3RD ANNUAL FALL HARVEST HOOKIN AND WOOL GATHERING FUN FUN FUN

HELLO EVERYONE,

I was able to attend this super wonderful gathering of ladies "Up North" as I call it but the actual town is called Charlevoix, Mi.. 

It is the Pumpkin Time Season  and I have made some more "Wee Pumpkins" and Maple Leaves...
What do you all think of them??

While traveling we got to see some Awesome Gigantic Pumpkins along the way.. Pretty big, hey??

I am proud to say I have been "Stash-Busting too..

DeEtta from "Fiddlehead Finery" planned and hosted this great "Up North" event..

Many ladies came as far as from Sault Ste. Marie, Mi. and other locations in the UP. Also ladies from Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, Canada came too. We also came from as far south as Ann Arbor...... I think there was about 3 dozens of us in all.

DeEtta's Rug Hooking Art. Love those Sheep and Owls.

On the Left is Maureen Mousley who taught us about the importance of "Color".. Maureen come from the Guild at the Sault.

My friend and Host of this event DeEtta in the Green Vest showing every ones lovely Hooked Rugs

DeEtta also hand-dyes wonderful pieces of wool.  The Sand Bale/Star Fish pillow DeEtta made for a class down in the Florida this coming Winter.

Roxanne is the Owner of "Woolderness" in Hessel Michigan..  She hand-dyes all kinds of fibers and also hand spins them.. She also does Needle Felting classes.

Here you can see I bought some more of her beautiful hand dyed fibers..

I can never say I have never won anything anymore.. See those lovely pile of hand dyed wools..... Yup I won them..  Huge Very Big Smile...
They were donated by Nancy Blair of
  "Tomorrow's Heirlooms" in Allendale, Mi... Thanks you Nancy I love them...

Michele Mueller of "Wild Hare Rug Studio" from Elk Rapids was one of the vendors demonstrating "Needle Punch Rug Hooking..... I have Never seen this kind of rug hooking before..... To say the least I was very impressed with this technique...In fact I loved it!!!

Huge very big smile...

I had the opportunity to chat with 3 lovely ladies...The lady on the left is  Betty Reece holding her most beautiful piece of art called "Tree of Life"".. This technique is called Rug Hooking Sculpturing... Below is 2 closeups photos of this lovely work.

The other two ladies on the right is Becky and Christie..  I think their rug hooking pieces are wonderful too..

Rug Hooking Sculpturing..Isn't the Owl and Squirrel beautiful...

These two lovely hooked rugs were made by Becky.

The hooked rug is an Heirloom Rug from Christie's grandmother.. Lovely isn't it???

I am not sure who made the Summer Cabin but I really liked it allot.

Two wonderful sheep hooked rugs.. I really like these two a lot too..

As you all know I could "Never" leave such a wonderful event with out bringing home a Treasure...

I was very fascinated with the Punch Needle Rug Hooking.. So I bought a Oxford Punch Needle in their smallest size so I could use regular worsted wool with it..

All that most beautiful Harrisville New England Highland hand-dyed yarn I bought at Dorr Mills Store in New Hampshire. I can hardly wait to start Needle Punching..

 Has anyone else done this kind of rug hooking??

When I have NO energy to do anything else I get lost in the most wonderful books..

 I have discovered a new to me Mystery Series called "Hamish MacBeth" by M.C. Beaton..  So far I have read the 3 newest books and truly like them a lot.

  While I was lost in the books beautiful description of Scotland and trying to also play detective.. I discovered that there was a DVD series to go along with these wonderful books..

 I immediately bought this series of too and OH how I love the beautiful landscapes of Scotland... I highly recommend these books and movies.

 Oh, how I would love to go to Scotland some day..

The beautiful bright and sparkling Autumn Colors in Michigan is found everywhere now. In Autumn every leaf is a flower to me.....

  I also found a great bargain at our local nursery I could not resist.. It is a Weeping Norway Spruce.. I think this spruce is very artistic looking in my garden...what do you all think??

I also "Won" some very lovely scented Handmade with Love Soaps from Kathy of "KathyintheozarksSoaps"..  They are all beautiful birds.. Thanks you Kathy for sending them along to me.. Much appreciated.. 

Click Here to read about the "Stash-Buster Challenge" and the October  Link Party..

Thanks to Linda and Ana for this wonderful Idea..


I would like to thank ALL My Wonderful Followers for always stopping by and leaving your most kind and thoughtful comments.  I am very grateful indeed.

Hugs Judy

Below is a photo of My Art...
 

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR: POMAGRANATE TABLE RUG FINISHED

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 I wish both My Family and Friends

 I VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR.

My Sweetie, The Love of My Life relaxing during the holidays.

 We have only been married 8 Years but they have been Very Magical and Lovely Years.  I pray we have Many More Glorious Years Together.

My this year has passed quickly.  As of this month I will be retired "One Whole Year"! It has been a year of great adjustment for me.  After being a RN for 36 years it has been difficult to put nursing behind me.  I still have the feeling I need to do something in the area of helping children. Any idea please let me know. Thanks

Below is a photo of me when I was visiting Metz France during Easter Break.

I took a Sue Spargo Class back in November of 2011.  I finished this project on December 31st 2012. Yes, it took me 13 months plus a couple of months preparing for the class.  Below is a photo of a classmate working on her Pomegranate.

My Friend DeEtta has a website called

 "Fiddlehead Finery" and she hand dyed all the wool for me specifically for this project.  All the colors turn out fantastic. 

 I also took a class from DeEtta to learn how to do Rug Hooking. Here is a previous posting of photos of DeEtta's lovely Studio.  I learn much but still have lots to learn. Below you will see the Hooked Star in the center of the Pomegranate Rug. This was my own design to the rug. I think it made this project unique and mine.  VBG What do you all think??

In the photo below you will see an upclose photo of the Hooked Star Rug with lots of embellishments.

Below is an upclose photo of the Pomegranate with lots of beads and fancy creative stitching.  I mainly used a book called "The Right-Handed Embroiderer's Companion" by Yvette Stanton of Australia.  This book is excellent and I highly recommend it.

 

I really like using the "Drizzle Stitch". In the leaf I used this stitch to create the veins.  I also used hand dyed velvet for the center of the leaf.  I used chenille yarn around all the edges of the leaves and Pomegranate.  I found it difficult to stop stitching on this project I enjoyed it so much!!

I used a technique called "Rushing" for the element to connect all the Motif together and then I added lots of beads to make it sparkle. 

I do hope everyone is having an lovely holiday season around the world.  

Thanks for visiting My Blog and leaving your lovely messages for me to read.  They are all greatly appreciated. 
 
Hugs Judy

MY ARTISTIC IMPRESSION OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND AND GREEN GABLES

Hello Everyone,

For the last 1 1/2 years off and on, I have been stitching on "My Artistic Impression" of Anne Of Green Gable House and Gardens. It had always been "My Dream" to go to Prince Edward Island. In 2010 My Sweetie took me on a holiday to PEI. Oh, what a Glorious Adventure we had together.

Above you will the finished "Anne of Green Gable Journal Page". In the journal page you will find, Green Gables, Beautiful Gardens, Haunted Woods, natural Brownish Red Roads, Lover's Lane and the most famous The Lake Of Shining Waters. I truly enjoyed every minute I stitched on this Journal Page. 

The Lake Of Shining Waters was lovely to see. I have included bead rocks along the edges and "Tyvek Beads" I made into wee Logs. I have used the "Ghiordes Knots" to create the grasses along the side of the Pond.  The Leaves growing along side the rocks are made from "Open Base Picot" stitch.

This photo is a close up of "Green Gables". I used "Long and Short Satin Stitch" to create Green Gables.

 The wee round sequin with the bead in the center is made from cotton fabric sprayed with Tattered Angel Glimmer Mist and left to dry.  The the sequin was then punch out from the fabric.  They are to represent the Peonies gardens I saw at Green Gables.

I created the clouds from Angelina Fibers. The spruce trees were created from the "Drizzle" stitch.  The Birch Tree is French Knots with Silken Chenille thread.

  Along the roads we traveled on PEI I saw a great array of truly beautiful "Lupines" in shades of Pinks and Purples.  The Queen Anne Lace is also found in the Haunted Woods.  

I created the Pink Tyvek Bead I used for the body of the butterfly.

The back of My Journal Page I quoted AOGG famous words about PEI. 

"This Island is the Bloomiest place 

I just love it already.

And I'm so glad I'm going to Live here. 

I've always heard 

that PEI was the Prettiest Place in the World..."

Here is a wee collection of treasures I brought back with me from PEI along with My AOGG Journal Page.  If you look at the napkin you can see the scene that inspired me in create My Journal Page.

Here are some lovely blooms from my May Gardens.

My Clematis bush was in its glory this year. There were blooms all the way around the tower.  This is also where the Robin chose to make her nest.  I reckon she liked being surrounded by gardens too.

For the last several years I have been admiring "Bottle Trees".  This Spring My Sweetie made me one.  It took a little while to find all "Blue" bottles but the hunt was allot of fun.  Most was found in antique stores.  

The globe on top is a Iridescent Pearl Globe with lots of shimmering colors that remind me of the "Northern Lights" so well know in Alaska.  I just Love it!!

This is the latest addition to my gardens. Yup, a "Flower Bed".   A man my sweetie was doing electrical work for was going to throw the bed frame away.   Bill ask if he could have it for his wife.  LOL  It was a tattered old white frame.  Now it is a lovely Provence Blue.

In my flower bed I have an antique watering can I brought home with me from Germany.  A bowling ball I sprayed "Purple".

Another Blue Fancy Bottle. Some old antique electrical glass bulbs and last but not least some flowers.  LOL What do you all think??? 

Some times I think I spend way to much time stitching. But over the many years I have come to believe that

 that being "Creative is Divine!

 I will leave all my blogging friends with this wee though. I will be taking a break for the Summer months.

The highest , most joyful expression of the Divine Spirit within all of us is through the expression of our creativity. Nothing is more powerful. Nothing is more self loving.  And nothing is more rewarding than spending your time in a creative and artful endeavor.

It doesn't matter what you create, as long as it makes your "Life" more beautiful and satisfying than before.  This is because all "Creativity" is the "Holy Spirit" moving through us. 

Creative expression turns one's attention away from the "Chaos" of the outer world to focus inwardly for a time and isn't this lovely.  

So My Dear Blogging Friends keep being creative and I will hopefully see you all in the Autumn!

Hugs Judy

MY VERY FIRST ENCRUSTED EMBROIDERY PEBBLE

Hello Everyone,

I have been doing some very fun stitching lately.  My Sweetie will not let me help much in the kitchen redo so I have been happy stitching away and loving it.

The photo below is the inspiration for My First Encrusted Embroidery Pebble.

 My sweetie and I was walking along the Lake Michigan Shoreline last Summer and out of all the stone we found this one was my favorite.  It is called a Petoskey Stone.  I think it is so very pretty. Not a good photo but it is all shades of beige and creams and white.

Below is an up close photo of the top part of My Encrusted Pebble. It is 5 inches wide and 6 inches tall. I used 100% wool cream fabric as the background for the pebble.

 The stitch I used at the tip is called Buttonhole with and Detached Buttonhole stitch combined together. I used EdMar Brazilian thread called Boucle.  I wanted it to look like the white caps where breaking over the pebble laying on the sandy beach.  Do you think I captured the look I wanted with this stitch? 

Below is the bottom of the pebble.  I also used the same technique twice more on the bottom of the pebble.  I used many shapes of beads. 

 I also used hand dyed wool roving twisted tightly and swirled around on the stone and then I couched over it with the bullion stitch in a hand dyed silk thread.

 I forgot to take a photo of the elements I used on this pebble but I used very similar one I used on the Heart which I have not started to stitch yet.  

I used many different kinds of threads.  I really like using 100% wool threads. I also used The Thread Gatherer Hand Dyed Silks, EdMar Brazilian Threads, Finca # 8,  DMC Perle Cotton, Valdani Pearl, and several Silk and Ivory threads of silk and wool. 

Below is My First Encrusted Embroidery Pebble finished.... What do you all think?

 I used many many different kinds of stitches.   I used the Drizzle Stitch in many different places.  It is one of my favorite stitches.  

I also used  Whipped Buttonhole Stitch, Needle Weaving Open Base Picot, Raised Cup Stitch, Blanket  Stitched Pinwheel,  Back Stitch Spider Web, Bullion, and lots and lots of French Knots.

I had so much fun creating this pebble. I hope I have inspired a few of my blogging friends to give this Encrusted Pebble a try. 

Many of us on "Stitchin Fingers" are also participating in the "Pebble Adventure" but you need to be a Stitchin Fingers Member to give this project a go.

  Now I am thinking of doing an encrusted Easter Egg.  Hmmmmm, So many ideas and not enough time.  LOL

Take care and thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments. 

Hugs Judy

Pomegranate Stitching Snow Drought Kitchen Renovation Started

Hello Everyone,

Wow, how time passes quickly. It seems these days I am more than busy.  LOL  But thank goodness, I have found some precious time for my passion of stitching.   

I started My Pomegranate Table Rug back in November 2011.  I now have 1/2 of the table rug completed.  I will do the same stitching on the opposite end.   I have truly enjoyed stitching on this project. I have pushed my comfort zone and learned some new stitches which has really been fun for me. 

(1) I have used my very favorite drizzle stitch around the pink velvet seeds. The drizzle stitch is created with a Kreinik Fine # 8 Braid in a Pale Pink ( 192 color).

(2) I couched down the Chenille Yarn around the border of the Pomegranate with the Buttonhole Stitch using Watercolours by Caron # 149 Cherry Cordial color. 

(3) I also did the same around the Pomegranate slices in the middle but on this one I used Sophie's Strawberry Silken Chenille Thread by Thread Gatherers. 

(4) Along the outside slices edges I used the Palestrina Stitch and used Weeks Dye Works Pearl #5 and the color was Camellia number 2276P5.

(5) I also used lots of #8 sparkling pink beads.

I had lots of fun creating the top of the Pomegranate. I created a Woven Picot Stitch and made them 2 1/2 and 2 inches long by using a Hat Pin. 

(1) The thread I used on this stitch is made by Waterlilies by Caron and the color is Coral Blush 053.  I  have never made the woven picot stitch this long before and it was fun creating them.

 

 I created the small leaves by couching down Chenille Yarn by using Waterlilies by Caron.  I lost the tag on it but it was 3 shades of pale lime greens.  

(1) I created the Bullion Stitch around the Center Velvet Pink Leaf with Waterlilies By Caron # 190 Fraises du Bois.

(2) The center veins was created with the "Drizzle Stitch" using My New Favorite thread called,  Threadworx Kreinik Fine #8 Braid in the color 71081. I absolutely LOVE this metallic variegated metallic color thread.  Love it!!! 

So what do you all think of the Pomegranate Table Rug so far??

I was watching Martha Stewart Show during the Christmas Holidays and saw them create an artistic Walnut Treasure Box.  This is my version of it.  I used 18 Kt. Gold Leafing Pen to color the outside of the walnut.  They left theirs plain inside but I decided to put red velvet inside mine to give it more of Majestic Royal look.  LOL  What do you all think??? 

Next The Kitchen Renovating, The Beginning!

We have now lived in our Retirement Home for 7 plus years.  Since we have moved in each Spring/Summer we do some kind of project to make it more to our liking. 

The "Kitchen" is our last big project and we decided to pass our long cold Winter by starting now on it. The only thing we decided to leave the same was the cupboards.  Way to expensive to change.   

(1) The first to go was the old counter top and back splash. In the photo above you only see the raw wood that was under the old laminate counter top that was already removed. That all came out too.  

(2) On Wednesday February 1st our new Corian Hard Surface Counter Top arrived. It took them 5 hours to install it.  The color is called Talc Oyster and it has wee specks of white, cream and light beige all the way through it.  I love it. 

(3) Before the counter top arrived Bill put up the new Back Splash of Wainscoting  and sometime it is called Bead Board. We painted it a Porcelain Skin color.  I am so pleased so far.  What a huge different it has already made.

(4)My Sweetie has been working many long hours and I truly appreciate his dedication to this project.

Next was the new Cast Iron Enamel Sink in the color of Almond.  

(1) I wanted some "Art" in my kitchen and pick out some "Old Fashion Moen Oil Rubbed Bronze Faucet"!  I was a bit nervous going with the bronze with the Almond thinking it made be to dark for it but after it was in I really like it allot. What do you all think??  

(2)  I have order a small Wall Tile Mural to go above the sink along with some smaller glass tiles.  We are waiting for the Mural to arrive. We have already painted the walls. Photos next time.  

(3)  I hope you all will follow along with our New Kitchen Renovation we are hoping to have it all done by March 1st. Fingers Crossed because living in a very messy Kitchen is NO fun!! LOL  

Our Weather people are now calling the Winter of 2012 a "Snow Drought"!!  I think our total this winter has been about 5 inches.   Last year  we had about 5 foot of snow at this time of year. Below is a photo of our snow in February 2011.

Below is a photo of February of this year.  NO Snow!! I have never in my life time seen NO snow in February.  My birthday is at the end of February and there is usually a snow blizzard brewing but this year I am hoping there will be No snow.  VBG Do you think I will be so lucky??  LOL

I greatly appreciated you all visiting my blog and leaving your lovely comments for me to read. I always value your opinions. 

Some thoughts from My Heart.

When good friends walk beside us, 

On the trails that we must keep, 

Our burdens seem less heavy, 

And the hills are not so steep, 

 The weary miles pass swiftly, 

Taken in a joyous stride, 

And all the world seems brighter, 

When friends walk by our side. 

Thank You All For Being My Friends.

Hugs Judy