CREATIVE INSPIRATION

FLOWERS + LINKS

Instead of pink hearts and cheesy quotes I like to share some creative links with you today. Everybody needs inspiration and chance to see things differently time to time. I went back in time and tried to remember the early inspiration sources I got when I started my blog, painting and making ceramics and DIY. We go back maybe even time before Pinterest.

I remember how happy I was when I found a very interesting site called Book By Its Cover.  It is a site devoted to showcasing creative publications run by talented Julia Rothman. I fell in love with the sketchbooks by Alison Worman. There are a lot of creative energy and talent. Worth to see.

Second place where I like you to visit is Trendtablet by Lidewij Edelkoort. It's a place with so many interesting stories and things to see. This time I chose a wonderful project called grafted for you to see. It's a combination of ceramics and plants. 

Workshops. How much we get positive energy and inspiration from other people? I've been in several food photography workshops and I have to say they have had a big influence on me. I found the very first one I attended from Ace Camps. Different kind of people with different backrounds but with one common thing - love for food photography. It was a beautiful experience and I got plenty of inspiration and met a lot of lovely people. At the moment it is quite easy to find a workshop compared few years ago. They are very trendy at the moment and so many are making them. So choose carefully!

I have so many creative idols that it feels a bit difficult to name only one but her name is Hagar Vardimon. She makes beautiful and thoughful collages. Go and see her wonderful work under the creative name Happy Red Fish Art.

Finally we get to the last link and that is Fine Little Day's blog post about whittle. I don't remember when I found this blog but it has very nice nordic feeling with great topics and this time she is writing about something that is (i think) coming strongly next trend. Whittle. We already have followed creative people like woodworker Ariele Alasko who makes beautiful things from the wood. But as a DIY person I have already made plans to buy a very good carving knife to make a hand-carved wooden spoon. But in a meanwhile I borrow the carving knife from my husband :)

What is your favorite creative link?

xoxo
Kreetta

COOLING WATERMELON CAKES

TINY CAKES FOR SUMMER PARTY

We love cakes! Today we celebrate Lab Noon's birthday party with having a link party. Congrats Lab Noon! There might be best cake ever! You can find all the other great celebrating food blogs in the end of this post. There is also a giveaway in Lab Noon's blog.

But now I want to tell you about my cake! I love summer and I love to enjoy summer days as much as possible in the garden. Summer is so short here in Scandinavia that you really have to try enjoy every bit of it. So it is a very good idea to have a nice garden party. Parties are always something that you need to work a little bit. If you have garden party then you really have to decide what works there for example on a very warm summer day. 

And yes, I have the coolest - the coolest ever - cake for you. Cute tiny watermelon cake. It is fresh and delicious and very simple to make. It's almost only a watermelon you need.

TINY WATERMELON CAKES

watermelon

fresh berries

mint or lemon balm

cream (i used coconut cream but you can choose your favorite cream)
 

other things like vanilla extract, rose water, candy, chocolate, fruits you want to use in decorating the tiny cakes.

HOW-TO

Find a glass that has straight edges or other enough sharp cylinder shaped item. You can also use professional cutters, then cutting is really easy. I had a bit decorated glass but it worked just fine. You just have to be a bit careful.

Cut the watermelon. Cut it for the height you want your tiny cake to be. After that you can push the glass to the watermelon. After you have made a circle there, you can also use knife to cut the watermelon. But with glass you get nice round shaped ones that are pretty as they are. You can do it quite slowly that the piece of watermelon doesn't stuck in the glass. I have to admit it was quite fun :) You really should not use design glass like this but you get nice pic though, haha! The glass is by Iittala and the designer is Oiva Toikka. He is now 84 years old. Very famous designer in Finland.

Why I used the glass because it was just right size with my tiny ceramic cake holders. I have made them from paper clay. I've been waiting a chance to use them as a photo prop and now I could. When I was making them in ceramic course people were a bit amused by them. "Where do you use them?" they asked me. They said they liked them but couldn't imagine the purpose. Can you? You can use them with small cakes, pastries like macarones and muffins. You can also have your ring and earrings there on your nightstand ;) As you see very useful.

As we are talking about watermelon we know how wet it is, so when you are cutting the cakes, you can dry them a bit with paper towel. Save them in cool place before serving. 

Don't they look adorable? There are possibilites to take this idea even more further. You can also have a DIY cake garden party. Everybody can decorate their own cakes or maybe even make the whole thing. That would be great fun! 

So let's have a party! This post is one of Lab Noon's virtual birthday party. There are several nice recipes for you to enjoy. So please go through the links below and find your favorite cake!

LAB NOON'S VIRTUAL BIRTHDAY PARTY LINK LOVE

Lab Noon

Twigg Studios 

Hortus Cuisine

Foodistan 

Cocinayletras 

Celeste Cucina 

Foolproof Living 

mykitchenkiosk 

My daily sourdough bread  

Gourmet Project 

La Panificatrice Folle

Rustica Retro  

Vermilion Roots 
Persian Foodie

 

You can also win very nice giveaway by leaving a comment on Lab Noon's post. Shipping is only available in Europe.

What do you think - are you going to make some watermelon cakes? You can always make a one big if you aren't a friend of tiny little things...

xoxo

Kreetta