Drumroll please….

dddrrrrrrrrrrr.  Max the cat is finished!

 

  Bound and ready to hang.  I printed a label just a minute ago, but will wait ‘til morning to iron it on so I know the ink is good and dry.  I dyed all the wool for this one.  It was so amazing trying to match the colors exactly from the watercolor original.

I looked at some old pictures of Max and I’ve done this one in three weeks!!!!  Some of the work was done in the middle of the night.  One or both of my heart meds are making me NOT SLEEP at all!!!!  I finished the eye on the right (our right) one night at 2:00 a.m.  I just could not get them perfect.  And I think if the eyes aren’t just right, it would just ruin the piece.  I think I got it!

Now what am I going to do? I have been looking at some of Susan Quicksall’s patterns.  But now I kind of want to only hook my own patterns. I still want to try to capture my blue bottle tree in wool.

That’s a good question.  For those of you who do design your own patterns, do you still purchase other artists patterns or stick with your own?

Have a great week.  I have to go to a funeral Thursday.  My uncle Ralph passed away.  My mom’s sisters husband.  I had a lot of fun with my cousins when we were younger.  They lived about 60 miles away, but we went there almost every weekend to visit my grandma and grandpa. They lived in the country on a big ranch.  I thought they were sooooo lucky.  I lived in the big city…..they thought I was so lucky!  Will we ever be happy just where we are?  I am right now.

Peace,

Sheri

My hooked pumpkin....ta da!

I did this piece for a challenge and I can't remember Where the challenge was!!! The theme was hooking something round.  Anyone else involved in the challenge?  I love it anyway.  So glad I did it.  I had the pattern for years and this just got me motivated to do it. I used a real pumpkin stem that I saved and dried from last year. (See it IS handy to be a hoarder)  It is JoEllen's pattern.

 www.befruitfulkreations.com

Also I've made some progress on the cat rug.  His name is Max, I found out. 

The color planning has begun.  I am going to have to dye the red to the right, the turquoise and the pink on his chin.

1st day hooking

I was noticing little fuzzy hairs on the top of the linen.  It is bleached and I have never used this brand before.  NOT liking this!

You probably can't even see it.  But it was really bugging me.  So here's contemplating using my Usual linen!

You all know me and you KNOW I changed to the other linen!!! I re-drew and re-colored it.

OK, now hooking on the new linen.

Not liking the red color I chose.  You guessed it...I pulled it out and made another color choice.  Again...lucky I'm a wool hoarder too!

OK, now I love the pinkish/purple color.  But I HAVE to rip out the outline of his nose.  I used black yarn on it and it's looking scraggly already.  Just imagine what it would look like by the time I hook everything else and drag my hands and arms over it.  On the other outlines I just hand cut the wool.  I can only get it so small though.  I'm wondering what a 2 or 3 cut with a cutting machine looks like.  I simply can't cut it any smaller with scissors!

I may be able to hook some of the oranges in the upper left corner today.  I'm getting WEIRD on the color planning!  If my ProChem dyes would just arrive in the mail I could continue!  Tammy told me I can go over and borrow some of hers this evening if mine doesn't arrive today.

Tomorrow morning I'll be at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K walk.  I'll be in the registration booth.  Come by and see me and give me your cash!  It's at Jordan Valley Park...right by the Cardinals ball field.

Have a great weekend!  And please stop by and make a donation tomorrow.

Peace,

Sheri

No we didn't go on vacation and fall off the edge of the earth!

 

We did have a great time on the coast of Maine.  Lauri and Dick were great hosts. (That's their house and the little cabin we stayed

in)

 

I still can't get over how we got there from being blog buddies.  It is so true that there are really Nice people in the world.  Everyone is always talking about how bad everything and everyone is, but I'm afraid they're just looking past all of the good that is right in front of us.

Lauri took me to Cushing's and on a wonderful

historical tour around Kennebunk.  I bought some beautiful wool there.  She also took me to Stonewall Kitchen.  Yummy!  I have never heard of them.

And the day Mickey and I went "up north" we went to Searsport Rug Hooking.  WOW is not enough to explain that place!  I got to meet Chris.  Unfortunately Julie was out of town for the day.

I'm sure you heard the story about meeting JoJo.  she's from Kansas and I'm from Missouri.  Anyway, when I went in the door at Searsport I introduced myself to Chris and told her we were from Missouri.  She said there's a girl in the back from Kansas.  I went back there and it was no one other than JoJo!  (me on left, JoJo, and Chris on the right)

We have been blog buddies for years and have kept each other on our prayer lists for a long time too.  Crazy you have to go to Maine to meet someone from Kansas.  (One state over from us)  I guess it really is a small world.

After the trip I was TOTALLY worn out.  For weeks.  We think that maybe all the new meds are making me feel so tired and just not right. 

Today I finally got off my butt and went to Kinko's to have this photo blown up. I had it made to measure 30" by 20".

Remember I showed you this picture about a year ago?

It is a painting that was at Watercolor USA.  I was totally enamored with it and wrote the artist and asked her permission to hook it in to a rug.  She was thrilled and flattered!

The name of the painting is Peter's cat.  And the artist is Robin Avery from Texas.

I will have to dye ALL of the wool for this one.  I think I might have enough bright orange on hand, but that's it.

I made an order with ProChem tonight.  Their dyes are soooo vivid and bright.  Perfect for this project!!

I simply can't wait to get started!!!  I think all I needed to get back in the groove of life was a great pattern to hook!

This is the black and white blown up on paper.

And here it is drawn up on the linen.

It looks like a paint by numbers to me.  Does it you?  I only wish it would be that easy.  I have a feeling this will be my most challenging rug to date!

I'll keep you up to date with pictures.

Have a great week!

Peace,

Sheri

 

Almost ready to Re-open Shabby Sheep Wool!

Mickey has been on to me every day for working so hard.  But once I get out all of the dyeing stuff, I might as well dye LOTS of wool!  Especially when I'm trying to get my Etsy shop opened again. http://www.shabbysheepwool.etsy.com

 

Solids...

Spot dyed...

 

and Textures...

Tomorrow I'll be doing the photography for the shop and hopefully by the end of the week I'll be OPEN for BUSINESS!!!

I'm Back!!!

I know in my heart I couldn't have done this without your prayers and well wishes.  Thank you again.

Peace,

Sheri

p.s. On shabbysheepwool I'll be donating a percentage of my sales to the American Cancer Society by the way of the Etsy group TeamEPE, Etsy Project Embrace.  Please see http://team.etsy.com/viewteam.php?id=685 to learn more about the group.

Starting a New Rug!

I'm going way outside my comfort zone and hooking an antique rug. Including the soft faded antique colors!





I dyed three yards of wool just now. Some colors are: Ecru, Tan and Taupe!




I know! Not my usual colors!!! Far from them! Just when I was talking about my love for the bright cheerful colors I have been hooking with, this idea hits me! Must be I just need a change.
I never did finish my little Shabby Sheep mat, by the way. I just totally lost interest in it. Hopefully I'll go back to it and finish it. It's well over half finished.

One thing I thought about this week. I am going to have to go to all my internet groups and change my picture to the new blond Sheri! And just last month I got a new drivers license because the old one pictured me as a blond!!! Go figure... Oh well, I'll just go change it back! They'll think I'm using different aliases at the DMV!!!

Tonight is the First Friday Art Walk in Springfield. It has been raining on and off all day so I hope it holds off until later tonight. The temperature is absolutely Perfect for walking around downtown. It's in the 70's here again today. Sooo unusual for the first of September.

We celebrated our ninth anniversary on September the first. The local weatherman said it was 102 degrees in 2000. We remember that quite well. We were married in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. A quaint little artist community. It was so hot that day we didn't even venture outside until late at night. Felt like the hottest day EVER! We got married outside at a little gazebo on a hillside. Beautiful setting, but we were sweating bullets! Romantic huh???

Going to go trace my pattern onto the linen. I'll keep you posted of my progress. Wish me luck working on such a different style.

One more thing. I'm having a Labor Day Sale at ShabbySheepWool
Buy four quarter yards (1 yard) and get one fat quarter FREE!

Peace,
Sheri

Dyeing with Tammy

You know it's going to be a good day when the girl who designed and dyed the wool for this raven rug is teaching you!!

I spent most of Saturday at Tammy's house with my own personal dye instructor!!!

I think we dyed six different yards of wool! And in her beautiful new kitchen to boot.

She taught me spot dyeing in a casserole pan and "fantasy wool" dyeing.

Also a technique she didn't name, but we kind of floated the wool on water and added dye in spots on top.

See her blog for this: http://www.skiptomyewe.blogspot.com/. It's the Easter wool. AND all the wool we worked on is FOR SALE on her blog!!!

Doesn't this look like a Van Gogh palette? Scrumptious. If I could order a drink like this, I'll bet it would be great!?!?! Does anyone get what I'm saying? Maybe a tutti fruitti with rum!!! And a little paper umbrella in it!

This is her rug titled, "live the life you've imagined". That is exactly what I was doing yesterday with such a talented teacher working with me!!! I'm not rubbing it in~~~really! OK, maybe a little~~tee hee!!

Yesterday really fired up the creative juices in me-like I need any more help with that! I've got so many projects in my head it makes me dizzy. The visual journaling is going great too. My husband came in the door the other night and I was working on it at the dining table and he said, "this is really good for you, isn't it?" I guess he could tell by my body language I was really enjoying it and expressing myself in another way. I am doing this journal for Me. I'm doing it as a visual with the words Wanda from "The Welcome Mat" is giving us, but also as kind of a healing journal. Adding my own words and thoughts on being sick, and sick and tired of being sick and tired!! I'm trying to really explore my inner thoughts and resentment for living with chronic pain. Someone wrote, I think it was Wanda, that it seems like I'm grieving my "old life". My dear sweet husband Mickey said, we'll just to learn to do stuff with your new life and adapt to that. What a wonderful man.

Here's the cover of my journal. There are my eyes~for the visual part. Some teeth for the career that I used to have, my favorite quote: let the beauty of what you love be what you do, some gardening gloves, wool strips from hooking and of course lots of BLING!

Have a wonderful week.

I go to nature to be soothed and healed,

and to have my senses put in order.

John Burroughs.

Peace,

Sheri

Dyeing wool today

What a beautiful Saturday morning. Cloudy with a few sprinkles, but it is cool outside. We've been experiencing the hot and muggies. I am not a hot weather fan. Maybe 'cause of the hot-flashes, but it makes me bitchy.

Today is the day we take our entries to the fairgrounds for the Ozark Empire Fair. It starts next Friday. I took two rugs to exhibit. I've lived here all my life and Never entered anything in the fair. I think it will be fun. Here's what I submitted. The first one is titled "Sunflower" and is my own design and the other one is "Herb Angel" by Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farms.

On my sunflower rug I appliqued the sunflower petals and stuffed them with a little fiberfill. Then I beaded inside the flower. Gold and brown beads.

I also thought I'd show you the dyeing I did of all of my bargain thrift store and garage sale wool. I dyed for about three hours today. I only do two pots at a time, so it takes a little while. I rinse and spin in the washing machine and then dry it in the dryer. We took down our clothesline down a few years ago. But I think the wool get fluffier in the dryer anyway.

Yesterday my neighbor Paula and I went to Ozark, Missouri for some shopping. Ozark is known for its antique shops and flea markets. Well the antiques were outrageously priced and the flea markets only had fleas! What a disappointment. We did have a great lunch at a Mexican place on the town square. Excellent margaritas!! Here's Paula in front of one of the shops. This one had all stuff made in China. I hate that!!! Why call it a mercantile and put up the cute sheep sign? All to fool us, that's why. I expected a quaint little shop.

And here's me checking out a chicken (from China) I would like to see our local potters' chickens in our local shops!!

I guess I'd better stay in town and shop at the local garage sales where I know I can find a bargain. Some might call me a tightwad. I don't care!! I really hate to pay full price for anything. Like I said, it's the thrill of the hunt. Happy hunting to all of you,

Sheri

Garage sale shopping!

Hi all. Last Thursday I went to the thrift stores and Friday I went garage saling. I met the most wonderful lady who had crocheted shawls at her sale. She had tried to sell them at our local shops, but Springfield isn't known for people paying for what handmade things are worth. I don't think she probably sold them at her g.sale either, 'cause they were $70 and $80. Too much for us bargain hunters. I did find out that she is a spinner and a weaver and is involved in a local fiber arts group that meets in the fall, winter and spring. She invited me to come to the meetings in Sept.

After talking some she said, "I have some wool for sale that I was going to make a blazer out of, but never did." I said lets see! It's this beautiful tan herringbone. The price you ask???

3 yards for THREE DOLLARS!!!

I also paid $3.oo for the beautiful orange jacket. She had some mens wool sports coats but wanted $6 each for them. I explained that this is only my "bargain finding wool addiction:" She laughed and understood, besides I thought what if a man could really wear the jackets to keep himself warm? She took my phone number and called me after the sale and said How about free for the coats? I was in my car lickety split!! I took her a gift of one of the lavendar sachets that I had just finished. Tickled her to pieces!!

Also that day I found this great enamel pot with two handles on it. It does have a small spot of rust in the bottom and I'm kinda worried about dying in it? What do you guys think, has anyone ever used a pot with rust in it? I'll give it a try with a small piece of "ugly" wool first.

That about it for my bargain hunting except for a beautiful pair of rhinestone earrings. I have tons of them. My husband calls me a CROW, if I see anything shiny, I'll bend over and pick it up! Could be called many worse things!!!! I like crows anyway.

Have a great day and let me know what you think about the rust in the dye pot.

Sheri...Let the beauty we love be what we do.