Think Spring

I did these artist trading cards to honour (what I think is) the best season of all: Spring! I found some neat background images (mostly from old greeting cards I had saved for an occasion such as this) and added some funky ladybug stickers. The green grass is cut from (what else?) paint chip samples and has 3-D glue dots underneath it, so it is elevated on top of the backgrounds.

Friends and Food

There's nothing like getting together with friends over a nice meal and chatting the night away. That's what I did last night in Hawkesbury with a couple of gals I hadn't seen for a while. We caught up and talked (and ate) for a solid three hours (and likely could have gone even longer)!
The food was great and dessert was tasty too. I had the orange-chocolate cake and Shirley had the strawberry-vanilla one. (Irene was good and resisted temptation and didn't have any.)

My Little Helper

I have a nice little bed all set up for a visiting cat but Nutmeg would have no part of it. She managed to carve herself a comfortable little niche amongst all my junk and eventually, she drifted off to sleep as I spent the afternoon drawing.

Artist Trading Cards 101

I met the gals who are German exchange students, Christine and Bianca, at my neighbours on our picnic the other day. I brought 2 copies of ATC Quarterly plus one of my binders full of artist trading cards. They loved the idea and asked me tons of questions. Maybe they'll catch the ATC bug?

Walk in the Woods

What a glorious Sunday we had! My neighbours, who live in Ottawa and own the property up the hill from me (where there is no water or electricity) had phoned the day before to say they were coming up to the farm to have a picnic and we were invited. Richard and I arrived at 1:30 to a full spread of sausages (cooking on the Coleman stove), coleslaw, potato salad and wine. Along with that, my neighbours brought 2 German exchange students, who are in Canada for 6 months, in order to learn English.

After our picnic, the sun came out and we went for a long walk through the woods. We were lucky that there were no bugs out yet. When we returned and sat on lawn chairs outside, the mosquitoes started to emerge. I got my first bite of the season. Let the games begin.

The Girls Came for Lunch

It was our monthly ATC trade day and Elisabeth and Carol came from Montreal. First we had lunch here, then a terrific artist trading card session at the Dunvegan Recreation Hall. About 20 people attended plus 5 or 6 sheets of mailed-in trades. We spent a good 20 minutes looking at all the offerings and then at 2:15, I yelled "Let's Trade!" And the trading was fast and furious. Three little girls from down the road attended as well and they seemed to be happy with the cards they got.
All in all, another successful ATC day.

Wild Blueberry & Orange Loaf

I am on the committee of the Glengarry Pioneer Museum, which is just down the road from me. Last night was their Annual General Meeting and along with speakers and music (from an 1856 Melodeon, no less), there was also a potluck supper. The recipe for this quick loaf has been pinned to my fridge for nearly a year so I finally had an excuse to try it.

I came home with an empty plate. Sixty-five museum attendees can't be wrong! (If you try it, drop me a line.)

1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup blueberries + 2 Tbsp. flour
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. orange peel (I used lemon peel)

I small bowl, toss together blueberries and 2 Tbsp. flour and set aside.
In medium bowl combine dry ingredients and set aside.
With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add egg, orange juice and peel. On low, add dry ingredients and mix till well blended. Stir in blueberries.
Put in greased loaf pan and bake for 55 - 65 minutes at 350.

Meow!

Spring is a great time for the kitties to go out. I have a huge cat cage for them behind my house. There is a ladder and shelves for them to climb on, dirt to dig in and grass to munch on. They love it and I know they are safe. Seen above are Cinnamon and Cookie, two of the five, who are best friends.

Happy Birthdays

Tomorrow Richard and I are going to Ottawa to take my Aunt Sylvia out for her 89th birthday. She laughed on the phone, saying that everyone was making a such fuss about her birthday...and she was only 89!

The big milestone of turning 80 was celebrated recently by my ex-boyfriend's father, Jim. The celebration was held at my house and we brought in the birthday boy's big day with a wonderful supper and party of roughly 40 party-goers. Since Jim is a retired farmer, the cake was a natural. (Chocolate oreo crumbs doubled for earth.)

Time to Journal

The round robin art journal I'm involved with arrived this month and the theme is "Time." I thought of all the songs that mention time and somehow Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle" got into my head. The visuals are simple but I think it kinda works.

Homage to Dotti Potts

A few years back, when I told my friends Wendy and Judah (who live in Toronto) that Richard and I were going up to the Muskokas, they told me we had to go see Dotti Potts. Dotti Potts? Wendy said that their pottery was colourful and dotted (natch) and I'd love it.

So I downloaded a map (they are indeed in the Muskokas, near a place called Skeleton Lake) and off we went. What a treat! Sandra and Gavin Silberman are both lovely people and their porcelain is fantastic. I bought a small serving tray plus some small bowls and I use them all the time. I can't wait to get back there.

These artist trading cards are my homage to Dotti Potts. I used a 'window writer' (the kind you are supposed to use to draw snowflakes on the window) to make the dots so they'd be 3-D, just like they are on the real pots.

Old Graveyard and Headstones

Yesterday, Richard and I went up to Wakefield, Quebec, to visit his mother. We picked her up and went for a Sunday drive to Fieldville, where Richard grew up and where his grandparents and aunts and uncles are buried. We walked around that old cemetery and some of the headstones had aged so gracefully. I wish I had brought a sketch pad with me. It was a warm, windy day and there was something very moving just being there and standing on that ground.

Quadruple Chocolate Cake

I'm going to a dinner party tonight in Montreal and was asked to bring a cake. After much consideration of what I was going to create, I decided it was an adult party and therefore no dinosaurs or ninja turtles decorations (made out of 'too-sweet' icing) were called for.

Instead I came up with this: the cake is chocolate soaked in Kahlua. I poured a dark chocolate ganache on top (chocolate melted in whipping cream), then topped that with milk chocolate buttercream rosettes and in those I placed hand-dipped European chocolates.

I hope the guests at the party like chocolate!

I've Always Wanted a Bluebird Box

When the old spruce tree fell over, Richard chopped it up and once the weight of its upper branches were removed, its 5 ft. stump righted itself, right back into place. Richard and I went to the local wild bird supply shop and found a bluebird nesting box. I've always wanted one and just never had the right place to put it. And now I do. The spruce tree's legacy, I guess.