A Luscious Apple Cake

This past weekend I attended a meeting that was held at an amazing place that's called the LongHouse Bed & Breakfast. We were treated to a very fine luncheon too since the meeting was an all day sort of thing. I managed to come home with the recipe for the apple cake that we were served. It was divine! I asked if I might be able to get the recipe for this heavenly cake - and thankfully Patty shared it with me. It was her mother's recipe and it is probably the best apple cake I have ever tasted. I made it yesterday. It came out just as good as the 'original' so I had to share it with you. DH, who seldom says too much about most recipes I try said that this was "really good" - high marks from him!

Patty's Mom's Apple Cake from the Longhouse B&B

4 c shredded apples
2 c sugar
1/2 c oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Combine the ingredients above and then add:
2 c sifted flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 c chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 c raisens (I used goldens)

Pour into a 13" X 9" greased baking pan and bake for an hour.
Remove from the oven - poke some holes in the top (with a skewer or cake tester)
and pour the following topping over the cake while it is hor.

TOPPING for Apple Cake

1/2 c sugar
1/4 c of condensed milk (not sweetened condensed - plain condensed)
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt.

Heat the ingredients gently until the butter melts and pour over the cake.
NOTES:
I doubled the topping recipe on the advice of another friend who has this recipe.
I used a brush to get the topping spread evenly & well.
I stirred the topping mixture for some time to get the ingredients to blend well.
This is not called for though

Here are a couple of photo's of yesterday's avian visitors. The feeders sunflower feeders are draining daily now. The GoldFinches are back (yeah!!) as are the Swallows. Summer is surely fast upon us! The hummingbirds are going through 5-6 quarts of solution a day !! Almost a part time job for bird care around here right now! I did not have my telephoto lens on - but I am hoping that I will be able to get some great GoldFinch photos soon. There were SEVEN on the feeder below! but you can only see four in the photo. They play rather nicely together!

Facebok Manners And You From You Tube

This was just too darn cute not to pass on to those of you who are4 also on FaceBook - or who enjoy a very good chuckle!

Wishing Everyone A Happy Weekend

This weekend promises to be a bit more busy than usual - but the weather has been glorious. Cool, blanket weather nights and bright sun in the day. I hope it lasts for awhile! Last night, just as I was about to learn who was going to be voted out of "Survivor" the lights went out - and I do mean o-u-t. Three counties were affected - the results of mainland auto accident. I had candles and kerosene lamps out until the power came back on several hours later. It was good that the sun "stayed up late" and allowed me to draw a bit.

Do something nice for yourselves this weekend -relax & enjoy!

If You Want To Learn More About Acrylic Paints,Mediums & Gels These Two Books Are Perfect!

These two books were written by Chris Cozen who is a Golden 'Working Artist. When I first noticed them they sounded as if they would be perfect for me - since they addressed all of the things that I was specifically interested in. I read the reviews & several people indicated that this is a very slim book - almost a pamphlet,that the photos were small & that the author did not mention that other products could be substitued (why would a Golden working artist promote another companies products though?!). After reading more I decided that I would wait to spend the money on these two books - and got some other titles instead.

The other books that I got (one of them is by another Golden working Artist Patti Bradycalled "Rethinking Acrylic") are excellent & I am glad that I added them to my library. I was still , however, drawn to these books - so I ordered them. I am SO glad that I did! These two books - and yes they really are more like 50 odd pages of a large pamphlet - are packed with exactly the information I wanted about transferring images and using the wide variety of available acrylic mediums. Yes, the photos are small - but they are quite suitable to the the information that is being presented. The lay-out is excellent. Pictures of what mediums & gels work to achieve a particular result. Clear, concise & to-the-point. I highly recommend these two titles if you want to know about using acrylic paints, mediums & gels to the best advantage. I found a "recipe" for a glaze in "Altered Surfaces" that works besutifully! Thus far each technique that I have tried using theses books for inspiration has been a success & I am far more confident in my use of mediums and gels now too! These books are available through Amazon, your local independent book seller & good art supply places.

Softest Yarn?

I love soft. Soft makes me happy; soft makes me feel cuddled & warm. I wear velvets & soft cottons & I love to use soft yarns when I knit . I have been making numerous pairs of my current favorite fingerless mitt pattern to have on hand for holiday gifts this year. I found the pattern on Knitty. It's called "Fetching"& was designed by Cheryl Naimath. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarn is what the pattern calls for but I have been using similar weight yarns from my stash. I decided that I wanted to use Cashmerino & I went to my LYS to purchase some. They didn't have any so I bought Rowan's Cashsoft instead. I also ordered some Cashmerino from an on-line vendor - knowing that I could have a pair made from the Cashsoft before the Cashmerino arrived.

When the Cashmerino arrived I loved the colors & the weight was just about the same as the Rowan yarn. I was surprised to discover, however, that the Rowan Cashsoft is much softer than the Debbie Bliss. I'm in love with Cashsoft now & can't wait to buy more of it. It's glorious to work with & the mitts are soothing & luxurious to wear. Sometimes it pays to try lots of options!

Don't get me wrong - the Debbie Bliss yarn is very soft - and I will enjoy using it - and may well buy some more of it. One of my all time favorite yarns is Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk - talk about soft - this is one of the dreamiest yarns ever - and yes, I have made fingerless mitts from it. They felt down beautifully and make a very warm, very soft version of a simple mitt pattern I use a lot. I was happy though that I tried a couple of options for "Fetching" because now I have found not one but two more ultra soft yarns to use!

Fascination Or Obsession? What Some Great Paper Can Do To You!

I think I just have to blame it on Karen from Exaclair. I simply can't stop doodling! I am having so much fun with the fabulous new Clairefontaine fine art papers that she sent to me! I doodle in the morning, at work on breaks & in the evening while I watch the tube (must be why I can't remember if I watched some shows or not!). I have been using colored pens, J.Herbin inks & acrylic paints. There are so many kinds of 'coloring things' that I want to try. I'm used to using very small brushes - and that has helped me to 'stay in the lines'. Interesting that I can stay within the lines in art work but not in life! The nuns must have missed something with me!

Also, Teena, was observant enough to see that today is my blogaversary! Yikes! I thought that I still had a few days. I can't believe that I am into my third year of blogging. I began this blog on a whim really - like so many of us seem to do. It never crossed my mind that I would become a dedicated blogger or that this blog would become a meaningful part of my life. I find it amazing that my cyber friends often seem to know my moods more accurately than the people I work with do! I wanted to have a surprise give-away to celebrate this day but, since it came up faster than I had planned I have to think about what to do. Suggestions?

I want to thank all of my cyber friends whose notes and friendship makes make me want to continue blogging -especially on the days when I least feel like it. Thanks too to folks like Karen who support keep me fascinated (or is it obsessed) with making art of one kind or another!

The Sun! The Sun!

The sun has finally made a command performance and oh! how grateful I am for it too! These were a series of photos taken yesterday of our favorite local friends.

These two eagles. A yearling on the left and a full fledged on the right sat in these tree tops waiting for dinner time. They left as soon as the car headed towards their "table" area. Actually there were many others in the vicinity - along with a large murder of crows!

Above is a closer view of the beauty on the right .

Another eagle waits patiently for the chow line

This guy waited in the tree and then took off when he sensed that food was close
by- what a beautiful, amazing sight!

Our little sweet faced "Blackie".
He's become more gray as the year has progressed
but still retains this sweet, almost wistful look.
All of the fox in the area are shedding their thick winter coats (so are the cats for that matter!) and sometimes you can find large clumps of their fur in the bushes...

New Favorite Matte Acrylic Paints & Some Great New Art Books

I have used acrylic matte craft paints for a lot of years - generally Plaid, Americana or whatever other brands that places like Michael's sells. I really like the flat, almost chalky, matte-ness of the paints & they look really good in certain situations. I recently sold a couple of things in order to fund an order from Dick Blick and, while I spent hours going over my 'wish list' again & again , I had a look at Blick's matte acrylics -of course I had to try a bunch. There were very reasonably priced and the colors looked divine! I am happy to report that these colors are, in fact, divine and they do perform very nicely on a variety of media; cold press watercolor paper, various journal papers, pastel paper. Nice, creamy, saturated colors that give me better coverage than a lesser priced brand and retain that matte-ness that I like so much! Give them a try - I think you too will be most pleasantly surprised at the rich colors that you can have on hand for very little money! No. They won't take the place of my beloved Golden acrylics - but they all certainly have their uses - and these paints from Blick deserve a place in your paint box!

I also had a bit of a spree - also funded by the sale of some other items, at Amazon. I got the three books shown here - all of which are well worth the price. Mixed Emulsions is geared more to the mixed media painter I think (ATC's, Art2Mail, journal pages etc). One of the things that I find particularly interesting in this book is a 'time line' that runs along the bottom of the pages and describes the history of the item or technique being described.

"Acrylic Revolution" and "Rethinking Acrylics" are filled with information that I wanted to learn more about. The chemistry of acrylic paints, the differences between all of the mediums, gels and grounds and the different types of paint - transparent, opaque - and which colors give you which effects. Having never had an art class, this sort of information is really important to me - as I like to understand why things do what they do! There are also a lot of very interesting techniques ,that are suited best to acrylic applications (rather that oil paints), explained in much needed detail. I am happy to have found these two books. Initially I had thought that there might be some over-lapping of information and, to a very minimal degree, there may be a bit of that. All in all though these two books provide different ideas and information about my favorite kind of paints. I love the smell of oil paints - but I prefer the faster clean up and greater flexibility that acrylic paints and mediums offer.

I already have another order in my cart at Blick's so I guess I need to figure out something more to sell! Thanks, as always, for checking in. Seeing your comments and seeing folks 'follow' my blog with Google really makes me smile! A lot!

Have a very happy, creative weekend!

In Love With Paper: Clairefontaine Artist Paper That Is!

Clairefontaine watercolor paper with pen,
J.Herbin fountain pen inks & colored pens

I am sure that some of you may recall me saying that I have been blessed & am very fortunate to be able to experiment (read "play") with some awesome products thanks to the largesse of Exaclair's Karen Doherty. Being a little short on funds has made this a double blessing for me since without her generosity I would not be having some of the great fun that I have been enjoying lately! Karen's latest 'box' arrived packed with some more wonderful Clairefontaine paper products. What I don't think I have mentioned in the past is that I was a fan of Clairefontaine products long before I made this happy connection with Karen. I always had at least one or two colorful Clairefontaine notebooks on hand - a small graphed paper one for my purse as well as a larger graphed version for home. So I am not simply being gratuitous when I say that I truly do feel that Clairfontaine products are quite superior - as well as more colorful and appealing !

What I had not realized prior to the arrival of this box was that Clairefontaine produces what I now know is a full line of truly select artist sketchbooks, pastel papers, watercolor paper & pads as well as an inspiring line of calligraphy papers. WoW! I have been one happy camper!

Clairefontaine watercolor paper with pen & permanent India Ink

I have received some queries today asking if I had fallen off the face of the earth . Aside from a spate of the rainy,wet & cold weather doldrums as well as some birthday days off for DH that threw me way off schedule (who knew I had one of those?!) I have, in fact, been busy, experimenting with some of these great artist papers. My new 'career' must surely be "Doodles r Me "(or is it i? ). I have been using of J.Herbin inks, paint & pencils on these papers & trying to fit in other, much less enjoyable things, like work & home, has been difficult! This morning I even got up an hour early to be able to doodle some before I left for work. Those who know me also know that this is not at all like me. I do not 'do' morning easily nor generally with a smile on my face!

Watercolor paper with pen and permanent ink and water color paint

A feline is beginning to take shape on water color paper with acrylic paint and pen

"Doodles r me" on a larger sheet of watercolor paper.
Pen & permanent ink & a Sakura Glaze pen.

A second 'go-around' of an earlier design on pastel paper.
Pen & permanent ink, acrylic paint & watercolors.

I love working in a square format - at least with painting I do. Quilts are another matter - and I am not terribly fond of working square in quilts - except perhaps for some artistic, non-bed type pieces.

Look at these amazing watercolor pads from Clairfontaine. They're awesome! 300g cold press paper that is a joy to paint on. My favorite size right now is the small 100X100 mm (roughly 4 inches) pad. I have it with me all the time & have been having endless fun doodling away. It got me through a staff meeting today even (no worries - my boss humors me & knows that keeping my fingers busy during staffing actually helps me focus more!). The other size that has become a favorite is the 200 X 200 mm (roughly 8 inches) & the portrait size is a generous 210 X 297 mm (again, roughly 8 X 11 inches). These pads have a cool see through cover made of a sturdy (non-bending) plastic vinyl kind of material with a nice design on the top. The backing is made of the same material with a super sturdy piece of creamy cardboard underneath it (except for the mini square size). The plastic & cardboard makes balancing these pads on a knee , a tree limb or a deck rail a breeze.

These are the watercolor sketch books described above. These pages are not micro-perforated & would need to be cut away if the work needed to be removed. I have to say that I really have become enthralled with this particular paper. I have used different water color brands over the years but this product does have superior performance - comparable or better than any of the more "well known" mainstream brands. I do still like Arches hot pressed with the molded edges - but with this available now I am not sure that the cost differential would be worth it to me any longer.

Below is the 9.5 X 12 " 60lb Ingres Pastel paper with 25 sheets to the pad. The paper color is a very pale, warm ivory & the surface has a beautiful laid structure. Color goes on smoothly; I experimented with pastels, cray-pas, acrylic paints & pen & inks. A lovely paper choice that is available in assorted colors as well & is available in a wide a range of sizes that includes full 19.5 X 25.5 inch sheets.

Next up is Clairefontaines s-m-o-o-t-h & yummy 60 lb Calligraphic paper. This pad is 9.5 X 12 inches and includes 60 sheets.I had to include a picture of the descriptive notes about the paper - which explains why it is such a special choice for calligraphers. I have some calligraphy books that I have been meaning to practice with & this paper could not have arrived at a more opportune time!

Last, but not least, is a really pretty tablet of lined paper that features super smooth Clairfontaine writing paper. I think that this is a truly happy looking pad! I love the full front & back illustration which looks "Disney-esque" to me. It's a little treasure that would brighten anyone's day - what a cool surprise for a Mother's Day gift this would be ! I am, truly grateful for having the opportunity to try out these products from such a fine company - and as I said - I liked their products before so my praise is not simply because I have been fortunate enough to be able to exercise my unstoppable desire to put more playtime in my life! Thank you Karen - may your generosity return to you many fold!

No, I Have Not Dropped Off The Face Of The Earth!

Dear Friends:

Several of you kind folks have noticed that I have been absent from the Blog-o-sphere for a week. We celebreated DH's birthday and he was home for several days which, as some of you can relate to, throws my normal activities outta step. He survived becoming another year older and I, happily, should be back in step very soon.

I need to take some photos of some new things so that I can post, but the weather has been really out of sorts too. Not at all condusive to picture taking out doors. Easter Sunday was

c-o-l--d and very wet. There was frost on the car windows this morning and I felt so bad for my little hummingbird friends who were up and at 'em and trying their darndest to eat enough to fend off the cold! It's sunny now though and the day looks like it will shape up nicely!

I can't tell you how much I appreciate those of you who have written to ask if all is well - and those of you who choose to have a look and join my "followers" even when I am at my most sporadic best!

I promise some fabric and paint and color filled posts soon ---- I miss posting too .... thankfully no more birthdays are on the horizon too soon!

Have a wonderful, creative day!

Things of Beauty

This is an amazing necklace and earring set that my boss, Marion Melville, made. It is, simply, the first set I have ever lusted for ... she has offered a payment plan but I may not be able to afford it this month. Her work is amazing, and quite reasonable. Local San Juan Island residents can see her work at Bison Gallery on Nichols Street

My friend Janet, goes on forays now and then and she never forgets her friends at home! Janet knows that I love this particular shade of green- she also knows that I have lusted for her coffee mug for quite some time. Recently, she returned from a trip and gifted me with this coffee mug. It's absolutely perfect - and is made by Trudeau. The suede like grip is washable - though not in a machine -but since I don't have one of those I have no issues with "hand wash only"!

This is my monthly silk selection from Ah!Kimono! .All of my favorite shades of greens (a thread runs through this post don't you agree?!) If you have a hankering for some luscious silks sign up for one of Cheri's monthly packages. They are absolutely affordable and are a great treat for yourself. Cheri has an uncanny knack of picking out colors just for you - grab a little bit of luxury!