Wilma's Wimzees

I am back from vacation to find an award.

2011-08-07T09:09:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Deirdra Eden-Coppel for extending a creative award to my blog. It's always nice to have someone appreciate my efforts for an informative and fun blog.

You can find Dierdra at A Storybook World. She's an Author and Illustrator. Check it out.

James Durbin...You are my Idol!

2011-05-06T14:16:00.000-04:00

Want to Win some awesome handmade items from the OFG Girls?

2011-04-18T08:31:00.001-04:00

Check out the handmades the Old Farmhouse Gathering Team on Etsy have made for one lucky winner in our Summertime Giveaway. And then click the graphic under the slideshow of items to go to the blog and enter.

Witness to the Persecution

2011-03-30T12:09:00.003-04:00

I've been forwarded these in an email. They are so darn funny every time I get them. I decided to share them.

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said , 'Where am I, Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?

WITNESS: My name is Susan!
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?

WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?

WITNESS: No , I just lie there.
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.

ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
___________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?

WITNESS: Yes , voodoo.
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his
sleep , he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
____________________________________
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the 20-year-old , how old is he?

WITNESS: He's 20 , much like your IQ.
___________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?

WITNESS: Are you sh*tting me?
_________________________________________
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?

WITNESS: Getting laid
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes..
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I
get a new attorney?
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?

WITNESS: Take a guess.
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?

WITNESS: Unless the circus was in town I'm going with male.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a
deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?

WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
______________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on
dead people?

WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
_________________________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?

WITNESS: Oral.
_________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 PM
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?

WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
____________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?

WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
______________________________________
And last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So then it is possible that the patient was alive when you
began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?

WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

Spring Bunnies and a Special Offer for a Freebie

2011-03-10T10:06:00.003-05:00

Welcome Spring and with it comes the Old Farmhouse Gathering on Etsy's celebration. I made these bunnies for it. At the end of this post will be a special I am having for Spring.

click here to purchase

These fellas are fresh out of my motor home. Below is some pics of how they came together. This pattern is one of mine and I thought you may like to see them getting hatched.

First, I printed the pattern on cardstock and traced the pieces onto muslin. I haven't made these in a while
so the first thing I had to do was read my directions.
You'll notice on my pattern parts, if I sew on the pencil line the pattern says trace on the fabric. If
the piece needs to be cut and sewn the pattern piece
will say cut from fabric.

Next, I organized my pieces: The bodys are cut and sewn with a 1/4 inch seam allowance and the rest are machine stitched on the pencil line.

There are 2 fronts and 2 backs to each body. Stitch

the 2 fronts together and then each back to opposite

sides. It's a good idea to pin your pieces before

you sew.

The foot and leg. When stitching the leg/foot
leave the toes open. Cut out your pieces and
line up the seam lines stitch a curve around
the toes.

Okay, so I know I said in the previous post

that I don't like to cut into the fabric, and I
don't. But in this case cutting into one layer
of fabric to stuff, we'll stitch up the hole
after, it's on the inside of the leg so it won't
show. Also, be sure and lay your
legs opposite so that the cuts go to the
inside of the leg.

It's time to turn right side out and stuff.
The ears are not stuffed but have a chenille
stem or wire inserted into them.

Attaching the legs. Pin legs to body, making
sure your legs sit flat on the surface and are even. There will be about a 1 to 1 1/2 inch gap between
the table and your bunny's bottom. You want your
bunny looking at you so that he is not looking down.

Use strong thread and stitch along the top side of the leg sending the needle through the seam and taking stitches behind the thigh. This will keep the stitches showing to a minimum.

The tail is one circle, hand-gathered and stuffed with the gathers pulled tight and secured.

Stitch your bunny's toes, there is instructions in the patter for this. Also, his fingers.

This time I added cut pieces of chenille stem to the arms as well as the ears to give the arms some posability.

Stitch on the arms, ears, and tail.

The eyes are painted and the nose, mouth and brows are stitched. I used an ash pink for the nose and black for brows and mouth.

Here you may stain

your bunnies before or after you paint the eyes.

I painted the whites with antiques white. Let dry and add the iris, I used a chocolate brown and black for the pupil. A toothpick dipped in antique white works great for highlighting.

I also used a black, brown and white water color pencil on the eyes. I outlined the whole eye and around the iris in black, and then shaded with the brown to add the eyelid. I am showing this on the rabbits before I stained. But I repeated it after I stained, because it washed off. I also added pink paint to the inside of the ears, dry brushed it on and then sanded.

I stained my rabbits with a walnut crystal mix that I added cinnamon and cinnamon oil too. OOOH Smells so good.

I stitched on my pencil lines. I also added with my brown pencil 5 dots on either side of his nose for faux whiskers. Be sure and spray the face with a matte sealer to afix the watercolor pencils. I used Krylon, Matte Finish.

The one with the pink bow will be in my etsy shop.
(And of course, it's pouring rain so I can't go outside to take pics for my etsy listing.)

The sun was so bright yesterday my pics didn't come out and the boys didn't like the sun in their eyes.

I know some of you scrolled down fast to see my special so here it is.

Purchase one of my bunny patterns and comment on this blog post then choose another one of my epatterns to receive free in your inbox. I'll send your free pattern to the email in your paypal receipt.

Click here to purchase

Click here to see all my patterns to
choose for your freebie.

Don't know what to comment cause you hate my bunnies? Well, how about telling me who
your favorite Idol is of the 13, soon to be 12.

Don't forget the Old farmhouse gathering on Etsy is having their spring celebration, check out all the special new items for this group on March 11th. Click here to see.

Raggedy Construction Zone

2011-03-01T13:04:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend I made this great Annie Doll. She's a wonderful doll for beginners. You can click on any of the pictures to make them larger.

Click here to purchase one. You'll have to scroll down 3/4 of the page.

I don't want to get into any debate here. But if you use someone's design, even if you change the face, clothing or anything, it is common courtesy to credit the designer.

That said, I hope you will enjoy how this doll went together.

First, READ the instructions. They come with the pattern for a reason. And you wouldn't want to be classified in the male persona of dumping it all out of the box, because he knows how to put it together and doesn't need directions.

Now these patterns do not come in e-form so you can't keep printing out the pieces. So, to save the original pattern, trace your pieces onto freezer paper shiny side down. They can be ironed onto poster board or cut apart and ironed onto cheap cardstock. Cut to size.

I also like to add a sketch for the parts with measurement on the pattern part that does not have a pattern. (the skirt, bloomers, etc.) The doll body fits on a 1/2 yard of muslin.

Lay your cut pieces onto muslin, and draw around them with a pencil.

Since this is a post on how I make a doll, I will deviate from some of the

instructions. The small doll is cut from the back to turn and stuff, but I hate doing that, so I add a tab to the side of the pattern to leave open for stuffing. Makes it easier to stitch the side seam.

We are going to sew on our pencil lines. Cut your pieces into easy to handle sections. I also have penciled in my facial features.

Since my face will be on the wrong side I lay over the doll and trace on my pencil lines for the right side of the face. (Not all patterns faces will fit on your pieces, but this one is very well drawn for you)

Excited. We are going to sew each piece together. Sew on your pencil lines. I like to use a notch smaller stitch than standard. Leave open where appropriate for stuffing.
To keep the head round, sew from bottom to center of top of head, and then repeat for the other side. This will help so you won't pull and stretch your fabric out of shape and keep the roundness of the head.
Cut each piece 1/4 inch away from stitching line. Clipping necks and curves carefully.

I like a square bottom on my dolls. I have stitched one inch on either side of the big dolls opening. Place bottom seam against side seams and stitch across about 3/4 inch from point. Sorry this pic is fuzzy. Cut off excess fabric point.

Turn all pieces right side out and stuff. Wait a minute, check those directions, the legs and arms have special stuffing instructions.

There is a line on the arms and legs that you should have transferred onto your part. Stuff to within 1 inch of that line. Machine stitch across. Here I like to leave long tails on the ends of my stitching line so that I can hand tie knots. This looks neater than backstitching.

The small doll's legs are stuffed to the tops and then sewn across, again I leave long tails to hand knot on either side.

We're stuffed.

It's a matter of preference, but I like to make a triangle at the opening of the arms before I hand stitch them to the shoulders. With the legs I turn in the raw edge opening and stitch to doll. But I won't add the legs till I paint their leg stripes.

This is a matter of preference, but I like to paint and stitch before I stain.
I used perle cotton for my floss. I also used a 1 inch button for the large dolls eye circle and will use a 3/4 inch button for the eye.

Mark your leg stripes on your leg on the back and front. I lay mine down on the quilt pad and mark every inch. Pour a puddle of barn red paint. I dry brush the stripes. Wet the brush bristles in water and blot out on a paper towel. Dip brush in puddle and then swirl on paper towel to remove excess paint. Dry brushing uses hardly any paint. Use short quick back and forth strokes to paint on the stripes.

For the tiny heart on the little doll, I use the top end of a small paint brush. Dip the end in paint, dab two dots next to each other on the fabric and then drag the paint to a point. You may want to practice on some scrap muslin first. Let the paint dry and lightly sand. Those sponge nail files from Sally's make great sanders.

Let's stain our dollys. I use walnut crystals, 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of warm water. You can add some vanilla extract, I added some cinnamon oil too.
These dolls are still wet, as they dry, they will lighten. I use a large craft paint brush to paint on my stain, then I blot it with paper towels to make it even.
The big dolls will be dressed, so I am not concerned about even stains on parts not seen. Besides, they are supposed to look like they've aged over the years.

Adding the button eyes. Use a long doll needle and strong thread. I used black upholstery, but button or carpet thread will work too. Thread your needle with a long long thread and double the thread. It isn't necessary to knot it. Place your button where you want it on the face and push the threaded needle through a hole. Come out through the back leaving a long tail on the front. Push the needle in the back of the head the same place you came out. Guiding it through the opposite hole, pull the threads tight. Hand knot and tie the button tight to the doll's face. Push the needle half way into a button hole, thread the loose tails into the needle and push it through to the back of the head. Cut off excess. You will have a tight eye and no stitching on the doll's head back.

The little dolls don't have clothes. So true, if you have little girls, their dolls hair is always a mess and more often than not naked. I wanted to put bloomers on these girls. To do this measure the widest part of their bottoms and add an inch. Measure how long. Cut double square. Mine measured 5 inches wide by 4 inches long. Sew the sides rst. Find center and measure 2 inches from bottom. Sew 1/4 inch from center up to 2 inch mark across about 1/2 inch and down the other side of center. Cut between the stitching lines to form pant legs, turn rso and dress the doll.

I also want to tell you about gathering the big doll's dress. Machine baste two rows of stitches about 1/4 inch apart at the top of the dress leaving long tails on either side. (I like long tails) Tie the two bobbin threads together on both sides. This way you will find the baste rows with ease after you sew the dress to the bodice. Gather the dress smaller than the bodice. Pin raw edges to bodice on both sides, then adjust the gathers to the length of the bodice and pin in place. Machine stitch between the basted stitches and clip one knotted side and pull the knot of the other and your basting thread should pull out of the dress with ease.

Sweet Raggedy Love

These girls will be in my Etsy shop.

Again I want to say it's common courtesy to mention the designer when selling your creation.

You can find more of Ms. Mills of Sweet Meadows Farms on Etsy, Patternmart, Cloth Doll Supply, ebay, and Here.

Monday Marketplace OFG

2011-02-28T14:11:00.002-05:00

Welcome Joanne to my blog for Monday Marketplace. I can't paint beautiful things so I am featuring someone who can:

Porcelain Flower Quencher

1. What is the name of your Etsy shop and why did you choose that name?

   Painted Panache by Joann Y Wheeler. I choose that name because that's the name I have had my business under since I began painting porcelain in 1986. Panache is defined as distinctive and stylish elegance.The word seemed to fit especially with my handpainted porcelain.

2. How long have you been on Etsy?

Since February 2007

3. What type of items do you offer?


   My shop features handpainted porcelain (china painting), decorative painting on wood and glass, and miniature art (ACEO's) in various mediums.

4. How long have you been crafting?

    For at least 30 years.

5. Who or What inspires you?

   Nature. I love to paint flowers and animals. God inspires me. I enjoy doing religious paints as well. And i'm one of those people who cannot paint unless inspired by something. 

6. What is your favorite item in your shop and why?

   I can't say that I have one thing that is my absolute favorite. Every time I get one, it seems like someone buys it!  However, I do tend to favor my handpainted porcelain because I believe it's one of those things that you can pass down for generations to come.

7. Other places where you can be found (Ebay, webstore, blog)

   Blog: http://jywheeler.blogspot.com 
   Ebay: http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=heylucy1
   Bonanzle: http://bonanzle.com/eclecticspirit
   Artfire: http://www.artfire.com/users/ArtByJYWheeler

For her ACEO visit her new Shop Artful Purpose

Porcelain Egg

I got a nook!

2011-02-12T15:53:00.001-05:00

I mentioned to my daughter that I thought I'd like an e-reader, but wasn't sure which one I wanted. And then this Nook arrived in my mail. THANK YOU, WINTER (and Palmer and Phil)

After registering, downloading a couple of books, transferring some of my stuff on to the Nook, and playing with it. Oh Yeah. I decided I wanted a cover. I looked at covers. Dang they are ex-pen-sive! I decided to make one of my own. I didn't want a pouch, I wanted it to open like a book. I also wanted a pocket in it to hold the cord. I also felt it would need something to give it some solidness and I didn't want to use cardboard. I decided the plastic sheet cutting board would work well. Now it took me about 7 hours to finish. But I had to design and measure and I fixed and ate a roast beef dinner in the middle of it. So I'm guessing it really shouldn't take more than 3 hours to make one of these for your nook.

First, I started with 11 X 13 pieces of fabric and realized they were too long and cut them shorter the following is what you'll need and it should fit. My nook measures 5 X 8 inches on the outside, if you do this for another e-reader adjust your measurements to it. About 2 inches bigger than the actual reader.

Supply List:

2-9 1/2 X 13 inch fabric
For pocket: 2-13 X 6 inch
Strip of fabric 9 X 2 inches for button
2-8 1/4 X 5 3/4 inch pieces of plastic
(I used the plastic from a cutting board,
available at flea markets and dollar stores)
2 squares of batting (I used 1 batting and
1 felt, cause I didn't have enough)
1/4 inch elastic
a large shank button
2 1/2 inch wide 63 inch long strip, coordinating, or matching.

1. Layer one piece of fabric on top of
the two pieces of batting and stitch
3 rows down the center about 1/4
inch apart. This will be on the inside
but it will be the "fold" of the cover
where the nook butts against.

2.Press the 9 inch X 2 inch strip wrong sides together in half, open up, press raw edges to center, fold in half and press. Stitch along the pressed edges. Pin this piece with raw ends to the outside of fabric raw edges.
Lay nook on fabric and pin strip of elastic diagonal across.

3. Lay this piece with batting on
top of wrong side of other fabric.

4. With wrong sides together
stitch along the 13 inch edge
of pocket fabric, turn and
press right side out. Lay
pocket on bottom of outside
layer and pin. Stitch around
three sides leaving top open!

5.Turn over and pin elastic over the diagonal elastic. You
will want to put your nook on
it to decide exactly where you
want these strips of elastic. I
positioned them to cover the outer
edges of my nook.

This is also where I realized my project
was too long. And trimmed it.

6. Stitch along bottom of cover to hold
your long elastic in place. Insert plastic
pushing it to bottom seam and outside
seams. Stitch 1/4 inch away from plastic
securing the top of the elastic strips.

Photo opposite shows my cover all stitched
and seams trimmed to about 1/4 inch.
I also realized here, that I didn't want my plastic
to shift on the inside. And so this leads to...
7. On outside (where pocket is) stitch one
row through center separating the two sides.

Let's make our cover pretty!

This is a double fold binding which I find the easiest. Cut a strip of fabric 2 1/2 inches wide and 10 inches longer than the combined outside measurements of your cover. Mine was 53 inches so I needed 63. Press the strip wrong sides together in half lengthwise. Start at the center of the bottom leaving a tail of about 6 inches unsewn.

Stitch a 3/8 inch seam. When you reach a corner, Stop stitching at 1/4 inch from the edge. Backstitch. Fold binding to create a 45 degree angle, or triangle. Fold the binding over the triangle even with edges and stitch from edge to next corner. Repeat at all corners.

Stop stitching a couple of inches before beginning stitches and turn under ending edge, inserting beginning edge inside. You may need to do some trimming. Lay flat on cover and finish machine stitching.
Press out the seam and fold over to other side. Pin. Now you gotta hand stitch this part. Slide
the needle inside the fold to keep your stitches
hidden.

For the corners, fold miter opposite direction to
reduce bulk.
I used a large vintage shank button and I only sewed it to the pocket and not the cover. I want to put my
plug in that pocket. And I have a back pocket to put
my papers for analyzing my chapters, homework, whatever.

Whoopee! My nook fits and it turned out, not so bad.

A pic to show the cord fits snug inside.

You can do lots of different things with this basic
cover. Have contrasting or coordinating fabric for
binding, pocket, or the inside and outside. Use ribbon
instead of a button and tie your nook cover. Add a pocket to the inside.

You could quilt the back and front, but if you want to add the plastic, be sure you quilt the back and front separate on each piece of batting.

Cover your elastic in a coordinating fabric.

There are lots of things to make your cover OOAK. and Personalize it.

Monday Marketplace

2011-02-06T19:53:00.002-05:00

Please Welcome Marie, of Mamaw's Creations.

Hey Steeler FANS! Check out Marie's Steeler Items.

1. What is the name of your Etsy shop and why did you choose that name?


   I have 2 Etsy shops.  Mamaw Creations and Bear Mountain Prims

2. How long have you been on Etsy?


   Mamaw Creations has been on Etsy since July 2007 and Bear Mountain  
   Prims has been open since Jan 2010

3. What type of items do you offer?


   Mamaw Creations shop has E-patterns that I design and I sell sewed   
   blank doll bodies, finished Prim Raggedy Anns.
   Bear Mountain Prims carries finished Primitive items, such as 
   Seasonal items, primitive pillows, primitive dolls, stitcheroes, and 
   Grubby electric candles and tarts.

4. How long have you been crafting?


   I have been crafting since I was little and it is a passion with me. 
   I love designing and watching items come to life (so to speak) 
   Pleases me! I love to work with different mediums but fabric is my 
   Favorite.

5. Who or What inspires you?


   Inspiration comes to me by so many different things that I haven’t 
   Really 1 answer for it. I will say I Thank God for most of my 
   Inspiration.

6. What is your favorite item in your shop and why?


   There is many favorite items in both of my shops and I am proud that 
   Everything is Handmade!

7. Other places where you can be found (Ebay, webstore, blog)


   I have a website www.MamawsCreations.com,      www.mamawcreations.etsy.com, www.mamawscreations.blogspot.com, and
   www.bearmountainprims.etsy.com

2011-01-23T15:48:00.002-05:00

'Cupid Doesn't Lie' by SugarMtnMercantile

Cupid doesn't lie, but you won't know unless you give him a try!

Rabbithollowpr... $53.96	needleNme $16.00	icehousecrafts $13.99	whimsiedots $10.00
pumpkinseedmam... $1.95	ziggles $5.95	farmersattic $29.99	BeyondTheAttic... $12.99
HostessMostest $29.95	PrintandSew $5.50	MyBebesBoutiqu... $19.95	L7Designs $3.00
northwindstar $13.95	WillmasWimzees $11.99	oodlekadoodleP... $6.99	ewenmeprintabl... $2.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

Heads Are Rolling

2010-01-12T10:10:00.001-05:00

I was up to the limit with my AT&T internet and I had 6 days before the month was up. At 10 cents a megabyte, it really adds up, I know, because we have gone over before. I couldn’t get on the www so had to do something!

I had bought netting to make a Valentine Ballerina. I thought, it would be fun to take pics as I go and add them to my blog. I drew up a pattern and went to work. I know many of you make dolls. But there may be some of you that would like to see one in the process to the end result.

Here is my doll laid out on my hand dyed muslin. Notice the black arrows; I always add a tab in the side of my doll body for turning. I do not like to cut into the back of the body to stuff. The fabric ravels, and I think it looks bad.

Disregard this head….It’s one I decided not to keep.

The first head, I didn’t like, so I made another. I didn’t like the second one either, and made another. But this time I decided to make just the elliptical shape without drawing in a nose on the front of the face. Here’s how it turned out:

I like a little bit of soft sculpture, I think it gives a face dimension and personality.

Crap, this one might not work either!

Above is the sketch for needle sculpting a face. Of course, you do anchor your knot in the back of the head and come out at number 1. This is my sketch, however, Patti Culea, in her book Creative Cloth Doll Faces, has a much nicer one. Well, let’s move on.

I wrap a Q-tip in scrap muslin to insert into the neck of the body. It gives the neck some stability without using a dowel which is hard and might slip.

My doll head is on the body with the arms attached. But I do not attach the legs until I finish the face. I decided that I had to define the nose more and added some stitching up the bridge. I am definitely not an artist and struggle with the face. I think I am getting pretty good at the eyes but the nose and mouth slay me. Don’t even talk to me about ears!! Okay, here she is. I am not going to spray her face yet, until I think I can live with it. (Besides, it is soo cold here in Florida, and you cannot spray in these temps)

Now that I have seen her in a pic, I can see where I still need to blend her face. Okay, I think it’s safe to sew her legs on now. I am off to create her outfit.

The Flower Patch, Sweet Annie

2009-11-19T10:52:00.009-05:00

I want you to meet Kathy from The Flower Patch. I love her Sweet Annie. It is preserved and not dried and I recommend her Annie to all of the crafters out there. It has a wonderful scent and does not turn brown and fall apart. I think her pricing is very reasonable. Thanks Kathy for taking the time to visit my blog and answer a few questions. Thank you, Alice, for inviting me to be a guest, on your blog. Where are you located? I live with my husband and two children in the country, just outside of Medford, Wisconsin. How long have you been selling your florals? We started growing flowers eleven years ago. That first year, I made mostly bouquets and went to a couple of different farmer’s markets. The second year we tried preserving our flowers and selling at craft shows around Wisconsin. Five years ago I started my website and just about this time of year, four years ago, I started selling on eBay. Your swags and bouquets are beautiful. Did you take a floral arranging course or are you a natural? Thank you for the compliment. I have never taken a floral arranging class. When I have time, I like to look through magazines to see how people are decorating. Sometimes I see something that gives me an idea and I do a quick sketch of an arrangement that would work. Those sketches end up hanging from a wooden clothes pin in my work shop, until I feel inspired to try it. What made you take the plunge to make your hobby into a business? I had gone on to school for graphic design and was employeed full time as a Graphic Designer, for nine years. Then we had our first child and we decided that I should become a stay at home mom. So, I stayed home and did freelance graphic design, for a large company. During this time we built a new home, had a second child and the deadlines for projects kept getting tighter. I found myself staying up to 2am to get projects done, so I could be a good mom during the day. That’s when we started growing flowers. It was something our two small children could help with and it got me outside during the day. We built a shed that looks like a barn, with the drying area upstairs and my work area downstairs. I tried doing both jobs for a year and finally took the plunge three years ago, to go with just The Flower Patch. What is your best selling item? My best selling product, is my bulk Preserved Sweet Annie groupings.
Anything else you would like us to know? If you place an order with me in the future, just let me know that you read about me on Alice’s blog. You can do that by typing the following code (sweet wimzees) into the message area on PayPal, when you pay me. I will then include a little extra item, with your order. Thank you, Kathy The Flower Patch You can find Kathy here: Website EBay Listings

Shave and a Haircut-$32, LOVE-Priceless

2009-07-21T20:45:00.002-04:00

Taa Daa Introducing INDY, He is so much happier. The groomer said that she didn't think he had been groomed to many times as he was pretty skittish. She made it super short to be able to get rid of the matted hair, and now with brushing and care maybe next time we can leave a little more on. He had such long nails and those are cut too. When Ralph went in to get him he was ecstatic, probably thought he was changing families again when he was there so long. He heard Ralph and started barking and wining and the groomer said "you must be here to get Indy!"

A new Travelling Buddy

2009-07-19T11:45:00.002-04:00

So, we have been looking for a certain someone to join us in our moving home. we found him yesterday. He is a 2 year old Yorkshire Terrier. Already trained, whoo hoo! I gave him a bath and brushed him but his hair is matted and he will have to go to the groomers, hopefully, in a couple of days. He has followed me all around, loves to walk on a leash, and slept in our bed last night. His name is Sparkles, however, we don't like it, and want to call him Indy. Does anyone out there know if he will learn a new name? He's such a sweetie.

It is not that difficult to ship Out of the US

2009-02-01T18:28:00.003-05:00

I had someone email me from Australia and wondered if I would ship to them. I told them that shipping was so prohibitive to ship overseas I had never done it, but I would check it out. Well, many of you may know this but I didn't and there may be some of you that don't know like me. If you have an item or several and they do not weigh over 13 ounces, you can ship them first class parcel. Well, mine only weighed about 6 ounces and I was able to send them to her for only $6.50. wow, I was excited and I made a sale! I shipped in a bubble envelope I purchased from Walmart. Now I talked to the young girl at my post office here in Alabama and she told me the countries, she found with the best shipping within the country are Canada, Great Britain, Australia and Japan. She said Italy is bad and that she heard from her customers that their post just throws the packages in the street! She recommended that I not ship to Italy. Sorry, if I have any readers from there. So I think I will change my listings and I will ship to these countries she recommended. Just thought I would let you all know my experience. Now how long it takes for her to receive it, we shall see. My post office says about 10 days. Will let you know.