Thursday, May 31, 2012

~*Early Work Mercantile Updated!*~

Hello Dear Friends! My offering page on Early Work Mercantile has been updated for June 1st. Here are my wares for this month... 

My finished Farmhouse Locker Hooked Rug... I'm calling it ~*A Bit of Summer Cheer*~...
and ~*Ellie's Pocket & Dolly*~...
You can pop over to see more photos... and while you are there... be sure to take a gander at the prim wares the other artists have to offer too.  I'm always in awe at the works created!  I'm sure you are too!

I would like to remind you of the contest Primitive Handmades Mercantile is having this month.  If you haven't participated and signed up yet, there is still time.  One of the giveaway prize offerings is my ~*In the Garden*~ hanging pillow tuck.

~*Cat with Flowers*~ pillow tuck... my offering, is still available if you are interested.  I should take more photos of it... this picture does not do it justice.  The background is much  more muted than it is showing.  

You can visit my offering page on Primitive Handmades Mercantile... HERE.


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Tomorrow will be a day spent in the kitchen... baking lots of wedding cake!  My beautiful, little sister is getting married on Saturday.  She asked me to bake her cake.  Oh my goodness... what have I agreed to?  I'm not a baker.  Wish me luck!
 
Wishing you all warm smiles...
 
Betty
 

~*Busy Busy Busy... as usual*~

Hello Dear Friends! Yes... I'm like a broken record... always saying how busy I am. I'm sorry, but it is true. However, tonight before I close my eyes for the day... Early Work Mercantile will be updated with two new offerings. More on that later. Here is some of what has kept me so busy this past week...

ball games and ball practice... this is on top of tae kwon do class... and even more fun...
Our weekly craft project... God's Eye making.  I'm trying to do something creative & crafty each week during Summer Break with him.  Last week we made bird-feeders from milk jugs.  I have yet to see a bird visit them... but the squirrels sure are happy!
Tony and I spent Saturday together visiting several antique/thrift shop/flea markets.  I found a few small trinkets and he found a few more vintage Rock albums for his collection.  This guitar was a HOOT!  We didn't bring it home, but we did have fun playing with it at the shop.  How funny!

I have a few errands to run today... and lots of things to with the kiddo... Summer Reading at the library kick-off, tae kwon do class, ball practice, and probably supper at McDonald's... but I will get my pictures taken of my wares and have my update done tonight.  Stay tuned...

Wishing you warm smiles and a beautiful day!

Betty

Friday, May 25, 2012

~*Friday Finishes*`

Hello Dear Friends and Happy Friday!  I wish you all a Happy Memorial Day.  May you celebrate and be thankful for our brave with family, friends, and lots of love.
 
Of course, I hope you have lots of crafty time this weekend too.  I apologize for sparking the inspirational crafty goodness with my latest locker hooking project.  ***smile!***  My table rug is almost finished and I will share it with you very soon.  It looks like I still have a pretty full bowl of ripped threads too... which means there just might be another rug.  ***wink***
 
There is a beauty of a ~*Friday Finish*~ to share with you.  This one comes from dear Cathi... she stitched up my latest freebie ~*In My Garden*~...
 
Cathi's stitches are just wonderful!  Thank you for stitching and sharing!
 
I still need to get all my freebie charts and doodles transferred to another site.  Hopefully I can find some quiet time this weekend to finalize it all.  I'll share with you soon.  I lowered the storage rate on my Picturetrail account.  They were billing me at a higher rate each year (like everything else, rates going up).  I'm pretty sure I can store them in an online album on Flickr or Photobucket for free... just need to decide which is the best for sharing with all of you.
 
Wishing you all warm smiles...
 
Betty

Thursday, May 24, 2012

~*Making a Crafty Re~Visit*~

Hello Dear Friends!  There are more times than I would like to admit... where I get inspired/side~tracked/kidnapped/diverted or just plain lost in my creative muse.  I know that I have deadlines and 'need to do' items... but then I get bitten by the desire to pick up another medium.  Happen to you?

Well, here is the latest diversion... a bowl of cotton fabric ~ ripped into one inch wide strips...    
A big ol' skein of cotton yarn...
and my locker hook.
Shortly before Tony and I were married... he bought me a locker hooking kit from a local gift shop.  (He has always encouraged me to follow my creative dreams!)  At the time, I didn't know anything about rug hooking... with cotton or wool.  I had always had a fondness for hooked rugs... but was clueless about the process.  That gift was the re~start of my crafty life!  You see, years ago, I did sew dolls and other 'country crafty' things... and sold them at local craft shows.  Years before that, I studied various art forms in high school and college.  I have always felt a need to create something... some way or another.

I made a few locker hooked items... and purchased this book too... which I highly recommend if you are interested in learning this form of rug hooking.
Well, just as my creative wants sway from one thing to another... my locker hook was set aside and has been untouched for a few years.  However, I had the urge to pick it back up yesterday... and have started this farmhouse table rug...(you can see a close~up of it in the picture above with my hook)...

I'm using scraps of brights that were mostly from re~claimed items of clothing, sheets, or curtains.  I'm thrilled with the progress... and have lots more hooked now than when I took the picture.  It is a fairly speedy form of hooking...
My sweet SIL, Robin, is partly responsible for this recent craft diversion.  This beautiful red, white, and blue mat was made by her and gifted to me.  She has made several other mats in days of late.  Some have also been gifts, but some are for sale in our booth too... and are selling rather well.

I'm not sure what the plans are for the table rug I'm making just yet... but I'll keep you posted.

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

~*Before Noon Today*~

Hello Dear Friends!  Summer has begun... and we have been busy already.  I just know it won't be long before I hear those dreaded words... "I'm bored."  But for now, I'm not giving him a chance to say them!

All before noon today...

We started the day by checking the bird~feeders we made yesterday from milk jugs...
 Then weeded our veggie garden...
 He tries to use the hoe, but is much better pulling the weeds from inside the buckets (used to protect against hungry rabbits that are over~populating our yard)...
 He didn't work alone... I did my share...
 We took some time to be goofy too.  You can barely see it, but he was trying to give me rabbit ears too...
 We admired our veggies... grape tomatoes...
 Roma tomatoes...
 We played some more.  I don't know who loves the other more...
 We walked around the yard so I could 'oh' and 'ah' my flowers...
 This is a tiny fairy garden I put together the other day... in an old enameled bathtub... with various seedums from the yard...
 Some of my Morning Glories are starting to bloom (but seem to have been stricken by the extremely high winds we were having today)...
 This it the hanging flower basket Trinity gave me for my birthday... aaaahhhh.... I love it!
 After we were finished outside... we escaped into the studio.  He worked on his artwork and I on mine.  Notice the cartoons... they seem to be a requirement for him to create... or mandatory if you ask him.
 Brownie had to join us too.  He really loves plopping down on the cool floor...
 While I had the camera out today... I remember I hadn't shared this with you yet.  This is the gift my husband gave me as a combined Birthday/Mother's Day gift.  Oh... I love it too!  I missed one at an auction a few weeks early... and almost cried!  But, that one was too much over anything I could ever pay for.  We spotted this one at one of our favorite antique shops at a much more reasonable price...
 I didn't put it next door in the studio.  Instead, I put it on my favorite cabinet in the living room so I could see it every time I walk past it.  And it is filled with all my floss...
 I'll share this with you too.  Atop the spool cabinet sits a lovely apothecary jar that I recently purchased at a garage sale for only $2.  What a great find!  It is made of such thick glass.  I'm not an expert, but I do think it is pretty old.  I haven't decided what to fill it with yet.  Sooner or later, it will be full of something though.

I'm working on dolls and punches... and many other things that didn't get in the photo shoot today, but will be shared soon.

Wishing you warm smiles... and fun Summer days...

Betty

Friday, May 18, 2012

~*Friday Finishes*~

 Hello Dear Friends... and Happy Friday!  Today is the final day of school here.  That means 'Summer Fun' is about to begin!  Or... if you would rather call it 'Mom, I'm Bored'... I'm sure you can relate!  Well, I have a bunch of things planned ~ baseball, basketball camp, swimming, Summer Movie passes, art projects, and much more.  Hopefully I can keep up my energy to match his... and not get too much on the plate because you all have read how much I try to do all the time anyway!  Oh, don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to it!  I know this will be one FUN summer!

Do you see that pretty finish up above?  That lovely ditty was stitched up by Sally as a gift to a friend.  She thought her friend could use a little pick me up... and this was just the trick to do it!  I agree!  She used DMC and added some flower accents.  I just love how she off~set the stitching on the pillow.  Just so sweet!  This pattern is available in my freebie collection... ~*Friend*~ freebie.  You can see all my free patterns... HERE... for now anyway.  I'm thinking I need to move them as I have used up all the allotted room in my picturetrail account.  I'll keep you posted on where they go.

Some more news to share... I have listed my ~*Antique House*~ Pillow Tuck on Ebay.  Remember seeing this?  The pattern was given out by my dear friend, Kelley of With Hook and Needle, as a challenge piece.  I had it offered on Primitive Handmades Mercantile last month... but didn't get any purchase requests.  Hmmmm... well... maybe someone will be interested now.  I am very pleased with the finish.


Wishing you all a blessed Friday... with lots of warm smiles...
 
Betty

Thursday, May 17, 2012

~*Primitive Handmades Mercantile*~

 Hello Dear Friends!  I've just finished updating my page on Primitive Handmades Mercantile.  Swing by if you get a chance!

The pattern for my needlepunch pillow tuck was another antique reproduction given by my dear friend, Kelley of With Hook and Needle.  Thank you Kelley!

I'm somewhat disappointed with myself... I only have one offering for the site this month.  Time has been a bit snaggled by too many other things.  However, I did work up a finish from my latest freebie to donate for this months contest...
You will surely want to visit Primitive Handmades Mercantile!  There is so much talent there... and the contest has got to be fun!

It is late as I'm typing this message... so off to dream land for me now.  However, I will be posting again tomorrow to share ~*Friday Finishes*~.

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

~*Freebie Gift!*~

~*In My Garden*~ freebie
 
© primitivebettys 2012
105 by 38 stitches
 
Hello Dear Friends!  With the end of school near, Summer approaching, and the busy weekends with family... my poor blog has continued to be neglected.  I'm so sorry for my absence.  There are so many things I want to share with you... but am having trouble making the time to do that.  So... in my absence... and hopefully it won't be too much longer... here is a gift for you.  Enjoy!
 
Please feel free to use your choice of colors... and finish as you see fit.  I'm thinking a sweet hanging pillow would be perfect!
 
Notice the stitches... some are full and some are not.  I think this helps give it a 'missed stitched' or 'aged' look.  You may want to work with full stitches... and that is alright too.  

Please do give credit to me, Betty Dekat... primitivebettys... for the design.  And remember... I love to see & share finishes!  Send them to me so I can!

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty
 
 

Thursday, May 10, 2012

~*What A Find!*~

 Hello Dear Friends!  Yes, I know it has been a week since my last post.  I'm so sorry.  When I told my husband about my 'blog absence' he asked me what was wrong.  He said my peeps were going to be worried about me.  Well, nothing is wrong.  I have just been very busy.  Kid activities, family fun, gardening chores... and all sorts of other stuff has been on the agenda.  I've been crafting... when I can fit it in.

Also on my plate... auctions and garage sales!  I need to keep my booth at the local shop filled up and fresh!  Of course, I do have trouble letting go of some of my FINDS!  This doll was one I found at a garage sale this morning.  And I am really stunned by it!

This is a Kay Cloud ORIGINAL!  She is signed, named, and dated!  Meet "Pearl"... made by Kay in 1991.  She is a sawdust doll with a painted and varnished head. 

 She is so CHARMING!  I am in awe at the craftsmanship... and the condition of the doll.  Her clothing and body don't show any signs of wear or neglect!  And to top that off... the woman having the garage sale didn't seem to care that this is such a wonderful piece of Folk Art!  She priced the doll at only $2!

 Tucked under her dress was an envelop sent to the original buyer (?) from Kay.  Enclosed in the envelop was a brochure for Kay's company "the SAWDUST DOLL", a catalog, a photograph of some of Kay's other doll creations, and a Christmas postcard by Kay... along with a business card.

Can you say LOVE?!?
Yes, my auction and garage sale finds are suppose to be for resale... but I'm thinking I may have to hold on to this one.  At least for awhile!  *wink*
 
*~*~*~*~*~*
 
My kit for the Prim Sisters Club has been mailed... or is being mailed.  Thank you to all the folks who have signed up!  It was brought to my attention by a couple of stitchers that I didn't put on the pattern to stitch 1 over 2.  Oops!  What was I thinking?  Most of my patterns are stitched that way... if not all of them.  Maybe that is why I missed adding it.  I'm so sorry for any worries it may have caused.  I'll not forget it next time!
 
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 
Wishing you all warm smiles...
 
Betty

Thursday, May 3, 2012

~*How Does Your Garden Grow?*~


Good Morning Dear Friends!  I've been crafting, but thought I would post pictures of my gardening efforts.  Above is my old washing machine.  I moved it to the just outside the greenhouse this year.  Last year it was under a big light by the barn & was invaded by Japanese Beetles.  Hopefully this year it will do better.  The ground around the washing machine & greenhouse is beginning to be overgrown by Sweet Annie.  Oh, I do love the smell of this plant... but be forewarned if you plan to plant any... it is invasive to say the least!  We don't really mind though.  We don't have a 'perfect' lawn... it is filled with crabgrass and dandelions... but is 'country' for us!
 I tilled and planted the garden last week.  I can't take all the credit for tilling... Tony did it a couple times before I went to work on it last Wednesday.  I did plant everything myself though... and it shows with my oh~so~crooked rows! 
 In the buckets are our pepper and tomato plants.  We have a fence around the garden to keep the rabbits out, but just in case they do sneak in, they won't get to these plants.  Plus, the buckets help hold water too.

I planted 4 kinds of tomatoes, 4 kinds of peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and sweet corn.  Below are my sweet corn sprouts.  Soon, I will have to get in there to thin all the rows down.  I planted several seeds close together to help insure something came up.  Oh... and yes, I will need to weed soon!  We have gotten quite a bit of rain the last several days.  That has been good for growing, but I am afraid I will sink in the mud if I try to get in.  I took the pictures from outside the fence.
 I still have some flowers growing in the greenhouse too.  There are a couple of empty beds that still need filled... and about a half dozen pots too!
 The flowers in my horse troughs are getting bigger and bigger.  This one has too many morning glories sprouting.  I plan to move some of them around soon.  We have a lagoon (septic system) that is ugly and has a fence around it.  I have wanted for years to get these to grow on it to hide it.  Maybe this will be the year?
 Someone (Brownie?  My big pup!) decided to take a nap in this one... see the big bare spot in the upper right?  Looks like I might need to move some flowers around to fill it.  And hopefully he will stay out of it!
 I thought you might like to see some of of furry babies.  We have 6 cats.  One is spoiled and stays in the house with us 100% of the time.  She is the Queen kitty.  The others though... prefer to be outside... spoiled in their own way.  On the porch are O.C. (Oreo Cookie), Mr. Bean (scratching my cupboard), and Tommy (the biggest of the them all!).  You can see Katie's back & tail on the step.  Ima is still inside.  These guys all stay inside the garage or outbuilding during the night to be protected from coyotes, but they LOVE to roam around the house & yard during the day.  They all do extremely well staying away from the road... and know that they have a safe dwelling during the dark hours.  Each morning, it is a treat to let them out and watch them greet the day... stretching, sharpening their nails, and running to play and explore.  (Katie and Ima use to stay in my studio, but they much prefer to roam outside with the boys.)  They are all very entertaining to watch!
I've been stitching and punching... and have more to do.
Wishing you warm smiles...
Betty