A Potted Folk Art Rabbit & Sunflowers

Just added this new item to my Etsy Shop! I'm working on a pattern for this sneaky little guy too.





I had a customer want some bunnies in a terra cotta pot for her shop and this is what I came up with. The overall piece stands almost 14".






Here is a close up of the sunflowers which I really enjoyed creating. I will be making some of these to sell separately too. They are painted material mounted on a piece of rusty wire.

A Harvest Mouse!!!

See how far behind I am........................... not really! Actually, I'm stocking up for my shows this year!!! I used a Soft In the Head pattern for these cute little guys! I hope to have mice for every season tucked in all my little spaces. This one sits proudly on a pumpkin holding a piece of candy corn.

More Mice!

First we have a "Valentine Mouse in a Pouch". It measures about 8" by 3" and is made from a coffee/vanilla stained osnaburg fabric. I love working with the wool appliques. On this one I have a double heart from red and black wool.

I also did one with my favorite flowers......... Coneflowers.............. appliqued with mustard, black and green wool. Tonight I will finish some up with appliqued stars on the pouch.

Rabbits Rabbits and more Rabbits!!!

It took 2 weeks but I finally finished up 12 of these bunnies! They are a whooping 30" tall with the ears standing up! They were ordered by 3 shops and I made one to put in my Etsy Shop. Right before I got the order for the bunnies I had cut out 2 penny rugs which laid on the table for the first week. I did manage to finish one of them this week too. Also, if you notice I have some really cute mice on a pumpkin mounted in a zinc lid between the bunnies. I need to add a candy corn to him before I post pictures. Well.......... back to work!!! More bunnies on the cutting table but no clothes to mess with....... these little guys are in a pot!

Mice are popping up everywhere!!!

I found some old looking graters at a show the other day and brought them home hoping I could come up with something to do with them. This is what I came up with............ mice seem to be popping up in anything so I decided to put him in a wool made tulip and attach it to the shredder. He is now listed in my ETSY shop http://www.teresasprimtreasures.etsy.com/ . I'm also working on a Sunflower and putting one in an old China teacup!

Step-Back Cupboard

My husband made this cupboard for me a couple of years ago and it sat in our garage for 2 1/2 years waiting for me to paint it............. he doesn't like that part of the crafting so it's all mine. Finally in August I took the time to paint it and we moved it into the dining room. Well the doors didn't fit so he had to cut them down a bit and I painted the edges then it sat and sat in the dining room for 4 more months without the bottom doors attached! Today he took the time to put them on and it is officially done! I'm so excited..... now I can start looking for or making some new things to display on it!

Also, I wanted to show you a close up of the wild rose hip branches I cut. I wasn't sure how well they would stay on the branches so I only clipped a hand full but they are holding up great! Sure wish I would have picked more............ they look so pretty!

Free Instructions for Dried Orange Ornaments

I just love the smell of my kitchen when I'm making these Dried Orange Ornies! My Christmas gift to you is the instructions for creating them!

First you want to pick the largest oranges you can find..... I like to use Navel Oranges. Just look at how much they shrink during the drying process.

Take about 3 slices off the navel end of the orange. After each slice, sit the orange on a flat surface checking for straight cuts. Some are really lope-sided when sitting so cut accordingly to help straighten it up. You will also be able to work with it during the drying process.

Scoop the pulp out of the orange by loosening up the edges with a thin tablespoon. Don't throw this out!!!! It is yummy...nothing like fresh squeezed orange juice ....................and you can also add powdered sugar, coconut and cherries to the pulp for a wonderful dessert! I think it's called Ambrosia....... a recipe I learned in Home Ec way back in my high school days!

After it is all cleaned out it will look like this! It doesn't need to be spotless!

Now you are ready to place the whole cloves around the top. You can use any pointy object to make the holes for the cloves..... an ice pick works great! Just poke your holes about 1/2 inch apart the whole way around the orange and then insert a whole clove into each hole.

Dry in a 200 degree oven by placing the orange, hole side down, directly on the oven rack. Check every 15 minutes or so. After the inside seems fairly dry flip it over and place on a cookie sheet. If it is not sitting straight try pushing it into shape. Sometimes the edges tend to turn in or out so keep adjusting them as needed. Drying times will vary but be prepared for an hour or two! Dry the slices on a piece of foil along side of the ornies or dry in a dyhydrator.

You can let your ornies air dry but I found they tend to lose the round shape.

After they are dry remove 2 cloves from opposite sides and insert a piece of rusted wire for a handle as pictured in the first picture. They look great on a tree or you can sit them around too! If you make some please let me know... I would love to see them! Enjoy and have a great Christmas!!!