Bloggers Are The Best: Look What I Got In The Mail Today!

You may remember a couple of weeks ago the giveaway at The Country Primitive Shoppe for "The Crow's Guide To Magic" book and soft sculpture that Dina was having on her blog. There was also a "name that bowl filler" contest. You can click on
(here)The Country Primitive Shoppe to go to Dina's blog.
Well, imagine my surprise when she told me I was getting a "surprise" ornament for being so kind about spreading the word and following her blog. It came in the mail today, here he is:
(again, I apologize for the camera work, I just don't have any talent for taking pictures)

The picture doesn't do him justice. He's a very pretty painted light brown color, muslin gingerbread boy stuffed and stiffened, with little black glass seed eyes and painted cream squiggles on his hands and feet. He's about 5 1/2 inches long and 3 1/2 inches arm to arm. I love him.
And, this was another big gesture of kindness that prim and arts and crafts bloggers are famous for. I love showing artists' work, giveaways and tutorials and don't expect anything in return. But it's awfully nice indeed when an artist and fellow blogger shows their appreciation by sending an unexpected gift. The group of bloggers that I follow and their followers are the nicest people I've ever met.
Warm Regards,
Susan

Look At ALL The New Giveaways

Primmies, plan for a LONG time blogging. I just found some more awesome
giveaways and they are posted on my right hand side bar. I have a few featured in an
actual blog post, too. So, clear some time this evening or whenever it's a good time
for you, but there's lots to see and enter so sit back,relax and enjoy!
Whew, I'm exhausted from the posting and the entering. Isn't it great?!?
Warm Regards,
Susan

Here's another giveaway from Tammy at A Primitive Place. She just had her wonderful flag pillow giveaway for her birthday and a thank you to all of her followers, now we get a chance to win "Rin". He's done in burlap with string-tied arms and legs. Rin is grubbly
primmed to give him a worn, well-loved look. He's got old black-button eyes and a hump
back like the old Steiff bears. Say "Hi" to cutie-pie Rin:

Click HERE
to go to Tammy's blog and follow the simple rules to enter the giveaway that ends on
September 18th, and the winner will be announced on September 19, 2011. Good Luck!
Later, Primmies...

Here's a SCRUMPTIOUS recipe that I started making for my daughter 9 years ago.
The Family Circle magazine food editors have printed this again online this week.

The recipe I remember making was called Butterfinger Cheesecake Bites, but this is
an almost identical recipe so I know they taste so good you can't stop eating them.
Ok, get your ingredients together and go!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 fun-size Butterfingers, coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
5 fun-size Butterfingers, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with nonstick foil, allowing foil to hang over two sides.
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, pecans and light-brown sugar. Stir in the butter and mix until all dry ingredients are moistened and a crumbly dough forms. Press into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven.
3. In another medium-size bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Beat in egg, lemon juice and vanilla until combined. Stir in 3/4 cup coarsely chopped candy. Pour into the baked crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the finely chopped candy over the top.
4. Cool completely. Gently lift from pan and pull back foil. Cut into 36 squares. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 36 Bites.
Enjoy yourselves,
Susan

Free Candlemat Pattern For Us

Here's a very prim Candlemat pattern from my friend Christine of Preferably Prim all the way across the pond in Northern Ireland. I love how we can meet people from all over the world, most of the time the internet is a good thing. It's a thank you to her followers for the comments on her "Wooly Pineapple" and the congratulations on her 18th wedding anniversary. This is the finished candlemat:

Here's her template for the pattern:

and her instructions:

INSTRUCTIONS:
"Cut one of each size of oval background fabric.
On the top layer, trace on the words and berry strands and stitch them in in dark colored floss.
(I used 6 strands of DMC dark brown for the words and 3 strands of the same color for the berry strands.)
Stitch on the pip berries using 2 strands of floss doing a French knot.
Using the templates, cut out 4 of each part of the acorns and stitch into position.
Now you are ready to blanket stitch the top layer onto the base layer of your mat, using 3 strands of floss.
Repeat the whole way around the outer edge of your mat.
YOU DID IT!
Admire your handiwork and enjoy in your fall decorating!
Once again, thank you for your thoughtfulness and visits - life has been so blessed since I started blogging!
Best wishes
Christine"

And, here's her "Wooly Wednesday" post of her pineapple, it's so cute it's done with little "penny rug" circles in wool felt on the pineapple:

If you want to visit her blog with the Candlemat post click HERE. Isn't her blog cute, she loves Americana and our prim style.
'Til next time, Primmies...