OFG Team Handmade Promotion

Did you know all Etsy shops are now being required to complete an "About" page so customers can get to know the creator better and to gain insight as to the authenticity of handmade creations. 

The Old Farmhouse Fathering Team will be promoting About Pages.

This is were you get to "Meet the Faces of 100% Handmade". 

This promotion will start January 2 and run through January 16, 2014

(Be on the look out for another surprise!)

 I have added a link to my about page so that you can have a look at part of the process in my Handmade items.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/barbsheartstrokes/about/

Participating shops will be listed on January 1, 2014.

Click HERE to take you to the OFG Team Blog Page.

This will be fun to see how people create!

I am hoping you all had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a wonderful New Year!

Enjoy,

Barb

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very peaceful and wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

Enjoy,

Barb

Decorating...

I love seeing how everyone decorates....not only for Christmas but just normal every day living.

Shows such personality!

My decorating personality is boarder line scary and boring.  

I have great ideas, or so I think, but when it is time to put it in to place it usually is utter disaster.

Needless to say my husband has a better eye at picking out wall paint colors, arranging furniture and hanging photos on the wall.  Come Christmas it is all his!!!

Maxine from Prims and Annies shared her photo of the reindeer she won from my blog giveaway and I love how she has decorated this space!

Doesn't it look like he was meant to be right there!?!

 Wonderful!!

 Our decorating is done--no thanks to me. 

 I was glad to see there were others still trying to get it all done while scrolling through Facebook.

It was fun to see all the creative ways folks decorate...gave me a few ideas. 

 I have rearranged a few things so we will see who puts it back to its original place tonight!

Either my husband or my daughter...my son is a lot like me and we are clueless with the way things should be arranged!

Hope this finds you ahead of schedule and ready to relax and enjoy the Holiday Season!

Barb

We Have a Winner!

Thank you to all my great blog friends that support me, my blog and other endevers!

The winner is Maxine of Prims and Annies!

I will contact you for your mailing address.

I just want to take this moment and THANK YOU for the fun and friendships I have created along this path of blogging.  It has been fun to read about you and hopefully fun to read about my adventures!

Wishing you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and the Best the New Year can bring to you!

EnJOY your day,

Barb

Sacred Gifts, A Great Win, and a Giveaway!

We are lucky enough to live where art is respect and revered.

We went to see Sacred Gifts:

The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz

 at the BYU Museum of Arts.

It is simply fabulous and so reminded me of the reason for the season once again.

I have seen this piece of art a million times: Christ teaching the Sermon on the Mount by Carl Bloch, but it wasn't until this time that I was directed to look at the little boy on the left who is trying to catch the butterfly on the headdress of the woman kneeling.  I had never notice this before.  

There was another work of art, Christ in Gethsemane by Heinrick Hofmann, which shows a person behind Christ but due to age it has darkened so much it is hard to see.

If you are local and get a chance to go see this art exhibition I would highly recommend it.

The Altar pieces displayed have been lent by churches in Europe and will probably never leave there respective churches again.  What a fabulous gift for us this time of year!

I was the lucky winner of Paintspots and Splinter's Facebook giveaway, and yet again Vicky has out done herself.  These little treasures are FABULOUS and actually the only Christmas decorations up at the moment!

Thanks again Vicky for the wonderful creations!

Just a quick reminder of my giveaway for this little JOY reindeer.

Click HERE to be entered!

Thanks for stopping by and for most everyone across the country stay warm!

A balmy 5 degrees here at present!

Enjoy your day,

Barb

JOY Giveaway

The last of my "Keeping Christmas in My Heart" all year long Giveaway!

It has been a "JOY"-full year for me.  

Thinking of the season the whole year has allowed me to see the JOY in all things good and bad over the course of this year!

This little guy gives me a smile and will be the giveaway item for this giveaway.

He is painted on black screening--(of course) and the frame measures 11 x 8 inches. 

I find loads of JOY looking at him and I hope you do too.

Now for the Rules:

Be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post.

New followers always welcome.

Leave a way for me to contact you if you do not have a blog.

If you would like to share this giveaway I would appreciate it! 

Winners will be picked on December 12th and announced on the 13th.

Open to all USA and Canadian friends. 

Good Luck to all!

Thank you to all who follow my blog. 

I truly appreciate you all and wish you JOY this Holiday Season!

Enjoy your day and good luck,

Barb

Small Business Saturday and a Winner!

Today is Small Business Saturday!

Being an owner of a small business it is like my own holiday!

I love the handmade and one of a kinds I can find not only locally but also on Etsy.

This is a great day to do (my) Christmas Shopping. 

 I have noticed there are many sales going on right now in the hand crafted world!

I do have a section in my shop for clearance items up to 50% off...love them but got to make room for more.

So many ideas just swirling in my head that need to be painted, and as I said before I need to limit myself to painting one or two. 

 But mixing up the colors and making each one different is apparently my obsession!

Here is the link to my Etsy shop:  Barbsheartstrokes

Lets support and shop small businesses today!

I used Random.org to pick the winners of my giveaway and the winner of the Angel Ornament is

Felica of  Raggedy Creations.

I decided to paint up a little magnet for another winner and Wendy of Ravenwood Whimzies is the winner.

I will contact you both.

Thank You to all who stopped by my blog and left a comment.

I appreciate each and every one of you!

Enjoy your Shopping Small Saturday!

Barb

Happy Turkey Day!!

I want to wish all my blog-land friends a Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone enjoys time with family, time to eat, and time to reflect on all the great things in your life.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Clearance Section at my Etsy Shop!

I have a new section in my Etsy shop for clearance items...it's almost like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, early!

I have so many ideas and things I want to paint but when you start to run out of room in the basement you have to start thinking of clearing somethings out!

 A few Spring items...

 Some Fall items...

 Patriotic items...

 And even some Halloween items. 

Click HERE to see all the other items on clearance.

Just a reminder about my giveaway going on now.

Click HERE to sign up for the giveaway.

Ends November 29th!

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?  

I guess I need to start thinking in that direction!

Enjoy your day,

Barb

Giveaway time....

So many things going on this time of year and wouldn't you know I end up sick.

Finally had to break down and go to the Doctor. Hopefully on the mend now but it is so hard and time consuming to get to the complete recovery stage. 

Is this due to age, impatience about being sick, or just how sick you really are? 

It has been a "one day at a time" kind of deal here.

But on to better things!

First the Old Farmhouse Gathering is having a treasury giveaway on Etsy.

Loads of fun hand mades! Here is the link to sign up and remember you could win it all!

www.etsy.com/treasury/OTQ2ODkwOHwyNzI1MjcyNzky/trim-your-tree-with-the-old-farmhouse

This year I have tried to keep Christmas in my Heart the whole year through. I think I have done a better job about remembering the reason for the season more so this year because of it.

Since November is a big month here at our house:

Our wedding anniversary, both my daughter and son were born in this month, and Thanksgiving I decided to giveaway this angel ornament.

I am lucky and thankful to have angels that live with me in my house and some that watch over me in good and bad times.

You can read about this art work HERE.

The Rules:

Be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post.

New followers always welcome.

Leave a way for me to contact you if you do not have a blog.

If you would like to share this giveaway I would appreciate it! 

Winners will be picked on November 29th and announced on the 30th.

Might even be an extra little something fall related for another follower so you have to stay tuned.

Open to all USA and Canadian friends. 

Good Luck to all!

Thank you to all who follow my blog. 

I truly appreciate you all.

Enjoy your day and good luck,

Barb

Want to win Christmas Ornaments hand made by members of the Old Farmhouse Gathering Team? 

You will need to visit the treasury on Etsy by clicking HERE and leave a comment on the treasury. There will be one winner which will be randomly selected from all of the comments left on the treasury by midnight, November 25th.

Take a look at the rules for extra chances to win!

This is what I contributed to the treasury giveaway!

Good Luck!

Enjoy your weekend,

Barb

Veteran's Day!

As many of you know we are/were an Air Force family.

My kids were born in Military Hospitals and we spend many months with my husband deployed over seas.

It was a hard time but my husband came home!

My heart and prayers are with those who are left behind and did not have a love one return home.

This video says it all for me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Ikj1hZDnw 

Thank you to my husband and to all the Veteran's for their service!

Barb

Simple Treasures Boutique

Headed off this AM to work my shift at this fun show.

This is not hard work by any means and usually means shopping while helping at the show!

This year was a bit of a hard set up.

First we had car problems after we had it packed,

Then a snow storm,

My husband was sick--not pretty,

Running late, 

But we made it and even remembered to take the camera--until the batteries died.

It was great to get home and have it behind us.

Here are some photos of the set up.

Now I am hoping I have no car problems and make it there if only to do my part by shopping!

Enjoy your day,

Barb

A Double Thank You and Happy Halloween!!

I have been on a lucky winning streak lately!

I won this cute pillow from By Your Hands Blog made by Colleen of  Needles-n-Pinsstitcheries.

Once my son saw it he claimed it his, because he is the "Pillow King".  

When I can't find him I have learned to start looking under piles of  pillows.

My next lucky win was from Pamela of It's Just Frankly Kute.

 This fun Halloween Plate from her Blog and this fun little ghost from her Facebook page!

She also added this great material bowl.  

Since I try my best not to ever sew this was a really amazing bowl to behold!

 Thank You ladies for the fabulous giveaways and for picking my name!

It is always a great time to win a fabulous prize!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ONE AND ALL!

Hope you have an enjoyable candy filled day,

Barb

OK, did some one say technology? 

It was so quiet Friday I did not even miss the phone then come to find out it is dead.

 Out of a box in the garage comes this phone. 

My daughter HAD to called and tell me that "The 70's called and wanted their phone back." 

Of course she did not stop there because I had to now use my cell phone and she proceeded to say,

"The 90's also wants their phone back". 

This is the extent of our technology!! 

My son comes home from Scout camp and looked at the phone with a quizzical glance.

It rang and it was for his dad, so he asks me how do I get this phone to dad.

Me:  giggling said, "No, Your dad has to come to the phone!"

The look on his face was priceless!

Now the hunt for a new phone!

The Celebration has begun on Etsy for the Old Farmhouse Gathering team.

So many fun Hand Crafted creations for you to pick from.

Here are a couple more from my offerings. 

 

Type in WCCOFG in to Etsy's search bar to see all the creations!

Hope today will be a great day for you!

Enjoy,

Barb

COMING SOON!

 Just a little sneak peek of what I have been working on for the up coming Old Farmhouse Gathering Celebration!

 Winter for some of us is around the corner!

Not that you could tell here with it being in the high 60 degrees, but soon I will be whining about the dreaded single digits!

I have to get back to work even this late in the evening. 

I have been playing with my brother who is in from Seattle and celebrating my sister's birthday!

Enjoy your evening,

Barb

Thank You and a Winner!

Thank You to all of you who entered my "Keeping Christmas in my Heart all year long" drawing.

I used Random.org to pick the winners.

The winner of the Candy Cane is Carla.

Because it is the month of Halloween  I thought I would give away this fun magnet and the winner is Francine.

I will send you an e-mail for your addresses.

Again I wish I could send you all a little something but there is a couple of months left of this year!

Thanks again for your support I appreciate each one of you!

I have cancelled our plans to go to Yellowstone National Park thanks to the Feds and am now looking at going south again because the Governor of Utah is funding some of the National Parks in Utah to stay open. Bryce and Zion National Parks are open so we might head there or we might just stay home and do local fun things for the fall break.  It is all in the air right now.

Hope you all have an enjoyable day!

Barb

Busy Sightseeing and a Giveaway!!

When we were sightseeing in the Southwest we decided to buy the Annual Park pass...so this means we have to get our money's worth!

One weekend we went to Promontory Point to see the sight were the two rail roads met.

While there we were looking at the well known photo of the joining of the track that is enlarged and on the wall of the visitor center.

They had named some of the people who were there to witness it and wouldn't you know right in the front was one of my great-great grandfathers!

It was a perfect day!  They only move the trains to bring them out, once to show how it moves by steam power and then to put them away at night.  We were lucky to have planned the trip just right so we were able to see the demonstration.

Continuing to see what is in our back yard we drove out to the Bonneville Salt Flats.

I am not sure why this tree but it is an interesting piece of art.

I have never seen the Salt Flats under water before and this was an interesting sight.

There was a good 3-4 inches of water across the desert floor.   So we got out and played in it!

One of the other things we were able to do on this little excursion was to go see the hanger were the Enola Gay was housed before it dropped the bomb in Japan during WWII.

It is hard to believe that Wendover, Utah/Nevada was so huge and populated at one time.

This was very interested to my son and I due to our obsession with all things WWII related.

One last little drive around the Nebo Loop to see the colors in the mountains!

We have already had snow so I am glad we were able to do this before all the leaves were completely gone.

We are to go to Yellowstone and the Tetons next week to make sure we got our money's worth out of the Annual pass but it is looking pretty bleak with the government shut down. 

 But here's HOPING!!!

Since October is the month of CANDY and with keeping Christmas in my heart all year this fun little candy cane ornament will be given away to a winner.

The Rules:

Be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post.

New followers always welcome.

Leave a way for me to contact you if you do not have a blog.

If you would like to share this giveaway I would appreciate it! 

Winners will be picked on October 13th and announced on the 14th.

Might even be an extra little something fall related for another follower so you have to stay tuned.

Open to all USA and Canadian friends. 

Good Luck to all!

Thank you to all who follow my blog and listen to the rambling.  

 I truly appreciate you all.

Enjoy your day and good luck,

Barb