Friday, December 2, 2011

Christmas Stockings and Hats!

Well, I haven't been blogging all summer, but what can I say? Traveling every weekend and some weekdays to horse shows, working on Jewelry, and working to get ready for the Country Living Fair just kept me hopping.


I decided to pull out the stockings I started on last winter and finish them up. Now that they are completed, I cannot figure out how to make the pictures upright. I turn them in my picture folder, and they still come out sideways.  There must be a way!


I made my stocking using slightly waffled natural felt with a little flecking in it. Two of them have crows feet edge stitching with vintage silk thread and multitoned cord.

This stocking had vintage lace trim and old embroidery appliqued to the top, toe,and heel.



I used parts of a vintage sweater on two stockings. This one has a patch of angora covered with shiney barrel beads and seed pearls.  I added the pearl buttons from the sweater as another accentVintage fringe tops the sock.


 The sweater hem became a button top for this stocking.


 Although I enjoyed making each one, this piece turned out to be my favorite with large brass  buttons at the top, vintage lace and doiley, and multicord edging.



And thats not all; I've been crocheting hats too.  This youth hat will fit a young girl to preteen.  It's very soft and colors great for accessorizing.  You can find this hat and my stockings on my Etsy Shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/countrycharisma .  Now I have a season of catching up to do!  Can't wait to see what wonderful crafting and decor you have all been up to.  This weekend I decorate the house, so will update you with that.  And if anyone know how to turn your pictures upright, please tell me. I am using a canon rebel XT.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Country Living Fair Followup

We had such a great time at the Country Living Fair - South at Stone Mountain Georgia.  My lovely daughter Carrie, worked like a Trojan the entire time, setting up, arranging, and rearranging all weekend.  We arrived on Wednesday with our 24' gooseneck horse trailer, and quickly found out how difficult it was going to be to get that trailer to our space around the twisting narrow paved pathway and forrest of huge pines.  The setting was wonderful, the access was horrendous.  A good Georgian friend, Victor, met us at the showgrounds and saved the day.  He got the trailer to our boothsite, helped us unload and set up tents, and got the trailer back out.  We had just enough time to cover everything up  before the setup time was over.  Thursday morning Carrie and I set to work, finishing the furniture arrangement by noon, and working all afternoon on smalls and decor.  We were dog tired by Thursday night, but were relieved to have help from my husband who came to join us.

Because of our schedule and busy day on Friday, I was not able to leave the booth for pictures until Sunday!  My camera got left in the truck so I used my husband's cell phone (mine was set up for credit card sales) and managed to get my first walk around the show.  I got several nice pictures and enjoyed a quick browse through, but lost all of my photos when my husband changed phones on Monday!  At least I still had my booth pictures on my camera which I had brought in for setup!    Sorry I could not share with you what all I saw, it was such a wonderful show, filled with such talented people who did miraculous things with jewelry, antiques, vintage, artwork, metal, pottery, glass, and you name it!   It was not your ordinary country fair by any means. 

Our booth space allowed us plenty of room to spread, and since we had a tree in our front yard which prohibited setting the tent up by the road, we opted to set the tents up by depth instead of width, and used the tree to set up a mancave display with the antique mantle, oars and paddles, lobster traps, log tables, old weathervane, lots of old barn and fishing items, and my husband's creation coffee table made from an antique drag(old mule-drawn cultivating equipment).   The glass-top table got lots of great comments, as well has his hand-hewn log tables.  

Our antique mission child's desk was a favorite with many lookers.  It has old green paint and built-in electric sconces.

It was nice to have the room to create an island of furniture.  The island dwindled over the 3 days, and had to be rearranged every day,

 Among other smalls, my handpainted Paris signs were a hit, and none came home with me.  Most of what is seen in this display went home with others!
 There was not much remaining of this grouping either.

Sold a bunch of my crocheted hats.
Inside the tents I had my big cupboards


 My husband hung this lamp and put all the crystals back on the rim of the shade.

 I still love my old Brimfield step-back cupboard.
 After selling several wood bowls, I sold the display out from under.

 I painted and antquied the white hamper and then added the fluer de lis, which sold on Saturday.

 My daughter caught a picture of me still in my coat from the morning chill on Friday.

My husband shot this of us two girls, my daughter and me.






 Our early plantation desk was not only a conversation piece, but went to a new home on Sunday.
 My potpourri was a hit and made a great earlybird special.




 My daughter even sold my crocheted spread that made the backdrop for my vintage linens.  We had to redo this area for Sunday.
This mustard yellow cupboard is one of four early stepback cupboards I displayed at the show.


Sold my little refinished hanging lamp on Saturday.

 The cherry rope beds also found a new home. They were unique in that there where two identical matching twin beds all intact.


 This is what was left of what was in the picture below after Fridays sale and after we rearranged for Saturday.

I love my husband's log tables and still got to bring them home.  They have another purpose, maybe in our log cabin.
 I

 I happily sold many pieces of my handmade jewelry, which made me happy since this is the first showing of it.
The old wavy glass door made a good backdrop to hang necklaces. My jewelry is available on Etsy.com
All in all, it was a very good show, and I hope all those that patronized our booth will come back to see us next year.  Thanks to each and every one of you for making our first Country Living Fair such a success!