~*Lenexa Hook~In Fun*~

Hello Dear Friends! Yesterday was so very much fun it is hard for me to compose my thoughts to tell you ALL about it! But I'll try. :)

First of all, I could not sleep Friday night because of all the anticipation! I had the alarm set for 6am but crawled, or maybe the better word for that would be JUMPED, out of bed at 5am. I picked my SIL, Robin, up shortly before 7am and we drove the hour and a half drive gabbing the entire way about the WONDERS OF WOOL we would see & how great it would be to see our hooker friends. When we arrived at the hook~in, it was even better than we dreamed it would be! It didn't take us long to find Ginger, PatiJane, Sandra, and JoJo. Once the doors opened... we quickly found a table, dropped our stuff, and headed to browse each and every booth. ALL the vendors were amazing! All the rugs on display were amazing! It was truly an AMAZING day!

I enjoyed visiting, even if it was only briefly, with Vicki,
Tammy, Renee, Jan, Reggie, Kay, and so many other wonderful hookers!

We enjoyed lunch out with Ginger, PatiJane, and Sandra. Then, on the way home, we decided to stop in Ottawa for some antique shopping. What a GREAT day!

What GREAT smiles!

PatiJane gave Robin and I gift bags with the most wonderful gifts. In mine was a luscious piece of wool, a bundle of cotton homespuns, a notepad, a scrunchy to remove wool (the girls taught me about this & also gave me a quick quilting lesson), and the sweetest pinkeep that she made from her wool snippets.

(the pic doesn't show the pinkeep very well, but it is so unique & awesome... and even has a pin stuck in it with handmade beads that PatiJane also made)
Thank you Pati! :)

Here are the treasures I bought...

~a little wool
~some small pieces to use for needlepunch to make pinkeeps & such
~a wooden dough board
~a pig cutting board... just 'cause I thought it was sweet
~an Ironstone platter for my collection
~a cross stitched samler... that was only $8! I'll stain & frame it for sure!

While walking around the hook~in... I spotted Maggie Bonanomi chatting with one of the vendors. She must have thought I was extremely rude... because I interrupted her & admitted immediately that I stalk her! lol She did not sound alarmed and only smiled in her happy~giggly way. We talked about her books & how great I thought they were. She even hinted that her 3rd book is in the works. GOODIE! She then allowed me to have my picture taken with her. I was soooooooo star~struck! :) Shoot! I should have asked for her autograph!


There is so much more that I could share, but don't want to bore you with too many details. Here are some of the AWESOME rugs on display from the show. I'm sorry, but I didn't get hooker, or pattern info for most of them so I'll just share the photos. They were all exquisite though... that is for sure...

















This rug is was hooked from a pattern by my buddy, Debbie.





This rug was hooked by Renee Rethman... and just took my breath away...


I have many more photographed to share... more to come in another post.

Wishing you warm smiles...
Betty

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends! TGIF! I hope you have all had a perfectly, blessed week of joy & creativity. My days have been filled with joys and creativity has been in my thoughts... just not with my hands. However, tomorrow that will all change. My sweet SIL Robin and I are leaving at 7am to spend the entire day in WOOLLY WONDER at the Rock Creek Hook-In and Rug Show. I'm so excited! It is sure to be a GREAT day... looking, seeing, shopping, hooking... but best of all, visiting with sweet friends! I've got my list made & will check it twice so everything gets packed for the day... including the camera. My next post will be full of hook-in fun photos!

Hook~In Info...

Saturday, February 27, 2010
9 am ~ 3 pm
Lenexa Community Center
93rd and Pflumm Road
Lenexa, KS
$12.00 Admission

You may contact Marilyn Schmidt for more info... 913-236-9362

Now for ~*Friday Finishes*~...

Isa (no blog), from France, has stitched up a DARLING ~*My Favorite Kitten*! She has done such a beautiful job... on the stitches and the finishing. Isn't she LOVELY?



(~*My Favorite Kitten*~ is a pattern available for purchase... from your local needlework shop or directly from me.)

That is the only finish I have to post this week. Hopefully no emails have been missed. Next Friday maybe I'll have TONS to share... maybe even some of my own too. Who knows?

Well... time to get busy. I need to clean the car & pack up for tomorrow's fun.

Wishing you all warm smiles,

Betty

~* The Days Just Go So Fast *~

Hello Dear Friends! I would like to thank you all for the kind words & purchases of my latest (and earlier) patterns. You are all so sweet! As of now, all orders have have been shipped. Well, that isn't entirely true... both distributors have sent re~orders that will hopefully be filled tomorrow. Re~orders! WOW! Thank You! :)

I'm trying to find crafting time... when this guy doesn't have me running from one activity to another...


Last night we were joined by Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Aunt LaVon for the Cub Scout's Blue & Gold Dinner. The Boys Scouts are celebrating their 100th Birthday. Happy Birthday Boy Scouts!


We had a nice time... ate too much YUMMY food... and were so proud of our lil' Wolf Cub.

This will be a short post, but I wanted to Thank You all so very much... the clock is ticking and tae kwon do is in less than an hour. Gotta run...

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

~*NEW Releases Are Now Released!*~

Just wanted to let you all know... I've now updated my Etsy shoppe and listed on Ebay to offer you the latest patterns...

~*Spring's Tweets*~


and ~*Live Laugh Love*~


The patterns are $10.00 each... with FREE shipping to the US and International.

The models for these patterns will be on display this weekend at the Nashville Market. (Shops may order from Norden Crafts, Ltd or Hoffman Distributing, Inc.)

Patterns are also available to order directly through me via email as well. The link to email me is on the sidebar.

Warm smiles to you all...

Betty

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends! Well... a week has slipped by and I have not posted. It seems my other 'jobs' in life have been working overtime... Wife, Mom, Housekeeper, and Taxi Driver... and not leaving any time for my Creative Play job. (maybe Taxi Driver is just part of the others?) Each day I tell myself, this will be the day I will pull out my supplies & work up a whirl wind of finishes... but each day slips by with little or none done. This is going to change! It HAS too! I've GOT to find some sort of Time Management routine that will work. I WILL do it! (Wish me luck!)

Anyway... enough of my complaining. This is suppose to be a FUN post! And really it is... 'cause lookie! It is ~*Friday Finishes*~ and there is still LOVE in the air!

Becky stitched these sweets up as gifts for a couple of her friends. What a loving thing to do! She used an opalescent jobelan fabric and #12 Sulky 4030 thread. She says she isn't good with her sewing machine, but I think she did a terrific job. They are truly darling!


(Adding the Sweetheart border to the photo is cute too!)

Jackie has some great finishes to share too. She has stitched up both the ~*Valentine*~ freebie from this year and the ~*Oh Sweet Valentine*~ freebie from last year. (On top of being a full~time Mom, Wife, Homemaker...and all. Hmmmm, maybe I should take some Time Management skills from Jackie? Do you have any to offer?) The color choices she has chosen are very striking ~ don't ya think? I also love the deep staining.





Thanks to you both for sharing your fabulous finishes! I LOVE to see 'em!

Before I sign off, watch later this evening or tomorrow morning as my latest designs will officially be released... ~*Live Laugh Love*~ and ~*Spring's Tweets*~!

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends! It is Friday again! YIPPEE! ~*Friday Finishes*~!

Enjoy...

Vivi, from Jerusalem, Israel, shared her finish of ~*1836 Spring Tyme*~ Sampler (a pattern available for purchase)...

Vivi made a lovely, block roll for her friend's birthday... adding some changes to personalize the gift (see the cute lil' charm?). She used Zweigart vintage and French General fabrics. Oh so LOVELY!


Another finish shared this week is from Laura (no online blog or album). She stitched up the most recent ~*Valentine*~ freebie. I just LOVE her finish and her display...


Thank you Ladies! I do feel so much joy with these fine finishes! Keep 'em coming!

I've continued to plug away at my lil' quilt. Crafty time has been slim, but I have hopes to get lots of things created & finished over the weekend.

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

~*Can I Blame Someone?*~

Can I blame someone for inspiration? Please? Just kiddin'! I'm actually in the whirlwind of crafty, creative wonder! Look...



Yup, I'm actually going to try to piece and quilt a prim, dolly quilt! Can you believe it? Yes, I know... I have at least 2 rugs going, a handful of cross stitch pieces started, another handful of needlepunch pieces in various stages, and a half dozen dollies awaiting clothing... but I've been inspired to try this! Thanks to some VERY DEAR friends who have gone above and beyond to teach me the ropes via the web... and who have even been so generous to share some quality fabric scraps. Thanks to all of you! I'm in a joyous, crafty, daze... and enjoying it ever~so~GREATLY!

I spent time this morning gathering fabrics, ironing & starching, and cutting 4" squares (maybe not exactly straight ~ but I tried my hardest!), marking 1/4" seam lines... and reading through email directions. I'm now ready to try my hand at piecing them together.

Wish me Luck!

Smiles,

Betty

~*My SUPER BOWL Sunday*~

Hello Dear Friends! Are you all gearing up for the big game? I am... I've got my SUPER, old enamel BOWL of WORMS ready...

Recently, the girls in An American Primitive Gathering...USAPRIM on Ebay... group gathered for another rug challenge. Maria proposed a background challenge. She graciously drew up two patterns for us to choose from ~ sorry, I can't show the patterns yet... part of the rules ~ then had us pick a background color that we would consider a personal challenge. We then mailed a few worms to each challenge 'player'... and received some in return. This is my bowl of background worms. I chose olive green. During the big game tonight... I plan to work on my challenge rug. Of course I'll be looking up to see the silly commercials and I can't miss halftime!

Before the hookin'... I have some cookin' to do. The boys have requested lil' piggies in a blanket and nacho cheese dip n' chips. Guess I should be getting busy.

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

~*Friday Finishes*~

Hello Dear Friends! It is that time again... ~*Friday Finishes*~ time... and there are some fabulous ones to share!

Patti has stitched up the latest ~*Valentine*~ freebie... and has if offered on her TDIPT shoppe. Her's finished to a size of 3 by 6 inches which makes it perfect for a scissor FOB. She has a key hanging from it now, but says it is removable and can be replaced with your scissors. Excellent! Patti's finishes are always grand!


Iris is in the mood for love too! She has stitched up both the latest ~*Valentine*~ freebie and ~*My Sweet Valentine*~ to decorate her Valentine's Tree. How sweet is this?


A closer look at Iris' ornaments...

(The third ornament is a freebie from The Stitcherhood.)

Laura has been keeping both her punchneedle and stitchin' needle busy! She used the freebie doodle, ~*1857 Bunny*~ to adorn a hornbook... but also added a darling cross stitch trim to the top. How sweet! Laura told me too that she has ventured into over~dyeing her floss. She used tan dye over light blue and green. What a great result!


Thank you, to all of you, for playing with the freebies & sharing your truly awesome works!

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

~*New Releases... coming soon...*~

Hello Dear Friends! Ok, I just can't hold it in any longer... I just gotta share these with you! These are the new releases I will have available to you as of February 20th. They will be released at the Nashville Needlework Market. Models will be on display with Norden Crafts ltd. at their booth. (Both Norden Crafts, ltd. and Hoffman Distributing Company, Inc. carry my patterns.) If you are interested in purchasing either pattern, they will be available from the distributors, your local needlework shop, or myself... as of February 20. 2010.

~*Live Laugh Love*~ Sampler
186 by 87 stitches


Inspired by my Great~Grandma Trinnie... who was born 1895. She was a remarkable woman with many talents... a true blessing to so many. She taught to us to Live, to Laugh, and mostly to Love.

~*Spring's Tweets*~ Cupboard Hanger Sampler
101 by 85 stitches


The first tweets to arrive in Spring ~ the dear robins! Spring decor is all~so~often pink, lavender, baby blue, and every other pastel you could imagine... which is fine... but I thought it would be nice to add a little, prim~twist to that. I designed this cupboard hanger with shades of mahogany and brown floss ~ the color of the sweet robins.

I've continued stitching and sewing the week away... still working on a bundle of gifts. Hopefully I'll be able to share them with you soon as well.

Wishing you all warm smiles & happy stitches!

Betty

~*Still Stitching*~

Hello Dear Friends! The stitching continues...

The weather continues to be cold here and we still have snow on the ground... and it appears the ol' groundhog has now predicted another 6 weeks of winter... so... I printed off my ~*May Day*~ freebie and began to dream for Spring!

If you look closely, you can see I actually goofed. I missed counting when I was stitching the urn. Oops! So, because I was too lazy to take it out, I just added another row of stitches. It works!

I'm still working on belated Birthday gifts ~ this will be one of them. However, I'm thinking of replacing the words 'May Day' with a year and/or the initials of the recipient.

This too is stitched on prairie cloth. It is really nice working on a larger weave fabric... for a lil' change & ease on the eyes. I purchased a few yards several years ago online ~ and am happy to have pulled it out of my stash recently to work with. If you haven't tried it, you may want to.

Wishing you all warm smiles...
Betty

~*Creative Weekend*~

Hello Dear Friends & Happy February! I spent the final weekend of January in a flurry of creative activity... and oh did it feel G*R*E*A*T! Last week I finished charting up the two cross stitch, market releases... including mailing charts and models to the distributors to show in their display... so the weekend was deadline free. Well... sort of. Most of what I'm working on are very belated birthday gifts... I really can be such a terrible friend. I cross stitched, needlepunched, and sewed dolly bodies. Our home is in total shambles with snippets of threads and scraps of fabric scattered about... mingling with the dust that is always present. In fact, I thought about taking pictures of my many work spaces ~ kind of like Where Women Create ~ but tee hee... you surely wouldn't be impressed!

So, instead, I bundled up some of the goodies in some cheapy, spray~painted baskets...


Ya, I know you can't see much with everything crammed in the basket, but they are for gifts. I can't share them all.

I will share this one more though...


I stitched this from a Stacy Nash pattern ~ Hands to Work Pinkeep Pillow. Of course, I didn't have all the floss numbers that she used... and since it wasn't possible to get to the store for more... I substituted. It worked, I think. I stitched with two over two on prairie cloth. The backing is a reproduction calico... and I filled it with woolly snippets. It is one of my favorite finishes.

The dollies are pieced together a little different than my past ones... mostly because I was out of osnaburg. These are made from muslin, stuffed with raw cotton (one of my new favorite finds); then painted with watered~down, burnt umber acrylic; then sanded to distress. I'm still stitching the seams over by hand with linen thread. After that, they will be antiqued with walnut stain. Then dressed... and trimmed with prim~sweets. One of the things I do, and I'm not sure why... thrify maybe?... is use up a whole piece of fabric for dolly bodies at once. I don't do this with wool or calico.. but with muslin or osnaburg, I trace as many bodies that will fit on the piece and go from there. In this case, I was able to fit 7 dollies. Lucky number maybe?

Wishing you all warm smiles and a blessed start of the new month...
Betty