Farm Country Craft's Blog ...

“Welcome 2012″

Betty — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:48:21 +0000

Gingerbread boys hanging out in the snow

These little gingerbread boys think the snow is great! They are visiting my daughter in Utah. After the snow melts we will bring them indoors and place them all snuggled and warm back in their cozy little box. Next holiday season we will bring them out again.

Since we live in Texas, we get very little snow. However, we have had two very good rains lately. After the extremely dry year we had in 2011 it was very much appreciated.

I can’t believe January of 2012 is half over and I am still posting Christmas ornaments. Do you think I am a little behind?

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, you’re always welcome back!

It’s Santa Time

Betty — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:45:55 +0000

What a wonderful time of year.

This is a little Santa I painted recently. I cut the design from 3/4″ white pine. After a whole lot of sanding and many hours of painting I finally arrived with the finished product.

I like the way it turned out and it really was a labor of love. I can bring it out every year and it will always have a special place in our home.

Happy Holidays to all!

Back Door Fall Decoration

Betty — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:07:16 +0000

Just a funny little wooden pumpkin decoration I made to sit by the back entrance to say, “Welcome”, to our back door guests.

Did you notice the little green hedgeapple sitting by the bucket? In Texas these are called horse apples. They are supposed to be used to repel bugs, spiders, ants, mice, etc. We are testing out that theory. We will see if they work.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, you’re always welcome back!

Yes, there really is a cool season

Betty — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:45:52 +0000

“October gave a party; the leaves by hundreds came – the chestnuts, oaks, and maples, and leaves of every name. The sunshine spread a carpet, and everything was grand, Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band.” George Cooper

The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are falling and winter will be here soon. After our extremely hot and dry summer, believe me it is very much appreciated.

Can anyone resist putting out their fall decorations? Not I. The rich yellow, orange and deep red leaves falling from the trees are quite lovely.

This pumpkin is just a little something I made some time ago. It is made from 3/4 ” pine and decorated with a red heart, half-moon, star, and grapevine. It was one of those projects where you use what you have and design as you go.

I love this fall season. It always seems to say, come, it’s time to sit and rest awhile.

Til next time, thanks for stopping by!

2011 – The Texas Drought

Betty — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 22:04:01 +0000

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the heat and the drought. We will never forget the summer of 2011. This blog originates approximately 50 miles southwest of Texarkana, Texas. This area usually gets plenty of rainfall each year to keep the lawns and pastures green and lush in the spring. The summers are mostly hot and dry. Not this year. We have had 70 plus days of 100 degrees or above temperature this spring and summer, with more hot days expected before fall comes along and cools us off a bit.

The farmers are running out of grazing and water for their cattle. We are losing a lot of large and small trees in the woods. The Texas Ag folks are telling us this is a no-brainer. Get rid of your cattle NOW. This is not an ordinary drought. They are predicting it will last through November 2011. Other forecasters are saying it might even last through 2012.

Wildfires have destroyed many thousands of acres of land. More than seventeen hundred homes have been lost, and 2 lives have been lost so far.

Our local newspaper recently published some common summer heat jokes. Here are just a few.

You know you live in Texas because during the summer…

Cows are giving evaporated milk.
The trees are whistlin’ for the dogs.
Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hardboiled eggs.
Hot water now comes out of both taps.
You can make instant sun tea.
If the temperture drops below 95 you feel chilly.
You learn that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.
You discover that in the summer you can drive your car with two fingers.
You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
It is so dry the cows are eating the barbed wire fences.

Fall has finally arrived and temperatures have begun to drop.

We survived another Texas summer.

Hope you had a great summer!

Paper Plate Holder

Betty — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:50:22 +0000

I made this paper plate holder from 3/4″ white pine. It is painted sky blue with white clouds. It has been sealed with a coat of clear varnish. I use it in my kitchen sitting on the counter to hold my paper plates. This is a Gail Eads design from her painting book “Country Nest”.

Have a great week everyone, and keep painting!

Painted Fruit Anyone?

Betty — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:14:26 +0000

This is just a handy little wooden box that offers storage for everyday items such as pins, needles, buttons, keepsakes, and all sorts of treasures. It was painted medium blue with fruit on a dark blue top. I finished it off with a coat of clear varnish. Yea, pretty neat box.

Do you have a handy little box you use to store your treasures? Please comment!Would love to hear from you!

Recipe for American Flag

Betty — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:09:30 +0000

This is a Gail Eads
pattern from her painting book “Country Nests” (I love her patterns).

It is just a little recipe for an american flag made from white pine wood, cut and painted by me.

A flagpole sits at the top displaying a tattered flag with a bird nest on each side.

I finished it off with clear varnish and used jute as the hanger.

Happy Painting!

A Little Something for the Birds

Betty — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:03:05 +0000

I like to paint anything blue and on wood. I like to paint anything blue. I like to paint anything.

Have you ever seen a pot holding a bird house? probably not, but what the heck, it’s still cool, or at least it’s cool according to Hall. Just make your style shine.

It’s scorching today in Texas and to hot to paint, so please excuse me while I go read a Blog.

Til next time, have a wonderful week.

Gingerbread Man Paper Towel Holder

Betty — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:09:39 +0000

Everyone loves a gingerbread man. I love to use the gingerbread man design in my crafts. This one was made into a paper towel holder. It also has a small removable gingerbread man on top of the dowel which holds the towels.

Crafts were really going strong in my neck of the woods (Texas) in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s. I opened my craft and gift shop in 1997 and did well until late 2001. That was when the craft business bit the dust. I hope someday the customers will return (make it soon, please).

Please send me a comment and share your thoughts on when you think crafts will be thriving again. I really, really, really would like to hear from you and hear your predictions on the future of the craft business.

Until next time, thanks for visiting!