Log Cabin Christmas at Early Work Mercantile

 

Here's a little sneak peek at what I've been working on for the Early Work Mercantile update on November 15th. My designs were inspired by the classes I took at Country Sampler last month. I'm really pleased with the way these projects turned out. I can hardly wait to show them to you!

 

 At Early Work Mercantile, you'll find lots of great winter offerings from many talented primitive artists. I do hope you'll stop by for the big reveal.

Until Next time...
Rhonda

Dog Days of Summer

It's hot here...and humid. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather stay inside and play on days like this.

~Patches, an early cloth dog, found looking sad at a garage sale...($6)~

  

I've always been a dog person. When I was a small child I wanted a dog so badly that I traded our cat for one. The problem was, we didn't have a cat. It was a hot, sticky summer day (much like this one) and my brother and I were outside playing together...he was ten and I was about six years old. We spent the morning plotting ways we could become dog owners without any money. While walking around the neighborhood we came across a house with a sign that said "Free Cat". We figured having a cat was almost as good as having a dog, right?

"Bone Eater", found lonely and scared at an antique mall~

On the way home with "our" new cat, we happened upon a woman with a large dog. Being the friendly and adventurous types, we stopped to inquire about her dog. Was it friendly? Could we pet it? And more importantly...would she be interested in a trade?

~Puppy, found abandoned and unloved at an antique shop~

Our Mother looked up from scrubbing the kitchen floor to see Bone Eater's scruffy face peering in the back door. We stood beaming, one on each side of his massive Irish Wolfhound body, while Mother asked a perfectly silly question..."Who does this dog belong to?" With a look of absolute pride on our dirty little faces...we answered, "He's ours." I'm sure Mother's, "NOOOOOOOO, he most certainly is NOT ours!", could be heard three blocks away. Much to our dismay, we were not allowed to keep Bone Eater...or the cat.

Eventually our Mother relented and we found a sweet little dog at the pound. Wendy adored me and the feeling was mutual. She slept in a baby cradle in my room and allowed me to dress her in doll's clothes and push her in a stroller. Wendy was very corgi-esque and is most likely responsible for my infatuation with corgis today. She was twenty-two years old, and I was a married lady of four years, when she crossed the bridge.

 Wendy, found sleeping on a pile of rags.

 I'll always be a dog person. And I've always had a soft spot for strays and rescue pups.

~A few of my strays~

And a few more...

~Maggie~ (Over the Rainbow Bridge, Summer 2007)

~Edith and Walter 
(Walter, Over the Rainbow Bridge, Summer 2009)~

~Murray and Edith~
(At home, Spring 2011)

Until next time...

Rhonda

Looking for your new BFF? Petfinder.com

Please join me...

...on Simply Primitives this evening. 

I hope you'll stop by to see my work, as well as that of the other talented artisans there.

Thanks for looking!

Coming Soon on Simply Primitives

Here's a sneak peek of things to come...

Watch for my update, April 1st, on Simply Primitives.

~Simply Primitives Update~

I'm pleased to announce my very first update on Simply Primitives, December 1st, featuring some of my new cut paper silhouettes. I hope you'll join me along with the other talented artisans there.

Our silhouettes are adaptations 19^th century works, finished and framed in the early style. Each image is hand cut from heavy card stock and mounted on parchment. They are then tinted with our special solution to replicate aged paper. Each silhouette comes in a distressed, wood frame, under glass. The back of the frame is neatly finished with paper and comes ready to hang.

Until Next time...

Blustery Black Friday

As I sit here typing I can hear the fierce wind whipping across the Indiana prairie, the creaking of the house, and the voices of our eldest son and Mr. Kattywhompus deep in conversation. We are staying cozy inside, awaiting company this evening. How wonderful it is to be restful and relax with family gathered round! With leftovers in the fridge and dogs at my feet I feel blessed beyond measure.

In between checking the turkey and serving up pie, I was able to get a few things listed in my Etsy shops. I am working on a series of cut paper silhouettes, some of which are already available here, and some of which will be available on Simply Primitives on December 1st. I am thrilled to be included among their newest artisans, and hope you will visit me on my page there. Look for me in the Artisan Directory after December 1st. I have also added a couple of things to my vintage Etsy shop, including this Artisans Sampler, perfect for Christmas crafting!

I've been putting these together from my stash of vintage lovelies...things that are wonderful, but don't necessarily fit with our primitive style home. It's been fun to see how much the people who purchase these kits appreciate and enjoy them. I have several more in the works that should be listed in a day or two.

Here are some of my colonial style silhouettes. The designs were adapted from early portraits and are hand cut from paper.

I'm going to decorate a short wall in the living room, next to my desk, with similar pieces. I'm still looking for some little oval frames to mount some of the smaller cuttings.

These are available in limited numbers, so please...if you see one you must have, don't hesitate.  I'd hate for you to be disappointed.

 

I think they are really special...and hope you will feel the same.

I can't believe I forgot to show you the lovely little gift I received from Michelle Palmer. Out of sight, out of (my) mind... 

I was one of SEVEN winners in her generous fall giveaway...

Michell is such a talented lady...I  just adore her little drawings on fabric. Wouldn't this look fabulous on a fall themed sewing roll?

Michelle chose this drawing especially for me. Does she know me, or what? It's perfect! She also included one of her magnetic Christmas sets in my package and as always, a sweet note.

I encourage you to visit her lovely blog, and afterward her Etsy shop. You'll be glad you did!

Until next time...

Simply Good Weekend

I'm one of the lucky ones. I'll be attending the Simple Goods primitive show this weekend with two of my dearest friends. I hope you'll stop by the Mercantile Gatherings Magazine table to say "Hello"...or just tug on my sleeve in the crowd and introduce yourself. See you there!

Until next time...

Peek-A-Boo~Tuesday Display Chain

Each Tuesday, Misi of Gable House Musings, chooses a theme and invites bloggers to play along with her 'Tuesday Display Chain' by featuring items from their collections. This week Robyn of PrimLish chose a theme in keeping with the Halloween Spirit. The theme this week is Peek-A-Boo.

Primitive lovers everywhere understand the need to hide away all those pesky modern conveniences that take away from the rustic ambiance of our homes. I admit, when we lived in the farmhouse, I camouflaged everything from the toaster to the cat inside of crocks and under wooden crates. These days my small appliances are tucked away in the "appliance shed" built specifically for that purpose. Now I'm more about finding attractive storage and hiding clutter.

The buttery measures 8' x 13.5' and basically covers the entire back wall of our kitchen. It provides great storage and also creates a fun space to display a multitude of goodies. On one side, decor items that are currently out of rotation are stored in the lower cabinet behind the curtain...and on the other; I keep lights and props for taking photos.

And in the middle section...

We keep the dog food out of sight, but still easily accessible. You can't fool Murray.

And speaking of Prim Dog Murray...

He hides his toys in an old firkin.

And situated conveniently next to the front door...

This little five drawer cabinet houses dog leashes, harnesses etc. (Sensing a trend yet?)

Paper clutter is one of my pet peeves. I detest "piles". Mr. Kattywhompus solved my problem with this Craiglist purchase last year at Mother's Day. My "vintage" Habersham Plantation secretary has drawers and cubbies aplenty. Now ya see it...

Now ya don't.

In the living room I hide books, magazines and rug hooking supplies in the dry sink next to the sofa.

 

Things I use are close at hand, but no piles!

 The little drawer is perfect for stowing hand sewing supplies.

This boxy stagecoach trunk is the perfect place to store my bulky rug hooking frame, along with bags of cut wool "worms".

Trust me...it's in there-under the linen background.

And last, but not least...nope, not a breadbox.

I no longer have to search for light bulbs, specialty nails or fasteners. I keep them at my fingertips...ready to hang a picture or change a bulb.

I hope you've enjoyed today's Display Chain. Hop on over to Robyn's blog  to see the other fabulous contributors! 

Until next time...

Heartfelt Thanks

Sometimes when you see wonderful handwork, you just instinctively know that the person behind it is every bit as beautiful as their work. That's Julie. Through blogs and email, Julie & I have become friends...she is one of those kindred souls that I wish lived next door. When I think that we may never have "met" if it weren't for the www, I'm thankful to live in the age we live in. 

Yesterday, a package arrived in my mailbox. Inside was the prize I won on Julie's very generous blog giveaway. Of course I was excited about winning...but I really had no idea HOW excited I was about to be! When I opened the package it smelled of cinnamon and spices...mmmm. When I carefully pulled back the paper I saw this...

Honestly, I wasn't prepared for just how wonderful Julie's work is. Her attention to detail is remarkable, and her stitching and finishing are meticulous. Add to that my love for sewing 'accoutrements' and that it's a make-do heart (one of my favorite things)...well, you can just imagine how pleased I was with my prize. So of course I took a few photos to show off Julie's work in it's new home.

My heartfelt thanks for your generous gift Julie. I'm thrilled to display something made by your hand in our home. It's my newest treasure.

Visit Julie online here: 

http://primitiveheartstrings.blogspot.com/  

OR here:

http://www.picturetrail.com/my.primitive.heart

 You'll be glad you did.

Until next time...

Tuesday Display Chain- Souvenir

Each Tuesday, Misi of Gable House Musings, chooses a theme and invites bloggers to play along with her 'Tuesday Display Chain' by featuring items from their collections. The theme this week is "Souvenir."

A souvenir, French for memory, describes a memento or keepsake brought back by a traveler for the memories associated with it.

The things I typically bring back from my travels (which are few, and not very glamorous) are bits of moss, rocks, leaves and flowers pressed into books. If I have a bit of spending money I will I treat myself to one beautiful thing to remember my adventures.

Pictured below is one of those things. This is a fraktur I purchased at the Simple Goods Primitive Show  the year before last. Painted on the cover of an ancient book, it has become one of my treasures.

 Here's a closer look. Aren't the colors lovely?

The next item is a souvenir from a trip to Walt Disney World when I was a girl. It's a jam jar. Tell me, what kind of a young girl brings THIS back from the land of Mickey Mouse? I was an odd kid.

In my early married days I collected Tea Cups & Saucers. I had shelves full of them. All but a few, that I feel especially sentimental about, have found new homes. This is a favorite, featuring scenes from Mackinac Island, in Michigan.

Arch Rock, The Grand Hotel, and The Old Block House encircle the sides of cup.

I think it's the lacy edge and cottage roses that endear it to me.

And this last souvenir is just for fun. Some of you may not know that Mr. Kattywhompus and I have been sweethearts since the 8th grade. I know...adorable, and a little disgusting. 

This is something he won at the county fair way back when. I'm sure my mother was thrilled when I displayed it in my bedroom. It still makes me laugh (as does Mr. Kattywhompus) when I see it among the pretties in my little studio.

I hope you've enjoyed today's Display Chain. Hop on over to Misi's blog to see the other fabulous contributors! Until next time...

Rainy Saturday

Today was the day Mr. Kattywhompus and I were to go to The Hill Climb in Newport, Indiana. But when we woke up to rain this morning, we opted for sleeping in and a day at home instead. While Mr. K watched a movie with our boys, I decided I'd tackle a few of the endless small projects I have sitting around the house.

Like many of you, I have an affinity for anything with lots of little drawers or compartments. Today I thought I'd show you what I did with two of my recent finds.

This first piece is one I found at an estate sale. Most things at this sale were a little pricey so after a quick peek inside, I headed to the garage. I found this hanging on the wall, filled with nuts & bolts, and a $10 price tag hanging from one of the knobs. Of course it caught my eye because of all the drawers...but what really fascinated me was that it's made entirely of old wooden cheese boxes and packing crates. Then there were all the funny mismatched knobs...

This is what it looked like after a good scrubbing, but before hubby repaired the bottom drawer and I replaced the missing knobs with old spools.

I also stained the little red knob so that it didn't stick out like a sore thumb.

Even with all its flaws, I think it's a fun piece...which goes to show that one man's trash is truly another man's treasure.

And speaking of treasure...take a look at this diamond in the rough.

I bought this spice box at a local shop for $16. Again, the rows of little drawers got to me. Because a number of things in the store were painted this exact shade of blue, I suspected the paint job was pretty recent and would be fairly easy to sand down.

I was right. It had been painted with a latex paint and a light sanding was all that was needed. As I sanded, I kept waiting to see the crack or repair, the reason someone had painted over the old finish. But as I finished the last drawer I realized that this spice box was in perfect condition. Someone painted it because they liked this color. I'm just glad they didn't like lavender or fuchsia.

Here's a picture of the spice box after sanding, a coat of Briwax, and a good buffing with a soft cloth.

 

As you can see, I left some of the blue paint.

I'm pretty happy with the result. Briwax is a fantastic product, don't you agree?

Isn't it amazing what a little elbow grease can do?

It's suppose to frost tonight, so Mr. Kattywhompus picked the rest of our butternut and spaghetti squash. And he dug the carrots. I suspect he's hoping I'll bake my granny's carrot cookies...and I just might.

I love all the crazy shapes that real carrots come in. I'm so lucky to be married to a man who brings me vegetables. As it turns out, I don't mind that we stayed home today. And the rain...really is quite lovely.

Our view from the front porch late this afternoon. Some things are almost  too good to be true.

Until next time...