Mother's Day is Coming.............

Mother's Day.....is a week away now, what are you going to do for that special mother of your's? Whether she is just around the corner or hundreds of miles away....or maybe she is dead....it is always good to hear from your loved ones.

My own mother died in 2001, where did that time go? She would have been going on 85, we were just 20 years apart. She was always so happy when someone would act so surprised that I was "her daughter". Why Barb, I thought Louise was your sister, oh my, I hated that! My mother would just smile. Not me, she was my mother, not my sister!!!! Oh well, every now and then I think about her and sometimes wish she was still around, so I could just talk, although she never quite understood me, nor I her. I believe tomorrow, May 1st is the day she died, maybe that is why I am thinking about her.

Then, there was the Mother-in-law. Nope, she never understood me either. I don't have too much to say about her. Our relationship was a little strained and I never knew what she expected of me and felt she never really liked me, I certainly was not her favorite. JP and I never had any kids between the two of us, so maybe that was the reason why. I had wanted kids, but the husband didn't. So now here we are married 38 years and childless. The Mother-inlaw will be dead 1 year on our 38th anniversary - August 27.

I did have a daughter, but in 1969 had to give her up for adoption, a decision I have regretted all my life. But then, if I hadn't, she wouldn't have been that free spirit that she is now, doing her own thing and being her own person. I see her on facebook alot, I guess that is better then not seeing her. Her life, and my life are complete opposites, I guess she takes more after her "father" then she does me, but then she seems to be living the kind of life my grandmother did...a little wild. My grandmother lived in the bars and taverns and drank alot, my mother didn't. I can remember as a child my mother and grandmother arguing and then my grandmother left and I didn't see her again till I was eighteen and she was dying....not alot of good memories of grandmother.

So now, I am thinking, Mother's Day is one of those days, that I can take or leave alone, it doesn't really hold alot of good feelings for me. Only because I am a mother, but have never really been treated as a mother. Having a baby and putting her up for adoption doesn't really count, you are labled a "birthmom" but not really a "mother" I am not really sure why I am rambling on like this......guess some of these holidays are just not as happy as others are.

Well, I wanted to tell alittle about the above card. I probably will put it in my etsy store http://www.cards4ubylouise.etsy.com/ the going price will be $3 + postage $2. You will also receive one free bonus card or bookmark or thank you card for your use. The card is basically flowers colored in with markers then layered on black cardstock then bright pink cardstock. I actually made the "MOM" stamp myself, my very first attempt. It is pretty versitile though, cause turning it up side down you get "WOW". One of these days I shall have to make a "WOW" card!!!

Well, I think this blog has run too long and probably not alot of people will read it anyways, I tend to shy away from long blogs, "short and sweet and to the point" are my kind of blogs. So take care and have a great "Mother's Day" and please remember those mother's that might be shedding a tear or two because they have been forgotten.
Cheers ~ Louise

Raman Noodle Salad

Here is a really delicious salad. I have made this twice already this week, not sure what the calorie content is, but it can't be alot cause what could really be fattening....noodles I guess, mmmm but it sure is good. Here is the recipe.

2 pakgs Raman Chicken flavored soup (break into small pieces)
1 bunch green onions (sliced)
1 cup cashews
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
16 oz pakg coleslaw (or 1/2 small head cabbage)

Mix Raman seasoning with:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar (or less)

Mix together and pour over the first 5-6 ingredients. Let stand 30 minutes.
Mix a few times and before you serve.

This may be one of those salads that will be hard to keep in the house, I know it is in my house.

Well, you have a great day.
Cheers ~ Louise

In Memory of Dave Wilkerson

This will be a very short blog. As of a few hours ago I heard that Dave Wilkerson was killed in a car accident in Tx. Now he is in the presence of Jesus. . .what a glorius place to be. Sad that his life ended so tragiclly. His wife and the truck driver are still in the hospital. Sad news for all concerned.

JP and I went to a "Call to Repentance" in Texas in 1986 and got to sit under the teachings if Dave Wilkerson....that might have been when the fires of revival was lit in my heart back in 1986, yep, I believe that was when God began to change my life around. That was one of those vacations I will never quite forget.

Blessings ~ Louise

Happy Ressurection Sunday!!!

Wishing you all a wonderful Ressurection Sunday!!!!

Jesus Lives, He Lives today to save our souls from living an eternity in hell. Jesus did not come into this world to condemn the world but to save the world and spend eternity with Him in Heaven!!!

You know, there are two kinds of people in this world, ones that are saved and ones that are not saved.....which one are you? As for me and my household we will serve the Lord!!! I am looking forward to the sound of the trump and Jesus calling us home in the twinkling of an eye we will all be gone, what a day that will be!!!!

Have a wonderful Easter and remember JESUS IS the REASON for this Wonderful SEASON!!!

Blessings ~ Louise

Angel Lush Dessert

Here is a picture of the wonderful "Angel Lush" dessert I made for the Pot Blessing at church....
MMMMMMM........feast your eyes...such a fancy looking dessert fit for a King and Queen!!! I am thinking there aren't alot of calories either, so you can eat all you want.....hahahaha!!!! The recipe is following the second picture. So be sure to try it sometime, you will be amazed at how easy it is to make and also amazed that you can make such a beautiful cake that everyone will enjoy!!!!! This dessert is, and will be #1 on my list of desserts to make for party's, pot blessings and whatever comes up.

ANGEL LUSH with Pineapple

1 can (20 oz.) DOLE Crushed Pineapple, undrained
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Wipped Topping
1 pkg. (10 oz.) round angel food cake, cut into 3 layers.
Seasonal Berries, (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, rasberries)

MIX pineapple and dry pudding mix in a medium bowl. Gently stir in whipped topping.

STACK cake layers on plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers and on top of cake.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until ready to serve. Garnish with your favorite seasonal berries.

Serves 10 and takes 15 minutes to prep.

There you have it a wonderful dessert in minutes.

Enjoy and have a great day ~ Louise

Made a Treasury Last Week

Made a lovely treasury last week and just now putting it up on my blog today, hope you enjoy. here are a few of the pictures of the treasures I found. Follow the link to the complete treasury on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4da34fbf7a5b6d9142a8e817/lavenders-blue-dilly-dillySo check it out. In the mean time, I will try and get a few pictures from the treasury downloaded into my blog.........wish me luck!! or blessings!!!

Ukrainan Easter Eggs - Part 3

Hi Everyone, hope you are all doing well on this beautiful Friday!! Today is our final interview ~ Pt. 3 with Gail. I hope you have all enjoyed this topic of interest as much as I have. It has been fun communicating with you Gail and fun getting to know you via Etsy, Facebook and Blogger. And now, here are a few more of God's natural canvases and works of art on Duck eggs and Ostrich eggs by Gail. The above egg is an Ostrich egg and the egg below is a duck egg, entitled the Windmill.

Windmill above and the 3rd and final egg in this interview is called St. Anthony's Cross.

Now on to the last of our interview with Gail.

19. Your favorite thing to do?

Other than pysanky…create graphic art. Look for my other website, http://www.Etsy.com/shop/GoldenEggPysanky which will be up and running any day now.

{Note to the reader: the above address will take you to Gail's Etsy store, as the other address given took me "no place" I got a "uh-oh".}

20. Make a comment here of what ever you would like to say.

I would love to tell how about how pysanky are created…but don’t know if that is something you want…well…here goes anyway.PYSANKARSTVO is the art of decorating Ukrainian eggs. A master pysanky artist is called a Pysankar.“Pysanka” or egg writing dates back over 2,000 years and symbols can be found on ceramic eggs which have been found in the Ukraine dating to that time. The Ukrainian people decorated eggs to celebrate the coming of spring. The word “pysanka” means “to write” in Ukrainian and is derived from the verb “pysaty.” It is a deeply symbolic art and each design that is “written” on the egg has meaning.A sun, for instance, is the sign of life, fortune and growth. Even the colors are symbolic. Red is the symbol of passion and happiness in life.Although each egg has symbolic meaning, it also has a deep significance to the artist who creates the egg.Pysanka are made using hot beeswax which is applied with a kistka (writing tool similar to a stylus or fountain pen). The beeswax is “written” in lines which create a pattern. A succession of aniline dyes cover the lines; each new set of lines “seals” in the dye underneath and protects it from the next dye color. As more lines are written and more dyes are added to the egg, a complex pattern is built. When the writing is complete, wax is removed and the pattern revealed.The egg is then varnished or sealed with a resin which will protect it for many generations to come.

21. Name 3 favorite websites you couldn't live without.

Etsy! Facebook! http://www.pysankyusa.com/, my source for supplies! Jim is the best!

Hope you enjoyed the interview with Gail and I hope you will visit her Etsy store at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/GoldenEggPysanky

There you have it. I hope you all found this interview very informative and interesting as much as I did. So, if you are looking for a beautiful work of art, see Gail at her Etsy store at the above address.

Cheers ~ Louise

Ukranian Easter Eggs - Part 2

Today, in part 2 of my Ukranian Easter Egg interview with Gail. Let me begin by adding 3 more pictures of her beautiful works of art on one of God's natural canvases..........the chicken egg, the duck egg and a goose egg.

The above egg is of a beautiful lady in pinks and golds depicted on this egg from a goose!! The above two eggs in black and red are from the chicken.

And this beautiful egg is from the duck. Which is a pretty large egg!! When we lived in the country, up in Ladysmith,over 25 years ago, we had some ducks, (3 females and 1 male). So when the ladies layed their eggs, they were huge!!! I would make breakfast for the husband and use 1 duck egg which = 2-4 Aracana (small) chicken eggs.

Now, onto the rest of the interview with Gail, part 2

6. What tools do you use for your craft that you cannot live without?

Vinegar, and my homemade light box for photographing my eggs. A picture is truly worth a thousand words…especially on Etsy. If it don’t look good, it ain’t gonna sell, baby. And that’s the truth!

7. What is a typical day for you and your favorite time of the day?

A typical egg making day is about 10 hours. I start by cleaning up my work area—I hate to admit it but I am a messy worker. And when I’m done, I’m done. I turn the light off, turn off my electric kistky and walk out. So, I have to clean up before I begin. I work on a layer of towels, and have to have a nice clean white one to start. I usually have several eggs going at once. As you work, one egg may be in the penciling stage, one in the dye, and one may be drying, and one is being waxed. So, I have at least 3 or 4 going at one time. My favorite time of day is about 7 pm…*sigh* relaxation time. I am not an early morning person. I can easily work until 1 or 2 in the morning, but I hate getting up for work (which, unfortunately, is at 5 am).

8. How do we find you on Etsy?

The name of my shop is GoldenEggPysanky. www.Etsy.com/shop/GoldenEggPysanky.

9. Can we find you on Facebook, Twitter, and do you have a blog site?

I am on Facebook but not twitter and no blog yet. I am still a bit electronically challenged.

10. Have you seen enough of the world or is there a place you would like to go?

I love to travel; I could never see enough. I would love to visit the Ukraine.

11. If you had another talent what would it be? I wish I were a musician.

12. What is your favorite flavor ice cream of all time? Mint chocolate chip

13. Your favorite color and shape? Orange and egg shaped! Go figure!

14. Your favorite drink and food? Diet Pepsi (yikes) and Pot stickers from BD’s Mongolian Barbeque.

15. Your favorite month and season of the year? Need I say more…April…Easter season.

16. Your favorite TV show, movie, book? Fringe is my favorite TV show, Movie…that one is tough…I like anything from Gone with the Wind to Groundhog Day!, and book… the entire Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

17. Your favorite store to visit? Archivers.

18. Your favorite (fill in the blank)……Having a day without responsibilities, doing whatever I’d LIKE to do instead of what I HAVE to do?

I will end part 2 here. Be sure to come back on Friday as we finish Gails interview ~ part 3 with 3 more questions.

Have a great day ~ Louise

Ukranian Easter Eggs and a Featured Etsy Artist

In this blog I am going to talk a little bit about my Step-Grandmother and her Ukranian Easter Egg. Plus an interview with a real Ukranian Pysanky Egg Artist. But first, let me show you my Step-Grandmother's Ukranian Egg I inherited from her. I was always intrigued by my step-grandmother's egg collection, as you see, I ended up with the prettiest one. The other grandchildren got the other eggs. But mine sits in its royal spot in the china cabinet along with her tea-cups and an array of other antiques. That is probably another blog story in the future.

Grams held on to alot of her traditions, especially when it came to cooking. I will always remember the big dinners she made for all the family. A big platter of Kubasa, shaved horsradish and eggs. Big bowls of houbah (translation=mushroom gravey [wild mushrooms from the woods]). Pedihare (potatoe and sourkraut dumplings) meat, vegies and desserts galore. And her wonderful Babka (raisin egg bread that she baked in coffee cans) There was always enough food to feed an army and we never went home empty handed. Those were the days of good eaten!!!!!!And Good Food!!!!!

Now I would like to introduce you to Gail, a Ukranian Egg Artist, which I have met on Etsy. Because I like Ukranian Eggs and being it is Easter, one day I typed in Ukranian Eggs and her store came up. I asked her if she would like to be interviewed in my blog and she said yes. So, here we go.............first of all let me start by showing you some of her work. This is probably my favorite egg.......I like purple.

Now on to my interview with Gail.

1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you got started on Etsy? I am the proud Mom of three young men, two of whom serve in the United States Navy, and one who is working toward a college degree. I have been married to the same wonderful man for 34 years. We have a spoiled labradoodle named Toby who is the best dog we have ever had, hands down...he is a joy. I work full time as the supervisor of Microbiology at an 850 bed hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Although I enjoy my challenging job, my passion is my artwork. And, I am fairly new to Etsy, but I am finding it a wonderful experience. I had been selling on eBay for years, but the fees were getting too outrageous…so I was looking for another way to market my wares. My niece, who has a degree in marketing, said to me one day, “You need to be on Facebook, and Etsy, and link them.” Truer words have never been spoken. So, I got on Facebook and set up an account and then onto Etsy and surprise! It works! I got my first order after a couple of days on Etsy.

2. When and how did you become interested in making Pysanky eggs? I am a home grown pysanky maker! I am Ukrainian by heritage. My grandmother and grandfather were both Ukrainian and immigrated to the United States in the early 1900’s. Grandma came from Ternopil and Grandpa from Lviv. When they met each other here in the states, my grandmother was saddened by the lack of tools available to create pysanky. She was using a wooden stick dipped in melted beeswax and dipping it on eggs to create very basic patterns. She made her own dyes from vegetables, flowers, and ash. Then grandpa got involved and whittled some small twigs into handles for kistka. He added a small metal tube to the end and tied it all together with twine and tar. Grandma was in business! She created her own pysanky and, of course, taught my mother. I would watch them create pysanky at Easter, enthralled at a young age. But then, I was only allowed to watch. Finally, at about 8 years old, they perched me on a stool next to the melted pot of beeswax and handed me an egg and my first homemade kistka. I don’t remember much about that first pattern other than I was caught; hook, line and sinker. Seeing my attraction, my mom began purchasing products from Surma in New York and then from the Ukrainian Gift Shop in Minnesota. In those days, we only made eggs during Lent, so I would wait anxiously after Christmas for the beginning of Lent. To this day, Lent, which is usually everyone’s least favorite time of the Christian calendar is my absolute favorite time of the year, because it reminds me of the early days when I would enjoy pysanka making.

3. What is your inspiration for each egg and where do you get the ideas? I look at a lot of traditional patterns and am inspired by good geometric design. I love the way angles and squares can fit together to make stars…I probably would like quilt making as well. But I am also inspired by fabric, mosaics, Persian rugs, oriental plates, and, of course, quilts! Colors are a big factor in my work and because of the “batik” way pysanky are made, color can be a challenge. Because the “canvas” is a “natural product” (I guess the chickens would laugh at that one) it doesn’t always conform to your wishes. Colors don’t always dye the color you want. I have learned to be flexible. When I was younger, if the egg didn’t look like I thought it should look, I looked at it as a failure. I never sold them because they were not perfect (in my mind’s eye, anyway). Nowadays, I see the beauty in those eggs. Now, if something isn’t coming out the way I had planned it, well…all the better! Some of the best work I have done is because nature took the reins out of my hands. I am so glad I kept all those “ruined” eggs!

4. How many hours do you spend on each egg? I can do a simple egg in ½ hour. An ostrich egg can take up to 20 hours.

5. How did you feel when you sold your first egg on Etsy? Like a million bucks. To think that someone would pay real money for something I created…I am humbled, honored, and grateful. And....I am an artist. Wow. How cool is that?

To be continued............. Check out Gail's Etsy store at: http://goldeneggpysanky.etsy.com

Have a great day

~Louise~

Magnolia Rose Girl

I have fallen in love with the Magnolia "Tilda" Stamps. Just love coloring them with my copic pens and then embellishing Tilda in a card. This was my second attempt to make paper flowers. Still trying to figure out my own technique, haven't come up with a system yet.

Went to a stamping rummage sale today and found a few punches that I might be able to use for flowers. Bought some scrapbook paper, 20 sheets for $2. A House Mouse Stamp to add to my collection and some embossing ink and oval die cuts...........a splurge today for sure.

We also went to a Cooking Show today........the chef made "Comfort Food". I am going to make each one of the dishes, oh gosh they looked so good, and then take a picture and talk about it and leave the recipe on this blog for anyone to try................Lets get cooking!!!!

Well, I think I shall close here for today and I am hoping to blog on Monday or Tuesday about Ukranian Easter Eggs. I am looking to feature an Etsy guest who makes Pysanky eggs. So do come back and read about her in my next blog.

Have a great day ~ Louise