Two wasn't enough - I now have 3 Etsy Shops

I have recently resurrected my handmade calligraphy designs. It didn't seem appropriate to list them on my other two Etsy shops (allthingshhomey and treasures4ewe) so what else to do but open a third shop.

ANNOUNCING;

I learned to do calligraphy over 40 years ago and I have loved it ever since. I have even taught calligraphy classes but doing so was a bit frustrating because most of the students came expecting to be able to address wedding invitations after a two hour class.
In all the classes I have taught, I have noted that my best 'natural' calligraphers were male. In fact most of the best instructors are men.
Still, I love doing it and sharing an art that seems to be dying out.
Below are some samples of what you will find on http://www.sssstudio.etsy.com

The calligraphy is a print of my original. In the Serenity Prayer, I hand illuminated the print with watercolor. In the two smaller prints, I have added hearts cut from an antique quilt and hand sewn the edges. I encourage special orders: Quotes, colors, mat colors, etc.

Take a look, and as always, comment deeply appreciated. http://www.sssstudio.etsy.com

Button, Button; Who has the Button?

A hundred years ago, my mother played this button game, with her 5 sisters, as a small child.
I think I must have loved buttons ever since my mother taught me this game.
I love going to estate saless, yard sales and thrift stores where I have found and added many buttons to my collection.

I keep a lot of my buttons in jars, seperated by color. Of course the white Mother-of-Pearl buttons go in al old milk bottle.

Buttons are so versitle and can be used in all kinds of crafts as well as handy to have when your favorite blouse loses a button.

At my grandaughter's ninth birthday, the girls made button rings, (from my stash of buttons of course.)

I have many buttons on their original cards...too cute to remove the buttons. I keep some of those in a big jar also. I do have buttons, carded buttons, and crafts with buttons in my etsy shop: http://www.allthingshomey.etsy.com

AND THE WINNER IS....

And the winner of the Handmade Zipper Flower is RHONDA KOEBEL

As you can see by the photo above of my grandaughter Elise, the drawing was completely random! Rhonda if you will email (ssswift@juno.com) me your snail mail address, I will put the Zipper Flower in the mail straight away.

NOTE: My sister Etsy shop is currently having a summer sale of 20% OFF. Check it out at: http://www,treasures4ewe.etsy.com

Daughter Emily has a friend who has a friend that lives in Gainesville, FL. This friend of a friend told her friend about a large commercial Blueberry field that opens to public pickin' after the migrant farmers leave for South Carolina.
Last Monday, Emily, Elise (6) and Emmett (10) amd I drove 2 hours to 'glean' blueberries and peaches. We spent a little over two hours pickin' before heading our two hours back home. What fun we had...and what a haul we made.
The field of blueberries was 1/4 mile wide by 1/2 mile long and the bushes had loads of berries waiting to be picked.

The peach trees were at the west end of the field. There were only about 12 trees and they were loaded with fruit...yellow peaches as well as white peaches. They were small, about the size of an apricot but so juicy and sweet, especially the white peaches.

Once home - what to do with ALL this fruit. I filled 5 quart containers with blueberries to give away and still had as many berries left. I also gave away a large bag of peaches. The next project was to make some peach perserves. The peaches were so juicy that the preserves have a bit more syrup than intended but don't they look yummy? This morning I needed sryup for the grandchildren's eggos, so I whipped up a small batch of blueberry syrup. Um-m, so delicious.

Lord, bless the owners of this field for allowing 'gleaners' to come in. Amen

1940s Dress Patterns

Sixteen years ago, While living in Indiana, I went to a small town yard sale. It was about 20 miles out in the country but I think almost every home in that small town was having a yard sale. What fun I had. The only thing I remember buying is a bag of about a dozen 1940s dress patterns. I love the 1940s style even though I was only a child then. In the intervening years and moving a couple of times, I lost track of where I had put these vintage patterns.
A few weeks ago, while cleaning up in the garage and going through storage boxes, I found that bag of patterns.
Wow, they are cuter than ever. In preparing these patterns to list on Etsy, I found out that the pattern pieces were machine cut without any markings. Complete, illustrated instructions were given so you would know what to do with the pattern pieces. I'm glad they don't do that anymore. A pattern size 18 had a 36" bust which today's patterns would be a size 12.
In researching 1940s dress patterns, I learned that one of my favorite patterns was actually a rare pattern and worth almost $40.00. It is the Betty Grable Hollywood dress pattern. It is now listed on my etsy shop.
http://www.allthingshomey.etsy.com

Zipped up Flowers

Why would anyone have a gallon jar full of old zippers, you might say?
Over twenty years ago one of my mine and my mother's favorite Bargain stores was going out of business.
One of the many items for sale were zippers. (They weren't old then). And they were 5 cents a piece.
Well, I am my mother's daughter and I can't resist a bargain. My mind starts calculating - 5 cents a piece - 20 zippers for $1.00. Now that's a bargain I can't refuse.
For over 20 years I have enjoyed my gallon jar with it's colorful zippers waiting patiently for a project.
THEN, I saw a zipper flower somewhere on the internet and HAD to make one. I typed in Zipper Flower Tutorial, on Utube and learned how to do just that.
The photo with the small coin purse has a detachable zipper flower that can be worn as a pin, and is for sale on my other Etsy shop: http://www.treasures4ewe.etsy.com

Would you like to win a zipper flower made just for you? Click on my 'FOLLOW' button before the end of May and I will select, randomly, a winner to be announced by June 4th.

All Nature Praises The LORD

For over 10 years I have looked forward to the coming of Easter when I find evidence of nature praising God. The new growth of a particular pine tree, in Florida, shows it's praise in the form of crosses at the tips of each branch. It makes my heart want to join them in Praising the God who made all.
I have never been able to get close enough to take a picture. These are tall pine trees. This year I found some, not too tall, and I borrowed my daughter's camera and her son and we went picture taking. John-Thomas did an awesome job taking the picture in the above page. Then he selected the background paper and I did the rest of the page.
One of my favorite pages because it has been simmering in my heart for over 10 years. I hope you enjoy it.
Easter is all about new life. The new life that Jesus gives us through His blood shed on the cross and through our acceptence of his sacrifice to cover our sins.
New Life comes through the crosses on pine trees and also comes from chicks pecking out of their eggs. I have been decorating eggs at Easter for over 50 years. Two of the quail eggs on my tree are 50 years old. Some are over 40 years old and some are just days old.
Happy Resurrection Day to all.