January 19 - Thursday


Yippee!!!  Only one day left and I'll be heading out to my Rug Hooking Retreat!  I can't wait.  It's been so long since I've worked on my wool hooking projects... I'm ashamed of myself.  HOWEVER, this next week will be wonderful.  While hooking I will also be taking care of last minute details for our Camp Blanding Retreat !  I have 169 in attendance!  I CAN'T WAIT!!!!  Now... trying to decide what to take to work on for 5 days is going to be a challenge.  You never know how much you're going to get done... and I sure don't want to run out of projects (yea...right..like that's going to happen).


Hey... look at our sweet friend - doesn't he make you so happy inside?  aawww.... he's saying... "don't you want to pick me up and love me"?   His sweet little one patch eye!!  We need to call him Jack (as in the pirate!)!

It's back to my passions - hhhmmmmm.... what could be another one of mine?  Well... it's another strange one!  It's old teddy bears!!  When I see them in the antique stores - I just have to pick them up and give them a hug.  I want to bring them home with me... but in case you haven't been shopping for old antique teddy bears lately... THEY ARE EXPENSIVE!!  Nothing wrong with my taste..that's for sure.  They just look so lonely sitting in the shops..all by themselves.  So a little hug from me makes them happy for a long time.  Look at these sweet fellas....

I have a boo-boo right foot... something happened to my paw.  :( 

Did a dog chew it off... what's the deal?  Boo Hoo!





And... here I am... taking a namp... I'm soooooo tired!


See...aren't they sweet?  Just think of the little child that loved and cuddled me.  How can they get rid of these little momentos?  I just don't understand it!

****************************************

Then... we have the Santas !!  The old and primtive ones... that's on the top of my passion list!!  Check out these bad boys!!

PLUS.. .he's holding a sheep... I LOVE THEM TOO!!!  (it just doesn't take much to make me happy...can you tell?)

Here's another great one.  I love to put out my Santas at Christmas time.. it's my favorite display!!


If you ever find a source for great ones - new or old - let me know!  (but don't tell Jack.. he just thinks they are the same ones I bring out every year...)

*********************************

One of the things I'm always on the look out for is fun new ways to set the table.  Not that I enterain that much (hardly at all...) but I keep all of these ideas stored on my Pinterest under "entertaining"... cause you just never know when the Queen or the President may come to dinner!  HA!!!


Look at this cute idea....

They wrapped the napkin and silverware with a paper tag that showed what the menu was going to be for the meal!  Isn't that clever?  Well, I thought of something else.  Let's say you are having a fun dinner with a bunch of your quilting friends... Take this same concept but type fun things on the paper tag that deal with quilting... like cute sayings... or how about the measurements of a fat quarter, fat eighth, how many charm squares you can cut from a yard of fabric... fun things like that!

You could make these place tags into anything that fits the group !!  How fun is that?  Is your brain spinning?  Are you thinking of fun things to do with this project?  Simply print them on your computer - maybe on some sweet paper from the scrapbook store... cut them out and tape them onto your silverware and napkin!  Or... tape it around the glass - or across the plate... you get the picture!!!

**********************************

Here's one of the first projects we are doing (MakeIt-Take It) for my B-a-a-a-a-d Girls Club (wool group) at Cinnamon's Quilt Shoppe (it starts the last Saturday in February).  I'm bringing dessert in these jars!  Since it's February - I can't decide to bring this yummy cheese cake - or red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting...

I'll serve the dessert - then with the lids - we are adorning with a wool lid cover - flowers - that we will stitch, add a cute button - and then glue into place.  We'll then wash our dessert jars, put the lid on it... and it now becomes our little "wooley snippet" jar that we'll bring to class with us. 

You see...we save all of our wool snippets and scraps.  Then I'm going to show them how to make them into a pin cushion later in the year!  (such a cool idea).

Take a peak!!!!

Don't you just want to dig in???  YUMALICIOUS!!!  Here's the site that has all types of ideas for the little Mason Jar treats.  Mason Jar Treats

***********************************************

Then... look at this cool idea !  Cute pens!

Here is the site for the instructions:   Cute Pens


I thought it would be cute to try and wrap one with cotton fabric (their choice) - then make the pom-pom from wool.  That's on my project list - so it can be a Make It - Take It project also!  LOVE THEM!!


If for some reason these links do not work for you... go to my Pinterest boards and you will find the links.

***********************

Well...it's time for us to get Organized!!

Here is our challenge for today:

Let go of items from a hobby you have outgrown.  This is a hard one isn't it?  Sometimes I just don't want to give up stuff... you never know when you may need it.  It's time... if you haven't touched it in years... and have NO desire to do so again... GET RID OF IT! 


I'm now off to make the bed and SEW!!!


Hugs to all....


Gloria




 

Hi everyone!!! 

I've been reading my comments and I'm so excited that so many of you are anxious to learn traditional wool rug hooking. 

Here's the deal... This coming weekend (Saturday through Tuesday) you can visit Katie's wool retreat and see what's going on!!

We will be at the Embassy Suites on Baymeadows Rd.  When you come through the front doors - walk past the registration desk down the right side - in front of the meeting room doors - Find the door that lets you enter into the rug hooking classroom.  You can come in.. it's OKAY for people to come and peak at what we are doing. 

The entire room will be FULL of women (and a few men) hooking... I'm not sure where I will be sitting... but my teacher is Diane Kelly.  Just ask anyone which class is hers... then find me!  I'll make sure  you get to see what's going on.  Plus.. I'll introduce you to Katie and she can give you information on her classes.

She lives on Hood Rd in Mandarin and has a studio in her home.  She teaches private classes (most of the time on Sunday afternoons) but you can get with her to see what's best for the both of you.  She's so reasonable in her prices.  We normally hook all afternoon and it's $20.00.  Then you are welcome to come to our guild hook-in meetings.

PLUS.. we are having a fun retreat in April on St. Simons, Island that you may want to come to.

Please come and visit us this weekend.  You won't be sorry... and when you see all of the awesome projects everyone is working on... you will be amazed!

See you there!

p.s.  call me if you get lost 904-742-1100

Hope to see you!

Gloria

January 18, 2012

Good Morning... Good Night!!!

I've just learned (from my friend, Lisa) that not only is my blog read in the morning with your first cup of "yummy" coffee... but at night before you go to bed (nite..nite...Lisa)!  How sweet!  You all have no idea how much I appreciate your sweet comments each day.  They rock!  It makes me grin and laugh out loud - what a good thing so early in the morning.  Here it is 4:56 am and I've already been up for an hour (I know.. .I know... sleep just isn't in my world these days) reading your comments and deciding what to blog about today!

I've decided to share some more of my passions with you (I have LOTS of them so... I will NOT run out while blogging...).  It's pin cushions!  Yep... I could be classified as a pin cushion "_ _ ore"... if you know what I mean!  Look at this sweet thing... (Karen... hide your eyes...it has a mouse on it!)

Now you tell me... how precious is this little fellow?  (Karen.. it's fake..it won't hurt you!  My friend Karen... she's DEATHLY afraid of mice... someday I'll tell you a gut-ripping-funny story about her and mice!)

*********************************

Another passion ... buttons!  When we go to Houston and some of the other big quilt shows, there is this booth (Can't remember the name of the company...sorry!) that sells vintage buttons, ribbons, all kinds of cool sewing stuff!  Well, let me tell you... I could spend all day in her booth.  It is just so awesome... I can feel an anxiety attack coming on when I enter!  Look at this button display!  Now... here you have buttons!!

The picture is a little blurry... but you get the idea.  I remember - in Houston -  they had a vendor with these button cards (hanging on the wall).  They are the sample cards the salesmen used in "barking their product".  I just loved them.. wanted several of them SO BAD.. to hang in my studio.  Did I buy any...NO... what a boob girl I was.  I've been on the look-out for them every since (ebay, quilt shows, etc.) and I've NEVER seen any as gorgeous as they were.  How pretty they would have looked with my blue transfer ware plates!  Oh well... it's still fun to be on the "hunt" for several of them while antiquing!

**************************************

Now.. I know you may find this somewhat strange... remember in an earlier blog the basket with string and the wool bird sitting on top?  Yes... I will admit.. I love antique string balls!!!!  Are you scratching your head wondering where in the world I come up with these ideas???  I don't know... I simply don't know... but I just LOVE THEM... LOOK!!!

I know... it's silly isn't it?  But just imagine how simple and awesome this would be sitting on top of my shelf in my studio above my antique quilt....  (((sigh)))

***********************************************

Hey... I have to show you my silly daughter!  She and her hubby (Keck) and Lexie were on vacation several years ago in Michigan... they went into some kind of "hands-on" fun place.  Well... here was a HUGE toilet in some kind of display.  Look at Heather... isn't she a hoot??

She must get this silliness from her Dad's side of the family!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!  Heather... you crack me up!

************************************

Okay... not to be outdone by Heather... check out this 'sweet boy' !!  Poor little fellow...such torture!!!  Can you just see in his eyes... 'please... please... just let me eat one little bone' !!  HA!

And then we have this silly squirrel!!

He's made from wool roving!!!  I LOVE HIM!!  I just want to kiss his sweet little nose!  What a great talent the person was that made him. 

******************************************

You know.. one of the things that I've noticed lately... when I go to buy lampshades -  how hard it is to find one that is just the right color, texture, etc. to make the lamp look really awesome.  Know what I mean (wow ... there are some ugly lamp shades out there).  So.. I found this great idea on Pinterest from the Moda Bake Shop (great...great ideas for all of us!).  Here are the instructions to make this sweet thing!

Isn't it cute?  I love it.  It's the perfect project to match the quilt on your bed!!  Here is the link for instructions:   covered lampshade

Here's another style and the instructions : 

So... am I making you feel like "Suzie Homemaker"?   Covered lampshade

And... one last one.  I thought this was really cute.  What a cute way to decorate a child's room... let's say you have their room decorated with Winnie-the-Pooh.  Find a cute lampshade - a writing marker in a color that coordinates with the room... then write the story of Winnie-the-Pooh on the lampshade.  Sound crazy... look at how cute it looks....!!! 

It's not a HUGE view of the finished project... but I just thought it was pretty clever!!

What the heck... if you don't like it... simply cover it... or buy a new shade! 

*********************************

Look at this yummy!!! OMG... I could pop about 6 of these in my mouth... right now!  So easy to make...

Check out this link for the instructions:  dunking posh piggie stars

I think they are so darn cute!!!

***********************************************

So... how is the Getting Organized project coming?  Are you all participating?  Or.. are you all just telling yourself .. "I'll get started tomorrow"?  hhhmmm..... (I'm thinkin' this may be more of the case..)

Well... just in case you are working at this... here is your next project:  Let's Get Organized

Ger rid of hair doo dads you never wear, old combs, brushes.  Then clean the combs and brushes you want to keep.  Let them soak over-night in some Fantastic or Mr. Clean and water.  They will be all nice and clean in the morning!

Chow... it's time for breakfast!

Gloria