Sunday, November 13, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!!

This fall has almost completely passed me by.  I do have three Thanksgiving foods that I want to share.  First will be the winning entry for the fall foods, Pecan Pie.  If you suggested pecan pie, please email me your address at sweetandsavorytrinkets@yahoo.com .  The Fall monthly charms will be sent out Monday :)
The pecan pie is very reallistic looking, the filling is actually a mixture of 5 diferent colors of clay.  The buttery crust, and toasted pecans look toasty too.  I also brought back my roasted turkey, but I took a lot of time perfecting him, he looks much better than lasts years turkey.
The last food for Thanksgiving is pumpkin pie.  I did really want to make a lot more, but just didn't have enough time. 


 I am still taking Holiday food suggestions.  Please leave your holiday food suggestions in the comment section below to enter the contest.  You can make one suggestion a day.  Just browse through the suggestions to make sure you aren't replicating any suggestions.  If google wont let you leave a comment, just let me know your suggestion through etsy or by email.


Thursday, October 27, 2011

A Unique Gift for Teacher

Welcome back!!   I haven't had time to do much creating in the last month, but I did make some fun teachers gifts.  I made several varieties of apples in trying to keep with the tradition of bringing your teacher an apple.
Suprisingly enough, all these apples in the photo above are based off of actual apple varieties. I spent a lot of time scouring images of different apple varieties, and found some very pretty apples.  Each tiny apple is hand painted in layers of color then I finish them with a glossy glaze to achieve a glass like look.

This is my replica of the Black Arkansas Apple.  The Black Arkansas Apple is shaped a lot like a plum, it is much rounder than the apples you normally see.  These apples are usually picked when they are a deep crimson red, almost burgandy, and they darken to a deep purple to black as you store them.  It is believed that they were cultivated in Arkansas in the 1840s by a man named John Crawford.  It is usually a apple that is stored, and gets better as it ages.  It is said to have yellow flesh, and is sweet and tart like a dessert apple.   The flavor is known for being complex and has honey and almond undertones.   
This pretty apple is the Ginger Gold Apple.  In 1969 Hurricane Camille left Nelson County, Virginia flooded. Clyde and Francis "Ginger" Harvey's orchards were devastated, and while trying to recover what trees they had left, they discovered one tree that was different then the others.  The Ginger Gold is a rounder shaped apple, that varies from a pale golden apple with a pink blush, to a rich golden color.  The flesh is a cream color, and the apple has a mild flavor with a tart finish.  The Ginger Gold is used a lot in making apple pie.   The Ginger Gold was the offspring of Golden Delicious, Albemarle Pippin, and an unknown apple.
The Jazz Apple has the more familiar enlongated apple shape.  It is a very golden yellow color, with a rich orange rusty colored blush that darkens to red with age.  The Jazz apple was cultivated in 1985 in New Zealand.  They are a cross between Gala and Breaburn apples.  They are sweet, and a densed fleshed apple that are great for eating fresh, or baking in pies.
 The Granny Smith Apple was cultivated in 1868 by Maria Ann Smith in Australia.  The Granny Smith is an enlongated apple shape that contains pretty bright green an yellow colorations.  The Granny Smith is actually the only apple I am familair with on this list.  I have had the on many occasions, alone, and in candy apples. 
Yumm!!
These Duchess Apples have a very water color feel, to an extent they all do, but these really do.  The duchess apple has the familair apple shape.  They ripen in a very stricking way though.  They are a pretty yellow green, then as time goes by pinks and red start appearing around the middle of the apple leaving the shoulders green.  The Duchess Apple is believed to come from Russia in the early 18th century.  These apples are often used in making apple pie. 
The Viking Apple is a beautiful crimson red apple sometimes containing burgandy tones with an enlongated apple shape.  This apple was introduced in 1969, on the east coast of the United States, and is used mostly for making pies.  It is known to have tart white flesh.

The Pink Pearl Apple  is a pink fleshed apple.  The skin is a creamy translucent color, The pink flesh can add pink tones to the outside of the apple from the inside.  The apple was developed in 1944 by Albert Etter in northern California.  I read somewhere that they make a fun pink applesauce.
This fun apple is the Maiden Blush Apple.  The Maiden Blush originated from New York in 1817.  This cutey caught my eye because of its donut shape, and fun coloration.  Most of the images I came across of this little cutie were green on one side pink on the other. 
I hope you enjoyed this little Apple Collection, it is seasonal and will only be offered a couple of times a year.

The Contestis still running as usual.  We are just finishing the Fall foods which will appear in my next blog.  Now feel free to start making your Holiday food suggestions :) in the comment section of the blog

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Welcoming Fall

  Fall is here, and living in sunny southern California the seasonal changes are far more subtle than most other places.  The weather is starting to get a little colder, and with Halloween practically here, I am starting to think about the fast approaching holiday season.  Thank you all who stop by my blog, I love reading your suggestions for the monthly contest!
  My newest items can be found in my Etsy shop. I am not finished making Fall foods for the store, so make sure to keep making suggestions for Fall themed foods, check back in see if your suggestions won.  So far pecan pie, a gravy boat, pumpkin pie, a turkey dinner plate, and a roasted turkey are the only suggestions taken up. We have 2 new winners  candy apples, and carmel apples.  You know the drill:) if you won, email me your address at sweetandsavorytrinkets@yahoo.com 

My miniature carmel apples are granny smith apples dipped in a rich (sparkly) carmel sauce . I added a little gold and copper sparkle to these guys to for the holidays.  They come in charms, earrings, and I can even make them into stitch markers. 

The candy apples are made with tiny claygranny smith apples, and is dipped in a rich red (sparkly) red candy coating.  The sparkles I have added look so pretty in person, they catch more light than the photos show.  The color reminds me of the shimmery deep red corvette colors from forever ago :)
I haven't made my wonderful turkeys/ dinner plates yet, but here are my pumpkin pie slices :).   The coloring and texture on top and in the pie filling is actually real pumpkin pie spices.  

For those of you that are new thank you for stopping by the blog!  I have a running contest, every month I choose a new theme, and ask you to make food suggestions that go with the theme.  If I make your suggestion, you win your suggestion as a charm:).  Leave your suggestions in the comment section of the blog.  Right now the theme is Fall
Rules:
1 Try to make sure that you look over the suggestions that have been made, so you don't duplicate a suggestion.

2  Make up to one suggestion per day. 
 
In total I have donated 175.00 from sales since the big quake in Japan.  We have donated to the Japan earthquake/ tsunami relief, the New Zealand Quake, and the midwest U.S. tornado storm relief.
Here is the link of our charity page.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Happy Halloween!!

Thank you for all the wonderful Halloween instructions!!  My fingers have been very busy : ).  I do wish I could make them all, and I might be able to find time to make some more, but I wanted to share what we have so far.  At the end of the blog I will announce the new theme.

Our first monthly winner suggested candy corn, way back for candy month.  I will go back to locate your suggestion and contact you : )

The White Cinderella Pumpkin was suggested by Noell.  She actually grows them, and sent me some pictures of hers, they are beautiful!   I made some gummy ghosts 

I brough back one of  my favorites from last year too,  my Vampire Delight ice cream.     Idecided to create some freinds for our little white pumpkin too.

Contest Theme

You can make Halloween suggestions till the 1st of October,  but today the new theme starts as well.  The new theme is Fall/ Thanksgiving.   I already make a whole turkey, a turkey dinner plate with mashed potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce, and  I make pumkin pie with whipped cream.   Everything else is up for grabs, so start making suggestions for your favorite fall and Thanksgiving foods. 

Rules:
 Try to make sure that you look over the suggestions that have been made, so you don't duplicate a suggestion.

Make up to one suggestion per day. 

Have fun,  I look forward to looking at your suggestions.  

Exciting News!!   I am doing my very first fair on Saturday Sept 24th.   If I get good ictures of my booth, I will share them with you in the next blog.  Keep an eye out on the blog, I intend to update it by the 1st weekend in October..  If there are any more Halloween winners, I will be announcing them then.

Heather


I made my last contribution to our global giving page.  I put 50.00 in from the sales of July, August and September.
In total I have donated 175.00 from sales since the big quake in Japan.  We have donated to the Japan earthquake/ tsunami relief, the New Zealand Quake, and the midwest U.S. tornado storm relief.
Here is the link of our charity page.
Heather

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

September- Better Breakfast Month

Hello everyone :)   I am pretty much caught up!!!  The September monthly mailings will be sent out within the next couple of days.  I will have the monthly contest theme and info at the bottom of the blog.  September is National Chicken month, and better breakfast month.

I decided on   Anti-better breakfast :)  Fro me this means pop tarts.  I have two of the three monthly pop tarts complete.  When the third is finished I will edit this post and include the new pictures.

My poor camera died, so the new pictures wont be as pretty.  I will try to replace my camera as soon as possible :)



Contest Info:
New Theme:   Halloween!!!!  Get out your ghoulish food ideas, and leave them here in the comment section.  If I make your suggestion for the shop, you win a free charm (the one you suggested).
I just ask you to limit your suggestions to one a day, and make sure you aren't replicating prior suggestions.
So far Rachel has suggested Candy in a skeleton bowl, and candy apples from a prior post. Katherine suggests Halloween suckers.  Jamie suggested carmel apples, mellocream pumpkins, eye ball gum, and sixlets.  Joyce suggested popcorn balls, and cupcakes for the Halloween theme. choc bottom, orange frosting and those licorice sprinkles that are black, orange, purple and yellow, and cupcakes .  Noell has suggested Frankenstien Cakes, Cinderella pumpkins, and sugar cookies with ghosts and spooky stuff.  During candy month someone suggested candy corn, so I will take that as a suggestion for this month. 

P.S.  If you have trouble leaving comments, shoot me a convo on Etsy, and I will edit the blog to include your ideas just like what you see above.  I will also make sure to add them to new posts if I create a new blog befroe we stop taking Halloween ideas. (Sept 15)....

As I create my pieces, they are entering the Etsy shop, so taking a peak will show you the new porducts before I post them here ;)

Announcment
For the time being I pulled the charm of the month club out of my shops on Etsy and Artfire.  I am planning on bringing it back, but due to baby sitting... I just haven't been able to complete them before the first of the month for the past 3 months.   For those of you in the club you will still be receiving your monthly charms until your membership expires.   I hope to make the club available again to you by January 1st.

I will still be making new charms monthly and continuing this contest I just didn't want to disappoint anyone with things taking longer to go out.    So if your membership expires before I bring back the club , I will give you the discounted price each month on the new monthly charms.

I will be making my next monthly charity payment soon, and will leave you the amount we have raised so far here once I make it:)  Here is the link to the business donations made so far.

Heather

   

Sunday, August 21, 2011

August Charms

Hello,  I just finished and shipped August's charms.  They are a bit late, but  I am very happy with the results.    I made some peches with a leaf on the side, and slices of peach pie as well. 

If you made either of those suggestions please email me with your address at sweetandsavorytrinkets@yahoo.com

New Contest Theme.

The new theme is Halloween, get creative and start making your suggestions :)

Sorry this post is goin to be short. 

Thank you all so much !!!


Heather

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Melty Summer Fun!

I can't believe how quickly the summer is passing!  As each year goes by it seems that each year goes by faster and faster.  It always feels like there is never enough hours in the day to do all the things you want to do.  When I look at my daughter, I remember sitting at school staring at the clock, waiting for the school bell to ring.  It seemed that time never passed quickly enough back then.  

Now I treasure the spare moments I get to slow down and just relax.  National ice cream month has been a perfect reason to slow down and savor some of the simple things in life.  Your suggestions have been wonderful, and I am sure that they are responsible for a couple extra pounds I have put on (researching ofcourse)  ; )

I decided to focus on nostalgic ice creams this month.  The first ice cream has a rich strawberry center, and is surrounded by a creamy layer of vanilla.  it is then rolled in a mix of cookie crumbles, coconut, and strawberry bits. 

There are several brands that carry these starwberry shortcake ice cream bars.  They were my absolute favorite as a kid, if you haven't tried them you should, they are awsome! 

The second ice cream of the month is a neopolitan ice cream sandwich.  There are several brands that make these little guys too.  Pam suggested the ice cream sandwich, and I love the memories that they bring back!

I loved dark chocolate cookies, and enjoyed licking the bit of cookie, that would always stick to your fingers as the warmth from your hands melted the ice cream.




The last ice cream of the month is an orange and cream bar.  This was suggested by Sher, I think think this is the dreamsicle?  My mom calls them 50/50 bars. What ever you call them, they are a wonderful ice cream.  A sweet creamy vanilla ice cream, surrounded by a slightly tart orange sherbert like coating.

 These are the three ice creams of the month, and will be shipped this week to all of you that receive the charm of the month club.



August's theme is peaches, we have received a couple of suggestions already, in the comment section of the last blog.  I hope that more of you will join in with more suggestions!  I really do enjoy looking up images of your suggestions.
The Rules:
1:  You can only make one suggestion per day, that allows you multiple entries but many can play :)
2: Read through the suggestions to make sure you aren't duplicating any suggestions already made.
I have made June's donations to the tornado and storm victims.  We have donated 125.00 so far : ) 
I am still donating through global giving.  we are now at 100.00.  My store contributions have gone to the Tsunami relief in Japan, and the latest 2 donations have gone to tornado and storm relief.  I will try to provide the link I donate through in each blog.. (last time I forgot)  At the link you can see all of my past donations.  Here is the link.