spring pretties

A recent Sunday found the family and I at the in-laws celebrating 3 occasions at once—the co-birthday party of nephew Andrew and niece Grace (that Sunday being about the midpoint between their birthdays) and the 45^th wedding anniversary of Jeff’s Ps, Bobbi and Wayne.  Andrew picked blue, Grace picked teal, and I made airbrushed lizards and butterflies for the kids.  For the happy couple, I made blossoms in their wedding colors, peach and white.  I added a few in coral for fun, and some yellow sugar “pollen” for sparkle.  Happy birthday/birthday/anniversary to you, may there be many more years!

The lizard to the right has a smooshy tail, because it was humid.  Commercial kitchens, which I intend to utilize more, are more climate controlled than my home, where I bake for my family.  I will be more into the business of selling cookies for real—licensed, insured, business-carded, advertised, vending to your local businesses, teaching(?), and stocking your parties with awesome treats—in the coming weeks.  So tell your friends! (striking a superhero stance)

These hearts were to welcome a baby girl.  I have no other details, but “welcome!” to the little one.  The little-kid-like scribble flowers were a similar technique to the purple flowers on…

…these cakes, for a bridal shower in Milwaukee.  Cousin-in-law Kati ordered them, and took delivery of them after I elected to take care of 2 tasks at once: to get the cookies delivered to her, and to give myself 2 hours off.  I accomplished this by driving to Milwaukee.  I love and miss driving—all I do in the suburbs is short trips to the same places.  Driving on 94 through that rolling, half-green (it was march), nowhere of space between Chicagoland and when you start seeing outlet malls after the WI border, is like driving across the steppes of Russia, dotted with business parks and RV dealerships and the like.  I imagined that I wasn’t headed for a Starbucks at a busy intersection, but a hut in Ulaanbaatar.  But Starbucks it was, and we all had somewhere to be, so we agreed to get a real family gathering going at some point.  And then I was on my way east across Russia again.

Finally, here are some bits o’beach I did for my kiddo’s school’s Daddy-Daughter dance, the theme of which was “under the sea.”  Fondant shells and pearl dragees, and 3 kinds of sand colored sugar made little seaside circles sparkle.   

Thanks for stopping by; coming soon, Shakespeare…

#EFFit

And the other pile of pictures I’m sitting on was from Elgin’s first annual Fringe Fest.  I took part because if I look at everything as a no, I won’t do anything, right?  So here was a never before art show for artist who were not quite mainstream and I thought, yes, let’s see what can happen here.  I inquired, was (enthusiastically, I might add) encouraged to join in the fun, and after much daydreaming, I narrowed it down to my five favorite (that week) shapes.

I participated on a Saturday, first at the Family Fringe Fest, in a wee park in the middle of town.  Here’s my table…

I chose shapes and techniques based on what I thought would demonstrate my skills as an artist.  I don’t usually use that word self-reflectively, as art is usually in the eye of the beholder, but if I were to attempt to convince you that lovely things can happen on a cookie, as well as a on canvas or stage, I’d have to bring the good stuff.  So I brought:

Rockets—a composite shape, and the airbrushed water-color spots make the moons look nice and cratered.

Asters--A mini fondant cutter added extra petals to a sun shape, with multiple shades of yellow to accentuate the wavy contours of the petals.

Grapes—each grape was a piped dot, sugared in 2 shades of purple, or brushed with purple pearl dust.  They were gorgeous up close.  It’s also a composite shape that I made with a mini maple leaf and an upside-down Christmas tree.

Geckos—aqua blue, like a gecko isn’t, with little arabesque gold dots.  Scales are so unevolved, right?  These were the hot seller—they might be my favorite too.

And the fest was selling stenciled t-shirts with the twitter hashtag #EFFit.  So I made a few myself with a homemade stencil and some “paint splatters” with my airbrush.

When the Family portion ended, I packed up and finished up the afternoon and evening outside the Side Street Studio Arts, so incoming ticket buyers would see my wares.  I did well, but probably could have gotten away with simpler designs for less.  The kids wanted cookies no matter what they looked like.  But I wasn’t there to “sell” my baking skills, though I always bring them of course, I really did want to make this hard on myself as an illustrator—making them in volume, and making them awesome.  And I did it.  And if I have the space and time this summer, I expect I’ll be signing up again.  So see you on the fringe ;)

what you've been missing

There is so much I've done, and so little I've posted for you.  Here's a speed round, and a heap of apologies for keeping you waiting:

Prettiest first, these were from a bridal show last summer.  

 

Also from last summer, ice cream...

...and patriotic pinwheel stars.

 

a Minion birthday...

 

...and a Scooby-Doo birthday (H is for Hannah).

 

my sister-in-law, Kristi's birthday

 

this poor little guy I found on my phone from late 2013!

 

 

Battle of the Books at the library.  (b.o.b for apples, eh?)

 

for the kiddo's Halloween fun fair at school

 

more Halloween fun, with airbrushing and plastic bugs

 

and a Clifford the Big Red Dog themed "Paws to Read" event at the library.  Those bone sprinkles did double duty in graveyard pudding dirt cups for Halloween.

Not far behind, I've got last summer's Fringe Fest where yours truly was the only food artist.  And coming up, a Midsummer Nights Dream, a vintage clothing show, barista aprons, and everything I've been taking pictures of at work with the work phone--just gotta email the darn pics to my computer and I'll be good to go!  I hope you all have a splendid week, and may stay warm!  Now I gotta run to OfficeMax...

 

 

dancing the cookie shuffle

And I’ve returned.  Where have I been?  Baking chocolate chip cookies and banana bread at the library.  Good feedback, more on the job later.  Also picking up my kid from the bus stop, and laundry, and I still have no internet at home, so getting more than 140 characters out of me can be tricky.  I’d save myself a trip if I could text on a smart phone while driving, but my phone is not smart, and I am, so in short (not really) it’s much ado getting my pics posted.   

These were from a weekend in [March?] when many dancers convened at The Hemmens in Elgin.  It just so happens that yours truly performed there—ballet, tap, and tumbling—in my very young days.  Recitals were at The Hemmens, but class was in Bartlett, a ride across town on the back on mom’s bike, at the park district’s odd little log cabin in a park off Oak St.  It was one of those little clubhouses where you’d have ballet class on Friday, and someone could rent it for a baby shower on Saturday, then next Tuesday the township trustees would have a budget meeting, or something.  Anyway, I twirled and tapped and tumbled, and our teacher would send each of us off after class with one of those daisy-shaped shortbread cookies with the hole in the middle, just the right size for a 5-year-old’s pinky, and I’d ride home in my yellow bike seat pretending my finger was wearing a tutu.  So imagine my happy little sense of purpose to be making pretty ballerina butterfly cookies for young aspiring dancers.  I had a 'gone-full-circle' kind of contentment. 

About the rest of the job.  Firstly, people keep calling me a pastry chef.  You need credentials to be called “a chef” and I don’t have ’em, and “pastry” actually encompasses more than I know.  I’m kind of hit or miss on pie crusts for example.  I didn’t take the class, and I rarely make pie.  Never made a scone, croissant, madeleine, popover, éclair, or benier.  I prefer say I’m a baker, and I’d like to think that because I’ve been baking since forever, and because my mom always said if you can read you can cook, I’m sure I can make all the things I just listed once I studied the recipe, and gave it a try or two.   

But what I really bake from week to week are:  cookies, especially chocolate chip; banana bread, or I switch out the bananas for zucchini, pumpkin, apple, carrot; bar cookies like brownies and what Grandma called “hello dolly” bars; “truffles” like brownie- or peanut-butter-pretzel-balls dipped in chocolate; and the occasional cupcake.  Basically the stuff a mom bakes, only I bake it in volumes to fill the front case.   

And when I stated that I’m the sole baker, that was a bit of a misnomer as well.  If it’s advantageous for someone else at one of the other locations to bake a couple pans of brownies, then they bake them.  And if they cater a wedding the weekend I’m having my fantasy butt-lift, they’ll find a way to dip some truffles.  It’s just that of all the employees, I’m the one that was hired to bake first, and then do sandwich stuff.  And when something fancy is ordered, like lemon bars for that thing at the library, or some footprint cookies for a baby shower, it’s my project.  And, more often than I’d like because I like baking all fresh and natural, some of our baked goods are from a boxed mix, or premade from a vendor, so again, I don’t do all the baking.  But yeah, I’m the go-to gal for dessert.   

And it’s pretty awesome that I can bake cookies and sell them at the library.  I can’t get over how quaint that is.  I get all nerdly about it.  Meanwhile, pics at this end of the post are the ones I had on my phone.  I make something neat at work and realize I don’t have my camera, so i resort to the cell, then when I’m on my computer, I don’t have the memory card thingy to upload them.  Yeah, baking by the seat of my pants.  And knowing me I probably sat in brownie batter.  Ha!   

So next I have some wedding cookies that weren’t for a wedding, and some evidence of my prowess in marketing.  And I will still be making pretty cookies.  And I will still be taking pictures of them.  I just have to sit down and do my homework.  

 Till then, happy lead in to summer, and we got all new fancy coffee at the library, so come on in…

thankful cookies

i did about 4 dozen Thanksgiving themed cookies for The Meet Market.  fall-colored stripes, sunflowers, 2-toned airbrushed apples, metallic indian corn, and handprint turkeys.  lets hope they sell out, i have about 5 more designs i want to try!  come on in and pick up a few--share with your friends and tell 'em thanks.  in addition, if you fill out the tag attached to each bag with your name and contact information, you'll be entered to win one of 3 dozen holiday cookies in December.  lucky winners will be drawn at the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner in Elgin.  (can't wait!)
stick around for zombies and little birdies, and then we're on to Christmas...

Wall(y) flowers

Wally is a regular where i work.  a senior citizen, often in board shorts and a t-shirt, sometimes a suit, and always an earring, he gets a small half coffee, half cold water, and chats it up with us in the middle of the day.  the other Katie, a fine arts grad, recently finished a painting for him, and Pat got him a souvenir shirt from Mexico.  like the hubby would say, he's good people.  one day he got us lunch (really good bbq sandwiches that i felt guilty finishing without taking part of it home to share) so to say thanks, i made him a few cookies with my new flower stencil.  i chose teal because when do you ever see a teal flower?  and some pearl shimmer and yellow pearl dragees for some extra pretty.  but i can't decide if i should call them asters or mums.  (shrug)  thanks Wally! 
coming up, i know i have a baby shower, details on the way.  and also some details on my second job as (brace yourself) a baker.  boo-ya and shazam.  stay tuned...

a short ride...

Mr. Rakow went for a bike ride, and someone else went for a car ride, and after their unfortunate encounter, Mr. Rakow had a broken leg.  m-i-l Bobbi felt he needed a pick-me-up and suggested crutch-shaped cookies, but rigging an X shape into crutches didn't seem as fun as using the bike shape to make a bike.  the flag was from the top of a musical note.  this was soooo intimidating until i googled some bikes and realized drawing a bike is like 6 lines and 3 circles.  it took me longer to select the slate-green and terra-cotta color scheme than it did to pipe them.  i would have liked the icing to be a little less thick, which occurred despite a week of storms and humidity, but the flowers made up for it.  they were too cute. 
a big get-well-soon to the patient, happy start of summer to all, and stay tuned for snuggley-bears, a ninja arsenal, something for a book club, and a huge baby shower...

i heart stencils

Wendy's daughter Lexi turned 11.  Lexi, Wendy informed me, loves green, and zebra print, and all the garish stuff the kids are wearing these days.  not much has changed, i guess, when i was her age, all the cool kids were wearing Hypercolor shirts. (remember those? "dude, your armpits are blue!")
so i got out the bright colors, some funky stencils (even made a new one for the zebra stripes), and the trusty airbrush and made some snazzy rock-star hearts.  and every time i use my airbrush, i re-thank Jeff for getting it for me.  [dilated eyeballs] it's so much fun...
Happy Birthday to Lexi! and on the way is some baby stuff, a get well batch, prolly some ninja stuff, and i heard talk of a book club project.  stay tuned!

i can has purrty cookie?

in honor of Valentine’s day, i offered my friends-&-family rate to all “to spread the love.”  cousin-in-law Kati, who ordered owls for baby JJ, shared the link on her hubby Tony’s wall, and he had the great idea to order 2 dozen for the missus.  he said “some hearts” and whatever i think up.

so i consulted my bags of shapes and picked a still-unused Valentine cat from the 80s, courtesy of Aunt Dahlas passing down surplus school supplies.  i mixed the icing a little early so it was deflating a little bit and behaving little more “flowy” than usual, but casual lines worked—instead of fretting if the toes should be more pronounced, or the whiskers longer, it looks a little floppy and kind of like a long-haired cat, right?  [i considered making a few to look like LOL cat sensation “grumpy cat.”  maybe tearing the heart in 2?  another day.]  my twitchy penmanship was just the right font for cute little-kid messages, like “luv u,” “xxoo,” “be mine,” and “T+K.” the flowered hearts were iced white and airbrushed rose pink through a flower paint stencil.  i enjoy thinking of different color combinations for this pattern. a lot.

then, continuing the pink flowers theme, i made cookies for the kiddo and his cousins; mini blossoms in Valentine colors.  i wasn’t attempting any precision with these either—i wanted them to look casual/biomorphic/breezy, rather than symmetrical.  

i bagged ‘em.  they looked pretty.  and i make my tags from old greeting cards.  shazam.

thanks again cousin Tony, and happy Valentine’s Day to all!  coming soon… well, i have an order, but i’m still working on what it will be.  so it’ll have to be a surprise…  and then i have some Indy cars.  stay tuned!