Old crocks and jugs.

I went to flea markets today, and antique stores all over southern Maine. I saw so many crocks. Can anyone posts some pics of crocks or tell me where to look so that I will have a minor clue as to what one should pay for these? What to look for? I don't care if they are worth their weight in gold but I don't want to pay a fortune and get tupperware lol.
Thanks anyone
Kat

Pay it Forward

Pay It Forward

What a wonderful concept....."Pay It Forward"!  I love this idea. Sharing our blessings with others!

Well, I'm not quite sure who started this, but I hooked up with Dru from http://afinefarmhouse.blogspot.com/ for a "Blogger Pay It Forward"! 

Here's how it works....

The first five people who comment on this blog post will receive a handmade gift from me.

In return, you must FIRST write a blog post explaining Pay It Forward 2011. Then.... send out a handmade gift to the first 5 visitors who leave a comment on your post. Take your time...you don't need to send them all today or tomorrow.

This is such a sweet way to connect with friends or meet new ones, by sharing things we create with our hearts.

"It's not the size of the gift that matters, but the spirit of paying it forward."

Hope to hear from you soon! 

Kat

Laugh or be offended

My son walked into the kitchen last night, see picture of kitchen mess below, making grungy candles. He looks at me shakes his head a little, smiles and goes back into the living room. I few minutes later his father strolls through and grabs something and goes back to the living room. I overhear my son, "did you see the mess she has going in there now?" Husband, "No I didn't even notice." Seriously the whole kitchen looked like someone turned it upside down. I don't know whether to laugh at the fact that I am always doing stuff and they don't notice anymore (it doesn't bother them), or that they think the kitchen always looks like that?
It is all picked up, cleaned up and put away now but still. I am thinking maybe they don't notice those things at all? I need to hang one of those sign things (like they use to put on dishwasher for dirty-clean dishes). Big sign:  KITCHEN IS A MESS, KITCHEN CLEAN.
Hmmm
Kat

A little blackened beeswax by me

Well I had about five beeswax candles. I might as well give this blackened thing a try I am thinking. I put them in a boiler and melted them down. Hmmm I don't know how to blacken them. Well let me see I used Walnut Ink crystals. I threw in a little pinch and man did they come out black. Maybe a little too black but there wasn't a ton of wax. I don't know how everyone else does theirs, but it worked. I love how they come out. They look better in real life.  When they came out of the mold they had a little bit of a film on them. I lit a couple of wooden matches, dropped them in an empty tuna can and waved the candles back and forth over the can. The film is gone and they got even blacker. Smeared them with a little cinnamon to define the grooves, texture, shape. This was really fun. Can someone tell me how they are really suppose to be done though?
NEXT PROJECT TODAY?? Hmmm maybe supper?
I hope everyone is having a great day.
Kat

UPS too?

Wow it is my day that is for sure. I got my prize, I finished my grungy bucket, I cleaned my kitchen, the sun is out, and Mr UPS man just brought me another package. Guess who will be building building building???? I love this paint and it was free shipping last week. Thank God for that because this is really heavy and I can't imagine how much shipping would be.
It is my lucky day.
Kat

Can you say LOVE LOVE LOVE

Look what Mr. Postman brought me today. I won this fantastic giveaway "The Finicky Feline Primitives". So impressed I really love it. I will put a bigger candle I just wanted to show it off.
Thank you so much Cathy for hosting this. So happy.
Check out her selling blog http://finickysprimsellingblog.blogspot.com/
She makes really great Prims.
Kat

Empty bucket Friday

I have buckets, baskets, totes, boxes, etc. I have them in different places. I don't have one for wood projects. That is called a basement :O)  Whenever I find something that I want to remake or have to do I put it in the appropriate container. Thursday night after work (I work 4 days a week) I dig out a container and do whatever needs to be done to it. Since I took a few days off this week I got to do my container early. So here is the grunging tote. Anything I want to grunge (other than fabric, that is in my staining bucket lol), goes in this bucket in the basement.  Pretty ugly candles. But not for long. I drilled out the tops of the pillar candles with the drill press. Ready for the tealights I did a few days ago.

I paint the candles with black or brown paint. Whatever I have and sometimes mix them

I cover them with a mixture of spices and coffee grounds, etc.

Set them aside to dry, I left them over night as I did this part last night.

Almost all spiced up

Dipping time, I add the wax that came from drilling out the holes or broken candles. There's spices in there and coffee grounds, and who knows what else.

Spicing the tall pillar sides before dipping

Gross looking huh? I dip one side, turn it around and dip the other side right away. The wax is not too hot to handle.

Tapers get stood up in cans as I can only do one end at a time.

My bucket is empty. Back to the basement for the next project load.

All grunged up, I added the tealights. They look like they don't fit right but that is because they have those little plastic tabs under them that you pull for the battery to work.

Here is one completed. I sometimes tie them with homespun, cheesecloth, little rusty stars, etc, all I have left to do is the homespunning now. I am sure most of you know how to do this already. Or maybe do it way differently but I guess as long as the results are what you want, the journey there is all your own.  

A box of old Linens

I am cleaning out and throwing away. I found this box of old linens that I had got at an auction years ago. There are some bright colors in here lol. I guess I should go through them and only keep the ones I love.

Handmade Art Fair

Handmade Art Fair (HAFAIR) is a area for independent artisans to share their creations and to promote their businesses.
Brenda Sanker of The Vintage Polka Dot is doing a giveaway. She does some really amazing dolls.

they all have their own little personalities. Truly amazing.
Click on Harvey (lightly as not to poke him in the eye) on my sidebar!
Have a great night
Kat

WaaaWaaaWaaa Weather

I did it, I deleted the weather link from  my laptop. It is just way too depressing.

Today

Sunny. Highs in the mid 20s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear. Lows around 15 below. North winds around 5 mph.
I have decided though, I am not going to worry about how cold it is, or how much snow we get as long as I can get to the store every now and then for caffeine, magazines, mail, and my internet doesn't go down. Oh then I will be mad. lol
It will just make me appreciate spring all that much more. I won't even mind when the state birds come back, (black flies). I will just set out on my deck, covered in DEET and read my magazine, do a little painting, gardening, etc.
So here I set anxiously awaiting of my dear friend, spring.
Kat

Beeswax

I see everyone using blackened beeswax. Why beeswax and not regular wax? Just wondering.
The rabbits and such are so adorable I just wasn't getting the beeswax part lol.
Snowed in and going nuts
Kat

Baking

45 Minutes Prep time, 60 Minutes baking time, 60 Minutes clean up time, Amish Friendship bread.... PRICELESS.

I got up this morning, started painting. Oh wait it is the 10th day. Time to make my friendship bread. What no oil?? Oh well the internet will tell me what to use. Margarine it is 80% vegetable oil. Works for me. Four more starters, great.  I made two starter bags and put them in the freezer. One batch makes two loaves of bread. They are to die for, and I mean that literally with all the oil and sugar. lol. So I am thinking I will make two batches and send some back with my son to college. So I made two loaves of bread and 24 cupcake size breads.
My son came in from chopping down the drifts (they are two high for the snowblower to reach).Taste tester oh yeah!  He says "OH GOD mom, these are so (&*&^% delicious. Worth going out to clean up so snow for."
I had to go to town to get some gas for the snowblower and the roads are a mess. Since it rained for two days before this storm there are lakes of water on the roads. Well now those lakes have become slush and it is about 10 inches deep.  "4x4", got to love them. Now back home painting some stuff for the store, the wood stove is going and it is blowing and snowing outside. OLD MAN Winter Bring It On.

My yard is snowblowed at least for now. Supposed to keep snowing until this afternoon I guess. I don't care now. I have plenty to do inside and I am sure spring can't be far behind.

MORE SNOW

I am moving south! 12-21 inches tonight. Seriously, enough is enough! I miss you Springtime. I miss the smell of the rain, the excitement you feel when you see the new life everywhere, the absolute joy when there is NO MORE SHOVELING!!!
Oh well. I will go build something in the basement, can't see out the windows down there.
I hope everyone is having a great weekend.
KAT