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Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Work

rutilated quartz ringFair trade rutilated quartz, recycled 14k gold, and recycled palladium sterling silver ring, size 7.5

golden rutile jewelryIt's a chunky one! :-)

pink tourmaline ringCalifornia pink tourmaline and recycled sterling silver ring
{ custom order; sold }

oxidized silver bandA simple oxidized band, recycled palladium sterling silver
{ custom order; sold }

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

A Change of Pace

I don't know what came over me, but the other day I felt compelled to try my hand at a new artistic medium - painting. Of course I had to choose a subject that is compelling to me - turkeys! More specifically, my dear Blossom, one of our two rescued turkeys.

Acrylic on canvas, 8" x 8"

It was really fun to paint. I think I'll be doing more of these - I'll probably do one of our chickens next. :-)

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

New Work

sapphire moissanite ringSapphire, moissanite, and recycled sterling silver rings
{ custom order; sold }

moissanite gold ring(I've made this one several times before, but I still love it.)
Moissanite, sapphire, and recycled 14k yellow gold ring
{ custom order; sold }

ethical moissanite ringThis is the first time I've used a sapphire in the back; in the past it's always been a ruby.

zultanite jewelryFair trade Zultanite and recycled 14k palladium white gold ring, size 7

orange opal ringFair trade Mexican fire opal and recycled sterling silver ring
{ custom order; sold }

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Pumpkin Bread and Other Holiday Yumminess

I made some really delicious pumpkin bread today, and I thought I'd post the recipe plus list some links to other vegan recipes I've posted for the holidays in years past...
Pumpkin Spice Bread
Super easy to make and no added fat! If you're like me, your waistline will thank you for that this time of year!

16 oz. pumpkin puree
3/4 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
egg replacer equal to two eggs
3 cups flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 large tart apples, shredded or very finely diced (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat two loaf pans with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, applesauce, sugar, maple syrup, and egg replacer. Stir the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour into loaf pans and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a butter knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Need more ideas for vegan holiday treats? Look no further...

Thelma's Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

No-Cook Mint Meltaways
Vegan Fudge (so good.)
Ginger Lime Cookies
Gene's Holiday Cookies
Lefse (I'm sad to say I haven't found the time to make any this year.)
Fat Free Vegan's Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
Cinnamon Rolls (a McFarland family Christmas morning tradition)

Friday, December 18, 2009

New Work

moissanite wedding setMoissanite, recycled 14k yellow gold, and recycled 14k white gold engagement and wedding ring
{ custom order; sold }

pink tourmaline ringCalifornia pink tourmaline and recycled sterling silver ring
{ custom order; sold }


recycled gold ringsRecycled 14k yellow gold engagement and wedding rings
(This was a custom order and the customer is going to supply his own stone and have it set locally; I just placed a moissanite in there to make the picture look better, but if it looks a little funny, it's because the stone isn't permanently set.)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

New Work

moissanite gold bandMoissanite and recycled 14k yellow gold wedding band

gold wedding bandRecycled 14k yellow gold wedding band

moissanite mens ringMoissanite and recycled palladium sterling silver wedding band

alexandrite silver ringsFair trade amethyst, lab-created alexandrite, and recycled palladium sterling silver wedding bands

Monday, December 14, 2009

My Christmas Gift to You

You should probably go make these now.

vegan chocolate peanut butter bars
Thelma's Peanut Butter Bars (the new and improved vegan version)

2 sticks (1 cup) soy margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2-1/3 cups powdered sugar
12 oz. chocolate chips

Combine first four ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Spread into a greased 9" x 13" pan. Melt the chocolate chips and spread them over the top.

Cutting these nicely can be a bit of a challenge - obviously you don't want to do it while the chocolate is still soft, but if you wait until it's completely hardened, it has a tendency to kind of shatter when you try to cut them into nice-looking squares. I recommend either cutting them after a short while in the fridge (maybe 45 minutes or so? I didn't time mine...) or chilling them completely, but letting them sit out for a bit before you cut and serve them.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

New Work


moissanite wedding bandMoissanite, recycled sterling silver, and recycled 14k yellow gold ring
{ custom order; sold }

sapphire wedding ringFair trade sapphire, recycled sterling silver, and recycled 14k white gold ring
{ custom order; sold }

Monday, December 7, 2009

New Work

sapphire engagement ringFair trade sapphire, recycled 14k palladium white gold, and recycled palladium sterling silver wedding set
{ custom order; sold }

rustic wedding bandRecycled 14k white gold and recycled sterling silver ring, size 7.5

recycled wedding ringRecycled 14k white gold and recycled sterling silver ring
{ custom order; sold }

moissanite earringsMoissanite and recycled sterling silver earrings

New Stones

I found a new source for fair trade gemstones - most of her stones come from mall-scale mines that are part of a local, nonprofit, non-governmental organization called the Tanzania Women Miner's Association (TAWOMA). TAWOMA educates miners on free-trade, ethical and sustainable mining principles. The Association's mission is to facilitate Women Miners to organize and access required financial, technical and marketing services so that they can carry out mining activities that are both economically viable and environmentally sustainable, thereby raising the standard of living of women miners and their families.

Rhodolite, 6mm

Aquamarine, 6mm