Featured Crafter

Susan Dean-Threadbare Primitives

By Denise Bailey

Please tell us a little bit about yourself 

 I am 49 years old and have been married for 28 years. No kids but lots of "fur babies". I have three "indoor" cats....Jinx, Chadwic, and Porter and one tiny four pound Chihuahua named Baxter. These are my kids and I spoil them rotten every waking moment. I guess you could say I am an animal lover. My husband and I also run a cat rescue center on our property for unwanted or abused cats.

 I live in a beautiful old 85 year old farmhouse on 2 acres surrounded by trees, squirrels, and every kind of critter. I love to cook, read, go to auctions, and take care of my animals.

 

How long have you had your online shoppe?
I have been online with my website for about 4 years now. It has gone through many changes in those years and I am constantly updating it to keep it new and interesting. The latest thing I have added is my $4.99 epattern section. With the economy being a little tight I figured anyone can afford $4.99 for a pattern and not have to worry about spending the money.

 

How did you come up with the name Threadbare Primitives?
Well, when I started this business I did alot of extreme prim...which I love. I would sand those dolls till the stuffing showed....thus the name "Threadbare Primitives". Now I design everything from whimsical to extreme prim. I seem to go through phases.

 

How long have you been creating primitive and folkart patterns?
I have been sewing and crafting for 20 years but have only been creating patterns for about 4 years. But I do enjoy stitching, punch needle, painting and working with clay. You name it and I have done it.

 

Is all your work done freehand or do you use a graphics program to draw out your patterns?
All of my patterns are drawn out freehand on a artists sketch pad. Then revised til they look the way I want. I don't think my dolls would have the same feel if I used a graphics program......I like the hands on approach.

 

How long have you been interested in drawing?  Did you take art classes?  Are you self taught?
I am a self taught artist. I design and draw every day. I try to do things that I am not entirely comfortable with in order to keep my edge and skill level up

What or who is your inspiration for the many wonderful patterns you create?
I love antiques and primitives, so anything old, rusty and with paint missing is right up my alley. I have always tried to make dolls and folk art that would fit into that decorating scheme. My whimsical dolls are just my attempt to be "just so darn cute". I guess I have a duel personality....I really try to design for all tastes.

 

 

How long would you say it takes you to create a new pattern, from beginning to end?
I have always been lucky. I just get an idea, draw it out, make the pattern and sew it up. I turn out 1-2 patterns every week which I think is good for my customers because they can visit my site and always see something new. It keeps them interested and inspired and always coming back for more. 

Do you make one pattern at a time or several before you introduce them into your shoppe?
No...I make a pattern and get it up on the site on the weekend. I try to stay consistent with

with that....if I miss a weekend I get email saying "Are you gonna have something new this week?" LOL....I LOVE my customers! They TOTALLY keep me on my toes....I really love every one of them!

 

I see you are now offering punch needle, applique & sampler patterns, is this new or have you had them all along?
I have had those patterns for a while now...I love making samplers and patterns and need to do more of them but I have been so busy with getting Fall and Halloween patterns in the works I have not had a chance. I will be doing more stitcheries though....the ones I have right now have been quite popular. They are very easy and can be finished in one evening.

 

What other venues besides your online shoppe do you offer your patterns for sale?  Which venue does best for your sales?
I currently sell through my own website, Ebay, and Prim Mart. I have also been honored to be on the front cover of "Homespun" magazine and have a pattern available within the pages and a lovely article written about my business.

 

Do you sell your patterns wholesale?

 Yes, my patterns are available at wholesale pricing.
Threadbare Primitives Patterns are distributed and sold
throughout the USA as well as Australia, Italy and Canada
and through many finer Quilting and Needlework shops.

 

When you make an item to sell ( not the pattern) , do you make only one or do you make several?  For example: you make one item to use as the cover model for your patterns - sell that and you go on to the next pattern?
I have never made two of anything. The original creation serves as the model for the cover shot of the pattern jacket. That same model is then sold and I am on to the next idea.

Which type of pattern seems to be your best seller/s?
Right now I am selling alot of whimsical patterns...but then I have been focusing on that style for the last little while. I have about 175 patterns at the moment and I would say they break down half 'n half. Half are cute and whimsical and half are extreme prim. But...I have switched and have gone back to the prim style and have turned out some awesome black doll patterns with more coming.

 

Which type of pattern do 'you' have the most fun creating?
I love the extreme prim style though I am probably best known for my whimsical style. I love making and designing old black dolls and have released quite a few new black doll patterns over the past couple of months. I have alot more in the works too, so I will be concentrating on a more primitive style for a while.

Do you ever make something from your patterns to keep for yourself?
Unfortunately, no....everything I make, I sell. (Sigh)

Alot of gals out there often ask me what is the key to success in this business. Since my strength is in business and I come from a business background I could go on and on about the business end of things. But one thing I always stress is that if you want to make a living with your art form, then treat it like a job. In order to make a living "out there" in the private sector you are required to go to bed at a decent hour, set your alarm clock, wake up get dressed and go to work. You will work for 8 hours every day to earn your pay check. You will do that consistently every day for 5 days a week. If you do that with your craft, if you REALLY treat it like a job, you will be successful. So my advice to anyone either starting out or who just isn't having the success they desire is to treat this business as a business. AND NEVER EVER EVER give up!!!!!

 

www.threadbareprimitives.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 2008 Issue

In this great issue we have 3 NEW E-Patterns, TONS Of Recipes
some with YUMMY photos, we have photos of Laurie's Fair Time Edition,
Scrapbook Layout Pattern, We also have great BUSINESS articles on the NEW Wave
of blogging called Entrecard, plus Business Tips with Denise and more! This is
our largest issue yet with OVER 71 PAGES!!!!!!! 

 

Click
here to download our PDF format Version OR

Click here to view our Magazine ONLINE

 

Remember we are accepting ads for our August
issue which are currently HALF OFF for the next three days! So get your ad
NOW 

30% OFF All Advertising in July Issue

Get your ad placed in our July Issue right now for 30 % off normal pricing!
Right now you can get

1/8 Ad for only $13
1/4 Ad for only $22
Half Page ad for only $32
Or Full page ad for only $42

Click here to advertise today

Thirteen Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Blog

A lot of online business woman
take for granted the benefits a blog has to their business, and a lot of them
choose not to use a blog because they simply can't see the benefit it has to
them and their business.



Well in this article you will learn thirteen very important reasons why your
business needs a blog!



1. Networking - Blogs are a great way to build relationships and networking with
those looking for your services and/or goods.



2. Information - Blogs are also a great way to get information out about the
products or services you sell!



3. Fun - Blogging is a great way to build your business while having fun. Really
it doesn’t even feel like work!



4. Affordable - Sometimes having a blog can be more affordable to get set up
than having a website. 1. Because the Wordpress Blogging platform is free to
install on your own hosting and domain, and 2. you don’t need expensive software
like Frontpage or Dreamweaver to maintain your blog.



5. Easy Maintenance - Using blogging platforms like Wordpress and the like make
it so much easier to add content to your website, through the art of categories
and the like, you can easily organize your content and make it easier for your
visitors to find what they are looking for and therefore encouraging them to
stay and visit for awhile!



6. Friends - While you are networking you can also make friends!



7. Interactive - With blogs you can be more interactive with your visitors by
making posts, asking for comments, and then replying to the comments, all
through your Wordpress admin dashboard! You can’t do that with a “regular”
website!



8. Easy RSS - It is super easy to create an RSS feed with a blog which means
more readers for your blogs!



9. Plug Ins - Plug ins add value to your blog by making it possible for you to
host podcasts on your blog, and even generate Google sitemaps too! With regular
websites you would either need to know alot about javascript, and a whole lot of
code mumbo jumbo, but with Plug Ins all you have to do is intall, configure, and
have fun! So much easier, and so much more fun!



10. More Search Engine Traffic - With the write Wordpress template and plug ins
- your traffic will be streaming in no time at all.



11. Flexibility - With Wordpress you have the flexibility to create posts,
pages, and you even have the control over what appears on your home page (like a
sticky post or even a specific page) which provides you with the flexibility to
either create more of a blogging type website, or a static type website.



12. Community/Partnerships - Wordpress blogs are a great way to create community
blogs! So say you have a team of employees, or business partners, Wordpress
makes the ability to have multiple authors of the blog seamless, which is a
great way for your team to grow their business!



13. Perfect - All around Wordpress is the perfect choice for you and your
business, by giving you the opportunity to communicate with your guests and to
help build strong relationships that will in turn help you grow your business.
No business should be without a blog, period!

Article Source:
http://www.wahm-articles.com

 

Article Written By:
Heather Bixler is the owner and Lead Designer at
Girly Blog Designz.

Tattered Star and Crow E-Pattern

In our April 2008 Issue Susan Greer of Cats in the Barn shares with us this great E-Pattern above! Her Tattered Star and Crow! To download this great pattern including instructions and materials lists please visit us by clicking here

String of Stars and Bells E-Pattern May 2008

In our May 2008 Issue Susan Greer of Cats in the Barn shares with us this great E-Pattern above! Her String of Stars and Bells just in time for Fourth of July! To download this great pattern including instructions and materials lists please visit us by clicking here

Star Door Hanger E-Pattern-June 2008

In our June 2008 Issue Susan Greer or Cats in the Barn shares this wonderful E-Pattern above! For the complete pattern including instructions and materials lists please be sure to download the June 2008 Issue by clicking here

Let’s Go Garage Saling!

Let’s Go Garage Saling!

By Laurie Johnson of Prindle Mountain Primitives

With the prices of gas, groceries, and nearly everything else skyrocketing lately, our family is planning to stay close to home this summer. There are still many ways to have fun this summer right here in our hometown, however. A fun afternoon pastime of ours is scouting out garage sales.

If you’re a primitive lover like me, this is a great place to pick up old rusty bread pans or muffin tins. Fill with coffee beans, rosehips, etc., and nestle votives inside.

Also watch for picture frames that can be painted and distressed to hold stitcheries. A friend of mine likes to pair up an old glass candy dish with an antique wine goblet

To read the rest of this article please download our latest edition by clicking here

Six Easy Ways to Increase Your Craft Sales

Six Easy Ways to Increase Your Craft Sales
By: Louise Longworth

Whether you sell your crafts at craft fairs, home parties or another face-to-face outlet, these six easy ways to increase sales will come in useful. I’m definitely not a born sales person, so these tips will help those of you who, like me, don't like to be 'pushy', but still want to maximise your sales.

1. No false modesty

When customers compliment you on your creations, thank them, rather than getting embarrassed and mumbling that actually it’s not that great, anyone could do it, etc. Be proud of your crafts and don’t be afraid to tell people about the high quality and unique features.


2. Honest benefits

Let people know about the benefits of your crafts, especially if they’re applicable to that customer. And if something looks really good on a guest, tell them so! Give them a good reason to buy something for themselves.

As long as you keep it honest, you’re helping your customers, so they won’t mind. The same goes for pointing out matching items or special offers.


3. Touchy feely

Increase your craft sales by letting your customers touch, smell or try on your items if it's appropriate. If I see someone looking at a piece of my jewellery I always encourage them to try it on - they think I'm doing them a favour by letting them wear it, and it's one of the easiest ways to make the sale.

Similarly, if your craft is wearable always wear some samples yourself - it always looks better on a real life model.


4. Make the most of special occasions

If Mother’s or Father’s Day is coming up, remind your customers! Point out which items would make good gifts for these occasions. Make sure you’ve got plenty of Christmas themed crafts on display from October onwards.


5. Good range of prices

Have a good variety of prices, from inexpensive stocking fillers to your top of the range craft item. It’s always a good idea to have a few inexpensive items near you that people can add on at the last minute. If someone is spending £9, they’ll usually be more than happy to add a £1 item on to round it up to £10. Key-rings, bookmarks or greeting cards are some ideas for these, or try fridge magnets with mini versions of your crafts. You’ll find these small amounts add up quickly and make a big difference to your overall sales.

But equally, you should always have a few of your more expensive crafts available. Sometimes a guest is looking for a very special gift for someone and wants to spend a bit on it, and you don't want to miss out on that sale! Having higher priced items also gives an impression of overall quality - you don't want to be confused with cheap imports!


6. Be friendly

This is one of the best ways to increase sales. Just as in any selling outlet, smiling and being friendly is probably the most important thing you can do. If customers like you they’ll be happy to support you, but if you’re hiding in a corner, grumpy and monosyllabic they’ll take their business elsewhere. Wouldn’t you?

Article by:

Louise Longworth works from home selling her handmade jewelry at home parties, and has published a website to help other crafters do the same. Craft-Selling-Parties.com

April 2008 Issue

 

Click on Cover to download April Issue

In this Issue

1. Mother's Day T Shirt Article
2. Chocolate Wacky Cake
3. Scrapbook Layout Sketches
4. Scrapbook Layout
5. Tattered Star and Crow Pattern
6. Prim Jar Labels Download
7. Prim Bottle Cap Images
8. Featured Crafter-Lisa from Primsy Doodles Design
9. 6 Red Hot Tips to get your articles read
10. Tips for Having a Great Garage Sale Experience
11. Recipe Corner
12. Finding the Right Consignment Shop
13. Grubby Fruit Craft Project
14. Primitive Times Magazine NEW website Info
    
15. 
    
16.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tea Staining Fabric

Tea Staining Fabric



Tea staining has been around a long time and was first used to
hide stains on linens. It is one of the most popular ways to
stain fabric and gives it a warm antique look. Different types
of teas such a green tea, black tea, rasperry and herbel teas
will give you different tints and tones on fabrics so don't be
afraid to experiment a bit. Hibiscus tea will give you red tones
while black teas give more of a soft brown or cream tone to the
fabric. Tea staining works well only on natural fabrics- muslin,
cotton, linen and wools dye well. It is very easy to do and just
takes a few simple steps


If you
fabric is new be sure to wash it first to remove the sizing
before dying.I have found 4 cups of water and 4 single cup tea
bags will dye one yard of fabric.

Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat add tea and let
set for about 5 minutes until the liquid turns the desired
color. Remove the tea bags from the water if you dont the tea
bags may make dark stains on your fabric

Wet the fabric in water thoroughly, removing excess before
putting in the tea mixture- stir gently

Let soak for about 10 minutes checking to see if the fabric is
dark enough. Remember you fabric will dry a shade lighter.

When fabric has reached the desired color remove from the tea
mixture and rinse well with warm water and a mild dish soap- if
you don"t the fabric may become damaged by the tea- tea contains
acid which can destroy fibers over time

Line dry or place the fabric in the dryer. I like to put the
fabric in an old pillowcase to protect my dryer and if Im going
to put in white clothes right after I will wipe the dryer out if
it jeans I just don't worry

When the fabric is dry if you want it darker repeat the process
, if the fabric is too dark wash the fabric in a gallon of water
to which you have added 1 tablespoon of bleach this will lighten
the fabric- rinse thoroughly and redry

If I am going to use the fabric for something that is going to
be washed I will soak it in a gallon of cold water to which I
have added 1 tablespoon of vinegar to set the color.


Have fun tea
staining - remember the possibilities are endless -old linens,
clothes, etc can all be tea stained
!

Rusting Items By Debbie

Rusting Items
by Debbie

This recipe
will nicely rust safety pins, jingle bells, or anything else you
want 'age' for your primitive creations. The most important
thing to remember about rusting, is that you will want to buy
the cheap brand of pins, bells ...etc that you can find. The
more expensive brands have a shellac coating on them that you
will have to sand off before rusting. Makes sure they are NOT
brass either-brass will not rust. Do this outside away from
children and pets... and fumes are terrible!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cider
vinegar

1/2 cup bleach

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine the
ingredients in an old quart jar.

Add items you
want to rust and cover loosely-place in a safe spot and let set
for at least 2 days.

Line a tray
with a couple of layers of paper towels and remove the items
with an old fork from the mixture. Place in the sunshine... the
items will begin to rust as they dry. Move them around so that
they dry on all sides.

Perfectly
rusted bells, pins, and any other item you wish to rust.

CAUTION: Do not
throw the mixture down the sink- dispose of properly where no
animal or child could come in contact with.

Written by Debbie Hainline- Two
Old Crows (www.2oldcrows.com)

If you fabric is new be sure to wash it first to remove the
sizing before dying.I have found 4 cups of water and 4 single
cup tea bags will dye one yard of fabric.

Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat add tea and let
set for about 5 minutes until the liquid turns the desired
color. Remove the tea bags from the water if you dont the tea
bags may make dark stains on your fabric

Wet the fabric in water thoroughly, removing excess before
putting in the tea mixture- stir gently

Let soak for about 10 minutes checking to see if the fabric is
dark enough. Remember you fabric will dry a shade lighter.

When fabric has reached the desired color remove from the tea
mixture and rinse well with warm water and a mild dish soap- if
you don"t the fabric may become damaged by the tea- tea contains
acid which can destroy fibers over time

Line dry or place the fabric in the dryer. I like to put the
fabric in an old pillowcase to protect my dryer and if Im going
to put in white clothes right after I will wipe the dryer out if
it jeans I just don't worry

When the fabric is dry if you want it darker repeat the process
, if the fabric is too dark wash the fabric in a gallon of water
to which you have added 1 tablespoon of bleach this will lighten
the fabric- rinse thoroughly and redry

If I am going to use the fabric for something that is going to
be washed I will soak it in a gallon of cold water to which I
have added 1 tablespoon of vinegar to set the color.


Have
fun tea staining - remember the possibilities are endless -old
linens, clothes, etc can all be tea stained !

Debbie
owns "Two Old Crows" (www.2oldcrows.com) where she sells her
handpainted folk art and other handcrafted items she makes along
with antiques, primitives and vintage collectibles

 

Tax Tips for Work At Home Moms

As we start our tax filing and getting our receipts and forms ready to file it got me thinking on how as Work At Home Mom’s we can make next years tax filing a little easier and more organized. If you are like me I was waiting until the last moments to gather all my paper work and receipts and I even had to search for a couple of my receipts.

As a work at home mom with a business generating income it is very important and almost crucial that you have some sort of financial software to help you keep track of your book keeping such as Quick Books or Quicken. The financial software will help you keep track of all your expenditures and income coming into your accounts from your online business. Which will make your tax time a snap next year?

Here are some tips to help you save a little money on your taxes for next year!

1-Purchase your high priced items that you may need to replace equipment this year by Dec 31st so that you can use this as a tax write off on your next years taxes. Another words if it is December and you know you need to purchase a new computer next year, buy it this year to help increase your expenses and thus lowering your taxes. Same goes with your household expenses if you work from home, pay all your bills in December instead of waiting for January just to add more deductions on your 2008 taxes for example your mortgage payment, insurance payments taxes and more.

2-Donations- Donate your old equipment or kids clothing or household items this year and keep a running total of everything you donated so that you can use it next year on your tax returns. Thus helping to increase your deductions.

3-Try to keep a separate checking account or paypal account for your business use, so at the end of the year it makes your book keeping much easier. Although I have paid for items out of my personal accounts I make sure if I paid for something out of my personal account that I keep my receipts and mark my receipt accordingly to show the purchases were for my business use.

4-Don’t overlook deductions that apply to you! One of the most overlooked deductions for Work At Home Moms is your mileage! YES you work from home but you can deduct your mileage attending workshops, running to the office supply store, the post office if you send out lots of packages and more! If you plan on deducting your mileage keep a mileage book in your car so that is within reach when you are driving for business purposes and can keep an accurate record of your mileage to and from your business stops.

5-Start Up Expenses if you were a new business in 2008 you can deduct up to $5000 in start up expenses the key is the deductions can only be made before you made your first dollar! These expenses can be advertising, attorney costs, accountant, supplies and equipment.

6-Home Office Expense- Don’t forget if you work from home remember you can deduct your area of home that use for your business. It use to be a HUGE red flag for the IRS but over the last five years this is not true as more people are starting to work home and this can be a huge deduction because you can deduct a portion of your utilities and mortgage payments and tax and insurance payments

7-Keep your tax books current and up to date you should try to site down once a month and make sure you have added all your expenses and income coming in so that at the end of the year you are not back tracking

8- Pay your taxes quarterly so that you are not having to owe a large sum of money at the end of year! The best way to do this is to figure out approximately what your income will be and pay in your taxes that way.

February Issue of Primitive Times Magazine

February Issue Click Here to Download

Inside this edition you will see our

Meet the Editors,

A Fibre Arts Book Review,
A Farm Story,

A Primitive Lamb Sampler,

A Lam b E pattern,

Using Beeswax on
your Paintings,

Valentines Paper Crafts,

Bonny Bunny Pattern and Instructions,
Tons of great recipes,

Analyzing Website Traffic Article,

Goal Setting for the
new year,

Good Versus Bad Web Design,

and Are you afraid of pattern making
amongest Many other great articles!

Click on the link above or the magazine
cover to download your issue today!

December Edition of Primitive Times Magazine

Click here to download our latest issue

Holiday Issue of Primitive Times Magazine

Our November Issue was full of great Craft Ideas!

Full of wonderful crafts and business articles, Table of
Contents Below:

1.

Front Cover

2.

Welcome and Index

3.

Holiday Special

4.
Meet
Our Editors

5.

Wanda’s Corner

6.

Country Christmas w/Laurie

7.
Cats
in Barn Pattern

8.

E-Pattern

9.

E-Pattern

10.

E-Pattern

11.

E-Pattern

12.

E-Pattern

13.

Country Coasters w/Laurie

14.

Christmas Past N Present

15.

Strawberry E-Pattern

16.

Punkin Dough Critters

17.

Punkin Dough Critters Cont

18.

Punkin Dough Critters

19.

Punkin Dough Critters

20.
A
Harvest Blessing

21.

Adveriting your own Website

22.

Adveriting your own Website

23.

Household and Recipe Tips

24.

Household and Recipe Tips

25.

Household and Recipe Tips

26.

Remembering Christmas

27.

Remembering Christmas

28.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

29.
Featured Crafter

30.
Featured Crafter

31.
Ads

32.
Wanda’s Country Farmhouse

33.
PMT Info

34.
Dear PMT-

35.
Country Folkart Marketplace

36.
The Keeping Room

37.
Primitive Grungy Jar

38.
Primitive Grungy Jar Cont

39.
Ads

40.
Ads

41.
Featured Crafter

42

Featured Crafter

43

Featured Crafter

44

Recipe Corner

45

Recipe Corner

46
Ads

47
Mini
Crab Cakes Recipe

48

Primitive Braided Curtains

49

Choosing and Preparing Gourds to Paint

CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR MAIN SITE

 

Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe by Angela Wenke

My Aunt brought over a YUMMY pie for our last Christmas
that we all fell in love with so I decided to share the recipe! We all love
Pecan pies in my family and this year my Aunt tricked us as we thought we were
getting ready to bite into her traditional pecan pie we all love so much only to
find out it was chocolate pecan pie! Can we say it was to die for!!! It was soo
delicious I hope you will love this recipe as much as we did.

Crust:

1-1/4 cups flour

Pinch salt

6 Tbsp. unsalted, cold butter, cut into slim pats

About 3 to 5 Tbsp. ice water

Filling:

1-1/3 cups pecan halves or large pieces

4 eggs, graded “large”

1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup sifted or strained unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch salt

1 cup light corn syrup

For Crust:

In medium bowl, combine flour and salt; stir to mix well. with two knives or
pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is in fine crumbs. (This step can
also be done in a food processor fitted with a steel blade; pulse on-and-off
until butter-flour mixture is in fine crumbs, then turn into medium bowl.)
Gradually add just enough ice water so that pastry holds together. Form into a
ball, then flatten into a disk. Handle as little as possible. Wrap tightly in
plastic wrap; chill at least 1-2 hours. Roll out crust on lightly floured
surface with lightly floured rolling pin. Turn crust over frequently, and
lightly re-flour work surface and rolling pin as necessary. Crust should be
rolled into a circle about 13″ in diameter. Fit crust into ungreased, 9″ pie
plate of heatproof glass; form a high-standing rim, trimming excess from edges
and pinching or fluting rim decoratively as desired. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
F. Thoroughly prick crust all over with fork. Chill at least 10 minutes while
oven heats. Bake in preheated oven 5 minutes (crust will not brown). Remove to
rack and cool completely before filling.

For Filling:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If your pecan halves are very large, break them
up a bit with your fingers; otherwise, use them as they are. Scatter them evenly
on the bottom of the cooled pie shell. In small bowl, with fork, beat eggs to
combine. Add espresso powder and beat to mix. Let stand at least 10 minutes,
beating occasionally to dissolve espresso. By hand, in medium bowl, cream
softened butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in cocoa and
salt. Add egg-espresso mixture one-third at a time, beating after each addition
until smooth. Stir in corn syrup. This “custard” will be thick–that’s OK. Pour
mixture slowly over pecans in pie shell. If any pecans do not get completely
covered by “custard”, submerge them until they do. Let stand 2-3 minutes; with
toothpick or tip of sharp knife, pierce any remaining air bubbles (during this
standing period, pecans may rise to top of pie–OK). Bake in preheated 400 degree
oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F; bake 33-37 minutes longer
(total baking time is 43-47 minutes), or until edges are cracked and risen but
pie center still quivers slightly when pie is shaken gently. Do not overbake. If
pie begins to brown excessively, cover top lightly with foil. Remove from oven;
cool on rack before serving.

Primitive Times Magazine Sept Issue Is Ready

Our September Issue was full of great Craft Ideas!

Full of wonderful crafts and business articles, Table of Contents Below:

Inside This Issue:

Introduction and Welcome by Angie—Page 2

An En "Lighting" Lesson—Page 3

Assorted Recipes and Crafts—Page 4

Beat Some Stress—Page 5

Fall Potpourri Balls-Page 5

Featured Editor DIanne—Page 6

Amish Country Getaway—Page 7

New Salem Getaway—Page 8=9

Unique Uses for Vodka—Page 10

FREE Fall Patterns—Page 10

Information on FREE Advertising —Page 11

The HUNT By MIchele—Page 12

Eckerts Farm Trip—Page 13-15

Wandas Country Farmhouse Ad—Page 16

Spotlight Ads—Page 17

Country Folkart Marketplace Ad—Page 18

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Top Sites - Is There Really a Benefit?

Top sites - Is there really a benefit?

By Angela Wenke

If you have had online business for long then you have noticed on sites the cute little logos saying "Vote For Us" , but what really are top sites and will they really help your business be noticed? Top sites are everywhere you look, seems like everyone who owns a business also has a top sites account, therefore how do you know which ones should you join?

Top sites in my opinion are a wonderful "FREE" Resource of targeted traffic to your website. What I mean by targeted traffic is each top site has a theme such as country and primitive. The people browsing those top sites are looking for country and primitives and therefore would be interested in visiting your site if you banner and description are catchy enough. Traffic to your site is key, if you want your site to be seen and noticed and to eventually grow in the Search Engine Rankings and Top sites are wonderful FREE way to achieve this. Top sites allow customers to visit your site, join your top sites if you offer one, and even vote for your site to help boost you higher on that particular top site.

The key to making top sites work towards advertising your business is join ONLY top sites that are geared towards what you sell. For instance if you sell crafts and primitives then you would to join Primitive, Country and Crafts Top sites not top sites that cater to auto parts. When deciding what category your site fits do your research and ONLY join top sites that are in your category and also that are ranked high in GOOGLE.

Go to GOOGLE and type in what kind of top sites you are looking for, for example "primitive top sites. country top sites, craft top sites, candle top sites, graphics top sites, bath n body top sites" then join the top ten in each category that fits your business needs. Now when customers go to search for a particular product you might sell such as "candles" their search results should also include your candle top sites you just joined.

Voting for your top sites is also a nice way to make sure your site is seen an noticed, by just voting for your sites once a day or every other day it helps to boost your site to the number one position in the top sites voting system. Also make sure you offer a page for your customers to visit your top sites and hopefully give you a vote in the process. You will be surprised how many votes you will receive from customers some of them interested in searching top sites or maybe just joining that top sites. Either way works for you as you are getting the votes you need to keep your site seen and noticed.

Copyright © 2007 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Angela
Wenke of Prim Talk Radio, Heartland Marketplace, Primitive
Times Magazine, Heartland Graphics

May 2007 Issue of Primitive Times Magazine

The May 2007 FREE Primitive Times Magazine E-Issue was just released and it is a "MUST READ!" It is filled to the brim with FREE craft articles for Mothers Day!. You definitely don't want to miss it.

You can now read your copy of the FREE May 2007 issue of Primitive Times Magazine two ways. It is available as either a
FREE .pdf e-zine issuefor you to download and or you can order a copy by mail!.

Whichever way you decide to read it Primitive Times Magazine May 2007 issue is filled to the brim with 33 pages of terrific information for crafters, small business, and website owners.

Just look at what's included:

FREE Stitchery Patterns

Spring Cleaning Life's A Bleach by Neenee

A Love of Art Brings Peace by
Linda Walsh

How to Design a Print Pattern and E-Pattern by Linda Walsh

Fathers Day by Neenee

Website Spring Cleaning from a Consumers Point of View by Nancie

Increasing Your Sales with Craft Fairs by Brenda

Making Lye Soap with Milk by Wanda

Covering Lamp Shades by Wanda

14 Ways to Show Kids You Love them by Joan Brochu

Bananas Home Remedies by Joan Brochu

Recipe Corner

Practical Aromatheraphy by Lauren Sorgaard

Uses for Corn Starch by Joan Brochu

Do you have a Disaster Plan for your Business by Lisa Lowell

Business Success with Niki Jackson

An Empty Thread and Bath Time Fun by Lisa Lowell

Making A Prim Candle Mat by Dianne

Web Directory Ads

E-Pattern Showcase Ads

Ode to Mothers by Renae

Recipe Corner #2

Featured Crafter for May

Holly Tree Primitives

Mulled Spice Bags by Angie Wenke

Cute Button Candles by Angie Wenke

Product Reviews

So grab your FREE May 2007 issue of Primitive Times Magazine.
CLICK to Download the FREE .pdf e-zine issue .




Copyright © 2007 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Angela Wenke of Prim Talk Radio, Heartland Marketplace, Primitive
Times Magazine, Heartland Graphics