A Time for Change

Some people do it in the spring, some in the summer, but I find cleaning and organizing my home and life feels better in the late fall and winter.  Perhaps it is because of my busy season in the fall and I feel I have neglected my home, business, family and friends, or perhaps it is the fact I am trapped inside and have little else to distract me.  Regardless, the process has begun.

Business has been challenging this year. The last few years has brought concern, but this seemed to be the cresting of the battle.  My crafter friends and associates all sing the same song of how their sales are down,  and in most cases, there is one thing to blame, the economy.  So it is time to review the process, the product and the business' direction. If you are like me, I love the creating process of this life, so I am going to scrutinize everything to continue to do what I love.  Change my show schedule, change the product and mostly change the way I market my line of products.

This brings me to my 'change.'   Effective immediately I am directing my online business to my Etsy store.   Etsy does  a great job of marketing, and networking and has provided me with a excellent venue to sell.  This will allow me to concentrate on one site that is bringing the most traffic.  I can add more new products, from my handmade items to my line of vintage.

I thank you for your support over the years, and hope you will continue to visit my shop.  www.kpdreams.com which will take you to my Etsy store and my e-mail address will remain the same;  karen@kpdreams.com.

Karen

Tis the Season

Well, the snow is falling and it is beginning to look alot like Christmas.  I have been busy these past few weeks attending craft shows, fulfilling my Etsy orders and spending time with family.

Spent Thanksgiving at my son's house.  A full house of family and friends and it made for a very enjoyable day.  The food was very good and of course there was plenty to go around.  Spent the day and then went off to set up for the Hara arena craft show in Dayton.

This past weekend I helped a friend in Huntington, WV.  It wasn't the show we had hoped for, but everyone seemed to have a good time.  The Lions club puts this on as a way of raising money for their many charitable causes.  I believe they were successful in their venture.

I have been working on a few one of a kind projects and thought I would share some of those.  The first is a snowman painted on an old vintage ironing board.   This board was unassembled and I painted a lovely face, attached a hat brim and some festive trim and made sure his orange nose was fitting for his size.  The snowman sold very quickly at my show in Muncie.

This old vintage Samsonite suitcase was just sitting there waiting for me to paint on it.  I couldn't resist the star with the berry vines and on the other side, I painted a sheep with two stars on either side.  The entire suitcase was painted black to give that old look.

I am currently working on list a lot of new items on Etsy.  Etsy has been real good to me this holiday season, and all year for that matter.  It continues to be a great venue to showcase my work.  As well, I am heading to Rockbridge, Ohio to stock my booth at the Appalachian Art and Craft mall.  As I said before, tis the season for friends, family and of course shopping.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and that all your wishes come true.  I am sure mine will, being with family is all a girl could want.  Merry Christmas!

A sign for the time....relaxing

This Indian summer weather is a nice surprise.  With the warm weather it is allowing me a last chance to finish some overlooked painting projects.   One of my favorites is  my signs.  From Welcome to our Deck, Come sit on our porch, or Scrooge lives here; each one is done in a choice of colors, white, red and black. 

I enjoy painting these signs on treated fence boards and giving them that old worn look.  To further enhance the look, each sign is stained in a warm oak color.   Hangers are added for displaying.

These signs have been a real hit with my shows in Ohio and I look forward to introducing them in Florida with my new garden line.

Thrifting Thursday - Boy did that feel good

Since coming home last spring, I have been forced to limit my thrifting trips.  Though Ohio has some great garage sales, I am  usually working on weekends and can't enjoy the thrill of the chase.  That is why when in Florida, the thrift stores are great. 

Yesterday while returning from getting a much needed hair cut.  I stopped at the new Goodwill Store in Buckeye Lake, Ohio.  This was a grocery store in it's past life, and is very big inside.  So I wasn't surprised when I stepped in and found wide aisles, plenty of light and lots of merchandise.  And the staff was so helpful and nice.

I was fortunate to find a couple of new items.  First was a set of Melamine picnic plates.  These beautiful plates are done in the red checked picnic design and are in great shape.  A set of 4; wow!  These are sure to be a hit on my shop on Etsy.

The second find was a pyrex mixing bowl.  Now I have a set of three of these bowls now on Etsy, but this particular bowl is of an odd size and I just can't decide if I want to sell it or keep in my RV for my use.  Decisions, decisions.  I also found several pieces of glassware that I will be using to make my new line of  yard art.

A day of accomplishment in my mind....I am sure my hubby won't look at it the same way, as we are after all living in an RV.  Hope you have a great day, and  check out my shop on Etsy;  www.etsy.com/shop/kpdreams for these great finds and more.

Potato Soup to warm your heart

Well, fall is here and it brings that chill in the air.  Working hard on my fall projects and while pondering dinner, I remembered this post from last year.  Well, I think it holds very true for this year as well.  I am still looking for and painting on spoons; and tonights pot of potato soup will warm the soul.  I hope you enjoy this 'repeat'.  Make sure to follow for more posts and projects to come.

I have been busy painting spoon ornaments for the holiday season.  I have several designs for  Ohio State Buckeyes, Ohio University Bobcats, Cincinnati Bearcats and many more.  I enjoy the challenge that painting on this small surface gives me, and am always looking for new spoons to use.  I have used all the spoons that I have with the exception of my personal stash in the silverware drawer.  So when looking for spoons, I headed for the drawer and immediately thought, "how will I enjoy my warm and comforting soup?"  Which caused me to think of a good warm soup for dinner. 

I decided on potato soup. A large pot of soup that I can enjoy today and which can be warmed and eaten tomorrow for lunch.  I am sure it will leave me feeling very cozy inside.  Here is my recipe which is very simple and quick.  I hope you enjoy!

               Ingredients:  6 medium russet potatoes

                                   1 cup milk (whole or 2%)

                                   1/4 c chopped onion

                                   1/2 pound smoked sausage

                                   1 tsp each butter and olive oil

                                   1 cup half and half

                                   1 tsp parsley flakes

                                   1 tsp celery seeds

                                   1 egg yolk                                  

                                   1 tsp salt & pepper to taste                              

Peel and dice potatoes and set aside covered in water.  Chop onion and dice smoked sausage and saute in pot with butter and olive oil.  Saute until onion is clear making certain not to allow the onions to scorch.  Once onions are clear, add the drained potatoes to the pot.  Add  just enough water to cover potatoes.   At this time you can add celery seeds and salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Stir occasionally and once the pot begins to boil,  lower the temp to simmer.  Allow to simmer until potatoes are soft and can be easily mashed with a fork, approximately 30 minutes. Using a potato masher, work the potatoes until most are mashed, but a few cubes are left. 

Add to the pot the  half and half  and 1/2 cup milk holding back 1/2 cup milk.  Add egg yolk to 1/2 cup of milk, mixing well and stir into soup mixture.  Let soup return to boil, stirring occasionally as it thickens.  Taste for additional seasoning at that time. Can be served with crackers, a dollop of sour cream, chopped chives or

any topping of your choice.  Guaranteed to warm you from the inside out.

So make a big pot, sit down and check out my new ornaments on http://www.etsy.com/shop/kpdreams.

                                   

Go Bucks, an Ohio State Buckeye tribute

Yesterday I posted a picture of my new OSU wreath design.  It is a great way to show your spirit for the team on your front door or wall.  Today, keeping with the  Buckeye spirit, I am showing my hand painted lampshade.    I have taken a kraft paper shade and  painted a winding vine around the base and top with leaves and painted buckeyes and an O in the front with the buckeye leaves and another buckeye.  What a tribute to Ohio State.  The lampshade fits down over a standard light bulb and measures approx 10" across the bottom and 10" high.  All these designs can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/kpdreams. Be sure to follow my blog as I will be adding more team items in the next few weeks.

Go Bucks, and we are all cheering for you against Purdue on Saturday!





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Long time gone!

Good morning everyone.  Boy has it been a while.  As most of you know, September and October, are the busiest months in the crafter's world.  I have been traveling throughout the midwest exhibiting at shows and working very hard to keep up my inventory.  As a result, I have had to neglect some of my other projects such as this blog, www.kpdreams.com and  www.etsy.com/shop/kpdreams.

The shows have been great this year.  The rewards are meeting  my customers face to face and getting their feedback and reactions to my work.  They often offer great new suggestions and twists on items that I have on display.  My RV slates have been a great hit as well as some new sayings on my dog bones.  And look at the new Ohio State wreath I have designed.  A new twist on an old idea.

I am going to keep this short today as I have several areas to update.  But, just know; I am back and intend to list several new items on Etsy within the next few days as well as updating of my website. See you soon!