5 more in the DONE pile...

Too busy with being a Mom yesterday to work on any finishes. Nothing today until a baseball game tonight at 5:30 - it's going to be a HOT one.  We've been hiding out in the AC all day - over 100 here in NW Ohio.  

#7 - Tombstone Angel by Country Rustic Primitives found HERE.  I needed to coffee stain this piece and frame it, another thrift store frame.  I'm so glad that I painted a bunch of frames and just had them on hand - I used 2 out of my stash today.

 #8 Another Country Rustic piece that needed coffee stained and framed - I just love this little alphabet piece.

 Decided to hang this one in our half bath, under my recently acquired cupboard.  

Finish #9 - I took this paper mache box and turned it into

                                 

Two Hares Marking Sampler Sewing box.

First I painted over the snowman design so it wouldn't bleed through the fabric.  Covered both the lid and  box with coffee stained fabric and attached the stitching with primitive stitching around the lid.  

  

This is a Pineberry Lane pattern - you can find her on Patternmart.  Now I have to collect some sewing goodies to put inside.

#10- Wool Pillow Pinkeep - another Pineberry Pattern.  She includes 2 different patterns in this, but I've only stitched one.  I finished it with help from Marly - Samplers and Santas blog found HERE.  

(It looks blotchy - it's not dry from the coffee stain yet)

Marly and I have been discussing finishing needle projects.  I'm not happy with how mine turn out most of the time.  Marly was kind enough to send me the interfacings that she uses to get crisp finishes.  I will be purchasing more of these interfacings next time I'm at Joann's.  Thank you Marly. 

 And #11 - my last finish for the day - Quaker Egg Pinkeeps - Pineberry Lane pattern, again to be found on patternmart.

I wish I had finished these with Marly's technique, but I stitched them together on Tuesday, prior to my new-found knowledge.  I did "X" around each egg and they were finished off with a coffee stain bath and baked in the oven until dry. 

Be sure to stop on over and see Cathy and what she finished today too!  One more day of this UFO finish challenge and I'm really ready to start another project!!!

~Ann 

Thank you to My Old Crow Primitives

I recently won a giveaway from Mona at My Old Crow Primitives Blog - visit her HERE .  

Mona started out the giveaway with this gorgeous strawberry pinkeep.  The strawberry is velvet and the hull is wool.  I apologize to Mona, my photos just don't do justice to her work - it's perfect.  

In another post, Mona added these two pillows to her giveaway.  George & Abe attached to coverlet pillows with sprigs of sweet annie.  

                            

Mona also said there would be some surprises tucked into the box.  She wasn't kidding!  Included in the box were these 2 pinkeeps.  I've already said this but, WOW her work is perfection.  

You can also find Mona at Primitives Handmade Mercantile HERE or HERE at TDIPT

Mona, Thank you so much for all the lovely handmade items you sent me.  I'm enjoying the potpourri too!

On to an update in my Challenge to Cathy from Tolentreasures blog found HERE.  If you missed my post yesterday, I issued a challenge to Cathy for the 2 of us to get those UFO's done, so we can move on to create more UFO's!

#1 Finish - mended son's tie - no photo!

#2 Finish - Made the wool pillow for this little stitchery and blanket stitched the two together.

#3 Finish - I needed to dig through my buttons to find 2 that I could use on this piece for wagon wheels.  Then I framed it in a Thrift store frame.  

Finish #4 -  "LOVE" by Country Rustic Primitives - you can find her patterns HERE .  I decided to do another wool pillow and used primitive stitching to attach the actual stitchery.  I added a rusty skeleton key and a couple of antique buttons from my Grandmother's stash. 

I guess you will notice this was wool pillow day!

Finish #5 "Joy" by Pineberry Lane - it's a free pattern found HERE 

Finish #6 - "Hocus Pocus" from The Stitcherhood found HERE I backed this one with a black calico fabric.   

I'll be back tomorrow or Thursday with more finishes!

Anyone else want to join the fun?

~Ann

Want to join the Challenge?

When I first started this blog, I held a Procrastinator's Challenge.  The idea was to dig out those projects that are half way completed and FINISH them.  One of the winner's of the challenge was Cathy from Tolentreasures blog.  Cathy has an unbelievable amount of energy and finishes LOTS of projects.  She also has her fair share of unfinished projects sitting around, as a matter of fact she just posted several of them today.  I sent her a challenge (since I have a HUGE stack of UFO's sitting around) to see what we can finish by Friday.  

I'll share this photo with you, all from my cross stitch basket.  Who knew I had so many finished stitcheries sitting in there? (Note to the Cranky Crow - you thought I was kidding didn't you?!)

Several of these need frames, some made into pillows.  There's a tie that my son needs mended (don't like to mend) a wool coin purse that needs finished, 3 wall hangings that are in different stages of being completed.  

If you would like to join Cathy & me this week, jump on board.  Let's see how many projects we can get done!  

Leave either one of us a comment if you want, we can link to your blog and we'll all show off throughout the week what we get done.  

~Ann

Oops....

Confession:  I do not particularly like to make rib baskets.  I do make them from time to time, but they just aren't my favorite style to make - my fingers always end up sore and I'm extremely OCD about the two sides being mirror images of each other.  

2 years ago at a thrift store I found a set of antique embroidery hoops.  The wood was worn and smooth from years of use.  I knew immediately they would make a good rim and handle for an egg basket.  

Everything went along quite smoothly until I took the basket outside to stain.  All my baskets get a good shake to remove the excess stain - if I don't do this, the stain will pool and create an uneven color.  I'm not gentle when I do this either - I whip the baskets back and forth several times to flick the excess stain into the yard. 

Picture this:  I'm holding this basket by the handle (antique embroidery hoop), raise it over my head to swing and the basket goes flying through the yard.  I'm still holding onto the handle!  The sound effect:  ARGH!  

Hours and hours went into this basket.  I was SO pleased with how it turned out and now I have a basket and a handle.

This has been sitting for a year while I've calmed down and thought of a solution for the problem.  I sure wasn't going to throw it away!

Solution:  Make-do patch.  If you've followed me for sometime, you know that I like antique baskets that have minor wear to them.  Hmm, can I make this into one of those baskets?  Using the drill, I created a rectangle - one hole on each corner of the rectangle.  Threaded through the holes, I used rusty wire to first create an "X" holding the basket and handle together and then wrapped the wire around the "X" several times.

This side you can see my wire stitching.  The other side was much more difficult - the handle broke off behind the god's eye.  I ended up cutting the inside of the god's eye (cringe) so I had room to work.  I need to find some glue (cringe again) to glue the god's eye back together.  Unless you are looking closely the glue won't be seen. 

I'm extremely happy with how my make-do patches turned out - glad I mulled over different ideas on how to fix the problem. 

Speaking of baskets, I am giving away a basket on my 1803 Ohio Farm Baskets blog - if you click HERE it will take you to the giveaway link.  You have until the end of June to sign up. 

~Ann

Pinterest Projects

We've all got those "pins" don't we?  You know, those ones that we pin and say - I'm going to try that.  This week, I've had a little more off time from running people to and fro.  Perfect time to try a couple of my pins. 

Pin #1

From The Primitive Pantry directions on how to make grubby candles with rusty wire hangers.

Above, my finished candles and below are the before photos. 

The directions for this candle grubby technique is WAY easier than using Modge Podge.  

Pin #2

Dipping bulbs in silicone - tried this once before and wasn't happy with how they turned out.  These directions are from Oodledadoodle Primitives.  Sue suggests adding mineral spirits to thin the silicone.  I also added burnt umber oil artist paint for a slight color.  

They still don't look like store bought ones, nor did I get them to end up looking like Sue's. I will use them in my lights - they aren't horrible!   I tried to get a picture of Shadow on the table batting at the bulbs while they were drying.  He is such a helper.

Do you have any projects I should pin?

~Ann  

Beeswax for a Basket

Brandy of  The Lil Prim Cabin blog and Etsy shop and I recently did a little swap.  We've purchased from each other in the past and decided this time a swap was in order.  I'm calling it the Beeswax for Basket swap.  I just love her beeswax discs - she sent me three of them....

WOW, do they smell good!  

They are all bigger than I thought they'd be too!  

I am amassing quite the collection of blackened beeswax discs.  I'm thinking a wool feather tree in off white might just be the thing to display them on.  I need to talk to my friend Joanne about this idea.  Oh, Joanne any advice?  Yes, Quentin can come help me.

This is my second week of summer vacation and my first blog post.  I've been running kids(mine) all over to weight lifting, practice and games.  Our youngest son and I spent the weekend in Battle Creek Michigan at a 12U baseball tournament.  My husband went with our middle child to a Jr. Acme tournament.  Sure wish we could be in 2 places at once.  Our daughter spent Saturday with Dad & brother and then Sunday she went to MI with me and the youngest brother.  It was nice to have her company at the games.  

I'll try to catch up on all of your doings....

~Ann