Creative Flavor Combination in a Chocolate Bar

Anyone else looking for a unique way to usher in the New Year? I know most think of champagne, but what about the age old chocolate bar? Except, this one isn't too old in its ingredients.

This Christopher Michael chocolate bar contains 41% Venezuelan milk chocolate, bacon, sea salt and popping candy (pop rocks), so it's bound to contain unique flavors.

I just think it sounds like it has potential in an off kilter type of way. Bacon, sea salt and chocolate sound great. I'm wondering what the pop rocks add to it?

And I know it has won awards at the San Francisco Chocolate Salon.

What I like about this combination is that is creative and has flavors I really enjoy. My hat is always off to folks who seek new twists to a traditional subject. I'd say this exemplifies it.

Anyone brave enough to try it? Here is where you can find it. It retails for $7.

See you tomorrow...http://www.studiomarcy.blogspot.com

Ancient Roman Glass Shards for sale on Etsy

I noticed this listing yesterday and thought I'd bring it to your attention.

According to the Etsy seller, RockLogic, these shards are 2000 years old and there are over 2 lbs for sale at the cost of $387.00.

They were excavated in Israel, but are called Roman because they date to the Roman era. These are approximately 50BC to about 100 AD.

Apparently many have an iridescent patina and some pieces are over 2" long.

Are any of you like me? I'd love to hold these in my hands and really look at them carefully. But there is something in me that truly would love to melt some of it too and form some beads out of this old glass.

You can find the listing HERE. If you buy it, please email me or post and let me know more about it. Or feel free to post here if you are looking for someone to share the cost with you. This could be a treasure waiting to happen.

See you tomorrow for more fun and inspiration...http://www.StudioMarcy.blogspot.com, or friend me on Facebook under "Marcy Lamberson".

Back From the Frozen Tundra

Okay, perhaps it wasn't frozen tundra, but I am back from visiting my delightful relatives in Wyoming. (40 mph winds and -10 degrees!) In typical Lamberson fashion, we were snowed in, and couldn't leave town. This is a photo of the road as we braved the just opened highway.

Taking a few days off gave me time to think about creativity and working in glass. Do you ever just sit and think? Where you want to go, what you want to do?

The cold and wind chill did not inspire my creativity, nor did the extra splash of kahlua in my coffee either. But there was one funny thing that did.

Have you ever played Apples to Apples? It's one of those fun family games that just about anyone can play. You are given a topic and you have to match as best as possible, one of your cards to it. I kept thinking that there is a connection there to creativity. It was fascinating to see how different people thought. It made me wonder how that could relate to my glass art.

And then I realized that it reflected the way I think sometimes. I enjoy putting two things together that don't exactly fit. Whether it's monkeys wearing hats, or birds wearing jewelry, having two pieces that are a little atypical, tends to make me smile.

So tell me about your holiday. Were you inspired somehow? Or have a brainstorm in between the sugar overloads? I'd love to hear.

See you tomorrow, right here. http://www.studiomarcy.blogspot.com

Fish Bringing Peace

Please note: if you are easily weirded out, please stop reading now.

Recently, I was contacted by a step mom who had lost her young adult step son. She had his ashes and wanted to incorporate them into glass somehow. Her husband, his dad, was heartbroken and together they had decided that this might be good for the family who was grieving.

We chatted a bit and she decided that because he loved to fish, that would be a suitable way to commemorate him and that none of the cremains would be visible.

Here are the fish that I made for her. I have to say, that this custom work was one of the saddest, but most rewarding jobs that I have done. She came in, saw them and cried because they were even better than she had dreamed. She said that she hoped that this would bring some peace to the family.

Of course, I was so sad too for this family. But the idea of helping them sure made it a lot easier. I had worked with pets before, but never humans. The idea of it had me taken aback a bit, but I knew the results were what was important.

So would I do it again? Yes, of course. The Step Mom's reaction showed me how I could make a difference in a family's grieving. I'm all for that.

Have you done something similar to this? Tell us about it and how you handled it.
See you tomorrow.

Hey Cupcake

I thought you'd want to see what a real $750.00 dessert cupcake looks like. Yes, that was not a typo.

This is the Decadeance D'Or cupcake from the Sweet Surrender candy and cupcake shop in the Palazzo Resort on the Las Vegas strip.

Edible gold flakes top the 100-year-old Louis XIII de Remy Martin Cognac, Palmira Single Estate Chocolate and Tahita Gold Vanilla Caviar baked into this luscious cupcake.

Personally, I think it's cool, but if you have $750 to spend in spare change, please stop by my Etsy shop, http://www.StudioMarcy.Etsy.com. You can get a lot more for your money and I'll even sprinkle my beads with gold leaf. ;)

Hope your holiday weekend was merry and that you are not on sugar overload like I am.

I'm heading home today. Looking forward to warmer weather and catching up with what I missed. And being a little sad saying good bye to my friends and family out West.

It's Here!

Merry Christmas to one and all. Wishing you a happy day with friends and family.

And to my daughter Sparky - I miss you-bunches! Hope you kick some serious you-know-what in your holiday Cribbage tournament. We're all rooting for you a couple of continents away. (and almost as cold here too!)

Love,
Marcy
ps if you want to see a funny website, click here. Sketchy Santas.

See you Sunday!

Free Fun Stuff!

"No one has ever become poor by giving."
-- Anne Frank

I just discovered Marilyn Scott-Waters' website, www.thetoymaker.com. It is chock filled with FREE paper toys to print out, color, glue, sparkle and play with. From paper dolls and spinners to gift boxes with cute illustrations and otters, it's all a gift from her talented hands and heart.

Perhaps you have some little people who need another activity to keep them actively busy and happy...this could be for you. And if you're like me, you'll want to download some of these pdf.s just to try them out.

Enjoy. Wishing you a visit from "you-know-who" tonight down your chimney, or however he arrives. Don't forget the carrots for the reindeer.

Sending love and hugs,
Marcy