THE BEST TIME OF YEAR

OH YES....FALL, been a long time coming!!!
I'm not one of those warm weather fans, anyone who knows me knows this. Fall could come and STAY!

I have news about my business - I FINALLY decided to stop doing shows.  It's just getting way to hard to do the set up and take down. A show off property is hard enough but when it's in your home it really takes a whole lot of effort.  This is the first year we asked for help taking furniture and things out and shop displays and products up from the basement. When it gets to that point then it's time to stop what is taking you down.  But once the decision was made I felt a relief come over me.
I LOVE doing the show, making the products and seeing my wonderful faithful generous customers - oh my customers....they were so surprised at this revaluation but so agreed.

But that being said, YES, I will still make things as I go along.  Just when I feel like it...sell it...move on to something else.  I want to concentrate on making more of my Civil War era penny rugs and designing punch needle (they have taken a back seat lately).  SO ONWARD I WILL GO and happy about it.

We are trying now to get a vacation in the books.  Nothing big, nothing fancy - just go someplace we've put off for quite awhile.  Thinking it might be the New England states.  It makes us feel so comfortable going that route, seeing nature, antique shops, prim shops...oh what fun is ahead!!!!

This past Saturday was our last show.  We had a fantastic turnout and the weather was perfect Fall weather!!!
Looking at the pictures they aren't that great and it looks like stuff just put anywhere but in person it worked!!!
We had things in the family room, den, kitchen, bath and dining room and all the garlands and dried items were in our E-Z UP  tent. Plus some of the garden items were by the courtyard.

The pictures were taken right after finishing setup - then it was tweaking time...move this here and that there. 

LOL, I see the last remnants of my donut on the counter - and Doug still needed to put the Open flag out.

A friend of ours lets us come out to their place in the country and forge in their acreage for whatever we can find.  We love dried things!!!  We found tons of wild Rose Hips that I de-thorn and remove the leaves, then I bundle them up with kraft tissue paper and tie with twine.

Rose Hips all tied up

Doug is always in charge of the outside and I think he did a great job 'again'!!!

A dear dear friend always give us his dried grungy sunflowers...I LOVE THEM in displays.

Dividing up the cornstalks for all the fence corners

Bundling them up!!!

Corn all tied up for the fences

One thing I did different this year with the gourds was to dye some.

I used Mahogany leather dye, then Briwax....they turned out just beautiful.

A few I did with an undercoat of red then the Mahogany!
Depending on the natural color and patina of the gourd it made the colors come out all different.

So I don't really have a more to chat about because we have been so busy with the show prep this past summer.
I think blogging will get better now that I'm not tying myself down.

Happy Fall

Karen and Doug

Show was a success!!!

Seems I've been gone from blogging forever - and I guess it has been
forever when I looked at the date of my last post.

I don't seem to have enough computer time anymore to get a post done
with all the sewing for our show.

It is over and it was a wonderful success - we are pooped but it was worth it.

I'll put some of the merchandise that didn't sell
on my website and my FB page this coming weekend.

A very good friend came over to help with the garland room. She removed the price tags, wrapped and bagged them when they sold and then brought them into Doug
who was doing the checking out - worked like a charm.
I walked around and greeted - filled in holes when merchandise sold
and helped wrap and bag when needed.

I thank my husband Doug for all his wonderful handi work, helping create
(he has some great ideas) helping with the show and being a shoulder
when the stress go to be a bit overwhelming.
Thanks to my customers for supporting my love of creating -
couldn't and wouldn't do it without them.

Our displays outside got a bit raggedy looking - we had rain for 2 days before and also early the morning of the show...we just didn't go out to fix and re-arrange - things look like we just threw it together...it didn't matter anyway - it was about the show!

A friend of ours let us come to their house and get grapevine for our fences....thanks Tracy!

And my niece let us come get corn stalks...thanks Tina!

I love how it all turned out!

We took a much needed break  2 weeks ago and went to Pennsylvania.
We seem to gravitate that way when we get in the car ... smiles!!

We did a little wholesale shopping plus Doug went to the world's largest cigar store and next to it was the Russell Stover candy outlet...what fun that was. We walked out with $50 worth of candy (plus a huge caramel apple).

We got to visit our cousins in lancaster for one evening and with our friends
Lisa and Jerry Thrush and the two Amish sisters we met last winter.
We went out to dinner with them and then back to the Amish ladies home.
We always have so much fun with NO TV, radio, cell phones....we talked about this and that and the storm and enjoyed looking out the windows at the lightning display. Sounds silly doesn't it? NOPE...we actually enjoyed the peace...minus the thunder!!

Lisa gifted us with a white childs apron to go over the little dress she gave us last winter - plus a beautiful ladies prayer cap.
We are honored to be gifted with these items - they are taken as very precious gifts.

Thanks for visiting me today!
Blessings
Karen

Ohio Shows

A little late getting this posted but I'm here now!

The last couple weeks have been so much fun!

We took a drive to Ohio to go to the Gathered Treasures show,
Earlier Times show and Simple Goods show.
Such wonderful primitive and antique shows ever!!!

We had all day on Friday before the Earlier Times show started (it opened at 4:00)
The drive to Curry's was so beautiful!

At Ginny Curry's antiques I found these adorable orange cups we're going to put on our kitchen tree and fill them with whole cloves - along with strung cranberries.

I bought 4 the first time and then after thinking about them a lot
we drove back and bought 6 more.

I know I could make them but they were $2 each and just the work to make them
it seemed a no brainer to buy them, so I got 6 more!

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We left there and went to Miller House Antiques and the only things we found there were some candles and a wonderful pine tree scented candle - I only burn it for a couple hours

each day so it won't be gone by holiday time.

The candles are a primitive blue - and hand dipped.

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We had time in between the shops to have something to eat so we stopped at Max & Erma's and across from us was a lady with a little girl...she looked over and then a bit later asked me if I was Karen...when I said yes she was shocked! lol  She said she reads my blog all the time and was so happy to meet me - we talked back and forth a bit and before they left we got a picture.

This is Crystal with her granddaughter Ava

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We got to the Earlier Times show to stand in line around 3:00 - stood for an hour.

Saw Teresa Miller there and had a nice visit with her.

Aren't we silly people to stand in line for these things! ☺

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The next day we were in line early for the

GATHERED TREASURES show

Again...about an hour in line....

A lady came up to me in line and asked if I was Karen, and did I have a blog...

All during the show I saw so many FB and Blog friends.

Me and Sandy

These are the other ladies I met during the show

This lovely lady is Carolyn Thornton

who put the Gathered Treasures show on

Me and Charleen Perry

On Friday when we were at Ginny Curry's she was the first to come up to me and ask if I was Karen....

and we saw her at all 3 shows and had such a nice talk.

With Alice Fraizer

She has some awesome rug hooking patterns and wool, so of course I had to buy wool!!!

 http://folkartprimitives-alice.com/

With Beth Pulsipher

https://www.rubylane.com/shop/redmoonantiques

With Julie Butler

http://plumruncreek.blogspot.com/

With Teresa Miller

Teresa has 2 blogs plus her Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/shop/teresasprimtreasures

With Earlene Landis

With Janet McClure

With Diane Ward

There's a little story here - several years ago I posted on my blog how to make 'Pantry Cakes', well Diane made them and emailed me with a picture of how hers turned out...we chatted and talked about our home in Country Sampler and she asked how one went about that, I told her to send me photos of her home

and I then sent them to Country Sampler and they put her home in as well!!!

It was such a surprise when she came up to me at the show and introduced herself...

I was so happy to finally meet her.

I also met a lady I didn't get a photo of because I didn't have my camera

and Doug was on the other side of the building relaxing by this time!!!

So I want to give a big hello to

Michele Mellert Howman

I hope you don't mind that I'm using your FB photo!

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We finally got over to the Simple Goods show before we left for home,

Found a couple things there

This candle box is our favorite piece from Simple Goods

We're going to switch out the glass front for an old screen

Hope to find a nice spot to hang it in the den

A few photos from Simple Goods.

It was so busy with shoppers we didn't get but these 3 

And the rest of the things we bought - not much

And NO, this ginger boy isn't going to ride the reindeer!!!

I just couldn't get a good picture of it 😊

And another bonnet to add to the collection

I hope you enjoyed our road and shopping trip to Ohio!

See you next week when I'll post about our couple days up at my brothers place up north.

Karen