A Few Firsts

The first time I tried "Sticky Chicken".

It was a treat because we grill more than we fry. I sauteed 1 large (it was huge soft ball size) yellow onion, 1 large bell pepper, 3 stalks of celery, chopped in same size pieces, in a little olive oil. Once it was soft & starting to brown I removed it from the heat, seasoned with a little salt & pepper then set aside. Then I breaded some chicken tenders with a double coating of flour, pepper, garlic powder, pinch of cayenne & a tsp or so of Old Bay Seasoning & oregano, *I used these seasonings when I realized I was out of Cajun spice seasoning, or couldn't find it due to my extremely large stash of spices*. Then I fried the chicken tenders on high until golden brown but not done. I set the oven for 350 and melted 1/2 stick of butter. *I couldn't do it! I couldn't use an entire stick like the recipe called for after frying all the ingredients!* I put 1/2 the butter in a deep casserole dish, then the chicken, the veggies spread evenly on top, then a sprinkling of dried oregano, the juice of one lemon and drizzled the rest of the butter on top. I covered & baked it for 1/2 hour. It makes it's own gravy and the veggies get stuck to the sticky breading. Oh yum! It's usually cooked with thighs and legs so next time I'll try it that way. Then we can get all messy & sticky eating it with our fingers. A little unsweetened Southern cornbread baked in my cast iron skillet will be a must to go with it next time. The guys loved it so there will be a next time!

My first bracelets with my hand blended clay beads are now in my shop! I have a few more to list, one with faux jade and another with black beads that I think look like lava or asphalt. (I make one me and one for the shop, one for me, one for the shop!) I won't get them listed today because I have the photographs ready.

Big Shout Outs & Thank You's go to the CAST Team blog for featuring my photograph and EarthToGirl for featuring my art on her blog & in her Etsy Treasury and to Ayala Art for drawing my name to win your wonderful art! Yippee!

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'...

...Clay that is! I've been playing with clay all day. Thank goodness polymer clay doesn't go bad because I haven't touched it a couple of years. I expected it to look like forgotten Playdough, all crusty & dry, but a few kneads between the fingers and it's like brand new! How does that work? I have an array of almost every color thanks to my sister. Crafty gifts are the best aren't they?! She is making beautiful jewelry now so I am making her some beads. I love making beads, sculpting faces, working with clay, but I don't enjoy making jewelry (or stained glass but that's another story!) I've tried to get into jewelry making but it doesn't take long before the supplies are on their way to my sister. I can't close a jump ring right to save my life. To be good at it you have to love it, invest time & practice, I don't love it enough to spend the time to practice at it. I love these little faux turquoise nuggets though! I am going to redo the holes before I bake them. They are a mixture of teal, light turquoise, tan, white & black. My favorite ring that I inherited from my husband's grandmother is a brilliant Alexandrite set in a gold Fleur de lis setting. The stone changes from cobalt blue to violet much like amethist. I can never predict what color it will be when I put it on. It's like an expensive mood ring. Anyway I'm going to make some beads inspired by that ring.

My sister has been telling me how nice Cold Porcelain Clay is to work with so I took a break earlier and ran out to purchase some baby oil. I also splurged on a bead roller at Michael's. It's so cool! I'm sharing this instructional video by Sangeeta Shah. She makes it look very easy, her flowers are amazing and her accent is adorable. She has some flower tutorials on her website. The porcelain clay is an air dry clay, no baking needed and it shrinks about 30%, so I am using eye pins instead of holes if I make beads with it. What I have in mind to make is an angel inspired by my clay jug I found in May. I can't wait to get started. I hope it turns out! A tip that my sister gave me is to let it rest for a day or so before using. If you make some too please share how yours turns out and what you made with it!

I'm so lucky! I won these beautiful earrings by Lisa at Alterity Button Jewelry in her give-a-way and received them this afternoon. I love her whimsical button jewelry and she is really making me want to pull out my sewing machines. You must see her adorable 40's sun dresses she plans to take to the beach. So cute! The earrings are beautifully constructed and they match my eyes. *lashing fluttering* Thanks so much Lisa!

A Big Shout Out & Thanks! goes to Schemata & Collagical for including my art in their Etsy Treasuries! Click on their names to be taken to their wonderful shops.