NEW ONLINE MAGAZINE!



I was asked to join as an editor, along with several other VERY talented ladies, and will be having my own column! "Designing with Dianne" What an honor! And so much fun! I can hardly wait for the first issue to come out in November. It will be chock full of craft ideas, business info, recipes, patterns, and lots of other great articles. And, I will be offering a free pattern on my page, different from the one I will have on my website. So, please come check out our site, bookmark it, and come back to get your copy of the magazine each month!

NEW!! Olde-time-stitchin's PATTERN CLUB!! Choose six $2.00 patterns of your choice each month for $5.00. Join now and start picking your patterns today!

New patterns on Olde-time-stitchin.Primitive
coasters, candle cozies, stitcheries and hang tags. Check new items page 4.

OH YUCK!! IT'S WORSE THAN DIRT CAKE!!...
But, oh so perfect for a halloween party! Or...
a grandson you want to play a joke on. It's totally GROSS! I've decided my oldest grandson is getting one for his birthday!



"KITTY LITTER CAKE"
1 spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 white cake mix
2 large pkg vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared (I like Bird's® dessert mix)
1 large pkg vanilla sandwich cookies
green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Rolls®

1 new kitty litter pan
1 new plastic kitty litter pan liner
1 new pooper scooper

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans).

Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix until completely colored.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Important: mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don't want it too soggy. Combine gently.

Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Put the cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the litter box.

Put three unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything -- this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.

Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around for a truly disgusting effect!

Further notes: I had a reader write in saying this recipe only needed half the amount of pudding. I personally liked the cake with the amount given in this recipe. But feel free to use this as a loose guideline, use more or less as you see the need. Also, since the layer of cookies (with the chloropyll green specks, covers the top, you could really use any flavor or flavors or cakes underneath. Last but not least, you can also opt not to crumble the cakes, but rather layer them in the pan with the layers of pudding in between (much like you would layer a trifle into a trifle dish), sprinkle the top layer of pudding with a heavy layer of crumbled cookies. Same effect, different texture entirely to the dessert.

~ recipe was found on fabulousfoods.com, and I just had to share it! ~

A NEW FALL CONTEST!!
From now thru Sunday, September, 24, 2006, you will find 9 letters hidden on the pages of the Olde-time-stitchin website. They will be in red, but watch carefully where you find them, because 2 of the letters are listed twice and you don’t want to miss one. Figure out what the hidden word is, send it to me at memes_mailbox@charter.net and win a free pattern of your choice. HAPPY HUNTING!! Just click the angel above to go to my site.

RUB-A-DUB-DUB... 3 crafters in a tub... twas the painter, the stitcher, and THE CANDLE BAKER!

Well, I might have the nursery rhyme wrong, but Cindy's shoppe THE CANDLE BAKER is perfect. It's a must see! And, while you are visiting her website, check out "our garden". It's absolutely beautiful! Just looking at the pictures makes you want to prop your feet and sit a spell. She says, "at the end of our long days...Me and my hubby enjoy sitting at our Koi pond feeding the fish. We have two frogs that live in the pond too. We enjoy all the birds that come to feed, drink and bathe in the falls. It attracts butterflies, dragonflies and so many different critters." Cindy has graciously donated a candle recipe for the holidays, which she designed just for us. It's called The Olde Worlde Turkey Pillar, and the picture and instructions are below. THANKS CINDY!



Note: This is an easy recipe for anyone to make and you don't have to go out and by an expensive metal mold or melting pots. The scented candle pillars can be bought at Michaels Craft Store or a Dollar Store.

List:
Ceramic Cookie Stamp
Large old pot (using as a double boiler)
Empty 3 lb. coffee can
Long Handled Old Stir Spoon
Candle Thermometer
wax paper
2 lbs. Paraffin Wax
2 ounce scent block or scent oil of choice
candle dye of choice (chips,block,liquid form)
3x3 Scented Pillars of choice
ground spice of choice

Place the larger pot filled 1/4 of the way with water and then place the coffee can of wax in the pot on MEDIUM heat. Never leave your wax unattended. As the wax melts and is almost all melted lower your heat to LOW. Place the thermometer in the wax and check the temperature. It should reach 175* Now then turn off the heat. Add a little of your dye and stir until melted.(You can drop some wax on a piece of wax paper to see the shade you desire. If you want it a darker shade then add more dye) Now you add your scent last and stir in. Remove all plastic wrap and labeling from your pillar candles. Holding the wick of the pillar candle with your fingers slowly lower it into the melted wax and pull up out of the wax in between coatings. Your now doing the dipping method. Keep dipping your candle until its coated good. I dip around seven times. Then I place it on wax paper. While its still warm I take the cookie press and gently press it on the warm side of the pillar so it leaves the print. Then I roll it in the spices that are on the wax paper and use my fingers to press some around the design. Good Job! You have made a grungy candle pillar.

SO YOU WANT TO TRY PRIMITIVE STITCHIN'....
Primitive stitching is really very easy to do. After all, it's PRIMITIVE! Most mistakes can be explained away as embellishments.

I try to keep my patterns simple and use just three easy embroidery stitches. Of course, there has to be a few rules involved. You need to stitch using a hoop to hold material tight so stitches stay even in tension and don't pull, and you should always use a thin batting (such as warm and natural) behind your material the pattern is drawn on to prevent the back of the stitching from showing through. I stitch with three strands of floss, unless it is a real fine design, then I will use 2. That's about it for beginners! Below, I will show drawings of the three stitches and explain how to do.

RUNNING STITCH
This stitch is most simple. It is basically a primitive stitch of ups and downs like we did when we were young and learning. Bring the needle up at point A, and down at point B. With primitive, the less even and crooked they are....the better!

BACKSTITCH
The backstitch is basically a up and down stitch too, but you work from right to left, and bring the needle up at point A, down at point B, and up at C. The next stitch starts by going down at point A and up at D. You continue to work in that way to make a solid line of stitches. And don't worry if the line is a bit uneven, you're stitchin PRIMITIVE..

FRENCH KNOT
Now we come to the hardest of the three, but really quite simple once you get the knack of holding the thread taut. They say practice make perfect, so try some on scraps first and before you know it, you will be a pro. These are much needed for dotting the i's and making berries, so you have to learn. Bring thread up at point A. Wrap the thread around your needle 1-3 times (I do 1 for i's, 2-3 for berries) and remember to hold it tautly, but not too tight. Then insert needle down close to A, but not in it, and pull to back of material. YOU DID IT!! A perfect little knot is left on the top. (If you are like my sister, and don't succeed at first, try, try, again! And maybe AGAIN! some day I will teach her patience!) Unfortunately, these are very hard to take out, so practice, practice, practice, first.

FOR THE LOVE OF RAGGEDY

I think by now you have guessed that I like raggedies. Who doesn't?? I've had great fun designing my new raggedy stitcheries, and trying to give each one a personality of it's own. You will find them under "prims" at Olde-time-stitchin.
I decided to share some of the story of how she came to be "born" on September 7, 1915.
Artist and cartoonist, John Barton Gruelle, made a gift of a dusty, long-forgotten rag doll found in the attic to his sick young daughter. The doll had no face, so he drew one on and named her Raggedy Ann. That whimsical, smiling, doll became his daughter's constant companion through her illness. Figuring other young girls would like them, he filed for a patent, and Raggedy Ann was born in 1915. In 1920 her loveable and mischievous brother Andy was created and things just got better. Together they shared many adventures and won the hearts of girls and boys everywhere. Even us older "girls" love raggedies. If you have a favorite story or picture, please send it to me and I will list it.
Information taken from article by Bam's Collectables.

HAPPY FALL YA'LL!!
My favorite time of year! Makes me think of cornhusks, crows, and apple orchards. Bobbing for apples, carmel apples, and apple cider. What a fun time! Below is a neat recipe for carmeled apples from the Popcorn Board. They look delicious....and sinfully fattening!


1 quart popped popcorn
1 (9.5 oz.) package caramels, unwrapped (35 caramels)
¼ cup light cream or 'half and half'
4 lollipop sticks (or wooden candy apple sticks)
4 apples
½ cup chocolate chips
Sugar sprinkles
Decorative ribbon, optional

* Place popcorn in a large bowl; set aside. Place a sheet of waxed paper on work surface.
* Heat caramels and cream in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until caramels are melted and cream is blended into caramels.
* Push a stick into an apple center and dip into caramel. Spoon caramel over apple to coat completely. Place caramel–coated apple into bowl of popcorn and press popcorn onto caramel to cover completely. Place apple on waxed paper to set; repeat with remaining apples.
* Place chocolate chips in a small, resealable plastic bag. Microwave 10 seconds and press chips to aid melting. Repeat, heating at 10-second intervals, until chips are completely melted. Cut a small corner off bag and squeeze chocolate onto each apple allowing chocolate to drip down sides. Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles.
* Tie a bow to each apple stick, if desired. To serve, cut apple into slices.

Yield: 4

ADVERTISING!!... ADVERTISING!!... ADVERTISING!!...

One of the most important things you can do after setting up your wonderful prim shoppe on the web, is to advertise. But, where???...who???...how much???... Well, Kerri at Olde Barn Primitives has a great spot!

My name is Kerri and I am the Owner Of Olde Barn Primitives. Olde Barn Primitives is a Prim Marketplace full of Great Crafters, Shopping, Games, Prizes, Freebies and So Much More! We also offer Low Cost Advertising for the Crafters..Your Local Shop, Ebay Auctions, Web Site and More.
I am 31 years old and a SAHM. It was important to my husband and I to stay at home with the kids. I have always loved crafting and what started out has a hobby has become a full time job giving me the chance to keep staying home with the kids. I have 3 other websites I run plus I sell on Ebay. Between the kids, hubby, housework and crafting it doesn't leave much time for anything else.

Make Sure and Stop By and Visit us!

EASY SOLUTION FOR COPYING PATTERNS

Having problems copying your pattern onto the material? Here's a great tip sent in by Connie Conn of Dry Branch Primitives. Simple and easy to do! THANKS Connie!

How To Make Your Own Light Box Under $15.00

Materials needed:
1 shallow, see through storage tub
1 under the counter light

Take the lid off the storage tub, place it on your table upside down. Lay the under the counter light on the tub top with the electric cord hanging over the side. Turn the switch on the light to the ON position. Take the tub and place it on the tub top, snap shut. There you have it! your very own and inexpensive light box! Just lay your pattern on top of the bottom of the tub, lay your material down, plug in the light, and there you have it! This is the best tool I have! I went a little further and purchased a bulb for the light that is more like natural sunlight. Only to help my bad eyes! LOL!!! Even purchasing the extra bulb it was still under $20.00! I hope you have enjoyed my little tid bit. Prim Blessin's To You and Yours!

DRY BRANCH PRIMITIVES

Here's a terrific little prim shoppe! Let me introduce you...

Hello!
My name is Connie Conn and I own Dry Branch Primitives. I am a WAHM (Work At Home Mommy) who loves to stitch. At Dry Branch Primitives I offer hand made items such as stitcheries, olde time butter tarts, room sprays, and many other needfuls for your primitive and country decor. So come on over and take a peak! and by all means, if you have a question or comment feel free to email me. I'll be happy to hear from ya!

Below are some pics of her items. The pillow was made using my star wreath pattern. Thanks Connie!...