Dreaming of Bunnies!

We didn't get as much snow as everyone else in the Maritimes or Newfoundland, for that matter.

I finished the small spring welcome mat and I love the detail. A whipcord finish and maybe some small embellishments; then,I am dreaming of bunnies!

Post Snow Day!

What comes after two days of wind, snow and other assorted precipitation? Of course, the big clean up. Global warming? I can't see it this year but it was a nice couple of days storm bound with a bit of this and that including working on my small spring welcome mat!

Sitting Pretty!

I happened to look out the window and spotted this little fellow, sitting in a tree trying to keep his feet warm in the middle of a snow cyclone. He stayed there for at least, 30 minutes, not wanting to venture out into the cold.

It seems like there is no end to this winter.

Brrrrr.....

I think this is our coldest day of the year at minus 16.  Many parts of Canada are much colder but on the west coast of Newfoundland, we don't get as cold as some people think.

As I type out this post, my garden is hidden from sight by several feet of snow and only my 5 foot inukshuk is visible.

What better day to stay by the wood stove and warm my aching bones while thinking of spring.  Here's what is on my frame!

Done and Dusted!

Well, 2012, you're done and dusted, soon to be in the memory books.  What will the New Year hold for us all.

Here is my Personal List from 2012.

1)  The end of the world didn't happen on December 21st, 2012.

2)  I didn't gain any weight this year ( but sadly,  didn't lose any either!)

3)  Everyone in the family is healthy, not so weathly but at least, maybe abit wiser.

4)  I still have mostly mousey brown hair although, for some reason, when I get a hair cut, there are all these silver threads on the cutting cape.

5)  I finished all my hooking projects and don't have a thing on the frame.

6)  I have started reading again via my ereader, and will be reading even more in 2013.

7)  I learned how to do needle felting and quite enjoyed it.

8)  When it comes to my wish last year for fewer senior moments, in fact, these moments are actually, on the increase.

9)  My gratitute for blessings is closer to being where it should be but definitely needs ongoing care.

10) I tried hard to remember that the things that are stressing me out in 2012, won't matter in 5 years. let alone 10 years.

Merry Christmas to All

From my little house to yours,

Merry Christmas!

Why?

I am still in shock and asking over and over, why, why, why?  How can someone hurt anyone, let alone, little children who will never walk the earth again.

From my small corner of the universe, out in the middle of the North Atlantic, my heart goes out to Newtown and all the people who are asking the same question as I.  Why?

It's Beginning!

Well, I guess it had to happen sooner or later but we have had such a great, warm fall that I was hoping, it would last forever!

Needle Felting!

In the lovely package I received from Kim was a delightful little needle felting project.  I have often wondered about this craft but never have attempted any.  On youtube, I found some great videos on how to do it and started the project.

It is far from expert but for a first attempt, I think it turned out quite well.  I didn't use the quilting needle to add a running stitch as the manual suggested, preferring the muted, softness of the fibres.  I really enjoyed it and think this is another great fibre craft.

Suddenly

My little world has suddenly become white; in fact, overnight, it turned from muddy brown to glistening white.  I guess it had to happen as it is almost the end of November.

Here is the second seasonal mat for the entrance and looking at Frosty's face makes me smile.  If you look closely, he has a little heart pinned on his scarf which is my mom's and that also makes me smile!

I used beads for his eyes, glittery wool for his top hat and sparkle gems for his buttons and in some of the snowflakes but this doesn't show up in the photo.

Where in the World....

have I been? 

Taking a break from my blogging and of course, life has a way of getting in the way of other things.  My own health issues as I have been off work for some time and also, more recently, Maddy had acute pancreatitis which was completely unexpected and a surprise.  News is, she is fine now!  By the way, we have tracked her illness to either the chicken strips or the sweet potato treats which continue to be sold to the public, even though, they have been attributed to pet health issues.

I had won a prize from Kim at Millie's Mats and it arrived a couple of days ago and of course, Maddy, just had to check it out!

Here is the completed mat of Buddy which I did over the summer for my mother and didn't post before now.

This picture reminds us of the happy times Buddy spent here in Newfoundland in the summer!

Over the next few weeks, I am going to work on my blog, bringing some freshness to it as I found myself getting quite stale and redundant; same old pictures of the garden and ice in the bay!



So Soon??

I guess we are all saying, where did the summer go? It has been a beautiful summer in the western area of NL. I can feel the subtle changes already and have even spotted some leaves changing colour.

 Here is a little mat I just completed. It is part of a four mat series of small welcome mats for my front door.  Each one will highlight the four seasons and of course, the first is the Autumn Harvest.

IT HAS ARRIVED!

Out of the blue, I received a voice message from Bruce Bolivar. I had ordered a triple cutter way, way back last year and when I didn't hear from Bruce, I put it on the back burner, thinking it would never come. But it did, TODAY! The cadillac cutter with #5, #6 and #8 cut.

Of course, being a Gemini, I couldn't wait to take her out for a spin. It was like cutting butter; smooth and silky and the wool strips were perfect little worms.

 I love it!

Mat Teaser!

Here is my summer mat teaser! It is a small mat of my mom's schnauzer, Buddy, who passed away a couple of years ago. I don't want to spoil my mom's surprise of how it turns out, so this is just a portion.

The summer is just whizzing by, and look, it's August tomorrow already. I have been enjoying the lovely weather, but I can already see and feel the subtle changes!

Summer Update!

Well, it has been just over one month since I last posted. The summer is going along, now in full swing and we on the West Coast of NL, have been enjoying wonderful weather. We are not baking like the rest of Canada and the mid west USA, but it is hot and dry for us, often in the mid 20s.


I just finished my Weezie mat and I must say, I did capture Weezie's face perfectly. She is looking right at the camera with soft eyes. Sometimes, during the hooking of this mat, I would put my frame down on the floor beside me and when I would go to get up, it was almost as if Weezie was there on the floor waiting for me. We all miss this special little friend and I think of her often.

I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather and taking some time for yourselves.

Time to Reflect!

I haven't been posting much lately and after more than three years of regular blog posts, I am silent and don't have much to say right now. My blogging has always been restricted to my hooking projects, my garden and my part of the world. I am going to grant myself that space, the time to reflect and permission to take a breathe and exhale. I look in most days to see what my dear blogging friends are doing, and I see that others are pausing over the summer.

Missing in Action

I can't believe that so much time has passed since my last post but it has. Life is evolving as usual and I am not missing in any action. The garden is starting to come alive and it is spring time here on the west coast of Newfoundland. Here is my next project. I am onto my next little fur baby in my collage of six, dear Pee Wee or as we always called her, Weezie. She was a darling Jack Russell with the unusual markings of black and white. She was a rescue dog who spent the first few years of her life, trying to stay alive in a barn near Montreal with 50 or so other dogs of various breeds. Weezie was adopted by a family who kept her for only one year and then, back for adoption. By the time, we adopted Weezie, she had no stability in her life and was frightened of people and everything. We had five wonderful years with Weezie until she succumbed to kidney disease and at least, in the scheme of things, she finally had her forever home. This is my favourite picture of Weezie and my hooked version.

All Done!

After many months, Aunt Bert's Daisy Garden is complete and off the frame. It is a large mat (26 x 50 inches) and I will be doing a whipped cord finish. Although I used Cara's inspiration, I did add some elements of my own.

It is a mixed media piece with wool yarns, roving, wool strips, and I used metallic ribbon around the dragonfly.

I really like Cara's (of The Grumpy Goat Gallery)whimsical approach to art and I hope I have done her original piece justice.

Before and After!

Maddy is a broken coated Jack Russell and if you have ever seen a box of small Milkbones, there is a little Jack Russell on it that looks like her twin. We still have some snow on the ground, but there is a change in the air and the birds are much more vocal, so it is time for our first spring time job, Maddy's haircut; and here is the big reveal....tah dah

Wowwww! Where did Maddy go???

My Weekend Fun

Maddy, here, telling you blogging pals of my mama of my great weekend. My friend, Dozer, visited for the weekend and although, he is 4 times my weight, I gave chase when he dared touch my binkie, Blue. I almost had him but by that time, we both needed a rest.