The 2013 National Dog Show Best in Show award winner was Jewel… and American Foxhound! How grand! I know  from experience what good dogs they are. When I was little occasionally we would have to bring one of the hounds home from the kennel for her to have her pups in our barn. You have never seen/heard anything so joyful as a litter of hound puppies bounding out of a stall for the first time! I’ll never forget it. : )

This is my little nod to the American Foxhound and its garden portrait from 2010. Here is the original post. Congrats Jewel and your owners/handlers. Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day victory.

To order the American Foxhound Garden Portrait on notecards, prints or linen items click here.

Oh what fun! Some of you may know that I have a bit of a “thing” for ceramics. It’s something like horses… I started young and it has always been a part of me. Apparently my mud-pie days made a big impression.

Well, I have been sneaking over to the studio at Clayscapes and doing a little throwing. There will be some new hand- thrown pots with topiaries available at the Flower Show. Yay.

But that is not what this post is about. This post about Raku Day! The superb folks (Don Seymour and crew) at Clayscapes open the studio to the public for a wonderful event this time of year. Here how it all goes…

For a small fee ($7) you choose a vessel of some sort that has already been bisque fired.

Then the kind folks help you bring your ideas for that little pretty into being through glazing and surface design.

The outdoor low-fire kiln gets loaded with pieces.

After the kiln has reached the necessary temperature (maybe 15 to 20 min.) the lid is raised and the vessels are literally glowing hot.

If there is a crackle glaze, the surface is blown on to produce the crackle effect by cooling it more quickly.

They are then placed into a fireproof container and combustible materials (straw in this case) are added to aid in the reduction of oxygen. This oxygen reduction creates the color in the glaze and the clay body itself.

A toasty pull from the flaming garbage can, then a quick dip in water… and they are done! The water stops the chemical reaction of the glaze and fixes the color.

The pieces still bubble and steam as they cool for handling.

Did I mention there was delicious food? And a gallery? I’m so thankful to have been introduced to this fun, creative group. They inspire me.

The kids had a blast. If you are nearby you should come next year for this event ~ or ~ check out the studio. There are lots of people who have never done ceramics before and the classes work with any level. It’s a very welcoming group. For more information visit their website.

A charming new design for this year, the Partridge in a Pear Tree Topiary is now available as a boxed set of 10 Holiday Cards with contrasting Poppy envelopes ($18). Printed in the US on acid-free, recycled cardstock, the cards are shown with envelopes inserted. Order now while in stock!

A new little design to get into the Holiday spirit! The Partridge in a Pear Topiary design is available on Linen Guest Towels, Linen Cocktail Napkins, Lavender Sachets and Boxed Seasonal Cards. A perfect gift for the holiday hostess. To order click HERE.

Thought I would do a “little” sketching in the studio today… that is my foot at the bottom right. I had to stand on the table to see the whole thing. My proportions are all out of proportion from drawing while standing next to the table. The watercolor paper is attached to the surface- I wish I could stand the table on end.

The photo reference was taken at the Kentucky Horse Park during a demonstration with a Friesian on long lines. I love the angles and motion. They are such beautiful horses.

Sometimes when I haven’t painted in awhile I work really big and just play. The opportunities for disaster are tangible. The paper is fairly light-weight so it may not hold very much water. We’ll see what happens with this one!

This little guy has been hanging around the studio for awhile. I’m so happy that he’s ready to start sending out those birthday greetings. The card reads: Happy Birthday   inside:  to a real work of art.   Hope your day is a masterpiece!

To order the “Work of Art” design or other charming topiary themed birthday cards click here.

Our pumpkins that we carved last night… I think Lala’s kitty is too precious! : ) Can’t wait to toast those seeds.

Everyday. Seriously everyday. Okay, maybe 5 days a week. When I haven’t had one… I crave it. It jump starts my morning and I know that I’m getting a healthy portion of those vitamin loaded leafy greens. Often I will have vegetables in the refrigerator that are chopped and ready to go for the week but I do love to run out to the garden in my cowboy boots and robe to pick the chard for that morning’s omelette.

Now, I’m sure this recipe is floating around out there somewhere, but I swear I came up with it myself due to what I had on hand. As I mentioned in a previous post, my garden and I have been out of step most of the season… except for the Swiss Chard.

Holy Swiss moly. It is still going strong out there!

Pull together your ingredients…

Saute your raw vegetables in a small amount of oil.

Once they have softened, add your greens and seasonings; salt, nutmeg and thyme.

Pour in your scrambled egg and wait for it to set. Then sprinkle on your cheese.

Once the egg has set, gently fold your omelette in half to melt the cheese.

Plate that little darling up and ENJOY!

Ingredients:

• couple drops of olive oil
• 1/4 sliced small onion
• 1/4 red pepper chopped ~and/or~ whatever is in the frig… green peas, sauteed leeks, cooked asparagus, mushrooms
• 5 or 6 or 10 Chard leaves… washed, stems removed and leaves chopped
• pinch of kosher salt
• Pinch of dried or fresh thyme
• 3 or 4 swipes on the grater of fresh nutmeg- or a dash of dried
• 1 or 2 eggs…  1 whole egg scrambled with a splash of milk or water
• sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese, feta or whatever you like
• Red Hot sauce, Sriracha or salsa garnish

Instructions:

Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil into 8 in. nonstick skillet and heat to medium. Add onions and any other raw vegetables to the pan. Saute lightly until vegetables are soft. Add washed and chopped Swiss Chard (stems removed) to pan and let it wilt while stirring. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and thyme folding all of the vegetables together. Cook over medium heat for approx. 3 to 4 minutes.

Once your Chard has soften and cooked, add your beaten egg(s) and gently swirl it around picking up the edges of the omelette to let the liquid meet the pan. After the egg has set up, sprinkle on your cheese of choice and fold the omelette in half. Allow to sit a couple of minutes for flavors to meld.

Garnish with Sriracha Sauce and fresh herbs. The creamy goat cheese compliments the spice nicely.

** If you find that there is too much liquid in the center of your omelette you can put it under the broiler in your oven on high for 2 or 3 minutes to set. Be sure to use an oven safe skillet and DON’T forget the handle will be/stay hot. I speak from experience!