Oct.2, 2011

It's a perfect day for staying inside. I could spend all day on the couch today. Perhaps it's the dreary fall weather or the restless night I had hearing the respect less neighbors partying until the wee hours of the morning. Obviously it doesn't help when the better half is gone, working night shift and you have no one to "bark" at them. I try not to get too closely involved utter than yelling some obscenities which they just seem to laugh at and ignore. Must have something to do with my german accent that somehow comes through when I get really pissed off or angry.
However, let's not get into my dislike for drunken, reckless people. I'll try my best to keep this blog free of foul language :)

Anyhoo, where were we? Oh yeah, I took a break from the bench today and decided to use some of my "domestic skills" and bake which is always a good substitute for me when I'm not behind the bench...hence the size of my hips....which reminds me that my stationary bike is calling me....darn...

I made a couple of batches of chocolate praline muffins

and I baked a healthy nutritious bread with sunflower seeds and crushed flaxseed.

I love baking bread. There is something so organic about it. Getting your hands all doughy while kneading. Ahhh, sometimes I miss my days when I worked as a pastry chef. 

But what I miss the most is a Artisan Kitchen Aid mixer. I wish I would have one. I left mine in Canada when I moved here since the power supply here is different. They are out of this world expensive here ( like everything else ). You can't get a Kitchen Aid mixer for under $800 dollars!! I am not willing to pay this much money. It's total rip-off. 

I don't want to substitute for a different kind. There is no better one!

What have you done this lovely sunday?

Hope life is treating you well in whatever part of the world you are!

Thanks for reading!

Sabine

My version of a challah

My other passion besides metalsmithing is baking. I used to be a pastry chef when I lived in Canada. After my solder wouldn't want to flow easy today I decided to go and check my pantry to see if I have enough ingredients to make a pastry ( or two ). John works mostly nights and I often make him some sort of goodies to take along to the office. This gives me a chance to bake once in a while. I bake bread on a weekly basis, but I LOVE to try something different once in a while. 

Wish you were here. The apartment is filled with the smell of this delicious pastry:

Today I made a challah ( a jewish style bread ). I filled each strand with my handmade frangipane, a french style almond filling. It's a time consuming pastry, but utterly delicious.

I regret not having taken pictures during the process of making it. I also just eyeball the ingredients since I don't really have a recipe for it. I will try and see if I can write it out and so I can post it and let you try to make this. Your family would love it!

Now you'll have to excuse me while I sneak into the kitchen and slice myself a piece of this warm pastry. Perhaps a large cup of hot chocolate to go with it? 

Happy friday everyone!

xx - Sabine

Good day

Helloww all,

I guess rainy days are paying off in the studio. Just finished a couple of items today that I think look absolutely stunning. I purchased some Paua shell cabochons last week. The colors are so deeply saturated, anything from deep indigo to green and turquoise.
One is a pendant necklace and the other one is a ring featuring some handmade organic elements. The only thing I did not make on this ring is the bead cap. Both of these lovely items are oxidized and brushed to bring out the details. I'll be making more like these ones. Hope you like 'em as much as I do.
Now I am going to bake some breads. Again, I'm on a baking frenzy as well. Often, while I have items in the tumbler or in the pickling pot I bake. I feel really lucky to combine my two loves, even though only one of them brings me an income. I can actually not remember the last time I felt bored. Boredom is a complete foreign word to me. There is always something interesting to do or to learn. I like to fill my days with as many joyful things as possible. Yes, I admit it's not always doable, especially when my regular day job takes a lot energy out of me. However, for me it's important to not throw away precious time. It's a learning process and I have to remind myself, still.

I'll be posting some bread pictures later!

Til then take care and don't forget to have some fun!

xx,
Sabine

Baking pictures

Chocolate Truffle cookies with Nougat

Finally

Here I am again, back from the dark abyss of jewelry making. Naw, just kidding! I have been having so much fun with some custom orders that needed to go out so that Santa gets them in time to deliver them. That took quite a bit of time and work to get them out in time. 

I realize that I haven't been posting many new items in my Etsy shop lately, however, that is going to change soon, I promise!

I have also been spending a lot of time on new design ideas that I usually sketch out first to get a better idea of the overall look. When I first started silversmithing I just went about it without having any prior sketches ready. That didn't always pan out for me and in the long run cost me a lot of money to mess about with precious metals. Now I am way more organized.

I'm excited about my new designs. I am still waiting for some supplies to arrive before I can continue. There will be a lot of Cabochon work involved. I absolutely love setting my own bezels. There is something very satisfying about it. The end result when taking the piece out of the tumbler....the shine and purity of it...makes my heart skip a few beats. It might sound a bit nerdy or weird to some of you, but I can't put it into words how much pleasure I get from my job. I feel so blessed to be able to do this and hope that I can continue on this journey, to grow and never stop learning. That's the fun part for me.

Nuff said, I am also in a cookie-baking frenzy. Baking= another one of my passions. I used to be a pastry chef a few years ago and still love it, just not as a professional anymore. Too much stress and odd working hours.

I will be posting some pictures in the coming days of my cookies and such.

Today I made chocolate truffle cookies, one batch with hazelnuts and the other with nougat ( which is one of my favorite sweets)

If you want the recipe, let me know and I will post it!

Now I must put my tired eyes to rest and get some sleep. I am having to go for an early morning post office run to get some bling send off!

Hope everyone is doing great and is enjoying this fabulous season!

See ya tomorrow!

xxx

Sabine:-)