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I made some delicious zucchini bread the other day. I prefer muffins or loafs for easy serving. This recipe yields roughly 2 dozen muffins.
Adapted from different sources:
3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves or nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts, dried fruit, etc

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin pans with liners, or grease your loaf pans if you are making loaves. Beat eggs, and add in oil and sugar and mix. Add in zucchini and vanilla extract, stir, and set aside. In another bowl, mix flour, your spices, baking soda and powder, and salt, as well as the nuts or dried fruit. Add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the mixed pans and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Set on a rack to cool, and enjoy!

With all good intentions, my bf had been using this piece of leftover carpet as a coaster (at least he uses a coaster, ha!) When I pointed out to him that wet carpet harbors mold and other yucky things, he suggested we just buy new coasters. But since I had a package of cork from Ikea and tons of fabric, I decided to set out and make my own.

This project was a bit time consuming, mainly because I had to experiment, and also take pictures. However, by my last two coasters (I made 5), I managed to get the pattern/method down pat. I found that it took me 1/3 less time for the last one than it did for the first one. I also stopped taking pictures, haha. That probably sped things up.
You’ll need 1 package of cork (mine had 12 pieces) and whatever fabric to your liking. I would stay away from silky or flimsy fabric, I found that the thicker fabric was easier to use for this project. Next, cut out a piece large enough to fit 2 pieces of cork with .75-.5 in allowance all around. Set the cork aside and fold the fabric in half, and pin down the sides. Sew both sides, leaving the top side open. Make sure your piece of cork fits inside. Early on, I had made it too tight, so instead of redoing my seams, I just cut the cork smaller. Next, iron the top and sew over the leftover fabric so that it will lay flat. Pull it inside out, and stuff your piece of cork inside. And you have a coaster! I wanted to leave the top opened so that when the coasters get dirty, I could just pull out the cork and toss it in the laundry anytime.

Here’s the final product!

It has been so much fun writing for My Wooden Robot the past few months. This site is so inspirational and Jane herself is one of the most creative, sweet people I have ever had the pleasure to work with! That said, I have some bittersweet news…I am going to be branching out on my own…it’s been awhile since I blogged on my own site and I kinda miss it…soooooo…I will be starting my own blog again very soon which is both exciting and a little sad because I love this site My new site is called “Peas And Bees” (peasandbees.typepad.com). There’s not much there at the moment, BUT it is in the works! I’ll have Jane let you know when it is completed and I do hope you will stop by! I love you all! Keep creating lovely things!

posted by s.

I absolutely LOVE paper, notebooks, cards, and stationery of all kinds. I can sit on-line for hours perfectly content just perusing stationery sites…admiring the materials, the designs, and the creativity I come across. One of my favorite companies is Rock Scissors Paper. Hopping around their site just makes me happy. I made a few purchases there recently…you can read about them here. Anyways, please read on to get to know Rock Scissors Paper a bit more personally. I think you’ll be inspired. And for anyone like myself, who dreams of having her own stationery business one day, you might want to be sure you read #10! There is something very exciting mentioned!

1) How do you describe your style in three words?

Happy, Colorful, Retro

2) Describe your creative process from design to final product. As two sisters working together, is there every any conflict during the creative process? Or do you have different roles in the company?

Since we’re indie designers, the design process is very personal. It’s not about what’s hot or what’s trendy. It’s more about what creative spark is floating in our head at that moment. That being said, because we wholesale as well as retail, we are beholden to designing for specific selling seasons. Much as we might like to design a line of popsicle inspired cards in November, we’d have a hard time finding stores to carry them. So, for example, the January/February trade show season is where we debut spring and summer merchandise; August is when are minds are full of hearts and X’s and O’s as we design Valentine’s Day goodies. The process usually starts with a single visual idea. Since we both design, we work independently on that single idea and check in frequently to collaborate. Take for example the product grouping that we call “The Happy Collection” that we released in January 2008. This collection started with a feeling that a lot of negative things were going on in the world. On a personal level, 2007 was a difficult year for many people that we know. We wanted to start the new year with products that had a positive, happy vibe. We were really interested at the time (and still are!) with silkscreened artwork from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. These vintage images often included hand-drawn lettering that really packed a strong visual punch. We loved the idea of words being an integral part of a design, so from there, we came up with six happy slogans and then developed artwork that fit the spirit of each of the sayings.

When working with a new design concept or direction, we usually both work on ideas and eventually nail down the one illustration that embodies the whole collection. From there, we extrapolate out to create additional imagery, enough to create a comprehensive line of products.

There isn’t really conflict between us sisters, but we definitely each have strong opinions and during the design process there is usually a back and forth that occurs about what’s good and what’s not. Sometimes there is one design that one of us doesn’t like, but the other person feels very strongly about. In that case, we defer to the person who is championing the design. We don’t necessarily have different roles in the company. We both are involved in design and marketing and sales and all the minutiae of day to day business. This has its benefits and it’s shortcomings!

3) What is the inspiration for your designs and product lines?
To name a few: Vintage printed fabrics, old toys, thrifting, memories from childhood, Charley Harper, photography, California, roadside signs from the googie era, modern architecture, Faux Bois, winged creatures.

Petra Personalized Stationery $20

4) You offer a wide variety of products, which are your favorite?

Heidi’s current favorite is Crafty Cards. Each one is made with a scrap of vintage fabric, so each and every card is different. It’s so much fun to see how the different fabrics change the look of the cards. We get really excited when we make one that is really exceptional and show it off to everyone at work as a little masterpiece! Our brother who works for us is the best at making them. Go figure!
Susie’s current favorite is the Happy Collection, especially the Smile Flower. It makes her smile every time she sees it . It was inspired by a vintage 60’s flower pin she used to have that had a little smiling face painted on it. She lost it at the farmer’s market one day and almost cried. Now that tote bag puts a smile on her face!

5) What is the hardest part of being both the owners and the designers of the products?

One difficult part is looking objectively at a design and assessing it’s viability as a product. You feel so directly connected to it, it’s sometimes hard to see it without rose colored glasses .Of course the upside is we have the freedom to pursue any design whim that we want since we are not creating to fit someone else’s directive.

This can also make trade shows difficult. It’s exciting to be in your booth representing your product to great stores from around the world, but it can be difficult when a buyer criticizes a design in front of you. It’s one thing to not like a product or not think that it is right for your store, but sometimes they can phrase it in less than gentle terms and it can be hard to take! After being cooped up in a convention center for a days with no sunlight, no fresh air, and bad food, it’s hard not to take it personally.

Beehive Notebook “You’re My Honey”, $12

7) Your designs are now being licensed to a variety of companies and are even being sold as items in Target. What advice would you give to a beginning designer who has dreams of doing the same thing with his/her designs?

There are many avenues you can take to end up at licensing your artwork for products. Ours happened organically. We were approached by other companies interested in our work. These other companies saw us as a brand vs. as an illustrator. We saw it as an opportunity to expand our brand and our product offerings without having to do the manufacturing ourselves. We are just now actively marketing our artwork for licensing. If you are interested in licensing your artwork, make sure that it has a distinct voice. Figure out what your point of view is and stick with it. Their is a lot of quality competition out there. Surtex is one of the leading trade shows in this industry and when you walk the aisles and see the work being offered up, it’s mind-blowing. There is so much talent out there! We also would recommend that you educate yourself as much as possible about the process. Surtex offers workshops on licensing 101 as a good starting point.

How much time do you typically spend working on your designs each week? And how much time do you spend handling the “business” related aspects of your company?

10% of our time is spent designing, 90% on the rest

9) To what do you credit Rock Scissor Paper’s success?

Designing what we love. It’s always more than just a product to us. And also, growing at a pace we felt comfortable with.

10) Where do you hope to be in 5 years from now?

In 5 years, we would like to see the bulk of our business come from retail rather than from wholesale. Retailing is so much more rewarding on a personal level because we have a direct connection to the people who buy our products, so many of whom have been great, loyal customers. From a design standpoint, it is much more satisfying because we can have an idea for a product, design it and make it available to our customers almost instantly.

In the last couple of years we have started to consult with up and coming design businesses/entrepreneurs. Not only has this been enjoyable for us, but we’ve found that we really like helping creative individuals navigate the rough waters of turning your craft into a business. We’d really like to expand on this in the future. We’re taking our first step toward that goal by teaching a class on the stationery industry in September of this year. It’s part of a series of classes offered by a really great organization called the Design Entrepreneurs Network . In the process of putting this class together, we’ve gained great insight into our own business and where we want to go next with it.
Class info: http://www.geocities.com/heidi_bauer/fall2008stationery.pdf

Thank you lovely ladies at Rock Scissors Paper!

posted by s.

Sorry it’s been ages since I’ve written!  I’ve been traveling in foreign lands!  Yes, I was on a little two week European vacation.  Oh it was just lovely.  Paris, Florence, and Venice.  Beautiful places to visit.  While I was unable to cra ft or blog, I did practice my artsy photography while I was away.   I must say, I think I am getting rather good!  Not great…yet.  But good

posted by s. 

Vietnamese and other Asian desserts differ from American desserts in that there are less baked goodies and more “soupy” type desserts.  In Vietnamese cuisine, che is typically a name to describe any kind of “slurp-able” dessert.  There is usually some kind of coconut milk or plain milk base, and a variety of ingredients such as corn, bananas, white bean, mung bean, etc can be added.  One of my personal favorites is che thai, where many different kinds of ingredients can be added according to taste or whatever is available in the pantry.

The che thai shown above is quite easy to make, but it takes a bit of waiting time.  I would make the agar jello during the day, allow it to set until night time, and assemble everything together in a big pot to be left overnight.  It is best served cold.
I like to add all kinds of “exotic” fruits including jackfruit, rambutan, palm seed, longan, coconut jelly, etc (things that are hard to find fresh in the US).  You can even add water chestnuts, pineapple, etc etc.  Before it goes into the pot be sure to drain and do a quick rinse.  I also like to add banh lot to the che thai also.  My family refers it to green “brains” or “worms”, haha.  This consistency is soft but a bit chewy.  It adds great texture and color to any dessert.  The banh lot comes with two packets of coconut milk and honey which is added to the dessert also.
While the ingredients of che thai are quite flexible, I find that jello made from agar is essential to any che thai that I make.  You can find packets that are either clear or colored in any Asian grocers.  To make the agar, simply add contents of the package to water and boil until dissolved.  I also like to add a bit of sugar to my agar because it is quite bland.  I don’t add too much though because later the jello will absorb some of the flavors.  After the agar mixture has boiled, I pour it out into a baking pan (or frying pan, anything that is not too shallow) to cool in the fridge overnight, or during the day.  After it has set, cut into pieces.  You can be creative and grate it, or you can slice it into any shapes you like, as long as it is bite sized or sightly larger.
To assemble, I usually dump everything into a large bowl or pot (for easy transportation), and I add some milk to the final product, as seen in the last couple pictures.  Refrigerate overnight or the whole day, and enjoy after a handful of hours or so.  It’s great for potlucks or a hot day!

Is this not just the most fun treat ever??!! I just about died when I found out that you could put YOUR OWN photos on M & Ms. I think that is the coolest idea. It may not be handmade, but it’s close…you can take the photo and then get it transfered to any color M & M you want! These little yummies are perfect for birthdays, showers, or anniversaries, even those days when you are feeling kinda blue and need an ego boost. Little pieces of chocolate with big YOUs on them are sure to make you smile…

posted by s.

I love these.  So cute.  So yummy.  So perfect for a cup of tea!

Heart-Shaped Sugar, Sur La Table, $29.95

posted by s. 

Ok, I have a new favorite blog. Pink Penguin. Love it. The author has bunches of darling tutorials and she provides very step-by-step instructions with photos. The projects are too cute and completely practical and useful! Here are a few of my favorites…

Fabric Basket, image courtesy of Pink Penguin

Stylish Pen Case, image courtesy of Pink Penguin

I’m going to give these a try for sure! I am on summer break now, so I have all the time in the world to get crafty. That is the best part about my job. Oh I forgot to mention that the author of Pink Penguin is incredibly friendly and always responds to comments…I love that!

posted by s.

I cannot wait to see this movie!  This little robot is THE CUTEST. Check out his little video vignettes here…they are pretty funny.