Arts, Crafts and Food

                                     Do you cook? I do!

Besides from jewelry design, I like cooking. Food is not all about the taste for me. It is also about the look! My handmade patchwork apron is designed and made by my mom. It has a pocket that I find it very useful as well. I know there are some of you who patchwork so I thought I would share a picture of my beautiful apron with you!

I cooked a spinach cake wearing my beautiful apron today for my readers. Spinach sounds strange for a dessert but; the taste and look is great! It is also healthier than adding green food coloring. I used fresh spinach for my cake; but, you can also use frozen spinach.





3 eggs, beaten
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk
1 cup of vegetable oil
3 cups of flower
1 teaspoon of baking powder






  
 Once you mix all the ingredients above, cook 1 cup of fresh spinach until it gets soft and blend it at a desired consistency. You can add more spinach if you would like your cake greener. Add the spinach into your mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Serve it cold or hot. If you don't tell people, nobody would now it is spinach. They will probably think is pistachios. Spinach only gives the beautiful color but, doesn't change the taste.

New Design: Cat's Eye Silver Accented Green Mediterranean Necklace Inspiration Story

For thousands of years, olives and olive oil has been a staple for Mediterranean coastal area with a unique flavor and numerous health benefits one of which is being a beauty product. Turkey is one of those countries where olive oil is processed locally; it is the 5th largest producer of oil in the world. With that, it is integrated to its culture in many ways. One of the traditional sports in Turkey is oil wrestling where the wrestlers cover themselves with olive oil before wrestling. There is even special category in Turkish cuisine for dishes 'made with olive oil'. Olives are one of the must haves in Turkish breakfasts.

Being Turkish, that is where the inspiration to A Cup of Sparkle Cat's Eye necklace and earrings come from: Mediterranean Olives. Organic and natural... This beautiful faceted green gems are accented with silver cylinders that has leave designs on them. The ear wires are one of a kind pair that matches the same leave designs. This set is a combination of history and art that I am happy to share its inspiration story with you.

Best of the week: Etsy Finds by A Cup of Sparkle

All of us wants to keep the good memories and times with us all the time. That is one of the reasons I love photographs. If you want to make a special moment stand out for years to come, picture frames is what you need.

I picked this 3-dimensional picture frames from colorstorydesigns for this Best of week Etsy finds by A Cup of Sparkle. If you are looking for a frame to put your Valentine's Day photographs, you may want to consider this mini picture frames. Not only this frames are super colorful but also they are green. They are made of recycled magazines.
Great work Amy and Andrea. Congratulations!

Set of 3 mini picture frames by Colorstorydesigns

Happy Valentine's Day / Singles Awareness Day

Today is the  February 14th! For some of us, it is named as Valentine's Day and for some it is Singles Awareness Day (SAD). Whichever occasion you are celebrating today, I hope all of you will have a great day!

Me and my valentine are going on a special dinner tonight at 'Ristorente Picolinos'. Here are my picks for tonight. Combination of black, white, silver, red and  a bit of sparkle with 'A Cup of Sparkle' earrings. Do you like it? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

                                                     What is everyone doing today?

Valentine's Day Inspired Creations by A Cup of Sparkle

It is almost Valentine's Day. It is been a very inspiring month for me. I put together some of my creations in preparation for Valentine's day. Hope you like it.
All the pieces are available in my shop ' A Cup of Sparkle'.

Best of the week: Etsy Finds by A Cup of Sparkle

Ah, Valentine's Day... The essence of being loved and being in love feels so good. Are you still trying to decide what to give to your special ones this year? Whatever you choose to buy, there is nothing that can be better than your deep feelings in words. That is why I picked one of my favorite Valentine's Day card by BubbyAndBean for this best of the week Etsy finds by A Cup of Sparkle. It is a great way to tell those you care about that you love them and that they are your VERY favorite.
Great card Melissa. Congratulations!

Valentines Card by BubbyAndBean

Did you know?
World statistics reveal that no less than a billion cards are sent every year on Valentine's Day, placing it just behind Christmas as the second most significant card-giving occasion. That's a lot of love in the air!

CSN Stores Giveaway!

I am glad to team up with CSN stores to provide my US and Canadian readers with a $20 gift card. CSN stores is a great place to get all your shopping done in one stop. With over 200 stores, ranging from cookware to home decor, you can find just about everything you need.

I love decorating my house with changing things; wall decor, shades and mostly furniture.  If you are planning on getting some modern furniture to your home, CSN stores has huge variety. Last year, I have painted my home jewelry studio, my bathroom and master bedroom. It is now time to shop for new rugs to match with.  I love colors so, I picked two of my favorites from CSN stores that I am considering for my house.

 To enter this $20 giveaway:
1- Follow this blog
2- Like 'A Cup of Sparkle' on Facebook
3- Tell me what your favorite piece is in my Etsy jewelry store by simply commenting to this post


Giveaway ends on February 28, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST. The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected. Good Luck!

Sign of Spring in Seattle

My tulip bulbs finally started growing leaves. It makes me so excited to see some sign of spring outside after the long Seattle winter. I cannot wait to see my tulips bloom... It inspires me to think the beautiful tulip fields.


Here are some pictures I took at the Skagit Valley 2010 Tulip Festival.
I hope it will bring you all some inspiration.

Best of the week: Etsy Finds by A Cup of Sparkle

Loopy Goth Art Doll Penny by Loopyboopy

Loopy Goth Art Doll Penny

     This week's best of the week piece is Loopy Goth Art Doll Penny by loopyboopy. I found loopyboopy dollies from one of the treasuries.  It was striking to me to see how much a doll can express with some plastic eyes and fake body. I am used to pretty dolls like Barbies with perfectly cut dresses, shiny shoes and well combed hair; but, loopyboopy has this unusual look to her dolls that is not only unique but also very personal. I feel like I feel the sadness Doll Penny has in her eyes.
Do you?
Great job Colleen! Congratulations...