play sand cake

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play sand cake

So I was cleaning out a cabinet and I’ve got tons of candles to get rid of.

But I hate to waste stuff, and thought to make something fun -so here goes.
Play sand cake recipe:
1 cake pan
double boiler to melt icing
play sand (at any garden or hardware store)
white candles for icing
candles for cake

Melting white candles in a double boiler
Melting white candles in a double boiler
play sand cake
play sand cake

1. melt white candles for icing in a double boiler, not on direct heat

2. fill cake pan with play sand, pushing some up to line the edge as for a pie crust

3. push candles into sand all the way to the bottom of the pan, packing sand around them to hold them in place

4. pour melted wax onto cake top (I poured it through a strainer to capture bits of debris)

5. straighten out candles if needed as icing cools.

 

The tricky part was keeping a couple of the candles straight. What I ended up doing was making a masking tape loop and harness taping that to the side of the pan, for the couple of candles that just wouldn’t stand up on their own.

6. cool overnight

7. unmold

8. wash sand off pan and candles, then reassemble without sand

pour on white "icing"
pour on white “icing”

Now I thought perhaps the final piece would have a solid coating of sand on the bottom making an interesting base, but my sand was damp, so very little of it stuck to the wax icing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

et voila

celebrate cake
celebrate cake

This was a trial run with left over candles, however I love the primitive look of the cake in the pan for a centerpiece on the table.

repaired

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Ongoing, done and done.

 

kintsukuroi repaired with gold

This blog is turning into a manifesto

I believe in the process of kintsukuroi. Doing your best with the best materials you can manage to repair this world. Collecting the “imperfect”, and contemplating its beauty. Just as things are. Life is a messy, breaking process. Putting things back together is what we do. Give it your best shot. Beauty awaits.

hobos and runaways

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When I was in gradeschool on the weekends I’d make a sandwich, wrap it in a napkin and head out for the woods. I’d spend all day playing by myself. Digging in the dirt, picking berries, climbing trees, clearing leaves from the streams so they would run faster. If anyone had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said “I want to be a hobo”. The idea of being able to go anywhere you want with a minimum of things is so appealing.

With the coach we can do just that. Travel easily with a minimum of fuss. The attraction is so strong for me that I often daydream of selling the house and living in the coach. At least for a while. To the point that last week I actually called up real estate people and estate sale people to start the process of moving.

Fortunately cooler heads (Dave) prevailed and we’ve decided not to sell the house. It’s a lovely place after all. And we are happily ensconced with everything we need and more.

And now, as I think about what got into me last week, I note that when things get out of kilter, my first response is to run away.

Dave’s counter to that is go to bed it will be better in the morning.

I am not a hunter, I’m a gatherer. Not one to confront problems head on, but to change locations and get a different perspective. I prefer the view from the treetops thank you very much. Not coming down till the lions go away.

Fortunately the lions get bored and do move along. And I can go back to picking berries with abandon.

The Hobo, by John Currin

all impatiens

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dish-dryer

 

The other day I started making something from t-shirt yarn, turned out to be a great dish dryer. Soft cotton cushion with open spaces for air to circulate.

 

cut-bandsflat-bands-to-round-loops

 

It took the bottom half of 5 large cotton t shirts, the kind with no side seams. Cut in 1/2″ wide bands.
Stretched the bands to make them curl up round.

start
1
2
loop-the-loop
3 loop-the-loop
looped
4 pull through
tarn
5 tighten up

 

 

Made the “yarn” by looping the loops together (remember in school looping rubber bands together to make a chain?) and crocheting the two stranded “yarn” with a huge hook.

 

Worked up as a single crochet through the top two loops. What my grandmother called a “rose stitch”.

3-pinks-and-whiteThe colors are bright enough to think spring. Three pinks, white and peacock blue. The color of impatiens. Good title as that’s me — all impatience.

Texas garden
Texas garden

 

Made up thick soft and cushiony. Pretty fun.