T Stands for Tuesday and Black Walnuts

   Hi Everyone, Wow It's November-where did October go? I would love a re do of October. 😃  It's also time for T with friends, just share a drink related photo and join us at Bleubeard and Elizabeth-link in my side bar

   If you missed my post on black walnuts a few days ago,  here is the link  I did start the recipe for the salve over the weekend. Infused the black walnut hulls in olive oil and coconut oil for 2 hours and now it is sitting for a week before I will strain it and make the salve. I need to dig out the ingredients for that, I am pretty sure I have the clove essential oil.

  I also went through the nuts from 2 years ago and saved up two small boxes of the dried hulls that I could get off the nut-and then put the nuts out for the squirrels. I had dried them on the nut per the suggestion from my dye teacher at Fiber U one year. I think I prefer the hulls off-seems like I would get more of the dye for the ink which is inside next to the nut.

  I decided from this year's crop (which is huge) to take the hulls off of a bunch of the nuts and dry those along with some of the nuts. and I also left a few with the hulls on.  last time I just threw them in the box and tried to remember to stir them up a bit-some were a bit moldy from neglect. This time I laid out cardboard and papers for them to dry on. Ideally this would be nicer on racks but I don't have any racks for craft use

Photo below shows the nuts drying and I forgot how wet they are I chose the largest ones to later crack and see what's inside I needed to change the papers on the nuts

For the slave recipe, this was to infuse in warm water on the stove-but no bubbles are to appear or would be too hot

  I am determined to make ink. I appreciate those of you that commented on the other black walnut post. One friend said that she never boiled her hulls just let them soak in water. I have read allot of different posts online and there are so many similiar but different ways to make this ink. I like the suggestion of grinding up the dried hulls and then whirling them up in a craft blender. The article I read then used three layers of nylon stockings to hold the fine powder-do they even sell those anymore??  Thinking about this method more I don't think I want to mess with a find powder, but will simmer the hulls instead, strain and reduce further.  I will need a couple warm days though to do this outdoors over a fire-not a good idea to do this in the house.

  I did remember last night that I had picked up a book before we moved to the lake.  The Organic Artist by Nick Neddo. It is about making your own art supplies. inks-even from acorns and berries, your own paints, crayons, brushes and much more His recipe for the black walnut ink was simmering the hulls in a slow cooker-I still don't like the idea of having the strong odor in the house. He also suggests adding hide glue-which is the original recipe from many years ago as a binder. His book even has a recipe for that. Or he suggest plain gelatin.  There is pokeberries here at the lake house, so I may just play with pokeberrry ink next year fall. Never thought of that.

  I am also thinking that this ink will not be lightfast or permanent, not sure if the binder will help with that-anyone know?

  This is really a very interesting book to just read and be informed or to make some of these items. 

Monday morning's sunrise

I am still too congested in the mornings, more so than usual during the changing of the seasons. So I am still drinking a cup of healing herb tea but have added marshmallow root with the mullein. I bought a couple boxes of tea bags as the bulk organic marshmallow root is pretty expensive. I should look into growing that.

and then mid morning I have been brewing up my decaf coffee in the French Press and some  mornings just need a little cream haha I haven't used this little handmade cup in awhile. I have a set of four with saucers. Made by one of our pottery friends before we retired.

Happy T and Happy November everyone