Thank God it's Over

How many of you are glad to see 2011 bite the dust? I know I am. This past year has been crazzzy! Not even including the economy, just personal stuff.

2012 starts our new life together in Arizona, well eventually. We can't wait to get out of California and onto the 3rd stage of our lives!!! Yippeee. We will be around all of our children and grands, finally!

I've listed more designs on Ebay that I'd like to share with you.

then there's an adorable snow Queen you'll love

Then a great collector's item is this snowmomma and babes

Another snowperson, however this time it's a father pulling his daughter on a sled

and lastly is this awesome Valentine doll that could be left out yearround shouting LOVE

It's an adorable mother Rabbit anxiously waiting for Spring to plant her new garden but meanwhile has discovered some vegetables that were from last years garden that survived.

I will also be updating my Etsy page HERE

and my website as well as discounting some items so be sure to check back frequently for some great steals! Click HERE to see all my great new designs.

On another note, I have had the privilege of having my Pumpkin Lady "Madge" featured in Stampington's newest PRIMS magazine on page 70.

She will be available for sale shortly. When I receive her back from the magazine. So keep a watch on my site for her.

Lastly I'd like to share a new pattern that I just released that has been a hoped for with alot of folks.

That's about it this New Year's Eve. I pray that next year will bring a fresh new start for all of us. I'm hoping for a BIG change in our government to get us back on track to a good, solvent nation once again. God Bless the USA and God Bless you!

"Santa's Coming to Town"

Are you ready for the jolly old man to visit you yet? I'm not. Actually it's kinda hard to get into Christmas when there's no little ones around your home anymore.I hate the way it's so commercialized anymore.

I've moved on from designing for Christmas to thinking of Valentine's Day and Spring. However, I do have several new Winter offerings on Ebay currently that I know you'll love. First is Daddy and Patty, a Winter Snow design of daddy pulling Patty on her sled through the winter storm. Here's a peek of them.

Aren't they an adorable couple? Too darn cute.

Then there's a primitive Winter Snow Queen with a hand hooked snowman magic wand.

Isn't she adorable? She's primmed but whimsical all in one! Don't miss out on her.

Then lastly on Ebay I have my newest design just off the line called "1802 Winter". A winter scene of a snow momma holding little Junior and pulling her antique wood sled with a tree through the winter snowstorm.

This is my absolute favorite design. All at great low starting bids! Check them all out HERE

Then I have to tell you about my newest designs just listed on Etsy HERE that you are going to love!

There are new angels called "Bedpost Angels"; Herman the rabbit; Valentines day items, great miniature perfectly aged and primmed bears wearing vintage quilt style dresses and more!

Watch for more stuff to be listed tomorrow, December 15th.

Also I have a Valentine's Day Doll offering on PFATT Marketplace this month as well HERE called Valentina. She can also be put on layaway>email me for info.

I really wish it would snow. They were calling for snow the other day but it didn't happen. We rarely get it here in the high desert region of California, but when we do, it's awesome. I know alot of you are sick and tired of snow already..just blow it out here, we'd love to have some. There's just something calming about being outside during a snowstorm. I recall as a child going outside at night to play in the snow and looking up at the sky and the snow falling gently down, all was calm just like the silent night song. I used to stick my tongue out and let the snowflakes fall on it and eat um hehe but I do recall there wasn't a sound and how peaceful it was. That has stuck with me all these years.

I grew up in Pennsylvania where we used to get lots of snowstorms and snow drifts way high. I took that for granted when I moved away in 1972 and now would love to visit in Winter again. Maybe someday.

Well gotta run and head back to work. Thanks for stopping to read

Christmas is Coming!

Yep! It's right around the corner and will be here before we know it. I will only be listing items on ebay till probably the week of the 12th, that's Christmas items. There might be some Valentine and more snowy items tho, so stay tuned.

Wanted to share with you all my latest ebay listings that have LOW starting bids. First is Santa Claus with is decorated tree in a wooden sled and a peaceful white dove in a nest of greenery.

Now isn't he a cutie? Be sure to check out the slideshow below for great closeups of the uniqueness of these designs.

Then comes Sunbright Snowball who is dressed in a blue winter scened dress with lots of snow and german glass glitter and glitz and mica flakes. She holds a great star ornament which could be used separately or hung on your Winter tree till Spring.

I would really appreciate you taking a look at my auctions. Please remember to support your favorite Artist of Handmade in USA designs. This helps to create jobs for Americans when they otherwise wouldn't be able to find any jobs for one reason or another.

On another note, I am requesting prayer for our family. If you are a follower of my blog, then you know the headaches we've had with my dd's exhusband and custody of our grandson. Well he did not return him from his weekend custody yesterday (as he had a plane ticket) and is causing all kinds of headaches for our family now, once again. So looks like we will be heading back to Court once again. Please pray for wisedom, empathy from the Judge who has always been on her ex's side to truly see how manipulating he is once and for all and bring some punishment so he gets the message that he can't treat my dd with name calling, cursing and swearing constantly to and about her and make him responsible for the bills that he is supposed to pay. He has not followed the Court order at all but expects us to bring our grandson back (350 miles) 2 times a month to see him at our expense! And my daughter isn't even making as much as he is. Furthermore, the wage garnishment is a joke! He has a way of working around it with his boss so that she only gets a small portion of what he should be paying, yet he has a new car..it just goes on and on and my nerves are shattered.

He even got in my face at the airport the other day when I simply said something to him that I didn't like the way he talked to my dd. He was lucky my dh wasn't there or he would have gotten decked for sure. He has totally changed. Nothing like he used to be and I think that is in part because he married a hot headed witch who hates my daughter, even though she doesn't even know her and is acting like a loon. Please pray they both grow up!
Anyways I will continue to pray that he goes away somewhere..maybe his job can transfer him overseas or something. But something has to give! And my poor grandson is probably wondering why he hasn't gone back to Arizona with my dd. Who knows what his dad is telling him. I hate to think that.

Oh well didn't mean to get on that subject but it's close to my heart and we really need prayer to bind all this anger and resentment etc he has for us up.

Thanks for listening

SNOW IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Yes, it's true! Large flakes of snow are falling but not sticking, darn! I know, I know all you folks who got hammered are ready to ship me a truck load or more.

Growing up in East PA and having snow every year brings back good memories of my childhood. Course I wasn't the one who needed to clean up after it either.

How many are glad 2010 is over? I know I am. On Wednesday, December 29th, my father was admitted in the hospital. His symptoms were dizziness when rising, shortness of breath (he has had problems in the past). Like alot of men, he didn't think he needed to go and finally my stepmom convinced him it was time.

Then there was "the phone call I had been dreading". My father has a spot on his right lung in the upper part under the shoulderblade area. They claim it measures 2 1/2 cm by 1 1/4 cm big..Is that small? medium or large?

He had a team of doctors ordering tests. It's hard because apparently where he worked, he inhaled toxic chemicals that are destroying his lungs. So they can't do the normal biopsys, some sort of needle tests that help find treatment for him.

I know we all are going to die one day, and I and my father do believe in the Lord almighty and are sealed with the blood and all that, but it's still scarey. He's no spring chicken at 81 (to be 82 on 1/13/11)so I'm sure that's another mark against him. However, it really makes you stop and think how fast life passes by.

My dad has always been a joker, even now he lives up to the name that's tatooed on his arm (JOKER). He used to let us kids (6) guess the letters and #'s on a dollar bill and if we got some of them right we got the dollar. That was just one thing he did.

The one thing that stands out in my mind is him saying that when I'm 15 I'll be (blank) years younger than him. Then he proceeded to say when I'm 30, he'll only be (blank) years older than me...continuing on. He's good at math can calculating things like that.

Just like my grandmother, Mildred, used to do, he is always in a good mood and laughing all the time. Now he's very depressed and cries alot.

I would appreciate any prayers for him- Ken Rabenold; and his wife, Anne Rabenold. She is a saint. This is her third marriage that her husband has had cancer. She is a breast cancer survivor too. Keep them in prayer if you will. Prayer does change things.

I'll keep everyone up to date here on my blog. He goes for a PET scan sometime this week which will tell exactly where the cancer is, if in fact, it is cancer.

Well, the snow is starting to fall pretty heavy and sticking. Hubby said it's supposed to snow all night. Maybe I'll be able to make a snow angel after all.

Before I close I'd like to invite you to check out my newest designs on TDIPT Mercantile . There are some great designs this month. I have several Valentine's Day offerings and an adorable Laundry Maid - Wanda. Thanks for stopping by.

Heading to a New Year

As this year comes to an end, it's time for me to sit down and map out the direction I want my business to take. I also take this time to access my advertising funds.

My business has several exciting things happening in 2011. Looking forward to a new year.

I'd like to try my designing in other forms of art. Quilting is one and painting is another. We'll see. What does the new year offer you? Of all things, health is my wish for all.

Not quite sure how our country or world is going to go. I'm hoping the economy makes somewhat of a comeback. California will be one of the last to recover, if we ever do. I'm sure our taxes will go up.

One decision I made midmonth December, was to start selling on Ebay again. One reason is I want to find some new customers, fresh faces. Also that will keep me designing on a full time basis too. Let's hope it's successful.

I love selling on Etsy too but it's not an auction type site. I think there's alot of people that like the idea of bidding. I recall as a young child my parents going to auctions and coming home with big boxes of stuff. I guess you can bid on a box. Us kids loved it because we'd find ice skates and all sorts of toys inside. And with there being 6 kids in our family, we didn't get much toys except on Christmas.

On another note, the east coast is getting all kinds of snow!! I miss the big snowstorms we had living in PA. Lucky them!!

Us Californians got a huge rainstorm that lasted for days, which is unheard of out here. There was flooding everywhere!! Crazy cuz the city is not equipped with the proper drainage and, of course, we don't have the $$ to fix it. We are one broke state for sure!!

Whatcha got planned for New Year's Eve? We will probably stay home--as a matter of fact, I might even be asleep when the ball falls, after I make all my New Year's resolutions, of course. But that's okay..we (dh and I) love our simple life. There will be all kinds of intoxicated folks driving for sure. I hope if you're driving be very careful.

Well I have a few patterns that I'm going to design. Keep an eye out on my blog for their new release soon. Take Care

New Things in a New Year

Have you made your resolutions and already broke them? For me, so far, so good. One of mine is to take time to cook. Well I should say, take time to make food and freeze it for when I'm not feeing like cooking (ALL THE TIME!!) If there was anything I could have, I would definitely hire a fulltime cook.

You see, I raised 5 children and that's alot of cooking. What is it with these kids nowadays. My two youngest would eat just about anything I prepared except a few things such as broccoli and sweet potatoes. They used to love tacos, sloppy joes, lasagna. But in their older years they snub their noses at these dishes. Of course, they'd much rather have fast food. So who wants to cook anymore? You can't compete with Del Taco or pizza!

Anyways, getting back to my resolution. I feel really bad when I haven't fixed dinner and in walks hubby very hungry..then the stress builds..not that he minds or complains, that's part of the problem..he doesn't. But I just get a really bad feeling that I'm letting him down. You see he will do anything but cook! He hates cooking. So I figured if I could take a day here and there and make some dishes that freeze well, then half the battle is won. I mean who wants to start dinner when you're in the middle of dressing a doll or putting on her face?

I'm currently working on designs for The Primitive Gathering. My new designs for PFATT Marketplace are all finished. Time to gear up for Easter and bunnies, chicks and eggs.

Btw have you seen my new designs on Simply Primitives? Well here's a look for you.You probably remember this little girl...

Isn't she adorable? She even wears a brownie beanie just like the one we wore!! Talk about memories!! Then how about this one

She's called "Catching Hearts" Ann; and lastly She is "Be Mine". Her banner is actually removable and she can be left out all year round. All are for sale on Simply PrimitivesHERE

I will be having a new ad out in Create and Decorates Spring issue which should be hitting the shelves real soon if not already. I have a set of Presidents, George and Abe in pattern form to order. So if you see it and are interested in purchasing the pattern, just email me through my website HERE and let me know. I will post a photo here in a few days and actually have it on my website for purchase as well.

If you'd like to know when I have new designs available, be sure to sign up for my mailing list on my website too.

That's about it tonight.If you're having snow, enjoy it because there's always someone (like ME) that doesn't and would change places with you in a heartbeat!!

Where's Fall?

Something very unique to the high desert of Southern California, you can have 4 seasons in one day! It has happened before. Right now, I'm wondering where fall is. In the morning it's chilly but by afternoon shorts are the clothing of choice with the sunshining.

I'm sure everyone has read about all the fires out this way. So sad. Alot of mobile home parks look like they were bombed. Used to be we only had fires in the fall, not anymore, we have them year round. Don't know why but it's sad.

Personally, I'd rather live where you have 4 seasons and snow. I could use to lose a few pounds by shoveling some snow.

I had some surgery last Tuesday, guess I could share that earlier this year (February) I elected to have a "Life Style Lift". You know, the ones with all the commercials about how the down time is so little, you will be able to go back to work in several days yada yada yada...I had my eyelids and lower lids fixed, my jowls (sagging) and neck sculpted.

I was very happy with my eyes, however, since they do not use drains (and make a big deal about the fact that they don't) I developed a huge hematoma under my chin. When I went back to get it checked it had to be drained several times. Needless to say I was in pain, not only on my face but my pocketbook as well! However, my doctor made it right and I had to drive down there (99 miles) several times over the months to get cortisone injections as scar tissue developed and the shots were to break it up so it could be reoperated on and removed. So I had that surgery last Tuesday.

So far, I'm not impressed. I'm still in ALOT of pain..told that next week I can use heat and then have to massage it alot to "get the look" I want. Which is a "no gathered or puckered" look..we'll see. So I know you are all dying to know it I'd do it again. NO!!!! I'd live with the jowls and extra skin on my neck. Not worth the pain or the $$.

Found another great resource for my fibromyalgia online. Luckily for me, the doctor (Medical group) is in Torrance, California which is apx 102 miles from me. Besides the fact that I had to pay cash for my visit which was quite costly (but will be reimbursed for some of it from my insurance company) I was VERY PLEASED!! Dr. Moses Laufer told me I am very sick. He explained who the disease affects our bodies..it's amazing. We arrived at 12:30 pm and finally were able to leave at 6:00pm. I had 4 IV bags of nutrients and medication as my immune system has been badly compromised. I also came home with VitB-12 shots to administer myself.

Dr. Laufer (Holtorf Medical Group) treats with bio-identical hormones and supplements and vitamins. I am feeling better with the fibro than I have felt in years!! Truly. He is testing alot of my 'chemicals' in my body throughly including my thyroid, hormones etc. I was not on any hormones which was another problem. So hopefully in a few months I will really be feeling good and having energy finally!!! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank God I have good insurance through hubby's work!!