Beautiful Leaves

Fall,  my favorite time of year. Cooler days and crisp nights perk me up after the summer heat.  It motivates me and for some reason, I need less sleep!  Instead there are more late nights in the studio.
This year I want to get out more instead of getting caught up in the usual hustle of pre-holiday designing and gearing up. It would be great to Enjoy my favorite season so I am resolved to get out of my studio, off the design computer and touch the lovely trees.
I do miss the gorgeous fall colors. When I visit my parents their streets are lined with a kaleidoscope of fiery reds, rich yellows, golden oranges. Makes me want to jump in the leaves and toss them in the air!

I have created a fall gift box to help scratch that itch and will also Try to get a couple of paintings in of fall leaves.  These sugar cookies are light and crisp in texture and taste, decorated with sparkling sugar crystals. They will look pretty on any table.
I wanted to create a porcelain botanical painting of leaves to go with this set, but might be running out of time :~( .   If only I didn't need sleep - I'd rather be in the studio!
A porcelain painting of a kit fox and a couple of others coming soon...

Fall Holiday Sugar Cookie Gift Set

Lucky Dog Art Cookies

Lucky Dog Art Sugar Cookies

Art cookies ready for shipping to a national dog rescue charity event and Reverse glass painting at the Tohono Chul Park art reception tonight.

Sugar Cookies are comfort food in any language and almost always guaranteed to bring a smile to kids of All ages.
I am glad to be able to help those who have no voices. Well now they do thru the hard work of all the volunteers it takes to make these charity events run smoothly and find homes for dogs rescued.

Off to the studio  - working on Border Collie paintings and wildlife porcelain plates - cool!

Bat Night Magic - reverse glass painting

Oh, the reception at Tohono Chul for the Pollinator's Exhibit is tonight and as one of the participating artists I will be there to answer all questions regarding reverse glass painting and my work. What is reverse glass painting? How is it done? How long have I been an artist?
Look forward to seeing familiar faces there - meeting new ones "~)  It's not easy for me to get out of the studio and speak to lots of strangers, but I know the more I do this, the more comfortable it will get.

For Riley, Sweet Goldi Girl

LuckyDog Sugar Cookie Gift Box

I am donating this Lucky Dog sugar cookie gift box for a silent auction for the National Mill Dog Rescue. I am glad I can help . It made me think of personal dog experiences. These are my stories I shared with Rebecca and will share with you because they still haunt me:

There is a lady out by my friends house that has moved and left her 3 dogs behind in an enclosed chain link type area. It has been a few weeks now.
Someone comes by to feed and water them and they have access to shelter (a doggy door I think) but other than that they are alone - a pack of three.
No point calling the human society - they have food, shelter, water and would be worse off in the overcrowded shelters - would stand less of chance. But it's hard to watch them wait, wait, watch the end of the road - waiting for someone to come home. The expectation in the three faces clearly asks Where did she go? When will she be coming back for every day again?

Similar situation in CA few years ago for my dad's neighbor who had a goldi named Riley who was completely isolated in the back yard. My dad used to go make sure she had fresh water since they would just fill a bucket every few days. Ants would get in her food and dad would get her fresh food, give her treats, love. Riley was almost never allowed in the house even when the frosts and freezing came.
When the fires came and all the houses were burning down nearby many home owners were advised to leave. Riley's owner left - and left Riley behind. My parents did not leave, but they were packed up, ready and dad was ready to take Riley too. He was not going to leave her to the fires.

Today I still refuse to speak to this lady. Riley passed away this Jan.. They say Riley died of a seizure. I know she died of loneliness.

One Hundred 'Biscuits'

Tea parties are always fun. Memories of "tea and cakes" or "tea and biscuits in the garden" bring a smile and thoughts of pretty days in my neighbors garden with some sort of sponge cake and biscuits (cookies) with tea served from a favorite teapot. 

I lived in the UK for a few years while in the service. Bought a house off base about 20 minutes away in a small village by the sea. Learned all the nuances of living in the economy that cannot be experienced as a tourist or living on base surrounded by Americans. I preferred to experience the culture of another country and what better way than living in the economy where I could become a part of  the story instead of an observer. It was an unforgettable opportunity.

These charming cookies remind me of those days. They were an order placed by someone who will be making her own tea party in an inside garden since the outdoors is currently 107º. The little teapots are a bas relief sugar cookie about 3" round hand decorated and embellished with sugar crystal flowers. Each comes in a clear cello bag tied with a satin ribbon and given as party favors. Ribbon colors of blue, spring green and two shades of pink will give an impression of a festive pretty garden when placed together. Twenty teapots were done in red, white and blue to celebrate our Independence Day and this year's Diamond Jubilee in the UK. 

One hundred teapot cookies weigh a little over 13 pounds. I like to do mail art on all of my boxes when I can. The smiles begin before the box is even opened.

Easter Bunnies!

Quick post of bunny cookies for Easter or anytime! Sugar cookies for your inner smile!

Valentine Postcards

Some mini Love notes for Valentines. My fun cookies, mosaics and my aussie muse, sweet Risa.

Meeting Risa:

My sister had purchased two aussie puppies, one for her family and one for me. A little boy and a little girl. When she let them in from playing in the yard the little male barreled thru the door past me and into the kitchen. The little girl ran thru the door and and straight into my arms. She "had me at hello". I knew she was coming home with me and she is the BEST gift I have ever received. Now, at 11 her body has slowed down even though she is still such a puppy at heart. She is the world to me and I have changed my lifestyle and work to be with her.

Aussies do not do well alone - they are a breed that needs to be with their human most of the time. the herding breeds are incredibly intelligent, active dogs.

AZ is having it's 100th birthday and I have the honor of exhibiting my mosaic Gila Dream at Tohono Chul Park.

And in this auspicious Year Of The Dragon I have taken a part time job making Moonlight Cookies!

Really fun to make and eat "~)

Love Conquers All

Love really does conquer all. Love and respect for yourself first - who you are, what you do. Then you have love to give to others from a good, kind generous place. Piglet is so cute and I am going to write names and other sentiments like Siempre, Amore, U R ..., etc. Or the word love in different languages. Red little Kitty speaks for herself! I am enjoying baking these almost too much - they are addicting right now!

Purrrr! Happy Friday

Happy Friday - sending gratitude and love to all who have supported me!

Still baking and I realized this morning that the cookies are a way to de-stress. Another canvas that is a comfort.

Moonlight Delights

More cookie designs finished. Each sugar cookie is individually handmade making for a unique edible little work of art that I initial a signature at the bottom. Before packaging the some of cookies are backed with dark Girhidelli chocolate for an extra gourmet touch. The shelf life of these Artisan cookies is easily ten days. A perfect gift that I have given to family, friends and clients since 1988, many kept their cookies for weeks, claiming they were too pretty to eat and reported that they tasted "wonderful". Currently I am experimenting with sealing individual cookies in an air vacuum packages like the Seal-A-Meal concept. For now they are still individually sealed in zip lock bags as soon as the icing is dry. They give me great pleasure to make - obviously since I am still baking and the Christmas holidays are past!

Valentines and Easter will be my testing time to find out if people want to buy my tasty, edible art!

Moonlight Cookie Mania

Still making my lovely sugar cookies. It's a winter thing. I enjoy baking on a chilly evening while listening to a book or music. The cookies are another canvas that is relaxing and makes me happy. I have about 70 vintage molds and will eventually catalog all of them for a new site on Etsy so stay tuned! The key is to give my "photo models" to friends so I don't eat them!

I will be having a Valentines cyber studio sale and will be including these mini mosaics in the sale.

The mosaics are about 4" and the cookies range from 3" - 5". Both make very unique specialty gifts.

The cookies are made to order and come wrapped in a clear bag with a ribbon tie. Some are on my Facebook album.

Moonlight Cookies

2012 is of to a great start. I am finally making my specialty cookies to order. Since the late 80's I have been making gourmet art sugar cookies for family, friends and clients as holiday gifts. The sugar cookies are made from vintage molds I have collected since the 80's.

When asked to make more my response has been " I don't have time".

This year I just kept baking in the evenings to unwind and now am looking into making them to order.

Last week I asked an aquaintence at a cafe about selling cookies and showed her some of the cookies and she Loved them and said if I want to market my very unique cookies I would first have to get "certified". O.k., so I have to get someone from the county health to come inspect my kitchen and pay a 56.00 fee - yikes!

This week I will find out more about the inspection, possibly get a checklist of what they want etc. Meanwhile cookies are still being made and posted so I have a link with photos to show. So far the cookies are being posted on my Facebook album and this blog. Should I put them up on my website, or have a seperate site/blog ?

Let's see if this idea is worth taking further. Meanwhile the house smells like fresh cookies - Yummm!