Friday, October 30, 2009

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear, Sweet Friends! There are several, fabulous ~*Friday Finishes*~ to share this week. Enjoy... and be ready to drool ~ they are all so GREAT!

These first couple are stitched up by Evelyn...

~*Blessings*~... and check out that dolly! DARLING!


And then a GREAT trash~to~treasure! Evelyn used the bird from ~*Oh Sweet Valentine*~ for the topper of her ~really cool~ candle holder. How sweet is that?!


I noticed on her blog too... she is also stitching up ~*Thankful*~. She is one stitchy gal now!

These next beauties are stitched up by Cindy... again, I just love 'em! She told me she had stitched them up to offer at the local mercantile for the Open House, but now is thinking of keeping them for herself. I would be thinking the same way.

~*Silent Holy Night*~


~*Thankful*~


A spooky, ~*Wicked*~ stitched by Carin... check out the fibers she used. Mustard Colored linen... how cool is that?


A darling needlepunch of ~*Falling Leaves*~ crafted by Laura...


Laura offers many of her great wares on Ebay... you can see them by CLICKING HERE or searching seller id appleberrycottage. She has this finish listed now.

Michelle has also stitched up ~*Wicked*~... another darling ditty! CHECK OUT THE SPIDER SHE ADDED! Creepily creative & cute!


Here is some sweet, prim~stitching by Rondell... ~*Falling Leaves*~...


and, still a work in progress... but I had to share it for the holiday... ~*Boo Jack*~...


Oh goodness... they are all so GREAT & bring such a smile to my face! Thank you, all of you, for stitching, punching, crafting, and sharing!

I would like to wish you all a very safe & fun Halloween... don't eat too many candies and watch out for those goblins!

Warm smiles to you...

Betty

Thursday, October 29, 2009

~* .99 Treasure Find *~

Hello Dear Friends! Don't you just love finding a treasure for pennies? Well, for 99 pennies I found this sweet lil' frame at one of our local thrift stores...



Isn't is darling? It is such a unique handmade frame. I just fell in love with it! I thought it would be perfect for a sampler... and have been designing & stitching one up. I can't give details yet... but soon... hopefully soon.

Wishing you all warm smiles, sunny warm days, and wellness...

Betty

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

~*Prairie Dollies*~

Hello My Dear Friends! Please let me introduce to you... Milly and Hattie May...

~*Milly and her kitty*~


~*Hattie May and her pinkeep*~


Don't they look olde, tattered, and truly loved? I just finished these lil' gals and have them scheduled to go up for auction tonight on Ebay... CLICK HERE or search seller id primitivebettys. Listings will begin shortly before 9pm CST.

Each dolly has extra ~ added touches... Milly has a cross stitched purse and needle punched kitty. Hattie May has a cross stitched, wood shaving filled pinkeep. Each has an old rusty key around her neck. And they both have added charm & character from distressing & staining. I have put a lot of special care into them... and signed them for individuality.

While each dolly has been personalized and change greatly from the pattern... I would like to give an extra, special THANK YOU to Jackie Schmidt of T.F.C. Folk Art for making some of the coolest, prim~est dolly patterns ever!

Thank you for letting me share my dollies with you... I'm off to work on the next prim creation. Humm... I wonder what it will be?

Many warm smiles to you...

Betty

Sunday, October 25, 2009

~*Pumpkin Carving & a YUMMY Recipe*~

Hello Dear Friends! We just returned home from a visit with our family for the Annual Pumpkin Carving Party. It is always a joy to get together ~ to visit, giggle, eat, and play. My Mom~in~law fixed a big, delicious, batch of Sloppy Joe's... but was also hosting a Pampered Chef party for my Niece, Tamara, who is a consultant. (Don't you just LOVE the products this company offers?! They are FABULOUS!) So, along with the Joe's... Tamara fixed a warm & scrumptious potato chowder and some really AWESOME apple dishes... YUM~O to the MAX! For my contribution, I fixed a Jiffy Corn Bake... which just happens to be my darling husband's favorite side dish... or one of them anyway. (recipe to follow) The only down side to the day today... and it truly is a BUMMER!... the Vikings lost to the Steelers. :(


Trinity wasn't really liking the slimy insides of the pumpkin... but he did manage to get it fairly cleaned out.


What a SWEETHEART!


He picked a pattern of two ghosts & wanted the word 'Boo' cut into the pumpkin too. It turned out pretty cool. He is proud. :)



I took a snap~shot of the Corn Bake, but not sure the photo does it justice. This is a really YUMMY dish!


Jiffy Corn Bake

1 can whole kernel corn (juice too ~ don't drain)
1 can cream style corn
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (8.5 oz.) box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
6 slices American cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first six ingredients together in a bowl until well blended. Stir in muffin mix. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake for 50-60 minutes... just until set & golden brown. Add cheese to the top and place back in the oven ~ just for the cheese to melt for a minute or two. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

This is really a tasty dish! I didn't calculate the Weight Watchers points on this one... but, I'm sure you could lower the calories & fat by choosing low fat & fat free ingredients. I didn't today... instead, I used the really fattening ones. Oops! So today it was just the old rule... "all thing in moderation." :)

Warm smiles to you...

Betty

Friday, October 23, 2009

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello My Dear Friends! It has been another hectic week & it seems I've been so quiet on my blog. Ssshhhhh.... sorry for that! BUT, here are LOTS of fabulous freebie finishes to share! Enjoy!

From Gayle... the first shared finish of ~*Thankful*~. Isn't this darling? Making two pillows is a great idea! Gayle's color choices are so soft & comforting too.



From Iulia in Italy... another awesome ~*Wicked*~ finish. Striking!



From Karen... a super SWEET ~*Blessings*~ finish. Karen made this for a friend's baby girl for a Christmas present. Her choice of pink fibers, adding the crown, and personalizing with the name... so SWEET!



From Evelyn... ~*Silent Holy Night*~ finish. Would you believe this is her first cross stitch? Evelyn did a charming job stitching & finishing. And... I see on her blog she has also stitched up ~*Wicked*~ and is working on a ~*Blessings*~ stitch too. Great!



From Sadie... another sweet ~*Wicked*~ finish. She says she stitched this on a lazy Saturday evening. Hmmm... I don't call that lazy. Do you?



And from Robin... my super sweet, sister~in~law... a nifty, needlepunch finish of ~*Home Freebie*~. Robin used a palette of great Fall colors. I like how she used two shades of burnt orange for the house... gives it more detail & contrast. She offers many of her finishes wares on Ebay too... check 'em out by CLICKING HERE or searching seller id kansaskountrykrafts.



Thank you ALL ~ for stitching and sharing! I so LOVE to see these finishes! It truly warms my heart to know that you have all worked with loving care to craft these works of 'heart'.

Warm smiles to you...

Betty

Sunday, October 18, 2009

~*New Ebay Offerings*~

Hello Sweet Friends! I would like to share with you two new Ebay offerings just listed this evening...

~*Finney Farm Cat*~ Primitive, Scrappy Hooked Rug



~*~and~*~

~*Christmas Cat*~ Primitive, Needlepunched, Sawdust~filled Dolly



To visit the auctions ~ CLICK HERE or search seller id ~ primitivebettys.

Thank you for letting me share.

Wishing your many warm smiles as always...

Betty

~*At The Pumpkin Patch*~

Hello My Dear Friends! Just thought I would share some of the pumpkin patch fun from the other day. We went with Grandma & Grandpa after school on Thursday. There was lots of mud on the ground from the recent rains, but the temperature was comfortable & we had a fun time picking & choosing our pumpkins.





Could this be Trinity's scary, Jack-O-Lantern impression?







Grandpa wouldn't pose for a picture... but I did sneak one of him.



Yesterday was spent re-arranging & cleaning things around home. Trinity is getting a 'Big Boy Bed' from older brother Jamie. While working trying to fit a queen size bed in a room that barely could fit a twin ~ there was a lot of work and thinning out to do. One thing I did was clear out some jeans. You may notice Trinity's knee on the top photo. Well, I found several more pairs of jeans with the same problem! I just had to take a photo...



I've also finished up another small rug that should be posted on Ebay later this evening.

Wishing you all many warm smiles...

Betty

Friday, October 16, 2009

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends! As always... I'm truly delighted to share these fabulous finishes with you! Enjoy!

First, a few ~*Wicked*~ pieces...

From Phoebe ~



Don't you just LOVE this lil' pincushion? And the setting for the photo too? So totally DARLING! Oh, Phoebe's blog is in Chinese. Even if you can't 'read' it, you should swing by to take a look at her other finished stitches. They are all so beautiful! Be sure to see her Mary Wigham SAL!!

From Elizabeth ~



I just adore these too! The stars stitched above the crow are very cool! Specialty stitches & fibers of 'October Orange' ~ too sweet! Oh, these are BOTH freebies by me. The ~*Hallow's Eve*~ is a freebie I offered to the members of the Stacy Nash Groupies Yahoo group. Are you a member? The chart is available to group members. I'm sure you can become a member... swing by. It is a great online group!

From Mercy is a delightful, Autumn finish of ~*Blessings*~ ...



This one warms me inside... almost like homemade soup on a cool Fall afternoon (with homemade apple pie for dessert, of course!). Why do I get a warm feeling like that from a photograph? Silly me! Well, this is a super sweet finish ~ and again, I just love the display set up for the photograph!

Thank you Ladies for stitching and sharing! Each and Every finish warms my heart!

Please keep stitching & sharing!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

~*Because I'm THANKFUL for YOU*~

Hello My Dear Friends! The title of this post ~ and the freebie ~ say it all...


©primitivebettys 2009

77 by 60 stitches


This lil' freebie was designed without color changes because I want to see how YOU work it up. Will you keep a single floss color? Use a variegated, wonderfully dyed designer floss? Make the tail feathers an Autumn 'rainbow'? Stitch on linen, Aida, or prairie cloth? Ohhhhh... I'm seeing lots of warm, wonderful works in my mind!

I left the top left of the design bare... will you add a year? your initials? your family name? It will be so interesting to see!

Happy stitching!

As always... please give credit for this design to me ~ Betty Dekat... primitivebettys. Do NOT sell the pattern ~ but finished works may be sold on a limited basis ~ no MASS production please.

Please remember to email me a photo of your finish so I can share it here on my blog & post it on my picturetrail. :)

Warm Autumn smiles to you...

Betty

Friday, October 9, 2009

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends! It is that time again... Friday Finishes! Today I have several sweet ones to share...

Barbara stitched ~*Wicked*~ and constructed this really DARLING lil' pillow. I just love the lace trim ~ still primitive, but with a shabby~chic touch. Sweet isn't it?



(Barbara is having a give~away on her blog too... to celebrate her 1000th post! Swing by & take a looksey!)

My good buddy, Sharon, has been stitching up a storm! She also stitched & finished ~*Wicked*~. Another GREAT one! I really like her display too. Gathering a bowl full of acorns is an inexpensive, but super sweet & warm Autumn touch. Sharon said her pinkeep finished to a size of only 2 by 6 inches. While stuffing it, she said she couldn't help but think it looked like a bone at that size... adding to the Halloween charm.



She also finished the ~*Blue Tulip & Bunny Sewie Roll*~... adding her own initials for that personal touch. (This pattern is available for purchase... you can see it HERE at my Etsy shoppe.)



Sharon used Valdani varigated threads for each finish. I have yet to try these ~ but really do admire the finished works I've seen using them.

This ~*Black Cat & Jack*~ finish has been needle punched by Laura. Another GREAT finish! I adore the horn book! Horn books seem to be very popular now. The ones that aren't exactly symmetrical from side to side are even more charming. To me, they are more early looking & warm.



Thank you ladies for stitching & punching... and for sharing! Keep 'em coming too! Email me finishes PLEASE so I can show them off!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

(seems I've used the word 'warm' several times in this post along... can you tell it is a cold Autumn day here?) :)

Thursday, October 8, 2009

~*Simmering On The Stove Top*~

Hello Dear Friends! It is cold & rainy here... so what better way to warm the bones than homemade soup! Simmering on the stove top today is Calico Chicken Soup... YUM~O! This soup is chock full of veggies & goodness! You just can't get any better than that!



Calico Chicken Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, minced
2 celery stalks, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, skinned and cubed
1 (14.5 oz.) can~diced tomatoes
1/2 cup carrots, diced
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces (I use frozen)
1/2 cup fresh corn (again, I use frozen)
1 cup zucchini, diced
1 small red pepper, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

In a 4 quart stock pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and celery and saute' for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the garlic and chicken ~ saute', stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, carrots, chicken stock, ground thyme, white pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the green beans, corn, zucchini, and red pepper. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Serve & Enjoy!

Yield ~ 6 servings

(And because I do try to watch my Weight Watchers points... I calculated one serving to equal 5 points.)

Mmmmmmm... I'm warmer & cozier just thinking about it... but then again, I can smell it while I'm typing too! :)

Many warm smiles to you,

Betty

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

~*Scrappy Ol' Rug*~

Hello Dear Friends! I've finished hooking this lil' mat & listed it on Ebay just a few minutes ago. I'm really happy with how it turned out... it looks so antique & olde... to me anyway.



If you would like to see more of it... CLICK HERE or search seller id primitivebettys.

Tomorrow is suppose to be cold & rainy... actually the remainder of the week is suppose to be cold. I've got a few soup recipes picked out to try... and plan on staying in with hook & needle in hand. (well, not at the same time ~ but you knew that!)

Wishing you all many warm smiles,

Betty

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

~*Walking Racing Fuel & More Walking*~

... and then a day of recuperating!

Hello Dear Friends! This isn't a crafty post, but I have been hooking & finishing... and will post about that in the next couple of days. This is just a post to recap the weekend. It was full of fun!

This weekend was the annual 'Americus Days' celebration, but we didn't stay home to enjoy much of it. Tony's brother gave us NASCAR tickets & well, we couldn't say 'no' to that ~ could we? Before leaving for the races ~ I had already signed up to walk in the 5K Walk/Run to benefit our high school's cross country team. My stepSon, Jamie, and his sweet girlfriend, Annie, had promised to walk with me. It was nice having them with me & chit~chatting while we walked. Somehow, all three of us managed to 'win' a medal in our age group brackets! WOW, huh?

Jamie and the camera have a strange relationship. He can't seem to take a picture without making a goofy face!



Thank you Jamie & Annie for walking with me! I LOVED every minute of it!

Once the walk was over... we headed to the Kansas Speedway. This was so AWESOME! I've seen races on TV, but that doesn't compare to being there LIVE! The speed! The sound! The excitement! WOW WOW WOW! We, of course, had to cheer our local boy ~ Clint Bowyer. He grew up in nearby Emporia. He still does a lot to support the community giving money to fund many activities and projects for the children in our area.



This is Clint's Nationwide Car ~ (he drives the Cherrios 33 car for the Sprint Cup Series race)


It is still amazing at how FAST the cars race past the crowds! It seems so much slower when watching it on TV!

There was more walking on Sunday ~



I was playing with the camera waiting for the walk to begin ~ thought my feet should have a picture too. LOL These are my walking shoes. :)

This was a 2 mile, Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association. There were over 200 walkers participate to raise money for the association and enjoy the beautiful day. I showed up for this one solo, but met a few friendly folks & was happy to do a little to help the association and those affected by this disease.

Monday was spent 'rest'... and cleaning. BUT, I did manage to finish a small hooked mat that will be listed on Ebay this week. It will be shared with you soon.

I hope you had a great weekend as well & that your week has started warm, sunny, and full of smiles!

Warm smiles to you...

Betty

Friday, October 2, 2009

~*Friday Finishes*~

Happy Fall Friday to you, my dear friends! For 'Friday Finishes' I have a fabulous, ~*Wicked*~ freebie finish to share...



This was stitched by Bonnie (no blog or online album yet?). She stitched on osnaburg over over 2 & finished the pinkeep to be about 3 by 3 inches. She also stained it with black walnuts. (Just love those walnuts!)

It is a darling finish & will be perfect for Halloween decorating. Don't ya think?

Thank you, Bonnie, for stitching & sharing!

Hey friends... this is the only finish emailed to me this week. I have seen some other really AWESOME finishes popping up on Ebay ~ but I can't 'steal' the photos to share here on my blog. If you get a chance, please email them my way so I can show them off! My email is on the sidebar.

Wishing you all warm smiles on this windy Fall Friday...

Betty

Thursday, October 1, 2009

~*Happy October 1st*~

Hello To You Dear Friends... with a joyful 'BOO'!



What a FUN~FILLED day! This picture is of one of the redbuds in our front yard. After school today, Trinity and I made some little (rather prim of course) ghosts to decorate for Halloween. We used some ratty, old pillow cases & sheets (not good to use on the beds anymore)... and made their 'heads' from some hedge balls I found along the roadside. Trinity drew eyes and mouths on with a magic marker & then we hung them in the tree. Interesting... cheap & cute! He had a GREAT time helping with this... and pretending to be really high up in the tree...

Doesn't he look frightened? Well, he was only playing with this expression. I was laying on my back under the tree to take the picture ~ making him look a lot higher than he actually is. In all reality, he is probably only 4 feet off the ground. :)



Playing with the kiddo wasn't all the fun I had today. I also visited with my dear friend, Marianne. We had planned a visit to Heart's Desire for the Market Party... and to sneak a peak of the trunk show they have set up for primitivebettys (yes, that is me). :) The store looked fabulous & is filled with such awesome new charts! If you are in the area... definitely swing by! While there, I had the lovely opportunity to meet a few new, pretty & sweet friends too. (Hi Sherre & Carol!) Marianne took this picture of me standing by my trunk show...



(Can I have any more bags over my shoulder? ha ha ha)

Hey, while I'm talking about Marianne... have you all seen her latest pattern releases. This one is my very FAVORITE! It has been added to my every growing list of 'want to do's'...



It is always nice to spend time with a friend... but to top that off... she treated me to lunch at Panera Bread ~ YUMMY! Thank you Marianne!

That isn't all! When I returned home from Wichita today, there was a huge package on the kitchen table. This was an exchange gift from another very dear friend... Sharon... for an online exchange for our group An American Primitive Gathering (aka USAPRIM on Ebay). Look at this amazing stack of goodies! It barely fits in the frame of the picture!



I just have to show the penny rug closer... It is so BEAUTIFUL!



Thank you, Sharon! You have been so generous! I will treasure it always! I do just LOVE it!!!!

See? It was a lovely day! Happy October 1st to each and everyone of you!

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty