How To: Basket Weaving

This summer we’ve been harvesting so many fruits and vegetables from our little organic garden, that I found my self out of picking baskets, with nothing left to harvest the veggies with, and absolutely nowhere to store them I realized I had to get working on some home-made baskets.  I started weaving simple picking baskets, with bright-colored, heavy weight papers, that I found on sale in the big box craft store. These baskets can be made as big or as small as you like, and can even be made to resist water with a few simple coats of Modge Podge. Now we have brightly colored baskets all over the house, all for the price of a $5 pack of paper and a bottle of Elmers glue. Here’s how to get started.

What you will need:
Heavy weight craft paper or cardstock.
Scissors
Whole punch
Elmers glue
Metal ruler
Paper clips

My Great Grandmother’s Fresh Picked Apple Cake Recipe

This recipe started out, as a simple plain vanilla cake, and over time has evolved into a moist, spice filled, apple cake, perfect for fresh picked apples. I only make this cake once a year, after we go apple picking in early Autumn. The sweetness and texture of just picked apples, makes the off the shelf grocery apples pale in comparison.  We went apple picking at the Historic Orchard at Altapass in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was a great time with music, food, crafts, and more!

Pre Heat oven to 350*
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk or juice
2 eggs separated
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1. In a large bowl mix the sugar, shortening, vanilla, and egg yolks until the sugar dissolves. Then gently mix in the milk or juice.

2. Next in a small bowl beat the two egg whites, until they form stiff peaks, put aside.

3. In another small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, making sure they are well mixed.

4. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the sugar and egg mixture. Then fold the egg whites into the mixture gently.

5. Now take a well greased cake pan, fill it 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full with batter.

6. Carefully peel and then thinly slice your apples. Lay them into a decorative pattern on top of the cake. Sprinkle the top of the cake with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.

7. Bake at 350* for 25-45 minutes remove when the knife comes out of the cake cleanly.

The Art of Victor Wang

Chinese born, American artist, Victor Wang grew up playing in the sunflower fields of northern China. But as he got older, he experienced these beautiful fields from a very different vantage point, because he was sent to work at a Chinese “reeducation” labor camp, shortly after graduating from high school. There his childhood sunflower fields, became the setting of daily grueling labor from sunrise to sunset. These powerful mixed feelings of both joy and sadness, are displayed in his incredible work. Victor emigrated to America, after attending the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, in China, and then went on to the Washington University, and Fontbonne University in St. Louis Mo. He is now a Professor in the Department of Fine Arts, at Fontbonne University.

More after the jump:

You can now find One Loom Studio at Art Fire

Are you tired of web sites making you sign up, just to make a simple purchase. Having them fill up your in box, with emails that you’ll never read. Well now you can purchase the handmade jewelry from One Loom Studio, without having to join a website. Simply go onto http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/OneLoomStudio and get started!