Going Postal

I made this cake for my friend Felice who left our local Dunvegan post office because she was promoted to postmistress of Moose Creek, a larger post office. The cake was chocolate covered in rolled fondant. The stamps were fondant cut with pinking shears and painted with food colouring, as was the "cancellation."

House Tour

Richard and I went for our first walk in the back of the property since last spring. Seems there were lots of vacant homes around. This bird condo was empty...


...as was this thinning nest.


The moss on this tree is likely home to an insect or two.


And this bunny stayed in his little brush pile until we vamoosed. Can you spot the bunny?

Alphabet ATCs

Our monthly artist trading card swap is tomorrow and here's my offering this month. I love rubberstamp alphabets, so I had a bit of fun with a set of them.

Oops!

Because I love my 20-year-old cat Domino so much, I let her drink from her water bowl that sits on my desk.


Last night, Dom toppled it onto my keyboard. So now I have a fried keyboard and mouse. Testing out a new one right now. And yes, her water bowl is now on the floor.

Drawings at the Show

This mini-sheep was only 3" square. Cool barn board frame that went with it, eh?


I loved these chickadees on a line.


I did a series of cross-hatched birds...


...some with long beaks...


...and others with green feathers.

Folk Art on Wood

I found a bunch of nice pieces of wood, that I was using as kindling...then I thought...


...Hey, why not paint some folk-arty images on them.


So that's what I did. The skinny ones are about 2" or so across. Fun shape to work with.


Kinda fun, eh?


Then I found larger pieces of wood in the garage and painted on those too. This one was about 14" x 9".


More cupcakes. These ones are 3" x 10"


I love this flying kitty; reminds me of my orange tabby Tamarind. It's 12" x 5".


This calico, modelled after my Nutmeg measures 6" x 10". Love it.

Our Fabulous Art Show!

We had a wonderful show yesterday in Dunvegan. Holly Keller showed her whimsical linocuts...


...her sensitive pencil and pastel drawings of barns and nature...


...and her mini-acrylic canvases of an apple disappearing.


Natalie Rowe's corner offered her award-winning children's book (signed by the author) and her photo cards...


...bird drawings and bug paintings and her amazing hooked rugs...


...and her charming mini-ruglets.


In my corner was painted ceramics...


...more ceramics...


...some framed drawings...


...and my crazy, folk-arty paintings on wooden blocks.


All three of us were tickled pink...


...and more than just a little silly. See ya next year, gals!

Mug of the Week #5

This mug is from my recent trip to Memphis, Tennessee where I visited the amazing National Civil Rights Museum which is housed in the former Lorraine Motel. The number -- 306 -- is the hotel room in which Martin Luther King Jr. was staying when he was assassinated.

Remembering

My mother died 13 years ago today, November 18, 1997. Whenever the tamaracks start turning golden, as they did a few weeks ago, I think of her. Her wish was to die at home and she spent a great deal of time indoors but on one fine day she asked me to take her for a drive. I asked her where she wanted to go and she said, "Anywhere."


She sat in the passenger seat beside me gazing out the window. We did a big circle on the concession roads and stopped in front of a huge stand of tamaracks that were golden in the sunshine. After about 5 minutes, Mum said, "Please take me home." She never left the house again and died two weeks later. I go to that stand of tamaracks once a year each fall and think of my mum.

Rubber Band Ball

The other day I read a review of a book about things from days gone by. One of the things they recalled was a rubber band ball.


I remembered them too and have a plethora of elastics so I got started. Richard took over when he saw that my elastic skills sucked.


All you do is build a series of rubber bands on top of a golf ball. And then keep adding. And if you need an elastic, just pick one off! Not so crazy.

It's a Bird. It's a...

Driving around the countryside, I jumped when I thought I saw a pileated woodpecker on a hydro pole. I took another look. Every second or third pole had one. A woodpecker convention? Nahhh. I suppose this is how they keep other (real) woodpeckers from chipping away at these poles. Decoys. Pretty clever.

Cookie Time

For our art sale next weekend, each of the three artists is baking something yummy to serve at the show. I made white and milk chocolate swirl chip cookies with raisins, almonds and chopped walnuts. They're now in the freezer waiting for next Sunday.


Then I decided, with Richard's help, to make candied ginger cookies that I saw in the latest Martha Stewart Cookies magazine. I changed her suggested lemon icing and topped these with white chocolate drizzles instead.


Lucky me that Richard was on clean-up detail!

Crispy Rosemary Potato Cakes

Saw this recipe in the current issue of Country Living. Since I had some rosemary still growing in the garden and some leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge, this recipe was the perfect way to use them both.


In a few tablespoons of olive oil, fry a chopped onion and 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary. Add salt and pepper and cook till the onion is soft, about 7 minutes.


To a large mixing bowl filled with 2-3 cups of mashed potatoes, add the onions and rosemary. Stir to combine.


Spread panko crumbs (need about 1/2 - one cup) in the bottom of a shallow dish. Make potato patties and press crumbs onto both sides of cake.


Cook cakes in batches, adding more oil as needed and turn once. Fry until golden brown and heated through, about 8 minutes.


Very yummy and a nice way to use up mashed potatoes. Love the rosemary flavour.

Lest We Forget

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.