Art Bead Scene is sponsoring a blog hop featuring ornaments made with art beads.
I created this art bead from some leftover gingko clay in scarlet and bronze and some leftover “wood” clay in browns. I baked the polymer clay on a small appliance bulb, which allowed me to bend the ends of the gingko leaf up like little toes. I added a large carnelian bead on copper wire. I made my first ever hammered-copper-wire-anything for the matching copper hanger.
This was a stretch for me, which is, of course, why I chose to do it.
I wanted to share my favorite Christmas take-it-to-the-office (or a potluck) recipe: BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD.
It is the easiest recipe ever and your friends and co-workers will discover that they have a previously undiscovered, deep hunger for shortbread. This is a great recipe for a cakewalk at a school carnival, too. It will be the first cake to sell. I always put mine on a cake circle and wrapped it in a huge sheet of yellow cellophane, tying it with a bow on top.
BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD
4 cups flour
2 cups butter
1 cup brown sugar
Cream the butter until it is soft and white. Add the brown sugar and continue to cream until the mixture is all one color. Add the flour and beat until smooth.
How hard was that?
If you do not have an ornate shortbread mold, pack the dough into a cake pan. No need to grease with all of that butter in the recipe! Take a fork and prick the dough across one diagonal, in a straight line. Now turn the pan 90 degrees and do the same. Now divide each of the quarters in half using the same technique.
If you have a mold, pack the shortbread into it.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until lightly browned.
If you have used a cake pan, re-prick the shortbread along the lines you made, immediately upon removing from the oven. Cool ten minutes and turn out onto a cake rack to cool.
If you used a fancy mold, let the shortbread rest ten minutes after baking and then unmold onto a rack to cool.
Your friends and family will beg you to bring this for every occasion.
Visit the other ornament bloggers at:
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2013/12/ornamentbloghop2013.html
SusanDolphinDelaney 
I love your ornament! It reminds me of the colors of the cardinals that are coming to eat in the back yard and that is “winter” for me! I will absolutely try that recipe for shortbread. It sounds delicious! I’m awfully glad to see another early bird so I can get started “hopping tonight”.
Thanks! You won’t be sorry you tried the shortbread! I’ll hop right over to your blog.
Hmhm sounds delicious, I have to give it a try! Thank you for sharing! :0) As I can see, red is also your color for Christmas, love the little angle!
Thank you, Michaela!
Lovely ornament, very pretty and delicate. Am going to try that Shortbread too, you minx – and I was trying to be good!
Thank you for your kind words. I pick Christmas Day as a FEAST day. I believe that feast days are for indulgence. I do not plan to “be good” on Christmas Day!
Me neither – might have to make it twice!
hi from a blog hopper newbie, I love your ginko leaf. I’ve never tried using polymer clay
Oh, welcome to blog hopping! And a thousand welcomes to polymer clay. Working with polymer reduces my heart rate, reduces my blood pressure and sends a wave of relaxation through my body. It is good for me.
Really pretty! Love that gingko clay.
Thanks for your kind and generous words, Laurie!
Hi Susan…Your art bead is very cool. I am a polymer clay beginner, and I am amazed how creative people using polymer clay.
Oh, thank you, Asri! We are all beginners! Polymer has infinite possibilities and none of us are experts in all of its potentials.
Your ornament is lovely. The colors are wonderful for this time of year.
Thank you, Kathy. I need to go and hang it on my tree!
I love the gingko leaf and non-traditional theme for your ornament! Thank you for sharing your recipe it sounds delicious.
Heather, I have loved gingko leaves since I was a little girl. I have made them in so many color ways. Thanks for your kind and generous comments!
Lovely ornament, and thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks so much for your kind words.
Well done Susan and bravo to you for the hammered hanging thingy . . . I did metal work on mine too which I have never done so can understand the power of embracing the unknown! I am excited to try your recipe also . . . thanks for sharing. In the days ahead I will look forward to reading more of your blog, but until then I just wanted to thank you so much for the work you do for and with women!
Chris, Thank you for your kind and generous words. I love these challenges because I learn so much from them. I plan to go back and read everybody’s blog, too.
What a great ornament! I love that you made all the components yourself. Truly the meaning of handmade Christmas! And thanks for the recipe. It sounds delicious and just my kind with three ingredients or less! Thank you for playing along with us on the Art Bead Scene! Merry Christmas! Enjoy the day. Erin
Thanks, Erin, for your kind and generous words.
Kudos to trying new things! You did a lovely job, and I really like the colors. I’m pinning the shortbread recipe right now- it sounds scrumptious! Christie
Thanks so much, Christie! I’ve been making that shortbread for 40 years. It is divine.