Hot Cross Buns!

Thanks to modern technology, even folks with my health problems can bake bread. I'd never be able to knead the dough but with a bread machine - Voila! Note: Fiskars kitchen shears make a better cross than a knife does.

I hate store bought hot cross buns which taste heavily of nutmeg and candied citron and artificial lemon topping. These are made with mace which is a bit more delicate in flavor and these have no citron! Dried apricots and currants  (our new machine has a cycle where the fruit can be kneaded in near the end, too!) and the frosting has some lemon zest and natural vanilla. Very yummy!

So Happy Easter folks and thank you tradition for inspiring this baking and modern technology for allowing this to be possible for me.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns!

Hot cross buns!
One ha' penny, two ha' penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons
One ha' penny,
Two ha' penny,
Hot Cross Buns!^[

A Whiff of Spring

I love to photograph the garden in spring. I love this photo with the honey bee and mason bee doing their jobs. Of course, with a name like Pear Tree these blossoms are always appropriate.
Here are a few more garden pics.

Today is a must pay bills and do some art work day. Still getting those ATC's done and then there is class homework! I got a great kit from Club Scrap and am anxious to do a few LO's, too. Hope it's a great spring day for everyone!

ATC's

OK folks, I missed a post last month. I think that means more blogging this month.

This is a drawing I've done for an ATC request on the Fiskateers board. I always tell myself that creating several small pieces of art is really more than I should undertake. Then, I get the yearning for the challenge. This is going to be simpler than what I've attempted in the past.
I'm going to print this image out and color it and attach to a piece of cardstock. I may add some techniques, glitter and jewels but an original drawing is, I hope, sufficiently "arty". After all, a lot folk use rubber stamp images or use phtos. Anything "art" goes on an ATC. I always like to see what folk create.Obviously, the theme is Mermaids!
Often, I do interactive ATC's flip books, shaker boxes, etc. This, so far, is pretty conventional. Not to say I did not challenge myself, I did. Maybe I need to have the beach horizon line appear higher, not sure. I was trying for her sitting at the edge of an island. Oh, well, it may have to do. I have some art homework and some scrapbook projects to complete. Do not ask me if the house is picked up. You know it is not!
I tried to go "junquing" today but was not inspired by what was in the shops I visited. Maybe I'll try again later in the week. My problem knee and my neck problem really put the brakes on much shopping!
As I noted on FB - meniscus tears in my left knee with a 2 month wait for surgery.
Looks like some great light outdoors right now. I can certanly move well enough to grab a few photos of the flowering fruit trees so I'll post this for now. Yes, I'll try to be a better blogger this month.

A Stab at Art!

I have posted these on Facebook and have decided they probably deserve a blog post. I have kept to my two blogs a month pledge. However, two blog posts in a short span of time is not what I was aiming for, really. One of the things that has kept me busy is my attempts at art. Clearly, I am just a beginner. I do like how some of this has turned out and have discovered a few mediums I want to explore more. It's just slow going. The first collage photo shows my photo and my first pencil and pen sketches and a charcoal based on the first pencil sketch.
I then redid the pencil sketch and kept the ink and went on to ink wash, Conte crayon, watercolor, oil pastel, oil pastel with Gamsol and finally a representative abstract using paper and washi tape on an acrylic background. Since I like texture, I'm not sure the last piece is complete. At any rate, I'm pleased with how things have gone. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to complete enough projects to get any good but then that would not be an attitude that fits with my word for the year "Positive". So, just a beginning with hopes for the future evolution and perfection of my work.
Another thing that has kept me busy is the house I bought as a rental. Not that I'm doing anything except make decisions. Decisions can be tiring. It certainly needed a lot of work. I'm glad I got it at a price point that all the work was doable. Wish that had been true for the home I live in. This house is in need of so much too. Although, a lot safer and more livable from the get go. Yes, I'm taking before and after photos of the rental. Have to get over there today to check on the progress. It'll be a few months before I get those pics posted. Remodels take a lot of time. Getting all the folk co-ordinated is a challenge!
Having a lazy morning but must get myself going.

A little P.S. of the hints of spring in our backyard!

A Bit of Humor at CHA

I love the delicate feminine feel of Webster's Pages, even the line I'm featuring in this post. However, do you get the feeling, like I do that maybe the folk at WP were subtly laughing at the "trends" of scrapbook design with trendsetters. Normally, I'd expect an edgy look to something named trendsetters. This line, though, has every kitchy theme you could imagine except for gingham. Then again, maybe  missed that one. On the paper you'll see butterflies, dress forms, birdcages, antique phones (well, "old" phones, things I've used in my lifetime are not quite "antique", no comments here kids, LOL!), word art, cameos, vintage taxis, 50's fashion, and asian influence. They did scatter in some birds.
Yes, pretty much the major trends as one walked the floor at CHA.
So, a better name might have been trend sneeze. Hardly trendsetter. Don't get me wrong. You'll find this line fun and pretty and has colors and patterns that are definitely popular and trendy and you'll love to use these papers and embellishments.
Just don't expect something "trend-SETTING'.

Beaded Clothing, A Trend at Winter CHA

One of the things I noticed at CHA this year was fashion as a prominent theme. While last CHA seemed to feature Home Decor, Winter CHA 2011 featured fashion in so many ways. Lots of garments, dress forms, and decotative pins.

Two items that intrigued me were the Beads in A Bottle from Plaid and the Pearl Pen from Viva Decor.
The bottom 3 photos are of the Viva products and the top photos are from Plaid featuring their designer Patti. (I'll find her card and update this post when I do. Is it just me, or does everyone come home from a trip and feel overwhelmed and scattered?)
Beaded clothing remains a popular trend. Such a fun way to really make your shoes, bags, garments your own with easy to use dimensional elements. The beads work well on scrapbook pages as you can see from the Pearl Pen embellishments on the Tattered Angels mini book in my previous post.

It's February!

Fun at Green Tangerines yesterday! Of course, it took too long; but, everything I do is slow. Isn't this the cutest minibook? Cory from Tattered Angels was there teaching this. Loved all her ideas. Fun making this and she encouraged our own interpretations so everyone's book differed a little. Loved the E line bling from Prima. Best technique I learned was using watercolor pencils then spaying or glamming. Love the results! Glossy accents works well over those pencils, too.
Diamond Dust and Viva Decor Pearl Pens are some products I now love. Cory had some great tips on using glue, too. I looked back over mini albums I'd made in the past and agree that there are real limits to things like foam adhesive. Glue Dots really have superior qualities.
OK, I've a minor fortune tied up in Tattered Angel's products and loved the inspiration today to maybe actually use and experiment with my stash!
I loved CHA and have posted my photos to FB. I need some time to digest the experience but will likely do a post on the trip sometime soon.