Old Farmhouse Gathering on Etsy

I belong to a wonderful group of artisans on Etsy called Old Farmhouse Gathering. We just welcomed our 200th member!!!! Currently many of the artists are featuring Autumn and Halloween items in their shops. Just type OFG in the search bar and you will find treasures galore!

Christmas Time!

I have been MIA for a while and I apologize to all my blogging friends. Dear Megan has been busy house hunting and we have been lending support (isn't that what parents do best?!!). I have also been treasuring hunting, cutting wood for projects and of course painting hours on end in my little studio. Here are some Christmas projects to get you in the mood. Check out my Christmas counter below... it isn't long until the happiest day of the year!!

The first project is an old cheese box. My dear father-in-law used to buy one of the "hoops" of cheese that came in this type box every year at Christmastime. Can you imagine a twenty-five pound piece of cheddar cheese? I found this lovely old box and painted it up with a Terrye French Santa.

What would make a better beard for old Santy Claus than yards of torn muslin. This Jolly Old Soul has two and a half yards of torn strips to create his magnificent beard. Lots and lots of glitter and mica flakes make him look as if he has been on a midnight ride for sure.


Finally, here is a sweet gingerbread teapot (my design) with a Christmas tree filled with all sorts of gingie delights. I have two Christmas trees in my kitchen for the holidays and one of them is always contained in a teapot. After all, don't you spend a lot of time baking and cooking goodies so why shouldn't you have decorations there too??? Oh my goodness, all this talk of Christmas makes me want to start decorating! Do you think my dearest would notice if I start putting out my Snow Village????

Harvest Moon Clock Box

This is a clock in name only.... I removed its non-working parts and replaced them with a new face painted as a Harvest Moon. I saved the hands from the old clock and attached them to Mr. Moon (aren't they pretty?). I love to rescue items and give them a new life. I always think about that old holiday cartoon about the island of misfit toys where they are all broken and unloved. Well, this clock box is feeling feisty with his twinkling eyes and rosy cheeks. The wood finial that I attached to the top is painted to resemble a pumpkin. This was a fun piece to construct and paint!

A Sweet Etsy Friend...

I love the customers I have on Etsy --- they are the sweetest people on the planet. We send notes back and forth and share what is going on in our respective lives. One special friend is Tracy. She and her husband have two precious little girls and live in a house that they dearly love. They are filling it with things they find and refinish as well as art that they collect. She sent several pictures to me, one of which I am sharing with you. This is an old wash stand that they have redone.... don't you love it? She has displayed a couple of my pieces on it. I am honored that the things I have made for her have such a good home. Thank you Tracy for taking the time to share your life with me!

Let's Have a Parade!!!

I have been looking and looking at this tricycle that I bought months ago. Do you do that too? Sometimes I have to really think hard about what I want to do with a piece that comes my way, especially something as unique as this little vintage inspired jewel. The lightbulb went off yesterday as I thought about the Halloween Parades we used to have in elementary school. This was long before things got so complicated .... we children would walk home for lunch (remember when we could do that???) and change into our costumes. No premade outfits for us! We had homemade costumes that were ever so much better than the "prefab" Ernie and Cookie Monster you buy at K-Mart now. Then we would rush back to school for our parade that ended with a great party in each classroom. I decided that these gourds should have a parade, so I painted them up and perched them on the tricycle (after all, everyone knows a pumpkin needs some sort of transportation!!!). Hope these guys make you smile!

Grandma's Vintage Kitchen

When I was a little girl, I loved to go visit my grandma and grandpa. They had all the things that my family didn't.... a chicken house, the best garden ever, and a huge kitchen where the most wonderful things to eat were created. There were things in that kitchen that I loved. Old kettles and pots, long handled spoons and balls of twine. I guess that is why I am fascinated with any vintage kitchen piece I can find to paint on.

This matchbox holder is a reminder of the one dear Grandma had hanging on the wall by her stove. One strike of a match and the king of the kitchen was fired up and ready to get to work.

Grandma also had a scale, similar to this one. She canned everything she could, always saying, "Won't this taste good this winter?" She used recipes that called for "5 pounds of apples" or, "3 pounds of Kentucky Wonder green beans." How I wish I could go back in time, drag that chair out from under the table and stand in it watching while Grandma worked her magic in that wonderful kitchen of my childhood.

Market Monday.... featuring Etsy Artist "Art by Me"

As a new feature in my blog, I will feature a fellow Etsy artist each Monday as are many other of my fellow members of the Old Farmhouse Gathering Team. I am sure that you will agree that Cindy is one talented lady. I find her creations so fascinating and love the names she gives each of her characters.

In her own words Cindy describes herself as ... "a self taught artist that works in many mediums. I worked in Accounting for years before deciding to stay home with my kids. I now work in the school system, so I can have summers off with my kids. I have a son and daughter that both love art! I spend a lot of time and hard work creating my dolls and artwork. Please visit her shop, Artbyme.etsy.com to see more of her stunning work!