Haute Goat: SOS saved the day

Haute Goat: SOS saved the day

Come see me this weekend!

This weekend, July 18th & 19th, I will be at the Mill Creek Festival. I'm really excited about doing this show again. Last year was a ton of fun, and a totally great crowd. It looks like the weather is going to be great for a day of fun in the sun. So come join me and the other arts & crafts vendors. I'll be sharing a booth with Marlo of Tote2Go, re-usable fabric tote bags fashioned out of re-purposed materials. I'll have my original and wheat & gluten free homemade playdough, fun for kids and adults alike. Stop by and say Hi!

Etsy Poll

I'm so excited! My playdough was selected for an Etsy poll. The question "Which would make you teacher's pet?" under the Gifts for Teachers section. Please take a sec and vote for me here! And then take a look around and vote on the other categories too, k?

Homemade Playdough Featured!!!

I could not be more excited!!! My homemade playdough is featured today on DailyCandy.com in the Seattle Kids section. Check it out!

I will be at the EtsyRain Craft Show this weekend with Dough in tow! Come down to the Sodo Pop in Seattle. It is a great location for an intimate show with some amazing local artisans/crafters. It is a Saturday event not to be missed. There will be 30 swag bags for the first people through the door so get there early. And bring canned food because we will be collection donations at the door for the Cherry Street food bank. Check us out on Yelp to and let us know if you will be there!

New Listings

I've been busy the last two days taking new photos and adding new listings of my homemade playdough to my Etsy shop. This is all in preparation for a possible feature in DailyCandy.com's Seattle Kids edition. I believe I will be the Monday feature, but I haven't got confirmation on the day yet. This is really exciting and they are focusing on my Wheat & Gluten Free version. Keep an eye out! In the meantime, check out my Etsy shop.

Easter Egg Grave Yard...

The pretty eggs, colored by the children of the Affleck family, were sacrificed to the deviled egg gods.

I have a bunch of new items in my Baubles By Hand jewelry shop on ETSY. Let me know what you think.

Etsy Buy Handmade BaublesByHand

All things Fall

I got to carve pumpkins last night. Yay! It was so much fun, and I think it was the first time I'd done it since I was a kid. The Affleck family (Kelly, Daryl, Charlie, and Clara) let me tag along to pick out the gourds and then back to the house for carving.

My first reaction to the goopy, stringy innards was - SAVE THE SEEDS!!! Hah, leave it to me to turn any holiday tradition into a "food thing". It was so funny watching 2 year old Clara get totally slimy in the bowl of seeds. She came very close to dunking her head in the bowl!

I think my interpretation of a friendly vampire o'lantern turned out great. The seeds were pretty good too. I might even have to get another pumpkin so The Count, that is what I am calling him, isn't lonely on my front porch.

Cook's Journal

Ok, this is a really simple recipe for potatoes. It is probably nothing new, but I made them as a side for dinner tonight with broiled Tilapia and they were AWESOME! I love cooking without a plan. I find some of my favorite meals happen when I think "I have nothing here to eat!". So as I was looking around for something to make with the fish I defrosted days ago (and didn't feel like making) I found a bag of little redskin potatoes I'd forgotten about. Fish cooks pretty quickly so I didn't want to wait for my typical roasted potatoes. Here is what I came up with...

5 little redskin potatoes

• Wash and Quarter
• Placed in a pot large enough for all the quarters to be touching the bottom of the pan, but not a lot of extra room.

Vegetable stock, just to cover potatoes (I used about 3/4 to 1 cup)
1 tsp. kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp. dried chives (if using fresh add when reducing liquids at the end)
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Cook on high until liquid is at a rolling boil. Cover and turn down to medium-medium high for 10-15 min until potatoes are fork tender. Remove lid, turn down to medium, and let the liquid reduce (about 5 min). I finished with 1/2 tbsp. of unsalted butter to finish the gravy created by the vegetable stock reduction. I hope you try these they were yummy!

What are you doing Sunday, October 11th?

Come to the EtsyRain.com Handmade Arts Show!

When: Sunday, October 11th
10am -4pm

Where: St. Edwards State Park - Grand Dining Hall

Why: Because this is a great show featuring the unique items of 30 local artisans and crafters, that's why!

Also grab a goodie from our bake sale benefiting VSA Arts of Washington.

Check out etsyRAIN.com for more information!

Yarn Over

So I finally gave in and picked up a needle. I wasn't sure if I should start with knitting or crocheting, but I decided that since crocheting involved only one needle that would be a better place to start. But, then the question became which needle and which yarn? I just made an educated guess because the sales person at Michael's Craft Store wasn't terribly helpful. Luckily I guessed right. I figured that I could learn some of the basics online so I went searching for a tutorial. I found quite a few on YouTube, but that only got me so far. Then last Wednesday I met some fellow EtsyRain members at a local mall for dinner and crafting. Thankfully I had the opportunity to consult a crochet master! If it weren't for Cindy of Original Cyn Studios I'd still be crocheting a sad single chain - a very long, very sad single chain. Now I am going back and forth like a pro. Ha!

Next, I change colors...To Be Continued.

We're Famous!

How cool is it that EtsyRain was Etsy.com's third featured team in The Storque! Check out the article here. Go EtsyRain Go!

Arts, Crafts, and Fun - Oh My!

EtsyRain is at it again! If you are looking for something to do this upcoming Friday and Saturday (August 8th and 9th) why don't you stop by the Showcase Tacoma. I'll be there selling my jewelry from Baubles By Hand in the EtsyRain group tent. If you stop by you will be lucky enough to have a look at all the goodies we have to offer. Joining me will be:

~Marlo of I Make Cute Stuff with her practically-adorable Totes2Go
~Kayce of Nuetome and World of Whimm with her fantastic kids wear
~Trina of Woven Chains displaying beautiful chain maille jewelry
~Laurie of Loud Life with her intriguing and inspiring mixed media artwork
~Julie of Crack Pot Mosaics and her regular objects turned into one of a kind mosaic art
~Jonah of Maluhia will tempt your wallet with her whimsical approach to handbags, wallets, and other accessory items.
Take a look at their shops for a small glimpse into what you could find at this weekend's show. Check out showcasetacoma.org for more information.

Happy Birthday EtsyRain!

*UPDATE* - Etsy liked our gift so much that they made a little video "reopening" our gift. The first video got accidentally taped over, OOPS! But, we loved that they reinacted the opening for us. Here it is.

What on earth is an EtsyRain you may ask. EtsyRain is the Seattle Metropolitain Street Team for Etsy.com. Our team was founded a year ago by Carrie of Glitzconcepts (Finny's Funny Fleece) in August of 2007. In celebration of the event many of our memebers pitched in to send the gang at Etsy.com a little birthday present. The team has been a great support to me an all its members and we couldn't wait to give back.

Marlo of I Make Cute Stuff has taken over the helm and is steering EtsyRain into a really exciting second year! With plans for group booths at various local events, promotions, and a new website in the making we have a lot to look forward to.

The artists and artisans of EtsyRain are as diverse as the faces of Seattle's residents. Amongst our members you will find everything from handmade knits and organic soaps to beautiful one of a kind jewelry pieces and fantastic photography. Our shows will surprise you, and I dare you to walk away empty handed! Just take a look at a few of our member shops or our blog and see for yourself. If you are in the Seattle/Tacoma area keep a look out for that crazy word "EtsyRain" we might just be coming to a show near you!

(Images shown are the donations for the EtsyRain birthday present to the team at Etsy.com)

Happy Solstice

Seattle is a city of beautiful diversity. I sometimes think that the folks who were born and raised here, although I it never seems like anyone is actually "from" here, take this city and all it has to offer for granted. From the lively atmosphere at Pike Place to the unique shops of Ballard and Fremont there is always something new to experience. Then there are the mountain trails, the lake side parks, and ferry trips to the surrounding islands - oh, I could go on forever!

Well, I had the opportunity a couple weekends ago to experience one of those special "Seattle" events. I attended the Solstice Parade in Fremont and it will definitely be an occasion I will be adding to my calendar for years to come. If you'd like to learn a little more about this Seattle tradition head to the Fremont Arts Council website and if you would like to see my pics you can check them out here. The best part about the Parade was the way everyone, participants and onlookers alike, joined in and celebrated! Everyone seemed to embrace the opportunity to rejoice. Some took part in the tradition of celebrating the human form, in all its naked glory. But others pushed the envelope politically with controversial statements on American life. I was just happy to be part of it all, even if only as a spectator. Who knows maybe next year I'll be pushing a float myself, and yes I said pushing, there are no motorized vehicles allowed at this show!

Cooking Journal - Entry 3

Ok, so I have another kitchen creation that I'd like to share. I get on a kick from time to time where I just love to spend time in the kitchen. There is something so cathartic about slicing, chopping, and stirring. Except the fact that I have been in the kitchen so much lately making pounds and pounds of playdough it took me a little while to get my kitchen back in food cooking mode.

I do love the feel of accomplishment when something I concoct something new and tasty out of a list of ingredients. I don't particularly like recipes and measurements. When I cook it is usually with what I like to call the throw and taste method. I throw in what I think sounds good and then I taste and see what I might need next.

I was on my way home from work yesterday and two things popped into my head. First, summer vegetables. Second, my friend the "vegan" who doesn't like to cook (just kiddin' Kel). I was on the hunt for corn on the cob, one of my absolute favorite parts about summer. So I headed to the great little market where I knew I would find all the best fresh fruits and veg - Top of The Hill Quality Produce. And, boy was I right! Corn, zucchini, green beans, and I can't forget the yellow raspberries - another one of my favs! I picked up a bag and a half of the freshest produce with one thing in mind - Stoup!

Yes, you heard me right, Stoup. Now I am not a huge fan of Rachel Ray, but her introduction of this word into my cook vocab was welcomed with open arms. I like soups in general, but for some reason my tummy is not as fond of all that warm liquid. Stews - now that is a different animal entirely. The big chunks of vegetables or protein surrounded by a warm gravy of sorts, that is what I am talking about! A stoup is a beautiful product of combining these two concepts. Last night I put together a Summer Veggie Stoup worth sharing by recipe as well as by bowl.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I just did!

Summer Veggie Stoup
In a large soup pot combine the following in the order listed adding each as they are cut. Simmer with the lid on for one hour. All veg should be cut in large chunks.

1 - 16oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
4 - Small Red Skin Potatoes - Skin on!
1 - Sweet Onion
2 - Cloves of Garlic, Smashed and Peeled (I also added 5 cloves of roasted garlic too!)
2 - Stalks of Celery
1 - Carrot
1/4 - Head of Cabbage
1 - Cup Corn from the Cob and the Husk Milked
2 - Cups of Fresh Green Beans
4 - Cups of Vegetable Broth
2 - Tsp Kosher Salt
1 - Tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
2 - Tbsp Parsley
1/2 - Tbsp Thyme

After an hour to an hour twenty add a box of small pasta shells or the like. Return the lid and turn off the burner. The pasta will cook with the residual heat. That's it!

Wow, have I been bad at keeping up with this lately! I even missed plugging a show I did this past weekend. Doh! Anyway, I will plug the next one...June 28th will be the next show I am taking part in. It will feature 25 or so other wonderful EtsyRain.com artisans and a fundraising B-B-Q benefiting the Ballard NW Senior Center. The Ballard NW Senior Center, a great venue, is hosting this event and has been gracious enough to let us crazy crafters peddle our wares and such. The show and B-B-Q will be held from 10 am to 4 pm at the Center located at 5429 32nd Ave NW in Ballard. Feel free to check out all the info at EtsyRain.com and don't forget to stop by for a little crafty-Q! I dare ya.

The first annual Puget Sound Indie Arts Spring Arts & Crafts Show will be held this Saturday, May 10th at Artworks in Edmonds, WA.

The show will feature 25 local artisans and their handmade wares. As a bonus the first 50 patrons through the doors will receive a hand sewn swag bag full of crafty samples from participants. Doors open at 9:30am and the show will run until 4:30. Please join us for uniquely handcrafted items like jewelry, pottery, reusable grocery bags, candles, and much much more! Oh yeah, I will be there too - jewelry, magnets and play dough in hand.

Spotlight on EtsyRain

Re-purpose, reuse, recycle - Entangle! Julia's jewelry is such testament to her love of making the old look new again. Old stretchy watchbands, enameled flower broaches, cameo pendants, buttons, charms, and chains all find their way into her hands and become fodder for her passion.

I sat next to Julia at an outdoor craft fair late last year. I watched as the few freezing patrons of the fair shivered past her booth, stopped, and noticed a piece. Comments would fly - "My mother had a pair of earrings just like this when I was little." Of course now that pair of earrings had be come just a single and found a home as a lovely addition to one of her eclectic necklace charms.

In a world, or maybe region, where the idea of a greener approach to living and vintage chic is oh so popular Julia's prices are a steal! Please take a look at some of the places you can find her, starting with her Etsy shop, Entangles. She also shares information on her blog about other crafters who have focused their talents on "up-cycling". You know what they say - "one woman's trash is another woman's treasure". Julia is making treasures for us all!