I Love Slippers!

I Love Slippers!, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Ok… I've given myself a March 1 deadline to start selling things on etsy. I'm also considering doing a local craft show in April. That means I've got to focus, and make the things that I plan to sell. The problem is I keep finding things I want to make for myself! I absolutely love slippers and I've wanted to make myself a pair ever since I found this pattern in an old book I bought (The Complete Guide to Sewing ©1943). Then I found these patterns from Sew Green & Stardust Shoes (as mentioned in my New Year's post) and today, I bought the February/March issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion and found this slipper pattern!

Valentines Day Cookies

valentines day cookies, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies

1/4 C. Butter
1/4 C. Margarine
3/4 C. Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt

Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill until firm. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Bake at 325º for 5-7 minutes.

Royal Icing (for pink dots)

6 C. powdered sugar
2/3 C. water
4 1/2 T. meringue powder

Mix powdered sugar and meringue. Add water slowly until the icing is the consistency of thick frosting for outlining and thin with more water for flooding.

Chocolate Royal Icing

1 lb. powdered sugar
1/3 C.cocoa
7 T. water
3 T. meringue powder

Mix powdered sugar, cocoa and meringue. Add water slowly until the icing is the consistency of thick frosting for outlining and thin with more water for flooding.

Note: Thinned icing should be the consistency of a thick batter. Thin enough so that it will smooth itself out, but not too watery.

How to Decorate:

Using a pastry bag outfitted with a #3 or 4 tip, outline cookies with the thick chocolate icing. Fill another pastry bag outfitted with a # 4 or 5 tip with thinned chocolate icing and flood the inside of the cookie. (I use a glass to hold the bag while I'm filling it with thinned icing)

Add pink paste coloring to the plain royal icing and thin with water. Put thinned icing in a pastry bag with a #3 or 4 tip. While the chocolate icing is still wet, make dots with the thinned pink icing.

See more photos here.

A Cure for the After Christmas Slump

Inspriring Junk Collection, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

A trip to the "junk store" was just what I needed to get past that "January Christmas is Over" slump. I found lots of bright inspiring things to decorate with and to use in upcoming projects.