Candy...again

Polymer clay can really be addictive and it was hard to put it away....only for a while. But not before I made these suckers on a stick.   This was my chance to use up all my little bits of clay before I broke open a new pack.  The picture isn't very good but they are quite colorful. I made extras so some will go into my printer's tray

Rock Candy

 I actually made some realistic looking Rock Candy, quite by accident. When I found out my grandkids were coming down, I went to a kids arts and craft website in case we needed something to do on a rainy day.  I came across a craft where the kids could make their own "geodes" using metallic pipe cleaners and a solution of Borax ( a laundry booster).  So I did a trial run and this is what I came up with:

The crystals were huge! I had left them in the solution far too long. But one look at them and I'm thinking.... Rock Candy! I had a lot the solution left so I re-heated it, added blue food coloring just for the heck of it and used cloth covered wire.  The shape turned out great but that was about it.

From the picture below you can tell that the solution went way up the cloth (wicking) and the crystals started forming there.  By the time all was done I had a stick of candy nearly an inch tall which means about a foot tall in real life. An hour later all the color was gone.

I decided to go with my original plan.  Wrapped in several layers of paper towels, I started pounding away.  No light tap, tap, tap.  Had to use a little bit more power because the crystals were very hard.

I did get a lot of powder so I dumped it into a strainer.  Any thing that went through got tossed out

Paint some wire light brown, let dry, then add glue to one end, dip that end in a layer of the smallest crystals.  Let dry and repeat the entire process two more times.  I ended up with this:

They look much better than the picture shows and I was very pleased.  The thing is I don't like Rock Candy.  Pure sugar with no flavor.  But they are unique and kind of pretty.

The last thing I made was fudge.

Walnut:

Pistachio:

I also made traditional fudge with no nuts but didn't take a picture of it.  Now some of you may roll your eyes at this. but for the nuts I used real peanuts.  Washed and dried them, put them in my nut chopper and stared chopping away.  I rolled the fudge in the peanuts and baked as usual.  Worked great.

With all this candy making, I didn't forget about my nautical shop.  I have made a few thing that I'll show you in my next post.

Take care

Diane 

          

           

Candy

 This is going to be a rather short post but I wanted to show you a display of some of the minis I'll be using in my Candy and Bake Shop (along with some cake pops I didn't finish in time for my last post.)  I have red and black licorice, gumballs, candy canes, hard candy chunks, and stick candy. The plate on the bottom shelf is a variety of chocolates that I received in a swap. And then the cake pops.

On this candy stand are chocolate fudge, caramels and peanut brittle.

I think I over did it on the caramels

Making peanut brittle was accident that turned out very well.  I just bought some TLS and wanted to experiment with it a little. I took some carmel colored Fimo, chunked it up and added TLS--far too much. It came out a little thin but the color was good. I then added some yellow and there it was- peanut brittle (minus the peanuts) I also had some pale yellow fimo already baked so I cut into small chunks, mixed it up and now I had peanuts. Some of the peanuts are kind of large but at least there is no doubt as to what it is.

Then I came across some no-hole beads and thought that would be a better option for the peanuts. After mixing up another batch of Fimo, I tossed some in and came up with this:

I'm not sure how those big chunks got in there but I just cut them out. Probably used the same mixing cup.  I actually like the first batch better but will probably use then both,

After my next post, I'll be putting the fimo away for a while.  I have to start making some decent displays and tables not to mention figuring out what size roombox I need. I sure am keeping busy!

Have a wonderful day!

Diane

Cakes and cookies...and other stuff

I think I have enough minis to make a candy/bakery shop!. That is something I have always wanted to do, so why not now?  This will be a works in progress for a while.

First, I need to make a roombox, then decorate it and make some display tables, shelves, etc. So I have a lot to do. But I took some pictures of what will be going in it. I got together some of the mini foods that I have made, received as gifts and some from swaps.

Cakes and cookies:

I love this pink wedding cake. Received it in a swap several years ago.

I still have 5 more cake to show but not ready for pictures yet.

I'm sure most of you have seen this bunny cake. It was fun to make because it brought back many sweet memories.  My kids and I made this for Easter for many years.

                           

Not much in the way of cookies just yet, but I have plans for a few more. I decided to show some other deserts on this same table because they are one of a kind.

                     
About macarons.

I have never seen a macaron up close and personal so I did a little research. I thought they were more of a cake type treat but some websites consider them a cookie.  Other websites just call them a confection.  Either way, they look delicious!

I did watch several videos on how to make them but then came up with my own method.  ( I don't think anyone has done them like this before)

First, I cut out a "plug" 1/4" wide and less than 3/8" tall. ( A little too tall now that I look at them)

Next, I took a needle and drew 2 lines close to the center, like this:

Then, I textured above the first line and below the second line,

Not to bad for my first attempt.

I hate to post and run but I hope you enjoy the pictures.

In my next post, I'll show all the candies I have made and a few odds and ends. Till then, take care!

Diane