Fall Color

It's fall people! My favorite time of year.

So I thought I would take you on a brief color tour of the yard.

Katsura Trees come in a few forms. These have wonderful lush leaves and create a cloud of yellow in the fall. 

I also love the multi trunk structure. 

The Weeping Katsura has bit more variation when it changes into it's fall color. Almost a tiger stripe. Over the last few years we have been weaving it's long branches through the arbor to create a green canopy to walk though. 

We have several varieties of maple as well. All in different stages of oranges and reds right now.

This coral bark maple creates color when all the leaves are gone.

 Dwarf Lace Leaf

The Hydrangeas are also still going strong as well. Above is yet another start of the Oak Leaf Hydrangea.  The divide beautifully and even little sticks broken off of the base can bee replanted and thrive. These are from two little sticks I put in a large pot last spring.

Years ago, Mark received several starts from the Arbor Day Foundation and this Redbud is the only one that made it through our many moves.  I just love how the leaves look dipped in maroon.

The spiders are making webbed canons around the berries on our Nandina (also called Heavenly Bamboo)

And finally, my absolute favorite would have to be our blueberry bushes. They are mingled in with the rest of the plants surrounding the house but we also have a dedicated area that looks like a crimson explosion.
When I was a teen I would string them on thick twine, and drape the garlands around my canopy bed.

Daffodil Print

As winter approaches of course I would be painting flowers for spring!

When driving up our little lane in the spring you will see an explosion of yellow. Over the years our neighbors would divide their own bulbs and plant them along the road, trying to beautify what once was at the time an abandoned christmas tree farm. 

We continued the tradition by adding our own varieties and surrounding our entry with them. 

They are now up in the shop HERE and I have added the option to have them matted in an 8x10 for only $2 more.  

Summers End

It has been a hurried summer with lots of promises to do more, see more, relax more. But in reality it was just a continuation of life as usual for us. Hosting events, improving the house and, as the sun is setting, take a minute or two to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Now it is raining cat's and dogs but as a native Oregonian I'm good with it.

The last week of sunshine we took down all of the roses that ring our yard and climb the trellis. This upset a few people but within a week you can see the healthy new starts shooting up from the ground.

Twilight is the best time of day to get a dirty job done. The smell of neighboring burn piles in the air and something in the crockpot waiting inside. 

Fall isn't over yet for us but the clear warm days of it are.

Hope you are making the most of whatever weather your state is bringing you right now. 

Goodnight from Bramblefield

2017 Desk Calendar

It's been a long time coming but here it is! 

My first desk calendar! 

This was in every way, the most ambitious project to date. 

12 different linoleum block carvings

Over 140 hand pulled prints

Hand painting each one

Creating and staining fir wood blocks

Finally scanning the best of each month and creating this little gem

Click HERE to link to my shop.

 Limited to only 12 calendars this year. (I'm ambitious but not crazy!)

Graduation Weekend

It has been a big week for us with very little done on our projects list. 

Our baby graduated from high school this week and we are so proud! 

Just wanted to share her beautiful face and to tell you that next week I will be back to share a big project we have been working on!

P.S. If you are a local Oregonian you should check out Ed Dasso Photography. He is responsible for these amazing pics. I really wanted something relaxed and timeless, not so staged and "senior photos" like and he nailed it! And he does weddings....but we can wait on that. One step at a time. Ha!

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New Linocut Branch Series

It only took 6 months of random print sessions and late night painting but I finally finished my 6 piece branch series! Each print is hand pulled and individually painted in watercolor.

                 

It seems like forever but I really wanted to list them in my Etsy shop at the same time.

                     

The are now ready to ship out with FREE shipping with an option to mat. 

You can also convo me to have yours framed in a variety of sizes. 

            

           

Knockoff Peperoncini Dip Recipe

My friend recently introduced me to a nummy Peperoncini dip that I thought I may be able to reproduce without all of the weird ingredients on the lable. Out of over 18 ingredients I used half.

15 Peperoncini

3/4 cup  Cottage Cheese

3/4 cup Sour Cream

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Lemon Juice

1/2 tsp pepper 

1 T parsley

3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

First de-stem all of the peppers. If seeds get into your dip, it's fine. Just adds more flavor. I mince them with these handy-dandy scissors I found found in a thrift store for only 99cents. They are for cutting up herbs but they evidently thought they were just for paper and so put them in the craft section.

Mincing and chopping takes a quarter of the time it used to. You can find them HERE on amazon for only $6 so treat yourselves!

Next I just dump in all the ingredients. None of them are set in stone. You can change how much pepper and garlic you include according to your personal taste.

Next; plate it up and serve with your favorite crackers. Mine are the gluten free sea salt crackers from Costco. We have two bags on hand at all times and I don't know what I'll do if they discontinue them.

or put in the food processor for a smooth, whipped consistency. The flavor only gets better with time so refrigerate for a few hours before serving if you can.  After a day in the fridge it will be super spicy.

Because this doesn't have any of the fancy preservatives on the original label, it is best you consume it within a few days.  Enjoy!