Friday, November 25, 2016

Some People Make It Look So Easy

Recipe: Tasty Timeline
Just before I began my "lay-low-for-Advent" time out with Facebook, I found this recipe for "Cracker Candy" posted there by one Lori Nolan.  In the video -- complete with fast-forward -- she makes this stuff look oh-sooo-easy to make.

I had the ingredients around the house, so I thought I'd give it a try.  If it worked out, I reasoned, I'd take a batch over the the Mirror & District Museum's Open House tomorrow afternoon, and maybe make a batch for the kids at Christmas, instead of my (traditional) 5-Minute Fudge.

Well...it really is pretty easy -- but you have to work really fast to spread the brown sugar and the chocolate layers, and I was really worried that the bottom -- the crackers -- moved around on my greased tin-foil, so that some of the brown sugar topping seeped under them.  In the end, my 'taste test' showed that that was really -- as Martha would say -- a Good Thing.  The stuff is delicious, and is now boxed up in the fridge for delivery tomorrow.  Batch #2 will come closer to Christmas.

Another person who makes "it" look so-o-o easy is my friend Mary Wilton, with her fabric painting.  You'll recall from an earlier post that a week ago I took her Friday evening/all day Saturday class...with mixed results.

Not being one to waste materials, on Wednesday I 'set to' figuring out what I'd do with them, as well as doing up some more mono-printed pieces for more wintry miniatures.

First, though, I relegated the "trees positioned on background 3" to the 'sample' files.  No matter how I played with it, I couldn't see how to make it work.  The brown trees are just too clunky -- and positioned in just such a way that I can't work around 'em.  At least, not right now.

That decision made, I turned to the other backgrounds, and the other painted trees, which had fusible web (Mary gave us Steam-a-Seam Lite) applied so were ready to cut out and fuse where desired.  In the end, I used only three more of the trees I'd painted -- all "birch" -- and I cut off the main part of one of the background pieces to make this new miniature composition:

Old Birch at Dawn (C) 2016
5" x 7" matted to 8" x 10"

Old Birch... - Detail

The bottom of the piece was replaced (as you can likely tell) by a piece of unpainted fabric for the 'snow', because the original just didn't 'work' for me. :-)

The remaining background I'd painted had that weird grey stuff going on along the bottom from a failed experiment, but I really liked the top of the piece so again, I separated the two.   That crazy grey stuff had something to it, though, once it was standing on its own.  It kinda looked like foggy evergreens.  So...I fussy cut it along its top edge and auditioned it in various ways against that background.  The result is another mini...


Foggy Morn (C) 2016
5" x 7" matted to 8" x 10"
Foggy Morn - Detail



Last but not least, I'd painted a piece of that white-on-white fabric, and outlined an evergreen with blue gel glue on the right side.  Wednesday I painted the tree; once it was dry and heat set I washed out the glue, so that today it was ready to stitch.

I confess I don't think this one is quite as 'strong' as the night-time version, but I offer it here for your consideration anyway.  :-)


First Snow on the Prairie (C) 2016
5" x 7" matted to 8" x 10"

First Snow - Detail

I hope to present these to Denise at the Bonavista Fine Art Gallery in Sylvan Lake on Wednesday, along with these ones that need hand stitching before they're ready...


You'll notice one is...ahem...smaller than the others.  That's because while I "measured twice and cut once", I...um...still cut it a bit too small.  Not to worry! I have a mat that will work...so stay tuned for a "finished" post within the week.

Meanwhile, as I have some hand-stitch to do, I'd best be off!  I'm linking up to Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday (on time for a change!) and settin' to work.   I'm thankful for her faithful platform, where I can meet up with so many wonderful creative people!  And I remain thankful that all of you, Gentle Readers, continue to read the ramblings of this Crazy Canuck.  :-)

Have a great weekend, eh?






8 comments:

Norma Schlager said...

That candy looks delicious. I have had it before and now am glad to have the recipe. Your birch trees are lovely!

Jenny K. Lyon said...

Ooo-I especially love the foggy morning one! All are beautiful,simple and peaceful. Enjoy that hand stitching.

els said...

LOVE them all.

Bethany Garner said...

Love the candy and did not have a recipe Robin Field makes it here, and I have never been able to sneak the recipe from her! Thanks Marg!

LOVE the new works in progress, especially the black and white pieces.. are they going to be for sale at Bonavista? Would be a nice addition to my collection!
Bethany

Bethany Garner said...

Love the candy and did not have a recipe Robin Field makes it here, and I have never been able to sneak the recipe from her! Thanks Marg!

LOVE the new works in progress, especially the black and white pieces.. are they going to be for sale at Bonavista? Would be a nice addition to my collection!
Bethany

Joan said...

Another lovely set of 'minis' well done. I have a question for you - do you frame your finished pieces or present them in the mounts you have shown? I always have trouble deciding how to do this with my little pictures.

Gina said...

I think I like Old Birch the best of those three--looks like a very typical Alberta morning with the pastel sky. Love the minimalist use of negative space, too.

Anonymous said...

They're all beautiful. I'd have a hard time picking a favourite.