Pink Sky

Upcoming Knitting Projects

2009-08-27T07:36:00.000-04:00

I decided to switch gears from the crochet items and work on some knitting projects. The recipient's mother is allergic to wool, so I found some yarns of the same weight that were made of plant materials, one of sugarcane and another of bamboo. I think they'll look gorgeous when they are finished and can't wait to get started. Patterns for these will all come out of the same book below.

Another Tiramisu

2009-08-19T17:51:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know I must be making everyone sick of the Tiramisu Blanket, but here's the latest one for some friends having a baby girl soon. :)

Garden Bounty

2009-08-13T17:34:00.000-04:00

Well, we had a not so great veggie gardening year, our tomato and squash plants all died early in the season, but a few have kept going. The watermelon growing on one of our vines split after heavy rains this past weekend, but there are a few plants still going. Here is a sampler of the items we picked over the weekend. Nothing like homegrown organic veggies to get me excited about cooking! This particular batch got a stir-fry, a quinoa salad, and a veggie side dish.

New Sumi-e

2009-08-04T12:18:00.004-04:00

Here are details of the bunny and elephant paintings I mentioned recently:

They will be going to decorate a nursery for cute little twins!

Cooper's Flock

2009-07-28T12:33:00.001-04:00

The weekend was busy and I'm tired coming out of it but it was somewhat productive. I got to catch up on several tasks that I'd been meaning to do for weeks (some months!) One of these was that I actually finished knitting three birds for Cooper's Flock. They flew to New York to join the other birdies in the flock.
Cooper's flock is made up of knit or sewn birds that will be given to pediatric cardiac patients and their families. The birds are in memory of Cooper, an infant born with a heart defect and whose little heart gave out a few weeks after he was born. His parents called him "birdie" because he made little cooing noises. Lucinda, the baby's mother wants to give these birds to the patient's families to let them know there's someone thinking of them who's been in their shoes. She's asking they be knit with Blue Sky Alpacas organic cotton because it's safe and less likely to produce allergic reactions for the babies. You can also sew a bird if you don't knit. More information over at Lucinda's Blog.

Beach Trip

2009-07-20T07:02:00.001-04:00

Summer... again it isn't my favorite season but it is much more bearable when I'm sitting by the ocean! We took a recent beach trip to one of the top ranked beaches nearby (we are spoiled indeed!) and I just had to share a couple photos. The water was that blue green color I love so much. And crystal clear when you get up close. The sand was white and soft underfoot. Nothing like time looking at the ocean to make everything better.

Sweet Package

2009-07-15T17:51:00.001-04:00

Well friends, I've dropped off the face of the earth again. It's been health related this time but it's nothing really serious, so no worries. :) Also really busy at work but I am looking forward to sharing some of my latest crafting and doings with you. Someone left a question while I was out and asked if I do bunnies or elephants in sumi-e so you may see some of those in the near future too! Particularly bunnies. I love those little guys so much I'm surprised there are none to be found in my stash of finished works. This omission must be corrected... and soon!

I did get the sweetest little package from Ms. LQ who writes the Paper Napkin Poetry blog, I was the very lucky winner of her giveaway, not only did I get the most gorgeous art postcard but also several other goodies, all colorfully and lovingly wrapped. Thank you again so much for the package. I apologize for the lousy photos but I was like a little kid on Christmas morning and couldn't wait for better light the next day before opening my goodies! It is even more beautiful than the photos show. I don't know how you could bear to part with it except to think you are very generous!

Wow!!!

2009-06-22T12:23:00.002-04:00

I am feeling like one very lucky duck today! I won a giveaway of an absolutely gorgeous piece of art from Paper Napkin Poetry. Yay! :)

Thank you *so* much, LibbyQ!!!

Summer Cooking

2009-06-19T17:44:00.001-04:00

I will confess that summer is my least favorite season. I usually just do my best to ignore summer and go to the beach whenever I can to get away from the heat. But I have to admit I've been really enjoying some things so far this summer: the gardenias have been blooming - I brought a few indoors and they smell great. The flowers in the garden are blooming. The storms that roll in in the afternoon and sometimes cool things off. I have extra appreciation for the huge selection of delicious fresh fruits and veggies, from the blueberries we've picked at a local farm to the fresh corn, tomatoes, etc. we've been having.

I found some yellow pear tomatoes at the farmer's market recently (our yellow pear tomato plant unfortunately died because of all the rain we got earlier in the season) and made a simple tossed salad with them, adding some mozzarella, a little fresh purple basil and parsley from the herb garden, a tiny bit of sea salt, and a little bit of good quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic - it turned out so good!!!!
I can't wait to go to the farmer's market Saturday morning and see what we can find! :)

So I may not be happy about the heat but at least there is lots of yummy food in the kitchen.

A Better Pound Cake

2009-06-12T07:45:00.001-04:00

So after I raved about that sour cream pound cake (quite a deviation from my usual whole grain lower fat recipes) a friend mentioned that there was a recipe in a magazine with a similar recipe but with a few changes. So I (in the name of scientific research, mind you!) baked the new recipe, which swaps the sour cream for cream cheese and makes a few more changes. It turned out even better, so I looked for it online and I'm sharing the link. Enjoy!

Summer Is Here

2009-06-08T17:58:00.000-04:00

I've been going to the farmer's market every Saturday for the past several weeks, just loving all the veggies out there. The garden is moving slower than first anticipated, we had 2 1/2 weeks of rain after 6 weeks of drought so the extremes didn't agree well with some of the veggies, though the eggplants are completely unruffled by it all. :)

One of my favorite treats is fresh sweet corn steamed right on the cob. That really says summer to me!
Coming soon: I found a recipe that beats the sour cream pound cake I posted earlier. So hold on tight and get your mixers ready!

Alternate Winner

2009-06-02T12:14:00.003-04:00

Oh, Sarah S! I did not hear back from you so I'll have to pick an alternate winner for the giveaway.
Random.org picked number 14, Mikaiya, who loves lemon scones with clotted cream with her tea. Being lunch time, I could totally go for some of those right now! So please Mikaiya, send me your shipping address so I can send you the little package.

Thank you again to everyone who participated and left such sweet comments (both literally and figuratively.)

I'll do another giveaway of the same nature with my next set of embroidery patterns.

Giveaway Winner!

2009-06-01T07:48:00.007-04:00

I am humbled by so many comments on my giveaway! I tried to reply to each of your comments, but was unable to reply to all because not everyone left an e-mail address. I've enjoyed visiting your blogs so far. I'm quite behind on replies with so many e-mails, so I will just say thank you so much for visiting and I'm excited to see so many embroidery enthusiasts liked the patterns! I wish I could give one to everyone who participated...

Without further ado, our randomly chosen winner is:
Comment number 155 belongs to Sarah S., who loves to have croissants with her tea. Sarah, please contact me with your information using the username for this blog at gmail dot com. If I don't hear from Sarah by tomorrow AM, I'll select an alternate winner and post it here.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for visiting and participating in my giveaway! I hope to do a giveaway like this with every new set of embroidery patterns I create, so this will not be the last one!

Giveaway!

2009-05-26T17:38:00.006-04:00

I am doing a little giveaway to celebrate that I have finished my first set of embroidery patterns (there's a little sneak preview in my previous post.) In addition to one copy of the PDF pattern itself, I'll be giving away a tea towel (my favorite kind, the flour sack ones that are so handy in the kitchen!) and some embroidery floss to make your own "Time for Tea" kitchen towel. Flour sack towels are 100% cotton, and are what I used to embroider the two samples in my previous post. As seen in the photo below, they can be a bit wrinkly, but I think that makes them more homey. The embroidery floss is what I use for embroidery, DMC floss in some of my favorite colors that would go with this particular pattern (and of course, you can continue use the patterns for all sorts of fun embroidery projects after the towel is done!)
To enter, please leave a comment sharing your favorite treat to have along with tea (add a link to a recipe if you want to share it!) before midnight (EDT) on May 31. I'll pick a comment at random on June 1 and announce it on the blog, so check back to see if you are the winner! If I don't hear from the winner by June 2, I'll pick an alternate. Thanks for visiting and good luck!

ETA: Comments are now closed. Thank you for visiting!

Sneak Preview

2009-05-22T07:42:00.002-04:00

I've had some sketches for fun little embroideries I've been working on for a few years. One of the earlier sets is this particular one, and I finally made some time to get it started this week. To celebrate their impending arrival, I'll be doing a little giveaway next week. Here's a sneak preview of a couple of them. They are so much fun!

Sour Cream Pound Cake

2009-05-20T07:50:00.003-04:00

I baked lemon sour cream pound cake last evening. After looking at five different recipes, I sheepishly realized they are pretty basic and rather similar. I combined a few recipes to make it lemon flavored. They turned out delicious!!! Here's my recipe:

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake
3 cups unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks butter (room temperature)
6 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Grated zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1/2 lemon (I should have added more, but I wasn't sure how it'd affect consistency)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease (generously to prevent sticking) muffin tins or bundt or 10" tube pan.
Sift flour and baking soda together. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar at medium high speed using mixer.
Beat eggs in one at a time using low speed. Add sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest.
Incorporate flour and baking soda while mixing at medium low speed until smooth. Try not to overmix.
Pour into pans. Bake about 30 minutes for cupcakes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool for about 5 minutes on rack, then loosen from tins and let cool. If using bundt/tube pan bake for about 1 1/4 hours, let sit on rack for about 10 minutes before turning out to cool.

Makes 12 servings (520 calories ea.), I got about 20 cupcakes (about 310 calories each - approximation in calorie count is because I got 18 plus 12 mini cupcakes).
I might make a glaze with the remaining lemon juice and some sugar to add next time, but I was pleased with the buttery flavor, light crumb, and texture, though the lemon turned out to be more like a hint of lemon... gee, I'll have to try a few more just to make sure ;D My favorite part (and one of the reasons for using muffin tins) are the crispy bits around the edges of the tops. Yummy!!!

Flu

2009-05-12T07:11:00.002-04:00

My poor neglected little blog! I caught the flu after my last entry and it really hit me hard. I had a flu shot in the fall but it didn't do anything to prevent this one. I'm slowly getting back to my old self but have a ton of things to catch up on. I hope if you are reading this that you're healthy and well! At least the garden is still blooming. These are Gaillardias I grew from seed. It took them a few years to get going but now they are bursting with blooms!

Ribbon Posy

2009-04-24T07:56:00.000-04:00

I hope no one is sick of these yet, because I've been on a flower making spree! :) I put some fabric ones together earlier this week but wasn't happy with them (my husband agreed - that is one of the things I love about him, he's honest, yet tactful...) but I did make these and was much happier with them, he liked them much better too!
I added a pin to the back and thought they'd be good for decorating a coat or blouse or as a little everlasting corsage.

Herbs

2009-04-22T17:24:00.001-04:00

I'm still working on the garden, there are now little tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplants, summer squash, and a variety of herbs planted in the garden beds, and of course flowers in the rest of the yard.

I hope the herbs make it, I have mixed luck with those. I planted some catnip in my garden at my previous place, only to discover my cat was one of those that wasn't at all excited by catnip. But the neighbor's cat discovered the thriving patch and I once looked out the window to see this cat literally rolling in the catnip, with a blissful look on its face. It makes me laugh to this day when I think about it.

Fashionable

2009-04-13T12:29:00.006-04:00

I couldn't resist making one more ribbon rose.
There's no rhyme or reason as to how I make these flowers, I just play with wired ribbon and try different things until I make something that looks good to me.
I tried a different leaf shape this time around, added the usual pin backing and couldn't resist trying it on my little hand painted piggy bank that I made a while ago. This little piggy is definitely ready to go out and have fun!
What the fashionable peegs are wearing this spring!

Bamboo

2009-04-09T07:41:00.001-04:00

I have been interested in Japanese culture since a fairly young age. I think it may have been either Sanrio or the Japanese animation I grew up watching, but either way, because I love art I was always intrigued by the sumi-e and woodblock prints I would see in books.

I took a class to learn the basics of sumi-e and found that it's a wonderful, meditative art. It's deceptively simple, because you try to capture the essence of the item in as few strokes as possible. The paper we used was absorbent and the ink permanent, so any hesitation would mean there was a blob of ink in the middle of an otherwise beautiful stroke. It took some practice, but I loved making the ink at the beginning of each session, working on control of the brush, and found that I felt much more relaxed and happy after a session painting sumi-e. The best part is that the finished painting itself also possesses some of those same qualities, inviting peaceful meditation. I recently came across my stash of work from those efforts and will be showing a few here as I become re-acquainted with them.

Blooming

2009-03-30T17:42:00.003-04:00

We've been working on the garden, it's that busy time of year when the veggie garden needs to be started. Some of my roses have been happy with the weather and blooming. This one is an old-fashioned shrub that requires little care. This particular variety is called Mademoiselle du Brabant. I like roses that not only look good, but are easy to care for (no spraying for bugs or disease) and smell good. The old-fashioned varieties really do the trick, before that I had many failures with hybrids and thought I just couldn't grow roses. Turns out I was just growing the wrong kind. I want them to smell good too. It's one of the things people do when they see roses in bloom, they usually move in to try to smell them. So if they don't smell good, they are not worth growing. A shame because there are some pretty roses out there that don't smell so good, but again, the old fashioned ones usually have nice scents to boot. I must look funny at the nursery when I'm looking for roses, sniffing all of them before I choose which one I want!

Buttons

2009-03-17T07:31:00.000-04:00

I acquired a mixed collection of buttons, and found some containers to hold them all. The studio is coming together - little by little but getting there!

Fresh Squeezed

2009-03-12T07:43:00.000-04:00

I was gifted some just-picked citrus, and finally bought an inexpensive juicer so I could enjoy some of the juice oranges (navel oranges, on the right. The ones on the left are Chinese Honey oranges, easy to peel and great for eating.)
Some oranges look a little dirty because that is what they look like when they are just picked. After washing they look much better. This little juicer will make my next batch of lemon curd much easier to make!

Another Tiramisu Adaptation

2009-03-03T07:39:00.002-05:00

This baby blanket pattern is addictive! I just had to make another one. This one is 100% cotton.

I Love Weekends!

2009-02-26T07:32:00.000-05:00

Egg, whole grain toast, and sharp cheddar. Yum!

Colorful

2009-02-18T17:35:00.000-05:00

I love all the bits of color in my studio. Marbles are a particular favorite of mine, I love the way the sun shines through them, and painting them has always been an enjoyable challenge!

Tiramisu Baby Blanket Finished

2009-02-10T17:48:00.001-05:00

I finished the Tiramisu Baby blanket I started recently:
It was so much fun that I started another one the same evening. I modified the pattern a little and did not thread a ribbon through this blanket because I wasn't sure whether it would be safe for a baby. I'll have to look into that because it'd sure look cute with the ribbon. Either way I love the drape and the little scallops on the edge. I can't wait to finish the next one!

Happy World Nutella Day!

2009-02-05T07:25:00.001-05:00

Finally a holiday I can totally get into! Nutella is one of life's greatest pleasures, IMO, and I have recently been fantasizing about making strawberry nutella crepes again:

Hey, Valentine's day is coming soon and what a better excuse to make these delicious treats (though I need to work on plating and maybe try making them during the day so I can get better images!) Last year it was Nutella gelato, which was good, but I have to confess that little else beats just having a spoonful of the stuff straight from the jar. Of course, being as weak as I am around Nutella, the last time it made an appearance in my home was last year's gelato obsession. Must remedy that today.

What type of Nutella lover are you? And in case you are worried you may be crossing the line, here are the top 10 signs you are addicted to Nutella.

Rescue Birds

2009-01-28T17:47:00.001-05:00

I know someone who rescues birds and these little guys were being thrown away by their owner. I felt bad for them and took them in. I hope they enjoy hanging out with us.

Tiramisu Baby Blanket Started

2009-01-20T12:27:00.003-05:00

I used to work on projects one at a time and stay with each until I finished, but lately I have a lot of them going on and work on whatever suits my fancy at the moment. I'd been wanting to make a Tiramisu baby blanket and got one started recently. It's going quickly and I have the stitch pattern memorized, so hopefully it'll be finished soon!

Ribbon Flower

2009-01-15T07:35:00.000-05:00

I'd been wanting to try making these and I finally finished my first one for a friend. It has a pin on the back so she can wear it on whatever she wants.

Sunny Breakfast

2009-01-07T17:05:00.001-05:00

Toast with homemade lemon curd and mock Devonshire cream. I do love having time to eat something a little more leisurely while on break.

Ripple Blanket Update

2008-12-30T17:18:00.000-05:00

The ripple blanket I started a while back is still around and growing. I did take a break from it in summer (just not the type of weather that inspires blanket making.) But here it is so far, about halfway finished:

Felt Ornament

2008-12-23T12:19:00.003-05:00

I made a little felt ornament for a friend who is expecting next year.

Mini Cheesecake Brownies

2008-12-15T17:13:00.001-05:00

I saw these online and had to try them. I made a few modifications and baked them in mini muffin pan to control portion size. They were delicious!

One More Doll Quilt

2008-12-11T07:42:00.001-05:00

Blues and browns, machine assembled, hand quilted.

More Charity Squares

2008-12-03T07:38:00.000-05:00

This time it's for St. Dunstans. More information on the blankets for St. Dunstans at Michaela's Blog.
I will have to admit I loved the colors on the skein, but once they knitted up I'm a lot less keen on them. My apologies to Michaela! Next time I think I'll either work with self-striping yarn or solids.

Fall Is Here

2008-11-25T17:33:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year: the crisp air, the color, the golden light on the trees as the sun sets. Time seems to be moving at a more accelerated pace every year, it seems.

I also wanted to wish everyone a very warm and happy Thanksgiving. :)

Sour Cream Apple Pie

2008-11-19T07:46:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to try making a sour cream apple pie for a while (how time flies!) and finally got the time to try it. It will become part of our holiday recipes from here on out! Creamy and tangy, with the apples still crisp, not too sweet. I cut back on the amount of sugar in the original recipe and substituted low fat sour cream. I also realized I do not own a pie dish, so I used a store bought crust until I remedy that situation. I used five large apples and it was piled really high going into the oven but got to a more reasonable level after it was done. Unfortunately it's not the best photo, but the pie was delicious!!!

Baby Gift

2008-11-11T11:59:00.000-05:00

Here is a gift I made for a friend having a baby. It's gender neutral, but in a very cute sort of way. :) Both fabrics are 100% cotton flannel, and it's oversized in case it's used for swaddling.

Illustration Friday: Vacant

2008-11-03T12:37:00.009-05:00

One of the first exercises that we did in painting class was a visit to blind contour drawing. We had to draw each other without looking at the paper, and of course that always has some rather interesting results. Then we had to take our drawing and transfer it to canvas and paint it. Our instructor actually encouraged us to push the boundaries even more and use strong colors, so I ended up wiping off the face and attempting to re-do it in our next session, but didn't get very far. I was originally not going to post this painting because it's really not the type of style I paint, but it was such a perfect illustration of Illustration Friday's "Vacant" theme that I decided to just get over it and post it. I've been thinking about adding a pair of eyes to the original painting and call it "Eyes Without A Face" after the Billy Idol song. It's painted in oils on canvas.

Blue Ridge Parkway

2008-10-29T12:32:00.002-04:00

This past weekend we traveled to Asheville to see the leaves change color. I took this off one of the stops along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The weather was perfect and the colors were gorgeous.

Bebeh Squirrel

2008-10-13T07:19:00.001-04:00

The weather was quite nice yesterday late afternoon and DH and I decided to spend a little time enjoying our yard. We heard a shrill noise coming from one of our trees and could not quite put a finger on whether it was a bird or what. Walking around we figured out what tree it was coming from, a large oak near the back of the house. We were standing under it looking up and an object dropped on the grass under the tree in front of us and a large owl flew away. It was a baby squirrel, and it was what was making that shrill noise. The poor thing. I wasn't sure it would survive such a large drop and we stood there not quite knowing what to do. We thought about it for a while and could see the little guy was still breathing. We stepped away a ways to see if his mom was coming to get him but after several minutes, nothing happened. After a while DH picked it up and I hit the internet to see what to do. I immediately found a local site with a number to call for volunteers who take care of the little guys and called them and left a message. Meanwhile another site said what to do. DH opted to warm up the little guy in his hands while I made some homemade pedialyte and looked for a dropper to rehydrate him. I fed him a few droppers full and he perked up considerably, though he started rooting around DH's hand nibbling him trying to nurse.

I microwaved some small towels and put them in a box and then lined them with a soft kitchen towel and tucked him in. He fell asleep right away.

An hour later we got a call from the place and they took our location, an hour after that we heard back from a volunteer a few miles away where we took the little guy. The volunteer wondered whether we wanted to raise him ourselves, but I'd need to go get one or two others to raise with him so he wouldn't get too tame. At the end, I knew my boss would likely kill me if I brought baby squirrels to the office to feed, so we opted to just leave the little guy with other ones at the care of the volunteer. I hope he makes it, the volunteer coordinator who took him said he looked pretty good. :)
So that was our good deed of the day for yesterday: baby squirrel rescue. Considering how much squirrels love to dig up and kill my potted plants, well... but how could anyone resist such a cute little guy?

The Latest Doll Quilt

2008-09-24T17:58:00.001-04:00

This one is called "Australian Dreams" and made for an exchange:

The recipient loves deep colors and aboriginal art, particularly from Australia. It is machine assembled, the kangaroo is hand embroidered and appliquéd (with a little wax colors added) and hand quilted, with traditional binding.

I am loving making these little quilts. I would love to do a little hexagon quilt, a little cathedral windows one, and a few other ideas using the scraps in my stash.

Illustration Friday: Clique

2008-09-19T17:23:00.001-04:00

The fruit theme continues! Here is the latest oil on canvas (8x6"):

Yogurt Herb Loaf

2008-09-02T17:29:00.000-04:00

I borrowed a copy of the Enchanted Broccoli Forest from the library and baked a loaf of their yogurt herb quick bread.

It turned out great! Tender and tangy, simply perfect! I must make this one again.

Mmmm, Chocolate

2008-08-25T17:16:00.001-04:00

The most popular cake I make shouldn't even be called a cake, because it's incredibly dense and moist, more like a torte than a cake. It's chocolate cake with chocolate chips and chocolate icing, and has just made an appearance at the office potluck by request.

It's the Darn Good Chocolate Cake from the Cake Mix Doctor, except I usually substitute fat free sour cream (or yogurt), and add more chocolate chips than the recipe calls for and drizzle with melted chocolate icing, because you can never have too much chocolate. It's not completely made from scratch, but no one ever complains.

Another Doll Quilt!

2008-08-19T17:12:00.001-04:00

I made this little doll quilt for another friend I was exchanging handmade things with. It's made from leftover scraps from a larger quilt I'd cut out a year an a half ago. I called it Hydrangea because the palette is based on the colors of hydrangeas.

It's machine assembled and hand quilted (stitch in the ditch) with traditional binding.

Back to Fruit

2008-08-13T07:48:00.000-04:00

I'm back to my comfort zone and it shows! I was much happier painting yesterday's piece.

Oil painting, 8x8" canvas.

No Need to Knead

2008-08-11T07:56:00.002-04:00

So I tried my hand as this no-knead bread thing and it worked! I of course substituted whole wheat flour for the regular flour it called for, but it turned out better than I expected!

Perfect with a little brie and a glass of wine!

Maybe I Should Stick to Fruit

2008-08-08T17:51:00.001-04:00

Had a frustrating landscape painting day. I have admitted that landscape painting is not my forte, and this week's painting definitely shows it.

I told my instructor I'm taking a break from landscapes for now and going back to fruit next week.

Colorful Chickies

2008-08-05T07:40:00.000-04:00

I am not into chickens or roosters, though I inherited a few hens and a rooster when I bought my first home years ago - the sellers even put them in the contract! It was quite the adventure figuring out how to care for them and watching all the chicken drama they got into. They each had their own personality. I wasn't all that good at country living and the chickens were left with the house's new owners when it was sold. I can't believe I actually miss having chickens sometimes, particularly after having been so dead set against them when I got that house.

I couldn't help but smile when I saw these little guys in the store. They were so colorful that I couldn't resist them, and I don't even like knickknacks or figurines (due to a strong aversion to dusting.) A lady walked by as I was picking them out (still surprised at myself that I liked them so much) and exclaimed, "Those chickens! I couldn't resist them either and had to get some last time I was here!" Well, at least I wasn't the only one!

Now they roost on the studio windowsill and make me smile every time I see them.

Palette Knife Love Continues Unabated

2008-07-30T17:35:00.002-04:00

This week's painting was a little hair-raising because I didn't feel I was having the same beginner's luck I had the previous week, but I finished it regardless. I liked the way the sky turned out, it captured the fluffiness of the clouds the way they were.

Teeny Tiny Quilt

2008-07-28T07:29:00.000-04:00

I haven't had much time to quilt lately, but I made this doll quilt for an exchange with a friend. I called it "Rain or Shine" because that is just the type of friend she is, there through it all.

It's made in her favorite colors. It's my first try at more traditional quilt binding, and only my second quilt (my first one was all hand stitched and hand quilted) this one is machine assembled, hand quilted, and the embroidery patches and yo-yo are hand appliquéd. I had never made a yo-yo but decided to give the heart-shaped one a try and it worked!

I am now a little bit hooked on these small quilts! I've already got a few others planned.

She's Here!

2008-07-24T07:39:00.000-04:00

A new arrival was waiting in the mailbox after work yesterday!

Welcome home Rosalie!!!

Illustration Friday - Enough - Palette Knife Painting

2008-07-22T17:23:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the shade of a tree on a hillside in a sunny day is enough.

One of the things I struggled with when I last painted oils was getting enough paint on the canvas. I preferred to paint in thin layers and build up color slowly. I always marveled at artists that could use impasto and expressive brush strokes, and wondered how they could get so much paint on the canvas with a brush. Turns out they were using palette knives all along.

We tried palette knife painting in the last painting session and I was fairly satisfied with my painting at the end of the day. I never thought I could paint like that! I think I'll be trying this technique again!

Enough, Oil on canvas, 8x6 inches.

Curiously, the cake decorating classes I took came in handy when trying this new technique!

Ripple Blanket - Coming Along

2008-07-21T17:16:00.001-04:00

I am really enjoying watching the crocheted ripple blanket grow. I had originally planned on deciding the color sequence ahead of time but now I'm just adding whatever I think will look best. The pattern is easy and relaxing. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Tuscan Countryside

2008-07-17T17:12:00.003-04:00

Here is my latest painting. I haven't had much success with landscapes (looks like that is still the case...), so I'll need to practice as much as I can. I can't believe there are parts of the world that look like that - it's almost like a dream.

Sweet

2008-07-15T17:04:00.005-04:00

Strawberries have been in season for a while here. I hadn't had much success with my previous attempt at chocolate dipped strawberries. Rather than some fancy recipe, this time I just melted some Ghirardelli chocolate chips and dipped the berries in the melted chocolate, then melted a little white chocolate chips for the decorations. They are not perfect, but they sure were tasty - and doesn't practice make perfect?

Illustration Friday: Sour

2008-07-10T07:31:00.003-04:00

When life gives you lemons... paint them!

Oil painting on canvas, 6x6".

More Gifts!

2008-07-07T07:26:00.001-04:00

A friend's birthday last month had me at my sewing machine again, this time making a small bag. It's my second one ever and my first without a pattern (totally winged it!) It's made of linen with cotton and a layer of flannel in between.

I added a pocket on the inside. I hope she likes it!

Lonely Pear

2008-07-01T17:11:00.002-04:00

I've been wanting to paint some pears for quite a while, and this time we got to paint fruit, so I took the opportunity and did this monochromatic piece. I tend to use very little paint on the canvas, so this is my most painterly one yet! I want to paint some green pears soon.

Chocolate 40th

2008-06-27T17:04:00.001-04:00

A co-worker recently turned 40. Upon discovering the imminent milestone, I asked what her favorite cake was and she immediately replied: Chocolate! So I made these the day of to celebrate. I love cupcakes, I make some with sprinkles, some without, regular size and mini ones (which are much appreciated by people on diets who can still have a treat.) Now quite Saturday Pudding, but close!

More Than Two!

2008-06-24T07:42:00.001-04:00

I have finished my third painting. I decided to go with a landscape this time. I had painted one landscape years ago, and I was not happy with it at all so I had avoided them ever since. Looks like a few years have helped a little bit! I am thrilled to be back to painting with oils again.

Placemats

2008-06-23T17:55:00.001-04:00

A friend has a sunny yellow kitchen, along with smiley face dishes for leisurely, cheery Saturday morning breakfasts. I made these placemats and matching napkins as a gift to go with those Saturday morning breakfasts. They are made of linen and cotton with flannel in the middle. I embroidered their initials on the napkins before mailing them off.

Back to Painting

2008-06-19T07:50:00.002-04:00

For a variety of reasons, I haven't painted in over 12 years. I've been meaning to get back to it but the past few years I have been riddled with fear that I've forgotten how to paint, a real shame considering how many years I'd spent painting and drawing before the painting hiatus. So I finally signed up for an oil painting class, and although not extremely pleased with my work so far, at least it's better than nothing. Here's my second painting (the first was absolutely hideous and it's not going online...)

Back to Sewing!

2008-06-17T12:21:00.001-04:00

I have been absent from the ol' blog, but that means I've been busy with lots of projects!

I made an apron as a gift for a friend. She loves to bake and loves lime green and frogs, so when I saw this fabric, I knew it'd be perfect for her!
It's brown linen and cotton fabrics. I made the neck adjustable with D rings.

I couldn't decide if all frogs or just a frog detail, so I made it fully reversible with pockets on both sides so she'd do whichever one works best for her.

I hope she likes it! I'm just happy to be back to sewing, it has been a while!

Breakfast

2008-05-13T12:20:00.002-04:00

I love weekends: I actually have time to cook and eat more leisurely breakfasts, like this Dutch Baby I baked recently.

Busy lately

2008-04-28T12:33:00.000-04:00

But the garden is doing well and I'm full of ideas. I hope to post some of my progress soon! :)

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T12:24:00.002-05:00

Virtual strawberry cupcakes, chocolate-dipped strawberries and marshmallows for you! :)

Ripples Galore

2008-02-01T12:50:00.002-05:00

I've been wanting to work on a ripple blanket for a while, but am a beginner at this crochet thing (all I've done so far is a bathroom rug in single and double crochet...) but I'd already done my homework and had the necessary pattern for the ripple blanket and even some yarn to get started stashed away since before my move. So I dug out my instructions and got started with two ripples and once I figured out what I was doing, I got started on the real deal. I did have to rip out a few times (probably due to my lack of experience, not the instructions) but finally got it and am making progress.

I decided to go with warm colors to match my new family room and am randomly attaching colors as I feel like it rather than planning it all ahead of time (I hope I don't regret this later!) and am so happy to see the ripples come together. It's a fairly relaxing pattern and I'm enjoying it.

Whew!

2008-01-15T12:30:00.001-05:00

Well, I feel as though the move and holidays ate the past couple of months (is this what the "dog ate my homework" excuses sound like?) but life is finally starting to get back to normal - I hope to post here a bit more often. I have a ton of projects that I want to work on this year.

The oven at my new place is working and I've baked a few things, here are last night's strawberry bran muffins (original recipe from Farmgirl Fare) I of course tweaked the recipe to use what I had and ended up making several substitutions. This recipe is like a wonderful blank canvas, and I've several ideas already for future batches. I had one for breakfast this morning and have to agree with Farmgirl that they taste better the next day.

Oops...

2007-11-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

My apologies for dropping off the face of the earth! I shouldn't have started a new blog while in the middle of moving! :)

Quilting Inspiration

2007-10-16T07:34:00.000-04:00

Spent most of the weekend working on the yard, but still made time for the weekly library visit and a quick stop by our large used book sale (held in spring and fall) and grab a few more books.

I'm not making as much progress as I'd like with the blanket squares, I have one I've ripped out several times (this is what I get for trying to do something new while talking to people at the same time!) so I'm just going back to plain squares for now. Sorry, Michaela, I should have left it but I had just finished ripping it out when I saw your comment - thank you for stopping by! :)

I did spend some time reading the Art Quilt Workbook copy I got from the library on Saturday and am so inspired to start work on a doll quilt or two! I loved the colors and layouts and suggestions for exercises. I can't wait until the studio in the new place is set up.

Weekend Baking and Knitting

2007-10-09T07:30:00.000-04:00

I got The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking through interlibrary loan and I baked some whole grain bread this past weekend. I was very happy with the results, and am looking forward to trying more recipes.

I also made some progress with the knitting of the squares for Oliver's Blanket, and have finished three so far (though sadly enough they are slightly different sizes even with the same number of stitches!) I hope to finish one more square and send them off soon so they will arrive before the end of the month.

I Missed Knitting

2007-10-05T17:34:00.000-04:00

I have been in the middle of a large home renovation project (and impending move), and all my craft supplies have been packed up and moved to the new place - I have been missing them terribly. I finally broke down and brought some knitting needles home and knitted these baby booties in one evening.

I also got some yarn for making 4" squares for Oliver's Blanket. I already made my first one last evening and hope to make a few more in the next several days.