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Yesterday I went to the annual craft fair
held in the Junior High....
and didn't purchase a thing!
Then I visited a couple antique shops,
and bought this beauty!
I didn't bring it home yesterday, because
I can't put it in my kitchen yet....
We are going to remove the center island completely.
The pots and pans, will be moved into the hutch,
and 6 drawers will be
reduced to 2 large ones in the hutch.
I will probably miss the extra counter space,
that I'll lose, but I will be able to put the
kitchen table in the middle of the room,
and that will make a huge difference.
When I have a gathering now around the table, it's
elbow room only, and not functional.
This change will open my kitchen. At least
the room will appear bigger, and
it's a good reason to de-clutter and downsize.
Removing the island, means redoing the floor. YAY!
I have linoleum, and want to replace it with a wood floor.
I have wanted to repaint this kitchen since
I moved in 4 years ago. It's a light mint green now,
and will be repainted to a rosemary sage green.
My hairdresser used to have this beautiful sage
green room that I always found relaxing and soothing,
until the owner redecorated the whole place
with modern retro screaming colors,
and this room was repainted a lime green....
OMG...what was she thinking???
Now I feel "edgy" when I'm in that room.
Sage Green is the right color for my kitchen.
Redoing this room will be a slow process,
but I'm excited to know my plans are now in motion!
While visiting family in CT recently,
I inherited a stray feral kitten!
Lynn and her family feed the feral cats at dusk,
and she noticed this little kitten.
It accompanied a black cat (maybe the mom)
which disappeared for a few days, but
the kitten continued to come for food.
He had to wait his turn, because the
older cats were more aggressive.
Then the black cat returned, with evidence of
having been attacked.
One eye had turned black
in the socket....poor thing.
So sad to see....
Well Lynn managed to leave food in a crate,
and rescued the littly kitty.
She put him in my arms,
and waited for the
right moment to ask me
if I would take him home.
I already have two cats!
but I'm a sucker,
and home with me he came.
He literally was a bag of bones,
hence the name ~ Mr. Bones
The vet weighed him at 2 pounds,
and estimated his age to be about 9-weeks.
He had ear mites, fleas,
round worm, lung worm and parasites.
He was very lethargic, and extremely scared.
I've never done this before,
but instinctively
knew I needed to move slow,
and have much patience.
He began in the bathroom,
which he has come to know
as his "safe zone".
I now leave the door open
to the bedroom, and he
hides under the bed and bureau.
I bring him into the middle of the room
in the evening, in a cage
so he can observe our family activities,
and my cats can observe him neutrally.
It's a very slow process,
but the reward of watching
him thrive, and recogize me
as his caregiver is overwhelming.
I have fallen in love.
My one-year old cat, Toby is extremly jealous
and incredibly curious. He speaks to the
kitten in a tone I have never heard before.
So this is what I have been up to
for the last 2 weeks.
Sitting on the floor,
cooing, and petting and bonding
with my new little Mr. Bones!
It's an investment of time,
I'm willing to give him.
However long it takes!
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After experimenting with a couple
Need'l Love patterns,
I decided to try my own layout.
I did use the cardinal design from one
of my Thimblerries books,
but I can take credit for the layout.
I just love the combination of
red, green, cream and black.
This is my favorite stocking by far.
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The homespun fabric is lined with interfacing,
but it doesn't have the strength that the
cream quilted fabric does (in the first pic).
I do like the butter yellow color,
contrast against the partridge & black background.
These are pretty easy to whip up,
and is not a time consuming project.
I think stockings would make a nice keepsake gift.
Now I'm thinking about making a tree skirt
for a small feather tree in this fashion.....
I had an itch to get my fingernails dirty.
I'm pretty sure I purchased this pattern
from Veena's Mercantile last year,
and I thought it was time to tackle it.
I have to say that Kim is brilliant!
I love her method for the fringe on the hood.
I really had so much fun working on him.
I love the smells of cinnamon, coffee and vanilla,
and the worn look after sanding.
My friend had given me this ticking fabric, which feels
old and delicate, and I had to keep pulling strings
thoughout which leads me to think it was a tied backing
to a quilt at one time.
It was faded here and there, and I thought it would
add to the grungy process.
He sure was fun to make, and I'd like to keep him,
but I really need to list something in my KSGP shoppe,
so he is sadly for sale.
Don't you just hate it when you
fall in love with your creations????
But I can't keep it all....
Yesterday was a rainy dreary day;
my most favorite weather
which inspires me to create.
I felt like making a santa, and had
another pattern in mind; a large santa
that will fit over my vacuum.
After laying the pattern out,
I knew I wasn't in the mood for a BIG project.
My red material would need a lot of ironing,
TOO MUCH "work"!.
Earlier in the morning I spent organizing patterns,
books and magazines. I had spotted a
PrImiTivE St. nIcK pattern
by Laurie Johnson
of Prindle Mountain Primitives
on the cover an issue of
Create and Decorate....
The pattern sheet indicated the size
needed to be enlarged 200%.
But, I wondered what an itty bitty santa
would look like instead?
I love the finished size, and attempted
to keep his arms and legs a little limp.
My first attempt to dress him in a
red striped homespun left me losing interest.
I just didn't like the look.
So I threw all the parts into a box, set it aside
and based coated 3 large stacking boxes in black paint.
After getting my arms covered in paint, I
decided I really was still in the mood to finish that santa.
I remembered my stash of an awesome red wool.
It took me a year to decide to rip up this pea coat.
It was a goodwill find, and so cool.
But I weakened with the luscious red color,
and finally cut it into pieces.
The down size of using the wool, was my itty bitty
santa was no longer "limp".
His arms remained out straight, and his
cap doesn't dangle to the side, even when
I attached a large rusty bell.
So I stitched a "Christmas" ornie to his
hands to help keep his arms posed down.
The stitching over the wire allows
it to slide, to adjust his position while sitting.
I'm considering this as my contribution to our
WSOAPP group's
12 Days of Christmas
give-a-way in December.
You won't want to miss getting your name
in the hat for this one!
So Stay tuned
and watch our BLOG for details!
Thanks for peeking~
I can't resist posting about this give-a-way from
Jennifer of Taylors*Farmhouse*Attic
She didn't use a pattern for these items,
and she is looking for feedback.
Now as a crafter, I try about anything.
When it comes to cross stitch,
my work isn't great; I struggle with it.
My olde eyes have something to do with it,
and it seems to take me forever,
but I keep trying.
Anyway, my opinion is; her work is a truly
an art. Her finished items are eye candy to me.
Go on over and give her your opinion,
and tell her Gollywobbles sent you! (wink!~)
27 Fat Quarters of Red Rooster's
Pumpkins & Spice Fabrics by Whimsicals.
Head on over to
Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe
to get your self in on this awesome giveaway!
Follow the simple rules to qualify,
and keep your fingers crossed,
and GOOD LUCK!
I consider this truely a generous bounty!
Now I would have a hard time giving up this fabric.
While you are there, don't forget
to check out her website!
I absolutely love Whimsicals!
I love this time of year!
It puts me in the mood to create!
I dragged out my woolens bin, and
finally managed to play with this pattern
by Wooden Spool Desings.
I'm celebrating my invitation to join the
Kindred Sisters Gathering Post
This month's theme is
A thankfull Gathering,
So I have listed this pillow
for sale in my new shoppe
I stitched this pillow while watching the entire
Western series of Lonesome Dove.
Now I'm ready for some fresh air!
Have a great weekend!
This looks like me being happy with a silly grin!
Have you seen the cover of the recent issue of
Create & Decorate?
Well it's a candle cozy stitchery pattern designed
by Sarah of Rustic Threads.
I was contacted by Sarah to be the featured artist
of her beautiful site called
Down the Handmade Path Marketplace
I am so honored and humbled,
and doing the happy dance!
Thank you Sarah!
You made my day. :>)
Check it out!
I know it's not even Halloween yet...
well this makedo was "supposed to be" a witch...
But it didn't happen that way...
the body was just hanging around my studio,
butt naked, and ugly.
I got tired of staring at it that way,
so I started playing with some wool,
and then the homespun came out....and
one thing led to another, and he was born.
Just a santa makedo on a spindle...
I really like him....
just in time for the 7th
and available in my WSOAPP shoppe!
Max, Robin and Bob
A couple weeks ago, while on a camping trip,
we met new friends, Max, Robin and Bob.
We were invited aboard their vessel,
for coffee and muffins, and a tour
of their "home" for the last 12 years.
Max is their guest passenger from New Zealand
Sailing Vessel ~ Misty Dawn
We spent an afternoon driving the loop
in the Acadia National Park.
The view on Cadillac Mountain is awesome!
Bob is the Misty Dawn's captain,
and I learned has a very good sense of direction.
I promise to post some incredible pictures at some point.
But this weekend, we are delighted to learn that our
friends have sailed into town.
Today is supposed to be a dank, dismal and rainy day.
So we plan to pick up our friends and hang out.
Tomorrow, the weather is due to improve, and
we will do the "leaf peeper" thing,
and pack a lunch, and be tour guides for the day.
A perfect spot to view some incredible foliage is
in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
So there will be no time crafting this weekend.
Well I better scram, time is a wasting!
We planned a late summer camping trip
"off-season" in the Acadia National Park region.
see the area here
This campsite is located at the
very top of Somes Sound.
This was our first time here.
We basically took a chance
that this would be a good spot,
and we couldn't have had a better time.
Unpacked, and ready to check out the area.
Views of the water through the trees,
only tease us to go below.
We are next to the kayak dock,
and decided to head down to the water,
for a closer look of our surroundings.
It is late afternoon, and the sun
feels warm, and the water is
sparkling like diamonds.
Our site is located to the left,
at the top of the stairs.
All tent sites have these platforms,
and this particular site is
overlooking the water's edge,
located below our site.
As we were headed down to the dock,
we crossed paths with Bob and Max.
We had a casual chat;
polite and friendly,
not yet exchanging names.
But long enough to learn
they have arrived on a sailing vessel,
having left the East coast 12 years ago;
and this was our first time camping here.
At first we thought this was only
to be a brief encounter
with two friendly chaps.
They headed back in their dinghy
to where their vessel was anchored,
while we were amused by some very
active fish skirting about in the water.
I have taken about 600 photos of our trip,
and need to unpack, and sort through laundry,
and settle back to reality before this weekend is over.
I hope you will come back later as I share
a little more of our awesome vacation!
Today I decided to change up a witch doll.
She was made with Veena's Mercantile pattern.
I really didn't like her homespun dress,
so I ripped it off of her.
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I had originally wired her arms,
and the wire was poking through,
so I tore off her arms (ouch!)...
I gave her new arms, which I love.
Jazzed up a black dress with ruffles
and lime green piping.
Added a grosgrain ribbon with
rusty bell and black tinsel.
A touch of Romney wool with
sun kissed ends.....
A spot of aging mix,
nap in the sun....
and a light sanding....
She's DONE!
Just this week I decided to dismantle a fragile cutter quilt.
It was torn in several places, and coming apart,
so I thought maybe I could make something with
the good pieces.
I realized the first layer was just
a cover-up for another vintage quilt.
Tobey couldn't resist hanging out with me,
and getting into anything I left within his reach.
He finally gave up, and left me to sewing,
and snuggled on the freshly washed uncut quilt,
to take a little nap.
Since the fabric was so delicate,
I decided to quilt it to a layer of muslin.
It helped to stabilize it somewhat, but
that meant cutting each pattern piece twice.
I chose the blue blocks, and pulled out
a medium bear pattern by Sweet Meadows Farm.
I took my time, and it required a lot of
hand stitching. I strengthened some places
with addditional patches.
He is stuffed with a generous amount of
lavender buds, and I used blue glass eyes.
Using one of the contrast color blocks,
the hat helped break up the color scheme.
Muslin that had been previously distressed,
made a nice soft ruffle around neck and hatbrim.
Rusty bells and rusty tinsel were my final
finishing touches.
Hmmm, I wonder what a red one would look like?
Recently, our wonderfull group WSOAPP
had a swap exchange with over 20
members participating!
You were only given the name of the
person you were sending to!
So it was very exciting to see who
would post their swap gifts first.
We completed a questionaire to help
our partner know a little about our tastes.
Well my swap gift arrived yesterday!!!
My partner is the wonderful Cindy Conrad
of The Pixie's Thimble.
I carefully opened the box from the bottom
so I could save the return address.
Slowly I unwrapped each carefully
wrapped package while my 24-year old son
said in a bewildered voice
"Mom, you would think it was Christmas or something!"
I received 5 fabrics,
4 different wool rovings,
vingage postage cards, tags,
2 kinds of chocolate,
peanutbutter lindts and toblerone,
2 crocheted doilies
(one with a blue edge)
and one that read
"God Bless our Home", and
a pumpkin muffin scented candle.
This was my last package unwrapped.
It was love at first sight.
She's so beautiful.
I kept squeezing myself, and squeezing her.
I could not believe my good fortune.
I am a huge fan of Cindy's work,
and I will cherish this
little beauty for a lifetime.
Every little detail is exquisite!
It's uncanny how perfect the gifts are;
I love peanut butter and chocolate,
I collect crocheted doilies,
and I am a fanatic for scented candles.
One can never have enough fabric
or roving or gift tags.
Thank you my friend!
I am so honored to receive your gifts.
* * * *
If you like what you see here,
please visit our wsoapp shoppes this
month for some more incredible talent,
and maybe you will be lucky enough to
win your own WSOAPP keepsake
from one of the many drawings!
I hope to see you there!
Head over to their site to post a comment before 10/01/09
I just did, and over 200 folks beat me to it!
Imagine a chance to select from cheater patterns
(I love this concept)
on etsy
or a doll like the one sold above.
comment here to enter drawing!
Believe it or not, Fall Weather is in the air.
I decided to play around with a pattern by
Sweat Meadows Farm, and detoured once again...
After sewing his head and torso, I realized
I wasn't in the mood for a big doll,
so I just worked a little bit here and there
over the last couple weeks, and this little
guy became a stump doll.
I managed to squeeze in a little nip & tuck
this afternoon after cleaning the basement.
So far, this is my work in progress,
and he will be listed soon.
One of my favorite aunts "Lucy" and her dog Heidi,
came for a visit this weekend,
and this is her send off to school hug with Craig.
I spent a rainy yesterday doing a ton of errands,
including helping Craig with school supply purchases.
I also spent a good part of the afternoon
in the emergency room with my son, Tyler
(posing here with girlfriend, Emily).
He had an absess the size of a
grape under the skin,
and the area looked infected,
surrounded by a 3" reddish circle.
He pretty much knew the routine,
after 2 staff infections in the Virgin islands.
One of those infections resulted from a bite
from a Brown Recluse Spider.
He almost lost his foot with that episode.
Here are my sons together.
"rascals; partners in crime."
Saying goodbye is bittersweet for me.
Heading off to college once again.
I already miss him, after a fun summer
of having with him home.
Sometimes they drive you crazy
and you can't wait till they
are out of your hair,
and then there are those moments
that sneak up on you,
and you realize your little boy...
...has become a man.
Well it's time to swallow that
lump in my throat, and head upstairs
to dinner. Some wonderful smells
are wafting down the stairs.
See you next week!
Out of the blue, I received an e-mail from
Marie Patterson asking for my address.
She informed me that my name
was selected in the
Spooky Time Jingles
drawing, and I was a winner!
NO Kidding!
All I had to do to be elligible,
was to have this badge on my site,
linking to the STJ site.
No brainer there!
This is an incredible
site loaded with fantastic talent!
Always new items on the 13th
Always Halloween and Christmas
I received my gift, and it was carefully
packaged with care!
It is an ACEO
(Artistic Crds, Editions and Orginals)
this miniature artwork measures
2.5" x 3.5"
signed and dated on the back
I love it!!!
Thank you Marie,
you made my day!
Novelties ~ Oddeties ~ Antiques ~ and Art!~
You are about to enter a magical world...
Tucked away just far enough to barely miss it...
if you are travelling too fast.
Nestled next to, and behind the Jackson fire station.
Enchanting ~ Captivating ~ Soothing ~ Stimulating
The owner resides next door,
with a little sign, marked "private".
She generously gave me permission to
take photos of this truly remarkable
"diamond in the rough"....
The brochure she handed me, humbly boasts
a handmade house full of handmade items...
with an invitation to walk the gardens of Ravenwood.
The pictures I'm about to share are only of the gardens,
a tiny sampling of what this shoppe has to offer.
Statuaries, wrought iron, artistic bird baths,
funky garden sculptures, frogs, turtles, fairies,
medieval, glass balls, sun moon and stars.
Little rooms offering opportunity to meditate...
crude pathways of irregular brick, marbles,
shards of china and ceramic, and pebble stones....
chimes, door knockers, gargoyles
Imagination comingled with instinct and simplicity
~ to create groupings that naturally belong together.
Water fountains bubbling and gurgling in corners, and hidden spaces.
Nothing wasted.
Anything and everything is beautifully
displayed in it's most appropriate art form.
Flora and fauna filling the gaps
with their vines and blooms spilling forth....
A zen-like atomosphere
A place to reflect and meditate
and escape in the tranquility...
... color to energize
garden gnomes to fantasize
Mushrooms
monkey-see ~ monkey-do
lions and tigers and bears - "Oh my!"
Numerous and assorted sun and moon decor
A striking butterfly seat
Porch posts creating invisible walls
Unique doors
Stimulating
Incredibly stunning!
My Impatiens never looked so good.
If you closed your eyes,
you could imagine standing by a waterfall
in the mountains....
Cat lovers anyone?
Stairway to heaven?...
Wise ole monks...
I hope you enjoyed your visit.
This is a "must-see" spot nestled in the
White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Something for everyone
with a price range to match.
I did not take photos inside the shop,
but I learned it is open year-round.
If you recognize this covered bridge
(this is the backside)
then you will know you are only moments away
from the incredible
Ravenwood Curio Shoppe!
My dear mom was patiently waiting while
I snapped these awesome photos....
We were on our way home from a funeral.
We had only learned the day before that my
cousin lost her 4-year battle to cancer.
The funeral was a 2-1/2 hour drive one-way.
We headed out earlier in the day at 7:00AM.
In our family, weddings and funerals,
are times to visit with family you may not
have seen for years.
A bittersweet reunion of sorts.
On our drive home, we were sharing
our feelings, of sadness and joy and
updated news from our relatives.
I happened to remember a friend telling me
about this place she recently visited.
We decided to take a break, and I'm
so glad we did.
Earlier this week, my employer also passed on.
These last few weeks have been a sad time for me.
It's hard to say goodbye to someone....
that made a huge difference in your life.
Sometimes sadly you realize these things
more profoundly when that person is gone....
Rest in peace Jeannette & Tom.....
thank you for making a difference to me.
Suffer no more.
Jeezum Crow is a popular phrase
in this neck of the woods,
and is not intended as a reference to any religion.
Sort of like saying "Holy Cow"...
only, I prefer crows over cows...
Special Thanks to Pam Gracia
of Soft 'n the Head for this cool crow pattern.
I actually did not create his spectacles like Pam did,
and I added a top hat on my own.
My first attempt at making this crow,
resembled a sea gull.
I thought hey,
now that is an idea, set him aside,...
and started all over again.
I have been in a crafting rut for various reasons....
which is typical for this time of year.
Rather than fight it, I simply took a break.
But, I have seen some incredible halloween
creations of late, that are slowly stirring
my inner self, to come and play.
I needed to finish this little guy,
since he is a gift. I will pack him up today,
and maybe do some serious cleaning in my studio.
When everything is back in it's place, and all
is tidy, I will feel more inclined to create.
And my studio will be upside down once again!
This is the first day I have had to myself
since early June. It feels good to let my mind
wander, and just let the day unfold as I please.
It's hot as haites outside, and a good day to
stay in with air conditioner blasting.
Maybe I'll retackle that seagull idea I had.....
* * * *
I am also preparing myself for some very sad days ahead.
My employer suffered cardiac arrest at work about
one week ago. His family joined together on Thursday
to respect their dad's wishes, and the feeding tube
has been removed. It's now only a matter of time.
My heart aches every time I think about it.
I have never worked for a nicer employer.
The quality of my life improved thanks to him.
He will be deeply missed, and my most heartfelt
sympathies go out to his entire family.
He was not ready to stop living.....
and we are not ready to say goodbye......
He would have celebrated his
80th birthday next week....
That is going to be one difficult day....
* * * *
On a brighter note, my little pesky cat Tobey,
peacefully sleeping in this photo....
has been nuzzling my hand,
and chasing the cursor on the screen.
He reminds me life goes on...
and it's no longer a time to dwell.
Every day is a gift....
and a reminder to me, that it is
NOT to be taken for granted.
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