This summer has been full of time in my garden, roadtrips, and long, leisurely naps. My health has been better, and my heart is so full of gratitude for that. Time with my husband and son has been so sweet, too.

And along with feeling better, I've had more energy for creating as well.

With one more trip on the horizon, we're going to make the most of the remaining season! what joys have you been enjoying this summer?

it was a difficult winter, seeming to last forever, but here we are, and it's really and truly Spring!

I've even started a few seeds, and I'm working diligently, bit by bit, to clear the grass out of my overgrown strawberry bed.

Easter was lovely, how was yours?

I've had some fun doll orders lately.

And I've been painting.

Check out new prints and cards at HenAndChickArt.etsy.com

I'm also looking forward to an art show which will show 10 of my pieces! Stay tuned for details on that.

I just started my first dresden plates quilt! I'm using all vintage sheets. Here's the first plate.

Also, Abby recently quoted me about my experience using craft as an escape from my chronic illness in this great
blog post. I'm working on expanding my words into a blog post, so watch for that, too. Happy Spring!

This time of year is always the busiest for custom dolls. I always try to squeeze in a batch of ready-made dolls, too. Here's what I've been up to.

I also tried my hand at some painted wooden spoon girls.

And I submitted work and was excepted in an art show with this piece.

I want to wish all of my readers, fans, customers, and friends a peaceful winter season!

Last spring, we planted a few sugar pumpkin seeds without much hope. we've never had much luck growing pumpkins. But we were pleasantly surprised to get a few that ripened before the frost came!

So I made soup! I used fresh pumpkin, but you can use canned pumpkin, too.

Ingredients:

*2 small sugar pumpkins, equalling about      3 cups of pulp. (Or one large can of pumpkin).
*1 onion
*3 carrots
*2-3 cups chicken stock
*1 cup cream or half and half
*2 heaping Tablespoons of brown sugar
*1/2-1 teaspoon of salt, to taste
*1-2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie spice, to taste
* dash of pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Roast 2 small pumpkins (cut in half, scoop out membranes and seeds, put cut side down on cookie sheet, cook at 350 for 2 hours, or until a fork sinks easily into flesh). Allow to cool, then scoop flesh out of skin and/or peel skin off.

2. Dice an onion, slice 3 carrots. Saute in olive oil until soft.

3. Add pumpkin, 3 cups broth, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 to 1 tsp of salt (to taste, depends on if broth is salted or not), 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, two heaping tablespoons of brown sugar.

4. Add more broth or cream or milk if too thick. Puree together with immersion blender. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like.

Makes 4-6 servings.

*For bonus tastiness, reserve your seeds scooped from the pumpkin, rinse off all membranes, spray a cookie sheet with pan spray, arrange seeds in single layer on sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Watch closely to keep from burning. Yum!

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Also, my new roses 11 x 14 print has been listed!

Click here to buy.

I've recently added a new painting to HenAndChickArt.etsy.com. I painted some peonies that I photographed from my garden this summer. It started slow.

Added some darker tones, then it sat for a while.

After a while, I finally got it back out and finished it.

I was pleased with how it came out! Now it's available in the Hen and Chick Art shop as a greeting card, 5 x 7 print, and 8 x 10 print.

Do you like it? Is there another size of print I should offer? What should I paint next?