BU2ful by Betsy

Farm Chicks...Here We Come!!!

2012-02-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

I pulled a sneaky, sneaky little move and applied to the Farm Chicks Antique Show in Spokane without telling my buddy, Elaine, and guess what, WE GOT IN!!! So excited, we have been many times and have always thought about having a booth, well now we do. I hope everyone can come see us and support the show.

Mini Pie Anyone?

2012-01-09T20:49:00.000-08:00

Well, thank you Dr. Bailey. What guy in their right mind would buy a woman a Christmas gift knowing it is for the benefit of the man...men!!! What can I say, I like new gadgets, whether it be a shop vac, a sander or a four at once mini pie maker, I HAD TO TRY IT.

So, my first attempt at this pie making, I decided to make pumpkin (that was the only recipe in the book I had all the ingredients to). They turned out pretty yummy if I do say so myself, and I do not feel bad when I eat a whole pie. I did start to feel a little sick on my third one that night. Once I recovered from my belly ache I tried my hand at a TURKEY CHILI pot pie. My hubby loved 'em and wanted me to be sure to thank that dang Dr.

Graffiti Love

2012-01-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

For some crazy reason, I have always loved graffiti. Now, hear me out, it has to be well done and preferably on a train or the side of an old brick building. The more colors the better! A few days ago I stopped by the trains down by the river to snap a few shots. I love how they turned out and cant wait to incorporate them somehow in a project.

New Year, New Projects!

2012-01-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

For my birthday this year, my lovely mother bought me my very first sewing machine!! Time to learn how to use it. I decided to take "baby steps" and start out with baby burp rags for my niece. Her parents are huge Coug fans so she is destined too, I figured, so what better present than something Cougs!!

Bathroom Makeover

2011-12-11T10:34:00.001-08:00

Before After

So, the last two areas on the main floor that I wanted to complete before the Christmas Cookie Exchange at my new house are the bathroom and the hallway. Well, I am pleased to announce the bathroom is complete but the hallway is another story. In the bath I painted the walls Sweet Belgian and the trim Swiss Coffee (Home Depot, Behr). The doorknob hooks are from Pier 1, only because I had a house warming gift card, otherwise I could not have spent the money (love that store but it is a bit over my yard sale/thrift store budget). And what about the Teal tile, I LOVE IT! The before picture shows the grey walls, lt tan trim and silver fixtures. So what are your thoughts?

LUCKY #15

2011-12-02T17:05:00.001-08:00

CONGRATS TO ASHLEY FOR BEING THE 15TH FOLLOWER. SHE WILL RECEIVE A $10.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO PURCHASE MY BU2ful TREASURES!

Casey's Christmas Open House

2011-11-22T07:12:00.001-08:00

My Love/Hate Relationship with Pinterest

2011-11-17T06:59:00.001-08:00

Dear Pinterest,

I love how you have so many great pictures, wonderful recipes and amazing ideas all in one place. I hate how you manege to waste away my entire day by pulling into websites and making me get sidetracked. I can start looking up recipes for our families annual cookie exchange and end up reading about how to make a Christmas Ball Ornament Wreath. Well, a day later, here it is. You have no idea how many ornaments and glue these babies take. I'm a little more traditional when it comes to decorating for Christmas so I'm in love with the red and green one.

Another Before and After of My House

2011-11-14T10:04:00.001-08:00

THE OFFICE (where I am currently sitting and enjoying my surroundings)

BEFORE

Some gardening or tool boxes I picked up at the Habitat Store for $2 and converted into shelving.

AFTER

The main dilemma with this room was I had to keep all of the furniture in it (because it is not ours and I have no other room in the house for it to go). After applying leftover free paint from my family and decorating with some yard sale and thrift store finds this entire remodel cost $54 (which over half was spent on the curtains) My best find in this room is the Stiffle lamp which is currently selling on ebay for $150 and up and I snabbed it for $6, WooHoo!

FREE GIVEAWAY

2011-11-14T09:56:00.001-08:00

The 15th person to follow
this blog will get a
$10 gift certificate
to spend at the next
event they attend!
Good Luck and
happy following!!!

More Pics of CHS Craft Show

2011-11-14T08:54:00.001-08:00

Elaine's upcycled springs into wine bottle toppers. Great hostess gift idea paired with a bottle of your favorite wine. A gal at the CHS craft show bought one to use as a tree topper on what she called her "ghetto whimpy forest tree!"

Fun with Gourds by Phillis Hewette. The one with the handle on the right was my favorite, and apparently everyone elses because it was the first to go. She also had a painted santa and snowman that found new homes quickly.

My memo boards, rope wreaths and a lit up sled at the end

More memo boards and Elaine's ruler star (I think that would make and adorable tree topper)

A little display of jewelry, a few Frosty the snowman kits and cute ribbon hair clips by my talented sister-in-law, Devin.

Two of Elaine's TO-DIE-FOR sleds. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to bows!

Box on the bottom right are very neat quilted items such as pot holders and IPad cases by Deanna Grimm. She has a cute Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/fabricdesigns

Elaine and I before the lovely mad choas

More treasures to be had!!! We had an amazing time, I hope everyone enjoyed our booth!

Clarkston High School Craft Show 2011

2011-11-13T11:49:00.001-08:00

The CHS craft show this year was so much fun. Tons of people with a festive atmosphere, but sorry to those who showed up at 8 like I posted on FB (wish I would have known it started at 9!) Here are some pics of our booth this year and I am happy to say that I need to get crafting for Casey's party on Sat. due to my decreased inventory :)

Great fun at Red Barn Farms Fall Festival!

2011-10-11T21:03:00.000-07:00

Well this weekend was a success, Elaine and I went up to Colton with three loads overflowing and returned with less than two. Thank you so much to everyone who came up to say hi and browse our booth. We took up the photobooth from the wedding for people to take pics in and it seemed to be a huge hit. We are looking forward to our next show which is the Clarkston High School Christmas Craft show Saturday, Nov. 12th.

Red Barn Farms Teaser

2011-09-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peek at a few things I'm taking to Red Barn Farms Fall Festival October 8 & 9. Hope to see everyone there! Last year Elaine and I had a blast and I'm sure this year will be no different.

Housewarming Party

2011-09-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hot Dog Bar!! Thank you everyone for coming and all the nice compliments. Hope you enjoyed the hot dogs (I heard the Thai Dog was by far the best)!

My Summer-LONG project!

2011-09-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

before

after

I know I haven't posted in quite a while. I've been a little busy with the move. OOHH YES, it's true, we finally moved. Chad and I moved into his fathers house which is where my great-great grandparents lived and my great grandmother Lita lived until she was about 13 so it has family history for both of us. The house is a beautiful craftsman style build in 1916. Here are a few before and after pics of the updating I've done so far!

Lucky Lucky Rubber Ducky

2011-07-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

I think this picture pretty much sums it up...one egg to four, how lucky can you get!

Can you say "Stalker"

2011-06-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know if this would be considered stalking or a Peeping Tom, but I have this cute little birdie I named Robin :) who set up nest under my carport. I started taking pictures from start to finish and was amazed at how fast the whole egg, hatch, fly away process really is. One thing that I did find odd is that Robin laid one egg and then a week later she laid two more...does anyone know if this is normal?

Well, it has been about a month since my last robin flew the coop but just last week I noticed another robin frantically building a nest (maybe it just dawned on her that it is now officially summer and she is a little behind the eight ball). I slipped back into my old ways and spied in the nest and who would have thought, one egg. Now I am intrigued and want to see if some siblings come later.

Upcycled Old Windows

2011-06-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Another little before and after for y'all on some old windows. I discovered that the Habitat store throws away the old windows that are broken which is exactly what I am looking for. So here are a few after I gave them a little paint and some nifty hardware. Little memo stations if you will!

Painted Kiddie Phono

2011-06-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Elaine, gave me this cute little wooden bench to work some magic on. I originally thought it was a gossip chair or telephone chair but it has a sticker on the back that says Kiddie Phono. I decided to paint it a lite green, brown glaze, a little sanding to distress, a coat of poly for longevity and there you have it. I think this little bench would be sooo cute in a baby room, but for now I'm using it as a plant stand.

Before & Afters

2011-05-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

I love before and after pics so I decided to post a few of mine!
Before:

After:

I've only upcycled two of the yard sale finds in the before pic so far, but I'm working on the rest!

Booze Bottle Bouquets

2011-04-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

These little "booze bottle bouquets" were a special order from a friend of mine to put in a raffle to raise money for her Relay For Life team. I started making these a long time ago for all my friends when they turned 21! (back in the good ol' days)

This Weekends Finds

2011-04-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, people are in the mood for yard saling, including myself! The weather Saturday morning was not beautiful but cooperative. Jennifer and I hit up, almost, every yard sale on my maps (yes, I make a map)-we only did about two drive-bys. Here are a few of my treasures that I couldn't pass up. We went to an estate sale where the owners must have worked for a coffee company and had tons of coffee advertisement. I love coffee, except when I have to scrape the stain off of people's teeth. I also picked up a ton of vintage half aprons for a steal and this lovely orange, antique milk crate.

Post Office Picture Frame

2011-03-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

These are some super cute postal box fronts that I traded a fellow "junker" for. I decided to put some pics of Chad and I in the little openings. The birdhouses in the first picture were made by my buddy Elaine and the vases in the second picture are made with more of the wedding gems, jars from our candy buffet and resin.

Bowling Ball Garden Art

2011-03-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

So this was my latest project that took up the entire kitchen in our huge house ;)
I started out by gluing left over glass gems from our wedding onto a bowling ball and grouting it. I added some additive to the grout which they say makes it less likely to crack outside enduring the weather. There you go...that's it. The only thing I would do differently next time is place the glass closer together or use less grout.

My new business cards!

2010-11-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

I should say "my first business cards!" I just ordered them off vistaprint.com and I'm very pleased with them. They have all my info such as blog, etsy shop, email, phone and catchy slogan ta-boot

Betsy's on Etsy

2010-11-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Just made my first etsy sale!!! I set up the account in '08 with the intention of selling my creations but who would have gussed that it's hard to sell items when you don't post anything. Well...two years later, I finally posted some items and made a sale.

Red Barn Farms

2010-10-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

Red Barn Farm's Fall Festival was a blast. There were so many cute young families and kids everywhere. Elaine and I were lucky enough to have a great booth location next to some awesome vendors like S-Wheatie-Pie http://www.s-wheatie-pie.blogspot.com/, Renaissance Designs, and Hungry Horse (jams and such).

The greatest part of the weekend for me was watching all the people try on our old hats and glasses and laugh at each other until they about cried.

Team Spirit

2010-10-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

GO COUGS...WOOHOO!

Meet me at the Red Barn Farms Fall Festival to load up on all your Cougar accessories. I will have magnets, pendants, and flower headbands in coug colors. I also have U of I goodies if you're a Vandal fan!

Red Barn Farms-October Festival

2010-09-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Red Barn is a place that is very dear to my heart as many of you know (my wedding location) and now I have the pleasure of setting up a booth at the October festival. I will have my jewelry and lots of hand-made goodies for purchase. Elaine and I are so excited to be participating this year. Last year we attended and found some great treasures, if you make it to Colton I'm sure you will too!

The festival is October 9-10 with live music, kids activities, a pumpkin patch and great food.

Can't wait to see you all there!

Uniontown was a Success

2010-08-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday was great fun...so many people. There were not as many booths as the last few years but it was still great. I almost purchased more treasures than I sold. It is hard for me to pass up the Sisters' Sale on the highway and once again I took some merchandise off their hands and left them my money. Their stuff is so fun and right up my ally. Well 364 days til next year when I hope to see you all there.

UNIONTOWN flea market

2010-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

The yearly Uniontown flea market is coming up on Aug. 21. Elaine and I will have a booth with tons of treasures and a huge jewelry sale. All jewelry pieces will be $10 each or 3 for $28. It is a great way to spend the day. The park is full of vendors and the town is full of yard sales. A few years ago my cousin Tileena and I ate an amazing lunch @ The Sage Bakery...so all in all there is tons to do and great eats too. Can't wait to see you all there!

2010-08-10T21:14:00.001-07:00

I LOVE doing custom orders. These are two of my favorite pieces I've created. The parachuter over the ocean, snow-covered mountains, and sun was for a friend/classmate of mine and the other is the Lone Cypress Tree of California made for one of my professors.

Bottle Caps...Gotta Love 'Em

2010-08-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

My latest venture has been my bottle cap magnets that I am in love with. I have been trying to branch out and find other uses for them, this photo frame is one thing. I have had ladies buy magnets with names on them to make chore boards for their fridge- Super cute ideas!

My BU2ful booth at Unique Design

2010-08-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

This is my booth space at Unique Design in the Orchards across from Rosauers. It is a work in progress but none the less, you should come in and check it out!

Flower Headbands

2010-08-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

If these babies aren't adorable, I don't know what is! The green flower is my niece, Blake Lynn, and the other is Darby Jo. The headbands are available at Unique Designs and where ever I have a craft booth set-up. I sew the flower on so there is no metal to irritate your babies head.

For My Bridesmaids

2010-07-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

The theme of my wedding was "Nature." The colors were chocolate and moss with a splash of peacock blue. In my hair, I wore a cream flower with Swarovski crystals, pearls, peacock blades, and green feathers. I wanted my girls to have something similar so I made them all peacock feather bobby pins with vintage buttons.

Christmas In Clarkston, WA

2010-01-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

For the past three, maybe four, years Elaine Alford and I have set-up a booth at the Christmas craft show in the Clarkston HS gym. This craft show is getting bigger and bigger every year. These are some shots of our booth a few years ago. Looking forward to the show again this year!

Want To Personalize Your Bridal Party Gifts - Give Them One-Of-A-Kind Pieces That Match Your Wedding Perfectly!

2009-03-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

No order is too big or too small. Whether you would like a single piece for every day wear or would like to order custom jewelry for your entire wedding party,I can help. These are a few photos of jewelry that I created, with the help of the bride, for her special day.

All about me...

2009-03-12T21:09:00.001-07:00

For those who don’t know me, I’m just a small town girl who loves crafting anything I can get my hands on. My mom says I’ve been this way since I was little. I come from a family of crafty people including artists, a western décor designer, and another amazing jewelry artist.
Growing up on a farm, I spent a lot of time outdoors which made me appreciate the beautiful views and the amazing colors and shapes that nature has to offer. This is where I get many of my inspirations for my designs and color combinations. I am also a big upcycler. I try to reuse and bring new life to just about anything I can.
I am always looking for new, unique, and fun ideas and hope that you enjoy my creations as much as I do.