sarah goldschadt

Make It Monday: Clay Valentine Hearts

Written on February 8, 2010 at 4:28 pm, by East Coast Style (Sarah Goldschadt)

This year make your valentine a special gift that can be displayed year-round. The best part is it won’t break the bank, and it can be made with a few things you have around the house.

In addition to the ingredients for the flour clay, you’ll also need:

• heart-shaped cookie cutters (I used the fondant shapes from Michael’s)
• baking sheet
• parchment paper
• straws
• toothpicks
• yarn
• scissors
• paint (optional)
• polyurethane (optional)

DIY Tip: Use a straw to poke holes in the top of the shapes. Snip off the end of the straw once it’s used so each hole is clean.

Homemade Flour Clay

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• red food coloring
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions
Mix ingredients together and knead. If you choose to add food coloring, separate the “dough” into as many parts as you wish.

Use a cookie cutter to make shapes and brush egg on top.

Bake on a cookie sheet with parchment paper  at 300˚ for one hour.

Shapes can be painted with acrylic paint and finished with a polyurethane finish.

Note: This recipe made enough clay for three colors and two baking sheets full of shapes.

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Learning to Crochet: Fingerless Gloves Pattern

Written on December 3, 2009 at 3:12 pm, by East Coast Style (Sarah Goldschadt)

My friend Alicia is the crochet queen. She can crochet s’mores, ice cream cones, and even adorable safety cones. A few years ago she taught me the basics of how to crochet, and after a few projects I’ve been favoring my crochet hook over my knitting needles (sorry needles, I promise not to neglect you forever).

So this season with my gray color obsession in full swing and thought bubbles of fingerless gloves over my head, I set out to make the perfect pair. Mr. Google linked me to the pattern of my dreams and helped calm my fears when the crochet language of “Sc tbl in first fsc” almost stopped me in my tracks. Fast-forward to a weekend of being sick in bed with a cold and watching old episodes of My So-Called Life on Hulu, and my beautiful crochet gloves were born. The next time you’re daunted by a pattern, don’t be afraid. Take a deep breath and carry on. You won’t be disappointed. I promise.

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