Thursday, February 26, 2009

On My Way to Lenexa,Kansas...

Tomorrow my friend Jody and I will be off the Lenexa,Kansas for the Rock Creek Hook-in and Rug Show.Saturday, Feb. 28,2009 from 9:00 till 3:00 at the Lenaxa Community Center.This will be a great day of hooking.Well I should not say that , because I never hook when I get there,I spend my time talking, shopping and looking at all the rugs.


I don't know how many hookers show up,but I can say it is a bunch.It is so much fun to see what each person is working on.I love to walk around the tables and talk to everyone.


I will be looking at the whole thing from a different view this year so I can have good pictures for you to see.If you are there please say hi to me, I am the redhead with hair to my butt.
This was a rug that was there last year.I wish I could remember who hooked it.I do remember that the lady that brought it was asked to finish it.It was lovely.
Live Deeply and go meet a hooker.
Vicki




Monday, February 23, 2009

US Post Office...

I forgot to tell you about my post office visit last week.In the same day, I mailed my rug to Rug Hooking Magazine to be photographed and I mailed my first sale on Etsy.Even tho it is a pain in the butt to do anything at our P.O. , it was a great day for me.
I do hope the lady that got this little box is very happy with what's inside.

Live Deeply and mail something today.
Vicki

Sunday, February 22, 2009

The Bug Rug is DONE!!!

Well I have finely finished Bev Conway's bug rug that I started 1 1/2 years ago when she came to the Eureka Springs Rug Hooking Camp.This rug was made for my grandson Ryan.
One of things I learned from Bev on this rug was the use of color.When you are using a lot of diffident colors, putting one color in all the blocks helps bring them together as a whole.

If you look good you can tell that I used the yellow as the common in all the bugs.


This was a fun rug to hook and it is the biggest one I have made.My grandson has been right at my side as I hooked this rug.He sat on my lap and HELPED me hook his rug.


Live Deeply and go find a pretty bug.
Vicki



Thursday, February 19, 2009

Eagle's View...

Or maybe I should say a view of a eagle.One of the things I love most about where I live is the things I can see from my home.I can stand right on my porch and watch the eagles that come to this part of Arkansas for the winter.I never get tired of looking at these beautiful birds.Yesterday we were out in the yard cleaning up some of the downed trees and a roadrunner ran up our road(I know that sounds goofy),but I feel good when I get to see that kind of thing.I know there are people out there that have never seen a roadrunner or eagle or many of the other animals I get to see almost daily.



I hope you enjoy these pics.


Live Deeply and go fly with the eagles.
Vicki

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Gifts Given and Gifts Receved...

Recently I was given a gift that made my day,no! week,no! month.Dana from "Cat in my Lap" made what she called her art purge.She cleaned out her studio and had some things that she just hated to throw away.So she gifted it to other people.I put my name on the list and was hoping for one of her beautiful handmade books.What I got almost made me cry.Not only did I get one of her books but I got two.Yes, two,one big book and one little book.She also sent me 6 of her handmade cards and a bookmark.And the greatest was the hand painted silk scarf.I will be her trash can anytime.
Dana and I meet at ESSA a few years back when she took a needle felting class I was teaching and I am so blessed to have her as a friend now.
Here is a better view of the silk scarf.

Now for the giving part.This last summer I started this rug for a class I was going to teach.I had no plans for it other than a teaching tool.Then came the news that a young man from our church was getting married "at last". Adam and I had become very fond of this young man and I wanted something special for him and his bride.So I got busy and finished this rug for them.


Here you see them after they opened the gift and as you can see they are giving it a good look.She had never seen a hooked rug and now she wants to learn.I never got to teach the class I made this rug for because the class did not make, but now I will be teaching it to Carrie.
I also use one of the cards that Dana gave my for this gift and they loved the card and could not believe it was handmade.
Live Deeply and give a gift today.
Vicki



Friday, February 13, 2009

Day of hooking with grandson...

My grandson Ryan is staying the weekend with us and he and I got some hooking done today.When he was little he would sit in my lap (in my frame) and use my hook to poke the backing and he would tell everyone he was hooking.He would make a hole with the hook and then rub the hole till was gone. He is getting so big now that he can't sit on my lap and me hold the frame too.So now he has to sit beside me to hook.Now he likes to play with the strips too.As you see here he may be a lefty.I believe in letting children try their hands at art.If it is paint,markers,yarn, wool or any other medium let them use their hands.
When my studio is done he and any other grandkids I have will a place just for them to make art.

He loves hooking almost as much as he loves having his picture taken.Some of you may have noticed that I have changed this rug some.The middle lady has a different hat on now.I just could not get the other one to work out like I wanted.

Here are two pictures of me hooking taken by Ryan.He love taking pictures too.For those that don't know Ryan is 3 years old.Later today we went to clean trees out of the driveway of the place Adam and I work.Ryan had a great time throwing sticks and helping Nana pushing trees around.


Live Deeply and kiss your kids or grandkids.
Vicki



Thursday, February 12, 2009

Happy 200th Mr. Lincoln

Today on Gene Shepherd's blog there is a incredible rug that you have to go see.Here is a picture of the whole thing,but you have to go look at the closeup picture of it.I just sat looking at it repeating "dang he's good".My hubby walked in and wanted to know who was good and I showed him the pics and he said "cool water mark".I have to say that I did not know what the image in the background was called.
As I was reading the info to hubby I discovered that Gene had not hooked this rug but a lady by the name Ivi Collier had.She tells why she picked the colors she used and other things about this rug on Gene's blog so go to it RIGHT NOW and read.
Great job Ivi! I love your rug.
Live Deeply and think about Mr. Lincoln today.
Vicki

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Upcoming Rug Hooking Events...

We have two rug hooking events coming up in Eureka Springs,Arkansas that I wanted to tell you about.First is two three day camps with Victoria Hart Ingalls.This is Eureka Springs rug hooking Camp.Due to illness I have a few spots open for this camp.

Victoria Hart Ingalls is from Independence, Mo. Victoria has been hooking for thirty years and teaching for nearly twenty, both at home and at rug schools across the country. Victoria has written for Rug Hooking Magazine and has had work included in Celebrations.Though she is known for her focus on fine shading and portraiture, her style ranges from traditional, to wide-cut hooking with a folk art appeal.I love the little kids faces she does. She has a degree in Fine Art and was a student of well-known teacher and author Margaret Hunt Masters. Her husband, Tom, will be joining her with his beautiful hand-made hooks.

March 4-8 and 8-12 We will be having 2 classes back-to-back.The first one will be, arrival and setup on March 4.Class will be all day the 5,6,&7.Go home on March8. The next class will arrive and setup on March 8 Class all day 9,10 & 11.Go home on March 12.We will be staying at the "Swiss Holiday Resort" Eureka Springs,Arkansas. Here you can see a few of Victoria's hooked pieces.


June 13 is the Eureka Springs Hook-in.This event will be a fun filled day of hooking,eating and shopping.The hours are 9:00 till 6:00.The picture above is some of the ladies arriving to last years hook-in.



Friday, February 6, 2009

Just look what his Mommy did to him...

My grandsons Mommy (yes that is my daughter)has been playing again and just look what she did to him.I don't know how she does all the things she can do with pics but I think it is so fun.Check out her blog Amber He is already winking at the girls and is quite the ladies man, but this may be over the top.hehe

That's my baby!!
Live Deeply and go take a picture.
Vicki

What I have been doing with myself...

As I sat for 8 days with no power I worked on this rug.In the day I sat in a sun lit window and at night it was a camp light that helped light my hooking.The ladies are needle felted with the hats and background all hooked. I still have alot of work on them.Like this one's eyes are a little off and none of them have eyebrows.
I am going to put something on each hat too.And maybe eyelashs.

I have to get this rug done because the next one is bouncing around in my head and wants out very badly.There is just not enough time to get all the things I want to make done.If anyone out there has all the money they need and would like to help a starving artist/hooker spend her time make wool into art,you can look me up.Well, after one look at my butt I must not be starving.Oh well, you can't blame a girl for trying.
Ok now...Live Deeply and enjoy your lights.
Vicki


Thursday, February 5, 2009

Beuaty and Destruction....


I don't know how something so beautiful can cause so much destruction.Most of the ice is gone and we got power back yesterday after 8 days without.We still do not have water.

As I look back at some the pictures I took,I see such beauty in some and such destruction in others.Will things ever be right again.Will the trees live through all the hardship they have been through.

If you could see close you would see the buds just waiting to open with just a little touch from the sun.



I took this after I got off the roof helping Adam. I can say that I do not like getting on and off ladders.We where luck in that we had no holes in the roof.Not everyone was that lucky.

Just a few more pictures of the destruction......

We will be a long time cleaning up the yard after this but I can say I have been getting some hooking done by camp light and the quite was very nice.
Live Deeply and enjoy a hot bath for me.
Vicki





Monday, February 2, 2009

Why I have been quiet...

I thought I would show you why you have not heard from me this last week.We have no power yet and may not have for two more weeks.Have you ever "camped " in you own house? That is what we are doing right now.I am at my DD's house right now making this post.Enjoy the pics and I hope to be back soon to tell you more about the rug hooking camp I have coming up.

That is my War Eagle tent under all the limbs.


This is our road.It us 2 days to cut our way out.


This is our driveway.