Juicy Creativity

Awesome Angie you are a darlin for thinkin of me! I love your blog and I'm happy Hybrid J thought of you, another flourishing artist that inspires me.  Got to love them watermelon's - especially in the summer! Though it is winter in Australia -- heading towards spring though! Thank you for passing this along;  "WaterMelon 10 Award" , I believe that it is for people who blog and share their creative spirit on line :) 

These are two great women and blogs that I'd like to pass it on to. 

Calli -- wander loose here; you will lose the worlds version of sanity and find your own.

              "You may enter, but you may never leave"   the music alone will cast it's spell.

Ink Stains Roni --  watch out here, you might get bit by her humongous 'create and live' bug -- and learn some practical techniques along the way. 

Rock and Roll Girls!

The Plot

When I first started to think of that title for this post it was more about the universes plan to annihilate me, then I thought yea,  we're talking plot, as in the one I'm going to buried in if I don't turn my stress levels around. When I was playing nurse checking hubbies' blood pressure all last week, finally I thought I'll check mine --- guess who's was high?

To all Financial planners who are more interested in their bucks than mine, Bankruptcy attorneys that want to charge an arm and a leg when by definition you are the frick out of money, and Accountants who call from their summer homes, leaving you a message on your phone to SAY they are calling from their 'summer home' when it is 112 outside & you have asked for a recommendation for a bankruptcy attorney so you don't lose your original home! - I Spit Upon You!!!

And to the Universe that has decided to rain down this firestorm of financial woes of both home and business, and let my husband get sicker and sicker for 6 months and almost every time we try a new med he is in the hospital, And, BTW! speaking of hospitals for giving me an appendectomy when we are out of money rather than when we we

re flush -- for this firestorm dear Universe I Spit on You as well!!

Also for this one: !!!

Nice cool, calm corner --in 112 degrees, back patio door. However, lurking behind those peacful potspots and that dead plant is

THIS!!!  Let's play how many rattles can you count?  4? There was SIX!!! Twits. I'm so used to removing these rattler's it's not even funny sometimes, but lordie guys, six of you???

Let me tell you rattlesnake wranglin is not for feint of heart! Damn I hate waking these guys up. Luckily they can only strike half the distance of their body and are fairly sleepy in the extreme heat. Hence the sensing the cool place where air-conditioning was leaking from the house. 

There is a book there: City Girl Learns to Wrangle Rattlers. Tool: One flat head shovel. One Large rubbermaid clear bin with lid. Clear cuz it's fun to watch them strike - sort of, & One shot of whiskey. 

I'm probably going to post this on Cyn's Edge as well because I'm trying to be pithy about life lately and started a blog to do so -- it needs all the help it can get, and double post today as I've just had Sooo Much Fun lately, I need to spread the joy!

Hangin in

Hey to lovely friends

We have some very grim issues still being dealt with. Mostly my husband is very, very ill. So I can not blog as I wish or participate. I miss your friendships and appreciate your prayers and good thoughts. Just wanted you to know I'm hangin in.

Blessings

PS I have to plug Waverly's launch of the new magazine "Living in Season."

This was an unexpected surprise. As everything I do right now is an experiment with texture and color and I'm mostly going by intuition, it can be freeing, as I don't have expectations and a big question mark as well. Before I can actually push myself to a canvas my thought go along this line. What are you doing, you can't paint, you're not an artist. Yet this last time I noticed I was more conscious of my thoughts; too much contrast, that part looks good, lead the eye toward the rest-- which color will do that, darks push things back or stick out, Titan Buff is a miracle paint it covers any mistake, cover your babies if they don't work with the design. I was learning!

That right lower corner is not that dark, but I'm also learning how to take pictures of my painting in just the right light and how to use photohop on my Mac. Here's highlighted section with pretty much the exact colors and sharpness.

 I use my color a wheel a lot, but this time not so much. I started with only an idea of layer the yellow and red iron oxides, but I decided to use patience. Biggie there as this is only my 7th attempt at an actual mixed media painting. I put some images and paste the night before, then added color a little at a time. I can see how  painters will work on more than one painting at a time. I really, really like the effects of light molding paste & stencils. 

I tried using an image transfer, that's the bluish center thing that got covered up; with great results. I used a magazine image, torn newspaper images, cheesecloth and a little bit of tissue paper. I'm trying to get a little less going on. 

I mixed up using my polymer med and fluid matte med. and have to look back at some books and instructional dvd's to see how they're used. I liked adhering the newspaper and then tearing it back and the paper just leaving half of itself down. I'm going to have to start taking pictures during the process like Tamara and other's. I'm also finally going to start a notebook. At first it didn't seem worth it as I didn't know what the hell was going to happen.

With that in mind this an 8X7 1/2" canvas, Cerulean deep blue Golden Fluid Acrylic & Golden Light molding paste. Used a broken CD case and a store thingy that you punch out your discount card for as templates for paste. It dries opaque and my 

idea is to see if I can scrunch tissue paper on it.  My easel is my flat table with a extra large canvas still in plastic wrap!:)

Fourth of July 2009

hey! Fell and got a concussion last Sat,, so I'm hangin in. Hope everyone else is too. Here's my plan for the crowd:

Fourth of July 2009

Broccoli Salad – Crowd pleaser –easy

Betty Crocker calls it Broccoli Sunshine Salad online

 

Kat’s favorite potatoes al forno

 

2 1/4 lbs waxy potatoes

3T butter

2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed, halved & sliced

3 garlic cloves thinly sliced

1 T thyme

1 ½ cups mascarpone

1 C white wine

 

Use mandolin for fine even, thin slices of potatoes – to cook evenly.

350 oven

Saute leeks over low heat for about 10 minutes, season with salt & pepper (I use Celtic Sea Salt and Fresh ground pepper)

Add the garlic and thyme.

Grease a shallow gratin dish. Arrange layer of potatoes in bottom of dish, salt and pepper, add 1/3 spiced leek mixture, dollop mascarpone. Make a couple more layers – leeks on top layer, they’ll burn.

 

Pour the wine over all, cover with foil, bake 45 minutes, remove foil, cook 15 more.

 

Mexican Grilled Corn -- 

this is the closest I can come to the version south of the border, it is sooo good.

5 T butter mixed with oregeno to taste –lite is better

 1/4 lbs crumbled Cojita Cheese

5 Ears corn in husks

Soak a couple hours turning once in a while till husks are wet through

Pull back husks spread with herb butter and sprinkle liberally with the cheese.

Cover back up with husks, grill on medium  grill 45 minutes

 

Spareribs

Jerk marinade

Ruffly

½ C oil

1/2 C triple sec or other orange liquor

½ C white vinegar

½ C soy sauce

½ Dijon mustard

¼ C honey or agave

2 Tsp freshly ground pepper

½ Tsp each nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon

½ C cilantro sprigs, ruffly cut smashed down into the cup

4 green onions tops and most green cut off minced

2 T minced fresh Thyme

10 cloves garlic chopped

¼ C finely minced ginger

3 habenero’s or 6 serrano peppers, minced with seeds (wear gloves or don’t touch your face for the rest of the day!)

Rub over two rack of spareribs—I use a kitchen trash bag to put them in and soak overnight. Grill med for about 40 minutes

 

Tres Leches Cake -- 

I get found this in Betty Crocker cookbook years ago and mi amigas in Mexico love it!

One recipe Starlight Cake from Betty Crocker

After cooked and cooled 10  pierce with tined fork every ½ inch

mix

1 C heavy whipping cream

1 C WHOLE Milk

1 can sweetened condensed 14 oz

1/3 C rum

 

Pour over cake. Let set over night.

Frost with

Chill a bowl.

Beat 1C heavy Whipping Cream

2 T Rum

½ t vanilla extract

Sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans

Stay safe, have a Fun Independence day -- don't forget the Suncreen! :)

Blessings

Cyn