Carole’s Country Store Blog

After reading the comment by Christine LeFever, thumb I went to her husband’s website, troche and found the article she was talking about on Fraktur. Gregory has written many very interesting articles in EAL, pharmacy and later today, I am going back to read more. The thing that imediatley caught my eye, was this
fraktur of a woman. I had forgotten that I painted this woman in a mural upstairs in my bathroom, and this picture was my inspiration. It’s been a while since I painted it, but I think this article is where I saw it. It’s not that great, but I just thought you might like to see it anyway. I don’t know why the tulip looks crooked, because it’s perfectly straight on the mural. I guess it’s my camera angle. I don’t have much time this morning. I have to get ready to go to a trade show in King of Prussia, PA. I will also be meeting someone that I met through the internet. Actually, she is a customer of mine. I’m looking forward to meeting her and her daughter. They own a country shop in Washington state, and she has purchased a few DVDs, “Early America” for her shop. If you love antiques, speical effects, and wonderful music, you will enjoy this DVD. Promise. Better get ready. This will be fun. Maybe I’ll get some pictures to post, we’ll see. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.
Happy day!

I wanted to talk about Fraktur this morning and while researching a little on the internet, treat I found this wonderful 1836 German Fraktur Scherenschnitte, cialis pronounced shear-n-snit, pharm Valentine on ebay.

Fraktur are hand-written manuscripts, in pen and ink and watercolors. These beautiful manuscripts were made primarlity by Pennsylvania German and American German families in the second half of the 18th century and throughout the 19th century. Fraktur is still being reproduced by many talented artist of today.

American Fraktur was used on family events, such as births and baptisms. Because American Fraktur documents were personal, they were decorated for fun, and were meant to be kept in families and enjoyed.

This is one that I own. I bought it many years ago. It is done by a contemperary artist, and I have always enjoyed it.
If you would like to read more about this wonderful art, here is a link you might find interesting.
Happy day!

I really wanted you to see this. When feather pens were all the rage, look this was used to remove excess ink, instead of waiting for the ink to dry. It’s called a Sander. Just thought you might like to see. I think it is so cool. If you like it, it is for sale in my store, and guess what, it still has some of the original sand inside. Love that! What can I say, that kind of thing really tickles me.

I also want to mention that Sylvia Anderson is having a Valentine’s Day giveaway. Don’t we just love them! Be sure and check out her blog to read all about it and see her the beautiful charms that she has made.

Happy day!

As you might know by now, case I love antiques and old houses. For years I have passed this old farmhouse in Booth’s Corner, PA. It looks much different now. The house and the land has been bought up by a builder. Just recently this house was restored and put up for sale. Yesterday, I shopped to look at it. It is such a wonderful old farmhouse, but I was so disappointed at some of the things that were done to it. My husband doesn’t agree with me on this, but I don’t understand why those post caps are on the porch posts, for that matter, I wish he had used different posts. The turned ones just don’t seem to go with the house. Is it just me?

Why have a HUGE wrought iron chandelier in this small room?! It’s too big, and the style doesn’t go with the house at all. Let’s look in another window. I like the exposed stone, but there are too many exposed stone walls. These don’t look right to me. Do they to you? Is it just me?

Can you see the mantle on the right? Sorry, I know it’s hard to see, it’s so dark, but why not use a colonial mantle, made out of wood? A brown stone mantle just doesn’t seem appropriate, does it to you? It’s just fine for a new house, but this house? Is it just me?

Sorry about these photos, I took them through dirty windows. This is so odd looking to me. A stairway, behind a stairway? Hmm. I guess there was no other way it could have been done.

Here is the kitchen. Wood floors would have been nice, I think. I guess the tile they used for the backsplash is supposed to pick up on the stone wall.

I am not saying that there is anything wrong with anything in this house, except it just doesn’t seem to go with this historic home. Is it just me?

Happy day.

I got up nice and early on Sunday morning. I wanted to get an early start. Off to Lancaster County I went, check coffee in hand. I have made a new friend in the antique business, mind such a nice person, viagra and very helpful and knowledgable. He asked me if I knew anything about Amish quilts, which I don’t, but I think I know one when I see one, most times anyway. He brought this one in from his car to show me. It was beautiful and just perfect and clean. Full of beautiful embroidery stitches and lovely quilting.

The Amish woman do enjoy using bright color, as in can see in this quilt. Many useful items in their homes are brightly decorated as well. I always thought that they only wear dark colors, but that isn’t true either. Black is worn on Sunday. White is for funerals. Purples, blues and green dresses are worn during the week, along with an apron and cap. I took this photo of these Amish dresses, blowing in the breeze, on a lovely Spring day. they wore a white cap if they are married, and a black one if you are not. Amish women do not wear jewelry.

I bought a little old Amish doll yesterday. It’s called a church doll, and they were given to little girls to take to church services, something to play with, so as not to disrupt others.

This one is wearing traditional black, only worn on Sunday. She is for sale, and will soon be in my store. It’s getting late and I better go.

Oh, one more thing. I will also be selling this little Amish handpainted box.

Tobacco boxes were often recycled and used as little storage boxes. This one is quite charming, and if you like to collect boxes, this would be a great addtion to your collection. If you enjoy hearing about the Amish of Lancaster County, I hope you will let me know, and if you like, I can tell you more later this week.

Happy day.

Last night I went to the Designer Craftsman Show of Philadelphia. We got there at 5 p.m., stuff and waited in line to get in at 6 p.m. This show is always worth the wait. It has some of the best craftsmen in the country, viagra and people fly in from all over to see their offerings. I am so sorry but I didn’t take any pictures. Oh, I know how disappointed you must be, I am too, but I was told that no cameras were allowed. I know so many of the craftsman, and later I thought I should have brought it anyway. I don’t think they would have minded if I did take their photo, of course I would have asked first, but I had to control the rebel in me, so I didn’t. There were so many wonderful things to see. Hooked rugs, folk art, dolls, furniture, and much more. As you know, if you have been reading my blog for awhile, one of my favorite things to collect is Shooner redware. I took this photo to show you a few pieces I bought to sell in my store. I love these little animals, they are so fun to collect and they don’t take up much space. I’ll be putting them in my store over the weekend, so if you are interested, stop by before they are gone! Tomorrow I will be going to Lancaster County in search of more antiques. I’ll let you know what I find. Have a great weekend.
Happy day.

I know I have not written in a few days, recipe and I am sorry about that. Things have been pretty hectic around here. I am keeping busy with carolescountrystore.com, advice visiting my mother, and daughter, working at my mom’s house and trying to do all the normal things we all do, like cleaning, laundry, cooking, etc. Tonight I am pretty tired. A good tired though. It’s that good feeling you get when you gets lots accomplished in a day. I love that. Before I go get my bath, and put on my nice clean pj’s, I wanted to just drop by and say hi. Oh, I also wanted to say that this weekend I will be going to the Craftsman Show at King of Prussia, Pa. I go every year with my girlfriends and we always have such fun and always come home with something wonderful. For those of you that are not familiar with the show, here is a link I love collecting the little animals that Mary Shooner makes, Gregg’s wife. Of course I love everything Gregg makes, but as soon as the doors open, everyone will run to his booth and grab anything and everything they can get their hands on. I just won’t do that. Oh I want to, but come on, that’s just too embarrassing!!!!!!! We’ll see what happens. I know one thing though, I will get my 2 animals. Don’t ask me how. Shhh. It’s a secret.
Happy day.

I just bought this wonderful little doll quilt. It measures 11 x 14 inches, seek and it is in perfect condition, find as you can see. What is so wonderful about this little quilt, are all the fabulous examples of early fabrics. There are quite a few browns too, and they are in perfect condition. Early brown fabric, for some reason, always seems to deteriorate faster than most colors. The back of the quilt is done in cream and brown fabric, also in perfect condition.

Until fairly recently, it was typical for mothers to teach their daughters the skills to run a household and raise their children. In earlier times, mothers depended on her oldest daughter to help her around the house, and also taking care of the younger children.

At age 4, sewing skills were taught. Many children began learning these skills by making things for their dolls, and little quilts were a wonderful way of learning and practicing her sewing skills. This little quilt is beautifully made, probably by a mother, but there are also some stitches that look as though they were done by a child, so I am not sure, except that it is a wonderful work of art.

Many people today treat them as works of art, by hanging them on their walls. They look beautiful as a grouping. If you love quilts, and would like to read more about them, here is a link that I know you will enjoy.

HAPPY DAY!

Good morning, stuff friends. I have a busy day ahead, so I don’t have much time this morning. I didn’t want to let today go by without saying hello, and leaving some photos for you to enjoy. The weather is really weird. It’s so warm this morning and the sky looks threatening, very dark. Yikes! I have more painting to do at my mother’s house in Honey Brook. I’ll take my camera along, just in case I see something that I think you might like. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these photos. I loved this nice early hat, and the chaukware dog. Remember I wrote about chaulkware a few months back?

Enjoy. Gotta go!
Happy day.

What a day it was today. It was a beautiful sunny warm day here in Wilmington, doctor DE. It felt like Spring. I think the birds thought so too. These little birds are handcarved and quite old. I just thought you might like seeing them. I just had to devote my day to cleaning my house, health doing laundry and taking down the Christmas trees and decorations. It felt good to get away from my business and get some of these things done. I played my DVD, mind Early America, as I did my chores. The music makes me feel good. If any of you own my DVD, I hope you play the music too, and every now and then, when you pass the TV, you can glance a the photos. The only thing that took away from the music, was the sound coming from our basement. Bill was using a jackhammer!! He is installing a sump pump, and today he rented a jackhammer to break up a rock he hit while digging a two foot hole the other day! Yup, a two foot hole! You should see the pile of dirt he dug, and then he had to carry it upstairs, bucket by bucket, AND that was after he chopped up a 2×2 ft. square of concrete, that he also had to carry upstairs, bucket by bucket. I did manage to get a lot done today and that’s the best feeling. Tomorrow I’ll do more, if I can resist taking photos of the new items for my store. It’s supposed to go up to 68, can you believe it? Oh, I forgot to mention that yesterday I went to Adamstown, looking for goodies for the store. I got some too. Some great things. This wonderful early cat is one of the things I got. It’s probably Victorian era, but looks great with country decorating. I love it sitting on my chair. He’s going to be hard to part with, but he’ll be in my store in a couple of days.

I’ll show you more, and tell you more about my antiquing trip tomorrow, if I have time. If not, I will the next day. By for now.
Happy day!