Framed Vintage Christmas Santa Handkerchief

I wanted to create something special with this very special vintage Christmas handkerchief. When I found this wonderful frame I was on my way. The edging on the frame coordinated wonderfully with the edging design on the hanky and with the Damask piece I found for the background.

The vintage hanky dictated playfulness and fun. So I decided to paint some snowflakes on the inside of the glass. There was, of course, a lot of plotting and planning before I took paint brush to glass. The lovely shadow effect is created because there is a space between the glass and the framed hanky. Click on the photos for an enlarged view and a better look at the details.

I just knew this would look beautiful in someone's entryway and could be used instead of a Christmas wreath. And, what a joy, it would be to use it year after year!

I almost didn't give this one up. I really wanted to keep it for myself. But, I decided to leave it up to God and the universe to decide what was best. You can imagine my joy when Cynthia (the purchaser) told me she was also a Santa Collector. It always makes me feel good when I know one of my pieces is going to a good home! Thank you Cynthia...and, thank you for the photos.

Cynthia's beautiful Christmas Tree

Birds and Beans

Good Morning All - Today I want to talk about birds and beans! I have been working for quite some time to catch the two finch photos above. I've discovered that finches are quite flighty feathered friends. These pictures were taken at different times but in the same general area. They are enjoying themselves eating my catnip seeds.

While I am on the subject of birds I thought I would show you a couple of items I currently have available in my online vintage shop. The first is a cross stitched bluebird which I have been able to date back to the 1940's by the flat head screws in the wooden frame. This charming cross stitched bluebird was obviously made with much love. Most likely stitched by Mom and framed by Dad.

And then I have this cheerful yellow pottery pitcher set. It has this wonderful parrot motif on the one side and a pretty flower motif on the other side. It would look so spectacular in a cottage kitchen...and you could use it for a large bouquet of flowers as well.

Now - let's talk about those beans. Aren't they pretty? They caught my eye in the garden early this morning as the sun showcased their speckled rosey color. Oh wow! I just went and found the seed packet and it turns out that they are called Speckled Cranberry - what a coincidence. They are an heirloom variety that I purchased from the Seed Savers Exchange a few years back. Here is what the back of the packet says: Brought to America from England around 1825. Triple purpose bean. Can be used as a snap bean at around 60 days, green shell bean at around 80 days, or as a dry bean if grown to full maturity. Produces heavy crops of stringless 7-9" pods until the first frost. Pole habit, dry, 60-90 days. I mostly use them for winter dry beans.

Joyful Yellow

I have this huge sunflower in my back yard. It is such a lovely pale color of yellow. The vibrant purple morning glory blooms are nestled among the cucumber vines delicate little yellow flowers. I have a bumper crop of cucumbers this year. I guess I should be thinking about pickles. 

Here are some of my other sunflowers. Do you see my visitor??? Look closely. My little goldfinch is extremely shy and very fast. He does not like me or my camera. I consider myself lucky to have gotten this shot. The birds love eating sunflower seeds and my husband and I enjoy eating lunch on the patio while watching them eat their lunch.

Mother's Day Snow

Just a few scenes from our Mother's Day snow. 

Some of our limbs didn't make it.

 My Steel Magnolias came through the storm just fine.

 The water was running fast and furiously in Littles Creek.

Hanky Dress Featured on House of Hawthornes

I  was surprised to find one of my dresses featured on Pam's House of Hawthornes blog yesterday along with some other nice ideas for vintage handkerchiefs. 

Click to see full story.

House of Hawthornes on Facebook

Details about this Hanky Dress here.

Springtime in Colorado

Yesterday I was taking pictures of snow white blossoms

 along the Highline Canal not far from my home.

Today I took this picture of snow from my front porch.

Big - beautiful - fluffy white snowflakes!

That is springtime in Colorado!

Spring Door Hangers

I've really been into this cone thing and it's many applications for a little over a year now. I am also big on door hangers. 

Then recently I started a Pinterest Board for burlap crafts I came across. Here is a link to that, if you are into the burlap craze too - https://www.pinterest.com/HankyDressLady/burlap/  

Then one day all these interests merged and I started making and perfecting these burlap door hangers. I started by making some for Valentine's Day using fresh baby's breath. The burlap cones are equipped with floral water tubes.

As bridal decorations these burlap cones would make perfect pew hangers. Or, how about sprucing up a burlap wedding banner with one of these burlap cones on either end!

Put water in tube for fresh flowers.

Here are the new Spring door hangers that I just completed using faux flowers. As you can see, they would also look nice displayed on a wall hook, a door knob, a cabinet knob, or simply a nail on the wall.

So there you have it - my personal contribution to the burlap craze. Each one is a little different; incorporating some sparkling ribbon or old lace and then appropriately frayed for individual character. They are currently available for purchase at the Willow Artisans Market in downtown Littleton. I hope to have some in my Etsy shop soon, too.

Garden Tomatoes

What an abundant garden I had this year. Just amazing! I had a bumper crop of all my tomatoes. Here is the list of the heirlooms I started all from seed: Italian, Yugoslavian, Amish Paste, Black Krim, Black Tula, Gold Medal Winner and Nebraska Wedding. I also grew a red cherry, yellow cherry, Lemon Boy, Big Boy, and a Beefsteak.

Here are some of my tomatoes being hardened off.

And this is how tall they get.
 My heirlooms grow 5- 6 ft tall.
 I plant one morning glory with each one just to be pretty.

Yugoslavian Tomatoes

Nebraska Wedding Tomatoes

I canned juice, froze sauces and salsas, and tried sun dried tomatoes this year for the first time. Sun dried tomatoes is something I want to do again. They are delicious. My hubby built me some new tomato cages this year that I really liked using. They worked much better than anything I have had in the past.

Summer Flowers

Here a few of my summer flowers from the 2014 season. Those were volunteer sunflowers and I planted the cosmos. They turned out to be a pretty combination and grew quite tall.

Sunflowers and Cosmos

Close up of Snowballs

Pink Shasta Daisies

Bicycle Wheel Garden Art - Steel Magnolias

We recently had to do something with our overgrown fitzers on the corner of our front yard. We hired someone to bonsai them for us...unfortunately, we lost the one in the middle.  What to do now??? Well I love bicycle wheels and the thought came to mind that I could make giant flowers out of them. So I explained my idea to hubby, Ron, who put the mechanics to the idea and this is what we did.

So many people have stopped to take pictures and comment that we decided to make some to sell. They are now available for purchase at Vandel Antiques in downtown old Littleton.

It was a neighbor who came by and said, "Hey! I like your steel magnolias!"  So the credit for the names goes to him.

You can get them in many variations and colors.  Red, white and blue ones were available for the Fourth of July and Americana decorators. We also make sunflowers, which have been very popular. If you, don't see what color you have in mind, just tell Vandel's the color and size you want and we can make it special just for you.

My Steel Magnolias



Pink Posies at Vandel Antiques

Sunflowers

Now available for purchase at Vandel Antiques in old downtown Littleton

Baby Robins on my Front Porch

I want to share with you the robins I have enjoyed this summer that live on my front porch. We watched Mom built the nest in the crook of the gutter under the roof. A honeysuckle vine grows up around them.

 

 I was lucky enough to catch pictures of their departure. The scenario began at approximately 11:00 am. It took about an hour before the brother got brave enough to jump; unfortunately, I missed the actual jump. I had to run and do something and he was gone when I returned. His sister took until 7:00 pm that evening to take her leap - which wasn't very far. She landed just below the nest in a bush.  You can see her in the last picture where she held on for dear life all night long. I had so hoped she would not jump until the next morning. Both of them had very short stubby tail feathers which were not ready for true flight yet.

 

The next day we discovered that Mom and Dad had them climb up the trunks of our neighbor's evergreen shrubs and had them hide out there in the upper branches.

 

Long story short - brother and sister robin grew up and are fine. And - Mom and Dad are currently raising another brood of two in the same place.  We sit on the front porch, just a few feet away and watch them and talk to Mom and Dad.

Brother and sister in the nest.

 

Brother hops up on the edge.

 

Sister decides to try it too.



Brother made the leap - sister contemplating it all.



Lonely night in the bush.

Photos From the Spring Market

The Spring Market at The Oh So Charming Cottage was a great success this year. It was the debut of my new Hanky Dress Bodice patterns. You can see examples of the finished dresses along the upper edge of the photo here. (I'll write more about these in a future post.)

My husband, Ron, made little garden totes and benches especially for the sale and had several jewelry organizers there as well.

I had colorful bicycle wheels, vintage treasures, and lots of heirloom tomato plants....I sold bunches of my heirloom tomatoes!  So many - that I am now being referred to as the "Tomato Queen".



My booth at the Spring Market
 

Jewelry Organizers, Garden Totes and Benches, Wheels and Heirloom Tomato Plants
 

Vintage Dining Room Tablecloth

The Oh So Charming Cottage was featuring winter whites and I found this lovely tablecloth for my dining room.

November 2012 - The China Cabinet is Done

The china cabinet is finally done. Here are the before and after pictures.


From hole in the wall to custom designed and built china cabinet.

Assembly work in the garage. Photo after the successful move of the cabinet into place.



Securing the faces to the drawers.

Hip Hip Hooray - We Did It!

October 2012

The following is a quick catch up for October of 2012.

This is a custom order of hanky dresses. They were hankies of my client's favorite aunt. My client gave them to various relatives for Christmas. I believe she saved one for herself. I pulled out all the stops on this order and did a few new things that I had never tried before and came up with a couple of new ideas in the process.

 

A little R&R in our lovely Colorado Mountains

Black Hawk and Central City, Colorado



We only got one pumpkin this year - but it was a nice one! This is an Amish pie pumpkin. I love it's lovely pale color.

And here is the first pumpkin pie made with the pumpkin.
I have also made at least six large loaves of pumpkin bread.
And still have lots of frozen pumpkin left.
 

These were way up on top. The squirrels need some apples too.

Western Welcome Week in Littleton, Colorado

Western Welcome Week has been happening for 84 year's in my hometown of Littleton Colorado. It is always a fun time and usually coincides with the week of my wedding anniverary. The day I got married was the first I knew of WWW. I was sitting in the beauty parlor getting myself all fixed up and I kept hearing all this noise. So I asked what all the noise was about. They told me, "Today is the Western Welcome Week Parade." "You mean - you don't know about Western Welcome Week?" Needless to say I did not - I was new in town. Then I proceeded to worry about how I was going to get out of there and to the church on time because it seemed as though I was all sewed in and all routes out were blocked by the parade.  Long story short - I made it to the church on time!

That's me and Kody, my friend and next door neighbor's sweet little grand daughter.
 

All the horses are my favorite!

Sweet little pooches on parade!
 

Heritage High Cheerleaders

The Westerners