Dreary Sunday

There are days that all you can do is stay home and read a good book, or clean the house and catch up on laundry, or do something creative. I've done all three so far, and it's not yet 6pm. Ya gotta laugh....

It is chilly, overcast, and sometimes spitting rain/sleet in central Indiana. We have played throw the toys that make noise in the house several times. Doesn't seem to matter, the dogs are still bored. So I start on sewing, take a break to pacify the babies, and then try to go back to it. Sigh.

These are two angels that we purchased last year when first starting out in our booth. They never sold. Because we purchased them already made from someone else, the price had to be a bit higher than what we would have liked. Yesterday I realized, as I was restocking the booth with spring items, if these angels had not sold in almost a year, they weren't going to. So I brought them home to spruce them up. I altered the dresses, which were kind of big on the dolls, re-grunged them, added the apron and doily at the neck, and made the tags. Now I'm going to make some rusty wire halos, and I think that will do it. I hope so.

What we have learned in a year of purchasing, making, and selling primitive crafts is nothing short of amazing. I like that.

Have a relaxing evening. And thanks for stopping by.
Linda

Is it Spring yet?

Good Morning!

The temperatures aren't saying Spring at all. But we are sick of Christmas crafts (that happens with any season, trust me), and are ready to move on. Our booth will be stocked with chickens, bunnies, and bears as of this Saturday.

This is a new bunny, very prim, wearing overalls of homespun or country cotton, and holding a carrot. He gave me a lot of grief while making it. I understood the directions, but had a difficult time getting the sewing correct. It finally worked out the way the designer intended. I are a beginner, still!

All of the above are made with muslin that was painted and distressed. My favorite is the one with the blue overalls.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.
Linda

Sorry!

I was too busy this past week. Every single day I told myself I had to post something, and didn't. So I apologize.

This is turning into a very reflective month. At times when we are faced with life's challenges, you feel overwhelmed. The danger of that is allowing depression to creep into your life and take up residence. So I have been confronting each day and it's own problem with a "how can I fix this?" attitude. The answer may not come immediately, but it does appear within a few hours. Allowing yourself to be creative in thinking as well as crafty outlets is a very good thing.

And there is something to be said for solving those problems all on your own. Not that I don't value my friends, I do, but we are all individuals, and no one knows as well as you what is best for this moment, this period in time.

So today I choose to think good thoughts, to rely on my own self for answers and solutions, and to learn how to walk away when it is appropriate. Thanks for stopping by.

Linda

Stars

This is a new star pattern for spring. The star measures about 11 inches long and is made of muslin. The material was painted and grunged. I then added thin rusty wire around the points and curled the ends. At that point I decided to add a tag and small rusty star, for a little more decoration. This could be set on a shelf, or hung on the wall.

My days will now be spent wiping up dog paw prints off the wood floor. The snow has melted, the yard is a wreck. And then we can do it all again when spring arrives for real, in March. Oh, boy.


Enjoy yourselves.
Linda

Hearts

And here is the tip for the day: never, ever throw out any craft supplies. As soon as you do, you will need that particular item.

Months ago I was cleaning the craft room. This is an ongoing endeavor. Never ends. Anyway, I have 2 plastic boxes of small letter stamps that I purchased probably 10 years ago. I had kind of moved away from stamping my own words, so was tempted to pitch the boxes. This little nagging voice in my head said, "no, Linda, don't. You know what will happen."

Glad I listened to the voice. I have used the various letter sizes repeatedly in the past few weeks. The hearts are muslin that was painted and grunged. The word strips are also muslin that I soaked in coffee and baked. Yes, baked. Then stamped the various words.

I'm having fun with this. And that's important. Jake, my terrier mix, keeps looking at these, thinking it would be fun to tear open a heart. I told him no. Firmly. Have a great day.
Linda

Jumping Bunnies

Well. These were a bit more of a challenge than what I thought. When I first saw the pattern, I fell in love with the simple but different shape. Little did I realize that with all of the curves stuffing these bad boys was going to be a long event.

The Jumping Bunnies are made of muslin, stuffed firmly (believe me, stuffed very firmly), and then painted. They are then distressed with our grunge mix. Rusty wire holds one rusty bell, and the hearts are hand sewn on with DMC floss. Another challenge. My fingers were sore after that endeavor. But wouldn't they look great sitting on a book shelf? The bunnies will be available for sale February 1st.

Have a great day. The sun is out, the temperature is going up, we are happy campers!
Linda

Miss Belinda

This is Miss Belinda, a very primitive black doll for spring. She is holding an apple on her lap. Belinda is made of muslin, stuffed firmly, then painted, sanded, and grunged. Her pantaloons are also grunged muslin, her dress is homespun. I added a necklace of black wire with 3 rusty bells. The eyes are buttons, her hair curly yarn.

I have jumping bunnies in various stages on the kitchen table, unstuffed hearts, and a chicken named Twigs waiting to be cut out for a friend. Life is good.

Thanks for stopping by.
Linda

Coco and her Cat

Told ya I've been busy!

This is Coco and her little cat. She is made of muslin and stuffed hard with fiber fill. I then painted the muslin and distressed it with sand paper and our grunge mix. The pantaloons, or "loons" are also muslin that has been soaked in a coffee mixture. Her dress is homespun, also soaked in our mix.

Coco and her Cat will be available soon in our Etsy shop. By February 1st, she will be for sale at Gilley's Antique and Craft Mall on US 40 in Plainfield, IN.

Stay tuned. More to come. I am having fun, folks!
Linda

It has to be the right spot, Mom

Gracie has the typical Australian Shepherd coat: a thick very fine undercoat, and a silky top coat. This obviously keeps her warm. But when the air temperature dips to below 10 degrees, I constantly worry about frostbite on their paws. So I closely monitor the time they are out in the yard.

Jake's fur is wiry, but a fine undercoat, but it is also obvious that he does not enjoy the frigid temperatures. He will run out, find the first spot that looks good, do his thing, and come back to the door and bark once, even if I'm standing right there. "Open the door MOM!" So consequently Jake and Mom stand inside the house, looking out the back door as Gracie wanders in circles in the yard.

It has to be the perfect spot. Not any spot will do. She sniffs everywhere, sniffs what her brother has left, and walks on. And on. The funniest event was the first time she went out there after the first 7 inches of snow was dumped on the area. She walked in circles, wading actually, until she could get the snow down so she could squat. The Diva wants what the Diva wants.

I can't wait for spring.
Linda