Thursday, March 31, 2011

~*Early Work Mercantile*~

Has been updated with a bowl full of early goodies...


Hello My Dear Friends! No foolin'... my ~*Early Work Mercantile*~ page has been updated! Please pop over to see & be sure to browse the other talented artists while you are there. I'm sure you will see some awesome prim~ditties!

I worked with antique inspirations this month. Well... maybe I always do that, but I feel these offerings are especially early~looking. You will see an Oxford punch candle mat, a stitched & aged strawberry pinkeep, and a punchneedle pillow tuck too.

I've also added Paypal ~*Buy Now*~ buttons... and have found once again that my computer 'how~to' can still surprise me.

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

~*My Busy Work*~

Hello Dear Friends! I thought I would share some of my multi~tasking with you.

This is like a broken~record by now... but I have eight Oxford punched mats bound...

No, I didn't bind all those just today. I've been working on them in the evenings while watching TV. But I still have this many more to bind & should be working on them this afternoon...


Before I can work on those though... I have a distributor order to fill. So patterns have been printing on my trusty lil' printer~ they still need to be stuffed & boxed & dropped off at UPS tomorrow morning...


While they were printing... I was stitching at my desk...


There are sure to be some housework duties needing to be done and the kiddo will get out of school in just a couple of hours... then it will be time to whip up some supper... so I better get back to workin'...

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

~*PIF Gifts Have Been Received*~

So I can share them with you...



I made six ~*Easter*~ freebie pinkeeps! Yes, six. I couldn't just stop at five!!

The gifts also included a copy of my pattern, ~*Spring Pillow Tuck*~ and a set of notepads.

I think the girls like them. It was fun to put the gifts together. :)

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

Monday, March 28, 2011

~*More Starts*~

Hello Dear Friends! I started yet more projects over the weekend...





Yup, I dusted of my Cameo and punched some doodles. They have been stained ~ two are still drying. Now I need to decide how to finish them. Small mats? Framed? Or maybe some needle books?

The craft show deadline is quickly approaching, but so is the update for Early Work Mercantile. I have gobs of things started ~ Oxford mats, a couple of hooked pieces, several punched pieces, and even a few cross stitched items ~ that MUST be finished! I get idea after idea and can't seem to fight the urge to start something new.

Plus... I was thinking a new doodle booklet should be drawn up for offering. I'm thinking of offering it as an epattern. What do you think? Do you prefer epattern or a snail mailed pattern? Please post your preference in the poll on the sidebar. Thank you in advance for that too!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

Friday, March 25, 2011

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends! It is Friday... and you know what that means... ~*Friday Finishes*~! There are some darling ditties... so I'm not going to waste any time! Here they are!!!

Several ~*Easter*~ freebie finishes... each is beautiful and oh~so~lovely!

This one if from Carla. I find her choice of a darker blue very striking.

From, Cathi, in Berlin. She found the perfect tray to put her finish in. It is from a candy container. Very sweet!

The next one is from my dear buddy, Doris, who just recently started cross stitching. Doris made her Easter finish into a card. One very special friend is going to get a very special gift!
Doris also stitched up the ~*Home*~ freebie. The blue is stunning!

Michelle stitched up this darling ditty, using the ~*May Day*~ freebie, on 14 count oatmeal with DMC... and has plans to gift it to her dear Momma. Precious!


I have some finishes too... but this is all I can share of them for now...


My PIF gifts are finished & packed for delivery. I'm swinging by the Post Office in a few minutes. Once they have been received, I'll share them with you here.

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty

Thursday, March 24, 2011

~*Who's Got Wool?*~

WHAT?


We've got wool...







I just thought my wool~lovin' friends would like to see more from the petting zoo.

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

~*Spring Break Fun*~

Hello Dear Friends! We are having a blast of a Spring Break here! We've played lots outside... baseball, basketball, running around the yard & park, playing with the dog... and today... enjoying the animals at The Topeka Zoological Park! I grew up visiting this zoo in Topeka and it is such a joy to be able to take Trinity there. The grounds have changed over the years, but they have only gotten better. Today, the animals seemed especially interested in showing off. Not very many were hiding out like they have been while on past visits. here are some pics of our fun...
















The next few days are due to be cold, rainy, and maybe even snowy... so it looks like the rest of Spring Break will be spent inside. That is okay with me... crafty~time!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

Sunday, March 20, 2011

~*Happy Spring*~



Happy SPRING to all my Friends!

These jonquils are always the first to bloom & welcome the season. We have them scattered all over the yard. Their bright, yellow blooms are so cheerful!

Yesterday was rainy and cold here. We were only in the low 50s... but Tony still managed to man the grill for the big family March Birthday party. We had a wonderful family day. The only thing that would have made it better... would have been if the weather yesterday was like the the weather today... expected high 70s by afternoon & BRILLIANTLY SUNNY!

Trinity dug his bike out of the barn this morning and is already making laps around the driveway...


I did quite a bit in the yard last week. One thing I do each year is make a temporary border for our every~expanding poppy patch in the backyard. I don't want them to be trampled by footsteps... so they need something to mark them & keep them safe while they are growing & blooming. I loaded the pick~up with logs & limbs from the back and simply set them around the edge. I've got an old washtub in the center that will hold another blooming plant later in the season. It fills a bare spot in the bed. Once the poppies bloom and seed out... we will just mow them down. The limbs I've gathered will just be taken back to the pile in the back. Simple...make~do... and primitive...



Wishing you all a glorious Spring and many warm smiles...

Betty

Friday, March 18, 2011

~*Friday Finishes*~

It is FRIDAY! TGIF!

The week has flown by in a blur... once again. The weather here has been wonderful. And you may know what that means... yard work. Yesterday we got up to 81 degrees! How could I not be out in the yard clearing out flowerbeds? It was too nice not to be. Today is expected to be cooler... but because I've been outside so much this week, the house needs some attention today. Floors need to be swept and the pile of laundry has been building... today will be a catch~up day! Plus... family is coming tomorrow to celebrate all the March Birthdays. We hope to pull the grill out for the first time this year! YUMMMMM!!!

I've only received one ~*Friday Finish*~ to share... but it is a GOODIE! Michelle has stitched up the latest ~*Easter Freebie*~... and has it finished into the sweetest lil' pillow tuck...



Michelle stitched on 18 count linen. She didn't say what floss she used, but it looks just perfect to me! Thank you for stitching and sharing, Michelle.

Please remember, I love to see & share finishes. My email is on the sidebar. Send them to me & I'll post them on ~*Friday Finishes*~.

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

Thursday, March 17, 2011

~*Stitched*~

Hello Dear Friends! Happy St. Patrick's Day! Are you wearing your green?

I stitched the latest freebie last night...


I started it at the begging of American Idol and put the last stitch in during the 10 o'clock news. I like quick stitches!

Fiber picks... Zweigart - 28 ct Cashel, Light Mocha with DMC floss... 3787, 3052, 3859, and 926. You know me, I'll probably do a little walnut dye over it now too.

Thank you for all the kind words of praise & thanks for the latest freebie offering. I'm glad you all like it.

Wishing you all warm smiles... and Irish kisses today too!

Betty

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

~*Easter Freebie*~

Enjoy!



© primitivebettys 2011

63 by 42 stitches



Hello Dear Friends! I thought it was time to offer another freebie. I hope you like it. Please feel free to pick your own floss colors. I was thinking of soft, but prim, pastels. Wouldn't it be great to stitch this up, then add to the Easter basket?

Please have fun with it! Please give credit to me for the design... Betty Dekat/primitivebettys. And please... send those finishes so I can share them with all! The link to my email is on the sidebar to the left.

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

~*Yarn Sampling*~

Hello Dear Friends! Recently I received a suggestion from a fellow blogger that I should try Halycon Rug Yarn with my Oxford Punch. Several suggested yarn ~ Ginger told me to try yarn and even try to mix yarn and woolly strips. I've tried a few yarns, but wasn't really happy with the outcome... although, the yarns I was trying were cotton or acrylic blends. So... when Halycon was suggested... I hopped on over to their website & ordered a sampling of colors. Three of my choices are on back order, but these arrived via UPS last night...



This is a nice, fat yarn... very unlike the yarns I've tried so far. Of course, I haven't had time yet today to punch with it... but hope to before the day ends. Because I ordered a sampling of colors... I didn't really have a design or specific motif in mind. So... what images to you see when you see these colors? I'm thinking maybe a sunflower bloom, a saltbox house, a cat/dog... hmmm... the ideas are spurring!

I'll update you on the progress soon. I've got a few other things to do too... there are still craft projects to finish for that craft show in April, a sampler to finish for that pattern release, and a few ditties to fulfill my Pay It Forward promise... guess I should get busy.

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

Sunday, March 13, 2011

~*A Garden We Will Grow*~



or at least we hope to...



Hello Dear Friends!

Yesterday, Tony shared his idea with me about where he thought we should put a garden. We have been in this home for over 4 years now and have talked about doing a garden each year., but haven't planted one yet. This year... we hope to make that talk a reality. We use to have an old boxcar (a railroad once ran past our property line) sitting in our backyard. We (with the help of our BIL Jimmy) knocked the thing down... and burnt it. A couple of local boys collected the scrap metal and hauled it away. The spot left has been a weed patch for the last couple of years. So... this weekend we began cleaning it up. Hopefully in the next couple of months it will be full of lots of yummy veggies!

However, as we were digging yesterday... we ran across a piece of concrete that measured about 3 by 6 feet. Oh goodness were we alarmed! This seemed to us to be about the size of a vault... the things they put caskets in. You should have heard the two of us chatting and speculating... what could this be? why it was there? what do we do if we unearth a body? We don't have a tractor or bulldozer. So we had to think of other ways to remove it. Or should we?



We did... and thankfully it wasn't anything but a piece of concrete. We still were not sure why it was there though. Until we found two more. The first one was in the middle of where the boxcar once sat. The other two were on either end. Apparently they were set there to stabilize the boxcar. When we removed the first one, Tony and I took turns slinging the sledgehammer and tossing the rock pieces into the wheelbarrow. The other two slabs, we decided could just stay put. I think they will be cute to decorate the garden... add a couple of chairs and table... a nice place to picnic or just sit and relax.

OC, one of our outdoor kitties, had to inspect our work...



Now it seems time to get the greenhouse up & running... once we get some repairs made on it. The Kansas winds have wrecked havoc on it during the last few months.

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

Saturday, March 12, 2011

~*Pay It Forward*~



Good Morning Dear Friends! I heard about this on Lori's blog and just had to sign up to do it too!

Paying it forward is always a wonderful thing to do. Sharing with others and giving... just awesome! One thing I learned real quick in the craft world is that crafters are so very generous with their talents and their hearts!

HERE IS HOW IT WORKS...

THE FIRST FIVE PEOPLE WHO COMMENT
ON THIS BLOG POST WILL RECEIVE
A HANDMADE GIFT FROM ME.
IN RETURN, YOU MUST FIRST WRITE A BLOG
POST ON YOUR BLOG EXPLAINING
PAY IT FORWARD 2011.
THEN, SEND OUT A HANDMADE GIFT TO THE FIRST
FIVE VISITORS WHO LEAVE A COMMENT
ON YOUR POST. TAKE YOUR TIME....
THIS SHOULD BE A FUN, JOYFUL EXPERIENCE.
NO PRESSURE...JUST ENJOY THE
PROCESS OF MAKING AND GIVING AS I
INTEND TO DO.

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

Friday, March 11, 2011

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends! The sun is shining brightly here today and the temperature is going to soar into the 70s... what a beautiful day!

Here are some beautiful finishes to go along with the gorgeous early~Spring time day...

From Kerri... several sweetly stitched goodies...

the ~*Spring Freebie*~... wonderful floss choices. I just LOVE the color changes!

~*Love Me*`... so heartfelt & elegant...

~*Symple Scissor FOB X Stitch Freebie*~... so unique & ingenious to finish into an egg!


This next finish isn't from one of my pattern doodles... but a faithful follower shared it with me and it is so sweet... I'm sharing it with you. Michelle punched up this simple bunny and framed it in a frame she found at the Goodwill store. A simple, sweet Spring goodie...
Thank you ladies for stitching and sharing!

Recently I taught a rug hooking class at the local quilt shop in Emporia. We have met for one hook~in together since the class... and this coming Monday will be our 2nd get together. I'm so excited! My hope is that our group will grow and grow and grow. It is so wonderful to share time with kindred spirits.

One of the gals I've had the wonderful opportunity to met, with the hooking fun, is Jerilynn. You may remember I posted about her children's book "Raccoons in the Corn". Well... she has recently started a blog... and she is quite the story teller! If you get a chance... pop on over. Beyond My Pasture Gate is the title of her blog. She has been sharing the most lovable stories about the four~legged loves of her life... her favorite dogs. I have caught myself wondering if all her happenings in her stories are true... some are quite humorous... but after visiting with her in person, the happenings, as colorful and silly as they may sound... have got to be true. She so bright and friendly... an honest to goodness Kansas country girl!

Some have asked about the craft show, pattern details, and how I get so many things done... well... *I've continued punching up lil' mats with my Oxford needle. The stack is growing and I should have several to offer at the upcoming craft show... scheduled for April 9th at the small mall we have here in Emporia, Kansas. I'm doing the show with my SIL, Robin. My niece, Tamara, may have a few goodies to include too. *I'm still stitching on the sampler I shared. It should be a released pattern in mid to late April. *There is never a dull moment around here... I cannot just sit. My hands have to be working on something or I will simply fall asleep... true exhaustion maybe? A follower asked if I work outside the home... I do not. BUT... I do work hard at keeping up with a vivacious 8 year old, volunteer at his school, try to keep the house looking fairly clean, and cook a few meals now and then... and then there are always the great family get~togethers we have with our awesome extended family. There is never a dull moment moment.

Wishing you all warm smiles... and a wonderful weekend!

Betty