Some rug progress ...nasty weather .....no toilet ????

Hello all..... I've managed to get a little hooking finished on my colonial motif rug...It's been hard for me to sit too long and keep moving over the frame here and there...I have a disc that likes to bulge every now and then...now is when it liked to bulge....lol....it comes and goes, so I'm just waiting it out....but here are 2 pics of my rug progress...One is brighter than the other...hard to get good lighting ..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Talk about the weather...Severe weather is going on almost everywhere...I pray for those in the path of high winds and tornados...We had our share of weird weather here last 2 days...It was 64 degrees here this morning...we beat the record for this time of year by 3 degrees... Oh, and we had thunder and lightening last night...and while I sat in the car today , while daughter ran into the Sporting Goods Store ( I tell you about that in a minute....lol ) I looked out the window and saw this ominous cloud formation...within 2 minutes, the wind began blowing the car back and forth and then a torrential downpour....Now, we have Winter Weather Advisories from tomorrow morning all the way through to Friday night... Here is a pic of that scary cloud :

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And now for the reason for the trip to the Sporting Goods Store.... With the weather being so whacky...temps in the 50's and 60's the last few days, and 18 inches of snow on the ground melting, add to that about 1" of rain in a short time yesterday...our back yard looked more like a pond than a yard.... I knew something was up when the toilet didn't flush...Only time that happens and it get's clogged, is when one or more of the Grandsons are here...( they think they need 1/2 a roll of toilet paper to wipe their bums....lol) Hmmmm...only one reason besides a clog that it wouldn't go down...Last time, it was because the sump pump in the second septic tank died....Hubbs goes and checks...YUP....the new pump died...It just couldnt handle all the flooding going on in the back...We are planning some major digging and drain tile going in this Spring, not to mention, we don't know when the last time the septic was pumped out sooooooo... When you see hubby in the backyard in "muck" boots....somethin's not good ....

The trip to the store was for a Camping Potty....if this is going to happen anymore, and if electric goes out we are stuck with no water ( no well pump or septic pump) We want to be prepared...yes , it is a delicate subject, but hey....everybody does it.....lol We got the new pump, the new potty..chemicals for it...and When hubby got home, him and my oldest son Ryan ( he did it last time...poor guy always gets pooh duty...) replaced the pump and hurrah...Flushing toilet again !! Oh, the things that we take for granted....lol So, alls well that ends well.. Have a great evening !! Robin

Working on some things...new designs, old designs.....

Hi and hope you are having a Good Monday so far !! I was busy this weekend with a few projects... One is a hooked rug...I am using a pattern from last year that was part of a Spring Doodle Booklet. It wasn't really designed with rug hooking in mind, so I re-drew it, spacing the elements further apart, and enlarging some things a little..I enlarged the whole pattern to 500% , and it ends up being about 18" x 20" ..not tooo big for me...so I did start it ... Only got a tiny bit started...but now I am going to need to tone down some of my reds to really mute them and make them more of a cinnamon color,to more closely match the color in the pattern I colored in on the computer...the pic is dark, I was trying to get it to not look too bright, but not sure there was really enough lighting...hmmm...here it is :

~~~~~~~~ Then...I was getting my inspiration on Pinterest once again, and saw these old cookie cutters...Two of them were so simple, of a man and woman....A few folks had posted pics of fraktur drawings, and I am always drawn to those, but wow, the detail in them is overhwelming to me...so, I drew up a very simple " fraktur like " drawing , using the outlines of the 2 cookie cutters I liked.....I drew up my design, colored it in and hunted for floss to match...what I found was close, and some it was even dyed with a touch of tan rit dye...It's going to be a new pattern, and I've got it all drawn up on my weaver's cloth and on my hoop...

So...I guess, winter is a good time for me to actually accomplish things on the weekends...in between having family here... I also spent the weekend cooking again ! We had some of the kids here fixing cars, etc..and Grandkids here also so I had made a HUGE batch of homemade Mac n Cheese to go with their sandiches, and then A crockpot of Chili for dinner....I made coleslaw and chicken salad.....you get the picture.....when you have 6 adult children and 8 Grandsons ( 1 grandaughter on the way...yay !)...it's hard to not want to always have Something for them to eat, and plenty of it....My one Grandson , Riley is 12 years old....When I make something kind of common and doctor it up, he says to me " Grandma, you always add 1 secret ingredient, and I can really taste it !...It's LOVE !"....Makes me teary eyed every time he says that to me...Of course having raised 4 boys of my own, I also know what little brown nosers boys can be....especially when it comes to food !!!....lol Here's a pic of my 12 year old Grandson, Riley ....I love his moppy hair !! He is a Skater ...gnarly dude !!!....lol

~~~~~~~ Back to a little punching, hooking, and maybe some more drawing....yes I know, why do I have several things going at once ???? I clean my house the same way...several rooms torn apart at once...Must be the ADHD....lol Robin

Freebie Doodle long overdue...

After uesterdays post, I realized I hadn't posted a freebie doodle in a very long time.. I draw up a Freebie doodle for the Primitive Handmades Mercantile Newsletter every month, but not everyone is signed up to subscribe to the newsletter....But, if you want to sign up for the newsletter just go to Primitive Handmades Mercantile and click on the sign up area on the right hand side of the Home page... I've been lax and haven't offered one through my blog here, so here it is..It's more intended for Spring rather than Easter...but I hope you like it and can use it...if you do make something using the freebie, email me and send the picture and the link to it on Ebay, Etsy , your website or selling group and I will feature you here on my blog !! ~~~Mr. Garden Rabbit~~~

~~~ Here is the uncolored line drawing ~~~

~~~~~ Remember, if you use this frebbie for the purpose of selling goods on Ebay , etsy or other selling venue, please add my name to the discription as the designer ...Thank you !! Robin

How to " enjoy " a long Wintery blast of cold and snow....

Here is another beautiful finish from my Fraktur angel Valentine doodle....this one was punched by Laura of Apple Berry Cottage I love her work !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here in Nothwestern Pa., specifically my town of Erie,we have a saying " If you don't like the weather in Erie,stick around " !..It changes so much, and especially being so close to a large body of water ( Lake Erie of course ), weather fronts can have varying degrees of severity.. This week we were entertained by a huge blast of cold air from our neighbors to the north...cold air over a still not frozen lake = snow, more snow....lots more snow !! Except for the dreaded trips outside to blow the snow out of the driveway, this weekend was a hunker down, stay warm kinda weekend... I passed my time between cooking, babysitting older grandsons,more cooking , occasionally cleaning...some fruit drying and a little bit of drawing... Of course, I had to take pictures of the many dishes I put together this weekend. I had roasted a HUGE turkey breast my daughter gave me, and I didn't want it to go to waste, and if i make too much of just one thing it probably will. So here is what I did : Turkey Noodle Soup with Kluski noodles:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Turkey Broccoli Stuffing Casserole

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dumplings and Turkey Gravy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`` The temperatures dropped quite a bit, much colder than it has been yet this winter, and I began to notice a nasty chill in my craft room, which has no heat source of it's own, just what comes in here from the kitchen....So Hubby and I did venture out and priced heaters...I've always wanted one of these little beauty's ...Here's what I got :

It gives off just enough heat..the top and sides stay cool, as the heat comes from the bottom with a blower on it... I had some cuties ( tangerines ) getting old, so I decided to dry them and use later for a wreath or garland... Sitting in front of my new little heater did the job and they are nice and dry and didn't go brown on me :

~~~~~~~~~ As I said, I got to babysit my older 4 Grandsons... Two of the boys wanted to go help Poppa blow out the driveway...Grandpa instead handed them shovels....They had fun, though , and did a really good job...Thank you Alexzander and Justin !!!

~~~~~~~~~ And finally...I got around to sitting down with pencil and paper and drawing up a few bunnies...One is more traditional Peter Rabbit looking...the other one I tried to make look more " Folky "....still playing around....I'll get a few designs for Spring / Easter out of them yet .....lol

~~~~~~ Ok, sorry if I bored you, but this is all I got !!!...lol What have you been doing with yourself, if you are in a deep freeze ??? Hugs, Robin

PHM Update...Rug Design hooked by a very Talented Lady...other stuff...

I've been busy here, getting a few things ready for the Primitive Handmades Mercantile Update tonight...Don't forget to stop by and take a peek at all the new items by all of the talented ladies... Speaking of talented ladies...Julie Butler of Plumrun Creek was one of the gals who agreed to hook my fraktur angel valentine doodle... Look at what a super job she did !! And let me tell you, she can pump out the rugs...she is Fast and Good !!!

( I can't figure out why Blogger keeps posting the pic sideways..I've re-sized, rotated ..??) ~~~~~~ Our weather was so warm and sunny last weekend, it was the perfect time to take down outside Christmas Decorations...Hubby got to do this all by himself....lol..here is just a pic of him being silly :

We also took a ride around to different thrift stores and besides some awesome wool skirts and jackets I scored, I saw this cute little mirror .....I love it when you can find a neat item at the thrift store and don't have to strip or re-paint...It was cute already...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't forget to check out the updates on PHM tonight at Midnight... Have a great day !! Robin

My little "Valentine " corner ....another new design ...after a year, a finish .

After a week of "purging" my craft room...drawers, totes, trunks...I needed to do something FUN ! ( well, I'm sure you would all agree, it really is kind of fun to get rid of stuff you don't need , and organize )...So, I dug out my Valentine's goodies and did a little "Re-Do" on my little tree I had my Gingerbread Man ornies on...It started out as a full, bushy,3 1/2ft., artificial tree that my good friend, Kim grabbed for $1 at a garage sale..Last year I gave it a military haircut and chopped it down to about 3 feet...if you look in this pic from from this year's Christmas decorations, the branches were still too long for the height...

I cut the branches down a few inches...The box I had it in was red with stars and said Merry Christmas...I wanted it to be for all seasons... I painted it antique white, stained and sanded just a touch..Voila !! A Tree For Every Season now ! Here it is lit up :

And here is my little Valentine Corner:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This rug was started almost 1 year ago, as a challenge rug...I showed a pic of it in my last post as I had started working on it again...got it finished but still need to steam and bind it :

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lastly...I get inspiration from all over and alot of it from everyday items I see, in my home or on the web...as I was enjoying taking a quick peek on Pinterest, I checked out a Board that a gal had, and it was just titled " Hearts" ...every shape size and color of heart..Made from every material you could think of...wood, fabric, paper, and iron...One pic stuck out, and it was a chippy painted brass plate that goes on the door where the lock is...( don't know what it is called ?)...then there were pics of heart molds, butter molds, jello molds..etc...an old locker with fabric hearts in it...Well, there was my inspiration !! I combined all the different elements I saw.. Most of the time, I try to do up my initial "rough" sketches in my notebook, that way I have them in one place and it's fun to flip through the pages of my doodlings, mixed in between important phone messages I received during the day...recipes...lists...thoughts jotted down , some good some ...well...maybe not so good....lol. Here is the new design I am working on :

~~~~~~~~ I'll be playing around with my wool this weekend...sorting, maybe a little dyeing.... what are your plans ??? Whatever they are...Have fun...be creative !! Robin

New design for Valentine's Day...An awesome gift/ trade......going to finish an old rug...

I've finished up my new design for Valentine's Day...and I haven't decided what to do with it yet...I am going to print it out and begin to hook it, BUT...I would love a few people , who are interested, to have the design, and sticking as close as possible to the colors I chose, hook it up for me, and possibly use a picture of the finished rug as the model for the cover of the pattern .... Are any of you interested ?? I will take the first 3 people who respond that they would like to do it .....OH...I will make sure and put on the pattern cover who the rug was hooked by and their Ebay ID or wherever they sell their wares also, so this will give you a little plug too !!!
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Now...remember when I posted about the boo boos I was getting from the sharp little tines on my hooking frame ?..so many sweet and very sensible suggestions ...I was all set to cut the toes out of a sock and wear it on my arm.....( I don't wear long sleeves much, because I still get hot flashes alot...fun ).  Then a sweet lady , Myra, emailed me and wanted to send me a frame cover made by a place in Kentucky called Breezy Ridge Rugs ....I suggested a trade for some of my patterns....
let me tell you...my humble little doodles, cannot even begin to compare in value to this gift...It is amazing !! It is made of super thick off white flannel, and is so easy to adjust with the stretchy strings wnd special lock thingys ( lol ) it works so nice !! And the packaging and little card that was sent was so cute too !!! Thank you so much Myra !!

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Now that my church rug is finished, I decided to finish this poor rug that was on my frame all through the move here and sat on it till I started the church rug...It was a challenge design from AAPG group, and this was all I completed, before things got crazy....

so, I am going to try to finish very quickly, before I start my Valentine's Day Rug...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope you all have a fun, joyful weekend, and I hope to hear from a few of you about hooking up a possible model for the pattern cover....I .don't want to hurt anyone's feelings if I don't choose your rug for the cover, but my decision will most likely be based on which one the colors strike my fancy most...Ok, we are all big girls, so I hope folks would understand...
Hugs,
Robin

Finished hooking church rug....Valentine chalkboard...

I am so happy to say I've completed the hooking on my rug...Looking at the pic of it, I say I should have steamed and maybe stretched it here or there...It looks more like a footbal than an oval...???
I have a new design drawn up for a new rug, possibly a pattern , with a Valentine's Day theme....No peeking yet...lol
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I decided to change out my Christmas message on my chalkboard today...Just a little doodling around....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I still have yet to take down decorations...I wanted to complete my rug, otherwise I may not have gotten back to it till.....well, whenever...lol .
Blessings,
Robin

Super cute finish....rug progress...and OUCH...need some help...

Happy New Year folks......

OK....

First off...look at that really cute finish , created by Roberta of Cottonwood Lane . What a sweet wool appliqued pillow, using the freebie design from the December PHM Newsletter.... Love it Roberta....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Made some progress on my Church rug....it has a little more color in it now...I'm liking it, but you know how we all are....not real sure about some of the colors and how they look in relation to each other...the greens didn't marry well...I need classes in color planning, and more experience in actual overdyeing to get better shades of the same colors that work better together.... It's coming along though, and I must say, I am really enjoying hooking...It's been so fun ! I forgot how satisfying it is, to pull the wool through the linen and see a rug start to take shape....
Here is my progress :

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And lastly...I need your help...Who makes those cool covers for the edges of the hooking frame ???

My arm is getting so scratched up...it really burns when I do dishes and the soapy water runs down my arm...owwwy ...lol

So if you make and sell them, or you know a good source to acquire one, I would appreciate someone pointing me in the  right direction ...Thanks a bunch !!

Here is a pic of my scratched up chubby arm:

Have good rest of your New Year's Day...
Robin