Yo-Yo Bracelets

Pam has made a new, unique and endearing item, Yo-Yo Bracelets. Our granddaughter has 'flipped' over them and came home from school today with orders for five! I guess we will have to pay her a commission!

Thought you would enjoy seeing them. Very easy to make and would be a great gift idea for any little girl. (Some boys want them too in school colors.) Pam is going to make some with buttons and bells and her imagination is flowing like an Autumn creek.

Blessings,

Frank and Pam

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. Proverbs 31:13

I didn't work the wool today, that's for next month, nor the flax, never spun it or worked it at all, but I did work willingly and made some beautiful Quince Jelly.

Thought you might enjoy a picture. It is heavenly tasting, sweet/tart, and beautiful when the light hits it.

I pick a large pail full at a time so I don't measure but the receipt is very forgiving. It seems like a lot of work, but it is worth it.

Quince Fruit

Quince Jelly

Quince Jelly Receipt

TO RENDER JUICE:
*Rinse your bucket of Quince fruit.
*Chop each one into quarters. Do not peel. Throw them in a large pot and include the core and the seeds.
*Put in enough water to cover about an inch or two and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer, covered, for about 30-45 minutes until they are soft.
*Use a potato masher and mash the soft fruit into a pulp.
*Pour contents into a colander that is set over a large bowl. Get as much of the juice out as you can. (Sometimes I add hot water to the mixture in the colander if there seems to be a lot more 'life' in the pulp.
*Now pour the contents of the bowl through a single piece of cheesecloth. Use a large spoon to move the pulp around.
*Now pour the contents of the bowl through two layers of cheesecloth. Use your spoon again!
*Lastly pour the contents through a tight muslin or flour sack. Use the spoon or squeeze tightly.

TO MAKE JELLY:
Measure the juice into a pot and add half as much sugar as juice. (Seven cups juice=3.5 cups sugar.) You may add equal amounts of sugar and juice if you prefer for a sweeter jelly. I like more tart than sweet.

Boil until jelly gets to around 220-230 degrees. I use a candy thermometer but I also test mine by placing a nickle size bit on a cold saucer. When it can be pushed through with your finger and it wrinkles, the jelly is ready. You can also dip a spoon and when the drips become gel like, it is ready.

Ladle into sterilized jars and leave a head space. Wipe jar rims and seal.

If lids seal it is good to go, but if they don't seal place in refrigerator and use it first.

Blessings,
Pamela

Sarah, Plaine and Pryme

Hello All~
Wanted to post some pics of Sarah, my newest rag doll. She was inspired by the pioneers who opened the American West and stands 21 inches tall. Her features are pencilled and stitched and she is completely coffee stained and then sprayed with our wonderful homemade fragrance, Autumn Hearth. Sarah wears a 100% cotton indigo colored frock with white flower print,a blue prairie bonnet, neckerchief of brown cheesecloth and a homespun woolen apron. She is complete to her sewn and attached thumbs, feedsack drawers and 1930's vintage flannel petticoat and is entirely handstitiched with the exception of her body.

It is so fulfilling for me to begin work on a new doll and have her personality seemingly jump out at me. Sarah's soft smile and gentle demeanor are pleasing to me as a seamstress and a doll collector.

I hope you enjoy her as much as I do.

Pamela~

Crisp Air and Homebaked Oatmeal Cookies

Ahhh, Fall is in the air and we can't wait. It is so nice to be able to go outside and actually breathe. It was such a nice day that I was able to work on a lot of the backed up projects in my shop and Pamela decided to bake some Oatmeal Cookies, my favorite!

Life is good in the Lord, we've been knocked down, but we're not knocked out! Continue to pray for us, for our health and a job for me.

Hello Blog World!

As you can tell by the infrequent posts, I have not put a lot of time in here on our blog. God has been so good to us, but the humidity and heat of Georgia hasn't!

We opened our new website at www.picturetrail.com/shadetreeprimitives and have been working diligently to make stock for a show we plan to have in early October.

Pam and I joined a couple of Primitive forums and they have helped our business to bloom. Thank you, Lord for Your great hand of protection in our lives!

Haven't done much reenacting around here in the summer but with Fall on the horizon, events should soon start to happen. I am posting a picture of Pamela that we did for Prim forums about Fall table groupings. Hope you enjoy! (Artificial pumpkins made into Pye.)

Blessings,

Frank