The Snowfolk Week 1 WINNER is....

I got my Christmas tree put up and Grace, my 6 year old granddaughter, came to help me decorate with the ornaments last night. She did a great job distributing the ornaments all over and not just in one spot like last year!  She even pointed out where each one was hanging last year.  It's a kid thing I guess!  We listened to Christmas music and she sang songs for me while we worked.
It was one of those special bonding times.  Her PaPa fed her ice cream and chocolate syrup afterwards for being such a good helper.  Now it's on to decorations around the house.

I got a new Kindle Fire last week and boy, I can't seem to set it down.  All I want to do is read.  I had the original Kindle and I loved it but the Fire is lit so I can read in bed without the lights on.  It also alerts me as to how many hours I have left to finish each book.  Great for deciding- go to sleep?  or just finish? I love it.

I did the Week #1 drawing first thing this morning, sifting through all of the emails and tossing the few who failed to add their address (~~sigh~~).  I pulled a winner, lucky number 37 this time, going by the order the emails come in.  The winner is Nora from NC.  Congratulations Nora, I will be sending you a little bundle of red fabrics from the Snowfolk line this week.  I love doing these drawings!

In fact, if I get 25% more entries this week,  I will draw TWO names this next weekend. Keep entering and tell your friends.  You just never know.

This week we have a drawing for the green bundle from the Snowfolk line.

So, here's what you do for the Week 2:

Email me at PGPeddler@aol.com before next Saturday night, December 14, at midnight central time. If you are not sure of this time zone, make sure you email before Saturday.

In the Subject LINE of the email put WEEK 2 GREENS.
This is very important.  ALL emails without this exact wording are not considered for the drawing.

In the BODY of the email- put your name and mailing address.
WE do not share this info with anyone, in fact, we delete them after the drawing.  This just makes it faster to ship the fabric TO YOU.
If you don't put your name and address in there, we will make a big sigh and draw another name.

ONE MORE THING- I will have a SPECIAL DRAWING at the end of the four weeks for each person that enters accordingly.  If you enter all 4 weeks, you get 4 chances.  If you enter 3 weeks, you get 3 chances, and so on.  

I have put some of the bundles in my Etsy Store if you want to see the whole line.  It's full of reds, greens and navy blues.  Perfect for snowmen and frosty ideas.

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/prairiegrovepeddler

I just listed a bunch of finished things on Ebay.   If you still need some gifts, check this out...

 CRAFTRGRL on EBAY

Such a Wonderful Time of the Year!

Well, the weather outside is frightful
 but the fire is so delightful.

and since I've no place to go, 
let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

OK, so it's not really snowing.  It's not even THAT cold.  But a person can dream right?
I love snowy nights when I have no place to go.  I did spend yesterday cutting up snowman fabric.  It's from my line called Snowfolk by Benartex.  The line has lots of navy blues, greens and reds.

Here's the panel that goes with the line.  

I've decided to do a DRAWING each of the next four weekends on THIS BLOG for a small collection of the fabric line. 

Week 1- seven fat quarters of red and tan fabrics

Week 2- seven fat quarters of green and tan fabrics

Week 3- seven fat quarters of navy and blue fabrics

Week 4- the panel pictured above and a yard of navy snowflake fabric to finish it.

So, here's what you do for the first drawing,  Week 1:

Email me at PGPeddler@aol.com before Saturday night, December 7, at midnight central time. If you are not sure of this time zone, make sure you email before Saturday.

In the Subject LINE of the email put WEEK 1 REDS.
This is very important.  ALL emails without this exact wording are not considered for the drawing.

In the BODY of the email- put your name and mailing address.
WE do not share this info with anyone, in fact, we delete them after the drawing.  This just makes it faster to ship the fabric.
If you don't put your name and address in there, we will draw another name.

It's pretty simple. 

If you live overseas, enter.  It's not just for the U. S. We will send it to you if you win.  I promise.

This week, here is what's NEW on ETSY.

Fabrics on Ebay and finished cross stitch on Etsy

I just listed some finished cross stitch designs for sale on Etsy.  Check them out here-  MY Etsy
I am selling a lot of my Little candle mats, my framed pictures and soon some my Christmas  ornaments.  I am in design mode and need to remove the old to make room for the new!

Here is one listed for sale...
and

I just listed some fabric collections on Ebay also- my seller name is craftrgrl
Some collections have been a real bargain so far.  This week I have

 Ebay Collections

Time For Pumpkins Again!

This is from my Pumpkin Patch pattern from 1996.  There have been many out there similar but here is the directions for original painted pumpkin!

1. Cut a rectangle from batting, say 9" x 18" wide. Too big? try 6" x 14".

2. Fold in half and sew the two short ends together, one seam in the back.

3. Hand-gather one open end with string, floss, pearl cotton or linen thread, pull tight and knot several times.

4. Turn inside out and stuff with poly-fil until firm, but not too firm.
5. Hand-gather the top and knot several times.

6. Using a long doll needle ( say 8") and a long piece of the thread you used in #3, go in and out from the center top to the center bottom to pull the center in tight. Knot again.

7. Then proceed to go top to bottom around the outside of the pumpkin to create the veins, pulling tight each time.

8. Knot the thread each time on the center top which will be covered by the stem later.

9. Mix orange paint with water, coffee or tea and slop it on using your hands (pre-manicure not post). It washes off your hands eventually and I would remove your rings first!

*** Using coffee or tea makes the colors separate once dried and gives a wonderful aged look.

Make different sized pumpkins from cotton batting, muslin, or chenille and paint each one a different shade of orange. Mix colors- it's fun!My husband went int the woods and cut old gnarly grapevine for me to use as stems. He cut them about 2"-3" and I hot glued them to the center top, covering the knots.It makes a wonderful fall decoration and costs so little for so many, a small package of batting, a bottle of paint, some stuffing.

Another Hot Day

 I put up more pickles, hot peppers and salsa this week and as we speak, I have another counter full of ripening tomatoes.  I've got my pork roast in the crock pot and I have to say it's a great recipe with 2 cans of  Dr. Pepper added.

The recipe includes an onion, 2 cloves of garlic, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. It is absolutely the best bar-b-q.

I got a few more of the digital designs done this week and listed them on Etsy.  I have had so much fun doing these and printed a lot of them just for myself.  Last week I listed instant downloads of the apples, bluebirds, cows, flower pots, pineapple, roses, patriotic stars, and watermelon designs.   I just listed pumpkins, bees, pigs and cats today.

There are twelve different paper designs on there so far.  See them all on the Etsy site HERE.

I figured I'd better get the pumpkins up here, after all, it's almost pumpkin time!  I'm in the mood to decorate for fall even though it's 95 degrees out there today.   It won't be long and we'll all be cutting back the gardens to prepare for winter.  Sad.

Summer is Almost Over!

It is almost the middle of August and the days are flying by.  I have been so busy this summer with garden, canning and watercolors.  Yep, that's right- I've been working for many months to get watercolors of my quilts and I have had so much fun.

I designed paper note pads, To-do lists, quilt labels, greeting cards and stationary for instant download.  I have a few more things going but for now, these are the ones I have finished and ready to list.  Some of these will be on my website in the next few days.  I actually started them last year and it's been a labor of love. So far I have well over 100 different designs.

  

My garden is in full swing and we are enjoying fresh vegetables each day.

The deer trimmed my peppers back for me but they are finally recovering and producing.

I am drying herbs- here is a few peppermint plants planted in a small area by the A/C.  There is no wasted space around here anymore- I claim it for herbs! It works out well to keep them trimmed so they stay contained.  These are Peppermint and Lemon Thyme.  I have a lot more tucked into different spots.  I'm going to try to make homemade peppermint extract with these.  Sounds fun!

My impatiens are doing wonderful - it must be the Miracle Gro soil I used. We put nine planter boxes along the outside deck railing and I just love my little sanctuary on the deck.  I have a bunch of bird feeders hanging in my big tree that overhangs the deck so the birds visit all day.  I have a little squirrel who frequents my tree and entertains me and taunts my Yorkie as well.

Christmas in July!

Here's my new line called Snowfolk from Benartex...

 

I was mentioned in the Benartex Blog...

http://sewinlovewithfabric.blogspot.com/2013/07/snowfolk.html

Steam-A-Seam 2 Regular Back in Stock!

Just a quick note- we have Steam-A-Seam 2 again!  It's been out of production since December due to paper issues.  We are so excited to receive our shipment today.  We have 24" Steam-A-Seam 2 Regular  by the yard and 9" x 12" packages of Steam-A-Seam 2  Light available on the website.  24" Steam-A-Seam 2 Light by the yard is on the way and will be available soon.

See it at www. prairiegrovepeddler.com

More Summer Blues

The 90 degree days are here but my garden is doing great!  I just made a huge bowl of cucumber salad tonight and it is fantastic- I'll add the recipe at the end.  We have zucchini and onions so far but no ripe tomatoes yet.  We have 50 tomato plants and they have big green tomatoes on them so it's just a matter of time.  I'm stocking up on vinegar and canning jars!

The beets are growing, so are the melons and spaghetti squash.  Peppers have suffered- I think the deer are eating the tops off of both the green peppers and the pepperocini.  ~~sigh~~
The rabbits are eating the beet leaves but I think all will survive.  Pretty soon the squirrels will be carrying off the ripe tomatoes across the top of the fence.

I got two of the flexible hoses (on TV) last spring and both of them got a bubble and blew out within a few times of being used- no guarantee either.  I didn't notice that when I got them.  I got two pocket hoses (from Walmart) and they blew out too but Walmart took them back.  Buyer beware!  I loved the hoses but they need a better design.  They can't handle the pressure I guess.

I've been watering every evening and today we were blessed with 1-1/2" of rain followed by a cold front. My herbs are being cut weekly and dried.  My flowers are filling theirs beds nicely.  I planted two new clematis this year and have a single bloom on one of them that's about 3' tall.  They are just babies!

I have been working on new fabric in between gardening and playing.  I have company coming this weekend so it will be a relaxed time for all.  I'm almost done painting and papering my house.  I guess I needed a fresh look.

I just got in some of the new line called Snowfolk.  I will get it cut and on the website really soon.