~*Catching Up*~

Hello Dear Friends! I've got some catching up to do and I'm so sorry to have not posted for a few days... it has been a fun, busy few days!


What a cheery smile Marianne has!

This past Thursday I finally had a chance to meet up with my dear friend, Marianne ~ in person. We have been friends via email for over a year now & only live an hour apart. It was about time we met face to face, huh? She is truly the sweetest! Her family, home, and critter babies are super sweet too! She introduced me to a marvelous cross stitch shop in Wichita called Hearts Desire. I was able to meet the owner & drool over the fibers and charts (ok, I didn't really drool, but you know what I mean!). There isn't a cross stitch shop near my home, so it was a big treat to visit this awesome store. I plan to revisit it, and Marianne, much~much more now too! After shopping, we spent the afternoon stitching & I also showed Marianne how to needle punch. She took to it like a natural! Oh, and I can't forget to tell you... Marianne is an amazing cook! She treated me to supper of homemade sauce, meatballs, and bread! This time... I really did drool! LOL

Yesterday was the monthly hook-in with Judy and Rustic Rug hookers. It was a smaller crowd than normal, but still great to get together for a day of hooking, wool shopping, and eating. I was disappointed my SIL, Robin, and good friend, Sher couldn't make it... but hopefully next month they will. Here is a photo of the wool I purchased ~ love the new over-dyes Judy had! ~ and an update on the rug I've been trying to finish for over a year now. I don't know why this one is so slow going! At least it is closer to being finished.



With the busy last few days, I've been behind on emails. While catching up, I was delighted to find this fabulous finish from France! The email was in French & I found myself disappointed that I could not remember much from 2 years of high school french class... but thanks to an online translator, I could read what Isa (no blog given) had said. She combined 2 freebie charts, ~*Beholden*~ and ~*Spring Freebie*~, to stitch up the most darling, pinkeep. The fibers & finish are so sweet and special! Isa, merci beaucoup!



Amidst all the busy days... I have been cross stitching on MODELS. I'm working frantically to get the finished & put the polishing touches on them. It won't be long.

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty

~*Wet Paint Wednesday*~

Hello Dear Friends! Today I enjoyed the day in the shade catching up on all my 'trash-to-treasure' goodies. It was warm today, but well worth the effort to get my stash of cheap finds refurbished.

This rocker was purchased at an auction last summer for only a few dollars. It was sitting on the front porch of our lil' house (hopefully my future studio), but after painting it today... it is now sitting on the front porch of our home... opposite the freebie park bench I painted a few weeks back.


I picked up a can of Heirloom White paint at the hardware store and literally SLAPPED on a few coats & viola'... it has new life! When I say SLAPPED ~ that is just my way of saying I'm a rather sloppy painter. More paint gets on me than where it is suppose to go. LOL

Here is how it looked before ~


These shelves were painted the same Heirloom White, but were distressed with the palm sander & 'dingied' with shoe polish. They look like they have olde, peeling paint now. Don't they?




Yes! I did say shoe polish! Really! The brown polish replaces the need to use walnut, wood stain & a sealer. Try it sometime ~ you will really like it. It says right on the can that it can be used for furniture too. Just rub it on with an old rag & buff like you would for shoes. ***Be sure to rub all the excess off your linen bars carefully.***


I still have some 'tweaking' to do on the displays... but here are the goodies in our home now ~


My dear Aunt Lavon gave me this sweet, quilt rack. It really was needed... to display the beautiful topper my dear friend, Ginger made & gifted to me. The bird's nest was found under a tree in our yard a few months ago. I just couldn't bare to throw it away.

This towel shelf came from the local thrift store. It was only $2.50!


The dowel across the front of the shelf was broken...


I simply pulled it out & replaced it with an old, rusty wire. I didn't throw the dowel away though... it was needed to fix the bar on the quilt rack. Thrifty of me, huh?

This was at the same thrift store for only 99 cents. I didn't know what I would do with it when I bought it... but knew something could be done.


Then I saw this great tutorial on Char's blog, The Pickled Pepper Patch. She made this ~


So I made this ~


I used red for the under coat and black for the top coat. Then distressed it & added my trusty shoe polish. When it isn't filled with goodies, I can hang it with the underside out 'cause it looks nice too. Oh... and I gotta tell ya about the beautiful, sampler in the back too. That was made for me by my dear friend Sher. Isn't it sweet?

Here is a close up of the paint on the scoop ~


It was a very productive day today & isn't over yet! I've got 'ideas' in my head for new cross stitch patterns. Ya... I know I've said it before... BUT... tomorrow I'm spending the day with one of my dear, stitching, friends ~ Marianne. She is taking me to cross stitch shop in Wichita called Heart's Desire. I KNOW this will be the PUSH I need to get these patterns out of my head & onto fabric... and ready for the offering! I'll keep ya posted!!! Promise!

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty

~*More Sharing*~

Hello Dear Friends! I've received more freebie finishes ~ fabulous ones ~ to share! I do so enjoy getting emails of your works... so please keep 'em coming!

Christie is the first to stitch & share ~*Wicked*~. Quick huh? Christie used 32ct Raw Belfast linen with Weeks Dye Works Threads in shades of Mascara and Amber. Wonderful fiber choices, don't ya think? She said she is going to stitch another for her Mom too. Lovely stitches!


I'm also delighted to share another super, needlepunch by Charlene. Her works always brighten my day! Charlene chooses colors that are just 'cheery' & bring JOY! Her finish of ~*Halloween Cat*~ is no exception. Lookie!

Charlene offers many of her delightful, works on Ebay ~ this one too. Her Ebay id is redlockscreations

I've shared this one before, but wanted to share again since she too has it listed on Ebay right now. My dear friend, Debbie has listed her happy finish of ~*Snowy Tony*~. What a great way to cool off a hot July day! Debbie is an awesome crafter with any medium & this one is proof! Wonderful! He just makes me SMILE wide! Doesn't he do that to you too?

You can see Debbie's offerings on Ebay with the seller id kitane.

Thank you all for working with my charts & doodles... and sharing. It just makes me so happy!

Warm smiles to you all...
Betty

~*Monday Make~Overs*~

Hello Dear Friends! I've been crafting! I've actually been able to sneak a few minutes in here and there & do some hooking! It feels GREAT! I'm one of those that, if I don't get to craft, I get a bit ~ just a tad ~ GRUMPY! Well, I'm not grumpy anymore. LOL

I just finished the make~over... trash~to~treasure... last night.


When we were on the way back from Eureka Springs a few weeks ago, we stopped at a few antique stores in Fort Scott, Kansas... and some others along the way. I wasn't even in the door to one shop 5 steps before I clutched this wooden bucket (an old sewing basket) in my arms. I KNEW it had a new life!

Here is a before picture of it & some of the other treasures I found.


The bucket was only about $6.00. I began by painting the entire bucket ~ metal ring and all ~ black. The next coat of paint was light blue. Next was sanding & scuffing... then some warm, walnut stain & a coat of clear to protect it. For the metal ring, I added some 'cinnamon rust'. Yes, I will admit, I found out the hard way that this ring cannot be removed. YIKES! The whole bucket will fall apart! Silly me... huh? For the 'cinnamon rust', I painted the ring with a coat of craft glue. Then sprinkled cinnamon spice to cover. Let dry. Then give it another coat of clear to seal it.

The bucket didn't have a lid, but I thought it needed one. My wonderful Tony helped me out there! I found a plastic lid in the kitchen that fit the opening ~ for him to use as a template. He cut a circle from a scrap piece of thin, wood we had laying around. I used the same plastic lid to mark some linen & hooked up the rug to top it off. I wanted it to look olde & scrappy... so I hooked it entirely of left over woolly worms & hooked it hickety~pickety... with the loops all different lengths & a lil' WONKY.

Close up of the 'cinnamon rust'...


Some closer views of the rug on top...




Another thing that makes me feel better... having my corner in the basement ORGANIZED! I stayed up late ~ super late ~ a few nights ago working on finding some order here. This area wouldn't make it in a magazine & isn't beautiful by any way, shape, or measure... but at least I know where things are and can move & work comfortably now. Well... at least for awhile... it doesn't stay this way long ya know.


Okay... I'm off to find the next project(s)!

Warm smiles to you all...
Betty