Sunday, May 29, 2011

POSTING, FLOWERS, GRADUATION

I have edited this post after receiving a couple e-mails on how to fix our problems..

ROBIN at http://thecrankycrow.blogspot.com/2011/05/blogger-comment-help-if-youre.html has posted this…and also Pamela from http://seasonsofthyheart.blogspot.com/ suggested the same ‘fix’.

SHEILA over at http://seasonsofthyheart.blogspot.com/  said she has been commenting through Anonymous and then it will go through…so let’s try that!!
Thanks Sheila

SO PLEASE CHECK OUT ROBIN’S SITE AND MAYBE YOU TOO CAN BE ‘FIXED’.

But here’s my original post anyway….

SORRY EVERYONE...I'VE BEEN LIKE SOME OF YOU AND CAN'T POST COMMENTS.

I'VE TRIED MANY TIMES TO POST A COMMENT AND IT TAKES ME TO THE SIGN IN...I DO THAT AND IT TAKES ME BACK TO THE POST AND REPEATS ITSELF OVER AND OVER.

What in the world is going on with Blogger????

I see that some of you have many comments...why is that????
Am I doing something wrong???

On my last post here I got some comments and some bloggers had to e-mail me with their comments because of this issue.

I PROMISE I WILL GET BACK TO YOU THROUGH AN E-MAIL AS WELL IF I CAN’T COMMENT DIRECTLY.

Does anyone know what is happening - why some CAN and why some CAN'T???

Please let me say THANK YOU  to everyone who commented and e-mailed about my DECISION...still don't know what I'm going to do - as I was fighting this issue an order came in...LOL

I know there are down times with website sales...I've just never experienced it in the 6 years I've been doing this. Guess I can call myself one of the lucky ones. And a couple months with slow sales is probably very normal.

I will tough it out and see what the rest of summer brings. I do know I'm always busy at holiday time though.

AGAIN 'THANK YOU' TO EVERYONE FOR CARING AND HELPING ME WITH ALL YOUR WONDERFUL SUGGESTIONS.

 

IT’S GRADUATION TIME!
Yesterday our neighbors had a graduation party for the 5th and last daughter.
It was held in the street right outside our side yard/driveway...we attended for about 2 hours then retreated to the quiet of our house.

setting up 1

party 1

party 3

GERANIUMS…
I did get a few of my Geraniums out on Friday – I only put out a few this year and left the rest packed away. Seems as time goes on I do less and less of everything. The ‘less is more’ phrase is sounding better and better as I go along.

Simple pot on kitchen counter
Geraniums 1

In my trencher – this time I put it on the hutch in my den because and not on the dining room table  - I like the Goose in the grain box now – I guess found something I like better than the trencher there.
Trencher with geraniums

And then on the table in the kitchen by the back door. I have them sitting in one of my favorite tin dough risers.
Geraniums in kitchen

And my most favorite is my Patriotic ones in the screen room with the Red and White Geraniums in the blue box.
Geraniums with Flag

Have a wonderful Memorial Weekend and remember all those who served our country and paid the price and for all those others went before us.

Karen

Thursday, May 26, 2011

I NEED TO MAKE A DECISION

And it’s a difficult one…sales have been getting less and less on my website and it’s getting more difficult to make the decision to close it. It’s getting so I don’t have enough in PayPal to make the monthly payment and when you start putting your own money in to cover it – it’s time to think differently.

So…do I hang on for another month or just bite the bullet now and get it over with.

But I do have a question…if I close my website, I would like to sell a few items on a Selling Blog but I don’t know how to get the BUY NOW button on and link back to PayPal.
My webhost designer did all that for me so I’m at a loss as how to do it.

Now I have my patterns on my website but they are also on the two Pattern sites so that won’t hurt anything (sell from those two anyway – none from mine…lol)

And I’m going to ask a favor if I do get a Selling Blog…
Being I’ve tried with all my might to promote all the wonderful selling blogs out there…I’m asking Would you all please help me and put my Selling Blog on your blogs sidebar if I start one????
I’m asking anyone and everyone EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SELLING BLOG…If I do this I need all the promotion I can get.

So that’s my dilemma right now…that and that I CAN’T leave comments on your blogs. Blogger is being a BUGGER again and it just keeps wanting me to sign in…and I’ve been signed in!!!

Hope to hear from you with some suggestions here on my website…what would you do?

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

More treasures from friends

I have had a wonderful week so far – nothing but ‘good’.
Can’t say that every week but I can right now.
The weather has been gorgeous one day and rainy/windy the next….but as long as the sun peeks out once in awhile I’m okay.

Although Sunday night we had some awful storms (as did many areas). We were fortunate to just have trees falling on wires causing outages all over our town.

I had mentioned to a ‘friend’ that it would be good to be Amish right then…
I would have gas lanterns
I would not have TV or radio to worry about
I would have a gas generator or propane for my refrigerator
I would have a wood cook stove
Now tell me...what more do you need????

Sometimes I think they have the right idea – depend on yourself and the Lord and not the outside influences that only frustrate us when things go wrong.

On with the ‘treasures’!

Last week I received some beautiful ‘wax bowl filler Pansy’s’ that I ordered from Misi at http://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com/
Aren’t they real looking? And you should smell the gorgeous aroma they give off.
Wax Pansys

bees

Then on Monday I received a package from Kriss at Kountry Porch Primitives:  We did a swap and knew what we were swapping…she saw something I had and I saw a cute pillow she made.
It came in a large box and all grunged up…grunge story follows!  package 
Note 
Pillow and Pin Keep
Okay…so here’s just a little bit of what Kriss e-mailed to me that she went through at the post office trying to get a ‘grungy’ package mailed:
”When she looked at the paper on the box (okay...I realize only us prim people get THAT) she said "what is wrong with this!" I laughed and told her it was fine, it's SUPPOSED to look that way, she INSISTED it was leaking and couldn't be mailed! I told her it was a staining process...decorative...she looked at me like I was crazy and wanted to know if the person receiving the package would be happy receiving it THIS way. By this point I was honestly getting angry. I asked her if she could send it priority so I could just get out of there!
Sooooo, you and I get it but she didn't and obviously didn't appreciate my handiwork LOL!!
Talk about going postal LOL”.

I think people that DON’T like Primitive or Grungy JUST DON’T GET IT…am I right? But I did have a good giggle over it.
Thanks so much Kriss…I love it!

Kriss has a give away going on at her blog too…
See what she’s giving
Kriss giveaway 
Little Blue Saltbox Sampler Pin Keep
This little pillow is from my pattern line and measures approximately 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 and is rag stuffed.
So give yourself a treat and visit her and sign up – you just may win.
http://kountryporchprimitives.blogspot.com/

bees

I haven’t been on the internet much lately – I’ve had a bad case of Bronchitis. Caught it a week ago Saturday and it’s still hanging on even after antibiotics and cough medicine. I think it hangs on no matter what you are given for it. Some things just need to run the course. But I don’t have time for feeling sluggish!!!bees I’ve been selling my patterns quite nicely…mainly through the Pattern Cupboard. Haven’t sold any from my site. How ironic. I make and sell them but sell better on someone else’s site…strange.

I also have two huge orders from a couple quilt shops that will now sell my patterns…yeah! It took a long time to get them to reply but when they did…WOW.
Hope they re-order and order Christmas ones too.

And…I’m in the process of getting some of my designs made up and patterns too to send to IN GRANDMA’S ATTIC (just outside of Lancaster, PA) for their show which is on the 10-13th of June…go on out there if you live near by. She’s having a Wholesale Cash & Carry as well as a huge sale.
http://ingrandmasattic.blogspot.com/
3545 Lincoln Hwy. (Rt. 30 )
Kinzers, PA. 17535
(717) 442-4337

bees

Made a new design last week – it’s my Pansies in a Watering Can
Pansy watering can
Close-up – the flowers are not stitched down on this design
Pansy closeup wishday

Karen

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

What’s up with me…

That’s right…what’s up with this - two posts in a week – can you tell by now I’m in a chatty phase!
Guess it comes from always having to talk to myself because no one here listens – well, listen yes, just not contributing to the other end of the conversation…so it’s you all who gets my chatter!  Lucky You!!!

So on with it….

First…I see today I reached 740 followers…WOW…thank you everyone for being so supportive – it’s because of you that I keep doing this blog.
Every now and then someone comments that isn’t a follower but I LOVE THAT…I visit different blogs too! They are all so wonderful but I think you all realize like me that you can’t get to everyone – so we do what we can.
I kind of have a little system (doesn’t always work but I try).
One day I will use the list on my blog sidebar to go visiting…another time I’ll go from the list on my dashboard – seems I get to some of the one’s I’ve forgotten about.


Sunday I decided to get my Spring flowers out. There were many. I keep buying ones that catch my eye so I think I have enough now. In fact I put a few back in the basement storage.
Here are the color piles I had to work with
Pinks…
Pink flowers

Purples…
Purple flowers

Yellow/Red/Golds…
Yellow and Red flowers

And here’s where they all got placed

At the back door on the bench…
Back porch crock

Front porch…
Front porch flowers

Tin in Dining Room…this is on my bench by the stairs, I also put it in front of the windows but Lola likes to play with them so not sure where they will land for sure.
tin with flowers
Flowers in Window 2

Lavender on Red Pewter Cupboard…
Red cupboard and Lavendar

Pinks on top of cupboard in kitchen…
Pink on cupboard

A couple of Pansies on top of Mitten cupboard in kitchen…

DSC02807

Last week we found the Robbins building nests on two of our house lights – both fell down on their own because there just wasn’t a solid base to hold them up there – but there’s some left on the front porch light – maybe mama will come back – not sure.
Birdnest

I froze my ham bone from Easter so on Sunday I also made some Bean and Ham Soup – and I must say it really tasted quite good. Yesterday when we went to visit my aunt I took her a large jar of it and she was very happy! It’s something an 84 year old lady living alone just doesn’t make.

Pot of soup

We ate lap top style that evening
(looks rather green like Pea soup doesn’t it…yuk!)
Bean Soup

I also made some wonderful Chocolate Chip Cookies
Took auntie some too…
Cookie Dough
Cookies 1
Chocolate Chip cookies 1

Okay, I’ve bent your ears long enough…but I have one more thing…
I made a new little table mat.
It’s not my design but a ‘Penny Lane’ design.
I revamped it for myself to use on my little table. It caught my eye and so I made it my own with buttons and larger leaves. I won’t put it for sale because it is someone else’s design regardless of the revamping but I wanted to share it with you.
Flowers in Basket Mat 1

Enjoy…

Karen