It used to be you had to trek to some place like Seafood City on Vermont for fare like this. But I discovered longganisa, lumpia and (best of all) Magnolia ice cream in a nearby Albertson’s frozen-foods aisle. How very forward-thinking of my local grocer! Oh tocino, how I’ve missed you.

So much to blog about!

Crafty Bit #1: Handmade Nation Showing In LA, August 15-16

I already have my tix and hope to have my book signed by Faythe Levine. It’s going to be at the Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax, and I read that there’s going to be a mini craft fair during the August 15 showings. I’ve been waiting for this since last year! Check your local showings on the Handmade Nation blog, HERE. Get your LA showing tix HERE.

Crafty Bit #2: Renegade Craft Fair in Los Angeles This Weekend! (July 11-12)

We’ll be taking over the entire 13th floor penthouse of the Center, where gorgeous 360-degree views of downtown LA will provide the backdrop for our FREE urban art, craft and DIY extravaganza! We’re so excited, let’s say it one more time: FREE!

Over 200 artists are traveling from all over the country and abroad to participate and sell their handmade goods at Renegade Craft Fair – Los Angeles. From clothing and accessories, to stationary and concert posters, with everything from bath products and ceramics in between – there’s surely something for everyone!

I’m definitely going on one of those two days and am jumping-out-of-my-skin excited. If you’re in Los Angeles and would like to go, lots of info are on the Renegade Craft Fair blog HERE.

Crafty Bit #3: Shameless Self-Promotion

The awesome staff at The Urban Craft Center blogged about the coin-stack quilting class that I took there. Those are my fingers wrestling with the sewing machine, haha! There’s also a photo of me and the quilt I completed in that blog post that you’ll find HERE. I loved every minute during that class, and plan to blog about the experience soon. And big thank you’s all around to the awesome staff at UCC (and to Rhea for the photo above!). I can’t wait to go back for more classes.

Full crafty steam ahead!

Makes you wonder what kind of bowl it’ll be served in. Taken in a housewares store in Chinatown, Los Angeles.

Hello, Lover.

What could be more seductive than the sweet promise of smooth, creamy, dense cheesecake, with a good old-fashioned graham cracker crust, topped with the freshest berries, a homemade strawberry sauce and cream whipped from scratch? Nothing, I think! Like the city named after it, this dessert has me by the heartstrings. This is the only kind of cheesecake I really like. And hence the only kind of cheesecake I make.

This was to celebrate my brother’s girlfriend’s graduation. It bakes for quite a bit—I start checking at 45 minutes—and cools in the oven for at least four hours after I’ve turned it off. The slow cooling in the oven prevents cracks on top of the cake. It’s a cheesecake purist’s dream when eaten on its own.

What even made it more special is that I finally had the chance to use this beautiful handcrafted cake stand and plate made for me by my friend Sara’s dad, a true artisan in every sense. He makes awesome pottery as a hobby in Hawaii—he shapes them, hand-paints the designs himself and glazes them in his own kiln. I casually asked her one day if he’d consider custom-making a cake plate for me, not really being serious about it. She brought back two of different sizes for me after Christmas, one of which had my letter “J” cleverly built into the design. I swear I was speechless. This kind of craftsmanship deserves only the best desserts!

After decorating the top with fresh strawberries and my standard berry syrup (simple sugar + berries = awesome), I thought it needed a little something extra.

I found a bar of white chocolate in the snacks bin at home and found that with a potato peeler, you can make these elegant white chocolate shavings that complete this divine dessert.

Perfect!

Hope you have a sweet weekend, all! It’ll be a long one for us here in the US because of Independence Day, and I’ll be busy cookin’ and craftin’, but I won’t be too much of a stranger this time!

My name is J. and I’m a craft-aholic.

I’m still alive, folks! Just literally buried under fabric, yarn and flour. Sometimes I think I have to stop to blog about (insert latest crafty or culinary obsession here), but then…I don’t. When I’m knee-deep in crochet, or quilting or baking so much that all the days kind of run together in these long, craft-crazed weeks, I don’t want to lose momentum.

But there are posts to be written and blogs to visit, and I have to come up for air some time! And so, I’m jumping back in first with these curly updates on the Creative Swap (organized by Caryn) that I’ve joined.

First off, many MANY thanks to my awesome craft swap partners Fernand and Cyd. I  got this in the mail yesterday, all the way from Japan. Mini heart-shaped Hello Kitty muffin cups (which are just too cute to use), candy, green tea Kitkat and a lovely hand-painted tee done in my favorite color combination of black and pink. Beautiful!

Next are the two projects I did for two swap partners, which went out last week. I hope the recipients get it soon (one of these is a replacement and it had better get there this time!)

Bem’s Quilted Market Tote

Made with fabric I already had on had, lined with muslin. My first tote with a gusset!

Since Bem sews herself, I thought she’d appreciate something sewn as well. Made these in some of her favorite colors, with one panel of brown and pink, and the other panel of orange and yellow. For the many faces of Bem.

Sent with my favorite candy and a Simplicity craft pattern for plush, stuffed animals that she can make for her little one.

Gwen’s “Little Maddie” Doll

Because Gwen had mentioned she wanted a little doll, I found a pattern for one created by craft artist The Black Apple on Martha Stewart’s website. (If you want to try your hand at it, the pattern and cute hand-drawn instructions are HERE.)

Little Maddie was fun to make, though I have to admit her arms and legs made me want to pull my hair out and cry. They were so tiny and my big monster hands just ripped them to pieces when I’d turn them inside out.

I finally gave up and made my own. Crafting=improv. Haha. It turned out ok, yes?

Also sent with candy and a pattern for a cute peasant blouse that Gwen might want to try her hand at.

For more on this swap, Caryn’s blog is over HERE.

All in all, it’s been a couple of crazy, crafty weeks—with more ahead.

Stay tuned for more curly ramblings about:

-    a purist’s baked strawberry cheesecake that I made for a graduation party

-    fabric finds

-   discovering food in modern art

-   my current crocheted afghan work in progress

-   my awesome quilting class with Alissa at The Urban Craft Center (and I’m giving something away, too!)

I hope you’re having an awesome week. May your pots be boilin’ and your hands be busy!