on the up and up

Big weekend for Loki's Jellybeans.

We are getting our own work space in my teeny apartment (clearing off an old desk and buying a thing of shelves!)

Introducing international shipping!!!

we got a face to be the model of Loki's Jellybeans jewelry- thanks Oksana!

Stay tuned....

HOW TO: APPLE BREAD

I used to work at a historic interpretation job. I loved it, and since think back on it fondly. One of my weekly jobs was to cook for the other interpreters and show off the amazing culinary talents of the 1820s in Michigan. I used to make this recipe often, as it was a great sweet! So this recipe is from around the 1820s, and it actually turns out like a nice little coffee cake. I like making it for breakfast.

Hang with me, this is my FIRST How To.

HOW TO: RECIPE

Apple Bread

Ingredients
Dough:
2 Cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 T butter
1 cup milk
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1 egg, beaten

Topping:
I use roughly
1 cup dark brown sugar
4T softened butter
cinnamon
cut up apples

Steps:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut up an apple. Any kind will do, but I really like the sweet kinds. I leave on the skin. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt together. In a separate bowl, mix butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add to the butter mixture the beaten egg, and the milk. Stir together. Gently stir into the flour mixture.

(excuse the messy kitchen, my apartment has a teeny tiny kitchen)

The mixture has a weird consistency. It's sticky, so don't worry if it turns out like that.
Pour the mixture into your pan. I personally like a loaf pan, but any really works. Get out a new bowl. Mix brown sugar, butter, and a bit of cinnamon in a bowl. Place it onto of the dough. Add apples on top, and sprinkle a little more cinnamon on top for extra taste.

Bake for 30-35 minutes and you're good to go!

It's really really a great dish! Hope you like it! :)

Back in Chicago

I am back in Chicago! I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I plan on spending this weekend making a beading area for me, rather then hunched over my coffee table that is stained with resin.

In other news: On my etsy shop I have my FIRST Special!

Buy TWO pairs of earrings at regular price and receive ONE grab bag pair of earrings for FREE. The free grab bag pair is NOT listed on the website but is homemade by me. If you have a preference on color send it with the order and I will try my best to get you that color.

Spend over $50, and I will send a free resin pendant with your order.

Later this week, I plan on giving away a free necklace on this blog, so keep your eyes peeled.
-J

it's been too long. I am so sorry. This week has been a whirlwind. I have some custom orders which I need to work on, but the week leading up to vacation always seems to be the one with the most stuff going on. Plus, the Blackhawks won the cup, so I have been too busy trying to find myself a Duncan Keith t-shirt.

I'm going to catch up on my blog tomorrow and document some of these awesome custom orders. If you want anything send me an email lokisjellybeans@gmail.com I have been able to do all my custom orders, so let me know what you want and I'll give you a price.

sundays are borrrring

I got up early to start a batch of resin pieces. I hope they dry in time to take photographs of them and put them up on the etsy page before tomorrow morning when my pendant showcase starts. I wanted to do it last night, but thanks to the crazy sideways rain, and possible tornadoes, I wanted to keep my windows firmly shut.

I have made a few sales, in a few days. I don't usually do this well, so I'm excited and hope that things might change some for me. I really am excited to continue to grow my shop, and my art.

I went to a shop around the corner for ideas, and saw this adorable photoframe made from recycled tickets. I really like this idea, and want to go on it more. I think that jewelry is my main form right now, but with my goal of making people's christmas presents, I need to start testing the waters of other craft pools.

I'm leaving for Orlando soon. I have to put my shop on vacation mode, and I'm not bringing any jewelry making supplies. I wonder how I'll handle being away from it....

resin tips.

The Kzoo Necklace at lokibean.etsy.com

I am unsure if I have a love or hate relationship with resin. I think it's beautiful when done correctly, but it sure takes a long time to "perfect" it. I have made several mistakes so far, and I'm sure they will continue. I will give some helpful tips to those struggling with resin themselves.





1.) Don't burn the clay holding the hairpins in place. Yep, be careful when you go over it with the flame. Don't hold it too long, or something might start to smell like burning.


2.) Don't set a container ontop of the resin piece and knock the mold and have resin spill everywhere. It's very hard to get off certain materials. and if things dry, they will be stuck. Good thing I do my resin on a pretty crappy end table.


3.) watch for bubbles! I have made way too many cool things to have them ruined by a big air bubble in the middle.


4.) Too much glitter looks like crap. enough said.


5.) be patient. This is not my strongest area. I want it to be done and I want it to be done RIGHT NOW.


6.) get to love modge podge. seriously this stuff will be your helper.





Okay, enough about everything I've done. Good luck with the resin, hope it's better then my first few diasters.

Tuesday Boozeday

I have decided this Christmas at least one of my presents to people on my list will be handmade. I don;t even know where to begin. Thank goodness for my candy making class, and for Craft Magazine's RSS feed. I plan on starting mid-summer to try and tackle this project. (I have a lot of people I get presents for) I will try to keep a record (although vague because most of the people reading this blog are getting these presents.) So get ready for that.

In other news, I play trivia every Tuesday. It's like being on a sports team, but with booze and knowledge instead of strength. Since I have trivia I will not be doing any etsy stuff tonight. Although after work, and after I dropped a very heavy flashlight on my foot, why it was balanced on a inclined book I don't know (Thanks, Keith), I made a few pairs of earrings and a bracelet. I'm off to pour resin right now, and eat some pizza. Tomorrow etsy will be updated, and this broken blood vessel in my foot will be gross.