Thursday, December 29, 2016

Folkart and Primitives Team: After Christmas Sale

Folkart and Primitives Team: After Christmas Sale: I am happy to report that Santa found me. Either I am very nice OR Santa is very forgiving. Momma says that Santa is love, So m...

Friday, December 23, 2016

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone !!

I want to thank everyone for all their support over this past year.

It has been an amazing year for us here at Cozy Expressions.

A dream come true for me and it is because of all of our followers and customers.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!


Folk Art, Primitives and More team is ramping up for an after Christmas sale, which will begin on January 3.   This would be a fantastic time to pick up some wonderful handmades
for next years gift giving.    






Thursday, December 8, 2016

Folkart and Primitives Team: Fruit cake-yay or nay

Folkart and Primitives Team: Fruit cake-yay or nay: Wuf wuf, my peeps! Charcoal here. How are you doing? My Mommie is busy,  and I am not getting enough  lap time. One of Momm...

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Folkart and Primitives Team: MARKETPLACE DEALS--HURRY!

Folkart and Primitives Team: MARKETPLACE DEALS--HURRY!: Wuf...wuf... I just wanted to share some of the items in the marketplace. Hurry...go look at the album to see more of the awesome items ...

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Folkart and Primitives Team: FAAP MARKETPLACE

Folkart and Primitives Team: FAAP MARKETPLACE: Are you ready for the largest offerings of handmades items for sale beginning tomorrow November 27th. Shop with the artisans from the Folk...

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Folkart and Primitives Team: Pets of FAAP, Part deux

Folkart and Primitives Team: Pets of FAAP, Part deux: WHEW...I didn't think I wuf EVER  get that phone away from Momma... I had to SIT on her to get it... wuf is me... It is a dog&#...

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Folkart and Primitives Team: Our Pets, Part One

Folkart and Primitives Team: Our Pets, Part One: I've got friends in LOW PLACES... I was just singing cause  I heard that my buddy, Garth, won Entertainer of the Year at ...

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Alive? why yes I am

Yes, I am alive and Cozy Expressions is busy ramping up for the holidays.

I am so thankful for being able to do what I do and LOVE every minute of it.

I  have the support of my loving husband and my two little gray helpers

Cody and Griffin

our two Russian Blue Cats which are litter brothers.

They just love to help me out, well I am not to sure how much they are really helping.....

you be the judge.



Cody is on the top, Griffin is on the bottom


On another note, I wanted to share with you a new blog that was set up for the


We have a wonderful blogger who has taken charge of it for us.   Charcoal in an honorary member of our team.

Please take a moment and click on the link, to take you to read our blog.

You will not be disappointed



Wednesday, October 5, 2016

I LOVE my customers


I want to share something very special with you.   

I so enjoy the conversations back and forth that I am fortunate to have with my Etsy customers.
I love the interaction, the planning of a special request and the most of all the trust that they put in me, that the final outcome will be exactly what they want.

About 2 months ago, I received an order for Witch hat bowl fillers.

Yesterday, the customer was so excited to share with me what she did with the  hats.    She made my day!   And, with her permission I am sharing her photos with you.




See the little hat with the gauze band??




       OMG, this is so stinking cute!!!





THANK YOU KELL for sharing this with me.....

I have the BEST customers.






AND........... a SNEAK PEAK of what is coming to our shop





A Cupcake ornament - yummy  




and here are photos of 3 of my 10 new pillow tucks that will be listed soon.

Each will be priced at $7.95 + shipping

I am trying to get caught up with Halloween right now.....




Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Garden

The garden?........well is is almost bare.   I have 5 tomato plants standing and 4 pepper plants left

Neither is producing much anymore, which is expected at this time of year.

What have I learned?   Well, it has been informative, annoying, confusing and maddening at times.  
Would I do it all again?  YES !!

I have learned that groundhogs do NOT like used cat litter   :) Making a mental note of that for next year.  

Not to put epson salts on tender young lettuce seedlings either.
Not to overwater eggplant.
Water consistently plants that like their "feet wet"

Plant extra peas and stick with tomato plants that are established producers.

Believe it or not, I am planning my garden for 2017 already.

Spaghetti squash will be added  :)  and I will try Kale again too.

I think we will pass on Zucchini because I have so much frozen from this year.   LOL

I feel rewarded and accomplished.   

It is a good feeling !!











Tuesday, September 13, 2016

New promotion with our team

Our team
Folk Art, Primitives and More

is preparing for an 

Online craft show on Facebook.






You will be able to shop from  over 40 albums 

offering the best handmades online.

If you are not a member of our FAAP Marketplace

click the link and request to join.    

Here at Cozy Expressions we are working hard to get new things ready for you.

https://www.CozyExpressions.com

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

New creations in our shop

Yup we have moved on to

Christmas and are slowly adding the new line to our shop!!!!


Here are just 3 new items we have added.













As I complete new items, I will share them with you.

Be well, be happy


www.CozyExpressions.com

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Instagram Challenge

Our Instagram Loop Challenge starts tomorrow at 

8AM  EST.

There are 10 members of the 

Folk Art, Primitives and More team 

that will be participating.    

Here is sneak peek at what to look for floating around Instagram




There will be 10 individual winners !!!!!

If you are on IG we would love to have you
try and win.    Instructions will be listed on the post. 



Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Its that time of the year

Yes, fall is coming.    I can smell it in the air and I can see it in the dogwood tree.    

The leaves are beginning to turn red,  yes fall is coming!

It has been a horribly hot summer, especially the past few days here.   Heat indexes hit 120° this past weekend.    The weather forecasters were even complaining.

As most of you know we belong to a wonderful team on Etsy

Folk Art, Primitives and More !

We will be holding various promotions in the coming months.

Beginning August 24th, we are holding a 24 hour

Loop Giveaway on Instagram.  So IF you are not on Instagram, sign up for an account and begin to follow us

Follow the other participants using this graphic for now



Then beginning August 31 and ending September 3rd, we will join forces with the

Holiday Decor and More team from Etsy.

4 days of treasuries from both of the teams.

Imagine all the beautiful handmade items you will be exposed to!!!

If you have not joined our Marketplace, click here to join

We will be posting the links to our treasuries on there !!!


  Is this NOT the cutest graphic ?!?!?!?!  
Made by my friend, Cynthia Chapman of

Cynzplace on Etsy.


Be well, be Happy

www.CozyExpressions.com



Tuesday, August 9, 2016

I missed a week ! Busy, Busy Busy

YIKES  I missed a week in posting on the blog.

Yes, I have been busy creating, cooking and baking.

 I overwatered my eggplant.....can you believe that??? and they started to wilt.  They look like they are starting to come back to life.   I tell ya, its always something.

Zucchini is still producing, same with green beans, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.

Butternut squash vines are huge and taking over with no sign of any squash.

I am already thinking of what to and what not to plant for 2017.   :)


On a positive note,  I would love to share with you some of my creations for the Fall season.   They can be found in my shop




Witch shoe ornaments


Primitive Witch shoe tuck


Primitive witch shoe door or wall hanging



Colorful witch shoe tucks



Hmmmm    I think I had Witch Shoes on my brain for this Halloween line.



Be well, be happy   




Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Busy busy busy

Yes, things are getting busy here in Harmony.

I can honestly say, that I have not experienced a slow period on Etsy.   It has been steady and orders are going out daily.

Fall and Halloween items are selling.

Christmas is beginning to sell now too.

I have my Christmas line all decided on, and have yet to begin to make them.   

Guess I better get moving.


I have been keeping a secret since Spring.   Prims magazine contacted me to offer a place in their fall issue.    I have to admit, I was blown away by this.     So, I thought why not?   I will give it a try and if nothing else, it would be a learning experience for me.  
Bottom line, I was accepted and will be in the Fall 2016 issue of Prims !
BUT, I am not going to share with you, which one of my creations is being featured.   


Here are some of our new items in our
 Etsy
&








www.CozyExpressions.com

Be well, Be happy.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Racoons and Hummingbirds

So far, the garden is producing and no groundhog to be seen.

Shhhhhhhhhhhh   :)

I love watching my hummers come to the feeder.   It is located under the dogwood tree which I can see while sitting and sewing in our great room.

Every 3 days I change the homemade nectar and wash the feeder for them.

Last week, I noticed that the hummers were acting strange when they came to drink.   So I decided to check out why.   I had just filled the feeder the day before and it was empty!   The feeder itself had mulch on the top and on the bottom of it.  Hmmmmm....I thought possibly the nectar had evaporated.

I refilled it and put it out again.     This happened 3 days in a row and now my shepherd's hook is bent and I notice the mulch all messed up.

GOOGLE to the rescue........RACOONS love hummingbird nectar !!!  Yup, it was a masked raider drinking the nectar at night.    

"They" say you can grease the pole the feeder is on so the racoon cant access it.   I decided to move a taller shepherd's hook in place first.

:) smiling big here......no more masked raider!!    Hummers are happy and I am happy too.

Here is the recipe I use for my nectar

4 cups water
1 cup sugar

Bring to simmer until all the sugar is dissolved.  Refrigerate unused nectar.


Be well, Be happy

I am adding new items to the shop daily.  I would love for you to check them out.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

So I played Mother Nature

Playing Mother Nature

Most of us that enjoy puttering in our gardens are aware of the bee shortage. 

There are many theories out there as to why, but nothing definite.    I even planted some flower seeds near my garden that were supposed to attract bees for pollination.    At this point, I do not notice any bees coming to the flowers.  :(

The reason I am discussing this is............my zucchini !   The plant that you hear people complain about  because it produces so many green squash!

I noticed that some of my zucchini were begining to turn yellow at the blosson end,   I was concerned that I possibly had an issue with my soil.   So..................GOOGLE........what did we do without you years and years ago?

Did you know that there are male and female zucchini flowers?   I didnt, until I Googled it !!    My zucchini were turning yellow, due to poor pollination.  DUH......I had never thought of that.   So I learned the difference and how to pollinate my female flowers with the male flowers.  


In this photo the center flower is the male,   See the long stem without any fruit at the bottom of the flower.   You can also see the 2 female flowers, each have fruit beginning to grow,




Here is where the fun part comes.   The flower on the left is the male    Early in the morning, you pick the male flower and peel back the petals.   Wear gloves because you do not want to get the pollen on your clothing.      Then when the female flower is wide open, take the male flower and rub the structure at its center, covered with yellow pollen, into the center of the open female flowers.   This must be done in the morning because pollen is only viable for one day.

I did this on a few of my female flowers and it does work.

Its been a good day, I learned something new !!

Garden update:   I have picked 3 cucumbers, 5 zucchini and a large handful of string beans.     :)

and no groundhog........shhhhhhhhhhhhhh   

Be well, be happy.

www.CozyExpressions.com

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Two weeks !!





I just may be jinxing myself here......

but it has been 2, yes 2, did I say TWO weeks

and NO GROUNDHOG to be seen!!


Yup, I have picked zucchini and cucumbers so far.

Tomato plants have tomatos, more zucchini growing, I see green beans too.

Peas are blooming along with eggplant and the green peppers are in abundance.

I even planted a second crop of lettuce.

And my butternut squash vine is HUGE !

Mushroom soil works!! 

I did notice some of my zucchini were starting to turn yellow on the bloom end.......poor pollination.

So I played Mother Nature the other morning.........I will explain that on the next post.


Be well and be happy !!

www.CozyExpressions.com


Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Groundhog update



Well so far so good.

It has been a week and Mr Groundhog has not been seen.  PHEW!  And the garden is growing.

New beans and peas are sprouting up again.   I harvested my spinach as well since is it a cool weather plant.  Cucumbers are growing, tomatoes are appearing and zucchini  :)

We are extremely dry here, to the point they are whispering drought.   :(

I have been watering my garden daily, but the poor plants are still thirsty.   My dear husband hated to see me carry water to the garden so often,  so we decided to purchase some triple shredded mulch.

I watered everything very well and then placed the mulch around the base of each plant, keeping it about 2-3 inches away from the stem itself.     

Last evening a line of much needed rain came through, infact it is still raining this morning.  I was able to fill my rain barrel again which was near empty.   My plants are loving this much needed rain.    More is forecast for this evening.

Tomorrow I will have to reapply the cayenne pepper mixture, fox urine, ammonia and epsom salts. 

Life is good !



Tuesday, June 21, 2016

We were rolling along

Last week I posted about the groundhog that really got under my skin to say the least.

Things were moving along fine, I had my ammonia rags stuffed into the fence and used (smelly)
cat litter tossed near his burrow and where he had tunneled under the fence.

The Red Fox Urine arrived and very carefully, wearing gloves, I squirted some every 10 feet.   You do not need much as it is concentrated------so they say?  We also have chipmunks running rampant here so I thought, two birds with one stone  :)

I think the chipmunks stood back and laughed at me while squirting the fox urine, which is to be applied every 7-10 days.   LOL

I planted additional sweet peas, pole beans and lettuce.

Fast forward to Father's Day, I went to check my garden and I saw RED again.   The area that I had not sprinkled the used cat litter had a hole dug under the fence.....and yes my lettuce, kale and zucchini leaves were chewed back.....AGAIN!!   I was so mad, he completely destroyed my kale, I pulled out the plant   :(

I do not know how many shades of RED there are but I was every one of them !!  I also feel it was partly my fault because I felt since the fox urine was there, I did not have to use the cat litter for 2 days.

Now, there is cat litter scattered around the length where he favors, I applied Epson Salts all around the perimeter and over the plants as well.  Actually while reading up on Epsom salts I found it is good for the garden.   Hey, that's a two for one!

And I made a concoction of cayenne pepper and water and sprayed it on the leaves of the plants that the groundhog ate, hoping IF he attempts it again, his mouth will burn!!

The only issue with these homemade concoctions, is if it rains, you must reapply once its stops.


And...guess what?..........it is raining..........................


https://www.CozyExpressions.com



Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Groundhog!!


Well, my garden WAS coming along.  

 I had planted, leaf lettuce, spinach, peas, pole beans, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, butternut squash, kale and 5 tomato plants.

Saturday I went out and weeded it, everything was growing lovely.   I even discovered  my first zucchini starting !!   Yes, I was excited, the mushroom soil we added did the trick.  :)

Sunday while taking my cat for his daily walk around our yard, I discovered............

my lettuce was GONE! 
 Kale was chewed back, green beans and peas were topped off and zucchini leaves were chewed.   I saw RED !!  I found that the local groundhog had burrowed under my fence !!!



Living in the country is great, but man oh man, I do not like sharing my garden with the local wildlife.

So...........I did a search.   There is nothing you can do to stop the groundhog from burrowing, after all that is what they do.  Grrrrrrrr.......but what you can do is try to persuade him to leave your garden alone.

They do not like noise, so I tied aluminum foil pans all around the garden and added a wind chime on a shepherds hook also.  I soaked rags with ammonia and stuffed them into the fence.

Did you know, cats are a natural predator of groundhogs?   :)   Did I mention I have cats?   :)

No, I did not set my cats free to go after the groundhog, but what I did read is that if you take their USED litter and sprinkle it around the garden and toss it in the groundhog hole, the kritter will leave!

There are other alternatives too

Epson salts - sprinkle them around and on your plants, around the perimeter of the garden as well.

Cayenne pepper - 4 spoons of pepper to 2 cups of water.  Spray around your garden and on your plants.

Then you can do what my husband did......he purchased Red Fox Urine.   We are waiting for it to arrive and will fill you in on the results.

As of yesterday, the groundhog was not back, BUT I have not yet checked today...........I am feeling a bit leery about checking


www.CozyExpressions.com



Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Dwarf Lilacs

One of my favorite bushes I own is a 
Miniature Lilac.    They are known for their fragrance and it certainly is lucious.







This is not a photo of my bush, but a very close resemblance

Like all bushes, they do require some pruning. 

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, I decided it was time to tackle my bush.  I do not just prune, I sculpt too.    :)   Yes, it has to look even and just as beautiful.


Here are the recommended steps for pruning your Dwarf Lilac


1

Dip, spray or wipe the blades of the pruning shears or loppers using rubbing alcohol or a solution of 10 percent bleach and 90 percent water. Clean them this way between uses and between plants. If you are pruning the lilac to remove diseased sections, clean after each cut to prevent the spread of disease.

2

Cut spent flower heads off after the lilac has finished blooming, when one or two new shoots become visible under the flower cluster. Make the cut just above a new shoot or bud.

3

Cut branches back selectively to shape the dwarf lilac bush as desired, removing no more than one-third of any stem and making a clean cut just above a bud facing in the desired direction. Dwarf lilacs generally require little of this type of pruning. You may only need to cut one or two overly vigorous, out-of-place branches back.

4

Cut one or two of the lilac's oldest stems back to the base of the plant if the shrub is several years old and becoming bare or scraggly looking at the base. This encourages the growth of new, vigorous stems.

5

Monitor the dwarf lilac throughout the growing season for damaged, diseased or rubbing branches. Prune off the problematic portions to just above a branch or bud growing in the desired direction. Dispose of any diseased portions you remove away from desirable vegetation.

6

Remove all but one or two of the healthiest, strongest new shoots or suckers that grow at the base of the plant in late winter or early spring.

Things You Will Need

  • Rubbing alcohol or bleach solution
  • Sharp pruning shears or loppers

Tip

  • Spacing dwarf lilac shrubs well at planting allows ample sunlight to reach the entire plant, minimizing scraggly growth and the need for pruning.

Warning

  • Whenever possible, avoid pruning the lilac in summer, fall or winter, because the lilac blooms on growth produced during the previous growing season. Delaying pruning for more than a few weeks following bloom can greatly impact flowering the next spring.


Tuesday, May 24, 2016

How an agricultural weed became a symbol tied to Memorial Day

I discovered this article last year and thought it very fitting to share today.

Poppies have infact popped up on a steep bank on our property.   People stop and comment on how striking they look against the greenery.








Papaver rhoeas, also known as the common poppy, corn poppy and red weed, among other names, is considered a nuisance plant by European farmers and often grows in areas where the soil has been disturbed. In the warm spring months beginning in 1915, with World War I in full swing, across many of the shell-blasted, trench-strewn battlefields in Belgium, France, as well as in Turkey, poppy seeds (which can lie dormant  for more than 80 years) began to germinate in the newly turned earth, and poppy flowers were soon dotting the war-ravaged landscape, including the front lines where John McCrae, surgeon for the First Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery, was stationed.

In May 1915, McCrae was tending the wounded in the trenches near Ypres, Belgium. He noticed the bright red poppies that had begun to bloom between the many simple graves of soldiers, including near the spot where one of his best friends had recently been buried. The scene inspired him to write a poem, “In Flanders Fields,” which begins: “In Flanders fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses, row on row.” It would soon become the most famous poem about the war.

Three years later, in November 1918, Moina Belle Michael, a professor at the University of Georgia, came across McCrae’s poem, which both inspired her to write a poem of her own on a similar theme and to begin to wear an artificial silk poppy on Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day and specifically associated with the American Civil War) as a way to honor those who had died while serving in the military. She also sold the silk flowers to her friends and coworkers to raise money for soldiers in need. Eventually, the tradition spread. By the 1920s, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, a national service organization for military veterans, began to distribute silk poppies on Memorial Day as a way to help provide disabled vets with some financial assistance, and the flower became forever linked with the holiday. 

The common poppy also plays a role in Remembrance Day, observed in many Commonwealth countries on November 11 to coincide with the end of hostilities in World War I, and Anzac Day in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, among other countries, which is observed on April 25 as a day of remembrance for the war dead in those nations.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Egg Shells for your Garden



Last week I wrote about using coffee grinds in your garden.  


This week it will be about egg shells.


They are a great snail or slug deterrent.   If you notice your plants being eaten by or see trails from slugs or snails,  coarsely crumble the shells around the plant that is being eaten.   The slugs and snails sensitive foot will be injured and they will steer clear of your plants.


If you notice deer chomping on your plants, scatter broken shells in and around the plants.    Deer do not like the smell of albumin and tend to stay away from an area that smell like raw eggs.


Sprinkle crushed egg shells around  and into the soil for  your tomato plants.    The added calcium will help to stop any blossom end rot.


Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Coffee Grinds Use in your Garden

I recently read something that I felt was interesting.    Years ago I used to put coffee grinds around the base of  my azaleas and rhododendrons to add acid to the soil, making sure it stayed at less than 1/2" to avoid any mold.

But, did you know, you could also use them in your garden?



Work them into the soil of your tomatoes and corn.


Sprinkle them around the soil of your lettuce, beets, beans, broccoli and peas to deter rabbits and squirrels.


On Seedlings.....put coffee grounds into the water you use, it can give them a nice boost of nitrogen.

Pests........mound coffee grounds a couple inches high around an afflicted plant to naturally deter slugs and ants.





Cleaning your hands from garden work..........used coffee grinds make a great deep clean.   They exfoliate and remove smells as well.

Do you have any neat ways you use coffee grinds?    Please share with us  :)