The Power of Family!

It is a winter storm here in Pa. I have alot of creations to be working on. Days like today seem to be days of reflection and deep thoughts. My son just called me yesterday and said how he is watching what I have been doing on the internet. He ended up the conversation with, " Haven't you Googled yourself?" and " You are looking so professional with all that you have done!" I thought that was a funny way to put it but it is true. I have never Googled myself and "What is considered professional?"! It just struck me funny because my son now is living in Indiana, Pennsylvania and is working for an Intermediate Unit and I would have thought he would be busy going to his assignments and finding fun things to do...not sitting around thinking of his old mom and dad! Suprisingly he is in Indiana looking me up!LOL I was so touched it was almost surreal! His inspiration and interest had touched my heart and the distance between us can be very painful! We know as parents that to make it in this world it takes sending your children to other areas to find their way...and that is exactly what we had to do with him. Many times he calls us when he is heading home from his assignments and just wants to "chat." You really don't realize the impact our kids have on us when they become young adults until times such as these! The worrying about where they were at night, who they were with, and what they were doing has turned as we have passed the torch on to them. Soon comes that phone call from them saying, "So what's up?" , "What are you and dad doing this weekend?" , and "How is dad doing?" has been quoted from so recent phone calls! I guess we did a good job! He has picked a lovely girl to spend the rest of his life with and are in the process of making plans for a wedding! He has made some wonderful decisions that we rarely worry about. (As parents I don't feel that you are fully free from some worry!) We also have a wonderful grandpuppy, Hendrix, that is now part of the family through Brandon. We hold him very dear to our hearts!

Another strong support system has been from my sister. We also are close and I truly admire Amy and her talents. Amy has been a crafter for many years and started in doll creations and just recently moved to Altered Art. Everything she does is picture perfect! We are each other's biggest cheerleaders, (without the jumps), and give each other support and encouragement in the artistic roads we have chosen. I wanted to make sure to give my sister a part here in encouraging me to venture into the creation world. She can be found at ...http://winterberrycreek.etsy.com where you can see her works of art! If it wasn't for her ...I may not have tried an artistic future. We have been together in many journeys to find where we felt comfortable from an antique store, ebay and now etsy. Or interests are so simular and many times overlap it would be a wonder that we are sisters. She is one person that is my greatest confidant, friend, and am lucky enough to say she holds a very important role in my life....she is my sister! I love you Amy!

My husband has also been a strong force in keeping me going with crafts. Scott stays by my side when I go for hours to Joann's to pick through fabric. (What man in there right mind would want to do that?) He has created a beautiful new sewing room and continued it's construction until it was done. This is the most amazing fact...is Scott has sat with me and helped me stuff dolls when I've gotten overloaded with doll parts strewn throughout the room. He encourages me to pick up and go again if I hit a brick wall, to stick with it at times when I could throw in the towel, and gives me the room needed to complete a lengthy project! He is beyond amazing with his patience and is that little person on my shoulder that is saying," Comeon you can do it! Just a little longer!" He is more than a husband...he is my best work associate and friend. (Don't tell me they are one of the same!) We have refinished furniture together, sold antiques together and now craft together and I could never be more blessed in my life than to have him! I am one lucky woman!

Lastly, my parents are supporters in many ways. They stand by me with all of the health problems I have had and have read and looked at things I have made and encouraged me to continue! They have also taken a large interest in my blog and always have something encouraging to say about its content. (Although dealing with primitives, who understands primitives?) They are wonderful in their own right. They have helped me get through all the rest of life that would probably just be too much! I love them also and have been blessed with them encouraging individuality in my work with love, support, and encouragement! What would I do without them?

As you can see... there is alot more than fabric, thread and embroidery floss that goes into doing crafts and trying to make it into a business. It takes the love and support from others. I'm lucky..my "others" involves family. To do it alone is a long hard climb by yourself!

Just a closing note...I love you all and thank you from the deepest depths of my heart for being there for me and being my strong hold! This couldn't have been possible without all of you! For the rest of my wonderful readers , and customers, remember to keep smiling. At this point it may bring the temperatures up and get rid of that pesky snow!LOL

A great tip to how to get your name out and meet other great bloggers!

Good morning all! I have been struggling with the idea of how to get the word out about my new directions with my business and how to meet very talented others that are doing the same and today I received this activity that I just thought was ideal for accomplishing this goal:

These are the RULES: Link to the person that tagged you. Which I did. Post the rules on your blog. Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog. Tag 5 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

This came from October*Moon*Primitives and is exactly the creative idea that I was looking for. (You can find your link in my list of "Favorite Links" along my side bar. Please take time to check her blog out plus sites of others listed there!

So here goes with the 5 random facts/weird facts about myself! Just don't laugh too hard and...no...that is not me on the right!LOL

1. I talk in my sleep and on a regular basis and wake up my husband engaging in quite detailed converstions that I never remember the next day!

2. I have a habit of arranging my shopping cart, in a grocery store, by products such as all canned goods together, all boxed goods together, cleaning supplies together and so on and so on..... I also have a need to put them on the grocery belt that way so that all the alike items are in the same bag!

3. I have a habit of cleaning the table after I am done with a meal at a restaurant and putting all plates on top of each other, all glasses together, wrap up any paper items that we had used and placing them in one place on the table! (That has been an obsession since I have been in the 10th grade and worked at McDonalds. I often did lobby and have been a compulsive cleaner ever since!)

4. When I know that I need to get something done I will work all day ,or as long as it takes, to get it done quickly and efficiently! I tend to worry if I have the duty hanging over my head for long and start right in the moment I know it needs to be done or I tend to get anxious!

5. I am terribly afraid of heights. Although, I have gotten alot better at handling this fear. If there is another route I can take to get away from looking down from a tall mountain, bridge, or tower I will try to avoid it at all costs! Many times I can go twice the distance to get to where I'm going only after I have spent way too much time in the car to protect myself from this dreaded fear!

I hope you have enjoyed reading my dysfunctional/strange side and welcome you to share a bit about yourself that you know that no one knows about you but your mate or family may know! I just found out alot about myself and now realize how many hangups I have and what strange habits I have developed over the years! I wonder what that all has to say about me?LOL

Try this activity and see how many people you get to know and learn about them! Put them in your favorite links and you'll be suprised with how many new people you get to know! Remember to keep smiling and have fun!

Putting the final touches to my blog!

I would like to spend the time to thank all of you that have come to take a look at my blog. I have finally added the most important elements I wanted to feature and can't tell you how happy I am that it is done! I wanted to share this wonderful news with everyone that may be interested in my items . This blog is where you'll find where my businesses, Ebay and Etsy, are going and what is on the horizon. This is the bridge to connect all the places where I will showcase my items ...so keep your eyes open and signup for a subscription for WillowtreeTreasures news letters to so you may engage yourself in the the latest news that will fill you in on any changes, additions, or specials! I am currently on the move and working very hard to bring everything together! There is alot that goes into forming a successful business and one of those things are wonderful people that are willing and ready to help!

I am fortunate to say that I am part of a group like this and the members are so dear to my heart! Bebe, Kelly, Lex, Mary, Linda, Cora, Sooz, Chris, Marte, Kimmie and all of the women of OPSG and TOKKR have been my rock when I have been weak and sanity when I have felt insane with worries! I thank all of the members of these wonderful groups and will forever be thankful that they are in my life! When I thought I lost my way ...someone there had a compass....when I at times I felt alone...they made sure to make their presence known! This is a very unusual groups of talented ladies that all share in a great deal of motivation, are goal oriented, and share in a dream to make what they do into a reality! There is alot to be said about these wonderful ladies. I truly can't say enough about all of them! When I was in the hospital for heart surgery they stood by my side and sent me well wishes with cards of comfort and support! The leader of OPSG, Kelly member was so kind as to email my husband on a regular basis after they found out what was happening to me and contacted me at the hospital following my surgery and Kimmie emailed me after I got home to see on how I was doing and published a post about my happenings. The caring and giving of these two groups was amazing! The Lord has blessed me with these contacts and will never be able to say or show how much each and everyone of you ladies mean to me! You are my world! Thank you for being there!

(In my haste to put up this post I first did not recognize all that the group TOKKR played in my recovery and I know I have hurt alot of very important people of this group! I apologize for my oversight! It was very selfish of me and I can't apologize enough! Kimmie made it very comfortable for me to take time out of the group to gather myself and was so understanding and had patience of a saint waiting for my return to participate in the group! All of these ladies asked for prayers from members and stood by my side as well with get well cards and wishes. How can I ever show my gratitude?) I love you ladies! I am so sorry that I didn't at first include you all! You deserve and should be included in taking a large role with this time in my life...I'm sorry! It was my oversight and you should be listed here also!


There is currently a new move but it is in the beginning stages and I will clue you all in later as it begins to develop! It involves the OPSG group and a slight direction change the group will be engaging in shortly. It is exciting what I am to share with you so please keep coming back to keep up on my posts. I should be able to share it shortly what will be happening next!


**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT** I am currently having a 10% off orininal price sale on all items listed in my Etsy Shop... http://willowtreetreasures.etsy.com ....Please come and join the group and enjoy the savings! It is time for celebration with this Grand Openning Sale!

As I always say... keep smiling for it makes our world alittle brighter! I wish you all the best!

Things are settling down and it is fitting like a glove!

I am here a bit early to try a second attempt at blogging! My account at http://willowtreetreasures.etsy.com has gone full circle. I now have people "hearting" me as their favorites and even have my witch and cat doll made a favorite! I haven't sold anything yet but I love to see who is accepting my form of art. I have seen alot of great items there that I may check into myself!

I am getting more comfortable with coming into my blog and finding my way around. There are things I still would like to add like a counter and more favorite sites so I will be doing that soon too ...as soon as I learn how!LOL

It will be Valentine's Day soon and wanted to make a recipe available for anyone interested to try that is reading my posts on a regular basis. It is called "Pretzel Torte." If you love pretzels and cream cheese you have to try this one!

____ PRETZEL TORTE____


ingredients for crust and instructions;


1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups chopped pretzels


Melt butter in sauce pan. Add sugar and blend. Remove from heat and add pretzels. Save 1/2 cup for the topping. Press the remaining into ungreased 9X13" pan.

ingredients for filling and instructions;


1 (16 oz) cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 large Cool Whip
1 can pie filling (Cherry, Strawberry, Blueberry...etc.)


Cream cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture over pretzel crust. Layer with your choice of fruit pie filling topping! Sprinkle the remaining pretzel crust mixture overtop and refrigerate for 2 hours!

This is a wonderful , and quick desert to make for the special someone in your life. It can also be a super desert when you don't have alot on hand. Give it a try and let me know what you thought! Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful Valentine's Day! Always remember to keep smiling!

Making changes can be exciting but also can be frightening!

Hello all! I am in the process of making some changes with my business. Although, learning something new is always a treat for me..it can also create a very large stress! My newest adventures are adding my items to a new site called Etsy, (www.etsy.com). You can find my shop by going to the following web address http://willowtreetreasures.etsy.com . Please stop in and see what I have for sale! Now I am beginning a whole new way to blog. and please come back to read my new an upcoming announcements. I can be found at http://willowtreetreasures.blogspot.com .Bookmark it and come back to see what new is happening. Lastly, my items can be found on Ebay so please check in Willowtree-Treasures listings to see what I have there up for auction!

As I was saying ...Etsy was a great move for me and love what they have to offer there. I am not that accepting of change so it will take awhile to see how things run at this new site. They have all homemade items and we all share our love for creation and that is one very large reason I have chosen Etsy to go to help with my sales.

I am not new at blogging but posting my blogs in this type of forum is new to me! Every time I learn something new that helps me complete my blog I feel a great deal of accomplishment and feel that a more professional looking blog is what I needed to better reach my customers. Soo here it is! Hopefully I will have it all set up with pictures and many more posts before you come back to read it again. Cross your fingers that it can be done soon and be a blog to be proud of! I wish you all well and until the next blog...keep smiling!