Good things come in 3s ...

… at least that’s what they say. :)

1. I’m making something with

3 spindles

3 wooden base things

3 robe hooks

Check back next week to see what I did with them!

just ignore the tube of spackle stuff, hammer, iced coffee and sudoku puzzle book ~ i'm a busy gal!

2. We are in the midst of renovating. We have the new flooring in the living room, dining room, hall, and bath. Fresh paint is on the walls and all most of the trim is up. I had to go back and patch nail holes in the trim, sand, and touch up with paint. That was not fun. I don't mind doing it, but I am not as good at it as my carpenter husband. I work slower and I keep seeing little imperfections that need fixing, so I go back over it again... and again... and again...

this is after the old floor was torn up and before the new flooring was installed. i'll do more posts soon with lots more photos and share more of what we did.

3. And since I didn’t have enough to fill my 30-hour days (there are 30 hours in a day, right?), after getting a phone call from the shop owner in Oak Ridge who puts together the Lavender Festival, I reconsidered and decided that I will be doing it. After all, I will have at least a week to get ready for it! Am I losing it, or what???

3a. No, I didn’t mess up. We’re talking good things in 3s so I didn’t want to jinx it by listing number 4. ;) I have a big 75-quart plastic tote box filled with old linens that I have collected over the years. Some are near perfect and some are more suited for recycling into some sweet doll’s dress or a pincushion or pillows or whatever else you can think of. So in a few weeks, I'll be offering all of those for sale. It's about time someone put these lovely oldies to good use!

{***just pretend this is a photo of the tote box overflowing with antique and vintage linens. the box is in the basement and I and my camera are not.***}

So... in the evenings I’ve been working on custom orders, but this week I had to finally stop and get something made for the festival, which (by the time I'm finally posting this draft) is day after tomorrow!

I will be taking mostly paper pretties. I've had trouble finding the silk ribbon I normally use to embroider my pillows and just don't have time to hand dye white silk ribbon... maybe next year.

I have botanical cones filled with sprigs of dried lavender. I also have paperweights, book spine cuffs, vintage book wreaths, puzzle purse valentines (it doesn't have to be Valentine's day to give a token of love to someone), matted photographs, sets of my watercolor cards, and I'm currently working on soldered glass charms featuring hearts and hearts in hands and antique lace, soldered pottery shard charms, and blogging this post of course!

paper art has been done and these pieces are ready to wrap with copper foil tape. yes, i use those big utility scissors to cut the little 1" and 2" designs. i never could get the hang of using teeny tiny scissors.

i save all my paper scraps for smaller projects that i work on later such as the charms.

 I've had some trouble with my soldering iron. The first one I had died a year or so ago, along with some tips. Then I purchased a new one, same make and model, opened it for the first time last night, used it to solder about 10 charms and the tips went out. What is it with me and soldering iron tips? I thought I was keeping it tinned while working, but maybe I wasn't doing it enough.

Thankfully, I had a spare that I purchased with my first iron. I'm using it today, and so far, so good! However, I am considering buying a different soldering iron soon, so if anyone has a favorite, please let me know. I currently have a Studio 100 which cost about $50 - $60 and I'm considering a Weller iron, but then again, if I can get this one to do the job and if I can find a smaller tip for it, I may stick with what I'm familiar with.

these look a little rough at first, but after i use the Dremel on them, along with the patina mixture, then buff and wax, they will look MUCH better!

some of my handy tools

and my messy work station.

Wish me luck, I am running a bit behind, but hopefully I can get caught up by late tonight --- I'll be sure to have lots of this to keep me working as late as possbile:

 Oh, I nearly forgot! Visit this link to read more about the Lavender Festival. If you come, please be sure to drop by and say hello ~ I'll be set up at my usual spot in front of The Ferrell Shop. :)

Take Care and God Bless,

Lana

~*~