I Love Baskets

It is said that confession is good for the soul. I confess that I love baskets and I also must confess that I don't know why. If someone says they love art, they know why; if they say they love pizza, it's obvious why; if they say they love shoes, hello...why wouldn't they? I found this basket in our local hospice thrift store. It originally had some apples painted on the lid. When I picked it up to examine the quality of it I noticed the price. It was more than I wanted to pay and frankly I was surprised at its price considering it was in a thrift store. I put it back down and continued my search for any other treasures I might find. I eye-spied a couple of frames that I was hoping to find and a butterfly house I have been looking for. It's really hard to find butterfly houses these days; a few years ago they were quite plentiful. With my hands full of frames and a butterfly house, I walked by the basket I had examined earlier...rats!; it was still there. Ok, it was obviously waiting for me to buy it. I picked it up and headed to checkout. While I was checking out another lady in line mentioned that she had picked the basket up and looked at it but too. Hmmm....I was this (-) close to losing the basket. I brought the basket home and promptly sanded off the apples and repainted the lid with a design by Terrye French. Funny, this design happened to have an apple in it; this basket must have been designed to wear apples. Pin It Now!

Primitive Blessings

This sign is painted with a Kim Klassen design. Something about it speaks to me about home. There is something wonderful about being gone and then coming home. That feeling of being able to relax, sleep in your own bed, the familiarity of the things around you, being back to a regular schedule...well, it's all wonderful. That saying "home is where the heart is" is so true. I love being home. It's not just the building, the wood, plaster and stone but what our home is about. It's a sanctuary from the world. We have lived in many houses while my husband was serving this great nation in the Air Force. With all the transfers we went through we would usually rent and then buy a house then rent again after we sold the house, all in preparation of moving again. Each time we would walk into a rental or a house that was empty and hear that all to familiar echo of an empty house or apartment. We knew that moving furniture in, putting rugs down and hanging pictures on the walls would eliminate those echoes. But all these things do not make a house a home. We have more stuff in our house than we ever have, more than we need but that does not make the house our home. Home is made when we love one another, when we are kind to one another, when we accept one another unconditionally, all these things take just as much work as moving in furniture, hanging pictures, putting dishes in the cupboards, putting everything in the right place...the happily ever after does not occur accidently. It takes work, hard work. Someday our home will have a different echo, echoes of memories we've made as a family, I want those echoes to be good for both my husband and I and our children. Pin It Now!

Monday Market Place

Good Monday Morning. Hope everyone had a relaxing weekend. For my Monday Market Place I want to introduce to you a great Old Farmhouse Gathering artisan, Teresa of Teresa's Prim Treasures. Teresa is a versatile artist working with wood, paint and thread. Teresa’s Prim Treasures on Esty is loaded with beautiful handmade prim items. I am sharing with you an interview Teresa did for the OfG team along with some photos of items in Teresa's Etsy shop. Be sure to visit her shops and blog listed at the end of this interview to see all her wonderful treasures; if you are a lover of prims you will be glad you did.

What is the name of your Etsy shop and why did you choose that name?
My Etsy shop name is Teresa's Prim Treasures. When I first started attending craft shows and needed to apply for a tax ID number I was told your name had to be in your title to avoid filing for a fictitious name. I loved "Primitives" and wanted others to "treasure" my creations for years to come. So, putting all 3 of these together I came up with Teresa's Primitive Treasures for my website. When I opened my Etsy shop I shortened it a bit to TeresasPrimTreasures.





How long have you been on Etsy?
I joined Etsy in September of 2007 but didn't list anything to sell until 5 months later. So I began selling in March 2008.




What type of items do you offer?
My husband makes shelves, cabinets, cupboards and anything wooden I ask him to craft..... most of the time.... and I do the sanding and painting. I also love to paint and sew! You will find all 3 types of work in my shop. I love working with wool and hand stitching!




How long have you been crafting?
I started sewing Amish dolls and dressed bunnies back in 1989 for a local gift shop..... so that would make it 20 years! Really hard to believe! I've been so fortunate to be a stay at home mom and craft for that long.




Who or What inspires you?
My mother is my greatest inspiration! She has a house full of antiques and ideas for projects. I love looking at old books and surfing the web for interesting patterns!




What is your favorite item in your shop and why?
I would say my Tattered Prairie Dolls. I created and named them after my nieces and my first Granddaughter. They have done quite well for me over the years!

Other places where you can be found (Ebay, webstore, blog)

Website: http://www.teresasprimitivetreasures.com

Etsy shop: http://www.teresasprimtreasures.etsy.com

Blog: http://teresasprimtreasures.blogspot.com/

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Palm Sunday.

Today is Palm Sunday. We were given palm fronds to wave in the service today. As the pastor cried out the words "hosanna, hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord". The congregation cried out these words too. I thought of the crowd surrounding Jesus that day long ago; they had families they loved, they had jobs, they worked in the home, they took care of their children, they had hopes and dreams, they enjoyed time with friends, they had hobbies, they had a hope for their nation; they were people like me. I can imagine their joy as their hopeful King came riding into all their "maybes". Maybe He will become our rightful king, maybe he will deliver us from these Romans, maybe he will bring us a better future....
I wonder how many in the crowd that day were in the crowd that cried out "crucify Him" 4 days later. Which voice will we be? By the way, He is the rightful King, He does bring a better future and He does give us hope in our hopelessness. My life has been better and richer for knowing Him as that rightful King. Pin It Now!

Friday's Blessings!

It's raining here today. Most people don't consider that a blessing but I do. I enjoy the rain as long as it doesn't go on for days. I love the smell of the rain, the sound of it and if it's warm I enjoy the feel of the rain as I walk or work in it. I had the privilege of being with my husband while he was stationed on the small island of Guam, way out there in the Pacific. As with most tropical islands, it rained almost every day. Planned events were never cancelled (except for typhoons) because of rain, it might rain and it might not. I remember walking in the warm rain; it was like a warm shower. I always took an umbrella because the rain would be torrential at times. We often had beautiful rainbows after a rain; sometimes there were double rainbows. It seemed that they arched over the entire Island. I've never seen them as vivid or complete anywhere else. Rainbows remind me of God's promise; that He keeps His promise, all of them. Sometimes a God given promise is all we have to hold onto when we are going through difficult times, and we all do. A promise gives me hope that there will be an end to my troubles and that the sun will come out again.

One more thought about rain. My 86 year old mom died in January 09. The spring of 08 while I was visiting her, it was raining. As we were talking about the rain Mom mentioned that she wished she could walk in the rain one more time. At that time she was frail, on oxygen, and unsteady on her feet; I could not imagine taking her out the door, down her steps and into a slippery unknown. But I wish I had. Now when it rains I often think about her wish to walk in the rain one more time; it’s not a painful memory but a vision of my mom young and enjoying a walk in the rain. God’s promise to her of life everlasting has come and she has probably enjoyed that walk in the rain once again. What???? You never thought about rain being in Heaven? Pin It Now!

Another One Finished

I love the message on this piece "Simplify". It's hard to see the word, I've darkened the lettering since taking this photo. I didn't realize it was so light until I saw the picture. I have had this bentwood cheese box for at least 12 years. I ordered it while we were stationed in Guam with the Air Force. I had intended to paint it and sell it at one of the craft shows…I think. It’s been so long I can’t remember why I ordered it. It has sat on the shelf in at least 4 different houses. Rummaging through my studio a few weeks ago I finally pulled it off the shelf and set it aside to work on. And it sat there and sat there and sat there. I am determined to paint the stuff I already have on hand before buying anything else. I knew I had better paint this box and paint it quickly. We are going to visit some friends in Tennessee soon; while we are there, and on our way, I want to visit as many antique shops and thrift stores as possible. I really can’t justify buying anything if my “to do” shelf is full.

This time of year, like clockwork, the urge to de-clutter over takes me. I go through my closets, cupboards, drawers, desks, and pantry and start throwing out stuff or giving it away. And about the time I am finished my Handsome starts looking for something that he hasn’t used in a year. Not finding it, he usually begins the much anticipated blame of “you threw it away”. Affirmative, I probably did. I am a firm believer that I cannot keep every scrap of paper that has had something scratched on it. My Sweetie a few short years ago realized if he wanted to keep something he better be proactive and put it in a “safe” place. Sometimes he remembers where that safe place is and sometimes he forgets.

When I have the house nice and tidy I often begin to think about my spiritual house. How tidy is it? It’s as easy to clutter up the spirit in us as it is to clutter our natural dwelling. We clutter it with fears, bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, deceptions, prejudice and a host of other “stuff”. When I allow these things to clutter my spiritual house I become an unproductive Christian. I do not love others as I should. I don’t have compassion on those in need, I let myself talk about others in an unfavorable way, I become envious and soon greed crops up. I start to judge others by my own criteria and I allow myself to say things I can never take back. It’s easy to see these things in others but when I start to pull away the layers of clutter in myself I see I’m the one who is guilty and in need of a cleaning. This is the time I get honest before God, He already knows anyway. He is able to wash me clean by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. When I am clean on the inside, it’s like taking a breath of fresh air again. All the weight of that clutter is gone. I can enjoy my relationship with Him and my relationship with others again. Pin It Now!

Playing Catch Up

For a couple of weeks it seemed that I couldn't get anything done. I posted about that in a previous post. Last week I finally got behind the eight ball and worked on getting some items finished for my Etsy shop. I ended up with 6 painted items by the end of the week. I have to admit there were a few late nights but when I am in the mood to paint, I paint. It doesn't do any good to go to bed and pretend it's time to sleep when my mind is in a whirl thinking about painting. It's funny how that happens...it seems when I am busy, busy, busy, my mind is busy too. My body may want to slow down or shut down but my mind stays in gear and there is no putting the brakes on til it is ready to slow down. I talked with a cashier in Walmart Monday; I asked her if she hears the beep, beep,beep of the checkout scanner in her sleep. She told me no but she does dream of being at work when she has had a busy day. Hmmm, sounds like her mind isn't ready to rest either. I wonder why when we are super busy we dream of being busy in our sleep.

This match stick holder is one of the items I finished. I should say "finally" because I have had it for a while. I would pull it off the shelf and then put it back, pull it off and put it back. I'm not sure why I wasn't ready to paint it each time I pulled it off the shelf because I had such a fun time painting this design on it. I have another match stick holder that is smaller. I found it at an antique shop a few weeks ago. It is a handmade piece; on the back of it the gentleman who made it craved his name and the date. That one will probably sit on my shelf for a while too. Mainly, because I am trying to make up my mind if I want to keep it or sell it. Sometimes I can’t let an item go. Pin It Now!

Monday Market Place

Good Monday Morning. I want to introduce you to Bette of Tomorrow's Treasures. Bette is a member of the Old Farmhouse Gathering Etsy Team. Visiting Bette's Esty shop to preview some photos for this feature I found a wide selection of patterns she offers in her shop. I must say it was hard to chose from such a wonderful selection. Before I knew it I had six photos and wanted to keep choosing. Please visit her shop, you won't be disappointed. I am posting an interview that Bette answered for the OFG and some of the awesome work and patterns you can find in her shop. Please take note of the places you can find Bette at the end of this interview. Enjoy your Monday!



What is the name of your Etsy shop and why did you choose that name?

I have three Etsy shops.

Tomorrows Treasures for the patterns I design. My business name is Bette's Tomorrows Treasures but it had to be cut down to fit for Etsy.

Thrifty Notions is where I sell supplies and some vintage items.

Handmade By Bette is my newest shop for handmade items.

How long have you been on Etsy? Two years.

What type of items do you offer? My own patterns, supplies and vintage items and a variety of handmade items including purses, hot pads and feed sack pillows.



How long have you been crafting? I was taught to knit and crochet at a very young age and learned to sew at 16.
I started my business 20 years ago.

Who or What inspires you? I am a trend watcher. I love trying new things and sometimes it is an old craft done in a new way.



What is your favorite item in your shop and why? My favorite medium to work with is recycled jeans. My favorite item is the embellished recycled jeans purse I designed recently.





Other places where you can be found (Ebay, webstore, blog)

http://www.tomorrowstreasures.etsy.com

http://www.handmadebybette.etsy.com

http://www.thriftynotions.etsy.com

http://www.bettestomorrwstreasures.blogspot.com

http://www.bettestomorrowstreasures.com

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And the Winner Is....

Well before I tell you I want to thank each of you for signing up for my give away. Thanks also to those who have signed on to follow. Thank you all for your wonderful comments, they are greatly appreciated. I feel that I have come to know many of you from your comments here as well as visiting your blogs. I have had many chuckles from some of the comments you have left and some I have had an aaha moment in the late hours of the night as a "light came on". I will be doing another give away mid-April. Here is a hint, it will have something to do with a large spoon....sorry, that's all I can tell you.




Michelle of michellefincham has won the sheep. Michelle, the sheep is ready to go so please email me your address and I will mail it out to you as quickly as possible.

The little cutie who drew the winning name is my sweet 4 year old granddaughter Megan. She had so much fun she wanted to draw another one. Pin It Now!

Last Day for Sign-up

If you haven't signed up for my give-away, there is no better time than the present. Today is the last day for the sign-up, tomorrow I will be drawing the lucky winner. Simply click the icon on the left and follow the rules.

I have 4 new items painted for my Etsy shop. Sorry no photos taken yet. I'm working on the 5th item today. I'm hoping I will have 6 items finished by Monday. Today is the only day I will have to paint, tomorrow I am working with Angel Food Ministry and Sunday I try to take a day off and rest from all my "toiling". Anyway can't wait to show you what I have been doing.

This morning I challenged my daughter-in-law Susan to a game. Here is what we are doing. Wait; let me set it up for you. Susan and I are both busy women. She is busy with 4 small children. I am busy with 4 small grandchildren and an online business as well as other activities that I mentioned in my last post. We both need to do some de-cluttering and spring cleaning. I'm not a very cluttered person, I can't stand having piles of stuff here and there but recently I've been busy and haven't put stuff away so, it's a little (well more than a little) cluttered around here. I also need to do spring clean. So, I have challenged Susan to this game; to do our spring cleaning and de-cluttering by next Friday, one week from today. Whoever's house is the cleanest will win the challenge. My dear Handsome is the judge. The prize is lunch out, loser pays. The restaurant is winner's choice. The cap for the lunch is 20.00 a plate which will include some exclusive eateries. If this doesn't motivate us, I don't know what will. Ohmygoodness, I hope I win! Pin It Now!

I'm Still Here!

I know this is a rhetorical question...but...have you ever had a week where you couldn't get anything done because of life happening? I have had a week like that. My collegiate daughter was home for a couple of days while she was on her spring break. A few days later my husband’s nephew and his family were here for a couple of days. Between all the shopping with my daughter and all the cleaning for the nephew's arrival, I haven't painted for my Etsy shop or blogged in over a week. Well, I did manage to finish a couple of orders and a swap item for a message board I visit daily. I don't know where my time goes. I don't feel that I fritter it away but lately I'm not as productive as I normally am. I am involved in activities outside the home throughout the week but I don't consider that "frittering". I attend one prayer meeting at our church each week and a Bible study. Those do take up most of my Tuesday. I attend a personal Bible study with a friend on Thursday. We usually go to lunch so you know we are in no hurry to finish. One Saturday a month I volunteer time with Angel Food Ministry, another Saturday I attend the women's meeting at my church (I haven't been as faithful to that as I should but I'm trying to do better). Of course there are daily and weekly chores that need to be done around the house as well as errands that need to be taken care of. I'm up at 7AM and in bed anywhere from 11:30 til midnight. Honestly, there is still more than enough time to finish the things I want to get done...done! I would love to paint 2 items a day for my Etsy shop but it never happens, well, it did one time but I haven't managed to do it again. I really need to take a look at my time and see where it is going. Maybe I should have entitled this "Time". When you want it to speed up, it goes as slow as molasses; when you want it to slow down, it jumps to warp. The faster you try to get something done, the slower it happens. You try to save a minute and you end up paying double for it. I actually have a post saved talking about time...maybe one day I will find the time to finish it. The clock is ticking; I'd better get back to painting. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog; it means a lot to me! Enjoy your day and may time be perfect for you today.

By the way, time is running out on my give away, if you haven't already signed up for it, click on the icon to the left and follow the rules. Pin It Now!

Spring is springing forth.

We still have some snow on the ground from the 30 inches that fell in mid February. My Handsome and I went to the mall a couple of days ago and I couldn't believe all the piles and piles of snow in the parking lot. At this rate it is going to be July 4th before it is all gone.

The days are warming up and of course that puts me in the mood to putter around in the yard. Mostly I am looking for any damage from the massive snow storm. Unfortunately my nandina bush looks quite damaged. I don't know if it will survive, only the warming days of spring will reveal that. The azalea bushes look iffy too. Although I planted the varieties that are recommended for our zone, they did not appreciate the cold they had to endure this winter.

Ahhh, Spring. Don't you love snooping around your garden to see what is peeking through? I do. This is the time of year I love to pull back the soggy leaves from fall and see what is emerging. I prune my roses and hydrangeas, I rake off some of the leaves and straw that kept a warm blanket on my flower beds for the winter. I transplant anything that is not happy with its location; that will be one hydrangea bush and an azalea plant if they survived the winter this year.

There is something beautiful about Spring, more than just the bulb plants popping up arrayed in all their gorgeous colors, but something beautiful touches my spirit this time of year. I am always mindful of God's goodness and His salvation; this time of year seems to really drive it home to me, to my very center. Moseying around my garden looking at all the different things pushing their way up out of the earth, seeing the once bare limbs of my hydrangeas and roses, the buds on the trees that seem to one day be just a bud and then before I can say "snap" it unfolds into a leaf, the dry brown grass giving way to a lush green carpet, it all speaks "Life" to me. Everything seems to be waking up from its winter rest. This event, where winter gives way to spring, reminds me that no matter what I am going through there will be a spring. Dark cold days of the soul will give way to the refreshing warm peaceful days of joy again. King Solomon expressed the times and season we experience in Ecclesiastes 3:




To everything there is a season, and
a time to every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, and
a time to die;
a time to plant, and
a time to pluck up
that which is planted;

A time to kill, and
a time to heal;
a time to break down, and
a time to build up;

A time to weep, and
a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and
a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and
a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and
a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and
a time to lose;
a time to keep, and
a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and
a time to sow;
a time to keep silence, and
a time to speak;

A time to love, and
a time to hate;
a time of war; and
a time of peace. Pin It Now!

Monday Market Place

Good Morning Blogger Friends. I hope you had a great weekend and found some time to relax. For my Monday marketplace I would like to introduce you to Kim of Valley Primitives. I know Kim by way of The Old Farm House Gathering. Although I have never met her in person I can see the beautiful person she is by reading her blog and her posts at the Farm House. Kim is also a very talented artisan. If you like stitchery you are going to love taking a peek in her shop. Also be sure to stop by Kim's blog to see what new items she is working on. I am posting an interview that Kim answered for the OFG and some of the awesome work you can find in her shop. Please take note of the places you can find Kim at the end of this interview. Enjoy your Monday!

What is the name of your Etsy shop and why did you chose that name?
Valley Primitives.

How long have you been on Etsy?
Since March 4, 2008




What type of items do you offer?
Hand stitched framed primitive stitchery, stitched kitchen towels, hang tags, pillows, and ornies.

How long have you been crafting?
I have been crafting for as long as I can remember, I love to work with my hands. I've done stained glass, tole painting, beaded jewelry, and now I am hooked on stitching.




Who or What inspires you?
I am inspired by anything old? I love to find things that someone else is throwing away and give it a great primitive make over. I have been inspired by lots of other primitive artist makeovers and the wealth of ideas that they freely share on their blogs.

What is your favorite item in your shop and why?
I love all of my hand stitched pieces because I find stitching so relaxing

Other places where you can be found:

Kim's Esty Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/valleyprimitives
Kim's Blog: http://valleyprimitivesgiftshoppe.blogspot.com/
We also have a small gift shop in our home called Valley Primitives Gift Shoppe. Pin It Now!

I'm Late, I'm Late, For a Very Important Date....

I'm anxiously looking forward to seeing the new Alice In Wonderland movie. Alice in Wonderland was one of my favorite books and movie when I was a child. I loved the whimsy of it, the great descriptions in the book and of course the colorful animation of Walt Disney's version on film. The phrase "I'm late, I'm late", always pops into my mind when I am running late. I can imagine that big footed rabbit with his pocket watch rushing off in a big hurry with Alice following on his heels.

What I am I late for? A give away! I had intended to post the give away the last week of February. Of course I'm not too far off but it's late none-the-less. So many other things have vied for my time and energy. Monday and Tuesday of this week I was running so fast I thought I was going to pass myself. I finally found time to paint on Wednesday. I have a couple of orders to finish and get out but first things first. The give away!!

Please follow the rules for the giveaway so you are not disqualified.

1). you must be a follower of my blog

2). you must post a comment on this page. I will not find you if you comment on a different post.

3). Due to postage, only US and Canadian residents qualify.

It is not a requirement but I would greatly appreciate if you would post my give away on your blog.

The winner of the give away will be announced March 27th 2010.

This folk art design was painted on a primitive sheep cut from a piece of 1" pine. "One nation under God" is of course a line from our pledge of allegiance. I never thought I would live in a time when that one line would cause so much controversy. I hope I never see the day that they take it out. Our nation is a blessed nation. Our forefathers were men and women of great faith. It took faith to build a nation, a republic that upholds democracy and the rights of its peoples. As long as our flag flies, I hope and pray that we will always be "one nation under God". Pin It Now!