This is a really good book to read!

I am almost done reading this book .  It is especially poignant to me as my children are almost exaclty the same age as hers...I too am experience the empty nest thing. One graduating college in May..as well as one just finishing her first year in high school and another one that will be on to college after one more year of high school...Point is....like Katrina we miss our babies...we miss what it meant to be a hands on Mommy...needed in the way you are when your kids were younger...and no more....at least not in the same way at all....I feel she understands my bittersweet thoughts the same way...wistfullness...and uncertainty....and yes hope....but it is just the book I needed to read right now...Even if your kids are a bit younger or older already...I think you will be able to relate to her....I sit with my journal and write almost everything down...there is just such juicy tidbits of thoughts and quotes and feelings....that I dont want to forget!  If you read this...grab your journal too...journal on one leg...the book on the other!  Enjoy!

I am at a standstill for the last week!

I was going pretty strong for awhile there...and then I guess I needed a break.  This is a slow process isnt it?  There is no hurrying...its all about patience....and the journey...Rug hooking is time consuming and slow and sometimes painful!  On the other hand it is much faster than say...cross stitch...of which I have tons of unfinished projects under my bed!  Rug hooking ...at least in the cuts that I am doing...is really quite fast compared to that...you can cover quite a bit of backing in a few hours....if you are diligently working. In that comparison I like how I can finish for the day....and really see a difference!  I am finding that I have to look at this totally different than painting.  At first, I thought it would be like painting with wool....but it really is not like painting...I cant grab the exact right color I want...I cant quickly create the color I need by blending the paints...I cant blend on my "canvas" or backing...You have to look at it differently...more in blocks of color..more abstractly...I tend to be a realistic painter...and detailed...so this for me is a learning experience.  Seeing the blocks of color and the shapes the colors make besides the actual "forms" or objects that have obvious shape in the rug....This is good for me in so many ways!   I am finished for the day working at my desk and now I am going to spend the next 45 min. hooking before I go home.  Happy Hooking!

My rug hooking "Studio" or Where I HOOK!

I finally got some more wool from my supplier so I can continue.  Have I yet...no...I was setting back up.  Since I am always at my art gallery..6 days a week and because it is a lovely and artful place anyway...I hook at work!  So, I finally set myself up to permanantly hook here...Everything is movable because it is after all my retail gallery space.  Its all on wheels...I found this cool shelving unit on wheels...I found I definatley have to have somewhere for me to "lay out" the wool I have to choose from and make it accessable as I hook...so far this seems pretty good...I may include a small rolling flat table as well...so I can mess up things even more...as I hook...I am new at this...and have no one around (yet) to hook with..so I dont know what other people do.  For me...this all had to be moveable.  I have a large Cheticamp type frame at home as well and I will be buying a lap/travel frame as soon as I can afford one.  But I think, with all the time that I am here..this is where I will be mostly hooking! The thought of carrying the worms all around seems chaotic...I guess learning to travel with hooking takes a bit of experience.   I like that my customers are so interested in what I am doing...its fun to talk about it with them and they all want a demo.  It really doesnt seem to matter that in no way , shape or form am I an expert at this....people dont know much about hooking...so they dont know!  I do tell them I am learning and always will be!  Above is my wooly guardian of my hooking area!  I guess I will name him Wooly...not very original ...I know!  I am going to have my husband make me two more shelves for the rolling cart I have shown...it was for retail...so its missing the top...he'll figure something out!

My latest project in the kitchen

I installed these easy to do coppper tiles in my kitchen last night  and LOVE how they turned out!  Super cheap and easy and it looks great I think. 

New book I want to read

As I am an avid journal keeper myself....I just heard about this book and have ordered it from my library.  Cant wait to read it!  

I ran out of wool and had to stop!!!  UGHHHH!  My wool dyer, Susan, says my wool will be sent out around Thursday.  I suppose I will get it on Monday or Tuesday...  I can hardly wait to start hooking again!  It has been miserable not to be able to hook!  I just cant stand it!!!! So, once I get hooking again I will put some pics of my progress here.  I sure have the hooking bug!  I wish I had all the wool I needed and wanted at my disposal!  But I dont....so this is how I have to work it for now.  Susan is very understanding and cooperative.  Once she gets her samples of all her colors done...I will buy the whole set...and then it will be much easier to figure out what colors I need and how much etc....She is almost done with these samples.  It has been a lengthy and expensive project for her.  If you are interested in purchasing samples (and hand dyed wool) from The Ram in the Thicket ---google her website...and let her know! Tell her I sent you!  She does all the primitive colors and the vibrant and modern colors as well.  Most other internet sites I have found do not even come close the color choices she has!  I am very impressed.  And the wool is luxurious!  So I am trying to be patient...so I can hook again and be happy!

Progress on my 1st in series - Antique Valentines Card Rugs