Do you Barter, Swap or Trade? You should!!!

This afternoon I went to the door to open it to let some air in and a big yellow envelope fell at my feet! It was from my adopted niece Jill at http://www.buckscountyfolkart.blogspot.com/ . She had made this little cutey for a surprise and a thank you. I sure love it!! I love Jill too. She has adopted me as her Aunt Frannie and I feel blessed. This little girl is a magnet and Jill knows I love cherries!! Jill is an amazing artist. Check out her post on the Halloween Mixed Media House she rocked out!! Oh my goodness it is amazing!! I went outside to take this pic and I put it on one of my rusty shovels on the side of the barn. It looked so cute!! A big hug and kiss to Jill!!

Here is what I altered with my Mystery Swap Envelope #2 I got from Vickie at http://www.thingsilearnfrombear.blogspot.com/. I always forget to take pics of the stuff in the envelope before I start making them! I think I get excited. The Souvenir paper was half of another one that had a postcard on it. I had been wanting to make a jar for my beach glass and stones Sim and I always get on our vacations. I fancied this one up with some of the beach glass, some feathers, shells, etc. The ribbon and the button are from Vickie. I love the way this turned out and I even had more stuff left over to make this cool tag!! 

I just LOVE it and the way it turned out!! I had the little black bird and couldn't help but put him on the bike. She knew my favorite color is orange. Right now Vickie and I are bartering. When it gets finished I'll share it with you. I am still working on my book from before gluing pages together to make pockets. I have enough stuff left from Vickie to make an ATC card. I really like this Mystery Swap thing. And I really like the bartering. Trading, Bartering and swapping are alot alike. With the way things are in our country right now, doing these things can lift our spirits. Kinda put us back to the way America use to be maybe!! My other good friend Lori at http://www.Perfectisboring.blogspot.com/ home schools her girls and gets together with other homeschoolers. Lori is teaching these young girls about bartering through American Girl books and other things. That is what kinda got me to thinking about it. I am praying for our country. So if any of you are interested in Bartering, Swapping, or Trading there are probably alot of people out there who will. Let me know if you want to. I know Vickie and I are really enjoying it!! Thanks! and Love ya XO Fran.

Feeling groovy, a Mystery Swap, and Sale in my Esty Shoppe!!!!!

CHRISTMAS IN JULY SALE

 IN MY ETSY SHOPPE ON ALL MY HANDMADES

SALE ENDS JULY 31st!!!

I signed up for a Mystery Swap with Tee at http://www.thealteredpaper.blogspot.com/ . I can't refuse a mystery!! LOL We were to send our partners a regular size envelope with stuff to create a tag, atc, or whatever we wanted with at least 75% of what was in the envelope. Donna at http://www.redapplejunction.blogspot.com/. was my partner. Donna is so giving and I was so blessed to receive a larger envelope filled with great goodies! I thought and thought about it and I finally came up with the ideal of trying mixed media on this vintage book. I have been wanting to do mixed media so this was the perfect time. This book has been in my garage for quite awhile as my husband use to make lamps out of vintage books. This is a copy of a picture of this little child, but I fell in love with it. Not knowing if it is a girl or boy I decided to make her a girl and give her the name of Bree. These letters were in the envelope. Actually the only things I used of mine were some vintage lace , green jewels, the paper crown and the book of course. What I am going to do is use the inside of this book to put my other swaps for ATC's, etc. in pockets. Tee has decided this is so much fun she is gonna do it once a month. Sign up it is alot of fun! I know I want to! Go over to Donnas blog and see what she did with my stuff I sent her. It is so cool! I think I sent her way out of her comfort zone!! But she rocked it!!

So I am feeling pretty groovy I just got back from a couple days away with Sim again. This one was not planned and that made it even more special! While we were gone we went to an Auction and oh boy did we have fun! I did alot of cherry picking for the Vintage part of my Etsy Shoppe! Stop by my Shoppe up at the top and check out my "Christmas in July" sale on my handmade items!

XO Fran.

WHERE BLOGGERS CREATE PARTY!!

                                   
                                  WHERE THE BAGGLADY CREATES!!!!

Well I thought I'd join in on the fun this year for the "Where Bloggers Create Party" that Karen is hosting from http://www.mydesertcottage.blogspot.com/  This is my mannequin and I don't have a name for her, but I love her!! The fur coat was given to me when Sim's aunt passed away. It is a burnt orange color and I love it. The hat we found on one of our outings and it matches the room perfect.

These suitcases are on one side of the manniquin and the top suitcase was my Grandma's. She used it all the time. I keep supplies in it and put a tag on it that says "needful things". The second holds my yarn and I put a tag that says "winter thyme" on it. The last one I just got on my vacation and I love it. It holds treasures from our trip.

On top of the suitcases is an old rusty canning rack that holds jars of my supplies. And also some of my new tomato pin keeps I am getting ready to put on Etsy. Also an upcycled jar of vintage strawberries.

This is the closet on the other side and as you can see I use it to hold plastic shoe box size containers for alot of my supplies. I put curtains over the doorway.

Right outside that closet is my "bagglady cart". I really have used this as a bagg lady that I played at church and for Halloweens. I also use it for big outside sales and flea markets. But in my room I use it for all my mailing supplies. I use alot of recycled boxes, papers, etc. So I have to keep it out in the open. But that's ok I can easily get to it.

I love this old cupboard I keep my Etsy items I have listed in there and some more of my supplies. On top I keep old jars with different supplies and some vintage items too.

This a shelf I have over in the corner. I put some of my favorites on the top. A few of them have come from other bloggers from swaps and some are just friendship gifts and a couple of things I have made. My crochet hooks are in the wine holder and magazines are in the burlap container. On the shelves are my books to sell and papers for the computer and some more of my supplies.

This is a very cool primitive pouting chair that Sim got me for my birthday along with my inspiration gate. I put my "nest purse" on it that I upcycled from an old hat box.

This is parts of my inspiration gate hanging over my desk. It was hard to get one big picture of it so I broke it down. You can see I have some special things hanging on it from swaps, tags I've made, pictures, old hats, and a vintage baby dress a friend gave to me. The dried flowers Sim bought for me for my birthday too. I won the really cool purse from Debbie and Nicole over at http://www.maisonstgermain.com/. Stop by, their stuff is really awesome!! I still have room to grow on my gate!! I'm sure I'll have it filled up soon!!

I love using jars and these are my amber vintage jars. Most of these were my Mom's. She wasn't using them anymore so I asked if I could have them. They hold alot of supplies in them!! I love them. I use jars all over the place. LOL 

This is my desk where I make things and look at books like this for new ideals. Notice I have to have my glasses everywhere!! LOL

I got these metal file drawers at an estate where one of our very popular jewelers lived. There are still repair orders in there. I am using it to file things too. The vintage pattern on top I want to make me a shirt like with some of my vintage material. I think that is a winter project though!!

And this is where I do my blogging!! I have to have a TV and always have my cup of coffee with me. That is our little granddaughter Caylee on our screen saver!! I got the kitchen farm table from some money I made from a craft show and Sim painted it green for me. It is perfect for our computer. I have to share this computer with Sim and Kaitlin but that is all they do in here. I love this room that Sim helped me to be able to have a place to create in. I love it and spend quite a bit of time in here. Thanks for stopping by. XO Fran.

 

It's Grannie Frannie Thyme!!!!!

We had the greatest surprise on Friday! We got to watch Caylee Roxanne while Ryan and Christine went to a wedding class. Boy did we have lot's of fun with her!! She showed off for us and played. We have this old vintage swing out front and I have been wanting her picture on it ever since I got the swing!! We got some great shots of her and I. She is such a girly girly and I love it! Her most favorite blanket shown here in the pic is faux fur!! I asked her if that was cuz Grannie Frannie loves that! She came running to me and hugged me real hard!! My heart melted!!!

This is Aunt Kate (my baby girl) helping Caylee to eat her pizza! She loves to eat pizza!!

Sim put one of my vintage hats on her and she kept it on for the longest time!! That is Aunt Brooke (my oldest daughter) with her in the picture. The wedding is in August and she is gonna be the cutest little bride like her pretty momma!! You know I'll have lot's of pics of the wedding to share!!! XO Fran.

Mother Nature's Beauty!!

JUNE ARTFUL BAG CHALLENGE

For our June challenge we were to recycle something in to a bag/purse.

I had this old Sears hat box that was damaged. I kept looking at it and thinking I could make it into a "nest purse"!! When we were on our vacation we walked alot on the beach. I always pick up things. With this ideal in mind I picked up things I knew would make a cool nest. The only thing I added was some Spanish moss and a little egg that can removed. And I got some black trim from JoAnn's that kinda reminded me of feathers. 

I love how this turned out and I am calling it my "nest purse" as I can carry it and pick up more treasures!!

XO Fran.