The Worst thing that could happen to an Internet Seller happened to me Thursday Night!

Hello to all my dear Prim Friends... I hope that you are enjoying your weekend and if your lucky it is nice and sunny where you are...It sure isn't sunny here in good Old Ohio...gurrrrrrrrrr
Once again we are haiving windy rainy storms. Knocked out the Electric last night and has been miserable all day...so much for putting mulch on the flowerbeds today... I was so tickled I was out in the back field gathering up rocks to out around my Shop Herb garden and I found 4 bags of mulch stacked behind the barn. The bags were torn and sun rotted but the mulch was find so I scooped it up into my wagon and toted it up to the shop with plans to spread it today... Not happening, at least not today...

This is the weekend before I change to Summer mode of thinking so I have been packing everything that needs to go to the Island with me come Monday morning. I went to the grocery store, picked up all my needed supplies for next week...
The boat of course is not in the water yet so I will be staying in my camper until they get the boat repairs finished and get the boat in the water.. probably around the middle to end of May before the Holiday weekend...
Thank god I have a camper on the island it is to darned cold to stay on the boat yet... I told the fur babies we would be going to the island next week but I think they weren't paying attention to a word I said so it will be a big surprise and transition for them as well... It means mom cleaned there carriers because they will have to go in the carrier for the long drive North on Monday morning...It means there play area will shrink to camper size but they will adjust pretty quickly to the weekly traveling back and forth in no time...
Its a big job packing all the things I will need for the season but I've almost got it done....which means I will have time to work a little in the shop tonight and hopefully finish up a few gatherings to list while I am out of town...

Speaking of listing my items on Ebay.... there's a couple of really horrible things that can put a damper on a persons Selling on the internet but I think there is one that is especially the worst of the worst and will shut you down in a heartbeat till the problem is resolved. Can you guess what it is??

Well it is when you have just finished 5 gatherings and you're ready to take all the pictures and your Camera dies on you... I don't mean dead batteries I mean dies~stops working.  I got the camera out, pushed the power button and it came on and then it froze. It wouldn't power on or off, the lens wouldn't move in and out....basically it just stopped working ... Battery has a full charge but nothing, no on or off..dead..

So all the new gatherings I finished up have just sat there wiating on me to figure out what to do...being that I am on the broke side, needing to pay bills, pay taxes and buy my supplies for my Cleaning job I was stuck with no Camera so no new listings.....I tried to use my Cell phone Camera but it takes lousy Pictures so that didn't work.

Then I remembered all the bags filled with pop cans sitting outside waiting for me to take them in so I emptied out the van, put down plastic and loaded all those bags in the van, taking them to the recycle place... To my surprise #1 I had lots of cans, #2 the price for alum is up, so I made $40 off my cans. Then one of my clients I clean for down here called and said they needed there house cleaned so off I went to clean.
I had created some things for her and she paid me $20 for them so I had $60 for a camera. The cleaning money is bill money....

So while I was out buying all my supplies for a week on the Island I went Camera shopping..

Yeehaa I hit the jackpot I found a $150.00 camera on sale for $80...which was way cheaper then anything else I looked at...... It's a Samsung SL600. It is charging  as I sit here and should be charged by the time I finish up and I can go out and take pictures of the gatherings I finished up Thursday night...and hopefully the ones I get finished tonight. the best part is I only had to use $20 some dollars of my bill money to get a decent camera...


Meet my packing Helpers Skyler the oldest and Serinity the baby in the box!!
I took these pictures with my Cell Phone so you can see why that won't work for My Beautiful Gatherings

I don't know if you can see what Skyler is writing or not but she is Putting Fragile Glass on all the packages for me... she thinks she is so cool helping and especially writting her letters...

Thanks for stopping by... Have a great weekend!!

Blessings from my house to yours
Tonya

This weeks Sneak Peek~Take a Look & Questions About Selling Blogs

~Prim Laundry Room Gathering~

Welcome to my Sneak peek for this week... I'm trying to get as many gathering done or ready to do before my cleaning season starts next week...plus I've made soap, and candles trying to get my supply built up and of course finish up taxes... Seems everything starts or ends this week end. So I've been really busy the past 10 days... I do see light at the end of the tunnel Thank Goodness...

So without further delay let me present all the new Goodies I finished so far this week.
~Prim Rake Gathering~

~Prim Shelf Antique Oil Lamp Gathering~

~Prim Soap & Towel Necessary Room Gathering~

~Prim Spoon/Utensil Keep~

~Prim Tray~Antique Pitcher~Necessary Room Gathering~ 

~Prim Tray~Pitcher~Necessary Room Gathering~ 

~Tin Punch Candle Sconce Lamp~

~Prim necessary Room Shelf Gathering~

~Prim Shelf~Canister~Crow~Kitchen Gathering~

And there you have it all my handy work for the week!! Enjoy the eye Candy...and if you feel the urge to come shop My Primitive Creations by Tonya come on over were open 24 hours a day!!

Now for my questions...
What is the difference in a regular Blog and a selling Blog?
How many of you have a selling Blog out there?
How well do you do selling from the selling Blog?
Do selling Blogs show up in search as a selling Blog?

Thinking of doing a selling Blog if it worth the while..got so many irons in the pot now not sure I have time for one more things but maybe if its worth it then I will give it a shot...

Time to finish up my taxes..and then its out to the shop...

Have a wonderful day!!

Blessings
Tonya

A Surprise from Angie @ Just a Little Raggedy~Love it!!

Saturday the post lady surprised me with another package.. This month has been like Christmas and my birthday all rolled up in one in April... I get so excited!! Angie created me the cutest runner and I just love it.
As you can see it fit perfectly on my office window ledge so I get to see it every day.
Miss Tasha Loves it too!!

She made the most adorable little Ragady Doll head Bowl Filler ..oops Tasha and mama thought you sent that along just for them. They snatched it up immediately upon my sitting it on my desk. I had to stick pin it to the desk and I'm sure that won't last to long as anything 3" round and under they consider there's for the stealing...So they said to tell you Thanks for the new toy...Wink!!

Angie also included a little monthly planner that I very much needed to keep track of my cleaning days and a cute package of note paper .

there was teh sweetest card .. I loved the picture on the front.. angie loves close by and she included her # along with an invite to come create with her any time... I just might have to do that.

If you haven't met Angie stop on over and say HI....You can find her at  Just A Lil Raggedy...

Thank you for the bottom of my heart Angie >> I love the runner and so do the Fur babies... it fits perfectly!!

Hugs

Tonya

I love getting my hands in the dirt~Check it out!!

Happy Sunny Sunday all my prim friends... i do hope that you all are enjoying the sunshine wherever you may be...I think I've mentioned this before but if you missed it heres a reminder...
 "SUNSHINE CHANGES MY WHOLE PERSONALITY"
We have had two days of sunshine here in good old Ohio... don't worry it will end to night with showers but at least it is waiting till tonight...
I have been waiting patiently to be able to sink my hands in the dirt in my flower beds and I finally got to yesterday and then finished up this morning...some places were still a little wet which made moving sod a little difficult when I dug up chunks that were big... But decided this was good since I will be cleaning houses soon and having to lift that big old sweeper all the time....
If you all remember I told you that it flooded under my trailer so I gave it much thought while I"ve been waiting for everything to dry out....

I decided the best thing to do was to put trenches around all the flower beds so the water running off the trailer would run down into a rock filled trench into the large trenches around the flower beds and away from the trailer. Also any water coming toward the trailer would run into the trenchs and away from the trailer...
See the rocks... I made a trench and filled it with all of the rocks that I found while digging the trenchs so it is probably 8" of rock. teh trailer has a down spout that runs water off the roof just above that rock drain.

See the bare dirt and then the nice grass. Well with all the flooding it make a total mud mess from where I had dug trenches to drain the water away from the trailer. I took the grass I dug up around the flowerbeds to make the trenches I dug yesterday and filled in the area as much as I could with the good grass I dug up. That rain coming will give it a nice drink tonight and it should take root within a few days because it was still pretty wet in tht area...I'm going to plant grass seed in the dirt area later today and getit covered with some starw so it can get a nice start after the rain..

See the little trench coming off the center of the front bed that is where all the water draining into the trenches around the trailer will over flow and drain it away from the under the trailer..
Do you see my two pine trees? Aren't they just beautiful?  Hehe they are my thrift store special two for $6.00 at the 75% off Christmas sale in Feb. I figured I can't have a real tree but what the heck I can have a fake one... Still need to get the lights off them...They spice up the look real nice and move easily so I can get undert he trailer...
If you look real close you dan see my outside Kitty sitting under the tounge of the trailer ..She was my helper all day long...

This is the back side of the trailer and the trench extends all the way back and goes around the back. Not totally done yet... working on that later today...

See the rocks on the corner another rock trench to drain water into the main trench...

All I have to do now is palnt my flower seeds and cover everything with mulch this week.

And watch it all grow!!

Here's a picture of my Chicken buddies Mr Rooster is over in the field so he didn't get to show off for ya...

It's been a good day today a very good Day and this lady is very happy with the results of her labors...

Break is over and they are yellin to come to dinner so I'm out of here for now...

Have a Great Sunday!!

Hugs

Tonya

Tea Staining your Fabric~~ Simple and Easy Method

I've gotten many questions about how I stain my Fabric for all my gatherings. So thought I would give you my quick and easy cost affective way of staining.

Buy cheap tea bags put 10 at a time in your drip coffee pot no filter

The Slow drip from the Coffee maker gets more of the color out of your tea bags.

 

Place your fabric in a tote: Use size Tote that will let items lay within 4 inches of the bottom...once the tea has soaked into the Fabric. Do not pack fabric down or over fill your tote your stain will not be very dark.

Don't push Fabric down till after you have covered them with tea. let them be fluffy like so when you pour tea over them it drains down threw the fabric.

Pour first pot of tea over fabric evenly as you can

 

Spread the first tea bags out in bottom of drip bowl so they are flat

Now add 10 more Tea bags over the ones already in the drip bowl. 

 

Brew another pot

Again Pour over fabric evenly as you can

Fill a 2 quart Glass Bowl 3 quarters full of hot water set aside.

Take the first 10 Tea bags out of the drip bowl 

Place them in the bowl of hot water so you get every last drop of color out of them set aside

 

Repeat spreading the second 10 bags flat on bottom of drip bowl and add 10 more new bags

Brew another Pot of Tea.

 

Repeat this as many pots as you need till you have covered your fabric.

Pour the bowl of tea that has been steeping from all the old bags over your fabric.

Now if need bee you can push the fabric down so it is all covered nicely. you may even want to take the bottom fabric and pull it to the top.

Then let the tote sit over night.

 

The next day pour your tea off the fabric and let it drain.

I usually put it all in the sink and let it drain.

I do not wring my fabric out I think that takes away from the deep and darker stain for some reason.

 

I hang my fabric on the line to dry or you can hang it on a rack dryer

When I use the rack dryer I put an old towel or an old sheet that I can use for hand towels in the bottom of the tub.

I sit the rack dryer on the towel or sheet and then hang my fabric on it letting it drip onto the old towel or sheet.

When they are nearly dry you can throw them in the dryer to set the stain.

 

 You can also use this same method with Wood Spoons. No need to save old bags for woodware.

Generally it only take two pots no added water from used bags to do a baking pan full of wooden ware items. 

I lay my wood item in a dish drainer to drain and dry it usually takes 24 hours for them to dry threw.

 

I hope this was helpful for everyone...

Have a great evening...

 

Blessings

Tonya

Tonya's Sneak Peek at all the New Gatherings

Hi again...seems I just can't stop posting Goodies for all to see..
I didn't realize it really when I was creating this week but I created a lot of Big Gatherings. Mostly Stoneware Gatherings.. I love all of them and can't really pick a fav...Guess I'll leave that up to all you..

Before I post all the new gatherings. If you missed my post about My New page in my blog I wanted to mention it once again. Many of my customers send me pictures of there gatherings displayed in there homes.
I thought it would be a fun way to say Thank you and let everyone know how honored I am to have my gatherings in there homes. Also to share with others how people display there gatherings once they receive them. I do a lot of special orders for customers that no one sees so it will be nice to share those as well.

If any of you have purchased from me over the years please send me pictures to display in my Special Past Creations Page.

If anyone would like a Special Creation created for them feel free to contact me anytime...

~Now on with the show~
~Americana Keeping Rack Gathering~


~Prim Stomeware Crock Cansisters & Spice Jar Gathering~


~Prim Stoneware Crock Canister Pantry Crow Gathering~


~Prim Stoneware Pantry Gathering~


~Prim Stoneware Lemon Aid Tray Gathering~

~Prim Necessary Room Gathering~

~Prim Abraham Lincoln Picture~Candle Lamp Book Gathering~

Enjoy the Eye Candy... have a great Evening.. I'm off to create more goodies... The shop is calling!!

Blessings

Tonya

The Anticipation~Another Package Arrived & I love it ~ Thank You Gina!

Oh me oh my... I got to tell you all of these surprises are just way to much fun for me... I feel like a little kid like when my mom would take me to Thads Market and let me pick a Penny Candy out of the Apothecary Jar!!
Yesterday my neice came knocking at my door and She had a package in her hand...She was all excited and started asking me what is it....What is it?? I just giggled and said, " I don't know" as I shook it.. LOL...she just stood there and finally she said are you gona open it or not... I said... Nope not yet...so off she went...

It was my PIF gift from Gina over at Cat Nip Inn Primitives. Stop on over that say Hi...

http://catnapinnprimitives.blogspot.com/

 

I sat it on my desk and played the guessing game with myself like I do... finally even I couldn't stand it I had to open it.

Goodness as I unfolded the paper this adorable Golden Kitty Cat peeked out at me with its green yes and I was in love with it... I don't know how you knew my colors in my little home but you could not have matched them up any better if you had stood here... as you can see from my curtain.  Her little green eyes match the greens in my Pillows and Cushions on my sofa bed and her body matches all of the Sunflowers. Even her pink nose matches colors in my Pillows....
Tahsa kitty kept looking at her and looking at her... Then she rubbed against Her.. Way to cute where is the camera when ya need it....
Then as I unfolded the next paper I see the most darling little garden Glove and it to matches everything and so much my decor with all my Sunflowers...
I hung it up next to my door and my Raggedy Welcome Sunflower Doll...
Those are just the cutest thing.. Wish I had patience to make them what great gifts they would be!!
Guess I'll have to call you and have you make me some...



Thank you Gina they are so adorable and go so perfectly in my little home. I can tell that you made them from the heart and that makes them so special... ((((((((((((Big Hug)))))))))))

You are a true Kindred Friend and I'm so glad to have gotten to know you!!

Tonya

Show Case Gatherings from Former buyers~My Way of Saying Thank You To My Buyers

For me its and honor when customer says,
"I love the Gathering you created for me and I wanted to show you how beautiful it looks in my home"

Over the years many of my Buyers have Shared Pictures of Gatherings displayed in there homes that I had either personally Created for them or that they had purchased from My Primitive Creations by Tonya on Ebay.
If you have ever purchased a Primitive Gathering, Quilt, Sconce etc and have a picture of it displayed in your home I would love it if you would share it with me and let me display it here.

I thought it would be nice to share them with you.  Especially since I've been getting many special orders from many of you out there in Blog land.

This wonderful Necessary room Gathering was a Special order Created for one of my wonderful Customer Carol. Carol has been buying from me for the past two years off Ebay.

This Gathering was purchased from Connie off Ebay recently. Connie is one of my wonderful Blog friends from Cabin Fever Primitives.

This is a Special order necessary Room Gathering for Tina who found me on my Blog.

Tina liked the first gathering she ask me to create a second gathering for a Medicine Cabinet she has in the same bathroom.  I have finished the gathering and will ship it tomorrow. I'm excited to see how it looks when she gets it all set up. This is a picture of every thing that will go in the Cabinet.

Last surprise I received was back in 99~I got my SURPRISE PIF from Connie~Love it! Plus Another Surprise

Hi everyone....I have to tell you I've been really excited about receiving my PIF surprises. The last time I received a surprise was back in 1999 when someone dropped off a Turkey and all the fixins with nothing but a note that said, Thank you for being such a wonderful Foster parent.

I got word the first of the week from two of my PIF ladies saying my surprise was on the way... I was like a little kid checking the mail box everyday... I never get the mail my neices get it when they get off the bus...LOL...
Well Thrusday my first package showed up and I was so excited... I just held it for a bit and then had to go to the doctors and get my back cracked and then I went over to Carmen and Shane's for a Chilli dinner. I laid the box on the van seat and kept looking at it trying to guess waht was in it... I think I didn't know if I wanted to open it right away or not casue once I opened it the surprise would be over with... Now is that silly or what...
When we were sitting at the table having dinner I kinda giggled and said Guess what Carmen I got my first surprise packaged today... Its from Connie... Carmen got all excited and said what is it... ?? I giggled and said I don't know I haven't opened it yet... She gave me the weirdest look and said why not? So I told her..yea she thinks I'm a little strange at times...but she loves me anyway!! She was like go get Mom and open it lets see what goodies you got...

She gets goodies all the time but she was as excited as I was as I opened my package... took each wrapped little item out and laid it on the table...Then I started to open them and I loved it all...She Created a gathering from two old hand stitched Doily's. One is to sit the gathering on and the second one she Put in a Beautiful Primed Picture Frame with an old picture in the center. A Black Candle rolled in Cinamon that sits in a little bowl with rosehemp. A bundle of Drieds with a small Music Sheet wrapped aroung the bottom of it. A darling little leather covered Journal... I love the Journal... and a Small Angel note pad.  She clipped a slice of the lace on the doily off before she put it in the Frame and glued it inside a card in the shape of a Smile with a little note... I loved it. On the oustside of the card is a Picture of the gathering.....it is so pretty truly created from the heart.....which made it even more special.
Connie thank you so much for making my day special... you are a true Kindred friend.

If you haven't gotten to know Connie over at  Cabin Fever Primitives take a moment and stop in say Hi...

She also included a darling little laundry Bag Pillow that Carmen said would look really nice in her Laundry room...giggle... I don't have a laundry room maybe I might share it with her till I get a laundry room again...

Connie you are a wonderful Friend and I can't begin to tell you how special my surprise is to me...
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

I worked all afternoon packing my Ebay items to ship out tomorrow. I just finished up and had planned on posting on my Blog and then adding a new page if I could figure out how to do it.
Well Guess what I got another SURPRISE
The new page is already there... Carmen must have put it on for me sometime today.
Thanks Carmen made my day...

It was a good Day today... a very good Day!!

Warm Blessings to one and all!!
Tonya

Happy Saturday~Life is soon to make huge Change for me!

This boater Kitty watching a Butterfly~


Hi my prim friends... I hope this finds you all having a great Saturday! This is one of the really busy times of year for me... As many of you know I own a cleaning business as well as My Primitive Creations.

Not only is it Tax preperation time and all the head aches taht come with that as you all know.
It is that time of year to start thinking about Tj's Cleaning Service..and of course I'm always working on creating year round... never a dull moment in my life...

Anyway I thought I would stop in and say hello before I head to the shop for the day...Tell you a little about my life that will change in just three weeks from winter mode to summer mode...
If you could see me in winter you wouldn't beleive the difference in my life. From November till April I'm happily tucked in my shop creating. I hardly see anyone or do anything much exciting other then create all the time and go Thrift store shopping, play around on the computer listing ebay items, selling and Blogging.

Then March comes around and tax time comes and I know that I have to start to revamp my life totally.
I have to think differently, change my beloved night hours to day time hours.. that part I hate as I am truly a night person... I have to get in shape..from sitting on my bottom creating day after day because as you well know you can't clean a house sitting down... Darn it all anyway...hehe

Then comes the planning and scheduling every aspect of my daily life so I can do creating, selling, packing, shipping, traveling to and from the Island and then cleaning 3 to 5 houses a day 5 days a week...sometimes 6 days on holiday weekend...
To some that may seem like a simple task but it is really hard for me to transition back into doing all that work and scheduling my every week, day and hour....I even have to change my grocery store habits.
In retrospect I think this has all somehow kept me young but it has also worn on my body over the past 10 years.

You see I'm a boat lady.. we harley ladies and so on and me I'm a boater lady or as some say a boater Chic..I love my boat with a passion most reserve for there signifgant other. She changed me and my life forever.. I love the Island life and all my friends on the Island be the boaters or the Islanders.
Boating isn't cheap by any means so I had to find a way to afford Boating so I started my cleaning business 10 years ago... this way I get to be on the boat, on the Island and with all my friends and still make money.
Thus every year I must go this life change every April...
This week I have been scheduling all my spring cleanigns and getting my summer work schedule all set up with my regulars... A huge task in itself... I need to make sure I schedule my houses to I can get them done before new renters come in and also so I don't kill myself trying to get them cleaned to meet my satisfaction... So its always a little crazy this time of year for me... mind you I am still out in the shop every day creating...
Finally finished up getting all the scheduling done I could yesterday so I am feeling a little less stressed.
I start my year the week of April 18th threw the 23rd and then I will head home for Easter with my family with my body worn out but my wallet full...
then I will have a week off and then the first week of may I have a weekend of cleaning and then two weeks off and then it is back to the weekly Cleaning schedule and on the Island every week until November.. with only two days a week off to do laundry, go to the grocery, create a few things to list on Ebay and ship anything that has sold...
Just thinking about all that makes me tired...lol...
All my critters go with me back and forth and generally speaking they love it... Tasha loves being on the boat dock chasing bugs or sunning herself in her chair... Puddles loves going with me to all my houses and visiting with anyone who will love on him and he likes visiting with all his doggie friends...Mama is still a bit shy about all the people but she does like sunning self in the back of the boat...

I take craft supplies with me that I can work on while I am sitting out on the dock in the evenings...I sew little dresses and bonnets, Pillows and make rag balls. sometimes I take wood things and sit out there sanding and painting them... This works out great because I can get my stock built up and have things ready to use when I go home and want to create a couple of gatherings....

All in all it is a crazy life but a good life and I don't have time to get bored or lonely in the summers because all my friends are around and hang out with me on the dock.

On my trips back and forth I stop almost weekly at my five favorite Thrift stores and buy things for My Creations... Get all my shelves all stock piled for when winter come around.. Makes those trips back and forth a lot less boring and I love thrifting as you know...

Now you know what a crazy life I lead... time for me to head out to the shop and do some creating...

May your Weekend be filled with warm memories..

Blessings
Tonya