Shorn Sheep - Remedies from nature

Bluetooth Hollow: Wednesday's Wildflower: Turk's-cap Lily

2015-08-02T08:37:00.001-05:00

Bluetooth Hollow: Wednesday's Wildflower: Turk's-cap Lily: There is a magnificent plant blooming in the Blue Ridge mountains of eastern Tennessee. Its name is so wonderfully evocative of its...

Hedge apples as cure for Alzheimers?

2012-07-11T13:32:00.000-05:00

The fruit from the bois d'arc tree, commonly known as the Osage Orange tree, contains extraordinary high levels of isoflavone compounds. Isoflavone compounds may play a role in lowering one's risk for heart disease and cancer, ease menopause symptoms and improve bone health. The unique isoflavones from the Osage Orange has been shown to protect brain cells, or neurons from the toxic effect of amyloid beta peptide. Amyloid beta peptide is believe to be responsible for the degeneration of neurons in Alzheimer's patients. However, the precise mechanisms by which the isoflavones block the toxicity of amyloid beta peptide are unknown, according to studies in some laboratories.

Soybeans contain less than one-tenth of one percent of isoflavone compounds. By comparison, the dry mass of the Osage Orange hedge balls contain between 5 percent and 10 percent of isoflavone compounds. No known dietary plant contains this high level of isoflavone.

Horses often eat the fruit and so do lots of other critters on our land. You can always see piles of half eaten fruits around the entrances to pack rats nests. Squirrels also love to munch on this fruit. The phenolic character of the isoflavones in Osage Orange might cause stomach irritation in humans, though. Salicylic acid, which is also a phenolic compound isolated from willow bark, causes stomach irritation, but this compound led to the discovery of aspirin. The biological activities of the chemical compounds contained in hedge apples are only just now starting to be understood.

The full study from Texas A&M is quoted below. Studies like this are hard to find in general web searches. Pharmaceutical companies don't want people to have easy access to cures that are so easily accessible in anyone's back yard.

If you are looking for hedge balls, you can buy them in our store during their peak times, usually from July to September, but varies due to weather conditions.

The Texas A&M study in it's entirety:

Hedge Apples or DEET?

2012-07-11T04:58:00.002-05:00

Osage Orange fruits also known as hedge apples have shown repellent properties against mosquitoes and roaches in one study. It's the elemol, a sesquiterpene that's extracted from the osage orange that has everyone so excited. If you really want to read the abstract it is copied below. It's hard to find otherwise on the web.

We carry fresh hedge balls when they are in season - usually from July to September or so. You can find them here: HedgeBalls

Natural insect repellents : Activity against mosquitoes and cockroaches Auteur(s) / Author(s) SCHULTZ Gretchen ; PETERSON Chris ; COATS Joel ; Résumé / Abstract Recent research has focused on the repellent properties of extracts from the catnip plant (Nepeta cataria) and the Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) fruit. This chapter includes results on German cockroach (Blattella germanica), and house fly (Musca domestica) contact irritancy to catnip essential oil, and its major components, Z,E-nepetalactone and E,Z-nepetalactone, compared with the commercial standard, N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET). Both species showed high percentage repellency values when exposed to filter paper treated with catnip essential oil or the individual nepetalactone isomers. Of the two nepetalactone isomers evaluated, German cockroaches were most responsive to the E,Z isomer. House flies showed similar trends in contact irritancy, responding to surfaces treated with the predominant catnip isomer, Z,E-nepetalactone, more intensely than to the catnip essential oil. Catnip and Osage orange essential oils, and a sesquiterpene found in Osage orange, elemol, were evaluated for repellency to the northern house mosquito (Culex pipiens) and are presented here. Two mosquito bioassays were used to measure percentage and contact repellecy. Mosquitoes responded initially with high percentage repellency to surfaces treated with catnip essential oil. From the residual repellency study, this trend in repellency by the catnip oil significantly decreased over the 180-minute test period. Elemol, and DEET initially had lower percentage repellency values than catnip essential oil, but did not show the negative relationship between percentage repellency and time, retaining excellent repellency throughout the 3-hour bioassay. Solutions with elemol and DEET exhibited greater significance in contact repellency compared to catnip essential oil. These results show that catnip essential oil is a potent mosquito repellent, but does not provide the same residual effects as the commercial standard, DEET. Elemol, a sesquiterpene extracted from the fruit of the Osage orange, shows excellent promise as a mosquito repellent with comparable activity to DEET in contact and residual repellency. Revue / Journal Title A.C.S. symposium series ISSN 0097-6156 CODEN ACSMC8 Source / Source 2006, vol. 927, pp. 168-181 [14 page(s) (article)] Langue / Language Anglais Editeur / Publisher American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, ETATS-UNIS (1974) (Revue) Localisation / Location INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 17351, 35400015690515.0130 Title: Natural insect repellents: activitity against mosquitoes and cockroaches Author: Schultz, Gretchen; Peterson, Chris; Coats, Joel Date: 2006 Source: In. A.M. Rimmando and S.O. Duke eds. Natural Products for Pest Management. ACS Symposium Series #927. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC. 169-181 Description: Recent research has focused on the repellent properties of extracts from the catnip plant (Nepeta cataria) and the Osage orange (Maclura pornifera) fruit. This chapter includes results on German cockroach (Blattella germanica), and house fly (Musca domestics) contact irritancy to catnip essential oil, and its major components, Z,E-nepetalactone and 62- nepetalactone, compared with the commercial standard, N,Ndiethyl- m-toluarnide (DEET). Both species showed high percentage repellency valuec when exposed to filter paper treated with camip essential oil or the individual nepetalactone isomers. Of the two nepetalactone isomers evaluated, German cockroaches were most responsive to the E,Z isomer. House flies showed similar trends in contact irritancy, responding to surfaces treated with the predominant catnip isomer, Z,E-nepetalactone, more intensely than to the catnip essential oil. Catnip and Osage orange essential oils, and a sesquiterpene found in Osage orange, elemol, were evaluated for repellency to the northern house mosquito (Culex pipiens) and are presented here. Two mosquito bioassays were used to measure percentage and contact repellecy. Mosquitoes responded initially with high percentage repellency to surfaces treated with catnip essential oil. From the residual repellency study, this trend in repellency by the catnip oil significantly decreased over the 180-minute test period. Elemol, DEET initially had lower percentage repellency values than catnip essential oil, but did not show the negative relationship between percentage repellency and time, retaining excellent repellency throughout the 3-hour bioassay. Solutions with elemol and DEET exhibited greater significance in contact repellency compared to catnip essential oil. these results show that catnip essential oil is a potent mosquito repellent, but does not provide the same residual effects as the commercial standard, DEET. Elemol, a sesquiterpene extracted from the fruit of the Osage orange, shows excellent promise as a mosquito repellent with comparable activity to DEET in contact and residual repellency.

Fables of La Fontaine, Dancing Goats and Fighting Roosters

2010-07-14T18:18:00.000-05:00

Philomel And Progne

From home and city spires, one day,

The swallow Progne flew away,

And sought the bosky dell

Where sang poor Philomel.

"My sister," Progne said, "how do you do?

It's now a thousand years since you

Have been concealed from human view;

I'm sure I have not seen your face

Once since the times of Thrace.

Pray, will you never quit this dull retreat?"

"Where could I find," said Philomel, "so sweet?"

"What! sweet?" cried Progne sweet to waste

Such tones on beasts devoid of taste,

Or on some rustic, at the most!

Should you by deserts be engrossed?

Come, be the city's pride and boast.

Besides, the woods remind of harms

That Tereus in them did your charms."

"Alas!" replied the bird of song,

"The thought of that so cruel wrong

Makes me, from age to age,

Prefer this hermitage;

For nothing like the sight of men

Can call up what I suffered then."

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 3, Fable 15

THE TWO BULLS AND THE FROG

Two bulls engaged in shocking battle,

Both for a certain heifer's sake,

And lordship over certain cattle,

A frog began to groan and quake.

'But what is this to you?'

Inquired another of the croaking crew.

'Why, sister, don't you see,

The end of this will be,

That one of these big brutes will yield,

And then be exiled from the field?

No more permitted on the grass to feed,

He'll forage through our marsh, on rush and reed;

And while he eats or chews the cud,

Will trample on us in the mud.

Alas! to think how frogs must suffer

By means of this proud lady heifer!'

This fear was not without good sense.

One bull was beat, and much to their expense;

For, quick retreating to their reedy bower,

He trod on twenty of them in an hour.

Of little folks it oft has been the fate

To suffer for the follies of the great.

The Two Goats

Since goats have browsed, by freedom fired,

To follow fortune they've aspired.

To pasturage they're wont to roam

Where men are least disposed to come.

If any pathless place there be,

Or cliff, or pendent precipice,

It's there they cut their capers free:

There's nothing can stop these dames, I wis.

Two goats, thus self emancipated,

The white that on their feet they wore

Looked back to noble blood of yore,

Once quit the lowly meadows, sated,

And sought the hills, as it would seem:

In search of luck, by luck they me

Each other at a mountain stream.

As bridge a narrow plank was set,

On which, if truth must be confessed,

Two weasels scarce could go abreast.

And then the torrent, foaming white,

As down it tumbled from the height,

Might well those Amazons affright.

But maugre such a fearful rapid,

Both took the bridge, the goats intrepid!

I seem to see our Louis Grand

And Philip 4. advance

To the Isle of Conference,

That lies "between Spain and France,

Each sturdy for his glorious land.

Thus each of our adventurers goes,

Till foot to foot, and nose to nose,

Somewhere about the midst they meet,

And neither will an inch retreat.

For why? they both enjoyed the glory

Of ancestors in ancient story.

The one, a goat of peerless rank,

Which, browsing on Sicilian bank,

The Cyclop gave to Galataea;

The other famous Amalthaea,

The goat that suckled Jupiter,

As some historians aver.

For want of giving back, in troth,

A common fall involved them both.

A common accident, no doubt,

On Fortune's changeful route.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 12, Fable 4

The two roosters

Two roosters in peace were living, when

A war was kindled by a hen.

O love, you bane of Troy! It was thine

The blood of men and gods to shed

Enough to turn the Xanthus red

As old Port wine!

And long the battle doubtful stood:

(I mean the battle of the roosters;)

They gave each other fearful shocks:

The fame spread over the neighborhood,

And gathered all the crested brood.

And Helens more than one, of plumage bright,

Led off the victor of that bloody fight.

The vanquished, drooping, fled,

Concealed his battered head,

And in a dark retreat

Bewailed his sad defeat.

His loss of glory and the prize

His rival now enjoyed before his eyes.

While this he every day beheld,

His hatred kindled, courage swelled:

He whet his beak, and flapped his wings,

And meditated dreadful things.

Waste rage! His rival flew on a roof

And crowed to give his victory proof.

A hawk this boasting heard:

Now perished all his pride,

As suddenly he died

Beneath that savage bird.

In consequence of this reverse,

The vanquished sallied from his hole,

And took the harem, master sole,

For moderate penance not the worse.

Imagine the congratulation,

The proud and stately leading,

Gallanting, coaxing, feeding,

Of wives almost a nation!

It's thus that Fortune loves to flee

The insolent by victory.

We should mistrust her when we beat,

Lest triumph lead us to defeat.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 7, Fable 14

The Wolf and the Shepherds

A Wolf, replete

With humanity sweet,

(A trait not much suspected,)

On his cruel deeds,

The fruit of his needs,

Profoundly thus reflected.

"I'm hated," said he,

"As joint enemy,

By hunters, dogs, and clowns.

They swear I shall die,

And their hue and cry

The very thunder drowns.

"My brethren have fled,

With price on the head,

From England's merry land.

King Edgar came out,

And put them to rout,

With many a deadly band.

"And there's not a squire

But blows up the fire

By hostile proclamation;

Nor a human brat,

Dares cry, but that

Its mother mocks my nation.

"And all for what?

For a sheep with the rot,

Or scabby, mangy ass,

Or some snarling cur,

With less meat than fur,

On which I have broken fast!

"Well, henceforth I'll strive

That nothing alive

Shall die to quench my thirst;

No lambkin shall fall,

Nor puppy, at all,

To glut my maw accurst.

With grass I'll appease,

Or browse on the trees,

Or die of famine first.

"What of carcass warm?

Is it worth the storm

Of universal hate?"

As he spoke these words,

The lords of the herds,

All seated at their bait,

He saw; and observed

The meat which was served

Was nothing but roasted lamb!

"O! O!" said the beast,

"Repent of my feast

All butcher as I am

On these vermin mean,

Whose guardians even

Eat at a rate quadruple!

Themselves and their dogs,

As greedy as hogs,

And I, a wolf, to scruple!"

"Look out for your wool

I'll not be a fool,

The very pet I'll eat;

The lamb the best looking,

Without any cooking,

I'll strangle from the teat;

And swallow the dam,

As well as the lamb,

And stop her foolish bleat.

Old Hornie, too, rot him,

The sire that begot him

Shall be among my meat!"

Well reasoning beast!

Were we sent to feast

On creatures wild and tame?

And shall we reduce

The beasts to the use

Of vegetable game?

Shall animals not

Have flesh-hook or pot,

As in the age of gold?

And we claim the right,

In the pride of our might,

Themselves to have and hold?

O shepherds, that keep

Your folds full of sheep,

The wolf was only wrong,

Because, so to speak,

His jaws were too weak

To break your palings strong.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 10, Fable 5

The Sick Stag, Fable, La Fontaine

2010-07-14T17:05:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

The Sick Stag

A stag, where stags abounded,

Fell sick, and was surrounded

Forthwith by comrades kind,

All pressing to assist,

Or see, their friend, at least,

And ease his anxious mind

An irksome multitude.

"Ah, sirs!" the sick was fain to cry,

"Pray leave me here to die,

As others do, in solitude.

Pray, let your kind attentions cease,

Till death my spirit shall release."

But comforters are not so sent:

On duty sad full long intent,

When Heaven pleased, they went:

But not without a friendly glass;

That is to say, they cropped the grass

And leaves which in that quarter grew,

From which the sick his pittance drew.

By kindness thus compelled to fast,

He died for want of food at last.

The men take off no trifling dole

Who heal the body, or the soul.

Alas the times! do what we will,

They have their payment, cure or kill.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 12, Fable 6

ShornSheep Digital Fable Collection On ArtFire

The Rooster and The Fox, Fable, La Fontaine

2010-07-14T16:51:00.000-05:00

The rooster and the Fox

On a tree there mounted guard

A veteran rooster, adroit and cunning;

When to the roots a fox up running,

Spoke thus, in tones of kind regard:

"Our quarrel, brother, is at an end;

Henceforth I hope to live your friend;

For peace now reigns

Throughout the animal domains.

I bear the news: come down, I pray,

And give me the embrace fraternal;

And please, my brother, don't delay.

So much the tidings do concern all,

That I must spread them far today.

Now you and yours can take your walks

Without a fear or thought of hawks.

And should you clash with them or others,

In us you'll find the best of brothers;—

For which you may, this joyful night,

Your merry bonfires light.

But, first, let's seal the bliss

With one fraternal kiss."

"Good friend," the rooster replied, "on my word,

A better thing I never heard;

And doubly I rejoice

To hear it from your voice;

And, really there must be something in it,

For yonder come two greyhounds, which I flatter

Myself are couriers on this very matter.

They come so fast, they'll be here in a minute.

I'll down, and all of us will seal the blessing

With general kissing and caressing."

"Adieu," said fox; "my errand's pressing;

I'll hurry on my way,

And we'll rejoice some other day."

So off the fellow scampered, quick and light,

To gain the fox-holes of a neighbouring height,

Less happy in his stratagem than flight.

The rooster laughed sweetly in his sleeve;

It's doubly sweet deceiver to deceive.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 2, Fable 15

All Digital Collage Sheets in Fable Collection at ShornSheep

THE TORRENT AND THE RIVER, Fables, La Fontaine

2010-07-14T16:26:00.000-05:00

XXIII.--THE TORRENT AND THE RIVER

With mighty rush and roar,
Adown a mountain steep
A torrent tumbled,--swelling o'er
Its rugged banks,--and bore
Vast ruin in its sweep.
The traveller were surely rash
To brave its whirling, foaming dash,
But one, by robbers sorely press'd,
Its terrors haply put to test.
They were but threats of foam and sound,
The loudest where the least profound.
With courage from his safe success,
His foes continuing to press,
He met a river in his course:
On stole its waters, calm and deep,
So silently they seem'd asleep,
All sweetly cradled, as I ween,
In sloping banks, and gravel clean,--
They threaten'd neither man nor horse.
Both ventured; but the noble steed,
That saved from robbers by his speed,
From that deep water could not save;
Both went to drink the Stygian wave;
Both went to cross, (but not to swim,)
Where reigns a monarch stern and grim,
Far other streams than ours.

Still men are men of dangerous powers;
Elsewhere, 'tis only ignorance that cowers.

THE TORRENT AND THE RIVER, Full Sheet Image Transfer, mixed media

The Peacock complaining to Juno, Fables, La Fontaine

2010-07-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

The Peacock complaining to Juno

The peacock to the queen of heaven

Complained in some such words:

"Great goddess, you have given

To me, the laughing-stock of birds,

A voice which fills, by taste quite just,

All nature with disgust;

Whereas that little paltry thing,

The nightingale, pours from her throat

So sweet and ravishing a note,

She bears alone the honors of the spring."

In anger Juno heard,

And cried, "Shame on you, jealous bird!

Grudge you the nightingale her voice,

Who in the rainbow neck rejoice,

Than costliest silks more richly tinted,

In charms of grace and form unstinted,—

Who strut in kingly pride,

Your glorious tail spread wide

With brilliants which in sheen do

Outshine the jeweler's bow window?

Is there a bird beneath the blue

That has more charms than you?

No animal in everything can shine.

By just partition of our gifts divine,

Each has its full and proper share;

Among the birds that cleave the air,

The hawk's a swift, the eagle is a brave one,

For omens serves the hoarse old raven,

The rook's of coming ills the prophet;

And if there's any discontent,

I have heard not of it.

"Cease, then, your envious complaint;

Or I, instead of making up your lack,

Will take your boasted plumage from your back."

Juno scolds the peacock, Digital Download Large Single Image

Footless Mice to Eat at Leisure, Mice and Owl, Fables, La Fontaine

2010-07-14T15:43:00.000-05:00

The Mice and the Owl

Beware of saying, "Lend an ear,"

To something marvelous or witty.

To disappoint your friends who hear,

Is possible, and were a pity.

But now a clear exception see,

Which I maintain a prodigy

A thing which with the air of fable,

Is true as is the interest table.

A pine was by a woodman felled,

Which ancient, huge, and hollow tree

An owl had for his palace held

A bird the Fates had kept in fee,

Interpreter to such as we.

Within the caverns of the pine,

With other tenants of that mine,

Were found full many footless mice,

But well provisioned, fat, and nice.

The bird had bit off all their feet,

And fed them there with heaps of wheat.

That this owl reasoned, who can doubt?

When to the chase he first went out,

And home alive the vermin brought,

Which in his talons he had caught,

The nimble creatures ran away.

Next time, resolved to make them stay,

He cropped their legs, and found, with pleasure,

That he could eat them at his leisure;

It were impossible to eat

Them all at once, did health permit.

His foresight, equal to our own,

In furnishing their food was shown.

Now, let Cartesians, if they can,

Pronounce this owl a mere machine.

Could springs originate the plan

Of maiming mice when taken lean,

To fatten for his soup tureen?

If reason did no service there,

I do not know it anywhere.

Observe the course of argument:

These vermin are no sooner caught than gone:

They must be used as soon, it's evident;

But this to all cannot be done.

And then, for future need,

I might as well take heed.

Hence, while their ribs I lard,

I must from their elopement guard.

But how? A plan complete!

I'll clip them of their feet!

Now, find me, in your human schools,

A better use of logic's tools!

On your faith, what different art of thought

Has Aristotle or his followers taught?

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 11, Fable 9

The Lobster And Her Daughter, French Fables, La Fontaine

2010-07-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

The Lobster And Her Daughter

The wise, sometimes, as lobsters do,

To gain their ends back foremost go.

It is the rower's art; and those

Commanders who mislead their foes,

Do often seem to aim their sight

Just where they don't intend to smite.

My theme, so low, may yet apply

To one whose fame is very high,

Who finds it not the hardest matter

A hundred headed league to scatter.

What he will do, what leave undone,

Are secrets with unbroken seals,

Till victory the truth reveals.

Whatever he would have unknown

Is sought in vain. Decrees of Fate

Forbid to check, at first, the course

Which sweeps at last with torrent force.

One Jove, as ancient fables state,

Exceeds a hundred gods in weight.

So Fate and Louis would seem able

The universe to draw,

Bound captive to their law.

But come we to our fable.

A mother lobster did her daughter chide:

"For shame, my daughter! can't you go ahead?"

"And how go you yourself?" the child replied;

"Can I be but by your example led?

Head foremost should I, singularly, wend,

While all my race pursue the other end."

She spoke with sense: for better or for worse,

Example has a universal force.

To some it opens wisdom's door,

But leads to folly many more.

Yet, as for backing to one's aim,

When properly pursued

The art is doubtless good,

At least in grim Bellona's game.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 12, Fable 10

The Lobster And Her Daughter, Antique French Fables, Image transfer downloads

Lighthouses, full sheet images for photo transfers

2010-07-14T14:41:00.000-05:00

Lighthouse Full Sheet Image Transfers, Digital files, previews

All files available at www.ShornSheep.com

LIGHTHOUSE CORDOUAN, GIRONDE ESTUARY IN FRANCE

Lighthouse IRON TOWER Photo transfer, digital full sheet

Lighthouse LEADING LIGHT, CRAIGHILL CHANNEL, CHESAPEAKE BAY

EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE, SMEATON'S Photo transfer, digital full sheet

Digital image Vintage print, FULL SHEET, Bailey Lighthouse Ireland

Longstone rock lighthouse, Farne Islands, England vintage photo transfer, digital full sheet

Spectacle Reef Lighthouse, Lake Huron, vintage illustration transfer, digital full sheet

Wolf Rock Lighthouse Cornwall Digital Download Large Single Image

Wicklow Head Lighthouse Ireland Large single image digital image

THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT Fable, La Fontaine

2010-07-14T12:12:00.000-05:00

THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT

A Grasshopper gay

Sang the summer away,

And found herself poor

By the winter's first roar.

Of meat or of bread,

Not a morsel she had!

So a begging she went,

To her neighbour the ant,

For the loan of some wheat,

Which would serve her to eat,

Till the season came round.

'I will pay you,' she saith,

'On an animal's faith,

Double weight in the pound

Ere the harvest be bound.'

The ant is a friend

(And here she might mend)

Little given to lend.

'How spent you the summer?'

Quoth she, looking shame

At the borrowing dame.

'Night and day to each comer

I sang, if you please.'

'You sang! I'm at ease;

For 'tis plain at a glance,

Now, ma'am, you must dance.'

Grasshopper and Ant Full sheet mixed media supply

Frogs Ask For a King, Fable La Fontaine

2010-07-14T11:57:00.000-05:00

The Frogs Asking A King

A certain commonwealth aquatic,

Grown tired of order democratic,

By clamouring in the ears of Jove, effected

Its being to a monarch's power subjected.

Jove flung it down, at first, a king pacific.

Who nathless fell with such a splash terrific,

The marshy folks, a foolish race and timid,

Made breathless haste to get from him hid.

They dived into the mud beneath the water,

Or found among the reeds and rushes quarter.

And long it was they dared not see

The dreadful face of majesty,

Supposing that some monstrous frog

Had been sent down to rule the bog.

The king was really a log,

Whose gravity inspired with awe

The first that, from his hiding-place

Forth venturing, astonished, saw

The royal blockhead's face.

With trembling and with fear,

At last he drew quite near.

Another followed, and another yet,

Till quite a crowd at last were met;

Who, growing fast and strangely bolder,

Perched soon on the royal shoulder.

His gracious majesty kept still,

And let his people work their will.

Clack, clack! what din beset the ears of Jove?

"We want a king," the people said, "to move!"

The god straight sent them down a crane,

Who caught and slew them without measure,

And gulped their carcasses at pleasure;

Whereat the frogs more wofully complain.

"What! what!" great Jupiter replied;

"By your desires must I be tied?

Think you such government is bad?

You should have kept what first you had;

Which having blindly failed to do,

It had been prudent still for you

To let that former king suffice,

More meek and mild, if not so wise.

With this now make yourselves content,

Lest for your sins a worse be sent."

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 3, Fable 4

These are available as full sheet image transfers in either png or jpg formats.

FROGS ASK FOR A KING, FULL SHEET IMAGE TRANSFER

Be sure to look for Shorn Sheep's digital sheet freebies. I will be adding new freebies each week, or as I feel like it.

FROG AND RAT, Fable from La Fontaine

2010-07-14T11:31:00.000-05:00

The Frog and the Rat

They to bamboozle are inclined,

Says Merlin, who bamboozled are.

The word, though rather unrefined,

Has yet an energy we ill can spare;

So by its aid I introduce my tale.

A well-fed rat, rotund and hale,

Not knowing either Fast or Lent,

Disporting round a frog-pond went.

A frog approached, and, with a friendly greeting,

Invited him to see her at her home,

And pledged a dinner worth his eating,

To which the rat was nothing loath to come.

Of words persuasive there was little need:

She spoke, however, of a grateful bath;

Of sports and curious wonders on their path;

Of rarities of flower, and rush, and reed:

One day he would recount with glee

To his assembled progeny

The various beauties of these places,

The customs of the various races,

And laws that sway the realms aquatic,

(She did not mean the hydrostatic!)

One thing alone the rat perplexed,

He was but moderate as a swimmer.

The frog this matter nicely fixed

By kindly lending him her

Long paw, which with a rush she tied

To his; and off they started, side by side.

Arrived on the lakelet's brink,

There was but little time to think.

The frog leaped in, and almost brought her

Bound guest to land beneath the water.

Perfidious breach of law and right!

She meant to have a supper warm

Out of his sleek and dainty form.

Already did her appetite

Dwell on the morsel with delight.

The gods, in anguish, he invokes;

His faithless hostess rudely mocks;

He struggles up, she struggles down.

A kite, that hovers in the air,

Inspecting everything with care,

Now spies the rat belike to drown,

And, with a rapid wing,

Upbears the wretched thing,

The frog, too, dangling by the string!

The joy of such a double haul

Was to the hungry kite not small.

It gave him all that he could wish

A double meal of flesh and fish.

The best contrived deceit

Can hurt its own contriver,

And perfidy does often cheat

Its author's purse of every stiver.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 4, Fable 11

Frog And Rat Image Transfer, ShornSheep on ArtFire

Be sure to look for my digital freebies here on my blog and on my Flickr Photostream.

ShornSheep on Flickr

ELEPHANT AND APE OF JUPITER Fables of La Fontaine

2010-07-14T10:49:00.000-05:00

XXI.--THE ELEPHANT AND THE APE OF JUPITER.

'Twixt elephant and beast of horned nose

About precedence a dispute arose,

Which they determined to decide by blows.

The day was fix'd, when came a messenger

To say the ape of Jupiter

Was swiftly earthward seen to bear

His bright caduceus through the air.

This monkey, named in history Gill,

The elephant at once believed

A high commission had received

To witness, by his sovereign's will,

The aforesaid battle fought.

Uplifted by the glorious thought,

The beast was prompt on Monsieur Gill to wait,

But found him slow, in usual forms of state,

His high credentials to present.

The ape, however, ere he went,

Bestow'd a passing salutation.

His excellency would have heard

The subject matter of legation:

But not a word!

His fight, so far from stirring heaven,--

The news was not received there, even!

What difference sees the impartial sky

Between an elephant and fly?

Our monarch, doting on his object,

Was forced himself to break the subject.

'My cousin Jupiter,' said he,

'Will shortly, from his throne supreme,

A most important combat see,

For all his court a thrilling theme.'

'What combat?' said the ape, with serious face.

'Is't possible you should not know the case?--'

The elephant exclaim'd--'not know, dear sir,

That Lord Rhinoceros disputes

With me precedence of the brutes?

That Elephantis is at war

With savage hosts of Rhinocer?

You know these realms, not void of fame?'

'I joy to learn them now by name,'

Return'd Sir Gill, 'for, first or last,

No lisp of them has ever pass'd

Throughout our dome so blue and vast.'

Abash'd, the elephant replied,

'What came you, then, to do?--'

'Between two emmets to divide

A spire of grass in two.

We take of all a care;

And, as to your affair,

Before the gods, who view with equal eyes

The small and great, it hath not chanced to rise.'

These are available as full sheet digital images for mixed media, altered art, scrapbooking, or fabric transfer.

EARTH KETTLE and IRON KETTLE, Antique French Fables, Image transfer downloads

2010-07-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

Full sheet single image collage sheets from Shorn Sheep.

Antique French illustrations, Fables of La Fontaine

The Earthen Pot and the Iron Pot

(Recueil 1, Livre 5, Fable 2)

An iron pot proposed

To an earthen pot a journey.

The latter was opposed,

Expressing the concern he

Had felt about the danger

Of going out a ranger.

He thought the kitchen hearth

The safest place on earth

For one so very brittle.

"For you, who art a kettle,

And have a tougher skin,

There's nothing to keep you in."

"I'll be your bodyguard,"

Replied the iron pot;

"If anything that's hard

Should threaten you a jot,

Between you I will go,

And save you from the blow."

This offer him persuaded.

The iron pot paraded

Himself as guard and guide

Close at his cousin's side.

Now, in their tripod way,

They hobble as they may;

And eke together bolt

At every little jolt,

Which gives the crockery pain;

But presently his comrade hits

So hard, he dashes him to bits,

Before he can complain.

Take care that you associate

With equals only, lest your fate

Between these pots should find its mate.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 5, Fable 2

Digital Freebies - Blue Lady Victorians

2010-07-12T01:48:00.000-05:00

Blue Lady Victorians Shorn Sheep Freebies

Freebie Digital Hang Tag or Bookmark Sheet

Lavender Blue Victorian Ladies

Shorn Sheep Flickr PhotoStream

This is a set of Victorian ladies with Lavender Blue swirls and polka dots that could be used for hang gift tag labels, bookmarks, scrapbooking, altered art, mixed media, or decoupage.

You can find ShornSheep on ArtFire, Etsy, Flickr and Facebook. Please come and visit. Many new items are ready to listed as soon as I can force myself to begin listing again. I have to do the listing chores in pieces because I would much rather be creating.

ShornSheep on ArtFire

Follow me on Twitter: @ShornSheep

ShornSheep on Etsy

Shorn Sheep mixed media collage sheets are perfect for making jewelry, altered art, collages, other forms of paper art, scrapbooking, great for mixed media artists. Images are saved on a letter size sheet and are high resolution with soft grunge and trendy polka dots. I will be adding free sheets often. Whenever the urge strikes me, I guess. I'm working on creating new web banners, buttons, and creating a cohesive look to all my sales venues and blog so as I find the time or need a break, new sets will be listed to my blog.

The actual full resoulution collage sheet is right here. Just click on the image and it should enlarge or it will take you to flickr to download it, I'm not really sure. I'm still figuring out this whole blog and linking all over the web business.

I use GIMP and Inkscape for all my digital art creations. I love GIMP and with every new version, we get slick new tricks. I found some GIMP related posts that look promising hanging around the web. Here are some more how to hints and tips on GIMP. Open source software is the best way to go. This shows how to create awesome looking collages.

Now that you have some links to GIMP, how about some more Freebie Digital Sheets? This Decorative Illustration sheet filled my mind with ideas for some mixed media collaging. I downloaded it for my assemblages.

This sheet is brought to you by Norma Frances via flickr. Her ATCs and digital collages are engaging and fun.

Decorative Illustrations -

FREE TO USE

Please make sure you read Norma Frances usage rules on flickr

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1293/4703239740_e76ef0400d_z.jpg





   Norma Frances' photostream

Those two digital collages are Norma Frances. I am just in love with her work. And she has lots of digital freebies that can be used for your mixed media work.

Well, folks, now I'm off to try and make my decision on a color palette for my new banners. It's taken me three days just to narrow down my choices. I need to just decide and dive and in and start working on the banners, buttons, avatars, and clickable boxes. If you are stuck and need some color planning yourself, check out these online color palette generators.

My favorite for graphic design for the web is DeGraeve.com. You just enter in the url of any image and it generates the palette for you. I have over 50 pages saved of palettes and narrowed my choices down to 30.

COLOR PALETTE GENERATOR

This palette color scheme designer is fun to play with but is TOO fun and I end up getting distracted by all the pretty colors.

COLOR SCHEME DESIGNER

This one is just your basic run of the mill color schemer, but it works and is easy.

COLOR SCHEMER ONLINE V2

Pop Culture Artworks - art criticism

2010-07-12T00:16:00.001-05:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Pop Culture Artworks - art criticism

View more presentations from rachelt816.

Digital Freebies Preview Lavender Ladies Collage Sheet

2010-07-11T13:05:00.001-05:00

Digital Freebies Preview Lavender Ladies Collage Sheet
Originally uploaded by Shorn Sheep

Preview for full size ShornSheep Digital Freebie collage set.

Blue Victorian Ladies with polka dots and swirls.

Download sheet from flickr.

Flickr

2010-07-11T11:05:00.001-05:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

The Craft of spies, the tattling art

2010-07-10T17:47:00.000-05:00

Large size image transfers are versatile and useful. The printable collage sheets can be used for so many things. French feedsack and burlap fabrics are all the rage currently. Great for DIY economical ways to spruce up your home.

La Fontaine based many of his fables off of Aesop's tales. La Fontaine also took it a step further and used his fables as characterizations of the French ruling class and religious leaders of his time. Many of his allusions are lost to us and not known.

J.J. Grandville was another Frenchmen who liked to poke stabs at those in charge and used many of his drawings as politically commentary of his time. His illustrations are entertaining and full of wit even to this day.

The Eagle and the Magpie

(Recueil 3, Livre 12, Fable 11)

The eagle, through the air a queen,

And one far different, I believe,

In temper, language, thought, and mien,

The magpie, once a prairie crossed.

The by path where they met was drear,

And Madge gave up herself for lost;

But having dined on ample cheer,

The eagle bade her, "Never fear;

You're welcome to my company;

For if the king of gods can be

Full often in need of recreation,

Who rules the world, right well may I,

Who serve him in that high relation:

Amuse me, then, before you fly."

Our cackler, pleased, at quickest rate

Of this and that began to prate.

Not he of whom old Flaccus writes,

The most impertinent of wights,

Or any babbler, for that matter,

Could more incontinently chatter.

At last she offered to make known

A better spy had never flown

All things, whatever she might see,

In travelling from tree to tree.

But, with her offer little pleased

Nay, gathering wrath at being teased,

For such a purpose, never rove,

Replied the impatient bird of Jove.

"Adieu, my cackling friend, adieu;

My court is not the place for you:

Heaven keep it free from such a bore!"

Madge flapped her wings, and said no more.

It's far less easy than it seems

An entrance to the great to gain.

The honour often has cost extremes

Of mortal pain.

The craft of spies, the tattling art,

And looks more gracious than the heart,

Are odious there;

But still, if one would meet success,

Of different parishes the dress

He, like the pie, must wear.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 12, Fable 11

These 8x10 full size digital download illustrations are available in both png and jpg formats. What a marvelous way to add French shabby chic elements to your surroundings.

The Eagle and The Magpie on ArtFire

The Eagle and The MagPie on Etsy

Death ready stands all ills to cure

2010-07-10T16:45:00.001-05:00

Death and the Woodcutter

A poor wood-chopper, with his fagot load,

Whom weight of years, as well as load, oppressed,

Sore groaning in his smoky hut to rest,

Trudged wearily along his homeward road.

At last his wood on the ground he throws,

And sits him down to think over all his woes.

To joy a stranger, since his hapless birth,

What poorer wretch on this rolling earth?

No bread sometimes, and never a moment's rest;

Wife, children, soldiers, landlords, public tax,

All wait the swinging of his old, worn axe,

And paint the veriest picture of a man unblest.

On Death he calls. Forthwith that monarch grim

Appears, and asks what he should do for him.

"Not much, indeed; a little help I lack

To put these fagots on my back."

Death ready stands all ills to cure;

But let us not his cure invite.

Than die, it's better to endure,

Is both a manly maxim and a right.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 1, Fable 16

La Mort et le bûcheron

Livre I - Fable 16

Un pauvre bûcheron, tout couvert de ramée,

Sous le faix du fagot aussi bien que des ans

Gémissant et courbé, marchait à pas pesants,

Et tâchait de gagner sa chaumine enfumée.

Enfin, n'en pouvant plus d'effort et de douleur,

Il met bas son fagot, il songe à son malheur.

Quel plaisir a-t-il eu depuis qu'il est au monde ?

En est-il un plus pauvre en la machine ronde ?

Point de pain quelquefois et jamais de repos.

Sa femme, ses enfants, les soldats, les impôts,

Le créancier et la corvée

Lui font d'un malheureux la peinture achevée.

Il appelle la Mort ; elle vient sans tarder,

Lui demande ce qu'il faut faire.

«C'est, dit-il, afin de m'aider

A recharger ce bois ; tu ne tarderas guère .»

Le trépas vient tout guérir;

Mais ne bougeons d'où nous sommes :

Plutôt souffrir que mourir,

C'est la devise des hommes.

Image available at ArtFire and Etsy

Death and The Woodcutter ArtFire

French feedsack image transfer, Death and Wood Chopper Etsy

Morphed Felines Make Bad Wives

2010-07-10T16:15:00.001-05:00

These image files are wonderful for embellishing tote bags, aprons and much more.

The Cat Metamorphosed Into A Woman

(Recueil 1, Livre 2, Fable 18)

A bachelor caressed his cat,

A darling, fair, and delicate;

So deep in love, he thought her mew

The sweetest voice he ever knew.

By prayers, and tears, and magic art,

The man got Fate to take his part;

And, lo! one morning at his side

His cat, transformed, became his bride.

In wedded state our man was seen

The fool in courtship he had been.

No lover ever was so bewitched

By any maiden's charms

As was this husband, so enriched

By hers within his arms.

He praised her beauties, this and that,

And saw there nothing of the cat.

In short, by passion's aid, he

Thought her a perfect lady.

It was night: some carpet gnawing mice

Disturbed the nuptial joys.

Excited by the noise,

The bride sprang at them in a trice;

The mice were scared and fled.

The bride, scarce in her bed,

The gnawing heard, and sprang again,

And this time not in vain,

For, in this novel form arrayed,

Of her the mice were less afraid.

Through life she loved this mousing course,

So great is stubborn nature's force.

In mockery of change, the old

Will keep their youthful bent.

When once the cloth has got its fold,

The smelling-pot its scent,

In vain your efforts and your care

To make them other than they are.

To work reform, do what you will,

Old habit will be habit still.

Nor fork nor strap can mend its manners,

Nor cudgel-blows beat down its banners.

Secure the doors against the renter,

And through the windows it will enter.

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 2, Fable 18

La Chatte métamorphosée en Femme

Livre II - Fable 18

Un homme chérissait éperdument sa chatte ;

Il la trouvait mignonne, et belle, et délicate,

Qui miaulait d'un ton fort doux.

Il était plus fou que les fous.

Cet homme donc, par prières, par larmes,

Par sortilèges et par charmes,

Fait tant qu'il obtient du destin

Que sa chatte, en un beau matin,

Devient femme, et, le matin même,

Maître sot en fait sa moitié.

Le voilà fou d'amour extrême,

De fou qu'il était d'amitié.

Jamais la dame la plus belle

Ne charma tant son favori

Que fait cette épouse nouvelle

Son hypocondre de mari.

Il l'amadoue, elle le flatte;

Il n'y trouve plus rien de chatte,

Et poussant l'erreur jusqu'au bout,

La croit femme en tout et partout,

Lorsque quelques souris qui rongeaient de la natte

Troublèrent le plaisir des nouveaux mariés.

Aussitôt la femme est sur pieds.

Elle manqua son aventure.

Souris de revenir, femme d'être en posture :

Pour cette fois, elle accourut à point ;

Car ayant changé de figure,

Les souris ne la craignaient point.

Ce lui fut toujours une amorce,

Tant le naturel a de force.

Il se moque de tout, certain âge accompli:

Le vase est imbibé, l'étoffe a pris son pli.

En vain de son train ordinaire

On le veut désaccoutumer :

Quelque chose qu'on puisse faire,

On ne saurait le réformer.

Coups de fourche ni d'étrivières

Ne lui font changer de manières ;

Et fussiez-vous embâtonnés,

Jamais vous n'en serez les maîtres.

Qu'on lui ferme la porte au nez,

Il reviendra par les fenêtres.

Cat Morph Woman

8x10 Image Transfer on Etsy

Burlap Iron On Transfer on ArtFire

BAT AND WEASEL, Antique French Fables, Image transfer downloads

2010-07-10T15:48:00.000-05:00

I've been creating some new digital files from Antique French books. These are all from La Fontaine, illustrated by J.J. Grandville. The downloads are listed to both Etsy and ArtFire.

The Bat and the Two Weasels

(Recueil 1, Livre 2, Fable 5)

A blundering bat once stuck her head

Into a wakeful weasel's bed;

Whereat the mistress of the house,

A deadly foe of rats and mice,

Was making ready in a trice

To eat the stranger as a mouse.

"What! do you dare," she said, "to creep in

The very bed I sometimes sleep in,

Now, after all the provocation

I have suffered from your thievish nation?

Are you not really a mouse,

That gnawing pest of every house,

Your special aim to do the cheese ill?

Ay, that you are, or I'm no weasel."

"I beg your pardon," said the bat;

"My kind is very far from that.

What! I a mouse! Who told you such a lie?

Why, ma'am, I am a bird;

And, if you doubt my word,

Just see the wings with which I fly.

Long live the mice that cleave the sky!"

These reasons had so fair a show,

The weasel let the creature go.

By some strange fancy led,

The same wise blunderhead,

But two or three days later,

Had chosen for her rest

Another weasel's nest,

This last, of birds a special hater.

New peril brought this step absurd;

Without a moment's thought or puzzle,

Dame weasel oped her peaked muzzle

To eat the intruder as a bird.

"Hold! do not wrong me," cried the bat;

"I'm truly no such thing as that.

Your eyesight strange conclusions gathers.

What makes a bird, I pray? Its feathers.

I'm cousin of the mice and rats.

Great Jupiter confound the cats!"

The bat, by such adroit replying,

Twice saved herself from dying.

And many a human stranger

Thus turns his coat in danger;

And sings, as suits, wherever he goes,

"God save the king!" or "save his foes!"

Jean de La Fontaine

Book 2, Fable 5

La Chauve-souris et les deux Belettes

Livre II - Fable 5

Une chauve-souris donna tête baissée

Dans un nid de belettes ; et sitôt qu'elle y fut,

L'autre, envers les souris de longtemps courroucée,

Pour la dévorer accourut.

«Quoi ! vous osez, dit-elle, à mes yeux vous produire,

Après que votre race a tâché de me nuire!

N'êtes-vous pas souris ? Parlez sans fiction.

Oui, vous l'êtes, ou bien je ne suis pas belette.

- Pardonnez-moi, dit la pauvrette,

Ce n'est pas ma profession.

Moi souris ! Des méchants vous ont dit ces nouvelles.

Grâce à l'auteur de l'univers,

Je suis oiseau : voyez mes ailes.

Vive la gent qui fend les airs ! »

Sa raison plut, et sembla bonne.

Elle fait si bien qu'on lui donne

Liberté de se retirer.

Deux jours après, notre étourdie

Aveuglément se va fourrer

Chez une autre belette, aux oiseaux ennemie.

La voilà derechef en danger de sa vie.

La dame du logis, avec son long museau

S'en allait la croquer en qualité d'oiseau,

Quand elle protesta qu'on lui faisait outrage :

« Moi, pour telle passer ! Vous n'y regardez pas.

Qui fait l'oiseau? C'est le plumage.

Je suis souris : vivent les rats!

Jupiter confonde les chats ! »

Par cette adroite repartie

Elle sauva deux fois sa vie.

Plusieurs se sont trouvés qui, d'écharpe changeants ,

Aux dangers, ainsi qu'elle, ont souvent fait la figue .

Le sage dit, selon les gens,

«Vive le Roi ! vive la Ligue ! »

Files can be downloaded at:

The Bat and Two Weasels ArtFire

The Bat and Two Weasels Etsy

Drying Hedge Apples for decorating

2009-11-08T01:33:00.005-06:00

HOW TO DRY OSAGE ORANGE HEDGE APPLES FOR CRAFT USE

WHICH MOCK ORANGES ARE BEST FOR SLICING

The Hedge Balls you use for drying can be the freshest you can get or the end of season Osage Oranges that are already showing dry brown spots on the outer flesh. You do not want to use any horse apples that have soft spots, are mushy, oozing lots of milky sap, have black decay around the stem, or have any gooey spots anywhere on the outer flesh for drying as a crafting material.

I personally feel that the hedge apples that have spent the entire season in the open air and are picked off the ground in the late fall or early winter are the best for drying as they have already started the drying process. The dryer, lighter weight, hedge balls with the most brown spots on the outer rind, dry faster, slice easier and have already lost a lot of their water content by exposure to the elements. Of course, by waiting, there are less quality Osage oranges to choose from because the critters have been feasting on the hedge balls all season. When you have an easy 300,000 hedge balls to choose from, like we do on our farm pastures, then I can afford to wait.

Horse Apples have lots of water content and are very moist. The hedge balls that are showing light brown spots on the outer flesh have already begun to air dry and cure. It will take slightly less time for them to fully dry and cure as slices.

I have not tried to dry a whole ball yet, as I do not have projects currently in mind that require full hedge balls and find the slices to be more useful in dried floral arrangements, altered art, mixed media assemblages, home décor wreaths, garlands and swags.

HOW TO USE THE MUSHY MONKEY BRAIN BALLS

Hedge apples which are not suitable for drying, can be used for winter critter feed or as an alleged way to chase spiders, crickets, cockroaches, or box elder bugs out of your home. Squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, deer, and many other animals love to eat the seeds of the Osage Orange.

The Horse Apples which have give or mushy soft areas or bad spots on the inner flesh, can be still be used as winter wildlife feed or as a Folklore remedy for insect repellent.

The seeds of the Maclura Pomifera have high protein, carbohydrates, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine, carotenoid, chlorophyll, linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, triacylglycerols, and rich in tocopherols. By putting the mushy hedge balls out in winter, you can provide a much needed and appreciated high quality feed for any critters that are in your area. You can find the exact values of the chemical composition and profile characteristics of Osage orange Maclura pomifera seeds and essential oils on this web site.

The oozy, sticky, milky sap has the highest concentration of the essential oil called Elemol, that is RUMORED to repel insects. (Please understand, I am not claiming any PROOF to the insect repellent properties – just that the hedge apples are a FOLKLORE remedy as an insect repellent and several preliminary tests have been started.)

HOW TO SLICE HEDGE APPLES FOR DRYING

Gather your supplies:

1. HEDGE BALLS– how ever many you feel like slicing

2. COMMON HOUSEHOLD DISH WASHING GLOVES of some sort.

I use Ansell Nitrile long gloves from England – and the reason for that is, every year, Council Grove, KS has a festival called Washunga Days. There is a flea market. I found an entire CASE FULL OF THESE GLOVES for the overwhelming price of ONE WHOLE AMERICAN DOLLAR!!! I have been using the same $1.00 case of gloves for 3 years now and am only now down to about one dozen pairs of gloves left. I never did know exactly how many pairs were in that $1.00 box. But $1.00 was well spent and I have been visiting the same vendor the last two years and HOPING he had another CASE of those gloves. No luck.

Some people experience mild dermatitis from the sticky milky sap – and the Osage oranges are very sticky and gooey. I don't care for the GOO AND STICKINESS all over my hands and fingers so I wear gloves.

3. 7 to 10 inch COMMON KITCHEN CHEFS KNIFE

4. ASSORTED DRYING RACKS AND SCREENS

such as: old thrift store picture frames with window screening stapled on the back, thrift store dish strainers, bare mattress springs, old baby gates which have been taken apart, or expensive custom built botanical drying racks – whatever is in your budget.

PREPARE YOUR WORK AREA

I do all my slicing outside on a picnic table that we have designated for craft use only. We do lots of sticky, messy, dirty outside crafting like finger painting, marbling paper, tie dying, dyeing wool and protein fiber, and numerous other messy kid and adult type crafting.

We are are lucky to have a hand me down picnic table just for such crafty purposes. I don't have to fret if an over zealous 3 year old decides to color the whole picnic table with permanent marker I accidentally laid down for 2 seconds. I encourage free form art of the moment, on our craft table!

Others might want to protect any surfaces they cut on, as I can not repeat enough, the fruit of the Maclura Pomifera is VERY sticky and VERY gooey.

SLICE THICKNESS

As far as the thickness of your slices, try many different sizes and see what works best for you. I slice many different thickness to get a nice variety for my crafting. Some slices are gauzy thin, some are thick. My slices ranged from paper thin up to ½” or more thick. You can also use a meat slicer for the horse apples and get nice even slabs.

The thicker the slice, the longer time it takes to fully dry out, but you get great natural shaping with thicker slices. The thicker the slice, the more cup shape you get to your slices with out having to mold or shape with forms or tin foil balls. The thinner slices, stay flatter and don't curl up as much unless dried over a form. Thinner slices are easily molded into floral shapes by drying slices in muffin tins, laid over tin foil balls, or on bare mattress springs.

There is much more control over the shaping, with the thinner slices. I slice the Osage Oranges so I have a nice variety of thick, thin, and everything in between widths from which to choose from for my crafting needs.

AIR, OVEN, OR DEHYDRATOR

I only air dry my slices. I have never tried to oven dry or dry in a dehydrator, although I know others that have. When you air dry the Hedge Apples, they retain some of the lovely chartreuse green color as you can see in the photo.

I have seen horse apple slices that were oven cured and some that were dried in a dehydrator and the slices have a tan faded brown color. Some people then spray paint or otherwise alter the slices with added pigments or glitter of one sort or another.

So, if you want plain faded tan slices, use dehydrator or oven and if you want golden, greenish, slices, then most definitely, air dry.

When painted or glittered, the slices are awesome! Sparkles and shiny things are great for holiday décor. You also get faster gratification by using an oven or dehydrator, as it only takes a day or so to dry out 1/4” slices and for really thin slices, drying in the oven could take a few hours. You just have to keep checking the slices often.

I am really fond of the color chartreuse and like a natural look right now, so I choose to air dry my Hedge Balls. Of course, my taste could change in at a moment's notice.

SLICE CROSSWAYS

I slice all the hedge balls in the same manner you would halve a grapefruit. The stem and base I consider as top and bottom. Lay the hedge apple on it's side with the stem end horizontal. Then slice as thin or thick as you want. Slicing this way shows off the seeds and graining of the fruit, in my opinion. I have no problems at all slicing with a standard 7 to 10 inch blade chefs kitchen knife. The hedge balls are not hard or tough and slice with ease.

SHAPING SLICES

Some people shape the slices over crumpled foil, but in my experience, a 1/4” to 1/2” slice cups up naturally when air dried. If you want a more controlled shape then use the crumpled foil or an old muffin tin. The thicker slices tend to break when you try to mold them, but the thinner slices shape easier.

I have dried the larger diameter slices by laying them on a bare spring mattress. As they dry from the outer edges in, the curving cup shape is much more pronounced and shaping is controllable. You have to watch them, as they shrink and then fall through the springs. At that point, they are dry enough to move to a screen for more drying if needed. They retain the curve shape from the bed springs. The whole air drying process takes from 3 weeks up to several months. It depends on humidity levels in your drying area, how thick the slices are, and air temperature. I dry all my pods, seeds, botanicals, flowers, berries, bulbs, garlic, herbs, and hedge apples in my basement. I have a room devoted to the drying of natural items. I also run a dehumidifier when needed to help speed the drying time.

For the hedge balls slices, I dry in many different ways depending on what I want to do with them. Some slices, I lay out on empty thrift store frames with screen stapled to the back, bare mattress springs, muffin tins, crumpled tin foil balls, and many other forms laying around my studio that have a nice curved shape.

SHRINKAGE

Hedge Apples will shrink 25% or more of their original size when fully dried and cured. The larger size hedge apples that our trees produce are great for drying as you get nice big sizes that shrink down to a usable size for wreaths and dried floral arrangements.

The horse apples shown in the photo were 4” wide when freshly sliced. After air drying for 3 weeks, the slices were 2 1/4” wide, with a nice cupped shape. In the photo, you can see the shrinkage comparison of the two slices. One fresh, one dried.

The dried slice in the photo example was 1/2” thick when sliced. After 3 weeks of air curing on a screen in drying room with average basement conditions, the dried slice measured 2 1/4” inches across with a graceful curved shape, and went from 1/2” thick to 1/4” thick. This slice is still pliant and not quite fully dried yet. Your slices will vary based on the conditions in your drying area.

TIPS AND HINTS:

Retain some of the lovely green color by air drying the mock orange slices.
For neutral manila-folder-brown color, oven dry or use a dehydrating machine.
Shape slices with muffin tins, bare bed springs, tin foil balls, floral forms or whatever you have on hand.
Glue the slices when fully dry to wreaths, swags, garlands, or floral sticks for dried boquets.
Dried slices which were cut thicker can also be drilled and strung. The slices are sturdy enough but only if cut thicker.

HEDGE APPLES ARE NOW 50% OFF

We are reaching the end of our crop. Limited quantities are available in our ArtFire store. The price listed is 50% off our standard price. The hedge apples we have left are beginning to show brown edges on the skin and no longer pretty enough for bowl fillers. The mock oranges we have left are great for drying or placing around your home to discourage insects.

Horse Apples will be available fresh in our store next August until we run out of stock. An average size crop for us is 400,000 Osage Oranges per harvest.

THANK YOU

Thanks for stopping in and please come back soon to Shorn Sheep! Visit us on Facebook, Etsy, Twitter, LinkedIn, ArtFire or our blog.

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