one more thing....

Just thought I'd share one of my latest works. This was just for fun, but maybe I'll turn it into a print and post it to etsy. Not sure yet.... anyway, I decided to name it "Rainy Day Friends"....

My new Etsy Shop

Well, I have opened another etsy shop called Fanciful Finds (http://www.fancifulfinds.etsy.com/). Hopefully, I will be selling a variety of items to other artists and crafters for use in their own artwork. Over the years I have accumulated a vast collection of vintage paper, including greeting cards, postcards, stamps, colored plates from old dictionaries and reference books, as well as ribbon, lace, buttons, beads and soooo much more. My collections have gotten a little overwhelming, plus I really don't see myself stopping. So I decided that if I sold some of the stuff I collect, I can hopefully prevent my house from bursting at the seams and make my husband happy as well :-) And... the big plus is that I can keep collecting all the little things that I come across at yard sales and thrift shops. Check out these fairytale scenes that I found in a very old German children's storybook- aren't they great?

What a ham.....

This is my granddaughter.... isn't she the cutest??? Believe it or not, the pout isn't real, she put it on for the picture - what a ham !

Lemon-Lime Art Doll

Thought you might enjoy viewing my most recent creation. Her name is Lemon-Lime and she's a summertime fairy. I had no idea where I was going when I started her. But as soon as I finished painting her dress and cap, I was reminded of Sprite (the soda), thus the name Lemon-Lime :-) I tried out a new face on her. My daughter doesn't think she's as unique as my other dolls, but I really like her. I think I will continue with both styles, depending on my mood :-). I've posted her to etsy tonight, we'll see how she does.

A recipe for cucumber overload....

Ok, I've been slacking a little on my blogging- however, at this point it doesn't seem that I've had too many readers (only 2) so I don't suppose any body's noticed but me :-) In the event that somebody does decide to stop by, I suppose I'll continue blogging. Since my last post about my vegetable garden we have literally been swamped with home grown stuff. Our largest crop has been cucumbers. The thing is, they were actually supposed to be zucchini- at least that's how the nursery labeled the 6 plants I purchased back in May. I could have handled the zucchini. Unfortunately, they turned out to be cucumber plants. I had no idea how many cucumbers one plant could produce (keep in mind, I have 6 plants). Without any exaggeration, I estimate that we have picked at least 70 cucumbers!! We have pawned off as many as we possibly could and we still have about 40 left!! But thanks to my wonderful mother, who was kind enough to share a recipe for freezer pickles, it looks like we'll be able to make use of them. I figured I'd share the recipe here, just in case somebody stumbles upon this blog and happens to be in the same predicament that we are. Here it is, enjoy!


Freezer Cucumber Pickles
6 Cups cucumbers (thinly sliced)
2 Cups sugar
1 Cup white vinegar
1 White onion (thinly sliced)
1 TBSP salt
½ TSP celery seed
½ TSP mustard seed
Crushed red pepper to taste
Combine sugar, vinegar, salt and spices. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over cucumbers & onions. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Put in containers and freeze.