Roses roses roses...

HAPPY EASTER!

On this last day of March I feel obligated to at least mention this month's learning experience...  but it's not that simple because I didn't learn one single thing this month, but added several easy skills to my repertoire.  One of my favorite new learnings came about because I was in charge of supplying the birthday cake for a co-worker.  Ah, you're thinking I just took a major cake decorating class, should be easy, right?  Of course not, I didn't want to do gum paste and fondant, I wanted to make something pretty with a creamy tasty frosting.  So I googled pretty cakes, and I was not disappointed.  This is the cake I made for Katie...    

                        

                                                                     The Rose Cake

 

I found the tutorial on Iambaker's blog at http://iambaker.net/rose-cake-tutorial/

I recommend checking out her beautiful cakes and other creations.

This isn't the best photo, but it shows how pretty the cake was even after cut. 

My big concern was that the roses might fall off since they are huge and looked like you could pluck one off...  but I lucked out and the cake was still intact when we cut it.  However, Katie did tell me that one of the roses came off that night, just pulled off in one piece and fell to the side.  I'm going to have to figure out how to manage the icing so that it adheres better...  cos this cake was quick and easy and had a big wow factor... might be my go to cake!

Later this week I'll share some of my other new learnings for March, and my thoughts for April.

Update:  TB started chemotherapy this week, so far he's handling it well...  fingers crossed.

Honorable mention at best...

Are you ready for February's learning experience reveal?

My bestie and I took a Wilton Fondant and Gum Paste cake decorating class at Joann's.  It took place during four consecutive Monday nights from 6-8 PM, and we spent lots of money!  Thankfully Joann's offers lots of coupons so we could work the system by doing multiple shopping trips, pulling up their coupons on our phone apps, cutting coupons from the paper and being on their email list.  I'm pretty sure we didn't pay more than 60% for any of our decorating supplies.  Each week we would get to class early so we could sit close to the teacher and make flowers and get all floury.  Is that a word?  I went home smelling like sugar and cake which didn't seem to be a bad thing...
After much home work and anxiety about design, we graduated!!!  Here we are with our classmates showing off our "diplomas".

The instructor is in the back thinking she can't be seen, lol! 

My cake...  not the prettiest in the class, but my coworkers didn't seem to care, cos they ate it up!

And here are the others...  

This was tons of fun!  And we will probably take another class, but not for a few months cos I've got other things to learn!  

Prayers and warm fuzzy thoughts for my friend TB.

It's the climb...

Well today the mailman brought me a turkish spindle...  it's a Jenkins from Spunky Eclectic, and it's gorgeous!

The wood is Guapinollilo, which I've never heard of before, and it weighs 0.91 oz.  It's smaller than I anticipated, so I'm very curious if I'm savvy enough to actually use it, lol.  

Just so you don't think I'm slacking by not rushing fiber onto my new spindle (who has yet to be named), here are my current projects...

Polworth Fiber in Tropical Sea, one ounce out of my 5-fiber sampler in Sea Glass from Spinning Bunny.  The spindle is my "Dreamboat", handmade by Jim at Spinning Bunny.

100% Superwash Blue Faced Leicester in Red Geranium, with a touch of Red Firestar Nylon for some sparkle, from Long Dog Handspun.  The spindle is borrowed from my amazing instructor Jody, who loaned it to me when I left my spindles at home during a shopping spree fiber event.  This is the reason I now own two turkish spindles!

Panda Fiber, the color is a gorgeous purple but I don't know the official name of it.  It is also an ounce out of my 5-fiber sampler in Sea Glass from Spinning Bunny.  If you've never spun Panda, I recommend giving it a try, you are in for a treat!  

The spindle is my first Turkish from Valkyrie, weighing in at 1.6 oz.  This spindle will probably be great for plying!

My friends who have corrupted me with this new obsession tell me I've gone down the rabbit hole...  they don't realize that I'm just following their bread crumbs.

My friends who think this is a tremendous waste of time...  offer to buy me yarn.  

Well for me, in the words of Miley Cyrus, it's not the mountain, it's the climb!  

I promise you that I DID learn something new in February...  and I WILL get around to sharing it with you.

On a more serious note, since I'm sending thoughts out to the universe...

I found out that a friend of mine, I will call him TB, has a serious disease...  

If you pray, please add him and his family...

My first handspun yarn

As promised, here is my homemade handspun yarn.  It's about 160 yards, that started out as 4 ounces of Polworth Fiber from The Painted Tiger online shop.  It has been a fun process, that takes a LONG time, lol!  The beginning fiber looks nothing like the finished product,

I have another 4 ounces of this gorgeous fiber, so hopefully i'll have 300 yards to crochet into something wonderful...  to be announced.  

Hello World

Hello World...  I'm joining the trend of sending my thoughts out to the universe.  This year's resolutions include learning something new every month...  I'll try to catch you up.

In January I learned how to spin fiber using a drop spindle, it has become my new zen.  While I am getting better it still seems that my special gift is the "drop" part of drop spindling as my spindle hits the floor several times a day.  My amazing teacher is quite gracious about the "art" yarn that I am producing.  But hey, I am having fun so it's ok, right?  
This new addiction is proving to be my contribution to the economy, I have already acquired three spindles and a fourth is on the way...  Spinning Bunny is my new favorite online shopping place and I am stalking yarn and fiber stores.  Go me!  I currently have a fiber stash that should last several months, but there's always room for more!
I will be sharing photos of my progress in days to come.  Don't get your hopes up, beauty is definitely in the eyes of the beholder.

Really...

First blog ever!