Musings from the creator of Swoon Studios, Deb Haynes Swider, on jewelry making, vintage finds, home and garden odds and ends and finding inspiration. *All photos property of Deb Haynes Swider unless otherwise credited.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Foodie Friday: Asparagus Casserole
Holidays are made for asparagus casserole... uh, errrr, or asparagus casserole is made for holidays? How about we eat asparagus casserole every holiday. And some non-holidays. But especially holidays. Because it's delicious. It's a celebration in your mouth.
Ingredients:
4 cans asparagus
4 hard cooked eggs
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (we use reduced fat)
1 can milk
Cheese Nips, crushed (we use the about 4 cups pre-crushed - you can also use goldfish)
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a casserole dish sprayed with Pam, put in a layer of asparagus (about 2 cans). Slice hard boiled eggs into 1/4" slices lengthwise and layer over asparagus, using all your eggs. Mix your cream of mushroom soup with your milk and pour 1/2 the mixture over this layer. Finish with another layer of asparagus (about 2 cans). Pour remaining mushroom soup mixture over final layer. Put 4 cups Cheese Nips into a plastic bag and squeeze all the air out of the bag before you seal. Beat the bag with a rolling pin, wooden spoon or some such thing until your Nips are crushed. Sprinkle the crushed Nips over your casserole. Pop the whole bit into the oven for 20 to 30 minutes - you'll see it bubbling when it's done.
P.S. You can thank me later.
Labels:
asparagus,
asparagus casserole,
casserole,
deb haynes swider,
easy recipe,
eggs,
holiday recipe,
mushroom soup,
swoon studios
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Vintage Wednesday: Collecting Samplers
My Mama can do anything. Now I know everyone thinks their Mama can do anything, but mine really can. Ask anyone who knows her and they'd probably agree. I'll never know as much as my Mama, but she did teach me a few things. For example, I was three years old when she first put a needle in my hand, threaded with neon yarn, and showed me how to pull the needle in and out of a piece of bright yellow fabric. From then on, I was hooked on needlework.
Needlework can take many forms: needlepoint, crewel embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, cross stitch, counted cross stitch, French cut work, and on and on. Each cultivates a particular skill, but all involve precision with a needle. That's one of the reasons I love collecting embroidered pieces, but I especially love samplers.
Samplers of old (as in the 18th Century) usually chronicle a young girl's painstaking journey into the world of womanhood. Samplers prepared girls for the sewing tasks they'd be responsible for as they grew. They would usually start with an alphabet and numbers, could have a proverb and would have the name of the creator and date of creation. Older samplers were usually stitched on linen, which is why so many of them have survived. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a very interesting article here if you're interested in learning more about early American needlework.
I can't afford to collect 18th Century samplers as they can cost thousands of dollars. I can, however, collect samplers such as those created in the resurgence of sampler creation in the 1940s and 1950s. My collection started with a sampler my grandmother made, "Friendship's a name to few confined, the offspring of a noble mind, a generous warmth that fills the breast and better felt than e'er expressed." I then began picking up random samplers because I either liked the subject matter or the saying - and these samplers cost under $10. The quality of the needlework varies - our 18th Century sisters were often more careful - but the charm is always evident. I don't have an extensive collection, but I enjoy hanging them around the house to remind me to "Let nothing disturb you, nothing affright you, all things are passing, God never changes." or "Come dear friend, come here and rest, you'll always be a welcome guest."
Needlework can take many forms: needlepoint, crewel embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, cross stitch, counted cross stitch, French cut work, and on and on. Each cultivates a particular skill, but all involve precision with a needle. That's one of the reasons I love collecting embroidered pieces, but I especially love samplers.
Samplers of old (as in the 18th Century) usually chronicle a young girl's painstaking journey into the world of womanhood. Samplers prepared girls for the sewing tasks they'd be responsible for as they grew. They would usually start with an alphabet and numbers, could have a proverb and would have the name of the creator and date of creation. Older samplers were usually stitched on linen, which is why so many of them have survived. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a very interesting article here if you're interested in learning more about early American needlework.
I can't afford to collect 18th Century samplers as they can cost thousands of dollars. I can, however, collect samplers such as those created in the resurgence of sampler creation in the 1940s and 1950s. My collection started with a sampler my grandmother made, "Friendship's a name to few confined, the offspring of a noble mind, a generous warmth that fills the breast and better felt than e'er expressed." I then began picking up random samplers because I either liked the subject matter or the saying - and these samplers cost under $10. The quality of the needlework varies - our 18th Century sisters were often more careful - but the charm is always evident. I don't have an extensive collection, but I enjoy hanging them around the house to remind me to "Let nothing disturb you, nothing affright you, all things are passing, God never changes." or "Come dear friend, come here and rest, you'll always be a welcome guest."
Labels:
18th Century samplers,
collecting samplers,
collections,
deb haynes swider,
embroidery,
needlework,
swoon studios
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Working Tuesday: Incorporating Vintage Jewelry Into New Designs
I'm having quite a bit of fun incorporating old pieces into new designs. There's a challenge to taking a fixed design and making it into something new. I've had to re-think a few things, but so far I'm happy with the results.
The latest challenge was to take a vintage rhinestone pin and make it into a small hair comb for a fancy event. I'm a bit of a purist. If a piece of jewelry is in working order, I can't just cut off a piece of it to suit my purposes. So I've had to work around keeping pin backs and figure out ways - other than soldering - to attach the vintage pieces to the larger design.
For this piece, I used a silver plated comb that was wider than the actual pin. I cut the comb to the proper size with wire cutters and then filed down the place where I cut to make it smooth. I then used sterling silver wire to attach the comb to the pin. The back side will lay flush against the hair, so the wire doesn't show from the front.
The end result? Vintage glam in modern form.
The latest challenge was to take a vintage rhinestone pin and make it into a small hair comb for a fancy event. I'm a bit of a purist. If a piece of jewelry is in working order, I can't just cut off a piece of it to suit my purposes. So I've had to work around keeping pin backs and figure out ways - other than soldering - to attach the vintage pieces to the larger design.
For this piece, I used a silver plated comb that was wider than the actual pin. I cut the comb to the proper size with wire cutters and then filed down the place where I cut to make it smooth. I then used sterling silver wire to attach the comb to the pin. The back side will lay flush against the hair, so the wire doesn't show from the front.
The end result? Vintage glam in modern form.
Labels:
creating jewelry,
deb haynes swider,
new designs,
rhinestone jewelry,
swoon studios,
vintage,
vintage jewelry,
vintage pins
Monday, February 14, 2011
DIY Monday: DIY Painting Preparation
I've posted before about our dark red dining room. I love red dining rooms, but unfortunately the one I inherited when I married my husband was painted by the woman he bought from - complete with orangy-red, flat paint.
Now I'm sure there's a time and place for orangy-red, flat paint, but it just doesn't "go" with my style. I'm a more berry red, satin paint kind of girl. Yes, it's a little OCD, but it bothered me. A lot. And apparently it bothered my husband too because smack dab in the middle of our holiday season he got the bug to re-paint the dining room... all two china cabinets, multiple antique mirrors and eleven foot ceilings of the dining room. And so we did. Here's how.
First, the preparation - which is almost as important as the right painting technique. We moved as much of the furniture as we could out of the space and covered the floor with a heavy tarp. If you have a carpeted floor, I'd suggest you NOT use the thin, clear plastic tarps they sell in the paint department - especially if you're painting with red paint. Trust me on this. One false move of the ladder and you have a minuscule tear in your plastic that you might or might not notice. One paint splatter later, you have a lovely red spot on your carpet. Heavier tarps help guard against this.
Then remove everything from the walls. In the places where you aren't going to keep the same holes, patch and sand the holes. While we waiting for the patching to dry, we remove all the switch plate covers. I then cover the remaining sockets and light switches with a piece of the blue painter's tape in case I get a little too enthusiastic with the paint roller.
We then taped the trim pieces, corners where the paint would stop and ceilings with blue paint tape. I use the wider 1.5" or 1.75" tape because it helps protect the surfaces when you're using a roller - keeps stray roller marks off your contrasting paint. Make sure you "seal" the tape securely by running your finger over the edge of the tape you'll be painting up to so that the paint won't seep under the tape.
Be very careful to keep the line of your tape straight. When you pull that tape off, if you've put the tape on crooked, you'll see it. Believe me, you'll see it! And when you're joining pieces of tape, make sure you have one continuous seam. Don't let the edges overlap in a way that makes a jagged edge because that too will show afterward.
If you're worried about splattering from the rollers onto the baseboards, there's a handy product that's part tape, part plastic tarp that's great. It's available in the tarp/tape section of your local hardware store. You roll it out like you do regular painter's tape - the difference is that it's got plastic in various widths attached to keep those baseboards safe.
Finally - and I can't stress this enough - WASH your walls. Dust particles keep your paint from sticking well and form yucky little bumps in your finish. Cobwebs can get caught in your roller and create a sticky, painty mess. Wash the walls. Let them dry. THEN you can paint.
Next up: Gathering your tools.
Labels:
deb haynes swider,
DIY painting,
painter's tape,
painting help,
painting preparation,
swoon studios,
tarps
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Weekend Wanderings: Bird Watching
I've told you about the lighthouse at Cape May Point State Park - that was the reason for our visit to the park - but as we entered the parking lot we noticed quite a bit of activity opposite the lighthouse. Deciding to investigate we were delighted to find a series of observation platforms and paths from which you could see several varieties of birds in their natural habitat.
There are swans and ducks easily seen from the main platform, but as you walk the paths you'll also see a great variety of songbirds, butterflies and dragonflies. We found that as we traveled the paths taking pictures, bird watchers (also taking pictures) were happy to identify what we were trying to capture with our lenses. They'll enthusiastically talk about other birds you might see at this time of year and are generally happy to share the space and answer questions.
We found it to be a delightful surprise in our quest to visit the lighthouse!
There are swans and ducks easily seen from the main platform, but as you walk the paths you'll also see a great variety of songbirds, butterflies and dragonflies. We found that as we traveled the paths taking pictures, bird watchers (also taking pictures) were happy to identify what we were trying to capture with our lenses. They'll enthusiastically talk about other birds you might see at this time of year and are generally happy to share the space and answer questions.
We found it to be a delightful surprise in our quest to visit the lighthouse!
Labels:
bird sanctuary,
bird watching,
birds,
butterflies,
Cape May lighthouse,
Cape May Point State Park,
deb haynes swider,
swans,
swoon studios
Friday, February 11, 2011
Foodie Friday: I Want Candy! Making Pretzel Cashew Bark
We like to entertain our friends and for some reason, making a main dish doesn't worry me. I do, however, need to dazzle on the dessert. Maybe it's years of watching my Mama dazzle her guests with her dessert selections? Whatever the case, I want to either rock my guests with presentation or make it so delicious that they have a hard time saying no to seconds.
We had a party to celebrate my hubby's birthday and because it was a mingling kind of party rather than a sit down dinner, I wanted to make a dessert that would allow for nibbling - no plate required. I settled on Pretzel Cashew Bark.
Ingredients:
1 bag white chocolate morsels
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate morsels
mini pretzels
cashews
optional: crumbled heath (toffee) bar, mini marshmallows
First, lay out a layer of wax paper onto which you'll would pour my melted chocolate. Then put a sauce pan of water on to boil and filled another pan that would fit into the first pan with the white chocolate morsels. Place the smaller (chocolate) pan into the pan with the boiling water to create a double boiler.
Make sure you stir the chocolate once it's in the boiling water. With a spatula, pull the melted chocolate into the unmelted chocolate, keeping it constantly moving so it doesn't burn or stick. Once your chocolate is completely melted (will have a bit of a sheen to it), spread it out on your wax paper making a long, thin layer of chocolate. While the chocolate is still warm and pliable, sprinkle on cashews and your broken up mini pretzels so that every bite will have a goodie inside.
While that layer is cooling, wash out your chocolate pot and dry it thoroughly, refill your water pot and start boiling again. Repeat your chocolate melting process as above until your chocolate is melted and pour this layer over the layer of cashews and pretzels. With your spatula, smooth out this layer so it's not clumping in any one part.
Allow to cool thoroughly. Line a storage container with wax paper and carefully lift your bark off of the initial piece of wax paper, breaking it into small pieces as you go. Place them into your wax paper lines storage container until you are ready to serve. This stuff (if it's not eaten) has a shelf life of several weeks. Know, however, that if you use salted cashews or pretzels that the dark chocolate will develop salt marks. These marks don't change the yummy flavor and I usually just serve them dark side down.
Enjoy!
Labels:
bark,
cashews,
chocolate,
deb haynes swider,
dessert recipe,
easy recipe,
marshmallows,
pretzels,
swoon studios,
toffee,
white chocolate
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Inspiration Thursday! Random Acts of Kindness Week
Did you know that February 14th begins Random Acts of Kindness Week? An entire week dedicated to doing things that bring happiness to others with no gain for yourself. How appropriate that it begins with Valentine's Day - a day to show love!
I'm going to try to do something every day next week to celebrate. Some ideas that come to mind include: buying a busy co-worker lunch because they can't go out to get it themselves, donating food to a shelter, anonymously leaving flowers for someone I know or dropping some current magazines and/or books by the local nursing home or hospital. I'll have to give this a little more thought, but you get the gist.
Another idea I had is to send a care package to a soldier in Afghanistan. I've not got anyone close to me there at the moment, but I've found this site called AnySoldier.com that looks interesting. I'll be investigating this too and will post an update with my experiences.
Does this inspire you for next week? Post ideas you have for random acts of kindness in the comment section!
*photo thanks to iStockPhoto.com!
Labels:
anysoldier.com,
deb haynes swider,
inspiration,
pay it forward,
Random Acts of Kindness Week,
swoon studios
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Vintage Wednesday: Halcyon Days Enamels
I come from a family of collectors. Each of us has different things we like to collect, and I'm probably the one with the most collections. Mama, however, has managed to limit her collections. Her favorite is her box collection.
I'm not sure when she began collecting boxes, but for many years wherever we would travel, we'd pick up another box. Windsor Castle? Check. San Francisco? Check. The Wedgewood factory in Stoke-on-Trent? Check. I've found that even when I'm traveling without her, I'm still looking for a box to commemorate the trip or mark an occasion.
By "box" I mean little trinket boxes that are just big enough to hold a few pieces of jewelry or little notes. They can be made of just about anything. One of my favorite lines is made by a company called Halcyon Days in England. The detail in their enamel boxes is amazing with many drawn from china patterns or that contain little sayings. My favorite, by far, is the Corgi box. If you know me, you'll understand why.
I'm not sure when she began collecting boxes, but for many years wherever we would travel, we'd pick up another box. Windsor Castle? Check. San Francisco? Check. The Wedgewood factory in Stoke-on-Trent? Check. I've found that even when I'm traveling without her, I'm still looking for a box to commemorate the trip or mark an occasion.
By "box" I mean little trinket boxes that are just big enough to hold a few pieces of jewelry or little notes. They can be made of just about anything. One of my favorite lines is made by a company called Halcyon Days in England. The detail in their enamel boxes is amazing with many drawn from china patterns or that contain little sayings. My favorite, by far, is the Corgi box. If you know me, you'll understand why.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Working Tuesday: Czech Glass
I've been presented with the possibility of traveling to the Czech Republic this summer. Beyond a long-held dream of photographing old Prague, I'm also intrigued with the idea of finding a better supplier of Czech glass beads. What is now the Czech Republic was once Bohemia, and Bohemian glass making has a long history in the area - they've apparently been at this since the 13th Century!
Anyone who sews or knits has probably found that the glass buttons from this area are among the most decorative - especially the jet buttons or the buttons with an AB finish on them. I also love the pressed glass beads that come from the area. I've been especially inspired by the little pressed flowers and leaves as each gives me a plethora of design ideas. Interestingly, the bead maker pushes glass rods through a series of molds that make up to 20 beads at a time - allowing for as many as 1,000 beads made in one day by one person.
In my research I've found that there are markets in Prague that sell beads by the bag, which is really my idea of heaven. I've still got to figure out how I'd get them out of the country, but what a problem to solve!
For now, this is still in the dream stage, but I'm enjoying the dream!
Anyone who sews or knits has probably found that the glass buttons from this area are among the most decorative - especially the jet buttons or the buttons with an AB finish on them. I also love the pressed glass beads that come from the area. I've been especially inspired by the little pressed flowers and leaves as each gives me a plethora of design ideas. Interestingly, the bead maker pushes glass rods through a series of molds that make up to 20 beads at a time - allowing for as many as 1,000 beads made in one day by one person.
In my research I've found that there are markets in Prague that sell beads by the bag, which is really my idea of heaven. I've still got to figure out how I'd get them out of the country, but what a problem to solve!
For now, this is still in the dream stage, but I'm enjoying the dream!
Labels:
antique glass,
Czech buttons,
Czech glass,
Czech Republic,
deb haynes swider,
glass beads,
Prague,
swoon studios
Monday, February 7, 2011
DIY Monday: Caring for Your Rose Bouquet
Since Valentine's day is coming up, I thought I'd give a quick tip on how to extend the life of roses. After all, some of us have dear ones who will give us a lovely bouquet on this hallowed day!
If your honey brings you cut flowers without a vase, be sure to trim the bottoms UNDER WATER before putting them into a vase. Cutting them under water helps keep air bubbles from getting into the stems so that the water can flow freely up into the stem.
Remove any leaves or greenery that's below the level of the water. Greenery makes the water spoil faster, causing decay.
As with all flowers, they'll last longer if you change the water every day. Be sure to add the preservative powder that often comes with cut flowers. It really does help extend the life of the flowers.
If your roses start to droop, you can fill a sink with cold water and completely submerge the roses under water for a time. Usually this gets water to the places that need it and they start to perk up again. Remember to re-cut the stems UNDER WATER before you place them back into your vase.
Voila! Better roses DIY style!
Labels:
caring for cut roses,
cut flowers,
deb haynes swider,
DIY,
flower care,
roses,
swoon studios
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Weekend Wanderings: Lighthouse at Cape May, NJ
I was lucky enough to visit the lighthouse at Cape May, NJ a couple months ago. Having a retired Coast Guard member in our family, we try to catch the lighthouses we may pass along the way. It happened to be a Sunday night and as we were walking around, we saw a group of Mennonites in the parking lot. A friend of mine mentioned this at the gift shop at the base of the lighthouse and discovered that their being there was not uncommon. Apparently, on selected Sunday nights, at sunset, they fill the stairway of the lighthouse and sing hymns. The acoustics of the lighthouse carry and fill the lighthouse with sound.
Although we were not lucky enough to hear their evensong, I hope we'll be a part of this one day.
Labels:
Cape May lighthouse,
deb haynes swider,
lighthouses,
Mennonite,
NJ,
singing,
travel
Friday, February 4, 2011
Foodie Friday: Sparkling Juice
Looking for an easy but refreshing drink to serve guests? This might be just the ticket.
Ingredients:
Sprite
Grape Juice
Cranberry Juice
Ice
Fresh limes for garnish
This one is super easy. Take equal parts Sprite, Grape Juice and Cranberry Juice - I did 1 cup of each at a time until my pitcher was full - and pour it over ice in a pitcher. Slice lime into quarters, squeeze a bit of lime into your glass and garnish with remaining lime.
Delicious and SO EASY!
Labels:
cold drink,
cranberry juice,
cranberry recipe,
deb haynes swider,
easy recipe,
grape juice,
sprite,
swoon studios
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Inspiration Thursday! Making Jewelry
The hugely talented owner of Milk Money Designs, Kathryn Ewing, and I have been friends for somewhere around 20 years. We got interested in making jewelry about the same time. Each of us has her own interests - mine tends toward the vintage while hers tends toward the intricate. She does quite a bit of work with seed beads (something I don't have the patience to do). She has also begun to experiment with wire work.
She passed along this site (www.jewelrylessons.com) a couple months ago, recommending it because it has pretty straightforward and easy tutorials on working with wire and bead weaving. I've found some interesting projects on the site and hope it can inspire you as well!
So Kathryn, today you are my inspiration...
She passed along this site (www.jewelrylessons.com) a couple months ago, recommending it because it has pretty straightforward and easy tutorials on working with wire and bead weaving. I've found some interesting projects on the site and hope it can inspire you as well!
So Kathryn, today you are my inspiration...
Labels:
creating jewelry,
jewelry,
jewelry making,
Milk Money Designs,
wire work
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Vintage Wednesday: Vintage Postcard
It started with Maria Von Trapp - my obsession with collecting postcards that is. I was in the 6th grade and we had a celebrity auction to raise money for the school. I don't remember the celebrities the other kids chose, but I think I'd just read the book about the REAL Maria Von Trapp and decided to ask for her autograph for the auction. I don't really think I anticipated getting a response, but low and behold I received not one, but TWO signed postcards by return mail. She specified that one was for me and one was for the auction. And thus began my "official" postcard collection.
At one time, I collected postcards only from places I'd visited. Pittsburgh trip in the 8th grade to Point Park? Check. Fort Boonesborough in Kentucky? Check. Postcard of (then President) Jimmy Carter from a trip to Plains, Georgia? Check.
As I got older, however, I discovered the world of antique postcards. These are the cards with sprays of roses or bunches of violets. Some had Gibson Girls relaxing in riparian scenes. I especially loved the cards from Germany or France with their detail and mystique.
I loved reading the messages from decades before like, "can you take some time from work and meet me at the depot? I won't tell!" or "Sweet memories attend you throughout the day" or "The making of friends, who are real friends, is the best test of success in life." Faithfully yours, Ursa A. Hyde.
And sometimes there are words to live by:
"The chain of Friendship stretching far Links Days that were with Days that are."
Labels:
19th century,
antique postcards,
collections,
deb haynes swider,
early 20th century,
france,
germany,
swoon studios
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Working Tuesday: Bring on the bling!
I LOVE this fashion trend that combines shiny things with pearls. Love the romance of it. Love the HOPE of it. We may be in an economic downturn, but we can still bring on the bling!
That trend along with some other wonderful artists on Etsy taking this trend in many directions got me thinking about ways to incorporate my love of vintage pins with my love of all things pearl. I've been working on some new designs and I'm almost ready to put them on the site (you get a sneak peek here!). I'm really just waiting for the right clasps for a couple pieces. The first one, though, I made for me - so I can "test drive" the overall design idea and see how it wears. So far, I LOVE. Hope you will too.
Labels:
deb haynes swider,
glass pearls,
Swarovski,
swoon studios,
vintage pins
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