~ Candle Grubbing Freebie Tutorial!

             

                     Super Easy, No Wax, No Fuss!

                                                                                                            by Kathie Givens

 

                                                              

So here we have an old metal grain scoop, one of my favorite items to find!  It inspired this freebie & easy candle painting tutorial.

Take a large nail or sharp object and punch a hole with a hammer (on a soft surface, like an old rug), in the top and add some rusty wire to hang!  Perfect old and antique looking prim lighting.

 

 

Find an old white candle at thrift shop or in your basement.  Clean it up by dusting and taking any dirt off & trim wick if needed.

 

 

Here's a better look at this neat scoop.  They can also just sit on a table or cupboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With an ordinary dry paint brush, use a paper plate and pour some plain Nutmeg Brown Acrylic paint on the paper plate, do not add water, and paint it on candle.  It will go on very nice.  I just hold it by the wick.  Before it's dry, I sprinkled on some ground cinnamon, (did not roll candle in it).  I used ground cinnamon, because powdered cinnamon would not go on as well.  This process would be fantastic with the white flicker candles, that are out on the market now, that you would want to make primitive looking.  It works on tapers, too!

 

 

 

 

Let it dry overnight and set.

          

              Here's a closer look at how great the finish can look! This was a bright white candle!

 

 

Done!   I always thought paint would not stick to the wax, wrong!  Don't throw away those old candles!

 

 

Here's a preview of the big fat fabric pumpkin I just finished painting and sanding.  It is for sale you can send me an email.   Save all your pumpkin stems!!!!  You can glue them on your hand done ones next year! 

 

 

Here's a finished old quart jar filled with egg gourds!  It's at Brother's Antique Mall, in Medina, Ohio, please come and visit if you are in the area!  We have 2 large spots filled with antiques and primitives.

 

My freebie tutorials are for all you fellow crafters to use and follow for your crafting or sales.  And thank you for visiting and learning & please mention " My Country Heart" as to where you found it.(However, my written tutorials are not to be used without my written permission.)  ©     

                                                                         Blessings!  ~Kathie                                             

 

 

 

 

                          

 

 

 

 

~ Hickory Hollow's Primitive Tag Tutorial ~ ©

 

~No Baking and They Do Not Curl Up! ~ ©

                                                                                     By Kathie Givens

 

Hello Everyone one!

It's been ages since I posted anything!  And it's time to get right back in the saddle... Hickory Hollow is a part of My Country Heart and we are now located in Brother's Antique Mall in Medina, Ohio. We moved out of our 8 room Farmhouse in Copley, Ohio.  Watch for lots more tutorials to come and follow us on our two Face Book pages :-)

 Had a very bad & rude experience with one of my tutorials being copied right down to the same-like photos!   But with that said and done....I post my tutorials for you to learn and make items for free.  It's nice if you would mention where you learned and you can sell them if you want, but please DO NOT copy my tutorial work and print it as your own work.

Primitive tags tutorials are many on the Net, with lot of simalarities, here, but this is how I do mine.  After making so many tags over the years, I do believe I like this one the best.  It works very easy and they DO NOT CURL UP after applying the tint & no baking is required what-so-ever!  So here we go ~ hope you learn a lot here, it's a freebie!  Stop back and visit soon.


Here is exactly what you will need for this project.  Gloves and Avery Shipping tags.  Out of all the tags I have used, these are the best ones.  String is cotton and antiques very well.  It may not work on any other tags you have.  I only use this brand of tags.

I love to work right on top of my washer and dryer!  Just the right height and perfect lighting!  And I have a nice CD play nearby!

 I gather several  card board box pieces.  One to work on and a few to set the tags on after they are completed.  After the card board gets damp, it provides a great marking on each tag, just from sponging it on each one from the indention of the lines on the cardboard.  This does not happen until the cardboard gets saturated.

Here's a few completed tags so you can see the great patina the coffee provides and the smell is Heavenly!  No other procedure that I have seen, provides this highly textured and deeply antiqued card.

You will need an empty coffee jar, instant coffee, and dollar store vanilla.   I save all the excess perked coffee in the frig. in this coffee jar and when I start this project I simply pour the entire  container of vanilla in this perked jar of old coffee from the frig and shake.

I only use a piece of cut off sponge that I had moistened and dunk into the perked coffee and vanilla mixture.   Below are the tags before being stained.

And here below is the difference of the finished tag and unstained tags....

So here is the secret of obtaining the above deep and dark textured look of these Avery tags.  After dabbing with wet sponge and not forgetting the string on both sides.  While still wet.....

                      Open your instant coffee jar and pour a small amount of instant coffee onto wet card just as pictured.

Then rub with the palm of your hand in the gritty instant coffee in a circular motion all over the card.  You will get results instantly.  Rub entire card - do not leave any un-rubbed coffee on card or it will get sticky and they will stick together when dried.  Then turn over and rub in the reverse side just like the front.  It's like magic with these Avery tags.  They come out the best old looking color I have seen yet!!!! :-)  String too!!!

Don't forget to use the palm of your hand it grinds it in better than any other technique!

Then place on cardboard to dry.  Notice they lay down flat.  NO Curling!!!!!!  Leave overnight to dry.  They are perfect in the morning, still flat with outstanding color!!!  Looks like they are a century old!

I use this little trusty sponge for other artwork too,  just rinse and  & place on the cardboard to dry!

Avery tags number 11555 can  be purchased at any office supply store or if you are lucky enough to find a box at tag sales with 500 in the box!

You can dab your gloves with the coffee mixture while you are working to get the coffee globs off from your gloves.  It' nice and dark.

Here is where the nice card board lines that come through the wet tags and wet surface come into play.  Awesome added luck!  It's like an added rubbing of a textured surface!

A suggestion to decorate......I collect and adore all different types of alphabet stamps.  They look so neat with works of wisdom stamped out on these tags along with a medium small star punched out at the bottom.  You can go crazy with neat and different ideas with tags. :-)

 Hope you all enjoyed and learned something from this tutorial ~ Look for us on Facebook and like my 2 pages: Hickory Hollow Primitives and also, My Country Heart  ~  Creative Blessings to you!   

                                                                          ~ Kathie <3 h2="">
                                                                           

Kathie's Famous Crock Pot Easy ~ Great Northern Bean Soup!

https://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=048999c1b0654e5c32f195f487db7dfc&eu=_-hWYo8PSt6HF7umP0VFkw#!/pages/My-Country-Heart-Kathie-Givens/237302455594 

 

 



There is one thing that I love, and that is comfort food on a cold rainy or snowy night!  And here it is!  I have tried many a bean soup and this is my very own recipe and it is worth your time and effort.  Easy and smells up the house wonderful as it cooks.

Ingredients:  Cooks in a 6 Quart Crock Pot!

1 lg. can  (40.5 oz.) Great Northern (Hanover - if you can find it) Beans.

1 14-1/2 oz. can of College Inn - Garden Vegetable Broth (make sure you get the Garden Vegetable).

1 Sweet Onion, chopped.

2 Stalks of  Celery, chopped.

2 lg. Potatoes w/skins, cut up.

1 can Campbell's Cream of Broccoli Soup and 1/2 can of Skim Milk stirred up in another container.

Hand full of baby sweet carrots - cut in half

1 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Round slice of Bob Evans- pre-cooked ham slices cut how you like (they usually come two, to a pack) - add more if you like.

Add: Generous amount of Basil, 1T - & black pepper, Granulated Garlic powder, & Parsley Flakes, or to your taste....  This is enough for two for a few days!  Enjoy!


Cook 5 hours in Crock pot, on High ~

I always make one small box of Corn Bread mix and add a T. of sugar if you like!  Cook in cupcake forms of paper & aluminum on pastry paper, follow box directions - makes 8!  Delicious! ©

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My Country Heart: AKA Kitty Boo-Boo & Love Those Hostas!#links

My Country Heart: AKA Kitty Boo-Boo & Love Those Hostas!#links

AKA Kitty Boo-Boo & Love Those Hostas!

 

I may have to frame this photo ~ because it was pretty darn hard to get....  Rusty here just does not like to pose or get flashed in the face for any picture-taking-nonsense.  1st-time-picture showing himself in his white tuxedo.

 

 

 

This is what you usually get....  I did have seven Himmey's  with now one elderly sweetheart left & am having a very difficult time without them.  Losing each one of them was more painful than I ever imagined.  So here/now is Rusty, aka kitty boo-boo - (when he does what he's told) getting the well- deserved press he such deserves.  He ventured on our porch one day, and never left.  And if I might mention, is immaculate in all his cat-cleaning attempts - not a single square inch of fur is missed, not even the 8 rings around his tail.  Hence, he really is a ring-tail-cleaning-cat with a huge attitude.

More photo attempts here......Oh boy!  Looks like Angel wings on his back.

.....Adding this here beautiful mum I won at my cousin's shower ~ what a neat way to win at a shower, if your birthday was nearest to the Brides at the table you sat, you won the door prize!!!!!  Thank you, Karen!

Here's my still favorite spot on the lake ~  I changed it around a little this year and in the recent storm it was totally covered with mud and weeds.  But easy to clean with a broom and a bucket.

The flowers look like they are doing great, even with the near frost we have had lately.  The 99 cent solar light is still doing its job at night - looks sweet!  All's well and the snail's happy with big frog.

 

When you live with a lot of big trees, you get to grow lots of HOSTAS.  I tend to lean more on the huge Grand - Daddy varieties, and some are younger & and haven't taken deep rooting yet - but the older ones are gimong-ous!   And some are six foot wide/across and store little pools of water in their huge leaves!!!!

 

And the Ivy is just going nuts with the ground cover - I have to pull it off the house and shed  quite frequently.  Anyone need an Ivy "start" ~ they take root in any glass container and come back every year with their shiny beauty!

This Grand-daddy with almost white underside leaves is a youngster but still gigantic!  He is two years old and came from the Hosta Farm and has his own cement name tag.  The similar  Hosta right in behind him has been all smashed down by a deer, who had made a fresh bed right on top - but it will snap right back in the Spring, bigger than ever.

 

 

Being one of my favorites, here below, she is doing just wonderful!  Look at the leaf coloring - all I use, again, is the little blue fertilizer balls and water after I sprinkle them on.  They might just love living under the big pines. 

Now, this Chinese Maple needs attention and staked up and has created a little picture widow for the rabbits to look out.....they are so lucky!

 

Last year, Georgan, across the street, brought me a wheel barrel FULL
 of these fast growing beauties and here they are all lined up around another rabbit rock.  They all get along so well with the Hickory's....

 

 

 

Okay, here's the snowmen after they have been weatherized and now waiting for their finishing touches.  These old barn boards are well over 100 years old and the red paint is the original.  Great find! 

This old wagon wheel vacationed at My Country Heart, farmhouse shop for many years in front of the porch, so she now, is back home where she belongs keeping the new birdhouse company.

 

Look at all these tiny little pinecones what a Blessing they are!!!!!  I have used so many in potpourri and they come right back every year more than ever!

 

I call this, because I don't know what it's called, the beautiful orange trumpet vine.  Looks happy as can be and took forever to root and now needs to be tied to the rail.  But I do indeed see little blooms all over it!!!!! :-)

 

One more missed face shot......, but he does follow and keeps excellent pleasant company, all over the yard.

~ Excellent news to announce at Brother's Antique Mall - I was awarded the rest of the entire huge room that I am located in there, and can't wait to for the big redo.  I found the neatest old log cabin wall covering for one wall and can't wait to see how prim I can get it to look!  ~


By for now,
Blessings and Peace To All of You,
  And -- Thank You kindly for all the 32,000 views ~  unbelievable!

Kathie~

 

Don't Want July to End! ~

Today, being the last day of July ~ I needed to blog & cherish the Summer so far.  Rain being the flavor of this here Season, not complaining - I love it when it rains - but we had a doozy of a storm here in Northeast Ohio.  One of the worst I have seen for flooding.  It seems once a decade it rains in this region an extra proportion maybe to make the trees and earth happy campers. 

This handsome potted geranium is doing well in the front yard ~ has bloomed well with the little blue fertilizer balls as feed.  Can't complain & compliments all the necessary July flags.

When you live on a lake all the insects, bugs, spiders, and flying UFO's are always much larger and you get well use to it.  This beautiful Dragonfly has a 4" wing span and never moved at all when he was being measures....I think he kinda liked it - haha.  What a beauty!

We have here a Pinterest information experiment in the Angel Bird Bath!  Find some copper pennies (dated before 1983) and place a bunch in the water and see if less algae grows!  My niece in Illinois, is doing the same and we will find out very soon if it does indeed work!

 

In the rear of my favorite wash tub here,  you will see some potted Cat Nip.... it has been hid here so it can finish growing and be planted.  Don't let Rusty know, because he eats the tasty entire plant down to the cores and when I got it to transplant nothing was there but dirt, so I see it has survived - somewhat :)

 

 

Here's a large pot of Golden Oregano and Rosemary, blooming and loving all the rain we have had - it's showing off in front of the Chairman of the Boards' Grandfather's vintage horse & wagon tie.  It's  indeed a treasured idem and will be repaired by me with some cement very soon.

Along with the plants, the weeds are having a hay-day.  This here little area is an "after photo" because if you would have seen it before it was weeded, you would not have recognized it as a little path into the sun room :)

After cleaning all the algae out of the rain gage - this depth was only a baby rain fall compared to the last one.

Still not sure if I want to sell this weathered old red barn board with the Peace Rabbit I painted on it or not.  But do have three newly painted Snowmen boards that will be out for sale at Brother's Antique Mall before the upcoming Holidays.  And look for the newly poured wax turkey's - they turned out very well and look mighty good in a basket on the table with gourds.

Here you have more weathered barn wood (my favorite, can you tell?).  Made for me by a friend.  But the best things about this beautiful porch planter is that the plant needs no care what-so-ever & I love it!   It's not real!

Listen up here....I do want to make a prediction (runs in the family)!  Just looking at this Shaggy Bark Hickorys' branches and seeing all these extra nuts and hearing them fall already ~ it can only mean an early Fall here in Ohio!  Same thing happened year before last!  I might add that this little grove of  9-10 Hickory Trees are just one beautiful sight.   But do beware of nuts.

Here they are!   The sweet little My Country Heart, signs!  I couldn't bare to sell them when I closed & moved the shop out of the 8 room Farmhouse at Copley Circle!  I did them up over 15 years ago and I still love them  like it was yesterday, here, under the big pines at home!  Many fine & wonderful memories they served!

I can't part with this big ugly ceramic frog either.  He guards the front door & keeps the toads in line.

More Pinterest good ideas -  making bird baths from pottery - try it you will love it!

My first time in a long time that I had time to plant cherry tomatoes for salads on the deck in planters.   This one plant has over 50 little green tomatoes on it right now.  Retirement is good!

And my last but not least entry is the ever blooming & interesting Grape Ivy hanging basket!!  I liked it so much I got another one for the other side of the porch.  It blooms so well and Winter's over so nicely in the laundry room.  Only requirement,  just a little sun and water once a week! 

 

 

Take Care,

 

Blessings &and  Peace,

 

Kathie~