Check out this entry I found on Prismacolor!

Check out this entry I found on Prismacolor!

HandMade Crafts By Skayc1- Sharon Kay Cloud's Art - site

Lately I've been doing more Artwork, making customized color pencil drawings, Portraits in particular of families or from special events. A friend I knew from High School has been trying to help me promote my art, she liked it so much she commissioned me to draw one for her, since then I've mainly drawn family members. I like looking at photographs, then drawing the person/people. I try to capture more than just an image, I enjoying capturing the 'personality'. I'm finding I love using Prismacolor Pencils, plus good quality paper. I recently got a 14 x 17 drawing pad, and have found that getting a copy made for my records is harder at that size. I was very nervous letting "Kinko's" place my most recent drawing, on their drum roller copy machine. If they damaged it, It would be lost, I could try to make another, it just wouldn't be the same. When it comes to printing my copy of my original work, even the places such as "Kinko's" can't quite get the blues just right, it misses some of the yellows as well. I've found only one place that can get the colors close to matching my drawings, and that is postnet. They were closed this past Saturday, so I was not able to find out if they could scan the larger size. I liked the detail I was able to get with the 14 x 17 drawing, so if I have to scan it at one place, then print it at another I will. I just need to learn how to price my work, seems I had them priced too low.

Stuffed Squash blossoms

So this year I'm growing three kinds of squash; yellow neck- from a seed package, butternut-gotten from store bought fruit, and pumpkin-gotten from a friend who grew white pumpkins last year. Of the three only one hasn't produced-the yellow neck. I'm breaking all the rules, the vines are all planted in my huge container along with corn! In the beginning we had frost, it killed a most so I replanted, I did go overboard.

and now the squash has spilled onto the ground and is going out of control. I am watching the buttternut and pumpkin squashes slowly get bigger.

in the meanwhile tons of blossoms are enticing me, they smell so good in the morning. So this morning I decided to stuff some of yesterdays blossoms.

I went outside, gathered some blossoms, brought them inside, soaked them in cold water to remove any ants.

then let them drain and dry. In the meantime I gathered some leftovers from yesterdays BBQ- some grilled steak, grilled corn, a fresh picked jalapeno, an egg, some cheese. I mixed this all together and stuffed the blossoms with it.

I the heated half a stick of butter in my skillet and fried these blossoms. some people will dip the blossom in batter, I don't I long time ago realized that fried squash without the flour tasted better to me, so I decided the same would be true of fried squash. Yes a few have a small bitter taste- The larger ones didn't get cooked long enough, but these are so yum!

The pictures are from my second batch.

The second batch I removed the tiny leaves on the outside of the bigger blossoms and cooked them longer- none was bitter

.

I go against the flow

Pollinating daffodils

Pollinating Hyacinths

Tulip Seed Pods

Amaryllis Seed Pods

You read often that seeds gotten from store bought produce are sterile, or wont grow fruit. Usually what in fact is meant by that is if you grow the seed you won't get the same quality of fruit. I am finding that I going against the flow, I'm planting those seeds in-spite of the nay sayers. What those experts fail to realize is I don't expect the same quality and I don't believe in a kill gene. I have learned how to tell if the seeds grew long enough to have 'viable' seeds- for example a red, yellow or orange bell pepper is more likely to have seeds that will grow than a green bell pepper. I'm also wanting to learn how to cross pollinate flowers. last year I tried to cross pollinate roses, I had started to late and failed. I successfully crossed amaryllises and got seeds! The nay sayers would tell me it will take too long to get a flower. I think the wait would be well worth it. I've crossed tulips (plants I got from the grocery store) and two of the three have produced a pod- the seeds are growing, while I wait till I can put the bulbs outside. I'm working on crossing some hyacinths as well. I gathered seeds from my mom's Japanese Iris and planted them in October then gave a cold time in the refrigerator. I've brought them out and they are beginning to sprout. I did have a few hips grow on my roses that bees pollinated, plus got some seeds from others, these are starting to sprout after they had and still have a cold time in the fridge.

Rose Seedling

Pear Seedling

Avocados growing nicely and other updates.

The first two avocados that I grew from the pit have gotten tall! I had them on top of a bunk bed that I dont use which is close to the window, and moved them. I'm letting them grow some before pruning them once again. I've pruned them several times already and I'll prune them again before moving them outside in may. I'm also planning on re-potting them to a bigger container when the weather is warmer as well.

The leaves have gotten huge, and these two are growing fast. That's a snake plant near them and 4 amaryllises. Two of the amaryllises already bloomed, then got attacked by a paint brush, and grew seed pods that have already cracked open. I'll plant the seeds soon.

Here are my plants on top of the bunk bed, the two nearest the ceiling are the ones I moved.

I also use a phillips grow light in the room.

I grew some pear some pear seeds in my refrigerator, along with some other seeds. One Rose and Three of the pear seeds have germinated inside the fridge. I'll bring most of the seeds out of my fridge at the end of feb, beginning of march.

My trailor will start getting warmer inside during that time. I need a grow matt to try to germinate seed. Also I have tons of seeds that I'm going to winter sow. I planted spring flowering bulbs in containers last fall and have left them outside. The sneaky daffodils tried to send up their stalks in December, only to be put on hold my Mister Winter. I've sucefully sprouted two fuzzy kiwi- 3 others dampened off.

My rose seedling might not make it, It's not been doing well, it too looks like it's dampening off, I do not know if I sprinkled cinnamon on the soil soon enough. Cinnamon is a natural fungicide and dampening off is caused by a fungus.

Brought my avocado and mango seedlings inside, as well as the strawberry plants and the pineapple, which is growing a baby pineapple plant.

Little Avocado seedlings first Pruning

Today I went to look at the avocado seedling that I have been growing. It's been about a month and a half since I started the first two seedlings using my damp paper towel and ziplock baggie method. The plants are about 6 inches now, and while I don't think I should cut them in half as others do, I did decide to give them a good pruning, just the tips mind you. I'll bring them inside in about two weeks cause It gets cold here in the winter, and they would never survive the snow. Instead of pinching the tops off, I simply snipped the tops off. I wonder if I should do the same for my mango seedlings?

A better way to grow avocado pits

Hear's an easy way for Avocado lovers to grow a cool houseplant! Grow an avocado plant. Ever tried the toothpick in the pit with glass of water only to find that the pit rots or the water dries out too quickly? Here's an easier way. All you need is an avocado pit from an avocado you ate, a paper towel, ziplock baggie, and water.

Step one- Eat an avocado, use a spoon to remove the pit, place pit in water while you enjoy the fruit.

Step two- carefully remove the skin from the avocado pit, try not to damage the pit. This will be easier if the pit

was sitting in water before doing this.

Step three-fold paper towel in

half till you have a

long strip.

Step four-wet the paper towel and

wring out the excess water.

Step five-

wrap paper towel around the pit start near top so it covers the bottom, then reverse the

direction of the paper towel so you

wrap it around the pit. leaving the top uncovered.

Step six- place in a ziplock baggie, then place in a warm spot away from direct sunlight.

Step seven-check on the pit

every now and then, if paper towel smells

mildewey replace.

Step eight- when pit has cracked in half with a big

gap and you see the roots growing, plant in a well draining soil.

Step nine- avocado roots will rot easily, so water when soil is almost dry, do not let the roots sit in wet soggy

soil. I used recycled soda bottles to create a self watering container, and only water every two

weeks.

After several weeks your avocado will be growing a baby tree!

So far I have two seedlings growing! With three more

growing their stems.

Bring plants inside for winter, use a grow bulb and add humidity to their room.

I'm setting up a fishless fishtank to add moisture to the air in my plant room.