As June draws to a close...

Wow, so where did June go? 

This means we are that much closer to July 9th right?

We have been amping up production in the workshop and dutifully putting our collective noses to the grindstone.

This is one of my decoupaged bottles...
The bottles are recycled (actually dug up from our back yard when we were doing construction on our house a few years ago ~ presumably from a time when people were still burning and burying their trash in their yard), cleaned, and then covered in colorful tissues and then snippets of my art as well as reproductions of my Grandmother's old letters, and postcards. 

Next we have a mirror, painted, then decoupaged with a selection of my rabbit drawings, and some hand painted vines added... 

This in one of my little clay creations.  I made the mushrooms and the mouse from polymer clay, the husband gets credit for cutting out the wooden circle base.... and my Mum gets credit for eating all the sugar free jam and saving the empty jars for me!  (jar sets down over the scene, thus keeping it dust free!)

More little clay friends ~ the snail has a real shell from a periwinkle, and the rabbit is growing a pepper plant!

  A tiny clay gourd, that my mouse friend has turned into a little home.  Some moss and glass beads for decoration. This is hung on a piece of black cord and can be a necklace, or just a decoration???

Here we have some of the necklaces featuring Scott's carved wooden hearts, and dog bones.  Some earrings also along the top row.  Some are beaded, some just on black cord. 

This is what the little jars look like closed up.  Inside is a little rabbit offering his mouse friend a flower! :))

This is just a sample of our wares of course... There will be cards, and book marks and pretty little wooden boxes, and letter openers.... and some magnets too. 
Should be interesting. 
Can someone pester me until I REALLY do figure it out and open an Etsy shop???

Meanwhile, in the midst of all the crafting... we are getting to know our newest family member Cricket the Wonder Pony (who for technical purpose is actually a miniature horse).... We are learning to walk three dogs and horse at the same time, it's been interesting to say the least. 

The gardens (that weren't dug up for the corral) are blooming nicely.  This rose belonged to my great Grandmother, it was given to her as a Mother's Day gift back in the early 1940's.  The rose bush, and the Grandmother are/were named Agnes.  We dug it up and took it with us when my Mum sold my Grandparents home a few years ago. 
If we move again one day, she will again be coming with us. 

This is just a happy little pansy, cuz it makes me smile.  :)))))

This is the last thing my poor peony saw.... before it.. *gulp* disappeared.

Or perhaps it was this.....

Look at him,  he looks sort of pleased with himself doesn't he?
I think he's smirking.

So there you have it.  That's where we stand at the moment.
Stay tuned,  you just never know what's next.
Signing out from The Funny Farm.
(You don't have to be crazy to live here, but it helps.)

*tick*tick*tick

The days are ticking away.....  just about 3 weeks to the Swan Festival.  It's starting to crowd my every thought...  I realize it's not a major trade show and that Hallmark is not scouting for new artists at it... but it is still quite an undertaking for those of us who haven't done this before. 
My mind wants to make my Imaginary Store fit under a 10 x 10 tent, and create magic... Meanwhile, my logical side knows this is not the time or place for it.
I admit I am starting to get a little stressed.... and the Husband is busy playing with his new pony when I want him to finish (or start in some cases) the items he will have for sale....  This only bothers me of course.  He brushes of my concerns and tells me about the cool thing the pony did.  *sigh.  Those of us who don't function well in a panic at the last minute can't grasp this devil may care attitude.  He says he does better under pressure; perhaps I'm not apply enough pressure.  hmmmm.   Perhaps a nice vise is in order.

                                                Ooooooo, just look at our stunning selves!!!

Miniature Horse 101

Yup... it has happened.  I tried for almost 3 years to not have a horse in the back yard.  I had lots of good reasons why not.... (in many ways having a husband is like having a 10 year old boy... "but i waannnnt one, he won't eat much, I'll take care of him, he won't take up much space, we can teach him to pull a cart!)

Oh "yeah" right? Are you as convinced as I am?

O.K., don't answer that... and really, stop shaking your head.

But alas I gave up. 

Like water over stone, eventually my resolve was worn away.

  I stopped fighting the inevitable... I guess I simply got tired of repeating myself. (and I suppose i should just be thankful that he's not the giant draft horse he orginally wanted).

I spent the Saturday digging up my vegetable garden... to be relocated to the far front lawn... far far from the nearest hose spigot.  My potatoes were carted away on a piece of (very heavy) plywood. (Which i might add the husband found so funny he had to leave me to run and get the camera). Why am I hauling produce?

 I thougth the magic pony was gonna do that on his cart?

 My strawberry plants, dripping with tiny berries were plucked forth from the earth and toted away in the blazing sun.

I was an exhausted pile of person on Saturday, and that was before Cricket the tiny horse was delivered and the tiny horse wrestling began.

He wasn't so excited about going in the barn...

As luck would have it, the lovely lady who watches our goats when we are away (who has a horse of her own) came by to meet Cricket.  She showed us how to

"man handle" our 300 pound horse and convince him to comply with our polite request to go inside.  He has since discovered it's much easy to just walk on in than to be pushed!

We have a lot to learn now.  See how I say "we".  I have decided to do my best to embrace the darling little creature now that he's ensconced in my former veggie plot.

If we keep this up the town will eventually kick us clean out.

Of course, that might not be the worst thing that could happen.

If you squint, you can see the outline of my four (former) raised beds there in the earth.

Please don't think i have anything against horses, I love horses. Took lessons growing up... went riding...

However, when I pictured the horse I'd one day own back then.... I admit i pictured one I could actually ride, without my feet touching the ground on both sides...

 He looks like a wild thing from a forgotten hillside in England someplace...

with this shaggy flowing mane!

Ahhhh a boy and his little horse.

What could be better right?

Welcome to the Funny Farm Cricket; you don't have to be crazy to live here... but it helps.