I have a small package of brown scuply someone gave me-no idea how old it is! It was still pnice and soft, though. Well, I got it out and made random pieces. I put it on a disposable pie tin, at 275-and still soft. Hmm, those are pretty thick pieces, I says-so 15 minutes more. Then 30, then an hour, then move it to the lowest rack and turn the oven to 300 and stalk off for a while. Sure enough, it turned black! I didn't intend that. But with the rusty metal and watch bits I pressed in, it looks cool! I did a tiny snake, and pressed in a couple of gears for eyes, did a pendant, did a few odd shapes...all came out pretty nifty. I'm doing that on purpose next time. Has anyone here ever done that? The pieces aren't brittle at all, just black.
Okay...I impulsively bought a spagetti squash at the grocery-what do I do with it? Anybody out there ever cook these? If I can figure out how, and get a recipe or two, I'll keep buying them. Didn't cost much, and hey-veggies are healthy. Thanks!
I love to munch handfulls as a snack.It never lasts long! It's a pretty flexible recipe,so you can add or change things.
Extra-Sweet Granola
1/2 c.applesauce 1/4 c.honey(if your'e vegan,maybe subsitute another sweetener) 1 tab. vegetable oil 3/4 tea.salt 2 1/4 c.oats(I just use quaker oats,or store brand,the stuff in the cannister) 1/4 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. grape nuts-I never seem to have wheat germ on hand,feel free to use that instead-it'd probably be better 1 tea. vanilla extract 1/2 c. sliced almonds(or whatever nuts you like) 1/2 to 1 cup dried fruit-I use 1/2 cup dried cranberries,1/4 c.golden raisens,and 1/4 c. regular raisens,use what you like.Get a little bag of dried mixed fruit at the gas station-why not?
Mix everything EXCEPT dried fruit in a big bowl.As one granola recipe I read once says,"otherwise you get little fruit flavored bullets in your granola". Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking pan or jellyroll pan,you need a pan with sides,so a cookie sheet won't work.Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes,stir thoroughly every 10 minutes.Mixture will be toasty brown.Stir in dried fruit and eat.Store in an airtight container.Makes about 4 cups. You can change the amounts of fruit and nuts.Maybe use a little of your favorite sweet spice instead of,or in addition to,the vanilla.If you do,I'd just use a little. I wing this one a lot,but I had to contribute to a work cookbook once. So I carefully measured and made a batch.I've never tried alternate sweeteners,like agave nectar or maple syrup. If anyone here does,let me know how it comes out please!
I started with the tarnished pearly broken flower, added it to the irregular silver/black disk from an odd broken earring.Wired it to some black net ribbon saved from a package,added a piece of black yarn I had to cut off my daughter(she'd tied it around her neck for a necklace!). Found if I tied it in a knot, it'd be almost impossible to undo.Found a silver star tac pin.Voila! The family goes to the coffee shop once a week so DH and DD can play chess. I bring a bag of assorted craft supplies.So I had to put my hand on the scanner when we got home. I like this.
I want to put a design on a mug and a glass,but I'm too broke to go buy etching cream or glass paint. I do have acrylic paint-will that work? Can I heat set it by baking it in the oven? I know you can heat set acrylic on fabric. Should I just seal it with something? I know whatever I do it'll have to be carefully hand washed. Thanks!
I made a muse for the poetry swap a while back,and my daughter asked me to make her one for christmas.She decided she wanted a muse of miscellaneous thing,like the children's book Miss Alanius. She started off as a jones soda bottle,shaped with tinfoil,covered with tissue and glue,sparkly tissue for the top layer.Scrape cotton for her head,stuffed with cotton balls(i'm out of batting),stiffened with white glue,a pencil inside to hold her head up proudly,and her body full of beans for a little weight.Beads and earrings and a yarn remnant for hair and features-her ivy clasp for the cloak is an old dangly earring.The cloak is scrape velveteen,trimmed with white bias tape in lieu of ermine,and covered with miscellaneous objects as per my daughter's request. her front-I have to lay things on the scanner,so they're not great pics her back-
the one I made for the poetry swap The poetry one is glued to the top of a tin I painted blue.I like the miscellaneous one better.Thanks for looking!
This was in Bust magazine a month or two ago.This woman has a business knitting breasts-but she also provides the patterns for free to anyone who wants to make their own.Some quotes from the article-"Crafting is a creative outlet that allows women who are living through transitions the oppertunity to make a difference". And part of her motivation,is to "take back the tit" from cancer and a male run health care system. Her website is www.titbits.com,and they come in everyday,fancy,and floozy-I think you can even have them knit in soft cashmere,as well as fun colors.I don't have the article anymore;I copied this info down while reading a copy at the store.I just found where I put that scrap of paper.Hope it helps someone.
I want to make bath salts,and being always short of cash,I'd like to use supplies I have on hand.I have some sea salt,epsom salts,a small bottle of glycerin,powdered milk-and I could always powder oatmeal in the blender.What ingrediants and proportions seem to work best? I'm leaving out scent.I'd scent my own,but if I don't know what scents a person likes/dislikes,or if they have any sensitivities,it's safer to leave it out.I'm hoping an experianced bath salt maker can help me out.Thanks! I appreciate your help!
I want to dye some white cotton.I'm going to try different things-coffee,tea,koolaid,foodcoloring,just for fun.I've read most of this thread.My question-I know both alum and vinegar are mordants-which should I use? And would it be bad to use both? I read about wrapping your fabric up in plastic wrap,after squirting it with koolaid/food coloring,then steaming it.Would you then rinse it in a vinegar/water solution? Mostly I think I'll just use the simmer in a pot of dye method.I appreciate any advice you can give me.Thanks!
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