Sharon's Paws Create

Sunrise/Sunset

2012-01-30T08:18:00.000-06:00

It's Costa Rica week on my blog. I thought I would try to post about CR on M/W/F. So check back on Wednesday for a typical Costa Rican food post. Yum! Friday might be tough as I never know what the illustrationfriday theme will be. But I love a challenge.

We just got back from our 4th trip to Costa Rica. And we discovered a new favorite spot just a short drive up the hill from where we were staying at Pacific Edge. We went up to this location several nights for sunset. The cicadas would slowly grow into a deafening roar. And do you see those trees down on the narrow greenway? My husband walked down to the tip and spooked a family of monkeys. They scattered to the winds, wildly hopping down from tree top to tree top. At the upper left edge of the photo you can see the ocean. It really is a dramatic view up there.

This is a view of sunset from our (upper lot) as we called it. We liked to dream that we would buy it and build a house. Hmmm. A gal can dream...

So we figured if sunset was so beautiful we'd check out sunrise from the same location. Our upper lot. (and yes, we picked out a lower lot!) The Sun is just creeping over the hills here.

The Sun slowly heated up the morning and the birds filled the air with peeps and chirps. And is that a bark and a meow I hear? Soon we had some visitors and each one took a turn posing on (our) bench in (our) upper lot.

Isn't she a beauty in the morning Sun?

This was so cute. The whole family continues their walk...with the cat bringing up the rear. Just another morning in paradise. Now I'm back in Minnesota. Sigh. And if you fancy more cats check out Cats On Tuesday

I'm looking forward to Very Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate frosting!

2012-01-27T14:44:00.000-06:00

This is the very first recipe I submitted to the fun website They Draw And Cook! (click to enlarge) I missed my recipe post on Wednesday this week. So today it can substitute as my Illustration Friday entry and this week's food pick. The little girl is obviously looking enthusiastic about diving into cupcakes. She is looking forward to every bite. A girl after my own heart. I'm very suspicious of people that say they don't like sweets. Weirdos!

I'd like to thank the academy...

2012-01-24T08:17:00.001-06:00

My friend Nina gave me the versatile blogging award. How fitting! My blog is now about my illustrations, travel (I just got back from Costa Rica!), photography and food. In other words. Everything my little hands can create. Thanks Nina!

Thank the person who bestowed the award on you

List seven random facts about yourself

Spread the love by passing along the award to five other bloggers – and let them know! So here are 7 random facts about me...

My favorite T.V. show from last season was the deliciously scary American Horror Story.

I'm obsessed with aging. Time machine send me back. Waaaaay back!

I had a painting hang in the capital building in Washington D.C. when I was 18.

I'm the proud owner of a German fox and owl cuckoo clock.

I've paddled class 5 rapids and ziplined over 600 feet in the air. Scary!

I got married on the beach in Jamaica.

I can do over 50 push-ups like a man! So here's my fav five... Nina , Serline , Djan , Linda , Hilary Please pass on the gold gals!

Grounded

2012-01-06T15:06:00.000-06:00

Most of you have seen my Moon Witch illustration. I used it for a Halloween themed promotional postcard this Fall. And I've posted it here before.

But you haven't seen the back! Minus my name and relevant links. I thought it would be a fun entry for Grounded. The theme over at Illustration Friday. Or as I like to call it, Fridays are Hawaiian shirt day. Obviously the cat from the top illustration failed to hold on to the broom. It definitely looked a little dicey from the start. But he found himself grounded after basically defying the laws of zero gravity that would have doomed him to float in space forever. I would never do that to a cat. Never! And he even had a little pumpkin cocktail waiting to warm him up.

It was my resolution last year to play along with Illustration Friday every week. And I've only missed a few. Will I run out of art? Only time will tell. But I've been painting like crazy lately. Here's my year in review...

If you liked my Chicken Licken Good entry in the Tomie dePaola contest, you can check out more than 100 other amazing poultry entries here . I did an illustrated recipe for the fun website They Draw and Cook and an illustrated map for They Draw and Travel . I participated in 4 gallery shows. You can visit my illustration Dessertus Interuptus at the historic Pierre Bottineau Library in Minneapolis right now. And most importantly I just completed my first book contract with author Ivan Jensen. Mary Rode to Bethlehem on Me will be available for purchase later this year.

And I started 2012 off right with a new book contract. Miya Monkey with Denise Ryan and Associates Whoo Hoo!

Squash Ravioli and Cream Sauce

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is one of my most favorite dishes. The first time I had something similar was at Wolfgang Puck in Orlando. And I've perfected my own ravioli with a little help from my favorite Italian deli Broders.

First you will need to roast a squash. I used an acorn and another mystery variety. I just simply cut and baked the halves (seeded) for around 45 minutes to an hour at 375. Use tin foil for easy clean up. As you can see I put some mashed squash in a mixing bowl and some for the freezer. I can make more ravioli, soup or squash risotto later.

I kept aside enough squash to make around 16 raviolis. Just use your judgement. Then add 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, and 2 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano. (from the Italian deli)

And you will also need wonton wrappers from the grocery store or Asian market. They are usually in the freezer or produce area. Just ask. With a pastry brush gently wet the pasta edges and place a spoonful of squash mixture in the middle. Then paste the two pieces of wonton together, sealing with your fingers. I grease a baking sheet to line up my wontons. I only made 8. And then had it again another night.

In the background I'm warming up my premade cream sauce from the Italian deli. You'll also need to get prosciutto de parma at the deli. And I always heat it up like bacon till it is a little crisp. But it is expensive so be careful! You can also toast some pecans. Be careful with these as well. I ALWAYS get busy and burn mine. When You boil your pasta use a big pot. They like to stick together. Be gentle with them. And use a big straining ladle to retrieve them when they are done.

Viola. Squash Ravioli with cream sauce, crisped prosciutto, toasted pecans, freshly ground pepper and a little extra parmigiano reggiano. This dish is superb. And it is all about the quality ingredients.

I've been labeling all my recipes under savory, sweet and drinks. (only 1 drink so far) So you'll always be able to come back and easily find something that peeked your interest. And don't forget to share. The recipes. Not the food!

A Crafty Owl for Christmas

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

I always try to do at least one crafty Christmas project. Then I can pawn them off to friends and family as gifts. Some people open up these homemade presents with joy. Others with revulsion. One relative (undisclosed identity) held up my mushroom craft from last year like it was a stinky rag. Oh well. What can I say.

This year my project was a hoot. And easy to boot! I drew a simple owl design on tracing paper. Then traced the cut outs.

I went through one of my bins of fabric scraps. I have two black hole sized bins dating back to college. I'm not joking. I cut two owl backgrounds out of the swirly fabric. And all the cut outs out of different colors of felt. I sewed and stuffed the owl with 1/4 inch seam.

Then I used embroidery thread to sew on all the parts with buttons for eyes. If you want to try this easy project just print out the pattern below. Easy! And then you can wow your friends. Or at least that is what you'll think. They will smile and secretly plot to give you a lump of coal next year!

P.S. Be sure to stop back on Wednesday for a really delicious and savory recipe. Squash ravioli and cream sauce with all the fixings. And pass on this owl post to any crafty comrades. Thanks and happy blogging in 2012!

Highlight

2011-12-30T12:02:00.000-06:00

This was the first illustration (click to enlarge) I completed when I switched my career plan from fine art painting to freelance illustration. It is from my whimsical story Petunia's Slightly Slow Adventure. I usually don't like to post my early pieces because they don't reflect the quality of my current work. They are not the highlight of my career by any means. And this piece has some clunky areas. But there are things I still like about it. I love the mushroom's vibrant color and the watercolor technique of the grass. And the rays of light fit the theme over at Fridays are Hawaiian shirt day

Here's my favorite paragraph from my (unedited) story...

They came to a clearing and all looked around. And what they saw was so scary they didn't utter a sound. A campfire glowed with five Witches dancing around. They were swinging their arms wildly first up and then down. They had crazy gray hair and ratty black gowns. Petunia was scared and so was Mr. Mouse. But the Black Cat didn't know what all the fuss was about. Then as the Queen watched a smile slowly spread across her face She snorted, shook her head and let a little giggle slip out. What they thought was so scary turned out to be sweet. The Witches were catching fireflies for little Toad to eat!

Petunia was thrilled they had found Toad at last. And do you know what? She hadn't even been flying that fast.

The end.

The Christmas Skull...

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000-06:00

The legend...

One of the most compelling archaeological mysteries is the story of the 13 Crystal heads. These heads are believed to be between 5,000 and 35,000 years old and were carved over a period of several hundred years but without any tool marks. In fact their very construction defies the laws of physics and common logic. They are believed to offer spiritual power to those who hold or possess them.

Oh my. There hasn't been a more intriguing mystery since the burial place of the arc of the covenant. And this Christmas my husband unwrapped his mystery gift and discovered one of these skulls. And to make things even more exciting it was filled with vodka!

After seeing a T.V. segment on the comedian Dan Aykroyd's special brew I was hooked. Although at the price they sell this liquor, it should come with a personnal friendship with Mr. Aykroyd. Just say'in.

So we mixed up our first martini ever. Here's the recipe for 2 drinks. Place 1 pearl onion stuffed olive in each martini glass. Pour 4 shots of vodka into a shaker filled with ice. Add a 1/2 shot of vermouth. Shake, pour and enjoy some Christmas spirits. Much better than a visit from Bob Marley!

And the icing on the cake was setting the Crystal head along side our Mayan mask. Hmmm. The disappearance of the Maya. Another one of life's mysteries.

But it is not a mystery who won my Penzey's giveaway. My high school art teacher Mr. Urness. Or Don to his friends and family!

The Messenger...

2011-12-23T13:50:00.000-06:00

I just finished this illustration for a national scbwi contest. And it happily fits the theme over at Fridays are Hawaiian shirt day Everyone knows the old fable of Chicken Little. I call my illustration Chicken Licken Good. For shame. And Chicken Little and his poultry friends have a message. What do you think that could be? Hmmm. THE SKY IS FALLING OF COURSE! Here's the passage I used...

So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey
“Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, Henny Penny,
and Chicken Licken,” said Turkey Lurkey, “where are you going?”
“Oh, Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the King!”
“How do you know the sky is falling?” asked Turkey Lurkey.
“Ducky Daddles told me,” said Goosey Loosey.
“Cocky Locky told me,” said Ducky Daddles.
“Henny Penny told me,” said Cocky Locky.
“Chicken Licken told me,” said Henny Penny
“I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears,
and a piece of it fell on my tail!” said Chicken Licken.
“Then I will go with you,” said Turkey Lurkey, “and we will tell the King!”

Wish me luck! And I have a message for all of you. Merry Christmas!

Apfel Pfanne Kuchen

2011-12-21T07:25:00.000-06:00

If you are a fan of a traditional German Apple Pancake you might not like my version. It is light on the pancake and heavy on the apples. But I always have to adjust recipes to suit my taste. Plus I'm only feeding two people. So we don't need a ginormous pile of fluff. Start with 2 peeled and sliced honey crisp apples. Throw them in your antique cast iron skillet along with 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 4 tbsps butter, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 3 tsps of cinnamon. The recipe I went by called for 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Good grief. If you don't like cinnamon you should get out of the kitchen! Then cook the apple mixture until it starts to get tender. It's going into the oven so it doesn't need to be fully cooked. Now for the pancake: In a bowl mix 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Then add 1/2 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir and start adding 3 eggs beating after each one. Now pour the batter over the hot apples and place in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. Then bake an additional 10 minutes at 350.

Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Enjoy! If you want to double the pancake part, you'll be following the original recipe. Only 5 eggs though. And you can add an extra tbsp of melted butter and sugar in the pancake part. Bake for 25-30 minutes. And if you have a lemon on hand give it a squeeze over the pancake. It is either for good luck or for taste. Who knows. I'll be doing my drawing for the Penzey's gift box next week. (details in my Lefse post) So if you are a teacher, leave a comment and I'll throw your name into the mix!

I took a scissors to my stupid slippers!

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

I thought I would take a little blogging break and re-post one of my crafty Christmas posts from 2010. This one still brings a smile to my face. I started a little Christmas sewing project this year. But I'm so darn busy that it will probably become a New Years project. Sew for now. Hee hee. Enjoy this one...

These (were) my old Haflinger slippers. I'd hand stitched the soles back together numerous times. And unfortunately for me the rubber dots had completely worn off on the bottom. I said unfortunately because my feet slipped out from under me a couple weeks ago while attempting the basement stairs. The vacuum I was holding went flying and so did I. After bumping down to the bottom the first thing I saw when I composed myself were two scared and adorable kitty faces peeking down at me from the kitchen. "Call 911 kitties!" I shouted. I'm kidding. My elbow was throbbing and my behind...well I won't go into that! Luckily no broken bones. But it was time to buy new slippers.

But Haflinger's are so darn expensive. So I hatched a plan to extend their life even further. I cut off the tops and used my Christmas tree cookie cutter as a template. Two trees per slipper top.

I cut out two more trees from this green fabric.

I used this Christmas card as a star template. P.S. It was from the in laws!

I cut out the stars from the center of the top felt tree. Then glued the three layers together.

I attached a red bell to the center of the cutout. And threaded the star to the top. And just for fun I also attached the Haflinger label. I'll never forget that these used to be slippers!

Viola!

Then I rewarded myself with a new and improved pair of Haflinger's. These have a sturdy rubber gripping sole. But just in case I taught my cats how to dial 911. The end.

Be sure to stop back on Wednesday for a new recipe!

2011-12-16T13:33:00.000-06:00

One of my toilet buddies is hanging out in the sink. And sink is the word of the day over at Fridays are Hawaiian Shirt Day Of course I had to post Toilet Buddies. I had to go all literal and not post something sinking into the terra firma. One of my favorite aspects of this piece is that I painted the devil/angel kitty on a separate piece of paper. (geez, I guess I could have used this one for last week's theme) And I mounted it about 1/2 inch behind the window. So it seems like you are looking out at the floating cat. Kind of fun. And fun is the real theme of this piece. And it's all fun and games except when our favorite buddy sits in front of our flat screen T.V. The ledge is too narrow to turn around so she backs up, sits and then moves forward. Only to repeat this over and over while we are trying to watch the tube. She is trying to get our attention so we will play with her. It drives my husband bonkers. Next insane cat illustration...living room.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Coffee Cream

2011-12-14T08:38:00.000-06:00

This is a simple and delicious breakfast. Here I'm making my whipped cream. Take a small carton of whipping cream and beat until the desired consistency. Don't over mix or you'll get butter! Then fold in a few tablespoons of powdered sugar to taste. Then add the magic ingredient. 1/2 -1 tsp of finely ground coffee.

Sorry about my pancake blobs. No perfectly circular cakes at my house. But hey. They still taste good! Editors note: The pancake in the back is my pancake. I put twice as many chips in mine and push them down into the batter. The ones in front are my husbands. He prefers less chips. Weirdo!Here's the pancake batter recipe:

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1 beaten egg

2 tblsp oil

1 cup flour

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and then add the wet ingredients and mix. But don't over mix pancake batter. I like to keep the premixed dry ingredients on hand. So I will quadruple the recipe, mix and store in a container. Then when I make pancakes, I just measure a heaping cup of dry ingredients and I'm ready to add the wet. And if you want to make them healthier, substitute (some) flour for whole wheat flour. I also throw in a tblsp per batch of ground flax seed. That's just how I roll. Now pour the batter on your skillet and add the chips. I use bitter sweet Callebaut chocolate chips from the store Kitchen Window. Because once you add some syrup you don't want them to taste too sweet. Now cook, flip, cook and enjoy.

And don't forget about last week's giveaway. If you are a teacher and leave a comment, I'll add you to my pool for a Penzey's gift box!

Zee and Zoey!

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

Caren over at the kitty blog cat chat had some fun news for me last week. I won the sleek and sexy book, "The Chronicles of Zee and Zoey!" Be sure to check out the writer Deborah Barnes I plan to take the book with me on my next trip. So I haven't read it yet. But it takes you on a journey of the extraordinarily ordinary life of her amazing cats. A Maine Coon and an exotic Bengal. It is also full of illustrations and brilliant animal photos. It seems like it would make a charming holiday gift for an animal lover. Thanks Caren and Deborah!

Wouldn't you be thrilled to receive this exotic package?

And of course I couldn't talk about Zee and Zoey without mentioning my own wild things. This photo was taken while we were putting our new Ikea sink together. Hana and Akua really do love each other and are great siblings. Who needs a sink when you can have a new bed? This photo is purrfectly heart melting. Be sure to check back on Wednesday for a new recipe. And for more cats visit Gattina

Separated

2011-12-09T15:33:00.000-06:00

The theme of separate over at www.illustrationfriday.com could be interpreted in so many ways. But I selected a completely new and terribly old piece for it. (click to enlarge) It is brand spanking new to my blog. But painted in 1998. The land and ocean blend together but are two separate things. My favorite part of the painting is the merging of the mangoes in the bowl with a sea urchin. Given my love of the jungle and ocean I'm surprised I haven't painted more pieces like this. But tomorrow is a new day...

Giveaway and lefse demo!

2011-12-07T07:30:00.000-06:00

I received this free gift box from Penzeys. I get all of my spices there. And since I'm starting a weekly recipe demo, I thought it would make a perfect giveaway item. The catch is you have to be a teacher to win it. I hope all of you will leave comments during the month of December. But if you are a teacher and leave a comment, I'll do a drawing at the end of the month for a winner. The box includes Penzey's new spice Forward, cinnamon, a bumper sticker, booklet and pin. Now let me teach you a little something about lefse...

You start with potatoes and a ricer like this. The recipe calls for 5 cups of peeled, cooked and riced potatoes. I never measure. I just used a container of potatoes from the farmer's market. Plus...

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup butter

4 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 cups all purpose flour

While the potatoes are still hot, stir in the milk, butter, sugar and salt. P.S. I used cooled potatoes and melted butter last time and it turned out fine. But if you use hot potatoes, cool the mixture before making lefse.

You will need these tools as well. I cover the rolling pin with a clean nylon. (It's just what you are supposed to do)

Now split the potato mixture in 1/2 and add 1 cup of flour to each with a pastry cutter.

Roll each batch into balls. I make mine smaller because my griddle isn't that large.

You'll need time, patience and lots of extra flour for rolling. Use a lefse stick or long spatula to gently lift and transfer the lefse to the griddle. Rerolling seems to work fine. And if it breaks slightly just push and mold the dough back together with your fingers. It will be fine. And it still tastes good if it doesn't roll as thin as you would like it to. P.S. I had the T.V. on in the other room when I started making my lefse. By the time I was completely covered in flour with sticky lefse hands a horrible and ANNOYING cartoon came on. So don't forget the soothing music instead! I don't know how I managed to take photos of all this actually. But having a damp cloth to wipe your hands on isn't a bad idea.

Cook briefly on each side. Till it browns a little and bubbles slightly.

Transfer to a sheet to cool. Look at all that delicious lefse! It is so darn good. Like a tortilla on steroids. I always reheat my lefse on a pan or in the microwave and serve it with lots of butter. You can make sandwich rolls and meatball wraps topped with gravy. My husband likes it with cinnamon and sugar. And you don't have to be a Norwegian (like me) to make it.

Be sure to email this recipe to friends using the envelop icon at the bottom of the post. And tell any teacher friends to enter the giveaway! P.S. I finally updated my browser and my blog is now running like a Cadillac. I can comment and surf the wave of blogs. And I even put up the long lost followers icon. Follow me!

My Pizza Post

2011-12-05T08:30:00.000-06:00

I got the crazy idea this Summer to document all the mouth watering varieties of Za that passed our lips. I had already decided I was going to add food and recipes to my blog. Now I almost feel like I should rename it, "Sharon's Paws Create Food!" I did fall a little short on catching all the pizza love though. An empty box doesn't photograph very well. But I tried...

No delivery here. This is my world famous Mexican pizza. I'll have to devote a Wednesday time slot to it later. Cilantro, shaved corn off the cob, peppers, chorizo sausage, tomatoes, and onions. I'm patting myself on the back right now.

But most of the pizza we eat comes straight out of a box. This is from the unique and portable Big River Pizza. Coming to a farmer's market near you!

Can you guess what kind this is?

We enjoyed this favorite on a scenic trip down to the Stone Barn in Nelson,Wisconsin. We always get the Southwestern. Yum!

We had Pizzeria Lola about every other day this Summer. I should have photographed it when we had a colorful and flaming hot variety with Calabrian and Serrano peppers.

We always say it is the leaning hour at the happy tower. Or happy hour at the Leaning Tower of Pizza.

Pizzeria Lola. Classic Margherita

Pizzeria Lola. Marinara.

A little balsamic drizzle at Olives in Marine on St. Croix.

The end.

Be sure to check back on Wednesday for a Norwegian lefse demo and a giveaway!

Brigade

2011-12-02T15:10:00.000-06:00

I've posted this selection from my Fiction Project before. The icon in my side bar will lead you to art house co-op and my journal of illustrated poems about Costa Rica. I also thought this series was perfect for Brigade. The theme of the day at www.illustrationfriday.com Why? You'll have to read till the end. Click on the illustrations to enlarge and read the story...

Leaf cutter ants. Nature's army.

Granola People

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

There really isn't a set in stone recipe for granola. You just need to start with at least 10 cups of your favorite oats, seeds and nuts. But here is what I used.

6 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups pecans
3/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
2 tbsp ground flax seeed
2 tbsp wheat germ

Mix these dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then heat the following in a medium sized pan to boiling.

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla

Add heated sugar mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper and spread 1/2 of granola on each pan.

Bake for around 20 minutes at 350.

When cool you can add your favorite fruit mixture. I use 1 bag per batch. (split between the two pans) Which I store in large ziploc bags. But you can use 2 if you like things really sweet. Enjoy!

Kenny 365

2011-11-28T07:40:00.001-06:00

Fall is quickly slipping into Winter. And the Kenny 365 neighborhood photo project continues to capture a day in the life. Here are my last 8 submissions...

KENNY VINES

This natural wreath will soon be withered on the vine. But the rusty sunflower has weathered many Winters.

BLACK SQUIRREL

Our street has a new resident. And he is a beautiful black squirrel

BROWN

Yellow, red and orange might be the popular Fall colors. But brown is better than a snowy white!

STOP AND SEE THE FLOWERS

The owner of this Kenny house was camera shy. But she allowed me a photo of her beautiful yard. And anyone who walks grass lake has enjoyed her Fall display.

GRASS LAKE

A day in Kenny is like a day at the beach. Well, sort of.

THE CHEAPEST HOUSE IN KENNY

Free mobile home on lakefront property. Nestled in the safe and friendly Kenny neighborhood. Sports an open floor plan perfect for a very small family of 3. A tiny barn is also included in the free asking price. Hurry! This charming fixer upper won't stay on the market for long.

PUMPKIN HEAD

Just another example of the spooky spirits in Kenny.

FALLING LEAVES

Is this the yellow brick road? No, it's just a street in Kenny.

Round

2011-11-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

I was never really sure if I liked Belly Lagossa's perfectly circular and bug eyed peepers. Belly was illustrated for local writer Beth Solheim. He is a character in her series of mystery books. And it is a mystery to me as to why I painted those giant orbs so round. They seem to pop right off his goofy (intentional) face. But Belly's eyes did give me a fun entry for www.illustrationfriday.com

And in other news. I've been having trouble getting aROUND to commenting on my favorite blogs. I don't know if it is my computer or blogger. But whenever the blog asks for an ID or html the link doesn't open. Weird. But don't worry. I'm still making my rounds!

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

2011-11-23T08:45:00.001-06:00

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup canned plain pumpkin (I used left over mashed squash)

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp powdered ginger

1/2 tsp cloves

1 2/3 cups flour

Streusel topping: 2 tbsp flour

1/4 packed brown sugar

1 tbsp ground flax seed (optional)

1-2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375. Premix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Cream butter and sugar. Mix in the egg. Then blend in squash and milk. Now add dry ingredients until combined. Don't over mix. Place batter in a greased muffin pan. (I used liners) Makes around 12-14 muffins.

Now combine the topping ingredients and blend with a fork. Add to the top of muffins and then bake for 18-20 minutes.

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover squash. Any kind. Or you could go the traditional route and stick to pumpkin. And speaking of pumpkin... HAPPY THANKSGIVING BLOGGING FRIENDS!

A chicken in every pot for Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T07:29:00.001-06:00

Please lord. My wish for this Thanksgiving would be a chicken in every pot. Actually, make mine a turkey. Or scratch that. A cat in every pot for everyone. Oh my. The horror!

I had just hand washed this pot after a big batch of chili. My husband came along and (wanting counter space) placed it on the floor in the entry way. Isn't that just like a man to put a clean pot on the floor in what is probably the dirtiest spot in the house. Sigh. But it was about to get dirtier. Our cat Akua has never met a bin, basket, box, or in this case pot he doesn't love. Let's just say Dean cleaned it this time. Tune in Wednesday for my latest recipe. And for more cats visit www.gattinamycats.blogspot.com

Vanity

2011-11-18T14:45:00.002-06:00

Vanity...an inflated pride in oneself. Waaaaay back in the day I did a whole series of cats lounging and cavorting on this fancy sofa. Basically just acting like they are king s&#@ and all that and a bag of chips. And I dare you to try and convince them that it ain't so. Vanity is the theme of the day over at http://www.illustrationfriday.com/

P.S. spellcheck thinks "ain't" is spelled correctly. And we all thought is wasn't even a word. Say it ain't so.

Apple Rhubarb Pecan Crisp

2011-11-16T07:30:00.001-06:00

4 peeled and sliced honeycrisp apples (or your favorite)

1-2 cups chopped rhubarb

1 cup flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2-3/4 cup pecans

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 tbsp ground flax seed

1 tsp nutmeg

2-3 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter

Place apples and rhubarb in a buttered baking dish. If you are using frozen rhubarb, defrost slightly and pat dry with paper towels to absorb excess moisture. If you don't like rhubarb just leave it out.

Combine all dry ingredients. The flax seed is a healthy addition that you won't taste at all. But leave it out if you don't have it. Add the butter in slices and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to form crumbs. Sprinkle topping over apple mixture and bake for 30-45 minutes at 375.

Enjoy! Serve with some Edy's vanilla ice cream. The cinnamon, flax seed and rhubarb were my own additions to this recipe. I add ground flax seed in small amounts to many recipes. I also reduced the sugar in this recipe from 1 1/2 cups to 1 cup. If you like things sweeter use the full amount. Especially if you add extra apples or rhubarb. Be sure to use the envelop icon at the bottom of the post to send the recipe to friends. I know we've all made apple crisp. But this one has a little bit of a twist.

In memory of my Dad

2011-11-13T10:00:00.001-06:00

My Dad Sidney passed away last Sunday morning. He battled Parkinsons for the last decade or more of his life. And spent way to many years in a nursing home. But before that he was a beloved son, husband, father and brother. A hard working farmer and small business owner. And as many of these photos will show, an animal lover. This is my favorite photo of my Dad. It just says everything you need to know about him.

This is my second favorite photo. He is walking in the hills behind our farm with my husband Dean. It just captured his life so beautifully. At the funeral my cousin Shannon said she had dreams of my Dad walking in tall grass before he died. How fitting. That was one of his favorite things to do. Walk in the woods.

But lets go back to when he met the most special woman in his life. My Mom Doris. Of course he probably thought of my Grandma Ruth as a pretty special lady as well. My Mom always said that she treated her just like one of her own daughters. I always thought they looked like movie stars in this photo.

And speaking of movie stars. My aunt Margaret (Dad's sister) passed away within 24 hours of my Dad. She was a beautiful and talented lady. She was also an awesome cook and housekeeper. No wonder one of her first jobs was in the employ of movie stars Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.

I love this photo of my Dad and his best man (my Uncle Jim)

My Dad looks pretty happy with his new wife.

I love this photo. My Dad saved a little orphan. He actually adopted a whole batch of baby raccoons. Which were nursed by the family cat. While I was going through old photos I laughed at one with a little flying squirrel on my cousin Julie's head. Yes, they also had a flying squirrel.

I bet I never made my Dad this happy again. But he is just beaming in this photo.

My Dad really has his hands full here.

My Dad was able to fix every piece of machinery on the farm with his hands. But sometimes all a truck needs is a little bit of duct tape. (as seen behind my Dad's head) But I think he forgot a spot!

My Mom and Dad were avid snowmobilers. They traveled to Wyoming and Yellowstone (with their sleds) almost every year of their married life.

That's me.

My Dad hard at work in the combine.

My Mom had just recently passed away in this photo. And things were never quite the same after that. But they lived a full life of hard work on the farm, traveling to Switzerland, Florida and Dad's beloved mountains here in America. Along with fishing, hunting and raising one wayward artist. Now he is at peace with my Mom once again.

FINAL HARVEST.

He was bound to the land from the day of his birth

His roots anchored deep in the fertile earth

Nurtured, sustained, by the soil he grew

And his life, like his furrows, ran straight and true.

In faith, each spring, he planted the seeds

In hope, to reap his family's needs

With patience, he waited for the harvest to come

To gather the fruits of his labor home.

Ever turning seasons, the years sped past

Till the final harvest came at last

Then claimed anew by beloved sod

He gathered home to be with god.

Barbara W. Weber

Silent

2011-11-11T09:43:00.004-06:00

I'm posting this oldie but goodie today for www.illustrationfriday.com This scene is one page of a two page spread. Here's the scoop...

Carmen knew exactly where to find the crazy red fox. His den was under the tallest oak tree in the forest. "This is the one," said Carmen. Sidney looked up and smiled. The oak's branches spread out like a giant maze towering over all the other trees in the forest. Sidney's smile spread from ear to ear thinking about all the fun he'd have climbing the wise old tree. "Wow!" said Carmen as she raised her eyes to see the tippity top. All of a sudden Carmen felt the odd sensation of prickles racing up and down her back. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a shadow creeping towards them. "Well hello my yummy little friends." It was the red fox!

Obviously the fox was silent in his stalking.

Stripes

2011-11-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

This is just a little something striped and spotted I painted back in 2007. Or was it 2010. Oh, how could I forget the MNSCBWI Zoo Day of 2009. Especially since the monkey is waving it right in front of me. I've grown a lot as an artist in the last few years. But my Girbra stands the test of time. I still love him and wouldn't change a thing. And my weird 1/2 breed with the handy tongue is my entry for www.illustrationfriday.com

A new twist on taco night!

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here I am preparing fresh tomatillo salsa:

1/4 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed and chopped in a mini food processor. Or you can use the canned variety. In that case drain and process.

1 or 2 minced cloves of garlic
1 or 2 seeded and minced hot peppers
1/4 -1/2 diced onion
1/2-1 tsp sugar
chopped cilantro to taste
1 large chopped ripe avocado (peeled and pitted)
salt and pepper to taste (But remember to not make salsa too salty if they are being added to seasoned foods) Or eaten with fritos scoops. Yum!

Now here is the twist. I was so proud of my ingenuity. In the middle of preparing the salsa for that night's meal, I realized I didn't have any flat, fried corn tortillas. I had made my favorite corn pancake recently. (for breakfast) I usually add blueberries to this savory treat. But with the addition of corn it became the foundation of my taco! Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 table spoon sugar (or to taste)

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 cup milk)

4 tablespoon melted butter

1 beaten egg

(corn or blueberries to be added later)

First off, when ever I bake anything I premix the dry ingredients. In this recipe stir together the cornmeal, sugar, salt and boiling water. Let stand 5 minutes. Then add the remaining dry and wet ingredients. You never want to over mix pancake batter. If you want to make breakfast or dinner even easier. Mix this batter up the night before and it will be ready when you need it.

I used Penzey's chicken taco seasoning to season the chicken. (Beef, chicken or vegetarian would work) But go easy on the seasoning part what ever you use. There is salt in the other additions to this meal.

I layered the corn cake, cheese, chicken, salsa and a dollop of sour cream. Yum! Well, there you have it. My first recipe. Be sure to use the envelop icon at the bottom of the post to email the recipe to any friends that might enjoy it. Because I really hope that my recipe Wednesdays will be shared and enjoyed! This is my first official recipe. But I'll be labeling all future recipes, so with one click they will all pop up. A pretty cool feature I'll be adding to all future posts.

Witchy Woman

2011-10-31T08:24:00.001-05:00

What is this deer so afraid of?

Me!!!! That's me standing in my childhood living room. Oh my gosh. Look at my beautiful hair. I actually had a very scary mask to go with my innocent looking costume. I think I even won a silver dollar at our small town grade school Halloween party. I only won one year. And of course I was so proud.

Flash forward a few years. I'm certainly not revealing how many. And here I am again all witched out. No more glorious locks. I'm sporting a black wig. That darn wig saw me through many a year of costumes. Starting with Cleopatra. Did you notice my feet? I put big spiders on my toes. And I wore that size 2 vintage dress every time I was a witch over a 10-15 year time frame. But lets just say that I had to stop wearing it. Hmmm. I'm not sure why that would be. But the good news is that me and the hubbs won again. I think we snagged a bottle of vino for our troubles. Blood red of course. This was the trick and be sure to stop back on Wednesday for my first installment of treats! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Creature Feature

2011-10-30T09:02:00.000-05:00

The trail cam captured a beautiful moment in black and white. The deer is posing in such a graceful way.

And since I'm wrapping up my trail cam photos, I've added a bonus piece of art to accompany today's pick. I painted this piece back in 1998. It pairs perfectly with all the creature features that have been popping up over the last week or two. But don't forget to check in tomorrow for one more photo and a little Halloween surprise. Spooky...

A Perfect Pair

2011-10-29T09:16:00.004-05:00

I LOVE this one. The deer are perfectly composed in the corner of the photo. And as most of you are aware it is just a lucky shot. Because the motion detection camera is all alone in the woods. Unless there are artistic spirits roaming the woods and directing cool pics. I bet that is it. Scary.

Scary?

2011-10-28T15:00:00.001-05:00

I love Halloween. So you'd think my art archives would have wagon loads of scary stuff for http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ But all I have is a little Boo. Not a big Boo!!!

The bear essentials

2011-10-27T09:07:00.003-05:00

The bear essentials of a forest:

1) Must have a den suitable for spending the whole Winter. No time shares.

2) Must have wild blackberry bushes covering at least 25% of the forest floor. 15% is only suitable for a late Summer snack.

3) Must have a minimum of 40 tall and climbable trees to escape dumbass hikers.

4) Groomed trails are a plus. They help to gain momentum when chasing said hikers.

5) Must have at least 10 squirrels to entertain cubs while Mom is foraging.

6)Trail cameras are an added bonus. Cubs refer to them as mobile mud bombs. Or finger/claw painting surfaces.

7) And the 4 year forest rental contract must include a delivery of honey on May 1st. In this economy it is necessary to sweeten the deal a little bit.

Let them eat cake!

2011-10-26T09:38:00.003-05:00

The cam caught this doe mid chew. (click to enlarge) Hmmm. Acorns? Twigs? Leaves? Yuck.

I'm sooooo glad I get to eat things like this perfect Cafe Latte cupcake. I'm posting this yummy example of chocolate goodness as a teaser for next weeks recipe post. This is like an advertisement. I feel like my blog is slowly turning into an online magazine with a little bit of everything. Feel free to send me $19.95 for a 2 year subscription. But only until Nov. 29th. Then it goes up to $26.95 for 1 year. Shoot. (kidding!) But I promise there will be no cheesy Thomas Kincade Christmas ornament advertisements. No annoying scraps of paper to tear out. And no princess Kate bridal figurines to purchase. And if you choose to email one of my recipe posts to a friend you don't even have to cut off the barcode, name and address sticker. Wow! What a deal.

Deer Zombie

2011-10-25T08:28:00.003-05:00

Actually, this deer looks more like an ornament hanging on an invisible tree. But zombies are all the rage. And I can totally envision this deer wandering around the forest on two legs looking for manison (man=venison) Hee, hee.

I'm ready for my close up!

2011-10-24T09:15:00.003-05:00

I never thought a deer could look so ugly. I guess it happens to everyone. That certain photo that just makes us look hideous.

Well, I've been posting a photo a day for 3 weeks now. And as promised I'll be finishing out the month with trail cam photos. And maybe a little extra Halloween trick or treat. And speaking of treats. I'll be starting a new blog format next week. Something I've been brewing up for awhile now. Mondays will be devoted to photography. Fridays will stick with an art related post. And the new treat will be Wednesdays devoted to food, recipes and restaurants. I'm actually kind of excited to share my love of baking. But it took me awhile to committ (and remember to photograph) my cooking adventures. So be a dear, hang it here. Get it? That was a ring holder my Mom had hanging in our kitchen. It was a little pottery dish with a picture of a deer on it.

Fisher Cat!

2011-10-23T09:37:00.003-05:00

After fishing through thousands of photos, a fisher cat turned up. (click to enlarge) Unfortunately these predators from the weasel family actually have a taste for house cats. Gulp. And they are tough enough to take out a porcupine. Another reason to be glad for remote photography. If you have a little time on your hands and a healthy curiosity about animals be sure to google the fisher cat. There are plenty of hair raising videos of the fisher's eerie cry. Yikes.

Plain Pretty

2011-10-22T09:18:00.007-05:00

This one is just plain pretty. A doe and two fawns. There are a few thousand more just like this one. But don't worry. There are only a few days left in October.

You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

2011-10-21T14:45:00.001-05:00

I had no choice but to pick Hungry Sharks for www.illustrationfriday.com and the theme of fuel. In my illustration the sharks are not pleased to discover blackened fish on the menu. Blackened by the gulf oil spill that is. "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" said the shark.

Don't worry it is only October.

2011-10-20T12:37:00.003-05:00

Deer, deer,deer, deer...TURKEY! It is always fun to see a new creature after thousands of deer photos. Stay tuned for more exciting surprises. Well, exciting in my neck of the woods.

What the heck is that?

2011-10-19T12:31:00.003-05:00

This deer is obviously eager for a close up. Sometimes when we capture a bear with our trail cam they rub their dirty paws all over the lens. Or maybe they are tasting the camera. That is O.K. with me as long as I'm 100 miles away. For those of you who are unfamiliar with a trail cam it is a motion detection camera that we have mounted in our woods. Actually, we have 2 cameras out there. And we captured around 4,000 shots just since we visited last. For heaven's sake! So for the rest of the month I'll be posting SOME of the critters that wandered by. You never know what might turn up...

Light

2011-10-18T08:20:00.003-05:00

We visited my farm in Wisconsin a couple weeks ago. And I always take a few photos while I'm there. The pompous grass has grown in this location for as long as I can remember. It grows in a circle around the yard light. But in this photo it is the Sun that lights the way.

I'm crumbling.

2011-10-17T09:55:00.004-05:00

It has been two weeks since I started posting a photo a day. Will my resolve crumble like a ton of bricks? Did I get off to a rocky start? It's not set in stone that I continue after all...

Under the Minnesota Sun.

2011-10-16T09:07:00.003-05:00

Another Sunday Solo photo pick.

Tuscany

2011-10-15T09:02:00.004-05:00

Tuscany perhaps? Nope. Still Minnesota. We passed this old stone homestead on the Louisville Swamp Trail. There were several buildings dating back to 1880. But the interesting fact was that the land had been bought and sold 6 times before these structures were raised. The crumbling ruins scattered among the crispy Fall colors really was quite beautiful.

They scattered in complete terror!

2011-10-14T12:40:00.002-05:00

The word scattered always reminds me of The Waffle House. "I'll take my hash browns scattered, smothered and covered please" Yum. But today it is the theme over at www.illustrationfriday.com And luckily it is not called Best Illustration Friday. Because this number hot off the slush pile is an oldie and not so goodie. It kind of looks unfinished. And I'm not sure what possessed me to use that weird yellow color behind the fly swatter dude. But I don't mind posting my early pieces because with a lot of practice I've come a long way. And I've been painting non stop for several years now. And it's not all bad. The fly swatter rocks!

I like my turtles with caramel, dark chocolate and cashews.

2011-10-13T11:00:00.002-05:00

Bottoms up!

P.S. Sorry to string these posts out slower than a turtle in a Barbie pool filled with corn syrup. (a tiny pool for a tiny turtle) And NO turtle soup for me. I laughed at all of your comments.

A tiny bowl of turtle soup.

2011-10-12T14:26:00.002-05:00

tails. And...

Painted Turtle

2011-10-11T08:35:00.002-05:00

Heads or...

Reflection

2011-10-10T09:39:00.003-05:00

My husband is often the star of my blog posts. Here he is reflecting on a great hike we took this Fall. The Louisville Swamp Trail includes marsh, lakes, streams, oak savannah, restored prairie, and beautiful rock formations (Previous post, Ha!) It is actually one of the top 10 rated hikes in Minnesota. But until a few weekends ago was unknown to me.

I've been posting for 7 days now. It's been fun to add a little more writing to my blog. But it is a challenge to pick just one photo. It feels stingy and a little boring. But I loved all your comments on my last post. We've all had our hills and valleys with blogging. Thanks for trudging through my marsh post!

What was I thinking?

2011-10-09T13:27:00.003-05:00

I thought it would totally rock to do a blog post everyday for a month. Now I'm just stuck between a rock and a hard place with these darn blog posts. Hmmm. I guess I'll just do rock, paper scissors to see if I should continue with it. (moments later) Shoot I lost. See ya tomorrow.

Timber Twister

2011-10-08T14:16:00.004-05:00

OH MY GOD! If you are ever in Duluth you have to go to Spirit Mountain and take a ride on the Timber Twister. I took this photo AFTER the ride was over and we were being pulled back up the hillside. It is a blast riding down. I was laughing the whole time. But you know how these places always take a photo of you that you can purchase. Well, I looked like I was sitting on a pine cone made of glass shards. Horrible.

Contraption

2011-10-07T13:00:00.001-05:00

I here by interrupt my regular service of Fall photos to participate in www.illustrationfriday.com This is one of my favorite illustrations. I've posted it before. But not for illustration Friday. (I don't think) The little brown mouse in the corner is wielding a gadget, device or contraption. And don't we all wish we had a mouse to do the peeling for us. We just stocked up on Honeycrisps. 4 big bags. But I haven't made this recipe with apples yet this Fall. I made it with peaches recently. Yum. Making crepes is easier than you might think. (click on the image to enlarge directions) You can make the batter the day before and you don't need a crepe pan. Just drop a dollop of batter in a hot buttered pan, grab the handle and with a twist of the wrist spread it out to cover the bottom. Just cook briefly on each side. Easy! The only hard part is getting the mice to clean up after you!

We're not in Kansas anymore.

2011-10-06T09:05:00.004-05:00

Or Iowa. We've moved on to Duluth, Minnesota. Every year we go up to Duluth (in September) for the biggest Inline race in America. And to just have a little fun. Duluth is a town filled with beautiful architecture and of course Lake Superior. This year I was rewarded with a photo of stacked rocks.

The Surf

2011-10-05T08:06:00.004-05:00

There is one thing you should NEVER do when visiting Iowa. Stay at the Pyramid in Clear Lake. It's a whole house rental that is one beer can short of being the dumpiest frat house on the planet. But you should visit the Surf Ballroom. Especially if you are a Buddy Holly fan. (He was a little before my time. Although that didn't stop me from loving Led Zeppelin) It is the last place that Buddy, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper performed before their plane crashed near Clear Lake in 1959. And the ballroom continues to host big bands to this day. It is a museum of rock and roll history. Just don't stay at the Pyramid. A mummy wouldn't be caught dead there!

Lets all migrate to Iowa

2011-10-04T09:27:00.003-05:00

I laughed at the comments about the last photo being a castle in Europe. It was a cool stone tower. And the views from the top were probably about as good as it gets in Iowa. Poor Iowa. But now we're moving on to a flurry of butterflies in Costa Rica. Just kidding...still Iowa! The trees were wearing a living lace dress of butterflies. It was beautiful. Geez. Maybe Iowa isn't so bad after all.

Fall 101

2011-10-03T09:04:00.003-05:00

I was feeling a little over whelmed about what to pick for a blog post today. We've been having lots of Fall adventures on our weekend getaways. And I've taken lots of photos. So I've decided to try something completely different. I'm going to post one new photo everyday in the month of October. This may be good news to some of you, and a big yawn to others. It would probably be more exciting if I was posting about one of our trips to Central America...but this photo is in Iowa. In fact this is the HIGHEST point in Iowa. We were hiking at a park near Clear lake. I can't remember the name and who really cares, right? It is Iowa after all.

P.S. Be sure to keep checking in this month for more photos!

Hibernate

2011-09-30T13:14:00.001-05:00

It is Friday again already. And that means it is www.illustrationfriday.com day. I picked an old illustration from my story, Sidney the Unstoppable Squirrel. I thought it would be perfect to follow my last chipmunk post. In my illustration Carmen the chipmunk is popping out of her hole to say hello to Sidney the squirrel. I sure gave Carmen a weird hole to hibernate in. All it needs is a manhole cover and she could be on the streets of New York. I'm sure that the chipmunks in our yard have been much more selective with their den placement. I know our little friend from my previous post put hers underneath our deck. And with all the corn she has stored up for Winter it must be huge! I don't think chippers actually hibernate so much as they sleep for long periods and then wake up for a snack. Kind of like a teenager I guess.

Say hello to my little friend!

2011-09-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

My husband had a bright idea. And it actually worked. He held completely still with a hand full of corn. Eventually our little friend darted up and bravely filled her cheeks. And those cheeks can hold at least 16 corn kernels. Luckily my husband just happens to have 100 pounds of corn sitting around. The mother load! No wonder the chippers love us so much.

Now I gave it a try. Success! It was pretty fun to feel her little hands leaning on mine. So cute.

Stuffed cheeks, brave hearts and full dens. (My Friday Night Lights theme for chipmunks)

UPDATE!: A few days later I was sitting outside on a deck chair. I had my feet up and was focused on a drawing project. I noticed our little friend was hanging around. All of a sudden she jumped up on my feet, looked at me and silently pleaded for more corn. I couldn't believe how brave she was. No photos of this event. But it definitely put a smile on my face.

Moon Witch

2011-09-23T09:04:00.007-05:00

It's the first day of Fall. And it is finally O.K. to think about Halloween. Thank goodness. It is my favorite holiday. But I hate seeing advertisers cramming it down our throats in July.

I illustrated Moon Witch for an artistic challenge over at http://www.isaacgracelily.blogspot.com/ The scary bunny was my inspiration. And of course my title is kind of an inside joke. Does anyone remember those used nylon stocking witches with their fabricated butts? Well, I made one back in the day and hung it over the kitchen sink. I think they were supposed to be good luck. And of course when the breeze blew they (Mooned) you. Good times. It is also www.illustrationfriday.com And I think my Black cat is looking fierce (scary, not fashionable) and exhibiting ferocious ferocity as he holds on for dear life!

Photo Contest Loser

2011-09-19T08:11:00.002-05:00

Clouds

Shadows
Red

Lakes

Barns

Texture

Circles

Bridges

Reflections

Birds

The letter "A" (Arenal Volcano)

Every month Joan over at www.myretirementchronicles.blogspot.com hosts a photo contest. These are all of my entries to date. Not a winner in the bunch. There are several honorable mentions every month as well. I've only had one mention. Geez. I think that the judges are some of my sorority sisters from college that thought I was a big fat loser. Or maybe the judges are some old high school classmates that thought I took the short bus. Or maybe the judge is secretly Simon Cowell. Although I haven't received any nasty comments. I bet that if Simon really visited blogs we would have a lot of comment moderation going on. Delete! And I'm convinced that one of the judges is Heidi Klum. She probably takes one look at my latest photo and declares," You're out!" So I've decided to pack up my knives because I will clearly never be Top Chef...I mean Top Photographer. I'm joking of course. I'll keep playing until Tyra Banks tells me to immediately pack up my camera and go home. Shoot.

Kenny 365

2011-09-12T08:24:00.001-05:00

I've been participating in a really fun community photo project. 365 photos of our neighborhood. One photo every day for a whole year. I thought it was a good time to post the photos I've submitted so far since there is a change of seasons going on. Sniff. Soon the photos will reflect cooler temps, Fall leaves and maybe some pumpkins popping up around the neighborhood. There are 17 Kenny photographers snapping shots. It all started on June 1st and will keep rolling until the end of May 2012. I bet I don't have one blog visitor that would like to visit the website to see ALL the photos taken so far. But here's a link anyway! http://www.kennyneighborhood.org/

Heaven's Gate

2011-09-09T09:58:00.005-05:00

I thought Heaven's Gate was the perfect choice for boundaries. The theme du jour over at www.illustrationfriday.com It portrays my cat "Baby" peering outside a fence. In reality she could easily slip through the weathered gates. But then we wouldn't be able to see her beautiful face. I called it Heaven's Gate because she is living for eternity beyond the Rainbow ridge. Or bridge. Hmmm. I still think this is one of my best pieces. I almost expect her eyes to dilate right in front of me. Our new cats Hana and Akua are easy going lap lovers. Baby loved to sit in our laps alright. But if you sneezed or laughed she would look up at you, her eyes would dilate and you just might get a paw in the face before she ran off in a huff. She was as good as she was bad.

Things with wispy wings

2011-09-06T10:04:00.002-05:00

I was feeling uninspired about what to post today. And then I ran across a butterfly photo that was taken a few weeks ago. Suddenly I had butterflies on the brain. Here are some wispy winged creatures from my photo archives...

Mysterious...

2011-09-02T09:35:00.005-05:00

This illustration is mysterious http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ because it is just part of a larger piece. I'm working on my first book with author Ivan Jensen. You'll be able to find these characters and more on pages 3-4. But what makes this book even more mysterious is that it is a work in progress. So even I don't know how it turns out!

And if you want to see another new illustration visit http://www.isaacgracelily.blogspot.com/ Aaron had a really fun challenge for his artist followers. He posted some fun kids art and challenged adult artists to do their own version. It's really a hoot so check it out. Look for the hilariously scary bunny and you'll see mine!

What about Bob?

2011-08-30T08:36:00.006-05:00

It's Bob! Right there in my woods. Well, actually the woods next door. This trail cam capture of a bobcat was sent to us by our neighbors. He has kind of a long tail for a bobcat. But I guess he is well endowed. Or he is a lynx. But either way...cool!

And of course I couldn't talk about Bob without mentioning Hana and Akua. They were all monkey see monkey do the other day. Hana discovered this new hiding place. I usually have a stack of books there.

And as soon as Hana left, Akua had to check it out as well. But as the saying goes he is always a day late and a dollar short.

And there's something about more cats at http://www.gattinamycats.blogspot.com/

Disguise

2011-08-26T12:14:00.003-05:00

Disguise works two ways in this illustration. It's a self portrait. So you could say I'm disguised as Snow White. And as we all know the witch or in this case gorilla is misrepresenting the true nature of the apple. It's poison! I think I've posted this one for http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ before. But if I play along every week there are bound to be repeats. This illustration was part of my nightmare themed sketchbook project for Art House Co-op. An apple a day does NOT keep the gorillas away.

Take a chance on the MIA.

2011-08-21T15:42:00.017-05:00

I was going to say take a chance on me. But both corny versions fit my coverage of the Minneapolis Institute of Art's Art Perchancehttp://www.artsmia.org/art-perchance-2011/ event. Here is the MIA in all its Neon glory.

My friend and fellow CBIG and SCBWI member Shawn Mccann http://studiomccann.blogspot.com/ donated this cool cactus (or cacti) piece. Shawn was elusive to my paparazzi tendencies. So I didn't get his photo. But it was fun seeing him there!

I had to get a photo of this little sprite. Amy http://spritecreations.com/ did a great job of promoting her jewelry. Me...not so much.

But here I am standing by my framed print of Blue Staircase. I'm already wearing some swag. A glow necklace. More on that later.

The gallery.

Let the games begin.

I never did win at this one. But my husband got a ringer every time. Annoying!

Here he is. And there's a new sheriff in town. (swag)

This was a really fun game based on a Salvador Dali piece. (I think) You had to fish the lobster from its perch on a telephone to rest right side up on a dinner plate. I visited the Salvador Dali museum in St. Petersburg Florida several years ago. The surreal paintings are like the weirdest and most supernatural dream you'll ever have.

There was some trailer trash band playing. O.K. they were named Trailer Trash. Hee, Hee.

Here's my loot, swag, winnings...junk. To tell the truth my husband won most of it. I have a funny story about the fuzzy rainbow wrist band. My husband had to make a trip back to the car. And on his way he saw a squirrel running with one of the bands in his mouth. Someone is going to have a colorful nest this Winter! Oh, and I was a VIP...

1)Very icky person

2)Vagabond in Provence

3)Vampire in Providence (watch out Christina)

4)Very into Pressure

5)Vealy into puns

6)Verging into Purgatory..............

Meats and Berries

2011-08-15T09:48:00.019-05:00

I couldn't resist naming this post Meats and Berries. Actually the meat has nothing to do with it. But when we go to the farm for the weekend, we always pass this freeway farm sign promoting their goofy combo.

When we arrived at the farm there were no berries to be had. But it just so happens that the beautiful farm pictured here has pick your own berries on Saturday. Cain's orchard also has apples in the Fall. This area is where I grew up. Isn't it beautiful? But when I was a teenager I thought it was a hell hole. I'm older and wiser now.

This was $7.00 worth. What a deal.

This is Riverbend Golf course in Northbend, Wisconsin. When we arrived a golfing tournament was just finishing up. And I discovered something. It's kind of nice to golf after a tournament. Because they had those extra large holes in place. Of course I still missed several putts! But what a beautiful course along the Black River. We saw hummingbirds, yellow finches, woodpeckers and countless varieties of butterflies.

And a peacock.

Meats? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

And we even picked a few Blackberries on Sunday.

Here's a quick and easy Summer breakfast. Toast some good quality french bread. Spread with slightly sweetened cream cheese with almond extract. Add some fresh berries. My favorite is Black Raspberries. (little Blackberries shown here) Then top with toasted almonds. And if you want to call it Meats and Berries just add bacon!

Better put a T-bone on that eye.

2011-08-12T09:20:00.006-05:00

Big Eyed Dog and his swollen eye will always be a favorite of mine. What possessed me to paint one of his eyes so large? Can't say. But I will say that this is my entry for swell over at www.illustrationfriday.com

And if you'd like to see some fab art and hang out with some local swells come to Art Perchance next week http://www.artsmia.org/art-perchance-2011/ I donated a framed print for the event. And it is one of the few times when a Joe Schmo artist like me can say I had a piece hanging at the MIA. Pretty cool.

Triple Threat

2011-08-09T08:25:00.007-05:00

I decided to throw away one of my cats...

Akua is a triple threat. To my toilet paper, Kleenex and paper towels that is. And do you know what the worst part is about all this destruction? It was done by the good kitty. Hana (not pictured) is our bad kitty. So if Akua likes to shred our house and home of all paper products, you can only imagine the carnage produced by our little terror Hana.

Here's a typical minute of shenanigans with Hana. The clock ticks down from 60 seconds..."Hmmm, I'm hungry. Better go chew on Mom's pony tail. She hates that. Hee, Hee." Swat, swat. "Well, that didn't work as usual." So Hana uses her super unhuman cat powers to spin herself into a whirling dervish. Everything in her path is destroyed on her way to the cat bowl. Meanwhile Mom is out filling it up with crunch. The unhappy ending. But maybe on this day Mom devilishly drops a trail of crunch leading up to the garbage can. Just maybe...or not.

For more cat droppings visit http://www.gattinamycats.blogspot.com/

Disney is perfect.

2011-08-05T13:25:00.004-05:00

Snow White may be perfect. But Snow Sharon and the unlovable animals is not. And that is exactly what I intended. Instead of the cute little creatures Disney created. I surrounded myself with some questionable and less respected ones. How imperfect of me. That's the theme over at http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ today.

I painted this for Art House Co-op's Sketchbook project. But I didn't really need much of an excuse try Snow White's shoes on for size. And her perfectly little size 2 dress.

Check out my new trail cam photos.

2011-08-01T08:30:00.001-05:00

It's always fun to see who (or what) the trail cam captured. And so far this Summer it has captured around 2,000 deer photos. And a few surprise guests. Here is a doe and two fawns.

A bear!

Do you see what fluttered by?

A coyote butt and

A deer butt.

Is that a Mohawk?

Antlers...

Ears...

and glowing eyes. So there you have it. A few highlights from our footage so far.

I'd like to thank the academy...

2011-07-29T12:30:00.001-05:00

I'm posting this Sunny illustration in honor of my Sunshine Award from Linda Hensley over at http://lindahensley.blogspot.com/ Linda always participates in illustration Friday and often gives some great art tips. You should check out her calling cards post. Very interesting. Thanks Linda and right back at ya! So I need to pass on the award to 9 more people. And since comments are so darned appreciated, I picked the last 9 people who took the time to comment. And I even added all of them to my blog list. Thanks guys! And for all the rest of my loyal blog followers, if you leave a comment this time I'll add you as well.

Djan http://djanstewart.blogspot.com/
indigene http://indigeneart.com/blog
Tweedles http://tweedles-georgie.blogspot.com/
Wanda http://wanda-momentsofmine.blogspot.com/
Au http://blog.lepak.com/
Tes http://thecraftista.com/
Jama http://mummyjam.blogspot.com/
Maria http://reesspace.blogspot.com/
Sujata http://sunshineonmycanvas.blogspot.com/

The rules for receiving the award:- Thank the person who gave you the award.- Write a post about it.- Answer the questions below.- Pass it on to 10 bloggers who you think really deserve it and send them a message to let them know.

The questions:

01. My favorite color: Turquoise
02. My favorite animal: cats!

03. My favorite number: Whatever date the beginning of my next trip falls on.

04. My favorite non-alcoholic drink? Is there such a thing? Espresso, I guess.

05. I joined facebook, but not twitter (This was Linda's answer and mine too!)

06. My passion: One word...Travel.

07. Getting or giving presents? Well, in all honesty getting. But I do love shopping for presents on vacations.

08. My favorite pattern? Tropical.

09. My favorite day of the week? Friday

10. My favorite flower? Hydrangea puffs.

Zed-Leppelin

2011-07-25T10:13:00.016-05:00

Well, first of all let me apologize for my lame coverage of Stillwater's Lumberjack days. We arrived at 6 pm for a Zed-Leppelin concert. But the concert didn't start till 8. And instead there was a kids jazz band till 7. It was a little hard on the ears to put it mildly. So you'd think we had plenty of time for photos. But even my photo of dinner (Olive's pizza) is a bad shot. It was really delicious though.

The boats were lined up for the fireworks. One dog jumped off a boat to chase a goose and had to be rescued after he started swimming in circles. Happy ending.

But the happiest part of the evening was the Led Zeppelin tribute band Zed-Leppelin. They do such a great job of recapturing one of the greatest bands of all time. I had a couple movies with sound but blogger wouldn't let me upload them. But they will be playing again at the Lake Harriet band shell on August 21. See you there!

I even tried to get a foot shot to send to http://toemail.wordpress.com/ with the band in the background. But I couldn't really get a great shot here either. I didn't want to stick my yucky feet that close to the people in front of me. I overheard the people behind me say,"What is she doing???" You know you are doing something weird when you are at a Zed-Leppelin concert and people think you are strange!

It was such an awesome night. The exhilarating sounds of Zed-Leppelin and the smell of all the food venders, like those smoky grilled pork chops. The sight of millions of bugs swarming the light poles (and not us) and a lively fireworks display. Ahhh, Summer.

The enduring beauty of Dominical.

2011-07-22T08:43:00.007-05:00

The mist slowly thickened in the hills over the top of Dominical. A bolt of lightning flashed on the horizon. And a blast of thunder hushed the chorus of cicadas. Soon the vibrant green rainbow of forest completely vanished behind the clouds. The first raindrop fell on the leaf of the trumpet tree and bounced onto the large beak of a chestnut mandibled toucan. The sparsely decorated branches of the tree were no match for a jungle rainstorm. The toucan looked toward the ocean and quietly flew out of sight.

Perennial is the theme of the day over at http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ And I couldn't think of a more fitting illustration than the enduring beauty that is present in all seasons at Dominical, Costa Rica. It provides continual warmth and uninterrupted seasons of jungle growth. This illustration was part of 2010's fiction project for Art House Co-op. My illustrated journal can now be found at the Brooklyn Art library.

Fiber Tigers

2011-07-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

Look what I found in the archives/attic. Fiber Tigers. I've been going through a huge redecorating and organizing of my studios. Yes, my old studio is plural now. And that fact is not lost on my real life cats. They are now able to cause double the chaos and cat-tastropes in there. I did the Fiber Tigers just for fun a l...o...n...g time ago. I think every artist has probably gone through a paper stage. And if you are shaking your head in denial, remember paper Mache in grade school art class? Enough said.

Here my tigers are hiding in the ruins of my old studio. This is one of their favorite games. They know they are not supposed to be in there. So of course it is the most irresistible thing to do in life. Except eat.

And sleep. For more flesh and blood cats visit http://www.gattinamycats.blogspot.com/

Zoo Boo

2011-07-15T09:09:00.008-05:00

"You painted what on me? Surely you jest," barked the Moose. The Beaver boldly raised his arm and proclaimed, "I dared and I did. And don't call me Shirley!"

Gesture is the theme of the day over at http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ I've actually been thinking of this illustration lately. Because last weekend was supposed to be our annual MNSCBWI Field trip to the Zoo. I illustrated this piece for the promotional flyer last year. But between the State
Government shut down and our beloved illustrator coordinator moving away, http://christinarodriguez.com/blog/ Zoo Day was a bust. Nadda. Maybe it is being scheduled as we speak. Zoo Boo Hoo.

I SAW A SEA MONSTER!

2011-07-11T07:58:00.014-05:00

I just read an article over the weekend about the deadly dangers of (!) overuse. I guess even Mark Twain was annoyed about it. Guilty as charged. But when you see a Sea Monster it seems like an apostrophe moment. (title) Do you see her in the first photo? If not you'll have to suffer through a few beautiful nature photos first.

I love the lighting in this one.

Who is this interloper?

As promised...Minnie the Monster, Lake Creature and local Nessy. She's at Brownie lake this year. So on Sunday we rented a kayak and crossed lake Harriet and Cedar lake on a journey to find her.

She posed beautifully. Boy, I'm such a good photographer. I mean how many people are able to capture a Sea Monster close up. Usually they are swimming away so fast that all you see is a blurry blob. You know kind of like all those Big Foot photos. I'm patting myself on the back right now.

At this point we are basically becoming fast friends. But it is almost time to go. Sniff.

What you don't see after we left is Minnie shedding an artificial tear as we paddled away. "Be sure to eat your mil foil!" I yelled back.

STAY HERE!

2011-07-08T07:53:00.006-05:00

I love it when the http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ theme allows me to post new art. My illustrated map can also be found over at http://www.theydrawandtravel.com/maps/hopkins-belize-sharon-wagner It's part of a contest that will be decided later this month. Stay is the theme of the day. And who wouldn't want to stay in Hopkins, Belize. Hopkins is a small fishing and farming village. So it might not be fancy enough for some. But it has friendly people, delicious food and is surrounded by lots of fun adventures just waiting to happen. And here's another link I'm quite proud of http://theydrawandcook.com/ My Spiked Crepes recipe just got added to the featured collection over at TDAC. It's on the main page till tomorrow. And if the illustrated recipe looks tasty be sure to share it with your facebook friends. That feature is kind of weird because it's cool to see people sharing your art/recipe. But they are not your facebook friends so they are complete strangers. Actually I think most of us probably even have facebook friends that are little more than strangers. Ha! Just thought I'd "share" that thought. Actually that reminds me to give a shout out and thank you to my blogging friend Linda at http://lindahensley.blogspot.com/ She shared my map link and I forgot to thank her. Thanks for the facetime!

By Rook or by Brook...

2011-07-05T09:57:00.010-05:00

We have been on a huge lucky streak this Summer. We just had the best 4th of July ever. Small town Parades, great food and lots of fun hiking. And just when we thought the weekend was over we ran across the best Black Raspberry picking to date. And topped it off by discovering that we could see 3 cities worth of fire works 1/2 block from our house. Summer rocks! But our lucky streak actually started a couple weeks ago. We were hiking at Interstate State Park in Wisconsin and ran across a Heron Rookery. All morning we could hear this weird sound. It was like a cross between monkeys and bird squawks. So before we left we did a slow drive by. We thought,"tree frogs gone wild perhaps?" Then we saw that the tree tops were alive and the forest floor was covered in a magical coat of white. O.K. it was no magic. It was poop! Some trees had 2-3 nests and it went on for almost a city block.

And our lucky streak continued. I just happened across 2 photogenic Owls last week. Just a few blocks from my house at lake Harriet. By a brook... honest! Does anyone know what the real saying by hook or by crook means? Hopefully it's nothing politically incorrect! Tune in next week for more animals. We picked up our Trail Cam footage last weekend.

An apple a day keeps the nightmares away!

2011-07-01T09:15:00.003-05:00

This illustration is the cover for Art House Co-op's sketchbook project. The Nightmare themed journal can now be found at the Brooklyn Art Library. And I thought it was the perfect choice for Remedy. The theme over at http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ today. I really love this simple illustration. But I'm not sure if the apple would be the cure or the cause. You be the judge...

Tikal!

2011-06-26T10:24:00.018-05:00

I'm celebrating. I finally reached 10,000 blog hits since putting up my stat counter. Maybe not a big number for some. But pretty good for a blog that has anything to do with art. If I had a blog completely devoted to kitten photos of course I'd have a million hits. Tikal fits the bill for celebration posts. It is so grand. Here is one of our first glimpses of the ruins.

Tikal is the largest excavated pre-Hispanic site in the Americas. The National Park covers 222 square miles of jungle within Guatemala's largest protected area. Its 3,000+ structures housed up to 130,000 souls in its heyday. This photo shows the 144 foot Temple of the Giant Jaguar.

This Temple stands directly across from Giant Jaguar. It pays homage to lady 12 Macaw.

Monkeying around.

Hmmm. Whose paws are these? We're on top of the 190 foot Temple V.

I think this is the plaza of the Seven Temples.

A Mot Mot.

We ran up these stairs like they were nothing. Fingers crossed. If you enjoyed this post pass on the link to friends. Or book a trip with your travel agent! And if you need more to wet your appetite check out my illustrated map of Hopkins, Belize. It's just a hop, skip and a Guatemalan border crossing from Tikal. Here's the link
http://www.theydrawandtravel.com/maps/hopkins-belize-sharon-wagner

Beloved Moon

2011-06-24T09:55:00.005-05:00

Beloved Moon was illustrated for a gallery show at the Owatona Arts Center a few years back. And since I've recently posted my other Moon pieces this will have to suffice for today's http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ theme. A Midsummer Night. It really is more like a melancholy night for this young orphan. She is dreaming about the Mother she never knew. Sniff. But I do have happy news. Be sure to check out the map I illustrated with lots of love over at TDAT. And here's the link. http://www.theydrawandtravel.com/maps/hopkins-belize-sharon-wagner And do me a favor and share it on facebook or email a traveling friend. After their first sip of One barrel they'll thank you!

What made my cats so sleepy today?

2011-06-21T07:30:00.002-05:00

Another Ikea project of course! It was napus interuptus all day long...

The mayhem begins with a fake admonishment. Obviously with my camera at the ready, I'm just hoping for hijinks's.

Dean put the small parts in an irresistible blue cup prompting Hana to go fish.

Constantly trying to sleep on the job seemed to be a recurring theme.

A little high wire action from Hana.

Akua inspects the finished product. A new painting desk/kitchen island for my studio. Is it nap time yet? I don't think so. There are many more boxes to go! For more cats visit http://gattinamycats.blogspot.com/

It's the launch of a new career!

2011-06-17T09:45:00.001-05:00

I'm proud to present you with my Project Pig. It was published over at http://www.banjopigs.blogspot.com/ last week. And it actually fits today's http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ theme. You could say she is moving forward on the runway (launching) or as the title states launching a new line of banjo fashions. My illustration is a funny take on one of my favorite shows, Project Runway. My favorite part of the illo is the feet of the audience members on the lower left. A mixture of fashionable red shoes, hooves and paws. Everyone can come.

How much for the Iguana hat dude?

2011-06-13T09:16:00.011-05:00

We visited the Iguana Hatchery in San Ignacio, Belize earlier this year. And a good time was had by all. Except for the gal that passed out. Ironically she passed out after holding the baby Iguanas. Not the big guy in the first photo.

The color!

I don't think I came close to the Guinness world record of the highest number of Iguanas one person can wear. Whatever that is.

Hmmm. I wonder if we got all the baby Iguanas off. This photo was actually taken back at the hotel. Just kidding.

Swept Away!

2011-06-10T09:24:00.001-05:00

Swept is the theme over at http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ today. And I knew this illustration was the perfect choice. It's called Kitty in Trouble. Obviously the darn cat got swept out to sea. (with paddle) But I've never seen a cat use one. The funny thing is I don't have this image on any of my current web pages. But someone recently found it in the abyss that is the Internet and purchased a print. And if you want another laugh please visit the fun blog http://banjopigs.blogspot.com/ My pig just got published over there. Oink!

This is for the birds!

2011-06-06T09:01:00.001-05:00

We all know about the tornado devastation in Joplin. But there was also a bad tornado in my hometown that same day. And it was very destructive to the North East of Minneapolis. I was sad for the people's homes. But I never even thought about the animals. That is until an unfortunate article in the Star. Around 180 Blue Herons were killed in a rookery near North Mississippi Regional park. So this post is for the birds. Here are some of my favorite bird photos taken during our Winter trips this year. You might not recognize the Aracari in the first 2 photos. They are a relative of the Toucan.

Where Does Your Shadow Go At Night?

2011-06-03T15:00:00.001-05:00

I have the perfect illustration for http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ I illustrated the poem,"Where Does Your Shadow Go At Night" for the charity, Project Open Book. In the poem the shadows come alive at night and steal shoes and footballs. You can blame it on the Moon I guess.

People on Tuesday!

2011-05-31T07:26:00.004-05:00

I'm not even going to explain my title. It's an inside joke that only a blogging cat lover might understand. But it is Tuesday and my blog is full of people. So bare with me and I'll explain what's up...

I've had a huge stash of painted glass since my art fair days. I also sold it in gift shops until the last shop (in another state) went out of business and basically stole a box full of my art. Months later I managed to find this jerk and get back my work. But that soured me on the already tough gallery and gift shop market. So my glass sat all unloved in boxes. I decided to try and give it to charity. I even asked friends if they wanted any for themselves or their church craft sale or anything for that matter. No response. So what's an artist to do? Well, I just so happened to be having a thrift sale. Not charity. But maybe I could unload it if I sold it for a buck. What follows are glass loving thrift salers who didn't mind having their picture taken. Fun! P.S. The top 2 photos are of me holding a few favorite pieces from my saved stash. I figured that if everyone else was nice enough to pose for me I could throw my mug up as well

The no show here was on purpose!

This creative lady even staged her purchases for me.

This nice lady came back at the end of the day and bought even more!

This glass loving lady bought 24 pieces! Shown below. Plus a lamp shade. Ha!

At the end of the day I wasn't rich. But I sold 4-5 boxes full of art. There were a few special pieces that escaped being photographed. Especially since almost everyone bought several. Hmmm. I wonder if any thrift salers will visit my blog to see their famous faces!

Asleep

2011-05-27T14:12:00.001-05:00

All of the characters in this illustration should be sleeping. But only one is. Can you find him? Of course you can. Asleep is the http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ theme today. I used this illustration for my last promotional postcard. And I better get crack'in on my next one. No rest for the wicked artist. (that's me)