~*Primitive Handmades Mercantile!*~

Hello Dear Friends!

It is official!  I'm going to once again be offering wares with the outstanding artists of Primitive Handmades Mercantile!  I am so super excited!!!

The site opens for new offerings on the 3rd Friday of every month.

I will be offering my finishes wares... needlepunch, rug punch, hooked goods, and cross stitch... and maybe even a dolly from time to time.

So... mark your calendars for the next update... November 21st!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

~*Making Antiques*~

Hello Dear Friends!

~*Making Antiques*~... well, of course, I'm not making 'antiques'... hopefully they LOOK like antiques... and even more hopefully will someday BE antiques!  For now... they are just REPRODUCTIONS...

 I'm always on the hunt for old boxes... treasures boxes... mostly wood ones... I totally LOVE the old handmade ones...

This past weekend... I designed a couple of simple, old~looking rugs and used my Amy Oxford #10 rug punch... wool yarns and wool fabric strips... to decorate these beloved old boxes...

 Both were given a quick SLAP of paint with some Annie Sloan Chalkpaint.  I don't have very much of this paint because it is quite costly... but I do have one can of red and one can of blue... my favorites!  I severely distressed the paint... then gave them both a good wax with some brown shoe polish... and then some paste wax...

 Both rugs were designed to look extremely scrappy... and 'messy' if you will...

(this box is 13 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 5 inches)

I left the old hardware on the blue box.  The hook closure is simple and perfect in my mind...

 If you look closely, you can see the wool strips mixed in with the wool yarn... the edges of both rugs were whipped with wool yarn around cotton cording...

 The blue box is thicker and  more 'masculine' in appearance... fat wood construction and big hinges on the back...

 I think the red one is my favorite of the two... but red is my favorite color!

(this box is 14 x 10 x 3 inches)

I purposely left the mark where the old closure once was on the box... because it, in my opinion, makes it look that much more loved and well used...

 Again, if you look closely, you can see the mix of yarns and wool strips... I love that the rugs are both a little 'ratty' looking with uneven loops and even a few snags from the punching...

 The red box hinges are smaller.  Maybe this box was once for silverware?  I don't know... but I love it!

 Both boxes will be coming with me on Friday to Topeka for the 1st Friday Art Walk at Fairlawn Plaza Mall.  If you are near.. come see me!  My Mom will be with me displaying and selling her sweet little, darling bears and critters!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

~*Happy Halloween*~

Hello Dear Friends and Happy Halloween!

Here is a small Halloween treat I stitched up a couple years ago...

It is no longer available as a finish.  However, if you feel like stitching this evening... it is one of my FREEBIE patterns.  (Halloween Freebie 2012)  Happy stitching!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yesterday, I unpacked two more boxes.  (Yes, I KNOW!  We moved one year ago from this time... and I am still finding things!  My husband and I are like two peas on a pod... we can be so unorganized at times and it seems we both like to collect clutter.)

Anyway... I DID restock all available printed patterns in my Etsy shoppe... and that INCLUDES a LIMITED NUMBER of patterns from a couple that I did for Country Sampler's Prim Sister Group...

~*Prim Sisters Darning Pinkeep*~

AND

~*Prim Sisters Needlebook*~

Again, once the printed patters are gone... they are gone... retired... no longer available.

I will be working up some NEW PATTERNS for cross stitch in PDF (instant e-mail) patterns soon!  I have three stitched waiting for 'finishing'... then they can be completed and available for you. 

Don't have an Etsy user id, but would like to purchase a pattern (whether it is printed or PDF)?  That is alright... just drop me an email.  The link to my email is on the sidebar to the left.

Wishing all all warm smiles... and friendly spooks!

Betty

~*Santa Claws*~ Punching is Finished

Hello Dear Friends!

This afternoon, I finished whipping the edges and adding a few accessories to my version of ~*Santa Claws*~...

This is a freebie pattern given by Lori Brechlin to the Facebook group members of... The Out Of Hand Rug Hookers.

I used my #10 and #8 Amy Oxford Rug Punches... with wool yarns and wool fabric strips to punch the rug on Monk's Cloth.  The rug finished to about 18 inches square... just the amount of room I had available to punch on with my largest rug frame.

Most of the rug was punched with my #10 punch, but I did use the #8 punch for the eyes.  This left them 'set back' some from the height of the other loops.  The other loops, because I used both yarn and fabric strips... are all a different sort of every~which~high and low.

The whiskers were made with some thin hemp cord.  I added the key for more charm.  You all know how much I like old keys... or, in this case, a reproduction old key.

Some close~ups of the punching to show the loop texture...

The backside of the rug.  I should trim the yarn that holds the key... but the rest of it is pretty clean.  I only need to add a label... and then it is all finished!

Many thanks to Lori for providing the sweet pattern!  

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

~* I DID IT!!!*~

Hello Dear Friends!

YES!!!  I did it!!!  I FINALLY figured out how to convert my older, needlepunch dolly patterns into PDF!!!  YAH!!!

Remember these?

~*Punkin' & Holly*~

~*Miss Purrudence and Miss Briar May Bell*~

~*Belsnickle and Ginger Girl*~

Well, they have ALL been brought back as PDF patterns are are now listed in my Etsy Shoppe!!!  To see only my PDF patterns in my shop CLICK HERE. 

There are a FEW of the printed/paper/mailed patterns available in my shop as well... but once they are gone ~ they are gone.  These patterns are retired... and will not be reprinted.  ONLY THE PDF PATTERNS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE WHEN THEY ARE GONE.

Thank you to all who asked about these patterns... and thank you to all how were patient with me while I tried to figure out how to do it!

I do also hope to work on PDF cross stitch patterns... but one accomplishment at a time.  *WINK*

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

*** Anyone interested in my PDF patterns that does not want to purchase through Etsy... is welcome to email me.  I can invoice you through Paypal and send your pattern via email back.  Thank you! ***

~*Punching Santa Claws*~

Hello Dear Friends!

Recently, the super talented Lori Brechlin, gave a freebie pattern to the members of the Facebook Group "The Out of Hand Rug Hookers".  (Thank you Lori!)  It is called "Santa Claws".  I thought is was sweet and drew it up quickly on some Monk's Cloth with the plan to punch it.  It took me some time to get it started... but I did just that yesterday!  

Yes, I SHOULD be working on more finished wares for the 1st Friday Event... "GET COZY"... coming up on November 7th at Fairlawn Mall in Topeka.  But... I can always take the finished "Santa Claws" with me... burn the midnight oil during the next week and a half to finish all the other things I have started!  Right?

And for those asking... I am also trying to find the time to get those needlepunch doll PDF patterns worked up.  I'm struggling with sizing... and my schedule.  I will do it though!!!  I promise!!!  Thank you for being patient with me.

Well... here is my "Santa Claws" in progress...

I'm punching with both wool yarns (mostly bulky weight) and wool fabric.  The yarn and wool strips are both punched with my #10 Amy Oxford needle (Well, for the most part they are.  I will explain more in a minute.)  It doesn't bother me... with my primitive mind... that the yarn and strips are punching at different height loops.  The wool strips are taller loops.  To me... this will just be that much more interesting to the eye.

The backside... the working side.  I had two large swirls on the cat body... but pulled one up and made it more elongated.  It is my hope that this will give the fur some movement in the finish. I am also punching in a few places on the body with some black, worsted weight yarn to add more depth...

Do you see the different height loops?

The cat eyes were punched with worsted weight yarn and my #8 Amy Oxford punch.  They are set back because the loops are much shorter.  I'm not sure I like the white nose... may pull it out and redo with a different color.

My messy lookin' loops...

The wool fabric I am using is one of my GREAT thrift store finds!  I found this skirt at the store last week for only 50 CENTS!  It isn't 100% wool... but there was enough wool in it and the pattern/colors were just perfect for the yarns I had for "Santa Claws"...

Well... back to punching for me...

Wishing you all warm smiles... and crafty hands!

Betty