Skip To My Ewe: 1/1/09

Friday, January 30, 2009

Yay! It's Friday!

Yay, it's Friday! This week has seemed long in some ways and short in others. I loved having some extra time off from work to revel in the joys of snow, but the days that I did go to work seemed LONG this week.....I think it's because we haven't been that busy with the bad weather. Really, it's easier to work on a busy day than a slow day.....when it's slow at work I sit there and think of a jillion other things that I could be doing at home.

We still have snow on the ground, but it's sunny today and is supposed to warm up this weekend, so I expect it won't be here much longer.

I'm still trying to carve out more time for rug hooking and working on my visual journal as well as dyeing wool. I probably spend way too much time on the computer, but for my creative ventures I just have to be in the "right mood" to enjoy the process. It's nice to get all of the "chores" done so I can truly relax and enjoy the process of creating. However, when I do take the time to create it makes me feel more energized and happy.

How about you? How do you balance your "creative" life and your "real" life? I'd love to hear from you.

The other thing I've been working on is custom dyeing some wool for Cheri in Maine for a flamingo rug that she is going to be hooking. She was so awesome to send all of these swatches of wool and samples of DMC floss to communicate the colors she was wanting me to achieve for her. I've hit most of them head on, but I'm having trouble getting the green colors she likes.....I'm going to give those another shot this weekend.

I find it fun to try and match colors that people want.....I like "figuring things out", but I have to be in the right frame of mind to tackle it. I had a good day the particular day I dyed the colors above.

Now that I got more natural wool in, I'm going to give it another shot with the other colors I still need to achieve.

Have a great Friday!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Thursday, January 29, 2009

I voted for a watchdog!

....and I'm glad.

Today I saw this.....

According to a report from ABC News, President Obama is not taking kindly to corporate greed, especially when it's funded by taxpayer money. Read more from ABC here:
The high-flying execs at Citigroup caved under pressure from President Obama and decided today to abandon plans for a luxurious new $50 million corporate jet from France...

ABC News has learned that Monday officials of the Obama administration called Citigroup about the company's new $50 million corporate jet and told execs to "fix it."
On Monday, the news broke that bailed out bank was going through with its $50 million private jet purchase even though it had recieved $45 billion in government funds:
The New York Post's Jennifer Keil and Chuck Bennett reported in Monday's paper that Citigroup, which has received $45 billion in government bailout funds, is about to upgrade to a new $50 million, twelve-seat corporate jet.
The plane, the Dassault Falcon 7X, is a luxurious jet with a range of 5,950 nautical miles (meaning it can fly from New York to all of Europe and South America, as far east as Riyadh, and as far west as Honolulu or Petropavlovsk, Russia). The Post reports it has "plush interior with leather seats, sofas and a customizable entertainment center."

You go Mr. President!!!!

Dogs in the snow

Dogs in the snow
Originally uploaded by Skip To My Ewe

Here is a little video of Cleopatra and Lonnie in the snow that we finally received. I was home yesterday with them, so we played in the snow a bit and I actually had time to sit down and hook and also made chicken AND eggplant parmesan last night....what a great day it was!

Monday, January 26, 2009

YIKES!

YIKES is right....we are currently getting freezing rain.....should I just come to expect this in January of every year? The ice is so beautiful and yet it can be so deadly....2 years ago we were without power for 12 days, but we survived and it's a fun story to tell, now that it's over.

Where is the snow? Beautiful, light fluffy frosting type snow? I love snow....my husband, Kenny, used to love snow too, but now he delivers mail, so he doesn't care for it the way he used to. Sad, to have one of your joys stolen from you by your occupation.

Today, after work I just slid on home and snuggled in for the night decadently watching two hours of "The Bachelor". Kenny's favorite thing to say when I'm watching reality shows is, "you'd watch absolutely anything"....it makes me laugh and it's so true.

I'm sharing this next photo with you just because......

I know I always like to put a face with people who blog so here is a picture of me with my circle rug at hooking this past Wednesday night [good thing it's not a close up or you'd see all the dog hair that is usually on my sweatshirt :)]

taken by the lovely Sheri from Shabby Sheep.

This night I came to hooking directly after walking the dogs....so I'm still in my "dog walking uniform" and my favorite "Virginia" sweatshirt....where I went to Nuclear Medicine technology school

....so many years ago.

Go forth and be creative....and if you're in Springfield, Missouri......stay warm!!!!

Tammy

Sunday, January 25, 2009

"New" Visual Journal

I'm excited, because this is something I've had in the back of my mind for a while now. I didn't want to do "scrapbooking", but the thought of just gobbing things that make me smile on a page and doodling and painting and pasting just sounds like so much fun......soooooo....I've taken the plunge

and started a visual journal for a "creation and expansion" group that I joined.

I'm about 5 words behind, but the first word was "new" and here is my page...don't laugh!

Doing this makes me feel like a kid.....I think that's a good thing!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Yawns

Ever notice how yawning is contagious?

Yup, it's a slow day here in Springfield.....cold, but sunny. I've got a ton of "little" things on my plate today, so hopefully my blogging will not be such a yawn for you once those are taken care of.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Peace

I'm feeling extra bloggy today....

I think it's because I've finished hooking the "Going in Circles" rug. I like how it turned out, but it just didn't speak to my heart when I was hooking it....it may very well be my last geometric that I hook. I found that I lost interest in it when I was about half way through. I could see in my mind's eye

how it was going to end and at that point in my MIND I was finished with it.

The thing about geometrics is this....I love to look at them and I think they are good for utility rugs and can fit into your decor in so many places, but to HOOK them, they just don't make my heart sing

.....does that make sense?

I'd rather be hooking things that are personal to me.....I snapped this picture of the dogs around lunchtime...they were both lying on the bed together gazing out the window, but they both turned when they heard the camera. I think it's the perfect picture of PEACE which is another thing I'm striving for this year.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Going in Circles

The hardest part of hooking this, was that every time I laid it down, Lonnie wanted to get on it......now that it's done, that still hasn't changed....I had to scoot him out of the way 3-4 times to get the edges turned under then as soon as I grabbed the camera he started making his way to lay down on it.

Lonnie: "I'm so glad you finally finished this!"

Lonnie: "I love the smell of wool"

Lonnie: "Thanks mom....it's even big enough for me to stretch out on"

Go forth and be creative,
Tammy

Beyonce says it so well

A new Day!

Yesterday, as our new president was being sworn in I was swamped starting IV's and injecting patients.....I'm FINALLY getting to hear his inaugural speech, so if you've missed it as well here it is.

How I feel about football

FOOTBALL AND THE BLONDE......
Football FINALLY makes sense...........

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats
right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience. 'Oh, I really liked it,' she replied, 'especially the tight pants and all the big muscles,
but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents!Dumbfounded, her date asked, 'What do you mean?''Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game,
all they kept screaming was: 'Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!'
I'm like...Helloooooooooooooo? It's only 25 cents!!!!!!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Free tag

I made this up tonight as I looked at my messy hooking room....feel free to save it and use it in your e-mails, journaling or what have you.

To save to your hard drive just right click over it and then click "save as" to save it to your harddrive and use it later.

Enjoy!

Getting ready to try something new

I've joined a new on-line rug hooking group called "The Welcome Mat"
and it has a group within it called "Creation and Expansion" where you make a guided visual journal.
So, I signed up for this group and then today when I was at a bookstore what should I see but this

It had all sorts of tips on journaling! How to make them....

ideas for backgrounds....

what kinds of glues to use, pens to use, paints to use....ad infinitum!!!

(just the thought of going to the art store and buying gesso and watercolors and fun pens has me SOOOO excited....kind of like starting school)

I think I'm going to crawl up in the attic tomorrow after work and find an old x-ray book that has a cloth cover and start filling it up....I've read that you can do that....turn an old book into your journal....how green! I love that idea as well....can't wait!

No, I didn't buy the book on journaling....actually it was a magazine, but I just couldn't get myself to shell out $15....instead I tried to absorb as much as I could into my brain and I'll try to just wing the rest or find some good journaling blogs to get ideas from.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Thursday, January 15, 2009

SPRING-field Hook-In

Start:	Apr 18, '09 10:00a
End:	Apr 18, '09 3:00p
Location:	Go to intersection of S. Timberlake Dr & S. Kissick Ave. then turn onto the lake road at the "Lake Springfield" sign and follow the lake road....boathouse will be on your right.

Won't EWE join us for the first SPRING-field hook-in!
Vendors will be Skip To My Ewe and Saltbox Primitive Woolens
Admission $12-please register in advance as seating is limited to 75
This is a chance to hook in a wonderful setting at the boathouse overlooking Springfield Lake.

Contact Tammy Burks at tamboinmo@yahoo.com for more information

Monday, January 12, 2009

Thank you and new inspiration

First off,

Thank you

to everyone who picked up some patterns during my little FREE SHIPPING event! It always feels good to clear some space during the new year to make room for new patterns, wools and ideas.

I truly believe that when you get rid of the old you are inviting new and exciting things into your life and what should come in today's mail but wool mailers from

and

Well, I couldn't help myself and I must say there will be moocho amounts of woolies heading to my door soon

.....so exciting!!!

I can't wait for it to get here and wash it and dry it and put it on the shelves at Simply Fibers for my hooking group....such pretties! Rebecca even has a wool that is made of cashmere and alpaca....oooohhhhh....I'm thinking of some sort of scrumptious hooked pillow to prop my little head on.

I'm so excited that tomorrow night, after work, I think I will start going through my wool room and moving things around to make room for the new woolies!

Last night we went to the book store and it was so nice to just sit for an hour and peruse books and magazines that caught my eye.

My favorite book that I saw last night was this:

It had wonderful ideas using fairly inexpensive materials and lots of time to make beautiful items like this reverse applique cotton jersey scarf with beading

these floppy jersey cotton hydrangeas

another item using the reverse applique and hand painting and stitching

and this beautiful beaded postcard

so lovely!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Sunday, January 11, 2009

The last of the patterns

Here are the last patterns I'll be posting with FREE SHIPPING to USA and Canada. You must have your order in by Monday and the rest will be headed to Eureka Springs hooking retreat on Tuesday. Please e-mail me at tamboinmo@yahoo.com if you are interested in any that I have posted today or yesterday.

Adoration on monks cloth 8 x 10 $20 FREE SHIPPING

Star of Wonder 8.5 x 11 on monks cloth $15 FREE SHIPPING

More patterns part 4

I'm getting close to having all of the patterns on here....I think I still have one more batch to go. Once again....FREE SHIPPING to USA and Canada....this will run through Monday. If you are interested in any of these patterns listed on the blog today or yesterday please contact me at tamboinmo@yahoo.com