If you're crafty in the kitchen

15 years ago

are you also crafty out of it?

Do your crafts complement each other?

I was baking a cake for a customer for a wedding shower. The theme was "around the clock". She hadn't asked for any decoration and it was a simple and rich chocolate cake so lots of frosting would have been out.

I found some number molds in my craft stash, made some chocolate numbers and put a clock face on the cake.

She is still raving about it and that little effort has gotten me a handful of new customers.

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Comments (26)

beachlily z9a
15 years ago
Nope, not crafty. I'm a dynamite master gardener (trained by the Univ. of FL in gardening), but crafty ... not so much. I love flowers and grow them well. I bake well but things like banana cake, cinnamon rolls, etc. Not crafty at all!

I admire people who are crafty. It take a special kind of person to do things unique and special.
caliloo
15 years ago
I'm not sure I'm crafty, but I am artistic. Or at least my art professors did when I was going to art school as part of my undergrad degrees. I am currently doing a lot of metal work, jewelry and small sculptures mostly, but sketching does come into play when I am desiging something new.

And I do love to photograph my garden and plants in general.

Alexa
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hawk307
15 years ago
I have done a few things on the CF but not much to talk about.
Some of them were a Cornicopia, a birthday cheesecake with a heart and arrow, for my DD.
Also a Sicilian Pizza with a Heart and small hearts all around.

Made stuffed fish filets shaped like a fish.
It tasted good but was ugly.

Guess I am more Crafty out of the kitchen with my Artwork
and World Class Wildfowl Carvings.

Plus all the Patents that I have never Patented and all the other things I have done in life.

Can not have everything.
Best thing I created was my family.

LOU
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
15 years ago
Lou,

You are truly humble.

Those of you who have seen Lou's work will agree that his work is of museum quality, and "crafty" is not the adjective for Lou.

dcarch
annie1992
15 years ago
Nope, I'm definitely not crafty, and I'm too impatient to enjoy craft projects.

I do like to cook, but I'm more a "slap it on the plate" kind of person than one who fusses. I can bake and decorate a wedding cake, but I hate it. I can alter a wedding dress, but I hate it. It makes me sit still too long, pay attention too long, fuss too much.

So, although I CAN do craft things, I don't if I can help it, I'd rather dig fence post holes and bale hay and feed donuts to the cows and horses.

I'm not at all artistic and I completely lack the decorating gene. Left to my own devices my house would be painted white with no other color, there would be nothing hanging on the walls and furniture would be pretty minimal. The garden would be amazing, though. (grin)

Annie
beachlily z9a
15 years ago
I thought I would show you exactly what happens that are unique in my garden:
annie1992
15 years ago
Arlene, those are beautiful! I'd even consider painting a bedroom the color of that second lily. I could call it "not exactly white". (grin)

Annie
lindac
15 years ago
Beautiful day lilies....are they your own hybrids?

I garden too, Spent a lot of years designing planning and seeing to the care of the annual beds at the Arboretum, been active in all aspects of the Community Theater, planned lots of festivities, can dream up new and interesting recipes....but don't ask me to decorate a cake nor cut fruit and vegetables in strange shapes, but I believe I plate well.
Maybe not crafty but creative.
ntt_hou
15 years ago
Half of my family is crafty. I'm fortunate to be among the crafty half:o) I find that it's not always a good thing though. I seem to pack up my home with too much crafty stuff.
Lars
15 years ago
When I lived in San Francisco, I designed and made clothes - mostly ladies' evening wear, and I also made drapes, Roman shades, bedspreads, slip covers, etc. I only worked part time as a pastry chef, and not for all that long. Then I went back to university to get a design degree, and now I work as a furniture designer. As part of my job, I make full scale cardboard models of the furniture. The most challenging pieces are the upholstered ones because it is difficult to get cardboard to look like fabric. However, I manage to do it, and the sales staff have sold furniture just from photos of the cardboard models that I make. When Bloomingdales opened here on Wilshire Blvd, they did a window display of my cardboard models, which included a cardboard chandelier. It was a bit surreal.

On the gallery side, you can see a headboard that my brother and I made for his bed using African mudcloth. I made the drapes that we use for our sliding door to the patio, and I painted the fabric as well. My brother is a more serious artist, and he paints in watercolor and oil. There are other artists on this forum as well.

Lars
loves2cook4six
Original Author
15 years ago
Annie, I do believe I've heard that before lol and despite hating it I am really envious of just how good you are AT it.

Gorgeous flowers, beachlily. I can't grow anything. They all die either from neglect or too much attention. I can't find the middle ground LOL. Lindac you are welcome to volunteer in my garden along with anyone else who wants to. I can't grow them but I really do appreciate beautiful flowers.

Ummm, Alexa. Ok maybe not crafty but DEFINITELY artistic and you bring that to your cooking as well. Loving your frosted rose cupcakes.

Lou, haven't seen what you make but I do believe I've heard from others that the quality is superb so don't knock your skills.

Lars, I AM impressed. I love to sew and consider myself quite crafty but furniture from cardboard? at BLOOMINGDALES!! WOW! Do you have more pictures you can share? Can we hire you?
hawk307
15 years ago
Lars:
You did not mention any of your culinary recipes!!!

I could use your Asparagus Recipe. ( someone asked )
The one that you cut the bottoms off and cooked them separatly.
Think you made a Sauce with them.
LOU

PS: Dcarch, Thanks!
mustangs81
15 years ago
Beachlily, those flowers are stunningly beautiful!!

Lars, I have seen your work before but I forgot what a master you are.

Lou, Your carvings are incredibly realistic! And those salt spoons you carved for me, in what--2 minutes?, are lovely. I just wish I could find them. I saw little paw prints on the counter, I think the new kitty was playing with them like hockey sticks.
Lars
15 years ago
Lou, the question was "are you also crafty out of it[the kitchen]?", but I will include my asparagus cooking method. Basically, I use a two-tiered steamer and put the tough asparagus stems in the bottom part with the water and perhaps some coarsely chopped onion. I boil that for about 10 minutes and then add the first tier of the steamer, which has the middle part of the stems (i.e., the tender stems minus the tips), cover it, and steam it for about 10 minutes. Then I add the top tier with the tips and continue to steam for five more minutes. For the sauce, I use the water from the bottom of the steamer and puree the tough stems and onion in it with a stick blender, strain it, and add vegetable soup base (or salt) and butter to it along with potato starch to thicken it. I generally do not bother making a roux unless I want to be able to reheat it. My Alsatian grandmother always used her cooking water from vegetable to make sauces, although she saved potato water for making bread.

L2C46, unfortunately I do not have pictures of the Bloomingdales installation - I waited too long and it had been removed by the time I got around to going there for a photograph. I do have photos of my models and will try to post some on Photobucket later. Much of my work is patented by the company. The finished furniture can be viewed at our showrooms in L.A., NY, Chicago, Dallas, and London, but also at a few Las Vegas hotels. Sharon (Chase) dropped by the L.A. showroom, and I guess Cathy (Mustangs) has also, although I was not aware of that.

I think Linda (Doucanoe) makes stained glass windows, although I have not seen them lately, and Barnmom does very beautiful graphic design. I think there are people here who knit also - something that I have not yet learned how to do. I would love to see photos of Alexa's work as well!

Lars
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
15 years ago
I'm creative and an illustrator by profession, which lets me post here at all hours of the day as I work at home.
I have illustrated many non notable children's books and scads of educational material over the past 25 years. I am also an accomplished gardener, a pursuit I cherish -more so than cooking, I'm afraid!
I like cooking for the process. I enjoy the last minute approach, as in what can I do with what I have and make a great dinner?
Cooking for the result, I usually can go buy that but I am frugal and health conscious, so I cook to put a healthy, great tasting dinner on the table too.
hawk307
15 years ago
Lars:
I knew the question but I did not have your new email address, so
I thought I would be Crafty and ask here.

Thanks for posting the Recipe.

Arlene:
Beautiful flowers !!! I can-t grow any , they do not last, because of the deer.

But here are some I captured on Camera.

Mustangs:
Thank You,
Here is a Photo of the Spoons.
You could put up a " Wanted Poster ", with a reward.LOL!!!

Loves2:
I thought you have seen my Carvings.
Here are some Photos of one, the Redtailed Hawk.

Via Con Dios!!!
LOU
Lars
15 years ago

One of my cardboard models for new chair designs. I recently finished a dining chair version of this design, and I am working with a new fabricator to get a model for our NY showroom. They have the occasional chair version but are more interested in the dining chair, which has quite different proportions and required me to make a completely new model. A small portion of this model was completed in Photoshop.

Lars
annie1992
15 years ago
Linda (doucanoe) also makes dishes and pottery, she made a really nice set of appetizer plates for me and gave them as a gift when she came to visit during the "Michigan Run".

Lars, that's amazing, I wouldn't have believed that was cardboard if you hadn't told me!

Annie
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
15 years ago
"---Lars, that's amazing, I wouldn't have believed that was cardboard if you hadn't told me! Annie"

Annie, I work with materials a lot, I can tell you this, it is more difficult than you think, to bend cardboard in a three dimensional way, it takes a great deal of skills.

Lars, I show up in 200 Lexington Ave and 150 E58th St. once in a while. Is your showroom in one of those two buildings?

dcarch
annie1992
15 years ago
dcarch, I don't doubt at all how difficult that is. I know that Lars is a very talented designer and artist, besides being extremely handsome.

I also know that he can design clothing, sew, run a website and I've seen him in a movie, he's very photogenic. His writings were one of the things that drew me here in the first place.

Besides that, he's kind and wise, and capable of doing things I wouldn't even imagine trying to do.

A very talented man indeed....

Annie
lindac
15 years ago
And Lars has a wonderful weird sense of humor.....and an amazing sense of self. He has shared himself on these boards for a lot of years. A few have had the privilege of meeting and breaking bread with Lars....unfortunately...I have not yet had the honor.
Lars
15 years ago
Dcarch, we are sort of across the street from your E58th Street location: the D&D Building, 979 3rd Avenue (between 58th & 59th), on the second floor. I haven't been there in a while, however, although I would like to go back. I'll try to email you the exact information for our showroom so that you can drop in. We're "to the trade only" and so you may have to pretend that you are a designer or architect, although I don't think it really matters. If you do plan to go, let me know so that I can tell the people there to expect you. There will be more new designs being installed in September.

Annie, I used to be photogenic - not so much any more! And as for my weird sense of humor, I have no idea where that comes from. In the movie you mentioned, I turned out to be the comic relief (it was mostly a suspense drama), but I didn't find that out until I saw the movie in a theater and the audience laughed at me. I had thought I was playing a serious role, but I'm okay with that. I'm very spontaneous when I talk and write.

I would love to have lunch with Lindac, and maybe we can meet in NY some time in the future!

I feel very flattered to have dear friends here who appreciate me, and I deeply appreciate you back!

Lars
doucanoe
15 years ago
Wow, lots of fun "crafty" things going on here!

Lou your carving is superb! Such fine detail on that RTH! Gorgeous!

Lars, it's hard to believe that chair is made of cardboard! It's stunning, I would love to see the real McCoy!

Alexa, I remember a picture of a ring you posted a while back. Would love to see more of your jewelry!

Beachlily, are thos e DL's some of your creations? I have been dabbling on cross-pollenating them and have gotten some really great results. Here is one of my latest:

Fairytale Pink X My Ways
{{gwi:1522938}}

I do make stained glass pieces and fused glass as well. Several CF members have pieces of my glass. I also make jewelry, mostly using fused glass, silver and copper wire. Here is a lamp I did for a former CF member.

{{gwi:1522939}}

I also do some photography. Used to do more, even did weddings for a while. Not so good at food photography, tho. That is a whole 'nother animal!
LOL

In the kitchen? Not so crafty there. Like Annie I am a slap it on the plate kind of girl but I do try to make it visually appealing when I can.

Interesting to hear what everyone does, artistically!

Linda
mustangs81
15 years ago
Linda, I have seen your jewelry on a CF member, it was lovely! Thanks for sharing that beautiful lamp.

Lars, A long time ago your movie was entertainment at a CF get together. We so enjoyed it!

Lou, Do you still do the bird carvings?

Me-not crafty. I took photos all through Italy of clothes lines full of laundry hanging out of windows with the intention of making a collage for my laundry room. Not one was worthy of framing!
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
15 years ago
Posted by mustangs "------ Me-not crafty. ------"

Crafty should not mean only with a paint brush, sculpture, etc.

Some are crafty with writng, music, etc.

Kathy, you are excellent (and carfty)in interior design.

dcarch
mustangs81
15 years ago
Dcarch, well thank you kind sir for that compliment! Much to the embarrassment of my CF cottage mates two months ago, I redecorated the condo we were staying in...well, I just moved accessories around.