My Textile Swap goodies

I  signed up for Char's Textile Swap and my partner is Patti from Primitive Treasures from Raspberry Lane.  Patti is on the ball!  Our packages don't have to be mailed out until August 16, but I got mine last Friday.  It was such a pleasant surprise to come home from work that day and find my package waiting for me.  The outside was wrapped in snowman paper! 

I have to share with you that I am required to wear an 1860's reproduction day dress, full apron and petticoat to work everyday.  (I work at Historic Sauder Village, Ohio's largest outdoor living history museum.)  Last Friday was HOT and I was just a little cranky when I got home, but when I walked into my kitchen and saw the snowmen it just lifted my tired attitude.

Everything was wrapped in prim tissue paper and tied with a jute like string. 

Can't wait to open everything up.

 

My goodies from Patti -  right to left

- a ditty bag with sweet annie and a battery operated tea light - wow does this bag smell good, I think she put scented rose hips in the bottom.


-cute little pumpkin head - he'll be going into my fall boxes waiting for September to roll around - I'll be surprised again when I open the boxes up.


- a sheep that she made because she knows that I like sheep.  You can find the pattern for this on Patti's blog. A neat quote from Abraham Lincoln is stitched to the sheep.


- a snowman that is going into my winter storage boxes - another surprise to pull out later this year.


- a lady bug that Patti made the pattern for.  Too bad I just took down all the bug wall paper in the kids' bathroom - she would have had a permanent home there.  She's on my coffee table right now. 


Patti thank you for all that you made me for the swap,  I'm busy working on finishing up my items to send to you. 


Have a great weekend.  ~Ann

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I have been making my own laundry detergent for over a year and have saved a TON of money in the process.  I have a lot of dirty laundry - especially all those baseball pants that I have to wash every week - and this detergent cleans them right up. 

Three simple ingredients - Borax, Washing Soda and Fels-naptha bar soap.  

Step #1,  grate the Fels-naptha coarsely -

Warning - this is not cheese!  Do not eat this - I only share this with you because our daughter thought it was Coby cheese!  It sure doesn't smell like cheese Carrie!

Step 2:  Melt the grated soap in approximately 4 cups of water on low - takes about 20-30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Step 3:  After the soap is completely melted, pour into a clean 5 gallon bucket.  Add 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Washing Soda.  Fill the bucket with warm water and stir to incorporate all ingredients. 

Ready to wash.  I use about 1/2 cup per load of laundry.  Some of this will turn into a gel like substance.  It's okay - just put your 1/2 cup in a jar with as much water, seal it and shake it up prior to adding to your washer. 

One batch of this lasts me almost 2 months and costs approximately $2.50. 

About those dirty baseball pants - I do spray them with Shout first and then let them soak all night in the washer with this detergent.  (I would do that with any detergent)

If you try this, I hope you like it as much as I do. 

Hope you are having a good week.  ~Ann

Oval Rib Mini Market Basket

My Lemon Poppy Seed Shoppe Updates for July 15 -

Oval Rib Market Basket - made with antique embroidery hoops - one round, one oval.

Trivet with ceramic center -

Both are still available, along with several other of my baskets.

I hope you all have cooler weather than I have here in NW Ohio - Whew!  Love the modern convenience of air conditioning!  Have a good weekend ~Ann

Friday Finds

Last Friday, my friend Melissa from Farm Field Primitives and I went on a Prim Shopping Day.  What fun we had. 

I drove over to Melissa's house at 7:30 for an early start to our day.  We haven't seen each other in months so we had to get an early start to fit in all our catching up!  Melissa gave me a birthday present and I love everything. 

She made me this little pumpkin doll, a pattern from TFC, a cute sampler that she cross stitched and some yarrow that she grew. 

This little pumpkin doll is just too cute!

The sampler says " Tis a gift to be simple"  I love it.  Melissa chose different elements from a larger sampler and made her own pattern for this!  There's a little sheep to the left of the house - she knows that I love sheep.  Thank you Melissa.

If you follow Melissa's blog you'll know that she just scored at GW when she found several pieces of Pfaltzgraff Folk Art.  If you remember, I also have this same pattern and never find any at the TS or GW.  As she had plenty of these bowls - they are now mine.  Thanks Melissa!

Now we are finally on our way to Findlay Ohio, about an 1 1/2 from our homes.  We thought we might find some garage sales to stop at on the way.  We didn't.

Our first stop in Findlay was Salvation Army. 

Melissa walked around the corner in the housewares department and let out a gasp!  Guess what was sitting there?  Folk Art!  This day just keeps getting better.

We divided up the find, I took the deviled egg plate and the bread pan. 

I also found these cute little bottles - 50 cents apiece, I couldn't pass them up. 

Next stop was a garage sale in Findlay.  Another score!  The gal was selling her salt glazed pottery.  I decided on 3 pieces - we both bought a pig crock - not crazy about the pig,

but turned around to the back it's much better.

The other 2 pieces are joining my collection of mini salt glazed pottery pieces on our clock.

Next stop - our favorite store - Early American Home

Barb has the best taste in stocking her store. 

I didn't buy anything too exciting here, a can of black paint (Olde Century of course), a new cross stitch pattern and a hanging candle hook.

Last stop was Jeffery's Antique store - it's a big building with lots of vendors - we always find something in here. Without any fighting, hair pulling or pinching we each came out with an arm full of Folk Art.   I bought the one dinner plate that was there, 7 sandwich plates, salt and pepper set and we split the custard cups. 

What a great day we had. I got home and filled my dishwasher with new dishes! 

Have a great day.  ~Ann 

Small Cabinet Redo's

I've actually had time the last week to work on a couple of items in my stash pile!  YEAH! 

This little hanging cupboard screamed early 1990's - pine with not much finish on it.  Remember all those pieces at the craft shows during those years? 

Cute door with a not so cute butterfly carved into the front. 

I debated about keeping the door, but decided to leave it off.  I filled the screw holes for the hinges with wood filler so you can't see them anymore.  I made the little curtain from a coffee stained flour sack towel, stitched a star on it and hung it with jute strung across the front and attached by 2 rusty nails. 

I painted the cupboard black, sanded it down and gave it a coat of Briwax.

Cuboard number 2-

No debating on this one - I'm not keeping this door - the hearts have to go!  This is a corner cupboard - I have no idea where I will put this one as my corner space is filled or very limited. 

Again, I filled the holes with wood filler.  The first coat of paint was black and then I used a tan color as the second coat, roughed it up and finished with Briwax.

The right side of this is rough cut wood.   The right side took the stain heavier than the left side - oh well I guess it just looks more primitive this way.  I love the color of this one now. 

Hope you are all staying cool.  I had to work today in my 1800's dress and full apron.  The basket shop is HOT.    Outside was a balmy 97 degrees and inside my shop it had to be 105.  I sat on the porch and worked on the shop inventory this afternoon as we didn't have many visitors. 

I'm looking forward to Friday, my friend Melissa from Farm Field Primitives and I are going Prim Shopping!  Can't wait to show you what I buy.  ~Ann 

Happy 4th!

I purchased this flag bunting several years ago.  It's nice, but it's really red, WHITE and blue.  I haven't even used it for the past couple of years because I wasn't happy with how it looked. 

Last time I stained baskets with my boiled black walnut dye I had some left over so I decided this was going into the dye pot! 

I LOVE IT!

I think it may have faded just a tad and needs to be re-dyed soon.  Our front porch faces South so there is plenty of sun on the bunting almost all day long.

Am I bragging when I tell you that everything on the front porch is from a garage sale or an auction? (with the exception of the bunting)  Do I sound like a redneck hillbilly?  Hope not!!!

The black kettle is the only thing that I did not buy - my Mom gave it to me last time we were in NY.  She likes to load up our truck before coming home, I always come home with lots of new treasure!  Thanks Mom.

I'd like to make a make-do chair, but don't' want to use this one.  I'm on the lookout for another one to use inside.  Found this one at a church rummage sale. 

Oops!  I forgot about these flowers - they did come from a prim store.  I love them, the look so real - maybe better than real.  I've wanted some for a couple of years.  A few weeks ago a friend and I were shopping and I decided that I'd waited for them long enough.  The crock holding the geraniums was 50 cents at a garage sale.  It's glued back together in the back.  I really don't care - no one can tell from the front that the back is in really bad shape!

This next crock was a whole $5.00 at an auction.  My friend Melissa is showing on her blog where she got one at an auction for $13.00.  I guess I beat her price!   I must admit that hers does have a great bee sting motif on it where mine is just the number 6 inside a crown. But wow $5.00 I couldn't believe I got it for that.   

Have a Happy 4th of July weekend!  ~Ann