MERRY CHRISTMAS..............

...........FROM MY HOUSE TO YOURS!

THE ULTIMATE TREE ORNAMENT

I COULD MAKE, CREATE AND CRAFT TILL THE COWS COME HOME AND I WOULD NEVER EVEN COME CLOSE TO THE TALENTS OF GOD'S CREATURES! I NEVER TIRE OF WAKING EACH MORNING AND SEEING THESE TWO WONDERFUL ORIOLE"S NESTS HANGING FROM THE FICUS TREE NEAR MY BED. ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, MY STEP-DAD RESCUED ONE FROM A FELLED TREE THAT WAS DESTINED FOR FIREWOOD. ANOTHER WAS FOUND IN THE WINTER ABOUT 5 YEARS LATER, AFTER AN ICE STORM HAS CAUSED MANY BRANCHES TO BREAK AND FALL. SO THESE WERE RESCUED NESTS AND WERE NOT ROBBED FROM THE TREES. I WAS JUST FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PRESERVE THESE BEAUTIES THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN DESTROYED.

ANOTHER USE FOR PARCHMENT

I HAD FUN MAKING THESE CONES OUT OF OLD PARCHMENT PAPER AND TINY SCRAPS OF OLD JOURNAL PAGES AND SHEET MUSIC. (DID I MENTION THAT I THROW VERY LITTLE AWAY?) I HAVE STACKS OF DIE CUTS THAT I BOUGHT IN GERMANY SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT I USED AS A FOCAL. THEY LOOK GREAT ON TREES WHEN THE LIGHTS SHINE THRU THE SEMI-TRANSPARENT PAPER.

A GOOD SAVE

THAT'S WHAT FRIEND AND FELLOW ANTIQUES DEALER ANITA, (IOWA JUNK GYPSIES) SAID ABOUT THIS CLOCHE. I DIDN'T TAKE ANY BEFORE PICS, BUT THIS GLASS BELL FELL OVER WHILE I WAS SETTING UP MY FLEA MARKET BOOTH AND CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS NOT HAPPY. YET I COULD NOT BRING MYSELF TO THROW IT AWAY, SOOOOOOOO,............. I TOOK IT HOME AND GLUED HAND MADE PAPER TO THE BACK OF THE BELL AND TO THE INSIDE WHERE IT WAS CRACKED. I REASONED THAT IF THAT DIDN'T STABILIZE IT , I WOULD THEN THROW IT AWAY. THE NEXT MORNING FOUND IT STABLE AND SAFE TO USE, SO I THEN GLUED AN ANCIENT JOURNAL PAGE OVER THE INSIDE REPAIR, PLACED SOME MOSS, CONES AND A LITTLE TREE INSIDE. I LIKE THE WAY IT TURNED OUT. IT'S
INTERESTING.

A NEW ORNIE USING A FLATTENED TART TIN AND A PHOTO COPY OF A WATCH FACE.

SOLD OUT!

WINTER BOTTLES FOR WHITE WEDNESDAY

I HAVE HAD A BOX OF VINTAGE, PAPER FLOWER PETALS THAT WERE NEVER FINISHED. I LOVE THE AGED, TISSUE LIKE LOOK OF THE OLD FLOWER PAPERS, BUT NEVER REALLY USED ANY OF THEM. WHEN I DECIDED TO MAKE SOME WINTRY TYPE BOTTLES, I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS I WOULD TRY PUTTING SOME OF THE FLOWERS TOGETHER AND USE THEM TO TOP OFF THE GLITTERY BOTTLES. I LIKE THE WAY THEY TURNED OUT, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE PUT AWAY WITH THE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS.

BACK TO WORK DAY!

Happy Friday! I suppose today, the day after Thanksgiving, officially kicks off the Christmas season. Yesterday was spent with my precious family, but it's back to work for me as there are numerous events coming up soon that I will need have enough merchandise for.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

TO ALL A BLESSED THANKSGIVING.

THESE LITTLE STOCKING SACHETS ARE SO FUN FOR ME TO MAKE. THESE ARE MADE FROM SOME VERY OLD FRENCH TICKING AND I REALLY LOVE HOW THEY TURNED OUT. I ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE THEM BECAUSE BLUE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A VERY POPULAR COLOR IN THIS AREA OF THE COUNTRY, BUT I'M GLAD I DID, BECAUSE I LOVE HOW THEY LOOK. AND...................................

JUST WHEN YOU MIGHT HAVE HOPED THAT YOU HAD SEEN THE LAST OF THINGYS MADE OUT OF BITS OF OLD WOOL..........TA-DA.......A GARLAND! FA...LA...LA!!!

LITTLE STOCKINGS

THESE LITTLE STOCKINGS ARE SCENTED SACHETS THAT CAN BE USED AS AN ORNIE, A TIE ON OR JUST TO PILE IN A BASKET. THEY ARE MADE OF RAW SILK , ARE SLIGHTLY STUFFED AND HAVE SOME SCENTED WAX SHAVINGS ADDED FOR A YUMMY PINE SCENT. I HAVE ALSO MADE THEM OUT OF BURLAP, LINSEY-WOOLSEY, OLD FRENCH TICKING, AND LINEN. THEY WERE A SELL OUT AT A RECENT HOLIDAY SHOW BEFORE I GOT A CHANCE TO TAKE SOME PICTURES OF THEM, SO I AM WORKING ON MORE NOW AND WILL TAKE PHOTOS OF THEM BEFORE I TAKE THEM TO MY SHOP. THEY ARE 6" TALL AND SELL FOR 10.00.

WHITE WEDNESDAY ON A THURSDAY........

JUST SOME MORE THINGS I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE HOLIDAYS. ( THE GREY,COLD AND DAMP WEATHER WE HAVE BEEN HAVING LATELY INSPIRES ME. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT VIEWING THE BONES OF NATURE MAKES ME FEEL LIKE MAKING THINGS THAT CAN COZY UP THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE. I LOVE TO TRAMP THROUGH THE WOODS ON GREY, CLOUDY DAYS AND COLLECT THE REMNANTS OF THE SEASON PAST TO ADORN MY HOUSE. WHILE I LOVE THE GREENNESS OF SPRING AND SUMMER, LATE AUTUMN AND EARLY WINTER ALLOW ONE TO SEE ALL THE TEXTURES, LINES AND SUBTLE COLORS OF NATURE. EVEN THE GREY SKY ENHANCES THESE FEATURES THAT THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SUN MIGHT HIDE. NATURE AND VINTAGE THINGS JUST SEEM TO COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.) THE GLASS ORNIES SEEM TO BE THE PERFECT WAY TO ENJOY ALL THOSE TEENY, TINY WHITE BUTTONS AND LOOSE PEARLS THAT ARE TREASURED BY MANY OF US. I FOUND A FEW GLASS HEARTS TO ADORN IN ADDITION TO THE GLASS BALLS.

AND JUST IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ENOUGH OF THE WOOL WREATHS, I MADE MORE AND ADDED BUTTON INSTEAD OF VINTAGE ORNAMENT.

MORE WOOL WREATHS

AS PROMISED, HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF WREATHS USING GREEN WOOLS FROM OLD BLANKETS. THOUGH THEY ARE VERY SIMPLE, THEY ARE VERY WARM AND CHARMING, THEIR COLORS ACHIEVED BY THE PASSAGE OF TIME. I'VE ALSO INCLUDED A PIC OF ONE OF THE WHEAT COLORED TREES, NOW ADORNED WITH JUST A FEW VINTAGE GLASS BALLS.

I'VE BEEN HAVING SO MUCH FUN THIS PAST WEEK CUTTING UP FELTED SWEATERS AND OLD WOOL BLANKETS TO MAKE CHRISTMAS THINGYS. I MADE MANY SMALL WREATHS, AND SOME LARGE ONES FOR A HOLIDAY SHOW I WAS IN. THEY WERE A BIG HIT AND I WAS SOON ALMOST CLEANED OUT. I COULDN'T WAIT TO MAKE MORE! THEN I MADE SOME TREES AND I LOVE THEM! THE PICS DON'T DO THEM JUSTICE AS THEY ARE CHARMING IN REAL LIFE. CAN'T WAIT TO DISPLAY THEM IN THE SHOP. SOME I WILL PUT A FEW VINTAGE BALL ORNIES ON AND SOME I WILL LEAVE PLAIN. I AM ALSO CUTTING UP AN OLD WOOL GREEN BLANKET THAT IS A LOVELY PALE SHADE AND I WILL POST THOSE PICS SOON.

TRUELY A SCRAPPY CUFF

DURING THE CLASS THAT I MENTIONED IN MY LAST POST, REBBECCA SHOWED THE CLASS HOW TO USE EVEN THE SMALLEST OF BITS OF FABRIC, STRING AND THREAD TO EMBELLISH FABRIC COLLAGES. (RIGHT UP MY ALLEY!) THIS IS MY VERSION TO MAKE THOSE SCRAPS USEFUL. i TOOK LENGHTS OF VELVET RIBBON, IN THIS CASE TO FIT THE WRIST, HAD A SMALL PILE OF SCRAPS ON THE TABLE TO THE LEFT OF MY SEWING MACHINE, AND SET IT FOR A DECORATIVE STITCH PATTERN. PLACING THE RIBBON UNDER THE STITCH FOOT, I SIMPLY FED DIFFERENT PIECES OF SCRAP, (CAREFULLY) UNDER THE PRESSURE FOOT WHILE THE MACHINE WAS SLOWLY RUNNING. I SEWED UP ONE SIDE AND DOWN THE OTHER SO THAT THE SCRAP PIECES WERE SECURE. I THEN TRIMMED THE SIDES A LITTLE, ATTACHED RIBBON END CAPS, A SMALL BIT OF CHAIN AND AND A CLASP. ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF COFFEE DYED MUSLIN, I WROTE A SIMPLE WORD AND GLUED IT IN THE CENTER WITH A FEW BUTTONS. I THINK THIS METHOD WOULD ALSO MAKE SMASHING CHOKERS AND BELTS. EVEN FABRICS OF A SENTIMENTAL MEANING WOULD BE A USEFUL AND FUN WAY TO PRESERVE MEMORIES.