Inspire Archives - BANDANA GIRL

Maple Syrup Season At Our Hidden Hill Farm

by Melinda Orr | Mar 5, 2015 | About Our Life, Inspire | 4 comments

One of the things we love here on the farm is Maple Syrup from our farm maple trees. This weekend Tim & I tapped the trees in anticipation for the sap run! Sap run entails above freezing days with freezing or colder nights. This temperature fluctuation pressures the sap to rise in the trees when it’s warmer, getting ready to feed the buds that will grow into leaves and seeds. When it rises, it drips through the taps into our milk jugs attached to the trees.

We collect about 10 gallens a day or more…it takes 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. It’s a daily process but gets me outside everyday collecting and checking out the wildlife & I drop some grains off for the deer and turkey too! This keeps my mind off the anticipation of Spring…which takes so long to really develop here in North Central Pennsylvania..by the time were done, it’s here….

Enjoy our Maple season, I’ll be adding more about it and pictures as the jugs begin to fill and we cook it down on my studio wood stove.

The final product!

Maple Syrup 🙂

The process of tapping maple trees, collecting the sap, and making maple syrup (one of the many uses of maple sap) is actually quite simple. It does, however, take some time and a willingness to get outdoors and experience this miracle of nature (literally tapping into Mother Nature). Here is a great site to get you started if you want to try. http://www.tapmytrees.com/

We actually use the plastic spiles and tubes into milk jugs. Less debris in the sap and less spillage. We were very happy with them from www.oldcobblersfarm.com or here is their ebay link.

Tapping Maple Trees 1

Drilling the hole for the tap

Tapping Maple Trees 2

Running two taps to one jug

Tapping Maple Trees 3

Hammering in the tap

Tapping Maple Trees 4

Tim drilled and I hammered

Tapping Maple Trees 5

We could hear the tap tap of the sap dripping

Ready for Pancakes

Our fresh Maple Syrup and favorite mix

Measure Ups! Gorgeous Tape Measures

by Melinda Orr | Mar 1, 2015 | Components, DIY, Inspire, Jewelry & Gifts, Jewelry Design

Measure Ups – Handmade Textured & Dyed Leather bound – 60″ Tailors Retractable Measuring Tape with inch/mm increments. Perfect and pretty to keep by your side for measuring. I use mine practically everyday and made it a year ago and still functioning and the leather is getting a nice soft sheen from the natural oils in your hands. I finally decided to offer them as a gift item! They measure approx 3″ wide and 3/4″ deep. I’ve added a copper pull tab to keep inline with it’s rustic feel.

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Uses :

Wrist measurements for jewelry making
Seed bead design
Body measurement for dieting
Sewing
Measuring leather work
Bead show – measuring

Gift Ideas For:

Home Decorators
Knit & Crochet Crafters
Tailors & Seamstress
Leather Workers
Crafty Friends
Seed Beaders
Jewelry makers
Mothers & Grandmothers

The Tailors Tape is a simple but essential tool for sewing, crafts, and other general purposes; it never hurts to have an extra one handy as they are used so frequently. This particular unit features non-stretch, soft and flexible fiberglass fabric tape with contrasting increments in red. The vivid red color of the measurements provides a great contrast against the white background to ensure that you’re getting the most accurate measurement possible. Push the button to retract the tape back into it’s case. Measurements are in inches on one side and uses the metric system on the other.

Our Goddess Collection – Names and Textures Guide

by Melinda Orr | Feb 20, 2015 | Inspire, Jewelry & Gifts, Tutorials

My designs are all about textures. You’ll find through out my work vibrant & beautiful textures. I’ve included a guide to help you make your jewelry buying easier! Typically we can adjust a designs texture. This would fall into a custom order categor. You would just need to connect with us for what you would like. Many would not incur an additional cost. So don’t hesitate to message us! I’m working on a few new textures ~ Stop back soon!

Goddess Jewelry

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Inspiration Gallery

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Goddess Components

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ATHENA
(Greek) – Goddess of war and wisdom and domestic crafts. Plato believed her name meant “mind of God” whilst others suggest it comes an ancient word meaning “sharp.” Both these words point to Athena’s great intellectual ability to see the true nature of a situation and to develop successful strategies.

ARIES
While not a goddess , it’s the first Astrological sign and just seemed to fit this texture. The symbol of the ram is based on the Chrysomallus, the flying ram that provided the Golden Fleece.

EOS
(Greek) – A sunny natured Goddess whose name means dawn. A wonderful texture – a favorite!

GAIA
(Greek) – Goddess of the Earth and prophecy. She is the primordial mother and a personification of Mother Earth. She gave birth to the Titans.

OSTARA
(Germanic) – The spring Goddess whose name is linked to the East and the dawn. The early Christians took her fertility symbols of eggs and hares and incorporated them into the Easter celebrations.

VENUS
(Roman) – Goddess and love and beauty. Her Goddess name has become synonymous with her role as the woman who all men desire.

Autumn Inspirations

by Melinda Orr | Dec 24, 2014 | About Our Life, Inspire, Jewelry & Gifts, Jewelry Design

My favorite season of the year!

Fall. Autumn. Indian Summer

whatever you call it…it’s just beautiful here in Northern Central Pennsylvania. Was excited to get some shots of my daughter and fiance for her engagement pictures

I’ve been busy designing some fall inspired jewelry!

The crispy taste of Autumn ~ My Favorite Recipes!

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup evaporated milk

2/3 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin tin with silicone liners, foil liners sprayed with cooking spray or just spray the cups with cooking spray. Either of these three methods will make it easy to take the cupcake out after it’s cooked. Paper liners make it difficult to remove the cupcakes.

Mix the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. Add the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the mixture. Fill each muffin cup with 1/3 cup of the mixture. Bake for twenty minutes and let cool for twenty minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle more pumpkin pie spice on top and serve. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Hidden Hill Farm Hot Spiced Cider
1 gallon good cider (if you can find local pressed, it’s so much better)

1/8c brown sugar

1/4-1/2c orange juice or one orange sliced

1/2t ground cloves

1/2t ground nutmeg

1/2t pumpkin pie spice

10-13″ of cinnamon sticks or 1 t ground

Heat to boil and serve – we served Kraken Black spiced rum on the side with shot glass for the adults Just delicious…and needless to say, it was gone early! This is an easy bring along for your parties!

Grammercy Tavern Gingerbread

1 cup oatmeal stout or Guinness Stout or be creative and use your favorite Pumpkin Ale

1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of ground cardamom

3 large eggs

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter bundt pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a large saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs and sugars. Whisk in oil, then molasses mixture. Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

Pour batter into bundt pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs adhering, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Serve cake, dusted with confectioners sugar, with whipped cream.

Grammercy Tavern is a famous restaurant in NYC and this shared recipe is just amazing! It’s by far the best Gingerbread Cake I’ve ever had or made. It’s heavy, moist and has this deep rich flavor that entices you keep taking bites. You could serve it with a lemon sauce but I think its great with a fresh whipped cream.