SPRING has Sprung here at The Funky Farmhouse!!

PEEK A BOO!!!!

 

 

BOO!!!

 

So the other day the top pic caught my eye and I was like wait that is not a squirrel!! So I grabbed my camera and snapped a few pics to show Sim I was not crazy!! LOL

What is wrong with this picture? Raccoons come out at night!!! LOL This one came from the woods. He tried getting the suet cakes but couldn't. I just left him alone and he left and went back over the house and back into the woods!! This is just one of the reasons I love my Funky Farmhouse!!

 

 

 

 I just added this cool gig to my etsy shoppe!!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/thebagglady76?ref=em
 I had a lot of fun putting her together!! Do you remember the story of The Borrowers? Well you know I loved it, being about gatherers who lived with the mice!! And then there was the "The Little's" too. Some of my fav childhood stories. I put a lot of my cool junque findings into this oh so awesome gig. And I love it!! 

What do ya think of it?

 

 

 I don't go to Walmart very often but I ran in there the other day when I went into Flint. I was looking for the drinking glasses that look like Milk Bottles I seen someone post somewhere. But they didn't have them. So I went over and looked at the Easter stuff!! And I was like Oh My God no way!! CHALKBOARD EASTER EGGS!! I got them so Madeline and I can make some for her Mommy and some for me. There are a dozen in the coolest egg crate and it comes with the chalk too!! And only a $1.98!!

 

 

And Madeline wanted to say HI GUYS!! I have been spending a lot of time with this sweet little baby girl!! Her shirt says "Bring on the Sunshine"!!

 

I have been finishing up some gigs and working on orders. AND lovin this new sun shining week we are having after this very long stinkin winter!!

 

 

Keep on Keepin On!!

Peace Out!!

XOXO

Love Fran.

Kicked Out Some New Funky Gigs!!!

 

KIN FOLK

 

I made these cute lil  Kin Folk dolls for someone special and I really am very happy with how they turned out. They have lil chickens on the dress and a bird and nest on the Mama and a sweet bow on the lil kin. I sure love makin these. Each one always turns out so different in their own way.

 

SWEET STRAWBERRY DOLL

This lil beauty also turned out so awesome. Just like I imagined in my head. lol  I love the lil necklas I also made for her. She's quite grubby and smells yummy. She's available in my etsy shoppe.

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/223709543/strawberry-doll-primitive-grubby?ref=tre-2727294606-16
 

CROW COFFEE COVER

I kicked out another CROW COFFEE COVER. I SOLD out of these at the show I was in actually the 2 shows I was in at Christmas time. I believe they are much better lookin in person.  I also realized that not only do these cover coffee mugs, and to go coffee cups, they fit a quart mason jar perfect. If you keep your coffee in a jar this would be so cool.

 

Been also kickin out kidney stones again so a lot of down time for sewing!! I tell ya I am so looking forward to  spring n summer time!! I like sewing but not like this!! lol Gonna be listing the coffee cover soon in my shoppe.

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/thebagglady76?ref=l2-shopheader-name
 

XOXO

Love Fran.

 



How Frannie got her Groove back!!

 Hi Kidds!!

I sure have been missing my blog!! I think I just let to many things get to me!! So I will catch you up on the good things I have been doing!! Like this cool special order I got for one of my Vintage dachshund dogs I make from an old vintage coat and up cycled sweaters for the hats!! This lil sweetie turned out so great!! It was ordered from a dear friend for her daughter who has one named "Theo" short for Theodore". Too cute.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/208382341/daschund-dog-up-cycled-vintage-handmade?ref=shop_home_active_16

 



 

 

Here is just one of the coolest things I have been so proud of lately!! LOL First of all I saw a pin on Pinterest where this lady put her dish soap in an syrup bottle like this. Oh my gosh I was so geeked as I had just picked this big one up at the Consignment store where I take my clothes to sell. I had been watching for it to be marked down!! 50% off baby and I used my money I made!! It came without a lid. Hmmm--- So I put my best Fran thinking cap on. Looked in the drawer none of the plastic pop tops in there worked. AND then it hit me look in the fridge at the salad dressing caps!! YAY I had an old bottle of one dated way back. I took that baby off and it fit perfect!! OMG I was doin the happy dance!! I let Sim know it was not syrup and then my daughter Brooke asked Sim if that was syrup on the counter and Sim told her no your Mom is up to her craziness again. LOL It's dish soap and I am a happy Mama!!

 

 

We have been watchin this lil Beauty Queen a lot on and off between me n her being sick!! We did a fashion show with my old hats. These are just two of my favs. She didn't even try to take the hats off. She kinda had the same expression in all the pics. Poor baby had a tummy ache but was a lil trooper. LOVE IT!!

 

Have made a lot of my famous chili lately. This was part of our Super Bowl celebration. We have also been hittin the Farmers Markets around here on Sat mornins and Thursday. We have been eating a bit more healthy.

 



The other day I was havin such a bad stinkin day after a week of letting things get to me. I cried and said I need to go to my secret garden and get myself right. I know when I sew I am much better mentally. I hadn't even been doing that as of late. So I got my stuff out and whipped up this chick n these eggs I had already made. I had gotten the vintage Eggs tag a while back. I am putting these together for Easter and For Sale in my Etsy Shoppe. https://www.etsy.com/listing/222047738/chicken-eggs-nest-farm-gathering?ref=listing-shop-header-0.
 I love the way it turned out.
 





I am off for an eye doctor appointment. I need glasses so bad. I can not wait to get new ones. The sun is shining but very cold today. It is gonna be great just to get out!! I might even stop at one of the big stores if I have enough time.

 

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.

Nesting!!

Ok I have been kinda feeling like my new CROW DOLL "Wren in the Willow"!! She's sittin on my old vintage swing just coppin a lean. I have been workin and nesting around here at the Funky Farm House. I started with the outside and now I have been nesting in the diningroom/kitchen area and onto the livingroom. I also felt like I needed a blog update. I added a new pic to the top and I really like it a lot better.

 

 

 

Actually "WILLOW" is a pretty cool CROW. I designed her and put a lot of handsewing into her. She has a bird on her head with a nest. The bird and her arms are made from an old dresser scraf with hand emboirdery that I grubbied up real good it had seen better days!! I used some of my favorite black polyester and red and white polka dotted poly material also.

 

I  made one of my funky flowers from the calico and dresser scraf into a brooch and sewed a safety pin on the back so you can wear it if you want to.

 

 

I also made her a Pin Apron and stitched her name "WILLOW" onto it.

I learned about pin aprons from the Civil War re-enactments I have been to. I have used them before and they are so sweet.

 

 

"WILLOW" will be heading off to my shoppe real soon!!https://www.etsy.com/shop/thebagglady76?ref=em

 I have been creating a lot in between my nesting!! Clean sew clean sew!! Wheww!! LOL it has been so humid here it gets kinda uncomfortable sometimes lot's of showers!!

 

 

And I got to take some time off from nesting and watched Madeline Grace the other day!! WOO HOO this Grannie Frannie was a happy one!! Oh my goodness she is so adorable!! We had fun just me n her! I even sewed while she was sleeping! I read out of the Readers Digest to her about being happy and feeling rich without having to have money!! She's a good listener!!

 

And this pretty little mommy-to-be had the cutest shower ever!! DR SUESS one of my favorite books!! I still have all my books from when I was little. Shannon is such a pretty girl and I use to babysit her when she was growing up!! Her and Kaitlin were one year apart. Shannon lived right next door. But now she lives up in town. I love her so much!! She's havin a boy and the shower was such a hoot!! I felt like a kid again myself!! LOL

 



 

Part of my nesting!! The lil chick is going into my shoppe too.https://www.etsy.com/shop/thebagglady76?ref=em

 I had fun using my stuff for props!! I probably sound like I have been doing a lot and I have but believe me it has taken me a long time doing it! LOL

 

I LOVE nesting and creating and feel blessed to be able to do both!! I am working on Pumpkins it takes me awhile cuz I hand sew everything but that is what I LOVE to do!! I am trying to get everything done by the 15th as I am having my surgery again then and need my medicine pretty bad. But one thing after the surgery I get to sew for awhile!! as I rest!! Woo Hoo!!

Hope you are all doing good!!

Happy Fall Y'all!

XOXO

Love 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.

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.

Roses, Upcycling,and Bluebirds!!!

MY ROSES ARE BLOOMING!!!

This is a very special garden to me! Sim made this in memory of my Mom. Her name was Rose Marie. Sim took a rusty foot board to a bed and made a raised garden bed for them and then bought the angel for me. I couldn't believe it when I saw the beautiful blooms!! This has been only planted for about two weeks!! These roses will get alot bigger and fill in more. For now my soul is filled with love!!

BLUEBIRD OF HAPPINESS!!



Here is my newest Bird Nest I am adding to my Etsy Shoppe! I hand stitched the whole thing! The bluebird sits a atop old grubby chenille I upcycled from an old bedspread!! I used moss and silk faux forget-me-nots with gold and white string of beads for the nest. Her breast is a rusty orange color and her body is blue felt with a little black button from my button jar for the eye!! This is my own design and I love the way it turned out!! Bluebirds were very special to me and my Mom!!

I have been so busy in the garden I haven't had alot of creating thyme!! Torn today as it is raining!! Should I clean the house or create!! LOL If I get busy with it I could do both!! Right? I am thanking God for the rain though!! HE is watering my gardens for me!!!

GOD has made me fruitful in this land of suffering!!

Genesis 41:52

Have a great weekend and God bless you!!!

XOXO Love, 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.



Nest Sweet Nest!!

This is a robins nest out in my back yard. You would not believe where they built their home!!! We had three big trees cut down in our backyard a few weeks ago. We are building a raised garden bed and we have not had time to put things back or in new places yet. I pulled down one of their nest from the kids old fort and they sure were upset. Then the next thing we know everytime we went out the back door, there was a robin flying. This is on my potting table and the rusty container is an old paint can!! I mean very rusty!! The funny thing is I rusted that paint can out on a dirt road in the winter time. They had started to rust and just needed some help! LOL I have a couple of them! Sim and I would go out there every so often so I could turn them!! This is one of the most rusty ones!! LOL Gotta love it though!!

Here are a few more of the pictures! Isn't Gods world so beautiful and amazing!!!

XO Fran.