BlueBird of Happiness!!

 

 

  This is my OOAK hand sewn and designed by me BLUEBIRD.

 

 Her Funky necklace is a book mark.

 Her Market bagg turned out so cool.

 

And her dress is just like the color of the breast of the real Blue Birds. We have them here in the Spring and Summer. I get so excited when they show up. I have named this one ROSIE after my Mom. We had a special bond of bluebirds.

I have decided to take special orders on my Blue Birds. The dress material may differ as I got this one thrifting. This one is mine. If interested just let me know.

 

And isn't it so cool when your grown kids get you!! And give you the sweetest gifts!! This is from Ryan and Christine. Ryan is in Africa til March and this is perfect. Sim and I both LOVE coffee and take trips in the car a lot with it. They say Proud Navy Dad and Mom!! This gave me tears when I opened it!! 

 

AND this very cool rusty Coffee Can came from Nick n Danielle, Madeline's mommy n daddy. They know me so well that when they found this very old coffee can workin on their house they saved it for me for Christmas and put the flowers in it for me!! I love it!!

 

 

And the very cool deer with the flowers are from Sim.

 

I have been takin down the Christmas, but will leave these cool deer out for the winter. We finally got some snow last night and today. We'll see how long it lasts cuz now it's suppose to rain. Prayin it doesn't freeze.

 

Keep on Keepin on!!

XOXO Love Fran.

 

 



Well my Goodness Dec. is just a flyin by!!

These two little beauties are ready for shipping and for gift giving. Available in my etsy shoppe!! I just love the look of these FOX BROOCHES!!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/214471155/handmade-fox-brooch-from-vintage-coat?ref=shop_home_active_2
https://www.etsy.com/listing/215335619/handmade-fox-brooch-re-do-from-vintage
 

WOW the time has been flyin by on me!! I have been workin real hard on a craft show at my church. ALOT of work. I got it all done packed up on last Sunday from it and then had my surgery on Monday. I had to put myself on sick leave. LOL This chick was exhausted!! I am havin pain but a good excuse to sew. I felt really good about the craft show. Mainly I sold from my Hot Cocoa Bar. I had a lot of fun with that!! Almost sold all out!!

 

I have been spending a lot of time with my sweet lil baby girl Madeline Grace!! Oh my goodness this Grannie is in love!! She is 5 months now!!

 



 

I am gonna re do this lil beauty for Madeline Grace. Making it more child proof and removing the buttons and faux fur. She loves it. Then I got a a-ha moment. Remember a few posts back when I showed all of my vintage coats I had gotten? Well I am gonna make up some more dogs making them child proof with that vintage cool vibe!! I will make other things too but they will match my cool livingroom.

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/208382341/daschund-dog-santa-up-cycled-vintage?ref=related-5
This dog will be cool too!! and made child proof!!

 

Here is another cool WINTER BIRD BROOCH I made up from vintage coat material. I felt like it needed a nest to sit on. I used some vintage beads from an old broken necklas. This is all vintage and found items. I LOVE LOVE how this turned out!! SO sweet available in my etsy shoppe. And ready to ship.  

A week from today my baby girl Kaitlin will be flyin in from Connecticut!! I CAN NOT WAIT!! She's gonna be home for 9 days I sure wish it was longer!! But at least she'll be here for Christmas!! Lot's of gatherings for everyone as we are all blended families!! I will be off my sick leave on Tuesday and then the rush is on!! LOL Still have shopping and baking to do!!
 
Hope all is well with everyone.
Keep on Keepin on!!
XOXO Love ya Fran.

HAPPY TURKEY WEEK!!!

HOW MUCH DO I LOVE YOU GUYS?

This much n more!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

XOXO LOVE YA

Fran.

OH YEAH HAPPY FIRST FULL DAY OF SPRING PEEPS!!!!

Last night we went to a mix n mingle for the Chamber of Commrence in Mt. Morris. It was at Junes Floral Company. Oh my goodness Wanietta was such a gracious host with lot's of goodies to eat. Before we left Sim bought me some Spring flowers. These are Irises!! Still closed up. But soon will be open. I haven't made one of my funky vignettes in along time. So I gathered some things and put this together!! I used one of my "lil chicks" and put it on the seat of the rusty broken down tractor!! I love it there!! LOL Kinda felt good!! like maybe I am getting some of my mojo back for the house. Recently I have been in so much pain that I just kinda sit in my bed and sew. The doc put me on some strong pain meds. Hoping soon to get back off them!! Finally asked for prayer. Seems like it is so hard to ask for yourself sometimes.

 

Yesterday if you took a canned good to Subway you could get a free six inch sub sandwich with the purchase of another one. I took in 4 cans and they gave us both a free one. Felt good to bless others and also to have lunch in such a frugal way. The food banks sure are low on food around here so every little bit helps.

 

 

 





A few new SPRING GIGS for my etsy shoppe!! I love making the bird nests gigs. Well I actually love making all of my gigs!! Keeps my sanity!! I think!! LOL

The sun is shining here today and that is a good thing!!

 But I still have that nasty sn-irt I don't like!! My birds are coming into the feeders like crazy but I have not seen anymore Robins!! LOL Just that one day as a sign of Hope!! God is good.

 

Keep on Keepin on Peeps

XOXO Love Fran.

Some Special things to share!!!

The beauty of Gods world!!

 

On Friday it was my Mom's birthday. It is so hard to believe it has been two years since she's been gone. I have decided that each year on her birthday I will still celebrate her and have pizza her very favorite and some sort of dessert. Just like when she was here. This year I made this pie I got off pinterest it is made with kool aid. It is kinda like a cheese cake and so very easy!! I make it a lot!! This one was strawberry-lemonade. I even used pretty winter napkins.

 





These little sweeties were a special order that I have been working on. Sherry was a sweet gal to work with and I loved making these for her. She had seen them on another gals facebook page that had bought them from me. I am also working on another special order for another gal. God is good and keeping me busy just like I need!! LOL

 

I am also working on my living room alittle bit of adding some granny chic to it and moving things around when I can catch Sim for that!! LOL I plan on getting pics when I finish up. I really like it.

 

And remember in my last post how I bragged about Sim making it to work in the Snow Storm. Well Kroger this past weekend gave employees a 20% off Kroger products day for helping the store out and making it a success. We went shopping on Saturday and saved about $50.00!! We stocked up!! And it felt really good!! Our cupboards were a bit bare!! I have been baking and cooking!!

 And we haven't found out yet if the baby is a boy or a girl. We hopefully will find out next month!! I have been working on gathering things for a shower!! I have it all planned out it will be a funky farmhouse ducky kinda shower with lot's of fun!! LOL This Grannie is excited!!

 I hope everyone is staying warm cuz baby it is cold outside!! We've got the water dripping in the bathroom tonight and the heat turned up and lot's of blankets on our bed!! LOL

Keep on Keepin on!!

Love ya Fran.

XOXO

Dear Diary~THERE's NO PLACE LIKE HOME!!!

 

Just finally stopping in for an update on how it's been goin!! We were included in the ice storm and lost our power for 4 days. We actually got it back on Christmas Morning!! YAY!!

Just let me say I feel so blessed to have a home and memories were made from this. I did feel like I was "livin in a van (my orange car) down by the river"!! LOL But this little sweetie got me to the gas station for my coffee addiction and to Micky D's for food. And to warm up in. I finally had to give in and go stay at my SIL for one night as she called and said it was getting down to 6 degrees. I just didn't want to leave my house. On the first day I covered up with my blankeys and sewed on decorations on a sweater for Sim for his ugly sweater contest at work. And guess what he actually won!! Woo Hoo!! $10.00 gift certificate for Kroger's!! We can always use it!! We also used up both the batteries we had in our laptops to watch one of my fav movies "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

 

 

This is a selfie I took of myself awhile back when I was watching "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"! I guess the Grinch got me goin alittle wild n crazy!!



 

 On Christmas Eve our power was on for 10 minutes and then a power surge hit my neighbors pole and the fireman on my street turned off the main breaker and stopped what could have been something terrible!! But 8 of my neighbors got power back. We headed over to my MIL to see if hers was on it and yes it was!! We had a warm place for the night!! Woo Hoo!! I slept on her 2 seater couch and my legs kept kickin her Christmas tree Oh my goodness lot's of fun things to remember and cherish!! Sim tried the chair but that didn't work for him he went up stairs to his old bed. Brooke slept in my MIL bed with the cat cuz the cat hates Sim and wouldn't come out of the bedroom!! LOL My MIL was over my SIL due to the fact she didn't have power and it was to late for her to come that night.

 

This picture is a lot prettier than it looks!! If you look real close you can see my donkey weather vain in the top middle.

 

Just a couple of random shots of my yard. This tree has now been cut away from the wire. But was kinda scary layin on the power line like that.

BUT we did have a great Christmas with family. Christmas eve was at my cuzins and they were laughing cuz you could tell the ones without power! We were all layered up with clothes and I had a crocheted hat on to cover a multitude of sins with my hair!! LOL Good fun and laughter and exchanging of gifts! I got my favorite Starbucks gift card and chocolate covered cherries and a cute little cast iron pan to make brownies in with the mix!!

And then on Christmas we went to my SIL and Caylee was there and we had a good meal and exchanged gifts. My SIL got me and Sim a basket with two gift cards one for a steak dinner and then the movies!! AND some goodies to go with it!! Well guess what we went yesterday and had steak and went to the movies. We saw Grudge Match very sweet and funny.

 

 

And for some crazy reason I posed for this pic for Sim!! Could be trouble for me later!! LOL But we we had a great time which felt like forever since we were on a date!! Oh good times!!

And my best Christmas present Kaitlin is home for Christmas!! And ever since we have had bad weather!! LOL Both her parents were without power!! Poor babygril!! But we have had good times together and laughs. 

 

This is a lil brooch I made my MIL for Christmas. It turned out pretty sweet. I am working on a few bird items. And a really cool Crow item I made up!! LOL Always thinkin up something!! By the way everything posted in the single pics I posted last time that I made are sold!! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!! We sure did!!

XOXO Love ya Fran.

 

 

And where oh where did November go?

An exchange; a barter.

 

Awhile back a very good and adopted blog friend who calls me Aunt Frannie asked me if I wanted to swap one of my Pigg Dolls for a surprise!! I said for sure!!! Jill is a folk art artist and creates the best altered art!!! She re-did this cool car for me for Halloween and made two felted dolls and a ghost for it!!! I LOVE it!!

 

As I look back I can't believe I didn't blog one time!! But the month sure got away from me!! I went and started out with the flu and bronchitis for the first two weeks!! I was so blasted sick!! And then I had to get myself going and back to playing Cinderella. I had a craft show I did but was still feeling run down. But I did it.

 

Last weekend I did two days up at our Farmers Market. That was kinda cool cuz Sim was there with his birdhouses and my niece and sister in law with their jewelry. I always like doing shows where I know people!!!

 

 

 

 I made up some gift baskets in berry baskets. I use to make gift baskets a lot but they are so expensive to make.

 

 

 I also have been making these LiL Scrappers hand made and designed by me!! The birds and tomatoes on wooden thread spools!!! Oh my goodness I love making them a lot!! I also used a bottle cap to put the moss in. They measure 3 1/2" high. They would make a cool pin keep!! LOVE them!!! That red one is calling my name!!! LOL

 

Here are a couple of my new creations!! "Papa Hoot" SOLD!! He was kinda cool and up cycled from a wool skirt I got at the Salvo. I added a cool mustache to him. A very wise Owl!!!

 



 

A new Snowman doll that I thought looked like a bird with the carrot nose up and down!! So I named her "SNOW BRYD". She is still available in my Etsy Shoppe!!

 

 

 

And you know how I LOVE a challenge. I had someone ask me if I could make this dachshund kinda like one she had seen on Pinterest as she couldn't find anyone who made them. This is not exactly like the one on Pinterest but is my own design. I made three of them!! LOL The one in this pic is my favorite!! I made it from an old vintage coat a friend have given me to use!! I used faux fur for the neck and an old vintage rhinestone button. Old vintage buttons for the eyes. And red cashmere from a sweater for the hat!! Oh I just love it!!! 

 

 

This one I used the same color brown felt like most dachshund's and a little baby Santa bootie for the hat with a gold jingle bell. Gold trim with one of my little grubby tags I make that says "Santa Paws".

 

 

 These little sweeties measure 3 1/2" high x 8". They are all hand sewed. I will be making more of these for sure!! I can see them for Valentine's Day!! I have one more that I need to finish the hat up on!!

Well that is alittle bit of where I have been. I swear time just seems to fly by so darn fast!! I got my surgery date for December 13th for my bladder. I am trying to get everything caught up for that. I have my last craft show this Saturday. AND the most important thing is Kaitlin is coming home the 19th of this month til Jan.6th!!! My Christmas is gonna rock!!! I miss my baby girl so much!!!

I actually think I am excited about Christmas sometimes I am not!!! We are putting up the tree tomorrow. I have missed blogging but have been keeping up on my facebook page!! Stop by and like my page. You can find it on the side of my blog. Come and see what things I can get myself in trouble with!! You know me!! LOL

XOXO Love ya Fran.

 

Well the Slacker is back!!!

PEEK A BOO!!!

 And Hello SPRING!!! I am so proud of these plants coming up!! They are from my MOM's funeral plant I got. I planted the bulbs last SPRING. I have never really been able to plant bulbs and have them grow except for lillies!!! So I am geeked over these!! Today I went out and raked the leaves off of them!!

 

 

We had a great Easter!! Our granddaughter Caylee came up to see us Easter evening!! We got her a jump rope and some sidewalk chalk and a few other things. She loved the jump rope and of course wanted to play with it right away!! I think she likes it!! LOL She is so cute. She will be 3 at the end of the month. We'll be seein her again soon!! Yay!!!

Our Easter was pretty busy. I ended up making two pies and two Apple Snickers desserts. I gave one pie to my neighbors and took the other to my SIL for our dinner there. Sim took one Apple dessert to work and the other I had for when the kids were up to see us. We had a very blessed Easter.

 

 

Then on Tuesday it was my birthday!! We went out for the best BLT pizza they make uptown at The Mountain Inn bar. I love the way they put them on the big tin cans to serve them!! I threw myself a party up there!! Sim is taking the pics, and that is my MIL, SIL, BFF and my two daughters Kaitlin and Brooke!!! It was alot of fun!! I brought cookies for us to have after the pizza!! I tell you between the big Easter dinner we had and all the desserts and then my birthday I have to go on a diet!! No kidding!!! I also had my yearly physical this week too!!  

 

Today Sim and I went on a date!! It was so much fun!! Just being together!! We went to Holly to the Goodwill. A friend had told me about it. I found a few goodies and some jeans I needed real bad!! Then we headed off to Fenton from there and no kidding we ran into a church sale!! I got a few goodies there too!!  Then it was out to lunch with a gift card!! Awesome food and dessert of course!! We drove to a boat launch Sim use to fish at and walked around!! Boy do I need to walk more!! LOL I am so glad the weather is getting better!!!

 

Kaitlin gave Sim the money to buy the wood to make me a shelf for my studio/office/craft/computer room for my birthday. He got it made and painted for me this week and after I get my goodies on it I'll share with you guys. I LOVE it. I have been working on some pigg orders!! Those little dudes are so darn cute. I also made another spoon nest.

 

 

And I LOVE this Mouse Pin Cushion that I up cycled from an Alpaca vintage sweater I got thrifting. I am thinking maybe I might keep this one for myself. LOL She turned out so sweet!!

 

So that is what I have been up to lately!! LOL I can't wait til I can go outside and work!! But I really need to get everything done inside first!! Guess I'd better get busy!! Right? Hope you are all doing good. Thanks for listening to Frannie Downer last time I posted!! Since then I got a couple of orders and I guess I realized when God closes one door He opens another one!! I am gonna be looking for those doors and not running into them!! Cuz sometimes the blonde in me does miss them!!

XOXO Love ya and peace out!!

Fran.