Have I mentioned I like making wedding things? Here’s a play on the Brocade Wedding Invitations I just finished up for a friend. I liked the design so much I decided to try out a shower invitation as well. I played with the color scheme and typography a bit more as it’s more informal than the invitations. I really like the way they printed! Of course the paper helps a ton. I’m really loving printing on the 100% cotton paper. It’s a bit pricey, but I love the quality. It’s definitely worth it to me. More photos below, and if you’re interested in purchase, they are available in my Etsy shop!

These wedding favor tags are now available in my Etsy shop! These were one of my favorite items in our wedding. They were a small touch, but made a big impact. It’s amazing what a nicely designed little tag can do for an inexpensive favor!

I love packaging things up for people. Making something look beautiful for someone when they open their package makes me happy, whether a gift for a friend or in this case for delivering an order. It’s so fun to get a package or gift, but to have it beautifully prepared adds to the joy. This is a simple application, but I like it. Tie it up with some fun ribbon and a custom tag and viola! Pretty package.

This invitation is one of my favorites so far. Graphic dahlia, softened with a light gray and blue (of course customizable to any wedding colors). It’s also the first wedding invitation I have available in my Etsy shop.  Stay tuned for more fun designs!

So here’s one of my most recent wedding invitations that I created as a wedding gift for a friend. Her colors are black, red and white as you see reflected here. She also wanted to tie in a graphic floral or brocade pattern which we pulled in at the top but canted it to give it a little bit of a twist. We also threw in a punch of the red in the names to add some color but not overwhelm since it already had such a strong visual with the brocade. All together it makes for a nice modern yet classy invitation. These were printed on a 100% cotton paper that is one of my favorite papers to print on. Definitely one of my favorite wedding invites.

Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

This is a de-licious appetizer fit for any shower or other gathering of people where food will be consumed. We made this for William and Jessica’s wedding shower and you can find all the details of their menu here. These tasty little treats are best served warm. Mmm. I need to make these again soon…

Salmon Phyllo Bites

Makes approx. 35 individual pastries

 1 Box Phyllo dough (you’ll only need ½ of the box)

1 stick melted butter

½ lb sliced smoked salmon cut into ½ x 1 inch rectangles

1 8oz. container cream cheese, room temperature

1 bunch fresh dill

Parchment paper

Pastry bag with medium round tip (a zip lock bag with one corner trimmed off works fine)

Pastry brush

1. Begin by layering 7 sheets of phyllo dough on parchment paper. The first layer should be the parchment paper brushed with a layer of butter. Be sure to cover the entire piece of phyllo. Continue layering with a piece of phyllo, then butter the piece. Finish off the stack of phyllo with butter. Remember to work fast with the phyllo as it will dry out very quickly.
2. Next, cut the phyllo into 1 ½ strips.
3. Place one salmon rectangle ¼ inch from the top and right edge of the phyllo. From there, place additional pieces of salmon ½ inch apart until you reach the end of the strip of phyllo.
4. Fold the left side of the phyllo strip over the salmon and press down on the right edge to seal the dough. Press down the top and bottom edge as well.
5. Press between each piece of salmon to create a little salmon packet. Cut the packets apart, making sure to not cut into the salmon. Place the packets on an ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 350 until golden brown, approximately 10 mins.
7. Remove the pastries from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool 5 minutes before garnishing. If you don’t allow them to cool a bit, the garnish will melt…and nobody likes melty garnish. Unless it’s cheese.
8. Place the cream cheese in the pastry bag and squeeze out a dime size dollop in the center of the pastry.
9. Garnish with a small sprig of dill. 

It was long overdue, but the blog has been updated (along with the Etsy shop)! Still the same Handmade by Sarah Masciana, fresh new look.

Well, it’s been a long time coming, but I’m finally starting to sell some invitations! I’ve uploaded my first set of designs and they’re ready to order in my Etsy store! I’m starting out with the baby shower invitations and will be adding more invitations over the next few weeks.  There’s some exciting new wedding invitation designs coming as well! If you’re interested in a custom invitation for your event, let me know!

Here’s the latest in my invitation and announcement designs, a baby boy birth announcement. This could, of course be easily updated for a baby girl. I love the simplicity of it and how baby is the star.

Yum. What better way to celebrate fall than with a delicious pear cake. I found this recipe in one of my favorite magazinzes, Fine Cooking. It turned out tasting good but it definitely doesn’t look as perfect as their gorgeous photo. I have no idea how they get those oh so perfect pear slices. Maybe a mandolin? Maybe I’ll try that next time around. I think it still looks pretty darn good and the caramel was fun and easy to make.  At first sight the recipe might seem a little overwhelming with all the caramel making, but if I can get it done between newborn naps, I think it’s safe to say it’s not that bad . I did make one small change to the recipe by adding in a 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom to go with the ground cinnamon and ginger. Anytime I get a chance to add in some cardamom I jump at it. I love cardamom.

Pear Cake Up Close and Personal