It's November..that must mean craft shows!

Just wanted to pop in to see how everyone is and to invite those of you that may be around the Cincinnati area to the 26th Loveland HS Arts and Craft Expo this Saurday (11/7) from 10a-4p at the Loveland High School at 1 Tiger Trail in Loveland, Ohio. I'm putting the finishing touches on some of my newest creations and loading up the van with display peices. It's gonna be an early morning Saturday getting there to set up, but that's the fun part to me....display. There will be over 200 other vendors at this expo, so, it should be exciting and the items available very diverse. I've decided that I will use my canopy inside since they will put me in the auditorium,
it's a 10x10 square..that really is plenty of room to fill. Jim's fixed me a new center light to use in the ceiling of the canopy to add a little light to the subjects and with the electricity available I may even be able to have some soft music wafting through the display. It seems by creating a little room within the show, shoppers come in rather than walk by looking and they may stay longer to browse and I'll be doing some embroidery too, that always draws people to stop and look. Holy Cow! I'm getting nervous thinking about everything to do between then and now. I better get back to my work. I'll post pics of the show when I get back.
Hope to see ya there....seein a friendly face will help the nerves.

Hope Your'e Having A Spooktacular day!

October Theme Tablescape

It's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch!

Okay I know I'm a day early, but I didn't want miss it.

Since it's Halloween week I thought I'd do a tablescape for my second favorite holiday. I have been known to go a little over the top with party decorations and menu. I've served Diablo Bat Wings....Heavenly Angel Wings.....Moldy Roasted Roots....Ghostwiches......and Zombie Delight. My decorations have ocassionally been found at the specialty meat counter, to the fright of my guests. Party games are always fun. Pumpkin Seed Spitting Contest, Bobbing for Apples..of course., What Is It is a fun game where you put things in plastic bags that are covered by brown paper bags and the participants have to reach inside the bag and guess what it is they feel. You should see the faces when they reach into a bag of gummy worms, faux fur, or Press-on Nails.
This year Halloween falls on a weekend where we'll be celebrating my Mom-In-Laws B'day and a Nieces graduation, so, no party at our house. I've planned a quiet soup supper for 2 after all the Trick or Treators have come and gone. My theme is Haunted House.
These are the components I'll be using.


This 1940-50 aluminum cake plate cover is used year round. I love the acorn motif stamped around the top and the carved wooden acorn knob.

I found this vintage beveled, etched mirror with it's original felt still on the back several years ago in Covington, Ky at the Mainstrasse Antique Market. I use it in the center of our dining table year round.

This Mochaware is of the 60's and 70's. I began collecting it when Jim's Mom gave me her 16 McCoy cups she used as soup cups for all the kids
I try to find McCoy, but some of the peices are other makers too, but they all seem to match.

These cups and dessert plates were also given to me by Jim's Mom. They are marked BLANKEY.

She was given them years ago, but she isn't sure thier exact age. I love the etheral effect of the farmhouse scenes. They were the inspiration of my haunted house theme.

The following photos are of the completed tablescape..........................................

We didn't need a large centerpeice for just the two of us, so I wove ivy and leaves throughout and tucked fresh mums for color.

You saw my Apple Pie server in my September tablescape. This is my Pumpkin Pie server puchased at the same time. I really don't always use it for pie. It works fine for cake too.

This is the view out our Dining Room window.








This is a close-up of one of the 3 plaster 1960-70 houses I've included on the table. I have many others in the collection, but these seemed more haunted than the others.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. Hope you have a frightfully fun Halloween. Now I can't wait to see everyone else's tablescapes. Hope you can stop by Susan's at http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com to see all the hauntingly boo-tiful ideas from all the other participants.

One Busy Designing Woman!

Holy Cow! I cannot believe it's only two weeks till my first big craft show at Loveland High School. Where has October gone! I'm getting a little nervous, there are 200 vendors at this show! I didn't think the building was that large. I haven't been able to post as much as I like,It seems I have lost my WiFi hotspots in town, so during the day my laptop doesn't get out. This is what has been occupying my night time..........


















This tablerunner was a 1950-60's linen dishtowel. As you can see I hand-embroidered the the flowers and foliage as well as the clock. I added new fringe in the same brown tone as found in the print. It seems to tone down the pinks.















This little pink gingham apron is from the 1940-50's. I refurbished it a bit, completed the cross-stitch and added the sparle pink flowers and whimsical Panda Ballerina. This makes the perfect apron for a new mom! I'll be adding a little bib that can embroidered with the baby's name later and a pacifier.

I found this apron at the same time. I love the bottom border. Strands of fabric have been carefully removed to create a flying geese pattern usually found in quilts. I completed the Cross-stitch, embellished the pocket with a 1940-50's Christmas holly and poinsettia hankie that I hand-embroidered, and added a gold-tone poinsettia charm with red Austrian Crystals on some of the berries. I wish you could see the sparkle!

These are just a few of some of the new creations I've been working on. I haven't been able to get pics. It's been getting dark earlier and harder to catch the light. I hope to show more in the coming days.
It's going on 8:30p I'd better get back to my work before we have to put the kittens to bed........
didn't I tell you we had new fur kids! And yes Shadow is so happy. That is for a future post.

It has been............

.........a whirlwind month so far!!! I wanted to take a quick minute to say hi. As you probably noticed I haven't posted in a while. We have been busy at the flower shop with homecoming corsages, anniversaries flowers....a lot of couples got married in 59'.....small weddings....processing orders,....sending orders out of town....and this Saturday is Sweetest Day. For those in other parts of the country, Sweetest Day, was created in the early 70's by a nurse in Akron, Ohio who hated to see the lonely patients on her geriatric floor that had no one to share other recognized holidays with. By the time she got to Congress the holiday was to include not only the hospitalzed, but institutionalized, homebound, and healthcare facility residents. With the help of Ohio based chocolatier, Ester Price Candies and local florist's it was a sweet holiday for those lonely folks. Over the years it seems to have become a mini Valentines Day with the help of large food chains, flower by wire companies, and card companies. By the time I get home, my fingers can't type another letter , my eyes won't focus, I can't compose an intelligent sentence, so I spare you any post I may have toi apologize for later......see (sigh)
In between all of this I'm trying to finish up last minute designs for my 3 upcoming craft shows. They've all been finalized!!! yippeee!
Loveland High School Craft Expo - Saturday Nov. 7th 10a-4p...there are 200 vendors!!!
Sycamore High School Craft Show- Saturday Nov 22nd 10a-4p....................and........................
Sharonville Arts and Craft Emporium - Saturday Nov 28th 10a-4p
So, please bear with me. I miss stopping by your blogs and I miss hearing from you all. I hope to show you some of the things I've been working on tomorrow, but if I don't get back to my embroidery hoop I won't have anything to show you.
It's gonna ba a long night....................
Melody

Fall Craft Season Kicksoff

Wow! Have I been busy getting ready for the Fall Craft Show Season. I'm so glad you stopped by, I'v been thinking of you today. My first show was not planned as I explained in my last post. It was in a very beautiful setting at our local County Park, Sharonwoods, in the Heritage Village, which is a living museum of sorts. This was my display tent on Sat. the 19th.............................................................................................. As you can see it was a lovely shaded spot dappled by sunshine and the temps were delightful, not too hot not too chilly. Being this was the first year they had invited Craft Vendors, I wasn't sure how large this event would be, so I brought a small mix of my designs. There were only 7 of us that attended. On lady had beautiful fabric decoupaged plate designs, another did fleece throws, while another had created jean purses and decorative dish towels. One young lady did beautiful hand-painting on anything fabric and the rest created whimsical and fashionable jewelry designs. The only disappointment was the lack of attendees. There were last minute ads on the t.v. and fliers sent to the Society Members, but this weekend is very busy with the Cincinnati Oktoberfest and several other established Autumn kickoff events. On Sun. the 20th it rained...and rained....and rained. The day was a literal washout. We all left by noon, so it turned out to be a learning event for the staff.

Below are a few shots from my tent.........................................................
This is the Vorhis House. They were making apple cider out back and inside the ladies were cooking up some wonderful stew at the hearth.
The Chester Park train station and woods behind were my backdrop, and this......

Beautiful Victorian Lady was beside me. The Elklick House is fully furnished and decorated in period design with several outbuildings, arbor, and a chicken coup.

This is quite a large village area taking up many acres along a sleepy creek that runs through the park. There are many other period homes and outbuildings, a Doctor's residence and office, a printing shop, merchantile, church (they rent out for weddings), and a new old one room school house. I'm amazed at how many don't know it's there...lol its been a work in progress since 1972....I'll have to take more pics to post later, it really is a pretty place. At Christmas they have it all decked out. If your in that neck of the woods you ought to stop by and check it out during any season.

Okay now to the next event the 35th Sharonville Kiwanis Arts and Craft Show
that took place yesterday the 27th. This is the oldest Craft Show in the area.

There were 49 vendors this year. It was cloudy, breezy, and chilly. The Bengals were playing the Steelers, longtime rivalry, and that meant parties and sports bars. You can see attendance was a little low, but at least they were buying!

Here is a view of my booth area. I was right on the corner of Creek and Reading Roads. I wish I had had time to snap some shots of others vendors booths. Everyone did something so different from the other. For example, Marlene does free-form pottery using her garden flowers and leaves as inspiration and as 'stamps' and the Cozy Nest does traditional pottery teapots, vases, etc. I used vintage textiles and hand-embroidery and embellishments to create my designs, another lady created clothing , purses, and home accents using new fabrics and machine embroidery....definately two distinct looks. I like shows that incorporates diverse creativity.

Well, I'm off to complete some of my future designs for the other upcoming shows.

Check out my website http://www.brownginghamcreations.com/ and go to Local Antique and Crafts for place and time info. I hope you can stop by one of them if you're in the area! Oh, and let me know when your next event is.

Melody

It's Over The Hump Day!

Well, it's Wednesday. It's the middle of the week already and I have so much to do. I'm so happy you stopped by though. Excuse all the stuff laying around.....you see it's time for the Harvest

Festival at our local county park, Sharonwoods in the Heritage Village. They decided...last minute of course..not only to have all the 19Th century buildings in period decor open as usual with demonstrations and tours, a Steam and Gas Tractor Show, food, seasonal decorations, and gardens, but they will have a small craft venue to see how it goes. We will (weather permitting) be placed along the village road under our canopies or tents. If it rains we will be in the main

ballroom of the Haynor House or the Mercantile Store. If you wonder over to my post from Sunday, you'll see some of the things I'll be adding to my displays and more show info. Let me

know what you think. I have a couple of other things I'm trying to get ready,but there is another show the following weekend,Sunday the 20th, in downtown Sharonville with over 50 vendors, so I'll have more new items for that. Last year I won First Place for Mixed Media Fiber Art, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. There are so many varied vendors and all so talented. Oh Here's what my booth looked like last year............................................................................

I try to make it look like a little store. I use antiques for display props, like the little twin bed fixed as a seat. When it was all set up I had lighting and a table so that I could embroidery while people watched. I really like doing shows.

Since you're here I thought I'd show you my tablesetting for Tablescape Thursday over at Susan's Between Naps On The Porch.

This tablescape was created by Alma and Myself to represent our flower shop, A&J's Floral Boutique, at the Autumn Flower Show put on by the Cincinnati Horticultural Society a few years back. It was given a Gold Award of Excellence.

We started with a 42" metal and wood table. Wrapped in natural burlap and topped it with a fall tablecloth. We then took a large grapevine cornucopia as the focal and filled it with fruits, veggies, gourds, and pumpkins. Grapevine and a

myriad of mixed flowers in fall colors were added to create a cascade of bounty to the floor. Two tall copper candle holders flanked the cornucopia and when they were lit the aroma of pumpkin pie wafted around the table. The buffet setting was completed by adding fall tone pottery plates, wooden handled silverware in green linen napkins tied by raffia and accented with small

fresh yellow mums that have a brown center To top this all off Alma even baked a pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing, which was decorated with

a miniature pumpkin and of course more fresh flowers. It took several hours, actually from 5p to 1a, to complete this design, but we were very happy with the outcome. Anyway by 8p all the other designers had gotten there to complete their competition table and it became one big party....lol....we almost lost our cake, it all smelled so good, (we were the only ones to complete the design with food! But everyone forgot about dinner!) Thank goodness the Society brought in pizza.

Well, I'd better get back to work. I'm glad you stayed. You can browse thru some of my past posts if you like and don't forget to stop by Susan's at Betweennapsontheporch to see all the other wonderful Tablescape Thursday participants.

Hey, I know, if you're here in the Cincinnati area this Saturday and Sunday or next Sunday the 2oth ...stop by my booth for a chat...... I'd love to finally meet.