PRAYING FOR THE SAFETY OF MY BLOGGING FRIENDS ON THE EAST COAST AND EVERYWHERE!!! PLEEZ BE SAFE AND KNOW GOD LOVES YOU!!!

  I LOVE YOU GUYS TOO!!!

XOXOXOXO FRAN.

WOW!!!

I sure have missed blogging!! I started getting better from my surgery and then I got a really bad headache which actually made me lay low for a few days. And then I had to catch up!! LOL But in the mean time I wanted you to see what I have been working on for awhile!! This little beauty is going in my Etsy Shoppe today!! I have been designing this Crow Doll in my head for awhile. And I wanted to make a Raggedy Fran all sewed by hand! And here she is!! What do you think?

I handmade her bagg out of a piece of white chenille bedspread that is really grubby. The rusty pop top is the only thing I used glue on. The strap and bagg part are all hand sewed in a blanket stitch.

I made her a grungey grubby Pin Apron. I pinned it on with big rusty safety pins. Her dress material I thrifted from a church sale. I love how she turned out. It was so funny when I was outside taking her pic there was a Crow in my Pine Tree Cawing!! I couldn't help but laugh!!!

I wanted to share with you a little Woolie Love gift I received from Trace at http://www.grannytracescrapsandsquares.com/. She is such a sweetheart and just so full of love and fun!! I feel so blessed to have received one of her love gifts!! She has the best personality! She loves to create. She posted on her blog about crocheting. BUT she calls it CROW-HOOKY! I love it!! Since I love Crows I picked right up on what she calls it!! LOL

So, I thought I would share with you what I am going to CROW-HOOKY!! I realized that I don't share what I get thrifting alot with you. On Friday Sim and I went to the Salvation Army store. I found this really cool hat in the picture. Brand new and all made for me!! Yay!! I remembered I had seen that color yarn at the store a few weeks ago. So I went and got it and I am going to CROW-HOOKY a scarf for me!! I'm not the best at crocheting but I can do scarves.

I also wanted to show you what you can do with upcycling!! This is the end of our porch and it is a weathered pallet Sim brought home from work. Pallets are so available and used so much. We have a pallet on each end of our porch.

And this is another pallet Sim got from shipping from the store. He cut it up to the lengths he needed and made this shelf unit for his garage. It was a bigger pallet and not as weathered as the one on the porch. Amazing isn't it for a little bit of time Sim has a new shelf for the garage with no money spent!! I thank God for the little things He provides us with. We are so blessed and live a good life. Watch out you may never look at a pallet the same again!! LOL I am so glad to be blogging and seeing what everyone has been up to. Happy New Year a week late!!

XO Fran. 

This afternoon I went to the door to open it to let some air in and a big yellow envelope fell at my feet! It was from my adopted niece Jill at http://www.buckscountyfolkart.blogspot.com/ . She had made this little cutey for a surprise and a thank you. I sure love it!! I love Jill too. She has adopted me as her Aunt Frannie and I feel blessed. This little girl is a magnet and Jill knows I love cherries!! Jill is an amazing artist. Check out her post on the Halloween Mixed Media House she rocked out!! Oh my goodness it is amazing!! I went outside to take this pic and I put it on one of my rusty shovels on the side of the barn. It looked so cute!! A big hug and kiss to Jill!!

This is the view I had from my chaise lawn!! I layed in it and read my Nancy Drew book!! You can hear the waves coming in and the sound was so beautiful!! All in all this was a great vacation and now that I am home, I feel refreshed and ready to create and get my inspiration/creating room organized. I love looking at every ones creative spaces. So I thought I'd join in on the fun over at Karen's http://www.mydesertcottage.blogspot.com/ "Where Bloggers Create Party"!! It's great discipline!! LOL I will be kicking out alot more items for my Etsy Shoppe. Guess I better get rocking!!

 Love ya, Fran. XO

Happy New Year!!

I have decided that my words for the New Year are "I CAN" becuz I always think I can't when I know I can!! For example I was so scared to start my blog, do a swap, and even sign up for a giveaway! Well I've conquered all of these and more! I have made so many wonderful friends through this! I also know that "I CAN" open an etsy shoppe like I've been wanting to. I just have a few things I need to finish before "I CAN"!! I have been organizing and of course at the same time I keep distracting myself with wanting to be creative!

from Kohls. The second one I picked up the cup and saucer at Salvo also and they just happened to be half off and the whole thing cost me 30 cents!!! The ceramic cupcake on that one I got at an estate sale for a dollar! And of course my doilies are thrifted!!

Just before the holidays came around I had signed up for a giveaway from my good friend Amy at http://www.lifeinpinkhitops.blogspot.com/ , she was giving away an apron! I was so excited when I found out I had won! Cuz that girl can sew and makes the coolest stuff! Sometimes upcycling things into new things that are amazing! I am wearing the apron in the above picture and I wanted to share with you and Amy what I already had when I opened up the package I couldn't believe how perfect they matched! It is a salsa bowl and tortilla warmer!! Check out her http://www.lifeinpinkhitops.etsy.com/ ! She rocks!!

I also have been making these dishrags! I use to make them just awful! LOL to small and crooked! So I had Sim go onYou.Tube for me and found out I was using the wrong size crochet hook!! The guy who was showing how to do it said make them big, so I did!! LOL I picked this color to match these cool napkins I got for a gift!! Right now I am making a pink one for Valentine's Day!

The bible says that all things are possible with God! and that is why I also know "I CAN"!!

Take care, Love ya, Fran. XO

Back in June my friend Lori did a bird swap! I was on vacation and tried to sign up through email stealing wifi from behind a coffee house. Well, me and computers, mainly me do not work well together, so I sent it to cyberspace, one again. When I got back I resent an email to Lori that she actually got. The swap was already assigned, but Lori has the biggest loving, caring heart, and said she would swap with me. I really love crows. She does not!! But she sent me some cool things. I wanted to share them with you. One I am saving to show with my Fall decorations. Lori knows I am planning a new craft/studio. So, she sent me this awesome burlap holder with black birds on it and she tied all of these ribbons on it. I have decided on these colors for the room. And of course my favorite brown and orange.

I've put my Where Women Create magazines in it. They fit perfect and I only get them with my 40% off coupon from Joann's. Most of the time I go to Borders, have my chai tea, warmed chocolate chip cookie, and look at all the magazines!! I am always writing things down. One of my favorite dates with Sim.