I FOUND A NEW BLOG FRIEND

Hello, Primmies :

Tonight while wandering through my Reading List I found a new blog, My Stitches To Treasure by Deb.

She's a terrific prim artist and she's celebrating one year

of blogging and online sales. She opened an Etsy shop, started her blog and a Facebook page. To celebrate with us she's offering us a chance to  win this adorable prim sheep:

My Stitches To Treasure Giveaway Ends April 12,2012

Isn't he awesome? Just click the link above to visit with Deb and get to know her, and to enter her giveaway.


Not much to report going on here at the homestead.
We're grilling some turkey breasts on the outside grill and we're slowing dismantling the upstairs rooms and finding places to store things down here. Mr. Glen Oaks did a fantastic job clearing out the sunroom so that I can get to my supplies. I couldn't believe the fabric and patterns I found this time around. I've spent the last few days and nights quietly sitting and cutting out patterns and organizing them. I have a lot mounted to heavy cardstock so that I have strong templates.
I'm taking it very easy this time and giving the shots a chance to work. They seem to be, keep your fingers and toes crossed for me that it's working! 
The new issue of Create and Decorate arrived here yesterday, and there's another great doll featured by Kim Grasso, the artist that designed Miss Peabody that I did as a giveaway. This one is called Miss Molly, do you see another giveaway coming your way?......
'Nite, all -

Susan

NEW GIVEAWAYS PAGE AND WHERE I'VE BEEN

Hi, Primmies ~ 


Here's another wonderful prim doll giveaway going on at
A Primitive Place. Tammy has a new handmade primitive doll 

carrying her own church baby with her. To enter for the giveaway click HERE to visit Tammy at her blog.


You may have noticed that the Giveaways no longer appear on my sidebar. I've created a page for them on my blog instead.
At the top of the page you can see Categories, "Home", 
"Giveaways" and "Items for Sale". These are new pages I've started. To see all of the giveaways I know about click
HERE to go to the Giveaways Page. I am adding as I learn about current giveaways so check the page periodically          after you read a post during your visits with me.


I hope you will all understand that for the past few days,
I have been reading blogs, just haven't been commenting as I usually do. I had another spinal injection a few days ago and I always hurt afterwards for a while. It went better this time,
I had the shot at the new pain center I'm a patient at and they put me to sleep this time. It was such a relief not to go through those needles being injected. I'm still sleepy from the anesthesia
and I have some pain medication now that they've prescribed.
I'm up for little bits of online time and doing plenty of resting so that the medicine in the spine can work. 
So I'll be catching up with all of you when I get back on a regular schedule which will be soon I hope. The medicine seems to have worked, the doctor injected it in the nerves to both of my legs, instead of the nerves in the back. My left leg hasn't been
hurting me with the terrible gnawing pains so I'm hoping that this will be where to inject the pain medicine from now on.
Oh, I'm so grateful for this relief. I must say it's about time that I found some relief!


I have worked in little spurts on the sampler and have been going through my patterns for more dollies and such to sew up for more giveaways. It felt so good to have a giveaway for all of you and I would like to do one as often as I can.


It was actually 82 degrees here on Thursday! I had the windows open Wednesday and Thursday and we've been leaving one open at night. I've slept so much better with the fresh air.
We're watching movies on Netflix and having pizza. Hubba just finished some yard work, now he's going to be suffering tonight. Poor man, I hope gets some relief soon.


Ashley and Tim have been finding all kinds of awesome primitives and some antiques from their jobs. They work for a property management company and also work on houses that are empty due to illness or the owner being deceased, when they have no families to empty the contents people like my daughter and SIL have to do it. I have some beautiful vintage photos to scan and put up on a page for you to use in your crafting. And I was presented with the most awesome prim chair with it's original green paint still clinging to it in large areas. I need to clean it and I'll post a picture of it soon.
Hubba is working on getting my craft room passable so that I can get to my supplies. I'm working in the dining room which is good because I can see and talk to him and watch the telly. 


Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Hugs,
Susan

Birthday Presents

Good Morning Prims,

We had a sweet little party for Ashley. My baby girl is 23 now. She loved her gifts. Here are some photos:

I made her a Raggedy Annie doll from a pattern by Michelle Allen - Raggedy Pants :

She loved the Raggedy Annie. We guessed wrong, she did love the Opie Dog stuffy but the doll she was more excited about.  Kids, go figure...

Have a wonderful Monday everyone.

Hugs,

Susan

St. Patrick's Day Cheer

Happy St. Paddy's Day Everyone!

Rabbit Giveaway

Hi, Primmies ~


Just a quick post, I haven't been to see Ashley yet and I have to finish frosting her cake.


Please visit Southern Belle Scentzs HERE to enter Samantha's giveaway for this adorable bunny:

I told it's adorable, didn't I? Click the link above to visit her new site and sign up for her rabbit.
She's got her soy tarts, you know. I burned the
Peanut Butter scent last night and it filled the whole house with scent! The wax lasts so long too. You must buy some of her soy tarts if you
love having fragrance in the house.


I'm off to Ashley's, she just called and she just got in from work. I'll take pictures!


Hugs,
Susan

Another Birthday Surprise & Polly Progress

Good Morning Primmies ~ First I want to thank everyone SO MUCH for all of the loving birthday wishes you sent to Ashley.
And I also want to thank the many new followers that joined
in February and the first week of March. And of course, my
long time followers, I adore all of you and you guys keep me going!

I sat in the house yesterday thinking of something I could add to the sampler for Ashley, and the first thing that came to mind was her dog, Opie. She loves that funny looking little guy. I love him to death, too. He just wants to cuddle and he loves everyone.
So I took a teddy bear pattern and tried to figure out how I could make it look like a dog. He has jowls like a French Bulldog and his head is sort of squarish. I'm not finished, so don't laugh, but this is how far I got and I'll finish him today and show you the finish. Here is the real Opie in case you don't remember:

Now, remember don't laugh, here's the stuffed version:

He will look better today. I'll have his arm and legs on, he'll have his collar on with a big rusty bell hanging from it. The collar is being made from some pieces of leather that were in the tack room at Prudence's family's farm in Connecticut. Prudence is the shop keeper where we found all of those awesome antiques right before Christmas, we were driving aimlessly and came across her shop after the Christmas tree farm. Anyway, she gave me a lot of it. So Mr. Glen Oaks is making me the metal buckle in his shop.

I think she may cry when she gets the Opie dog. She just would not be expecting something like this.

Don't you like to surprise people on their birthday? So many kids "tell" you what they want, and we go and buy those things that they want, and where's the surprise? She's not that way since she got married. She really stopped giving us "the lists" 5 years ago.

So, I'm at the sewing machine today, I have a Raggedy Annie cut out and she has the round baseball head and I hoping to finish her too. Mr. Glen Oaks will be in the shop, that's our day today.

How are you spending yours? What are you working on?

Let me know, I love hearing from you. 

Finally, some more progress on the Polly sampler. The hubba got me extra strength readers at Walmart, I got three pairs for $9~

Can't beat that, and I can see the linen!!

 It's looking pretty close to the original (on the right). 

I'm pleased and I told you earlier I think I have the perfect size frame for it from Prudence's stash (Yay Prudence again!).

Until tomorrow, be safe and enjoy your day.

Hugs,

Susan

ANOTHER SAMPLER FOR A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIRL

Hi, Primmies ~

Friday the 16th is my Ashley's birthday. She will be 23. Now, I have a funny, maybe unbelievable to you but true, story about this sampler:

This is the sampler stitched by a little girl that I believe lived in Michigan and was born in 1807. She stitched a sampler at the age of 13. It lists the names of her siblings and the year that her father,
Ebenezar died in 1811. I don't know about her mother, she could be the Polly Ager after Ebenezar.

So here's the funny/unbelievable part of this post's story. I started this sampler in August, 1989. I just

finished it. It was always intended for my daughter who was 5 months old when I started stitching this during a family gathering  on our terrace in the backyard. I intended to give it to her when she made her first home. It was her father's birthday, I believe, that would make it August 20th that I was stitching. I had 4 rows maybe, finished. My eyesight was excellent back then, I was just turning 33 the next  month.

Well, somehow motherhood got the best of me, I loved it and I loved being with her every day. She was a living doll. Well, then those of you who know me a little better know that the car accident came the following September 29, 1990 and I was never the same after that. Oh, I had 2 surgeries and my sister encouraged me that I could craft again, but this sampler was stored away in my needlework bag for the next 22 years. Somehow I forgot all about the cross stitch bag and it was put into a box probably by my mom since I always had trouble with my neck and hands.

We moved into this house 2 years ago and just a few months ago, I discovered the bag at the bottom of a storage box. It had been packed in there since sometime in 1990 and went with us each time we moved to a new house.

So, there's the story of the "lost" sampler. Just in time for Friday, Ashley will have the sampler that was meant for her years ago. I hope she likes it,

I know she will; especially when she hears the story. I hope she won't read my blog until Friday or after so that I don't spoil the surprise. She's really busy this week so I don't think she will.

Lot's of work has been done on the giveaway sampler Polly Daggett. I'm in the fun part with the urns and trees, pretty blues, creams and golds.

I'll post an update on this blog tomorrow with a picture of my progress. I've also stitched a little pin keep or pillow tuck, whichever you make it, as a second place giveaway surprise. Oops, it's not a surprise anymore!

Hugs,

Susan

Courtesy antiqueimages.com
Free Images

THE MAIL LADY CAUGHT ME AGAIN AND ANOTHER GIVEAWAY

Hi, Primmies ~
Well, she caught me in my jammers again. I had
won the PAFA Spring Giveaway from Patsy at
Lollipop Express. It's a bunny lounging on a
watermelon slice. It's painted wood and it's painted in the folk art style that I absolutely love.

Patsy, thank you so much. I love it. It's my first painted piece that I have and I treasure it.

We're granddog sitting again. This time it's for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. WooHoo! Ashley is getting an early birthday present from Tim, they are going to the White Mountains.
Timmy moved the huge kennel to the back sun room door so that I don't have to worry about leashes and them running on me. I can just open the door and let them out. Toki is huge and I can't handle him on a leash. They are good but they are starting to run too close to the road. They have a huge front yard but I'd feel better with them on leashes. Mr. Glen Oaks does the potty runs but he has to be here Saturday  to meet someone for our dryer that they bought.
And he has to go home more often this time to feed our kitties. So thanks, Tim. I feel a lot better now about letting the dogs out.


I don't know if I'll be bringing my laptop. We're making more Woofins this visit, they love them so much. I think it will be the Cheese Woofins this time, they seemed to love them. Peanut Butter and Honey Woofins next time.


It was very mild yesterday, in the seventies! The news said sixties but it was warmer than that. It's nice, I don't know what happened to winter, it seems strange...


I want to thank everyone that participated in the giveaway. It was my very first and there was a big response. Lots and lots of sweet comments and compliments. Don't forget, the sampler is STILL going to be a giveaway, I didn't think I'd do Miss Peabody that quickly. So I'll be giving you all a heads up when the sampler is coming up for giveaway. I don't have much stitching left.
I got new glasses and I can really see quite well now.


Well, I have to make dinner. We're eating late, we had a huge lunch. Take care and stay prim.
Hugs,


Susan


(Vintage image from Antique Images blog)

MISS PEABODY HAS A FOREVER HOME

Hello, Primmies ~


Miss Peabody is very excited. She knows today is the day she finds out who is adopting her. 


There were forty comments from primmies wanting to adopt Miss Peabody. Thank you everyone for your wonderful and sweet comments.


Miss Peabody is going to live with
Sheila at Seasons Of Thy Heart! She's a handful,
Sheila, I hope you can manage her. Just email your addy and I'll get her right out to you. Mr. Glen Oaks was happy to participate in our first giveaway. He pulled the slip with the winning name. Thank you!


For those of you that didn' t win don't worry, I have another giveaway coming up real soon.


Hugs,
Susan

LET'S HAVE A GIVEAWAY

Hello, Primmies,

It's finally time for me to have a giveaway. I've been so blessed with the giveaways I've won, and I have received so much support and friendship from my followers that I want to give some of that back. I am still stitching the Polly Daggett sampler and it will be a giveaway here soon.  It's just that I loved making the rabbit "Miss Peabody" by Kim Grasso from the March/April 2012 issue of Create and Decorate magazine so much that I couldn't put it down. So, here she is!

She's super grungy and made with a few differences from the pattern instructions. I made her out of cream flannel instead of osnaburg fabric, her dress is a red and cream plaid homespun with little hearts instead of strawberries, and her seams are right side out on her body and her clothing. She's so grubby because she's been out in the yard digging for carrots. She's mad because we don't have a garden and says she hopes that in her adopted home there is a garden for her. Geeesh, pushy isn't she?

She's wearing bloomers from antique linen that was soft cream and now coffee stained. She has button eyes, a rusty cut nail for a nose and a twig mouth. I decided not to give her an apron. She has a rusty tin tag that I've signed for you. It has a repro vintage Coats & Clark ad image on it. She's signed and dated on her bum.

You do not have to put this on your sidebar or Facebook page. I'm not trying to recruit new followers. Just let me know that you'd like to adopt her, that's all. I'll choose a home for her on Thursday, March 8, 2012. She's anxious to leave because she

doesn't like cats and she's hiding in the armoire until she travels. 

Thank you all for being such wonderful friends and followers.

Hugs,

Susan

Vintagerio.com

What I'm Working On

Hi, Primmies:

I thought I'd take some pictures and share with you. I'm crazy now about the camera. It's an old one but it seems to be doing fine. There isn't a card with it but it's o.k., I just upload to the big computer and send to my email and I can post from my lap book or here. I'm at the desktop because I'm sleepy and this is easier to do photos from.

 
Is everyone tired of seeing snow pictures? Biggie's new thing is watching the snowflakes. Can you say "Awwwwhh"?
I must say that staining and grunging this rabbit was the most wonderful scented project I've done in a long time. I put all the good spicesI had into this almost 2 months old coffee mixture. I took it from the fridge and cooked it in the microwave:

 

 I'm doing the rabbit a little bit differently from the pattern instructions. What I'm holding open is the seam of an arm, oops, leg and I'm brushing in there good:

 Here's a picture of the homespun for her dress. Does a certain sampler maker recognize this? I almost fell over (I do that a lot)
when I found this in the craft room. I have YARDS of it. I must have intended to make curtains from it, for the kitchen where we last lived. I don't know, I don't know what I did yesterday:

 The pattern maker used strawberry print fabric and I thought this looked cute and similar in a way to her fabric. I know you're thinking, "Susan, strawberries and hearts are not similar", but I thought for what I had, it was darn close.


Now this part YOU might fall over. I found a couple of yards of
this very antique linen. I'm not sure what count you would call it but I know it's up there because it's harder to see than the 32ct.
I'm working on. As a treat to you guys whom I adore, I'm doing this rabbit for the giveaway after the sampler, and I'm using the linen for her undies. And I'm making an apron for her, there isn't one on the designer's rabbit but they are simple enough to do.
Here's the gorgeous linen that was in my fabric stash:

Well prims, I'm pooped. I'm going to watch a movie with
Mr. Glen Oaks and stitch. He's seeing a surgeon next week for a consultation on his hand surgery. He wants to get it over with so he can do what he loves to do, woodworking.


Hugs,
Susan


written Sat. March 3 at 12:29 a.m.

MY WIN FROM OLD FARMHOUSE GATHERING AND RANDOM PHOTOS OF GREENS

Hi, Primmies ~

Good Morning!

I got a box delivered yesterday and it contained the most adorable and beautifully made Shamrock Bowl Fillers. I was the winner of Old Farmhouse Gathering Luck O' The Irish Challenge. You can read the original post HERE Luck O' The Irish Challenge and see the artists that participated in the challenge. The artist with the most votes on their challenge piece won, and I was the random number winner from among everyone who left a comment on that post.  The winner of the challenge was Robyn of Motherlode Toad Factory for her Megan the Mouse Angel. There are six Shamrock Bowl Fillers  all together in the group, they are made from a pretty shade of green muslin, and hand embroidered on the front are six famous Irish sayings:

Here they are together while I'm trying to decide how to display them so that you can read each one. I didn't have a bowl that was shallow enough. I'm using my trencher for the Rag Wrapped Easter Eggs from Sheila Seasons of Thy Heart and my Chocolate Rabbits from Brenda of The Rusty Thimble

Here's the first one. See the pretty green shamrock and each one is hand stitched with the cinnamon rubbed muslin hand embroidered Irish sayings

Here's where I decided home would be for the shamrocks, in my green cutlery carrier with my rolling pin from Williamsburg and my Mother's first rolling pin:

I thought about leaving one in my green and pink pedestal bird dish but I didn't want to separate the set. Besides, I can see them when I'm in the kitchen and making my coffee.
I snapped a few more pictures since the camera was cooperating and I try to find all of the items we have that are green. There are just a few:

This is the flower pot Angel that Ashley gave me many years ago and I have it indoors right now in my Rooster Topiary (Trace, do you like my Ollie Rooster??)

Antique Kerosene Banquet Lamp, passed on to me by my Mom

Guardian Angel portrait that my mom hung in my room when I was born

I thought you might like to see a portrait that my mom had me sit for when I was five. She made the lavender dress with the white rick rack which went on everything in the fifties and sixties. I'm holding a tussie mussie of violets.

For those of you that were in the path of yesterday's weather system I pray that you are all safe. There are more tornadoes expected today. Please pray for those that are in the target zones.


Back to stitching for me. I'll be here tomorrow morning. We're still anxiously awaiting news from Tricia until she speaks to her doctors. No news yet. Please keep praying for her to have good news...

Hugs to all of you,
Susan 

written March 1st 2012