Free Blog Layouts at LeeLou Blogs!!

One of my favorite blogs is THE MEANEST MOM. Hysterical! She has a link on her site to LeeLou Blogs where you can find some really cool FREE blog layouts. Check them both out, they are worth it!

Blessings,

Life As We Know It Has Changed!

Hey y'all, it's been a hectic week around our house! Last Thursday my husband Bill was at work and the ladder he was on broke and he fell about 15 ft. He landed on his feet and shattered both of his heels. He is scheduled for surgery on Thursday to repair them, but the Doctor said he won't be able to put any weight on them for at least 3 months after surgery, maybe longer. It sounds like it will be a long healing process. Needless to say, he is completely helpless and I am his nurse. Bill should only be in the hospital one day, then he will be able to come home again. Bill has been very good patient so far, not overly needy and not a complainer. I admire him for that. I would be whining and crying and moaning 24/7! My church has been so great! The pastor and one of our friends got together and decided they would take total responsibility for the yard work for the rest of the season! That's quite a relief! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with it along with everything else that's going on. Another friend from church built a wheelchair ramp and I have gotten several calls from other friends offering to do the odd jobs that come up. It's wonderful to know that I'm not alone! I don't know how often I will be able to post, but I will try to keep up with it. I'll let you know how the surgeries go.

Until next time...Blessings,

Happy Mother's Day!

Here's wishing all my readers a very Happy Mother's Day!
Blessings and hugs,

Freebie Cross Stitch Links

Hey y'all! I was visiting my friend Hazelruthes's blog and she has posted her favorite blogs with Freebie Cross Stitch Links! Why don't you mosy on over to her blog and check them out. Make sure you come back here and let me know your fav's. I just revamped my blog Blessings of Health and Prosperity, take a look and tell me what interests you most. Don't forget to add your plugs to the plugboards on all my blogs and Celene's Treasure Chest

Until next time...God Bless,

Begging for Inspiration

Hey Y'all! I need some advice. Over the holidays I saw a Cricut Expressions infomercial and was fascinated. I saw so many wonderful things being done with the Cricut and the ladies in the infomercial made it all looked so easy! I had to have one. We couldn't really afford it, so I mulled it over for about 6 weeks before I took the plunge and bought one for myself. My wonderful hubby said "Go ahead babe, knowing you, you'll make all kinds of neat things with it! It'll be a great investment!" Celene's Treasure Chest, my brick and mortar crafts and antiques shop in rural Illinois was closed for the winter season so I thought it would be a perfect time to play with it and make all sorts of new crafty things. I really saw this little piece of equipment as a real opportunity to come up with some new crafts, stencils for myself to use as well as to sell in the shop, etc and that I would make my money back in no time. I received it in early January. I didn't even open the box til sometime in February, played with it for about 30 minutes, gave up and put it back in the box, where is resides today. Part of my problem is that my craft room is so cluttered that I can't set it up in there and I just haven't gotten around to organizing it. My work shop up at the store is full of sawdust and paint and I don't think it will survive long there. Now if I were really inspired to create with my Cricut I would have organized my craft room, but honestly, I don't know what to do with it! I just look at the box and think, I really have to learn how to use this thing and get creative, then I turn around and pull the door shut behind me so I don't have to look at it. Is there anyone out there with a Cricut Expressions? I need some ideas to get me excited and motivated enough to get over my fear of learning how to use this thing! What do you use you Cricut to make? Please leave a comment and share with me how you use yours. If you send me a photo of some of the finished projects, I'd love to post them here, just email me at celene-@hotmail.com. Come on girls, please inspire me!

Until next time...God Bless,

Free Blog Layouts at Scrappin' Blogs!!

Hey y'all! Lookie what I found. Tons of adorable Blogger layouts at Scrappin' Blogs. Go on over and check them out. They are very easy to install and you can change them as the mood strikes, so go crazy!

Until next time...God Bless,

Free Crafters Online Magazine

Hi everyone! Hope you are enjoying the lovely spring weather. It's finally starting to warm up here in Illinois. Been cold til this week. The weatherman says it's going to be 82 by mid week! Yippee!! I have had enough of being chilled to the bone. Hope it doesn't get too warm to quickly though. Don't want to bypass spring altogether.

Thought I'd tell you about a great crafters online magazine Creative Times Magazine. Check it out. Lots of great ideas of all kinds. Until Next Time...God Bless,

Flea Market Friday

Don't forget Flea Market Friday over at Celene's Treasure Chest for handmade primitive crafts!

Free Primitive Stick Horse Pattern

Hi everyone! I have another free pattern for you. This one is so cute and easy! It's a grungy prim stick horse. A special thanks to NeeNee at KKL Primitives. NeeNee is a sweetheart and a great prim crafter! Make sure you visit her website to see all kinds of great prims. Please make sure you follow the terms of use at the bottom of the post. So without further adieu, here it is!

To make this prim stick horse, download the pattern below by clicking on the link. This size stick horse is for using with dolls or can be used as large ornies. click here to save Pattern

Materials needed:
muslin fabric
*Coffee Stain
jute string
2 rusty bells
black embroidery floss
thin tree branch - approx. 8" long ( can substitute dowel rod )
paint brush
sewing needle
*Coffee Stain Mixture
1 cup hot water
4 T. instant coffee
2 T. vanilla
1/4 cup ground cinnamon

Stir well and let this set while you cut and sew your pattern. You want the cinnamon to settle at the bottom of your bowl.

Directions:
Trace pattern onto muslin. The outline is the sewing line so be sure to leave at least an inch around the horse when cutting out to sew. Sew only to the small x's on the bottom of the pattern, leaving the bottom open for stuffing. You will not be sewing this closed. Trim to within a 1/4 inch of the seam and clip where needed.

Stuff horse with polyester fiberfill til firm. Stuff only to broken line indicated on pattern.

Stitch the eye with 6 strands of black floss.

Wrap jute string around muzzle and neck several times to thickness desired for the harness.

Attach two rusty bells as shown in pattern.

Place horse head over your stick/branch and with the jute string, wrap firmly beginning at the dotted line. Wrap about 10 times and tie off.

With your paint brush, brush the coffee mixture over the horses head and jute strings.

Place in warm oven ( not higher than 200) until the head is dry. Turn over every few minutes.

Thread your needle with 6 strands of black floss. Beginning in front of horse's ear, attach the 'hair' for the mane. Clip to desired length. Continue down the back of the horse's neck to the wound jute.

With your paint brush, again paint the horse with the coffee mixture, this time wiping the bottom of the bowl with the brush to pick up some cinnamon. This will give you the 'dirty' or grungy look to your horse, brush over the mane too. When completely dried, the mane will be stiff.

Place horse stick back in oven and dry. Turn over every few minutes.

Terms Of Use
You may not offer this pattern for download, instead, you may link to it. Do not sell this pattern. The copyright belongs to me and I'm offering it for free, it should stay that way.
You may sell your completed project in craft shows only. If you sell, please give credit to me as the designer. (©KKL Primitives) Thank you.

Until next time...God Bless!

Pillows of Lavender

Hey y'all! Have you all recovered from Bloggy Giveaways Carnival week? I don't know about you, but there were so many great giveaways that I spent countless hours and hours in from of the computer last week. I entered hundreds of giveaways. Hope I won something fabulous! I'll get back to you on that and let you know.

I usually don't do reviews in my blogs, but I am excited about something and I want to tell you all about it! It's called Pillows of Lavender. Robin at Pillows of Lavender sent me (just because she's a sweetie) a lavender comfort pillow and I just love, love, love it! When I picked it up at the post office, Jerri, our Post Mistress handed me my package and said, "I don't know what's in there, but it smells heavenly." As I tore the Priority Mail box from her death grip (she wasn't done sniffing it and didn't want to let go) I could smell the soothing aroma of flax seed, lavender buds and peppermint leaves wafting from the box. I couldn't wait to get home and open it. It's really lovely. And it smells wonderful. It arrived rolled up in a shimmery organza gift bag. The pillow is a multipurpose scentsation. It can be chilled in the freezer to use as a soothing cool pack or heated to relax aches and pains away. It's great for soothing eyes, earaches, sore muscles and headaches. The attatched card read " use for relaxation, rejuvenation, headaches, muscle aches, neck and back pain, sports injuries, arthritis, insomnia, depression, stress, cramps and much more!" Robin also makes neck wraps, kid size lavender comfort pillows, eye and sinus pillows and listen to this, Lavender embroidered sachet dryer bags!! Go on over and take a look at Pillows of Lavender and give yourself a decadent treat, after all you deserve it.

Until next time.....God Bless,

Giveaway Winner

The winner of the bloggy giveaway Here at Wood n' Whimsy is Ginny from Mom of 2 Dancers Reviews. Congratulations Ginny! She chose the vintage beaded hoop earrings from Unique Boutique Jewelry. Thank you all for participating in my giveaways. Make sure you follow my blogs for more giveaways in the weeks and months to come. God Bless!

Bloggy Giveaways Carnival is here!!

Hi all. I'm so excited that it's Bloggy Giveaway Carnival time again! My giveaway this time is a gift from Unique Boutique Jewelry. I am giving away the piece of jewelry of your choice, (1 pc. up to $15.00 value) so be sure to really look around so you get the piece that you love! Yep, that's right you get to choose your own prize! Yippee, fun huh? All you have to do to enter is go to Unique Boutique Jewelry and choose what you would like to win and come back here and leave it in the comments. I will give 4 extra entries to anyone who blogs about it! Just tell me in the comments that you talked about it and linked to us in your blog and you have 5 chances to win! It's that easy. The contest will go from Mon, Jan 26th through Sat, Jan 31st. The winner will be announced here on Sunday, Feb 1st. Shipping to the USA only. You don't have to have a blog to enter. Make sure you leave a way to get in touch with you. Good luck and tell all your friends.


I'm having giveaways on all my blogs this week, so be sure click on the links below to enter for all of them!

Celene's Treasure Chest

Shops Galore! Shopping Blog

and Sara's blog: Live Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

Until next time....God Bless,
Celene

It's almost Bloggy Giveaways Carnival time!!

WooHoooo! I love Bloggy Giveaways Carnival! It begins Monday, January 26 at 8:00 am CST through Saturday, January 31st. I will be giving away candles, jewelry, home decor and eco-friendly goodies. That's all you are getting out of me right now, so don't forget to check back with me on Monday!
I will be giving away something on all my blogs so be sure to add them to your follow list and send the blog links to your friends!

My blogs participating in the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival:

Celene's Treasure Chest Blog
Wood n' Whimsy
Shops Galore! Shopping Blog

and my daughter Sara's eco-friendly blog:
Live Healthy Wealthy and Wise

Until next time....God Bless,

Celene