What I Did on My Summer Vacation

We have been busier this time at the lake so I haven't gotten very many projects completed!  I was counting on this time to restock the items I sold at our first Farmgirl Country Sale. 

Monday we went to Brainerd and I was the winner.  Stopped at the quilt shop and then on to JoAnn's and then Menard's and then the Family Dollar Store! 

I got a pattern and a little fabric at the quilt shop.  They wrote their first pattern and its a Mug Caddy for storing your sewing or craft or office stuff.  I hope to get at least one done in the next few days.  At JoAnn's, I got a little fabric, a great jewelry magazine and some jewelry findings that I needed.  Menard's was running a special on outside lights that we need for our new barn...code says so!  And at the Dollar Store, we got a few groceries (name brand only - no Chinese plastic or other things), storage bags and wooden clothespins.

Here's what I assembled with the clothespins!  Some will have magnets and some are just for fun office organizing or just decorating a gift.

Love my yo yo's!

Yesterday we went to Crosby to the antique malls and for an always great lunch.  I picked up a few reasonable pins to use in my mixed media/altered/recycled jewelry projects.

Aren't they wonderful???

Ruttger's Resort has the best gift shop so as we turned the corner, I got my wish - to stop once more where hubby had a great red chair in the shade so I could spend a few minutes shopping.  I found the greatest ring that has interchangeable beads.  Two extra clay ones to make a pair of earrings to match the ring.  They have a special name but I don't remember it.  Funky stuff!

The middle comes off and you can change the beads.

When I got back to the cabin, I made two pair of earrings and embellished a large necklace piece.  

It's a large round disk so I added the Sweet Memories piece, butterfly and the ball chain.

Just simple earrings with sayings and a pair with Laurel Burch cats!

I completed a couple of journals with old pictures printed on muslin and decorated with sayings, old buttons and old trim to embellish.

The babies are me and my cousin - we were born on the same day, same year!
The other lady is an adopted family member!

So today we ran home for a couple of hours to check on Norma, our cat, and see how far the construction guys have progressed with the finishing touches on our new barn.  Oh ya,  I ordered a couple of bars from The Little Bread Factory so we picked those up too!

Had to add a macaroon along with the Brownie 7 Layer bars.

Then we got a phone call to invite us to dinner with new friends for Lemon Chicken on Jasmine Rice.  We have more of a social life here than at home!  It was great fun, good conversation, tasty food and the white wine wasn't bad either!

Take care,

Bonnie

Ta Da!!!

Just a short post - we left the cabin and went home to check on our cat, Norma, and to see what happened to the barn while we were gone.  It's done!  It has a nice new cement apron and the slabs of rock that were by our house are now the walkway that leads up to the barn!

It does need something above the doors...we'll have to figure that out!
One of the workers suggested phony windows...think its too late now!
I'm leaning towards a big quilt square or plain.

And I now have a real sidewalk to my house instead of hard packed class 5!!!  I love it and so does Honey, our dog, because its much easier to get up that first step!  Isn't it nice???  I'm so excited!

Nice new curved sidewalk and they didn't hurt one plant or weed!

Now we're back at the lake for a few more days before we go home and have to move rugs and furniture and all else to its new home in our new little shop!

Take care,

Bonnie

Back Up to the Lake!

We're relaxing at the lake after a crazy couple of months!  The sounds of the Loons playing around on the lake echo across the bay.  It's like we're in a real, live nature documentary.  I love looking out the windows seeing all the green leaves, evergreens, and a peek of the lake down the path from our cabin. 

The view from "my" porch at the lake!

There are new owners now of "our" resort and they are a nice family and things seem almost the same.  I like the sameness of my life but life doesn't stay the same.  I guess I like contentment.  "Our" old handyman greeted us when we came and made the introductions.  That was very nice. 

Today we went into the nearest town and visited our friend at her log cabin shop, Wooden Nichols.  We roamed around the shop and talked and roamed and talked and came back to the cabin with a couple new, old things...well, after we had lunch, of course.

The item on the left is a paper cutter and will hold wrapping paper in our new barn.
  The washboard will be a door on a little cabinet!

While we were gone, the previous owners stopped to see us.  We were out gallivanting!  So, hopefully, tomorrow we will visit with them.  They are new friends that seem like old friends.  I love when that happens and we sure value their friendship.

I thought I would bring less to do this time, but alas! I still filled up my car and then I filled up the porch.  

My cabin sewing station!

My cabin workbench!

I continue to work on making new shipping tags look old. I painted them with Walnut Ink Crystals and then stamped them. Today I stamped words on them and decorated them with fine silver glitter. I should just be content with them but I want to add some three dimensional items.

Little tags all in a row!

A tag up close!

I signed up for another swap - The Handmade Gift Exchange - I had better get going on that project.  It needs to be mailed by June 30 so I better have it done when I leave here because when we get home - it's moving time. 

Our barn is progressing quite nicely...the cement floor is in so the builders will come back and frame the last window in and then complete the siding this week.

It needs a great, big quilt square above the doors
 - don't you think??? 

We hope to insulate it by fall and use the wood from our dear old barn on the inside walls.  We'll white wash the walls and it will be so wonderful!!!  It will probably take longer to do the inside walls than it took to build the whole barn.  Darn! 

More later! 

Take care,

Bonnie  

Another Amazing Farmgirls Country Sale!

Wow - we had a great sale after a disappointing, rainy start but then the weather improved and people came to the farm to shop and eat!

Of course, we didn't have time to take pictures until the day was well under way but here's a taste of what we had!!!

1940's kitchen area - love red!

Farmgirls mascot - our one eyed Aussie, Honey!

 Plant Pockets out of recycled, woven plastic bags!

Lovely magnets!

Girly vanity!

Striking, functional dresser

Polymer clay earrings and survival Para cord bracelets!

Fun, funky headbands, quilted bags, ribbon pins and card carriers!

It was a very busy, fun two days!  Sales were tremendous and those potatoes from the Potatoe Wagon were wonderful.

Our new little barn is under construction so our next sale will be in a permanent little shop.  No more taking things down and packing them away for the winter!  Yay!

Take care,

Bonnie



Project-mania and then some!

In spite of the dreary and wet weather, the projects are getting completed!  The Hubby is doing better than I am.  I need knobs!!!  I need 8 of them to complete my vanity...I really only need 4 but I think 8 will look good.  The original handles were long and I don't want to put metal handles back on so I'm opting for round wood ones...two for each hole left from the long handle.

Here's a taste of what will be offered at our occasional sale on Friday and Saturday.

Hubby working on the base of the dresser

the mirror will be added

It's called a "marriage" and I love it!

Just an old headboard

now a cute garden bench!

A great looking high top cafe table, two stools - 
and a menu board!

I really like this caned rocker - we have two other caned chairs that are unique
and match this warm colored wood rocker.  Excellent condition.

Tomorrow I get my drawer knobs and then I'll show you my completed "Oh so vain" Vanity. 



I will be living on caffeine for the next few days unless I can sleep with all the ideas I have running around my head and only a few days left to get them done!!! 

Gotta go!

Bonnie

Gardening while Remembering...

Today was another busy, busy day!  I drove about 200 miles to take care of our 5 graves.  It's always a long day...sometimes its emotional and always its physically difficult.  And today was no different. 

It was a beautiful day - cool, about 55 degrees but sunny.  I packed my car with shovel, garden tools, watering can, large old handle basket and of course, 35 plants.  What they lacked in size, they made up for in numbers!  My Mom, Gram and Great Aunt all received pink geraniums, pink & periwinkle petunias, and pink begonias.  My two Gramps got red geraniums, marigolds and white petunias.  Instead of looking like graves - they look like little gardens with headstones. 

I don't always dig the grass that creeps over the lettering on the gravestones but today I did.  Whew!  Now that was work.  For two hours I fussed over my dear departed loved ones.  I don't mind at all until I've crawled around on my hands and knees for over two hours.  Then I just wished there was someone around to help me up.  I always pray that on my way upwards, I don't tip over.  No tipping over today.  I did use the watering can on one occasion and it held and I was vertical again!  Yay!

I always meet such nice people tending neighboring grave sites.  Today I worked along side of a lovely little, spunky lady who teared up when she wondered who would watch over her parents graves when she wasn't around.  So I put my arm around her and we bonded over that shared concern.  She had a wonderful little trimmer that she used to trim the grass around the stone and offered it to me to use.  It worked great so I will look for something similar and then try to remember to bring it along next year.  I wonder if I will see her as she usually comes on Memorial Day and I never do.

While I might grouse a bit about this journey to the cemetery, I would miss making this visit to my loved ones' last resting place where I think about my memories of them and what they meant to me and to my life.

Remember to remember your loved ones this weekend.  It's a good thing.

Bonnie

I Should Wait to Show You!

I should wait to show you the projects I'm working on but I can't!  It's two weeks until I need to have everything finished that I intend to sell at our Farmgirls Country Sale!  I do love this part!

I love Gerbera daisies!

I've been working on a vanity that needed some TLC.  Many times these treasures from the 1940's are veneer and many things are enemies of this thin, thin wood that is glued onto the base of the dresser.  So instead of gluing and clamping - I removed it because underneath is nice wood.  I can do this because I'm painting this vanity!

This vanity is so cool - but missing a handle!

Now we're getting somewhere!

My Hubby is working on another dresser.  We found the dresser and mirror at the same sale and soon they will be married...attached but not originally part of each other!  The dresser was stripped and the lovely round mirror just needed its veneer removed - too much was missing.  The mirror will remain circled with lovely decorative wood and the dresser will be black with wood handles.

Lot's of elbow grease!

An orphan mirror soon to be adopted!

See why I can't wait!  Both pieces will be done this weekend and then I will post the after pictures.  Woo hoo!  The pressure is on!

Do you have a fun hobby like this? 

Bonnie 

Movin' on Upstairs!

I started moving my studio/workroom upstairs.  I thought I should at least begin this post in case I don't survive the move.  The main part of our house, before  the large addition, was built in 1949.  I don't know all the technical things about a house built in that era - but the steps are steep!!! 
If I was in good condition - the right weight, minus asthma with a hip that was working appropriately - this would be a piece of cake.  But the reality of my life isn't that perfect even if I do try to get to Curves three times a week.  And if you must know, the main reason I go to Curves, is to go to coffee with my friends afterwards.  I hate exercising for the sake of exercising.  OK - so now I feel better about lugging everything upstairs...the side effect is exercise!

I'm trying to figure out how to best utilize the space I have available.  My main floor contains a sewing room that is about 12' x 12' where my new sewing machine and most of my fabric reside, another auxiliary sewing space 10' x 10' with a sewing station where my class sewing machine is sitting for overflow work and a roll of batting, etc. 

The upstairs area is cut up with the stairs coming up in the first room where cupboards line one long wall storing yarn, art supplies, office supplies and fabric that has fallen out of favor...its more like craft fabric than quilting fabric.  The opposite wall that is shorter is pegboard with sewing and craft supplies that can hang up!  A cupboard of bear making mohair and acrylic fur stands along side of shelves full of Mr. J's stamps.

The room at the back is the room I'm working on to house my Cricut, paper, jewelry making supplies, artificial flowers, etc.  Too much stuff...that's my weakness - collecting supplies.  Amen!

This blue storage cabinet will be part of my upstairs organizing - my cat, Norma, had to be in the picture - see her tail under the table!  Love to use old suitcases to store supplies - these are awaiting refurbishing and they might go upstairs.

It's like too much to put my arms around so I procrastinate...more later after I get in the mood again!  I'm a great idea person...now to put them into action.

I did work out in the pole barn getting stuff ready for our sale in June...priced some things, moved some things around, sanded more stuff and discussed with Mr. J projects I would like him to complete.  I also unloaded a trailer full of clay pots that will eventually go on my potting bench after the first sale.

Quilting guild meeting tomorrow where I will make lots of hot pads...so I better go gather those things together.  Whew!
 

Then its feet up and finish my latest book by Jacqueline Winspear, Among the Mad.  Her historical mystery novels are set in the 1930's post World War I England and its aftereffects.  Her main character is Maisie Dobbs, Investigator and Psychologist.  Ms. Winspear transplants me right into the life of Maisie and her assistant, Billy.  It could be a Masterpiece Theater miniseries. I enjoyed her first book, Maisie Dobbs, and when I finish this book, I have another waiting for me.  There are seven books in this series so far - I love knowing that I have more to find and read.  Yay!

Enjoy your day!

Bonnie

Some Sewing Tips from Other Places

I've been kicking around the idea of creating another blog solely devoted to my sewing and crafting creations.  Trouble is - I can hardly keep creating posts on this blog.

The Baltimore Orioles are back and compete with the many Cat Birds
 we have at the grape jelly bowl right outside my window!

For right now I'm going to just keep keeping on here.  My thought is to not be concerned about the people who read my blog, but to be concerned about me, me and me!  Now when I say that me business, it doesn't sound like what I really mean.  I'm not that good at navel gazing so I'm going to forget about analyzing why or what and just write about my days and my creating.

I've made a couple of projects lately that needed to be "gathered" with little success.  It dawned on me afterwards that because I mainly quilt, I am using cotton thread because usually I'm sewing on cotton fabric.  I'm here to tell you that cotton thread is weaker than polyester blend thread...at least in my world.  So that has helped but when I saw this blog on the process of gathering, I wanted to share it with you.

My Craft Discovery has a great tutorial on making ruffles by couching over your gathering threads.  Check it out...such a smart idea!  This will save lots of time and the gathers will be very even.  I will work up a project to show you how great it works.

I found this great denim remake over at Art Threads.  It is a great, sturdy bib apron.  I have stacks of hubby's old jeans - can't wait to make this one!

In the 1970's I owned and operated a craft store.  One of the crafts that I taught and revived in our little town was called "Chicken Scratch".  It consists of embroidering on gingham.  I followed a link from Facebook today that lead me to another version of this craft.  Craft Gossip featured Karen Barbe's Blog from Chile.  She uses this technique on her graphic window pane tea towels and are sold in her Etsy shop.  Old technique used in a new way.  Makes me want to get my floss out and find some new graphic towels!

Spending more time in my sewing room - here's something I made for our June 3 Farmgirls Country Sale.

Take care,

Bonnie

Enjoying Mom's Day!

Today is Mother's Day - Mom's Day in my world.  My day was spent with two of my grandkids...and they are grand.  Of all accomplishments large and small, bearing and raising my two girls was the most worthwhile project of my life.  They are my gift every day as are my grandchildren and great grandchildren.  They give my life meaning.



They call me Mom!

Yesterday we celebrated Mom's Day, my brother's and youngest daughter's birthday at our house.  We had a very nice visit and meal together.  The weather was so nice...the kids could be outside in the fresh air. 

Two of the munchkins stayed overnight with Gram and Gramps.  We had a grand time...we always have pizza, popcorn (there is a special popcorn chair that is shared), and this time we spent time in the screen house telling scary stories.  Now their scary stories are full of vampires and terrible endings...mine aren't that scary I was told!  I enjoy this time the most when they talk right at me and tell me about their friends and their new pets, etc.  They get so animated.  Then we make up stuff.  Someone starts the story and then we take turns embellishing it.  Their little minds are so amazingly creative and so intelligent. 

After they left today, I read the Sunday paper and then an unscheduled nap occurred.  Pretty perfect day.  

I can't imagine not being a Mom...Gram...Great Gram.  I am so lucky.

I do miss my Mom on this day.  I found a picture of us in the late 1940's.  She was the greatest Mom ever - she dedicated her life to me, my brother and sister.  We were very lucky to grow up in the family my Mom and Dad created.

My Dad made the horse I'm riding on
and my daughter, Jen, made the necklace featuring me!

I hope you had a great Mother's Day - I sure did!

Bonnie

Demolition Day on the Farm

Today the garden shed/old granary came down.  It didn't take long when our friend came over with his Skidster.

I'll let the pictures tell the story.

Here is the little guy that will eat the shed!

First bite out the most weathered side

A guy and his machine taking another whack at it!

It was so interesting to see how he could devastate this old building

Earlier I had dug up some daffodils right on this side!

It finally collapses - now what?



Don't you think it amazing that this little guy can take down a building?



Now there is room to build our new barn!

 We've had so much rain that he will be back to finish up removing the cement slab...almost got stuck in the mud!  So glad he could help us - not sure how we could have taken it down by ourselves. 

Another step closer!

Bonnie

Barn Ordered!

Well, today was a fun day!  This is the first time in my life that I was able to order a new structure....no, not a house.  I've never had a new house - the kind you can decide what style, how many bedrooms, what color the appliances should be, what color the walls should be painted, etc.

It will have a double entrance door
 not a garage door!

But today we ordered our new barn that will house our business.  They will build it beginning June 6 for three days - weather permitting.  It will be the red of a Norwegian house - iron oxide red, ash gray roof and white windows and doors.  I tried for a cupola but not successful on that - so far.  It will be 30' x 40'.

It will have 9 windows 4' x 3' with 9 panes inside the sliding windows.  On the end where customers enter will be a double door with 9 panes in the windows and no divider between them.

It should be ready for our July sale!!!  It is really fun ordering a new building!!!

Bonnie