The Always Blue Studio and Farm

Flavored Water in Mason Jar

2024-03-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

Target has the cutest pink Mason jars, and then I happened to find a matching drink lid from Wal-Mart. The strawberry infuser is from Hobby Lobby, that I used with dried fruit to add a bit of flavor to my water. I think they all pair up nicely! The only other thing I’d like is a fabric sleeve that would fit a mason jar.

Fall Decorations 2020

2020-11-13T10:07:00.002-08:00

I love decorating my house for fall.

{🎃🍁👻}

Amish Friendship Bread

2020-05-27T19:39:00.002-07:00

My version of Amish Friendship Bread. Adam and the kids ate up four mini loaves and a large loaf in three days!

Raspberry Bush

2020-05-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

This raspberry bush is a favorite around our place. It has gotten a little bit away from me with no weeds being pulled the past couple years, and the dry summer last year possibly hurt it’s growth a bit. I made sure to put TLC on my to do list, and got around to doing that today. We don’t have a lot of fresh eating plants, but the raspberries we get every year are something I enjoy so it felt good to give my plant some breathing room.

Garden Shed

2020-04-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

It’s been pretty weather outside lately. I decorated my garden shed and did a few other things in the yard this past week. The garden shed decorations were holed away in one of our barns, and I finally got around to putting them out. My collecting habits are paying off {my husband may call it hoarding}.

{Georgie the cat showed up a few months ago and adopted us}

Teriyaki Turkey Jerky

2020-04-11T12:04:00.002-07:00

-2 lbs. turkey breast tenderloin
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-4 Tbsp honey
-2 tsp pepper
-2 tsp onion powder
-2 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp liquid smoke

Freeze meat until firm (not frozen). Cut into thin slices (I use my mandolin from pampered chef). Combine ingredients and meat in a large bowl. Refrigerate overnight covered with a lid. Put meat in dehydrator for 4 1/2 hours or until it’s the consistency you like.

Homemade Cashew Butter

2020-04-11T11:38:00.001-07:00

I’m severely anemic, but my doctor said I should be able to regulate it with diet and supplements. I decided to try this raw cashew butter, which is supposed to be a good source of iron.

-26 oz raw cashews
-Blended in my Ninja blender for 10-20 minutes (intermittently). Starts out crumbly, eventually turns into a smooth consistency.
-Made a jar and a half. I keep it in the fridge, I’m hoping it will keep at least a couple weeks or more.

Drive-by Easter

2020-04-11T11:18:00.002-07:00

Our parents did a drive-by Easter egg drop off for the kids today. With social distancing still in effect, our Easter plans have all been canceled so they decided to treat us to a surprise. We’ll still be celebrating Jesus tomorrow, but I’m really missing our family get togethers that we normally do.

Quarantine

2020-03-27T23:14:00.002-07:00

Today was sunny and warm, finally a break from the winter temperatures. Everyone is tucked away in bed but me; I haven’t slept well since everything with Coronavirus started a few weeks ago. My doggie Zoey is laying beside me, keeping me company but sometimes drifting into deep dreams that cause her to wimper and wiggle her legs. Makes me wonder what she is seeing in her sleep; she’s such a good girl, I love when she snuggles up on the couch.

We recently had spring break, and now school is canceled for April due to the virus, although we have been doing e-learning at home. The kids are doing well, Zaidey has her first loose teeth, the two middle ones on the bottom. Lincoln did great with wrestling this year, but sadly we missed the state finals due to the virus. Trinity has been missing her dance classes and school, but seems to enjoy the e-learning her teacher has organized.

Everyone is currently under quarantine due to COVID - 19, and my family has been doing our part by staying at home. We haven’t gone anywhere in two weeks except for a couple of drive up grocery orders. We’re all getting pretty stir crazy. However, we’ve gotten lots done and made some amazing memories.

Here in rural Indiana, things haven’t been too abnormal, but I hate to see so many people across the world struggling. I’ve been praying for our country to be strengthened and to have faith that we will get through this. Thankfully, Spring is here and if nothing else it lifts my spirits to see everything come back to life after a dreary winter.

More Pebeo Hand Painted Earrings

2020-03-27T22:47:00.003-07:00

These 3” pretties are just the Rx I needed to let my mind float away to another galaxy with soothing organic patterns.

Handmade Pebeo Painted Earrings

2020-03-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

These 3” sized earrings are probably my favorite that I’ve painted to this point. These are such a fun and unique way to express your style and add color to your outfit. Visit my Etsy shop for my current listings:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheAlwaysBlueStudio?ref=s2-header-shopname

Hand Painted Earrings

2020-03-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

Listed for sale in my Etsy shop recently. I hand paint these earrings, and each one is it’s own unique work of art. I use paint from the company Pebeo, and have fallen in love with the results. I hope you will too!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheAlwaysBlueStudio?ref=s2-header-shopname

Re-Purposed Suitcase

2020-03-12T10:54:00.001-07:00

Recently re-purposed this suitcase my mother-in-law gave me, and turned it into a decorative desk in my kitchen. I originally wanted to buy a buffet for under my windows, but after looking at the cost I started to rummage around my barns for other ideas. The suitcase worked great along with an old bench from my husband’s family and a wood chair from my dad’s grandma.

My Studio Helper

2020-01-23T16:45:00.000-08:00

Zaidey loves doing art with me. I’ve been really into painting earrings lately, and she surprised me being such a big help with applying gesso! I’m so happy to share my hobby with her. Each of my earrings are a miniature painting. Right now I’m selling them for $15 a pair which is very inexpensive considering how unique each one is. But it’s worth it to move more merchandise now so that I can work out all the bugs in my system.

Cosmic Galaxy Earrings

2019-12-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

These earrings are made using the same paint I’ve done on mugs previously. On a whim, I tried it one day, and the effects have been addicting. So far, enjoying the discoveries each piece brings me!

How I Stretch Canvas

2019-12-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

A series of pictures showing how I put together stretcher bars and stretch my own canvas. My favorite part is at the end of the process when I soak the stretched canvas with water from my outside well spigot. The water gives the canvas a nice final stretch. I love doing my own canvases for oil painting, especially with larger pieces. I buy pre-cut stretcher bars from an online company, and they also offer wood supports that criss-cross the frame. Putting together my own stretcher bars gives better protection against warping, and I always have peace of mind that my painting bones are solidly constructed.

Canvas stretcher bars: https://www.stretcherbarwarehouse.com/best-canvas-stretcher-bar-p/1-1-4-stretcher-bars.htm

Canvas: Right now since I don’t go through a lot, I buy large pre-gessoed rolls from the local Hobby Lobby. Be sure to use your 40% coupon on the app!

My Recent Favorite Mugs

2019-12-28T12:59:00.002-08:00

A few mugs that were recently completed. The color has a way of wrapping it’s way through my heart. The results literally make me excited at all the possibilities that could be accomplished.

Paint is from the brand Pebeo on the Dick Blick website. It’s applied with a brush and quickly set with a heat gun.

Homemade Egg Nog

2019-12-28T12:26:00.001-08:00

Egg nog just isn’t the same from the store. So, I make my own every year around Christmas time. My mom gave me her recipe when I first got married, and since then I’ve added a couple touches to make it my own.

Egg Nog

-36 eggs
-12 cups whole milk

-6 cups half and half
-3 cups sugar (or substitute granulated Splenda, it tastes {almost} the exact same)
-2 Tbsp vanilla

-Pinch of salt

-Nutmeg and cinnamon for seasoning
-2 empty milk jugs

-Blend all ingredients with a hand blender in a large bowl or a couple of large pitchers. It should be fairly smooth, but if desired strain with a cheesecloth into two empty milk jugs. Serve with nutmeg seasoned to taste. Enjoy!

Processing Persimmons

2019-12-28T11:39:00.002-08:00

I love persimmon. It’s a unique fruit that people here in southern Indiana (and other places I’m sure) bake with, and my favorite recipes are those passed down from older generations. My husband’s grandma had a fantastic persimmon pudding recipe that I’ve adjusted to fit what I normally have on hand in my pantry, and we absolutely love this dessert! My mom has a couple of young persimmon trees, and she gave me a few buckets full to process. This year seemed to be ideal conditions for persimmons, and the fruit was so healthy and abundant that I ended up with 40-50 cups of pulp. To process persimmon, I use a food mill by putting a couple cups of whole persimmons in the colander and then cranking the pulp into a bowl below. Once the bowl is full, I transfer pulp into my Ball freezer jars, and I freeze the pulp for up to a year or so.

Persimmon Pudding

-2 cups persimmon pulp
-2 cups sugar
-1 1/2 cups flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp baking powder
-pinch of salt
-1 tsp cinnamon
-3 tsp cream of tartar
-1 tsp vanilla
-1/4 cup butter melted (I use salted sweet cream)
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-1 1/2 cups milk
-2 large eggs

-Combine everything and blend with a hand mixer. Use a buttered 10”x15” glass baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. Pudding will rise as it bakes, but will settle as it cools. Serve chilled or at room temperature, cut into small squares, and eat with whipped cream.

4H Fair Time

2017-07-09T12:02:00.001-07:00

My Little Artist

2017-07-09T12:01:00.001-07:00

Coffee Bar and Buffet

2017-07-09T11:46:00.001-07:00

There have been a lot of previous posts on this blog about our remodeling journey. Here is a proud moment to share: we finally got the coffee bar area done and it’s everything we had envisioned. If you ever remodel your house, invest in the kitchen! It’s where hours of family time will be spent, and you’ll never regret putting a little more investment into the heart of your home.

Card Bouquet

2017-07-09T11:44:00.001-07:00

Recent artwork

2017-05-19T07:53:00.001-07:00

Face Painting

2017-05-19T07:36:00.001-07:00

Lincoln had to do a costume for his school speech about lizards, so as a painter of course the best thing I could do was paint his face! His teacher told me it freaked her out a bit, and she could hardly look at him-which sounded to me like I did a pretty good job ;)