New Year~New Discoveries

Well, it seems everyone liked the little dollhouse potholders that received them! It's always encouraging when a gift is well received...makes you want to keep on creating to make more unique items for those you love.

Speaking of unique, I found a great shop on etsy today that has beautiful,bright and fun fabrics. I'm so glad I discovered this shop! It's called 44th Street Fabrics and I just love their offerings! I also visited their blog and they are running a fabric giveaway until January 11th! Check out the sweet and charming fabrics...I know you'll love them just like I do. I think I'm going to have to order this pattern (above)! It is just too cute!!

The new year is going to be a busy one and I'm hoping to get some of my projects finished that have been waiting to be pulled out of the cupboard and worked on for far too long. Let's hope my wishes become reality this year!

Another Little Doll House

Just finished this little house for daughter-in-law, Jessica. Her kitchen is black and white and red, so I think this might fit right in!

Christmas Crafting

Here are some of the items I've made for friends and family this Christmas. The Farmer's Market Pot Holder came from a pattern I found on a blog. It's so simple! Check out Craftzine for lots of different ideas.

I just love creating something special for a dear one in my life!This was made as part of a Secret Santa gift for my CBS (Community Bible Study) Leadership Christmas Fellowship Party. I made it from a free pattern I found...a tutorial called Doll House Pot Holder on Freda's Hive . It was so easy following her excellent instructions.

This is the other part of the gift. A tablerunner from a pattern called "Sew Square Runner" by Pieced Tree Patterns.

Made this pillowcase for a special friend. It is from the pattern "The Amazing Pillowcace" by The Great American Quilt .com

Lovely Summer

How time goes by...so quickly. I have to admit this blog has been sadly neglected--again! I know it is due to the fact that I do most of my postings on Facebook and once I've taken care of that, there's no time left for dear Blogger.
What a busy summer this has been. I always thought that summer was a time for relaxing and kickin' back. Not this year. I barely got out of weekly CBS duties when I was tapped to train new teachers for Sunday School and help start up a Sunday School program at our church. I love working with the children and yet, I know it doesn't come naturally to everyone which is why I needed to spend quite a bit of time working on training for the volunteer teachers. We had a great number of volunteers and that was such a blessing! We didn't have to twist arms or anything to get them. And now, 6 weeks into the program, I am glad to report that it is going very well! We thank the Lord for His blessing on it!A few weeks into June and we joined the 2009 CHVA Car Tour of the Smokies. What fun we had re-connecting with friends from past tours who came from all over the US. They all have one thing in common..their total love and obsession with their 50's cars! We were with the tour on and off as we did have some obligations at home to take care of, but we enjoyed touring highlights of Chatttanooga, spending the day at Dollywood, and exploring downtown Knoxville (but a good part of that time was spent with grandchildren and daughter and SIL). Love to be with them...it is never a dull moment!Here we are at Dollywood....

I have also been working on some Jelly Bag and Charm Party totes that various ones have ordered from me. I guess it means I have a little home-based business now! I dubbed it Sue B's Bags ! I'll post some pics of the latest ones...

Red and whites..look so charming!Added my own idea of ties to the sides which adds some novelty as well as being practical..keeping it closed better.

This bag I made as a diaper bag. Love that Charm Party fabric! Also added a bit of lace to the pocket which makes it perfect for the baby look. Inside I added elastic that will hold a bottle or sippy cup upright, too.This "Jelly" tote was made to be more of a Plain Jane look. But it makes it fit in with just about any outfit one might wear. This green bag is the first Jelly BagI ever made at a class at my favorite quilt shop, Spring Creek Quilts and Fabrics.This is the latest..made with Serendipity Sunflowers. It really is summery, don't you think?Khakis and reds...very versatile.

Chicken in the Sewing Room

On my last entry, I had a Bunny in the Kitchen, now, I've got a Chicken in the Sewing Room! Well, technically, not anymore...this little hen has taken up residence in a new coop...one owned by a good friend of mine, Crystal. She spent many days a few months ago, driving over to our farm while we were out of town to feed the animals and just do a general check up of the place...including giving our "babies" in the nursery at Ever Green Farm their daily dose of water! She was a lifesaver in that regard. So, the least I could do was make her a purse! Since she is also a wonderful Egg Lady for me, (her hens lay the most delicious eggs in TN! In my humble opinion...)I just had to do something with a chicken theme. It took me the longest time to find the right hen to live on her purse..but, after a thorough search of Google Images, I finally found one to suit me. I copied it and made an applique for the pocket, sitting her up on a little nest made from homespun. Crystal, I hope you like Harriet! (She's a friend of Beulah--eventhough they won't see each other much anymore) Harriet has gone out to explore the world!! Judging from the smile on her beak, she's pretty excited!

Maybe I need to get you a little closer...

Can you see the smile yet? How about now?

Here is a view of the back. I put some large buttons left over from a collection from Nancy Halvorsen's Star of Wonder quilt. Added a tiny red heart to the middle for color. The front has fabric covered buttons which really are a cinch to make.

Then I added ties to the side...

The beginning of the inspiration for the whole bag was this fabric I found on the Upper Cumberland Shop Hop a few weeks ago with chickens on it! I used it for the lining. Hope you can see it in this pic...It has roosters strutting and hens sitting all around the farmyard..yet it's colors are a great creamy neutral, not that gaudy red that so many chicken prints are made with. I used a combination of 3 different purse patterns taking what I liked from each pattern--but, the majority of the purse is really the Jelly Bag pattern from Ann Sutton's Bunny Hill Co.

Bunny in the Kitchen

I just finished making a fun and cheery addition to my kitchen. It's a log cabin quilt square featuring the cutest little bunny..I named her Beulah. She is nibbling on a yummy carrot that she plucked out of Mr. McBurmeister's garden! Last year sometime I purchased a CD with 30 different applique patterns of little Beulah's adorable brothers and sisters. Bunnies, bunnies, everywhere! It's called Grandma's Bunnies by Darcy Ashton. I can't wait to make some more of these sweet little critters. I just love them! They make me smile. Hope Beulah does the same for you!

We are fast approaching the end of March and I must say, this has been one busy month! I've had a really unusual zest for spring cleaning this year which is definitely NOT my norm. But, it does feel great to clean out those closets and make old things look new with a little sprucing up and a bit of creativity! My sewing room really got a new look. I realized today that just having it look neat and tidy contributes a lot to my creativity! Um-m-m...good thought-I wonder what will happen when it spreads to the kitchen??? I have been doing more cooking lately,too, come to think of it...Gosh, sunny days and warm breezes add a lot to one's life! I know that dh is enjoying the rewards of all this creativity,too! Mostly in the waistline!

I'll offer you a glimpse of some papercrafting that I did this past week with a promise of more to come soon. I got these lovely Amy Butler papers on sale a few weeks ago at Hobby Lobby. I love the subtle seaglass blues with the cocoa browns. It is just a yummy combination.

Had to add a little pink here...it IS spring now, you know!What do you think about those buttons? This was a birthday card for our pastor and great friend Roy. I wanted to make it look more masculine which is why I added the brown buttons. I think this one is my favorite. I love those flowers! And that little baby butterfly. Bet she loves the flowers, too!

In Like a Lion...

Here we are on the third day of March and it feels like the middle of January. But, as I recall from my childhood days, probably around third grade somewhere, my teacher spoke of the seasons and taught me the adage, "March comes in like a lion, but goes out like a lamb." And it always seems to hold true. We know that spring is on the way, warmer days are just around the corner...and WE CAN'T WAIT ! We always long for the changing of the seasons...to spy that first blooming daffodil, the cheery little robin hopping across the lawn in search of that tasty morsel of worm, the beginning of buds appearing, and my favorite of all, that lovely lime green cast that the trees carry on their boughs as we gaze across the Tennessee hills and valleys...yes, I just can't wait to see it once again. We love you, Spring!
And with spring, comes the beginning of new life in the nursery. EverGreen Farm will soon have pots of lovely blossoms, like those in the picture above from years past, and eager customers coming down the lane looking for just the right combination of flowers and greenery for their decks and landscapes. My dear Lamar has been getting several calls already from people wanting to purchase blueberry bushes and grapevines for their garden plots. I have a feeling that people are going to be purchasing more edible plants this year than before because of the unstable economy. Dollars may be going to go for the practical this year rather than the posh. Whichever it is, he wants to be ready with good quality plants for his great customers! You can be sure there will be lots of varieties of tomatoes and peppers, too. Gotta have the goods for makin' salsa, ya know!!

I love Sundays!

Aren't Sundays wonderful? I love getting up a bit later in the morning, then getting myself "spruced" up to go to my church where all my Christian family meets and comes together to worship the Lord, pray to Him, and thank Him for providing all our needs. Having fellowship with like-minded friends who love one another in the Lord...what a privilege! Then leaving church and coming home to spend the day relaxing all afternoon! God is so wise to provide us a sabbath. Our minds and bodies really need a day of rest...

I mentioned a few days ago that I would post a picture of my handmade Valentine for my Honey...I had such fun making it, thinking of him and all the wonderful years we've spent together (it was 27 years that we've been married this past Christmas! How time flies...), and I just love him more and more everyday. I know I'm very much an amateur when it comes to this new cardmaking and stamping stuff, but he didn't notice all my "goofs"--he just knew that it was the thought that counts...and he loved it! What a guy!

Another Week Gone By

I had a great week with a few days spent with my grandkids. On Wednesday afternoon I pulled out my basket of stamps and colorful papers and I helped them make special birthday cards for their daddy. We had such fun and so did they. It's amazing how creative their little minds can be! My only regret is that I didn't take any pictures...:(

They spent quite a long time (especially the girls) working to make their cards just right. I only hope their daddy appreciated all our efforts!!

This afternoon I finished a long awaited for Train Quilt for my little grandson, John. He turned 5 on Valentine's Day and this grandma had promised him a quilt for "quite" a long time. I am so thankful that I finally got it done! Now it just needs to go to the quilt shop to be quilted. I'll be taking it down to Spring Creek tomorrow. It has little train engines in the small squares in the middle of the blocks. The picture below this one is the back of it.

This is just a mishmash of odds and ends...but it IS just the back ya know!

Can't wait to get down to Spring Creek though. I need to find some neutral fabrics (blacks, tans, and creams) to start working on a quilt for my daughter-in-law who lives in North Carolina. I think I'm going to make her a Carpenter Star. It is one of my favorite patterns. This is one that I have hanging in my dining room. I made this about a year ago. It was really a fun class that I took at Spring Creek with my sister Sandy.

You can see the fabrics a little better in this pic. It really is an easy quilt to make, though I think it looks hard....surprise! It's not!

The-Day-After-Valentine's-Day-Return-to-the-Blog!

I recently was talking to my sister on the phone and she casually mentioned she had visited my blog...and, all of a sudden, I remembered that, once upon a time, I had one! Honestly, having a busy life and then being bitten by the Facebook bug, I just plum forgot about my Quaint & Cozy Cottage! Guess I better get out the mop and bucket to shine these floors, the broom to clean out the cobwebs and dust off the shelves and get back in the groove again!

I have been rather busy lately doing my favorite thing ...crafting activities like sewing for my friends and family. Made several Christmas stockings ...for the grands (like the ones above), some totes,

for my daughter and friends, and most recently, attended a papercrafting workshop. Now I'm all excited about making my own cards. It's so much fun and there are no rules-the sky's the limit. I made a few birthday cards last week , some Valentine treat boxes,and yesterday made a Valentine for my honey. (I'll post a pic of that later) It really is easy once I learned a few tricks. There are tons of helps on the web, too. Thanks all you 'stamp-a-holics' for your adorable ideas. I just love finding stampers' websites. They are all so ingenius! And so willing to share their cute ideas. It just makes one feel so cheery inside making something for someone else...looking forward to that expression on their face when you hand them a gift. It is a priceless feeling.