It's Getting CLOSER!

it's creeping up on us...

quietly arriving on patent leather witch-boots ~

it is riding on the night wind and is behind every dark corner...

how ever you call it:

Hallowe'en ~ All Hallow's Eve ~ Old Saints Night ~ Samhain

IT will be here in a short time.

I love Hallowe'en.

I love my memories of Hallowe'en growing up in Connecticut:

dragging my pillowcase-full of sweet loot on the suburban streets of Stratford,

wearing homemade costumes of sheets, old mops for hair and burnt cork for beards...

walking through dead leaves in a dimly lit graveyard through a shortcut to a friends house and feeling scared out of my little wits while passing the cold graves...but loving every minute of it!

~

I remember well how my little neighborhood 

took on a magical look at twilight on that very anticipated night, 

and how the houses were decorated with leaf-stuffed scarecrows & pumpkins 

on whitewashed porch steps...

the crisp October air would crackle with excitement 

as I would walk up that first set of steps and touch the first doorbell to become what seemed like hundreds of front doors that were usually kept ajar for trick-or-treaters like me.

~

Sometimes there would be a big bowlful of candy on a table on the porch and it was placed there by someone who couldn't hand out the candy piece by piece and I thought how trusting the person was to leave all of that addiction in one place for children to take at will...and take we did!

(I was 'good', taking only what I thought 

would be appropriate such as 1 candy bar and perhaps a popcorn ball...really I was!)

~

house-by-house, 

street-by-street, 

...neighborhood-by-neighboorhood, I would trudge on

in my annual quest for candy & horrors....

~ I passed zombies, ghosts, pirates & witches ~

'old men' & pumpkin heads, devils and black cats 

and never knew who was staring at me from behind those masks.

hundreds of children taking over the streets in search of treats!! 

wow. never really thought about it that way! ha!

~

~ I remember being so tired and cold by the end of evening that I could hardly lift my feet 

let alone a sack-ful of sugar...

and when I got home, I emptied everything into the bottom drawer 

of our refrigerator that my Mom had cleared our for me, 

putting the onions and potatoes elsewhere 

for a short time, 

...until my candy was fully consumed.

~

Reese's, Turkish Taffy, Clark Bars...

Sugary Water-filled Wax Bottles & Hardly-Mint-Flavored Wax Lips 

would fill that drawer and I swore I had ALL of the candy in the world!

...but I did my best to rid the needful drawer for my Mom by gorging on that candy...

((I was always trying to help her like that...hehe.))

~

after a bellyache, a good tooth-brushing and a hot bath, I would head to bed.

tuckered out and full of sweet things that helped fuel

 the crazy scary Hallowe'en nightmares that only an

8 year old girl could dream up....

 as I 'matured' 

and going door-to-door dressed up as something(one) else 

became no longer acceptable,

I guess the next best thing I could do

was create my own little Hallow's Eve in my head & heart...

using my hands, 

some thread, wool & linen...
pencil, pen, paint & ink ~

tiny stitches, a couple of loops and some sharp scissors & pins ~

cotton fabrics in shades of soot, moss, candy corn and autumn leaves, 

...I create characters & needlework 

that only a child at heart could ever love...

I've uploaded 3 original drawings in my Ebay auctions for your amusement & bidding pleasure,
you can visit them by clicking my Ebay link on my sidebar :)

Hoping you receive all of the treats you wish for!

*Blessed be ~ my friends*

 ~ Lori ~

I FORGOT !!!!!!

I do apologize ~

I forgot to mention that our SHOP here at the farm

will be 

CLOSED 

this weekend 

(Friday the 27th & Saturday the 28th)

*Blessed be, my Friends*

 ~ Lori ~

Wednesday Ramblings ~

Hello Friends & Folk ~

a beautiful Wednesday morning to you all!

sunny, cool and feeling more & more like 

 ~ A U T U M N ~

everyday...

the colors, scents, temperatures and textures of Fall have invaded my brain 

and I am loving being possessed by it all!

my needlework & folk art has been heavily influenced 

by the colors of the changing leaves

and our surroundings here at the farm...

...burnt orange

chalk

soot

poison apple green...

soothing stitches

the farmhouse has become a little more snug 

...with candles lit every morning

in scents of

cinnamon

sage

clove

and

burning leaves

and the kitchen being warmed by the oven ~

baking apples and cornbread for supper...

I am enjoying my bluejeans, boots and sweaters...

...the feel of wool has now become familiar 

to my Summer-browned skin

once again

and hot baths are an every night celebration!

familiar faces

our bed is now warmed 

by an additional layer of old quilts...

... thick with cotton batt and old rags...

their weight on us as we sleep makes us feel safe & secure ~

like the hands that stitched them so many moons ago 

are holding & hugging us while we slumber.

~

but...it is this time of year that I truly feel more alive than any other.

cooler temps help keep the ever-annoying hot-flashes at bay

and my walks in the woods are so much more enjoyable in this Season...

~

how ironic it is to feel the energies of the trees & plants waning,

while my energies are waxing like a New Moon...

linen & thread

perhaps that's how it works...

we gain strength & renewal from the Natural elements around us

so that we may become stronger and more productive ourselves?

~

that way we can be fruitful and care for our friends, family & selves

 a little more in preparation

of the colder months to come....

simple beauty

quiet, fresh, beloved & so very soothing...

our humble little someplace is all I could have ever dreamed for.

~

I just know that I am blessed to be where I am and who I'm with ~

and hope that you all feel the same way too.

*Blessed be, my Friends*

 ~ Lori ~

NEW OFFERINGS on Ebay & Etsy!

NEW Hallowe'en Thread Winders/floss holders in my ETSY SHOP

Hooked Wool Pillows in my Etsy Shop

Jacko Painted Canvas Pendants in my Etsy shop

Little Fellow ~ Pumpkin Folk Doll on Ebay

Little Ladye ~ Pumpkin Folk Doll on Ebay

aren't they spooky-sweet?

captured...

...under glass

please click on my EBAY link and on my Etsy link to see my newest offerings!

*Blessed be, my Friends*

 ~ Lori ~

What a weekend!

We had a wonderful show on Saturday ~

thanks to our vendors, friends, family and customers...

Working for months, preparing for the show is always worth seeing our friends...

nothing beats your smiles & hugs!

but,

now that the show is said & done...

I am T I R E D!

Minew sums up how I feel in the photo below :)

now I will fall back into some sort of normalcy ~ 

some sort of routine again

of 'normal' life...

instead of hitting the floor running every morning 

...and working from before sun up to well-after sundown,

I will now have a little more time to work on projects that have been waiting in the wings ~

(((so many more Good Things to come!)))

I've posted a slew of photos on the show blog:

www.gatheringofprimitivefriends.blogspot.com 

for you as well ~

A N D 

I will be listing some of my finished Hallowe'en Folk Art 

on Etsy and Ebay starting this evening

 if you're interested in owning one of my original works.

(those that have inquired about the Little Folks under glass domes, 

I will be offering one boy & one girl on Ebay)

I'll  be stitching & punching today ~

have a deadline coming up for the 

Spring issue of 

Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine 

...that needs to get to them asap!

Hoping you all have a beautiful afternoon & evening!

*Blessed be, my Friends* 

 ~ Lori ~

Country Sampler Magazine ~

..we are honored to have our little farmhouse featured in the

Christmas 2013 issue

of Country Sampler Magazine ~

...just got mine in the mail today!!!

 

yay!

we are on pages 36 through 45!

AND

don't forget that I designed a little freebie cross stitch ornament

that you can download from their website too ~

 

 

our humble little farmhouse in the pages of Country Sampler magazine...
who'da thunk??
 

my Mom has subscribed to Country Sampler for over 25 years for my sisters and myself...

whenever a new issue comes out, my sisters and I vie to get our copy 'first' ~

 calling one another to say "I got my Country Sampler today, did you?" LOL

 

The Folks at Country Sampler couldn't have been more nice to work with ~

their photographers were sweet and really helped soothe my nerves...

 

Hope you all enjoy a little Holiday peek into our home :))))

*Blessed be, my Friends*
~ Lori ~

Little Pumpkin Folk ~

Here is what 

(who?) 

has been keeping me quiet 

....these past couple of days ~

PRIMSICAL Little Pumpkin Folk 

from Notforgotten Farm

hello.

 Five of them ~ 

3 dapper Fellows and 2 bewitching Ladyes...

greetings and salutations!

... they will all be 'captured' under glass domes,

but for now they're enjoying their freedom.

help!

 Peter cut the wood bases for me from the old black walnut tree that fell a couple of weeks ago...

they have been kiln dried and left in a natural state ~

aren't they beautiful?

of course, I had to add some moss to spruce things up just a bit...

 ~ Primsical Little Pumpkin Folk ~
from Notforgotten Farm

they will be available inside the shop here for Saturday's show ~

I have more little goods to finish up and will share them with you here as time allows :)

UPDATE on Charlie!

I went to visit him yesterday and when I got there he was fully dressed and sitting in his chair!

He said to me, "I'm having a banner day!" when I walked into his room!!!

YAY! GO Charlie!!!!

He is healing slowly from the pneumonia, and the fluid around his heart is dissipating some..

one of his kidneys is severely damaged and he is still very weak,

but

his appetite is back and so is his sense of humor :)

Thanks to all who have kept us in your prayers and thoughts!!

*Blessed be, my Friends*

 ~ Lori ~

a Small Gift ~ and a Challenge!

 

a token ~

a trifle perhaps...

but something from my heart & hands:

 

 

2013 Hallowe'en Freebie
©Notforgotten Farm

and now I am CHALLENGING YOU!!!

 

I want you to create a UNIQUE, ORIGINAL finished project from this freebie design ~

use your imagination...think up something new!
spark that creativity ~ jump-start that brain!

 

I will give you one month to complete your project ~

OCTOBER 15th

 will be the end of the challenge....

 

email your photos & descriptions of your project to me no later than Oct. 13th ~

I will post your photos for the world to see here on this blog.

.....then we will vote & choose a winner for the most creative finish!

 

the winner will receive a gift certificate for $50.00 for use in my etsy shop!

 

so,

sharpen those needles,

grab that linen & thread

and

....best of luck to you all

but mostly, have fun !!!

 

*Blessed be, my Friends*

~ Lori ~

Hello Annie ~

 

Miss Annie came 'home'

to Notforgotten Farm yesterday ~

to live with us while Charlie gets better...

 

here she is!

 

Hi Annie!

 she seems happy, curious but a bit nervous

(to be expected)

but otherwise she's okeedokee :)

 

pretty girl

 

the 'Others' that live here with us had mixed reactions to her ~

Lazy doesn't mind a bit

(um... as long as she stays in that cage a little longer)

"oh. hey cat."

 Buddy welcomed her in his own unique way ~

by serenading her with a snore...

 

ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZz.

Daisy & Pinocchio are very interested in meeting her,

and since they are ~ well then Lazy had to perk up a bit too.

 



"HI new CAT!"

 Minew reacted the very same way I thought she would:

exit, stage left.

 

("great....I thought i was the princess around here ~ now I have to train a cat? ugh.")

 and because Iggy is in the house...

Annie isn't.

we want Annie to be an outdoor cat with Minew.

 

Ig wants nothing to do with either of them

and lets me know this by the thrashing of his tail

 and

his direct, straight run under the bed....

 

a blur of Ig.

I'll be heading up to the hospital to bring Charlie his newspaper and help him with his shave.

then I'll head back home to work on my finished items for our upcoming show.

 

Hoping you all enjoy this absolutely wonderful taste-of-Autumn day we're having here

on the farm...couldn't be nicer out ...

 

 I just put in my order for this kind of weather for the show next Saturday!!

 

*Blessed be, my Friends*

 ~ Lori ~

A humble thanks....

I wanted to thank you all

so very much for all of your wonderful, kind words regarding my book ~

from shop owners to friends to folks that are new customers,

the emails keep pouring in!

I'm so humbled by all of this ~ I am truly so very thankful for everyone's support of my work.

You have no idea what it means to someone like me who just likes to share what I do with you all ~
and now I get to do that on a much grander scale thanks to Kansas City Star books and all of the folks there who work so hard for designers like me.

here a just a few snaps of the projects you'll find in it...

There's a little something for everyone who loves needlework & handwork...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I cannot believe that our SHOW is a week away!

every year we get so excited about seeing all of our vendor friends and guests,...

we are looking forward to another wonderful show and hope you can come by for a visit!

we have 25 vendors this year

I can't wait to see everyone and all of their goodies :)

and I'll be holding a small book signing too, if you'd like to purchase a copy of my book

or bring along one that you already have ~

the weather is looking to be perfect for us as well ~ yay!



and of course I have to share my pretty girl Minew in the marigolds ~

...Charlie is still in the hospital

and will more than likely be there for a while

before having to then reside in a

long term care facility ~
he has pneumonia now, they think

and is very weak...

thanks also to those that are keeping us in your thoughts & prayers ~

We will be fostering his little calico kittygirl Annie in the meantime...

hoping that she & our Minew will get along and be bestest friends.

Wishing you all a most wonderful and creative day

and Happy Friday the 13th to all!

*Blessed be, my Friends*
  ~ Lori ~

They're here!!

Got the shipment of books!

woot woot!

I'm so excited I can't breathe ~

 so much more than I could have dreamed for ~

...superb quality from my publisher

Kansas City Star books

(what else would one expect??)

sorry about the blur ~ I'm shaking with excitement!!!

So, with that said 

I will begin shipping them TOMORROW 9/12/13

to those of you who have pre ordered ~

If you haven't pre ordered and would like to purchase one from me,

you can click on the Paypal link on my sidebar ~

.....please let me know if you'd like me to sign your copy for you :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Those of you that follow me on Facebook:

Yesterday I posted about Peter's cousin Charlie...

(the kind gentleman who gifted me with all of those wonderful glass domes a week or so ago)

well, Charlie has been hospitalized with congestive heart failure and kidney failure.

I have been by his side for two days now 

and the Dr.'s have him on all kinds of meds including morphine for pain.

He isn't well at all ~ Charlie is 83 yrs. young-at-heart...

I am also taking care of his beloved calico kitty, "Annie" while he is there...

~ please keep us in your thoughts & prayers ~

*Blessed be, my Friends* 

 ~ Lori ~

~ Miss Phoebe Moss-head ~

~ Miss Phebe Moss-head ~

...another little pumpkin-folk from Notforgotten Farm

Phoebe was named after her great great great grandmother...

Phoebe Millicent Scrubpot Moss-head

 and she hails from a long lineage of 

V I P's

(Very Important Pumpkins)

her heritage can be traced to Jamestown, 

whence the first settlers arrived on this continent.

Family history states that she is from one of the first pumpkins planted by the colonists ~

the seed of which was gifted by the Native Americans.

The Moss-head family

((not to be confused with the Mosshead family - which holds no claim to familial namesake rights))

have long rendered their unique abilities to Farmers and their wives here in Virginia.

Seems as though they possess the uncanny ability 

of being able to dowse for hidden water underground, 

...thus-far helping their farmer-friends with their crops during drought-months.

As which,

 the Moss-head family also holds the State record for finding the most 'lost' items, 

such as the rusty thimble which little Phoebe carries with her...

a thimble that was long ago lost by a young girl out walking in the woods 

...here at Notforgotten Farm.

Phoebe Moss-head would love to travel to your home ~ 

be it a cape, brick mansion or humble farmstead...

she is extremely hardworking 

and helps unselfishly with the supper dishes 

and rounding up the chickens at night before the fox begin to prowl.

She will gladly accept spare morsels of leftover cornbread and loves ice-cold buttermilk.

Please check my ebay auctions this evening around 7:00 pm 

eastern time to bid on the chance of her coming to live with you :)

~ Ebay Link is located on my sidebar ~

p.s. I do have another auction ending this evening at around 7:00 pm as well :)

*Blessed be, my Friends*

 ~ Lori ~

and a happy saturday to you all ~

gifting you all with a snap of my beautiful dried black eyed suzy's ~

I  L O V E them and they make me happy :)

love tiny ironstone pitchers too ~

~ a natural beauty ~

 and I've been working on some of these in between walks in the woods:

tiny black kitten in Witch's Slipper

room for your scissors too!

or, if the kitten is cranky ~ just your scissors...

 and hasn't the weather been 

P E R F E C T

for an AUTUMN Wedding?

"love-pumpkins"

'do you love me?
or do you not...
...you told me once,
but I forgot!'

 here is a snap of my cheddar quilt on my rack in the keeping room ~

~ perfect colors ~

 when I'm not creating something, 

or taking photos, 

or blogging, 

or walking in the woods, 

or taking care of my family, 

...or fur & feathered friends...

I do 

T H I S:

sketch in my books!

started this on in 2009

I like to add pieces of cloth that inspires me ~

new designs in progress ~

old sketches still inspire today ~

Whatever you choose to do today,

may your heart be filled with light!

*Blessed be, my Friends*

 ~ Lori ~