Cave Creek Primitives

New Rabbits

2012-02-23T05:30:00.000-08:00

I've held off making more rabbits for a while because it seemed like that's all I had in my shop but I couldn't stand it any longer, so here is the first new bunny for spring.

Actually she's been sitting on my table staring at me for a couple of weeks now - maybe that's why she looks a little put out? She's holding a spray of preserved Sweet Annie.

I have a few more new bunnies on the drawing board, so to speak. Actually it's more like a pile of papers stuffed into a basket on my desk, but the end results are the same.

Spring Forward Celebration

2012-02-21T05:29:00.000-08:00

It's HERE! It's HERE! PAFA's Spring Forward Celebration!

Monday Merchant Circle with Yorkie's Primitives

2012-02-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

Another Monday, so it's time for the PAFA Monday Merchant Circle! This week we're visiting Valerie, of Yorkie's Primitives.

Valerie says she named her business after her grandmother, whose nickname was Yorkie. "Grandmother was the one who inspired me to craft. She helped me make my first apron for 4-H and I was hooked on making items."

Valerie started crafting more than 30 years ago, and opened her Etsy shop on Feb. 16, 2009.

"I get my inspiration from all sorts of places. Looking at patterns gives me ideas. I also look through magazines and craft magazines. I also get ideas from craft stores."

Valerie is a talented artist who uses many different mediums in her primitive and country-style creations. "My main medium is fabric. But I also love to embroidery and work in wood. I love to add my personal touch to my items and will use beads, rick rack, lace or multiple items to give the effect I want. I make dolls, make-do's, wood blocks, household items and anything that catches my eye."

www.yorkiesprimitives.etsy.com
www.yorkiesprimitives.blogspot.com

Blog Award - Pass it On!

2012-02-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

Well, what a surprise this morning. I received this lovely award from Brenda at the Rusty Thimble. This is a different sort of award from what I've seen in the past - we share 7 things about ourselves, and pass the award on to 10 more bloggers. So we're creating a sort of blog hop - and I'm loving it because I get to visit a lot more beautiful blogs without having to search for them. How cool is that?

Hmmm. Now for the hard part. Seven things about me...

1. In my 'other life' I'm a retired bird bander, though my federal permit is still valid, the state permit fees in KY are way out of line, so had to give it up last year. Got my federal permit in 1984 and started training in 1977. Yup - before many of you ever saw the light of day. I was also a wildlife rehabber back in the 70s and 80s.

2. I was a writer (was because I don't publish anymore) but did accomplish 3 books over the years. Two were about wildlife and one was local NJ history (my home state). The history one is still in print.

3. When my husband and I moved to KY from Florida, we had 2 older dogs and said "when they are gone, no more dogs." Well, Mollie and Boomer are gone - and now we have 4 dogs and 10 cats, all strays and/or reclaimed ferals. But when they're gone, no more!

4. I was raised on 120 acres in NJ, now live in KY, but "home" to me is still Florida, where I lived for 12 years and met my husband there. I LOVE the Gulf coast, warm weather, the beach, the sub-tropical climate and ambiance. Half of my siblings live there, and one of these days, we'll go back.

5. Two years ago, we built this little studio on the hill for me. I spend most of my time in there, sewing and creating my stuff. I love it! It's the first time in my whole life I've had a space like this just for me.

6. I'm one of those seemingly rare people who had a wonderful, happy childhood. My family had a 'mom & pop' fabric store while I was growing up, and it became the largest fabric store in northern NJ. How cool is that? Fabrics, trims, buttons everywhere! I want it back!

7. In addition to primitives, I have another life where I sew handbags, pillow covers and accessories. One of my handbags is being published in a book coming out in March. My other life is at http://lauraohdesigns.blogspot.com, though I've been neglecting that for the primitives, I'm working hard now bringing that up to speed.

Thanks Brenda - this was fun and I'm honored to be part of it. OK, now to pass this on to 10 more bloggers:

Robin of Baggaraggs

Jennifer of Stitchin' Thyme

Teresa's Prim Treasures

Tim and Patti at Porch Sitting Time

Pat at ChattyPats GateHouse Primitives

Annie at Olde Annie Primitives

Pokeberry Patch

Whimiscal Folk

The Moonlit Stitch

Jody at Primgal's Primitive Palette

PAFA GIVEAWAY

2012-02-16T07:38:00.000-08:00

I'm late as usual, but I have some good excuses I'll share another time. Anyway, in case you haven't heard, there's a fabulous giveaway going on at PAFA. There are 33 prizes and there will be 33 winners.
This giveaway ends Feb. 29th.

A Visit with Paxton Valley Folk Art

2012-02-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

This week we're visiting Deb Riddell of Paxton Valley Folk Art. If you haven't seen Deb's work yet, you're in for a treat!

How did you choose the name for your business?

I got my business name from the beautiful valley that we live in, here in British Columbia, Canada.

How long have you been in business?

I 've been crafting for about 20 years but decided to become an 'on-line' presence as Paxton Valley Folk Art about 2 1/2 years ago.

Who or what inspires you?

I am inspired by the colours, textures and beauty of the natural world.

What is your creative style, primitive, country, folkart?

My style is currently primitive and folk art but I love learning new techniques and styles so who knows where I will end up next!

What medium do you use in creating - clay, fabric, altered art, wood etc.?

I work with fabric, paint, wood, found objects, stamps, paper and anything else that strikes my fancy :O) I create hand crafted folk art from my own designs and from the designs of other talented artisans. I also create my own original epatterns and occassionally have a found vintage treasure or two to share at my Etsy shop or on my selling blog. I am also just starting to get into wholesaling my items, so if you are a shop owner looking for wholesale prices, please contact me!

Where can we find you?

http://etsy.com/shop/PaxtonValleyFolkArt
http://paxtonvalleyfolkartshop.blogspot.com
http://paxtonvalleyfolkart.blogspot.com
http://toletown.com/blogs/debriddell
http://picturetrail.com/PaxtonValleyFolkArt

Brief Commercial Interruption...

2012-02-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

In my other life, I do a lot of sewing and make handbags, pillow covers and accessories that are decidedly not primitive. But since this is my blog too - I'm going to share here that one of my handbags was chosen by Stash Books to be published in a forthcoming book.

Here's the blurb on this publication from Stash Books:

*Add splashes of carefree seashore style to your home
*Scrap and fat-quarter friendly, fast and fun to make
*Make it uniquely you with embellishments like beading and embroidery

Make every day a day at the beach with these whimsical, one-of-a-kind art pieces and fun folk crafts. 25 sewing projects include stuffies, quilts, garlands, pillows, bags, and more-all with a bright and cheery seaside theme. Beginners and experienced sewers alike will find something fun to create from today’s top designers.

I'm really honored to be part of this. I can't show you all of the pages of my project (publisher's request) but trust me - Stash Books is a first-class publisher all the way!

If you want to see the bag and the pages - when I'm allowed to show them - they'll be on my other blog: LauraOh Designs.

OK - back to the primitives channel....

A Visit With Barb's Heart Strokes

2012-02-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

It's Monday Merchant Circle time, and this week we're visiting Barb's Heart Strokes. Barb is a talented painter and you're going to love browsing her shop.

What is the name of your business and how did you get your name?

‘Heartstrokes ’ came about because I was an Intensive Care Cardiac nurse and was learning to paint. So between my job and learning to paint they were both quite a challenge. But anything that is a challenge usually is worth it. So when I started a business it seemed natural to combine the two.

How long have you been in business?

I have been painting for about 15 years. My husband was in the Air force and was deployed overseas so I took an acrylic painting class at a local craft store and loved it! It has now become my therapy. I have been on Etsy going on two years. I still do local craft shows here in Utah and occasionally back in Las Vegas.

Who or what inspires you?

Many artists of the painting and stitchery world inspire me: fun, folk art, primitive, whimsical patterns and COLORS!

What is your creative style, primitive, country, folk art?

My style is a mix of primitive, country, folk art and a bit of whimsy basically anything that catches my eye!

What medium do you use in creating, clay, fabric, altered art, wood etc.?

I love painting on black screen because there is little to no prep! I love working with acrylic paints due to the fact that it dries fast and is fairly forgiving if you make a mistake. I also love to paint
on….everything! (If you have no paint on your clothes they are not worth wearing!) I hand paint everyday and seasonal designs on framed fiberglass black screen with acrylic paint.

My style has a flair of folk art, primitive, and whimsy. I also paint ornaments, magnets, and any surface that looks interesting to me weather it be wood, tin, rusty tin, fabric, or paper. I have lucked out in the fact that my dad makes the frames from reclaimed barn wood or plain wood and my husband will cut wood for me if I need something cutout. I have also branched out and designed some of my own designs as well and sale the patterns in my shop.

Where can we find you?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/barbsheartstrokes
http://barbsheartstrokes.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/BsHeartstrokes
barbsheartstrokes@gmail.com

Take Your Cat to Work Day

2012-02-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

Since the groundhog is apparently out of work, at least here in KY, where the daffodils are blooming and it's in the high 50s all week.......

Maybe instead of Groundhog Day, we could have a Take Your Cat to Work Day?

That would be Claudia's opinion, anyway. She's just going to grab a few winks while waiting for a ride to the studio.....

We Have a Winner!

2012-02-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

And the Winner is:

Comment number 29 - Cyndy from Crafty Stitches!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.

I apologize for not being able to post the random generator result; I can't seem to get it to not be a live generator that changes numbers! I'll have to find a different generator next time around.

Last Days for Giveaway!

2012-01-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

Don't forget - my giveaway ends on the 31st - tomorrow! Just leave a comment on this post to enter:

Enter Giveaway Here - Leave a Comment!

A Visit With Countryside Cottage

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

This week we're visiting Donna at Countryside Cottage. Don't you love her prim hearts?

What is your name and the name of your business?
Hi I am Donna and Owner of Countryside Cottage.

How did you get your name?

We live on a dead end road in the country, and out any window you see the countryside and I dream of having a little cottage out here to be my studio some day. So thus the Countryside Cottage, it seemed to work.

How long have you been in business?

I have been in the craft business for 18 years. Been on Etsy since August 2010. Really got more serious with painting, the last couple years.

Who or what inspires you?

I'm inspired by the outdoors, other artist, books, craft magazines and spendingway to much time in Jo-Anns and Michaels. LOL!

What is your creative style, primitive, country, folkart?

My style I would have to say all the above, but as I envolve more as an artist myself, I am turning more to the primitive and folk art styles. I love the time worn look of the primitive style.

What medium do you use in creating, clay, fabric, altered art, wood etc.?

I have used a variety of mediums such as fabric, acrylic paints, upcycled items.

Where can we find you?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CtrysideCottage
http://countrysidecottage-donna.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/ctrysidecottage
http://www.facebook.com/ctrysidecottage

Under Construction

2012-01-21T06:05:00.000-08:00

My Cave Creek Primitives dot com site is being refurbished, so you'll just get error messages for a couple of days. It will be back up as soon as I complete all the new stuff.

I've been putting this off for way too long. In the meantime, you can always visit my Etsy shop!

Can't Believe I Forgot This!

2012-01-19T12:15:00.000-08:00

My excuse is that I got side-tracked with the anniversary post and the giveaway and forgot all about a draft post I was working on. When I was checking my blog earlier, I thought, where'd that go? It helps if you actually finish and publish the post!

Anyway, I neglected to publish that I was featured in a lovely blog post by Carol, also known as FireCrackerKid, on Monday. Thanks, Carol!

First Real Giveaway!

2012-01-18T07:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it's taken me a year but here I am, having my first real giveaway. I've done a couple in the past where I donated items to be given away in someone else's blog, but never one of my own. It's about time.

So here's the Giveaway - one Bedelia Cow with Heart. This cow is rag-stuffed, colored with prim stain and acrylic paint, sanded, rubbed, and very cute. Her ears and nose have hand-stitching. She'll be wearing trousers, and carrying a prim heart. I'll be making one up especially for this giveaway, so her clothing may be different and her coloring will probably be a tad darker - but otherwise very much like the photos here.

This is a fairly large doll, about 20 inches tall, and is based from a pattern by Threadbare Primitives.

I'm going to keep this very simple. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Be sure there is a way for me to contact you if you win. The giveaway will end on Jan. 31st at midnight, and I will choose one winner from the comments submitted by using a random number generator. I'll contact the winner and post it here on the blog. The winner will contact me privately with his or her address, and I'll ship the cow USPS priority mail. That's it!

If you have any questions, just contact me. Good luck!

One Year Already?

2012-01-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

My friends at PAFA reminded me this morning that my Etsy shop is one year old today. It would have slipped by me unnoticed had they not brought it to my attention. Thanks, guys and gals!

2011 was certainly a good year sales-wise, though my shop doesn't reflect as much because I did a lot of off-line selling. I attended several craft shows and although I sold, I'm thinking now that I won't be doing them in 2012. They are so much work, the fees are going up, the attendance seems to be going down, and all things considered, I'd rather reach a worldwide audience than a handful of folks passing by my booth.

That said, I do enjoy getting out and meeting my customers - something we can't do in cyberspace. Or can we? Maybe not in the same, face-to-face way, but certainly this blog, Etsy teams, and social media sites (where I fail miserably to understand or maintain) serve to take that place. I have "met" many wonderful people through blogging and networking online, and I know as I put in more online effort (on my to do list) I will meet even more.

I truly love what I do, silly as seems sometimes...and I give thanks every day for my ability to do this.

So - I'm going to post an Anniversary Giveaway here tomorrow. I'm off now to get it together....

Monday Merchant Circle - PAFA

2012-01-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, and I'm participating in PAFA's Monday Merchant Circle. Today we're visiting Brenda, of The Rusty Thimble. Brenda is a dedicated prim artist and the fearless new Captain of PAFA. I love Brenda's work and I know you will too. I think this rabbit here is my favorite...or maybe the sheep.

What is the name of your business and how long have you been in business? The Rusty Thimble. I have been creating and selling for over 30 years, but have been under the name of Rusty Thimble for 3 years.

Who or what inspires you? I get my inspiration from all sorts of places. Online browsing is so inspiring, just started using pinterest, love to see others decor and style, and from there I just let my imagination do the work. And there are some wonderful pattern designers out there.

What is your creative style, primitive, country, folkart? All of these.

What medium do you use in creating? My creations are made out of fabric, but I love to use vintage items in them; quilts, old buttons, and lots of rusty stuff.

Where can we find Rusty Thimble creations?

Rusty Thimble Blog
Rusty Thimble Etsy Shop
Rusty Thimble on Facebook
Rusty Thimble on Pinterest

White Sale

2012-01-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

The OFG Team is having a White Sale. Lots of goodies and some great bargains to be found, so just type "OFG White Sale" in the Etsy search bar to see them.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:34:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Everyone! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

OFG Open House - Cave Creek Discount

2011-12-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

The OFG Team will be having an Open House, starting Mon. Dec. 5 through Fri. Dec. 9. Some of the shops will offer discounts, coupons, or other specials, and you can find all of the participating shops by typing OFG Open House in the search bar.

I'm offering a 10% discount coupon for the Open House. Beginning Monday, you can enter the coupon code - openhousecc - to get your discount.

Don't miss this one - so many shops and wonderful items for your holiday shopping!

Painted Primitive Mouse

2011-11-28T05:34:00.000-08:00

My best seller mouse has a new look - or at least, another option. I've been making them with the standard coffee cinnamon prim stain, or the beeswax walnut stain that gives them a more leathery look. I decided to play around with some acrylic paint. Here's the result. I sort of like the paint idea because now I can play more with colors and shades...and, though it's difficult to see in the photos, I can add a touch of pink to his ears. Its the small things in life that make me happy.

OFG Thanks You Team Discount Event

2011-11-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Cat Naps and More Pillows Please

2011-11-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

You know, I'm beginning to develop a complex about where my cats are forced to sleep, apparently due to the possible lack of proper bedding. Or am I being scammed for pillows? You remember Claudia, from my post back in August about needing bigger baskets?

This morning, on the porch, I noticed first Milo:

And then Milo (because we have two identical twins we can't tell apart, we just named them both Milo):

And over in the corner on top of the crate, in the basket that holds gardening gloves, there was Uggie (because she was one UGLY kitten!) :

I did notice that poor old Max suffered a major bowl blowout yesterday:

I meant to get him a new bowl but haven't had the chance. He succeeded in making me feel really, really guilty.... apparently, since I haven't found him another suitable bowl, he is now forced to sleep sitting up.

Inside the house, Louie and Callie seem to fit OK in the chair and understand it's all about geometry...

but they would be so much more comfortable with a pillow. I got the message. Definitely going to need bigger baskets, bigger flower pots, more bowls, and lots of pillows.

And yes, I know....we have far too many cats.

Radcrafter Blog

2011-11-18T16:18:00.000-08:00

A nice surprise yesterday - my prim reindeer was included in a blog post highlighting Christmas decorations for the home. Check out the RadCrafter blog - there are a lot of cool things on this blog!

Reindeer, Journals and What Day is It?

2011-11-15T06:52:00.000-08:00

I don't want to talk about how fast time is slipping by and how I'm not such a great blogger and how sometimes I have to look at the calendar just to know what day it is, so I won't.

I've been busy with off-line orders and working on new designs - some of which haven't seen my Etsy shop just yet, but they will. There's also an experimental doll (by request) made entirely of felted wool - something new for me and quite a challenge when it comes to the clothing. I'll post more about that project sometime in the near future, as I'm just getting her completed and shipped off to her new home.

I've also been working on fabric journals for my other shop, and that takes up a good bit of time.

I know there a lots of great events going on in the OFG and PAFA teams on Etsy, so you may want to check them out too.

'Til next time...

Life After LouieBluie and Brenda Jo

2011-10-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

I finally have a few moments to take a deep breath, enjoy my morning coffee and spend a few moments at the computer, really looking at things instead of marking them for later or deleting them completely. No shows on the immediate horizon - orders filled and shipped - studio cleaned, well OK, the studio hasn't actually been cleaned yet but I've gone over everything that needs done in my mind and that must account for something...

I've neglected blogging for some time now, and I'm going to make a real effort to fix that. I'm setting aside at least an hour each day for myself, and blogging will be included in there somewhere.

The Louie Bluie Festival was great, if not freezing cold! The temp hovered around 53 degrees, and the wind insisted on blowing all day long. I know - that sounds wimpy - but I think my bones are still on Florida time. I shared a booth with my friend Brenda Jo, who creates the most amazing dolls and afghans with yarn and a crochet hook. I can barely crochet a straight line so how she accomplishes this perfection is beyond my understanding, but the girl is good at what she does. Her 14 pc. nativity set is awesome - but the hit of the show were the two crocheted scarecrows.

Brenda Jo doesn't have an online store - yet - but if you would like to contact her, just let me know and I'll put you in touch. Her items are first-class and very reasonably priced.

Look What I Won!!

2011-09-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

Talk about happy news - I'm the winner in Valerie's (Yorkie's Primitives) most awesome giveaway! This fabulous little fellow is coming to live at Cave Creek. Thanks so much, Valerie, for this generous giveaway.

Handmade Art Fair Open House

2011-08-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the Open House at Handmade Art Fair - all of the participating artists have lots of wonderful fall creations listed in their shops and on their websites. You won't believe all of the awesome stuff you'll find there! There are also several giveaways going on too! Check it out:

Fall in Full Swing

2011-08-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Next year, I'm going to start my fall designs in April! It's been a bit hectic around here, to say the least, but in an awesome, good way.

I can offer no excuses for this raggedy type scarecrow, other than to say she looks how I feel lately. 'Nuff said.

PAFA Fall Celebration

2011-08-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

The PAFA Etsy team is having a Fall Celebration - Strolling Through the Pumpkin Patch, and you won't believe the awesome fall items that have been created for this event. You can find all of these items by typing 'STTPP' in the Etsy search bar, or you can click on the logo in my sidebar. Team members will also be creating treasuries to showcase these items throughout the celebration, which continues through Sept.17.

Click Here to Stroll Through the Pumpkin Patch!

And another thing - PAFA is also having a giveaway! This runs through Sept. 17 and there are many wonderful items in this giveaway. Check out the PAFA blog to see all of the great items in this giveaway - as well as the directions for entering.

I'm offering one of my scarecrows. Don't miss out on this one, you won't believe the gorgeous items that are offered in this giveaway! Remember, don't enter here, but go to the PAFA blog to enter.

There's a link button in my sidebar, or CLICK HERE TO ENTER.

Catching Up!

2011-08-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

To find out more about this festival, click here.

You know the old saying, 'when it rains, it pours..' That's not only true of the weather this week with Hurricane Irene - but what's been happening around here too. Fortunately we missed the hurricane, but I was glued to the television like everyone else because I have family in FL, VA, NJ, and RI. I was swamped with offline orders and sales (Yay!) and now I need to hustle on restocking my shop. Not to mention I have two major shows coming up in Sept. and Oct. Add to that a couple of very cool events going on through Etsy teams, and I know I'll be spending a few hours on here tonight just catching up. This is all going to require more than one post!

So - first, I will be at the upcoming LouieBluie Festival on Oct. 1st in Caryville, TN. This will be my first 'really big show' so I'm a little nervous - but I am looking forward to it.

We're Going to Need a Bigger Basket

2011-08-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

OFG Turkey Trot Giveaway

2011-08-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

The Old Farmhouse Gathering team on Etsy is having a huge, unique giveaway, starting now and running through midnight, August 31. ONE winner will receive all of the items pictured in the Treasury posted on Etsy. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on the Treasury - instructions are posted there. This is an awesome giveaway with a value of more than $250! Don't miss this one!

New Witchy Dolls

2011-08-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

This seems to be the week for revamping and remodeling. I had a few of these patchworked dolls hanging around from last spring - they weren't quite 'there' yet with what I was hoping to accomplish, and so didn't do much with them. Sold a few at shows, but mostly wasn't sure where exactly they were going. I did like the concept and I really liked making them, but it seemed to end there.

With thoughts turning to Halloween and the fall season, I was working on some of my Halloween witches and had one in particular where the hat I had fashioned was a bit too small. I had one of these unfinished patchwork dolls on my table (hoping for inspiration) and as I took the too-small hat off the bigger doll, I plopped it on the patchwork doll, just for a place to put it. And....voila! Sometimes I amaze even myself.

So of course, I've been working on the new line of happy little witch dolls...great fun!

Total Makeover

2011-08-07T05:39:00.000-07:00

So I had this doll that I made a while back that I really disliked. I mean, her face was somewhat OK, having the look of a kindly old grandma, but I really hated the way the clothes turned out and just didn't care for the overall look, so she just hung around basically and waited for me to fix her.

I finally got around to doing that yesterday, ripping off her nose and her clothes, re-doing the stain, and adding a new dress. I used the beeswax and walnut stain, which gave her a very dark primitive look, and followed up with lots of cinnamon.

It's kind of funny, since I usually don't do a lot of heavily grunged prims, but this one just seemed to call for that. She's feeling much better now...me too.

Catching Up and Louie Bluie

2011-07-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

So I'm not the world's most dedicated blogger...one area I'll be working on improving. Though it may seem I've been ignoring things, I've actually had a rather busy summer season, doing some local shows. I love doing shows because I get to meet folks and hear comments, and reallly see what people are drawn to - or not. But my oh my, they are a LOT of work!

That being said, Cave Creek will be at the LouieBluie Festival in Caryville, Tennessee on Oct. 1st, so if you're in the area, stop by and visit!

Almost Mid-Year Contemplation

2011-05-27T08:47:00.001-07:00

I'm not going to write a post about "where did the time go?" and "how did it get to be the 27th of the month already?" so we'll just talk about something else.

Since nearly half of 2011 is already gone, I thought this would be a good time to review my New Year's resolutions. I didn't really make a long list of them, but I did say I wanted to improve my blogging schedule, become more organized and really focus on my art. So far...not so much, except for focusing on my art maybe.

I think what I may do is get on the sofa with Wasi (say WA-sheeeeee) and think about it.

Holy Cow!

2011-05-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well, she's not really holy, but I think she's pretty darn cute. I had a lot of fun with this, based on a pattern from Threadbare Primitives. I really like cows, and good ones are so hard to find....

Got the new website up and running just in time - hosting ran out for Ragamuffin and that site is now closed and the domain is forwarding to Cave Creek. Thank heaven for domain forwarding, eh?

Good to Go

2011-05-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I still have a ton of new stuff to add, but the new (old) website is up and running at Cave Creek Primitives. Trust me, I won't be changing the name again!

I'm going to close down the Ragamuffin blog - or at least redirect anyone who stops by there to this one. One is enough!

I hope everyone had a lovely mother's day. I couldn't see my son since he's in NJ and a visit just wasn't possible, but we spent half the day on the phone. I can't believe he's nearing the big 4-0 birthday! Yikes! Where does that leave me???

New Work and Stormy Weather

2011-04-30T05:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a horrible week (or two?) weatherwise and my heart goes out to all those affected by the tornadoes in the south. We were among the fortunate ones - the storms moved through to the east of where we are, and we had only very dark skies, heavy rains and thunder.

I always associated tornadoes with flat, open spaces, but that's not always the case. There used to be a little town just about half a mile behind our house, and it is totally gone except a cemetary due to a tornado. This happened years and years ago, but it happened.

I was in the studio last week working on this new doll when we had as close to a tornado as I ever want to see. The thunderstorm came up very quickly and the winds started to blow. What struck me as the rains poured is that the rain was falling almost sideways - going in one direction on one end of my studio and in the opposite direction at the other end. It got my attention pretty quick, since my studio is basically an overgrown garden shed with interior decor - not the safest place to be, I'm sure. But the spiral rain and winds didn't last long and weren't strong enough to cause any damage, other than a couple of minutes of mild anxiety. I can't imagine what the folks in the south went through.

I'll be cramming this week for a show on Saturday, May 7 - and working on the new website, and then I plan on taking maybe one day off. Maybe.

Coming Along and Learning New Stuff!

2011-04-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

I'm having lots of fun setting up this new blog and my selling blog, and I'm so proud of myself today because I finally found some great directions for setting up a blog button, and actually was able to make it work! Thank you, thank you! I'm trying to get a lot done this weekend, because next week I'll be setting up the new/old Cave Creek Primitives website, AND getting ready for a show on May 7. After that, I do believe I'll take a short break - maybe a day or two. After all, there are kittens to play with!

First Post

2011-04-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Where'd she go? What happened to Cave Creek Primitives?

I heard she changed the name to Ragamuffin Primitives back in February - they were moving to Florida or something like that.

Really? I was just gettin' used to Cave Creek! Ragamuffin is a nice name too but I really like Cave Creek better...

Yeah, I do too, but she didn't think Cave Creek would fit with living in Florida, especially since she named it for the real Cave Creek by her home in KY. But you know what I heard? She's not moving to Florida after all! She's going to stay in Kentucky, right there at Cave Creek! So do you know what that means?

I can't wait for you to tell me....is Cave Creek Primitives coming back then?

Why, yes it is. It never did leave, really. And she promises not to confuse people by changing names any more, no matter what!

Awesome! So how do I find all her wonderful charming must-have primitives for sale?

Well, you can go to Ragamuffin Primitives and in just a few days the Cave Creek Primitives site will be back up too. The Ragamuffin Primitives site will go away in May. You can check this blog and follow what's happening here.

Oh wow! All is right with the world now!!! I'm going right over there and check it out....