Beach Week: Craft Inspirations Day 2

No trip to the beach would be complete without collecting some seashells by the seashore. It's always interesting to see what you'll find washed up ashore.

Here are some of my finds for this beach trip:

In addition to shells I found some awesome-looking sea glass - would make for some great new Ring Bling rings :)

I used some of the larger shells for display in a round glass on a wall ledge. I was curious to see what other craft projects utilized shells and found a good roundup on the Better Homes and Gardens and Martha Stewart sites. The possibilities are endless!

My wall ledge (and shells!)

Shell wreath

Sand jars

Seashell candles

Shell lights

Shell stationery

Beach Week: Craft Inspirations Day 1

I was so excited to go antiquing yesterday, though to be honest I didn't expect I'd be buying much if anything. Living in a small studio apartment, I'm constrained for space (not to mention budget!). But most of the thrill of antiquing is through the hunt, and I found a couple of fun finds.

As an Archie comic book aficionado in my younger days, I felt the nostalgia hit as I combed through a stack of old comic books in one shop.

I picked up a Chili comic book, which looked like a precursor to the Archies. Wikipedia tells me that Chili was a redhead who was a nemesis to Millie the Model, whose comic series ran from 1945 to 1973. Chili received a spinoff series that ran from 1969 to 1973.
My other great find from antiquing were these lovely vintage keys:

I love the shape and detailing on these. Even though the first is a little rusted, I'm hoping to spray a silver finish to make it look good as new. I'm hoping to turn these into some sort of jewelry, but what? Seems like a perfect Pinterest project for me!

Zoku Quick Pop Maker: A Review

I received the Zoku Quick Pop Maker as a gift from work, and it was perfect to take along with me to my beach week trip. As excited as I was to make my very own pops, I have to admit the warnings I read from online reviews and the user instructions were intimidating. No unsweetened pops, minimal alcohol in pops, must freeze unit for at least 24 hours, no filling past the line, make sure unit is completely dry before freezing...break any rules and I run the risk of not being able to pull out my pops or, even worse, breaking the pop maker itself. For such a happy little product, there were a lot of things that scared me.

From the Zoku recipe book, I decided to try the recipe for the S'Mores pops, which involved making a fudge base and alternating with layers of mini marshmallows and graham cracker. For my first batch, it became a little messy as I tried to pour the fudge mixture into the narrow pop slots (see Exhibit A).

Exhibit A: My first attempt at pops, a hot (or rather cold) mess

I learned that a funnel or spout to pour the liquids vastly improved subsequent results. After filling the molds and with about 10 minutes of waiting, out came this little guy:

Verdict: Delicious! Very tasty and not at all artificial. I was so happy about how this turned out that I didn't mind all the extra hassle of reading through the do's and don'ts before starting. And I love how the Zoku maker lets you play up your creative side. I have a feeling the Zoku blog, filled with recipes and how-to's, will soon make its way to my favorites list.

Here are a couple other tips I learned through my first batch of pops:

- For the second and subsequent batches, it will take progressively longer for the pops to freeze. I even put the unit back into the freezer for the second batch to make sure it froze properly.
- It's also helpful to cool/chill the liquid for the pops (in my case, the fudge base) prior to filling the molds.
- If a pop gets stuck in the maker, just let it thaw out in the unit and then start over.
- Have a chopstick or other blunt object on hand to push down/pack in the ingredients, especially if you have something like marshmallows or toppings that can create gaps in the pop mold. You want to keep the pop packed in dense to make sure it doesn't fall apart.

Happy popping!

Summer Prep

If you're ever having a bad day and need a nice visual pick-me-up, I suggest checking out the tumblr All Things Girly & Beautiful. It's so lighthearted and summery, it's bound to make anyone's day just a little brighter.

I thought of this tumblr as an inspiration for my latest Dome ring collection at Ring Bling. These rings are girly, preppy and perfect for summer.

The ring in the second photo is The Sparkler, a fun, multi-colored glittery bauble. And the bottom two rings feature Chevron stripes, which are absolutely my new favorite print. I figured, if they're popping up on everything from fabrics to upholstery, might as well add them to jewelry as well!

Whether you wear them to the office, to the beach, or out on the town, they're sure to bring a touch of summer shine to your look!