TONIGHT on Early Work Mercantile...

Folk Art Suffolk Sheep.

"If you're worried and you can't sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep."
Thank you Mr. Irving Berlin for that sound advice.



Click on the banner below to go directly to my selling page.



Hope to see you there!


:> )

They're baaaaack!!

Finally!!!

I sharped my ax and got right to work!
I plan on creating more of my beloved Firewood Folks so be sure to visit my selling blog often!

Just click on the "Firewood Folks" button below to go directly to my selling blog.



Happy Sunday, all!!!

:> )

Woo Hoo!! Another Craigslist score...

Besides dough boxes and candle stand tables, tavern style tables are one of my favorites.
Well, as I was scrolling through Craigslist the other day I spotted a set of three (coffee table and two end tables) someone was selling. THREE!!!
After I calmed myself down, I contacted them asking to have a lookieloo.



So hubs and I headed over and sure enough... JACKPOT!!
Not only are they beautiful; the sweet, older couple told us they had them made for their home. They are rock solid, too! Didn't even quibble about the price. It was a great deal!

I think my hubs is happier than me because as he lays on the sofa, he'll no longer have to try to look over the dough box I had in front of it. Sure it looked fantastic, but so impractical for us him. (Hey, impractical is my middle name)

No need to tell you I was like a little kid in a candy store as I started moving furniture all around. I'm still moving furniture all around but here's a quick peek at ol' Ben's corner.



As I stood there staring at the chipped and cracked slate threshold it hit me like a ton of bricks!! I know what needs to replace this slate threshold... BRICKS!

Remember a few years back I was on the brick veneer kick? The company shipped me a bunch of samples. Of course now I can't remember where the heck I put them. Ack!

Boston Mill was the one I picked to put on the wall behind our wood stove. But the cost is what brought me back down to earth and into reality. So I decided to pass.



But this time I'd only need a couple of boxes. I would do a herringbone pattern like this guy did.



I think our Founding Fathers hanging on my walls would approve.

So when I showed my sweet hubs the photo, I asked him if it was something he thought we could do.
"We?????" He asks. "I hope you have a frog in your pocket."

If you're referring to the one with eye glasses and goatee??? Why yes, yes I do.((giggle))

Happy Saturday, all.

:> )

A little someone is in need of some spectacles...

Gee, I wonder who it could be????????

:> )

Who knew??!!!

I just found out some exciting news!!!!

While many may scoff at (what I consider) my exciting news, my fellow DIY'ers might share in my excitement!!

Ready??!!!

Okay! I just found out I can (high temp) spray paint our enamel wood stove!!! WOO HOO!!!!
You can't see me now, but I'm doing a jig!!

I know... You're thinking, "That's what you consider exciting news??" Why yes indeedy, I sure do!!

You see years back when I picked out our wood stove for the keeping room, at the time I guess I thought "diarrhea brown" (Did I type that out loud? Sorry.) would be a complimentary color.
I swear, they must have had different lighting in the hearth store we purchased it from.
Anyway, I never had the nerve to tell me sweet hubs how much I strongly disliked the color. Especially after convincing him to spend more money on the enamel. He wanted black.



Well, I always thought it would be too big of a production to sandblast it and try to remove the enamel. From what I've read, it's impossible to do anyway.
BUT if I take the time, I can prime and spray paint it!

Heck, you all know I'm the queen of painting stuff!
I even tackled our little cast iron wood stove in the kitchen a few years back. Remember?



Since I'm an old school kind of a gal, I want the stove to be a traditional black. Shhh... My sweet hubs was right. Although if it were in the kitchen, I'd consider red. After all, red is my favorite color and wood stoves look awesome red!

That leaves me with what finish. I'm not one for high gloss paint. Personally, not only is it too contemporary for my taste, it also shows every single imperfection on the surface. Ack! But Since the wood stove is textured and decorative, it may have a nice formal look to it. But it's a hard sell.
A satin finish is what I used on the kitchen wood stove. Although it looks more like an eggshell than satin to me.
So whattayathink? High gloss or satin??!!!
I'm open to suggestions!

Well, now it's time for me to kick back for a bit and stop drooling on myself. I needed a filling taken care of so it was my turn to go to the dentist this morning. I'm still numb so I find myself talking like Bill Murray in Caddyshack.
But it didn't stop me from sucking on a piece of Dove milk chocolate... and if you tell my dentist, I'll deny it! ((hee hee))

Happy Wednesday, all!!

:> )

Happy Fathers Day, Daddy...

I miss you every single day.



He taught me well.



♥




♥

An Added Flag Day Bonus...

"Ragged Old Flag"

I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench, an old man was sittin' there.
I said, "Your old court house is kinda run down,"
He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town."
I said, "Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit,
And that's a ragged old flag you got hangin' on it."
He said, "Have a seat," and I sat down.
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town?"
I said, "I think it is,"
He said "I don't like to brag, but we're kinda proud of
That ragged old flag."

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.


(General George Washington crossing the Delaware.)

And it got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it,
Writing "Say Can You See."
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson
Tugging at its seams.
And it almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas flag,
But she waved on though.


(Feb 24, 1836: Alamo defenders call for help.)

She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,


(Civil war 44th New York Infantry.)

And the south wind blew hard on that ragged old flag.

"On Flanders Field in World War I,


(Battle of St. Mihiel 1918.)

She gotta big hole from a Bertha Gun.
She turned blood red in World War II


(Attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii December 7, 1941.)

She hung limp, and low, a time or two.


(USS Crescent City ~ World War II.)

She was in Korea, Vietnam, she went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.


(Korean War POWs posing with hand-made American flag.)

She waved from our ships upon the briny foam
And now they've about quit wavin' back here at home.

In her own good land here she's been abused,


(Bill Ayers ~ Former member of the 60's radical Weather Underground Organization.)

She's been burned, dishonored, denied an' refused.


(1969 ~ Washington DC anti war protesters.)


(February 2012 ~ Occupy Oakland protesters.)


(April 2016 ~ Anti-Donald Trump protesters stole and then set ablaze an American flag taken from a Trump supporter outside the California Republican convention.)

And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting thread bare, and she's wearin' thin,
But she's in good shape, for the shape she's in.
Cause she's been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more.

"So we raise her up every morning
And we take her down slow every night.
We don't let her touch the ground,
And we fold her up right.


(The Countryfolk Keepsakes homestead.)

On second thought
I do like to brag,
Cause I'm mighty proud of
that ragged old flag.

Written by: Johnny Cash

Me too, Mr. Cash.




♥ Teach and fly your American flag. ♥


:> )

Do you know what today is?

I'll give you a few hints...


















My precious Darla. How I miss her. ♥







Give up?? ((giggle))

Today is Flag Day! So whatever size Old Glory you have, big or small...
Fly her proudly.

Happy Flag Day, all.

♥

Some things...

just fill




your heart



without trying.



♥

Well hello there, Mr. Douglass...

President Lincoln and I have been waiting for you!



Now if you don't know who Frederick Douglass is, shame on you for not knowing your American history. (Did I type that out loud?) ((giggle))
I know, a little too harsh. Sorry. Even though we were taught social studies and history in school it was never in great detail.
But now with the internet there is no excuse for not learning no matter what your age. Just please don't get your "facts" from Wikipedia.

Back in 1865, Mr. Douglass spoke not too far from us here in the Central New York countryside.



I can guarantee you too have a lot of ( good and bad) history (hey, no country is perfect) right outside your door. If you have a local historical society, contact them and start from there. Remember to teach your younguns and wee ones, also.

♥


Happy Saturday, all.

:> )

Betsy got some new bling...

I like to plug other businesses, artists and people who create.

I was looking for a new stick shift knob. But wanted something to go along with Betsy's patriotic theme.

Well, I found The Brick Shift House on eBay. Love the name by the way. ((hee-hee))

The copper bald eagle is perfect!!



So if you drive a stick (manual transmission) and are looking to add a little personality, check him out.

Okay. It's back to work for me.
I've got little Founding Fathers heads on my kitchen table that need to be tended to! (Ummm, that doesn't sound very good. But you know what I mean.)

Happy Friday, all!!

Enjoy your weekend!!

:> )

Holy Smokes! Where does the time go?!

Wow! It's been over a week since I posted last!

Well, I've been swinging my ax, working on creating new Americana Firewood Folks. Man, it's been quite some time and I forgot how much goes into making those sweet, lil' buggers! I also forgot how much I love making them!
Thank goodness I haven't lost a finger... yet. So all is well at the ol' Countryfolk homestead. ((giggle))

Also, Betsy and I have been enjoying some time together. We have a lot in common. We're old-ish and not very fast. But we give 110% in all that we do.





Finally, I've been enjoying the wonderful, sunny weather we've been having. Even sat outside to get a little color. Lord knows my milk toast self could use some. Although at my age I have to be careful. I don't want to end up looking like "Magda." If you know your movies, you should get that one. ((hee hee))

That's it for now. I've got so much to do and not enough hours in the day.
My next big project is to tackle refinishing these old pine floorboards again. It's been at least 13 years since I did them. They are overdue.

Happy Sunday, all!!



Remember to get outside and enjoy the beauty around you.
Wherever you are, there's always beauty around you.
♥