It’s time for another Photo Challenge!

In case you aren’t familiar with them, I periodically post a Weekly Photo Challenge and ask readers to upload photos around a particular theme to the Indie Fixx Flickr Group. Participants have a week or so to get their photos taken and added to the Group.

The idea is to provide everyone with a venue to share their craftiness and photography skillz & offer up some inspiration for everyone involved. Sometimes, but not every time, I offer up a prize.

The theme for this challenge is: Happiness is….?

Fill in the _______ {blank} with your photo composition to answer what happiness is to you.

Myself and 2-3 other judges will be choosing the most creative, fun, relevant and interesting photo from all those that are uploaded and the winner will receive a prize!

Prize:

In addition to bragging rights, one winner will be chosen to win the following:

1. Hammered rustic cuff  from Andrea Bonelli Jewelry
2. Woodland Creatures Letterpress Print by Hello!Lucky
3. Year of the Cheer Card kit by Hello!Lucky
4. Pendant necklace from Broken Plate Pendant Company

Details for the Photo Challenge:

1. Upload your photos to the Indie Fixx Flickr group by Friday, June 1, 2012 by 11:59 pm EST.

2. Make sure to tag it with the following: “happiness weekly photo challenge” or happinessweeklyphotochallenge.

3. One winner will be notified via Flickr Mail after June 4th.

4. Multiple entries will be considered.

5. All photos added to the flickr group between May 21st and June 1st will be considered entries for the purposes of this contest.

6. Myself and 2-3 other judges will be choosing one winner who will receive both prizes.

7. Contest open to US and international entrants!

When I set out to make this biscotti, my intentions were very clear.  The morning was dreary and cold, the outlook for the afternoon even drearier and colder.  In the interest of providing myself with something to cut through the depressing gray day ahead of me,  I was aiming to whip up bit of a treat that I could enjoy with a soothing cup of afternoon coffee.

It seemed like such an innocent endeavor, and it was, really, until I opened up a cupboard to rifle around for a bit of inspiration concerning what I could fold into the biscotti dough and, oh, hello, dried Montmorency cherries.  And who is that sitting right next to you?  A bottle of Kentucky bourbon, I see.  We may be onto something here.  A bit more shuffling of things in said cupboard also unearthed the last bits of a bar of bittersweet chocolate, a natural pairing, I thought, for the tartness of the cherries.  A bit of chopping, and we’re almost there.

And where was there?  Well, surprisingly, it ended up being a place where crisp, satisfying biscotti, ripe with bourbon-plumped cherries and streaks of dark chocolate, tastes a lot like the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever eaten.  While still firmly planted in the crunchy family of biscotti, this little number has the brown sugar notes of a cookie, but with a hint more sophistication on account of the chunky pecans and varying hits of tartness, sweetness, and, of course, smooth bourbon.  It may not have been the exact treat I thought I’d end up making, but it served its purpose more than sufficiently.  Dipped into a cup of hot black coffee, it was a warm and cozy highlight to what can only be called a cold and punishing day (ah, springtime in Portland).

Pecan and Chocolate Biscotti with Bourbon-Soaked Cherries

3 tablespoons bourbon
½ cup dried sour cherries (you may have to hunt around to find dried sour cherries instead of dried regular cherries, but the difference between the two is so totally worth the hunt)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (½ a stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup coarsely chopped, lightly toasted pecans
½ cup coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate

In a small bowl, combine the bourbon and the dried sour cherries.  Allow to soak at room temperature for at least 1 hour (if you have the inclination, soaking them overnight would provide the most forward bourbon flavor), tossing occasionally to keep all the cherries in touch with the bourbon.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Beat the sifted dry ingredients into the butter mixture until everything is just combined.  Stir in the pecans, chocolate, and dried cherries, along with any bourbon leftover in the bowl.  Stir until everything is incorporated.

Directly on the prepared baking sheet, divide the dough into 2 logs roughly 3 ½ inches wide and 8 inches long.  Pat the logs into a uniform thickness of about ¾ inch.  The dough will be sticky, so lightly greasing or flouring your hands might help your shaping endeavors.

Bake the logs in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, until the centers are firm and the tops are golden brown.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and remove the logs to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.  Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  With a serrated knife, slice the slightly-cooled logs on the diagonal into ½-inch thick slices.  Return the slices, cut side down, to the baking sheet, then bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the slices are extremely crisp and nicely browned.

Remove biscotti slices to a wire rack to cool completely.  Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container for several days.

About the contributor:
	Elizabeth Miller is a freelance writer who runs Savory Salty Sweet, a food and kitchen appreciation website. She also writes the Melting Pot column here on Indie Fixx, which appears bimonthly on Fridays. Read more about her on the contributors’ page.

Diana’s work is very reminiscent of 1970s fashion photography and I must say that I am smitten. Here’s a sampling of some of her other work. To see more, visit her website or her flickr page.

I’ve been meaning to do this every since its inception…maybe this will be the year that I finally stop putting it off.

by lori l. dunbar of Marzipaninc.com

by Sarah Draws Things

by Illustrateur

by Gennine

by .nique.

It was a good day. I bought a few things–gotta support independent artists—and sneezed on about 3,000 people—my allergies were rearing their very ugly heads.

I was disappointed by the lack of woodland creature stuff though, usually there is a plethora at any indie craft show. Is that trend finally over? I for one would be sad. I”ve been into woodland creatures since the first time they became a trend….back in the 1970s.  If anyone has any info on the trendiness or lack thereof  of woodland creatures, please advise.

Anyway, it was a lovely day and made even lovelier by being able to spend time with Jr.

Hi, I’m Julie Gibbons. I’m a maker—but more importantly, I am an admirer of the things other people make. Here, I want to share some of my favourite types of handmade things with you. My first favourite ‘thing’ is the brooch.

Brooches are definitely not what grandma used to wear – gone are all the rhinestones and swirly gold bits! Originally made of metal primarily because of their function as pins to hold clothing in place, now the idea of the brooch is as broad as anything you would like to stick on a pin and decorate your clothes with. In fact, only one of the brooches I’ve chosen here is made from metal.

What is it about brooches that is so appealing to me? I love the singularity of them, that they are self-contained little works of art. I like the way they make a statement right out front, demanding to be looked at. There’s something special about these individual things that sit brazenly on the front of shirt or jacket. They can complement your clothes enhancing colours or shapes, and provide a focal point for your outfit; they can tell a story, and intrigue with their form and mastery of materials. And there is such an endless and amazing variety. I’m a big sucker for a brooch, and have {ahem} a small collection.

Here’s a few I found on Etsy recently.

{DogDaisy92 – paisley leaf felt brooch}

This is such a beautiful and delicate piece. Velvet embellished with machine stitching on wool, this leaf reminds me of medieval decorations. I love its soft textures, and am so drawn to touch it! Rich and simple at the same time, it would be equally at home on a woolly sweater or a silk dress.

{SconnieAndJam – Caravan and Kombi Brooch}

This particular piece is laser cut, and then hand-coloured. It is so fab, so very cute and fun! It is 10cm (3.94in) wide, which means it would need to be on a surface that remains fairly flat, like a fitted shirt or sweater (it would look completely awesome on something high-necked and aqua-ish!).

{DesignedByJane – Bouddica Felt Brooch}

I love the colours of this one. It is so reminiscent of Eastern European folk art, in both its form and the colours. It makes me want to wear big gathered skirts and boots and go walking in the forest, hunting for mushrooms and gathering berries.

{OhMyAmpersand – blue glass flowers}

The multiple layers and textures in this one are lovely. The pretty blue glass flowers sit proud on this piece providing colour and shiny texture. The green leaves frame the flowers, and the whole floats on richly coloured and textured wood. Pretty and modern at the same time, this piece would look wonderful on just about any outfit, from blouse and jeans to pinstripe business suit.

{JennyMaynardDesigns – Korean inlay fantail}

The only metal piece in this group – and what a beautiful piece it is. Korean inlay is a very specialised technique. Here, the surface of the metal (in this case, mild steel) is heavily textured by engraving it very finely, before fine silver is pressed into it to form the design. Such a special piece deserves to be worn on a special jacket.

I hope you have enjoyed these picks! Next post might be about handmade shoes. (Are you drooling yet? You should be…)

About the contributor:
	Julie Gibbons is tractorgirl, a maker of homewares and accessories, and a lover of colour, texture and pattern. She completed her PhD Fine Arts in 2001, majoring in Silversmithing. Now she blogs about contemporary craft, surface design, food and books at tractorgirl.

Do you know who they are? Leave your guesses in the comments 10 points to whoever gets them all correct!

Inspired by a recent scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream,  I decided to put together an outfit for Indie Style 101.

1. Mint green dress by Fleet Collection
2. Mint leather and silver bracelet from Pick Your Limb
3. White leather ballet flats from Balielf
4. Mint and gold bunting necklace from Virginie Millefiori
5. Brown leather hobo from Vintage Case