Hi, How'dy, How are ya?

Welcome to "The Country Schoolmarm"! Get yourself a cup of coffee (I take mine strong with vanilla creamer), grab a seat, and chat a while! Isn't that what country friends do? Now, all we need is a porch...
Showing posts with label Preferably Prim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Preferably Prim. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Oh my! By a NOSE!

 The Wiiiinnnnnaaaaaa, oops.  Ooops... Wait...

You'd think this would be clear cut, but there are a few twists...

The "original #6".  It got 5 votes.

But, Christine from Preferably Prim had this to say,
"Oooooh it is a tricky one but I'd choose 6 only instead of the long tool box use the black one center stage. The coffee grinder and old scales look really great either side."
  So, here is "The Christine Change-up"...


With that said, here is another one my mom liked... We'll call it "The Mom Special".


  
Here are some homes for some of the other liked items...
 
 
So, before I close the changes and start the countdown to the drawing, please contemplate these 3 ideas and vote on THIS post as to your final decision.  EVEN if you voted on a totally different choice in the other post, you still have a say in this "Primocracy"!  Thanks again for your thoughts and votes.  This ends at midnight tomorrow night.  
 
Whew!  This is turning into quite the saga! 

Have a wonderful night!
Love to you all!
Heather

Thursday, September 5, 2013

And the polls are open...

    
Want another entry to the giveaway? 

     Vote for your favorite shelf! Feel free to suggest tweaks to the one of your choice. Polls close FRIDAY (tomorrow) at midnight. Those shelves will be finalized and locked. Then, one more zone to go before the hutch is complete and the countdown to the giveaway begins!

     At this point, all previous posts are closed for bonus points. And remember, class, to get bonus points, you need to make a specific comment, preferably a suggestion! Your suggestions have been so inspiring!

     There has been some interest in where some of the items came from. If you have a question about a specific one, just ask! They are eBay, etsy, and blogger friends items!!! Some of our blogging friends represented are:
Primitives by Olde Lady Morgan
Ravenwood Folkart and Whimzies


So, without further ado, here are some shelf combos (Thank you, ladies, for your detailed suggestions!)...









There you go! Polls are open!

Have a blessed evening!
Love,
Heather

Monday, August 5, 2013

Hey,howdy, how ar... WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE WEATHER?

      I could see my breath outside, friends.  I could see it.  It is August.  I wore a sweatshirt this weekend.  A sweatshirt.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am a fan of cooler weather, BUT I AM SOOOOOO CONFUSED!  Okay.  That's enough about THAT! Oh, yeah, Bailey and Charlie say, "Hi!"  So, what's new with you all?  Hold on, hold on, I need to put a sweatshirt on. Okay.  Better.

     Well, I have been busy crafting!  Last summer, it seems like I was busy buying and blogging (the latter being a very good thing.  First one- not so much!).  I have taken a lot of Benadryl this summer, but fortunately it is not having the same effect as last summer.  If you are new to my blog, you can read about that hot mess here.

     God has been so gracious and has blessed me with a good summer! Even though there was a lot of stress, He has still allowed me to decompress some in preparation for the upcoming school year. I have just been quite the homebody.

     I was thrilled to be able to FINALLY meet my dear friend, Christine, from Preferably Prim. Actually, while looking for the Benadryl post, I got distracted reading my conversations with Christine from when I first started my blog.  When I first started, my blog was mainly getting to know my dear friend as she was my first follower. What a blessing to meet someone so kind and encouraging! So, one year later, I got to meet her in real life.  Meeting friends from the blogging world is like hitting the ground running.  We met, we hugged, and we walked around the Candle Barn in Intercourse, Pa like we were just continuing our chats.  It was awesome to actually shop with my dear friend! And, it is certainly wonderful to now have a voice in my mind!  She has the most lovely accent!  That memory of her visit certainly a treasure! But, her friendship is more of a treasure! You know, these are the times when I wish Star Trek was real.  Okay, here is a squirrel moment, so well, sorry.  But I can't stop it now...

     There are so many things in life, technology-wise, that crop up, and I think STAR TREK!  When cell phones first came out, and they flipped open (You youngin's need to stop your snickering...)- well, STAR TREK!  When I was doing my grant with NASA, and I saw a printer that printed THINGS- STAR TREK.  Okay, okay, you have either gotten my point or wandered to another blog (It's okay.  I would too.) Well, what we NEED is transporters!  Seriously!  Just think about it!  Okay, so Christine says, "Hey!  You want to come over and chat?"  I say, "Sure!" Get in the transporter- there!  I want to visit Faye's shop on the Bay of Fundy.  Transporter.  There!  Think of the gas we would save!  Seriously, hybrid cars?  Someone needs to be working on THAT!

     Okay. So what were we talking about? Right...So then, I got to hang out with Granny Trace' and do some shopping.  Oh man, she wrote about it on her blog, but it was so true.  The first get together, it was fun.  This time rocked!  We were giggling and laughing like old friends and drinking WAY too much coffee.  When she says "vats", she does not exaggerate. And I find that Granny Trace' and coffee can have a bigger effect on shopping than Benadryl.  Something about being caffeinated, laughing, and shopping with a dear friend who says, "That is cute!  Love it!" overrides your husband's directive to not spend much.  Oops.  ANYHOOOOO... Good thing that we found bargains.  Although I can't claim to have found an AWESOME dish collection, I did get some treasures:

      I love this cradle!  I wasn't into dolls as a child.  I played with Star Wars figurines.  I know.  Shocker.  But since then,  I have been collecting and making prim dolls.  I wanted something prim to put them in.  I have been looking for an old toy cradle, but most of them were pricey.  So, my treasure was finding this little old red cradle for $12!  Perfect!
     I think that it is a good gathering spot for my collection! The flag in the flag holder (the center one) is one I purchased right after meeting with Christine.  It is a memento to smile at and remember my meeting with my Preferably Prim friend from across the pond! :)
 
Adding a basket of rag balls picks up the red hue while adding a bit of an Americana touch.

     My husband's teddy looks at home there as well.  AND out of the reaches of Mr. Charlie!  
I just finished this prim doll the other week.  I got the material for her at the CLOTH store that I went to with Granny.  My husband suggested adding the flag.  He's so smart!
 
      Another find was this old washboard with a glass insert for $7.  I put it in an old bucket with a little broom that I primified.  I am thinking some lights behind it?  What do you think?  I am trying to make a gathering around my "hearth" of things that may have been nearby an actual hearth in days gone by.  That was a good tip that I picked up in a magazine somewhere- gather items with a like purpose together. Such as crocks and wooden bowls on my hutch in the dining room.  They would go there wouldn't they?  Gatherings and groupings are always good to bring continuity and attention to a collection, rather than spreading the collection throughout the house.  I am trying to do that to TRY to minimize a cluttered look. That and get rid of things on eBay... ;)
     And last, but not least, this cute brown transferware cup from The Blarney Castle.  So sweet!  $.50- who can say no?

     Well, those are my treasures from my treasured trips.  I have a lot of outdoor work to do, but  hopefully I will get to visit and post on Wednesday with some easy crafts and fixes you can do. I hope to do some blog visiting tonight!  If my fingers unfreeze.  Seriously, I have the windows open, and my fingertips are ice cold! Arrrgh!

So, now that I have yakked your ear off, what treasures or bargains have you found recently?  True treasures aren't the thrift store find.  They are the friends that God has blessed us with here on earth.  Have a wonderful day, my dear treasures!  Thanks for stopping by!


 Love and hugs!
Heather

Proverbs 17:17a
"A friend loves at all times..."




Saturday, June 1, 2013

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...


 
We interrupt this programming to let you know that "Charlie's Prim Tour" cannot be seen at its regular time due to magazine ripping circumstances.  Again. Therefore, we are substituting "The Schoolmarm's Tidbits" in its place.  We apologize for the inconvenience.  We now join our show already in progress...
I've been framed, I tell you!  Framed!

Bargain Buying...

     There is just something about baskets.  I have some Longberger baskets (two very SMALL ones). But I love market style baskets, old picnic baskets, and egg gathering baskets. But I try not to pay much for them.  My favorite basket, a picnic basket with a solid top, I got as a steal at $10.  It is so sturdy, and it is perfect for hiding things in.  It holds my crafting supplies! I do love berry baskets as well.  They are great for displaying and making little prim vignettes.  I have been making strawberries at night- quick and easy and relaxing.  I think some prim dolls or "food" would look perfect in this prim carriers!  What do you use your baskets for?


     I love folk art!  I got this little guy for $.25! It is on old barnwood.  It looks to be a  type of wormwood (no worms included)... The back side us beautiful too!

Crafting...

     Wrapping up the school year has been quite stressful.  I only have 4 days left plus 5 days of inservice (talking about the year, report cards, and cleaning classrooms). So, I have been coming home and crafting.  I have made strawberries, grunged jars, made primitive stump dolls, anything.  I don't know if I would sell any of it, but it sure is fun filling the home with crafts from you all and adding my own touch.  
     I remember one of my first conversations with my first and only follower at the time, Christine from Preferably Prim, about making prims- it may be lopsided or missing stitches, but that is okay!  It's prim!  So I can patch or sew over a seam I missed (a whole section, okay!). But the patches give it character and a hominess (or homeliness...).  Kind of like people.  You see these pictures of beautiful hands or faces that are timeworn with age and experience.  What a thing of beauty!  Doesn't the Bible talk about grey hairs being a good thing?  Okay, I had a rabbit trail there... Also a sign of age but ANYWHOO!
     So, here are some $2 jars that I primified.  You can use thinner paper bags or slightly thicker (disclaimer- I will not take blame for jammed printers!).  I found some old free labels or free clipart to make my own labels. I cut them down to 8-1/2 x 11.  Watch carefully as they print.  I grab the front edge when it come out to keep tension on it so it doesn't jam (it kind of helps).Our Pioneer Homestead is just a wealth of labels and tutorials! I have learned a lot from Pamela!  Check out her blog!  I put m labels on with some modge podge and stained it with coffee!  Wallah! The bag behind is just an old sugar bag that I stuffed with cotton.  Sugar with your coffee?
A thrift store find that says it all!
     Here is my grunging station.  My husband so loves me working on the stove... Yes.  That is sarcasm. But I messed around with some things and found that acrylic brown paint watered down and with a lot of cinnamon added to the mix makes a great grunging medium. Then, I sand the cloth to take some off and give it some dips or splashes of coffee to stain it further.  The concoction really smells great.  The cloth seems to really hold onto the wonderful smell and gives it a gritty texture that doesn't rub and fall off easily because the cinnamon has bonded with the paint.  Oh, and I found that leaving out the mixture allows some of the water to evaporate making a thicker, more prim grunging slurry. You all probably do this already, but I was really excited by how well it worked!

One stump doll (the one in the front.  The other I purchased!).

I made a bitty strawberry and stitched it to the bird's beak.  I think I could easy change out the dangling thing seasonally.  I think it looks great with Granny Trace's pin tuck!

A ginormous strawberry I made using some wool that Steve's grandmom left me when she passed. Cherished scraps...

So, yeah, can you burn a strawberry!  I really primified these!  I used wool, felt, and some cute red printed cotton scraps. See, that is what happens when the cinnamon is too dry on the crafts and you put it in the oven to dry. The cinnamon burns easily.  Ooops.


Had some brown homespun.  Hubby wanted a darker curtain behind the light one.  We are trying to keep the house darker to keep it cooler.
I made these a while ago.  I ordered some springs from eBay.  I tried two different looks.  My mom liked the one with the quilt material, so she got that one for Mother's Day.  I am 39, and I still make my mom stuff for Mother's Day. Ugh.
This is a cloth covered bottle.  I saw one in a store for $8, so I though, "Hmmm, could I make that?" Mine is not nearly as nice.  BUT, can you guess what kind of bottle I used for it?  Gold Stars for correct answers!

Proverbs 31:13

"She seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands."


Thank you for taking time out of your creating and enjoying your weekend to visit me!  Please keep our Oklahoma friends in your prayers.  My sister lives in Oklahoma, and though she may not have suffered home damage (Praise God), the emotional wear and tear from frayed nerves is taking a toll too.

Love and hugs!
Heather



Saturday, December 1, 2012

Catching-Up Saga Episode 2: Snow, Stars, Shopping, and Stitching

SNOW

Snowy Trees

Snowy Horses

Snowy Roads to Work. Yea.

More Snowy Roads...

Snowy Class- Aren't they cute?

Snowy Field

Snowy Sky

Snow... Nope! Class quietly working on a snowy day... Ahhhhh...

Snow- 3 inches... Called for a dusting. Hah!
STARS...
Starry Child- Emma holds the record.  19 stars (but count to make sure!).
  Shopping...
 The only place I went for Black Friday Shopping... First 25 customers got a $10 gift certificate.  AND from 7am - 9am you got 40% off a Christmas item and 15% off a regular item.  Soooooo, since I live 10 minutes away, I rolled out of bed around 6:30 am, donned a ball cap, drove there, got in line outside of the store in 24 degree weather around 6:45 am.  Waited patiently for about 15 minutes.  They opened the door and guess what? I was one of the first 25!
So, here are the trinkets that I got!  I love the tin star for the tree this year!  And my favorite candle- Gingerbread Cookie!













 A few Christmas goodies I picked up.  The dried oranges are from a place called The Round Barn outside of Gettysburg.  I will post picture of my trip to Gettysburg another time. The adorable prim flicker candle comes from our blogging friend, Kim at Valley Primitive Stitches. Do you know why she is famous in our blogging world?  Go check out her blog and see... She has adorable items on her Etsy!
My mom got me these.  She thought I could sell them on eBay.  The apple one will be going up.  I am going to hang on to the clove one...
Purchases from Thrift Stores- The whole lot- under $10.  I am going for a vintage/Old World Christmas look this year!

 
STITCHING...
Been stitchin'.  Trying out cross-stitching. All I can do is the x's.  I can't figure out the others.  The "Christmas Joy" one is a free pattern from Christine at Preferably Prim.  The one on burlap, "Merry Primitive Christmas" is a free pattern from The Primitive Hare.  How should I finish them?  I don't know if I can do the Primitive Christmas one like she has on her website.  Is that allowed? Can you adjust the pattern if you don't sell it or anything? Any ideas? Please help me to follow the right protocol. Other questions- Do I need to wash the white fabric?  Should I add some felt holly leaves to the burlap one (Hubby's idea...)?
Well, dear friends, episode 1 & 2 is about all I can muster.  My next two episodes, to be released who knows when, will be about my trip to Gettysburg and Lititz!  Oh, and there are new items listed on eBay.  If you are interested.  

Thank you for all of your support, comments, kind words, and friendship!
Blessings, Dear Ones!
Heather