Whew!!!

That's exactly what I said when Christmas was over. Don't get me wrong ~ I loved the evening spent with my sisters and our families on Christmas Eve ~ I loved Christmas morning and opening gifts with my husband and kids ~ I loved Christmas Day at my in-laws and visiting with 45 family members (2 parents, their 12 kids, their kids' spouses, and all the grandchildren ~ can anyone say madhouse???) ~ I loved having friends and neighbors stopping by Christmas afternoon ~ and I loved having our oldest son come home after work and his girlfriend and her 3 little ones come over to visit and open gifts. I loved it all but..... Whew!!!

I'll share a few photos of the frosty Christmas morning we woke up to see. I always wish for snow, but we don't get it as often as we used to here on the Plateau in Tennessee. Even though we'd like to sleep in on a cold winter morn, that just isn't possible. Someone has to feed the horse and mule, the chickens and turkey, and the dogs and cat... funny how Mom (me) ends up with that chore so often. But what a beautiful morning it was ~ the sun coming up through the trees and nature all a sparkle as if God had sprinkled diamond dust all around.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a blessed New Year!

Take Care & God Bless,

Lana of Honeysuckle Lane

Some Great Cross Stitch Patterns

Look at all these great patterns

from our own

Stacy Nash Primitives

Simply lovely!

Merry Christmas to All

We are already making plans for 2008,

new artists , new guests and shows.

From all of us , to all of you

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

deena of

The Primitive Gathering

The Primitive Gathering has NEW offerings

It will be our last update ..until January 15th..so please

check ALL the artists..as most everyone has new offerings

and check out our NEW artist too..Stacee Droit of

Arnett's Country Store..

Happy Holidays to all..and to all

a Goode Night..

Sweetannee..webmistress of The Primitive Gathering.com

An Anniversary Wish

~Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoyed the time with friends and family.~

Speaking of family, my parents celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary today! Congratulations to both of them!! They will both turn 70 next year (hope they don't mind that I'm telling their ages!), and after both retired from careers, they decided to spend their "golden years" as foreign missionaries.
So far, in their lives as missionaries they've spent 2 years in China teaching English to Chinese students, and now they are helping with the earthquake efforts in Peru.

Whew....it makes me tired just thinking about it! I hope I have that much stamina and energy when I'm 69! Hugs to the world travelers, otherwise known as Mom and Dad, from your family who is waiting for your return home.

Suzanne~Pear Tree Primitives

Tis The Season!!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful and Safe Thanksgiving tomorrow! I hope everyone eats until they cant poke in another bite, and takes time to enjoy their company or host! I am recipient of an extra special blessing this year, my parents arrived unannounced, and VERY unexpectedly last week to spend Thanksgiving with us! They drove just about 1700 miles to get here~ I nearly had a heart attack when I saw them! The last Thanksgiving we spent together was 1988, before I enlisted in the US Navy. I'M LOVING every second of every minute...and all the children are in Heaven too! I have a little tree up in the Gallery, and let Ma put on all the special ornaments yesterday~ it was wonderful seeing her face when she opened ornament after ornament that she had totally forgotten. Little things she had made, ones I had made~ i still have my little stocking teacher gave me from preschool(yes, I qualify as pack rat extraordinaire). I love how the tree puts off a warm glow~ here's Ma holding Pippin~ who is just amazed at all the little treasures!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from Diamond K Folk Art!

My Saturday Craft Show

I thought I'd share a picture from my craft show...this is before the show was open. I wish I would have arranged things differently..I needed more height...but oh well, there's always tomorrow...Really, I do have another show tomorrow!:o) Doing craft shows is a learning experience..I have not done that many, but I think I'm learning from each show that I do.



I met some very nice people..and I had a lot of fun!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!! Primitive Blessings to you!!

Lorraine Gerbi/PieCaKe PRiMiTiVeS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

The holidays are fast approaching..

In order to for our 

artists to  have time with their families AND  our

webmaster time to heal from surgery~~

The Primitive Gathering  will have an update

on  Nov. 15th & Dec. 1st..then not again until Jan 15th.

Hope you all have a great Christmas Season 

Unto us a Child is Born!!

Look who's patterns are on Simple Folk

Our own PrimitiveBettys

You can find her under 

What's New

She has some fun patterns..

Hope you'll visit

Can you believe ~~ tis November??

Where did this year go?? I can't believe we are entering the holiday season. 

I love the Christmas season, not just the day..but the whole season.

Christmas music is wonderful and my fave song is

Lo how a Rose e'er Blooming.

Hope you've checked The Primitive Gathering

We have some wonderful offerings & it's time to think

of holiday gifts too.

We won't have guest artists until Spring now. With the season coming

I know everyone is busy. We do have new artists coming on Nov. 15th, but

that will also be the last until Spring.

I'd also like to invite you to share my journey by visiting my BLOG

I'm hoping I can help someone else & share my story with

loved ones.  Please feel free to share my blog & to leave kind 

comments. They brighten my day!!

Remember to Fall BACK this weekend.  

fondly, the webmistress of The Primitive Gathering,

Deena~~ SweetAnnee

Welcome Fall

After leaving Washington state to live in Arizona for 9 years, our family missed the changing of the seasons. Now that we are back in the Northwest and living in Idaho, we are appreciating each season's offerings.....well, the snow is pretty at first, and then.....

Here are some photos of our yard; front and back. The colors of Fall are everywhere and are truly lovely. Just wish this season lasted a little longer.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The mountain range photo (well, they are actually "hills" ) is outside our front door.
This photo of the top of our tree was taken at night.
Looks like it's glowing!

Happy Fall!

Suzanne~ Pear Tree Primitives

Happy Hallowe'en!


We are all dressed for Hallowe'en here at the Lady's Repository Museum~ are YOU ready? The history of Hallowe'en actually comes from an ancient Celtic festival held on October 31, called 'Samhain'. This was the Celtic New Year's Eve. The Druids believed that the Lord of the Dead ruled the earth and this was the night that he allowed all the ghosts to come back and visit their old homes. They believed that faieries and goblins and witches and devils would cast spells on any human people that they came across while on their journey. People would carry lanterns carved from turnips with a lit piece of turf in them, to keep them safe on the roads. It is thought that our Modern 'Trick or Treating' evolved from them stopping at houses, to ask for more turf for their lanterns.
Goblins on the doorstep,
Phantoms in the air,
Owls on the witches' gateposts
Giving stare for share,
Cats on flying broomsticks,
Bats against the moon
Stirrings round fate~cakes
with a solemn spoon,
Whirling apple parings
Figures draped in sheets
Dodging, disappearing,
up and down the streets,
Jack-o-Lanterns grinning
Shadows on a screen,
Shreiks and starts and laughter-----
This is Hallowe'en!
~Dorothy Brown Thompson


Happy Hallowe'en from Diamond K Folk Art

It's Almost Time.....

Ahhh....October....cool crisp air...colorful leaves....hayrides....pumpkins and cornstalks....tricks and treats....

October in Western PA this year has been a little unusual...it has definitely been a lot warmer. I believe the leaves are finally starting to change. There is nothing more beautiful than a hillside full of reds, oranges, golds and browns. I just love driving around to enjoy all of the Fall Foilage...

Since I have no pictures of Fall Foilage to share, I thought I'd share some pumpkins on my porch.....

Happy October!!

Primitive Blessings to you!!

Lorraine
PieCaKe PRiMiTiVeS

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In Memory of Kathy McCabe
Beloved Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend & Warrior

I just received a box in the mail from Warriors in Pink and I am so glad to be able to take part in this fight against Breast Cancer. It is just a small part but imagine if each one of us does a small part...wow...I get chills just thinking about the difference we can make, that we are making!!! Together we can fight this. I hope you will all take a moment and visit http://www.myspace.com/warriorsinpink



Breast Cancer effects each and everyone of us in some way. We all need to do our self exams and to get our annual check ups and some of us mammagrams or sonograms.





I will never forget the day my beloved sister Kathy was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer, IBC. I kept saying NO this can not be happening, not to my sister no way. Well it did and she suffered so much with it and was so young too. I mean she just had her third child and to think how could this happen she has little ones that need her?! My poor sister always with grace and class fought every day of her life while trying to be the best mother she could be. We all thought she'd make it because she fought so hard but she didn't. We lost Kathy 4 years ago and she was only 38 years old! So I am here to say to you YES it does happen to those we love it can happen to us. None of us are safe from this so it is our duty for every woman who has fought this disease to take a stand and so NO MORE!! Please take a moment to visit http://ibcsupport.org/ and remember you do not have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Please read up on this very aggressive type of Breast Cancer. Knowledge is Power.

Kim Argenzio
Cabin Creek Farm

Happy Birthday Daddio! October 7th

Hi Everyone!

I couldn't wait for my turn for to blog... because I'd like to introduce you to a VERY special man in my life. He's tall, and handsome and has a dashing smile... he's even been known to flirt a little! And at 76? if that isn't Primitive or Vintage... (i'm going to pay for that comment)

Now this isn't just an everyday, run of the mill man here. He's helpful, and funny, and wise, and intelligent... did I mention good looking?

His name is Don and tomorrow (October 7th) is his 76th Birthday!

Yep, you guessed it... this is my very own Daddio.

I didn't have the money this year to buy him a new fishing boat, or buy a big new truck... but I thought this would be a wonderful little gift in itself... giggles.

Just a thank you Dad for all the times you've been there for me. Thank you for the time you painted my tricycle and let me watch... I'll never forget you putting the vaseline on the metal parts so they wouldn't get paint on them. I remember all the times we went to Grandma's after church, and we stopped and got donuts before getting to her house... Thank you for always letting me pick out some of my own favorites at that old Jolly Pirate Donut shop.

Thank you for all the times you helped me with my homework also! Do you remember you and I sitting and working on Math for so long? Thank you also for ALL the times you worked on my car. All I had to say was "Dad there's a noise" and bang, you'd be working on it in the garage. You'd always watch over me with oil changes and tire checking for air...

Thanks also for all the kicks in the rear when I needed it...

Thank you for walking me down the isle at my wedding... AND thank you for getting us out of trouble with Mom when you and I were back there gabbing and we weren't paying attention, and she had to walk down the isle to get us and through gritted teeth said "GET down that isle"... oh she wasn't happy was she. LOL

Thank you for being the Most Proud Grandpa in the world when you were told I was having your first Grand Baby! You went and bragged to anyone who'd listen!

Thank you for believing in me, and loving me and always caring about me...

Thank you for being a decent man, who would help anyone. You have been a moralistic man who stood by his beliefs. You supported your family and made a home for us. You loved us all and we all know it.

But mostly, Thank you for being my Daddio.

Happy Birthday Dad!

I love you!

One more thing! Thank you for picking Mom to marry! I love her too!

Jean Witt

Bluejean Primitives

Visitors in the Night

Hi everyone!

I had planned on posting about fall when it came my turn to post again, but we had a "little" excitement last night and I wanted to share it with you.

My family and I live out in the country, so we have all sorts of critters around us. Some stay at a distance and make themselves known with howls and calls and such, and others are a little more adventureous and make themselves at home on our back porch, snacking on the leftover cat food.

Last night, our little fiest, Snowflake, started barking and we assumed it was a deer crossing the yard as they usually do at night. Snowflake's barking was persistent though and we decided maybe it was the huge frog that stays on the porch at night. I've often found him sitting in Snowflake's water dish, maybe because of the long drought we've experienced this summer? Even after we told her it was okay and to go back in her doghouse, she continued to bark, but this bark was as if she had a squirrel treed. My husband went out on the front porch with a flashlight and right on the corner of the porch, in my flower pot, was a baby raccoon! Oh, it thought it was a biggie... growling and snarling at Snowflake each time she stepped closer.

Then hubby heard a noise above his head, and there at the top of the drain pipe was another one!

They were so sweet, but yes, they can be vicious if approached. We looked around the yard and up in trees, but no mama was to be found. Hubby says it's possible that the mama was killed and they are wandering on their own. I hope that's not the case and they just got away from her for a while. We left the babies alone after assuring Snowflake that everything was okay and she went to her doghouse to sleep. I think Snowflake just wanted us to know we had visitors. When I got up at 5:20 this morning, I checked and the little rascals were gone. Hopefully they will be more careful, but I wouldn't mind another night time visit from them.

Thanks for visiting our blog and don't forget to check The Primitive Gathering website for new items on October 1st!

Take Care & God Bless,

Lana of Honeysuckle Lane

My Past Life

A few years ago when my boys were younger and we weren't home schooling, I had a "word-of-mouth" small decorative painting business. One employee, (me) and occasionally I would hire a partner for a really large mural or faux job. My husband was easily train-able :), because he has an artistic eye, so he was usually my hired extra-hand. Here are a few photos, and no, they aren't very "Early American" or very "prim"! And, now that I look at them, I realize I was more interested in the artistic process, rather the artistic preservation....I took terrible photos!

The first photo of the rooster is the entry door to a little country decor and furniture store.


The two photos of the blue door are the back and front of a flat door, the only "real" thing on the door is the handle....the rest is painted to look as if light is coming through a six-paned window with "lace curtains" and cross boards are
painted on the lower half of the door. This was a laundry room and I painted the cement floor with "stones".


In the photo of the potted bromeliad, my husband cut out the arch in MDF board, and then I painted the rest....this way it wasn't painted on the wall and the home owner could take it with them if they moved.



For the fireplace in this client's home, I painted the "tiled" arch and fauxed the granite surround and columns.

She also had me use the same tile/ granite technique for the message center in their home.

This was one half of a very large room with arches over huge wood columns. This room took awhile! Parts of the ceiling height were over 12 ft high and it had a living room, dining room hallway and foyer. She wanted a "rich tuscany" look.

Someone asked if this is what I do in my own home. Well, when I was painting in other people's homes, I practiced on my walls at home. My husband used to tease that I was reducing the square footage of our home because the I would repaint the walls a lot and with every wall treatment the room became smaller! :) ...or so he teased.

In our home now, I prefer a solid warm color on the walls, and I'm saving the square footage of our home this way too!

Suzanne~Pear Tree Primitives

HEAR YE!!! HEAR YE!!!

Hath Thou Blessed Pumpkins for Hallow's Eve??????

Last evening past, as I sit working on dollys, I caught Winifred Thicket tipping her nose to sample the aire from the open window. "I feel the 'nip' is upon us" she said in a slightly Reverend tone.........I didn't think much about it really....Winifred is always pacing around the studio, looking out the windows~ especially in the evening.

This morning as I entered the studio, there was a strange commotion....the girls were restless with a bit of fright in their eyes. Winifred was NOT by her window! Goody Partlett promptly stated that Winifred had said ...."It is thyme for thy work to be done"...........I was shocked! The girls know no one is ever to leave the Inn without ME! Well I knew exactly where she had gone, and grabbed my camera to see if I could catch a peek at her~

She was out in the withering vines, delicately dancing from Pumpkin to Pumpkin, blessing each one.
The vines have begun to die back, revealing WAY more than the 4 each I allotted the children to grow on each of their bushes.........I think we will designate Oct 1st as our pumpkin harvesting day each year. Especially since the Pumpkin Queen has blessed them so......Jayson wants to plant some of the GIANTS next year~ I suppose the Pumpkin King will be required to bless those.................

One last wave of her pumpkin wand and all is right in the world....of pumpkins

-Rachael Kinnison, Diamond K Folk Art

Revisiting Punch Needle

Since I posted about punch needle last month and showed a photograph of a partially finished piece, I thought I'd show you the finished piece this month.




This is an easy and fun way to use a finished needle punched design. I simply cut out around the piece and hemmed it, then stitched it to a piece of heathered green wool. To make the edge more presentable, I made a twisted cord using two of the lighter color wools I punched design with. I hand stitched that around the design, cut another piece of green wool, sewed it up on the machine and stuffed it with wool. Voila! A little pillow to put on your couch or to use as a pinkeep.

The same process can be used to apply a finished needle punch to a cloth bag. You can see a version of this on the Primitive Gatherings website this month. I punched a pumpkin and sewed it to a canvas tote to make a trick-or-treat bag. You can also glue them to a nicely painted paper mache box -- just be sure to use archival glue.

Happy Punching!

Sarah
Hallowedhill Primitives

Flea Market Hints

Isn't this sweet? I found this vintage advertisement postcard at the flea market. I just LOVE shopping at flea markets, garage sales, yard sales, estate sales, ect. ect.:o)....you just never know what you may find.

Look at these cool hymn books...I got these at the flea market at a great price!

I like finding small pieces like these to use with my works...I also like finding pieces to put in my home. Here are some hints when shopping the flea markets:

1. Set a budget...Always decide how much you will take before you go...and take that amount...that way you won't over-spend...and have your money in small bills..

2. Have an idea as to what you're looking for...make a list of things you would like to find. But you never know, you may find that unexpected treasure...something you didn't even know you wanted!!

3. Wear comfy shoes...you'll be walking alot, so maybe don't wear your Manolo's....

4. As far as the time to go, well, I've gone both early and later. The general consensus is that the people will negotiate more later in the day, because that's one less thing to pack up. But I have also gotten good deals in the early morning...

5. Try to negotiate...hey, the worst the sellers can do is to say "no"...and if it's too much money and out of your budget, just walk away...Unless it's something you can not LIVE without..LOL!!

6. Don't be disappointed if you can't find anything to buy. It's feast or famine at the Flea Market...I have walked away many times without buying anything(much to my hubby's glee)

7. Most important: HAVE FUN!

The above items I am using for a dollie that I am listing this week on Ebay...

Primitive Blessings to You!!

Please Come Visit us at The Primitive Gathering

See new offerings , new artists

&

register to win one of our October Gift Aways.

We'll have creations from our artists , hand did with love,

to show our appreciation to our patrons.

See you THERE, October 1st

Stuck on Pincushions

Pins and needles and pincushions and I go back a long way. I don't like to think of myself as old, but my goodness! ~ I can remember back ~ gasp! at least 36 years ago! I can actually remember back about one more year, but the first memory I have of sewing was when I was 4 years old. Yep, I'm 40 ~ there you have it! I was staying with a babysitter while Mama was working at the hospital I think at that time. The babysitter was also a family relative and I loved going to her house. Anyway, I suppose to keep me occupied, she must have provided me with fabric and needle and thread. When Mama came to pick me up, she asked what I was making and I told her "an apron for Kitty". Now whether or not Kitty was real, I don't recall, but I sure was busy stitching that day. Another time when I was 4 and can remember sewing ~I know my age because I wasn't in Kindergarten yet ~ we were in the woods. Mama loved going for walks in the woods. That particular day, her best friend, Vesta, and Vesta's brother and his wife were with us. I think Daddy was working at the steel mill then. To keep me occupied when we stopped for a break, I had my sewing with me again. I remember losing my needle while sitting in the dirt under a bluff and sifting through the dirt trying to find it. Then all of a sudden I cried, "I found it!" and held up my finger with the needle stuck in it! Thirty-six years later and things haven't changed ~ I don't lose my needle, but I sure do stick my fingers often enough.

For the last few years I've been collecting pincushions as well as making them. I can't resist an old pincushion, the older and dirtier the better. The first two green ones are pincushions that belonged to me when I was a young girl. Obviously I sewed them myself as they are pitiful looking. Beside them is a little plastic container of thread that I used. I recently found these while going through Mama's things.

The next one is a pincushion that was in her attic.

The rest are ones that I've found here and there, yard sales, thrift shops, ebay, online antique shops, etc.

Thankfully, I've gotten better at making pincushions. After submitting make-do pincushions to be judged, I was honored to have been chosen for Early American Life magazine's Directory of Traditional American Crafts for 2006 and 2007. Below (& the very top of this post) are the ones I submitted to EAL.

If you'd like to read more about make-do pincushions, please visit the Sewing Sundries page of my website.

Thanks for checking back to see what's going on here at The Primitive Gathering blog.

Lana of Honeysuckle Lane