A few signs of Spring

What a week!  We didn't have school on Monday due to President's day.  Tuesday, Thursday and Friday we were cancelled due to bad weather and Wednesday our youngest missed due to illness.  He was actually sick all week, so maybe it's a good thing that school was closed - he didn't miss much in the way of school work.  I must have cabin fever because I'm ready for Spring. 

I had to put out a few of my Spring things and create some new ones while we were home. 

I found the greenery in the above crock last weekend and wish I would have purchased more.  I'll have to see if I can get some online. 

The cute little rabbit is from an online tutorial from my friend Cathy of Tolentreasures.  You can find the directions for this rabbit here.  Cathy's directions are superb and very easy to follow.  The whole creation time was minimal.  If you don't want to make one, Cathy has them for sale as well.

I purchased this standing blackened beeswax rabbit at an online yard sale on Face book.  Kim Nein made this and it's way too cute.  Unfortunately she doesn't have any more left - I wanted more after I received this one.

Since Kim didn't have any more, I thought I'd try my hand at creating my own.  I've used beeswax to cover pillars and tapers, but never molded it.  Because I never throw anything away, I had Easter candy molds from when I was in high school.  Never used them since way back when, so now they are dedicated to wax.  I made some 3 dimensional eggs - I had to "glue" the sides together with warm wax and a standing bunny.  He's not 3D, just a flat back. 

I'll be giving away an Easter Basket in March.  Check back with me on March 1st to see how you can win.

Have a great weekend  ~Ann

Would you like a little Graby with your Fruitcake?

I haven't done anything prim related for a couple of weeks.  I've been shoveling snow and taking care of sick kids.  I'm ready for Spring. 

I haven't posted and I don't want you all to forget about me so here's a post for you - **warning ** if you don't like cats stop reading right now!

Yes, you read my post title correctly - it will make sense soon. 

Our orange cat, Frito, has been spoiled rotten since his first day in our house - October 31, 2006.  If he wants to sleep in a backpack, our son will do his homework later (can't you hear Matthew objecting to that?!)

If he wants to sit in a basket that I'm working on, go right ahead...

 If he wants to take a nap amongst my rug hooking supplies, I'll work on something else until he moves.

Now enter my niece Emileigh, age 2 1/2, who wants to play with the doll baby bed we got out of the attic for her to play with while she was here visiting. Can you see where I'm going with this?  If you guessed Frito taking a nap on the doll bed you guessed correctly. Needless to say Miss Em and Mr. Cat had a little disagreement.  She wanted him to move and he looked at her like she was crazy.  In her frustration Miss Em got confused and said "No Fruity"  we think she combined Frito +Kitty = Fruity.  The nickname stuck and now Frito goes by Fruity, Fruito and my all time favorite Fruitcake.  

Fast forward to August 2010 with the addition of the gray kitten Shadow.  Yes, this one is strange, he likes the water.  When the kids take their showers, he gets in with them.   

 Shadow is falling into the same bad habits as Fruitcake - thinking he owns this house....

Not to be outdone by his older brother, Shadow needed a nickname.  Without Emileigh's help we've come up with Gray + Baby = Graby.  We can't wait to see what Miss Em thinks of Graby and if the nickname meets with her approval. 

Yes, I had to sit on the floor because the couch was taken.

A little Graby with my Fruitcake please.

Have a great week ~Ann



Is my Disorder Genetic?

My Great Grandmother died in 1937 - 74 years ago.  She was an avid quilter, spending her winter months in South Dakota with her brother in law and sister in law.  The women would quilt away the cold winter months finishing tops that they worked on during the other months of the year.

When my Great Grandmother Carrie died in August 1937, my Grandmother Eunice(what a horrible name!) became the owner of this unfinished quilt top.  My Grandmother died in 1966 leaving the unfinished quilt top to my Mom. 

 A few years ago my Mother broke the cycle - well, almost broke the cycle I should say!  While still very much alive, Mom  decided that I should have the quilt top - still unfinished.    Mom told me that her own mother never finished it because she felt that her  stitches were "big enough to throw the cat through"!  My Mom told me she felt the same about her hand quilting abilities. 

So now I own this beautiful antique coverlet and have my own daughter named appropriately - no NOT Eunice, but Carrie.  Can I do this - the hand quilting?  Will it be up to par with what Carrie #1 started? Can I do this and give it to Carrie #2?

  Let me share with you my genetic disorder... 

I've stitched these cross-stitched pieces within the last few months and here they sit, 2 need framed and 2 need to be made into ornies to hang on my Halloween tree.

These stitcheries have all been backed with homespun and stuffed with either sawdust or fiberfill, but need to be stitched closed and coffee stained... 

 I haven't done anything with this Christmas wall hanging that I showed you back a couple of months ago - needs to be machine quilted....

Are you getting the idea about my genetic disorder? No, let me show you a few more pictures....

 I'm working on the hand embroidery on this wall hanging.....

 This one that I showed on my last blog post is still sitting waiting for the machine quilting....

Need I go on or are you getting the idea that the women in my family have a faulty DNA strand?  Is there a cure for this? If there is, I need to find it desperately as Carrie #2 is not the crafty type and there is no hope that she will ever pick up a needle.  She takes after Eunice and would rather sit and read Shakespeare - maybe we should have named her Eunice!

Have a wonderful (and productive)weekend ~Ann