Garlic and Glue

Garlic and Glue? What does one have to do with the other you say? Nothing really, just these are the things I wanted to talk about today for Feeding your creativity, mind body and soul Friday. Yeah, I keep tinkering with the name, bear with me. :)

Anyway lets start with garlic, aka the Stinking Rose. Garlic is an ancient medicinal plant. It is native to the Central Asian area of the world and thus you will find it in the cooking of the peoples that live around the Mediterranean. It is even mentioned in the Bible, as one of the seven foods missed and longed for by the children of Israel after the Exodus from Egypt. In Egypt it was highly prized and even found in the tombs of the Kings. But interestingly enough in the US it was not so highly regarded just half a century ago. Probable cause was it was associated with the working class which was highly made up of immigrants from the area mentioned above.

But that has all changed today and wither in 'ethnic' foods or everyday cooking to 5 star restaurants garlic has become a star. There is even one town in California whose fame revolves around the lowly bulb, Gilroy California, known as the Garlic Capital of the world, where their annual festival Known as 'the preeminent food festival in America' draws people from all over the world in the tens of thousands ( last year was 107,553, in a town of only less than 50,000). People come to sample just about any dish made with the star, garlic, that you can think of, including Garlic Ice Cream.

Now if you haven't attended you may wonder what all the fuss is about, and garlic ice cream? Well here's a fact for you that you might not know, garlic has natural sugars in it but they are covered up most of the time by the other chemicals that give them their 'tang'. But like most vegetables, this sweetness can be brought out with heat, mainly roasting. If you've ever tasted a roasted carrot you'll know what I mean. But the best way to eat garlic for health reasons, and they are numerous, is to eat it raw. Why raw? because that same heat that brings out the sugars and sweetness of the bulb also destroys certain properties garlic possesses that will bring you good health.

These are allicin and Diallyl sulphides. The most important thing you need to know is that the allicin and the Diallyl sulphides only appear when the bulb is crushed, or when you have some in your mouth to chew it up. Allicin is created when garlic is crushed or otherwise damaged, the alliin reacts with the enzyme allinase, also found naturally in garlic. Allinase acts as a catalyst and results in the transformation of alliin into allicin. This allicin is what is so great about garlic, it has been shown to have antifungal, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties. Very similar to last weeks star food, Coconut oil. But in order to benefit from these you must consume them shortly after the crushing has taken place. So if you make a salad dressing and include crushed garlic you should make it right before serving or add the fresh crushed garlic right before serving.

Now the garlic I use is from my organic farm and I am still using it and haven't gotten any since the summer harvest last year. It does increase in potency and strength. Be sure to store it in a cool dark place and watch out for any mold setting in. I like to grate ( not chop) some fresh over pasta (even though I've used it in the making of the sauce and meatballs etc) or even chicken soup, grate some fresh and put in the bowl just before serving, ladle the soup on top. You can do this on salads, fish, sandwiches, omelets, whenever you feel a sniffle coming on.

Some precautions, high intact of garlic may react with certain drugs so be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist before using this in a medicinal way. Also beware of allergies and sensitivities. When garlic is older the juice can burn the skin or the mouth or your insides, so make sure you are aware of this and that you eat it with other food. I have bitten into a piece and it did burn my lip a bit but goes away when washes off with water or more food.

Fresh organic Garlic has so many wonderful things about it I hope you will look into it more. I've even seen where it makes a great natural mosquito repellent and no you don't have to wear it! So take a look around the internet and find out what this wonder herb can do for you!

GLUES

Now lets talk about glues. In the creative world there are lots of glues and just about every project one takes on involves glue in some stage of the process. I am not going to go through a whole dissertation on glues here, that information can be found easily around the web. I just wanted to share with you some things I've learned about certain glues.

Hot Glue- I happen to own the Aileens Glue gun, I think I purchased this either through a store sale or on a home shopping club, it's been so long ago (15 years?) that I've forgotten where, but that should tell you that it is a good one and long lasting. Aileens takes all kinds of glue sticks and has a range of them in their line, floral, paper, metal/jewelry, foam, fabric and more. I think this is why I love it so much, it also comes with numerous tips to get the glue to flow just how and where you want it and has it's own kick stand that works well and a carrying case for on the go crafting or easy storage of all parts. I went online to look up if they still make them, and they do, in fact it now is dual temp which is an addition to mine. You can find one at Michaels. I mostly use this for quick gluing or as a temporary clamp. Some items need to be glued quickly but don't work with epoxy well, such as fabric. I've used this on my Pincushion rings (shown back on What's new Wednesday) and it works great for holding the fabric to the base. You also don't have to worry about the messiness of mixing epoxy for such a project.

One word of caution when using a hot glue gun, always keep a bowl (not glass, something big enough to get your hand in) of cold ice water close by, but not so near that the gun could fall in. This is case, and I really mean 'when' the hot glue gets on you, you can plunge your finger, or hand into the bowl to give immediate relief and then peel the glue off carefully. No need to have burnt and sore fingers for the rest of your projects, remember, your hands are you most precious tool in any kind of art or craft.

Gel Medium - I am finding a use for this more and more. I love how it glues paper together for collage, also there are transfer abilities I've been exploring. It's thick but not so much as other thick glues, and has a body that spreads better and less sticky. Wait for a sale and get yourself a jar (I prefer matte finish) and do some experimenting.

Super Glue - I've tried all kinds of Super Glues and none have worked as well for me as Zap-a-Gap. This is what's classified as a Cyanoacrylate Glue if you were a fan of the Carol Duvall show. This is the only kind I use, especially for use with polymer clay. Not all glues react well with polymer clay and that isn't always immediately apparent.

Known well in the sporting world, especially in sport fishing for its ability to work on things that are going to be wet, such as fishing flies, this glue to me is superior for many jewelry and polymer clay projects.

One word of caution though, this stuff bonds fast, so be ready to place your two pieces together. Also even though it works on greasy areas, it's always best as with any project to take an alcohol wipe and wipe both parts you plan on gluing together and give it a moment to dry. The applicator tips are great for precision work but you can still get this glue on yourself. EXAMPLE: once I was gluing a cord into a bead. I was holding the end of the bead and put the glue on the other end. I held it for a minute waiting for it to set (usually only takes 10 seconds) and then I went to put it down and my thumb and index finger were glued together. And not just a little bit, a good quarter inch of skin was bonded together. It took some quick searching on the net to find what to do then to find a place that carried the remedy. We called just as the only place in town that had it at the time was closing. Thankfully they stayed open until my husband could get there and buy me two bottles. Meanwhile I felt like my left hand was in a weird hand cuff of sorts, very unsettling! What ever you do , DON'T try to pry your fingers apart, you will tear your skin right off and an ER visit will ensue. Cheaper to have the remedy on hand. It is made by Zap and called a Z-7 De-bonder. It takes a bit of time to work it free but it works. While I was waiting for him to bring it back I tried what is recommended for other super glues, nail polish remover. But that didn't budge my fingers a bit. So make sure you have this on hand, just in case. But if you do notice you have gotten it on yourself. Sometimes I use a hand wipe to wipe it off quickly, but best to just let it dry (will only take a minute for sure) and then you can use an emery board on the fine side to carefully sand it down, but watch you don't sand your skin off too!


Glue dots or Epoxy dots - I found these in the scrap-booking area when looking for a glue to use with polymer clay and paper. (Zap-a-Gap doesn't bond with paper and PC). At the time, over a year ago now, I was trying to come up with a unique business card for OrganicOdysseys. I had seen many unique ones online for other businesses and wanted something that would represent me, my work and be as eco-friendly as possible (not be thrown out soon!). So I came up with making my own business cards, leaving a space available to attach a small sample of my work. A medallion with the imprint of an organic leaf, flower, or veggie. These dots seemed perfect. No mess of wet glues, no chance of warping the paper of the card because of the wetness of the glue.

I made dozens of these and sent them out. I also employed the dots to hold up samples of stamped clay with various colors of metallic powders on them near my work table so I could see at a glance how they would look before applying to my project. One day I noticed that the top tile fell off. I picked it up and stuck it back on with the dot that was already there. It stuck. I figured I hadn't pushed hard enough or something. Then about a week went by and I found it on the floor again. It was funny, it seemed only this one was doing it, so I figured that perhaps there was something on the paper making this happen. Then the other day I went to grab one of the cards I'd made with my medallions on and the medallion fell right off. The Glue could still be seen on it, but it was no longer holding to the card. See the top of this post, that is the same card with the medallion laid over where it used to stick. This photo is the back side. As you can see the glue has stayed on the polymer piece but is not sticking to the card. I noticed that there is a blochy darkened area where the medallion was, looks like some kind of reaction that soaked into the card and thus caused separation. Now these were fine months ago, but now something has made them release and besides the fact that people all over have my card that is falling apart, I now have to find something that will work just as well with the same properties (ie, no warping, ease of placement) but stick for good! If anyone knows of a glue that will do this, please let me know! The brand I was using is 'CRAFT' and it states it can be used on paper (of course, scrapbooking!), and also plastic, wood, foam and more. They have a patent and their website is www.gluedots.com. If anyone has any info to share, I'd appreciate it!

So there's my little run down on glues. I have in my glue arsenal at least two dozen more, but will save that for another day!

605

New Year! New Contests! New Features! New Art!

I hope you all had a wonderful and safe Holiday Season! Tomorrow starts the first day of the workweek of the new year but before you have to trudge out into the cold and get back to work, I thought I would let you in on some of the things I have planned for you in 2010. (It's a nice round number, Monk would love it, but we said good-bye to him last year, now only reruns and rented DVD's. :( )

So are you ready?

I am going to try to keep to a schedule, but can't promise it completely because I don't know what's in store for me this year, I hop..........................................e good things ( excuse the interruption, as I was typing ' I hope good things' one of my doves crashed into the window right next to where I am sitting and startled me quite a bit. The Dove is OK, my neck is not so much, I hope that isn't a sign of things to come ?).

Ok, so back to my plans.

I have always loved photography, in my younger years I took a few classes, collected books, did some amateur work for weddings and some modeling shoots but my main love was always to capture the beauty of nature around me. Still life's of nature around me or action shots of animals filled most of my photo boxes. Since switching from my SLR Canon to a digital it's taken me awhile to get back into that because it seems I am always doing shoots for my shops but because I mainly shot near a window for natural light, what's going on outside doesn't escape my eye and I usually find my download intermingled with non art shots. I am thankful for digital for one thing, I can take as many shots as I want and not waste any money on film or developing! And so it is not odd for me to end up with more non shop items than not. Only thing that stops me is a low battery with non on recharge!

So, what does that have to do with you? Well I was looking through some of my recent photos the other day and thought, what could I do with these? I wanted to find a way to share them with you without having to devote a whole blog post to them ( I would never live long enough to do so! ) But thought of a way to share them with you to make it enjoyable!

Each week I will be posting a Mystery Picture - Goal Mystery Monday, to help you get your week off to a good start. You will have until the following Sunday night at 9pm EST to identify what the picture is. Yes that is the mystery! Now there is a contest attached as well! A bit different than other blog contests and different than others I will have. Since this is a mystery you can't post your guess on the blog then others would see. So, what's the solution? almost as easy. Stop by every Monday and take a look at the new photo. You have all week to ponder over it and when you think you have an answer just click on my About me avatar ( my green nasturtium leaf ) and that will take you to my Google Blogger user page. On the left hand side under Contact, just click on my email and send me your guess!

One winner each week will be drawn from all the correct entries. But your name won't be discarded from that group each week but added to the next weeks drawing IF you participate in that Mystery Monday and have a correct answer.

Example: Week 1 your guess is correct and entered into the drawing. Your name isn't drawn. You come back the following week, make another correct guess on the new mystery photo and now you have two entries into that weeks drawing. Even if you win that week, if you come back the third week and guess correctly you will have the first entry added to that weeks chance. So the object is to keep coming each week and make a guess.

You don't have to do anything else. You can choose to blog about it, or tweet it, or even write a blurb about it on Facebook and share, that is great, but you don't have to, I leave that up to you to share out of the goodness of your heart, not to gain you an entry. ( at least not on this contest). I would advise however that you become a follower if you aren't already and then you will be reminded when you go to your dashboard or reader each week when you see my post, so you won't forget!

So that's one of the fun things I've planned for this year, what, Oh, what was that, you want a prize if you win? Well fancy that! :) Of course I have something for your time and effort (besides the fun of the mystery), each week there will be a gift certificate for your choice of pre-selected items from one of my shops. Pre-selected because they will have something in common with the mystery photo, but not always obvious! But fun. And there will always be a choice so you will want to participate each week.

What else do I have planned? Another ongoing feature will be a post on a regular basis (not sure of the timing yet, once or twice a month perhaps) with the subject being Crafting Boo-Boos. There are many blogs I've visited that have tutorials on how to make this and how to make that but one thing I've found lacking is a source for how not to make this or how not to do that. This is a niche I think I can fill in many art and crafting areas since I have tried many of them and want to share what I've learned through my mistakes. I don't like wasting time and thought you could better spend the time you have for creating Art and being better prepared. I will also be sharing with you any other gems like this from others trial and errors so you can build a library of bookmarks to read up on what not to do before you spend your precious time and money on a project. I will try and include photos where possible or if need be a hand drawn sketch for you to follow.

Anything else? I will be trying to share with you this year more about Organic Living, with sources, recipes and ideas on how to incorporate more blessings from nature into your life. I will also be running an ongoing feature Called Animal, Vegetable or Mineral? No, it's not twenty questions, but twenty facts about one of those natural things each week. I hope this will help you to make more informed choices with your food dollar in the grocery store each week and also if planning a garden.

I will be working on some new lines of jewelry and jewelry components (for StudioARTBEAD) that I will announce here before putting in my shop. I plan on working on a new theme for each month. This month is "Ring in the New Year"! Stay tuned to see what that is all about!

Also there will be some great New Jewelry and Polymer Clay book reviews coming soon!

There's more in store, but that is just to whet your appetite, so I hope you'll join me each week and let's have a great year together! And don't forget to come back tomorrow to see what the first Mystery Photo is!


I'll give you a hint, it's GREEN!

7149