Homage to Wildwood Press

Tonight is the opening of Wildwood Press' retrospective show, Mark Making, at Saint Louis University's gallery. Go see this show! It's a truly impressive display of the work of an incredible lady and an inspiring studio. With this exhibition opening, now seems like the perfect time to say a few words.

Over thirteen years ago, I wandered into a contract print shop at Washington University and met the most amazing person, Maryanne Simmons. I'll never forget that, when I kept asking questions about what she was working on, she put me to work right then and there sponging photo litho plates. Since then, I have had the privilege to work for and learn from Maryanne at her incredible studio—Wildwood Press.

I could go on and on about how much Maryanne and Wildwood mean to me, but I'll try to keep this short and sweet. There are those people in life who completely shape and change your course. At Wildwood Press, I learned how to be a true collaborator and printer from Maryanne. Her grace, generosity, and humor are all traits I aspire to emulate. And I hope that just a fraction of the spirit of Wildwood Press—fearless, experimental, and bold—carry over into Pele and what I have created at my own studio.

Thanks, Maryanne, for being a such a wonderful mentor and friend. xo

Stefan Hoffmann - Window Screenprinting

In honor of our upcoming Simple Silkscreen workshop, I'm sharing this great video of Stefan Hoffmann screenprinting on windows. Angela Malchionno, printmaker and artist extraordinaire, shared this with me...so simple and effective. Angela is teaching the workshop this weekend, and I'm so excited to have her as our first Pele Workshops visiting artist/teacher! By the way, there's still time to sign up for this great class. Even though we won't be printing on windows like Stefan, you'll learn everything you need to do it when you get home. Don't miss it!

Nathalie Miebach - Art & Science

Time to flesh out this blog beyond the walls of the Pele studio. So many people and things inspire and awe me everyday, and it makes me want to do more in my own small world. One these folks is Nathalie Miebach. Her creations combine art, science, math, music, and nature...right up my alley. Many thanks to Lynn Blosser for sharing this great tidbit!

Workshop Recipes

We had a great suggestion from one of our work-shoppers (thanks, Pat!) to share our tasty recipes. For those of you who don't know: we have awesome Make & Take classes at the studio that include homemade appetizers and desserts...along with adult beverages to enjoy. I really love to create these yummy morsels, but I don't get to do it very often at home. The Make & Take classes are my perfect "excuse," and I plan out a different menu for each class. A lot of my recipes come from my Pampered Chef days, but some are from my own inspiration and Pinterest friends. So try one of these recipes at home, or better yet, come try something new at one of our upcoming workshops.


Cheesy Artichoke Cups
24 wonton wrappers
2 jars (6.25oz) artichoke hearts
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pressed garlic clove
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 350°. Press wonton wrappers into a mini muffin pan. Drain artichoke hearts, and pat dry with paper towels. Chop artichokes with a food chopper. Combine artichokes, peppers, olives, cheese, garlic, and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Fill muffin cups with one scoop of artichoke mixture per cup. Bake 12-14 minutes. Let cool in pan for 2 minutes. Carefully remove and serve warm.
Yield: 24 servings


Spring Veggie Appetizer Pizza
1 package (8oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 container (8oz) cream cheese spread
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 pressed garlic clove
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
assortment of chopped veggies

Preheat oven to 350°. Unroll crescent rolls into 8 triangles, arrange in a circle on a baking stone (points to center and wide ends on outside). Roll the dough together into a 12 inch circle, pressing seams together to seal. Bake 14-17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, and seasoning. Spread evenly over baked crust. Add veggie toppers and refrigerate 30 minutes. Cut and serve.
Yield: 10 servings


Sunshine Cake
1 lemon 
1 orange
1/2 cup grated carrot
3 eggs
1 container (16oz) sour cream
1 package (18.25oz) yellow cake mix
1/4 cup powdered sugar
thawed frozen whipped topping (optional)

Grease stoneware fluted pan. Zest lemon and orange. Juice lemon and orange to measure 1/4 cup total, set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, carrot, and zest. Whisk until well blended. Add cake mix and blend well. Pour batter into fluted pan, spreading evenly. Microwave 11-14 minutes or until cake tester inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand in microwave 10 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan, invert onto serving plate. Brush reserved citrus juice over the top and sides of the warm cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Yield: 12 servings


Lemon Blueberry Trifle
1 pound cake (16oz)
2 lemons
1 1/2 cups milk
1 container (8oz) sour cream
1 container (8oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
2 packages (3.4oz each) lemon instant pudding/pie filling
1 pint blueberries

Cut pound cake into 1 inch cubes, set aside. Zest 1 lemon, set aside. Juice same lemon and sprinkle over pound cake cubes. Toss gently. In a large bowl, combine milk, sour cream, half of whipped topping, and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix, whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Set aside a handful of blueberries for garnish. To assemble trifle, place 1/3 of pound cake into bottom of serving bowl. Top with 1/3 blueberries. Top with 1/3 of pudding mixture, spreading evenly. Repeat layers 2 more times. Garnish with remaining whipped topping, reserved blueberries, and additional lemon. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
Yield: 10 servings


Berries 'n Cream Wonton Cups
24 wonton wrappers
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar
1 container (8oz) low fat strawberry yogurt
1 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
1 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blueberries
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Brush one side of each wonton wrapper with melted butter. Sprinkle evenly wth sugar. Press each wonton, sugar side up, into mini muffin pan. Bake 6-8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove wontons from pan and cool completely. Place yogurt in a small bowl. Fold in 1 cup of whipped topping. Scoop yogurt mixture into each wonton. Top each wonton with 1 raspberry and 2 blueberries. Garnish with additional whipped topping; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Yield: 24 servings