LOOKIE!

Lookie what my hubby made for the store! Two stages for the window displays so everything sits level to the bottom of the windows! They slide out if necessary, too! 

I know, not the greatest photos in the world, but just had to post some progress and this is all I have right now.

TRIM'S UP

BEFORE:
 

Next is a photo I missed when I was showing before photos in my earlier posts. You can see the white door here and how much nicer it looks in three colors in the after photos! It was a very sunny day when these before photos were taken, I would LOVE to see that sunshine again! It's been so cold & gloomy here for weeks.

While the yellow cupboard could have been repainted, the practical value of the piece was virtually nil for us, so sadly, we removed it. (It was not original to the building, but added later.) Sorry to those that think it should have stayed. Behind it was the original beaded boards to the building (tongue & groove), so we decided to put beaded board around most of the room. Sorry to admit the new is paneling, but at least it keeps the flavor original to the building.

AFTER:

The trim's up in the front, so here's some photos where things are looking more finished than before. We are going to faux paint the floor where the blue & white tiles are missing and hope no one really notices much! I'm taking volunteers for floor washing & waxing! It's all ready now for that mop & glo treatment! It sure has lost what sheen it had with all the work we've been doing, but that certainly is curable!

 We are looking for a door to put on the inside of the entryway so we can get rid of the storm door. We had taken it down, but with the temperatures being so extremely cold this month, we put the ugly door back up and know we have to find something to replace it for the winters. We were going to rip out that entire entry cove, but believe it was originally built this way in 1873, so we decided to leave it intact.

While the brown walls darken the room and make it seem smaller in the photos, we really like how it turned out in person. It's very warm & cozy feeling and will make a great neutral background for the primitives to come!

TAKING SOME SHAPE

FIRST, the project manager & top boss:

She is demanding a good floor mopping!

PROGRESS PHOTOS:

 I forgot to take a before picture of this door, it was all white before. It is non-functional at this point, but we may open it up to take you to the upstairs one day.

The "before" (left) photo shows just a small section of how bad the entire ceiling looked.

AFTER: These photos hardly does justice to the ceiling now! Simply gorgeous!!! I think the ceiling is the reason I bought the place!

We put a board over this doorway (above) to keep the heat in the front section, I promise it won't look like this later. :)

BEFORE: Here's a section from the back of the building shown to the right that has been getting a little face lift.

 AFTER (sort of): After I painted the wall, hubby decided to spray paint the tin ceiling and it oversprayed onto my hard work! Painting those bricks wasn't easy, the dips and pits are incredibly hard to coat with paint. Oh well, nothing some touch up won't cure. :)

The ceiling back here is actually small squares of tin, nothing fancy like in the front of the building. This is the only section in the building that will have brick walls. The rest of the room will be given the painted beaded board touch.

The rest of my photos today are more pictures from the back of the building where we have done virtually no work so far. I've posted them just so you can see how much needs to be done and maybe you can start picturing something better until we have the work complete.

 The deep fryer for donuts used to be located here. Looks pretty bad right now.

 Here in the back section of the building, we are looking from the back towards the front. The oven on the right (yes, still here) needs a home! We have a possible buyer for it coming after Christmas. Please pray with us that this person will want to buy it and use it again as it still works.

 As I understand, this little room is where they put the dough for rising in the later years of the bakery. We believe it was a freezer once upon a time, but was no longer used for that. There's a big walk-in freezer in another section that took its place. Below is the inside of this room, minus the racks and shelves that were in there when we purchased. I may rent this out as small space if we can get the old refrigeration unit safely removed.

Be sure to keep coming back. More photos coming soon!

BEFORE . . . . .

OK, I'm home today, for a change, and am posting some of the "before" photos of the building. Can't wait until we have the "afters" to post!

This is the "front" section of the building, looking towards the street & store entrance. I'm not real excited about a blue & white floor, but will have to use rugs as I cannot afford a new floor at this time.

Here's hubby working on the one doorway to the back. Notice the peeling paint on the beautiful tin ceiling! It will get painted with a fresh coat of white gloss paint after scraping!

The back room has TWO old skylights! There's plastic covering the opening here, which will go! Gonna be awesome!!!

Here's a section in the back room. The roll arounds have been removed, but you can see this place needs a lot of TLC! There's a tin ceiling here, too, but it's small squares, covered in grease from the bakery days. Gonna be a job to get them painted, but gloss white is coming soon!

Anyone need an oven? This one is sure to hold everything you could ever want to bake at one time! hehehe! Not sure how many bread loaves it holds on the rotisserie, but I'm not even a little interested in using this. Yes, we'd like to sell it and hoping to find a buyer. Lots of bread was baked in this oldie but goodie! Still works!!! Come & get it!!!!!!!!!! Price is CHEAP!!!!!!!!!!

 

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

We did it ... well, going to be doing it! We are to close on this building in Downtown Millersburg, Ohio before Thanksgiving. Lots of cleaning, paint & LOVE required! We will be selling our own furniture & merchandise, plus renting out space to dealers with the primitive and cottage prim look, including antiques & handmade in USA items. Please pass the word on to anyone that you know that may be interested. Even if you live somewhere else, you can rent space, ship to us and we'll do the work. This great location is right on the main drag (Rt. 39) in Amish Country. Will be posting before & after photos as the work proceeds.

CHRISTMAS DIGITIZING!!!!!!!!

 I'm now offering some great Christmas designs I created on Etsy for embroidery sewing machine users! Here's three, more listed, more to come!  Oh, by the way, buy any three of my embroidery machine designs, and get my digital files with the words "Believe", "Merry Christmas" and "Ho Ho Ho" free! (There is a listing to purchase them, but read the details on how to get them free in that listing.)

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59954809/digital-pattern-feather-tree-and-horse 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59954767/digital-pattern-christmas-1898-reindeer 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59937766/digital-pattern-ho-ho-ho-merry-christmas

WEEKEND WONDERS - Just a Little Cleaning Hint

Here's a little helpful hint that you may have or have not thought to do. 

Use small paintbrushes for cleaning those hard to get to places in decorative moldings and items with nooks and crannies! Great for intricate porcelain figures, vases, lamps, etc. Use soft brushes to dust or stiffer ones (like stencil brushes) to clean grime. Remember to be gentle on fragile items and use appropriate cleansers.

So, keep some of those little brushes on hand and in your cleaning kit!

** You don't have to buy expensive brushes like these ... but I always seem to have some of these around that are no good for tole painting any longer, so they make great cleaning brushes! **

Workshop Update

A while back I posted some photos on my blog showing my working spaces. CHANGE has happened! I picked up a few great items at an auction last week, and so I'm getting more organized and efficiently set up!

First is this HUGE item that used to be in a department store, now closed, in our downtown, so it's a piece of history! I think it was probably used for something like bedding sheet sets, blankets, or bedspreads that would have been displayed on top and the huge drawers were to store the extra, bulky packages. These drawers are WONDERFUL and has the glass inserts! Very cool, eh? I haven't filled it up yet, but trying to decide exactly "WHAT" I want to place inside. (Getting ready to ship that furniture on top, so it won't be there long.) Not only is this a terrific find, the $1 price tag was FANTASTIC! What a deal!!! There were two of these at the auction, my friend bought the other one just like it!

Here's inside a drawer .... the glass divider is removable.

 

Next is a green piece that is the "PERFECT" height for me to use my rotary cutting boards! No leaning any more! LOVE IT! The extra granite top table to the side ($15 find a couple years ago) has my needle punch machine on top but also affords me more space when I'm cutting out! At $35 for the green piece, I can't complain too much! I have all my cutting tools and accessories for rotary cutting in the drawers with room in the bottom for more goodies! You can see my embroidery sewing machine and regular sewing machine in the background.

Next is a typewriter desk from the depression era. It's not exactly the prettiest desk, but it is PERFECT for my serger! The piece the machine is setting on can be put down inside and the top closed to make a working desk with writing surface. Fun idea! I can almost see an old cast iron typewriter and someone typing away at it! Maybe I'll paint it one day if the mood strikes in multi-colors just for fun!

 

That "Merry Christmas" board is vintage & made by a local gentleman many years ago. His daughter told me he worked for GE and he used to make things with lights for Christmas every year. I cannot find any bulbs that fit this light string, so I may have to replace that, but love that vintage look!

Last, but not least, is my work table. I bought a broken down table an auction years ago for $2 and salvaged the legs and runner supports for making this table. Hubby made the top from sycamore he had cut at an Amish sawmill. The top is gorgeous! I'm VERY careful with it because I don't want to damage it. It's just a wonderful size, though, so it remains there 'cuz I just can't give it up for something smaller.

What's so wonderful is now I've been able to clear out all the stacking boxes of "stuff" I had stored under my work areas, so my feet now actually will fit under everything! 

Now, all I have to do is get busy making samples to take to market! I've committed to wholesaling my wares next year, so it's time to get prepared!

Mini Pillows are Popular

My mini pillows for the fall are selling great! I made a bunch and have a few left, so hurry on over to get yours before they're gone!  
(I also sell the digital embroidery sewing machine files for these on Etsy.)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57539149/fall-scene-pumpkins-tree-and-crows 

  http://www.etsy.com/listing/58238779/harvest-time-fall-scene-with-cornstalk

 

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/57829799/autumn-blessings-cross-stitch-embroidery

ORGANIZE!

I'm starting to list some drawers from my hubby's furniture making business on Etsy. Why? Because they are terrific organizers! Use them on your desk, in your craft working area, in a drawer, etc.! If you want more than one, just ask and we'll make them for you. Also available in other colors. I will be listing more choices soon.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57714049/furniture-drawer-for-organizing-your

Make Fabric Pumpkins Tutorial

Visit this blog to learn how to make these great fabric pumpkins for the fall!

 

http://thecottagehome.blogspot.com/2010/09/fall-fabric-pumpkin-tutorial.html

Rainy Day Blues

It's raining and chilly today. These are the kinds of days I want to stay inside, turn on all the lights, and not go or look outside! So, I'm looking at some great BLUE items from the OFG Team to bring a positive feeling to blue!

WOW! This birdhouse surely would cheer up the view out my window! What fun from MulberryLaneFolkart!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/53040067/bird-house-blue-with-white-trim-and-red?

Oh, I've found it now!!! It's the blue bird of happiness! And what a perfect one at that from MissesKWittys!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/43403159/baby-blue-bird-ornament  
To complete this bird theme, I love this tin nest with aqua blue eggs from SweetLibertyPrims!

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/56216613/tiny-vintage-tin-nest-and-aqua-eggs?

After all the blue bird items, I'm feeling much better and ready to start thinking about how to keep warm & cozy in the season ahead. What better way than with a pretty blue scarf! These terrific scarves come from a new store, ForElephant. This shop was opened by our very talented team member SimpleTilly. Be sure to visit her new shop and see all her pretties!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/forelephant

MONDAY MARKETPLACE FEATURES

Here's an early look at Christmas 2010, OFG style!

 Wow, look at this TERRIFIC reindeer from RabbitHollowPrims!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57423247/primitive-believe-in-the-magic-reindeer?

Look at this adorable mouse for Christmas! Warmth has a wonderful collection of mice that won't make you bring out the cheesy trap!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/53819726/new-2010-ltd-editionsantamousefirst-in-a?

Look at this fun sign for cat lovers!!! Love it, IceHouseCrafts!

  http://www.etsy.com/listing/57187429/sittings-with-santa-claws-sign-pet?

A Treasury Collection on Etsy

'New For You, Fall & Winter, too!' by PioneerLoft

Some super new items from the OFG Team in the last week! Be sure to do a search for "OFG TEAM" to see all the wonderful creations from this very talented team!!!

Peace Hope Joy Paper Mache S... paintedkreatio... $17.00	Primitive Crows First Thanks... CountryAcres $9.50
Pumpkin Swag Wood Star and W... PioneerLoft $7.50	LILLYBERRY dollsandbunnie... $45.00
Punkin PunkinSeedProd... $14.95	Primitive/ Vintage Raggedy J... WillowtreeTrea... $
NEW Cute Lil' Country Fo... goodtidingscre... $9.99	Santa and Reindeers Jingle B... SnowmanCollect... $22.00
A Touch of Sunshine - Hangin... atouchofsunshi... $23.00	Hand Painted Slate - Welcome... Pipberrytree $8.00
Primitive Owl Decoration primitiveseaso... $4.50	Harvest Fall Leaf Wood Sign mycountrycotta... $8.95
Primitive Trumpeting Angels ... happyvalleypri... $34.95	My Barn My Rules NEW DESIGN ... SweetPrimitive $8.95
I Drink Coffee For Your Prot... SawdustNStitch... $8.00	Primitive Americana Bowl Fil... SweetLibertyPr... $6.00

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