Mermaids and The Mer-Persimmons!

There are so many brilliant artists in this world, everyday each of us become inspired by what someone has created whether its a new recipe, painting, product or garden, everything around us brings us magic.

As many of you know I have been creating hand molded, handmade doll parts in a variety of styles for years, starting with vintage Charlotte heads and Crowns. Each week brings the new creation of additional doll parts and pieces, which artist can apply to their works from scrap booking, assemblage, jewelry design, doll making and more.

One personal favorite collection within my line are the Kewpies, Mer-Kewpies and Carnival Dolls, the possibilities are endless, all you need is a little imagination, just like Kim Geiser and her daughter. Kim is the owner and creator of Persimmons, which is an amazing shop/studio located at: 314 N 8th Street Downtown, Manitowoc, where she host classes and has fabulous wares.

Kim is amazing all around, when she purchased a few of the Mer-Kewpie and Carnival Mermaid Parts from my Etsy a few weeks ago, I was so excited, to see what she was going to do with them, then the anticipation was over when she sent me the final photos of what her daughter and her did with them, here is the results:
The Flapper Style Mer-Kewpie was created by Kim, while the Carnival Mermaid was made by her fabulous daughter! How amazing are they, beyond words adorable, these pictures brought so much happiness to my day, I had to write and share them with you!

To learn more about Kim and Persimmons visit her blog:
http://www.persimmonsgal54220.blogspot.com/

To purchase these doll parts or the others in my collection visit my etsy store at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/moonfaires

"The Guests of Pinkerbee's" Post Four
Cupcakes Anyone? These scrumptious delights are located all over Pinkerbee's in tantalizing flavors: Cherry Vanilla(I had one already), Black Forest Cake, Lemon Lavender, White Chocolate Rose and Creamy Red Velvet. Here is a picture of my new friends Violet and Sugar, they are the sweetest, this is actually their promo photo card, located on all the tables inside the pavillion, on the back is a recipe for one of their cupcakes, which I will share with you in a bit.I just adore Violet she is filled with so much sweetness and genuine magic, you will love her too!I finally decided to stay here for an hour and have tea and treats with Violet and Sugar, we were having just so much fun, I called my other friends and informed them I'll meet them for the next course over at Seahorse Gardens!Just at the end of the hour Sugar was called away for a photo shoot, I forgot to mention she was named Tea Party Queen 2 years in a row, Lauten and Puck are the photographers doing the shoot. This will land Sugar on the cover of The Mermaid Times and Seaside Tea. Enjoy this sneak peak at the shoot, held outside the Pavillion in Pageant Alley!Before I leave for Seahorse Gardens, I wanted to share the recipe on the back of the card!

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe w/Pink Buttercream Frosting!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (see Note)
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note: To melt the chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for approximately 5–10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm 5–10 minutes.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Set aside.

2.In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

3.In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

4. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30–40 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
-Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.)

-Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*Note:
If you are icing a 3-layer cake, use the following recipe proportions:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
8 to 10 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Note: Recipe from The Magnolia Cookbook!