to force Penny to vomit - and I had to scramble to bake new cake. I couldn't salvage the cakes on the floor, but the two vanilla layers were safe and I somehow managed to get the entire cake done in time for the party. I still can hardly believe it!

If you were a kitchen utensil, what would you be and why?
What a fantastic question! I'd probably be a whisk because I use them most frequently and they make such a satisfying swooshing sound when I'm mixing dry ingredients in a metal bowl. Or maybe a measuring spoon-I collect them!

What are some of your future baking projects?
Well, I recently started my blog, Soul & Pastry! I'm documenting my experiences in the kitchen. (I also love children's lit, so that topic will make its way into the blog, too!) I'm also working on a few dessert ideas for the restaurant I work with. Not sure what the final products will be, yet, but I'm looking forward to getting a couple of gluten free/vegan desserts on the menu!

To Create: Ribbon Jewelry

2011-11-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

The last time I went to Michael's, I got a little carried away buying all this awesome ribbon on sale. I decided to create some jewelry pieces by upcycling some ugly bangles I had lying around and using up some chain and buttons. I've listed the bangles for sale on etsy. I also have all of my candy bottle cap jewelry marked 50% off!

This necklace made up of anchor buttons needs a bit of reinforcement before it is available for purchase. However, if you would like to make your own, I got the idea from Sky Turtle who has a wonderful tutorial.

To Bake/Create: Halloween Lorelai-style

2011-11-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great All Hallow's Eve/Day of the Dead/Halloween. Our trick or treaters were a bit sparse and I totally abandoned Rachel at the door several times (sorry Rachel). I was surprised how many kids dressed up like things from my childhood - Mario, Luigi, Ghostbusters, Scream. I was also surprised at how many kids didn't dress up at all! What were popular costumes at your door this year?

Halloween felt a little rushed due to my persistent procrastination. With four hours before guests arriving to our party, I started sewing my costume. Luckily, a barbarian Khaleesi has pretty simplified garments. I actually ended up sewing myself into the costume just in time to give up the table for pumpkin carving. Here is my version of Dany Targaryen, a character from Game of Thrones.

Halloween was a little less joyous than usual as I found out first thing Saturday morning that one of my four best girlfriends from high school had past away. I still haven't heard the full story as she was out of the country at the time and oddly enough when I went to her facebook page, a conversation from October 2006 popped up. It was her reminding me to come by that Saturday before Halloween to make cupcakes for her party that night. A little eerie considering my current plans for the day. It only seemed fitting that I make the chocolate and orange frosted treats in her honor though due to my current gluten free and vegan housemates, I created my own recipe on the fly.

Gluten Free Vegan Mocha Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten free flour (I used King Arthur multi-purpose gf flour)

1 teaspoon xanthum gum

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 dark chocolate cocoa packet

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 egg replacers

4 teaspoons vegan sour creme

8 teaspoons buttery spread

2 teaspoons leftover brewed coffee (I used Dunkin Donuts dark brew..mmmm)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup canola oil

4 ounces vegan chocolate chips

Optional:

Booze (I added a teaspoon each of brandy and uv lemonade to compliment the frosting)

Topping:

Duncan brand lemon frosting (several of the duncan frostings are vegan)

Apple shaped sprinkles

Vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Mix flour, xanthum gum, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.

Melt the buttery spread in a separate bowl. Mine took about 35 seconds in the microwave.

Add the sour creme, coffee, vanilla, egg replacer powder, and 8 tablespoons of water (for the egg replacer).

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips and canola oil. At this point my batter was pretty thick. I did add a little bit more water but the consistency stayed pretty thick and was fine.

Spoon the wrappers about 2/3 full.

Bake the cupcakes for ten minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking for another ten minutes.

Allow to cool then top as you please!

The party continued..

We had our friends over and watched some scary movies while drinking, carving pumpkins, and toasting seeds. Overall, a successful night. I concocted this delicious beverage which I labeled Dragon's Blood. It was essentially uv lemonade and welch's fruit punch. Very sugary but isn't that the point of modern Halloween?

Shameless Plugs: Leah Wellbaum

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Check out Leah Wellbaum, the lead singer/guitarist/song writer of the NYC based band, Slothrust.

How did Slothrust form?
We all went to Sarah Lawrence and studied music. We used to have a different bass player and a second guitar player but the line up we have going on now has really developed our sound. We are all super slothy and love blues and jazz.

What is your favorite process in music and why?
I love when writing music feels like purging toxins. Performing is probably my favorite thing though, the energy transmitted between musicians and an audience has always been really exciting for me.

Are there any reoccurring themes in your songs?
Yes, I write about dismemberment a lot. Removal of body parts and things being scraped. I didn't realize how intensely this reoccured until I spent lots of time in the recording studio listening to our tracks compulsively. I am really terrified of myself. Just kidding.

What are you being for Halloween?
Possibly Casey Novak from SVU. Maybe that is a bad idea. I already dressed as a sloth for prom in high school. Not trying to relive that.

Where can I listen to you / next see you live?

You can listen to us at a variety of places.

www.slothrust.com
www.myspace.com/slothrust
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Slothrust/120763131304926and you can download the tunes @http://slothrust.bandcamp.com/

OH and here is our music video...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb-yOUobpvQ

In November we are playing Bard College, Sarah Lawrence, and a few other venues in the city. We have been recording our first full-length album at Mad Oak Studios since March. You can expect to see it by the spring. Get ready.

To Cook: Fresh Fall Salad

2011-10-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

Within our CSA box of delicious goodies, we unpacked the perfect means to make a simple fall salad.

I have never had farm fresh radishes before, but they are much sweeter than anything from the grocery store. And these radishes were the size of a tennis ball.

Fresh Fall Salad
Sliced or shredded into larger pieces Red Leaf Lettuce (or another hearty lettuce)
Any herbs/spring mix that you'd like to add to the salad
Thinly sliced Radishes
We also added a few Spinach Leaves that we received from CSA for good measure

Simple Vegan Lemon Dressing
1/2 lemon (for the juice)
2 Tablespoons of Vegan Mayo (or Mayo, your choice)
2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon of Oregano
A pinch of sugar - to make it a little bit sweet (to taste)

Combine in bowl and whisk together. You can add more olive oil or mayo for desired consistency. You can also add sugar if desired. I recommend tasting it before deciding whether or not it needs the sweetness added to it.

This made enough dressing to toss with the salad for four people with none left over (besides the remains at the bottom of the bowl). Simple, easy, and does the trick! It matches the sweet/sour of the radishes almost perfectly, giving the salad a perfect, zesty fall flair.

To Cook: CSA Shipment

2011-10-26T18:06:00.001-07:00

Stew Action Shot

Our first shipment from CSA came today: carrots, radishes, cabbage, persimmons, heirloom melon, broccoli, red leaf lettuce, spinach, eggplant, onions, scallions, winter squash, celery.

I am super excited to try everything out. Rachel made us a stew for dinner featuring carrots, onions, celery, potatoes (we already had), leftover red wine, and from our herb garden - parsley, chives & thyme. We also had a side salad with red leaf lettuce and persimmons.

Rachel's cooking tip of the day: Add salt while cooking throughout the entire process rather than at the end. It allows the salt to actually cook into the food and enhance the flavor rather than just tasting 'salty'.

I'm sure we will have several delicious salads this week. My goals are to try a gluten free persimmons cake and figure out something to do with our overbearing chocolate mint plant. Anyone have suggestions?

To Bake: Gluten-Free Vegan Baked Apple Puff Pastry

2011-10-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite fall favorites from my mom is doing an apple baked in puff pastry with cinnamon. She usually made them as a side with dinner such as pork. I am trying to perfect my family recipes to be served to my vegan and gluten free housemates. Here is my stab at GF vegan puff pastry!

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen vegan buttery spread

2 cups King Arthur gluten free multi-purpose flour

1 tablespoon xanthum gum

2 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

Scoop out the buttery spread and freeze for one hour. I just dotted small spoonfuls on a plate.

Mix the flour and xanthum gum together.

Add buttery spread, water, vegetable shortening, and vanilla and fold together until you have a dough like consistency. Let refrigerate for two hours before using.

Alternations:

This dough came out real doughy in flavor and would probably make excellent pie crust. Next time I plan on rolling brown sugar into the dough itself to better compliment the sweetness inside.

The outer part of the dough was a bit dry. Brushing it with a little bit of oil or buttery spread might help.

My mom also sticks a cinnamon stick through the middle to make it resemble the apple stem. It also makes for a yummy after dinner snack!

Shameless Plugs: ErinJennifer Dunn

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Meet ErinJennifer Dunn, a filmmaker launching her own production company in Austin, TX. She is currently writing, directing & producing her own film.

Why is it important for you to turn film into a career?
Film, since the beginning has always been a great way for people to express their plights within the human element and exploit what turns them on, what pisses them off, and what get's their imagination going. For me, film is not really a career, but a way of life. There aren't that many female film directors, we are outnumbered in the business and I have made it my goal to have a name that is spoken up there with some of the best known Independent film directors like Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith.

Describe your current or most recent film project.
I am the writer/director and producer of my own film company, Rawkstar Media. My current project is entitled, "Madam Hack's House of Hostile Hussies." Now, don't let the name fool you, it is a story about two girl gangs fighting against each other for power and control over their city. While neither one is a hero, only one gang stands up for the people without a voice. It is an action packed film that both men and women can like. It is an all-female cast, featuring strong women doing things that most women in film don't do.

What messages/subjects inspire you to shoot?
I don't know if anything other than what is in my head inspires my writing. However, all of my stories portray strong women kicking ass and taking names. It goes without saying that we all wish we could do things to correct the wrongs, all my characters make that wish come true. Taking down the bad guys/girls and doing it with grace and beauty.

What weapon would you wield during a zombie apocalypse?
Baseball bat with spikes.

Where can I go to find more about your projects?
To find out more about Rawkstar Media...well there will be a real website soon, but you can check us out on facebook under "Rawkstar Media" or "Madam Hack's House of Hostile Hussies".

Overripe Bananas

2011-10-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

My swap loot.

I feel like the last few weeks have been a series of bumps for all my crafting projects. I didn't have the right color thread, lost a needle, missing the right size crochet hook, etc. Regardless, I feel like I've gotten more organized because of it. It's been kind of the same mentality I have when I buy bananas. I always buy bananas because they are a cheap healthy snack. Yet, I forget to eat the bananas until I realize they are overripe and instead make banana bread and eat that. All my projects have been sitting in plain site and yet now I have a bunch of overripe projects to make even more delicious.

As of today, I am fully stocked and ready to scheme with Rachel. We took advantage of the one day Michael's sale that got us 25% off everything. Plus my lovely swap partner showered me with new materials in an epic box of fabrics, needles, and patterns.

Rachel and I have also joined CSA so we will be getting a crate of local fruits and vegetables to compliment our herb garden. We will be posting the goodies we get each week and share our recipes and creative ways to use it all hopefully without waste! And now back to my regularly scheduled program: knitting.

Trick or Dodo?

2011-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

With less than 2 weeks till Halloween, Fancy Dodo, has brought you some fabulous treats to feast your eyes on! I have created candy bottle cap earrings to celebrate one of my favorite holidays. They are $5 a piece. And for all you blog readers, there is a special coupon code, spookydodo, which will get you free shipping right up till the day of the dead! In addition, all knit scarves are 25% off. Visit Fancy Dodo.

This makes up for my procrastination of setting up my sewing machine and tackling one of my endless list of sewing projects. I'm working on a costume from scratch. I am going to be Dany Targaryen from Game of Thrones. What is everyone else being?

Rachel is also getting in a festive mood by offering her popular Zombie makeovers. It started as a freak accident with one of my discarded headshots and a facebook prank. I have now bitten several victims and you can be one too for just $5. E-mail fancydodocrafts[at]gmail[dot]com.

BRAAAAIIIIIIIINNNNSSS!!!

Shameless Plugs: Brooke Johnson

2011-10-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

Introducing Brooke Johnson, a Los Angeles based makeup artist. She also happens to be our fourth roommate!

What inspired you to be a make up artist?
The fact that you can change a mood or give some one confidence with a tube of lips stick is amazing. Makeup can change the way one feels about them self, and that is an extremely powerful thing.

What is one thing not commonly known about applying make up that girls should know?
The "prepping" steps are just as important as the actual makeup application. Getting a good base for the foundation and other color products is essential. Start with a good cleanser that gives mild exfoliation (this will allow for the dead skin cells to slough off) and hydrating moisturizer. Once these are complete your foundation will go on smoother, last longer throughout the day, and you skin will love the extra attention.

What is the one item of make up you couldn't live without?
Mascara! Or eye liner?!, maybe blush... Haha, For me its always something new. If I had to pick one product mascara is probably the single product I use the most, I have tubes of it scattered throughout my life.

Name one movie you cannot get enough of.
Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts is such a beautiful person inside and out.

What is the next step in your career path?
My goal is to one day be apart of a cosmetics brands marketing or product development team. Being able to create products for a major brand has always been a goal of mine.

To Sell: Store Updates

2011-10-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Rachel and I have relaunched my Sense of Fashion store, LAMigration. Check it out for lovely jewelry & accessories!

Fancy Dodo, my etsy, is having a SALE! Up to 50% off certain items - earrings, scarves & more!

Brokenfallacy, Rachel's etsy, has several new items and made her first sale over the weekend!

Giveaway Winner!

2011-10-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all that participated - we have our winner for the giveaway!

Congratulations goes to the fabulous:

Derry Smith

Rachel will be e-mailing you shortly to receive your mailing address.

Rachel also has new items up on her Etsy! Now with even more geekery! Light switch plates that have Final Fantasy characters, Link from Legend of Zelda, and more Nightmare Before Christmas plates! It's not too late to get yours.

Rachel is also hosting a free YA book giveaway on her writing blog!
and...
Whimsical Poppysmic is hosting a giveaway for bottle cap earrings that our very own Lloralye makes!

So be sure to check those out.

Shameless Plugs: Allie Jameson

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Allie Jameson works as a Stage Manager in Boston, MA.

What was your first show and what made you stick with stage managing?
The first show I worked on as an assistant stage manager was Once Upon a Mattress with the Animus Ensemble in 2005. Before that, I had participated in high school pit orchestras and loved it, but this was the show that got me excited about technical theater. I always have enjoyed musicals, and then I figured out that I enjoy organizational tasks and am good at keeping track of timing and scheduling, all of which are important for stage managing. After Mattress, I got involved in shows at Tufts University, where I went to college, took a Stage Management class there, and it all kind of fell into place after that. I guess I found my niche and stayed in it.

How do you prepare yourself before a show?
I usually have a pre-show checklist, so I work on that backstage. It includes things like checking props and making sure all the actors are where they need to be, but when I'm done, I get out of their way. I prefer to spend my time in the booth, so I can settle in and watch the audience start to fill the house.

What is your favorite aspect of being on crew?
I love calling cues. There's just something about being on the edge of my seat, anticipating the moment I say "GO" into that headset. Rollercoasters are way too much adrenaline for me, so this is the perfect amount.

If you were stuck working on one musical for the rest of your life, which would it be?
I love Sondheim, but it would NOT be a Sondheim show. Watching them every night gets rough. The most fun I've ever had is with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, since the cast was fantastic, and the show involves audience volunteers, so every night was different. I think I'd have to go with that one.

What is your current production?
I am working on a production of Ahrens and Flaherty's Lucky Stiff with Moonbox Productions (http://www.moonboxproductions.org/). It's a completely ridiculous and hilarious show... we actually have an actor playing a dead body who gets rolled around in a wheelchair. We will be performing at the Somerville Theater, which is the biggest venue in which I've ever worked, so I am very excited!

Shameless Plugs: Kayleigh Mack

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Kayleigh Mack is the keyboardist and singer of an up and coming San Francisco-based band, Nouveau-Expo.

What made you join a band?
I was asked to be music director and piano accompanist for USF's student produced musical "Altar Boyz" and Alex Fostar starred in the show. I began working with him very closely, because one part of my job was teaching the music to the cast and working with them. Alex and I knew each other before the show, but not very well. We became much closer while working on this project and one day he asked me if I would come help him tech for one of Nouveau-Expo's shows (they were already together before I joined and even had an EP already on sale). That night Alex mentioned to me that he had been thinking about adding a keyboard and another female voice to the band (as we used to have a female bassist in the band, but she decided to part ways with us). I was excited to hear him say that, but I didn't really think he was all that serious about it. Then one day he approached me and told me he would like to work with me on some of the music. They had a show coming up in a week at the RockIt Room, and he said if I could learn the music then maybe I could play with them. I began working on the music from the EP on my own, and then three days before the show Alex and I got together for him to teach me the rest. I don't think the band really expected me to learn all of the music and write the piano parts right there and then, however that day turned out to be a great success. The night before the show, the whole band came together for rehearsal and we knew pretty instantly that the show was going to go very well, which it did! The positive feedback we received to the addition of the keyboard and my vocals really stunned me, and I absolutely knew this was the band I needed to be with. That night at the RockIt room, Alex and I were sitting together toasting to our show, and he looked me in the eye and said "This is it. We're gonna make it," to which I responded, "This is it". I love how easily Alex, Andrew, and I are able to collaborate. The two of them are such amazing musicians; they really know what they're doing.

What about music turns you on?
I have been a singer my whole life and I have been playing piano since I was seven years old. Music is something that I have been able to share with every important person in my life, no matter who they are. From singing show tunes with my father in the car when I was four to playing shows for complete strangers who are compelled to dance, it is a universal language that has the ability to unify, heal, and inspire.

Recommend a song you can't stop listening to.
"These Woods" by Nouveau-Expo! Haha just kidding... but really! Another good one though... "We Used to Wait" by Arcade Fire is on my current playlist. Arcade Fire is always a good choice in my opinion, however also on my current playlist is Lady Gaga, Foster the People, Phish, Guster, Britney Spears, Postal Service, Atmosphere, Iron and Wine, and Gym Class Heroes. Quite a variety, but I like to stay in touch with my enjoyment of many different types of music.

Boxers or Briefs?
I'm really a boxers kind of girl, but whatever makes you happy! Never really thought I'd be asked that question.

What can we expect from you and Nouveau-Expo in the near future?
Expect us to continue playing shows and making beautiful music for all the world to hear. A tour is in the works, although probably not in the very near future. Please check us out on twitter.com/nouveauexpo ! If anyone has questions, comments, anything's about the album, the band, anything at all, I love talking to fans, so please tweet them on over to us. I really try to respond to every single one we get. I appreciate every single person who listens to our music so much and I want to hear anything and everything you want to tell us!

To Reinvent: Old Calendars to Barbie Plate

2011-10-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

I got the idea to use up some old calendars to create decorative plates and thought I'd create the first tutorial with the first one I've created.

Supplies:

Old Calendars
Colorful plates
Exacto knife
Scissors
Mod Podge
Tacky Glue
Foam Brush

Instructions:

1. Cut out the image/text with the exacto knife. Mine is a vintage barbie from one calendar and an Andy Warhol quote from another. I put a frozen pizza box under the image to avoid cutting the table.

2. Use the tacky glue to secure the image/s to the plate. I applied the glue with my finger because I feel like it gives me the most control and the least amount of wrinkles. Feel free to use the foam brush if you don't want sticky fingers!

3. Allow the glue to dry for a minute. You can use a sponge or your fingers to spread the image out to make sure it lays flat and is completely secure to the plate.

4. Using the foam brush, coat the entire plate with a sealer. I used Mod Podge because that is what I have currently, however, make note that this makes the plate for decorative use only. I have not looked into other sealers that would make the plate washable or for use with food but let me know what you find!

To Bake: Gluten-Free Vegan Rosemary Bread

2011-09-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

This is my adaptation of the Gluten-Free Whole Grain Olive Bread by Gluten-Free Goddess. I have never made bread before and I was a bit skeptical if I could not only make it vegan for Rachel but just bake bread in general. Myself and my housemates were pretty excited with how it came out!

Preheat to 375 degrees F. I used a 9" round pan I sprayed with olive oil.

Ingredients:

1 bag Bob's Red Mill Bread Mix (comes with active dry yeast packet)
2 teaspoons garlic salt California Blend
Ener-G Egg Replacer (equivalent of 3 eggs)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 cup warm water

For topping:

fresh rosemary (from our speaker herb garden)
olive oil
salt

Instructions:
Mix the bread mix, active dry yeast, and garlic salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the Ener-G Egg Replacer (4-1/2 teaspoons of replacer and 6 tablespoons water). Add the olive oil, and honey.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients gradually. Continue mixing the ingredients together while slowly adding the warm water until you have a good batter consistency.

Scoop the dough into the pan. Using wet or oiled hands, spread the dough out evenly to cover the whole pan.

Using your thumb, make imprints evenly throughout the dough. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary.

Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes. Drizzle the top with some olive oil allowing some to pocket into the holes. Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the loaf is golden and firm.

Remove the pan from the oven and add more salt on top, if desired. Remove from pan and allow to cool.

Other suggestions:
This morning we took slices of the bread and fried it in a little more oil. Don't use too much as the bread is already pretty soaked through to begin with. My housemates and I ate it paired with scrambled eggs (except for vegan Rachel of course)!

Giveaways: Jack Skellington Switch Plate

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Win this Jack Skellington Switch Plate from Broken Fallacy.

Our lovely Rachel has launched her etsy featuring our decorated switch plates. There are many ways to enter. Please make sure you leave a separate comment for every entry.

How to enter to win:
Mandatory entry:Go to either Lorelai's or Rachel's etsy store. Return to Adorning Schemes blog and simply leave a comment here about your favorite item from either store. If your e-mail/contact info is not on blogger, remember to leave us a way to get in touch with you!

To Get Extra entries (after Mandatory entry):

Leave a comment for each additional extra entry below (i.e., your tweet link will be a separate comment from your following Fancy Dodo on twitter, etc.)

Follow our Adorning Schemes blog (1 entry).
Heart Fancy Dodo (1 entry). List your Etsy Username.
Heart Broken Fallacy (1 entry). List your Etsy username.
Like the Fancy Dodo Facebook page (1 entry). Leave some hint of your Facebook name (if not on blog).
Follow Fancy Dodo on twitter (1 entry). Leave your @name.
Tweet about this giveaway, add "@fancydodo" in your tweet. (1 entry). Link us back to tweet.
Read one of Rachel's stories on Coffee and Cigarettes and comment on it (2 entries). Link us to the story you commented on.
Blog about this giveaway (2 entries). Link us to your blog post.
Purchase an item from either etsy (10 entries). Tell us what you bought in your comment!
Add up all of your entries for the grand total! (Max: 21 entries!)

Contest starts now and ends on October 8, 2011. Contest is open to U.S. and Canada (worldwide if you paypal us shipping - item will be free!). Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you. Entries without contact information will be disqualified. Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified. Contest winner will be drawn on Sunday, October 9 by a random number generator, by Lorelai and Rachel. Winner must respond within 48 hours after being contacted otherwise another winner will be randomly selected.

To Create: Star Island

2011-09-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

Writing about Star Island has always been hard for me. It's not a place that you can put words to, but just feelings. A lot of us that have been there call it our spirit's home. There's a good reason that people become so attached to this place (some so attached that they haven't left - Ghost Hunters did an episode on Star Island).

Star Island is part of the Isles of Shoals off the coast of Portsmouth, NH. It's about a mile out in the ocean, far enough away that you can just barely see the "main land" and close enough that you still feel close to home with some looming lights in the distance.

Being a photographer, Star Island has been a subject of mine since I was 17. I started attending the youth conference there and continued to attend it until I was aged out (too old to go at 22). Star Island host numerous other conferences throughout the year, but since Star is a $300 plane ride away as well as the expense of the conference itself, I have not been able to go to a conference since then.

However, I have been able to day trip back and see the location. If you are to ever visit any place in New England, this is the place to see. The summer sun, ocean surrounding you, the rocks to climb, and the magnificent sun rises and sets.

On my Etsy, we are selling light switch plate covers and electrical outlet covers for just $5.50. .50 cents of each purchase will be going to support Star Island (it is a non-profit, after all). If you don't like the one pictured, you can choose any of the photos from my flickr "Star Island" set and I will gladly make you one. All of the photos were originally taken by me. So you are getting a unique photo, a unique light plate, and donating to a pretty awesome cause all in one.

Ruhe Takes Runner Up!

2011-09-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to make a shout out to my darling co-blogger Rachel, who entered one of her YA Fiction pieces into Can You Hook A Teen Blogfest Contest and received a prize for being a runner up. Congrats Rachel!

Her entry:

Title: Ruhe

Genre: YA Fiction

What I don’t want to tell you is that I actually can speak. I’m not a mute like everyone thinks. My parents assumed it was something traumatic – they asked me if it was something my ex-boyfriend did, if he had ever forced me into anything. They couldn’t accept the fact that I chose to be this way, I chose to stop talking. They sent me to shrinks, specialists, doctors, hospitals, then registered me as disabled and sent me to a state school instead of the university, just so I would be closer to home.

It may seem like I sacrificed a lot in giving up my voice, but I’ve become so much more aware of people, of their mannerisms, and of how horrible of a person my voice made me. I was voted into three different superlatives: loudest, class gossip, and best laugh. My friends and I had joked about it, we ran a campaign to get me elected class gossip. But those superlatives really were true.

I told my friends’ secrets, I talked behind their backs, I couldn’t help it. It was word vomit in the worst form. It all blew up in my face, as it always does, and slowly, I was edged out. The popular crowd carried on without me, the graduation parties, the dates to prom, everything. While I was sitting, listening to a girl drone on about her stupid boyfriend, I realized something: no one cares about what you say. It was useless to carry on a conversation.

If you like her writing, you can follow her writing blog Coffee and Cigarettes.

Shameless Plugs: Natalia Manning

2011-09-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Starting every Monday, we will be showcasing a girl who, like us, strives to make their art into a living. First up is Natalia Manning, a Texan with her own wedding photography business.

What made you decide to turn photography into a career?
Originally I applied to college to be an Illustrator and in my last year of High School I decided to take a photography class for fun. Well my first photographs were done with a 35mm Nikon N55 and the very first photos showed potential beyond any beginner. I didnt realize this until my own teacher looked and the photos to see what I needed to be taught to improve. When she looked at them she looked back at me and said "Your done being an Illustrator." I laughed not thinking anything of it but she meant it. As I continued to learn in the class my work improved. So I re-applied to my college as a Photographer. I worked through college not really enjoying film and having teachers beat me down saying I could never be a real "photographer." So I stopped going to college but right near the end I met this great guy. He pushed me to keep taking photos and said all the time I could really make a living at taking my photographs. Then about four years later after him and I married he surprized me by buying me my Nikon D90 DSLR and telling me "You never have to work for anyone but yourself again." Thats when I really decided that I would make a career out of my photographs.

What subjects inspire you to shoot the most?
The subjects that inspire me the most to shoot photos really can be anything. Yet if I had to choose one thing and I know it sounds odd...it would have to be Colors. I love color. I enjoy lighting too but beautiful colors make me happy and feel safe like I am paniting or drawing with colored pencials. Art in any form was an outlet for me when I felt my worst and even when I was happy. I grew up with a spilt home so I always really felt home with Art.

Black and White or Color?
I enjoy both but color is my all time favorite. If you couldnt guess. :P

What super power do you want and why?
I am not really sure what power I would want. I guess I would want XMen Rogue's powers. I know thats odd but with her powers I could use what I needed from others as long as I was careful not to hurt those I "borrowed" from.

Where can I see your work/maybe hire you?
http://nataliamphotography.webs.com/

To Create: Light Switch Plates

2011-09-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

Want to buy it? Give
the photo a click!

Llora and I have been scheming up more things to create for Etsy. Especially my Etsy, since it is fairly... empty. We've come up with some brilliant, and some not-so-brilliant, ideas. For starters, I have created a design for a light switch plate cover. It is from the silly internet meme Nyan Cat or "Poptart Cat."

Llora and I started on this project with her room. After we painted her room while consuming probably a little too much rum, the cover plates were covered in different colors of paint. Instead of keeping around painted white, green, and blue plates that looked entirely mismatched and out of place, Llora decided to redesign them.

I helped her go through magazines, created a few myself (namely the zigzag one with color). Then I thought, we could totally sell these on Etsy. Though, I suppose Llora and I both had the thought at the same time. We finished up the ones in her room. She finished a Sonic the Hedgehog plate and some really creepy girl covered in bubbles (it looks like of cool, but the screw is in an unfortunate position).

We thought, great, we should design our own plates. We could tear through old comic books, through magazines and pull out designs. We could print some of my original photography and slap that across another face plate. We could incorporate communities that we used to be a part of, maybe do some fund-raising for non-profits in the process.

And then we decided, after talking and watching the repetative and way-too-cute Nyan Cat, to also include some internet meme.s While the other face plates are not for sale (as they are attached to Llora's wall and I don't have permission to sell her stuff), Nyan Cat is for sale, and you can find it on my Etsy (or click the photo).

To Swap: Embroidery Hoopla 6

2011-09-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

I have finished my third and final swap on craftster.org for the time being. I need to get my craft stuff organized and make some money/find a "real" job before I continue for fun. This piece took way longer than expected. It was my first attempt at making my own pattern based off of the old sci fi series, The Prisoner. Sorry for the darkness of the photo. I'm pretty happy with the outcome and I'm definitely taking a hiatus of cross stitching for a while.

This weekend is going to be quite the productive crafting weekend for Rachel and I both. First off we will be sharing our new light switch plate decor and our first giveaway! We will also be fixing up more of the yard outside of the herb speaker garden. I am also going to visit Downtown LA for the first time on a fabric and bead mission with my friends, Zoe and Hilary. Be seeing you!

To Reinvent: Old Speakers

2011-09-11T18:58:00.001-07:00

The previous tenant of my room moved out and left these speakers outside. After a day no one had picked them up so we figured we'd gut them and reinvent them into planters! We trashed all the electronic pieces, filled with a mixture of peet moss, compost & potting soil, and planted several herbs through each speaker opening!

We planted two types of tomatoes, parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, chocolate mint, & greek oregano. We were careful to use "companion planting" and pot herbs together that benefit each other. The chocolate mint is invasive but we planted it in a whole that had a divider and is actually the only separate "pot". Finally, we potted marigolds next to it to repel bugs. Currently my roommates are making pasta and using the basil in a homemade sauce so it is already in use!

To Swap: Game of Thrones OTT

2011-08-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

I found this adorable little wine box when I was cleaning out for my move and thought it was a perfect dragon egg box for my Game of Thrones OTT swap partner. Her favorite Houses are the Starks and Targaryens so I collaged each side for each house. The shorter ends had each house shield on it and I placed a dragon egg inside.

To Swap: Zelda Swap 3

2011-08-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

I finally got my Zelda Swap complete thanks to Fayth who sat me down and had a craft night with me :) It came just in time as I am leaving for LA in two days. I think I will actually be mailing this swap package and my other one from on the road. For this swap I drew Tetra on a t-shirt, created a Zelda jewelry box, crafted Skull Kid and Deku tree barrettes, and included a Tri-force pendant. The barrettes were my favorite to make and I have extra supplies so they may reappear. I also made some new bottle cap pendants at the same time so expect some new bracelets in my etsy once I have the time.

To Sell: Yard Sale & Rescue Competition

2011-08-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Gotta love my finger. ugh.

Yesterday I held a rather successful yard sale which I advertised around craigslist and The Phoenix. Two of my friends are also off to fund adventures so we pooled together our stuff and made a pretty epic sale. Lots of customers and lots of stuff went! Unfortunately I still have over two carloads of unwanted stuff. I'm going to bring my crafts and the rest of the stuff along with my dad and friends to the Grafton Flea Market this Sunday. Hopefully the rest of it will go and I can then pack.

The night before my yard sale, I found out about a competition for rescue animals being hosted by Urban Threads. I have never embroidered before and starting a new craft weeks before I am moving seems silly but I still wanted to participate. I added cupcakes and bottle cap earrings among the things at my sale (and will bring them to the flea market). So far I have raised $22 for Stray Pets in Need (SPIN). It's not much but it's something and I will add my own donation plus some towels and things after the next sale.

To Reinvent: Crayons

2011-08-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

I half-crossed this one off my 'To Blog' List because I started making these awesome shaped crayon candles for my yard sale but I clearly am going to have way more crayons left over than I have time to finish using them up. I will have to decide if I should hand them off to someone else or keep going with candles. Would you buy these for say $5?

To Swap: Craft This Tote Swap!

2011-07-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

My partner on craftster.org posted gorgeous photos of the things I made for her in my first craft swap!

As a long time crafter, I find it sad to admit that that tote bag is the first project I have ever sewn without a template on my own. I'm pretty proud of myself despite all the huffing and complaining I did to my roommate trying to get it perfect!

This is also my first attempt at a glass pendant. My swap partner is allergic to metal so I came up with this based on an item from her wist.

Hiking Hiatus

2011-02-28T10:41:00.000-08:00

I am attempting to hike the AT and therefore I won't be designing anything (at least not online) while in the woods. HAGS!

To Sell: Fancy Dodo Takes Flight!

2010-11-23T16:33:00.000-08:00

I have officially launched my own line of crafts, Fancy Dodo, featuring upcycled, handcrafted & vintage items. I am also doing a huge cleanout so my stores on Amazon and Ebay have additional notions as I scrounge to make enough money to hike the Appalachian Trail next year. Please check out the following photos to see the launch of just a few of the new earrings I made. To purchase or inquire about custom orders, please visit me on Etsy, Ebay or Amazon.

Shameless Plugs: BRATS in the BASEMENT

2010-06-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

Introducing a new category to my blog, Shameless Plugs. This is where I brag on behalf of my friends to inform people of their work. Last week I sat behind my ex roomate, Alex Panic, watching her try to figure out how to make a flash site. Flash isn't my strongest skill so I don't feel like I was a huge help but I think my explanations helped her figure out what she needed to find out. On top of that, she bought me a delicious Polish sandwich.

Today I hit NYC to chill with my other ex roomate, Emily Panic, who I sat with watching her draw out her web layout which I have to put up soon. Alex and Emily are doing a podcast, BRATS in the BASEMENT, together (see there is a point to this post). I got to here the raw uncut version of the first podcast and loved it. So with my ability to sit there and get both of them to get shit done, they finally launched a teaser site for their podcast and Em will have an additional site, Pretty Big Mouth, running (by yours truly) very soon. They are two of my favorite ladies and should be yours too!