Just a Few Pics For My Cyber Monday Update and Sale!

Tomorrow is Cyber Monday 2016 and I am having a big sale and update on my website. There are links to my website to the right of this post that you can click on to see my shop. I am also having a Cyber Monday Sale in my Etsy Shop that you can reach by either clicking the link to the right of this post or find on my top banner on my website at http://www.winterberryfarmprimitives.com/ Here are just a few of the new antiques that will be available along with those antiques that will be on sale!

MY OCTOBER UPDATE IS THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28TH AT 4PM EST!!!!!!!

My October Update will be this coming Friday at 4pm. I have been traveling through both New England and Pennsylvania this last month to find some wonderful antiques. Included in this month's update is a fabulous 18th century treen mortar and pestle in its original green paint! There will also be two early 19th century New England style lap banded pantry boxes available, an 1841 Pennsylvania German fraktur (a Geburts and Taufschein), two 18th century Psalms of David books (one in German and one in English), and a fabulous early 19th century RARE double sided butter print with an eagle on one side and a flower on the other side! These and other goodies will be available on Friday, October 28th at 4pm est so be sure to come by and check it out! Would you like to join my email list? You will get early notification of my monthly updates, if interested please send an email to winterberryfarmprimitives@live.com.

Some views of my September 2016 Update!

Hello everyone! So sorry to be late in posting this little snippet of my September 2016 Update but our internet was out this morning and I am just now getting a chance to post a few pics of what will be available tomorrow afternoon at 5 pm EST. This will not be a large update but I think there are some real gems this time. We have been traveling through the great state of Pennsylvania this last month and found some 'killer' antiques. I will be posting a few here for you to see. Please take a look and don't forget to stop by tomorrow - September 30th - at 5pm EST for my entire update!! http://www.winterberryfarmprimitives.com/

SHIPPING AND INSURANCE

Big Update on shipping and insurance! All prices for antiques and accessories will include insurance AND free domestic shipping on all items. Larger items will be shipped parcel post except for antiques and accessories like lanterns that have glass inserts unless you would rather have me ship priority mail. I will include a 'priority mail shipping option' for all items over 5 lbs that will appear in the shopping cart feature that can be added to your invoice. All items will be packed with either crumpled paper, air pockets, or styrofoam peanuts for safe shipping. International shipping will be discounted so everyone can benefit from my decision to offer free domestic shipping.

Dried Goods Being Added for the Fall Season

Some of the dried goods that will be added to my website starting with the August Update at the end of this month. I hope to start adding bulk packages of pre-mixed potpourri and oils too! http://www.winterberryfarmprimitives.com/

My August 2016 Update!

My August update will be on August 31, 2016 at 3 pm EST. I used to send out emails to all of those on my email update list with pictures and information on some of the featured antiques in the update but I will be now using this blog to feature those antiques. Included in this post are just a few of the antiques that I found for you this month. They include a wonderful set of 18th century leather bound books from 1773 that would look wonderful in your home or add to your collection of early books. Next is a 19th century shoulder yoke in the most wonderful original blue paint. I have hung it on the side of an early grain painted cupboard that makes that blue color pop and look great. Next is a pair of Civil War era sunglasses with green lenses, turn pin style frames and solid beaver tail ends. These are not prescription lenses but were used to keep the sun out of the soldiers' eyes on the battlefields, were considered soothing, and were also supposed to soothe upset stomaches and ulcers. Their original case is included and they were made in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Next is a mid 18th century deer hide small trunk or document box that has its original hinges, beautiful lock box, and the complete interior paper covering. The covering is covered in religious sermons and then a flowery vine was added over the sermons. It was made by Dudley Johnson who was a trunk maker in London, England and his advertisement is complete and inside the top of the trunk. For my early lighting fans out there, this is a circa 1800 tin double crusie fat lamp that would have been filled with animal fat for a smoky and not very bright light. These tin crusies were made well into the early part of the 19th century as inexpensive lighting. Finally, is this wonderful, amazing, small personal water pail or 'canteen' from New England in its original green paint. It has a top spout made of pewter with its original wood plug and the initials of the owner in black paint on the front of the canteen. It has a metal handle with those rounded 'ears' at the top and it very well may be a Shaker piece. Not shown in this post are a red painted Shaker covered milk pail with a hinged top and a many other wonderful offerings that will be available at http://www.winterberryfarmprimitives.com/ on August 31st at 3pm EST. Starting with this update, all items will be sold with free domestic shipping. I will be shipping most items either priority mail or first class through the USPS. Insurance will be added to those items valued over $50.00 and a small handling fee will be added to each item's price. This will cover the cost of packing materials and, in some instances, the cost of the box.

More info on Winterberry Farm Primitives' new look!

Hello and welcome to Winterberry Farm Primitives' shop blog! I have spent the last 3 weeks changing host sites, updating, and improving my website. If you are not on my newsletter update list - you can email me at winterberryfarmprimitives@live.com to add your name and email address. Once a month, I will send out my new Update Newsletter where I will show you some of the new antiques and accessories that will be in the monthly update along with some fun facts and information.

I love the new look for my online shop - Winterberry Farm Primitives - and how easy it is to now navigate the different categories! All of the antiques and accessories in my shop can now be seen as large pictures on one continuous page in each sub-category. No more clicking through to more pages, no more small pictures as the first two pictures in each offering, and an easy way to see all of the newly added items. If you scroll down the home page, you can see all of the items available in each category and all you have to do is click on the picture to be taken to that particular antique or accessory.

Once you decide to make a purchase and go to your shopping cart, the screen is much bigger and the information is very clear. I am now also accepting credit cards directly through my website through STRIPE along with still accepting PayPal payments, checks, and money orders.

As for layaways, the rules are the same as with my old website and I will list them here along with them being available on my website: If you would like to put an item on my 60 day layaway plan, please add that information to the comments box. I will send you an invoice with the first of three equally split payments. That first payment is non-refundable so if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to email me at: winterberryfarmprimitives@live.com The second payment will be due 30 days after the first invoice has been sent with the third and final payment due at the 60 day point. I will add shipping costs to that third invoice and will ship as soon as I receive your final payment. These rules are also available under 'Offline Payments' in the Shopping Cart feature and in the 'About Us' category on the home page.

Paint, Paint, Paint continued...

It has been a while since I have had time to sit down and add to my blog but today is a cold and blustery day in February so time to update my blog and add some pics. I have been busy since my last blog painting and stenciling and getting my home ready for Christmas 2015. Yes, I know! It is now February 2016 but what a great time to take some time to hopefully inspire you to paint and stencil your home!

Here is my foyer after I had a chance to stencil a border around the top and sides of the walls. It took me a while to decide to paint the walls such a dark color but once I did, I knew that I would love it! I then added stencils in colors that were also bold and bright to add definition and drama to the entry into my home. This is the first thing you see when you walk into my home and I wanted to make you smile as soon as you walk in the door. Click on each pic to enlarge it in a separate window.

Make a right turn and you will see not only that picture of a young General Lafayette but you can sneak a peek up into my living room. The large country secretary in the corner filled with 18th century books and pieces of ephemera may have been found in the library of a late 18th century gentleman. Of course, this secretary is more primitive and from the early 19th century but I think it makes a statement and adds to the atmosphere that I hoped to create. The fact that I can have so many pieces of furniture in my large foyer was one reason why we bought this home. Yes, it is a late 1980's development home but the potential - even 30 years ago - was infinite! When we first walked into this home on a long day of house hunting all those years ago, we stepped on a vinyl linoleum floor and looked up the gold carpeted stairs to a living room covered in more gold carpet and bright, boring white walls. As you advance up the stairs, you will get glimpses of not only this main room but can see into my kitchen. That wall of 18th century chestnut wood draws your eye towards the back of the room and that makes it look larger than it is in reality. I know I have said this before but we were so lucky to have found this wall of 18th century wood but I just recently found out that the dealer who sold this wonderful paneling to me has passed away after a long battle with cancer. So it means even more to me every time I walk into this room. The paneling was in bad shape when we bought it with many different layers of paint on it because it was from one of the oldest homes in Amherst, NH but the back of the paneling is still unpainted and since it is nailed onto battens and not directly to the wall, we have preserved that side of the wood. I love decorating it and also that old 18th century door with its original latch. I think it also adds to the charm of the room and also gives you the mystery of what may be behind the door.

As you sweep your eye around the room, you see that large corner cupboard that raises your eye to the ceiling making the room seem even larger. When decorating for Christmas, I do not use real greens throughout my home as the resin from cut evergreens can harm the finishes on my antique furniture and will quickly begin to drop needles all over the floors. I love to decorate but also have decided in the last few years to simplify my decorations. Our idea of Christmas with our trees and ornaments only date back to the mid 1800s so I usually only decorate with greens, dried herbs and fruits, and in some instances, fresh fruit but this year decided to bow to convention and added that tall, skinny tree beside the 'door' at the end of the living room. Of course, there is a tree in my great room but that is for my grandchildren. Still no ornaments and a piece of homespun for the tree 'skirt' makes the room shine and come to life.

I've changed things again in this room and I am starting on a different idea of making it more of a woman's room by bringing my collection of early hetchels to the forefront and moving things around...again. The silhouettes have been moved to the foyer and I have added a huge early 19th century basket to my tavern table. Soon there may be a small flax wheel or other implement for working with flax on that table and the huge basket may sit on the floor under the table filled with raw wool ready for working into thread. I've also added a later 18th century ladder back chair and moved my bannister back chair to the great room (pics of that room coming soon!) This is just a first picture of what is to come but I am loving it already! What do you think? Oh! and that large game/fowl board that you see hanging over the door...it is an early 19th century Pennsylvania piece and may be in my February 2016 Update...

More pics coming soon of this corner of the living room! I am working on my great room next and may be adding some antique barn wood to the walls this spring....