Friday, March 28, 2008

~*Trinity's Artwork*~



Trinity drew this at school yesterday & was so very excited to give it to me..... it was the first thing he did when he came in the house. Apparently he knows I have a wool addiction! LOL You can see the word 'lamb' on the upper right. I think the person on the left is me.... hummmm, it would be nice to be skinny! Then, of course, there has to be a car in the drawing! He was also great to have signed it for me too!

He described this as being a Christmas lamb. I suppose that is where the green body and red nose came from.

Well, I think it is a beautiful drawing. It made me smile! I wonder how this would look.... hooked into a rug?

Smiles,
Betty

~*You Tube!*~

Today I thought it would be interesting to see what YouTube has for rug hooking. I have not spent much time on the site at all.... but was pleased to see rug hooking has made its way there.

The sweetest one I found was with Gomer Pyle! I use to watch that show when I was little.... probably didn't catch all the humor with the show then, but I still enjoyed it.



I don't know how to save the video to my computer to post it here on my blog... and maybe it is an internet no-no.... so here is the link. You can click on it or simply search for rug hooking on the site.

Gomer Pyle-USMC: Season 3, Episode 17

Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

~*They Are Ready!*~

Hello to all! You have all read that I have been working on new patterns... and I really have HONEST! Well, they are back from the printer & I just listed them on Ebay. I'll also be putting them in my Lemon Poppy Pattern shop, Etsy & on my picture trail. If you are interested in purchasing any of my patterns, you can do so at any of those places.... or email me directly.

Would you like to see them here first?

~*Prim Bunny Sampler*~


~*Peacock Pair Pinkeep*~


I will be doing more.

Warm smiles to you & happy stitching, hooking, and punching!

~*Could It Be Double Vision?*~

I have been tagged AGAIN and given the You Make My Day Award AGAIN! Didn't this just happen? Awwwww Shucks! I'm game... I'll play tag again. This time I was tagged and awarded by Sue of Rabbit Hollow Prims. Thank you Sue!

Here are 5 more things about me that you may not know & might be a little odd.... and, let me say, it is getting tough to find 5 things!

1 ~ I cannot EVER eat just 1/2 of a candy bar! It shocks me when I see someone take a few bites & put it down. There is no way ~ no how I could ever do that! Once I start, it is finished in just a few minutes.

2 ~ Besides Knots Landing in the late 80s.... I haven't gotten into the whole soap opera thing. Days or World???? I haven't watch either ~ ever.

3 ~ I have never had stitches or a broken bone. (knock on wood!)

4 ~ When I had my wisdom teeth pulled, there were only 3. The forth one hasn't shown up. It probably won't know.... the others were pulled 20 years ago.

5 ~ If I watch a movie at home and am not working on something (hooking, stitching, or punching), I will always fall asleep ~ even if it is a good movie.

Now.... let me tag AND award a few more of my buddies!

1 ~ Andie of The Brown Bee
2 ~ Jo of Cotton Eyed Jo
3 ~ Tammy of Skip To My Ewe
4 ~ Jackie of T.F.C. Folk Art
5 ~ Sarah of The Paisley Studio

I TRIED to pick buddies that I haven't tagged for awhile. :) They all get this award too!


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I want to show you all this too!



My friend Deirdre of The Old Rose Cottage made this from my Tulip Doodle. She has it offered on Ebay. Stop by to take a peek when you get a chance. She did such a sweet job! I love her interpretation of the design. WTG Deirdre!

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My new cross stitch patterns are back from the printer's! I should be posting them tonight or tomorrow. Please keep watchin'!

Many smiles to you,
Betty

Monday, March 24, 2008

~*I've Been Awarded*~




I have been given this award by Angie of lovetheprimlook AND Sam (also known as the Samtress) of Gollywobbles. It was so nice of both of them to share the award with me! It made me blush - ya know.

Let me pass the award on to ~

Lori of Notforgotten Farm for her kindness & support. She has helped me creatively and on the business side of things so many times. Thank you Lori for 'paying if forward'.

Kelley of With Hook and Needle for her friendship & her WOW of artistic ability. You ROCK Kelley girl!

Julie of Plumruncreek for the smiles her gardens bring to my face!

Oh, there are so many more friends that I could & would love to share this award with. But, I will limit myself to only the three right now.

I would like to add.... that I have never met any of these friends face to face. They are all Internet buddies & several states away. They are all very near and dear to me though. Smiles & hugs for each of you!!!

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While I am posting today.... I should take this opportunity to tell you about The Eclectic Artisans Webshow scheduled for April 7th. It will be a treat for sure!

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Also.... yes, I have been saying this for awhile but this if FOR SURE.... I will have two new cross stitch patterns ready by the end of this week! Please keep watchin'.

Have a beautiful day & happy stitchin' hookin' and punchin'!

Smiles,
Betty

Saturday, March 22, 2008

~*Happy Easter To You*~



May you all be safe & enjoy the love of your family and friends on this glorious holiday.

Many warm smiles to you,
Betty

Thursday, March 20, 2008

~*Glorious 1st Day of Spring*~





Yes, that is my husband playing with Trinity & our nephew Eric! He got in a little play time before heading off to work. That is good for them all!

We have had a marvelous day here! The sun has been shining all day & the temperature has been warm ~ probably low 70s. The wind has picked up now, but how can I complain about that after such a lovely day?

No, I am not on the trampoline..... it just isn't my thing. I was taking a break from working on a flower bed in the front of the house to laugh, snicker, and snap a few pics. (hubby hasn't seen these yet) LOL

You may have read before how we are trying to re-landscape the front of our home. My Mom is a wonderful gardener and has planned the whole thing for us. She said she is using my birthday as an excuse to plan, buy, and hopefully come help plant. I am tickled to death with the gift! I am not a gardener & can barely keep a plant alive anywhere. She has all the details planned and promised to keep it low up-keep & easy for me. However, she has insisted that I get rid of the day lilies (or tiger lilies) that are in the front of our home between the house and the sidewalk. She said they are not the kind of flowers she prefers and don't fit her masterpiece design. Maybe you have these in your area. They really aren't awful, they are just more like wild flowers. In Kansas they grow along the highway in ditches EVERYWHERE. The couple that built our home were hard working farmers, and probably just planted them because they were readily available. They have probably been in this flower bed for over 30 years.




They are THICK (with a few iris mixed in here and there too)! It was on my To-Do list today to try my hardest to dig them out. Regretfully, I only made it about halfway.



I found that digging them JUST RIGHT was like digging sod (not that I have done a lot of that - mind you!) If I managed to get the shovel under the clump of roots & bulbs, they would almost peel out of the bed. They were then loaded up in the wheelbarrow & I hauled them to the back of the property to dump them. I'll bet they continue to grow back there too! That would be alright with me - a few orange blossoms will dress up the edge of the pasture.

So, after this first glorious day of Spring...... it is time for a hot bath & some quiet stitching time.

Please keep watching my blog for my Mom's gardening gift soon.

Smiles to you all!

Betty

Saturday, March 15, 2008

~*Aaaaahhhhhh FINALLY!*~

It feels like it anyway.... I have FINALLY listed another finished ditty on Ebay! Good golly, it has only been a week or two, but feels like months. Why is that? Maybe it has something to do with the business of Springtime.... or is it just me getting older?

Here is the lil' mat I just put up ~





To visit the listing ~ click here

It was fun hooking this one up. I love to make the hit n' miss rugs (you might have noticed that already! LOL). I think of it as being part of my Spring cleaning.... using up woolly strips from my huge basket full!

In fact, the PRHG is in the beginning of a challenge I have proposed to them. I have challenged the members to hook up a rug using one shape (of their choice) repeatedly & then hooking with worms from their left-over basket ONLY. Which reminds me... I should get busy on my challenge rug!

Have a nice evening!

Smiles & happy stitchin' and hookin' to ya!
Betty

Friday, March 14, 2008

~*A Friday Tulip Doodle!*~

Free, for you ~



It has been a few days since my last post & I wanted to give you something. So here is a little Tulip Doodle for ya! Have fun with your punch needle, rug hook or stitchin' needle!

We are expecting rain with maybe snow later.... so maybe I can stay inside to play ~ instead of another hard working weekend like last time.

My new cross stitch patterns ARE coming. I promise! My oldest Son is building me a new computer that I thought would be here a few weeks ago. He told his Dad last night that it should be here tonight. Please keep your fingers crossed! When it is here, I can load up the patterns & get them finished for you.

Have a beautiful evening!

Happy stitchin' & hookin'!

Smiles,
Betty

Sunday, March 9, 2008

~*Beautiful - Hard Workin' Day*~

Oh my! We have had a beautiful day here, but we worked our tails off! We spent the day outside working on our landscaping 'issues'. We have lived in this home for almost 2 years & have yet to 'dig' into the yard. We have almost 6 acres, so much of our time is spent mowing in the Summer. The couple that lived here before us were the original builders (1970). They planted many shrubs & Rose of Sharon bushes around the front of the house.... that were past their prim. So.... they finally came out today.

Now.... doesn't this look drab?

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(We also noticed that the front porch is really needing some mud-jacking work... we better get that taken care of before it is too late!)

My Mom is a wonderful gardener, but she lives an hour away. I emailed her this picture & told her to plan something for me. You see.... I am NOT (nor is my hubby really) a gardener or landscaper. What have WE gotten ourselves into? LOL

I still really want to get to work on this too!

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For those of you that don't know... this is the original farmhouse on the other side of our driveway that will SOMEDAY be my studio. The goal is still set for this Fall for it to be done. But, it looks like we have some gardening to tend to first.

Smiles,
Betty

Thursday, March 6, 2008

~*I Received An Award & Have Been Tagged... all in one day!*~

My friend Tammy gave me this super sweet award today & let me just tell ya ~ IT BROUGHT SOME SUNSHINE TO MY DAY!

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It was so nice of her to think of ME!

I'm going to pass it along to some of my sweet friends ~

Sher of Old Crow Farm

Lori of Stitches in Tyme

Kelley of With Hook and Needle

Tammy of Treasured Heirlooms

Kimmie of Olde Lavender Prims

I should add though.... that I could & would LOVE to give this award to ALL my friends. I don't know what I would do without them ~ they are all so very near & dear to my heart.

Kimmie is also the one that Tagged me! This game of tag is different from any of the others though.... it about made me cry ~ but in one of those happy ways. It is a game of 'What Ifs'

What if I could meet someone in the art world to chat with....

I would choose to go back in time about 150 years ago. I wouldn't scope out someone in the 'fine' arts...... I would find a craftswoman. She would be someone that worked all day caring for her family and farm. She would be one that would find beauty in the simple things & would hook or stitch to have 'pretties' in her home. I would love to live a day in her life to better appreciate the things so many of us take for granted.

What if I could have one wish granted for the benefit of all mankind....

That is easy... I would wish for Peace.

Where would I go if I could travel anywhere in the world....

Minnesota. My hubby is from there & I love to see the twinkle in his eye when he talks about his childhood.

What if I could make over three areas of my body...

They would have to be my Brain, my Heart, and Arms..... it would be GREAT to be smarter, love more, and hold more.

What if I could become an animal for 24 hours...

I would love a day of rest, relaxation, and pampering.... so I would have to be my cat Sarah for a day!

What if I could bring someone back to life for 24 hours...

I would bring back my Great Grandma, Gram. She passed when I was only 8.... but I have always looked up to her as a symbol of strength and love.


Who do I tag? Well.... it would have to be all those I gave the award to ~ of course!

Smiles,
Betty

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

~* I'm NOT a Pro.... I just do it my way*~

I'm not a Professional Rug Hooker & not a FINE hooker by any means. My way of rug hooking is completely self-taught and has taken on a primitive, hickety-pickety style. That is OK with me.... I love it!

I have never taken a hooking class. Everything I do with my hook is self taught from books, the internet, and chatting with hooker friends. I have never used rug binding to finish a rug. Instead, I usually just turn the rug backing under and stitch it down. It became difficult for me to do this with a chairpad. How do you just turn it under and stitch it down when the rug itself is round? Hummmm... I thought. Well, this is my way of doing it. If you are a FINE hooker, you may cringe.... but this is my primitive, make-do way & I love it!

After hooking my hit 'n miss mat, I turned the linen backing under ~ gathering it here and there and pressing it with an iron.

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I then cut an old cotton grain sack about an inch larger than the mat. I did this by just laying the pad on the sack & cutting.... nothing fancy or measured. Next, I turned the raw edges of the cotton fabric under & pinned it to the pad.

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With my FAVORITE linen thread ready....

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I used a double strand of thread to stitch a simple stitch around the perimeter of the pad.

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Notice the seam on the back? Well, I thought it would be extra prim to leave it.... it is from the original grain sack.

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Here is the front of the pad ~ before adding my Walnut & Spice stain...

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Here is the back ~ after adding the stain... it looks nice & used ~ doesn't it?

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And the front after the stain...

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So, that is how I made this extra-prim, extra-simple, extra-make-do chairpad.

It is listed now on my Lemon Poppy Seed Shop....



My Poppy Shoppe

Smiles,
Betty

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

~*Spring Cleaning*~

I have started with the Spring cleaning.... although I haven't made a very big effort as of yet! However, I have decided that I no longer need my back copies of Rug Hooking Magazine. This is a fabulous publication.... but my stack is taking up much needed space in my workroom. So, I have decided to offer them on Ebay ~

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They are listed now with low starting bids of only 99 cents if anyone is interested....

Click here for the auctions

I don't know what else I will part with.... or can part with ~ but I have begun the dreaded task of cleaning.....

Tootles...

Betty

Saturday, March 1, 2008

~*Brand New Today & Worth Checking Out!*~

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http://oldeprairieregister.blogspot.com/

It is a sweet, primitive magazine worth your time! There are great articles, tips, patterns, and even a DRAWING FOR PRIZES! I came home from a busy day with family to this delight & haven't even had much of a chance to see it myself yet. BUT, what I have seen is so amazing ~ I just had to share it with you!

We are having some fabulous temps here right now.... with expected thunderstorms tomorrow. There have been some super signs of Spring popping up in the yard though.....

Here are the starts of our 'Naked-Lady' Lilies (as my Grandma calls them)...

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And the sprouts of our Wild Poppies (these are actually all over our yard!)...

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This is my new buddy! She actually belongs to our neighbor down the way... but she comes over to play & get snacks. We call her Daisy, but I don't know what her real name is. To be quite honest, I wish she would just stay here with us all the time. She is the sweetest thing & I would hate for her to get out in the road.

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Have a great weekend!

Smiles to ya!
Betty