Howdy All!

It has been so long since I have posted!! I have been making sure though to visit all your wonderful blogs when I can, and I am just astounded at the gorgeous homes that have been shown! They have all been breathtaking!

I wanted to share with you today that I was selected to be featured in the 12 Days of Christmas over at the Primitive Peddler! If you get a moment today, click the Primitive Peddler link on the side bar, and visit this fantastic blog! So many wonderful creations to see!

Thanks so much Kim for including me in your wonderful holiday selections! I am so honored!
Have a great day everyone!

We Have A Winner!!

Congratulations to Jill of Northern Illinois! She is the winner of the Old Farmhouse Gathering Holiday Basket Giveaway. You can visit Jill here http://www.backhomeagain-jill.blogspot.com/

Thanks to all that signed up and participated in our giveaway, we will have more of these in the future!

Got Started on Decorating!

Happy Monday Everyone! Well as many of you, I also spent some time this weekend getting started on my holiday decorating. These are just a few things that I have finished, and I hope to bring you more photos as I complete more rooms.

This photo is in my living room, above my couch. My husband built this shelf for me, and I just love it. I opted for a very simple look this year, and didn't bring out allot of my normal decorations. So far I am really liking this, but we shall see what each new year brings.

This is a dough bowl that filled with my start of Belsnickle Santas.I am hoping to gather more of these wonderful guys during the after holiday sales. I would love to have about 5 more, I think they are just wonderful, and very prim!

Just a little decorating done to my antique high chair........I love to add something just about everywhere. I have a real passion for stars if you hadn't noticed. I have them all over my home.

This is the top of my entertainment center in the living room. I am not done with this I don't think. Need to tweak this just a bit more, but it is a start.

I wanted to take some night shots......so here are just a few. This is a feather tree that I purchased on my outing a couple weeks ago. Normally I have a 6' tree in my dining room, but since we are entertaining this year, I felt I needed the extra space, so the little tree will have to do.

Another night shot in my dining room of my antique serving cart. I have another dough bowl filled to the brim with boughs, lights and a darling prim ginger boy. I have my tart burner going with Apple Pie tarts, and it smells wonderful!

This grapevine tree was the start of my love for primitives, oh gee, about 18 years ago. I fell in love with it and it looks wonderful in the kitchen at night as a terrific night light.

This crock is one of my favorites, and a very precious gift. I filled it this year with pip berries, greens, and wooden candy canes.

I love my table top bench, but I think more tweaking needs to be done here also. I am sure it will change many times before I get it the way I want it.

I took a prim candle holder and filled it with rose hips, and put snowman in the center. More bobbins complete this little chimney cabinet.

Well it is a start, but with much more to do. We will be doing our family tree this weekend. Hubby is in charge of the lights on that one, so need to wait till he has a chance to work his magic. I still need to get some things done outside too, so be sure to stop back by real soon to see more. Hope you enjoy your Monday, and till next time...........Blessings to All

Sad News

On Thanksgiving, our Old Farmhouse Gathering Team lost our founder, and leader. Linda Foster, also known as Prairie Rose, died suddenly of a heart attack. As our group mourns her loss, we are trying to regroup and continue on in her memory.

For those of you that have signed up for the Holiday Giftbasket Giveaway, please know that the drawing will take place in a few days. This was Linda's project and we are working diligently to get it done for her. We have lost a great lady, and she will be missed. Our prayers and thoughts are with her family at this very sad time. May God grant you peace.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Hey Guys! I just wanted to pop in real quick and wish you all the best during the Thanksgiving Holiday! I, as many others, have so much to be grateful for this year. After seeing my husband through a serious brain injury this summer, I am so grateful that we were given the blessing of spending another Thanksgiving together. Along with the large things, I have many little blessings everyday too. When I come to blogland, and am allowed in your homes and to share in your lives, it is a blessing each and every day.

Now on a more serious note........I was sent this video today from a very dear friend Donna, and I was so taken with it, I just had to share........this is what was written below the link that was sent.


Our daughter-in-law, Emily (MacInnes) Somers, created, directed and choreographed this in Portland last week for her Medline glove division as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. This was all her idea to help promote their new pink gloves. I don't know how she got so many employees, doctors and patients to participate, but it started to really catch on and they all had a lot of fun doing it.

When the video gets 1 million hits, Medline will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community. Please check it out. It's an easy and great way to donate to a> wonderful cause, and who hasn't been touched by breast cancer?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw

Please take a moment, and watch this.........it is for such a wonderful cause, and it is just delightful to see. Happy Thanksgiving Blog Friends, and I will be back after the holiday so till then.........as always

Many Thanksgiving Blessings to Ya!

I truly don't know where the week went.......can't believe it is Friday! It has been a whirlwind here, as I wanted to finish up orders, get swaps finished and mailed out, so that I could sit down and paint something off my "to do" list.......you know the one that is a mile long, and I will never finish everything list?


I have had this one in mind to do for quite some time.........and I was very pleased as to how it turned out. Some designs just speak to me more then others, and I thought this adorable snowman was a for sure indeed.

I painted this on a very thick wood cutting board......black of course! It is sprinkled in snow, for an even more winter feel. Isn't he sweet?

Well here is wishing everyone a terrific weekend.........I will be using next week to get ready for Thanksgiving, and maybe even start a little decorating.....at least go through and see what I want for this year. Simplicity is the theme for my home this year......lots of nature in simple green boughs, and of course all the white twinkling lights! So I will be back soon, hopefully with some photos to share..........Till next time.........Blessing to each and everyone!

A Great Place to Shop!

If you are in search of some wonderful prim shops, Primitive Crossroads has some great ones! Not only can you buy, but you can advertise your shop also! If you get a few extra minutes, pop on over and look at all they have to offer! Thanks Mandie for featuring my Christmas Stocking Sampler, I am very honored to have been chosen!

Girl's Day Out!

Today was my friend Sandy's birthday, and we have always celebrated each other's birthday's by having lunch, exchanging gifts, and if we can we always try to do a little prim shopping. We are fortunate here in this small town to have three wonderful primitive shops. Along with them are several antique malls also, so you can spend the entire day out and never leave town.


This is my favorite shop......Two Sisters. I never leave that shop without finding something I just have to have. Today I found a prim reindeer, a feather tree, and a couple new prim ornaments, and a small candle wreath. But my favorite find was a darling primitive gingerbread that I will be showing you later on when I start decorating for Christmas. This shop is just crammed full of primitives, but they are best known for their fabulous candles that are made right here in our area, exclusively for them. I can spend hours here......it is a two story home, and every room is just filled to the brim with fantastic items.

The rain stopped just long enough for me to snap a couple of photos.......this is Sandy on her 53rd birthday! She would probably kill me if she knew I was posting this photo...:) If you look to the left you will see another favorite shop, and that one is the "Farmers Daughter". We were hoping to go there today also, but between the rain, and running short on time we didn't make it, but in a week or so we will be visiting that one too, so I will snap some better photos then.

Even with the rain, it was a wonderful day......we spent time here at my home, having coffee, and catching up, and then of course it was present time. So after opening gifts, we went out and had a great lunch, and then hit a couple stores, with Two Sisters being our last stop, and of course the one we were in the longest. The shops are all decorated for the holidays, and I cannot wait to start mine soon. It has always been a tradition with us, to get our lights on the house, and get our porch decorated on Thanksgiving day. Then the decorating begins in the house the following day over the long weekend. I have decided that this year......less is more. I want everything to be rather simple, so hopefully I can get it all done in three days.

Hope everyone has had a good day today! I just came from visiting blogs, and the creations are just amazing, and the makeovers are all fabulous! I just love visiting all of you! Till next time.........Blessings to ya!

What I Did This Weekend!

Hey All! I sure hope everyone had a great weekend! My husband had to work all weekend, so this gave me an opportunity to get a few more things painted that I hadn't planned on so I wanted to share. I have wanted to do this sampler for a very long time......the colors are more muted then the picture shows, and I was just delighted with how it turned out. This is a Kim Klasson design that has been on my to do list for about three years now.....finally got it done!

These penny ornaments were really fun to do also......I have a tree of course that is nothing but primitive ornaments and these will be the new ones for the year. These will also be available in my Etsy shop as soon as I get a chance to get them posted.

Though prim is my absolute favorite thing to paint, when the holidays come around, I can't resist a little sparkle. This Noel ornament has been painted on a piece of bisque, and then glitter glass was applied. They turned out so pretty!

Here is another........I believe this is a Jamie Mills Price design. Again I used the bisque ornament and as a set they are just beautiful. It is always fun to venture outside the box every once in awhile and do something totally different.

I have a few orders to fill today, and then I am free again to start on some great new pieces. So stay tuned and I will be back shortly with more goodies! Blessings to all my blogging friends!

What a Wonderful Surprise!

I don't even know where to begin with this post. I am so deeply touched by the kindness that was shown to me today, and I just had to share with all of you.

Today in the mail, I received a big box. At first I was in a near panic, as the only thing I could think of was, Oh my, don't tell me I have forgotten a swap!.....:) I didn't recognize the name, and couldn't for the life of me figure out what it could be. Well gals this box was sent to me by Teresa of Willow Bend Prims. What wonderful goodies were inside! I unwrapped each one and was thrilled with everything. First she sent a stitchery of an adorable snowman, two stocking ornaments, a candle holder, a bottle of room spray, a wooden hang tag ornie, and some gorgeous fabric. Also a prim Christmas tree on a stick! Everything is just wonderful, and at the bottom of the box I found a note from Teresa.

So here is the rest of the story.........Doris, of I PlayOutsideTheBox, had won this giveaway. As a Random Act of Kindness and to give me a special surprise, she had Teresa send me HER prize!!! Isn't that the most awesome thing? A HUGE thank you to Doris, and to Teresa for making this day so special! I am just speechless......but the gratefulness in my heart, and your kindness will never be forgotten. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Just a Few More........

Here are just a few more things that I have finished up! The plate below has a Katrina Roncin design of a very primitive snowman. This is my favorite of the plates. Another design by Katrina, and done in all my favorite prim shades.

Ooops I cut the top part of the handle off of the paddle, but I was trying to get some good detail shots and it still didn't work well....") I definitly heed to hone up on my photo skills......but in the meantime this is a design by Terrye French, and it is so primitive in color, style, and was distressed after painting....Love how it turned out!

As always everything I paint, is always available in my Etsy shop. If you can't find something, be sure to check my sold items.....maybe I can do another one if I can locate a similiar surface. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and hopefully I will be on Monday with even more goodies! Till next time.........Blessings All

A Holiday Door Crown

As I get things completed, I will be popping in and posting! I am doing a multi task system to day...:) Here is a door crown that I just painted with a Barb Jones design. These are so darn cute above doorways and windows. I don't know about you but I love to decorate EVERYWHERE and this gives me some added space. Okay back to the studio for me right now! Have a terrific weekend, and I will see you again soon!

Isn't This Gorgeous!

I have shared with all of you in the past, how much I love Sawdusty's Cabin . Denise has now opened her own website, and as a promotion is giving away this gorgeous centerpiece for signing up for her newletter. Yep that's it.......all you have to do is sign up and you are entered for a chance to win. If you are a prim lover, you can't pass up this gals shop.........beautiful hand made prims, candles, tarts, you name it. I have several of her pieces in my home, and they are top quality. Go visit today and sign up!


In other news, I have been working feverishly this week, trying to finish up some new pieces for my Etsy shop. New items will be posted in the next couple days. Soon it will be time to start thinking of holiday decorating, oh my, where has time gone? Speaking of decorating, as a painter, I love to hear what people's favorite things to decorate with are. I can remember it taking me days and days to decorate my home, but in the past few years, I truly have simplified the process. I used to put up 8 holiday themed trees when we lived in a huge farmhouse. Now I am down to three. So keep in mind, as we enter into the frazzled time of the holiday season, keep it simple.......and you will enjoy the process, and the holiday! Blessings to all........till next time

The Elves Have Been Busy!

Hey Blogger Friends! Tis the season for the paint to fly, so I have been really busy creating new projects for the Holiday Season. I will get back to post pictures in just a couple days, but in the meantime, I just had to share this wonderful giveaway with you!

These are just a few of the wonderful creations that can be found by the Old Farmhouse Gathering Team on Etsy! Aren't they wonderful? Just hop on over to the OFG Blog
and leave a comment to win this spectacular giveaway. While you are there, check out the rest of the wonderful shops that you will find! Tell them Jody sent ya! Good Luck everyone!

Happy Thursday All!

It has been a busy week here, but I did manage to get a couple new things finished up. As I shared in an earlier post we have had family in from out of state for the past week, so most of my time was spent with them. But they have now headed home, and today I got a chance to get back up in the studio and do these couple of items.


I just love these small wood paddles! They work so well from shelving pegs, or hanging on door knobs, or just about anywhere you need a little something. This one I painted with a Terrye French design, and this cute little guy could see you all the way through winter.

This is just a little closer shot.....I have added glitter glass to the bottom of the paddle, and it makes it so festive looking......love it!

Here is another set of the rusty tin scoops. I only had the one pair left so of course they had to be for the holidays! We have a primitive Christmas tree, and Candy Canes, and the they were speckled with white paint for a snowy appearance.

As with most of the things I share here on my blog, these can be purchased in my Etsy shop.......
Hope everyone is having or has had a fabulous week! Till next time...........

Such a Cute Giveaway!

Isn't this the neatest sign! This sign would look adorable anywhere in your home for the winter season.

I just fell in love with these adorable blocks from Irish Corkies Primitives! Be sure to go and visit her blog for a chance to win!

Good Monday Morning Blog Friends!

So how is everyone today? It is raining here again for the fourth day in a row. I sure am looking forward to some sunshine soon. No better weather though to keep me inside, so today I finished up this Winter Plate and wanted to share it with you all. You know there are times when I can look at a surface forever and never know quite what I should paint, but on this piece I new immediately. I think Renee Mullins does the cutest snowmen, and I remembered this design the moment I found the plate. It is a bit unusual, being square with rounded edges, and an inset that fit this design perfectly.



This is a closeup of the center. With it being so dreary here it was hard to get really good pictures. I don't know about the rest of you but there are times that I really struggle to capture the true work on a piece.

I am having dinner guests tonight, so in between painting I will be cooking and baking today. I hope everyone has a great start to the week, and I will be back soon with more goodies! Have a blessed and terrific Monday......till next time......Blessings to each and everyone!

What I Have Been Working On!

I wanted to share with you all today the entries I painted for the Old Farmhouse Gathering Holiday Celebration.! First I did a skate ornament that is a Renee Mullins design. These ornies are such a great size that if you have a really large tree they look awesome! I have also take these and hung them from evergreen pine swags, and hung them on my front door.....cute way to welcome winter and guests.





This is an ornament that I did do last year, but I just love it so I did him again this year. These work so nice as additions to garlands along the fireplace, and as super nice size gift tags. The back is blank so you add anything you would like. This is a design based on one from Kim Christmas.

I just adore Katrina Roncin....she is one talented primitive artist, and designer. I found this paddle at a yard sale, and painted it a deep Rookwood Red, and then added this adorable snowman. This paddle is a great size measuring 17" tall. I then added mica flakes to the bottom at the snow line to give is some extra texture and sparkle. Love the way he turned out.

Last but not least was my favorite entry. This is a 5 hole reproduction candle mold. I only had one of these left and so I chose to do another Renee Mullins design on it for Christmas use as well as Winter. This piece is very versatile since I left the sides and back blank so that after the season is over, it could be turned around and used all winter long, and only you would know it had snowmen on it.....:)

Well I hope you have enjoyed taking a peek at what I have been up to! I hope to bring you many more items in the weeks to come. Need to get back to the studio, so with that I wish you all a very blessed and wonderful week! Till the next time............

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I am really excited to announce the Old Farmhouse Gathering Holiday Celebration! There are many very talented ladies that will be creating holiday items for your shopping pleasure on Etsy. It will really put you in the mood for holiday shopping believe me! Just type in OFGHC in the search bar of Etsy, or click the link above, and all the participaiting shops will come up in one spot. How convenient is that? Hope you enjoy looking at all the wonderful creations!

Where in the world does the time go at this time of year! I can't believe it has been a week since I have had the chance to get back to my blog. We have company coming to stay for a week, so it has been a flurry of things to do to get ready for that. Add in birthday parties, and trying to get the gardens closed up for winter, not to mention trying to get things painted for the holiday season.

I am so far behind, but I have promised myself one way or the other I will prevail......:) Speaking of holiday seasons, I have been working on some projects for my Etsy Teams Christmas celebration. It is coming up quickly and I will post to my blog when we are ready to begin. You won't believe some of the wonderful creations done by these talented ladies.

I am also heading up an ornament swap at Old Farmhouse Gathering. We just got it started, but as the ornaments are swapped, I hope to get photos up here on the blog, and showcase the gals that participate. I am really looking forward to this, and I hope you all enjoy looking at the new creations.

We still have pumpkins to carve, Halloween parties, and leaves to rake, but everything I will be doing now will be for the holiday season. I have so many ideas, and so many things I want to accomplish, and before you know it it will be time for decorating for Christmas.......yikes, I best get busy!

Anyway I have missed posting, and wanted to give an update, but in the meantime I have been trying to visit all the wonderful blogs, and leave comment when I can. You ladies are all so darn creative and talented. I just love visiting all of you! Have a great rest of the week, and I shall return soon! Blessings to all......

We Have A Winner!!

Congratulations to Rose of BasketsbyRose!! You are the winner of my Halloween Giveaway! Please send me your email address so that I can get your prize mailed off to you in time for Halloween!

Wow this giveaway was so much fun! I want to thank everyone who took the time to enter, and to leave such wonderful comments! I have the best followers in blogland! In the next couple of weeks I will be holding another giveaway just in time for Christmas, so be sure to stop back by. Hope everyone is having a great week....until next time.......Blessings to All

Happy Friday!

I cannot believe that we have SNOW in the forcast for Illinois this coming week! Hey it is way to early for that kind of stuff! We aren't suppose to get lots, but snowflakes don't go with pumpkins....:) So although we are all still in the Halloween mode, I have put away the ghosts and pumpkins and started in on Holiday items. I hope to have some things completed to show you in the next few days.
Since I am now gearing up for snowmen, santas, and jingle bells, I thought it would be fun to change out my header. I want to thank Mandie for this adorable design. If you love prim graphics be sure to visit Mandie at http://www.lifeinthecraftlanewithmandie.blogspot.com/ She does wonderful work, and is such a sweet gal to get to know. Thanks Mandie!!

Oh an if you have a few spare minutes, I still have a few days left on my giveaway. The drawing for the BOO blocks will be held on October 15th, so hurry in and get signed up. A great big thank you to all of you that already have, this has been such fun! Till next time..........

Trash to Treasure Tuesday

Good Morning All!

It has been so long since I have taken a few moments to do a trash to treasure project, and it was great fun yesterday. This was the old remote control holder I showed in a previous post, all redone and prim! What was kind of neat about this project, is I found it in a resale shop, and when you turned it over you could see a young man's name, and lines he had drawn for guides. I am assuming that this was a project from a shop class, and I just have to give it a new life.

I just simply painted it black, distressed, and added the stars. I knew I wanted to keep the simplicity of the piece, and I think it turned out well.

Hope everyone has a super day, and I will be back soon with more goodies..............

Happy Halloween Giveaway!

I was hoping to have a giveaway to celebrate my birthday, but as you can see I am just a tad late! These cute Halloween blocks will be given away on October 15th to some lucky winner. To sign up for the giveaway, just a couple things.......

1. Leave me a comment-1 entry
2.Be a follower of my blog-2 entries
3.United States only

Good Luck to all of you, and as always many thanks to my wonderful followers! You are all the best!

Jody

Good Monday Morning Blog Friends!

I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy this past weekend, I know I did. The temps were perfect here, it was a gorgeous Autumn day, AND it was my birthday! So my husband and I started out early in the morning, had a wonderful breakfast out, and then we did my favorite thing of all.........antique and thrift store shopping! I was on the hunt for a couple of side tables for my living room, but everything was larger then I was looking for, but oh the eye candy during the hunt! We did hit a couple of resale shops, and I found this plate. I am not sure what I will do with it right now, but it will find a new home somewhere. It was a steal at 1.50, can't beat that.

I also came across this remote control caddy. I already have plans of how I want to prim this up, but I don't know that I will use if for a remote holder. I can see grubby candles, wrapped in quilt fabric, and homemade soap in the other section. I think the possibilities are endless with this one.

Now this I did not get yesterday, but I wanted to share it with you anyway. I picked this up at a garage sale this summer, and have just been to busy to get it repainted. I am hoping to tackle this project this week, and wanted a before picture to show you.

After we were done resale shopping we did hit a couple of primitive shoppes here in town. My favorite shop is called "Two Sisters" and ladies can I spend the money in there.....:) But I actually did quite well yestereday and only came away with a braided runner for my fireplace, and another small one for my tart burner. I have my eye on a couple more things though, so I am already looking forward to the next trip.

Hope everyone has a great upcoming week! I am still busy doing fall items, and filling orders, but I hope to be back later this week to show you my Trash to Treasure items all redone! As always till next time.......Blessing to All!

Fall Has Arrived!

Great Monday Morning Blogging Friends! I hope you are all enjoying Fall type weather as we are today. There is a nip in the air, the leaves are falling, and it is sweatshirt weather here for sure! So in keeping with this gorgeous fall day, I have my pumpkin tarts burning, and I have been busy in my studio finishing up a couple more Halloween buckets for you to see. I just love this little guy.......he is a new design by Terrye French, and he makes me smile every time I look at it. Not making any promises, but I would love to do this design on some treat bags if time allows. Isn't he just the cutest? These buckets are so versitile.....they can be used for storage, as treat containers, or even to put cute Halloween arrangements in.

This paint can here is too cute to be scary! This is a design by Laurie Spletz, and this one is loaded in pumpkins, stars, and of course a "Scaredy Cat" Love the way his hair is standing on end....:)

I am in the process of working on one more before the season is gone.......this one is strictly for Fall, and I hope to be able to share it with you soon. Hope everyone has a terrific fall day, and thanks again to all my wonderful followers! Each and every one of you is priceless to me, and I so love reading all your great comments! Till next time..............Blessings to All

Just A Note!

Hey Blogger Friends!
The giveaway below is not from me, it is from my Etsy team. If you would like to sign up to win, please go to The Old Farmhouse Gathering Blog to sign up. Love the visitors I have had on this, but I can't give it away........wish I could. So good luck, and head over there to get your chance to win that incredible basket of goodies.

Wow!! What A Fabulous Giveaway!

My Etsy Team "The Old Farmhouse Gathering is giving away this fabulous basket of goodies! Be sure to hop on over and leave a comment to win this great giveaway! The drawing will be held on October 7, with even more exciting items to follow!



There is over $155.00 worth of Fabulous Prim necessities in this Handmade basket by Rose Clawson of Baskets by Rose. Included in this wonderful basket is~~~4~pack Autumn Harvest Melting Tarts by Andrea Carrier. Ghosts Gather Here Sign by Kerri Savina.Handmade Votive Candle Holder by Carol Anderson."Piggy" Oven Mitt w/ Wooden Spoons by Judy Bailey.Grungy Pumpkin / Crow Make-do by Doris Henson.Count Dracula Sitter by Jody Seilheimer.Trick or Treats Soy Candle byKimberly Scott.Wool Applique Pillow by Teresa Miller.Prim Pumpkin Tag by Kim Orcutt". Frankie" Doll By Joan Minervini.