So Ready for Spring!

I bet I am thinking the same as most of you....Enough of Winter! With the ice storm we had last week and more snow on Monday and today. Not to mention 2 whole weeks without seeing the sun!! Finally, yesterday saw the sun! I know it's still January, just hoping for a early spring. Will see what Puxatawny Phil has to say on Feb 2, Ground Hog Day.

I just listed these one of a kind primitive feather stitched eggs on etsy. I really love sewing the feather stitch. Looks so cool! I'm currently working on a special order for a couple of spring robin birds. Hope to have them finished by the end of the week. Will try to get a pattern made up for them also.

Primitive Folk Art Crow Brooch Pin

The other day I was going through one of my drawers of things I don't know what to do with, and I found this little tiny crow that I made a couple of years ago. A light bulb went on and I thought, this little guy would make a perfect prim crow pin. So I dug out the pattern that I had made for it and made 3 more. He measures 4" tall by 1" wide at his body. He will be listed in my etsy shop tonight.



Finally had some warmer weather today!! We were in the upper 20's!!! Tomorrow in the middle 30's! woo hoo!

New Prim Valentine Heart Door Hanger

Just a quick post before heading to bed. Finished up this sweet Valentine Door Hanger today. It's now listed in my etsy shop. Will probably get to work on more valentine goodies tomorrow and maybe a few more birds. Everyone have a great weekend and try to stay warm!

Deer in Our Neck of the Woods

We received about 6" of snow over night and its been snowing most of the day. Was up at 6 am by the sound of my next door neighbors snow blower going. Was still dark out. Made my hubbies lunch and filled up my window bird feeders before the birdies arrived for breakfast. Hubby yelled for me to come into the living room. There were 4 deer in our backyard right up by our deck. You could see they were snow covered. Ran upstairs to get my camera. Thought for sure they would be gone when I got back downstairs. Nope they were still there. Changed my lens to my telephoto and took as many pictures as I could. They are kind of dark as it still wasn't all the way light out.

So that was my excitement for the day. Kept busy most of the day working on another Valentine Heart Door Hanger. Hope to have it done to list on etsy tomorrow.

Calm Before the Storm

Winter Storm Warnings for us tonight and all tomorrow. 6" to 8" of snow predicted. Then back into the single digits again. Is it Spring yet??? LOL I dislike January, such a long, cold month. Took these shots of the squirrels out on my deck today. Been feeding them squirrel food to keep them off my bird feeders. They are loving it.

My sister found a recipe from the Birds and Bloom magazine for homemade suet, so I thought I would post it for all to try. I have yet to try it as I am waiting for the birds to eat up what I have which is store bought. My sis believes the birds prefer the homemade kind. This is a picture I took of a flicker on my suet last year.

Homemade Suet

Melt in a pan all the following ingredients. Cool and pour into forms to harden. I'm going to use the plastic forms from the store bought suet cakes.

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup lard
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup sugar

Other ingredients you can add are, cereal, crushed egg shells, any kind of berries, raisins, bread crumbs, seeds, chopped apples.

I've been busy making my folk art birds and have most of these listed in my etsy shop. I'll be adding more tonight and tomorrow.

Brrrrrrrr Happy New Year!

Yes, I'm still here! LOL Sorry for being absent. Can't believe its been almost a month since I last posted. I will never do that again. I was just so busy with Christmas and my daughter and granddaughter visiting from North Carolina after Christmas. I am not liking this weather we are having. Only got up to 5º today. At least the sun was out but it sure didn't help to warm things up. Did I say I hate being cold!! I don't go out unless I absolutely have to. So I put away all the Christmas decorations yesterday. It's my New Years Day tradition. Still have all the outside decorations frozen in the ground. That's hubbies job to take care of that stuff. I told him it was to cold to take that stuff down.



I've been busy the last couple of days sewing more birds. Slowly my inventory of birds has been dwindling down, especially after a lady in Spain bought 7 of my birds. I just listed my first Valentine item in my etsy shop tonight. Feels good to get back to sewing and listing on etsy again! That's all for now....everyone try to stay warm. Don't forget to keep your bird feeders fill up so the birdies stay warm.

Blizzard and Birds!

Well...we got a total of 7 inches of snow and now the wind is blowing like crazy. I spent a good part of the morning photographing the birds that come to the feeders that I have on my sewing room windows. There's been a ton of activity all day. I think I will have to refill the feeders before dark so they are ready for tomorrow morning. I think it going to get below 0 with the wind chill factor of 20 mph winds. I feel so sorry for the birds this time of the year. enjoy the pics!
Male Cardinal


Tufted Titmouse


Female House Finch


Male Cardinal


Young Female Cardinal


Tufted Titmouse


Junco


Female Cardinal


Male House Finch


Black Capped Chickadee

Snow and More to Come!

Woke up this morning to it snowing. There was about 3 inches on the ground. It's been snowing off and on all day. But the big snow is headed our way starting tonight and into tomorrow morning. There were a few school closing this morning and more cancellations are popping up as the day goes by. We are expecting 6" to 10". There is blizzard warnings for tomorrow. I guess the winds are expected to kick up tonight. Not looking forward to that. Hate being cold. So anyway...here are a few pics that I took today. Some of my friends on facebook, that used to live in my area wanted to see some pics.Cute little Junco bird that visits us here in the winter.
Bird Feeders out on my deck. They sure were busy all day with the birds!
Backyard Pics

Old birdhouse that a squirrel lives in.

My Holiday Home Pics!

Finally have all my decorating done. So here are a few pics I have taken. I wish my home were more prim then what it is. Some day we may get around to pulling up the carpet and redo the hardwood floors. And get some new furniture, now that the kids are grown and gone.







These pictures are of the front door area. On the back of our front door I have a quilted wall hanging that my mom made about 10 years ago. The tree is made up of individual pieces of fabric that are folded into a triangle. And each little present under the tree is made separately. It's truly a work of art. It's one of my favorite pieces from my mom.




And here are pics of my hallway and up the stairs. I just love the mirror, which we got about 20 years ago at an auction. It's beveled with a wide oak trim.

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Here are a couple of vintage stockings! LOL Mine and my hubbies from when we were kids. My mom made mine and hubbies grandma made his. My stocking is a little ragged. A couple of years ago Bonsai, my kitty, decided to attack it. He has a thing for anything made of felt. Don't know why. He has even gotten ornaments off the tree made of felt and chews them up.

Primitive Folk Art Santa's

Got our tree up yesterday and got a good start on the decorating. It usually takes me 2 or 3 days to get everything up. Hubby got all the outside lights up yesterday too. I'll try to get some pics of inside and outside posted on here soon. I was able to finish up a couple Santa's today that I had half finished last week. The one in the blue stocking cap is in my etsy shop now and I will list the other one tomorrow night. I've been thinking of making a pattern for him. What do you think?

Primitive Santa Make Do

Finally getting on a roll with my Christmas creations. Finished up this Santa Make Do today. I like him so well that I may make one for myself. He is listed in my etsy shop now, along with another Snowman which I just listed too.



Today sure did feel like winter. Only hit a high of 45º. I think most of the leaves have fallen from the trees so hubby was out raking up the leaves for like the 6th time this fall. He made a big pile for our little granddaughter to jump in. I captured the most precious picture of her. Love those little teeth!

Primitive Snowman Head Make Do!

Here is something new I finished today. I made 3 of them, but just have one listed in my etsy shop right now. I think he turned out fantastic if I do say myself. :) Also working on more gingerbread ornies to make and sell. Had a request to make some and I will be selling them for $1.00 a piece or 12 for $10.00.

Ornamental Gingerbread Cookies

I've been waiting a long time to make these gingerbread cookies since I saw the recipe posted on Linda's blog, Behind My Red Door. Love reading her blog. I've been searching for the perfect cookie cutter and found one at a really old hardware store in Iowa. They had a huge kitchen section with lots of neat kitchen gadgets. Here is the recipe courtesy of Linda. These ornaments smell so good while baking!

Ornamental Gingerbread Cookies

3 tablespoon shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon each: ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg
peppercorns for the eyes and buttons

Beat shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in molasses. Mix dry ingredients together. Stir them into the sugar mixture and gradually add water. Dough will be very stiff. Refrigerate overnight. Heat oven to 350º. Cut dough into three pieces. Roll one piece at a time (between two sheets of waxed paper) to a thickness of about 1/4". I sprinkled a little flour on the dough while rolling out as its a little sticky. Cut out desired shapes and patterns. ***If you are planning to hang these ornaments, poke holes in the shapes now with a straw or toothpick.*** Bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool and harden for several hours or overnight.

Finished ornaments can be painted, sealed, or dipped in melted wax. The possibilities are endless!

New Christmas Reindeer Pattern

It's been awhile since I've made up a new pattern. Have my new reindeer pattern listed on Pattern Mart right now and will get it listed in my etsy shop and website later. I have a link for it over to the right for a instant download from Pattern Mart.

As promised, I have pics of my little granddaughter in her Halloween costume as a little grey mouse. My daughter made the costume for her. I guess she is carrying on the tradition of making Halloween costumes like I did, every year for her and her sister. I loved doing it every year.