Last Day of Camp Two! So Sad...

C.J. from Seneca Mo. is a new hooker.She spent her time learning how to pull loops.Here she s working on one of my patterns.

Mindy from Neosho Mo. is a very new hooker to but she did not waist any time making headway on her witch rug.I can't remember who's pattern this is.

Anita from Berryville Ar. was in hog heaven with all the bright colors of handdyed wool Nola brought with her.

Charleen fro Eureka Springs Ar. worked on a snowman purse. Here she is putting the last buttons on and next will be the handle.

Karen from Hot Springs Village Ar. is a pro and made quick time of this cute bunny rug for her granddaughter.

Robin from Van Alstyne Tx. had never pulled a loop when she got here and now look at her go.She did a great job.

Karen from Ozark Mo. started a BIG rug, and if she did not reverse hook so much she would've had most of this rug done.She is one fast hooker.

Nelda is from Warsaw Mo. and she is hooking this rug for one of her girls.It really looks great.

This is Lyn from Rogers,Ar.and her dogs.Each dog is a different color and is just as cute as can be.

This is Arlene from Hot Springs Village,Ar. and her cow.I wish you could see the details of the flowers and the tail.

We had one more lady there,Sherri from Coweta Ok. but, she alluded my camera.

My Rug From Camp.

This is what I worked on in class.It is called "I can draw armadillos"and is by Nola's sister.I did not have alot of time to hook, but I do like it so far.Looks like a childs drawing.

Day Two of Class Two

Day two was a full day. I can't remember what Nola called this, but I think it is very cool.I need to try it soon so I don't forget it.Are you like that? The older I get the more I have to repeat something to get it to stick in my head. This is locker hooking.You can use any kind of fabric for it.I love the look of it and as soon as I find my hook/needle you use to do it I am going to try it.

Nola taught us so much.I know for me I will be trying some new things soon.Here the class is watching very closely.We did notwant to miss a thing.I hope some of the ladies will comment on what they did in class.

Meal time was a great time to get to know each other.Here is Charleen from Ar.,Karen from Mo,Anita from Ar, Sherri from Ok, and Nelda from Mo.And of course that is my food setting there waiting on me.I was head cook and bottle washer for the camp.Adam came in to do the alfredo sauce for pasta night. I think we all gained 5 pounds.

And to top the night off Carol Brown came in for massage therapy. After two days of hooking we all needed this rejuvenation.If you are ever in Eureka Spring you must lookup Carol. wwwcarolbrownmassage.com Charleen was one big puddle when Carol got done with her.

First Day for New Class,Day Six for Nola and I

Is there such a thing as to much wool ? Not when it come to a rug hooking camp.

This is just one students stack of wool. Nola is teaching the class of to do a french knot. Her long then hands work very fast as see demos many new stitches.

Here is Nola showing the completed knot as Charleen McCain looks on.Charleen is moving way out of her box in this class.

Looking over Nola's shoulder as she demos more stitches.I love her hair.

This is the work of Karen Durbin.The colors are great.The gold has been three colors so far.She is having a hard time picking a color she likes.

Dust Bunnies!(or should I said dust sheep)

This is all that was left from the first group of hooker at E.S. Rug Hooking Camp.I got everything cleaned up and then Nola and I when downtown Eureka to do a little shopping and to do some walking.Sunday was her day off .

The new group of hookers started arriving early after and got right to hooking Mindy and I spent a week together in June when she took a class at my home.

C.J. is a very new hooker. Her and Mindy are best buds. C.J. had worker all night before come down so I look for her be more awake after a good night of sleep.

Day Three of Hooker Camp

Kathleen was working on a very big rug.It had five sunflowers on if and she was doing each one different.I think this rug is going to look cool.

This is Jody with her turkey rug she worked on.I wish you could see the colors good,because they look great.

I was so flattered when Loralee started working because she is hooking one of my designs.It was fun to watch her interpretation of my rug.Loralee is very new to hooking, but you would never know it by what she did here.Below on the left is Rita and she worked on two pieces in this three day class.Rita and Jo Lynn have been friends for along time and they came from Springfield,Mo.Jo Lynn worked on a few this in her days in class.She is holding a purse in this pic.

The same time hooking camp is happening the Eureka Springs Bluegrass show is going.Every night after the show most of the people come to the Rodeway Inn the jam.This is Adam doing a little jamming.He is getting a little old for this late night stuff, it's hard on a old man.

Day Two Of Hooker Camp

It is after midnight and I just got home from hooker camp.So this will be a quit post.Here Nola is teaching us how to crochet a edge of a rug.Everyone was very intent of what she was talking about.

This is Jody trying her hand it a crocheted edge on a little mat.She was sure making faces as she did it.

A big part of camp is getting to know each other at meal time. This is Jody, Loralee,Kathleen and Mary Jane. OK, girls no talking with your mouths full.

Eureka Springs Rug Hooking Camp First Day

Today kicked off the firs day of the Eureka Springs Rug Hooking Camp.The first two pics here were taken by Dana from http://calicocatpress.blogspot.com/ and http://cabinchronicles.blogspot.com/ She was in town and stopped by to see what hooker camp looked like.Dana always has great pics on her blogs so when she walked in I just handed her my camera and said "here take my picture."Above is a rug hookers wet dream.Tables full of hand dyed wool and oh yummy it all is.

This is me working on my rug.It is called "I can draw armadillos".I do all the cooking for the camp so I don't get much hooking done,but I listen and learn.

Nola started right in teaching use all kinds of great techniques that we can use to get depth in our rugs.There are 7 ladies in the first class.3 of them are very new hookers and I love to see the delight in their faces as they see all the new things they can do with the wool.

Today was also the kickoff of the Eureka Springs Bluegrass Show.We will have more on that later.
Vicki

Day before camp starts.

This is how the room looks the day before rug hooking camp start.I spend the getting the food bought and put away.It rained almost all day as I wend from store to store getting the things we would need.

Nola arrived about 4:00 and we unloaded her car full of wool.After all the work was done Adam showed up.We went out to eat dinner and Adam and I got to know Nola better.I know we are going to have a great time this week.

The Eureka Springs Bluegrass Show also starts tomorrow so we know where Adam will be all weekend.Hookers and pickers in the same place.Be afraid,be very afraid..

Eureka Springs Rug Hooking Camp

This is a rug I hooked at the Eureka Springs Rug Hooking Camp last year with teacher Anita White.I never seem to get my pic when we have a camp going on.Tomorrow the ladies start coming in for the Eureka Springs Rug Hooking Summer Camp.The teacher will be Nola Heidbreder from St. Louis, Mo.
Nola is known for all the techniques she teaches. Looking to try something new? Nola loves to mix traditional rug hooking with mixed media. Nola is open to all size cuts. Creativity is taught and encouraged. Nola is a certified Mcgown instructor and the Region 8 Representative for ATHA. Nola has written several articles for Rug Hooking Magazine and ATHA. Her book,"Hook on Wool", featured many of her designs.
Nola likes to work with, and teach a verity of fiber arts including toothbrush rugs,broomstick rugs,wagon wheel rugs, shirring, locker hooking,proddy rugs,wool applique, knitting and crocheting and braiding.She loves working with recycled items to turn them into rugs, purses and wall hangings.
I will keep you posted on how things are going.We start class Thursday.I can't wait!!!

A Weekend of Bluegrass

August 16th 2008: Rocky Branch Baptist Church, Ice Cream Social. Thats right, I am the chrome dome with the Santa style beard playin the banjo, Ken Jones playing guitar(other chrome dome) Dallas Prouty on mandolin (Dallas built this mandolin) and Tim & Karen Hill guitar and bass.

Dale Ann Bradley My Favorite Female Singer, Bluegrass or otherwise, Harrison Arkansas, August 15th, 2008. Dale Ann is the 2007 Female Vocalist of the Year for the IBMA. If you have never heard Dale Ann's singing, you should really search out her music, she is simply the best.

Ken ,Rob and I jamming in the parking lot at the Harrison, Arkansas, Bluegrass Festival August 15th 2008. All guitars pictured in the above photos were built by John E. Martin in Hindsville, Arkansas. Adam

Were is Vicki when all this picking is going on?I find me a place with good light and I hook on a rug.If we are at a festival I get where I can see the show and I may not see Adam for hours.Am I a good wife or what?I am also taking all the pics.

Garden in the Sky

We have been trying to grow some veggies and the only place we have dirt is on our porch in pots.This porch is on the 2nd story of our house.One of the things I planted was tiny gourds.The pics are some of the blooms from this plants.They are huge and bright yellow.But, I had not seen one gourd till yesterday when I was working tin the yard.I was under the porch and when I looked up, to my surprise was a vine of one plant hanging over the side and at bottom was two little gourds.

This beautiful blooms do no last very long. Later in the day they were all shriveled up.I love growing things.I hope to someday have a greenhouse so I can have fresh veggies all the time.

Birthdays and Brown Bag Dolls

What you are looking at here is part of a project my doll club is doing.We call it the Brown Bag Doll.We start with a brown bag and add 15 items,5 must be fabric.Then each month each person takes a different bag and add to the doll.This year has been harder then the others because we don't have as many participating this time so we have worked on the same doll more than once.

The person that started this doll wanted this ball to be part on it.So it is up to me now to make the ball look like it belongs to this doll and not just dropped in his lap.

Here as a close up of the head that I needle felted for him last month.I think he needs a hat so that is my project for today.In two weeks we have our lunch party.That is when we get to see what our doll turned out like.It is great fun.

Full view.He has great boots on. The ball is black and white, but I think it needs to be gold like all the details on his clothes.

Yesterday was my 47th birthday. I had to work but Adam took me out to dinner later to a great restaurant and then book shopping. I love books.This pic is of me and my Mommy and Daddy when I was very new,I don't know how old I was tho.Note: the cigarette in mom's hand(bad Mommy).Dad was 22 here and Mom was 18 and they had been married 2 years.Yes, my Mom was 16 when they married and she would not let me even start dating till I was 16.

Work or Play?

This is where Adam and I work.War Eagle Cavern.The pic above is of the creek that comes out of the cave By this time of year it shoud be dry, but we have had so much rain this year that we still have water running.We had rain all weekend and I'm not sure it even hit 80 today.

We love the jobs we have.Getting to be outside or in a cave all day is great.Adam get to be in the cave more than me ;( We talk to people from all over the world and have meet some great folks.One of the fun things I get to do is play in the dirt Gem stone panning.Our vistors can buy bags of dirt in the giftshop and take it outside ang pan for real gem stone and I get to help.We do a lot of school kids in the spring and I help them with their panning. They all want my job now.