Art and Alfalfa

The second Unannounced Contest

2012-01-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

You might recall my list of pet peeves
of a few weeks ago.

Tina of The Enchanted Home, listed several pet peeves but the best of them was "people who talk really loud on their cell phones..."

Tina, please choose your prize from any of these

A Baker's Dozen of my hand printed little cotton drawstring bags.
OR

A hand painted door sign
OR

Custom hand painted for you.

A vintage Lace handkerchief.
OR

An assortment of my famous organically grown fruit preserves in jars with hand painted labels.

Thank you Tina for participating.

Gina

Why I love Orchids

2012-01-27T06:31:00.003-07:00

It's because they are repeat bloomers,

especially the Phalaenopsis Orchid.

And of course, because they are so exotic.

Do you remember when orchids were very expensive. I do.

Now you can purchase orchids in grocery stores and many other non traditional plant places.

And they come in so many different colors.

There is never a need to have a plastic Phalaenopsis.

They cost less than a flower bouquet yet each flower spike lasts 4 months or even longer.

When they finish blooming, place them in an out-of-the-way place, water once a week and watch them bloom again.

Phalaenopsis Orchids are not difficult. Once they bloom they are very happy in any light condition. However, you must keep them away from direct heat.

Place Phalies wherever they are appreciated the most.

Give them a try, you will be so pleased that you did.

Gina

Today I'm linking to http://maleviksrosentradgard.blogspot.com/
I'm also linking to http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

All it takes is a few Tiles

2012-01-26T10:17:00.009-07:00

And a bit of strong glue

Glue tiles onto board, add plastic feet to board.

Four small tiles hold several sticky preserve jars.

So easy to keep clean.

Not just for Jams and Jellies.
Also great for condiments.
And many more uses.

Have a great weekend my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

Today I'm linking to http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
I'm also linking to http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/
Also linking to http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
And linking to http://www.atthepicketfence.com/

Sweet Peas, How To

2012-01-24T08:01:00.006-07:00

Soon it will be time to plant Sweet Peas

We live in zone 3. My seeds will be planted in the middle of March.

In warmer climates Sweet Peas should be planted in February.

At least 2 to 3 weeks before planting start germinating seeds in a plastic bag.

I gathered seeds from my garden a couple of weeks ago. Not all seeds will germinate. Place moistened paper towel and seeds into plastic bag. Keep top open and place by window.

Besides collecting my own seeds I will be ordering from Thompson and Morgan.

Check seeds a few times and rinse them in cold water (to prevent mildew) and return to plastic bag. After about 2 weeks your seeds will have sprouted and they are ready to be planted. Sprouts are very sturdy and can be handled easily.

With this method, taught to me by our good friend Steven, the brilliant Lawyer, I have almost a 100% success rate.

Give it a try this year, my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

Today I'm linking to http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/
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A Complete About Face

2012-01-20T07:57:00.003-07:00

From "Too much is not enough" to Minimalist

I could see it coming. Christmas is to blame, I think.

There is always so much color

I've been painting simple plates

The kind that only take ten minutes to paint.

See the Ladybugs?

Less than an hour to paint but almost 20 hours to fire and cool.

So, what do you think? Should I go back to my Gypsy Ways?

Love to you All, my Dear Blogging Friends,

Gina

Today I'm linking to http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

Majolica, Maiolica. Which is it?

2012-01-18T13:43:00.008-07:00

But first, What is it?

I found this very large Tile Mural set into a house wall in the historic hill top town of Deruta, Italy.

It shows, in pictures, the turning, the forming, the painting and finally, the process of firing ceramics in a wood burning kiln.

The mural was copied from the original, a treatsie entitled "The Three Books of the Potters Art" written by Cipriano Picolpaso in 1556. Picolpaso's book describes the different techniques of great ceramic Artists.

Maiolica is hand decorated, tin glazed earthenware.

During the Moorish occupation of Spain, in the 8th century the technique of tin glazed wares was transmitted to Southern Europe via the trade centers on the island of Mallorca, hence the name.

Victoria and Albert Museum

The technique of painting bright colors on pure white background spread from Spain to Italy and Portugal and to Northern Europe. At the beginning of the 16th century Guido di Savino of Castel Durante, Italy, emigrated to Antwerp, Holland and set up a family business.

Castel Durante

Maiolica and Majolica are pronounced the same, with the "j" making a "ya" sound.

The English appropriated Maiolica and changed its spelling to Majolica.

Many experts like to differentiate ceramics, which are produced outside of Italy, by giving them the name Majolica. Most often they are also 3 dimensional in shape and form.

Marie-LanNguyen, Louvre

Best known for his unusual technique of incorporating strange animals, such as snakes and lizards is Bernard Palissy (1510-1590). Palissy popularized a rustic form of ceramic art called Palissy Ware.

So, if you see a lovely and colorful piece of ceramic from Italy it should be called Maiolica or Maioliche (plural). If you are in England it could be called Majolica. If in Austria or Germany it could be called Majolika. If you are in Holland it is probably called Delftware. If you are in France it is probably called Faience. If you are in Spain and in Mexico it is probably called Talavera. And if you are in Turkey it is probably called Iznik.......

Totally confused? Me too.

Warm wishes to all my dear Blogging Friends.

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Squash Soup

2012-01-17T14:59:00.003-07:00

On a cold Day

there is nothing better than a hot bowl of home made soup

Old Fashioned Hubbard Squash Soup, that is.

Mostly Hubbard Squash with a few Lakota Squash thrown in.

Both are excellent "keepers".

For next year, select the seeds from your best.

Recipe

Cut up medium sized squash into large pieces and bake in Aluminum foil with a little water, for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Saute 1 medium onion in 2 Tb butter and 3 TB olive oil.
Add baked, mashed squash (about 1 pound)
Add 2 cups of home-made vegetable stock
cook for 1/2 hour
Add 1 cup of half and half
Adjust consistency by adding milk
Add salt and white pepper to taste
Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Add a shot of sherry at very end
Serve garnished with Italian parsley
And homemade croutons

It will warm the cockles of your heart

Wishing you a wonderful week my dear

Blogging Friends

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Problems with leaving comments and White Pop-Up Screen

2012-01-14T09:04:00.001-07:00

Solution

Change comment setting to "pop up"

"full page"

That should fix the comment problem.

Now, can you help fix our problem?

We only have a skiff of snow.

Last year we had plenty of snow in January

Will you do a "Snow Dance" for us here in the Desert?

Have a great weekend, my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

A fascinating Woman, a fascinating Book

2012-01-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

Margaret Mee

The diminutive artist who painted rare and exotic plants in the Brazilian Amazon Rain Forest.

Margaret Mee created 40 folios of gouache illustrations, 40 sketchbooks and 15 diaries. She explored the Brazilian Jungles on numerous expeditions between 1958 and 1988.

Most of her illustrations are now part of the Kew Garden collection.

Mee was a botanical artist par excellence who brought many botanical plants and flowers before the world for the first time.

deepbrazil.com

In November 1988, I watched an interview with MacNeil on the MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour with Margaret Mee. Throughout the entire interview, the usual somber MacNeil could not stop from smiling, especially when Ms Mee recites an incident where she held off a bunch of drunken prospectors with her revolver.

Here is the interview repeated on the show after her tragic death following a car crash in Seagrave, Leicestershire, England on November 30, 1988. She was only 79 years old.
http://huntbot.andrew.cmu.edu/HIBD/Departments/Art/Mee.shtml

Gina

All images (except the last) are from her book "In search of Flowers of the Amazon Forests"

My pet peeves for 2012

2012-01-08T09:53:00.008-07:00

I'm going to make a list, a list of my pet peeves.

Workout Equipment in the Master Bedroom.

A set of large butcher knifes on the kitchen counter.

Those awful plastic fingernails topped with white shovels
are still around.

Microwave ovens on top of kitchen counters.

Print in blog posts that is too small to read

Color choices in a blog design that make the print almost disappear.

Toilets left open.

A table with nothing on it.

Red see - through pantyhose.

Plastic flowers, dried and dusty flower arrangements that have long been forgotten.

So many notes and photographs attached to the refrigerator.

Bookcase without books

A few artifacts and a painting or two looks great, but don't forget the books.

The television in the Living Room.

Flowers that have been dyed those impossible colors.

And how could I forget people talking too loudly on cell phones in public places.

Thank you Tina for the cell phone reminder.

This will do for a starter

And now, it is your turn, my dear blogging friends.

Add your pet peeves to mine and we will make a grand list.

Love to you all,

Gina

George, my little Toughie

2012-01-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

I named him George, he needed a tough name.

I found George next to his dead mother. George had not been by his mother the day before. No doubt he had tried to get nourishment from other yews. They had all rejected him, as it is in nature.

Now he was in trouble. On my morning walks I noticed his mother a few days earlier. She didn't look right. I made a mental note that she did not have a lamb, thankfully. BUT I WAS WRONG.

I recognized the brand but could not locate the Rancher. When I came home I asked Gene to get a ladder and a shovel. We were either going over or under the tall wire fence enclosure. He was very dehydrated. I rubbed him down with water and forced him to drink a little. He did not move.

I have raised several bummers. Bummers are newly born lambs who have been rejected by their mothers or who have lost their mother during the birthing process. I know of a special formula. It consists mainly of molasses, salt, baking soda and warm water.

It had worked well in the past. However, little George was not improving. He is probably the only lamb that has been chauffeured to the Vet in a Mercedes. The Vet gave me lots of encouragement but that was all.

George smelling poppies, he must be getting better.

All Bummers go back into the barn for the night.

George slowly improved. Now I could feed him a special lamb formula, rich in nutrients. He spent his days at his beach house and his nights in the barn. As soon as my Bummers get healthy and strong I give them back to the Farmers. This one was hard to let go.

Have a great weekend my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

I AM SO HONORED

2012-01-06T08:14:00.001-07:00

Dear Regina of Fauxology

Fauxology, A Decorative Painting and Interior Design Blog

I am so honored to be featured in your beautiful design blog.

FAUX-CUS-ON-THE PROS

"is a series where we talk to other artisans in the Field of Design"

http://www.fauxology.com/2012/01/faux-cus-on-the-pros-gina-garner/

Thank you Regina, I am so pleased.

Gina

Helping your Neighbor and good Friend

2012-01-05T08:57:00.005-07:00

Living in a very small Farming Community

Internet

You have many opportunities to help your neighbor

Soon it will be the time of year when little lambs are being born. Last Spring, a good friend and Sheep Rancher asked us if we could lend a helping hand. His son was getting married in the big city and his yews were giving birth. Our assignment was to make sure that every yew, who showed signs of birthing, would be brought into the large shed where fresh straw and fresh water for drinking (yews drink more than a gallon of water after giving birth) was waiting for them.

baalands.blogspot.com

There were hundreds of yews. We watched carefully but sometimes they would give birth so quickly that the little lamb would end up outside, in the cold. We would hurry and pick up the little one and, naturally, the yew would follow, often giving birth to another lamb, once inside. After a little while we would put mother and offspring into a separate holding pen where they were warm and happy.

Internet, "Royal White Sheep"

Some yews needed help birthing. Some yews did not like their offspring. One yew tried to kill her second lamb by forcing it against the cement wall. We had to take all three and put them into a holding pen. We tied the yew by her neck and one foot to only allow limited movement. This way the little lambs could nurse. As soon as their mother's milk is digested and leaves their little bodies, yews will readily accept those lambs they initially rejected.

Now and then some lambs will never be accepted and some mothers will die in the birthing process. These little lambs become "Bummers". I have raised quite a few. There was one quite special Bummer, his name was George and I will tell you his story another time.

George recuperating in his beach house.

It feels great to help your neighbor. Wouldn't want to make a career out of it. Raising sheep is hard work.

Have a great week my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

The Year that was - Part II

2012-01-02T12:24:00.001-07:00

Never imagined that I would be so fortunate.

And travel to Europe every year.

All ceramics by Gina

To paint ceramics at the Scuola d'Arte in Deruta, Umbria, Italy.

If you have always wanted to do something special, this might be the year for you...I hope that it is.

Gina

The Year that was

2012-01-01T20:15:00.004-07:00

It seems like only yesterday

that I planned my garden on the first day of January, 2011.

It was a very good year!

Looking forward to the next.

Happy 1st week of the New Year 2012, my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

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It has all been said

2011-12-31T13:56:00.001-07:00

What is left is to say Thank You

An oversized Thank You

A Thank You as big as this Jeroboam bottle of Champagne.

You have brought the world to me.

For that and so much more, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I'm putting on my party dress and we will bring in the New Year with friends and share that giant bottle of champagne.

Happy New Year my dear Blogging Friends.

I will drink a toast to you and wish you the best of what this great world of ours has to offer.

Gina

I bet you thought I was a Spring Chicken

2011-12-28T10:46:00.001-07:00

Not so!

We are celebrating our 48th Wedding Anniversary today.

Gene and Gina

Tiles don't have to be square

2011-12-27T06:14:00.003-07:00

Tiles don't have to be rectangular

Tiles can be long and skinny as in these hand painted Border Tiles.

In my kitchen they're all mixed up.

Each Tile is hand painted and no two are alike.

I've painted them a light creamy yellow.

Even corner tiles get special attention.

What have you been doing in these in-between holidays days?

Gina

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Warmest Greetings to you on this Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T06:31:00.001-07:00

I'm grateful for your friendship, your visits and your comments.

It makes me happy to have so many wonderful friends from near and from the far corners of the world.

Merry Christmas and Warmest Wishes to each and everyone of you.

Gina

Merry Christmas to You and Yours

2011-12-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

I love pink Poinsettias.

They must be pink, not red, not white, nor any other color.

When I was a very young woman I worked in an office with a lot of other young women.

To this office an elegant lady came. She wore designer suits and she wore an enormous solitaire diamond ring.

I will always remember what she told us.

"I wish that all of you could have such a diamond."

This 64 carat Citrine was set into gold by Norman Berndt, a well known Jeweler.

Simone Martini (1284-1344, Assisi

I wish for you all manner of wealth, but most of all I wish you health and happiness.

May all your wishes come true.

Merry Christmas my dear Blogging Friends.

Toile de Jouy paper ribbon

2011-12-21T18:23:00.007-07:00

Print it yourself, it's easy.

Why not wrap your presents with inexpensive brown paper and decorate with 6 inch wide Toile de jouy Paper Ribbons.

Paper Ribbons you have painted yourself.

Print General Purpose Masking Paper, 180 feet for under $2, with rubber stamps.

(I used rubber stamps from "Rubber Stampede")

As pretty as any 18th c. French Toile de jouy Fabric.

Happy wrapping and happy gifting

my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

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Merry Cristmas Tree

2011-12-18T07:28:00.007-07:00

Every year, just before Christmas, we plan a picnic with our Friends, Christine and Steven, and cut our Christmas Trees.

From the quiet forest near our house.

Not until we placed our tree in its usual spot did we notice the many missing branches.

Not even my largest ornaments will cover the holes.

I'm actually happy that the best trees are still in my mountains.

Only next year we'll pick our tree AFTER the Salty Dogs.

Merry Christmas my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

P. S. By the way, Christine and Steven have a perfectly beautiful Christmas Tree.

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Too much is not enough Part II

2011-12-17T05:44:00.005-07:00

Too much is not enough.

That's my Motto and I'm sticking to it!

It said so on the inside of a pair of shoes I once owned.

The shoes are long gone but the Motto has stuck.

Happy Christmas decorating my dear Blogging Friends

Gina

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The Christmas Gift

2011-12-16T05:52:00.005-07:00

What would he like for Christmas?
Repost from Christmas 2010

He might like a Pocket Watch.

A watch like this one; made in 1857 by George R. Frodsham, Greys In Road, London, England.

It is replete with golden chain, watch fob and 2 keys.

Most watches are spring driven. This watch is chain driven.

A key winds the pocket watch.

And then, one day, the watch stopped working

We took it to the best Jewellers. None could fix it because it is chain driven. On our trip to Switzerland the watchmaker said that he would try. He placed it in his vault and we went off to Egypt. Upon our return, we picked up our watch. He was very sorry but he couldn't fix it. Why not take it to England, he suggested.

But wait, a qualified person was found in Boston, USA.

Yes, he would try. After all, he was an Englishman and he was a certified member of the "Jewellers Board of Trade".

An appraisal of said pocket watch followed by said person, hereinafter unnamed. Appraisal $20,000.00 Cost to repair, $3,500.00. Return of our watch, NOT REPAIRED $300.00.

What would you have done?

The person received $3,500.00 from us and we received our gold pocket watch, repaired.

A year later, while on a visit to London, we stopped in at Christie's Auction House, King Street, St. James, London.

We were ushered into a private office. An expert in solid gold pocket watches admired our watch. We then showed him our certified appraisal. The expert was speechless. Excused himself to confer with one of his colleagues.

We were left alone in his office for a very long time. Were we going to be wealthy?

The two charming gentlemen were shaking their heads. Shaking their heads in disbelief at the $3,500.00 repair fee. Christie's had recently repaired the "Tower of London" clock for 80 pounds, about $120 US dollars at the time.

They were incredulous that a reputable Jeweller and one of their own countrymen had taken advantage of us.

Christie's provided us with a Letter stating: "We refer to our meeting yesterday and now confirm that your watch is a gold hunter lever pocket watch with Liverpool jewelling numbered to movement and case 11927 by George R. Frodsman, Greys In Road, London."

"We would estimate this watch to fetch 300 to 500 (under $1,000) English Pounds at auction and hope this has been of assistance."

Have a great weekend my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

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Instant Gratification

2011-12-12T14:46:00.020-07:00

Or Almost

Paperwhites for Christmas.

In the Spring I plant Sunflower seeds and watch them grow.

In Winter I plant Paperwhites and watch them grow.

And Grow.

And grow some more.

I can bring in Nasturtiums from my little Greenhouse.

And my Orchids are throwing new Spikes.

Winter is not so bad after all in Utah.

Don't worry, don't fret, it'll all get done.

Have a great week my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

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Last minute Christmas Presents

2011-12-11T13:08:00.002-07:00

Share a small and elegant piece of history

available in my Etsy shop.

A very special Christmas gift,

A lace handkerchief in excellent vintage condition.

It comes with its own little cotton gift bag.

Delivered to you before Christmas.

They're all different, all ten of them.

Lace Handkerchiefs available in my Etsy Shop.

Gina

Today I'm linking to http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

When you see an orange that looks like this...

2011-12-07T06:48:00.007-07:00

You know that I am baking my Mother's decadent Christmas butter cookies.

That's the easy part. Hiding them from myself is the difficult part.

Same recipe (follows), only stack 2 cookies together.

Fill center of cookies with home made preserves, then bake.

Recipe

Cream together 1 cup unsalted butter

and 2/3 cup sugar

Beat in 1 egg,

1tsp vanilla, pinch of salt,

1 Tb orange rind,

1 Tb fresh lemon juice

Add 2 and 1/2 cups of sifted flour

Mix until well blended

spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned

Cool (not chill) dough for 1 hour

Cut out 2 cookie shapes, same size, cut center hole into one cookie

stack and fill with preserves

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until barely colored at 350 degrees.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Happy baking, my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

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Pomanders and much more...

2011-12-05T06:28:00.014-07:00

Pomanders are pretty and fill the home with fragrances of Christmas.

Pierce oranges with knitting needles first, then insert cloves. Makes for quick and easy work.

Look what pretty dried roses. They will keep you happy all winter long.

Roses are the easiest flowers to dry. To ensure that they keep their vibrant colors place roses in a little water (only the stems not the rose heads) the night before. The next day is when they go into a container. Slowly pour sand over the flowers until they are fully covered. Place in dry and warm place for a week. Pour sand off slowly.

Our friends Christine and Steven drying Hollyhocks for the first time using sand from the Home Improvement store. It is less expensive than the white silica type and actually gives better results.

Can you tell which Hollyhocks have been dried? It's those in the top left corner. Make sure that the sand is also dry or flowers will turn brown.

Dried Hollyhocks look fragile, they are actually quite sturdy. You can glue them into Christmas wreaths. But remember that they must be kept inside.

Pansies dry quickly and easily in sand. However, these pansies, along with all the other little flowers, have been pressed in old books. No need for a fancy flower press.

Think of all the special Christmas decorations you can make yourself.

For a little extra inspiration you might want to order (Amazon) this very special book by Barbara Milo Ohrbach entitled "The Scented Room". It contains easy-to-follow instructions. Ms. Ohrbach has written several other fine books but this one remains my favorite.

You will find easy instructions and recipes for Floral Water, Wet and Dry Potpourri, Lavender Bottles, Scented Pillows, Pomanders, Wreaths and much more. My personal favorites are the sachets made from antique floral ribbons.

Happy creating, my dear Blogging Friends

Gina

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Third time must be the charm!

2011-12-01T08:23:00.005-07:00

That is what the very talented and charming Theresa of

Art's The Answer said.

I was commissioned by Theresa to paint an Armorial Plate for her.

This is the picture Theresa sent of her family crest.

This is my first drawing.

Theresa apologized for the complexity of the design and added that I could simplify it. She did mention that I should include the "Lions because they would symbolize Firenze to me as well as me being a Leo".

This is the first plate I painted, ready for the first firing. Theresa also asked for diagonal stripes, three dots (for Medici Family) a checkerboard and family initial to be drawn within the shield.

After gold was applied and plate was fired for the second time I noticed quite a few pin marks at the margin of the plate. The glaze and the clay were not compatible.

Second Plate. See the pink shadow at the bottom of the crest? It appeared after the second firing. It takes too long to tell you what actually happened. Suffice is to say I learned a valuable lesson.

So I added (only as an experiment) gold lines over the pink shadow to see what would happen. Into the kiln for the third time. Interesting, but no.

Third Plate. All is well. This is it! Theresa's Armorial Plate.

Have a great remainder of the week my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

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Now comes the long Winter

2011-11-27T07:25:00.005-07:00

The last of the fruit has been harvested.

Only a little color left.

Still growing along a protected wall.

A few Anemones and a few frozen Interlaken grapes.

There will be cozy evenings by the warm fire.

Soon our Pond will be frozen over.

Our Fields will be covered with a thick blanket of snow.

And yes, there will be Picnics at the end of our cross-country ski trail.

Happy Snow Days.

Gina

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The Silent Stalker

2011-11-25T08:06:00.004-07:00

Can you see him?

Our Lucy can!

Can you see him now?

There he is, looking for his next meal.

We're having leftovers.

Have a great weekend my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T05:55:00.005-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving my dear Blogging Friends

Partial re-post

My friends have accused me of celebrating my birthday months before and still, a month after my birthday. I'm guilty.

A few people (not my friends) have asked if my birthday ALWAYS falls on Thanksgiving. No, Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday.

Have a very special Thanksgiving with Family and Friends.

Gina

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Irresistible, No?

2011-11-18T06:50:00.009-07:00

Available for only a Song.

Little Cotton Draw String Bags to hold presents and treasures.

So perfect for the Holiday Season.

Available in my Etsy shop

Gina

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European Fashions are sporting a new Color

2011-11-14T16:35:00.002-07:00

A very lively red with a hint of orange.

The beautiful red Jacket in the window of the fancy Italian Shop had a fur collar. No, can't do.

With a clear conscience I purchased this red belt.

The Nasturtiums in my Greenhouse are the same color as my new belt; My belt is the same lively red as the beautiful fashions featured in European shop windows right now.

Would you wear this pretty red?

Gina

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Baggy

2011-11-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

No, not my pants!

Just in time for holiday giving, little cotton drawstring bags to hold small treasures and gifts.

In lovely sepia tones.

And in grey and white.

And in many colors.

They're only $3 each. So, hop on over to my Etsy shop before they're all gone.

Have a great weekend my Dear Blogging Friends

Gina

I'm in Hog Heaven

2011-11-10T07:43:00.008-07:00

When I can be in Deruta

Where more than 200 ceramic shops line the Via Tiburina at the foot of centro storico.

At the top, the historic center of Deruta, you will find the Museo Regionale dell Ceramica, the most important Museum of its kind in the region. You enter the historic center through the Porta di S. Michele Arcangelo, where remains of early furnaces are evident.

I love strolling through the historic center, early in the morning, when shopkeepers are sweeping their sidewalks and shouting to each other. Then I can admire their beautiful work.

Antique reproductions are my favorite ceramics.

Hand painted ceramic tiles are found everywhere in Deruta.

Facades, window and door surrounds, sidewalks, fountains, garden walls...everywhere.

There is so much to admire.

Modern ceramics based on ancient designs.

Artisans from Deruta have been painting their special ceramics for over 300 years.

Maestro Romano Ranieri

The highlight of my visit is always an invitation to paint with Professore Nicola Boccini and Maestro Romano Ranieri at the Scuola d' Arte, Deruta.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQktRiOKka4

Gina
http://ginaceramics.blogspot.com/2011/05/first-day-of-class.html

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One of a kind

2011-11-02T07:06:00.041-06:00

Hand Painted Glass Balls

Hand Painted with acrylic paints on clear glass balls.

Now is the time when you will find clear glass balls in the craft stores. Of course, you can always find them on-line throughout the rest of the year.

For gift giving, as a tree ornament, incorporated into a vignette or holiday arrangement, always welcome.

On a large plate, covered with a wet paper towel, add many colors of acrylic paints. Use large brush and paint directly onto glass. Use simple designs, circles and dots are fine. As you gain more confidence, try a few leaf shapes, a candle or two, maybe an apple, and don't forget the white dots.

Let dry, on door knobs or whatever you can rig up. They only take a few minutes to dry.

Why not give it a try. It's super easy.

Gina

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Rome has the Pope

2011-10-31T08:31:00.008-06:00

Bolzano in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirolhas everything else.

Soprabolzano (Oberbozen) a 20 minute Funicular ride to the Dolomites...

and the Geyerhof where we have spent many a holiday cross-country skiing and hiking the trails in the summertime. We were greeted like old Friends and served a fantastic Lunch (Christoph is still one of the finest chefs in all of Europe and I have told him so many times).

Bolzano (Bozen) also has a sensational everyday market.

I can never decide which grapes are my favorite. Is it the Muskatel or is it the Regina grape?

Nothing is missing at the Bolzano market

Not even my favorite Bouquet, the Tussie Mussie.

(I will have to show you how to make these with Lace paper doilies).

Bolzano also has Ötzi, the Iceman

Books and films about the Iceman

Angelika Fleckinger

Ötzi, the Iceman

The Full Facts at a Glance
2003 120 pages, photos, 11,5 x 20 cm , € 10,00, ISBN 3-85256-244-9

Old and exhausted, with an arrowhead lodged in his shoulder – this is how the Iceman met his death 5,300 years ago.
Since the discovery of the glacier mummy, a window has been opened on this unexplored, often misunderstood period of history: Ötzi expert Angelika Fleckinger summarises what experts from a variety of disciplines have painstakingly unearthed about Ötzi’s life and death in research lasting many years. Superbly detailed close-ups and impressive general views, including colour pictures of the Iceman’s equipment and clothing, bring to life one of the most sensational archaeological finds to date. Everything you wanted to know about the Iceman, in authoritative, compact and vivid descriptions.

The DiscoveryThursday, September 19, 1991 – 1.30 p.m.Tisenjoch - 3210 m above sea level
Ötztal Alps (South Tyrol, Italy)
On a sunny day two hikers, Erika and Helmut Simon, from Nuremberg in Germany, were walking in the Ötztal Alps. Descending from the Finail peak in the Tisenjoch area, the Simons decided to take a shortcut and left the marked footpath. As they walked past a rocky gully filled with meltwater, they noticed something brown on the gully bed. At first they thought it must be some sort of rubbish, but on closer inspection they realized with horror that they had discovered a human corpse.

http://www.iceman.it/en/oetzi-the-iceman

People live to a ripe old age in Bolzano, working hard every day.

Never again will I complain about how hard I have to work in my garden. This elderly Ladies' garden is so steep she had to use a stick to balance herself. Early, every morning, she worked in her garden and gathered vegetables for her family.

The wine harvest was in full swing at the Hotel Hanny

http://www.hotelhanny.it/

Espaliered Apple and Pear trees line the lower valleys.

Bolzano has everything

Why not see for yourself.

Gina

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Just so you know

2011-10-28T06:13:00.004-06:00

An intensive 3 day ceramic tile painting workshop

November 3, 4 and 5, 2011

Held at Traditional Building Skills Institute (TBSI)

Snow College, Ephraim, Utah

Come join me. Once you have learned how to paint ceramic tiles you also know how to paint Platters, Bowls, Murals, Urns, and more.

Come join us. I'll show you how, I'm your Teacher.

http://www.snow.edu/tbsi/
or call Director of TBSI, Woody Challis
801-518-8626

Gina

Ad hoc

2011-10-26T07:38:00.003-06:00

Karen, one of my students, paints every day.

Karen owns a little book into which she paints every day...with watercolors.

When Karen came for a visit in late Summer, I sent her home with vegetables from our garden.

On her next visit Karen brought a charming little book filled with her beautiful watercolors. She had painted the vegetables from my garden.

Why not paint these pretty images onto ceramics, I suggested.

Karen also brought her 76-year-old Mother. Her Mother had never painted ceramics.

See the lovely fruit plates her Mother painted.

Don't you love practical and useful items which are also beautiful.

Gina

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Have you been to Kientzheim?

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000-06:00

What about Ora, Italy?

Kientzheim, where the streets are lined with half-timbered houses and Storks build their nests on top of chimneys.

When traveling by car in Europe, you sometimes end up in the most unexpected places. Kientzheim, south of Strasbourg, in the Haut-Rhin region of the Alsace, is such a place.

Something happened with our rental car.

It needed to be hoisted onto a flatbed and taken in for repairs.

The Hostellerie Schwendi, in Kientzmeim, was recommended for an overnight stay. It turned out to be a fine Hotel with an award winning Restaurant.
http://schwendi.pagesperso-orange.fr/

This was not the only incident with our rental car. (I'll save that for another time)

Now on to Ora, Italy

Ora (Italian) Auer (German)

See those stripes on the wooden shutters. I used to know their meaning. I think that red and white striped shutters designate a Hotel. Green and white or blue and white stripes mean something else. Very convenient when you're out in the country side. Maybe my readers know the real scoop.

Ora, Italy with an incredible restaurant with an impossible name,

Tschurtsch.

Ora is a tiny village in the northern Italian region of the Trento Adige, not far from Bolzano. Often, we travel to Europe in September and October. We rent a car and set out with no particular plans except we usually make a round trip from Paris to Umbria, Italy, and back to Paris.

That is how we found Ora. Our modus operandi is always to start looking for a place by about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. We head for a very small village and locate the village church tower. That is where you find the best lodgings. Lodgings which have provided a good meal and bed for many travelers through the centuries.

Strolling through Ora we came upon this intriguing looking Restaurant.

Would you have gone inside?

If you had, you would have been served one of the finest meals in all of Europe.

http://www.tschurtsch.it/de/essen.htm

Have a look at their very unusual Menu.

Have a great week my dear Blogging Friends!

Gina

There is a place

2011-10-16T12:59:00.009-06:00

Tucked away in the most northeastern corner of Italy

A special place called Südtirol

Where the cows go to green pastures and come home every evening to be in their cozy barn, where each cow has a hand painted name plate and her own window to look out from.

This is also the place where I buy my hand knit sweaters.
(The black sweater on the left is my newest acquisition).

From a special shop by the name of Trachten Stueberle

Where every balcony is adorned with the most impossible and

luxurious flowers.

And where an elderly gentleman, of nobility, lives behind these towering walls.

He lives there, by himself, hidden.

In this enormous castle.

And every year I ask the locals: 'what do you hear from the old Gentleman' ?

And always, a shrug of the shoulders follows.

And every year, I am hoping, that the elderly Gentleman will see me from his window, and send his manservant to invite me to have tea with him.

And then I will sit quietly and listen.

Where is this magic place, you ask?

It is called Toblach/Dobbiaco in the Südtirol, where both Italian and German is spoken.

Each year I discover a little more and one day I will know everything.

Gina

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While I was frolicking in the French, Austrian, German and Italian countryside

2011-10-14T07:28:00.004-06:00

My work was being exhibited at

the

The Springville Museum of Art

The Museum is known for its fine collection of Utah Art spanning from the Pioneer Days to the present. It also houses the largest public collection of 20th-century Russian Impressionist and Realist art in the western United States.

Springville.org

Located 60 miles south of Salt Lake City, the building was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival Style, dedicated in 1903.

The Exhibit ends Friday, the 14th day of October, 2011

It was an honor to be featured.

Have a great weekend, my dear blogging friends.

Gina

Holy Toledo

2011-10-13T06:48:00.001-06:00

What a Cathedral!

Only this is in Reims, France,

not in Toledo Spain.

Do you see the people in the left bottom corner? That will give you an idea of its enormous size.

Reims is just a 2 hour drive east of Paris,
in the famous Champagne Region of France.

Have you ever wondered how they work on those tall Cathedral Spires?

As you enter Reims, you are welcomed by an Ancient Triumphal Arch, The Porte de Mars, 115 feet long and 43 feet tall.

A few kilometers South and West of Reims, in
Épernay, you will find the famous champagne house of
Moët & Chandon.

While visiting there, you might also want to purchase a few bottles of Perrier-Jouët.

Many stately buildings line the streets of Épernay.

Yes, please, I'll take all of them!

The night before our departure we like to stay near but not at one of the airport hotels.

Only 30 minutes from CDG airport we discovered the beautiful and medieval town of Senlis with Roman Gallo Walls and the lovely Hostellerie de la Porte-Bellon.

The Hotel has ample parking, a lovely Garden Restaurant, beautiful rooms, fantastic breakfasts and in the evening, fine dining.

This may have been our best trip ever, but still, it is great to be back home.

Gina

Mon Bouquet du Jour

2011-09-17T07:24:00.005-06:00

I do not like to leave my Garden

My last rose bouquet from my garden.

This past growing season was much too short.

We will have a frost while we are away.

The Sugarhat Cabbage will get sweeter.

We'll make Sauerkraut when we get back.

The potatoes need a light frost to set their skins

and so will the Lakota Squash.

We have a new Rooster (friends gave him to us, he was supposed to be a hen chicken)...he is the silliest looking Rooster we have ever had. Not even our pretty hens liked him at first. But he sports a very nice crow, not too loud and not too early in the morning.

And he is friendly.

I hope that:

Our house sitters, from the big city, won't mind the rooster crowing at 4 o'clock in the morning,

Stanley, our old gentleman cat, will not bring mice and voles to the front door,

That the chickens will not go into a molt, I have promised our friends fresh chicken eggs every morning,

That the Charolais bull and his girls will not decide that the "grass is greener on the other side"

That the frost will be light so our house guests can enjoy the bounty of the garden and flowers to bring into the house.

This will be an easy trip for us. We fly non stop to Paris. A car will be waiting for us. We will head for the Champagne Region, then the Alsace, then Germany and Austria and then, finally, to my second most favorite place in the World, Italy.

You wonder what my most favorite place is in the world?

The Great United States of America, of course.

My dear Blogging Friends, you have been so generous with your lovely comments and good wishes.

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Wish I could take all of you with me.

Until next time, Auf Wiedersehen.

Gina

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Abundance

2011-09-15T13:19:00.006-06:00

Someone, please stop me!

Last week I couldn't stop painting.

This week I can't stop canning.

Our garden is overflowing with produce.

Some of it will have to wait till we get back from Europe.

Our champagne grapes have produced my very special

Champagne Grape Jelly.

We have a bumper crop this year.

The rest will have to become "Spätlese"

Paris, Soprabolzano, Deruta and all places in between are calling.

We will be there in a few days.

Gina

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Once again, another Artist Studio Tour

2011-09-09T10:06:00.006-06:00

The kiln has cooled, the last piece is out.

All is well

Now I can celebrate, along with the rest of our little town.

Visitors come from far and wide
http://ginaceramics.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-time-flies-another-studio-tour.html

I have been painting every day, my kiln has worked overtime.

Hope the weather will be as beautiful tomorrow as it has been for the past few days. The en plain air competition is also being held this week.

I will be setting up shop under the canopy of our Summit Ash trees.

I don't know what it is about this time of year. There is a new Charolais Bull in our pasture. This one is even younger and bigger than our last one.

credit:superstock

The Bull decided to leave his girls and check out his competition. We had to move him, 2 o'clock in the morning, to a distant pasture.
He was only 50 feet from me and I should have taken a picture, but again I was too scared to think of my camera.
You might recall another Charolais bull incident a couple of years ago and on the day of the Artist Studio Tour.

http://ginaceramics.blogspot.com/2009/09/artist-studio-tour-and-charolais-bull.html

Possibly it has nothing to do with the weather.

Maybe it's because the nights are full with the maddening scent of my very odoriferous Sweet Peas.

Have a great weekend my dear Blogging Friends
and wish me luck!

Gina

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I'm supposed to be painting for the Artist Studio Tour

2011-09-05T14:11:00.012-06:00

But my Garden keeps calling

Our tomatoes are ripe

The gooseberries, the red currants, the rhubarb, the cherries, the strawberries and more, all have been harvested and preserved in one way or another.
Oh yes, I forgot the pickles and the beets. They were all taken care of, as well.

Now the tomatoes are ripe and need attention. And here is the hero of the day, our friend Steven, attorney extraordinaire and fine French chef, has saved us hours upon hours of work.

I have a very complicated gizmo. It even has a motor, which I never used. I like cranking things by hand. It separates tomatoes from their seeds and skins, and, it is very messy.

But Steven uses a blender. I didn't believe that it would work. But hallelujah, it does. It saved us hours of work and the clean up was a breeze.

But you need one of these.
This one I inherited from Gene's mother.
I didn't know what an important piece of machinery it was until I started to get real serious about canning.

Even Gene doesn't mind helping. After all, this gadget is over 80 years old and it really works. After chopping up the tomatoes in the blender you then simply strain through this fabulous gadget (please tell me the name of this thing).

We were finished in less than 1/2 an hour. We opened a bottle of champagne and watched life on the pond and the blue skies of San Pete County.

Wishing you a perfect weekend, my dear blogging friends

Gina

Mon Bouquet du Jour

2011-09-02T05:34:00.017-06:00

Para usted de mi jardin

From our Garden

Gather a variety, whatever looks interesting.

When working with heavy vegetables and fruit, a little extra support is necessary.

Florist picks with attached wires come in handy.

Florist tubes, filled with water, hold flowers a little longer.

Rub a little olive oil onto eggplants, prevents them from drying out.

Stop by your Florist or craft store for all of the above items; you'll be glad you did when it comes time to design your holiday arrangements.

It only takes a few minutes to put together when you have everything at hand.

Even the lowly turnip.

Our garden is bursting with produce. In between painting sessions I'm canning whatever is ripe in our garden.

I'm still painting for the "Artist Studio Tour", September 10th.

Thank you, my dear friends. I am reading all of your sweet comments. Please know that I appreciate you more than you will ever know.

Have a great weekend my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

Mon Bouquet du Jour

2011-08-26T06:21:00.015-06:00

Rose dal mio Giardino per voi

Roses from my Garden ... for you

Roses, Salpiglossis and Anenomies

I'm still painting, for another two weeks.
Want to see?

Have a great weekend my Dear Blogging Friends.

I'll be checking in, now and then.

Gina

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Mon Bouquet du Jour

2011-08-19T07:23:00.008-06:00

Mein Wochenende Strauss

Painting is going well, kiln firing is going well...need to continue painting but wanted to check in and wish you a wonderful weekend.

This little Ladybug has changed colors to fit into its Tarahumara Sunflower environment, that is what I'm doing, disappearing from blogging...but only for a little while.

My garden is bursting with flowers and vegetables.

Have a great weekend, my dear Blogging Friends.

Gina

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Need to Paint

2011-08-15T18:29:00.001-06:00

My Dear Blogging Friends.

I'm going to take a couple of weeks away from blogging.

I will be preparing for an Exhibit at the Springville Art Museum.

Also, I need to replenish my studio for the Annual Artist Studio Tour early next month.

I will miss you, but I will be checking in now and then.

Cheers, Gina

Mon Bouquet du jour

2011-08-13T12:10:00.005-06:00

Mein Sonntag Blumenstrauss

Hollyhocks and Roses from my Garden

Have a great weekend my dear Blogging Friends

Gina

Shall I show you my favorite Sweet Peas?

2011-08-11T05:46:00.014-06:00

I love all Sweet Peas, especially the old fashioned odoratus type.

The kind that make you swoon.

Their fragrance is intoxicating, the name is 'Mollie Rilestone'.

In a group or by itself, my favorite Sweet Pea of them all.

'Wiltshire Ripples' is a must have.

Martha Stewart made a special trip to England every year so she could have 'Ripples' growing in her garden.

Of all odoratus Sweet Peas, 'Chatsworth Blue' has the most intense perfume.

You will find all of the above and many more at Thompson & Morgan Seeds

Gina

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I want to keep them

2011-08-07T14:41:00.017-06:00

But so does my client

My hand painted tiles, just out of the kiln this morning

I have a rod iron table which needs a few tiles

Yes, I painted them but now they don't belong to me anymore

That reminds me of a story

A story about a bicycle, a bicycle I almost owned when I was eight years old

We were refugees from East Prussia,

(part of Germany before WW II).

We had very little. Certainly not extra money for a bike.

I knew that I would never have a bicycle

But one evening, at the dinner table, my Father told me that he had a 50/50 chance of getting a bicycle for me. I really, really wanted one. What eight year old wouldn't?

He had asked the man, with the beautiful bicycle, if he would give it to him. The man said NO.

I was disappointed in my Dad for telling this not so funny story.

I've had fancier bikes but this is my favorite, the kind of bike an eight year old would have loved to own.

So, why don't I just paint a few more tiles. My very own tiles for my rod iron table.

Gina

Note: All ceramics hand painted by Gina

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