Creating the Yum

For about a week my daughter has been wanting to make chocolate cake.  As I don't buy things of that nature, I didn't even have the supplies on hand.  Now in this house if I'm going to make chocolate cake, I'm going to make it the way we love.  Black Forest Cake otherwise known as Schwarzwälderkirschtorte.  Old friends of ours once told us it's a Southern German Recipe, but I'm not certain, perhaps you know a detail or two about this cake.  If so I'd love to hear from you.

This cake is three layers of chocolate, whipped cream, and of course cherries.  It's to tall to allow the cake taker lid seal it up so I end up sharing between 1/4 and 1/2 of it with the neighbors.  After all you can't let something this good go to waste.  Are you wishing you were one of my neighbors yet?

I know, I didn't do the best job on my icing, and hopefully the above photo shows why, just look at those layers!  I ran out of my whipped cream so when I was frosting that top part instead of doing one little Rosette at a time I zoomed to the finish hoping I had enough left to dam up the cherries on the top.

Recipe shared upon request.

Textile Medium Update - Review Part 1

Not one to sacrifice a project to a product I know nothing about, I tried my Fabric Medium by Americana before subjecting DH's art work to it.  The results where not at all what I'd hoped.

After three days of drying a heat set and one hand washing.

I scanned the image so that you could really see the color change between the painted and the unpainted areas.  From this scan alone I would be thrilled with the results.  But what you don't see is that the side painted with Textile Medium feels like vinyl there is no better way to explain it.  Also look along the edge of the black on the left had side.  See how the fabric was changed simply by having the paint on it? 

Another troublesome issue that you can't see but I can is that the colors have all taken on a yellowish hue.  The medium appears white in the bottle, so I am uncertain if this problem is that the colored pencils ran a bit as the medium was applied or just what.

Original, attempts made to use different pressures and angles to see overall results.  All colors are Prismacolor.

The original post said to apply lightly which I found completely impossible with the Americana brand.  Firstly it pooled on the surface and then soaked in drenching all areas it touched.  I am hoping by diluting the Fabric Medium it will reduce all of my issues.  As each step takes a while, it will be around a week before you'll be able to see a follow up on my dilution samples.

Right after painting with Medium.

Color tinged mess left behind under the fabric, all attempts to apply thinly failed with this product.

As far as clean up, this product cleans up in hot water and a bit of soap and for my table a bit of elbow grease so at least that was okay.  I wouldn't leave it though as that first washing of the sample did not change the feel of the painted sample at all.

This was an update to my Textile Medium Gives New Life to Old WIP post click the link to read.  To see any images bigger simply click on them.  Some will even allow you to zoom on the resulting image after that simply by clicking it again when the magnifing glass appears with a plus sign.

Thank Heavens Your Home!

Have you had enough of the birds in my area?  Luckily for me I'm still thrilled to have visitors.  Today's passerby was a Male Rose Breasted Grosbeak, and what a beauty he his!  Thanks again to the Migration Research Foundation, I know he is fully mature as was the Indigo Bunting was yesterday, both being over 2 years of age.

This handsome Grosbeak is a member of the Cardinal family, if you can believe that one. I think it's rather interesting that he is somehow tied to Lady Bird. Male Rose Breasted Grosbeaks have been traveling past my bird feeder each year since 2006 that I know of. Until today I only knew them as "bleeding heart birds", as my Florida bird Guide did not mention them at all (trust me I'd gone through it page by page multiple times).

In fact I was even concerned when I first saw one, because as you can see that red breast on that black and white body might be cause for concern. Wonderfully that is not the case and is merely the way this handsome bird looks.

No sign of yesterday’s migrator, but what a joy to see this one. These migrating birds are so hungry; they don't care one bit about other birds stopping for a snack. I guess that makes them like us at a rest stop.

This little guy is a regular happily taking a bit of seed and baiting his woodpecker holes with bugs.  I normally see him hanging on the edge of the bird feeder though, so to see him right side up was a real switch.

A Day of Rest ~ Indigo Style ~

Just the other day I saw a painted Bunting. It swooped down low to the feeder early in the morning, and then spying a cat soared back up into the sky, it was only here for a second and gone so fast my fingers were still reaching for my book to confirm.

That reminded me of a year or two ago that an Indigo Bunting stopped by for a Migratory visit before heading off into the stars. Yes I said stars. Indigo Buntings navigate by the stars! Who knew, certainly not me.

 So today about 9:45am when that beautiful bird alighted my bird feeder I was in awe. I had the camera out of the bag a quick as I could manage (I am getting faster) and started snapping. That tired hungry little boy ate for about 20 minutes before stopping to sun himself. He paid no heed to the other birds, and went back and fourth from the bath to the feeder for about 45 minutes! I even snuck out the other door when it was time to pick up dd from school so as not to disturb him.   

As it turns out he wasn't here when we arrived home, but before she had finished her lunch he had taken up his perch at the feeder again. He's here on and off, mostly seemed to sleep, both in the sunny areas and in the shade. No wonder he's sleeping, as I mentioned they migrate at night. I learned that at this wonderful site.

Before I learned of his nocturnal habits I learned that this little boy is beyond his second year, as told by the blue gracing all the way down his wings to their very tips.  Perhaps even this little gentleman has visited us before.  My information on age determination comes from the Migration Research Foundation.

So determined to hang out here that when this family of House Sparrows came up screaming and begging, he went right on with what he was doing. As the males migrate ahead of the females any of his own screaming brood will follow him in a week or two. As both the females and juveniles are plain it’s possible I wont even notice them.

 This is the female house sparrow feeding her two little ones.

Even when I banged around the kitchen a bit, this little Indigo Bunting paid no attention to me. What a wonderful visitor. Because truly a visitor is all he is. We live in his North bound migration path, so a day like today is truly special.

This one is my favorite picture from today.

Lady Bird Update:  Yesterday Lady Bird visited alone, as well as many made by male Cardinals, perhaps someone has eggs?

Textile Medium Gives life to Old WIP

It all started two years ago when my husband took all of my white fabric and drew Disney characters on it.  More than once I ran out of white fabric because he would make off with it.  I'd intended to make a baby quilt using the drawings, but I set the project out of my mind when our color swatch sample started fading after repeated washings.

Two days ago I read Testing Shadows over at 365 days of free motion quilting, in that post she mentions Textile Medium being used to set colored pencil marks into fabric.  SERIOUSLY!?!?!   What is that and where can I get some?!?!  So then in comes an email from Lynn over at Nebraska Views who tells me about Sandra and the two posts she created:  A New Discovery and Colored Pencil Applique Tutorial in the later I learn all about Textile Medium and where to look for it.  AWESOME!  Aren't our fellow bloggers great!

This morning while running errands I was right next to Michael's.  I thought I've give them a shot after all worst case they don't have it and I buy it for $6 post shipping on ebay.  Sure enough they have it.  Granted it's not the brand Sandra talked about, but I think it will be just fine. 

Do you have a project that you put away like that?  It took me two years to find the $2.46 answer, but I did, and I'm certain the answer will come to you too.  Perhaps it's time to go through that old box and refresh your mind; perhaps you already know the answer. Pst! It's okay if the answer is to give it to a friend to finish.