New Displays

I haven't been up to much except working. I've rearranged a few spots and thought I'd show you. I have made a decision that I'm ready to redo the dining room. This is where I ask you my faithful friends for help. Does anyone know where I can get a bunch of dried tobacco leaves? By a bunch I mean a couple of leaves to tie together to hang. It is not grown around here so if any of you can help me out please email me. I am also in need of some black walnuts. I know it's past season, but keep it in the back of your brain if you see any cheap. I have decided I'm going to go with a tavern/cellar look in my dining room. I am drawing up the pictures because Steve will need to help me with a few things.

Anyway on with the show...

The kitchen displays... I am working on tearing down the border in the kitchen as you can tell.









I wanted to use my new things I just bought so for now this is the dining room.



Next I wanted to show you the signs Char from The Pickled Pepper Patch made me when we did our trade. She traded me signs for bonnets. She made them exactly how I wanted them.





I have a class tomorrow, but I am hoping to update the selling blog on Sunday since it's suppose to rain all day.

Flea Market/ Antique Store Finds

In my last post I talk about being a hoarder right? By the way the show Hoarders Buried Alive is on TLC not A&E. I watched last nights episode AND... one of those ladies was a fabric hoarder too. How ironic... LOL. Anyway, Steve and I were going to go to the Home and Garden show in Wooster, but instead decided since it was rainy we would go to the indoor flea market and antique store here in town. We go quite frequently because you never know what you might find. Most times we don't find anything, but yesterday we made a haul!!!!

Where am I gonna put all this stuff???? LOL

First of all I LOVE wooden spoons and some day Steve is going to make me a spoon rack... LOL The most expensive one was $3.00 but most were $1.00.



I need to make a few small repairs but I really liked how it was printed on paper and burnt around the edges. Sure I could've done it myself, but I would have never thought of it. LOL. $4.00



LOVE my boxes too. I like setting lights on top of boxes just to get them a little higher. $1.00 and $1.50.



Don't ask me what I'm going to do with another candle holder... LOL Steve wanted it because he liked it and wants to make some like it. On the bottom it says it was made in the historic town of Zoar here in Ohio. See the little dowel rod on the top you pull on it and it raises the candle holder up so you candle light and blow out your candle since the sides are all glass. Not sure if I'm going to paint this one or not.



Next is my pride and joy bargain of the day... Looks like a Betty lamp ( I think that's what it is called)... $1.00



Last but not least of the flea market and candle snuffer and candle holder $1.00 and $2.00.



Next we went around to the front of the building where the antique store is. Of course prices are much higher as compared to the flea market. LOL. I did find two things.

First ANOTHER candle holder. I think I'm gonna need some more candles. LOL I know it's not old but I liked the patina on it.





Then I found this cutter coverlet for $25.00. Not so sure I'm gonna be able to cut it though. Maybe if I fold it just right I can hide some of the holes and ripped edges.





So yep many of you are right. It is the thrill of the hunt. Now I just need to purge out some other stuff so I have room for this new stuff. LOL. Easier said than done.

On the Next Episode of HOARDERS

I LOVE this show as well as my son too. If you are unfamiliar with it is on A&E on Mondays with reruns on Sunday. OK it is interesting only to the fact that I know there are people who actually live like this. I have been in their homes due to my job. My Mom is a hoarder but not to the extent that some of these people are. She has piles everywhere the stove, the dining room table, her desk, anywhere there is a flat surface. BUT her aunt was too. When we went to clean out her home when she went into assisted living she had saved all kinds of things, but she also grew up in the Great Depression era where you did use and save everything. I have one of her dressers and not to long ago I noticed a piece of plastic hanging out under the bottom of one of the drawers. The drawers were empty when we moved it so we didn't take them out. So I pulled out the drawer and lo and behold the entire back behind the drawers was shoved full of dry cleaning bags! I pulled out 12 or so. She also saved the old foil type potato chip bags. What she would do with those is beyond me. I have noticed I also have some of these tendencies. Which leads me to the next episode... LOL

It all started in this home in a small quiet town in Ohio... A 35 year old woman, who lives here with her 2 kids. You would never be able to tell from the outside, but once you get inside you see this woman is a hoarder.



Stepping inside... (camera is panning the house) FABRIC!!!! Oh the horror. Piles on the floor of fabric. You see Mary can't help herself when it comes to fabric. For most people it's clothes... but for her this is the weakness.



Mary keeps everything... and buys all types of fabrics... in the bag are old hand crocheted lace ruffles... Christmas items what ever will she do with all this stuff!!!!



Fat quarters and scraps of fabric that might be able to be used for a small piece of finish fabric, or small quilts, you just never know but she THINKS she will use them!



Homespuns, felts, and wool... she doesn't know what she will be using these for but one time she made a stocking out of felt. Oh and then about 4 years ago she small red stockings as gifts for all the children in her son's class at school. The homespun she will use for some type of craft.



And of course you have to have solid fabrics. You see Mary shops at thrift stores and just can't help herself. She sees fabric and she has to buy it. Or she goes to the fabric store and it's on sale so she buys it with no real use in mind. Certainly she must be Amish as she has denim in her piles. Does she think she will be making her own jeans to wear? Or better yet she will be making Steve jeans to wear to work. She even has kept an old mustard linen tablecloth because it is big enough to make a pillow case from.



Finally her biggest weakness... CALICO... Blue,tan, and mustard is the favorite choice. Once she buys it because she LOVES it she finds it impossible to cut. Sure she could incorporate it in a project, but what happens when that thing wears out or has to be thrown away. Then it is gone. They are beautiful to look at and she would LOVE to make a quilt for her bed with some of it. But of course that has not been started yet either. Oh the beautiful bonnets she SHOULD be making. But if she uses the fabric she won't be able to get anymore of it at the store because it will be gone. And she definitely won't be able to get more at the thrift store. You also buy many more yards then what you need for your project to be sure you don't run out and have extra.



Is there help for this? Sure, but she has to want to help herself. We decided here at the show that we would not be sending a psychiatrist to help because she is not ready to change. She continues to shop the thrift stores buying all types of things to redo so there is just no hope! LOL

I was actually going through my stash and reorganizing and thought this would be funny to show you. After Linda from The Keeping Room made a comment that if I had piles she would be calling Hoarders on me. LOL. So here you go I did it myself!!! LOL.

Some Finishes Finally...

I'll start out with the bowl I bought over the weekend that I forgot to show you. It was actually a brighter blue and you know me... gotta prim it up and darken it. So I brought it home and used my trusty stain and here it is... I was just telling Steve I need a new bowl rack made... wink wink.



I have decided I am a hoarder... Yep you heard me and I am admitting it. I go to Goodwill, which by the way, I am now a preferred customer and have a card to prove it. LOL. For those who live in Wayne and Holmes county in Ohio you to can be a preferred customer. Just ask the cashier. You get 10% off your first purchase after signing up. Then they take your email and send you advance notice of sales and extra discounts that others don't get. Sorry I digress... LOL. HOARDER!!!!! I buy things at the Goodwill thinking "yea I could make this over" or "yeah I'll paint that" and then it sits for months. So I finally finished some items I bought.

First is this basket. It was one of those really cheap unfinished baskets. I think I paid a buck. A little brown and black spray paint and... Need to sort through my stuff to find something to go in it.



Next I did finish my $.35 tote. I really like it. A little brown and black paint with furniture wax on top. Looks old don't you think?





Last but not least... and now.... the almost finished new item Steve and I made... No we didn't use anything old... We still need to put the wire handle so that it can be hung. I actually have two of these. We are currently working on some other designs of these.

Without a flash...



With a flash...



I need to get moving and get some errands done so I can clean my house. Yep that includes the dining room table. LOL.

Bet you thought I forgot...

Nope I am just working at my second job once again. I took a bit of a reprieve in the month of March for some schooling for work. I am now back at it working one day a week for a 10 hour shift. I am here as I type this and just realized I forgot to take some pictures of things I wanted to show you. Grrrr...Anyway, so one less day a week to clean... oh darn... LOL since I'm working again.

I did go to the flea market on Friday with Steve. It was threatening rain so Steve didn't have to go do some roofing work for his parents. He and I spent some much needed time to ourselves. We normally include my kids in on everything. I am not complaining because what guy, who has never been married, much less have kids, would want to spend time with my kids and do so much with them. Anyway, for those who live near me we went to the Hartville Flea market. Not much there with the exception of a prim shop on the second floor. Oh my!!!!!!!!!! Sorry didn't take pics but she had a ton of awesome stuff. I was good and only bought a Judy Condon book I don't have yet...

I also bought two of these candle holders, which are already part of a new item Steve and I built over the weekend. I will show you that tomorrow.



We finished there and off we went to the Pine Cone Gift Shoppe near Canton. This is a newer shop I found, but didn't buy anything there.

Then I had heard of another shop I had never been to. Towpath Treasures on Erie St between Massillon and Canal Fulton (for my Northeast Ohio ladies). Woot Woot she has tons of good stuff!!!!! I went a little crazy there. LOL. Anyway, the owner is such a nice lady and stood there and talked with Steve and I for awhile and told us to bring in some of our items and she'd be happy to sell them. I told her about your overwhelming response to my America signs. So who knows what Steve and I might make up try to sell and see where it goes.

Back to what I got...

Isn't this a great checkerboard for $6.50??? I actually like the green though it's not as bright as in the picture.



I also got this great candle mold. Yea it's a repro... yea it's not old as I'd like, but for $13.95 I couldn't pass it up and if I need to work some prim magic on it then it's worth it. haha it's on my dirty table with a whole buncha stuff all over it. I haven't put it where I want it yet. LOL.



Then this great little runner... it looks purple in the picture, but it's not...



I also got a candle that was suppose to smell like Strawberries, but it's not very strong at all. That makes me mad when you smell the candle in the jar and it smells awesome and when you get it home and light it you can't smell it at all. Even Steve said he couldn't smell it. I also bought another wood bowl... imagine that and I forgot to take a picture. I will do so tomorrow and show you that in tomorrow's post.

We stopped at a few other prim shops in Canal Fulton, but I figured I had already spent enough and it was almost time for the kids to get home from school. We beat the rain home by about 15 minutes. I still have another new shop to go to this week hopefully in Smithville. Which by the way Steve has already been to since he was working in that town. He went on his lunch hour and text me from the shop. He's so mean!!!! LOL It's so nice having so many shops within an hour of where I live. I go by myself now (since I don't go with my ex-MIL so much anymore) just to look around and get ideas and relax.

Again, I want to thank all of you for the response to my selling blog. I am trying to clear off the table of painting and get out the sewing machine. I know many of you are waiting for me to make some bonnets to put on there. LOL. It doesn't take long once I get started. It's just the starting part.

It's home tonight after my shift to get some things packed and ready to ship. Ladies with the last batch of America signs I will ship on Wednesday due to working today at the last minute. Sorry for the delay.

Updated...

The Gettysburg Mercantile has been updated as of today Sunday. Remember I will combine shipping!!! Thanks for stopping by.

The Gettysburg Mercantile

Did I Say Tomorrow?

Yea I said I'd be back tomorrow on Monday forgetting I had to work the next three days. Let's see I've put 42 hours in in three days and still have to work tomorrow for another 14. So my apologies. Anyway, I promised I'd show you what I was working on. Well, despite my dining room looks like a disaster zone... no not all by me. LOL My son has discovered the joys of model cars. SOOOOOO... since Mom spreads her stuff on the dining room table so does my son. It's funny as a little girl I actually put model cars together too. Yep all tomboy here. LOL. I can just see his creativity oozing from him and of course Steve had close to 10 billion models that he brought over to the house for my son to finish too. OK Steve has been working on them too. Anyway, I bet you are wondering how I get anything done with my table looking like this.

This is mild compared to today LOL.



Ok my last towel ended up like this. I don't know why I've been in an Americana mode lately. The flag is made from left over material I had. I have also decided I am OCD because I find it very difficult to not try to get all my stitches the same as I stitched the black thread to hold the flag on. LOL.





Speaking of Americana... Since I sold my last Welcome sign to a fellow blogger I had to come up with a new sign for my porch. Well, since the Americana theme is just everywhere then I figured I better follow through.





Next I had this little pencil and pen tote I bought at a thrift store for $.35.



A little brown paint...



And a little help from Steve and his Dremel tool... It is not done yet! I need to sand and stain.



Now last but not least.... I hit the JACKPOT!!!!! I went to the Goodwill last night with my family. I was working at one of my jobs and they came for dinner and then stayed for a bit and since I'm allowed to leave work just stay in town we went to a Goodwill. I am just SO excited. Just look what I got... There is at least a yard (most of it is more than that) to every piece. The most expensive was $5.00 and the least was $.25. Steve made me buy some of it. He would look at it and say I can see you making this or that. LOL.



The star fabric in the back is probably 5 to six yards and cost $5.00. Steve says I need to get blue fabric and make an Americana quilt.







All I kept thinking was bonnet or quilt. So you girls may reap the benefits of this fabric. LOL.

I am going to try to update my selling blog tonight or Sunday. I'm suppose to go out today to a flea market, but my son just informed me he is staying home since his allergies are acting up. We shall see about that. LOL.

2 Out of 3 Ain't Bad...

I finally had some time last week to work on my towels that I coffee stained a week ago. I have two of them done and can't decide how to do the third. Oh wait!!!!!! Just had an idea as I type this. WOOHOO!!!!! I already have one project going and now I have a second that will be underway after I'm finished typing. Yea Yea I know I need to be cleaning, but when I get the ideas I gotta act on them or they'll be gone.

I really like this one... It is just hand stitched in brown...



Close up...




The next one I stenciled on then sanded a little. It looks like it's pink but it's not on the flowers. I used barn red.



Hmmmm... maybe these towels should be on the selling blog?

Next I promised at the beginning of the year that I would use up my fabric stash. Sooo... Saturday I went down and looked through and decided I was going to try my hand at a tie quilt. I am not all prim JUST mostly. LOL. The stupid fabric was printed crooked on the firefighter side so the bottom was off after I squared it up. Grrrr... I made my son a rag quilt out of firefighter fabric awhile back and had extra. Ummmm ALOT of extra. I used some red flannel that I had in my stash to make Christmas stockings that I never got to. So between Saturday and Sunday I finished it. Tying it was so much easier than hand quilting!!!! BUT the string/yarn I used is driving me crazy I already had one tie come loose. I used the surgeons knot to tie it. It ended up being like 44"X72". My son wanted to know who it was for. Steve piped up and said he was claiming it. LOL. My son got this look of devastation on his face. I'm sure my son will end up with another quilt. LOL.


No laughing at the binding... remember this is my second quilt attempt. LOL



I hate to cut this short but the creative juices are calling. I will show ya tomorrow what I've been working on.