Penny Sanford Designs

If Life Hands You Squishy Lemons, Make Pomanders!

Now WHERE did I ever get the notion that sticking cloves into oranges and lemons was something one did just for Christmas?

Moving into the farmhouse in January, I found some forgotten, squishy lemons and oranges.

Ok, just one of each, to be more accurate. Work with me here for the sake of the title, ok?

What to do with squishy citrus?

Put in the fireplace near the front to release scent as the fruit burns...but we did not have the fireplace cleaned out and crackling at that time.

Cut up and put in one of those little simmering crock pots to scent a room.  I had not found either of my little crock pots at that time in the farmhouse kitchen.

Unc did not think there were any cloves anywhere either, and he and Mama had been IN CHARGE of the farmhouse kitchen, so he should know. I trusted his knowledge of the farmhouse kitchen, gave up on using the fruit in a constructive way, and tossed the squishy fruit in the garbage.

So, the next day, I found almost a QUART of whole cloves we had bought in bulk sometime, right there on the second shelf of the full-size spices cabinet. It was a large clear apothecary jar with ground glass lid, hiding near the front of the shelf.

I then fished the squishy orange and lemon out of the garbage. (You think I am kidding about all of this, right?  *evil chuckle*) I had found a short length of pink ribbon under an appliance a few days earlier, so I was set to make lemonade pomanders from squishy citrus!

Wait, there was one more crutial part. The bobby pin I used to securely skewer the knot of the ribbon into the top of the lemon was found in some weird place. I honestly forget at the moment.

The ice pick to pre-punch the holes for the cloves was right where it was supposed to be. Right where it had been stored for right at 50 years in the farmhouse kitchen. Yippee! My crafting adventure was looking up!

That's really the whole story. I had fun poking holes and making pomanders out of found objects. The lemon is hanging from the window over the sink. The orange is drying in a yellow mug that I've seen in that kitchen all my life. It is scarred by the dishwasher and has a chip or two, but it brings back happy memories. 

These pomanders are almost dry now. I plan to use the same ice pick, one from my grandmother's house, to punch a deep hole and fill up that whole with lavender essential oil. 

What other things can one can do to a pomander to make it deter moths in a closet. Netting comes to mind. What else?

Now why did rescuing an orange and a lemon from a mildewy death lift my spirits so... besides the pretty colors and the familiar smells of the past?

One could make a bowl full of pretty yellow and lime "eggs" to decorate for Easter. What else might one poke into the citrus rind that would smell wonderful and also preserve the fruit? 

This is your Green pop quiz. I will expect your answers!

Sneak Peek Next Free Valentine Project

Wanna see the new FREE Valentine project I am working on to share with you?

What, that is not quite clear enough? Then how about this one?

Still not clear what the project is all about?

Well, then, I guess you will just have to wait for the finished project! *wicked grin*

Fresh Flutters over my Free Heart Yo-Yo Pattern

Welcome to the visitors from Dollar Store Crafts and One Pretty Thing!

These are the two latest blogs or websites that have linked to my Free Heart Yo-Yo Pattern. Thanks Heather and Rachel!

See the Free Heart Yo-Yo Pattern here, here and here.

I've had a couple of ideas of some new things to do with these pretty little heart yo-yo's. Plus, I have a fresh new idea for a Valentine craft pin to share with you.

Now I just need to find a little bit of free time to make up the samples and write up the instructions for you.

There are other free patterns and ideas in my blog, under the category of Projects or Crafty Stuff. (I REALLY need to trim down the number of categories in my side bar!) Or you can use the search bar to the right of this text.

Enjoy! Send me a picture of what you make. I love to see your work!

PS: If you have linked to my Free Heart Yo-Yo Pattern and I missed seeing it, please email me with a link to your site. I don't always have time to look at the statistics for this blog and note the interesting places from which my readers originate.

Annie's New Valentine Collar

Here is my precious Annie in her new collar slipcover for Valentine!  I whipped this up last Sunday afternoon, dressed Annie in it Monday morning to wear to town with Unc for the mail and newspaper.

Over the phone, I told Mama about it, and then I did not make time to take Annie up to the big house to show Mama the collar and how cute Annie looks in it before Mama suddenly died that afternoon.

*Sigh* One of many such small regret moments to come, according to the lovely ladies who have written me about the death of their own mothers.

It seems I've joined that club of women who will forever have a small ache in the corner of their heart because they can't share something with their mother.

The little flower is from a five inch piece of vintage woven ribbon that came from the sewing box of one of my female ancestors. I was going to ask Mama whether it was something from Grandma's sewing box or Great Aunt Hadgie's or one of the other childless ancestors from whom Mama inherited much of the family ephemera.

Don't want to bum you out. Today was a full day of cleaning, throwing out, shifting, organizing, puppy baths and porcelain. Good hard productive physical work is a good tonic.

Hope to share a free pattern for the above collar... soon.

Freaky Christmas Tree

I've had the picture of this Christmas tree on my laptop wallpaper, trying to get used to it. 24 hours, and I still can't quite get past that "eeeekk!" response.

When I first saw the gift shops using small Christmas trees, hanging from the ceiling to maximum display space, I thought it was an ingenious idea. Then I saw display companies offering special synthetic Christmas trees made specifically to hang from the ceiling to help gift shops sell the many collectible Christmas ornaments. No "eeeekkk" reaction.

This is the first year I have seen an upside down Christmas tree for sale to the general public. It appears to be designed to sit on the floor (not attach to the ceiling). $199.88 at Sam's Club, an arm of the Walmart empire.

I like this, but I'm still feeling that "eeeekkk" response. The edgy side of me would enjoy something different like this for home use. We still have the silver tinsel Christmas tree from the 60's, and it has come back in vogue along with all pink trees, etc. I've got a Pop side to me, but I think I would also need one or more traditional Christmas trees with favorite ornaments nestled into the branches.

We're being very frugal with our Christmas spending this year. Very frugal, so this trendy little tree will not be coming home with us, but I do like to see what is new and fashionable.

(Heck, we've been on a journey of increasing frugality ever since we married, primarily because we are getting older and we are looking ahead to our twilight years. Plus, Mama and Unc will need more medical care as they get older. Actually I am very thankful for that journey because it is easier for us to face the immediate international financial crisis knowing that we can live on less and we can be debt free. Another topic for another day.)

Love the lemon yellow walls in this borrowed picture above. Love the home-made photo ornaments.

Gordon and I did something similar with old family photos the first year we were married. I wanted to MAKE our Christmas ornaments for our first tree.

Those first year decorations are in storage in Texas right now, but I still have the digital files for the ornaments. We've had five years of learning more of digital photo editing and we have discovered prettier photo papers and better printer inks for photo printing.

I also thought about possibly laminating the photo ornaments for durability. Maybe. We'd have to get a laminating machine for that, but they are not expensive.

Maybe I can share a little tutorial with you for my version of the framed family picture Christmas Ornaments. I'd only have to reprint a few.

The more old family photos Gordon gets scanned each year, representing both sides of our family, the better variety we have from which to choose for "Awwwww"-inspiring personal Christmas tree ornaments.

Gordon is so adorable in this picture. He would have been six or seven years old.

Great idea for old costume jewelry!

This is a great idea!

Our family has, literally, generations of costume jewelry. I know some costume jewelry can be quite valuable, but I've never taken the time to learn enough to search through our old bling to see if anything is worth any money.

But my pack-rat and nostalgic genetic makeup would not let me part with any of it. There are too many fond memories of playing dress up as a child to let anything go.

I'd never thought about making a picture with the old stuff. Even if there is a missing rhinestone in something my great grandmother wore or if an earring did not have a mate, making a picture with the old pieces would be a fun way to display our little stash of fake jewels.

If I did not want a seasonal framed picture, I could make a flower basket or a garden scene with "flowers".

What would be some other ideas?  Here is the link to the ebay auction with 10 or so more pictures of this framed costume jewelry art.

You are probably going to tell me that this idea to use old costume jewelry has been around for a while. *grin* Well, it is new to me. If you have pictures of how you have made art from old costume jewelry, please share with me.

Those Curious Applique Plates

The storm that is being talked about on national news all day is about to hit the farm.  It has been one of those Manic Mondays (but good and productive).  Gordon may unplug me at any minute, so I will start this post, upload it at some point and then finish it as I can later tonight after the storm has passed.

The van is parked in the big barn to protect it from the hail that is forecast.  The dogs are all passed out from their busy "work" day, so that is a good sign that dangerous weather is not on top of us at the moment.  Tornado watch as close as the adjoining county. 

So, I've been hearing from a surprising number of you about these Applique Plates.  That is what I am calling them until someone suggests a better name or until we find some publication that printed a pattern and directions. 

At the first speech in Brookhaven, MS, on Saturday, our friend Natalie Herndon Howard and her mom squeeled at a picture of Miss Maggie's plates.  Natalie's grandparents were given a set of the applique plates in the 1920's.

Natalie sent me photos when she got home.  I love how the plates are named for the newly married couple.  That fella is adorable!

First thing Saturday morning, Mississippi quilt artist and friend Rhonda Blassingame shared photos and known background about her set of inherited applique plates...almost identical pattern... on her blog.

Rhonda's set of plates come from her husband's grandparents.  Rhonda's description of the techniques used to make the plates is far more detailed than I have been. 

I'm not sure how to find the specific link to that specific post from Rhonda's Blogspot blog, so it is the March 1, 2008, post (if you are reading this months later and have trouble finding her specific post on this topic from my link).  Typepad calls it a "permalink". If you know, please tell me what to do to share the specific link to her post on this topic.

Next afternoon---now where was I?

Michelle commented on the previous post on this topic that her mom has a set of these plates.  If you can, Michelle, please share the photos. 

The differences in these three sets of plates pictured are rather fascinating.  For example, I bet Miss Maggie did not like the smell of a man's pipe which is why she made her man (red set) without a pipe. Natalie's set and Rhonda's set of plates give the man a pipe! Just little curiosities!

If I have a few minutes this weekend, I may start a Flickr group for photos of these little plates... just to see if we can find others with these little applique plates and eventually learn the background.

Do you think the plates shapes (called "blanks" in the world of porcelain dinnerware production and china painting artists) look similar...as if these were some kind of kit?

Rhonda's female plate (green) is quite the femme fatale, isn't she? Natalie's female plate (blue green) has blond hair (when Natalie and her mother have drop-dead-gorgeous-natural-red hair!)

Miss Maggie's female plate (red) looks like a prim little thing.  The little nerdy bald man is so appropriate for our family.  The bald gene is quite prevalent in many of our family lines.  LOL

Ok...the mind is spending too much time on nonsensical minutia! Sleep should cure that! 

1950's Kitsch or Craft?

We did some stream -lining in Mama's room when we brought her home from the hospital last month following her second stroke.  Look at what we found deep in her closet!

Miss Maggie, the sweet little house -keeper for a great -uncle made these for a wedding present for my mother and father in 1959.

The fabric is just glued to the plate, and she painted the red border around the plate.

The ric-rack and the netting and the tiny gingham just charmed me. The man's mustache makes me giggle.

I wonder if these were a typical little crafty project for the 1950's.

There were plate hangers attached when we found the plates in the closet, but I removed them to protect the painted edge.  It is simple paint, not china paint and not fired into the glaze.

The fabric and other embellishments are glued, and we stopped short of cleaning up all the glue residue around the fabric.

Other than that, the fabric and other stuff is remarkably adhered for 49 years, assuming Miss Maggie made these in 1959.  She may have made them in a previous year. 

Mama said Miss Maggie began as housekeeper for Great Uncle John in the early 50's, and Mama remembers her making stuff like this from the beginning of her tenure.

Would you call this kitsch or craft?
Have you seen similar plate craft like this? I very much doubt these are original designs by Miss Maggie, so the little patterns must have been published in some magazine or newspaper.

Cute little buggers, but they don't fit the decor anywhere here on the farm.

Well, it is 4:10 am. Time for a few more hours of sleep before we head out to Brookhaven today. 

Gordon and I are giving two power point programs today on the History of Quilting, the Historic Quilts in the Museum Collection of the National Daughters of the American Revolution, plus Historic Quilts in Mississippi.

You are right, this is one fast paced, picture-rich program that covers a lot of information! It is my favorite program that I give right now, and I am genuinely looking forward to sharing it twice today.

There will be some stitching time during the 2.5 hour drive to Brookhaven and back.  I've picked up needle and thread only once since Mama's stroke, so I'm looking forward to the "reunion".

Annie and Elvis are snuggling against me, and the nap attack has won over this little spurt of blog chattering.  Gee, I just adore going back to sleep early in the morning like this...relaxed, enjoying the snuggles and feeling like I've somehow "discovered" a few more hours to splurge in delicious sleep.