~*Making Something Special Out of Something Simple*~

Hello Friends! Recently I made a couple of gifts for two of my dear friends ~ buddies from An American Primitive Gathering on Ebay. They are both kitty lovers & I wanted to incorporate a cat or two into their gift. A few weeks earlier I was shopping at one of our local Dollar General stores. I wasn't looking for anything for my friends at the time... just shopping for household paper & cleaning goods. BUT... I ran across these sweet looking & smelling candles. The scents of the candles are Vanilla Honey & are housed in a ceramic container that resembles an antique, enamel milk can. I was immediately drawn to them & tickled that they were Made in the USA. A light bulb went off in my head! Here is what I made...

I thought a couple of little candle sleeves would be darling wrapped around the candles. I made them so they can be removed & tied onto another candle or taken off to clean out the burnt candle in this holder... they are just tied on with a little floss & some vintage buttons.

I stitched on a scrap of 10 ct (a lot larger than I'm use to!) wool fabric with DMC flosses. To form the sleeve, I assembled the stitching, a layer of cotton batting, and backing of sweet calico. Then, of course, I stained them with my walnut & spice mix. I've very proud with how they turned out... but happier yet to hear that both friends were pleased with their gifts. Happy Belated Birthday to both Kelley and Joanne!

Oh... and I have another freebie finish to share! One of my bestest buddies, Ginger, didn't waste any time at all working this one up from the freebie I offered just the other day...
~*1857 Bunny*~ done in redwork
It is just lovely, Ginger! I love the barnwood frame, the antique staining, the stitching, and the 'linger here' version. I just love the whole thing ya know! Thank you for stitching & sharing!

I have needle punching that is calling my name... so until next time... warm smiles to you...
Betty