MY "Followers" list has disappeared...

I must appologize to anyone who has be following my blog.  If you have noticed, everyone has "disappeared"..... I have tried for weeks on end to fix this, but just can not figure out.  I e-mailed for "help" and I am hoping this can be fixed....

Thanks so much for following my blog....

Catching up on projects

Well, I am trying hard today to play catch up on lots of projects I have "lined up"....

I ordered some new wax to try--a soy blend--in my candlemaking.  Pure soy has a few "issues" and with certain scents does not give a good scent throw..  So today I poured 3 test candles and a pound of tarts to test out.  Everything is "under the covers" curing for the next 3 days and then I will see how this new blend works out....will keep all posted!!!

I wanted to start making my wool penny rugs for the fall and decided to do a pillow...Black base and then my large circles are a very deep, dark green and the smaller circles are a deep orange/rust color.  I dyed the wool myself and I am using different shades as it came up on this piece of wool...
 I have cut all the circle and am working on the pennys now.  Here is the fabric I choose:

Will post a picture of my pillow when finished.  It will be offered for sale if anyone is interested...

OK, test candles finished, tarts made, pillow worked on and then my next project. 

I had bought a large black latern with a fake "vanilla candle with drips and all".....with a small flicker candle that turns off and on with a switch on the back of latern.  OF COURSE-----my candle did not work --wires never connected correctly.  OH Well,,,,,,,  I wanted to grunge it up just a bit...so I painted the plastic with some "Instant Age Varnish"....I used this before on one of the very large, 3 wick real candle and I loved it ...just don't burn the candle, of course.

I used a brush and floated on a coat of the varnish.  Then as it was drying somewhat, I put more of the varnish on my brush and "dabbed" it for a darker color.  Just kept working until I liked how it looked.  It is still wet, or I would add the picture of how it looks in the lantern.  Until then, here is how it looks as I finished it...

 

This darker color is how it really looks....

 

 

 

OK, back to more fun and projects to finish.  I am going to rent a booth for 4 months and I am designing new business cards,  price tags and labels for my candles..... I am really having fun with that.  Then I have to price everything...

 

Take care my friends and have a wonderful day,

Margaret

MY "SIMPLIFY" WOOL PILLOW

Yes, I finished my "simplify" wool pillow.  I used up the last of my husband's Army blanket to make this pillow.  So it holds special meaning for me for a lot of reasons!!   Not sure right now where I am putting the pillow....I really need more shelves and benches and places to put things...  So many more fantastic wool goodies to make.  AND I have an idea for a few prim dolls....

 

Just  starting on my pillow...

 

ALL FINISHED!  NOW WHERE TO PUT????

 

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy the beautiful weather and have a wonderful day..

Margaret

 

Table Risers are DONE!!!

If I can load my pictures right....you can see the progress of my table risers....I made 3, with one a bit shorter in length than the others. 

Here's what I do:
Decided on length,  width and height I want my piece to be. OH and of course DESIGN...I wanted these to be fairly simple and look HANDMADE.....and of course oldish!!
Cut wood to size.  I use pine...
Sand the dickens out of pieces.  I have a sander, but always finish each piece with sanding some by hand...
I wanted the legs to be slightly in from the edge of the top, so I measured and cut accordingly.
Marked where I wanted the legs to go
Drilled pilot holes in the top piece
Glued and nailed legs in place
Sand, Sand, Sand until I am pleased with how it all looks
Base coat black.  I used the chalkboard paint for these because I had it and it  has a very flat look.
LET DRY COMPLETELY!
Top coat I dry brush on and I am not covering completely.  I call it my "slap happy painting".
LET DRY
Sand each piece by hand.  Sand edges and I like to sand the centers--like someone has been stepping on it...Just sand and work until you are happy with the results.
Stain.  I used minwax--dark walnut, I think. 
Let Dry....
Apply paste wax.  let it set for about 10 minutes and buff, buff, buff by hand with an old, soft cloth..
I applied a 2nd coat to the top...no paticular reason, just did :-)

I forgot and only took pictures just after painting.  Then the 2nd picture is the finished table riser..

Mustard over Black

 

Deep red over black

 

 

Deep forest green

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by.  If anyone wants more detailed info on what I did, just e-mail me..

Have a fantastic weekend.

Margaret

 

 

What I FOUND!!

We went up to  Pa. this past weekend to vist family.  We got to see a the neatest "small town" Memorial Day Parade.  I had so much fun...

Then as we watched the parade, out of the corner of my eye, I saw IT --a very small--antique shop.  I swore I would only spend 5 minutes as we were on our way to see my husbands' mother at a nursing home.  Well 5 minutes did stretch into 15, but you have never seen anyone go as fast as I did....The owners, were just laughing at me.  I left some things I wished we had grabbed, but there will be another time!!!

NOw if I had been smart, I would have grouped everything together and just taken one picture, but no, I did not....

 

Isn't this pricless!!!  Hand painted on an old board.  It came from Rhode Island...I just love the split in the wood on the right side....just needed  a bit of cleaning up....

 

 

 

 

All cleaned up...you probably can't tell, but believe me it made a difference.  I added a coat of Johnson's finishing paste wax for some protection.  Hand rubbed it in.  I think it will have a home on the wall going up my family room stairs.  will take another picture when I decide...

 

NEXT Treasure:

My original idea was to unscrew the top and put American Flags in it and put on my mantel.  WELL, no way.  The top is rusted and painted on.  But love it anyway.  Put it on a shelf---as if I need more things!!!

 

NEXT:

BEFORE!

AFTER!!!   nothing like a little cleaning and restaining....hated to, but had to sand a few very rough parts.....AGAIN, when placed in their new home--will take a picture!

 

ONE MORE:

 

Front of Flour Sack...and this baby is HUGE!!

Back side of Flour Sack.....I fell in love with the little boy on the front side.  NOW what to do with this.....The picture and print is going the wrong way to leave as is and make a huge pillow.   I was thinking of  cutting in half and making a pillow of the little boy using the front half and wrapping the top and bottom around to the back as the backing of the pillow.....if that makes sense...So the little boy will be facing the right direction and centered on the front.  Then I will still have the other printed side of the flour sack with the CRESOtA wording on it....JUST have to decide what to do!!!

ANY suggestions?????  Love to hear....

I spent some time last week making 3 wood table risers and finishing up a box I had bought....  All is painted and stained and waiting to dry.  Will hand rub the paste wax tomorrow.  Must be 90 in my garage and I was "melting".....When I finish I will post pictures...

Until then, take care my friends and have a great afternoon..
Margaret

 

My redo of a Child's chair....

I have been wanting an old wood childs high chair for my kitchen forever.  If I found one, the price was either unreal, or the high chair was too big for the kitchen of the house we were currently living in (military and moving around a lot)...

 

I have the sweetest friend, Mandy of Bittersweet Folkart, who has a booth at a local antique shop...Anyway, found this chair and I fell in love....

 

OK, I should have taken a "before" picture, but I forgot....The chair had been repaired, but I decided to fill in the cracks some more---this is the picture with the wood filler--YEP, does look awful!!!  but nothing a little sanding and stain can not fix....

 

Sanded and half way done.  I filled in here and there with some black paint also....to look a little more antique:

 

       TA DA!! done and I love it, just letting it dry....

I grabbed one of my dollies and put her in the chair....LOVE IT!!!  and will work for now... I am making a larger doll soon to sit in the "chair of honor" in my kitchen....but for now this one will do. LOVING IT......

Thanks to Mandy...check her stuff out at...http://bittersweetfolkartprimitives.blogspot.com/

 

 

Going to get to work on a new wool piece.   Am using the last of an old Army Banket of my husbands to make a pillow with the wording "SIMPLIFY" on it...just a reminder to us all that life does not have to be so complicated......

 

Have a fantastic weekend my friends,

Margaret

 

FINISHED my table runner!

As I last "reported", I was working on my tablerunner from a pattern by Maggie Bonanomi.  I was talking about how I was going to finish up this piece--a little different.

Well, as we all know--sometimes it just doesn't work out like we imagined....My plan was to add a row on each end of the runner.  I was going to take wool colors from my "leaves" and put together a wool strip of squares" to tie everything together.  NOT! Really did not like the look..

Next idea--just choose one color and do a "wavy" strip of wool to add at the end.  NOT...did not like that look.

I think with Maggie's pattern--the beauty is in the "simplicity" of the look.  At least that was my opinion...adding any more actually took away from the look of the runner.

This black wool is on the thinner side.  I cut another piece for backing and put a little light interfacing between the two...sewed together and turned inside out.  NOT......I do not have a "walking foot" and the wool kept bunching up no matter what I did. 

NOW that was a pain in the neck to rip out.....but I did. 

IN the end I decided I would simply roll the wool to the back and handstitch.  So the edges are very neat and tidy....

Lesson learned----next runner I will use a coat weight wool for my runner and not have to worry about it feeling too "whimpy".....But no matter I do love it...

Took quick pictures and they are not great...but here is what it looks like....

Excuse all the light on the back of the picture.  After many days of lots of rain--the sun peaked out and thankfully flooded my kitchen windows with light...No complaints about that!!!  Just makes a funky picture :-)

 

I am working on 3 table risers....One for me for this table.  I want to have my wood trencher with my goose sitting in it, on this table as always.  I just change the "innerds" of the trencher with the season.  I will use the table riser so you can see the handwork of the runner and still use my wood trencher!!  Win-win!

Have a wonderfu day.....lot of new things to post next time...Enjoy your day and a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend..

Margaret

YUMMY RECIPE to Try

I just love trying new recipes and anything sweet and simple is just the right recipe to try!!!

I made this cake for my husband's office.  I never did get a bite of this, but office staff said this was a winner-- and my husband really loved it..I have a few pictures I took as I was making...

INCREDIBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

 

 

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 jar (12- 1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping

1 carton (12 ounces)frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

2 Heath candy bars (1.4 ounces each) ******* we don't care for the Heath candy bars so I use CHOPPED MINI PEANUT BUTTER CUPS!!  so yummy (hint: if you put the peanut butter cups in the freezer for at least an hour or so, they are easier to chop)

 

Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions, using a greased 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking pan (remember to adjust oven temp if you use a dark pan)...Place on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, poke 20 holes in warm cake.  Pour milk over cake; cool for 10 minutes.  Pour caramel topping over cake; cool completely.

 

In a bowl, combine whipped topping and cocoa (stir completely, but gently); spread over cake.  Sprinkle with crushed candy bars.  Cover and store in the refrigerator.

 

SO VERY YUMMY!!!

 

 

After holes were poked into cake and the sweetened condensed milk was poured over cake.

 

 

Caramel Ice cream topping was added and the whipped topping mixed with the baking cocoa...looking yummy...

 

 

TA DA!!!  OK, I do not know why this picture comes in sideways--as the original is not like this...can not seem to fix!!  Just turn your head and pretend the picture is correct...

 

ENJOY!!

 

 



FINALLY working on a table runner!

Been wanting to get to this for awhile now.  Here are a few pictures of my table runner I am making.  I used Maggie Bonanomi's pattern from her book "Comfort Zone"....but I am going to finish it off a bit different.  This is what I have so far and will be stitching it down.  Will play with the runner and let you know what I will be doing to finish it off.  Have 2 pictures.  One with everything just layed in place and one with it pinned down.  Am excited about this one and my idea to finish it!!! 

OH, please excuse the messy pictures...just put on the floor!!!!

Hope all of you have a wonderful day and enjoying some spring-like weather....

 

Please check back to see what I am doing with this one!!  Oh, I just love wool...

 

Be Safe my friends,

Margaret

IT'S DONE!

Well, I finally got to finish my "watermellon"   hooked mat.  But now a funny story to tell.

 Remember that I was going to tea dye the front of my mat after I had finished to give  a more "prim" look to the homespun fabric.  Well, I decided to just leave it as it was...no tea dying...I kind of liked the look as it was...

OH, and I also decided this would be a mat and not a pillow.  So I cut a piece of black flannel for the backing and did not like the way it looked as the black of the flannel and black of the cotton just did not match.  So I cut a piece of black cotton and washed the sizing out of it.  Pinned it on and finally getting back to it --I finished  about 10 minutes ago.     Went to press it up ---back side first---and believe it or not, I knocked over my glass of tea!!!!  ON THE BACK SIDE....Duh!  If I was going to spill the tea--should have been the front side so I would have gotten my "tea dyed" look....

I did take a quick picture and now it is sitting on my work table --waiting to dry.  And yes, I did wash off the tea.....Could just see some ants coming to visit my "watermellon" that was smelling like tea!!!

It was a fun project--but I do prefer to hook with wool.  Fun to try new things.... Lesson learned if I do this again---I think the fabric I purchased was a thinner cotton fabric than the other piece I did many years ago.  The first piece I did was a pumpkin pillow for fall.  And I loved the little strings and prim look---but dang, this fabric was fraying like crazy.  I have cut and cut and gathered strings forever!!!  I also had to pack in the fabric so much as it pulled out very easy.  I decided to iron on interfacing on the back of the piece--before I added the black backing, just to help hold the fabric strips in.

Sure I have more lessons to add, but got to run.  We are heading down to Ft. Benning, Ga. tomorrow as my grandson is graduating from Basic and AIT this friday.  So very proud of him.  3 weeks of airborne training, then on to Special Forces training at Ft. Bragg, NC.  He is a very special man.   Lots of Army men in this family!!

Pictures were taken really quick.....When I get back and the mat is "dry"....I will take a picture when I put the mat in (on) its new home--at least its summer home!!

Take care my friends and have a wonderful week,
Margaret

ALMOST FINISHED!!

I have finally had the time to get back to and "almost" finish my Watermellon Rug that I hooked in homespun.  Here is what I have so far:

 

Tails have not been trimmed yet and I had not decided on my border --how big or what color.  Yep that is my foot you see in the picture! 

 And our cat, Nikki,  had to get in the picture.   We call Nikki our "little old lady".  She is nearly 20 years old.  Her sister passed away 3 years ago.  Nikki thinks she is a kitten and runs around and plays--then sleeps for hours as she has exhausted herself!  She is too funny...

 

 

Tails trimmed and I decided to do black for the frame around the picture.  I did change this up a little from the original pattern.  I ended up hooking 3 rows of black as I think I am going to use this as a mat on a table I had made.  Pics when I finish....

 

 

Just so you can see the back of my hooked piece.  Lots of loose strings when using homespun on a rug hooking project.....

 

Well, my friends.  Hope you all have a fantastic day.  If I finish this project this weekend, I will post a picture. 

 

 I want to do an "art quilt" project next as far as sewing goes OH and a table runner.  But now that the weather is so nice, I am itching to get out in the garage and cut some wood.  First I am making a table riser for my kitchen table.  I have a runner I want to make, but I usually keep my trencher with dried goodies and my wood swan sitting in the trencher and that sits on top of the table cloth I usually use.  If I am making a runner, I want to see all my hand stitched pieces, so putting my trencher on a riser will expose more of the handwork..

 

It is just after 5:30 am and I have been up awhile--hope I am making sense!!

 

Have a beautiful day!

Margaret

 

 

WHAT I WORKED on TODAY...

I love to rug hook....I did a pumpkin pillow years ago using homespun cotton instead of wool and I enjoyed the look of the pillow.  Prim and very "old looking".

  Have been wanting to do another piece and found a pattern for a watermellon in an old Create and Decorate magazine....and decided this was it!!

Had pattern and homespun on my cutting table for weeks ....so today I found a few hours  to go to town...here is what I have done so far...

 

My black "seeds" and just starting the watermellon in a red and creamy checked homespun.

 

 

 

Filling  in ....

 

 

Red checked finished and added the deep green rind....

Have background to finish and border and the words "watermellon" in black  ....Background is a creamy tan fabric with green stirpes --like a ticking fabric.  Then border in  either the red or deep green.  or both..will play with that.

 

After I am done, I am going to spray with a dark coffee mixture...to "prim" up just a bit!!!

May be a larger, long pillow or a mat??  will see..

 

Have a wonderful evening my friends,

Margaret

Some pictures of my Easter Decorating....

I realized that I had not taken any pictures of my Easter decorating this year.  Changed things up a  little.  I don't do pastels, but Easter decorating seems to lend itself to lighter colors...I took quick pictures--so don't look too close at any "messyness" in my rooms!!  Some of my items are really old and not too pretty--but just can not get rid of...have sentimental value and that is important!

 

I think the sun came out (for a change) as I was taking this picture.  Excuse the glare..Should have done a close up of the mantel.  I have these really grubby, big carrots on each side.  The basket is filled with violets and the basket on the left side of the mantel is filled with painted eggs.  The basket in front of the fireplace has some chicks I made of muslin and painted and also some eggs... I also made the big floppy earred rabbit.  He is painted and grubby also...

 

I love the little "villages"...can not see this one very well--sorry.  It is cute..

 

Pillow I made--wool applique and on the seat of the chair is a little rug hooked piece..

 

 

One of my table centerpieces...I made the "wabbit".  He has curly wire legs that are so cute.  Eggs are prim painted and made the mini- carrots.

 

I love decorating this old breadbox.  I painted the bunny on the wood bowl...

 

 

This is one of my "breadboards" that I make and paint.  I went to the "dollar store" and got bunches of the yellow flowers and added them here and there to brighten up a spot...Yellow flowers scream spring to me!!

 

 

More spring flowers to brighten my kitchen.  Flowers are sitting on a penny rug that I made...

 

I just love this floppy eared bunny.  In my kitchen where I can see him...

 

I did take more pictures, but don't want to bore anyone!!!

 

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter. 

 

Hugs to all,

Margaret