~*FULL Weekend Already!*~

Hello My Friends! I do hope you are all enjoying a fun~filled, safe, and glorious holiday weekend! We have been enjoying ourselves. It has been a simple weekend, but that is how we prefer them to be. Yesterday my dear hubby mowed the yard & wouldn't allow me to help. He insisted that I stay in my workroom ~ getting more goodies done for the Open House. Oh what a wonderful hubby he is! Today, for more fun, he took me to an auction. I do just LOVE to visit a good auction!

In my car load of treasures ~ an old oil can (to display on the front porch of the lil'house), two wooden codfish boxes with wonderful olde advertising, a candy box filled with wooden spools of silk thread, a large box of artificial flowers (they will find their place on the front door wreath!), and two pairs of feedsack~like curtains from Pier 1(they will be perfect for one of the rooms in the lil'house). Tony even bought a couple of new, in the box, computer speakers. The cost of our new treasures wasn't much ~ plus we had a good time with each other and my darling mother-in-law, Mary & sister-in-law, Linda.



The codfish boxes have sliding lids. I don't know what I will 'use' them for other than shelf~sitters.... sounds better than dust~collectors. Also inside the candy box of spools.... a skein of DMC. :)





More weekend fun has been that I have received TWO nominations for the 'Primitive Excellence Award'.



Both Sam of Gollywobbles and Sue of Rabbit Hollow Prims have been so thoughtful & kind to send the award to me. Thank you Ladies!

Rules of the award are ~ you tell who the person is you received it from and then pick 7 people to give it to and let them know.

I have so many primitive buddies ~ it will be difficult to narrow it down to seven. But here they are ~

1 ~ Ginger of Primitives by the Light of the Moon

2 ~ Marte of Boggy Creek Primitives

3 ~ Beth of The Twist Family

4 ~ Tanya of At the Honeysuckel Tree

5 ~ Julie of Plumruncreek

6 ~ Robin of Bird in the Hand Primitives

7 ~ Debbie of Simple Country Blessings

...... ok, that did take a little time, but I do enjoy visiting blogs of my buddies! :)

For now... back to punching & enjoying the weekend!

Happy craftin' my friends! Smiles, to ya.....

Betty

~*Dickerson's Open House*~

Yes, I've been hooking & punching... maybe even in my sleep! Fifteen days and counting ~ YIKES! I KNOW it will be a fun day... just hope I can have enough finished goodies....

Hope you see you there my friends!

Many smiles to ya...

Betty

~*Made From One of My Freebie Patterns*~

I received a sweet email from Laura of AppleberryCottage. She has just recently started needle punch & has done such a sweet job.



I can just see this candle box FULL of Halloween candies! Thank you Laurie for sharing this with me. If anyone is interested, she has it listed on Ebay currently.

Smiles,
Betty

~*Big Birthday Bash!*~

Hi Friends! Here are some fun family photos from our big August birthday bash yesterday. There was way too much food ~ but never too much fun! Between both sides of our family, there were five to celebrate for and with! We had a day full of food, presents, cake, go kart riding, ice cream, bike races, watermelon, laughs, pie, smiles, swimming and FOOD. Humm... did I say food more than once ~ and did I mention cake, pie, and ice cream?

My Mom turned a young 60 this month. Isn't she a beauty?


(from left to right ~ my sister Angie, Mom, and me)

Trinity turns 6 tomorrow. He was so tickled to be getting a new bike. The look on his face was priceless!! When he rides now... it is like the speed of light!



Of course he had to have a special Hotwheels cake. One thing I can't do is bake & decorate a cake. It is a good thing the grocery store girls can!



Yesterday was a lot of fun. Tomorrow will be fun too.... treats for Trinity's 1st grade class and he starts Cub Scouts too!

Thank you all for the thoughts, special words, and most importantly prayers for my Dad. He is continuing to get his treatments this week & I have all the faith in the world that he will be fine. Thank you!

On the crafting side of things. Today I have been trying to finish up my items for The Primitive Gathering. Both The Primitive Gathering and Lemon Poppy Seeds will be updating on September 1st. I've been punching & hooking every spare minute I can find.

Happy crafting! And, many smiles to you!!!!

Betty

~*Daddy*~

(this picture was taken a few years ago)

When I was little, and up through my high school years..... he was always referred to as Daddy. For some reason that changed and he bacame Dad. I'm not sure why.... guess it was just me getting older & thinking I was more mature to refer to him as Dad. It never, in a million years, would mean he meant any less to me ~ that goes without saying I suppose.

I remember long rides in his pickup, just the two of us.... driving back from Oklahoma after our weekend visits. (My parents divorced when I was only 5 & Dad was living there while my Mom & I lived in Kansas. I'm not hurt by the divorce as I was lucky to grow up with 4 remarkable parents!) On these rides Dad did everything he could to entertain his lil' girl. My favorite thing, that is a cherished memory still today.... was him singing On Top of Old Smoky. It would make me giggle nonstop....



Dad is still getting radiation for his tumor. He has 4 more treatments due. Then the doctors are going to consider surgery of the turmor, part of the lung or all of one lung. Time will tell. Please, if you will.... continue to pray for him. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

~*A Happy Day*~

Hello my friends! Today is a Happy Day! In the mail today was a prize I won from my dear friend, Ginger, of Primitives by the Light of the Moon. She had a drawing last week that I didn't win... but was tickled to be her 'Runner Up'. She sent me the sweetest Halloween & Fall fabrics wrapped in some hand-dyed thread... along with the most HEAVENLY scented barn star, wax tarts.... pumpkin cheesecake! WOW, huh?! To say the very least, I am tickled pink... or would that be PUMPKIN! LOL Here is a picture of my new goodies....

Thank you, Ginger for your kindness, generousity, and friendship!

We have started a little Fall decorating here on the prairie. At the end of our driveway ~ to greet all our guests ~ is the scarecrow that Trinity and I have been working on.



I was going to leave him pantless... but Trinity insisted he have britches. So I dug out a pair of my beloved overalls so he could be dressed in the best of farm~life attire. At his feet is our old & rusty garden cart potted with a few mums I picked up yesterday. Simple, but sweet I think.

Have you started your Fall decorating? Isn't it a fun time of year to put things out?

I would like to make a note of 'thanks' to all of you that have given suggestions for my dough bowl. You have all been a GREAT help! I appreciate you all taking the time to post a comment to help this ol' gal out. Thank you!

Ok... time to get back to punching. Please have a day full of sunny smiles!

:) Betty

~*Can Anyone Suggest?*~

Hi Friends! I recently purchased this dough bowl (trencher?). I really love these wooden bowls & this one has some really cool old paint on the underside (not sure if it is original, but I do really like it). This bowl just has character. However, it needs a good cleaning & has a musty smell. Can any of you suggest how to make it better? I'm going to wash it with soap & water of course, but not sure that will take the smell way. Do you think it would be okay to apply a thin coat of clear varnish?

Any suggestions?

Many smiles to you,
Betty

~*Workin' Tuesday*~

Hello Friends & Folks! I've been a workin' today...



These are some things I was able to finish up today. The rugs I'm saving for the Dickerson's Open House, one of the pillows is being sent off for a charity auction, and the other was just listed on Ebay a few minutes ago. Now it is time to move on to the next project... wonder what it will be.... hummmm?

Many smiles to you.... and happy craftin!

Betty

~*Happy Monday!*~

Hi my friends! Ohhhh.... don't you just know it is a good day when you find 'LOVE' in the potato bin?



It really has been a nice day... the weather has just been beautiful & I seemed to stay on task (with many tasks) today.... cleaning more in the lil' house, working in the gardens (weeding... arrgghhh), fixing supper, laundry, and even hooking! We even were invited to my Sister-in-laws for aprocot cobbler tonight! Yummy! I hope you have all had a nice day today too.

I received an email from Robin of Bird In The Hand Primitives. She has started stitching ~*Blessings*~, the freebie chart I put up the other day. She is doing a sweet job on her stitching. She has said that it has been over 20 years since she has done cross stitch... doesn't look like that to me. Isn't it darling?



Thank you, Robin, for sharing! Please do keep working on it & definitely show the finished piece. It is darling already!

Until next time... many smiles to you & happy craftin'!

Betty

~*Deconstruction Started Inside!*~

YIPPPPEEEEEE!!! WooooooooHOOOOOOOO!!! But very NASTY!!!

Hi Friends! Tony started tearing out the inside of what will hopefully, someday.... be my studio! He added the front porch a few months ago, you may remember. Yesterday, he decided to start tearing out the old bathroom.... which lead into more work today. Oh, was it nasty! (I helped a little bit)



The look on Tony's face says it all ~ doesn't it?

The little house was build sometime in the late 1800s.... or so we think. It was originally just one room, but now has three. There once was a door on the north side that led out to where the outhouse was. It has long been closed off & the previous owners added this bathroom in the corner of the main room. Over the years, many of which have been vacant, the pipes have frozen, shifted, and busted. The 'septic' is no longer ~ per county code. It was hooked up to the well, but has been disconnected. So.... my lil' studio won't have running water or a 'potty'. That really doesn't bug me in the slightest... it is only across the driveway from our home.

He worked on it all day. It is now a clear room ready for new floors, walls, and wiring.... then the fun stuff.... like PAINT! I'll take some more photos so you can see the progress.



I'm off to hook for a bit ..... :)

Many smiles to you!

Betty

~*Mark Your Calendars for some FUN*~

(click on invitation to see larger)


I picked up fliers from Kris for the up coming show yesterday. There still may be another artist sign up for the fun... we will know soon. It is sure to be a fun & fabulous day! Please mark your calendars. It would be GREAT to see you there!

I've been hookin' & punchin'! (my poor arms are showing it too.... lots of scratches) I'll post some pictures of the works in the next few days. Until then... have a sunny & smiley day!

:) Betty

~*Blessings*~ Freebie

Hello Friends! I thought it was time for another freebie. There is always time for Blessings.....


(68 x 47 stitches)
I've kept is simple.... thinking it would make a darling lil' pinkeep or cupboard hanger. Just simple~prim! Enjoy! Remember... I would LOVE to see photos of your finished works using my doodles & charts.

Many smiles to you...

Betty

(To copy the chart for use... click on the image to bring it up on a new screen.)

***** I just thought of something...How about stitching the date on another piece of fabric (linen, feedsack, or calico) then attaching it to the rest of the piece with simple stitches? :)

~*Back to Hooking*~

Hello My friends! Now that Trinity is back to school ~ I'm back to hooking! I started this little mat after he went to sleep last night & worked on it more today. It will be an offering for the show in September for Dickerson Antiques.

Smiles,
Betty

~*Back To School*~

It is back to school today.... you know I have mixed feelings..... I'm both happy and sad. He, however, is thrilled to be back with his schoolmates! Can you see the happiness beaming from this smile or what?



Bye kiddo! Have a great day at school!



And he is off....



Now comes the time to figure out my daily schedule... my new, back to school routine. If I didn't have to visit the dentist this morning..... I would be hooking the little mat I started last night. But.... guess I gotta get the pearly whites cleaned first.

Have a great day, my friends!

Warm smiles to you! Betty

~*A SUPER Give~Away!*~

Hi Friends... just a quick note... my pal Ginger of Primitives by the Light of the Moon is having an awesome give~away! You should pop on over to check it out!



We are enjoying our last day of Summer vacation. Gotta enjoy every minute I can with the kiddo today!


Warm Smiles,
Betty

~*I've Been Playing*~

Hello my dear friends!

I have been playing with the freebie doodle I put up the other day & my cross stitch program..... and look what I did!


(84 x 84 stitches)

WOW! Sometimes I just amaze myself.... really, I have never taken a computer lesson! Like with my folk art, I am completely self~taught! :)

There were a few of you that had mentioned maybe I could do my doodles into cross stitch.... and it looks like I might be able to figure it out. LOL This process isn't how I normally design my cross stitch.... but there is a first for everything!

I'm not sure how to put up the legend with the chart here (I'm still learning) ... but these are the colors that I would use..... these are all DMC floss

outline of pumpkin 400 mahogany - dk
pumpkin 921 copper
stem & crow eye 612 drab brown - lt
everything else ~ 310 black

These are the colors I have been using with many of my recent needle punches... along with my over~dyed floss.

**** To print off the graph ~ click on the image. It will then bring the chart up on the screen alone. Then just print. :)

You are more than welcome to stitch this up AND PLEASE DO ~ just give credit where credit is do.... to me, Betty Dekat of primitivebettys. I would LOVE to see how you stitch this up.

Happy stitching!

Smiles,
Betty

~*NEW Patterns Released!*~

Hello Friends & Folks! Yes, it is true.... I've finally released two new cross stitch patterns.... feels like it was a long time in the making. It has been one hectic summer!

I've just put the patterns up on Ebay and Etsy.... but you can always get them directly from me as well. Or, if you are a store, Norden Crafts, LTd will have them shortly.



~*My Favorite Kitten*~




~*Tea Thyme in the Garden*~


Thank you for letting me share the news!

Have a blessed day.... with many smiles....

Betty

~*Creative Energy in HIGH GEAR*~

Hi Friends! I've been happily punchin' away.... on more punkin's of course! BUT, I've also been working the final touches on 2 more cross stitch patterns! The funny thing is though... the cross stitches aren't Fall~fevered..... but I think you will still like them.... at least I hope you will like them. :) My creative energy has been on HIGH GEAR & I'm really excited about showing you everything I've been working on!

For now.....



.... this lil' ditty has been scheduled to list tonight on Ebay. After 8pm CST tonight click here or visit my seller's id of primitivebettys to see it. It is listed as part of BLESTB's Early Harvest Launch.



To see all BLESTB has to offer, click here or search Ebay using BLESTB.


As for my latest patterns.... MAYBE I can show them to you tomorrow. The models & charts are finished.... but I need to design the covers & write up the instructions ~ then off to the printer. Then I promise you can see them.

Thanks for letting me share some of my excitement!

Many smiles to you..... Betty

~*I'm Dreaming in ORANGE!*~

Hello my friends! Yes, it is true... I'm not only dreaming in color (always have!)... but now I'm dreaming mostly in ORANGE! I have visions of jack-o-lanterns haunting my sleep. Ok... so they aren't haunting me ~ I really am fond of them... and they aren't all orange ~ some are green and some are white. But I have been seeing lots of them in my imagination.

While I was doodling today, I thought it would be nice to share.....

Enjoy ~



Yes, Halloween is still a few months away.... but this gives you time to get your fingers a workin'.

Many smiles to you...
Betty