Group2020 Blog: DeAls Of ThE WeEk - October 12th to 18th

Group2020 Blog: DeAls Of ThE WeEk - October 12th to 18th: We have several exciting deals this week from our Group2020 members Exquisite Studios , Lehane and Cuprum29Jewelry ! Exquisite Studios ...

From LehaneArts: Has Autumn Changed or Is It Me?

An interesting look at the changing of seasons and the feelings associated with fall/autumn from one woman's perspective ...





LehaneArts: Has Autumn Changed or Is It Me?: Growing up in New England, One Could Never Ignore the Rotation of the Seasons  From the bleak bare trees suddenly laden with buds to the...

Group2020 Blog: Blueberries! Lemonade!

Group2020 Blog: Blueberries! Lemonade!: Flavors don't get more refreshing and fitting for a hot summer day than blueberries and lemonade. Our Erika of Cuprum29 on Etsy had a c...

Group2020 Blog: Getting ready for the Fourth?

Group2020 Blog: Getting ready for the Fourth?: If you are hosting friends and family this holiday weekend you may be looking for great food ideas. One of the members of Group2020  has fou...

Group2020 Blog: Shop of the Week - Pickle Valentine

Group2020 Blog: Shop of the Week - Pickle Valentine: I learned long ago that taking turns was a good thing. This week Pickle Valentine has a turn to be our shop of the week and that is a very ...

Lanmom Originals: Shop Of The Week From Group2020

A fantastic array of hand crafted wonderfully scented all natural vegan soaps and handmade beautiful bead crochet bead rope necklaces and earrings can be found at Lanmom Originals. It's a great place to shop for gifts or to treat yourself to something special!

Be sure to stop in and give this spectacular shop a peek! Lanmom Originals.

LehaneArts: Shop of the Week from Group2020

LehaneArts: Shop of the Week from Group2020: Hand-Forged Jewelry Heirloom Quality Hand Cut Mixed Metal Prepare to be stunned when you visit Cuprum29 ,  "Shop of the Week" f...

Group2020 Blog: Shop of the Week is Cuprum29 on Etsy

Group2020 Blog: Shop of the Week is Cuprum29 on Etsy: I am a self taught multimedia artist and have been creating jewelry in one form or another for many years. I enjoy it immensely and curr...

Group2020 Blog: Lehane Arts and Creativity

Group2020 Blog: Lehane Arts and Creativity: In an insightful blog post about creativity and making room in creative spaces on the blog Lehane Arts I found some inspiration for keepin...

Group2020 Blog: Question- Desert First or Best for Last?

Group2020 Blog: Question- Desert First or Best for Last?: The title is your question and we would love to see your answers. Are you a desert first personality or a save the best for last personality...

Zibbet CommUNITY Holiday Sales Event

The small Businesses of Zibbet.com are joining in on the traditional U.S. shopping business days of Black Friday through Cyber Monday into a worldwide event to support small businesses on an international scale.

Individual merchants from Zibbet.com have come together to offer all shoppers the bargains you've been searching for on these shopping days. Promotions can vary any where from free shipping to 50% off the quality handcrafted, vintage, fine art and supplies sold by the merchants of Zibbet.com.


Cuprum29Jewlery at Zibbet is participating in this exciting event, use the coupon code: TURKEYLEGS to get 10% off all items!







Happy shopping!

-Cuprum 29 Jewelry Is Now At Zibbet-

I am delighted and proud to announce that Cuprum29Jewlery has expanded and opened a new shop at Zibbet!

At Cuprum29Jewlery I offer handmade ethnic jewelry in copper, brass and silver that is inspired by traditional art forms from around the world, judaica jewelry and braille message jewelry all of which is designed and crafted by me by hand in my studio nestled at the edge of the woods in our backyard on the Eastern Shore of Delmarva. I hand saw, form and forge all of my designs from raw stock sheet metal and cold connect them with rivets of various sizes, dome and metal type lending them an interesting aesthetic and tactile appeal.

Mandala Pendant Necklace East Indian Cultural Necklace And Earring Set Tribal Jewelry Tribal Necklace

 

 

I currently have a handful of items listed and will be working hard over the next few weeks to fill my new shop with exciting and unique jewelry items, many of which have never been listed elsewhere and are brand new designs, that I am looking forward to sharing with you.



            New items, new shop ...  :)

~Fantastic Tuna Salad With 3 Variations~

We love "traditional" tuna salad sandwiches but after a while they can become a bit boring. Our solution is to perk up our favorite basic recipe with some interesting additions that give it a whole new taste and flare. Here is the basic recipe we use and three variations ... serve with your favorite crusty artisan bread, tortilla, wrap or good old stand by white bread, these variations are sure to please!

~Basic Tuna Salad ingredients:

12 oz. canned tuna packed in water and drained
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
5-6 tbsp. light or regular mayonnaise ( adjust to taste )
3 tbsp. lemon juice ( fresh if available )

~directions:

In a medium sized bowl combine all ingredients with a fork until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for 1/2 hour or longer. Stir and serve on your favorite bread.


~for a Mediterranean Flare stir in:

3-4 tbsp. capers ( whole if small or chopped if large )
3 tbsp. chopped black and green olives mixed
2 tbsp. fresh basil chiffonade ( or cut very finely )
1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon peel ( optional )


~for a Southwestern Flare stir in:

3 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp. sun dried tomatoes
1-2 jalapeno chile very finely chopped
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cumin ( optional )


~for a Curried Flare stir in:

1/3 cup tart Granny Smith apple chopped
1/4 cup raisins
2-3 tsp. curry powder ( adjust to taste )
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. turmeric ( optional )

Enjoy!

~Shrimp Fra Diablo~

~ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 chili peppers minced ( seed for less heat )
1/2 cup tomato paste
3 pints stewed tomatoes ( include juice )
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine ( use a good one )
1 cup water
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp minced fresh basil
2 lbs raw shrimp , peeled and cleaned

~directions:

Heat oil in large pot. Add onions, garlic, peppers, and saute for 5 minutes. Add all liquids including tomatoes and paste. Stir well to incorporate paste. Simmer over low to medium heat until onions are tender. Add fresh basil, cayenne pepper and shrimp. Continue to simmer a few more minutes until shrimp is just cooked, do not over cook or shrimp will become tough. Remove from heat immmediately.

Serve with your favorite pasta or rice, Enjoy!

~Linguine With Roasted Grape Tomato And Basil Marinara Sauce~

This is a simple and delicious recipe that is great as a meal or as a side paired with your favorite main dish.

~Ingredients

1 lb dried linguine
2 pints grape tomatoes
1/4 tsp salt for sauce, more is needed to salt the pasta water
1/4 - 1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper, to taste
1 small to medium onion sliced thin
2 cloves garlic finely minced or grated
1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or your favorite hard Italian cheese
olive oil
balsamic vinegar


~Directions

Fill a large pot with salted water, bring to boil and cook linguine according to package directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water for use later if needed. Heat up broiler. Place grape tomatoes in a baking pan (that fits in your broiler) with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, salt and the pepper. Broil the tomatoes , shake once or twice to get more even cooking, until the skins are split and they have a nice char, usually about 15 minutes or so. Put approximately a tablespoon of olive oil in medium sized pot and slowly cook the garlic, and onions until they are soft and translucent, do not brown. If they need a little more moisture use a bit of the reserved pasta water. Add the roasted tomatoes, basil and parsley to the pot and cook on a low to medium heat approximately 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Toss with the linguine. If needed add some of the pasta water to lengthen the sauce. Serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar and topped with the grated Parmesan. Enjoy!

~Encouraging Words~

A few of my favorite ecouraging and inspirational quotes are...

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."
~ Unknown

"God provides the wind,
but man must raise the sails"
~Saint Augustine

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore,
is not an act but a habit."
~Aristotle

"Every artist was first an amateur."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a great day! :)

~Curried Cucumber Spread~

This a cool flavorful spread that is great on hearty multi-grain or wheat crackers. A good choice for a summer time snack!

~Ingredients
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 red onion chopped fine
2-3 tbs. mayonnaise or sour cream
1-2 tsp. curry powder, adjust to taste
1 medium to large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped fine

multi-grain or wheat crackers

~Directions
Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise or sour cream, and curry powder until creamy and smooth. Fold in onion and cucumber. Chill for several hours in refrigerator, then serve with crackers.

Enjoy!

~Honey Deep Dish Pizza Dough~

This is a recipe that I use when I'm in the mood for homemade deep dish pizza. It has a traditional flavor and a robust hearty crust perfect for loading up with your all of favorite toppings, sauce and cheese or it can also be kept simple and finished with pesto or sliced roma tomatoes, herbs and parmesean...or whatever you come up with! This recipe makes the equivalent of two 11x15x1" pizzas.

~Ingredients:

3 cups warm water
1 package dry yeast
8 cups all purpose white flour (approximately)
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbs salt
5 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup honey

2+ tbs vegetable oil

~Necessities:

2 very large plastic or glass bowls (I use 8 quart plastic bowls for this)
1 stiff handled plastic or wooden spoon
1 kitchen towel or cloth large enough to cover the top of your bowls
1 basting brush

~Directions:

Place the water, it should be warm but not hot, into the plastic or glass bowl and stir in the yeast with the wooden or plastic spoon until dissolved. Sprinkle sugar evenly on top and let stand for 10 minutes.

Begin adding flour a cup at a time until a very wet and sticky dough forms (not a liquid but also not stiff) this usually takse about 4 cups. Cover the top of the bowl with a kitchen towel and let this stand for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 3 hours. At the end of the 1-3 hours what you have is a "sponge", it should actually look like a sponge with small bubbles and holes evenly spread through the surface. I always try to go as close to 3 hours as I can so that the sponge can fully develop.

When the sponge is ready stir in the salt, honey and olive oil. Begin stirring in remaining flour 1 cup at a time until you can no longer stir. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead in more flour until you have a dough that is still very soft and pliable but not sticky.

Put 1 tbs or so of the vegetable oil in the second bowl and place dough on oil, turn to coat and cover with the kitchen towel. Place this in a warm spot for 3 hours or until at the dough has at least doubled in size.

Remove towel and gently punch down dough, replace cover and allow to rise again for 1- 1 1/2 hours. When "punching down" you should just push your fist once into the center and then a few times around the sides of the dough so that you end up with a crust that is crackly and crunchy and an interior that has lots of irregularly shaped holes, over punching will lead to a dense heavy crust.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and punch down gently again. Divie dough into sections for desired size pizza (I use two 11x15" cookies sheets )place onto pans oiled with the vegetable oil and slowly pull dough into desired shape. This my take a few minutes as the dough will be very springy. I generally work both pizas a the same time pulling each a little bit by turns so that one is "resting" as I work the other until both fill the pans.

Brush dough with remaining vegetable oil and top as desired. Bake in 400F degree oven until toppings are cooked and crust is a beautiful golden brown, usually around 35-40 minutes. Remebmber that alltitude, temperature and humidity level will affect cooking time for all doughs or baked goods so watch closely after 25 minutes or so.

Remove from oven when done and allow to cool slightly, cut and enjoy!

~One Of The Unusual Zucchini Recipies I Use...But Good!~

~Zucchini Custard Pie~
This is a creamy dreamy pie with a delightful holiday like aroma that is very simple to make.

~Ingredients:

1 3/4 -2 cups zucchini, peeled, seeded and sliced very thin
10 oz evaporated milk
2/3 cup white sugar
1 large egg
3 tbls flour
3 tbls butter or margarine, softened
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract ( use the real stuff not the imitation)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
1 unbaked pie crust from the freezer or your own recipe

~Directions:

1. Boil zucchini slices until tender, drain, cool, and squeeze out excess moisture.
2. Place all ingerdients except the cinnamon, nutmeg and pie crust into blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour into pie crust and sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon.
4. Place pie into pre-heated 425F degree oven and bake for 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F degrees and bake until set, approximately 35-40 minutes. Set is when only the very center is loose if the pan is giggled.
5. Allow to cool and finish firming up then refrigerate.
6. Enjoy!

~How To Oxidize Sterling Silver Using An Egg~

I was recently asked how to use an egg to ozidize sterling silver and I thought I would post my method here so that anyone who is interested has an opportunity to read it!

Okay, here goes for using an egg to oxidize...

First you will need well, an egg! Plus a small pot with a lid to boil it in, water, a butter knife,tongs or a large slotted spoon, some sort of oven mitt that isn't too bulky and a freezer type zip lock baggie. There are other incidental things you may want to use but let's get started... :)

Place the egg in the pot with enough cool water to cover it by about an inch or so on the stove and boil it, watch closely!...burnt eggs are gross! When the yolk (this is where we will get our sulfur fumes) is very cooked and solid, usually about 5 minutes longer than you would hard cook an egg to eat, you are ready for the next step...

Have your zip baggie open with your jewelry piece in the bottom!

When the egg is done turn off the flame, remove it from the pot with the tongs/spoon and replace the lid to hold in the heat, this is a heat process so save your heat!

Crack the egg in half with the butter knife and using the mitts squeeze the yolk (remember it needs to be very hard cooked) into the baggie, remove the excess air quickly and zip the baggie. Place it back in the pot with the lid and watch for the oxidizing to take place! Now we wait for the water to cool some but not become cold...tick tock!

Watch to see how dark your piece is becoming. One egg will normally be enough to oxidize a ring, pair of earrings or a small to medium sized pendant...it all depends on the silver content of the piece. If your piece appears dark enough remove it and polish the "high" spots back to a brighter silver color. If it didn't become very dark remove the baggie, re-simmer your water and pop the baggie back in after removing the pot from the flame...tick, tock again!

This is to some degree trial and error but really a simlpe process !