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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A Wintery Wonderland Sort of Weekend

So when they predict snow in the valley it's not only the kids who get excited. I LOVE the snow. The sheep not so much.
Mark woke me up around 5 am and I couldn't help waking El. It's the one time of year that waking a teenager at the crack of dawn is allowed.

Since school was already out and Mark couldn't really go into work, we took the opportunity to deliver the wreaths we made to our neighbors.

Rocco came too. Ate some snow. Had a good time.

So I have spent the last two days cleaning and decorating. I'm the kind of person that has to do a deep cleaning before putting anything new out. That is why it has taken almost two full days.

The reason I say almost is because Mark and I take breaks to read a chapter here and there from Mockingjay. We read the series years ago but it's always good to brush up don't you think. Paired with a warm cup of tea and the bright snow filling the house with light, it was the perfect day.

So stay tuned for fun pick of the house filled with season cheer. And oooh and awh  over it because it has taken a lot of time and energy. 

Summer 2013 Part 1

Every summer starts with our trip to Sunriver OR. This time was a bit longer then most but because of the rain I was only able to sketch a few pages. I have been sketching exclusively in my large moleskine allowing me to write more about where I am when painting and what I am experiencing. I especially love watching people look through it and read the stories. 

Not a few days after this trip we were off to the coast to camp with family; my oldest sis Angie from Dear Spring Green and her family along with my mom and dad. It was so great spending time with my niece and nephews. Mark went diving twice in Depoe Bay and we dreamed together of one day owning a house on the beach. We drive around looking at signs and collecting flyers. Does anyone else do that?

At some point, and I honestly don't know when because I'm getting old, we went fishing. Very, very  early in the morning. The morning started out with high hopes. El had just gotten a new bright pink fishing pole that lights up when you real in and I was fully prepared with sunscreen, snacks and a fabulous hat!
Within the first hour we caught our first fish! We all clap and take pictures and congratulate each other. Hour number two goes by... nothing. The other boat holding Mark's brother and friends continue to catch fish. We say "yay!" and clap for them the third, fourth and fifth time but by fishy number six we could only manage a weak "yay" followed by a grumble. The sun was not warm on our faces anymore. We lacked the excitement we once felt when we cast our line. Life was meaningless.

I love my photo bombing daughter

 After five hours we went home and took a nap. Life got better.

And, as always, there is the CONSTANT harvesting going on here. Because we had such unseasonably warm weather in June our cherries, basset berries, strawberries and rhubarb all came on at the same time. My fingers were stained brown from all of the cherry juice for a few weeks, but I now have a gallon of dried cherries and countless gallons of seeded pie and bing cherries in the fridge.

In my search for a good cobbler recipe for the bings I found THIS one by Martha Stewart. I would double the filling though because there is a ton of crust in this recipe.

Now the blueberries are consuming our evenings and the blackberries and apricots are on their way! I am also working on harvesting our lavender for my handmade sachets and to make infused vodka!

I will spare you the details about worming the sheep and move on.

Finally, we are enjoying every sunset here at Bramblefield and I look forward to sharing more of my summer projects with you soon.

Vintage Sale in Vancouver WA

This weekend I visited my sister Angie of Dear Spring Green and ran through the a sale in her neighborhood in Vancouver Washington.

Once a month during the summer Cottage Vintage Home puts on a big sale with a variety of booths in the parking lot. Since we only had a few minutes I only left with a few treasures. I suppose that was a safe way to shop in hindsight :)

Make sure to check them out if you are in the area next month!

Up the Mountain

This past weekend was a treat. We rarely make it up the mountain to see Mark's mother but were able to carve out some time and just relax. She lives just below Government Camp on Mt Hood here in Oregon; about a three hour drive for our home.

She is surrounded by majestic firs with a moss covered floor. This is seriously their view. Over the past few years they have been renovating their split level into a lodgy cabin in the woods. Under there recent addition they built in a small room for creating her pottery which I am so excited to use! 

One stop that we ALWAYS make is to Timberline Lodge. This is not just a local ski lodge. It is a monument. The work that has gone into the design and structure are noting short of amazing. 

Not many people know that this was the place where the interior hall scenes were filmed. Very scary. El wanted to know if she could watch it. I dont' think so. I watched it when I was 19 and it is still seared in my brain. And now I am a bit scared of axes. And people dressed as bears/bunnies. And this hallway.

Through the main level that you enter there are walls of photos from construction and the early years of patrons. There is even a room to watch the making of it! I'm a documentary nut so I watch it every time. 

You might also recognize this pic above from your high school peechee. The  skier is a model form the mountain. Just a fun fact :) 

After touring you must eat upstairs or at least have a drink. Sometimes we just get a hot chocolate but this time we all split fondu and I drank a Motlaporter beer. Yay for dark beer! My belief is if you can't see through it, it tastes better.
We have only stayed the night once and it was terrific. If you are unable to get a room with a fireplace just bring a book and snuggle up to the ones in the center of the lodge.

Christmas Card 2012

I really wanted to show you all my little project but didn't want to give it away to those receiving it in the mail. Better late then never though.

In order to keep my sanity I decided years ago that I would create a holiday card every other year. By holiday I do not mean only Christmas. 2010 was Groundhog's Day where I created a lino-cut image of the noble creature and hand stamped and tinted each postcard. I titled it "Groundhog in Repose". This year I was feeling a bit sentimental and had recently created a reindeer tangled in christmas lights that so decided to kick it into gear and make Christmas cards. 

All of my materials came from Michaels and sponsored by those amazing coupons they send out over email and through app. Here are the materials I used:

1. I found a wood type paper on clearance (.69 ea) 

2. Brown Craft Paper cards and envelopes

3. Two stamps; The merry Christmas message and the snowflake(from the $ bins)

4. The black paper was something I had but I splurged and got the Fiskars Ultra ShapeXpress and the Brackets and Journal template. With the coupons it was super affordable and since I can't afford a Circut at the moment these $5 templates will have to do. The Shaper itself is a bit tricky to use and takes a bit more time because you need to be slow and steady about it. 

 You can imagine the HOURS spent cutting each of these out but it was totally worth it. I hope to have these cute little deer available in my shop next fall.

In addition to my biannual card giving resolution I began a journal to track each years card giving and receiving. (I'm patting myself on the back right now) I am going to add a page this year to track all of the holiday events and locations as well as the gifting rules.
As our kids get older and our families expand the gift giving rules are changing. For instance, on Mark's mother's side of the family we do a friendly version of white elephant with only good gifts. This year I received/stole a fabulous basket filled with Bert's Bee's products. Yay me! I swear the anti wrinkle cream is working. For the kids we spend only $5 each because there are so many. As they become teens it is a bit harder to find suitable gifts though. Any ideas?
At the end of the month we will have our final celebration in Portland with my side of the family. It is a smaller group but the kids are still tiny and so much fun to play with.
After that is lambing season and I enter an entirely new world of early morning feedings and lanolin smelling...everything. Can't wait to share it with you all.

Happy late winter crafting to you all,
Elizabeth

Sketch Book- Sunriver

Here is my sketchbook. You are the first outsiders to see it.  It began as a challenge to myself. Every day seemed too busy to practice painting and though I longed for my studio/office/laundry room, I couldn't seem to make it there. So, thanks to a local specialty art store called Oregon Art Supply I was able to take my studio with me.

After following Sketching Spirit blog for months I decided to paint whenever I had a little extra time on vacations rather than take a picture. My first attempt was at Disneyland sitting on a bench in Pooh's Corner with notebook and watercolor pencils in hand. It was a muted, confused accident. Teaching oneself a new technique while on location is just stupid. Mistakes, and several ugly pages behind me, I packed up a Tupperware tote with one brush, a napkin, three different colors and my trusty notebook and explored Sunriver, Oregon on my cruiser. Mark and I would stop along the way and I would give myself 20-30 minutes to capture the moment while he sat in the shade of a pine tree reading The Big Burn.  

I normally plot out my picture very carefully with pencil but this time I only put down a few directional lines, a wash, a few details then inked with a fine tipped sharpie. This is also the first time I have attempted landscape since I was twelve so I was pleased with the whimsical look I got. Among my many dreams and aspirations I would love to illustrate a children's book some day.  
Sunriver has become a tradition thanks to Mark's sister Lisa. As soon as school is out we pack up our bikes, insane amounts of food and head out. The above painting was taken while my niece swam and rafters drifted by eager to talk and see what I was doing. Everyone is a friend in Sunriver. Maybe that is one of the reasons we love it so much.

Hope this brought you a little sun in this cold weather.
-Elizabeth

What a Weekend

The other weekend was quite big and I must preface this post by saying that not every weekend is like this for us.  Let us start with Saturday morning. My mother-in-law drove all the way from Mt Hood to see us this weekend and what better way to begin the day than to do a little shopping at the Saturday Market. As a gardener I prefer the Farmers Market side of the street and picked up a few loaves of fresh baked bread from Marche's, some delectible cheese from Fern's Edge Farms which is just around the corner from where we live. Their chevre is out of this world and I always grab some when I'm here. 

It was an interesting exercise; trying to take pictures of the sights, but every time I held up my camera it seemed people wanted to be in the picture! I gave up and gave them their own collage. 

Besides the women in tutus and prairie-like garb you could find a man dressed in all plastic bags looking like a fluffy white yeti, street performers and a  gentleman turning hot peppers over a fire pit. When I turned to my mom-in-law and ask her what she thinks she shrugs and says "it is exactly the same as when I was here 30 years ago"

Next we were joined by Mark at Koho Bistro for a fabulous dinner. Every bite is amazing. This time I had the pork chops with brandy glazed carrots. Num. I am salivating as I type this. The price is incredibly reasonable and the service is incredible. Seriously, if you are in town, GO! But be warned: Do not be fooled by the outside appearance. It's a book/cover sort of situation.

The following morning we hauled it over to Coburg for the annual Antique Fair. I am always late to it but leave with a steal. I practiced great reserve and left with only a few items: A narrow trough of sorts which I plan to float in the middle of the dining room table with candles for $10, a few wobbly frames that have since been tightened and fitted with glass for $1 each and an original oil painting marked $30 but I got for $10!

And since we had been gorging ourselves all weekend we decided to stop in at one of our favorite spots Chief's (another glorious little hole in the wall) owned by Rochelle and Matt Hogan.  It is quite a departure from our whole foods dinner from the night before but oh so worth the calories. Might I recommend the Coburger? Save room for dessert though or get it to go. You will thank me.

Yes, the second weekend in September is always a good one here in the valley. If you try out any of these places let us know. We'll meet you there!