Bonnin Designs

I Cooked Our Own Thanksgiving This Year

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:21:00 +0000

This year Thanksgiving was at my house with my own little family of 4. I had my daughter make the cranberry sauce and I made everything else; a first. I want to share what I made so I can make it again next year for maybe more people because it was delicious and it wasn’t all done out of recipes and if it was, many were modified. Typically, my mother and I have a tradition where we make Thanksgiving using recipes from the newest Bon Appetit magazine. This year, I went through all of my old issues, which I save (and are now online as well on epicurious.com ) as well as other resources that popped up.

The Turkey

As my mother does it on the barbeque, I do as well because it delivers a moist and flavorful turkey. (I always make sure I have a gas grill big enough for a turkey when covered.) I prepared the turkey by putting it in an aluminum roaster on a roasting rack. I squeezed navel oranges on it and brushed it with melted butter. I sprinkled salt, marjoram, and tarragon on it. And then I poured about a cup of chicken broth in the bottom of the roaster and covered it tightly with aluminum foil. I grilled it on low under the turkey and med-low on the side burners for 2 hours, uncovered it, brushed it with more butter and grilled it for almost 2 more hours. This was a 14 lb. bird. It was fall of the bone tender and juicy. (I modified a recipe from Sarah Moulton)

The Necessary Kitchen Tool (used for carving the turkey)

Turkey Broth

I followed a recipe from Sarah Moulton Then I was able to cut the giblets, heart and neck meat for the gravy and save the broth for cooking another meal.

Gravy

A wing and a prayer basic gravy with pan drippings, flour and wisking wildly and then I added a little sage and vermouth. And reduced it.

The Cranberry Sauce

The kids LOVE cranberry sauce. They eat it for 3 meals a day after Thanksgiving so we made plenty this year. My daughter made it according to the recipe on the bag x 3 because we got 3 bags but added chopped up orange pieces and “lots of cinnamon”. She cooked the cranberries just long enough so many were still whole. Perfect!

Mashed Potatoes with Celery Root

Nothing is exact in my world. So I can’t tell you exactly how many potatoes but I used about 9 medium size Yukon Gold potatoes that I half peeled and cut up in half, celery root, cleaned and cut up in pieces. Boil in salted water until tender. Drain water. Mash and add ½ stick butter, 1 Tbs minced garlic, about a cup of Half-Half and pepper and salt to taste. If you want it softer, add regular milk to your liking as you mash more. (my recipe)

Artichoke, Bacon, Chestnut, and Parmesan Stuffing (modified from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Artichoke-Sausage-and-Parmesan-Cheese-Stuffing-107289)

I’m not a sausage lover and I don’t know why all stuffing either has sausage in it or is made of cornbread. So I made this stuffing to my liking. And my liking includes bacon!

Considering the fact that I had to do all of my shopping like a week in advance for the most part and I was doing the cooking myself, I did have to take shortcuts. This stuffing had one of the shortcuts. Next year, it may not. I used boxed bread cubes.

The modifications. I used a package of bacon and cooked it crispy and broke it in pieces and added it to the recipe when sautéing the vegetables. I also used some of the bacon grease as a substitute for some of the olive oil for sautéing for flavor. I added a package or 5 oz of steamed chestnuts that I got at Trader Joes. I cut them up in pieces. And one box of bread cubes. Otherwise I followed the recipe as it states.

Green Beans with Pepitas (pumpkin seeds).

I can’t remember where I saw something similar, maybe it was on a Thanksgiving Challenge tv show or something but I thought this idea was a good one. I sautéed in olive oil, the green beans and pepitas on med-high and covered them on low for a couple of min. until the green beans softened a bit. I like when I get a little burned-ness on the green beans. I seasoned them with salt and onion powder. Easy.

Dessert

We ended up going to the neighbors to share desserts. I brought a Pumpkin Tiramisu and Rocky Road Fudge. Here are the recipes.

Rocky Road Fudge (no picture, sorry. It got eaten way too fast)
I made this fudge with 1 ¾ packages of semi-sweet chocolate morsels and 1 tsp cinnamon, ¾ c chopped pecans, 1 c mini marshmallows, 1 can condensed milk. Since it’s not Christmas, I put it in a square baking pan and cut it into small cubes.

I follow this recipe always and modify the ingredients to my liking.

Pumpkin Tiramisu

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Super-Simple-Pumpkin-Tiramisu-236541

I followed this recipe to the letter. I will definitely make this every year or even everytime I want to make a tiramisu. I think the hardest part about this recipe is trying to find Amaretti cookies. World Market is your best bet besides an Italian market. Loved this.

Making My Jeans...Wearable (super simple Tutorial)

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Rip...devastation. My favorite jeans ripped at the knee. It can't be. I hate buying new jeans. I hate trying on pants. I must save these. I must revive these. I must. I must use hot pink yarn! Yes.

The devastation up close

Using pink cotton yarn (Sugar 'n Cream) that you can get at any craft store and a yarn needle I did a cross stitch across. Took about a minute. Tied a knot. Then I added a little bird iron-on patch I got gratis from Polly Danger at a craft show. I like how it turned out. At least people won't be staring at my big hole. They might be staring at my questionable knee but who cares. At least I did something about the hole.

More Indie Talent to Add

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Last weekend I met my friends Carrie and Kelley at the Handmade Brigade show in Costa Mesa. Hanging out with them is always fun and they even took me out for an early birthday lunch which was so sweet. It was also really special seeing my pals Mincing Mockingbird, Frantic Meerkat, and Steph of Hearts and Laserbeams selling at HMB. I don't get to see them much and I always need a laugh or 10!

Also, I did a little bit of shopping. Not much, but a little bit. I was delighted to meet Nan Lawson . The cool thing about living in the Orange County/Los Angeles area is all of the amazing talent. I've seen Nan's work on Etsy and never thought she'd be at a small show in Orange County, and there she was inside the building, in a little corner, with her partner in crime (that's what she calls him). So I had to buy this print. I have to admit that I do have a soft spot for Max and always have (Where the Wild Things Are). And now that the movie is out I am so glad I nabbed one of these before she had none left.

You know where this is going to go in my home. And I had to make sure when I bought it. "Nan, do you have a problem if I hang this in my potty room?" I explained "It's actually my Indie art gallery room. We can sit there and appreciate it for a while. People ask to come in and check it out too. Not when we are occupying the room of course." She stated "Not a problem." Whew! So I got the print and it's hanging up now in a place of distinction.
I also made this one of Summer using the techniques of my mixed media jewelry photo art pieces and it is hanging in my bathroom as well. it's 3 x 3.

Cupcake Earrings!

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:56:00 +0000

Cupcake Earrings!, originally uploaded by kristin_a.

My friend Kristin Ausk owns Meringue Bake Shop. She makes the most amazing cupcakes and so I made her some cupcake earrings to match her logo that she can wear when she's on the job. What do you think? Custom cupcake earrings.

Another Win for My Team!

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:57:00 +0000

One day I was reading my Twitter and I saw that one of my contacts, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura was having a giveaway on her blog, Girl Can Create. I went to check it out. I had never seen her work and was just blown away by the talent that this girl has. She is a mixed media artist that uses vintage photos and different papers and color to create art collages that are simply magnificent. I hurried and entered her giveaway for the Starling Limited Edition Fine Art Print (which is available). After all, I have the perfect room to hang it in. A few days later I received an email stating that I had won her giveaway. I rushed over to her blog and there was my name. Sure enough, I had won. I can’t believe my luck lately. But believe me, I appreciate it, I really, really do!!! So Thank You Lisa. Please visit her blog and go to her Etsy store and see all of her work available. Support her. She deserves it.

I Wouldn' t Call Myself Lucky, But...

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Melissa Contreras of Axelhoney is one of my all time favorite indie designers. If any of you remember the adorable sculpted Berrs from a few years ago, that's what drew me straight to her. She is an accomplished painter, illustrator, sculptor, ceramicist, and now silver smith. And guess what, I won a double headed snake necklace of hers! Yup, that's right! It was a giveaway on the OC Weekly Column of Steph Calvert's Gettin' Made that she did on Melissa's fine work a couple weeks ago.
But you should see her paintings these days. They are magical. Head on over to her shop and see for yourself. Melissa of Axelhoney, don't forget this girl! She'll be around.

Found A Way

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:06:00 +0000

I love when an original idea finally makes it out of my puny brain. It's been so long and let me tell you, it feels so good. I always wanted to hang art of jewelry, but I couldn't paint or draw, my current photo editing program is the pits, and I don't know Photo Shop. So it wasn't until I started doing research for another blog article on photography techniques for The Succulent Wife Blog, when I came across many websites that did photo enhancement in easier ways than Photo Shop ever could. I was half way there. I finally figured out how the woman who loves jewelry, but doesn't like to wear it, can still have it as art, in her home, hanging on her walls.
I've taken my favorite pieces of original jewelry that I've designed and used the photos of them to come up with what I call mixed media jewelry photo art. I apply the enhanced photos to hand painted canvases and then embellish them with paints and sometimes with other things to result in a one of a kind art piece. Aren't they fun. There are only 5 introductory pieces currently available in my shop now.

Twitter and the Blog Connection

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:47:00 +0000

Twitter is a place that I get away to. It completely annoys my husband and my kids although my husband always sneaks onto Twitter to see what the pro cyclists are up to. I've caught him. Back to what I do on Twitter. I chat with friends on twitter. I network. I eat up time, but most of all, I meet new people; local people. Interesting people. And some of those people I have met in person. Some I have yet to meet. Last week, for example, @TwentyFour had a giveaway on her blog, Twenty Four at Heart. So I signed up. So did other people from around the world, she said. But a randomly I won. See above. Anne Taintor coasters and cocktail umbrellas which arrived today. Thanks Suzanne! She's a local OC person I've been wanting to meet. I could have met her recently but she was taking her son off to college. So this is karma that we must meet and share cocktails on me, apparently~

Arroz con Pollo in the Cazuela

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Finally buying a covered cazuela (a terra cotta casserole pot) has been my dream come true. Well not really but I've been wanting one for a long, long time. My mother in law had a huge cazuela that I one day hoped to own, until it cracked when she was cooking with it. We were all devastated. She had to resort to a Mexican, some kind of metal one. Last night I made Arroz con Pollo modified from this recipe in it. I always modify. I don't love peppers, or green peppers, thought I had bacon and didn't, wanted to use my new bittersweet paprika I got at La Espanola, so did and added some El Pato for spice. Plus my husband can't eat cumin, so eliminated that. It was a hit. I told my hubby not to compare it to his moms or any one elses for that matter, just tell me if he liked it or didn't. He absolutely did. Phew!

Back to the Cazuela that I got. It was purchased at my new favorite store La Espanola Meats in Harbor City where they make their own Spanish chorizo, jamon serrano, and much more as well as import many Spanish products. It's a gem!

Here's the market area where they sell wine, sweets, crackers, olives, olive oil, nuts, spices and so much more
The meat counter with their products packaged.
The dairy case with imported Spanish cheeses filled to the brim. The Jamon Serrano is hanging. I saw one that was $100. So that's pretty inexpensive I'm told. Jamon in Spain can be $1000 for a whole one or more.

I'm so excited with my cazuela. There are a few things that are important about them. Before you use one, you must immerse it in water for 6 hours so that when you use it for the first time, it doesn't crack. If you live in a dry area, soak it periodically. Also, you can use it on the stovetop, in the microwave and in the oven but don't use it on the stovetop any higher than med-high or it will crack and elevate your temp slowly.

OC Blogger Awards

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:56:00 +0000

Many of you wondered what I meant when I posted on my facebook that I was going to step way out of my comfort zone last night. Well this is what I meant. In my whole adult life, I don't recall being nominated for an award, much less showing up at an event to see if I won. But that really wasn't the intention. I was nominated for an OC Blog award and thanks for many of you for voting for me. I really didn't think I would win. And I didn't. But more about that later. I really wanted to go to this event to meet other bloggers in Orange County and "network". I thought it would be a great opportunity to get away from the tv for an evening and see what lurks outside my driveway. I'm really glad I went. So with the support of my friend Kristin (we carpooled and she knew a lot of these people) we showed up at Wowzville.
It was an awards ceremony for the 2010 generation put on by Just-Spotted.com's Kelly and Colleen. Above is Kelly. The evening was simply set up to meet other bloggers, enjoy some Dippin'Dots and other sweet treats and the winners were Twittered so people just checked their phones at a certain time. I loved that. Low key, not a sit down ceremony. No nerves. Not embarrassing.
This is Dana. She won in the Most "Creative" Blog Category (the one I was nominated in) She is a super talented sewer and has quite a following. Check out her blog, Dana-Made-It.
Had to throw in a little Orange Crush for the OC! There were lots of interesting sodas to drink also.
They had a photo booth. I had to try it~

My friend Kristin Ausk of Meringue Bake Shop and Suz Broughton who I've been looking forward to meeting. She's an amazing photographer and I hope to be like her one day. ;-)

I met so many really great people. I look forward to more meetups in the future. It was great to get beyond the recliner and out of the driveway, even though I did miss the premiere of Top Chef. Thank goodness for my dvr.

Bursting with Big News to Share

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:02:00 +0000

First I want to thank all of my friends and followers that voted for me in the OC blog contest. We will be finding out the winners in an awards ceremony on Wed, Aug 19. I'll keep you posted.
Now for my big news:

A couple of months ago I got the huge honor to be one of the product writers for Rare Bird Finds, a popular, fun, and unique, product blog. However, the blog took a little summer break and today, it is relaunched with new content, many new writers, and lots of new ideas of how to make it even more exciting.

So finally I get to let the "cat out of the bag" and let you know my new gig. I will be looking for very unique and fun kitchen accessories as well as home accessories that fits Rare Bird Finds product appeal. I know, very different for what you'd expect from me, but believe me, I know kitchen and home products very well and this is exciting to not have to look at jewelry again and again.

A Little Bit of Italy

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:57:00 +0000

clockwise-chocolate-amaretti torte with amaretto cream, pistachio gelato, italian cannoli's

Last night I was taken to Italy with a whole group of new friends. My friend Mei-Lynn formed a cooking, or rather an eating group that each time we meet, we make something from a different country and have a meal together. I had never met any of the other 8 people there so it was really fun to meet new friends too. Some of the dishes were typical dishes like a pesto linguine, but it had a real homemade freshness of basil and intense pine nuttiness that you don't get from the jar so that was refreshing. I was in love with an eggplant caponata appetizer. It was savory and sweet and I could have eaten it all day. I'm still waiting for the recipe because we did exchange recipes. Some people didn't bring them but we'll get them online. Above was a delicious home made pistachio gelato. Here's the recipe. I'm gonna have to break out my ice cream make for this one because it was soooo worth it!
The first party was graciously hosted at Mei-Lynn's home by the sweets herself. She made the Italian Cannoli's (above) and had me in tears; they were so good! Bobby Flay bring it on!!!
I don't have the recipe for that one yet either, but when I get it, I'll post it.
I made the chocolate-amaretti tortes and they were a hit, I have to admit. Thank goodness! Phew. I got the recipe from Bon Appetit and found it on Epicurious too. I read reviews there and ever one of them said it was an easy recipe and it turned out perfect every time. So that was the one for me. I suggest you try it as well!

So in two months we meet again for a Moroccan feast. I wonder what will become of that one. Stay tuned.

If You Read This, Contact Me

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:25:00 +0000

This is not a typical post for me. This is the only way I know how I can reach out to a high school friend that I hope reads my blog. She all of a sudden deleted her Facebook profile and her blog this past week and went awol. I am concerned, her friends are concerned. We noticed. We care. Please contact one of us and let us know you are ok. Please. my email address is bonnindesigns (at)yahoo(dot)com ~Be well.

When Designs Come to Life

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:57:00 +0000

How great is it to have wonderful clients/friends that wear my flowers and show me how the flowers worked with their clothing for their particular event. Above is Kristin who had a heck of a time trying to find the right jewelry for her dress but it all looks fantastic with that flower for a big dinner event!
In Jen's case, she didn't have a choice, I was at her wedding! I pulled her aside at the reception and took the above picture. Isn't she just gorgeous?
The wedding was in San Francisco and I admit, it was a bit windy and I didn't expect the ostrich feathers to curl like that but it makes it look kinda fun. They really did their own thing. This photo was taken by a friend of hers.
This is Jen's sister, Laura who was the Maid of Honor. She wore a yellow Feather Flower barrette I designed with peacock feathers sticking out. Pretty fun with that gorgeous hair, huh?

OC Blogger Award Nominee

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:51:00 +0000

As I go about my day I certainly don't expect stuff like this to happen. I was nominated for the 2009 Orange County Blog Awards in the area of Most "Creative" Blog. That's not to mean my blog is very creative in itself but the content is crafty and creative. Just right up my alley I suppose. Someone knows me well. I'm pretty excited but my competition is also very creative.

I must ask you for your votes. So please head over to Just Spotted and vote for Bonnin Designs. It's in the top left column. And while you're over there, please check out my friend, Kristin's blog, Meringue Bake Shop and vote for her! Thanks friends. Voting closes Aug. 13.

For the Bride or the Bridesmaids - In Red

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:33:00 +0000

I recently sold a red silk flower hair piece and found out it was for the bride so I thought I'd feature red handmade accessories for the bride or the bridesmaids.

Above is my favorite custom bridal bag designer, Becky OH! She has an amazing handbag shop as well and at the bottom of her web shop is a link to her bridal shop where you can order custom bridal bags. I've personally been involved in ordering 2 bags and know that she was speedy fast, has great customer service and you will absolutely fall in love with your one of a kind bag!

This adorable fire opal red faceted CZ heart necklace on a beautiful Italian chain is by South Paw Studios. There are many pieces in her shop that would be just perfect for the big day! I just "met" South Paw Studios as we are both members of the Etsy Twitter Team!

I have to mention my red Feathered Flower hair barrette because when I commented on Becky's bags the other day, she said how great they would pair up and that's how this blog post came to be. This Feathered flower hair barrette is a custom piece so if you are interested in something like it, please let me know through my Etsy shop , however I do have some pieces available for purchase now already made.

My Other Project

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:15:00 +0000

We have a boy dog and not such a large back yard. Most of my back yard is an elevated wood deck. Thus, I can't have much of a garden like I would like to. This year I decided to try growing some vegetables in terra cotta pots. So I have 2 grape tomato plants, 1 cherry tomato plant, one bush bean plant, one Armenian cucumber plant, one squash of some kind, and one Ichiban eggplant plant. The tomatoes are producing. The cucumber is growing and flowering. The bush beans initially produced a bit and are flowering again. The squash flowers and then falls off. It's alive but not growing. So proudly I present to you my eggplant. Ironically, I am the only one in my family that will eat eggplant. So that's interesting. We'll see where this leads or when I grow weary of keeping it up. I hope I only keep it evolving. Oh and I need simple eggplant recipes that even people that don't like eggplants will eat. Not eggplant parmesan. A little more interesting please.

Oh, Today the Pooper, I mean, the "Powder Room" was featured on Indie Fixx Blog with regards to the Feed your Soul Free Artist Downloads that I got from her blog. Thanks Jen.

Bathroom Art Walls Completed, Well Sort Of

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:59:00 +0000

More than 3 prints, photos, illustrations, and frames later I thought for sure I'd have overflow into the laundry room with all of these prints. I got brave enough and started hanging. Just here and there, however it felt right. I did have one tongue-in-cheek request from artist Mincing Mocking Bird that his Cardinal print go over my Throne. No problemo, Mincy. Done!The details of many of these prints are in the last 2 blog posts I did so if you want more info on them... I did purchase many and downloaded some from Indie Fixx's Feed Your Soul Free Downloads and made them my own. (explained a few blog posts back)
So I hung and hung and hung and from the camera's perspective it looks pretty good.

I'm loving the combos of colors of the frames and the photos with the prints. My son even said it's less boring when he's in there. Hey, why is he in there? He has his own bathroom!
But from this perspective, you can see that there is much more wall space. I did buy more frames and will continue to be purchasing more prints. So although complete, it may never be complete. There is always up and there is always down. Oh boy.

Hot Days Dinner Quickly

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000

On hot days and when I have to run around there isn't much time to make dinner, nor am I really motivated to cook. This takes 10 min. I had roasted a chicken on the grill 2 days prior and my husband and I ended up being the only ones at home to eat, so there was tons of chicken left over. I threw this salad together and the best way to eat it is wrapped in a big Napa cabbage leaf. Unfortunately I didn't get that picture. But you get the idea. A big burrito. It's simple and you can make this with whatever you want. Here is my ingredient list and everything is cut up small:
Napa Cabbage cut small but reserve several outer large leaves for serving
Alfalfa Sprouts
English Cucumbers
Grape Tomatoes
Chicken
Fennel
Chives
Carrots
Saifun Rice Noodles cut up with scissors (or any rice noodles)
Celery
Asian Sesame Vinaigrette (I love the one from Fresh and Easy)
Soy Sauce

The Bathroom-Art-Walls-In-Progress II

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Here is the space that I'm working with. Essentially a wall and 3/4 because of the towel rack and the toilet paper holder on the door side wall. I am going to move the plant to the side and hang a print over the toilet, I mean "throne" upon request by one of the artists. You'll have to see which when it's all done.

I've so far painted 26 frames and still have to get a couple more. As I was spray painting yesterday, another print arrived from Spain! Oy. Will this ever end?

My adventures at Renegade LA were very interesting. The artist above Robert Goodin just amazes me with his comic art talent. This is a postcard that is printed on wood. He has the most beautiful and fun prints. They are colorful and hilarious. I got the other one, perfect for the bathroom, entitled "The Man Who Loved Breasts". It's on the Home Page. Gotta laugh.
This next artist is Eric Rewitzer of 3 Fish Studios I believe everyone needs a Guinness Print in their bathroom to remind them of why they are there. (the white in the glass is the reflection, not the print. Sorry Eric.) I loved their selection of prints and linocuts.
I also found these hiding in the BugHouse booth. I love Bughouse art and wish I had room all over my home for their work but these little guys will be perfect in the bathroom theme. Don't you think? They are printed on wood. I'll figure out a cool way to hang them.

I also purchased pieces by Berkeley Illustration and met Ryan Berkeley, finally, as well as others. I will be hanging pieces today. I think the next installment of this blog will be the finished product. Wish me luck!!

The Bathroom-Art-Walls-In-Progress

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:04:00 +0000

Vital Organs design by Sublime Stitching (Stomach). Embroidered by me on old felted sweater with scrapbook paper backing

Otherwise known as the pooper, I have this toilet room, empty, and boring. If you forget a magazine or a book, you're doomed. So I've decided this is the perfect little room to make into a gallery of indie art and my own as well (some photographs here and there and such). I'm still gathering and purchasing art, painting frames, and trying to figure out what started out to be a simple idea and my friend has titled it Briccolage. Oh my. A name to live up to. Here's a small preview of what's to come.

Indie Fixx Feed Your Soul free artist downloads- artist Elsita Mora. Printed on velum backed with patterned scrapbook paper

Also an Indie Fixx download. Artist K. Smith. Printed on computer paper. Used rhinestone and sequin flowers for the corners and scrapbook paper for backing

Have a Sweet 4th of July

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:06:00 +0000

Here's what we did to get ready for our block party: Made lollipop cookies. Recipe from Martha Stewart, humor from the Bonnin kid.

Don't eat the butter, sugar mixture, silly.

So good.

The OC Handmade Brigade Craft Show

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:38:00 +0000

I love to shop and I love talking about other peoples stuff. On Saturday I went to the OC Handmade Brigade Craft Fair. That in itself is truly exciting for to have Indie Craft shows in our county is new and exciting; and oh what a showing it was. And I did a little shopping.

I currently have this project going on in my toilet room. You see, it’s empty. When you sit there and forget a magazine you look at nothing. So after 6 years I started to think of how to spruce it up and make it something to look at if the magazine is forgotten. Here’s where my indie art friends come in. So yesterday, Steph Calvert of Hearts and Laserbeams sold us a very funny and suitable bathroom print that my husband chose. I believe this will be the only one of a “going to the bathroom” theme in the bathroom but we love it and we love Steph! Oh I also got a keychain that says “Suck It”! Hee Hee.

As for the rest of the bathroom that will come in another blog post. I will complete this post with the remainder of my fun finds at the Handmade Brigade show

I’ve been sewing lately and I really wanted to have a nice wrist pin cushion by the very talented Polly Danger (love her name). This one is especially cool because the pin cushion part is a pin and comes off and you can pin it to your self if you don’t want it on your wrist for instance. Love the colors.

Knitting is another distraction for me and frustration ensues when following a pattern and thinking I’m somewhere when I’m actually somewhere else on the page. So to save me, I finally purchased some pattern magnets but these are the coolest designed ribbon ones by Slipped Stitch Studios and come in 3 sizes in a pack for only $8. They can also be used for marking recipe books and as bookmarks. I know I will keep them in use constantly!

Aren’t roses lovely? Pretty Paris has an abundance of them in the form of earrings, rings, hair pins, necklaces, you name it. I purchased a pair of earrings for a possible gift. I have to figure out first though if the recipient has pierced ears. Darn. I may have to keep them for myself.

So next is Renegade Craft LA July 11-12. I need to save up my pennies and get more prints….and whatever else.

Creativity Runs In the Family

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:10:00 +0000

Last week was a big week for our family. My son graduated 8th grade. Now we'll have 2 kids in high school. It's really hard to believe. Just yesterday I was taking them to elementary school it seems.

During the graduation ceremony my son received a surprise. He won the gold medal award for Wood Shop. He's an honors student and gets good grades in all of his classes but has really taken to woodworking. In fact, it goes along with his hobby, which I'll explain in a second. This honor meant a lot to him because he really felt he earned it. He even has invested in a power sander for home so that he can pursue his hobby even further and is even starting a business.
This is his hobby. It is fingerboarding. This is a fingerboard, minus the wheels and trucks. It's a small skateboard that you use with your fingers. He's now making the fingerboards out of different veneers and they are each one-of-a-kind. Here is a video of him in action to give you an idea of what a fingerboard can do:

Pow of Color for Summer

bonnindesigns@yahoo.com (Shari) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:04:00 +0000

This idea came to me from the bridesmaids' rings I did recently. I sell my flower rings individually but thought it would be great to sell them as a set of 3 as well, so that the full effect of this ring can be had by wearers or you could wear 1-2 and tone down the pow of color and spikes. I also added new colors such as clear yellow, opaque yellow, a combination of pink and yellow, and now a silver and an olive green. Don't you love them? These are one size fits all and only $20 for a set of 3 only at Bonnin Designs .