THROW A LITTLE LOVE THIS MARDI GRAS! (carefully)

by Batja Bell of Krewe de Tcheque

 

DID YOU KNOW….that from the 1920s to the 1960s, the original New Orleans Mardi Gras parade throw beads were made of glass? 

Individually hand-strung on cotton thread, they were like colorful mini-Christmas balls, first imported from Japan (like Kazuki). 

Unfortunately, very few of these early beads survived the throws, let alone the decades.  So by the 1930s most of Mardi Gras beads were more durable molded glass imported from Czechoslovakia, and later, from India. 

These varied from glitzy imitations of fine jewelry -- faceted beads in graduated sizes and jewel colors for Carnival Queens -- to randomly-strung molded glass in a riot of shapes and colors.   

There were Egyptian Revival and Art-Deco influenced forms, and, later, simple geometric shapes and bright Moderne colors.   Others imitated natural stones and gems and the Native American, African or Greek mythological themes of the Mardi Gras "krewes" that awarded them to adoring audiences.

Old Czech molded beads have had a revival, and new beads are on the market made from older molds.   But the original Mardi Gras necklaces have their own charm, and carry the esprit of Carnival with them. 

Gorgona Studio’s Krewe de Tchèque’s collection repurposes vintage beads from broken strands collected in New Orleans into nostalgic jewelry which you can wear all year round. 

This collection is exclusive in NYC to Creators’ Co-op!

   

We thought you might like to share in the fun this holiday, and throw a little love back to the Crescent City.   For the month or March, we offer 10% off to you -- and 20% to the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund:  www.nomrf.org . This organization aids musician families displaced by Katrina, arranges for donations of musical instruments and sound equipment to schools and students, and organizes cultural events supporting the affected communities.  These folks  still need our help -- to survive and, as well, to continue their cultural traditions.

But if you don’t need a Mardi Gras bead necklace (though we don’t know why not), please check out NOMRF’s website, and maybe throw them some love on your own (and perhaps buy one of their cool posters, CDs or t-shirts).   

Happy Mardi Gras !

The Power of Gemstones - Agate

People have been drawn to gemstones since the beginning of time, and in today's modern world I feel that wearing handmade jewelry is an important way we can connect to mother nature. The decoration of ourselves with metals such as silver and gold and stones such as diamonds and quartz can have profound effects on our lives. Simply wearing a piece of jewelry can make you feel more beautiful and powerful, and many cultures believe crystals can physically heal the body.

Be it for well-being or vanity, it's fun to explore the many different minerals out there and notice which ones speak to us personally. This year, I was especially drawn to agates, especially druzy agates, which receive their beautiful sparkle from crystalized water on their surface.

Agate, a type of quartz, is thought to promote physical and emotional balance. They aid in self-acceptance, self-awareness, and, when worn upon the chest, can overcome heartache. But even if you don't believe in all that, they can still make you look damn good and bring a smile to your face!

T-shirt hand-printing class

It is a gorgeous day and people are out enjoying the blue sky.  We had 8 RSVP on the T-shirt printing class, but only 3 came in - which worked out great because then we had lots of room to spread!

Every artist's hand is different, so as we all use the same material and technique, each piece came out unique.

We were all in good spirits, and had fun admiring each others' handiwork.

It was a perfect Sunday afternoon, complete with a visit by Astoria Times' Ms. Christina Santuca taking photos.  She promised us she'd take only flattering photos of us, so we'll see.

new window for the new season!

It was supposed to be warmer today we thought, but wasn't.  That didn't deter our little 16-year-old intern Sofia!

 

We are looking to the festivity of the season coming up for inspiration - the promise of spring, warm weather, feathers and sparkles of Carnaval!

Sofia didn't disappoint! 

We will be having our YAY WE'RE STILL HERE! PARTY on March 4th in the Carnival theme - come with a mask on! - now our windows are ready!!

photoshoot attempt #1

It helps to have nice photos of your products when you're trying to sell them online.  It helps to have good camera for this purpose, and it also helps to have an appropriate space and a backdrop.  It helps to have a good model, and it also helps to have a good lighting.  It helps to have a make-up artist, too.  Oh, and, it helps NOT to have a 2-year-old who missed her afternoon nap hanging around.

So, we had a good camera, not a great space - the store - with not much of a backdrop, a beautiful model volunteer - my Romany cousin Sabrina, no good lighting, a make-up artist, and the 2-year-old who missed her afternoon nap.  We wanted to shoot the Fox And Time line, featuring some of our jewelry designers' works.

Needless to say, we will definitely shoot these garments again.  Kharin-the-2-year-old demanded to model babySOLAIRE and Kaiju Big Battel toy as she insisted on wearing various stiletto and high-wedge shoes Sabrina brought.
All in all, we had a fun afternoon. 

Strawberry & Pink Champagne Cupcakes

The end of January is drawing near and it has been almost a full month since the ball dropped, the confetti flew, and the champagne was poured.

Ah, the champagne...

A celebratory drink to ring in the New Year and all the resolutions and promises that it inevitably brings. My own resolution was to embrace the Finnish concept of Sisu and leave nothing unfinished once it has been started. The humor was not lost on me then, when I realized that I was being haunted by the unfinished bottle of pink champagne that I used to toast my new commitment.

Chances are I would never find another opportunity to drink it (until NEXT New Year) so I turned to the InTheKitschen recipe archives. From there I recovered a recipe for fabulous pink champagne and strawberry cupcakes. These cupcakes capture the effervescent mood of pink champagne with a light texture and subtle, fruity tones throughout. The signature strawberry champagne buttercream delivers a satiny finish with just enough sweetness to accentuate the delicate flavors of the cake. This recipe is a great use of your New Year leftovers and perfect for upcoming Valentine's Day celebrations. Whether you're having dinner with your sweetheart or brunch with dear friends, these pink champagne cupcakes will have your loved ones feeling bubbly :)

Ingredients:

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup pink champagne
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 6 egg whites at room temperature
  
• 1 tbsp. reserved strawberry syrup*
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Strawberry & Champagne Buttercream

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup strawberries with syrup*
• 2 tbsp. pink champagne

*see directions below

Instructions:

*Before you proceed with any other steps you must prepare your strawberries. Once they are thoroughly washed, dice and toss strawberries with a tbsp. of white sugar. Allow the mixture to rest covered for a minimum of 30 minutes in order for osmosis to occur and syrup to be formed. Reserve 1 tbsp. syrup for cupcake batter.

For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Begin by beating butter on medium speed until smooth, then add sugar and strawberry syrup. Continue to beat until pale and fluffy.
   
3. Gradually add room temperature egg whites to your creamed butter/sugar and beat until well combined.
4. While your wet ingredients are busy mixing combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl and sift them well.
5. By now the egg/butter/sugar should be a smooth, even consistency. With your mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients in small amounts, alternating with the pink champagne, until all ingredients have been incorporated.
6. Scoop your batter into lined muffin tins (this batch makes about 20) and bake for approx. 17 minutes. Fully baked cupcakes will have a slightly cracked surface and bounce back to the touch.
7. Allow to cool before frosting.
   

For the Buttercream

1. Whip room temperature butter at high speed until pale and fluffy.
2. Change mixer to lowest speed and add confectioners sugar gradually.
3. Once all the sugar has been incorporated add the champagne and diced strawberries with remaining syrup while the mixer is still on low speed.
4. Once ingredients are thoroughly binded together increase mixer speed to highest setting and beat until color and consistency are even (strawberry pieces will continue to break down but will leave lovely bits of red throughout).
5. Frost and Enjoy! This buttercream is easy piped from a pastry bag or spread with a spatula. As a fun extra flourish I added some large nonpareils that were reminiscent of the bubbles you might find in your glass of champagne.

A toast to good desserts! Check back soon for more delicious posts on Creators' Co-Op!

You Don't Have To Have Long Hair

 to have fun making hair accessories.  I mean, Gaetano, the main "guide" at the workshop we just had this past Sunday doesn't even have much hair on his head.

Everyone seemed to be having so much fun creating, the whole store was practically glowing.  Several of the attendee mentioned how they were so happy their creations ended up being something they would actually wear. - So, okay, you might want to have some sort of hair to be able to put these pins through. - That made us deeply pleased.

Thank you, everyone.  There will be another one on February 20th.
And, there are several other classes and workshops planned through the end of February.  Check them out at our website  www.creators-coop.com