New candle mat and coasters

I just finished this last week and the coasters yesterday.
I want to get some more candle mats made and more coasters and I need to get busy on a new rug hooking and spool reindeer. Just seems like I have too much to do and not enough hands to keep up. I guess that's the usual story.

Finally finished curtains.

YEA! ! ! Boy did I make a big mistake when I decided to do this but I like the way they turned out. This window faces my back yard and doesn't really need the privacy but decided to add a little shear on the bottom just because you just never know who might be trying their hardest to see my gorgeous body. hehehe, just kidding. The tabs are done in penny rug fashion.

This one is above the sink and only needs the bottom curtain to block the bright late afternoon sun. I finished this one first. I really should have put 5 tabs on this one too but it was too late when I decided that. It works for me, and I guess thats all that really matters. Right? Right.

No swap this year.

Well, I guess that we won't be doing the swap this year. Maybe next year.
Hugs to all. Just not enough interest or possible due to the economy too.  No problem. Have a great Holiday and a safe one too.



Well, better early then waiting to the last moment.
I am going to host another Christmas Cup Swap. We had such a great turnout last year and I thought if I posted it now and left the sign-up time to November 15th so that would give everyone plenty of time to shop around and get those special Christmas mugs before they are all sold out.
Yes, most of the stores have already started with the Christmas decorations.
Now...  this is the topper.
This is not only a Christmas Cup Swap but... A Christmas Stocking Swap. Ewww.... We are having fun now.
This is the rules for the swaps.
You don't have to do both but would love it if you did.
Christmas cup Swap.
1 Cups must be new or very special vintage ones.
2 Price should be  $10 to $15 plus shipping. Not including shipping.
3 You can leave it empty or fill it with goodies, your choice.
4 Sign up ends on November 15th and must be shipped by November 30th at the latest. The sooner the better.

Now
 Christmas Stocking Exchange.
This is the fun one that involves a little more creativity.
1 All the stockings must me Hand Made. Doesn't have to be made by you but that would be the nicest thing to do. But there are so many Christmas craft shows that are going on  now and you can find some awesome Stockings.
2 The Stockings should be at least valued at $20. You don't have to spend that much but if you were making it and decided to buy one you would put a $20 value on it. I know its hard to put a price on all our hard work but you know what you would pay if it was worth that much.
3 All stockings must be shipped by no later then the 5th.
Please state if you don't want to ship to Canada. It is spendy for both parties so if we have Canadians I will try and match you up with another one of your fellow Canadians.
4 Sign up ends on November 15th for this and the Christmas Cup exchange and Stockings need to be mailed by November 30th at the latest. Mail is slow that time of year.

This is the lovely one I received last year and it is so nice I have left it up all year. It was made by Sally from Georgia. Isn't it awesome. It is made from a brocade tapestry fabric with long fringe and she made a little extra one for my little 100+lb lap puppy.
So I am giving you plenty of time to either make or purchase your stockings.
So when you decide which one or both you want to sign up for just go to the comment page and leave your name and a way to contact you and which one you want to be a part of. I know the economy is bad right now but this is a once a year exchange and lets make this Christmas exchange a real BLAST ! ! !
Okay my fellow friends and followers. Pass the word and lets have some good ole fashion Christmas fun.

The Reindeer Are Coming

Yes, another project. The ole OCCD (obsessive compulsive crafters disease) has struck again. I bought a little reindeer at a little Christmas shop the other day to use as a pattern. It is made in China so I am not worried infringing on  copy rights. Mine are cuter anyways. heheh The original is suppose to look like the sock animals.
See what you think. I am going to make up a batch for a craft show coming up.

                            Of course the one with the tag is the original.
I have made a few changes to my reindeer

I mounted them on vintage wooden spools. Sort of like the ole stick horse only these are mainly stick reindeer with the exception of one on the bottom left corner.

Well, the weekend is here which means nothing to me other then I don't have to pack a lunch for DSH. Everything else remains the same. I have been perusing photos of Autumn and Fall  online and am just amazed by the beauty of mother nature. I just thought I would share a few of my favorites that I found.
This is in New England. Now isn't that just gorgeous? I am contemplating how I can capture that in a Needle punch or rug hooking.

Here is one from a little island in Japan and another for Scotland. Mother Nature is so awesome and such an incredible artist. Look what she can do with just a little bit of earth and sky and a big paint brush.  I am sure that God has a big hand in it all too.

This ones lends a little creepy, Halloweeny flair to it all. This is in Scotland too.
Well, I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of the colors of Fall. Have a great day

My Sweet Phoebe is family

Phoebe is every bit a part of our family as are my children and husband and grandchildren. When your furry friend spends more time with you then anyone else, they know when you   aren't feeling well or that something isn't like it should be and will sit there beside you through thick and thin.

 Now I have to admit that our sweet Phoebe is not so thin but she is every bit my closest companion next to my husband and I love her. Folks that keep animals just because they think it is the thing to do and for the kids have no idea what they are missing. A dog or a cat or what ever your furry companion is, is more then just a pet. They can be your best friend. We have all lost someone in our lives and it always hurts so much. I can tell you that losing a furry companion is just as hard as losing a dear friend.

I still miss my sweet William Wallace and get tears when ever I think of him. That is love unconditional.
                     They are Family                  



I just finish my Fall Penny rug and I thought I would share that with you.

Look at my Awesome Table runner

Isn't this the most beautiful table runner ever. It is Fall on one side and Christmas on the other. I love it
This was part of a trade for two crows that I had made. I don't quilt, YET...., and Barbara Jenkins quilts beautifully. She made this to my specifications on colors and I couldn't be happier. Well, I could be if it were a quilt to go on my bed. heheh, hint hint. hheheheh.
I love it Barbara.

Thank you so much Barbara for the awesome trade. Her crows haven't arrived at her home yet as they had to go by ground mail. Very heavy.  I can't wait for you to get yours as I hope you will love them as much as I love mine.
This is what I am working on now.

This is my Halloween Penny Rug. It is a work in progress but close to completion.

Saint Francis of Assisi comes to the rescue again

Yep, I saved another bird yesterday with the help of my neighbor.
I was out in the back yard when I noticed the big black crow on the fence. Well, I thought it was a crow till it stretched out its neck. WOW ! ! ! What is that??

I ran in the house and grabbed my camera so I wouldn't lose the shot. I wanted it to turn and look at me so I made a little noise. It didn't move. I was able to get right up next to it and saw the huge web feet. NOT A CROW ! ! It looks like some sort of sea bird like a cormorant of sorts. I saw that it was in some distress and really out of its element so I decided to intervene. I was able to grab it gently around the body as was going to set it on the ground where web feet are more comfortable and it, not so gently nipped my arm with its very sharp long beak.  I will live. My neighbor brought out a small sheet that we were able to wrap around it and then I put it into a cage.

I called the local aquarium and they said they would take it but I would have to bring it to them and they would probably just release it into the beach area. So I decided and discussed with the person on the phone that I could just take it down to the docks by the park and release it myself since that was what they were going to do. It didn't look to have any injury just sort of tired and scared.
So we loaded it in to my car and off we went.
We got to the park and it was nice and quiet so we unloaded the cage and took it down to the waters edge and I took the top of the cage off and let it come out itself. I then sort of coaxed it to the water and it jumped in dove down and came up smiling sort of . heheh. It then began paddling around and dove again and came up with a little fish. I think it was happy to be back in its element, and I was happy to help save another of Gods Great Creatures.
I cleaned my arm real well and pour peroxide on it and it looks fine this morning. No redness at all just a 2" cut .
My Neighbor and I are going to head back to the park to see if its still hanging around and if it is okay.

Its a bit of a Rainy Fall day today

Well, it looks like we won't be doing much yard work to day. Awww... thats too bad... guess I will just have to work on my rug hooking that I am making for a friend. This is how it is coming along so far and I hope to have it completed by the end of this week.

 I think that this picture would make an awesome rug hooking. Oh no, I am doing it again. Thinking of more projects before I have complete the ones I am already working on. OMG, I think its a disease that so many crafters and artists get. I call it OCCD. Obsessive Compulsive Creators Disease.

I promise not to start this one until I complete at least two that I have going already. However, I want to have it done for Halloween. heheheheh.... knew I could find a way out of that promise, heheh.

What I want for my Birthday

Yep, in a few more days I  will be another year older and hopefully wiser  yes, \ maybe a few more gray hairs, but whats a few more when your hair is all gray anyway. Well that's life. I wasn't saying this to remind anyone, just that my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I told him a new shovel and a new rake as he broke the handle on my last shovel and the handle of my rake broke this summer too.

So at least I can say that I have been taking care of the garden.
I did make use of the broken tools though. I put the broken shovels in the corners of my flower beds so that when I am watering they prevent the hose from wiping out my flowers and I make my rake into a key and jacket or purse rack by the front door. I may have lost a rake but I gained a key rack.

Barlow and Piwacket are here to meet you

Barlow and Piwacket are both creations by Doreen at Vermont Harvest. I have had them for several years and they still hold a very special place next to me at my computer. She makes the most adorable bears and her burnt wax creations are just great. Piwacket still smells as sweet as he did when he arrived two years ago.

Piwacket has a sister named Tilly
She sleeps in the Acorn jar.

Yes I love whimsy, can you tell?

Phoebe had a great day

We had a great day yesterday. I feel like I accomplished a lot and still have time to have some fun. It was a hot day and it was time to pull out the swimming pool. Phoebe's swimming pool. She started out playing in the sprinkler but I decided that today would be a great day for a bath. So I filled up her pool and waited till the water had warmed up a bit then Phoebe had her first bath. Yes, she has played in the water and is really a clean dog but never had a real bath. We have a dinky bathroom with a dinky shower so there was no way I was going to bathe her in the house. So I made a game of it and she had a blast. Yes we were both soaked when it was all over but we had fun. I got in the pool with her and got her all wet. Then I took the Japanese way of bathing and applied all the shampoo outside of the pool. I then lathered her up and did a basic rinse outside of the pool then we both got in and splashed and I got her to lay down and really got all the shampoo off of her. She smelled like a sweet Strawberry. Her favorite treat. Frest Strawberries from the garden. She liked the way she smelled I think as she kept sniffing herself. Her legs and back and yes, of course her private parts too. She slept well last night after a long walk and her first bath she was a happy camper.

Early sign up for Ole World Christmas swap

I am going to host an Old World Santa exchange. They can be made up in any form you choose from a stitchery to a stuffed Santa to, well this is one I did one year.

Now I am sure you are saying, "it's a bit early don't cha think?" NO! I don't. This will give you time to do something spectacular and also expect to get the same from your exchange partner.
This is a little more then your usual ornie exchange it is a major creation exchange and something you will pack up each year and look forward to displaying it in the years to come.

Anything from a quilted wall hanging to a nice Christmas style sampler. Here is one I did a few years back.
So, I wanted to start this early so that there would be plenty of time to complete that one special project for your swap partner.
If there is enough interest and enough participants we will make the deadline to be December 1st so that there is plenty of time to be able to display your wonderful Old World Christmas swap gift.
The value is always a hard one to place on a handmade gift but look at it this way, how much would you be willing to pay for a nice once a year swap gift.
I am going to say that a $50 value be placed on your gift. That doesn't mean that you have to spend $50 to make it but that the value be that much.

Okay, Lets see how many interested participants we can involve in this great Ole World Christmas Swap.
Just leave a comment and let me know that you want to participate and be sure that I have a way to contact you to let you know its a go.
Sign up starts now and ends on the 15th of October.

Fall is in the air and I am Happy

I am so glad that the weather is changing and the smell and feel of ~Fall is in the air~

. I don't know how I ever dealt with the heat of Tombstone, AZ. I sure couldn't do it now. The high humidity and 90 degree temps. No thank you Arizona. I will take the rains of Oregon any day. I may complain toward the end of winter but You can always add more clothes, but you can only take so much off. hehe

I am staying busy with my needlework and other projects and my husband is so funny when he says what are you going to work on tonight.  I try to switch projects so that I don't get bored with one so I have a Swedish weave that I am working on along with my rug hooking. I worry about our health in our later years as we are no longer middle age unless we plan on living to 120 hehe.

Greg should be retiring soon, I hope but he has no hobbies. I wish I could get him interested in something besides Nascar. Oh well, he still has a few years to think about it.'

This is where my Swedish weaving is at the moment. I hope to have it finish for this winter and if I do I may give it as a gift or snuggle up under it.  I will decide that later.
This was the first one I made and I gave it to a friend during her chemo treatments.

YEA ! ! ! Its Fry day depending on where you are.

 Monastery Complex fire in Oregon/Washington

The weather has been so hot everywhere and we are fortunate enough to have a bit of an Ocean breeze being just 6 miles from the coast. We are naturally a bit warmer but still not suffering like so many of you in the desperately hot climates.

Mount hood fire near Sisters Oregon

We are only going to be in the high 60's here. I bet you are all saying, WHAT ! hot temps. Well, we never get too hot here in Toledo, Oregon and hot for us would be upper 80's. That's why I left Tombstone, AZ. Couldn't handle the hot temps and swap coolers are just that. Swampy, humidity. YUK! ! but it was better then nothing and cheaper the AC.
So now we are content to be right where we are. It rains too much in the winter but keeps things green and I love green. I am partial to green not BROWN ! !

 So, even though we have cooler temps in our area, in the Portland and eastern Oregon the fires continue to burn out of control in High Heat temps.
So to all of you in those devastating areas, be safe and stay clear until they the powers that be say it is safe to return. I will pray for your safety and your homes. Many have lost so much already but as one woman I saw on a broadcast who had just lost everything she owned said. I am so blessed and so lucky, none of my family was hurt and everyone is safe. I know how difficult it is to lose everything and my heart goes out to those that have.
Hugs and blessings to them all.
 What we need right now is a great Native American Rain dance. I am not saying that this is a rain dance but if all of us would just take a moment and go outside and say to heck with the neighbors, crank up your favorite  music and start dancing and maybe if enough of us do it Our God will hear and laugh and his tears of laughter will be showers of rain here on earth. So what are you waiting for?

Just Dance

I am dancin

It going to be a great weekend

Yes labor day weekend is here and we aren't going to labor at all. It is going to be a weekend of relaxation and enjoyment and Phoebe has already started with her swimming pool. She love to romp around and go snorkeling for her rubber balls and toys that go to the bottom. She just has the best time in there when the temps are hot outside and it is proving to be one of those weekends already and it is only 11:00.
Well, I will need to get busy and pick some more blackberries to save for the fall and winter months. Best get busy before it gets too hot.
Have a great weekend .

I am so Excited

This is an update on my newest WIP. I have now got it transferred onto the backing so I can begin as soon as I have all my wool.

I am so excited about my newest endeavor. I am going to do a rug hooking of my dear sweet William Wallace. I am sketching from a photo of him and I was going to use that as my pattern but now I am thinking that I may just take and have the original photo blown up and keep this as a picture to frame. Isn't he just the sweetest little guy?

I was worried that Phoebe may be bothered by this picture but I guess dogs don't see a photo like we do. I think their prospective is different. She looked at it but not like she recognized the picture but just as it being something that I was doing. To me is is just a great dose of therapy of letting go yet being able to hold on to his sweet face in my heart and soon on my wall. I hope that the rug hooking comes out as nice as his sketch. The hair may be a bit of a challenge. I may resort to using some wool yarn in some areas just to allow for the detail to come through. I think the wool strips might not be small enough to show the fine hairs.
We shall see. Will keep you updated.