Handcrafters Show ...October 28...2011

Well...our show is just around the corner...Suzanne and I are sharing a booth...and have been working all summer "creating" things for it. Here are some more items I will have in the show.

I have had a wonderful time making different things...it should be lots of fun....now I have to tag and price everything....the hardest thing for me!!!

Weekend at the Lake

We sure picked a great weekend to go to the lake...John..Mimi...Melanie and Ray...and of course all the dogs! (Melanie's 2...and Dory!) It was THE best weekend so far this fall...picture perfect.

We did a few chores...Melanie washed some windows...(I watched)...John blew off the many leaves that have already fallen...also more acorns than I have EVER seen. We went on a great

boat ride...with the Sr. Hills....who live a few doors down....went to Capn' Rons for a yummy

lunch ...also took a long walk...a neighbor saw a bobcat last weekend...right near our house...very scary! Here are a few photos.......

Mastering the Art of cutting wine bottles!!

After many unsuccessful attempts at cutting wine bottles ...to re-purpose into other products such as
candle lights...containers with the bottom that is cut off...I finally found a device that works. It is from a company called Diamond Tech...Tampa, Florida.. There is quite a learning curve with this device.
When I first tried to use...I broke about 30 wine bottles...(No..I did not drink all that wine...I have to confess I rescued them from our Glass re-cycling bin!!!!) The setting has to just so exacting...if anything moves while cutting the bottle...it is a mess-up! But I now have it down to a science and so rewarding when you get a clean break. After scoring the bottle all the way around...you dip bottle into boiling water

for maybe 15 seconds??  Then immediately dip in sink of ice water. You should begin to hear a slight cracking and the scoring begins to widen...then the bottom falls off. Voila!!!  You have a top part for the candle light and the bottom for a container. Edges are sharp so I grind them and sand with wet sandpaper until they are not sharp. Now everyone may not be interested in this...but I am having fun....would be wonderful lining your walk in the evening...for a party...a group of them on a table as centerpiece??

Fall 2011 Art Show..Handcrafters

Have been wanting to post some photos of some of the things I have been working on for my fall show. I am sharing a booth with Suzanne Lawrence... a longtime friend. We

get along great and enjoy doing shows together. I do believe she is as passionate as I about creating "Things". Our styles are a bit different...but that makes for a more interesting booth. We recently took a class at a local scrapbooking store...now I do not do scrapbooking...but Love all the things...paper...charms...inks...punches...I do Lots of cards...only send my hand-made cards...and find dozens of uses for all the items. We made a delightful thing...do not even know how to describe it...but will show a picture of it. It was a lesson in collage and we learned SO many techniques...I could not shut my mind off after coming home....it was from 6:00 to 9:00...I am now trying to re-create one for my grand-daughter's upcoming birthday. So here we go with the photos! Thanks for checking out my blog!!

Patrotic Postings!!

With the 4th of July right around the corner...my crafting/woodworking has

leaned patriotic...with a couple of fun projects I'd like to share. Sometimes

my best ideas come when I am working on something else. I was working on a large wooden flag that I started a year ago and sort of lost interest. Decided to pull it out from the bottom of the wood pile and see if I could finish it

for our lake house this summer. I finished it and it inspired me to do these other two "FLAG" projects. I looked at my supply of paint stirrers on the workbench and a lite-bulb went off....so I put 7 of them together to create

the small wood flag....my next one I will try to turn into the top of a box.Two pieces of wood on the back ....one on either side...(glued) will hold all the slats together.

My sister's birthday is July 6th...she was almost a (4th of July baby...)

so I created this card with paint chip samples from Home Depot. I have used

the paint samples before for craft projects...but I now have a Zyron?

sticker making machine so I just run the paper strips thru that and cut the

strips for the card....making them SO easy to use! Happy Crafting!

Wonderful old Needle Case

At a recent flea market/antique show I came across this great old needle case. I kept walking

away from it ...then returning to look again. It is in perfect shape...I have a real affinity for Spool cabinets...anything old with drawers. Had never really seen a needle case. They were free when

the store owner (long ago!) bought a supply of needles. I finally gave in when the dealer reduced his price. I have it on my computer table and put pencils...papers, etc in it. I REALLY needed it!

Actually I have attempted to make a reproduction of the same thing. Not finished yet...but am working on it.

Fun times in Branson at Big Cedar Lodge

Long time ....no blog from me...sad...have been busy...busy...busy...where does the time go?

Hope to catch up and post some new fun things! Our whole family came together for John and Mimi's BIG anniversary party. My three wonderful children planned the whole thing....all we did was just show up! We stayed at Big Cedar Lodge right outside of Branson. I would recommend it for anyone...wonderful accommodations...nice restaurants...lots of things to do. We had a great time...all staying in the same large place. There were 13 of us... Want to share some photos

from our time there.

Wonderful Printers Drawer

My sister Sally and her husband were here this weekend visiting. We always have so much to do...to talk about...to share. She told me about a very recent purchase of hers and happened to have a photo of it on her computer. Long ago we all had printers drawers.....Did You??? Of course they sort of went out of style...so mine is long gone....but in case no one's noticed they are having a re-birth in popularity....a little different this time around. She found this online at a trendy Mercantile store up north somewhere. She (Sally) has always had an affinity for HANDS

and has a nice collection of different sizes of hands. Well....this small Printer's Drawere has a tiny little hand in it....among other unique things. Now I am on the hunt for a small printer's drawer...and some small items to fill it! We are going to Renninger's Antique

Faire this weekend in Mt. Dora, Florida so that will be my mission!!! Wish me luck!

Extreme Makeover...Middleburg, Florida ...2011

Well...we have had an exciting week here in Northeast Florida. ABC's Extreme Makeover was

in town....Middleburg is the town...a suburb of Jacksonville...to make over a very needy family's home. The single mother is a teacher and much-loved volleyball coach at the Middleburg High School. She....in the last two years has adopted three girls....ages...12....14...and 18...their parents both died of drug overdoses. This amazing lady had always wanted children but had never married...so she graciously stepped up and wanted to take these 3 young ladies into her home.

She lives...or lived in a manufactured home...the local community wanted so much to help her but when analyzing the home felt it was in need of too many repairs. Unbeknownst to Miss Prewitt...the teacher...the fellow teachers decided to nominate her for the Build of Extreme Makeover. Her story so touched everyone...I guess there was not a dry eye to be found.

My son Mike was one of the project managers responsible for building the new home. The area is beautiful..full of trees...but mostly trailers and manufactered homes...Everything is donated...the builders time...material...everything connected to the project is donated...down to the last nail. My daughters...Melanie...Patti...and three grand-daughters were able to attend as VIP guests to observe the whole process. For anyone familiar with the show it was an amazing experience. There were roughly 3000 community volunteers who pitched in and built the house in 106 HOURS!!! I witnessed it and was just dumbfounded! They worked around the clock. While there as a VIP guest we were fed every day by different vendors...TGIF Fridays...

Chic-fil-a...among many others. The builders were well-fed from various restaurants. For anyone wondering...yes we did see TY!!! My daughter Melanie spotted him and said there's TY!!! I know his walk. He was trying to be incognito!!! Following are some of the photos

we took. The show will air on Mothers Day...a fitting tribute to a self-less lady who deserves

this!

Mimi's Birthday!

Well....I had another fun birthday in Florida with all three of my children!!! Now of course

they are NOT children anymore...but I will always think of them as that! Melanie came down

to visit for about 10 days so she was here...plus Mike and Patti and her family. Of course Logan...Mike's little guy was there also. We had a great dinner and a very yummy cake that the girls got from a Cake Lady! It was the highlight of the party!!! Will share some photos from

that evening! The next day we had a repeat of the same thing...more good food and finished

off the cake!

Random Photos

These are a few photos of my Florida family...just random shots of this and that!!!

Enjoying the sunshine!

We feel so fortunate (my husband and I) to be able to come to Florida and escape the cold at this time of the year. The main reason we come is to visit two of our three grown children (the third lives near us in Kansas City). And of course our grandchildren....Patti and her husband have 3 girls....Mike has a 6 year old son Logan. So we get to spend quality time with them.
We have a small condo about a mile from each family....a good bike ride to either place. Florida is nice and flat...so bike riding is one of our favorite things to do. While the weather has been rather cold it is not nearly as bad as the midwest. The beach is a short block from us and hunting for shells and sharks teeth is another fun thing.