Starting to look a bit like Christmas!

Well Im getting into the holidays early - cause I need to create for the holiday open house!  December will be here before I know it!!!
Here is the newest little creation - I love him.  He is roughly 10" with a wire hanger on back OR put a few in a wood bowl for bowl fillers!

Check him out on my website!  www.handcraftedbymichelle.com   Hes selling for $19.00
Check back I have 4 new dolls that I am working on!!  Ill post pics as they are completed!

Gourds!!!! .....finally

Well sad to say this was taken before the freeze - now the leaves are a bit black.  But this is the gourd patch that I grew in the straw bales.  I did get 3 nice size cannon ball gourds.  Now if they would have taken off this well in the beginning I can only imagine the success I would have had! There is only one straw bale under all that.  3 planting holes  with 4-5 seeds in each.

 Heres my first "prize"  I didnt even see it forming - then as I was walking in the yard Sat there it was like a jewel looking at me!  Its about 10" top to bottom. Thrilled would be a understatement. We have not had alot of success growing gourds so a few that make it to harvest stage are great!

 This is a apple gourd - I found 3 of these beauties!
Now comes the LONG process of drying them. But I have a great bowl of goose egg gourds from last year on my table.
Hmmm think I will try the bales again next year and maybe just maybe we wont have half the summer be over 90 and dry.  Then oh what a crop I could have! 

WhAt A TreAsuRe!!!!!

 This is my new treasure I found today - nope not the cat - the settee.  I love it!!   The store keeper claims its Civil War era - but I dont know.  It is forsure old however.  neat hinges on the back so it can be made flat.  It has been painted - years ago cause the paint is worn off on the arms  - not faux worn but actual use worn.

 Heres the back with the "bed" pulled out  I need to make one cushion but thats no biggie so when it is made into a bed it needs 3 cushions.

Heres it pulled out into a bed.  I love love love it   Really fits with the house.  And the best part I think I got a great deal at $199   I have it in front of the fireplace so I can just dream of the cold winter months laying on it in front of a warm toasty fire reading a good romance book. 
Now if it really is as old as they were saying I hope no civil war soldiers so passed away on it!  Dont want to haul any old ghosts home.
Anyone out there have any clues on its age??

Hubby has done it again - his new creations!

Here is a bit of work my hubby has done for a house being built up in the lakes.   This is a "barn door" that slides on a track. Look at that floor - it is a reclaimed wood floor that has been stenciled.

This is the kitchen island (hardware not on yet)  It is huge!

It has metal details.  All built using old reclaimed wood.

Copper sink

The top is made up of 3 very wide boards.  Beautiful !!

Just had to share!  This house is amazing the unique details are great!  Old minnow buckets for vanity lights, great stenciled floor, nooks and crannies.  Wonderful.

Little of this Little of that...

 Ill start this blog with a wee bit of garden color...   I got this SUPER cool - ok super cool to us old grubby collectors - to others it would be old junk.   Any how I got my super cool fence on craigs list for $50 - all 6 sections!  What a find!  Im sure the lady was thinking they are going to PAY me for this!  (she was getting a new fence - silly woman! She had a treasure already!) 
Plus the REAL reason I needed to fence in my gardens that are already in a fenced in yard - well you see, my son and his fiance bought a puppy - then the relationship ended and guess who "puppy sits" when my son is working in the oil fields - yep we do.  So since this puppy LOVES to eat and carry around any flower that is yellow (he runs around the yard with them in his mouth like hes dancing the tango!) - I dont know the reason behind the yellow color fetish he has but those are the only flowers he likes.  So to protect my gardens I had fence them in.  He is a german shorthair pup and has tons of energy and very naughty - good think he is so stinking cute!  I have my "grand puppy" for 2 weeks then my son comes home for a week and takes him to his house (which he bought the house right behind us - very handy! We share the back property line).  SO now the pup can run and be happy, plus my sunflowers and black eyed susans can live a long and healthy life. 

 This is looking at the screen porch that we let "age" gracefully - as I am doing myself.

 My little doggie had to get in the picture.  Of course the pickets are a little crooked but hey arent we all!

 The sections I bought had a tall area that tapered down to the shorter size - I made it work!  Love the unique look!

 This is looking out the back kitchen door - what a beautiful view.  I wish my flowers grew a bit better this year.  But the flooding rains and then the long stretch of hot temps with no rain really took there toll.  It was a all or nothing summer.   I am still happy with the look.

 This is the front walk - all nice and weeded.  Having my sons graduation party in a 2 weeks so I have been weeding and pruning like mad!  He is our youngest so I figure this might be the last shing ding that the extended family will be at - gotta look good.

 This is a plant called Japanese knot weed - it is so beautiful!  It is getting ready to bloom - it has lacy white flowers!

 AND CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS!!!!   I just picked this up at a local greenhouse.  It is a mini rose!  Although nothing mini about this!  I had to come home and get the truck - there was no way I could get this into my cross over car!  Simply breathtaking!  And it was on sale for $25!!!

 My front door urns - usually by now they are trailing almost to the steps, not this year.  Poor babies.

 Ok you remember my new experiment - straw bale gardening.  Well not alot of success.  These are my gourds - the rate they are growing Id have gourds by oh say 2015!  But Im not sure if its the poor growing year or the dislike of the bales.

 Now these are the pumpkins - they didnt mind the bales.  Its funny I park the 4 wheeler on the other side of the fence - and the vines will grow around the grill bumper overnight!  So before a ride I have to dismantle the pumpkins! 

 And now to the sitting rooms new paint color (aka old dining room)  I love it.  Still searching for the "just right" fabric so I can sew up the curtains. 

 And more of the little stitchery I am crazy enough to do.  The one below I just completed.  Fun fun!  Already working on another and have 2 patterns waiting in the wings.  Gotta be ready and have another pattern ready before the current one is finished!  Instead of a chain smoker - I am a chain stitcher! 

So there ya go a little of this an little of that....  

Raggedy

I just finished designing and making this Raggedy Ann.  She has cute little lazy daisy flowers on the bottom of her dress.  Shes about 25" tall.  And of course grubby.   Little jingle bells for buttons on her dress.

Growing Growing Growing!

 Thought Id share some of my garden pictures I took a week ago.  Above is my bittersweet - it is loaded with berry buds!  I should have a GREAT crop of berries to decorate with.  Cant wait - I love how it looks on my fence. 

 This pic above is along my front sidewalk - that big leaf plant is like bamboo - its called Japanese knot weed,  it is invasive but with the house and sidewalk it can not go to far!  It has beautiful white lace like flowers on it mid summer and turns a beautiful autumn red/orange in the fall.  Growing up the slats is honeysuckle. 

 What a pretty peony - of course this was taken before the 40 mph winds Sunday.  Now they are all hanging to the ground :-(

The above and below pic are of my climbing rose.    It is so happy this year!   As you can see the  trellis is a little crooked from the horrible wind we had.  But it is still blooming and no worse for wear .  I just need to straighten it out.

This is my new garden trial this year.  I planted gourds, pumpkins, tomatoes, and cucumbers in straw bales - they seem to be really growing well.  It is easy and the bales provide warmth and hold moisture.  And in our sandy soil the roots trail into the bale after they go thru the dirt.   I have them close to my picket fence so the gourds and pumpkins grow onto the fence making a great show in the fall.  I had them planted along the fence last year (just in the actual dirt) and it looked great.  Plus I had a better crop of gourds than I ever had.   Ill keep you posted!