Walker Homestead Spring Show - Our Next!

We have been working since March on handmades and have also had a few picking adventures in anticipation of Walker Homestead.  I am working like a bee trying to finish up a few things for the show.  I will have plenty of dolls, bears, and mostly one of a kind creations.  A few pictures from last June's show....

 

With caring for my mom, this will be a tough act to follow, but might be our best show of the year considering.   I am really looking forward to a day away with friends.

 

Today I will finish a mouse and a hen.... both are to accentuate our picking finds. 

Hope you can make it to the show.   It's been the perfect spring for Kris and Paul's beautiful gardens! 

Etsy Pattern Shop Sale

Good afternoon all, and Happy Earth Day! 

 

 

It's very chilly here in Connecticut and I spent my morning in the kitchen, painting a huge estate sale cabinet for my doll making fabric.  This is by far the best forty dollars I have spent in a very long time.   I am determined to get my act together this year!   It's the first time I've tried chalk paint for furniture, and I am loving it.  I'm trying to decide how to finish it now.....

 

My momma has been in decline and it has been weighing very heavy on my heart.  It seems she loses a little piece of herself every day.   We are trying very hard to do what's best for her.  I do not post about it very often, because then it becomes more real than I can handle.  Most nights I come back home and weep silent tears for her.  So please if you can, a little prayer for her would be most appreciated.   

 

We are stealing away to one of my favorite hot dog joints in a bit.... They opened a few weeks ago, but this will be my first time this season.

 

I added two new coupon codes to my etsy pattern shop this afternoon.

Should you wish to order bulk and want the downloads right away.  This might be a little easier for both of us.

 

10PDFPATTERNSALE  will give you 10 epatterns for forty bucks.

 

5PDFEPATTERNSALE will give you 5 epatterns for 24 bucks.

 

coupon codes can be entered at checkout...

 

My etsy shop is by far the fastest way to get your patterns downloaded, and especially with my momma's health.   Some nights I forget to check my email :-(

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hell's Bells

Just a little reminder.....

Even though you think your computer is running smoothly, you never know when it's your turn for the dreaded blue screen of death!   So back up those files and make sure you know where all your programs are, just in case.  

 

 

My Saturday turned to this nightmare.....

 

 

and this, with lots of stressing in between.

 

I watched several Youtube videos on my ipad and tried everything they suggested to no avail. It would not restart :-(

 

So finally I had no other option but to reset the PC.  That option has not worked well for me in the past! 

 

I probably have 99 percent of my files backed up, but was thinking the one percent would cause some grief.

 

I am thankful my files are all still here, and I have reinstalled all my programs.  I have a little bit of readjusting to do because things are all working differently ( perhaps even better?) than they did before this happened. 

 

I guess it's time to ditch my long obsolete Outlook program for checking my mail and so I am trying the one that came as part of windows 10.   The Picasa program I like for sorting my photos is obsolete (who knew???) but I will use it for now.  And I have to locate my silhouette library for my own cutting files or reload them all one by one from my external drive back into the program.  

No doubt I will find other wonky things as I use them, but for now I am pretty relieved that everything turned out as well as it did! 

 

and now I can resume my dolly making! 

 

 

So anyway, back up those files, because you never know when it's your turn....   ~D

 

 

 

JUST A LITTLE FURTHER UPDATE.....

I was sick over my silhouette studio files.... I thought they were gone forever, but I had saved them not only in my library but also on my external drive.   I'm thankful the ones in my drive were there, but library was gone.   So hours and hours later, I found I could drag my thousands of files into my library.... If I lost anything, I can live with it at this point.  And I haven't paid attention but I can now save it all to the silhouette cloud, and keep it forever :-) yay! 

 

oh, and my beautiful fonts!!!!!!   gone, so had to go finding some more to install.  I am making a list this time!!!!   Plus saved them to my drive also.  I thought I had done that.  

 

Oh and got the sweetest little 4TB drive..... That should last me awhile.  Time to put the other dinosaur away!  



Blessings Always

The first day of spring is always the sweetest!

 

There are so many things to celebrate including longer days and fresh air.  Yay.... winter brings out the doldrums in all of us, and now everyone is feeling cheerier.   My momma is certainly doing much better with the longer days, so that is one of the biggest blessings.   I am hoping I can get her into the gardens again this year. 

 

We still have a good snow pack but this week is forecast to be quite a bit warmer.  With a little luck the snow will be gone by week's end.   I started the week and my spring by hanging some dollies out to age on the clothesline.   This is the time of year I shift my creating into high gear, although it has been an extremely productive couple of weeks.  Will photo soon...

 

Not only do I have many many dolls in the works, but Matt has a production line of whirligigs almost finished.  It's always good if he can keep himself busy....   And spring cleaning is in full force, finally!  I am taking my house back, a little at a time! 

 

It will be an interesting week here, with grandboys staying for eight days.  We drove them back home to get ready for school early this am before the sunrise.  Ha.... I have to say I rather embrace the quietness of our lives, and the bliss of getting up and following my whims all day.  I do not miss the school schedule one bit.  Four more school mornings.......

 

So more dolls waiting to be stuffed but thinking how nice to greet spring again.   Have a blessed one my friends!

 

Deerfield Spring Sampler

What a wonderful show we had! 

 

It was a tremendous show for us again this year and I have so many people to thank.... I am extremely greatful for everyone who made it to the show and I do hope you all will cherish the things you purchased for many many years. 

 

It is always the best experience to create one of a kind items for our collectors, and we work hard to put on a first class showing for all of you.  This year's creations mean even more to me because I have done so many of them under the watchful eye of my mom..... It has made our nights so much more pleasant.   

 

And during the crunch time right before the show I find that is when the magic happens!  It is so nice when the marriage of unfinished objects turns into something really sweet, like my little bee girl...

 

or my other little bee girl.... she was fun!

 

 

the little yellow mohair chickies made everyone smile, and they flew the coop right away.

 

 

I've had this basket forever, and bunny was created for it.  He looks right at home.

 

a large bottle doll angel..  a newer item, and fun to make. 

 

I enjoy working with an assortment of materials.... keeps it interesting and fun.

 

One of my treasured baskets.... I do not usually part with my collection, but am comforted knowing it went home with a dear lady.

 

Some Spanish moss and greenery softened things up a bit...

 

 

a crowded table before the doors opened, but it was only that way for a few moments....

 

and so....

 

until we do it again......  hope that was fun for you!