A rug hooking break

Carpal tunnel has reared it's ugly head yet again! Years of a job that involved heavy data input started the flare ups, it kind of "went away", then after a Saturday of planting veggie plants, and a Sunday of rug hooking, my right wrist up to my elbow is killing me! I tried hooking yesterday, but it was a no go, so today was a day of rest....well, if you call making three dozen cupcakes rest...lol

I've started a prim horse rug, and I'm pretty excited about it! I'll take a picture tonight, and hopefully by tomorrow, I'll be able to start hooking again. I tried to finish a reproduction sampler, but even cross-stitching is a bit painful. grrrrrr!

Tomorrow, I'm going to post a few flyers around town advertising rug hooking workshops by me. I think it would be great to find some hookers....yeah, hookers...lol!.....around that would like to meet a couple of times a month or more to form a hooking group. I do love to hook, and it would be great to find a few people locally that have the same artistic/crafty interest.

If anybody is reading this blog, please leave a comment! Feedback on my rugs, or especially if you're local (central-ish Connecticut) let me know!

Sheep table runner (my current favorite!)

Pomegranate table runner

The chairpad

Here's my most recent hooked projects. I do love the look of table runners, and hooked my first chair pad! The finish isn't exactly what I wanted it to be, but now I know a bit better what to expect for the next one!

Must. Improve. Blogging. Skills.

Yes, I'm not the best blogger in the world, but I am really trying to improve! I've been very busy hooking away, but haven't posted on Ebay for a while. The fees are really going up, and with the economy doing what it is, people just aren't buying like the used to. My plans in the future are to start an on-line business and try to get some workshops going locally. Tomorrow I am going to put up some flyers at the library, grocery store bulletin boards, and possibly the senior center.

My inventory is building slowly, but I had great influx of wool last week. It's all piled on my kitchen table right now, but will be organized by Sunday....I hope! ;o) I used monks cloth for the first time, and will NEVER go back to burlap again! I hooked a really cute chair pad, which my cat Lily loves, and don't really want to part with it. I'm thinking it's time to post some pictures!

A couple of Saturday ago, I went to my first rug show! Fairfield Grace Methodist Church had their 48th Annual rug show, and it was great! I met Sarah and Barbara from Hallowed Hill Primitives/Paisley Studios, and they were quite gracious. I like being able to meet fellow hookers mainly because there's not that many hookers around here. I bought some oatmeal wool, and a couple of yards of light gray, but really had to limit myself. In the next couple of months, I'm going to have an opportunity to build my inventory, so saving money is priority!

Dreary Day!

Today is dreary and rainy! I love staying home when it's like this, but had errands to run. I took one of our cats, Lily to the vet to be fixed and declawed, and one of our dogs, Ranger for his check up. I hated leaving Lily, but in the end, she will be a happier cat, and my carpets will be saved!

I'm having a bit of a "brain fart" when it comes to designing rugs and stitchery. Maybe the rain, maybe the change in seasons, maybe I need more chocolate! :o) Anyway, I am in the middle of a rug that is kind of fun to hook, but I really feel the need to start on creating some patterns to sell on Ebay and/or Esty.

Other prim artists are doing some really beautiful pieces, and maybe looking around all the time is a bit intimidating! I do have my fave prim blogs/artists to check out almost every day, and many of them are from a group I am a member of in Ebay. Primitive Rug Hookers Group is a meeting of fiber artists that I'm in awe of! There's also another group on Ebay that have some original items and patterns that are wonderful. I sent in a membership request, so maybe I'll be able to join that group also. They seem to be doing rugs and primitive stitchery that right up my alley.

Wow, this is a dry entry! I've got to start relaxing when I write so it sounds more like me! lol One of these days somebody might actually read my blog, and I wouldn't want them to be bored!

Branching Out!

My first "crafty" love was cross-stitch. While learning primitive rug hooking, it was tough to go from such a precise craft to the free-form art of primitives. I have gone back a bit, incorporating the primitive arts with stitching of a kind. I LOVE old school samplers, and have really gotten into the primitive stitchery that is all over! My latest postings on Ebay are two pockets that for holding tv remotes, game remotes, etc. I have also posted grungy prim easter eggs that sit in a wicked cute trencher I picked up at a local antique mall.

Unfortunately, it looks like these items will go past without selling, but I think I will put them up as my first posts on my Etsy shop. I'm pretty excited about opening an Etsy shop!

Happy Valentines Day!

Today I did some major cleaning of craft books/supplies. I am putting some books on our local Freecycle(tm) list, and have been slowly moving things upstairs to my rug hooking/craft room. I am going to really streamline my art so that I can get my business up and running. The party idea is still in the works, and tomorrow I will begin stitching again. Reproduction samplers, adaption of old samplers, and more rug hooking.

My newest idea involves getting together a book, but that's all I'm going to say for now. Hopefully it will be something that will take off both on Ebay and Etsy (as soon as I open an Etsy shop!) Having all my supplies and books in one place will really help to get things going and be a bit easier.

On a personal level, my hubby brought me a cute tea rose bush, a card, and chocolate....YUM! Hopefully he won't have to work too late and we can at least have dinner together!

Primitive Decorating

I've been brainstorming since yesterday, and have hit on something that I think will be really great! There are so many of us out there that love primitive decor and crafting, but don't really have the time to find out how to make certain crafts for our home. These crafts are very green and can actually use items you might already have in your home.

Here's my idea: I want to start having small classes on how to make different primitive crafts. I would start this in my home with four to five people at a time. I would charge a fee that would include supplies and everybody would take an item home that they made themselves plus instructions to make more at home. It would be a great way to meet like-minded people, maybe schedule a class with friends, and spend some fun time crafting things together. I'm going to kind of revamp my very new site so that it's the "go-to" place that I'll put on my flyer, and they can contact me by e-mail to begin with.

Today my goal is to get the flyer made, update the website, and figure out what will be offered the first class. I would need to make the items, take pictures and put them on the site to generate a bit of interest. Cross your fingers for me!!!