Monday, November 30, 2009

~*NEW Patterns!*~

Hello Dear Friends! I just couldn't wait any longer! These were suppose to be released tomorrow... but hey!... why not now?!

~*Olde Pewter Letters*~ 65 by 95 stitches


~*Blessed*~ 137 by 109 stitches


Both patterns are now available from me... each is $10 with free shipping... by email, on Ebay, or in my Etsy shoppe... or soon at your local needlework shop.

The frame for ~*Olde Pewter Letters*~ is the vintage frame I shared with you awhile back. I just LOVE it!

Because I've been working on getting the patterns together... and eating too much this past weekend for Thanksgiving... there won't be a trash~to~treasure tomorrow... but keep watchin' there will be another one soon.

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty

Friday, November 27, 2009

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving... full of family, friends, and fine feasts! Did you eat too much like I did? Did any of you run out for Black Friday shopping today? Trinity and I are going to go out today for a little shopping. It will be a hairy~scary I'm sure... but maybe we can sneak a peek at Santa while out and about! ;)

I have a few fabulous Friday Finishes to share with you. Enjoy...

Instant smiles, as always... ~*Snowy Tony*~ ... punched up & finished by Rebecca... aka goodwool. Rebecca always does fine works! For this one, she punched with Valdani floss & then mounted the finished punch on vintage ticking before framing. I have yet to try Valdani flosses... it is on my wish-list-to-do. Lovely Rebecca!


Now that Thanksgiving has been here and past... we know Christmas is just around the corner. Jennifer has been getting some holiday stitching done for the season. She has stitched up ~*Silent Holy Night*~ and made a darling lil' Christmas pillow. Jennifer used 28 ct Zweigert Amsterdam Blue and both DMC and Crescent Colors threads. Truly lovely!


Thank you ladies... for working with the freebies & sharing! You have both make some precious works!

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

~*Happy Thanksgiving*~

My warmest wishes to you and yours for a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!


~*THANKSGIVING DAY*~

Thanksgiving Day will soon be here
It comes around but once a year
If I could only have my way,
We'd have Thanksgiving every day.


The holiday started for us today ~ no school! Trinity and his cousins enjoyed the day together. Our home was warmed with little giggles and big smiles...


My warmest smiles to you all...

Betty

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

~*A (little) Trash-To-Treasure Tuesday*~

Hello Dear Friends! This is a (little) Trash-To-Treasure finish... so very simple! I found this stray, wooden salad bowl at the Goodwill store not long ago. It is small ~ only about 6 inches across. I've seen painted wooden bowls of all sizes used in prim decorating & just love them. So, I couldn't pass it up... especially at only 49 cents.

After a quick spray of flat black, then some Christmas red... a little sanding... and finally a shoe polish of brown...



It has become the perfect storage for my sugar~free, fat~free, calorie~free candy canes... that I'm using for dolly & ornie making. (This, of course, couldn't be used for edible food.)



before~






Why only this (little) T2T finish? Well, I've been wrapped up PUNCHING all weekend... and LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT! Here is what I've been working on just over the last few days...



With the exception of the darling lil' snow angel, all are my original ditties. Wanna know more about the darling lil' snow angel? Of course you do! It is adapted from a freebie offered by Robin of Bird In The Hand Primitives... swing on over & grab it! Plus, she has lots more you will wanna get while you are there too! Thank you Robin! I hope to finish punching mine soon & stitch it into a lil' pillow for my sister for her birthday.

Before I go back to my punching for the day... I wanted to let you know TWO new cross stitch patterns will be released on December 1st!

Wishing you many warm smiles...

Betty

Friday, November 20, 2009

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends! It is FRIDAY again.... TGIF to ya! It is time for sharing... but before I do, I owe a big apology to Theresa. She shared her ~*Wicked*~ finish with me on November 1st... and because I am the world's worst at organization... I totally missed sharing her finish last week. Theresa, I am so sorry! Please forgive me... I promise to try better next time & be more 'on top of things'.

Here is Theresa's fabulous finish... she stitched over one on a 28ct evenweave fabric that she coffee dyed herself. Sparkling, isn't it? :)


This pattern always makes me smile... ~*Snowy Tony*~ has been hooked by Rhonda. She used the greatest color combination too! Love Love Love it Rhonda!


Now for a ~*Thankful*~ finish... just in time for the Holiday...

Myra used Hand Dyed Fibers 35 count linen (she said "grab bag, no color name") with Hand Dyed Fibers Silk Exemplar Fried Pickles. (Isn't that a cool name? I personally don't like the taste of pickles, but I'm thinkin' I really like the thread color.) :) She finished her stitching into a pillow and used some hand made metal beads from a friend on the tassels. Then she polished it off with the sweet lil' key charm. She also says that the fabric the pillow is sitting on is the same fabric she used for backing. Awesome!


Thank you again for playing and sharing! :)

Here, for me, it has been another struggling week trying to get a finish or two. These aren't finished yet, but are getting closer. One will be on Ebay in the next few days and one is for a friend. I plan to embellish them with buttons, garland, and pipe~cleaner candy canes. They are needlepunched, sawdust stuffed, and have a little needle felting for trim.

Hopefully I can finish these today and continue with my ever~growing list of 'wanna makes'!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

~*No Trash-To-Treasure Tuesday*~

Hello My Dear Friends! Well, I knew I wouldn’t get a Trash-To-Treasure done on time for today… and I was right. However, I did dig through the pile yesterday and found some inspiration… but lacked the time to get working on it. Hence, ~*No Trash-To-Treausre Tuesday*~.

We have Cub Scouts every Tuesday evening and tonight I’m ‘in charge’ of organizing the project for the boys. That isn’t all that easy of a task… thinking how to keep a bunch of 7 year olds busy for 45 minutes… when it doesn’t involve playing their favorite game ~ TAG! So, instead of painting or crafting… I was trying to come up with a project and get the supplies for it.

One of the requirements the boys have is to make and give a gift. Thanks to the internet, I came across directions to make Chicken Noodle Soup in a Jar. Thinking that next week is Thanksgiving… and you know that means leftover turkey… this would be GREAT! Turkey can be swapped for chicken easily… and wouldn’t it be great for the boys to give a gift to Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Susie... or just to Mom & Dad?



The recipe can be found HERE. Oh, and be sure to look at the others available on the site. There are some super printable labels available too! Actually, it is a great site altogether with TONS of free crafty ideas!

The Turkey Tag came from this site. Isn’t it cute?

Recently, I subscribed to Taste of Home and received a free Thanksgiving recipe booklet. In the booklet, there is a recipe for making these Pilgrim Hat Cookies. (The photo in the book is much better than mine… I’m very sloppy with the piping… or would that be primitive? lol) I thought the boys would enjoy them so I decided to whip up a batch for the Pack. There is no cooking involved!




So… maybe next week I can get a new Trash-To-Treasure finished to share with ya. Or some new cross stitch? Needlepunch? Rug hooking? Guess I should get away from the computer and get to work, huh?

Maybe I should just get rested up for tonight... so I can keep up with all the wild kiddos!

Wishing you all warm smiles,

Betty

Thursday, November 12, 2009

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello My Dear Friends! It is Friday once again... that means it is time for ~*Friday Finishes*~... Enjoy! I've enjoyed seeing each & every one! :)

My good buddy, Doris, must have punchneedles for fingers! This woman punches up one marvelous piece after another... non~stop! Doris is also very talented at dyeing her own floss. She dyed the kitty's body for ~*Christmas Kitty*~...


She also dyed the background for this Willie pattern... Doris told me too that she used a wool yarn for Willie and a #6 needle...

So SWEET ~ they both are!

Carla has stitched up ~*Thankful*~ just in time for Thanksgiving. Isn't it beautiful? You should really check out Carla's home on her online album too... it is decorated so warmly!


Patti has stitched up another ~*Thankful*~...she stitched one earlier for her Etsy market, but this one she said she is keeping for herself. She stitched both a pinkeep and a FOB this time... STUNNING!


Michelle has a beautiful ~*Thankful*~ finish too! The floss she used it GAST cranberry. How cool is that? Oh, and don't you just LOVE the pilgrims?! She said she found them at BigLots... I've got to swing by there & see if I can find a set.


The final finish for the day is from Henrietta (no blog or online album). She too has stitched up ~*Thankful*~ just in time for Thanksgiving. This is a gift for her sister. She said she has a small square frame that it will be perfect for. Henrietta stitched on 30 count linen with Belle Soie Cinnamon Stick... one over one! WOWSERS! Lovely too!


Thank you again, all of you, for stitching & sharing! Please keep 'em coming too... I just LOVE to see & share!

The week has been hectic here... trying to get ready for the barn sale tomorrow. I'll be happy when it is over so things will get back to normal. There hasn't been hardly any crafting going on because of the sale... but I do have lots of things started.

You may remember this dolly...

She was listed on Ebay a couple of weeks ago. She did have a winning bidder... but that bidder turned out to be a 'bad apple'... not paying or contacting me after the auction. So, she is back up for consideration. If you are interested in seeing more of her... CLICK HERE or search seller id primitivebettys.

Also, primitivebettys is now on Facebook too! If you would like to be a fan, you can see a link to click by scrolling down on my blog.

Wishing you all warm smiles... and a Happy Friday!

Betty

~*Cub Scout Excitement*~

Hello Dear Friends! The last few days have been busy with Cub Scout excitement.

The boys were given a wonderful tour of the Emporia Police station this week. They were shown all around the station, got to hear a dispatch call taken (thankfully not a dangerously bad call), were shown how to find a fingerprint, and were shown how Arco, the canine pooch, could sniff out some drugs. The boys and parents really enjoyed the tour. It was exciting and informative.





There was no school yesterday... to honor Veteran's Day. Our local city of Emporia, Kansas holds a parade to celebrate & thank our brave Veteran's and active military personnel. (In fact, did you know that Emporia is the founding city of Veteran's Day? You can read about it HERE if you are interested in learning more.) The boys were delighted to be a part of the parade. Trinity was tickled that he could help carry the Scout banner...



My heart and soul thanks each and every Veteran and active military personnel!

I've been trying to get some projects completed this week... but have been stressing about a Barn Sale (multi-family garage sale really) we have scheduled for this Saturday. So hopefully come Sunday... I will be stress~free hooking, punching, and stitching the day away!

Wishing you warm smiles,

Betty

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

~*Trash~To~Treasure*~

Hello Dear Friends! My trash~to~treasure pile is growing! We have a few new thrift shops near home and it seems I just can't stay away. Plus, we have been working on sorting through things we have stored around the house for a garage/barn sale planned for next weekend... how does one accumulate so much? As we are sorting, it seems there are items that just call to me wanting to be saved. So, they too have been added to my re~do pile. I took a picture of only SOME of what is waiting to be made over. Piled on the basement floor...



Would you believe my stash or 're~do wanna be's' has doubled since this photo was taken just last week? YIKES!

Well, here is one that is actually finished and sitting on the kitchen counter now...

before...


This tea box was $3.99 at our new Goodwill store. I've been on a tea kick lately and needed a spot to store it. So it just HAD to come home with me.



I gave it a quick rinse of warm water & let dry. Then I removed the TEA label... it was just plastic anyway. Next came a coat of flat black paint followed by a quick coat of a flat red. Then I grabbed the electric sander to give it that olde instant age touch. The shoe polish was next... to stain & wax it. I thought it still needed a label... so, what better way for me to add one than than to stitch one? I grabbed a small scrap of linen and some brown thread... and within minutes it was finished. (oh, okay... several minutes) I stained the label with my walnut mix and dried it in the oven. Then using some plain carpet tacks that I sanded the heads on... attached the label to the lid... and 'voila...

Tea anyone?

after...


You know, if I was organized enough... I could have a Tuesday blog day called 'Trash~To~Treasure Tuesday'. I've got enough pieces to keep that active for many, many, many weeks... hummmmm... I'll have to think about that one.

Wishing you all many warm smiles and a happy start to your week...

Betty

Sunday, November 8, 2009

~*Fun FILLED Yesterday*~

Hello My Dear Friends! Yesterday was fun FILLED for sure! It was full of hookin' & racin'! What could possibly be more fun?

Bright & early yesterday morning, Robin and I drove to Topeka for Judy Cripps' monthly hook~in. It felt like FOREVER since the last visit there! It is always so great to get together with other hookers, shop for wool, enjoy the ambiance, and tantalize the taste buds with all the awesome food dishes! Judy had fragrant candles lit throughout the house and had all her Fall decor in place. Here are some of the rugs I snapped while we were there...













I didn't take photos of the scrumptious foods, but this will make you drool... Judy's shoppe in the basement...




Judy is now offering penny rug patterns. This is one she is giving a class for next weekend. Isn't he great?



After the hook~in was over, Robin and I said our 'good byes'... she went shopping and I found my boys for some rc car racing...

Watching the races can get intense! This is Tony (on the far right) and Jamie (in the center) watching one of the races ~ apparently studying up on their opponents. Not sure who the other guy is...


Tony and Jamie 'tooled' on their trucks between races...


Trinity didn't have a buggy ready for racing, but not to worry. He found a new friend & they enjoyed their own races...



I didn't get any good shots of the races ~ those cars just move too fast! But to give you some idea of what the track is like... this photo was taken before the racing began. The race track is in an old warehouse in downtown Topeka. They moved in truck loads of dirt/clay mix to 'build' the track. It is probably 2-3 feet thick. They then use dirt movers & packers to get the track exactly they way they want... and water it down to make it tacky. While the races are going on, they have 'turn marshals' at various spots around the track to rescue stranded vehicles ... they sometimes wreck, of course, or get flipped over. The turn marshals set them straight again so the race can continue. There are at least 3 cars/buggies/ or trucks racing at one time. The race lasts 5 minutes on average. They race like this three times for qualifying and then once more for the 'main'. Racing last night started at 6pm and didn't end until shortly after midnight. (Trinity and I left before the end 'cause that was just too late for us.)



I hope your day yesterday and even your day today are GRAND! After a good night's rest... I've been spending the day today cleaning house. Hopefully I can get a little crafting in the evening.

Wishing you warm smiles,

Betty

Friday, November 6, 2009

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello My Dear Friends! Oh goodness... I have been a very bad blogger this week & have been so quiet. I'm so sorry! There are so many things I want to share with you & will ~ needle punching, trash~to~treasure, and cross stitching... just to name a few. But today's post is reserved for ~*Friday Finishes*~... and here they are... Enjoy!

Nan has stitched up ~*Thankful*~... just BEAUTIFULLY too! She stitched this on some hand~dyed linen she found at DoveStitch in the UK. She says this is the best~ever linen she has ever used. She believes the linen is made in Belgium and then George and Greta of DoveStitch dye it themselves. It is their Light Chocolate color. For threads she used The Thread Gatherer, chocolate caramel. Humm.... sounds good enough to eat huh?



The acorns in the corner are just PERFECT too!

Next is a super~great, ~*Boo Jack*~ stitched by Heidi. She used kloster cloth for her fabric. The finished pillow is just DARLING, don't ya think?



Some more great stitches by Patti...

This is a freebie offered to members of the Stacy Nash Groupies Yahoo group. (You can get this design by becoming a member.) Patti says this is her last Halloween finish of the year & what a dandy it is! She worked on it while passing out candy on Halloween. She stitched on a pumpkin~colored linen (perfect!) and finished it off by constructing the pillow, filling with crushed walnut shells, and trimming with black rickrack. Oh, and for the finishing sweetness... added some vintage touches.



Patti has also finished a ~*Thankful*~ turkey... adding her trademark ~ an old, skeleton key ~ for the glorifying touch.



Patti offers many of her delightful wares on Etsy. CLICK HERE to visit her shoppe.

The final ~*Friday Finish*~ for the day was beautifully stitched by Sonnja. She used the ~*Blessings*~ freebie and made a truly heartfelt lil' pillow. Just adorable!



Thank you as always... for stitching and sharing your lovely works! I do just love to see & share them!

I will do my best to keep a little more active in Blogland. My camera is full of photos to share and I'm sure will have even more after the weekend. We have rug hooking and rc car racing planned. What a combination huh? Stay tuned for more updates coming soon.

Wishing you warm smiles,

Betty