Happy Easter!

Happy day before Easter! 

I'm so ready to get out and start gardening. It can't come fast enough. Even though our winter was very mild this year. I need to see things growing! Maybe you don't know, but I'm obsessed with Succulent plants. a couple of days ago I received a few plants I ordered from a great Etsy shop that sells succulents called Succulent Oasis. Click on the name to go to Linda's shop. These plants were the best of all the succulents I've ever ordered from! 

The plants come bare root, so you have to plant them once they arrive. Here are mine just after planting. Aren't they beautiful! Mine came in the mail on a day that was like winter! Thankful hubby got the mail right after the postman delivered them. 

We had gotten a winter storm on Thursday that started with rain, then freezing rain and then giant snowflakes that fell for about a half hour. Ended up with about a inch of snow. It was beautiful. Hope that was the last of the snow until November.

Male House Finch not letting the snow bother him! Love these little birds!

In my world of Etsy, I have another cute sewing box available!

This box was made with my Napping Kitty pincushion pattern. How cute is this! I almost want to keep it for myself. Now available for purchase in my Rock River Stitches etsy shop.

Here is my pattern that I used for the top of the sewing box. Click the link below the photo if interested in purchasing my pattern.

Primitive Napping Kitty Pincushion Pattern

Have a wonderful Easter my friends! Until next time, Peace and Love to all!

Primitive Wool Applique Sewing Box

Lately I've been enjoying the creative process of wool applique as you can see from my last post. It's been awhile since I've worked with wool in making my wool applique coin purses which I dearly loved making. 

I've had several different size paper mache boxes in my stash for years and thought it was time to use them.

Here is a second sewing box that I recently added to my etsy shop. First one I made sold the same day I added it to my etsy shop.

My Etsy Shop here----> Rock River Stitches

Took a little walk around my yard today to see what is sprouting. I'm ready to see my hummingbirds in this viburnum bush we have at the side of the house. I have one male hummer who loves to sit here and chase off the other hummers from the feeder I have next to this bush. The buds you see will turn into the most fragrant white blossoms you ever smelled. So ready!

I noticed the other day there was a squirrel living in this nest in our tree. The nest has been there for a couple of years and never thought anyone lived there. 

She came out and stretched and went back in.

I believe it's a female and may be having babies soon. She is very plump. I have a birds eye view of this nest when I am sitting at my computer. So maybe I might be able to watch some babies grow up right from the comfort of my computer chair! I'll post photos if I see anything.

Crazy Couple of Weeks!

It has been very crazy lately in my life. Within 2 weeks time my youngest daughter graduated from Chiropractic College and then got married the following weekend! It all went very smoothly! And I survived! I hope to get some Wedding photos soon to show! 

As soon as everybody went home I started back up with my sewing. I took a week off the week of the wedding. So here is what's new in my Etsy Shop!

Both of these bunnies are now available in my Etsy Shop here Rock River Stitches

Here we have one of my new creations! It's a Strawberry Wool Applique Bobbin Holder Pincushion. 

Take a vintage aluminum jello mold and turn it into something very useful!

Also now available in my Etsy Shop!

And here is a photo of my daughter who graduated!

We now have three doctors in the family. All chiropractors!

Both of my daughters are now Chiropractors! And one son in law who is too! I'm so blessed!

So happy March is here and the weather is warming up! Can't wait to get out in my gardens!

Until next time!

~Staying Warm~

So Cold....I haven't been out of the house probably in a week. Nice now that hubby is retired he does all my running around for me!! But I must venture out today as I need to stop in Hobby Lobby and Hancock Fabrics. 

 I've been super busy creating lately and have many new items available in my Etsy Shop! All are available here Rock River Stitches

Primitive Crow Make Do. Love creating this big crow! 

Love this sweet puppy. He is made with a pattern by Betty of Square Nail's Primitives

And I have another one of my Prim Standing Bunny Dolls available!!

And more of these great Grungy Primitive Heart Wall Hangings. Not just for Valentines day. Great through out the year. 

Thought I would take a little time for myself now. Over the years I've found these Sew It Yourself vintage kits and thought I would make them up for myself. Especially wanted to get the bunny done for my Easter decorating!

Until next time....Let's hope it starts to warm up soon! 

Stitching Away

I'm always happy to see the end of January! Days are getting longer and Spring is that much closer. We have been very fortunate with a very mild winter. Just a few days here and there with extreme cold temps. And not a whole lot of snow. (knock on wood!)

New ideas have been coming at me right and left in my sewing world!

Here are a few new primitive creations. I'm trying to concentrate more on Easter now.

Available in my Etsy Shop here ----> Rock River Stitches

Leaving you now with this sweet photo I captured a couple of weeks ago of one of the cutest birds that comes to my feeders.

Tufted Titmouse

Love that little bit of rusty colored feathers under it's wings. So pretty!

New Year, New Goodies!

Hello Friends! Where has the time gone! Happy New Year! Hope everyone is staying warm in these January days.

I'm keeping busy creating new things!

Also new is my new Primitive Standing Bunny Doll!

How precious is this face!! 

So loved creating her! 

All of these creations are available in my Etsy Shop here Rock River Stitches

Wishing you a wonderful, happy, healthy, prosperous New Year! 

Welcome December! Another month has flown by!

What a whirlwind last week was with Thanksgiving! No time for sewing for those 4 days around Thanksgiving. Too busy with family and my three grandchildren who certainly keep me on my toes!
Nothing but silence now which is alright with me! hehe

So I have many New Primitive creations looking for new homes!

I love making these snowmen and tree make do's! Their faces make me smile :)

\

 I now have a pattern available for my Primitive Christmas Angel Cat Ornie! You can find it in my Etsy Shop here Rock River Stitches
All creations you see here are there too!

These sweet little Primitive Nesting birds are so cute! I have one available along with the pattern for them! Super easy pattern to make up quick to decorate your tree!!

This Primitive Candlestick tree turned out so cool!! Available in my Etsy Shop!

So this is what I've been up to lately! Time to get back to work as I have several new ideas!!

Christmas in the Works!

Oh no....Looks like it's been awhile since I've posted anything. Been super busy as usual. 

Now that November is here, time to think about Christmas! Yikes...Where did the year go!

I have a new item for Christmas 2015! Now available in my Etsy Shop here  Rock River Stitches

Happy Fall!

Where did Summer go!? Happy Fall to you all!

We have a gorgeous day today. Not really feeling like fall as the temp is 81º. I always get a urge to go shopping for pumpkins and gourds this time of the year. Is it too early? 

Last week this sweet little baby squirrel appeared from I don't know where. Maybe he fell out of his nest. He was so tiny. Following my hubby around and walking over his shoes. Did not seem to afraid of humans. He did let me pet his back.

He was loving all the crushed acorns on our driveway. 

I love my black squirrels! We have many in our area. They were first introduced to our area back in the late 1800's. 

And speaking of something Black....I have this adorable Primitive Halloween Bat

available in my Etsy Shop! Just in time for Halloween!!

click on this link to my shop Rock River Stitches

A Glimpse into my World of Monarch Butterflies!

Hello Friends! 

Thought I would let you know what I have been up to this summer! 

Every summer I raise Monarch Butterflies! I've been raising these amazing creatures for about 5 years now. 

It all starts with growing milkweed plants to attract them. I watch for Monarchs to lay their eggs on the plants. Then I pluck the leaf off and bring inside to raise. Most eggs don't make it because of other insects eating the egg or the tiny newborn caterpillars.

 Once they emerge from the egg, you have to continually feed them more milkweed leaves. The whole process from egg to butterfly is around 25 days.

So far this year I have raised and released 23 Butterflies!!

A first for me this year is tagging the butterflies before releasing them. During the summer the butterflies go through 4 generations. Right now is the 4th and last generation  will travel to Mexico for the winter. 

I write down the tag code number, sex of butterfly, date of the release, city and state. When I have completed my tagging I send off my info to Monarchwatch.org.  Sometime during the Winter the people of mexico search through the mass amounts of butterflies to find the ones with tags. They record the information for research.

Monarch numbers have been dwindling for the past 10 years due to the milkweed plant being sprayed with weedkiller and other environmental issues.

So please if you can, grow milkweed or start a butterfly garden!! Save the Monarchs!

In other news....I've taken a little break from sewing and have been creating with polymer clay!

I've been making vintage style Necklaces! Please check them out in my Etsy shop, Rock River Stitches

These were so much fun to make! Brought back very fond memories when I was a kid and my mother had a ceramic class she taught in our home. I would spend hours creating with clay and then my mom would fire them in her kiln.

So this is all the exciting news for now....until then...have a great week my friends!

More Fall Goodies!

The cooler temps lately sure have me thinking Fall is just around the corner. So here are my latest creations which are available in my Rock River Stitches Etsy Shop

 Lately I've been analyzing my work. Is my work really any good? I thought I was becoming a better artist last year with a few new creations. And then I was chosen by Etsy as a featured artist in October 2014, which was huge. This is something I've never had run through my brain before. I've created a few new items lately, but I'm like.... Are they what people are interested in? Am I wasting my time. I find myself thinking of other creative venues that I might want to try. I'm going in circles. Don't know.