Monday Merchant Circle From PAFA

Today I'm featuring the "KID" from FIRECRACKER KID PRIMITIVES, a great Artisan from our PAFA Team!

Here's her interview and some photos from her shop!

1) Name of your business *and how you got your name*
Hi ya folks! My name is Carol and I'm the Firecracker Kid, born on the

 fourth of July! Married to my soul mate, Tim, we produced two wonderful children.

 We Love the Lord, our family, which includes our kitty kats, 

and our home built by Tim, of 33 years and counting. We've been wood crafting 

for over 25 years now and take great pride in our creations.

With us you'll find our one of a kind wood crafts, plus reproduction 

dough bowl keeps and more primitive, country, and cottage wood crafts all 

handmade in our woodshop by our hands for your home. You can be assured great

 attention is given to quality and detail. 

2)How long have you been in business?
We've been on Etsy since March 30, 2008, which is where we've done 

our best and have decided to stay. 

3)Who or what inspires you? 
I get my inspiration from my mind when the good Lord grants me good days.

So I should say, "He" gives me inspiration. Plus the need to pay the 

mortgage is inspiration enough in itself.

4)What is your creative style; primitive, country, folkart?
All of the above. Tim and I can do it all.

(YES, THEY CAN!) 

5)What medium do you use in creating, clay, fabric, altered art,wood etc.?
 We use wood, wood, and more wood. I also dabble in fabrics 

and altered art when the mood strikes me.

Saving my pennies for 2 of these this year!

6)What are your links (list your etsy shop, eBay, web site, blogs etc.)  
http://www.firecrackerkid.etsy.com
http://firecrackerkid.blogspot.com
http://fpwoodcrafts.blogspot.com
http://woodshopshanty.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1817572815&ref=tn_tnmn
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Firecrackerkid-Primitives/106316589410283 

Take some time to stop over and see the "Kid" and Tim's work! You WILL NOT be 

disappointed!!

}}Hugs{{
Vicky

Nature's Gift and WINNERS of Mine!!

Good morning Friends!

It is foggy and warm here in my neck o' the woods!

I was able to enjoy the sunshine yesterday with my saws and sanders. While outside talking to my neighbor who also does woodwork (furniture), we heard the familiar cackle of my favorite bird. 

I was SO very excited to see him sitting low enough to get a picture with my zoom on my camera. I have been waiting for this majestic bird to come close enough to get a picture and capture his 'aura'. And I'm pretty sure I did!

 Just look at him! Isn't he gorgeous! I just love this bird and am so thankful that we live on a lake and get to see and hear them as often as we do! Now I can put him on canvas. I've been wanting to for a while and have been collecting different pics of him. I've got enough reference material I think to 'make it work' as Tim would say!

I also finished my Cupid Elfin Make-Do. I think she is SOOOOO sweet! I named her Ellie after the cutest little blonde beauty that I know!

Also on my table is a mound of muslin that has been cut and sewn. Stuffing is now commencing and I may have to call in the calvary (my Mother-in-Law) to help me since I drag my feet so badly while doing this part!

I sure do appreciate all of you who participated and left me sweet comments on my Giveaway post! Thank you also to the new followers who've come from those of you posting on your sidebars. And as always, I thank those of you who've been with me since the beginning!

I've got 2 winners for my Giveaway. and they are:

The Beas Knees

(Winning the Decoupage Garland)

AND

Tracie of Flutter By Gone

(Winning the Prim Garland)

Girls, you need to email me at VicWeave@aol.com with your addresses so I can get these goodies off to you tomorrow!

Thank you EVERYONE for stopping by and supporting me as you always do! 

This blog has grown and I'm looking forward to a HUGE 300 Follower Giveaway! 

I've also got a special Giveaway planned for February so please stay tuned as you really don't want to miss it!

}}Hugs{{
Vicky

Monday Merchant Circle From PAFA

Please state your first name and that of your business. 
Laura.  Cave Creek Primitives.

 How did you get your name? 

I named it after the area in Kentucky where we live.  There's a real 

Cave Creek,not far from our home in the Daniel Boone National Forest. 

There are also lots of caves around here.  It seemed to fit nicely.
 
How long have you been in business? 
I've been sewing and crafting most of my life, but I seriously started 

making primitives about six years ago, I think.  I didn't open an Etsy 

shop until 2010,and then it was Cave Creek Studio.  I changed it 

later when I decided to  

focus on just primitives and folk art.
 
Who or what inspires you? 
I receive inspiration from so many things - Nature, my own dogs and cats,

other artists, and living in this area. I also have a pretty weird 

imagination - sometimes new ideas just pop into my head from nowhere.
 
What is your creative style?
Probably a mixture - I seem to be developing my own style as I go. 

I rarely plan ahead or use patterns - more often I just get an idea, 

then figure out how to put it on paper and make a pattern I can use. 

I never know where a design is going until I work on it - then it sort 

of creates itself and I just follow along.
There have been several designs that I've completed that I still don't

have patterns for. I'm working now at making patterns that I can release

at some point. 

What medium do you use in creating?
Muslin fabric - by the bolt.  I have another shop, LauraOh Designs, 

and I save all of the fabric scraps from that to use 

for stuffing. I rag-stuff all of my primitives. I also use cheap

cotton sheets for stuffing.I make my primitive stain, and I 

also sometimes use paints and other finishes.

I use a lot of vintage buttons too - I have thousands of them all over

the place in tins and jars. 
explain here if you would like to about your business and what you

make and sell 
I have my own studio building, and I absolutely love what I do. 

I am so thankful that I can do this full-time too.  My husband is 

a musician,with his own studio too, so we each work at home and we 

are truly blessed. I give away a lot of my work to friends and 

neighbors.  I am most happy when something I've created makes someone 

else smile.
 
What are your links (list your etsy shop, eBay, web site, blogs etc.)?
 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/cavecreekprimitives
http://cavecreekprimitives.blogspot.com
http://cavecreekprimitives.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraohdesigns

Laura's having a Giveaway RIGHT NOW on her blog so run over

using the link above and sign up for her ADORABLE cow! Better yet, 

DON'T and save it for me!!

}}Hugs{{
Vicky 

My Last Valentine

It is...my last Valentine's Day craft.

I cut these from cotton fabrics

and then painted them with some

mod podge to stiffen them. I glued

them onto a dowel that I painted

green then glued them into floral foam

and covered it with floral moss. I painted the terra cotta pot with red acrylic paint and stenciled white hearts around the top edge of the pot. I added a homemade "I love U" tag that I hand stamped and then listed this on my Etsy. I think it would make a great gift for someone special!

My holidays are zooming by because of this mentality that I'm carrying around. I'm thinking a month to 2 months in advance and it moves the year that much faster! I have to work this way to keep my stress levels down and still keep this fun for me. I've stated many times before that if this ever becomes work, I'll have to stop!

Please don't forget to sign up for my current Giveaway. It ends Jan. 25th. You can click HERE or at the top of my right sidebar (look for the double hearts). Also, in that same vicinity, is a button that I've made for my blog. Feel free to grab that and add it to your blog and, of course while you're browsing over there, go and sign up for all of the other awesome Giveaways from some very lovely people!

Don't forget about our Celebration going on from the OFG Team on Etsy. Type in STLC into the search bar under ALL ITEMS to see some great Valentine treasures!

Sure do appreciate all of you who follow me. 

Stay tuned as there is always more to come!

}}HUGS{{
Vicky

Join us for our SHARE THE LOVE CELEBRATION!

I made just a few new things for our OFG "Share the Love Celebration" and wanted to share them with you.

Cupboard Tucks! They're cut from canvas and cotton ticking and have been painted and stiffened and I really LOVE the way they turned out!

 A little Valentine Angel!

My I Love You Stacker

A smaller version of my signboards and frames. The lettering is cut from white vinyl and the frame can house a 4x6 photo of you and your special someone!

You can view some more of my work if you look on my right sidebar and my Etsy mini. You can also click on my banner up at the top and it opens the door to my Etsy shop!

Our team captain from the OFG Team, Lucy Galgano over at the Farmer's Attic, put together this very pretty slideshow for us.Take a few to look at these wonderful items made by our talented OFG Team!
Don't forget my Giveaway (look up top on my right side bar!)
Stay Tuned!
Vicky

Share the LOVE!!

Starting tomorrow on Etsy.com you'll find a whole lot of brand NEW items from the EVERSOTALENTED OFG Team!  VALENTINE items! Cupboard Tucks, Dolls, Bowl Fillers, Painted Wood Crafts, Word Blocks, Candle Mats, Penny Rugs.....gosh, I could just go on and on and on and on and.....

Stop by tomorrow and I'll show you some of mine and then tell you how you can view others, too!

Stay tuned!

Vicky

Something to Show You

'Cause I promised you I would when I got them done. I've one more to finish but it can't be 'launched' until Monday, Jan. 16th, when our OFG Team spins off our "Share The Love" Celebration.

You've already seen this first one but I'll show it again.

I LOVE these finishes and am THRILLED with how these turned out! I can't wait to make more! I haven't got them listed on my Etsy yet but will as soon as I've figured out the pricing and get the descriptions all written out. GOSH, but it's a PROCESS!! And these took some time so the price will have to be one that reflects a little more of my time.

Crystal over at TWIDDLEBUGS DESIGNZ has some, too. 

Hers are super cute and can be customized anyway you'd like.

Visit her HERE to see more and maybe get a custom order made just for you!

Don't forget to sign up for my Giveaway! 

The link is on my sidebar at the top!

Thanks for stopping by!

}}Hugs{{
Vicky

New and Future Endeavors

Such a BIG and important sounding title for this menial post of mine but how else am I to get your attention?!

I'm working on restocking some Valentine pieces and adding a couple of extra to the pot. Our OFG team is gearing up for another "Celebration" and will launch it this next week. I promised them 4 pieces and have almost completed them all. 

Remember I was looking for some candlesticks? Well Barb, over at Barb's Heartstrokes, informed me she is 'destashing' and she had some so I was able to purchase a whole box full from her.

These are GREAT and just what I needed!

Can't wait to show you all of the make-dos I've got planned and you will FLIP over my Long-eared friends!

This is my bin of hearts that need to be sewn up and embellished. The smaller ones will be 'flowers' and the larger ones will have a 'key' sewn to them.

Here is one of the items I've been working on. I showed you in a few posts ago some wood and frames and sticky signs. 

 I just LOVE this! I've made 3 others in different sayings and colors but have not fully assembled them yet. I've got to come up with a price...any ideas? I hate pricing things!

Last but not least is my version of Cupid. I really don't care for that nekked (yes, I know it's spelled naked but that's not how I pronounce it!) little chubby winged creature so here is my 'unfinished' version. 

She'll be such a cute little Cupid Elf don't you think? 

I've got to get to the store and pick up some extra ribbon and fringe for her but I'll have to wait until this weekend when I can call on someone to come and sit with the kids for a few minutes. My husband is already off on his 'travelling job' but will come home this weekend after being gone for a couple of weeks. I have missed him dearly as have the kids so I'm looking forward to fixing him some yummy home-cooked food and showering him with my kisses!

Don't forget about my Giveaway in my post below (Make sure you comment on the Giveaway post if you want to sign up!).

I'll show you the other sign boards and frames in a few. 

In the meantime....

Have a GOOD one!!!

}}Hugs{{

Vicky

A 2012 Valentine Giveaway! (CLOSED)

Hello Dear Followers and Friends!

I decided to have a Valentine Giveaway featuring my 'oldies but goodies'! You may recognize a few of these. They never fail to sell out early! In fact I'll be outside today with my saws and sanders restocking some!

Take a look-see and, at the end of this post, just follow the simple rules!

Sweet little cupcakes!

I Love you 2x3 blocks!

I Love You Stacker!

Be Mine 1.5 blocks!

Decoupaged Heart Garland!

Bee Mine!

Primitive Heart Garland!

Here are the rules!

For 2 chances:
1. Be a follower. New followers are welcome!
2. Tell me what you'd like in a comment.
You can stop there or for 

2 more chances: 

3 and 4. Place this on your blog's sidebar, FB, or Tweet it.
That's it!
I'm going to choose 2 winners!
I'll run this until Wednesday, January 25th.
Come back that morning and I'll tell you who my winners are!
  I'm offering a 10% disount in my Etsy store right now until Monday the 9th on all Christmas. Some items have already been reduced plus, with the coupon code (found in my shop header), you'll get an extra 10% off those already reduced prices.  Lots of OFG Team Members are participating so type in the Etsy search bar under ALL ITEMS for OFG White Sale!
As always, I appreciate your support!
HUGS to you all and Happy Commenting

Vicky

Do You See What I See?

No, I'm not still singing Christmas Songs although I actually could all year!

I'm working on some new designs and a "Valentine Giveaway" that I'll have up by this weekend.

Let's see if you can 'see what I see'!

I cut out some boards from a 1x6.  I purchased the REAL wood frames from the ole $ Tree. I think you'll really like what I'm gonna do with these!

How about these $ Tree finds? Any ideas? Well I DO!!! 

I've been on a 'hunt' for wooden candlesticks. Think I'll hit up our Farmer's Flea Market soon as it warms up. Just been too cold for this old Florida Gal lately! Yes, my little northern snow friends, 50 is tooooo cold for me!

Stay tuned...it'll be a good one!!

}}HUGS{{
Vicky

OFG's January White Sale

Go to Etsy.com and type in the search bar OFGWHITESALE under ALL ITEMS to find some great clearance items at discounted prices!