Link to my Brand new Blog-this one is being retired

 Good morning everyone,

   I decided much less confusion to have just one blog-don't need two going as I originally  had thought to do.

   So I am retiring this blog to make way for the new here   The new name for my blog is My Artistic Endeavours at the Lake

   I know most of you are not concerned with the linking up, but when someone tells me that someone else was sent into her blogging settings do to an incorrect link, and  not into their own blog settings well computer geek that I am not--that is concerning to me. call me paranoid

   I just decided to feel safe I would still participate in the link up events that I enjoy, especially T by visiting all of you, but just won't set up a link.

   With 2020 being such a crazy year-as it continues to be-instead of staying with this blog why not just start out fresh-try out the new blogger platform as some day it may just switch over to that anyways.

  So if you are following me in your blog list please update https://artisticendeavoursatthelake.blogspot.com   

     I have already transferred most everything over to my nre blog. Hoping to see you there as I have enjoyed visiting all of you  Below graphic found online.

New Blog

 Hi Everyone,

   I have decided to play around with a new blog  find here 

     I am going to post only my arts and crafts there, and still keep this blog to use  for more general posts.  

   My friend and I were concerned over the Mr Linky glitch for security reasons. I know we discovered that the link was wrong on one of the links at T, and that's why google sent us into our own blog settings page, but this also happened over on Paint Party Friday last week and not clear if someone else was sent into a personal blog settings page. 

   So to be on the safe side-as I don't want someone coming into my blog settings, I have decided not to link for these different blogging events that I do enjoy.

    I will still visit everyone for T and the other events when I participate but I just feel safer not linking up right now. 

   This new format that Blogger has set up-well it has not been fun and has been challenging😀

I am having a security issue with Mr Linky-anyone else?

   Good morning, 

     I am thinking this is a Mr Linky issue but I am also concerned about a privacy breech. this is happening to one of my friends as well.

    On T for Tuesday when I click on Sharon's link to visit it does Not take me to her page but takes  me into my blog settings.  This is also occuring over on Paint Party Friday who also uses Mr Linky when I click on Peggy's link it again takes me to my blogger settings.

  Is this happening to you as well? or when you click on these links does it take you into My blogger settings or your own? this is the key here   I have signed out of blogger and back on three times now and is still happening  so it's a problem with the Mr Linky.

   we are considering shutting down our blog but I don't think blogger is the issue here-   and over on paint party friday I am not linked on there at the moment just wanted to see if I was getting the result when clicking  on Peggy to visit and I am

    what do you think about this as a security problem don't want someone inside of my blog settings thanks

Update: my friend just informed me that yes someone else clicking on the link did end up in her blog settings--this is alarming to me and I don't think its Blogger I think its Mr Linky- I won't be linking up in the future

T Stands for Tuesday Lovely Sunrise and Quilt Update

 Hi Everyone,

      Another T for Tuesday is upon us. You are most welcome to join us with our hostess Bleubeard and Elizabeth, just remember to share a photo with a drink reference.

   Autumn weather has arrived here these past several days-cooler temperatures in the mornings, less humidity, foggy mornings, and being so dry most of the summer the acorns are falling off the trees-green and not matured. The chipmunks are still eating the tomatoes-sigh but I have two that have actually gotten to half size-hoping they will get a bit bigger and then I'll bring them in to ripen. Sunday morning I saw the groundhog that lives between us and the neighbor-actually there are two of them. They will need to be trapped out.

  Calm at the lake for the most part but Wow the weekend was totally crazy again-another race boat event, Saturday boats for Trump parade and Sunday boats for Biden parade-although Biden only had about 24 boats.

    I did finally get the piece of flannel that I had ordered first-I don't usually get white, but I really liked these cardinals and the wilderness theme, and I needed another light to go with dark for the 4 patch blocks

  I had gotten this final piece on Saturday-so over the weekend I finished cutting all the pieces. A large queen for us and I have enough fabric to make a large lap quilt as a surprise gift from my friend.

   I started sewing the smaller quilt on Sunday, so I can get this sewed up and quilted before winter arrives out west. I am thinking of hand quilting but with large stitches.

   I have always made simple country type quilts, I never had the patience for those intricate patterns and very small pieces. My Mom loved those 1 inch squares-I can't even imagine all that work-and accuracy in cutting and sewing.

     Here are photos from the lovely sunrise over the weekend and my cup of decaf coffee

Someone was fishing

and Monday morning-right now-the fog is very thick-can;t even see across the lake- this was taken indoors so ignore the dirty window-I am learning I need to  wash these windows once a month do to the bugs.

  You probably know I am an Outlander fan, I love the books-so much history in these books, and I started watching the show last season-very well done, acting and scene sets are amazing so I wanted something. Not a t shirt so looked at jewelry that wasn't too "corny" lol and found this bracelet on Etsy. A charm bracelet of the animals in Outlander. Not expensive, the whole bracelet was about the price of each sterling silver charm I bought a few years ago putting together a couple of charm bracelets-that was so fun to do.

   She added a celtic heart for me-this is her photo from here

Larry went to the woods house on Sunday to load some things and to get his skid steer working again-he can use it here at the lake house-a friend that helps us-sent this along for a gift to me-isn't it amazing? Never seen anything like it. I actually found an outlet behind this dresser. This is in my computer-weaving-spinning room Larry just told me that my friend saw someone carry this out to the garbage and he said Oh No-- I know someone that would love this. Very thoughtful of him to think of me

Happy T everyone Update: please read my next post after this-me and a friend have discovered a security issue with Mr Linky-I do not think this is a blogger-google issue but Mr Linky--I am concerned and won't be linking up in the future-either that or would need to delete my blog which I don't think I need to do

Happy Friday Apple Crisp Baked in Cast Iron Out of the Oven

  Happy Friday Everyone,

      When I took my walk this morning it was quite chilly, but after a mile I was pretty warmed up. I needed to take a week off from walking as I had really over done it-I called up Nancy to let her know. I met her on the "trail" early this morning. So a nice catch up.

   Cooler weather means baking-I love the foods of fall and I really love autumn when it's in the highs 60's and 70's F  I decided to bake up an apple crisp in one of my cast iron skillets-it turned out yum

  You are  most welcome to dish out some, before I start serving to us after our 2 pm main meal of the day.

   Apples and oats are Not keto friendly both being high in carbs, but since we aren't totally doing keto-just cutting way way back on carbs and using keto sweeteners instead of sugars- I am not feeling too guilty haha. and we love apples.

    I made this crisp with two different apple varieties, apple pie spices, lakanto sweetener with a little coconut sugar, and instant tapioca for thickening.  For the topping I used gluten free oat flakes-but the smaller size not the old fashioned, apple pie spice, butter, coconut oil, lakanto sweetener and a little bit of coconut sugar and baked it up.  

   I will be topping mine with whipped cream for sure 😀

   I did get fabric in my mailbox yesterday that I had purchased last week from the quilt shop in West Yellowstone, it's already been washed and cut into squares and I am loving the bears on the selvage

   This first photo is more true to the colors-and being not seen in person matches in well with my other fabrics-yeah

    I am hoping today or tomorrow the fabric I bought first almost 3 weeks ago now will arrive in my mailbox

   Yesterday our mowers came to cut grass and weed eat the places the lawn mower won't go.  First cutting in over two months.

Happy Friday and weekend everyone. Lots going on around the lake this weekend, a huge motorcycle event that will bring in over 100,000 riders they are saying, Saturday another boats for Trump parade going on, and Sunday Biden supporters will do the same.

A Journal Page for Art Journal Journey

    This morning I had a couple free hours before making our 2 pm main meal, so I decided to work in my mixed media journal. It's been awhile.

   I was loving Jo's theme for the month- Textures- over at Art Journal Journey

     I had fun going through my saved magazine pages, used more of that packing material for the background, cut out trees from a piece of quilt flannel fabric, added a wooden heart button, added a piece of birch bark that I have had pieces of in my stash for many years now, and when I was cutting out flannel fabric, that strip on the top was written on the selvedge-perfect to use on this page.

               I added the wooden heart because this guy makes me smile

T Stands For Tuesday

   Hello everyone,

      We have been enjoying much cooler weather and some rain too. You are all welcome to join us for T with our hostess Bleubeard and Elizabeth-just share drink reference photo in your post.

     I ended spending 3 full days making soap. These batches took much longer with the addition of  the 30 minutes steep time with the herbs in the soaps. I am pleased with the results though.  I also made rosemary-lavender a healing soap for the skin, lavender-rose, lavender, and I had enough soap base left to make two batches of soap for my friend's husband.

Lavender

Lavender- organic red rose

   I also cut more quilt squares. Still waiting for one of the fabrics from Hancock's of Paducah in Kentucky. I am very disappointed in them, after I submitted the order I got an email that it would take at least 10 days before mailing and they don't answer their emails I have purchased from them quite often in the past. They are not set up well during this covid.

    I ordered from two small business's and they both mailed the following day. I just found a print from a quilt-yarn shop that I purchased from when I was in Yellowstone 3 years ago-that will come next week.

  Here is the newest-and I love these-I needed some lights for the 4 patch blocks

Yesterday I matched up this stack of 4 patches

    I was hoping to have enough left over to put together a lap quilt for my author friend that lives outside of Yellowstone Park-we'll see how it goes.

    That was my week-making soap and cutting quilt squares. Perhaps this week I can participate in the texture challenge.

   Since we have had cooler mornings-finally-I am enjoying decaf coffee again. I make a pot and then put it in this thermos and it's good for a couple days. Remember when this was the coffee cup size??  I actually prefer this size.

  Oh and I just found out from one of my Outlander facebook groups of all places that Stephanie Meyer has finally finished and published her latest Twilight book Of course I had to get it-found the better price on ebay.  A few years ago I had read that part of her manuscript for this book was stolen from her computer-I don't know if she ever prosecuted or what happened but she didn't finish the book til now. This is the first book Twilight but instead of being narrated by Bella it is from Edward.  I have re read these books several times-such a gifted writer.

I took a little video one early morning on 9-11 of how peaceful the lake now is.

Happy T everyone-a bit early as I may be working at the woods house this upcoming week

Soap Making

   Good morning Thursday, this week is flying by fast so far.

   I still have melt and pour soap bases left over from when I was selling soaps in my Etsy shop. There are so many soapers and with the addition of the shipping costs it just was not worth my time any more.  I was buying non detergent all natural soap bases from Wholesale Supplies Plus-that is a wonderful place for soap making supplies, recipes, tutorials-they have everything you would want.

   In  my stash I still have a big chunk of goat milk soap so am using that to make soaps for me and my friend this week.  I did also purchase last year another 25 pound box of their baby buttermilk base but decided to work on using up the goat milk first-I forgot I still had some.

  I recently purchased a new book from an herbalist I have followed for several years, her blog is in my list of blogs I follow I have learned allot from her, and all her recipes have turned out well for me. She usually makes the traditional cold and hot press soaps so I was excited for her new book for melt and pours. I probably won't use many of her recipes but the information was amazing to me. Using natural to color soaps, how to infuse herbs into the soaps and more.

  So yesterday I dug out my supplies and equipment and made calendula soaps with her methods. I have my own dried dandelion, calendula, and wild camomile flowers in my herb stash. I also have a huge bag of calendula that I had purchased from Wholesale Supplies Plus that I added. Once you melt down the soap base you add in the herbs, essential oils, color-I used turmeric for this one-and a drop or two of honey (adds more suds) and let steep for 30 minutes. strain and pour into the molds. 

  I made two batches late yesterday and am in the process of making two more batches.

Herbs, wildflower honey, essential oils infusing in the warm soap

My first batch-a little too much turmeric but I still like the color  the specks are fine pieces after straining or the turmeric that didn't get blended in

second batch-so much better results loving it

The book suggested so many natural ingredients to use for colors many of them were clays which I will look into soon.

Next up will be lavender soaps that I will infuse first with the lavender flowers.

T Stands for Tuesday

 Good morning everyone, Those of you in the States how was your Labor Day weekend? and it's Tuesday (which feels like a Monday here for me) which brings us to T with our hostess Bleubeard and Elizabeth. You are most welcome to join us, just share a photo with drink reference.

  The main thing I did this past week was to walk almost every day-but I over did it with over 9000 steps one day and another 8000 steps the next couple of days and needed to stop for a few days. I also got hit with allergies which I hadn't thought of as that has started here already with everything dried up and gone to seed a bit earlier than normal.  I do enjoy the walks and the time goes so fast while conversing with my walking friend Nancy (I keep thinking her name is Karen which I posted by mistake last Tuesday)  I also discovered she is over 20 years younger than I am, so I heard her wrong that she was also in her 70's so thinking she has more stamina than me haha.

   I am still in the quilting mode so I dug out my bag of Yellowstone inspired flannel fabrics that I bought after my Yellowstone trip in 2017. I decided to cut 12 inch blocks to really highlight the prints and will be making a 4 patch to match. This will be a large queen size and I have wool batting in my stash and also have the backing. I needed to purchase online a couple more prints and hoping they arrive this week.

I almost forgot about these cool applique animals I picked up at a yarn-fabric shop in West Yellowstone-they are ready to iron on to the fabric I will put this on the large blocks-I have one with the pine cones and one with trees.

   I did churn up more of the keto vanilla ice cream

and for Labor Day weekend I made foods for the two of us. Shrimp on Sunday

Biscuits and gravy over the weekend

homemade biscuits for Larry

and I found these really good tasting whole grain gluten free buns that I now keep in the freezer for me-I pretty much gave up trying to bake gluten free breads that are good tasting-and we rarely eat bread any more-just for a treat

Monday for the Labor Day holiday I made us bbq baby back ribs with a large salad-forgot to take a photo of those.

  For my drink reference this week-tried something new that someone brought over-I didn't care for these-but they are gluten free It's a seltzer with gluten free beer and flavors. I don't think I liked the taste of the seltzer.

  I am hoping the lake on the weekends will calm down now. It was totally bonkers Saturday and Sunday with very rude boaters. I am ready for fall and winter on the lake for sure. "Our" eagle is back up in that tree sometimes the pair of them. They make me happy to see them and listen to their song

Happy T and Tuesday everyone. and a lake view from this morning

Second on the 2nd-Dyeing with Onion Skins

   It's the Second on the 2nd event hosted by Bleubeard and Elizabeth. This is where we search back in our blog posts and share it again a second time on the 2nd of the  month. Some of you might remember this quilt.

  Over on my older blog I did a search for quilts and found this one to share. March 25, 2016  Embroidered Blocks Into the Onion Skin Dye Pot.

   I have never liked a plain white anything-not in quilts, not in clothes, not on my walls-lol. After I had embroidered several large blocks that were going into pillows and a quilt I decided no I can't have that super white background-ugh  lol  

    So I made up a strong onion skin dye and let them sit in it for awhile. It took the edge off the very white for me, a very soft beige-white  If you click on the link above I posted how I did it

   Happy Second on the 2nd