Monday, March 30, 2015

~ Itching to stitch ~

I'm sure it's not just me, but Monday's are 
definitely the busiest day of the week
for me....so many distractions that keep me
from doing what I had planned!

~ Studio News ~

It's now been weeks since I've last had a chance to stitch!
My 'itching to stitch' is now at a level of 
'dying to stitch'....


Trying to decide what color of linen to work on?
With so many luscious colors to choose from it can be 
very overwhelming!

I feel like doing one quick small project before I start
plans for the first Humble Hare Handwork Kit..... 


I'd like to do something small, fun, and stuffed with my new
dense organic raw cotton which is now available in my
Etsy Shopp.


Hopefully by Friday I'll have needle and thread 
back my hands!

♦♦♦

I love how the afternoon sunlight was spotlighting 
my Salem Stitchery Turtle...


Handmade by my hubby back in 2007, when I 
opened Salem Stitchery and Antiques.


I adore the little hillbilly hat that he carved for the head!


Lots of fun bright colors, so it would be eye catching for 
customers when they came into the shop.


Each little body part is pegged...even the tail!

Such a labour of love...I treasure every critter he has 
ever carved for me!

♦♦♦


On Sunday, we started out for a family drive in the country,
but ended up in the town of Winona, Minnesota...have 
you ever heard of Watkins products?


This is the original Watkins estate.


Such a beautiful red brick home!


Several blocks away from the Watkins estate you'll find
the Watkins factory and office buildings.


I love the brick Watkins factory tower....so cool!

♦♦♦

~ Weekly Soul Food ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household,
and eateth not the bread of idleness.

~ Proverbs 31:27...KJV ~

Oh, how I have always loved this passage, and as
needlewomen we don't have to worry about having idle hands...right!

Take care my dear friends, and have a wonderful week 
keeping your hands busy!

Spring Blessings from Scattered Seed Samplers,
Kindly, Tammy

Friday, March 27, 2015

COMING SOON ......

I've been patiently waiting for a belated 
birthday gift arriving from Germany!

Hooray, the package just arrived this morning!

 Now that these special Studio friends have arrived
safely, I'll let them tell you the big news 
about what's coming soon....


First, please meet this primitive little gang!

Very rare German composition hares with little stick legs.

Here is the package before I opened it this morning....


I love the look of packages from foreign countries!


I'm always relieved when packages are packed with extra care!


Even the little German sticker looks old!


 Check out the cute bunny butts!  

These little fellows are the perfect mascot for my new mission
here at Scattered Seed Samplers.

COMING SOON....

~ ©Humble Hare Handwork Club ~
2015 ~ Tammy Black

That's right, both my heart and hands are calling me
to start this special club, which will offer 
four exclusive rabbit kits per year.

I'm beyond EXCITED about getting this club started!
This is going to be so much fun....so stayed tuned 
all you passionate rabbits lover's!

All the details will be released in the next couple of weeks :)

♦♦♦

My Studio desk has been de~cluttered .....


....and ready to start designing!

Do you remember my rabbit from Monday, Mr. George?


The sweet little rabbit holding my pens came from the 
same garden shop ~ Terrain ~


♦♦♦

I finally finished listing the new full line of pinkeep 
fibers, fillers and beeswax bars in my Etsy shop...



~ A Special Note ~

 To all Little Sparrow Pinkeep Club members ~ 

The first kit 'A Token of Spring' was finished using exactly 
1 full quart jar of sawdust, which I have made available
in my Etsy shop.

  Later in April, when I give the finishing tutorial
I'll also give suggestions on how to pack 
a pinkeep firmly using traditional sawdust.

♦♦♦

I'm happy to say that the snow we had on Monday 
is almost gone!


My chives are starting to pop up out of their 
winter slumber...yeah!

♦♦♦

I've never taken a picture of running water before...


I wish you could hear the wonderful sound of the melting snow
running out of this rain gutter!

While Winter & Spring battle it out....I'm confident Spring
will be the winner!

♦♦♦


Easter is just around the corner, such a fun time of 
the year....especially for kids!

♦♦♦

I almost forgot to share these great pictures taken by my son
Sam during our recent snow storm....


A pair of Sand Hill Cranes walking through a field here on 
the farm.


With the snow just starting to come down...they looked
confused!



Looking for shelter from the storm...they decided to turn around
and head the other direction!  

♦♦♦



♦♦♦

~ Weekend Soul Food ~

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me. 

Cast me not away from Thy Presence, 
and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;
and uphold me with Thy free spirit.

Amen.

~ Psalm 51:10-12...KJV ~

♦♦♦

Have a great weekend in your neighborhood!

~ Scattered Seed Samplers ~
Kindly, Tammy

Monday, March 23, 2015

~ Scattered Seed Pinkeep Fillers ~

Mother nature waited just long enough for me to 
enjoy a wonderful First Day of Spring, my birthday, 
and a fabulous weekend....today we're back in 
winter wonderland!

On Friday, I was taken by surprise by a flood of over
150 birthday greetings sent to me on my 
facebook timeline!

Wow, that sure made my day extra special!
Thank you SO much...I love that so many took the time
to remember me!

Let me introduce you to a special new Studio rabbit....


Meet Mr. George, he traveled all the way from Westport, Connecticut 
to come live here at Scattered Seed Studio.

Thanks to my friend Lori Brechlin from Notforgotten Farm for
sharing the link to the garden shop ~ Terrain ~



He's such a character...love the silly expression on his face!

♦♦♦

I was really surprised when I opened my present from my
hubby and son....


A wonderful antique Lion Bank!

I started my Lion collection back in high school, and loved 
drawing Lion's in art class.


~ The Lion shall lie down with the Lamb ~

♦♦♦

My family's been complaining that I'm out working in my 
Studio too late at night.

So, for weeks I've been planning on taking a weekend off to
rearrange our 'Keeping Room' aka (TV room) to 
accommodate a extra computer table....


Saturday my hubby and son were out doing errands, while
I worked like crazy to do the make over before they
got home.

They were really surprised when they walked in the house!

Then we went shopping for a small computer desk that would 
fit into this old farmhouse!

I was so excited to find this nice 'Mission' style desk, it has a black
tinted glass top, and a pull out key board drawer :)

I love my new 27" monitor and computer tower!
The monitor I use in the Studio is a 24", the extra 3" is awesome!

Now, I can stay in the house after supper, be will the family and
still work on designing, emails etc......I love it!!!

♦♦♦

This is still March, and I do live in Wisconsin, so it's no 
surprise that mother nature had a little more 
winter in store for us.

This is what we woke up to....


6" of fresh snow!


All of our snow was gone for a short time!


So my poor hubby had to pull the tractor back out of the shed
and spent the morning plowing out our long driveway and
around all the buildings...it's a real project!

♦♦♦

~ Little Sparrow Pinkeep Club ~ Update ~


Currently the one year membership dues can be paid
for through my Etsy listing, and will continue that way.

 I'm excited to announce that I'll be
 adding some payment flexibility for those who
would prefer to pay quarterly.

This added feature will not be offered through Etsy.
If you are interested please contact me by calling 

(608) 799-4418 (Work Cell)

or


It is my mission to make Little Sparrow Pinkeep Club,
fun, exciting and user friendly :)


~ A Token of Spring ~ 

This first kit is still available, get your's while supply 
lasts...quantity is limited.

♦♦♦

~ Studio News ~

Tuesday and Wednesday I'll be adding listings to my Etsy Shop
for a full line of pinkeep/pinpillow fillers :)

♦♦♦ Scattered Seed Samplers ~ Pinkeep Fillers ♦♦♦

I love finishing my handwork using traditional fillers....


~ Scattered Saw Dust ~

Saw dust will provide a very traditional firm feel.

This wonderful sawdust is courtesy of my husband's 
woodworking shop.

It will be offered in several different package sizes.

A 1 quart (4cups) bag will firmly pack 'A Token of Spring' 
pinkeep drum.  

♦♦♦


~ Ground English Walnut Shell ~

Walnut shell will provide a still traditional but medium feel.

♦♦♦


~ Lavender ~

Lavender works well for filling small drawer sachets.
Provides a medium to loose feel.

♦♦♦


~ 100% Cherry Tobacco ~

When packing a pinkeep with saw dust,
I love to mix in approximately 1T of Cherry Tobacco 
  to add a wonderful aromatic touch!

♦♦♦


~ 100% USA RAW Organic Cotton ~

You will absolutely fall in love with the traditional 
firm feel of using 100% cotton.




This organic cotton is simply the best....LOVELY to 
work with :)

♦♦♦


~ Morning Glory Cluster Stuff Fiber ~

Airy, down-like clusters provide cushy loft.  Will never 
clump or bunch. Hypo-allergenic.

♦♦♦


~ Bars of 100% Beeswax ~ 1 Ounce bar ~

These little bars of beeswax have a nice soft aroma as
you pull you favorite thread over the wax before 
stitching. 

I always wax my thread as it greatly reduces thread tangles!

I'll try to get as many of these fillers listed in my Etsy Shop 
tomorrow on Tuesday.  Here is the direct link ~


♦♦♦


~ Weekly Soul Food ~

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet,
and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to 
thy Father which is in secret; and thy 
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

~ Matthew 6:6...KJV ~

♦♦♦

Have a wonderful week my special friends!

Spring Blessings,
Kindly, Tammy 




Friday, March 20, 2015

~ My Special Day ~

The trees are alive with happy birds singing their
little hearts out....for they know that today is the

First Day of Spring ♫♫


I'm hoping Robins will come again to my back porch 
to lay a new nest of beautiful blue eggs like 
last year!

I saw my first Robin on Tuesday and now on Friday they
seem to be everywhere....yeah!


Have you spied your first Robin yet?

♫♫♫

Not only does Spring effect the birds, it also effects 
young men with hot cars....


Such is the case with my son Sam, who could hardly wait to drive his
 Shelby GT 500.

He ended up cruising down to 'Goose Island Park', 
which is a marshland park.  He got some great pictures...


This tree has such an eerie look!


Because a marsh area is so wet, you'll see lots of 
exposed roots.


This one looks like an octopus!


All along the riverbank these poor trees are uprooted.


The very large Pileated Woodpeckers are attracted to these 
trees....check out the large holes they make!


Woodpeckers are after the bugs under the bark
of trees.

I'm sure you've all heard the old saying;

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck,
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

These next pictures will show you who really
does chuck wood....


This intense woodchucking is done by BEAVERS!


Like the Woodpeckers, Beavers also love these old trees!


They one by one take down these trees and use them
to build their Beaver Lodges out on the river.


 They certainly must have powerful jaws!


Here's a pile of the wood chips they leave behind.


I wish Sam could have caught a Beaver in action!


These pictures just amaze me!


I worked like crazy all week getting
the Little Sparrow Pinkeep kits shipped out....they all shipped
on March 18th & 19th.

I wanted to make sure they were out before March 20th, 
because today is my birthday and I'm taking the
weekend off...yeah!

Sam's going to take me for a ride in his Shelby....Caribou Coffee House
sounds like a great destination!

♫♫♫


♫♫♫

~ Weekend Soul Food ~

I love them that love me;
and those that seek me early shall find me.

~ Proverbs 8:17...KJV ~

♫♫♫


Hope you enjoy this First Day of Spring!

Spring Blessings,
~ Kindly, Tammy ~