Meet one of our newest merchants in the Reclaimed to Fame Market – Secondhand Angels!   Here’s her story:

I am primarily a self-taught artist.  My mother is a painter and writer and was I exposed to a great deal of art and culture growing up.  I have taken a few classes here and there.  Most recently in the fall of 2009, I attended an ART of REUSE class at John C Campbell Folk School in Murphy, NC for a week.  It was a wonderful, priceless experience.  My instructor was very encouraging; I ended up with time recently after losing a job.  I decided if not now, when so I have been able to get my shop set up and focus on my art.  This is something I have wanted to do for many years.

I have done different things over the years – mixed media, collage, shadow boxes, but really got jazzed up about jewelry after JCC.  I came up with the name Secondhand Angels as I describe on my website.

I started making Angel Pins a few years ago after my Aunt Frannie passed away.  She was an exceptionally creative woman and very influential in my life.  I realize now that making the angels was my way of feeling close to her. She is with her sisters in my banner photo.  I started using odd earrings and pieces of jewelry.  I have sold in local shops, but until now I have mostly made items as gifts for friends and family.

I have recently expanded my vision with bracelets.  All designs are ONE OF A KIND; many are vintage and some are contemporary.  I use old and new buttons, items from the hardware store, sewing notions, beads and whatever strikes my fancy!  You may find an angel charm on most of my bracelets.

I collect items at thrift stores, flea markets and all places in between.  The collecting is just as special to me as assembling my pieces.  Who were the women who once owned these pieces of jewelry?  What were their lives like? Where did they live?  I love preserving the history by recasting items into a new interpretation.

I have also set up a fan page on Facebook and have over 100 fans in two days! Please stop by and join.

I feel this is the beginning of a journey for me and I will quote one of my first customers after she received an angel pin.  “My precious Hope Angel came yesterday!  And I’m wearing her today!  Thank you so much for your gift of vision! Blessings to you.”

I am proud to be a part of Reclaimed to Fame – I am honored.

Amy T. Cunningham
Secondhand Angels

This year I made cookies to give away for the holidays.  I picked three recipes that travel well and are unbelievably delicious.

Butter Jewels (Yield:  5 dozen)

1.  Cream butter and sugar.
2. Mix in almond extract.
3. Add flour and mix.
4. Roll into 1” balls.
5. Indent in center (1/4 tsp measuring spoon works well for even indents, make sure the bottoms are not too thin, or the cookies will fall apart when moved)
6. Fill center holes with jam. (if transporting, do not over-fill above top of cookie).
7. Bake at 350° for 8 min.
8. Cool thoroughly before moving.  (Refrigeration or a cold porch really helps them “set.”)

• As with all cookies with no eggs, that are comprised largely of butter and flour, these cookies are extremely fragile, especially when hot.  Once they have cooled, they are fairly sturdy.
• These cookies will not rise or change shape when baking.  That’s good because you don’t have to worry about cookies spreading and sticking together.  However, that means you need to be careful about the appearance before you bake them:  wipe off any errant jam and shape the cookies carefully.

Mexican Chocolate Butter Wafers (Yield:  5 dozen)

Note:  Once cool, these sturdy cookies are ideal for sending.  These are so delicious, they are TOTALLY worth all the steps and dirty dishes.

1. Over medium heat, toast almonds, cinnamon, and cayenne until fragrant (about 3 minutes).
2. Grind almond mixture in food processor until very fine.  Set aside.
3. Melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add cocoa powder and espresso powder and stir until mixture forms smooth paste.  Set aside to cool
4. In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar.
5. Add cooled cocoa mixture and salt (if using).
6. Add egg yolks and vanilla.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Scrape bowl.
7. Whisk nut/spice mixture into flour.
8. Add and mix in flour/nuts/spices in three additions.  Mix thoroughly, but no more than necessary, scraping bowl after each addition.
9. Shape dough into two logs 2 “ in diameter and 12” long .  Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap.
10. Chill until very firm and cold, at least one hour.
11. Roll chilled logs in decorative course grind sugar.
12. Slice cookies ¼” thick and place on cookie sheets. 
13. Bake 10 minutes at 375°.  Do not overbake.  Rotate baking sheet halfway through cooking time.  If cookies begin to darken on edges, they have overbaked.
14. Cool 5 minutes.
15. Dust with confectioners sugar.
16. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Molasses Cookies (Yield:  20 dozen)

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs one at a time, mix well.
3. Add molasses, mix well.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt, Add to butter/sugar mixture
5. Chill overnight.
6. Taking @ 1 cup of dough out of the refrigerator at a time, shape in ½ inch balls.
7. Roll cookie dough balls in sugar (at this point balls can be refrigerated for future baking).
8. Bake for 6 minutes (8 minutes if cookie dough balls are frozen) at 375°.
9. Cool on rack.

 Note:  When I freeze, rather than refrigerate ,cookie dough balls, the resulting cookies taste as good, but don’t look as nice.

The delicious Study Hall Skirt pattern from Anna Maria Horner

Read the latest DIY Design column for the top picks in indie sewing patterns. Click here.

baby spring greens, dried apricots, pine nuts and white cheddar

I have a formula for eight ingredients that always make an elegant salad – four for the salad and four for the dressing:

Salad

1 pound washed Greens

2 handfuls Dried Fruit

1 large handful Nuts

2 oz. Cheese

Dressing

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

½ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Pepper

I have made this salad using arugula, dried apricots, pine nuts and feta cheese.  I have made this salad using romaine lettuce, raisins, chopped almonds and cheddar cheese.  The formula is simple and you can usually make it with what’s on hand at anyone’s house that you’re visiting.  In fact, I came up with this formula last year when I was visiting my sister and she asked me to come up with something to do with a bag of arugula that only had one or two days left.

If you use a bag of pre-washed lettuce, there is no washing of vegetables involved in making this salad.  The only chopping depends on the fruit, nuts and cheese you select.  I don’t even measure for the ingredients, I eyeball 4 parts oil to 1 part vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.

About salad dressing.

Salad dressing is so easy to make, it’s one of the products people buy that I cannot understand.  The basic formula for salad dressing is: 4 parts oil to 1 part acid.  From there you can add flavors:  salt, pepper, mustard, garlic, finely chopped onions, sugar, etc.  For oil, I generally use olive oil, but any oil will do.  For acid, I usually use red wine vinegar, but balsamic, rice vinegar or lemon juice work fine.  To make salad dressing, you just put all your ingredients into a jar, shake vigorously and pour over your salad.

old jelly jar I use for mixing salad dressing

One of my favorite trivia facts is that the word “salad” comes from the Latin word “sal,” for salt.  That’s because the original salad dressing is salt.  When I am at a function where the only options for salad dressing are store-bought ones with too many ingredients for my taste, I use salt only to dress my salad and feel very “classic” in my food taste.