Redwood Coast Creative Arts

Orris Ruth- a Wild Caught Faerie

Here she is, Miss Orris Ruth (pronounced in Spanish Root, the "H" is silent).  Another member of  The Wild Caught Faerie Clan. 

Orris is the botanical name for Iris.  Miss Orris was formed from the root as it was curing in preparation for distillation for perfume.  The orris root is used in perfumes after drying and curing for up to five years.  It has a woody, violet like scent.  I use it in my natural hand made soaps.  It is also used in Morrocan cooking.  It has a raspberry-like flavor. 

She is the 4th in my Wild Caught Faerie series.  Although she appears to be locked up in her cage you should know that I would never be so cruel.  Those cage bars are no match for her faerie magic.  She could escape the cage at any time.  The bars are more symbolic of her trapped status.  You see, Miss Orris Ruth came out to play while her flower was in full bloom but neglected to get back into the bulb before the blossom faded and so, she is trapped, stuck here in our realm until her flower comes into bloom again next year.  

Orris Ruth is 2 3/4" tall when seated.  She is hand scuplted of polymer clay over a wire armature.  He tulle gown is hand sewn directly to her body.  Her hair is hand, dyed, Tibetan mohair which I applied directly to her scalp, her feather wings were also hand dyed to match her hair and the blossom from which she sprung from. 

The cage is manufactured but I distressed and patinaed it to give it a bit of old world charm.  She can be removed from her cage.  her arms can be repositioned.  The rest of her body is sculpted in a fixed pose.  

Noh Mask Hashi-hime

Hashi-hime- Face of a jealous woman.

The mask is based on the legendary woman in a Noh play called, Hashi-hime, who was driven by jealousy to drown herself. It features thicker eyebrows and reddish face.

I helped my niece, Marlesia, with this school project.  Her teacher talked her into giving it to her after the assignments were due back, What a jerk!  I'm flattered but, I'd rather she gave it to me!

It was all hand sculpted and formed 100% out of polymer clay and painted with acrylics. 

What's on my work bench?

Why a purple faerie WIP, of couse!

She is just 2 3/4" tall when seated.  She is a member of my Wild Caught Faerie Clan. 

I promise to post more pic's as she progresses along.  I will also try to get more information about her and her particular species.  I believe that she is a flower faerie, possibly related to the Begonia family or perhaps the Irises???  Some sort of bulb or tuberous flora is certain but, sometimes these little ones are very hard to understand.  They communicate at such high frequencies that sometimes it is down right painful to be in their presence!

Anyhow, here she is.  Please indulge her a bit.  She has been quite pampered, as she was born and raised in a comfy flower bed, and is quite used to being tended to regularly!

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Paint in progress

 

Potato, Leek Soup -Recipe

Today I made potato, leek soup with garlic and chicken broth.

Chop 6 large, red potatoes, boil in chicken broth (just enough to cover. I used 4 cans) until soft. Mash with potato masher and leave on warm. Coarse chop I large leek or two small, saute with 7 or 8 garlic cloves in 1/2 stick butter until slightly brown (salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and 1/2 of the leeks to potato soup pot, bled with a stick blender until desired amount of smoothness. I like some chunks of potato. add the remaining leeks. You can add half and half or milk 2-3 cups if you like a creamier soup. I don't do milk so I separated out my husbands serving and added about 50% milk and a little more salt and pepper.

Bon Appetit!

Veggies!!!

Farm Fresh Produce has arrived, YUM!  They deliver fresh veggies right to my door.  I love it!  If you want to try them out mention my name and code 6164 and you will receive $5 off of your first delivery. 

Recipe: Ham, Cheddar, and Spinach Quiche with a Flaky, Butter Crust

Ham, Cheddar, and Spinach Quiche with a Flaky, Butter Crust

Recipe:

Butter Pastry:

2 C AP flour
1-1/2 C cold butter (or 3/4 C) cubed
5-8 T ice water
Pulse flour and butter in food processor until it resembles coarse corn meal. If you take a pinch and press it in your fingers it should clump together.
Add 1 T of ice water at a time, pulse in between to mix into a dough. Once the mixture forms a loose dough roll it out onto a floured surface. Knead it briefly (for about a minute), wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hr to 1 wk. Don't touch it too much. Colder dough that doesn't get messed with makes a flakier pastry.

After the chill roll out on floured surface and place in pie pan. Trim edges 1 inch deeper than needed, they will shrink. Prick the dough with a fork to release air. Weight the dough down with dry beans or pie weights. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until it starts to brown.

Quiche fillings:

7 Large eggs
1C milk or half and half
1-1/2 C Cheddar Cheese shredded (or other hard cheese that melts well)
1/2 cup diced ham
2 C chopped fresh spinach
2 green onions finely chopped
1/2 t dried Italian herbs
1/2 t salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except for cheese in a large bowl. Spread about 1/2 C cheese on bottom of pie crust. Just enough to cover the bottom. This will keep your crust crispier by forming a barrier from the liquids.

Put pie pan in oven, pour wet, egg mixture into pie crust, bake for about 30-50 minutes until knife pulls out clean. After about 20 minutes add remaining cheese on top for a cheesy topping!

This recipe is a great way to use up left overs. Anything can be a filling and you can use toasted sliced bread or pre-made crust in a pinch but, nothing compares to real butter pastry crust!

Let me know if you try this recipe! Enjoy! Eat well and prosper!

Challenge of the moment:

Challenge of the moment: Make a Bumble Bee with whatever you have on hand and post pictures today............

Here is what I did.

Honey lime dressing :
ingredients:
juice from 1/2 lime,
about 1/8C rice wine vinegar,
about 1/8 C veg oil,
about 1 t honey,
salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk in bowl and chill while chop salad ingredients.
Makes enough for two big salads. I used Romaine, Cabbage, Spinach, green onion, avocado, sweet red peppers, and honey crisp apples (cubed) The apples and lime are great together! ENJOY!

New color palette= rust, red/orange, clotted cream, black/brown, and faded moss. All with a hint of glimmer! Pic's to follow soon.

I Caught a Tiny Wild Faerie in my Garden

Wild Caught Faerie

My Wild caught faerie is 2 inches tall when seated, hand sculpted of polymer clay.  She has acrylic fur hair, acrylic "make-up, and natural fiber clothing painrd with acrylics.  She sits on a bed of soft, Spanish moss and her cage is manufactured.

Don't worry, She is only here as long as she wants to be.  Bars are no match for faerie magic.  Should she choose to fly off she easily could do so.  I will just enjoy her while it lasts.  I hope that you do too!

Little Miss Moss Bit. She is a wild caught faerie. The tiniest of all of the wild caught faeries. She lives in the forest in a home made of rotten redwoods and mushrooms. She has a pet honey bee and feeds on honeycomb and lichen.