~*My Finish...ES!*~

Hello Dear Friends!  Yesterday I shared the ~*Liberty*~ Freebie... and also said that I hoped to show you my finish today.  It is nearing midnight... but I'm getting it posted!  Yippee!

And... there are a few others I can gladly show you that are also now completed!

The pictures were taken in the house ~ without enough light ~ please bare with me and the poor photographs.  

My ~*Liberty*~ Freebie Finish...

The ~*Liberty*~ pinkeep... and a few others...

This pinkeep is a stitch from a pattern by Nan Lewis of Threadwork Primitives.  I just LOVE it!  Thank you Nan!  (A freebie pattern for members of Primitive Stitchers Society on Facebook.)

This pinkeep is my finish of Lori Brechlin's Notforgotten Farm pattern.  Thank you Lori!  I LOVE this one too!

And finally... this one was just a little stitch I worked up on some scrap linen...

All these pinkeeps have old skeleton keys attached for charm and are filled with crushed walnut shells.  Around the edges, and for the key holders, I stitched in place a strip of cut wool.  The wool and the backs were also lightly ruffed up with some fine grit sandpaper to give the look of age.  Oh... and they were all aged with some strong coffee too.

It feels great to be stitching and crafting again.  Hopefully I can keep up the pace!

(All these pinkeeps have new homes and are not for sale at this time.)

~*Remember, I do love to share your finishes on my blog too!  So let me see 'em!*~

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

~*FREEBIE FREEBIE FREEBIE*~

Hello Dear Friends!  This will be a short post... but I couldn't wait any longer to give you this gift!

Enjoy!

~*Liberty*~ Freebie

© primitivebettys 2014

85 by 65 stitches

Please use any threads/fibers you wish for your desired colors.  I have stitched the design and am about to wrap up the finishing.  It will be shared with you shortly.  (Tomorrow if all goes well!)

I used DMC threads...

Red in the design - 300 Mahogany - vy dk

Blue in the design - 934 Black avocado green

Gray in the design - 844 Beaver gray - ul dk

White in the design - 612 drab brown - lt

My stitches were made on R&R Reproductions 35 ct Espresso Linen... 1 over 2

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

~*Bait Shop Activity... so far*~

Hello Dear Friends!

As I've mentioned earlier, I have a part time job with the bait shop at the beautiful Lake Wabaunsee.  This lake is about 10 minutes from our house.  I have not spent much time there yet, but I am just in awe at the natural beauty.  I'm looking forward to a great summer at the lake!

I work at the bait shop Monday and Tuesday mornings.  Later I may fill in a few extra hours, but I do still have my other part time job with the consignment shop in Council Grove.

So far, the lake has not been too busy.  It is still early in the season... and it has been very cold.  We had snow the other morning!  ICK!!!  No more until next Winter PLEASE!

To fill my time... I have been hooking!

Here are my finishes from this week...

Thank you to all who gave me suggestions for the bunny rug!  It is now finished... and I think it has been claimed by a new home.  *SMILES*  Remember, the pattern for this rug was generously given by Lori Brechlin of NotForgotten Farm.  It is a freebie pattern she gifted a few years ago.  I had to change it a little because of my hooking trials... but hopefully she will approve of my finish.  Thank you, Lori!

 Here are a few more photos... with and without the camera flash.

My washboard is finished now too!  It was a fun & quick project.  I kept the design and hooking simple.  Around the edge I hooked a little red and blue for color.  The letters are a light gold.  The background a brown mix.  I'm thinking I will keep this one to display in our laundry room with my collection of other old washboards.  We moved here in October... and I have yet to do any painting or decorating.  Hmmmm... maybe I'll start in the laundry room?

 

 More photos with and without the flash.

When I arrived at the lake this morning, it was a chilly 27 degrees.  The fog rising from the lake was soothing and gentle.  I was mesmerized by it...

 In the lower picture, you can see a couple of friendly geese...

I hope to keep sharing more projects, finishes, and beautiful lake views with you!

 

Wishing you all warm smiles! 

Betty

~*Rabbit Hookin'... frustration*~

Hello Dear Friends!

This rug is designed just beautifully by a most awesome designer!  You all know her very well ~ I'm sure!  Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm gave this sweet design a few years ago as a freebie.  I loved it then and I love it now!  Thank you so very much, Lori!

However, I have been struggling hooking it.  You may remember a few months ago when I posted the rug and how I had reverse hooked every part of it.  Well, last weekend my SIL Robin and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Judy Cripps and the Rustic Rug Hookers for a local hooking, grouping in Topeka.  With the encouragement from the other hookers there, I changed the face a bit... the eyes and nose/brow lines... to a more simpler form ~ one that I, a very untrained hooker, could handle better with my big, fat strips.  (They are a 9 cut.)  I hooked the day away... and then took the rug with me to the bait-shop (my second part time job... where I don't actually 'work' very much... I can craft there!) and hooked some more.  Well... until I ran out of the background wool... that I purchased from Judy on Saturday.

Here is what I have so far...

 The strips of wool at the top of the photo will be used to 'fill in' the gap.  Yes, they are a different color, but hopefully they will look like a 'prim patch' and be okay.

 I'm not sure about the lines in the ears.  The color of wool is a bit too yellow.  Maybe I'll change it.  I'm also thinking that the whiskers need more work.  What do you think?

Once I am finished with the bunny... or maybe I'll set it aside  for awhile... this is another project I'm excited to work on.  I found this old washboard at a thrift store the other day for $3.  Someone has painted a barn scene on it.  I hate to destroy someone's artwork... but I want to make this 'mine'.  I would like to update it and make it more prim too!

 Here is the back.  It has been patched with an old piece of floor trim.  The label marking is faint, but you can still see some of it.

 The top measures 10 3/4 by 4 1/2 inches.  I have a scrap of linen just the right size... and an idea!  I'll keep you posted.

On another note... here are my sweet babies girls!  They are growing so fast, I can almost see them get bigger just watching them!  And I love them so much!!!

 They all pretty much look the same.  The smallest girl is sitting at the back of the lower picture.  I call her Mona... or Mini Mona.  The one strutting her stuff in front is the most friendly to me.  (At least I think she is the same, overly friendly one when I'm around.)  I think I'll call her Ophelia.  Why these names?  I have no idea.  They just popped into my crazy brain!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

~*I'm Working*~

Hello dear Friends! Once again... I'm posting weeks apart. I'm still working on finding my groove and a regular routine. Just when I think it is all figured out... another wrench is thrown into the mix. This time... it is another part time job. I now have two part time jobs. Three days a week I drive to Council Grove to work at ReRun Consingments... where Robin and I have our antique/junque/craft/whatever booth... and now two mornings ~ EARLY MORNINGS... 6AM! ~ I work at the bait shop at Lake Wabaunsee. Yup... I am working at a bait shop. I sell the fishing licenses for the private lake... and worms, minnows, and crawdads! Now, did any of you see that happening?

The only reason I wanted to work there was for the opportunity to meet the friendly people around the area of our new home.  So far, it is working.  I've meet a handful of happy smiles and am looking forward to spending the summer at the lake too.  When school is out, my son can tag along with me and swim at the beach.  He will surely enjoy that!  The job started at the first of April and will run through the summer until September.

So far at the shop, we have not been busy.  It has still been a bit chilly outside... and folks are still working. Many of the lake residents have their cabins as vacation homes only.  They will soon be leaving their winter homes and making residence at the lake.  Until then... it is a little slow.  

The really good part about that... I get to craft at work!!!  I took my hooking today...

This morning was a little cloudy and area farmers have been burning the fields.  One fire got out of control today... causing the local fire fighters to scramble together for assistance...

I'll take more pictures there this summer to share... and will continue to craft and share that too!  I promise!

My mornings before work are calm.  I'm now a coffee drinker.  I like to sit in this old chair... and am always surrounded by my little girls...

The chickens are growing, but I don't have an updated picture to share.  The chicken coop is coming along.  Hopefully it will be finished when the little ladies are ready to go outside.  

I hope you are all enjoying the beginning of Spring... and are crafting lots of beautiful things!

Wishing you warm smiles...

Betty

~*Where Have I Been?*~

Getting my Farm~Girl on!

We lived in the 'country' at our old home, but our new home is much more remote... and much more 'country'.  Now we are finding ourselves soaking up more of the Country Life!  And we are enjoying every minute of it!

This past Saturday, we made a visit to the farm store and purchased some pullets.  I have always wanted to raise chickens and gather eggs.  We have a small building by our boat house that was used formerly as a garden shed... and, after cleaning it out this past weekend... it seems it was once a Chicken Coop.  I swept up lots of broken egg shells when cleaning.  We have plans to use it again as a Chicken Coop... once these little girls are big enough to go outside.

Feeding, washing, and just watching these baby chicks is enough to warm any one's heart!  Trinity, and myself too, are just dazzled by them!  I told my husband that I already want to go get more!  Of course, he told me to slow down and raise what I have first.  I'm thinking... he isn't with my all the times I am in town... I may just swing by the store and adopt a few more when he isn't around.  *WINK WINK*

 Having more acreage, and more chores on our list, also means we will most likely need a tractor.  Tony has a friend at work that was wanting to sell one... so, we brought it home.  Tony has a new 'toy' to help him with his chores.  He told me that he has always wanted a tractor!  I guess we are both getting things we have always wanted!  <3

 We are still finding things of 'beauty' around the home and yard.  As the seasons change, I am sure there will be more and more.  Seeing this gaggle of geese land on the pond just outside the backdoor was a true delight!

 Finding time to craft has been slim.  With chores around the home ~ garden prep, chicken coop cleaning, other yard work, house cleaning... and the list goes on ~ finding time for any crafting is slim.  Hopefully once Spring is in full swing, I will find more time & energy.  I am already feeling a renewed spirit and creative vibe!  

Browsing Facebook the other day, I saw a sweet wind-chime made of flower pots and a watering can.  I thought to myself, "I think I need one of those!"  I do have a collection of galvanized watering cans... but I also had this old, copper, lid-less teapot!  So... today I made one!  I gathered some flower pots from my shed, and found an old rope in the barn... and wallah!  Tony helped me hang it from the post off our back-porch.  Isn't it cute?

 I am still trying to get things made for our booth at ReRun Consignments.  Last weekend, I finished this little, vanity re-do.  The weekend prior, I stripped all the warped veneer off the top & sides of it... oh, that was a struggle.  

This isn't a great picture.  The paint isn't so 'pink'... the lighting was bad.  

The actual color is more of a taupe.  The knobs were stolen off another future, furniture re~do piece and placed on the drawers.  The stool was a freebie from a recent auction purchase.  (They threw it in with what I really wanted to buy at the time.)  I recovered the seat and painted it to match the vanity.  Perfect together!

 Here is the top of the vanity... it looks good & old!  I made sure some of the white from the first coat of paint popped through.

 The Lenexa hook-in was just a few weeks ago.  I was unable to go this year because Trinity had a basketball tournament.  (Being a Mom has to come first!)  His team came in 2nd for the season... but had a GREAT time working/playing together.  His former school was the 1st place team... so he was happy for his old friends too!

My good friend, Ginger, and my sweet SIL, Robin... didn't forget about me though.  They meet up to spend the day together at the show... and still brought me some gifts home!

How sweet they are!

These treasures are from Ginger... some of her great needlepunch yarn, a cute sheep, and a darling, wool pouch...

 You can see the cute sheep better on the shelf in the dining room...

 And these treasures are from Robin... some dip mix, a Bath & Body soap, a cute key charm, a wool tree on a spool, a wool flower pin, and a lovely crochet scarf she made...

Thank you, ladies!  You are the best!!!

Before the night winds down... I have another furniture project to finish in the garage... and baby chicks to tend to. 

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty