A Winner & more treasures

Thank you so much to the 43 people who responded to my giveaway and question as to a fair price for my original milk painted trunk! The answers ranged from $45 to $425 with an average of $200. It's rare to find a trunk like this in the Chicago area, but if/when you do I think they are going for about $300. So now would you like to know how much I spent???

Well, when I looked at the price tag I almost hyperventilated when I saw it was $35! I was trying to keep my cool, when the owner approached. She said that she really needed to find a new home for it, so she would let me have it for $10! It was all I could do not to faint on the spot!!! And my husband still thinks that I spent too much! LOL! He really doesn't get it... he loves antiques, but says it just looks like someone took some old wood in the garage and hammered it together to create a box to hold tools. And I say, Exactly! A make do!

Well, the winner of this month's give away is...

Penny of the blog, Little Pen Pen. I just love the dachshund in her blog banner :)

Be sure and check back early next month for my Christmas Give Away! I have plans for it already :)

Recently I picked up another treasure at a local Estate Sale:

Isn't this old wool tongue rug just awesome? I love the four rosebuds on either end - each stitched in a different technique. I wonder if the wools are from men's suits? And the red trim is in wonderful shape. I treasure it knowing all the hours that someone put into it. It was the last day of the estate sale, so instead of the $45 on the price tag, I purchased it for $20 :) Oh how I love a good deal!

And I'll leave you with a picture of my Thanksgiving mantle:

I made a little maple leaf garland and more candle rings. They are about a week old and starting to curl and dry... The best part is they don't need to be packed away, just mulched and recreated next year. The beautiful paper cutting on the left is by Beth Twist of Heartstring Samplery. She mentioned on her blog that she is papercutting again and I just can't wait to see!

If you will be in the Bartlett, Illinois area this weekend, my sister-in-law is having her annual craft show and bake sale. (I'm baking my mom's famous melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies as we speak.) Just drop me a note at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com and I will send you the address and directions. The show will be on Saturday, November 19th from 12 - 3, but come early ~ she usually sells out!

"I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving."

~Psalm 69:30

Blessings, Patti

A weekend well spent...

This weekend my sister and I traveled to central Illinois to visit our parents and attend not one, but four fantastic primitive shows!

First we attended Homesteaders on the Prairie where I was so fortunate to meet Ben Ashby & Heath Stiltner of FOLK magazine. I can't say enough about this exciting and innovative new magazine! They are both as kind and patient in person as they appear in the magazine. They had a sweet little booth selling the new Christmas issue (with a 2 page TDIPT Mercantile feature of which I am a part) and items from their new FOLK label private collection.
At Homesteaders, I also had the sweet pleasure of meeting Roberta of Cottonwood Lane Primitives. We've followed each others blogs and it was so special to meet such a lovely person inside and out :) I only wish that we had more time to visit. Be sure to stop by her blog to see lovely photos of the booths at the shows. I was too busy shopping and being overwhelmed with the selection to take photos lol.

It was so fun to see another familiar face! Marsha Albrecht of Kindred Spirits was a roomie of ours in the Second Story at Boxwood & Berries 2010. What a surprise to see her with a stunning booth!

We also attended the Country Spirit show, A Gathering on the Prairie show and A Rural Life show! WoW! It is amazing what you can pack in to 36 hours!

I came home with lots of goodies:

a piece of ticking, 3 pieces of coverlet, the latest issue of FOLK, a Distelfink (bird) by Woodland Primitives (FOLK private label), a framed spencerian calligraphy of two birds and a nest, 5 wonderful engraved sleigh bells, a treen ware needlecase, a notecard of Adam & Eve by Anne Childs, and do you see my treasure next to the needlecase? A lovely leather acorn by Marsha!

I also added to my collection of primitive wood boxes:

A wonderful bluish green box with original paint. The natural wooden box had it's treasure inside...

Covered in early wallpaper, it's a lap desk with lots of compartments, some hidden under panels covered in black silk. The paper is stored in the lid behind a silk covered panel.

The bottom compartment features a flowered label that I think might have been added later...

The green box also has compartments inside.

It was a weekend well spent and even more enjoyable since I spent it with my sister and parents.

Please be sure to stop by TDIPT Mercantile tonight! The 15th of the month artists are updating their offerings and the Open House giveaways are continuing...

And it isn't too late to enter my giveaway on the post below...

Blessings, Patti

A treasure & a giveaway

Earlier this fall, my sister and I went to an antique sale where we both found a treasure.

When I saw this antique trunk with original blue milk paint my heart skipped a beat!

I was in love :)

I brought it home, scrubbed it inside and out and knew just where I wanted to put it.

I love the trim details and the old wrought iron handles.

My husband is an antique collector, but just doesn't get primitives. My boys really don't get it either. But they all relented and let me put it in my place of choice - in front of the couch in the family room. After a day or so they realized it needed a pad on top so they could put their feet up on it. I just happened to have a wonderful patched feedsack gifted from my sister-in-law. So I stuffed it and sewed it up. Voila!

It matches the couch and I am just loving it.

Now I have a question for you...

My husband thinks I over paid for it, so I am wondering what you think is a fair price for my trunk? Please post a comment on this post or send me an email at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com with "Trunk" in the subject line.

Next Wednesday, November 16th, I'll pick a random winner for:

This angel on antique ticking pillow.

On Friday, my sister and I are heading to central Illinois for the primitives shows! I can't wait! If I find lots of goodies, maybe I'll throw in a treasure or two with the pillow ;)

Is anyone else heading to Arthur & Arcola?

Blessings, Patti

You're invited!

This month TDIPT Mercantile is celebrating our annual Holiday Open House & Giveaway!

Click here to see all of the lovely offerings this month.

And click here to see the fabulous giveaways. There are so many ways to get your name in the hat to win one of the lovely handmade prizes.


Our theme this year is "Peace on Earth"
I thought of the most peaceful images that I could to inspire my creations...

... and am sharing a few of my antique textiles in these creations.

And I didn't forget Thanksgiving... there's one final offering to celebrate my favorite holiday!

Wishing you a November filled with thankfulness.

Blessings, Patti Gagliardi

Happy Halloween!

Wishing you a Happy Halloween.

We recently visited a pumpkin farm to select the perfect pumpkins for our jack-o-lanterns and we picked a few gourds , too.

Believe it or not, we have already had our first trick-or-treater today!

Who could resist this little hotdog? even first thing in the morning :)

Sometimes we call him our little bratwurst.

I don't think he minds ;)

Happy Halloween!

Blessings, Patti

Boxwood&Berries ~ Final Day

All too soon, Boxwood & Berries 2011 was coming to an end...

Here are some of our creations drying in the sun after aging them.
Here is our group from Session 2. Unfortunately Sue had left before we had a chance to take our group photo :(

This is our wonderful group that stayed together at the Second Story - oh what a fun time we had! Me, Carla, Wendy, Linda, Nicki, and Kim.

And this is who I sat with each day as we created all of our treasures. Me, Rhonda, and my dear friend Kim. It was such a pleasure to meet Rhonda. She writes the monthly article "Small Town Stories from the Indiana Prairie" for Mercantile Gatherings magazine. The article is always the first thing I read when the magazine arrives and it always makes me smile. I find it interesting that although I grew up in Chicago instead of a small town, I can still relate so much to her stories! And she has a wonderful blog you can visit here.

What an incredible retreat it was with so many lovely memories created!

I haven't gotten any further on my Maggie Bonanomi bedcover:

Oops! Here's my little helper :)

Let's try it again:

But I was thrilled to complete my entire Stacy Nash basket & needfuls:

And here is my purchase from The Wood Shed that I forgot to share earlier:

Don't you just love how the entire corner is worn away?

And I was so blessed to receive some incredible treasures for souvenirs.

On the right is a sweet pincushion made by Carla. Can you believe that she made one for each and every person in the second session! Thank you so much Carla for your sweet generosity and thoughtfulness! And on the left is a shocking surprise! Nancy Knight from the first session made these sweet tags and pockets for the first session. She follows my blog and left me a sweet surprise in my basket! I was so overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness! Nancy, if you read this, please send me an email at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com I would so like to thank you ever so much personally off line!

Thank you so much for letting me share and relive those four precious days. Sharing and thinking about it brings all those lovely feelings back again and again! Heartfelt thanks to Maggie, Stacy, and especially to Jeanne and her staff at Country Sampler for making our crafting dreams come true!

Stay tuned... we will be updating TDIPT Mercantile late on Halloween night.

And I'll be having another giveaway here on my blog the first week of November...

Blessings, Patti

Boxwood&Berries~Day 3

Day 3 has arrived! Today was filled with smaller projects, but each of them just as special!
We started with Maggie Bonanomi's Angel Wings! Maggie gave us an assortment of papers from old books and ledgers. We had such fun reading snippets from days gone by...
I thought that the wings were going to be too big for me to display and store at home. Maggie was so gracious to sketch out a smaller set of wings for me and help me to adjust the little paper feathers. I just love the finished project! Here it is:

I think that they will just stay out now until after Christmas as I love them so :) Hmmm, maybe I'll leave them out for Valentines Day as well!

Today Selma also helped us to frame sweet little photographs as ornaments. This technique was demonstrated by Blackbird Designs last year and this year we had the opportunity to make one. I'm not sharing mine right now as it has inspired thoughts of Christmas gifts... Jeanne and Selma will be doing these ornaments as a Make it Take it during Country Sampler's Christmas Open House in November. Click here to learn more.

Maggie also shared her fabulous prim ideas for holiday gift wrapping and gift giving. I loved the idea of fresh greens to cushion your gifts instead of tissue ~ a feast for the eyes and the nose!

And old mason jars! What a great way to give a gift! Maggie's ideas seem endless and are always a delight!

Who wouldn't love to open a gift like this on Christmas Day!!!

After lunch, Jeanne organized a special treat for us! Involving this beautiful basket of leaves...

Pat McCorkle, a local of the Spring Green area, came in and shared her special talent... Maple Leaf Crowns! Pat likes to create them in public places for others to enjoy, then shares them with strangers and friends alike! What a lovely way to "pass it on" and share the beauty of nature's autumn bounty!

She mentioned giving them to strangers that show an interest in what she is doing and the fun and joy of watching their surprise as she hands over a crown.

She also leaves crowns on unadorned pumpkins on doorsteps. Imagine the fun when the homeowner comes home to realize their pumpkin has been having fun ;)

She shared with us in hopes that we will keep the Maple Crowns alive and will pass it on as well...

Here is Nel wearing her new crown.

And Selma gathered a few leaves for a crown of her own! Beautiful!
I made a little candle ring out of maple leaves. And have now realized that I haven't taken a photo to share... I will definitely be sharing this idea and passing it on in the autumns to come...

*sigh*

Just one more day of Boxwood & Berries to share. Then it is time for goodbyes and the long wait for another year... Thanks for sharing my journey! Until next time...

Blessings, Patti