Merry Christmas!

Another Christmas has come to pass! I pray you had a great one this year. I am looking forward to a new year, almost as if it is time to wipe the slate clean and begin anew. I am striving to get more organized in all aspects of my life. I especially want to focus more on my crafting and communicating with all the friends I have made online over the past couple of years.

I am looking into some Valentine patterns and will be making and listing them at Ebay very soon. I'd be delighted if you would be so inclined to take a look in a week or so.

2009! Doesn't it just blow your mind? It seems just like yesterday that everyone was concerned over the year 2000. 9 years later already, where did it go to?

Happy End of Summer!

I am floored that summer is over, since tomorrow is the first day of Autumn. It has been a good summer and I am ready for Fall. It is my favorite time of the year!

Did you all notice that Tennessee Ridge Primitives has a new free e pattern? It is a witch owl and moon hanger. I did buy this pattern a while back and it was fun and easy to make.

I was surfing the web the other day and for some reason I missed Beneath The Willow Tree's last newsletter. There are so many free patterns there. Run on over and take a look!

I am making leaves and pumpkin head ornies right now. Here are a couple of pics......

Moonchild's Primitives has a new free e pattern!

Hey click the link above to go to Moonchild's Primitives. Scroll down to about the middle of the page and find the new free epattern. Scroll down a little further and find some free e classes for primitive techniques. How cool is that? Happy primmin' and have a happy weekend :)

Chris

A fantastic primitive giveaway at Aunt Manny's Blog!

Run on over to Aunt Manny's Creations and get yourself entered for her giveaway which is some super witch potion bottles. Super prim and perfect for the upcoming Halloween season!

Is summer really almost over???

Can you believe Labor Day has come and gone already? I am constantly amazed at how fast time flies by. Fall is my favorite time of the year though! All the pretty leaves, pumpkins, apples and fall festivals! There is a wonderful annual Fall Festival at Hope, Indiana every late September. If you are in the area be sure to stop by, you will be glad you did!

I found another great freebie to pass along to you all! Go over to HP.COM and check out all the free online classes they offer. Everything from computer, business, and lots more. I took a class through them a couple of years ago, it was "How to build your first website" and I learned a lot about HTML. Enough in fact to learn how to work with auction templates and feel comfortable. I promise you will love learning at your own time and pace and this is a very reputable company :)

Until next time,

Chris

Monday, Monday!

Can you believe it is Monday again?? These weekends are going way to fast for me lately! I did run across a website this weekend, it is FactoryDirectCraft.com Lots of craft supplies at great prices and be sure to check out the closeouts too, there are some good deals!

Sweet Annie and Watermelon pics!

This is actually 3 Sweet Annie plants, I just took them out of the pot I started them in and planted in the ground as they were. I know they would have been bigger if I would have started them directly in the ground, but not knowing what they looked like I thought pots would be better. They do seem to be growing faster now that they are in the ground.



On another note, I wanted to show a pic of the watermelons hubby is growing. This is the first ones we have ever grown. Jeff always like to do unique things so he found these seeds for North Carolina Giant watermelons. They are getting huge.....this one on the right in the pic is about 18-22 inches long and if I measured just across the top it would be at least 12". The one on the left is smaller but it is catching up fast and they have a long growth time left, yikes! I wonder how they will taste but the package says they are surprisingly sweet.



Oh yeah, from what we can see and count, we have about 12-14 of these monsters LOL

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TRP has another free e pattern!

Hey, run to Tennessee Ridge Primitives and get Becky's newest free e pattern! It is a fabulous set of Witch Stockings with Sweet Annie.

Speaking of Sweet Annie, I bought some seeds off of eBay and planted a few of them. If you ever buy the seeds do not be surprised, they are TINY!! I thought for sure I had been ripped off since the packet looked empty. I started them in small flower pots and just got them in the ground a couple of days ago. I know they won't reach their full potential this year since I planted them so late but I still can't wait to see how they turn out. I have been reading up on how to preserve with glycerin so I might give that a try too. To me it would be perfect having my own stash for my crafting pleasure! I am really cheap when it comes to buying craft supplies since the more you pay the less you get back when selling your crafts. Sad but true most times.

Happy Tuesday!

Another week is off and running right along! I seriously wonder where the time goes to. Just to think that Christmas is right around the corner makes me want to cringe. The idea of winter does not make me real happy either! I prefer the heat much more than the cold. Plus all those long dreary days with little sunshine get me down.

I am finding little time to sew and craft, it seems a million things need my attenion lately. I am still concentrating on Fall/Halloween but am itching to get some Christmas items going. Too much I want to do and never enough time! I'm sure you all can relate.

Anyway, I thought I would pass along a great place to buy some quality fabrics at some great prices....run on over to thousands of bolts and see for yourself!

Free Bucket Bag Tutorial!

I thought I would pass along this cute Bucket Bag tutorial I ran across last night. I am so in love with the shape of this and hope I can find just the right fabrics to make one for myself soon. Run on over and see for yourself here....
welshquilter

Happy Saturday to all, I am off to get some crafting done!

My new primitive bats!

These will be listed on eBay on Sunday!

TRP has a new primitive e pattern freebie!

Hurry and run on over to tennesseeridgeprimitives.com and get Becky's new free pumpkin witch crow e pattern. Click on free epattern to get it! She creates the most wonderful items and her patterns are easy to understand and follow even for a beginner.

Well, TGIF!!!!! It's been a long week and I have barely had any time to craft at all. I am cleaning out flower beds that have overgrown out of control. I believe it is time to downsize them into a more manageable mess. Working full time and trying to craft as well as keeping up the housework chores is getting difficult. I am enjoying summer but with it brings so much more to do. Fall is my favorite time of the year and it is coming fast isn't it? I just don't know where the time goes.

Have a blessed weekend filled with all your heart desires :)

Happy August!

Well I have neglected this blog again, shame on me again :( I need to have two of me to keep up with everything I want and need to do in a day. Oh well, maybe when I retire, if I will be able to afford to LOL

I will tell you that my group's launch seemed to be a success and we all had such fun creating Halloween items. We want to thank anyone and everyone who looked, bid and/or bought. I am now working on some Autumn Leaves, and this set is now listed on eBay.




I have run across a wonderful blog with some great craft freebies and would like to pass it along to you all! Go HERE!

I am so sorry!

I have been so busy the past couple of months and have let this blog become old and outdated! So sorry :(

I ran across a nice freebie, go to tennesseeridgeprimitives. com. Becky is a very talented primitive designer and she offers free epatterns every couple of weeks or so. Run over and check it out, you'll be so happy you did!

I am now a ebay group leader!!!! My group is named "American Folk Art and Primitives Mercantile" (AFAPM). We are a small group, and we have some of the nicest ladies around. I am proud to know all of them and call them friends. The scope of their talent is awesome. We are planning our very first grand opening launch with the theme of "Broomsticks and Black Hats". Be sure to check it out starting July 7 on eBay. Just type in AFAPM in the search box to see all of our Halloween creations. We are so excited and hope you will visit our grand opening!
Just click the logo below to go straight there, remember it starts July 7 and runs through the end of July!

Something great!

Hello again! Don't drop over in a faint over me posting twice in one day!

I had the thought to pass on to you something great that make my life so much easier. I have always known I should back up my files to disc, but never have had the time or patience to do it on a regular basis like I should. So I ran across this site......

http://www.box.net/

This is a great site to store anything like....... pictures, patterns, articles, graphics, you name it...... that you have saved on your computer that you would hate to lose if something went wrong with your computer! Just choose the "FREE" plan and start uploading your files! You can create folders to categorize your items, and I find this site is user friendly. I have found it to be a life saver for all the epatterns and such that I have collected over the years. I would be crushed if I lost them all due to my computer dying, so now, I am protected and really relieved.

I hope this helps someone out there who needs to protect their irreplaceables!

Something new in the works!

Happy Saturday to you all. I have something up my sleeve and can't wait to get rolling on it. I am going to open my own website as soon as I can get it all arranged!!!! I hope you will come and visit. Don't worry I will be very sure to post all the info here. Ebay just isn't being very friendly to small sellers anymore and it really is a shame. I think they will end up realizing their mistake but would never admit it.

As time goes by!

I have let too much time pass without getting back here, I do apologize! Life has been crazy busy lately. I am in the middle of a flower making frenzy! I'll post some pictures so you may see what I've been doing with most of my free time. Working full time outside of the home and then trying to keep up the housework AND finding time to craft is a challenge. But I love to create, so I will make it work out somehow.

I would also like to continue telling you about my favorite links on the right side menu. Life in the Craft Lane with Mandie is an incredible blog. She offers the nicest prim graphic freebies. Such talent and generosity all rolled into one fantastic woman. Please stop by and visit her blog, you won't be sorry :)

I did it!

I now offically have joined The Auction Haus and have listed my very first item there. I hope you'll visit me there. It is a small site, but I really believe that with eBay's changes of late, it will become more popular. Please click on the Auction Haus button on the right to give me a visit :)
Thank you!

What does Grubby mean???

Here is an article I ran across that explains exactly what grubby or grungy means! I hope you enjoy it and feel great knowing what these terms mean!

The Grubby Doll Look

“Grubby” is the word I kept hearing around the craft circuit. To me grubby meant grimy. So I decided to get to the bottom of this and find out the big deal with grubbing a doll and what it really meant in crafters terms. So I decided to ask a fellow crafter “What Is Grubby? To my surprise I found out that it’s another word for aged or old and that it gives your dolls that dirty look. Now at first I thought to myself “Why would I want to make my dolls look dirty”. Then I did a few of my dolls and realized they are not really dirty looking but a bit more primitive.
So to get “The Grubby Doll Look”, you can use a tea mixture, coffee or Walnut Ink. I decided to go with Walnut Ink, since I seem to drink too much coffee or tea to keep any left over for my dolls.
Where do you purchase Walnut Ink? Try various craft sites and also E-bay sells them. Now this does not mean to go out and make all your dolls look grubby, has you may or may not like the look. Trust me; I was skeptical in the beginning so it’s best to start out with 1-2 dolls at a time.
Once you have grubbed up a few dolls, try selling them at your next craft show. This is a great way to introduce a new doll to your customers and also find out if they are acceptable. It is always good to test your market before going overboard with a new product.
Now of course I don’t listen to my own advice and have done well with making these sort of dolls. I even sold a few on Ebay. So if you decide to jump in and just go nuts with making grubby dolls, remember I warned you.
Also know that each target market area is different and some people may not know what grubby is so be prepared to answer the question “What is Grubby”.
Author: Talena Bacon tdsewcutedoll@gmail.com
Bio: © 2008 –All Rights Reserved~~~Talena Bacon is the owner of Sew Cute Dolls & More and Mulberry Creek Mercantile She is a doll maker, pattern designer and advertising specialist. Talena specializes in Primitive/Country dolls, home décor and low-cost advertising for all businesses. http://www.sewcutedolls.com http://www.mulberrycreekmercantile.com
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, your e-books or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author byline above is included. Copy and Paste the article including authors byline to use this article.

Saturday!

Well another week has flown by again, and I have not crafted a whole lot these past few days. I worked some extra hours at my out of the house job. I did manage to get more items listed on Etsy. Please click the Etsy button on the right to see what I have there. I am also looking into The Auction Haus, hopefully I can get something listed there in the next week.

Ebay is not being very friendly lately. New policy changes, and a whole host of rules that are going to hurt the crafter. I have always loved eBay but I can't believe what they are doing to the sellers.

I want to again continue on with My Favorite Links. If you have not checked out Life in the Craft Lane with Mandie, you must. She has the nicest blog! And she offers free primitive graphics of all kinds, that is so sweet! So run on over and check it out :)

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all! My wish is for you to have the best Easter ever, one that is filled with food, family and love and fond memories. I am preparing for my family to come for Easter dinner tomorrow afternoon. All of my neices and nephews are too old now for hunting eggs, which makes me a little sad. Next thing I know they will be grown and having kids of their own!

I have finished some primitive raggedy Andy's and they are now listed on eBay. Here they are!

Monday Again!

Well, here it is another Monday and I'm back in full swing with the new work week. I did finish my Primitive Annie dolls tonight and I made them just a little bit different.....each Annie has a prim sunflower on her dress. I am just thrilled with how they came out. I had such a ball making these and plan to make more in the very near future.


Here they are...........

Wow I just can't believe the last time I updated here was Wednesday! Of course I am always amazed at how fast the days go by. Time flies when you are having fun or so they say. Nothing like working full time outside of the house and then trying to craft between the everyday chores that never ever get done!

I finally got the cat ornies/bowl fillers done and will list them on eBay tomorrow evening. Would you like a sneak peek? Your wish is my command :)



I have also started some annie doll bowl fillers, and so far I think they are going to turn out adorable! I will post a pic as soon as I get them done, which is what I should be doing instead of being here online.

I just want to continue with my discussion of My Favorite Links which are listed to the left. If you have not checked out Horizon Hill Crafts yet, you really need to! Literally thousands of primitive products such as address labels, hang tags, stationary and much, much more. Her work is simply stupendous :) Please stop on over and visit soon!

Wednesday's Whims

Happy Wednesday! I hope you all are well today.



I am working tonight on some cat ornies/bowl fillers, in fact they are baking in the oven as I type this. I'll get a picture posted as soon as I get them done. I am leaning toward doing some patriotic/americana themed items real soon.



I am toying with the idea of turning more of my items into e patterns. I will continue to give this some serious thought and let you know what I decide.



I'd like to touch upon my newest category which is "My favorite links". These are sites and blogs that I visit often and really truly enjoy. Starting in alphabetical order I will tell you more about each one of these sites.

Fishing For Deals is a forum/message board with lots of different categories. There are threads for great online and brick and mortar store deals, freebies and samples, coupon codes, online sweepstakes and instant win games, coupons and refunds, and more. There are also threads concerning eBay and Paypal which I feel has been the best source I've found for advice and learning the in's and out's of online auctions. Also, recipes, crafts, and so much more! I give this site 5 stars!!!!

You will need to register to see all the forums, but I promise you won't receive any spam mail or anything bad. You don't have to participate in discussions if you don't want to, but I'm sure the great members there would appreciate it.

Another week is flying by!

Hello! Well, another week is fast flying by. I am trying to get some more crafting done but between working full time and the good old dreaded housework I feel I am losing the battle lately.

I have added a guestbook and if you would kindly sign it I would appreciate it. It is lovely to know where all the visitors are coming from. Thanks!

Here are a couple of items I have just finished and listed on eBay today. These would make lovely Mother's Day gifts.

Happy Friday :)

Hello all! Well, it is Friday and the weekend off sounds really good to me. I thought spring was coming soon but today we are under a snow advisory again. It will be a good time to stay in and craft while hibernating.

I will be creating some new things for spring and for Mother's Day which will be here before we know it. Be sure to check in next week to see what I have been up to!

Have a wonderful and safe weekend :)

Hello and Welcome!

Being as this is my very first blog entry I want to first welcome you and thank you for stopping by! I have a variety of interests including primitive crafting, web surfing including searching and finding freebies, researching crafting techniques, and communicating with others!

I am a creator and seller of primitive home decor on eBay, my ID is homespunhandcrafts. I am also currently exploring other options to offer my wares. I also am a member of The Olde Kindred Keeping Room, which is an eBay group of primitive crafters. Please be sure to take a look at all of our group's offerings when you visit eBay. Just type TOKKR into your search box.

I hope you'll stop in often to see and hear more about my newest creations!