Monday, February 28, 2011

Moo...

... not as in cow, silly! ;)



but Moo as in Moo cards,


mini Moo cards...



They come in such cute packaging. I love the little key chain case.


You can put a different photo on each one...



or if you only use 50 photos, you'll get 2 of each...



I used nearly 100 photos, so only a few of the mini Moo cards are duplicates...



They are very good quality and very thick cards.

I may have to order more to drop in the shopping bags at the Lavender Festival this summer. :)

If you'd like your own mini Moos or regular size Moo cards,
just pop over to http://us.moo.com/ and have fun!

Take Care and God Bless,
Lana
~*~

Sunday, February 27, 2011

White Pottery

I love white pottery
old,
new,


chipped,
crazed,


matte,
glossy,


you name it,
I love it.


I have most of my collection carefully wrapped and boxed for safe-keeping until we finish our remodel. I am anxious to get it all back out again and placed on shelves and tables.

The adorable fat bird was a fun find at a flea market in Dalton, GA last summer for one dollar! I couldn't resist; I tried to walk away, but ended up going back to get it!

The compote which holds the bird's nest and faux eggs was a thrift store find. I can't remember exactly how much it was but I'm sure it wasn't more than a couple dollars.

I purchased the huge ironstone pitcher on eBay several years ago for $13. All the others of comparable size were going for $100 or more. This one had a repair near the lip, but it doesn't bother me in the least.

The ironstone bowl was a 127 Sale purchase last summer for $20. That is much more than I usually spend on one item, but I'd waited a long time to find a bowl to go with the pitcher, and this was the cheapest I'd found to date. I am happy with it. :)

As we change things in the house, I hope to paint some of the small tables white so that I'll eventually have a mostly white / creamy decor. I'd also like to paint the dining table and chairs white, and maybe re-stain the dining table top a very dark stain to match the flooring we purchased.

One of these days, I'll share it with all of you... but don't hold your breath. You know how home renovations go... ;)

Take Care & God Bless,
Lana
~*~

Friday, February 25, 2011

Wanted

... a good, used, and affordable Canon DSLR camera.


I already have lenses that I used with my old Canon Rebel SLR, so I think I'll be able to use them with a digital SLR. There are so many blogs that have gorgeous photos shared by bloggers, and I'm assuming that once in a great while some of you purchase a new camera and need to sell your older one, so.... if you or someone you know are thinking of selling your used, working Canon DSLR, please drop me a line.
Thank you! :)

Looking Back

I am chomping at the bit to get started on some spring whimsies! I've had the flu this week (seems to happen every February during or just after my birthday) and I haven't felt like making anything, but today I finally brought my laptop in the living room so I could stay snuggled on the couch with my flannel quilt, in front of the fire, drink hot hazelnut coffee, and look through my past designs for inspiration ~ if I can stay awake, lol!

I think I'll do more rabbits and bird in the hand pieces with curlicue wire embellishments for March. I hope my customers aren't tired of them.

So... here's what was going on in 2008:

Birds, Bees, & Bunnies, Too!


That is the theme of a TDIPT group launch currently underway on eBay. For the auction, I made one of my Bird in Hand whimsical folk art pieces (two photos shown). A few years ago I had been thinking of old fashioned phrases to coordinate with my designs and when I thought of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" I had to make my first Bird in Hand.... even if it was at midnight! I traced my hand on paper, drew a basic bird shape that I thought would be about the right size, and went from there. They may be used as a pincushion, or to just sit among your collections of birds, handmade whimsies, or bird nests. You may see my auction here ~ it ends Sunday night!



And be sure to visit Suzanne's auction. {2011 update: obviously the auction is over, but you may find Suzanne's work here: Pear Tree Primitives.} She has painted an early style silhouette of two sisters with a bird and a birdcage. As I have mentioned before, I have some of her artwork and she is a wonderful artist!


{2011 update: I'm happy to say I own this piece and absolutely love it! :) }


I haven't made any bees or bunnies for the ebay auction, so I thought I'd share a photo I took a few years ago of a bee and wisteria. I have taken lots and lots.... and lots of photos of flowers, bees, butterflies, birds, bark and moss.... the list goes on and on. I'll share some with you from time to time.




I don't have a photo of a live bunny, but this is a rabbit I designed and made last year. I was inspired by the lithographed fabric rabbits of the late 1800s. Mine is sewn, stuffed and handpainted. I'll have a few of these to offer later in Spring.




Have a blessed weekend!
Lana

~*~

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Drawing a Blank... {updated for Sylvia}

Once before when I was in a rut and couldn't think of anything to blog about, someone said a cute animal photo always worked. So here you go....

{TIP ~ click on each photo for a larger view}


Meet Beans. We'll not discuss why he was called that. Just use your imagination {hint: shew!}

He had thick gray fur and he loved having his photo taken.
He'd pose and play for the camera...



Beans was a good cat. 


Mom's guineas were something else! Mom liked having them around because they kept the seed ticks and other pesky bugs eaten up from the yard. They were also good watch dogs. Anytime someone drove up the long driveway to the house, those guineas made the most awful ruckus you ever heard!


We still have Snowflake. She's an old gal now.
Years ago when I ordered some chicks from a hatchery,
Snowflake loved standing and watching them.


She also liked watching the kittens play in the yard.
They weren't that crazy about letting her watch, though.


We had a cat named Tigger a long time ago. He was such a sweetheart.
He loved sitting on the fence in the sun.
Poor thing, it made him look like his hind legs were missing!


And last but not least {well, I guess he IS least}
is Bodey, the sugar glider.
He came to live with us this past December. He loves having his breakfast with Roger {DH} each morning and then playing in the floor, in the bookcase, and in and under the magazine basket, and in Roger's boots, and under the chairs.... whew!..... until I finally tell him that I need to get to work and he has to go to bed.

He's nocturnal, so after we've been up a little while, he's ready to retire for the day.


Here he is, asleep in Roger's t-shirt pocket...

shhhhhhhh.........


Well, that's it for the "nothing to talk about" post.

Hopefully, I'll have more to share in a few days.

Tomorrow I'll turn 44 and my youngest son is taking me to the Wal-Mart deli for Ranch Flavored Chicken Wings. How convenient. Now Wesley can pick up that DS {some sort of video game thing} that he wanted while he's there. ;)

Take Care and God Bless,
Lana
~*~

For Sylvia :)

Turkeys, roosters, hens, baby chicks, and baby turkeys... oh, my!

Below: Someody's watching me...


Midas was THE sweetest rooster ever but he was a bit skittish at times:

Turkey Lurkey keeping the turkey chicks in line:

Below: Linus, he was a pretty boy, and strutted all the time. He was also mean.

Below:
Midas helping the girls find a worm...
or maybe the girls are helping Midas...


Below: Silver was a beaut... and mean as all get out!


Turkey Lurkey taking care of baby turkeys:

Below is Sally. She would stand in the doorway, slowly creeping in and I'd have to tell her no and she'd step back out and fuss at me a little, lol!

And below are photos of Goldie as a baby...


and grown...

She was such a heavy hen, she couldn't fly up on my arm the way Henny Penny did or on my shoulder as Colette could. I had to bend down, hold my forearm just a few inches above the ground, and Goldie would step up on it. I'd hold her close to my chest and she'd sit there and go to sleep or lean up and cluck in my ear. I miss her so much. :(


I don't have any chickens now. I had them several years and as time went on, some died, some were caught by raccoons or opossums or foxes and some just disappeared during the day when they were out roaming in the yard and edge of the field and woods. I'd love to start fresh with chicks again in a year or so, but for now, our cats, dog, horse, and sugar glider are keeping us busy. :)

Monday, February 14, 2011

Quick 50% off Sale!



Ok everyone, this is for the items listed here: http://hlshop.blogspot.com/.
Be sure to check both posts while you're there for all the sale items.

It goes from 6pm central this evening and closes at 9am central tomorrow morning (the 15th).

Some items are handmade, some are vintage, and some are your everyday home decor or seasonal items.

It's gotta go! :)


Thanks for looking!

Lana
~*~

Monday, February 7, 2011

How Do I Love Thee?

... Let me count the ways.



I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.



I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.


I love thee with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.
 
{Elizabeth Barrett Browning}




Just posting again to share some love tokens that are currently on my website:
Simple Joys Paperie.


I have to mail a few sets of Angel Wings today and then make a few more love tokens for SJP.

Maybe next week I can start on Spring things. :)

Take Care and God Bless,
Lana
~*~