{ meet my new 'baby'....}

All I can do is stand there and stare...
His beauty is mesmerizing to me.

Peter cam home with him last night~
He is approx. 5 years young
(Peacocks live for a very long time)

His regal tail feathers are almost 5 feet long!
and he is sweet & gentle...

I will be spoiling this living masterpiece rotten!!!

We've yet to name him...
any suggestions?

I do know that I will be immortalizing him
in a sampler...
what better way to be remembered
...than to be stitched with needle & thread?

*swoooon*

the morning is already showing signs of a gorgeous day~
after morning errands and some cleaning of the farmhouse,
you will find me in my shop-garden...
pulling 'volunteers' and talking sweetly to the herbs...

then I will begin stitching on a new sampler that I designed last week,

called:

"A Plump Wife"

new NP patterns WILL be posted too!

Hoping that you will enjoy your day,
revel in the beauty of Nature
...and every living thing....


Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ i've been diverted...}

I know, i know...

I was supposed to let you see the new needlepunch patterns...

but what's a girl to do...

when her paints,
...and brushes,
call her to play??

well....

THIS, I guess...

so I'm following my painting muse for a while...

you all know how I get,
I have to flit between things so I don't get burn-out...

I'll be offering this painting and another on ebay, ALONG with

the new needlepunch patterns!!

PROMISE!!!

the sun is shining today,
but the winds are reminding me
that it is still March...

the sheets are snapping on the clothesline,
and I can't wait to crawl in under them tonight...

the moon will be high again tonight,

...so perhaps I'll take a moonlight stroll.

Hoping you're all enjoying
the last few days of this windy, tumultous month!

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{strawberries and yellow-ware}

Hi Folks!

I'll be posting the 2 new needlepunch patterns today,

... after I get back from running errands...

they were a big hit at the show Saturday,

hope you'll like them!
(be back soon)

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ Oh My..... }

well......

I'll just let these pictures speak for themselves:

my Gratitude to those Friends, Old & New~

that stopped into my booth...
what fun we had.
(can't wait until next year!)

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ pics of my booth at Va Rugfest }

Hi Folks!
here's some pics of my booth at the VA Rugfest ~

the tables are set up in a 'horse-shoe' configuration,
so the table above will be on your right as you walk in the booth ~

here's the table in the 'back' of the booth ~

and here is the table to your left....

Ive kept things light and Farmhouse-y with a Spring theme!
{I've already sold some of those little velvet strawberries-on-doorknobs!!)

Robin (Millstonemercantile), Felicia & I will be leaving from here
EARLY tomorrow morn ~
so I will say Goodnight to you now!

I'll have more pictures for you on Sunday!

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ Ready to Go...}

Everything is packed and patiently waiting to go!

I have loved going to the VA Rug Fest
for the past 6 years that I've been here,
and I'm SO excited this year to be a Vendor!

Woohoo!!

boxes of goodies, patterns, supplies ~

quilts for the tables...

some faux flowers to brighten my tables ~

I'll take pictures of my spot tomorrow
so you can see what the mess above turns into!

after we set up tomorrow, we are going antiquing!
YAY!
down the road from the show, is a NEAT shop called
The Garden Gate...
Primsical, folk-y FUN!
& next door (same building) is a HUGE antiques shop...

oh be still my heart~

I've finished the NEW needle punch patterns,
and will have them for sale Saturday at the show...

~I'll be releasing them for you to purchase
online/in-store/from distributors on Monday!

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ Plunder }

While out & about for a little while today,
I just happened to go past my local antiques shop
(uh, yeah. right....not premeditated at alllll....)

I found an old red velvet pillow that had seen better days, so I turned the fabric into
these little strawberry make-do's on old porcelain door-knobs...

I found old MORE doorknobs, tin tart pans, teeny oil cans and funnels
that will soon become make-do's ~

...miniscule ironstone dishes and candlestand,
and an old tobacco jar full of buttons!

oh boy oh boy...
I am envisioning great things to come from these!

I will be updating my selling blog soon~
the update will have a MAKE-DO theme...
some pincushions, pinkeeps, dolls with patches made from early fabric, etc...

Look for the update announcement here in a week or so!

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ the bees knees }

I love Beeswax!!

I love the tacky, sticky feel of it...
the sweet, cloying smell that brings memories skipping back ~

Memories of my childhood;

of beeswax candles, fresh honey and my Mom's azalia bushes
that grew bigger than our car...

I have many little treasures here,
made of molded, blackened & scented beeswax ~
shoes, birds, eggs, baskets & the like,

...made by talented hands of dear artisan Friends~

and I use my beeswax for my needlework.
it helps to keep my threads from tangling,

helps my cross stitches lay flat
and it leaves a subtle sheen on the finished work.

We have a hive of honeybees here at the farm...
I love to watch them work together to make their community prosperous.
...the way they hover in mid air and watch me in the gardens...

how they chase one another in play
and how they settle at the edge of a puddle for a sip of water...

I'll be working on my needlepunch again today,

have the two that I teased you with yesterday finished, and have another on my frame...

Hoping your day is filled with inspiration from your surroundings!

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ Punch-Drunk }

Happy Monday Folks!

I've been in my studio all day ~

watching movies on DVD
( The Orphanage, Practical Magic, City Slickers!...)

ok, not watching entirely,

but listening intently and glancing sideways at the screen
while I Needle Punch away...

I'm working diligently on the new pattern models that I'll be releasing at the
VA Rug Fest
this Saturday...

I guess you can't really tell what the finish will look like,
but here's a hint:
think

YELLOW - WARE

I'll be showing you more progress-pictures as the show gets closer,
but not of the finished models yet!
nope...you'll just have to wait until next week to see them!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today was blustery...
...a typical March day...
sunny/cloudy, windy/calm, warm, yet chilly...

The birds outside are twitterpating and feverishly looking for nesting materials...
please don't forget to share your wool and thread scraps with our little
Feathered Friends ~
... they will truly appreciate your kindness towards them
by rewarding you with hours of
birdsong & delight!!!

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ sunday musings...}

...seems like the weekends always find me day-dreaming ~

about my herb, flower and vegetable gardens...
(the pansies were put in saturday, and the potatoes, above, will go in tomorrow if it's not raining...actually they should have gone in on St. Patrick's day)

and of course,
about my beloved animals...

the farm is waking to Spring,
soon the baby chicks will hatch ~
the bees in the skep have begun their daily flights
...to forage for food and re-pollen the gardens...

the sheep will soon receive their first shearing of the year,
as well as Buddy,
(see above....he gets miserable in the summer heat with all that fur,
so Peter trims him really short now...
usually by the middle of the summer,
he can be found under the front porch,
in the cool earth,
or wading in the creek out back,
... behind the old summer kitchen)

another turn of the Wheel for the Year ~
more memories to be made, more dreams to come to fruition...

May all of your SPRING dreams come true!
Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{...and the Winner is...}

The Winner of my Tiny Buttons necklace is......

(drumroll................................)

SALLIE

(Constance/http://mysticwoodprimitives.blogspot.com )

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
(I've emailed you seperately, Sallie...)

Please let me thank everyone for their sweet comments,...
it is such fun to create, then give away a piece of my Heart...

~ You are all very special to me ~

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ a gift for you...}

My treasure was I had such Friends....

if it weren't for you,
i wouldn't be able to do what I love to do everyday ~

create, design....dream.

So with Heartfelt Appreciation,

I'm giving this handmade
Memory Necklace,
"Tiny Buttons"
away...

to one lucky winner...

...to be able to win,
please just leave a comment here on this post,

on SATURDAY, MARCH 20TH
(the Vernal Equinox ~ otherwise known famously as the
First Day Of SPRING!!!)

I will randomly draw a name
and post the winner...

You've all filled my heart in such a way
...with your constant support of my work,
and this is only a small way that I
may be able to repay the kindness given me...

( the necklace measures approx. 17" long, and has a brass toggle closure
...it is signed & dated on the backside)

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ Memory Jewelry }

when I'm not working with needle & thread,
I like to turn my attention to making jewelry...

not just any jewelry,
nothing shiny & sparkly~

something that suits me,
something simple and grounded...

something with a story to tell...

So last evening,

I dug out my jars of goodies,
bins of buttons,
containers of vintage 'stuff' for lack of a better word...
and here's what i made:

I LOVE how it came out!
Ii used an early tin-type photograph,

some really pretty rhinestone findings
(that I dulled so their not too sparkly)
and a bluebird charm w/ envelope...

hung on a brass watch-fob chain.

I like the look of these,

...what I call "Memory Jewlery.".
I'll add a couple of bone and mother of pearl buttons and
....voila'...

a perfect necklace for a primitive-lover!

The house smells like corned beef & cabbage...

the windows have been cleaned, the floors swept & all the woodwork polished...

my humble little farmhouse is so pretty!!!!

Happy St. Patrick's day to all~
Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ a little Shaker Wisdom }

"...Say not to the Friend, there are weeds in your Garden...
when thine own is choked with the Same;
but rather look at Home...
-the Youths Guide in Zion

"If you would have a Lovely Garden,
you should have a Lovely Life..."
-The Gardener's Manual, 1843

""the happiness of our Whole life depends

on the cultivation of a Good Disposition..."
-Alice Chadwick, Enfield, Connecticut

Dear Friends...

it will be Spring in just a few days...

I, for one, cannot be happier this year for it to arrive!

soon we will be planting our Gardens with herbs, flowers & vegetables...

waiting anxiously for the first shoots to appear.

my Lilacs are budding & my Daffodils are now ready to bloom...
and the little birds are readying their nests.

I will begin my spring-cleaning this weekend,
sweeping out the winter from attic to basement
and out the door!

Creatively, I am working on the models for the new punch needle designs..
I'm hoping to share them with you this week.

My THANKS to all of you who have purchased the new cross stitch patterns!!!
I'm already oon my second printing, and all initial orders have been shipped!
woohoo!!!!

Hoping you are all thinking spring thoughts and going through your seed catalogs!

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ a MAGICAL night!!! }

(Hannah playing first flute !!! ~ Saturday March 13, 2010)

(me playing flute in the late 1980's)

does my little girl look like me???

What a wonderful time we had at

"Peter Pan"

the kids do such a great job on this play...
they work SO hard & it really shows!

They are always so professional, and I think many of them should go on to
continue in Theatre!!!!

I know we are VERY proud of our daughter...
aside from having been practicing long hours for MONTHS for this,

she has managed to keep GREAT grades,

and still be in a pretty-good mood for a teenager!
HA!

We love you honey...you will always be our First Flutist!!!

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ New cross stitch patterns released!! }

Here they are...
thanks for your patience!!

below is:
"Loureda Geiste 1830"
model stitched on severely stained 18ct aida cloth
model stitched by my Mom, Elda Elizabeth Geiste Smith
...a more traditional looking sampler,
designed in remembrance of my grandmother.
pattern ~ $8.00

below is:

"Plant Ye Seeds..."
model stitched on 28ct hand dyed irish linen
model stitched by yours truly...
...a more primitive looking sampler for folks like us!
pattern ~ $8.00

below is:

"Rabbit Folk"
stitched on severely stained 18ct. aida cloth
model stitched by Robin Muddiman
...one of my more whimsical designs...love them!!

pattern ~ $8.00

I wanted to offer these here first, to my blogging friends~
and will be adding them to my etsy shop & ebay auctions tomorrow (sat.)

if you'd like to place an order, please email me
not4got@aol.com

I'm happy to combine shipping!
I accept Paypal & ck/mo

thanks my Friends!!

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ rain...rain...}

It's a rainy day...

I love rainy days!

i love to hear the raindrops on the roof, i like to smell the earth when it's damp.
I like to walk in the rain...

I like to come back into the cozy farmhouse after a walk in the rain,
dry off, make a steaming cup of mint tea,
...and go through my stash of fabrics!

Those in the picture above,

will be turned into little housewren's, pinkeeps & make-do's,
that I'll offer for my next update on my selling blog...

the "plant ye.." sampler is 99.999999% finished being stitched!
I am adding a few finishing touches, then will block it,
and 'finish' it into a ...well...you'll have to wait to see!

I should have another update here later,
as I am expecting Miss Robin to come bring
"Rabbit Folk"
sooo, until then, my sweet Friends,

Go for a walk in your neighborhood today...

rain or shine

even for 20 minutes...

you will feel wonderful from the excersize & fresh air...

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori

{ Road Trip !!! }

took a road trip today...
up and over the Mountain~

a quaint little needlework shop,
that's BIG on charm!!!

Cross Stitch Station
Waynesboro, VA

all kinds of patterns, fabrics & fibers...
(I purchased some scissors, 40ct linen and some charts...)

Bins & bins full of beautiful Linens!!

the walls are covered in cross stitch!
if you're ever in my neck of the woods, stop in & see them!

tomorrow I should have the Rabbit Folk sampler model here...

Robin said she'd bring it in the morning! yippeeeee!!!!
then I'll have two finished,

yep...

STILL working on my 'Plant Ye...' sampler...

(my eyes needed a break today, so that's why the road trip!)

makes alot of sense, huh?
using the excuse that my eyes are tired from stitching, but then I go ahead
and buy 40ct linen!!!

(I am a glutton for punishment.)

Please don't forget, that I'll be out of the shop on Saturday,
(Hannah's dress rehearsal was AWESOME! I can't wait for opening night!)

Pictures to come soon!

Blessings from the Farm,
Lori