Making Christmas Candles out of Wood

Wood Candles

    I made these wood Christmas candles a few days ago.  I thought they would be easy to make, but, they weren't, because I didn't have the tools I needed.  First of all, because of the wood I chose to use, I didn't think using a table saw was a good idea. I was afraid it might bind on me, so I used a hack saw to cut the wood into pieces.  That took longer than I thought it would.
    To cut the holes in the top, I used a drill with a keyhole drill bit.  That only cut a ring around the center about 1 inch deep, but, left the wood in the center.  I used a wood chisel to chip out the excess wood, which again took longer than I had thought.
   Now for the easy part, I painted two of them with solid color paint, that I just poured out of the can and let drip over.  The square one, I painted with a brush, using red paint, then brushing white paint lightly over it.  I then melted candle wax and poured over the top and allowed it to drip down all sides.
   Last I inserted battery tea lights. Chipping out the center was what took the longest time.  If you have a drillpress, and a cut off saw, it would only take minutes to do all of it.

Hope You Have a Blessed Day,

Trisha

Country Baptising Kentucky Style

Pastor Dow Goodin, Brother John Goodin,
John's Great Grandaughter, being baptised,
John's Grandaughter waiting to be baptised.

These could have chosen to have been baptised in a baptistry,
but instead have chosen to be baptised the way people did in Bible days.
 

  Baptised in the name of the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

   This beautiful October day in McCreary County Kentucky will hold lasting memories for three people who have given their lives to Jesus.  
   While the sun shined high in the sky, and a light wind blew, the temperature in the mid to upper sixties,and the water temperature cool, nothing held back the happy smiles on the creek bank today.

How Beautiful to See a Young Mother
 and Her Daughter Baptised on the Same Day.
                                
   A typical Baptising at Indian Creek generally means,
congregational singing on the creek bank,
two or more preachers preaching,
and a wonderful time of fellowship.
                                                     Today was that kind of day.                                                                     

A Young Convert Following the Lord in Baptism

   

   How precious to be a part of this wonderful Holy Service on the banks of Indian Creek in McCreary County Kentucky.






May God Bless You is My Prayer, Trisha

Painted Okra, and Potato Sack Pumpkins

Painted Okra and Potato Sack Pumpkins

 


   This has been such a beautiful day, that I wanted to make a few Fall decorations.  I like using things I already have.
   If someone needed to decorate a large space, this would be an inexpensive way to do it.
    I let the okra dry before I painted it.  I used craft paint, but, any paint would be fine.  The little potato sack pumpkins are lined with yellow tissue paper and stuffed with plastic grocery bags.  I used okra pods for the stems.
   Hope you have enjoyed this beautiful Fall day.

Many Blessings, Trisha

Old Fashioned Days in Williamsburg Kentucky

'KENTUCKY COAL CRAFTERS'
Carbide Light carved out of coal, by Kentuckian Alvin Powell

   


     It has been a beautiful day to enjoy the festivities at the Old Fashioned Days Celebration in Williamsburg, Kentucky.  I bought this carbide light carved from coal. It was a logical purchase for me because my Dad, Bob's Dad, and his Grandpa were all coal miners.  I talked with Mr. Powell, who carved it; he seemed to be a very nice and talented man. 

OVER the HILLS FARM
John and Sonya Parrott, Jellico, Tennessee

Had to buy this one, sounds delightful.

    Erica is a very nice young crafts woman.  It is refreshing to see young people getting involved in making crafts and enjoying the rich heritage of the Williamsburg Old Fashioned Trading Days.

POLE PUMPKINS by Erica Flannery

Kenneth and Barbara Stephens are very nice and a joy to talk to.  

They have very high quality woodwork.

WOODCRAFTS
 by Kenneth and Barbara Stephens from Glasgow, Ky.

A STITCH IN TIME, Quilts by Fern Ledford and her two Sisters

Fern is a beautiful woman with a wonderful
zeal for life.  She also had homemade lye soap
for sale.  I purchased some of that.

WOODCRAFTS BY Daymond Helton

 Daymond greets everyone with a smile and is happy to pass the time of day with his customers.

I spoke with the lady that made these little jumpsuits, she was very nice and gave me permission to photograph them and put them on my blog, but chose not to include her name with the post 

Christmas Angel

    So many beautiful things, such wonderful Crafters, and Blessings of Sunshine.  

What more could one ask for?

Mesh Ribbon Trees

Beautiful Fall Wreath

Inverted Shelf Redo

    I have been looking for a shelf to sit on our fireplace insert during the Summer months to display small items.  I found this small shelf at our city wide yard sale. It was perfect for what I had in mind.

    The only thing I did was, turn the shelf upside down so it would sit upright, then, I unscrewed the hooks that are now at the top and turned them upside down and screwed them back into place for hanging small items.

    This is without a doubt, the easiest makeover I have done, but, I am pleased with the results.  The items displayed are very sentimental, from the old skeleton key that belonged to my husband's mom, a carbide light that belonged to my husband when he was a boy, and one that belonged to his grandfather, the portable butler, a gift from my father-in-law, the sad iron trivet, a gift from our daughter, and an old sad iron like the one I used as a girl, an old snuff box, and a lodge wrought iron skillet ashtray, a gift for my husband from our daughter.

   
    Hope you are having a beautiful and Blessed day and finding lots of nice old things that bring back happy memories.

TRISHA

Making Lap Blankets from a Full Size Throw

    Hello Friends, I haven't posted in awhile.  But have enjoyed visiting your posts.   Last week I tried something I wanted to share with you.  I wanted to help make lap blankets for a nursing home, so I tried to think of an easy and fast way to make them.  I purchased two throws 50 x 60 inches that have velvet on one side and sherpa on the other side. There was only one seam around the inside of the throws, which made it easy to pull out after I had cut into fours.
    The first thing I did was fold the throw lengthwise, and cut through both layers, then I folded both pieces back, and cut again, making four pieces, I then pulled out the inside seam that had the throw quilted together. I turned each piece inside out and sewed around the edges, leaving about five inches not sewn to pull back right side out.
    So with two throws, I was able to make eight lap blankets.  The whole process only took about thirty minutes.  The other four are beige velvet with beige sherpa.  If anyone wants to try this, just make sure you have a top and bottom layer on your throw, that is not heavily quilted, preferably with only one seam that needs to be pulled out. Also, have your vacuum cleaner near by.  When you cut the sherpa, it does make a mess but, vacuums easily.
                                                 Hope you have a Blessed day, Trisha

Primitive Pillows

Primitive Pillows

   I had fun making these 

primitive pillows. 

 I downloaded the farm animal graphics from 'Graphics Fairy' and printed them onto muslin, 

with my printer.  

I adhered laminating plastic

 to the back of the muslin,

trimmed it to legal page size 

before printing.  

Then, I ironed Wonder Web 

to the back side of the print,

 and then ironed it onto the fabric,

                    with print right side up.  

               I trimmed the edge on some, 

          and some I simply stitched around.

   I believe these are the first primitive pillows that I've made.  I enjoyed making them.  Hope you are having fun making things, during this cold and snowy weather.  Have a Blessed day, Trisha

Make a Charm String out of Old Buttons

Retro Charm String

  I have collected buttons for years and have kept them stored away.  Lately I've been thinking about all those pretty old buttons, and how no one ever gets to see them.
   I remembered a post I did a long while back about vintage 'charm strings' and decided that would be a good way to display some of my old buttons, all be it would be just a replica, it would be pretty, just the same.

  I found a perfect place to display my charm string, on a shelf in my living room.   Now everyone can enjoy them.

   If you would like to read my previous post about
charm strings, on the right of page, under Labels, click on Bible, then 'Isaiah 55: 1,2,3', it shows the magazine I first read about them, in.

Have a Blessed day, Trisha 

Let us Pray

Let us Pray

 After this manner therefore pray ye: 

Our Father which art in heaven, 

Hallowed be thy name. 

Thy kingdom come.  

Thy will be done in earth, 

as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, 

as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from evil: 

for Thine is the kingdom, 

and the power, and the glory, forever.  

Amen      Matthew 6:9-13

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, 

the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?  

and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalm 8: 3-4

What a privilege it is that we can bow our heads and pray to our Almighty God.

Have a Blessed day, Trisha

Childhood Game, Kentucky Head Knocker

Kentucky Head Knocker

   Growing up in Southern Kentucky in the 50's and 60's was a fun time.  Things were simpler then, no electronic gadgets, or cellphones to occupy our time.

   After chores were finished we invented our own ways to have fun.  We made pop guns, birch whistles, played 'Rolley Hole' a marble game, 'Mumbly Peg' a game using a pocket knife, Tag, Spring Board, See Saw, Kick the Can, Hide and Seek, and many other fun games, but, one that stands out in my mind was played with a dried weed that had a seed pod at the end of it.

   When we visited our cousins in late Fall we ran through the fields of tall grass, whooping and hollering and chasing one another with what I call a 'Kentucky Head Knocker' and, yes, just as the name implies, when we got close enough, we knocked one another in the head with it.  Let me tell you it really smarted.  Back then we never thought about anyone getting hurt.

   Guess God was looking out for us back then, because we sure weren't looking out for ourselves.

   My husband remembered me telling him about it, and found this one in the field behind our house today and brought it in to me.  Who would have thought a weed and seed pod would create a lifetime of memories?
  Have a Blessed day wherever you are, Trisha 

Yard Sale Gypsies

Yard Sale Gypsies Tote Bag

             

   

God has been so good to us, and we thank Him.

We had a good Christmas, and spent 

 time with our daughter after Christmas.  

We enjoyed it so much. 

 Look what a cute tote bag she made for us.

   She knew we liked to run the big yard sales, 

like the 127 Sale, the 68 Sale, 

the Hwy. 25 Sale, the Rollercoaster Sale, and 

local sales, too, and that we call ourselves

  'Yard Sale Gypsies.'  

Our daughter thought it was cute, 

and made this tote bag to carry our snacks in. 

We hope to put it to good use this summer.

Have a Blessed New Year, Trisha 

A Christmas Prayer for 2013

               A Christmas Prayer for 2013

   If a smile to a weary soul, is all we have to give,
and we give it in the name of the Lord,
that smile becomes a gift.

   Whether our finances are meager or fair,
let's share what we can, and seal it with prayer.

   Our prayer for you this Christmas day, 
is that Christ's love abides in your heart to stay.

Merry Christmas Everyone, Trisha

A Winter Walk and Mountain Tea

Wild Mountain Tea

   Today was such a beautiful December day, we took a walk down to the lake behind our house.  The smell of the woods and the trickle of the creek that ran along side the old wagon road took our thoughts back to childhood days.  We walked, talked, reminisced, and smiled.
   The photo on the right is 'Wild Mountain Tea' one of our favorite things to look for in the woods when we were kids, it tastes like Teaberry chewing gum.

Cliff on the Ridgetop by the Old Wagon Road

 



  We meandored around this cliff and
down to what people around here call the  'Stick-ups' where, when the lake was built 35 years ago, the water backed up over the standing timber.
   There had been a lot of Beaver down there, that had cut several large trees trying unsuccessfully to dam up the back waters of the lake.
 


    Pine needles had fallen from tall Pines alongside the old road and draped the branches of Ivy Bushes.  I told my husband." Look, it looks like they are decorated for Christmas.  It looked like they had been hung on the branches like the silver icicles once used on Christmas trees.  We had a wonderful day.

Hope you have had a beautiful and Blessed day, wherever you are, Trisha