Although I'm a fan of the easy/quick Jiffy mix version, Jiffy mix is not usually found in my kitchen. This is just as easy, although it requires a stocked kitchen (flour, sugar, baking soda).
Ingredients:
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar (I make it with 3/4 and it's plenty sweet)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except the baking soda, salt and flour in a large bowl. When combined, add remaining ingredients, and mix until just combined. Pour into a 4x8 loaf pan (disposable aluminum is my fave, but glass or tin also works). Bake for one hour.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Breaking watches
Repost
What I’ve been doing this week… I got my hands on some old watches with mechanical movements and took them apart to get at the gears. Watches are really interesting. For one, it’s really hard to get a screwdriver small enough for their tiny tiny TINY screws. I ended up buying a (bargain) $1 precision (and by that, they mean ’small’) screwdriver set and filing the tip down with my metalworking files. It worked pretty well until I realized that by filing the tip down I was basically making it sharper.
I realized that when I stabbed myself. Oops.
On a prettier and less bloody note, watches apparently have ‘jewel bearings’. They use synthetic stone (back in the day they used real ruby or sapphire) to make the bearings because it can be polished to a super-smooth finished and the material will not wear away. And apart from that, they just look cool.
Below, pictures of some of the watches and some of the innards once disassembled. For the actual jewelry made from said parts, you’ll have to wait! (Although I’ve already made some, I’m just keeping them secret).
What I’ve been doing this week… I got my hands on some old watches with mechanical movements and took them apart to get at the gears. Watches are really interesting. For one, it’s really hard to get a screwdriver small enough for their tiny tiny TINY screws. I ended up buying a (bargain) $1 precision (and by that, they mean ’small’) screwdriver set and filing the tip down with my metalworking files. It worked pretty well until I realized that by filing the tip down I was basically making it sharper.
I realized that when I stabbed myself. Oops.
On a prettier and less bloody note, watches apparently have ‘jewel bearings’. They use synthetic stone (back in the day they used real ruby or sapphire) to make the bearings because it can be polished to a super-smooth finished and the material will not wear away. And apart from that, they just look cool.
Below, pictures of some of the watches and some of the innards once disassembled. For the actual jewelry made from said parts, you’ll have to wait! (Although I’ve already made some, I’m just keeping them secret).
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
How To Project: Foam Stamps on CutOut+Keep
Another one from the archives... this project is nice and simple. Materials are not complicated to obtain, and you can make your own custom stamps.
DIY Foam Stamps
DIY Foam Stamps
Monday, July 5, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
New item up on Etsy!!
I'm pretty psyched about this listing... it's a Create-Your-Own for my new jewelry line *ultra-SATURATE*. The components are designed and manufactured by me, and are laser-cut acrylic in VERY bright, VERY fun colors! Although I'll be listing individual necklaces already designed, I'm also a sucker for anything that involves me choosing or customizing something, so I thought I'd give others the chance!
Check it out: http://www.etsy.com/listing/50806168/create-your-own-ultra-saturate-necklace
Check it out: http://www.etsy.com/listing/50806168/create-your-own-ultra-saturate-necklace
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Marble brownies from scratch/box
Mastering from-scratch brownies is one of those things that I have never been able to do. Therefore, anytime you eat delicious brownies I have provided, they came from a box. Sometimes I'll dress them up and make Marble Brownies: brownies from a box, cheesecake part from scratch.
Ingredients:
1 Box of your favorite brownie mix, plus whatever it calls for (eggs, oil, water)
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Prepare the brownie mix according to the package instructions. In another bowl, cream the butter, sugar and cream cheese. Add the egg, flour and vanilla. Blend well. Pour the brownie mix into a pan (It will fit in an 8x8, but you might want a 13x9 for thinner brownies). Spoon the cheese mixture over it; drag a knife through the mixture if you want to create patterns. Bake according to the brownie package directions, but doubling the time. You can check for done-ness with a knife.
Ingredients:
1 Box of your favorite brownie mix, plus whatever it calls for (eggs, oil, water)
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Prepare the brownie mix according to the package instructions. In another bowl, cream the butter, sugar and cream cheese. Add the egg, flour and vanilla. Blend well. Pour the brownie mix into a pan (It will fit in an 8x8, but you might want a 13x9 for thinner brownies). Spoon the cheese mixture over it; drag a knife through the mixture if you want to create patterns. Bake according to the brownie package directions, but doubling the time. You can check for done-ness with a knife.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Opinions needed!
I've finally started to photograph my current jewelry inventory to put up on Etsy, and I'm running into trouble with my NEW line of acrylic, laser cut jewelry. I can't decide what background to use... what do you think? This gray pattern is what I use on my other (metal) jewelry, but I'm not sure it 'goes' with the new stuff. Also, since I have a bunch of colors in the new line (red, pink, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple, black, white........) if I go with a contrasting background, every picture would be different!
What do YOU think?!
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