Baby, it's cold outside

It's looking like a beautiful day out there today, in spite of it being -20 celsius, Brr.  If I do decide to brave the elements and walk to the mall I had better put on my long woolly knickers, heavy coat and my "owl" toque!!  Just kidding, I don't have an owl hat, okay, and I don't have long woolly knickers either, but I had better wrap up really well 'cos "baby, it's cold outside".

I hope you  all had a great week and are well.  It still amazes me how fast the weeks are flying by.  It was okay when we were young, but now that I am somewhat older, okay, I have been tried and tested a few times, LOL and am closer to 70 than to 60, it is sometimes a bit of a concern to me.  The good Lord only promised us approximately three score and ten and I'm fast approaching that and I still have lots of crafts to make, "so Lord, slow down, you're going too fast, gotta make my retirement last".

As usual, I have been at it again, thrifting, painting, crafting and such, but boy, have I had fun doing it.  The little boutique that I share with two others and where I have my "stuff" is looking really good.  The three of us have a blend of very interesting items for sale.  We are still in the infant stage but we are hoping that more people will hear about us and come visit us on Saturdays.  It is located in a not well travelled spot so it is only through advertising and word of mouth that people find us.

That's a little glimpse of the boutique and now to show you what I have been up to lately.

Did some artwork...........

  

which resulted in a few similar but in different colours.....

I found two cute little bottles in the ThinkKitchen store in our local mall and added a decal which I purchased online from The Polka Dot Closet http://thepolkadotcloset.blogspot.ca/.  Carol, the owner and very talented lady has lots of very interesting ideas on how to use her decals.  I just love them.

I improved on some plaques and turned them into key racks......

From this............

To this..............

I have had these butterflies for quite some time and wasn't sure what to do with them - I think they look great on here.  Amazing what a few decals and hooks will do.

I made a few more wooden signs (sold a "Welcome" one last week to my local grocer for their store - Thanks City Meat Market).

They started out something like this, after having cut out the letters which were then painted and glued to the painted and stressed wood.

This is a cute "whatever" I found at the local thrift store and it goes so well with my "primitive" items that I am keeping it.

I still have lots more things to show you but I had better stop before I drive you nuts.  So I'll leave you with one last one.  It was a donation box apparently handmade by a gentleman when the thrift store first opened.  I was lucky enough to get the last few existing and I turned mine into a Valentine box.  I guess the time of year gave me that idea.  What else could they be used for?  If someone buys it, they can use it any way they like.

Well, that's it folks.  Sorry I don't have any new photos of my darlings (grandkids), but hope by the next blog I will.  Have a wonderful day, whether it is reading a good book, doing some crafts or even going for a walk.  'Til next time, God bless.

Crafts Galore

It has been a gorgeous day here today.  Too nice to stay at home so I have been out and about all day.   First I went to the library to return some way overdue DVD's, then to City Meat Market to pick up some ice-cream.  When I came home I called a friend and repaired her necklace for her, changed my shower head and installed a new Water Pix hand held shower head (because the old one leaked all over the floor and toilet when I turned on the faucets to take a bath), then took a walk to the mall and picked up a prescription for another friend. I think I just might stay in for the rest of the evening - I have lots of projects I could be doing but first of all I thought I had better create a new post.  The days are flying by and I can't believe that I have been home for three weeks since my visit to the grandkids.


On the 6th May I had a table at "Passport to Unity" and sold some of my creations.  It was a long day and as I was on my own, I regrettably couldn't take advantage of the fabulous artists and entertainment which went from 11-5.  Here are a few pictures of my table.

With the lovely Dawn, her hubby took this one.

I have been pottering around with a few things to add to my craft sales, e.g. these "vases".  They have a New York theme to them.

I should mention before I go any further, the beautiful flowers I received for Mother's Day from my darling kids.  This first arrangement was from my twin sons, my DIL and my grandkids from out of town....................

And this was from my son and girlfriend from in town..............

I am very blessed with great kids, and they do look out for me.  Thanks kiddos for the lovely gifts.

Here's another creation of mine, it's a little different, but I love it.

It kind of goes with the other picture I made, which I mentioned in my previous blog.

This last weekend I spent helping Pat with her sale at the Queen's Cupboard.  She plans on having one every Saturday so any local people reading this, come on down and see what's going on.  She very kindly is allowing me to sell my creations there also.  Excellent prices all round!!!!  This was my set-up last weekend..............

You don't think I helped Pat out with the sale and didn't buy anything for myself did you?  Before I show you what I did buy, I will tell you that I had to dispose of quite a few items around my place so that my apartment wouldn't look like a second-hand furniture store.  Next blog, I will post photos of how the apartment looks with all the new things and with the old items disposed of!!  Nearly forgot, this is what I bought and I adore it, it goes so beautifully with my cream/shabby chic look............

And, with an extra cushion I just happened to have lying around.

Well, I shall love you and leave you - until the next blog, stay happy and healthy.  Is there anything sweeter than this............

Rhys, with baby sister Katherine, May 2012

A-crafting we will go!!

You have often heard me mentioning "The Queen's Cupboard", a place where I have purchased many interesting items and refinished them either for my apartment or to sell in my craft shows, well, she (Pat) has moved her business to a new location and now is in the midst of painting and re-organizing everything.  This, of course is a very, very large undertaking.  She hopes to re-open for occasional shopping days by May.  Her new location is now in the building behind the Bush Plane Museum, where the Potters Guild is housed.  This is artwork done by my son of the Bush Plane Museum many years ago before he left town to seek his fortune, which he never found by the way, unless you count a beautiful wife and darling son, which certainly is more precious than silver or gold......................

Going back to Pat.... I went to visit her to see how she was coming along and was delighted to see that she had almost finished painting the whole area, with the help of another delightful lady, Carol.  Well, I ended up coming away with a few more birds, which she so graciously gave me, insisting she didn't want anything for them, so I paid for her lunch at Tim Horton's.  Aren't the little birdies adorable?

They have been squeezed into the little white cream china cabinet which you see at the top of this blog, which is quickly becoming a haven for lost birds.

So, what else have I been working on?  Do you want to see the small horses that I have just refinished?  I picked these three up at a local Church rummage sale a couple of weeks ago and immensely enjoyed  working on them...............

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Here are two more fabulous paintings by my dear friend Laurie of.....   http://laurie-whentheboughbreaks.blogspot.com/   If you are ever interested, she does sell her work, she just doesn't "flaunt" her talent, a very lovely, humble lady...................

I did pop into Michaels for a few minutes the other day to see what it was like.  My eldest son and his lady took me.  My gosh, it was overwhelming, but what I saw I thought it was also quite expensive.  If you are making anything with the intention of selling it, then I think it will be hard to get your money back, at least in this town.  Remember the larger horse that I refinished a few weeks ago?  Well, an unfinished wooden one was $40 and when you add the cost of all the other products you need to complete the project before you know it you will have spent at least $60.  Perhaps as time goes by they will reduce their prices.  We used to have a store called White Rose here and that closed and it wasn't anywhere near as expensive as Michaels.

A little while ago I bought a couple of pillows from a new quilt store in our Mall - they were only $5 each, so how could I refuse them?  I thought they would add a smidgen of colour to my living room, considering I have more "cream" in there than does a barnful of cats!!

Well, to finish off for this evening, how about another picture of the most handsome grandson in the whole world, or at least in my world, LOL..........

His dad, my son, "photoshopped" him onto one of his pieces of art.

'Til we meet again.