Catching Up a Little at a Time

I am soooo far behind! I have a couple orders to finish ~ I hope the customers don't think I've abandoned them! My 19 year old son is home from the hospital and is recuperating from a bad case of cellulitis and we are all thankful that the ultra-sounds showed no blood clot as was first suspected. So.... I am now trying to catch up on everything.

Tonight I listed a few sets of glass glitter pumpkins and plain 'n prim pumpkins and a couple folk art cats on my WHIMSIES page.

I'll have a larger cat ready tomorrow night, and maybe an extra large white glass glitter pumpkin.

We have had rain for days and days and days...... and days...... but I think by Monday the sun is supposed to shine again, maybe every day next week! Weather permitting, I will get out and about, take photos, and share more things on my blog besides things that I have made. I'm getting restless and want to get out and do something outdoors. Unfortunately, we have several bears in the area, so I don't wander in the woods like I used to do. :(

Thanks for stopping by ~ I'll try to update again very soon.

New Wreaths @ Simple Joys Paperie

I was so excited when I found a Norse-English dictionary a while back!

I knew exactly what I'd do with it ~ make a wreath!

This one is inspired by the Jeanne D'Arc Living magazines and all of the beautiful blogs that show light and airy Scandinavian decor. It's my first square wreath:

~*~

This one is made from an antique book called The Masquerader.

I thought it would be perfect for Halloween:

I have a few more wreaths to finish up and get listed on etsy. I also have a couple more that need their center medallions ~ these were special orders ~ and I got a bit behind while feeling under the weather and helping my youngest get his second year of college sorted out ~ among a few other things going on.

You may read more about the wreaths and see more photos at

Simple Joys Paperie.

I also have a few sets of pumpkins and two cats that need to be finished...

where, oh where, do the hours go?

~*~

Online Markets Update

TDIPT Mercantile and Simply Primitives have updated for the 15th of the month.

My Harvest Blessings Turkey fraktur may be seen at TDIPT,

and

I have more ribbon posies at Simply Primitives.

While visiting those sites, please be sure to look at all the wonderful folk art!

~*~

Through Virtual Doors...

When I walked through the virtual doors of internet groups a few years ago, I was a bit apprehensive. I was cautious and decided to join a moderated craft group that was open only to members. I soon found that it was a group filled with delightful ladies who shared with others their love of crafting and of early American history.

It was in that first group that I heard of online market groups. I eventually joined a few of those and began selling my handmade items in craft co-ops.

As a member of those groups, I became acquainted with more and more kind, caring, and thoughtful women. Many of us have been on groups together for quite some time; long enough for me to learn that these women are as thoughtful and generous and gifted as anyone a person could ever meet.

Today I came home and found a package in my mailbox. I recognized the sender, but hadn't ordered anything from her. It was from Barb of thimblefolk ~ we have been in a few online markets together for a few years now. When I opened the package I couldn't have been more excited! It was a bird on a pincushion that I had admired.

And it was MY COLORS!

Just look at this sweet bird. Barb's work is always adorable; always whimsical.


I love the feather stitches and Fench knots all around the pincushion.

And look ~ Barb even added a little teapot charm! One of the groups that we are on together is The Eclectic Artisans, or TEA.

She combined so many of my favorite things: birds, sewing (pincushion and spool of thread), and that gorgeous color! Barb included a card of her adorable Mr. Whipplestitch and a note about why she sent me the gift. She is such a kind and giving person.

Pictured below, along with my gift from Barb, is a wonderfully rustic birdhouse from Jen of Country Rustic Primitives. She makes the best birdhouses, and if you get one from her, you are very lucky. I don't think she makes them as often since she is busy with her fantastic stitcheries.

The gorgeous hooked rug / mat in the foreground was designed and hooked by Barb's sister, Sarah of The Paisley Studio. It looks perfect in my workroom and I love the folk art design!

Jen and Sarah are also on our TEA group.

Now, let's back-track a little... About a week and a half ago, I received a package in the mail, from a name I recognized, Cheri, but I wasn't expecting anything for her.

I opened it and I cried. Just out of the blue, I was given this touching piece of art from a friend that I met in the first online group I had ever joined.

This painting was inspired by a photo I took of a rambling rosebush that belonged to my Mom. Cheri knew of the relationship I had with my Mom and she knew how much I loved her and how much I miss her. And she painted this for me.

Cheri designs and cuts her own stencils, and then hand paints the theorems with oils. Look at all the detail and shading! Her work is always perfection.

Cheri has so many talents: painting, papercutting, basket weaving, quilting, and much, much more. She generously gives many of her quilts to foster kids and to families of stillborn babies. I got to meet Cheri and her husband, Matt, a couple of years ago when they were on vacation. It was too short a visit, but long enough for me to know she is a wonderful person.

I am so blessed to have met so many kind and caring people through blogging and online craft groups. You do have to use caution when online, but for the most part, it is a rewarding experience in more ways than one!

Ribbonwork

In between other projects I've been slipping in some ribbonwork; only this time it's not ribbon embroidery, but ribbon flowers ~ pansies, to be exact.

I usually think of pansies as spring flowers, but many people plant them in the autumn, and if the winter is mild, they are blessed to have lovely flowers autumn, winter, and in the spring!


I used new ribbon for the base of the posy pin, but most of the pansies are made from vintage seam binding ribbons.

Some of the vintage ribbons are from my thrifting expeditions, and some of the vintage ribbons are from two very kind and generous ladies, Twila and Shari ~ thank you!

If you'd like to see more, come visit my etsy shop

Honeysuckle Lane on etsy.

~*~

Have a lovely day!

Lana

~ In Loving Memory ~

Daddy & Mama

I think the photo above was taken in the 1967 right after I was born.

They had already been married nearly 20 years.

The photo below was taken on their 50th wedding anniversary, June 27th 1997.

~*~

Frantie Voiles

December 10, 1927 - September 10, 2006

~*~

Noah Voiles, Jr.

June 19, 1928 - October 23, 1997

~*~

"But I would not have you to be ingnorant, brethern, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him"

1 Thessalonians 4:13,14

~*~

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

Revelation 21:4

~*~

BOOK & MAGAZINE SALE!

What ~ craft books, home decor books, magazines, etc.

When ~ now until ......?

Where ~ Honeysuckle Lane Book Sale page: here

These include the wonderful new PORCH magazines (1 st four issues!), DOLL magazines, country decor, vintage decor, flea market style, early American crafts, and more!

There have already been several sales today. I meant to blog about this earlier but had to be gone most of the day. Come on over and browse around....

Our truck-bed runneth over... even more!

I had to go out of town today ~ left early and got home this afternoon.
This is what I found..

Evidently, Roger took a break in between hauling loads of hay today and picked the rest (I hope!) of his watermelons. He had moved the few that were left from our "roadside stand" yesterday into his white work truck, and put the just harvested watermelons in his old red pick-up.

Rugby has a farmer's market every Saturday and guess where I'll be Saturday morning???

See you there!!!

Lana
of the Watermelon Patch....

oops....

I mean....

of Honeysuckle Lane.
~*~

Our truck-bed runneth over...

This is after we had already picked and ate and gave away about 30-40 watermelons.

We also picked and gave away and ate and froze and made jam from more than 60 mushmelons. Unfortunately, the racoons totally destroyed a large amount of mushmelons that were left.

We were going to pick them the next day to give away and/or sell.

There are more watermelons in the patch that need to be picked in the next few days, soon as all the hay is baled and put up in the barn.

September Posies

I was looking for something in my workroom and happened upon a box of ribbons and a few ribbon flowers that I had started and didn't complete.

So I sorted through new ribbons and vintage ribbons and finished those. But I didn't stop there ~ I love working with ribbon and hand sewing, and so I kept right on making them.

At first I thought it would be silly to make pansies for September, as I think of them in the Spring.

Then I remembered that they are hardy in the cold weather and that people often plant them in the fall and enjoy them through the winter and into Spring the next year!

I'll have them available on the 15th ~ and may possibly put a few in my etsy shop later this week.

Check back in a few days for more September Posies...