Red velvet cupcake and cream cheese frosting - 51 of 366 creative days

51/366

  For the fifty one day I have done something I have dreamed of since I have seen Buddy Valastro in "Cake Boss" show. But since I am always on diet I changed some things. Is my first time I did this so I am sorry for the melting feeling of the frosting but I did it all with a bag cut in the corner and was over 35 degrees in the room so it was soft almost all the time, even I refrigerated the cream cheese frosting from time to time.

Diet red velvet cupcake with diet cream cheese frosting

Diet red velvet cake with diet cream cheese frosting

 I got the recipe from the oprah.com site - http://www.oprah.com/food/Buddy-Valastros-Red-Velvet-Cake-with-Cream-Cheese-Frosting 

  And here is my version for half the recipe I tested, also, if you do the normal recipe, with sugar, I suggest using half of it, Americans eat way too sweet, I tell you:

 Diet Red Velvet Cake with Diet Cream Cheese Frosting
All this is enough for 12 normal cupcakes.- I was greedy and placed them in 6, half of it went overboard :D

• 1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 tablespoon Cadbury cocoa powder
• 4 Tbsp(120gr). unsalted butter , at room temperature
• 5/8 cup(15 grams) of Canderel sweetener powder (or any other powdered sweetener) - (Canderel is 10g per 100g caster sugar so should be the equivalent of 150g caster sugar)
• 1 large egg , at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. liquid red food coloring
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk , at room temperature(replacement: 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice for 1 cup of milk, leave few minutes)
• 1 tsp. distilled white vinegar(or lemon)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder(this is optional, the cake will be more airy if you use this)
• a pinch of salt(if the cream cheese or butter aren't salted)

  For 300 grams of cream cheese frosting, I changed the recipe for my taste, but if you do the original version, just replace the sugar with Canderel sweetener, instead of 1 1/4 cup of sugar put sweetener. I used way less cause again, the original is too sweet, I wonder how people can eat that.

• 250 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 Tbsp(90grams). unsalted butter , at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Canderel sweetener (or any other powdered sweetener)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract(or strawberry if you like it)
• Pinch of salt if the butter or cream cheese aren't salty

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (170 C). Grease the cupcakes or the pan, place parchment paper; grease.

  Sift flour, cocoa, and salt(if you use) into a bowl, also the baking powder(if you use).
  Beat butter at low speed with a mixer until creamy. Add the sugar; blend on medium speed, cleaning the sides, until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, mix well. Scrape bowl; add food coloring and vanilla. Add one third of the flour, mix, half buttermilk, mix, one third of flour again, mix, the last half of buttermilk, and the last third of flour. In small bowl, stir together lemon(vinegar) and baking soda. Stir into batter. Divide batter between cupcakes/pans; spread evenly.
  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in 10 minutes. Remove and place on racks. Remove paper, cool completely. Freeze for 30 minutes to avoid crumbs from forming when you cut.

To make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt(if use). Blend on low speed for 30 seconds; beat on medium-high until fluffy. Be carefull not to do it too much cause it will ruind You should stop when it starts to gather around the paddles by itself leaving big holes behind.

To assemble in case you make a cake: Cut layers in half horizontally with a serrated knife (a butchers knife or any long knife will work as well). Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat twice. Add last layer, top side up. Ice cake thinly with 3/4 cup frosting to crumb-coat. Refrigerate 20 minutes; finish frosting.

  To assemble like in the picture: cut the paper around the cupcake in a hexagonal shape, then cut 3 layers and place them on a plate. After placing the cream cheese frosting in 3 bowls and used food coloring place them in 3 clean sandwich bags then cut the corner so it will be left a half cm hole(mine was almost 1 cm and you can see how it looks :D). The smaller is the hole the more control you have over the design but more time to do it. refrigerate when you feel the frosting becomes too soft.
  Let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour or more and then...
Enjoy!

Chinese knots earrings and bracelet - 32 of 366 creative days

32/366

  For the thirty second day of 366 creative days  I have done a pair of earrings and a bracelet from pastel colors silk rope using Chinese knots and eternity knots.

Chinese and eternity knots on earrings and bracelet

  
    Was easy but they require a lot of patience and time to space them and do them same size. I am pleased with the result, I will use these knots along with the Kumihimo braid for various bead variations.

Extruded polymer clay stripes - 31 of 366 creative days

31/366

  For the thirty first day of 366 creative days I have done some testing with extruded polymer clay rainbow stripes from those logs done in the third day.

 
 You can see the stripe combination before extruding and after extruding you can see the heads, tail and two randoms middle. The extruded shape square is about 5 mm, so it wasn't a good idea, probably with more material and a bigger extruder gun would look better.
  I like the rainbow variation very much, I will try on white next time, maybe some transparent as well when I will get my hands on some.

Mixing colors for Fire element - 23 of 366 creative days

23/366

Today I mixed around 20 combination of yellow red and orange, I will post a picture after baking them.

 

   Colors are nice, but mixing Fimo with Sculpey studio was a bad idea, they become very very soft and sticky. I still like Fimo's colors better, they are more vivid after baking compared to Sculpey Studio and they are similar tints.

   I used: 

Fimo: 

 - Effect: 104(yellow), 204(red), 404(orange), 112(gold), 202(red)

 - Classic: 15(golden yellow), 2(red), 23(bordeaux)

 - Soft: 16(sun flower)

Sculpey Studio:

 - 6210(poppy), 6440(clementine), 6431(lemon drop), 6434(sunny side up)

The four elements - colors - 22 of 366 creative days

21/366

  For the twenty two creative day I decided is time to work on something that will actually have a presentable end, something that will look like a jewelry of some sort.
  So I choose the theme: the four elements.
  I have choose the design style: waves into a square shaped pendant.
  I have decided the colors:

The four elements colors

   I will start working on some color mixing charts tomorrow and help I will reach the desired ones soon.

Clay cinnabar hallow bead - 21 of 366 creative days

21/366
 For twenty first day I have tried to make cinnabar beads, specially a hallow polymer clay bead. The color isn't how I imagined but I will work on it some more

a - Materials
b - Tools
c - Techniques
d - End result
e - Used for
f - Other info

a - Materials
          1 -Started with 6 parts of polymer clay fuchsia(fimo strawberry) and 1 part yellow and a pinch of black then added plenty of yellow and some tempera red color. I will come back and remake this recipe, the color ended like the red in 3/366, stripes of polymer clay, I guess the color I see as cinnabar should be an indian red but darker.
          2 - Wax

b - Tools
          1 - Pasta machine
          2 - Cutter
          3 - Drills
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c - Techniques
          1 - I made a was ball and placed a thick layer of polymer clay on top the modeled, added some textures and cut some, baked and than hand sculpted the cured polymer clay with a sharp thick cutter and drills. For the rest of the beads just use some flower molds and some more

d - End result

Polymer clay cinnabar hallow bead and more

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e - Used for
         Will be added later

f - Other info
 - he beads are baked and polished a bit
 - this is not a tutorial, was posted to help me remember some things and to keep track on "366 creative days" project. If you want a tutorial on how to make hallow beads with polymer clay, with detailed pictures about how I did it, let me know.

Thank you!
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Textured stamp molds - 20 of 366 creative days

20/366
 For twentieth day I have done few molds and their negatives for stamping and more insertion molds I plan doing in the future. I have done them using polymer clay Fimo effect transparent, cause I want to use them as color mixing example as well.

a - Materials
b - Tools
c - Techniques
d - End result
e - Used for
f - Other info

a - Materials

          1 - 374 (transparent blue)
          2 - 404 (orange)
          3 - 104 (yellow)
          4 - 374+104
          5 - 374+204
          6 - 204 (red)
          7 - 22(raspberry)+61(purple)+62(lavender)
          8 - 104+204
          9 - 374+404(unbaked was grey)
          10 - Sculpey mold maker - the whitish line

b - Tools
          1 - Various object from my big pile of junkBack to top

c - Techniques
          1 - I made the negatives using various forms and baked them, after I used the mold maker to get the positives again.

d - End result

Textured stamp molds and negatives

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e - Used for


          - Stamping and more texture mold insertion making

f - Other info
 - this is not a tutorial, was posted to help me remember some things and to keep track on "366 creative days" project. If you want a tutorial with detailed pictures about how I did it, let me know.

Thank you!
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Crochet silk and beads bracelet - 19 of 366 creative days

19/366
 For nineteenth day  have finished the bracelet started two days ago by doing the centerpiece and getting them all together.

a - Materials
b - Tools
c - Techniques
d - Used for
e - Other info

a - Materials
          1 - Plastic and metal rings 15mm resp 10mm diameter
          2 - Glass beads
          3 - Metal beads
          4 - Turquoise polymer clay beads
          5 - Silver and gold metal wire for sewing
          6 - Silk dark red yarn
         
b - Tools
          1 - Crochet hook 1.0
          2 - Beading needle(very thin)
          3 - Pliers

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c - Techniques
          1 - Crochet around the ring and sew the beads

d - Used for

Crochet red silk and beads bracelet finished

e - Other info
- this is not a tutorial, was posted to help me remember some things and to keep track on "366 creative days" project. If you want a tutorial with detailed pictures about how I did it, let me know.

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Silk and beads rings part two - 18 of 366 creative days

18/366
For eighteenth day I have continued the bracelet made from knitted rings, colored glass beads and turquoise beads I have made myself, the same one I started the day before.

a - Materials
b - Tools
c - Techniques
d - End result
e - Used for
f - Other info

a - Materials

          1 - Plastic or metal rings 15mm diameter
          2 - Glass beads
          3 - Metal beads
          4 - Turquoise polymer clay beads
          5 - Silver and gold metal wire for sewing
          6 - Silk dark red yarn
         
b - Tools
          1 - Crochet hook 1.0
          2 - Beading needle(very thin)
          3 - Pliers
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c - Techniques
          1 - Crochet around the ring and sew the beads

d - End result

Red silk and beads rings

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e - Used for



f - Other info
- this is the second stage, only the centerpiece left after this
- this is not a tutorial, was posted to help me remember some things and to keep track on "366 creative days" project. If you want a tutorial with detailed pictures about how I did it, let me know.

Thank you!
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Silk and beads rings - 17 of 366 creative days

17/366
For seventeenth day I have started a bracelet made from knitted rings, colored glass beads and some turquoise beads I have made myself from polymer clay.

a - Materials
b - Tools
c - Techniques
d - End result
e - Used for
f - Other info

a - Materials

          1 - Plastic or metal rings 15mm diameter
          2 - Glass beads
          3 - Metal beads
          4 - Turquoise polymer clay beads
          5 - Silver and gold metal wire for sewing
          6 - Silk dark red yarn
         
b - Tools
          1 - Crochet hook 1.0
          2 - Beading needle(very thin)
          3 -Pliers
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c - Techniques
          1 - Crochet around the ring and sew the beads

d - End result
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Silk and beads rings

e - Used for
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f - Other info
- started as earrings idea but will end up as bracelet as a model for later
- this is not a tutorial, was posted to help me remember some things and to keep track on "366 creative days" project. If you want a tutorial with detailed pictures about how I did it, let me know.

Thank you!
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Color mix -teal - 10 of 366 creative days

10/366
This is tenth day of 366 creative days.

a - Materials
b - Tools
c - Techniques
d - End result
e - Used for
f - Other info

a - Materials

1 -1x10(lemon)+1x37(pacific blue)
2 - 2x16(sun flower)+a pinch of 37(pacific blue)
3 -Pos 2+ 2x0(white)
4 -1x75(chocolate)
5 -1x26(cherry red) - would be nice some dark red, like 23(Bordeaux)
6 -1x11(gold)
7 - 3x37(pacific blue)+1x16(sun flower)+1/4x9(black)
8 - 1x37(pacific blue)+a pinch of 16(sun flower)
9 - 1x37(pacific blue)+2x0(white)+1/8x16(sun flower)
10 - 3x0(white)+1xPos 1
11 - Pos 3 +2x0(white)+1x16(sun flower)
12 - 1x16(sun flower)
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b - Tools

1 - Eyes and hands


e - Used for
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      Will be added later

f - Other info
- colors are not cured, they will go darker, specially the red(or at least I hope it will)
- I know that red/pinkish color is not the best but may look good, I added it for fun, first option was to use 1+2+6 and some gold leaf
- Inspiration for first was a sequence in the Nanny McPhee movie(no, that red wasn't there, for second was a Ceratosoma
- this is not a tutorial, was posted to help me remember some things and to keep track on "366 creative days" project.
Thank you!
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Gradient Ikat - 9 of 366 creative days

9/366
This is ninth day of 366 creative days.

a - Materials
b - Tools
c - Techniques
d - End result
e - Used for
f - Other info

a - Materials

1. Polymer clay color mix

  My favorites are the 2+9, 2+7 and 3+4 combination, the 3+4 can get a special hill type effect inside due to the mica shifting in the metallic gold.
          1 - 43(light flesh)
          2 - 10(lemon)+15(sun flower)+014(transparent white)+ a pinch of 26(cherry red)
          3 - 11(gold)
          4 - olive green made from an old mix, don't remember+some 50(apple green)
          5 - 1x504(transparent green)+1x014(transparent white)
          6 - 1x404(translucent orange)+2x014(translucent)+a pinch of 26(cherry red)
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          7 - 75(chocolate)
          8- olive green made from an old mix, don't remember
          9 - 2x504(transparent green)+2x014(transparent white)+1x33(ultramarine)

b - Tools

          1 - Tissue blade
          2 - Pasta machine
          3 -Piece of transparent acrylic plate for the swirl
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c - Techniques

2. Skinner blend color mix

3. Polymer clay gradient Ikat

          1 - Make skinner blend and squish them perpendicular to the colors  and get a 3 cm tube, then run trough a pasta machine to look like in the picture, usually on highest setting
          2 - Add some stripes of a contrasting color random on a tube of skinner blend, parallel with the colors then run them once fold, repeat this until your getting the color stripes result you want, the cut them and add them on top of each other. After that If you pass them trough a pasta machine perpendicular on colors, without thinking at what you want to use them, you will get the result on the image 3.
          3 - Place some colors and some other patterns on a bead, place the transparent acrylic sheet on top and start moving in circles(20-100 times, yes, you can pretend you do some fitness but the only thing you will get bigger is your wrists)

d - End result
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4. Polymer clay swirl, beads and leaf

e - Used for
          Will be added later

f - Other info
          - Unbaked colors
          - this is not a tutorial, was posted to help me remember some things and to keep track on "366 creative days" project. If you want a tutorial with detailed pictures about how to do it, let me know.

Thank you!
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Textured metallic polymer clay pendant - day 5 of 366 creative days

5/366
This is for fifth day of 366 creative days.

a - Materials
b - Tools
c - Techniques
d - End result
e - Used for
f - Other info

a - Materials

1. Polymer clay materials - beads

          1 -1x27(copper) + 1x22(raspberry)(I think, not sure, very short memory)
          2 -color 9 from Clay gun experiment
          3 -1x27(copper)+1x11(gold)
          4 - 5x70(sahara)+5x014(translucent)+5x003(or just add some black sand)+1x75(chocolate)
          5 -1x27(copper)+1x26(cherry)
          6 - 1x75(chocolate) - forgot to add it in the picture, is actually the background sheet
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b - Tools

2. Polymer clay tools

          1 - Round cap or ball
          2 - Tissue blade
          3 - Rhombus texture(from an old lipstick)
          4 - Holes texture
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c - Techniques
          1,3 - Press texture 4 in  the unbaked polymer clay until it rises in the holes almost to the other side
          2 - Press texture 3 into the unbaked polymer clay
          4 - Press the round cap in the material
          5 - Place all on a darker matted sheet
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d - End result

3. Polymer clay effect pendant

e - Used for
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          Will be added later

f - Other info
          - unbaked
          - this is not a tutorial, was posted to help me remember some things and to keep track on "366 creative days" project. If you want a tutorial with detailed pictures about this method let me know.

Thank you for your support!
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Stripes polymer clay cane - 3 of 366 creative days

3/366
This is for third day of 366 creative days.

a - Materials
b - Tools
c - Techniques
d - End result
e - Used for
f - Other info

a - Materials

1. Polymer clay colors and tools

          1 -1x9(black)
          2 -1x63(plum)
          3 - 1x35(Windsor blue)+1x37(pacific blue)
          4 - 1x56(peppermint)+1x39(emerald)+1x014(translucent)- next time use 56(emerald) instead
          5 -1x26(cherry red)+1x42(tangerine)+8x16(sun flower)
          6 -1x7(caramel)+5x24(indian red)+5x26(cherry red) - not sure about the quantities
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b - Tools

          1 - Tissue blade
          2 - Ruler

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c - Techniques

2. Stripes made out of black and colors

          1 - Black stripes thickest setting, colored stripes on the 5-7 setting(here is 5, I wish I used thinner)
          2 - Stripes cut same width and length before layering them

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d - End result

3. Beads done from uneven ends

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          Unbaked beads. The initial idea was to make 1.5 mm thick hexagonal slices, but those round ones got the best versions with what tools I have.

e - Used for
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           Will be added later

f - Other info
          - this is not a tutorial, was posted to help me remember some things and to keep track on "366 creative days" project. If you want a tutorial with detailed pictures about this method let me know.

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No more planning

Enough with the planning, too many ideas. It's time to do something!

Diana's macro flowers - a set I organized a posted(actually one of the plans I got to the end) for the mother's day)

Romanian flag Tux penguin

Santa Tux penguin

A project that started with Tux with Romanian flag and died with the Christmas Tux.

I also wanted to post every years Cyprus Lemessos Carnival Parade, but I found out that I need to pay to post more pictures so I stopped with the 2008 set. I still have the 2009 prepared, few pictures with 2010, and 2011 as well, maybe...

Started a site as well, but same problem, can't pull myself together to write regularly.
Other plans: working in photoshop, illustrator, using a graphic tablet, learn properly how to draw, make jewelry, write some diet recipes that actually taste good.
Unfortunately is nobody to push me to do all that, like my mother used me to. yes, I blame my parents for almost all my negatives and on genetics  for all my positives.