Clothespin Dolls are Done!

I've had a plan to make these for about 5 years and just sat down and made a bunch, love them sooooo much I am going to have to auction them and hope the customers love them too. Anna and Grace are trying to steal the Christmas set, so I have to go make some for them now!

Wrought Iron Christmas

I found a bunch of old wrought iron farm implement parts that said they wanted to be Christmased up and I was happy to oblige. It started with the piece of iron that is shaped like a candy cane, then iron circles had to be wreaths, the horse has been sitting on my shelves of "someday I'll have an idea for this" and today was his day. I will be auctioning these on Sunday if I don't get too carried away at the Collector's Eye show in Cedar Rapids, one of my favorite shows.

Let it Snow!

It has been one long hot summer and I think I am just about looking forward to a snowstorm. Of course, after the first one, I'll be griping about scraping my windshield and shoveling the drive, but right now, the thought of fluffy snowflakes sets me dreaming.

I had a real crafters idea block last week and told my friend Karen I finally figured out what was wrong--my house was clean. I had to put all my projects away and clean and make it look like a home instead of a sweat shop workroom, as my husband had a meeting with an air force recruiter at our house (now that is a whole other story....). I wandered around said clean house not able to think of anything creative and fussing and fretting about getting nothing done, then I just started putting all the crap back all over the place and voila!--suddenly I am overwhelmed with crafting energy, know exactly what I want to make for Christmas and can't start putting things together fast enough--guess I learned my lesson about being neat. It does make walking through the living room more difficult, but we must make sacrifices.

Here is a bit of the Christmas bug that bit me, lots more to come!

Fun With Auctions

If all goes well, I'll get these auctions listed tonight, I think they are all good stuff!

Cupboard Blue Thank Yous

Many thanks for the tip from Wanda of Olde Crow Mercantile about having Lowes mix up the paint color I need--I had no idea they could do that!

Here is what I've done so far, as you see, I start with one thing then I just keep grabbing more stuff off the shelves and before you know it, everything is blue!

Giving Up on Etsy---Again

Ok, 3 more months of trying Etsy, paid about $100 in fees for search ads and sold one whole item, a losing proposition all around, so closed the store. Show was a bust, Ebay slow as molasses, just general malaise all around!

A week in Clarinda had some good spots, husband took vacation and came with us, so had help dragging all the displays and boxes down from upstairs, plus he cut low branches from the one million trees in the yard, a let there be light time in the house! The girls thrilled to see their friends and really excited to go to a Zumba class with them, they had a great time just being silly, they said. My aunt lives across the street and we had a good visit, and my sister and niece drove up from Maryville to see us.

In craft news, I have been searching for a cupboard blue paint to match a sugar bucket I saw in an antique shop (it was original old paint). I tried mixing paints to get it with no luck, it is a dark blue with greenish undertones. Then, I looked in my box of one million acrylic paints and found it--Copen blue, it is perfect, exactly the color! Ran to Hobby Lobby to buy more, and guess what, it is no longer sold! @&^$&^#$(&^#(!!! My one little bottle is all I have, I did a couple boxes, they are gorgeous, I think I have just enough for a little sugar bucket I bought, then back to the search...

Here are a few more show photos, my blue china displays, a wonderful soapstone slab with some primmy prims and the chippy old pie safe that makes such a great display.

My Clarinda Haunted House

Well, the open house show is over, only 50 people came out of 250 postcards that I sent, but those that came loved it. Not sure how to fix my advertising problem, but being stubborn, I'm just going to keep plugging away!

Here are the pictures, I do think my displays were lovely and I'm going to do it even better for Christmas, even if I'm the only one that sees it.

Clarinda Fall Sale Friday and Sat. Oct. 5 and 6

Almost ready to open tomorrow and I have more than outdone myself--I really did forget what I had packed away, I would swoon if I walked into my own antique store, it is so nice! I have so much fall and halloween folk art, I filled the hallway and the dining room, still not sure how I am going to fit everytning else in the parlor room, but off to give it a try. Hope to see you all there!