It's looking like fall!!!

Today it was actually nice and cool when I got off work......okay...it was 76 degrees....much cooler than the 90 and 100+ days we've been having. Thank goodness, because I really hate hot weather!!!Above is a little coiled wool pumpkin pin that I will be teaching at a "make and take" class at Simply Fibers on September 8th. Wool coiling and needle felting...a couple of new techniques to use with wool! It doesn't have one bit of glue other than the E6000 that I used to attach the pin to the back of the pumpkin.
Also finished is the hooked scissor keeper. This was going to be for a beginning rug hooking class, but I got a little carried away with all the finishing techniques, so I need to rethink this as a beginner class. When I put my classes on the schedule I had not made any of them.....well, that's one way to go forth and be creative....force yourself....sign up for something and MAKE yourself do it!!!It has hooking, whipping, blanket stitching and ladder stitching....maybe a little overwhelming for a beginner. This will be going on eBay for the Primitive Rug Hookers Group auction starting Saturday night. Look for it and other items by our group under PRHG on eBay.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Wow! Look at this!

This is a cactus that has been sitting on the bench of our back patio this summer. It started putting on these big pods, so we've been anxiously waiting to see what happens......

.....looks like a gigantic hairy starfish!!!!! Just too cool!!!!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Busy, busy, busy......

......aren't we all?!

I just can't believe it's the end of August!!!

Happy Birthday MOM!!!!

Hope you're having fun up in north Missouri and hope it's cooler there than here!

Lots going on lately!!! Still trying to finish up the little scissor keeper for my class. The one I started, I think, is going to be a little too difficult for a beginner to put together so it will probably go on eBay or Etsy and I'm going to start working up one with a little more simple finishing technique for my class sample. Hope to have a picture of the finished project later tonight.



Hope to take a picture in between tagging items for the "junk market" sale that Patti and I are doing on Saturday.....right now the weather is supposed to be sunny and not too hot so let's keep our fingers crossed!!!

It's always exciting to me to purge things that I am tired of and it's fun to see someone with that excited look on their face when they have found a treasure! Kind of a neat cycle if you ask me.....truly one woman's "tired stuff" is another woman's "treasure". I think getting rid of things opens up spaces in our lives for new things or experiences to come into them.

I'm getting rid of my chippy painted cupboards that were holding my wool. An old floor lamp. Lots of knick-knacks.....hoping it will be a good day!!! I just dread having to load and unload the truck!!! Hopefully when we unload it at the junk market we won't have much to re-load to take back home.

Wish us luck!!!

Tammy

A few items added to Etsy

Just a few things that I've made and added to my Etsy store.

I just love this Flirty Snowgirl pillow.....one of my first forays into altered hooking. She's been hooked, prodded, needle felted, glittered and buttoned. As my friend Carol said, "if you could be a snowman....this would be you!"

I decided to put her on Etsy to give myself room for new creations.

Also, I finally sat down and made one of the coiled wool trivets that I showed you back here. Really a fun way to use up left-over wool strips!

Also on Etsy for just $19.00

I've also made some pumpkin pins using this coiling technique along with some needle felting. I'll try to get pictures of those on here tomorrow as well as the scissor keeper that was inspired by one of the hookers in our group, Katie. This is the scissor keeper she made for Dulcy that started it all!

In the near future I'm hoping to start a Flickr album that the readers here can contribute to.....an album dedicated to altered hooking.....I'll give you more details as this comes along.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Summer is beginning to fade

I am starting to feel summer nod his head to fall.

The flowers are tired from all of the summer heat and I think everyone is ready for things to cool off.

They haven't here....cooled off that is....but I am sure ready for it!

Here are a few pictures from the garden....I really had to search to find things that weren't tired and wilted, but there are a few flowers who are happy despite the heat.

The morning glories are taking shelter and making friends with the bamboo plants. The zinnias in the side yard are still rocking along.

On the rug hooking front:

Yesterday we had a good long rain and it gave me a chance to dye up some beautiful skies for Valerie and Ter'e.

This is Ter'e's BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES SKY

....and here are some skies I dyed for Valerie....

Then, just for fun, I dyed up a few more sky wools which will be appearing in my eBay and Etsy stores within the next few days.

Tonight I get to go over to Renee's house for her monthly hooking group and if I can rememer to take my camera I'll bring back some pictures for you!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

I must admit....

I love the look of "altered art"!

Things like this handbag from IVANandLUCY or this collage from Thompson DesignsBut when you are a hooker how do you get this to translate into a different media? Actually I've wondered about this for a few years now....yes, a few years!!!

That is until today. Today I had a new customer at Etsy.....Cindy Wills of WillsArt. Of course anytime I have a new customer I like to peek around and see what they are doing. Take a look for yourself on her blog.

This is her piece that let me know that altered art and hooking CAN coincide!!!

I'm so excited by these new possibilities that I've gone and ordered some fabric transfers from

Teriko.

And more from Menta!

Now I'm looking for some fabric transfers of eyes......if you know of any please drop me a line....my mind is spinning with possibilities.

Go forth and be creative,
Tammy

Beautiful wools for fall!

I'm going to participate in some shameless self promotion today and also ask you to take the poll here on my blog.

If you are looking for some inspiring fall colors take a look at these.

Autumn in Sedona available on eBay

Amber Waves of Grain available on Etsy

Chocolate Caramel available on Etsy
Tillin Up the Field available on Etsy

....and while we're mentioning Etsy....I hope you'll take a poll here on my blog answering whether or not you've bought or sold on Etsy. My Etsy store doesn't seem to be NEAR as busy as the eBay store. Of course I realize that eBay is HUGE-MONGOUS and has tons more traffic.

Just curious.

Hope to be back this afternoon!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Refreshed!

Isn't it amazing what 3 long naps from Friday-Sunday will do for you?

I'm feeling soooo refreshed! Feel like I'm getting my mojo back!!! I think my internal clock was just soo0 messed up from the Vegas trip.

I've listed lots of back issues from Rug Hooking Magazine and Wool Street Journal in my eBay store. As well as some color tools.

See them here.

I'm happy to say that I've finally finished hooking Maria's "Lazy Sheep" rug. Now I just need to do the binding. I think I will bind him in a really dark color...that way maybe it will pull that dark color that I outlined his face with to the outside of the rug. I've already re-hooked his face about 3 times!!!

For some reason it's easier for me to hook a pattern with more detail than a pattern that is simple. What's up with that? I guess I crave detail, but I so admire people who can work with a limited color palette and make things look beautifully simple.

Therefore, I'm working on another "simple" pattern to try and hone my skills a bit more in that area.

I've started on this "Welcome Flowers" rug from Brenis at Hey Diddle Woolies.

I'm trying out some soft Autumn colors in this one.

Now I'm trying to decide on a pattern to use this wool in......I just love it! Any ideas?

find this wool here

I'm also working on some pumpkin pins....hope to have pictures for you in a few days.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Feeding ourselves

I came home from work today feeling exhausted and just generally worn out.....seems I've been neglecting some of my centers of wellness since I got back from vacation. I was sooo good before vacation...eating healthy, exercising....now that I'm home I thought I'd "let go" for a while....indulging in a "key lime pie frozen concrete" from Andy's Frozen Custard for supper last night....yes, that's right...that was my supper!!!Then our boss brought in TWO kringles for breakfast...of course I snacked on several pieces of that throughout the day. Thank goodness only one of them was my favorite cherry cheese!
I even skipped Pilates tonight because I was just soooo worn out.

Now, I've run across this article and thought I'd share it with you.

This is reprinted from Body + Soul

Feeding Your 5 Centers of Wellness

Recover from fatigue by tuning in to five essential parts of your self. Use a journal to assess each on a regular basis and make changes accordingly.

1. Movement

Ask yourself: Do I have a workout routine? How often do I really follow it? When's the last time I did something physical that brought me a sense of joy?

Why: Without regular exercise, you miss an opportunity to release stress and gain energy. When you choose an activity you love, you invigorate your soul as well.

Take action: Make exercise a habit; if possible, schedule your activity for the same time every day. Your body will come to expect and look forward to it.

2. Nutrition

Ask yourself: What's my relationship with food? When I'm tired, how does it change? Do I reach for "quick energy," such as sugar, caffeine, or potato chips?

Why: "Quick fix" foods start us on a dangerous cycle: They let us keep going after our bodies have said "Enough!," thus further depleting our stores.

Take action: Choose foods that help you sustain energy. Exchange coffee for green tea, refined grains for whole, and chips and dip for carrots and hummus.

3. Mind

Ask yourself: What is my level of internal stress? Regardless of circumstances or life events, am I generally relaxed and happy, or tense and sad?

Why: Although life events often affect the way we behave, sometimes the way our mind functions is unrelated to our surroundings. Responding to situations while chronically stressed will tucker you out; feeling happy and calm feeds your energy.

Take action: Before starting a new activity, take a few moments to center yourself by simply closing your eyes and breathing. Schedule 20 minutes during the day -- every day -- to "unplug" from the world, whether by meditating or taking a walk.

4. Sensuality

Ask yourself: Do I feel connected to my body, sensually and sexually? Do I notice textures that feel good, scents that relax me, and tastes that satisfy me?

Why: Our five senses are essential for both physical and spiritual survival. When we ignore our senses, we create a primal void that hurts us spiritually.

Take action: Surround yourself with stimuli that make you happy. Do you love the smell of lavender oil? Dab some on your neck. Does the feel of soil in your hands ground you? Don't just repot your houseplants; dig into the earth.

5. Spirit

Ask yourself: Do I feel connected to things bigger than myself? Am I blessed with work that feels meaningful?

Why: Lives that provide meaning, purpose, and inspiration can be tremendously invigorating, and lack thereof is spiritually draining.

Take action: Replenish the connections in your life that fill you with a sense of purpose. Grab a camera and go for a hike, snapping photos of your favorite flowers along the way. Spend a day with a childhood friend. Whether you find inspiration in a church or temple or a star-filled sky, make time for it.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Oh my! Free listing day on eBay!!!

(First Lady Coolidge holding a raccoon.)

Okay, I'll be quite honest....I haven't had anything on eBay in a coons age!!!

My friend and co-worker, Renee, has been the backbone of our eBay store for a while....she is a dyeing diva and obviously way more organized than I am. She can just dye and dye and dye.....she is the one who keeps our store stocked with those wonderful Karen Kahle colors!!!

I've felt like a whirling dervish here lately.....(okay, to be quite honest....I thought "whirling dervish" was just a saying until I googled it for a picture....this is an actual picture of a whirling dervish....if you want to learn more about this click here.)....working on small projects for a craft show in October, getting together class projects for the fall and winter at Simply Fibers and doing a lot of custom dyeing for folks all over the country. I love the custom dyeing....as soon as it cools off here in the Ozarks I'm going to be dyeing skies for folks from Florida to California.

From "sea to shining sea" or in this case from "sky to shining sky" as well as helping to color plan rugs.....Soooo exciting!!!! When I'm doing this I feel like I've found my "calling". So thanks to all of you who ask me to do these things for you....I love it!

However, this evening, I "got with it" and pulled some wools from my stash to make some wool combos for "free listing" night.



I've started them CHEAP...so I hope you feel like you are at a REAL auction if you want to bid on them.



Here is what I have for you. Hopefully if you click on the pictures it will take you right to the auction.....at least that is how it is supposed to work. (this blogging and linking gets easier all the time....but one never knows)
In this first combo I used the middle plaid wool as my inspiration and then dug through my personal wool stash to find just the right wools to work with it.....I think this is probably my favorite combo that I put together.
This one here is one of those fun ones that go from light to dark...peaches and cream to persimmon.This one here just screams fall and everything that is wonderful about it. This one down here is just an unusual piece of wool that I came across and just had to have some....reminds me of everything sweet and preppy.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

I'm humbled and tickled pink!

.....makes me giggle!!!!

Toni of Rabbit Hill Creations has given me a "Nice Matters" award.

Thanks T!!! You're so sweet and always inspring....amazing the friends we make on the net!!! So lucky!!!

I'm passing the award on to someone that I met on-line about 5 years ago....Brenis of "Hey Diddle Woolies". Really just one of those folks that I've had an immediate connection with. Now, in honor of her little girl Calli starting kindergarten I'm giving you a montage of pink inspired by Calli's pink dress and the "Noodle" that she gave her brother Gavin!!!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Back and relaxed!

Happy to say that we had a wonderful time in Las Vegas!

As you know....."What happens in Vegas.....stays in Vegas", but here are a few pictures and stories I collected just for the blog!

By the way....if you look over to the left you can watch videos and music of the fountain shows at "The Bellagio" (just click on one of the pictures and then scroll back up to the top of the page to watch and listen....the third one down...the one that looks blank has the best photography and my favorite music...."Singing in the Rain")......so beautiful and we were lucky to have a spectacular view of the fountains from our room.....slow times in Vegas mean free room upgrades......yeah baby! Flat screen TV in the bathroom!

(view from our room)

We did a little bit of everything while we were in Vegas....from the downtown "Fremont Experience" complete with steak and shrimp.To strolling around the Bellagio looking at the spectacular Chihuli glass, and lunching at the Wynn surrounded by parasols and wonderful tiled floors. Taking in shows like Toni Braxton and Phantom of the Opera.....Toni did more talking than singing and I wish I had my money back on that show, but Phanton of the Opera was so beautiful it would make you cry.

Of course you can't go to Vegas without going out dancing and doing just a little bit of gambling. This time luck was not a lady for us...but we still had a great time.

....hanging out, dancing and lying by the pool. Now that I'm totally blissed out....perhaps I can....

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy