New stuff I am making

Hi
I haven't gotten much done this week. My mom hasn't been too good. But hospice has now come in and been great. They have been staying at my mom and dad's house day and night for a few days now. She has been sleeping alot lately. So I am going to try to spend as much time as I can with her, when she is awake.
i did manage to get my mop dolls done, I got 10 of the them done. I used to make them for my shows and wanted to try them again, when I found some mop heads laying around. Of course, I primmed them up. Let me know what you think of them.
My new patterns are now posted on the Olde Country Cupboard site now. I have a whole new look, new graphics from Deb's lost treasures, she is great to work with. So check her out if you need new graphics. My ad came out in Country Sampler is doing great for my other pattern site www.youarespecialpatterns.com .I am selling the raggedy bagholder and sold quite a few finished dolls and patterns.

Here is a new pic of Carmen,she likes this one better, she is shown here with one of her vacuum covers. Her website address is http://www.littlecountryblessings.com/ I have added 1 more from her show, but unfortunately they were taken off her cell phone. She said she would do better next time taking pictures, or better yet, I could just be on time for her show when it started instead of 2 hours late.

My Trip to Carmens show last weekend.

HI,

Just wanted to share with you my trip my husband and I took to the Calico Springs arts and craft show this past weekend in Moultrie Georgia. Unfortunately, we got there a little late and she was almost completely sold out. The show opened at 9:00 and by 10:00 she was down to very little. She said that this was probably the best spring show she had ever done, several other vendors told her the same thing. Of course, their were also the vendors that didn't do so well . A lot of the same vendors you see year after year and they never seem to change their inventory. So its is no wonder they are not selling as well. My goal this is year to bring back some oldies and just update their look and lots of smaller priced items. She sells primitive dolls, and furniture. The other booths that did well sold prim furniture and clothing. So it sounds like people are still buying, but using cash, very little credit cards were used. Carmen told me that as soon as the show opened she was swamped, she was a little late getting set up and she said people were grabbing handfuls of her dolls, some weren't even priced yet. I know I had fun visiting with her in her booth and walking around the show. Didn't see a whole lot of new things, alot of outdoor spring items such birdhouse and benches seemed to be doing well. Hopefully she is sending me another pic, she is hoping the other one took before the battery died in the camera. So, it sounds like maybe the show season is off to a good start if you have the right items.

New Patterns

I got on a roll today, I managed to get 3 new designs done. I guess I am in the mood for fall. The weather here in Florida has been a little on the hot side lately. But I wanted to get some new fall patterns done for Country Sampler magazine. The deadline for the Fall issue is the end of the month. These patterns are not on my website http://www.theoldecountry-cupboard.com/ yet, but should be up by the end of the week. They will be $7.95 ppd. The top picture shows my new Pumpkin Patch wreath. It is simple and quick to make. It is painted and distressed. This was made on an 18" wreath.

Next is Hank. He is my new scarecrow, he is about 24" long. He was fun to make. I started out wanting to make a scarecrow and couldn't quite figure out what to do with him. But after drawing pictures out and thinking about it for a day, this is what I came up with. I love the way he turned out. He was pretty quick to sew up.

Last is my Trees of the Season. Each tree features a verse from a song. I used transfer paper to get the verse on the onsaburg. The trees are painted and distressed. This is another quick pattern to do. As you can probably tell, I can't wait for the fall and Christmas season to begin. I am always so busy that time of year, I can't be creative and do new ideas like I want. So this year I am starting earlier.

I just talked to my friend Carmen, she has a pattern business also, called Little Country Blessings. She is doing her first show of year this weekend. She is busy sewing right now.

I met her over 10 years ago, she called me when I was advertising in Country Marketplace. We clicked right away and did a show together and have been best friends ever since. So, I can't wait till I go to the show in Moultrie Georgia at the fairgrounds. I will try to snap a picture of her booth. Her website is http://www.littlecountryblessings.com/ if you want to check it out.

what I got done this past week

I thought I would share some of the items I got done this week. This has been a very busy week. I had to help my mom quite a bit this past week. She just seems to be getting worse. We are afraid she had another attack on Thursday morning. My dad called me and was very upset. I went down there and she could hardly talk or even hold her head up. But luckily she seemed to come out of it a little later, but she still hasn't been able to get up and get in her wheelchair. She is just too weak. My poor dad is not handling this well. It is just so sad to see them both like this.
But I was able to get some crafting done as well. I suffer from insomnia really bad. I don't fall asleep usually until after 4:00 in the morning, then of course I sleep until about 11:00. So I seem to waste all my morning hours in bed. But I have to say, it is so nice to have the house to myself late at night. No one else will stay up with me, my husband just shakes his head and goes to bed, then he gets up at 6:00. Don't understand morning people.

I was able to get 10 of my Annie bagholders finished this past week. I like to make them in all different colors. The Christmas fabric ones I made last year, really sold well. I bought alot of the fabric at Walmart for the $2.00. Unfortunately our Walmart stopped selling fabric this year. Wish I would have bought more last year now. I sell these for $19.95.

Something new this year, I am making the prairie doll dresses. This is great way to use up some of those left over fabrics you have. I have so much fabric, I am having fun going through all of it and making these little dresses. I found so many pieces I didn't know I had.

These are my absolute favorite so far. I had saw some pictures made up of larger reindeers last year and could never find a pattern for one. So I made up my own pattern. This little reindeer is about 6" high and glued onto a thick stick. I made them out of muslin, then took the brown shoe paste polish that comes in a can in the shoe department, and rubbed the shoe polish all over the muslin. I love the look. I am making these in a smaller size for the tree and I am going to do one in a bigger size for a wreath. The only problem I am having is finding sticks. We live in town and have a very small yard. We have 2 trees in our yard, I have cut all the sticks I can off the lower branches, probably won't have green on our trees this year because all the branches are off. Now I have to find somewhere to collect sticks, I feel funny walking around the neighborhood picking up limbs and such that people have placed on the curb for collection. I did it once and felt so stupid carrying limbs back.

Well it is now 1:00 in the morning, guess it time to get some orders done and hopefully get some much needed sleep .

Raggedy Dolls

Hi,
Just wanted to share what I have been doing all weekend. I love making raggedy dolls, these are from a RaggBagg babys pattern. I am getting my inventory up for my shows in the fall. I have 4 big shows planned and have to get started early in order to have enough made. I managed to get 15 of these done in past few days.
I got my invitation to do the show in War Eagle, Arkansas. It is a 4 day show. I am so excited. I have been wanting to do that show for a while now. My daughter has been busy doing stitcherys for me and garlands. She helps me on her days off from work and school.
I am going fabric shopping tomorrow. Luckily we have a super sized Joann's in the next town. Our Walmart recently stopped carrying fabric and makes it hard, when you need something in a hurry. Now I have to travel about an hour to get to a fabric store.
I am still working on orders from my last ad in Country Sampler, I am still selling Christmas items finished and lots of patterns from both sites. I have many new ideas to make into patterns, but have to find the time.
I have been spending a lot of time with my mom now. She has multiple Scleroris and mostly in bed now. She can't use her lower part of her body at all. We are trying therapy but not having much luck. Her legs are bending and freezing up now. She hasn't been able to walk in many years now and can hardly sit in a wheelchair now. I hate seeing her lying there, she can't see well enough to read and isn't able to do much at all. It is so sad to see your parents getting older and not being able to do anything about it.
Well, it is getting late and thanks for checking in.