Blog Move!

New blog location at http://sherrihaab.blogspot.com

Book Winners!

Thank you to everyone who entered the drawing for my new book, “Jewelry Inspirations”.  I was so excited to see so many responses that I decided to choose 2 winners. We did it the old fashioned way with slips of paper drawn from a hat and the winners are Lynn #63 and Morgan #15.  Congratulations! and I think I will do another give away next month, this was fun.  And a big thank you for the kind words about my work, so nice to read after a rough week.

Sherri

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

I was slammed with a bad cold this week that set me back quite a few days.  The cold combined with the fact that it is still winter here (lots of snow) in Utah, left me craving comfort food like hot tea and muffins.  Here is my favorite muffin recipe, adapted from a Pumpkin Apple Streusel version.  I leave off the topping (too messy and extra work).  The muffins are rich enough without it.

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups Libby’s canned pumpkin (not pie mix)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

Chocolate Chip Variation:

• Instead of apples use 1 cup chocolate chips

Low Fat Variation:

• Substitute 1/2 cup applesauce for the oil.

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease or paper-line 24 muffin cups.

COMBINE flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine pumpkin, eggs and oil in medium bowl; mix well. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in apples or chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling three-fourths full.

BAKE for 25-30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool slightly.

Easter Nest Treats

Every year my girls make easter nest treats filled with favorite egg shaped candies.  I’ve adapted this recipe from one I found  almost 2o years ago in a magazine.   The recipe is super easy using only one pan and takes about 20 minutes to make- they are yumtastic!  Here is the recipe:

Easter Nests

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 cups chow mein noodles
• candy eggs (mini Cadbury eggs, M&Ms or jelly beans)

In heavy saucepan over med. heat melt butter and marshmallows until smooth.  Stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in chow mein noodles.  Work on wax paper and form 18-24 mounds.  Dip fingers into cold water as you work to prevent the mixture from sticking and shape each mound into a nest.  Fill with 2 or 3 candies each.  Cool and store in airtight container if they last that long.

Jewelry Inspirations-Giveaway

Sherri Haab Jewelry Inspirations

My new book “Jewelry Inspirations” was released on March 9.  This book contains everything I love about life and jewelry making.  Projects include resin clay flowers, personalized jewelry with images, etching metal, metal clay, polymer clay, wire and beaded designs.  The book includes stories from my past and thoughts on developing creativity.   Remember Dawn Dolls from the 70′s?  These were my favorite and I kept them after all of these years in pristine condition.  Read the book to find out what they have to do with my designs. 

70's toys-haab

I am grateful for all of the dedicated bloggers who reviewed the book.  Here are just a few reviews from bloggers who took the time to share kind words about the book: 

http://lorianderson.blogspot.com/2010/03/craft-book-review-sherri-haabs-jewelry.html 

http://crafternews.crownpublishing.com/2010/03/01/a-chat-with-jewelry-superstar-sherri-haab/ 

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/03/book_review_giveaway_sherri_ha.html 

http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-review-jewelry-inspirations-by.html 

http://peculiarforest.blogspot.com/2010/03/sherri-haab-jewelry-techniques.html 

http://beadweaver.blogspot.com/2010/03/sherri-haab-jewelry-inspirations.html 

http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2010/03/sherri-haab-jewelry-inspirations.html 

http://organicodysseys.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-review-jewelry-inspirations-sherri.html 

http://z-llyynn.blogspot.com/2010/03/when-folks-ask-me-from-time-to-time.html 

I would love to send a signed copy to a fellow jewelry enthusiast.  Post a comment and I will put the names in a hat and then we will draw a name on Mon April 12 for one lucky winner to receive a book in the mail.  Make sure I can reach you by email for shipping.

Silver, Copper and Polymer Treats

I’m overwhelmed this week, so to both torture and treat myself I spent some time surfing the net to look at lovely blogs that portray perfectly presented gourmet dishes and fairytale lifestyles. To anyone out there that has one of these blogs, Can I please see what is  behind the camera??  is it a mess back there and are you wearing your sweats when you post that stuff?  Did you all come down from a planet I don’t know about?  I’m not kidding I really need to know.  Well, however you do this,  I enjoy the endless eye candy that is presented for us to dream over.

I got some eye candy in my email this past week that came at a welcome time.  Hope you enjoy the etched jewelry pieces here:

Nancy Hamilton “Wedding Bracelet”

Nancy Hamilton sent me a few pictures of pieces she made using our E3 Etch controller.  I was blown away!   Her work is so well crafted and simply beautiful.   She tells me she has developed a system to mass produce pieces, and since each silver piece takes less than an hour to etch she can move quickly to the next piece.

Nancy Hamilton etched copper and resin

Nancy’s copper etched pieces are richly designed by hand using beeswax as a resist.  The center of this copper piece is filled with transparent resin, and has an etched design you can see through the resin.

Another treat this week was to find that my friend, Wendy Wallin Malinow, has her own website up along with her Etsy shop.  She is one of the most creative people I know and her style is unmistakable- I love it!  I predict anything she touches will be highly collectable, check out her new site.

Wendy Wallin Malinow-polymer and silver

CraziBeautiful

Whether you live in Utah or elsewhere, this is a fun blog to visit. www.crazibeautiful.com  They recently posted a feature on my work under Business Savvy

Sherri Haab

Speaking of crazy beautiful, my goal is to feature more student work on my blog and website because I get to see fantastic pieces from students that needs to be celebrated.  This crocheted bracelet was made by Jeannie Thorn who took my crocheted bracelet class at Art Unraveled this summer. Jeannie Thorn Silver Crocheted BraceletCheck out Jeannie’s site and also Adorn Me, which is a brand new jewelry making venue from Art Unraveled.  The classes are up now!

Jeannie Thorn

 

I have about 800 other things to post, but for now here is a picture of bronze and copper clay beads.  I have been testing and trying to refine the process for making bronze and copper beads.  Copper and bronze clay is challenging enough, and so beads are extra hard to make successfully.  I found one method for using slip that is so easy.  I will publish this idea soon.

Bronze & Copper Clay Beads-Sherri Haab

and lastly, I hope to catch as many of you as possible about an etching update.  If you use a paint pen as a resist for etching, it helps to heat set it with an embossing heat gun prior to etching.  It makes a huge difference and the paint holds up under electrical etching without flaking off!  I am so excited about this development, since drawing on metal is a great way to make original designs to etch.

Martha Radio Show-Polymer Clay Ponytails

Sherri Haab on Martha Stewart Radio

I was a guest on the Martha Stewart morning radio show yesterday while I was in San Diego (6AM PST).   The topic was back to school and so I described the how-tos over the air for how to make these easy polymer clay ponytail holders.  They are made by simply covering metal upholstery button blanks with a sheet of decorated polymer clay and then attaching a hair elastic to finish.  Complete instructions can be found in my new book, “Clay So Cute”.    First time ever teaching a technique at that early hour!

polymer ponytails-Sherri Haab

My new book

Clay So Cute

My new book, “Clay So Cute” was released today. The book contains projects for tweens and kids but I suspect some adults will find it inspiring too.  My history with polymer clay goes way back, it was my medium of choice for making jewelry and miniatures.  Very few people even knew what it was back then.   It’s been almost 20 years since my sister and I wrote our first book together, titled “The Incredible Clay Book”,  it turned out to be one of the best selling kids crafts books on the market and is still in print today.  It was the book that launched both of our careers.  The “kids” that remember the first book are now in their mid-30s and its a bit weird to hear adults tell me they had the book when they were young-how is that possible?  I am very excited to have a new book in print for a whole new generation of crafty kids.   My favorite projects are the claybots and of course- candy bracelets. 

Claybots

Licorice Candy Bracelet

Summer Bead Shows 2009

Summer has been a busy time with our new store and line of products.  Our crew went to exhibit at the Bead and Button Show for the first time.  This is a picture of Camille at our neat and tidy booth ready for customers.

Rachel explaining etching at B&B

Laura busy with customers at B&B

The girls worked so hard at the Bead and Button show.  The booth was quite busy with demonstrations on Image Tranfer and our E3 Etch controller.  Customers got to  scratch off ITS images and we had fun giveaways.  All 3 lost their voices at the end of each day and I’m sure were exhausted.  thank you to everyone who stopped by and said hi at the show!

Pandora style silver bead class-sherri haab

In July we attended the PSBF in Tacoma, WA.  I love the northwest and it makes me homesick every time we go up there.  One class that was very fun to teach was the Pandora style silver metal clay beads.   These are metal clay beads you can make yourself for the popular interchangeable bracelets (they are popular in the East and Europe, the West is a little slow to catch on).  The students in this class were so excited, a few didn’t sleep the night before.  I love their creativity with the beads, with so many design options available.  I will be teaching this again in the future and hopefully the bracelets will catch on here.

JP Patches

While in Seattle visiting my daughter Michelle, we ran into this sculpture of JP Patches.  This brings back childhood memories and I just had to take several pictures.  I remember my dad working as an audio engineer back in the 70s for the show,  I got to be on TV a few times.  I love this moment frozen in time for all to admire.  It’s in the Freemont district by the UW.