~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends!  I do hope your week has been crafty!

My buddy, Pam, emailed me a sweet, finish to share...

Pam crafted this darling bunny from one of no-longer-available needlepunch patterns.  She punched it for her granddaughter.  What a sweet Easter gift!  A chocolate bunny is gone in a jiffy... but a crafty bunny is an heirloom!

Thank you for sharing, Pam!  

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I should be cross stitching, but I've been drawn to my hook!  This heart rug was a special order.  It was finished last night... and dropped in the mail today...

 The needlepunch heart was also made by me.  I made several of them before Valentine's day... this was the last one left.  My SIL, Robin, called them "strawberry hearts".  *SMILE*

Last Friday night, the night before the Lenexa hook~in, I drew up this cat doodle on linen.  I hooked on it during the day at the hook~in... and finished it this week...

 Should I call him ~*Scaredy Cat*~... or ~*Scarry Cat*~?  He is quite frigfhtful!  Don't you think?  And he has such teeny~tiny ears!  Primitive?

 Today I stopped by a big, rummage sale at a nearby church.  Here are some things I drug home...

 some wool yarn... maybe I will whip the cat rug with some of it?  I've already given my Momma a shout out about the knitting needles.  She has claimed them... and says knitting is on her bucket list.

 vintage glassware, odd~old rooster, chalkware lamb... and some Buffalo China (my fav!)  (I have it mixed with my White Ironstone.)

and some WOOL!  It is in the washer now.  I'm thinking a day of dyeing is in the near furture!

Of course, I do need to get some cross stitches worked up!  You know I have patterns started and not finished!  

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

~*Unfinished Before & Unfinished After*~

Hello Dear Friends!  It seems the winter snowfall is going to attack us in just a few short BIG storms.  We had one last week of 9" or so... and another yesterday of about 6" more.  The kiddo has been happy to have three snow days... and even an early release yesterday.  It is nice to have him home.

I have been keeping busy too... being snowed in!

You may remember me talking about my weaving loom.  (Sherre, I know you asked.)  It was an anniversary present from my dear husband last year.  I've only made one rug on it... but I will make more!  Besides being super busy with oodles of other things to make or do... my loom is stored in our rather undesirable basement.  Our home is a simple ranch... no bells & whistles.  We do love it though!  Our basement, I do not love.  Finishing it off would be very expensive... and it certainly isn't a necessity.  So... I decided to make the best of it.

I had this idea at the spur of the moment ~ re-do the loom area!  I asked my dear Mom if she had any leftover paint she didn't want or need any longer... thinking I could just mix some partial cans together to make~do for this part of our basement.  Oh she seemed so happy I asked.  She had several cans she really wanted to get rid of.  They are difficult to dispose of... and were taking up too much storage space.  To my delight, I took them all.  One can was 3/4 full of exterior 'Moth Gray'... and was used for my re-do.  The other cans I will hold on to for some furniture painting.

Here is the catch-all, yucky area before...

 That mural on the far wall was painted by the previous owner.  There was once a wood burning stove in this spot.  It was probably pretty sweet at the time... but I was ready to make the change.

 Oh.... all this clutter!  YUCK!

The finished spot is still an 'unfinished basement'... but more bright, clean and cozy...

 I plan to pick up a few pieces of simple, common paneling this next weekend at the lumber yard.  There is a triangle under the stairs that needs covered... and I really want to replace the old paneling that follows the wall going up the stairs.  This curtain is made from some hand-me-down decorator fabric (also from my Momma).  I made it yesterday to cover the doorway to my Sarah kitty's 'potty room' (litter box).

 Do you remember the bench Tony made me last summer from an old bed frame?  Now I have a spot to put it!  *smile*

 Part of the basement floor is painted... and part of it isn't.  One day we do hope to fix that too.  In the picture below, it isn't painted.  That big box?  It was an auction find last summer.  It holds TONS of Trinity's toys!  (So he will enjoy this clean up too.)

 I can also display the antique spinning wheel that was given to me as a birthday present from my Mom & Dad...

 A few other treasures have been finding spots for display here too... a needlepunch pinkeep made for me by Ginger...

 and some sweet cross stitches made from Patti and Lori...

The spot isn't completely finished.  More things will find places for decorations here over time.  But it does seem so much more welcoming now... and somewhere I can sit to enjoy my loom.

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

~*Rock Creek Hook-In Lenexa 2013*~

Hello Dear Friends!  The hook~in was wonderful... and always a treat!  This year the crowd seemed smaller and a few vendors canceled... we had a big snow on Thursday (and are planning for another tomorrow).  We did have a great time... and came home with a few bags of yummy wools (along with a few other purchases ~ but it was mostly wool!).  My sweet SIL, Robin, drove.  We missed seeing our dear Oklahoma friends who normally attend... but understood they had to cancel because of the weather.  We enjoyed catching up with our Topeka hooker friends... and were delighted to meet a few other from around Kansas and Missouri. 

I took pictures as promised... but they aren't fine, photographer quality.  They are still great eye~candy!  I truly enjoy seeing the differences in hooking styles and talents... from beginners to advanced.  

CLICK HERE to see an album of the rugs from the hook~in.  (I tried and tried to make them into a slide show, but was unsuccessful.)

Here are just a few from the album...

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Today has been a day of catch~up.  We enjoyed a YUMMY supper tonight... Macaroni Sausage Bake.  I found the recipe from Sweet Tea and Cornbread's blog.  Of course, I had to modify it slightly to make it Gluten Free... but it is SOOOOOO YUMMMMMMYYYYYY!!!!  You should try it!

Lots of things are planned for this week... I'll keep you posted with my progress often (if all goes as planned).  

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

~*Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow*~

Hello Dear Friends!  I do hope you are doing well.  We have had snow.  Lots of snow!  It is pretty and comes with its own troubles... but we truly need the moisture.  I'm not sure if this is enough to bring us out of the drought conditions that we have been in, but it will surely help.

Yesterday ~ the snow began to fall... and it was a 'snow day' from school...

 Today ~ the snow has stopped... but it was another 'snow day' from school...

We have shoveled the driveway (well, my husband did that), thrown snowballs, and took a few dives down the hills with the big inner-tube.

I've been crafting, but not fast enough.  The works in progress can't be shown yet because they are for gifts.

Tomorrow ~ is the big hook-in in Lenexa.  Of course, I have waited until today to get my things together to take along.  I cut a piece of linen, grabbed some yummy wools from my stash... and bagged up my hook, scissors, and cutter.  What should I make with 'em?  I'm thinking a primitive, olde black cat!

Oh, my camera is packed too... and my dollars for shopping.  My next post... will be all about Lenexa!

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

~*At The Auction*~

Hello Dear Friends!  This past Saturday I decided not to open up the shop... so I could attend a local estate auction.  Oh I do just LOVE a good auction!  Don't you?

 (What a BLURRY... picture!)

I didn't come home with a lot of things, but was pleased that the truck was loaded with some goodies to help fill up our booth at Ellie Lou's and my shop.  Here are a few of the things... the good, the bad, and the ugly...

These items will stock our booth... vintage & junky, but fun!

 I put these tin toy parts in a baggie... I just know someone could use them for some Pinterest jewelry making!

 These items are a little more primitive & antique.  They will stock my shop...

 I LOVE old irons!  I use them in our house as door stops... to keep the doors from slamming shut when we have all the windows open.  Which we can't do that right now, of course.  Tomorrow we are expecting a HUGE snow/sleet/rain storm... with 5-10 inches!  ICK!

 Old school readers & books...

 An old scale...

 This is a REALLY COOL Shasta Water bottle... from the late 1800's/early 1900's... (and it still has a little water in it!)

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I promised to update you on my furniture re-dos.  Remember this?

 Here is what it looks like after being painted, sanded, and waxed with brown wax...

 And the partial chair?

 Here is how I played with it...

Both furniture pieces have been put in the shop... and I picked up several more junky pieces at the auction that are waiting re-do.  Hopefully I can get to them soon.  I'll share with you when I do.

I hope to update you on some other crafty fun soon.  

Until then... wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

~*Friday Finishes*~

Oh Hello Dear Friends!  I do hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!  Mine was very nice.  Unfortunately, my husband had to work.  We did go out for a nice supper together last weekend... and I awoke yesterday morning to a fresh bouquet of flowers and loving card.  And last night though... I enjoyed a nice candlelight supper with my kiddo.  He gave me a sweet handmade card.  I gave him a stuff dachshund.  (because it made me think of our new little Lucy puppy... and he thought that too)

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I'm very happy to share with you... these beautiful ~*Friday Finishes*~!

This  one comes from Ana Cristina...

She stitched up one of my Valentine freebies... and stitched it up so very lovely!  Check out the sweet lacy trim on her pillow!  Too sweet!

This one was stitched up my my dear buddy, Sharon ~ you may know her as Moosecraft ~ ...

This is Sharon's finish of my pattern ~*Peacock Keys*~ (available in my Etsy shop or your local needlework store).  Sharon stitched and finished just awesomely!  She added some calico to the top and bottom (Jeanne Horton fabric).... then using some linen thread, she stitched some stained cheese cloth to the top and bottom seams. And then, added a perfect touch!.... an old skeleton key!  Just so very darling!

Many warm thanks to both Ana Cristina and Sharon for stitching and sharing!  Your works are beautiful indeed!

I won't have the shop open tomorrow... or next Saturday.  Tomorrow I'm heading to an auction to try to win some new junky wares... inventory for the shop and our booth at Ellie Lou's.  Next Saturday is the Lenexa hook-in!  Oh so much fun!!!!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty