"Make Something Beautiful!!"

My dear friend Nancye

2010-02-28T12:27:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

I cannot believe it has been so long since I posted on my blog, but life has a way of getting in the way of the fun stuff sometimes. Before I fell in love with rug hooking and other fibres, I was seriously involved in dollhouses and miniatures. In that time, I met a wonderful woman named Nancye Fisher. We became dear friends and even when I stoppped doing mini's and moved back to Canada, we still remained friends....sadly, Nancye died on February 14th. I was with her in Florida when she died and it was peaceful and quiet. Her cancer had been diagnosed last October and progressed much more quickly than anyone thought it would....

So anyway, my friends, live your lives, enjoy your lives, don't sweat the small stuff, for at the end of the day, it's all small stuff...Nancye didn't get as much time as she wanted, and I didn't get as much time with her as I wanted...she was one special lady...check out her blog if you wish....www.nancyesminiatures.blogspot.com

Warm hugs,
Debbe

Camilla and Marion

2009-08-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

Camilla and Nancy

2009-08-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Camilla and Wanda

2009-08-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

Camilla with Bonnie's riser

2009-08-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Camilla and Karen

2009-08-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

Debbe and Camilla

2009-08-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

2009-08-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

2009-08-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Stair Risers & Friends!

2009-08-16T12:10:00.001-07:00

Well, as I have mentioned before, I will never win any prizes for being a regular blogger, but when the spirit strikes, it strikes, and here I am!

" Once upon a time, there was a rug hooking group in Sudbury,Ontario( still is, actually!), and some of us were invited to one of the gals summer place on Manitoulin Island. Now, this is a gorgeous old farmhouse on Lake Mindemoya and is about as bucolic and beautiful a setting as you can get. Lovely old covered verandah, gals sitting out in jammies in the morning having cofee, hooking with friends, doing a dye workshop...lots of good food, good wine and good company in the summer of '07.

And being properly brought up 'young ladies' we never arrived empty handed, but with all the usual hostess-y type gifts, fancy soaps, bottles of wine, pretty napkins, you know the drill...well, do not ask me where this idea came from, but it just flew into my head, and here is what happened!

We had all had a wonderful week-end at Camilla's, it was awesome, the weather was glorious and we had lots of laughs and good times, but now it was time to pack up our gear and head back to our respective homes. I was just putting a few things in a bag when I heard someone coming down the staircase( Camilla as TWO in her home, remember "old farmhouse"?), well, somehow, some way, the words "STAIR RISERS" rushed into my brain!! I was so excited! I quickly ran around the the other gals who were also gathering up their gear and whispered into their ears ..."Hey, instead of hostess gifts, let's all make Camilla a riser for her stairs, and we can bring it next time!"...well,everyone seems quite smitten with the idea and we are quickly grabbed our cameras and zipped around Camilla's property to snap photos for ideas for our risers! It was great fun also trying to quickly measure the steps without Camilla wondering what the heck was going on!

So, fast forward, we are all now back in our respective towns, Sudbury, Skead, Lively,Corbeil,and North Bay and all contacting each other via email and telephone with "what are you going to hook?"..."do you like this idea?"..."hey, do you have any of that nice background, I think I am running out?"..."Yikes, what were the measurements again, I lost the paper!"...and little by little, someone would check in and say' Hey, I finished mine!", which spurred on those of us who hadn't finished.
But the next summer came and went and with weather and family committements, and new babies and illness and various other things, our ' 08 summer fling to Camilla's didn't come off.

So, here we are again, fast forward to July of 2009, and Marion calls me to say that she was thinking of getting together for a nice summer luncheon for the 'summer babies', those gals in our group who had a summer birthday, which included me as mine was the day after the luncheon!! Somehow, it came to me again, ( I am beginning to wonder about the stuff that 'comes to me'!), that maybe we should invite the North Bay gals as this was probably going to be the last time we would all be together as I was moving 'south' to Coldwater, Ontario. So a couple of calls were made, risers collected and wrapped up prettily and off we went to meet for lunch.
We had all promised 'no gifts', just cards and good wishes, so needless to say, as soon as we were settled, Camilla was surprised when I brought out a pretty gift bag with tissue and all the usual wrappings/trappings! As she started to protest, I began the above saga, explaining to her what we had done and how much fun we had all had getting this project underway and then completed!

So Camilla reached down into the bag and brought out my runner, which depicted our dyeing workshop outside in her garden, with strips of wool hanging from the clotheline and various rugs hanging on her fence...she was thrilled and thanked us all for 'our' work on this riser!! What she didn't realize was that each and every one of us had a similar prettily wrapped bag and each one contained a stair riser( and one of them contained TWO as our dear friend Bonnie couldn't be there, so Wanda brought hers as well!)...well, you can imagine the scene in the restaurant!! Everyone was smiling as we marched Camilla to the wall and took photos of her with each friend who had hooked the riser..what a treat! I think poor Camilla was a little overwhelmed, but we were all having an awesome time, admiring each riser, joking about the whole process, and reading the provenance on each piece. I was the 'winner' in the verbosity contest, yikes! My provenance reads more like "War & Peace", but what the heck, everyone says I write like I talk, so it's a good thing that I write small and could fit this whole story on the back of the riser!!

Anyway, that is our story and I hope you enjoy the photos! I am not certain if I can name each one under the respective photo, so I will give you some hints along the way...

Camilla is in the red and white stiped top and is obviously, the only one in all the photos, lol! as she is the recepient.

Nancy is the gal in the bright turquoise top with the FABULOUS grasshopper riser!

Karen is the North Bay gal with the great glasses and the riser with the amazing primitive flowers on it...based on the wonderful Hollyhocks Camilla has growing everywhere.

Wanda is also from North Bay, and is the gal with the large round necklace, and is holding the riser which is almost an exact replica of Camilla's farmhouse! Complete with the neighbours puppy at the door, and the outbuildings on her property and the lake in the background.

Marion is the lady in the back sleeveless top holding her riser which has a row of apple trees on it...Camilla's lane to her farmhouse is dotted with apple trees and Marion and Camilla had picked many,many apples there and this was Marion's memory..I can almost smell the pies now!

Bonnie was absent in person, but there in spirit ( she was at her daughter's ultrasound appointment, now I ask you, would you have given up that honour? Not me!!)
But Bonnie's is the one Camilla is holding by herself, also with gorgeous flowers( I guess I should mention that in addition to hooking, Camilla is a champion gardener, flower arranger and holticulturist, hence our focus on her gardens, they are lovely)

I ( Debbe) am the one in the black and white outfit holding the riser with the wool hanging from the clotheline...

So there we are, a grand group of friends, who are thrilled to know each other, to be a part of a terrific rug hooking group in Sudbury, and who had a fabulous time making these treats for our friend Camilla!

Thanks for reading this, hope you enjoy the photos!

Hugs, Debbe

Felting workshop!

2009-06-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

Oh good grief Debbe! Could you find a hobby and stick with it??!! Well, actually, no I can't! lol! I LOVE fibres!! And since I have discovered felting I have just fallen in love with it....so, fast forward, "get to the point Debbe"( as my 'ex' used to say...hmmm, maybe that is why he is my 'ex',lol!)...my sister Elaine told me about this GORGEOUS scarf she saw at Neilson Park in Etobicoke, sort of airy and feathery and light as a feather and FELTED! So, now I was on a mission to find out how to make this wonderful creature...I "Googled" nuno felting courses and came up with Dreamspin Fibres in Campbellford, just outside Peterborough where I used to live...so off I go.

What a great class!! Great teacher, great facility...Maureen was terrific, very giving and sharing of her time, expertise and supplies...so now I can Nuno felt, and here are some snaps of the scarf I made, and the autumnal piece is a sample which we made first to get the 'feel' of things...think I will make it into a journal cover...
I am going to think about not buying ANY Christmas gifts this year and just making them all, well, it sounds good in theory anyway...and after buying our new home, I may not be able to AFFORD to buy gifts, lol, but just being in Coldwater is going to be my gift...I am so excited...but check out www.Dreamspinfibres.com...great site!
Enjoy...Warm hugs, Debbe

Weddings Everywhere

2009-06-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Oh, geez, here I am going on and on about the new house, and I forgot to mention that both my son, Matthew, and Peter's daughter,Brittany, were married in April and May respectively! My Matthew married Lauren and Brittany married Nathan and both weddings were lovely and special and made both Peter and I realize how quickly time is going by...I will get some photos on here soon...thanks for reading...Debbe

We have a new home

2009-06-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I am ashamed at how long it has been since I have added to this blog, but the GREAT news is that we have a NEW HOME! It is a teeny town called Coldwater, Ontario and I just adore it! There is a lovely knitting shop, antiques shop, tea room, library, post office, grocery store and that is about it! I can walk to anywhere in town and after being in a very isolated area for 4.5 years, I was just about going out of my mind! My 'hunny' listened to me when I started making noises about moving, and although he has been here for over 40 years, he was willing to "up sticks and move"! What a guy! The house has plenty of room for guests, has a rug hooking room, and a large front porch which is covered and where I can sit and knit and hook and make penny rugs and listen to music and watch the world go by! It is close to the Coldwater River, where we can toss in our kayaks and go down the river out to a huge bay, called Georgian Bay which is stunning. It is close to my sister in Toronto( 90 minutes) and just everything I need is within 15 minutes...so now, I will be able to garden(too many blackflies here-UGH!), to walk and x-country ski, to kayak and to sit outside...all of this makes my heart sing! So, to those of you who have heard me moan and groan for the past year, I will now shut up and start packing!! Warm hugs to you all, Debbe

Freezing cold!

2009-01-18T06:49:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

Well, I surely will never get any prizes for being a champion blogger! Too busyw ith other stuff I guess, but enjoy it when I get here. I am heading off on an adventure this morning..down to see my sister in Toronto for 5 days! Yee-HA! If I have to live up here, then the best thing I can do is to get down for a visit as often as possible, and seeing as Peter bought a new van a couple of weeks ago, that frees up the other car for me to hit the highway! I love to drive and enjoy seeing the scenery pass by. But the most exciting thing is that we are going to have 5 days of rug hooking, penny rugging, embroidery, drinking coffee, snowshoeing and just visiting as sisters! We both have new projects we are working on, and we also hope to get in a day of dyeing wool...I am going to try now and get some new pictures up as well, thanks for checking back now and again, I will try and be more diligent about getting posts on here. I actaully have a follower from the UK! Vanessa is a fellow felter and I am hoping to meet her when Peter and I go to England in the fall..she runs a B&B not far from where Peter's family is in Cornwall...the world is such a small place these days eh? Warm hugs, Debbe

OOPS!

2009-01-18T06:41:00.001-08:00

Guess I need some lessons on blogging!! I posted a message to a friend abouther blog, but it ended up on mine!...back to teh manual,lol! Hugs,Debbe

Welcome to the blogging world!

2009-01-18T06:37:00.000-08:00

Hi Sonya!!

How wonderful to see your blog! You are amazing! School, family, everything, and still you found time for this-good for you! How is school going? Things are o.k. here, I am leaving today for Toronto for 5 days of crafting,hooking,penny rugging,etc. with my sister!

If I have to live here, at least I can go visit as often as I can. Peter bought a new van, so now we have two cars and I feel less badly about taking the only car and going for 5 days,lol! Has it been cold enough for you??! This is crazy!

Well, congrats again on teh blog..I will check in from time to time...Warm hugs,Debbe

2008-12-20T13:49:00.000-08:00

Wow! Where does the time go to??!

2008-12-20T08:45:00.001-08:00

Hi again,

Well, it is December and the snow is piling up outside, plus the fact that it is
-23 degrees here this morning, so I guess it's best to stay warm inside and work on my blog which has been sorely neglected of late!

November was busy as I went to Boston to surprise my youngest son on his 30th birthday, spent a couple of days with him, and then flew to Fort Lauderdale, FLorida to be with my eldest son for Thanksgiving. My former in-laws, to whom I am still very, very close live in FLorida as well so we all had Thanksgiving together, it was wonderful! My Dad is quite ill and failing so it was a treasure to spend this time with him.

Since my return, I have been busy...I had been invited to give a talk on dollhouse miniatures and antiques to a local University Women's group here in Sudbury, so that was a treat! I dug out some of my more special miniature pieces, those whose full size counterparts are in museums all over the US and the world. The ladies were stunned with the detail and as many of them are well travelled, some had even seen the full size pieces in museums when they travelled, so it was fun for them to see the mini versions!

Then a local craft store which has started up here in town, called "Mimi & Lulu's" ( FABULOUS STORE!!) invited me to teach a felting workshop, so that was great fun...I will post the photos of the prototype we made. A lovely felted cuff style bracelet, using roving and beads and buttons from Mimi's store...most of the gals made two of them and they are amazing! I so wish I had remembered to take photos of them so I could have posted them here as well, oh well, next time. Then I found these great little tams/berets at our local grocery store, and my mind was twirling with ideas to make them into something special, so those photos are posted there as well. (Please forgive the one with me without make-up!-yikes, it was early in the morning,lol!)

So now I am on a roll making berets! My daughter-in-law to be wants a black one with white glittery snowflakes and I am just excited about making and wearing these fun,warm little works of art..great,easy gifts.

But I have saved the best for last!! My dear friend Nancy, made this STUNNING neckpiece for me for my Christmas gift!!! Isn't it amazing? I had so admired the first one she made, it was in all the bright,vibrant colours that are truly "Nancy" and seeing as she knows me well and my penchant for black and white, she made this one for me...I love it and will wear it often-thanks Nancy!

So that is about it for now, as we are heading off to Toronto tomorrow to look at a couple of houses and then to go to my sisters for Christmas week! We are going to stay in our jammies all week, although I did concede that perhaps, in honour of Christmas Day and dinner, that I might change my jammie top,lol! I need a 'down' week and we are really looking forward to this one...Warm holidays to you all, stay warm,stay safe and we will chat in the New Year...
Hugs,Debbe

2008-11-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess part of being a 'blogger' is updating it, so here goes! I thought I would occasionally post some of my favourite hooked pieces, and hope that you will send some of your own to attach here.

The first one is a selection of the mini rugs I used to make for my dollhouses, the second is my "Melodie" basket lid, based on a pattern from Melodie Fairburn called "Lollipop Flowers" and the lastter is one of my favourite rugs...I hooked it when I came back to Canada in '02..I just love the colours, plus there is a teeny one of it as well!

So I hope you enjoy these, and when I get home from hooking tonight, I thought I would compile a list of some interesting hooking and felting sites which I have come across, hopefully there will be some new ones in there which you haven't come across!

Warm regards,
Debbe

Favourite Hookings

2008-11-06T06:44:00.000-08:00

An Amazing Weekend With Friends!

2008-11-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

It all started when my sister called and said that a friend of hers was talking about hosting a hooking retreat at her lovely farm get-away north of Toronto. But, she wasn't sure if enough people would be available to come( silly girl!), so my sis said, "well, I'll ask Debbe."(that would be me.)

So, fast forward a few weeks and lo and behold, 6 of us descend on Jane's Farm and begin unloading tons of food, bottles of wine, hooking frames, books, magazines, hiking boots and various baskets of wool for knitting, rug hooking, needle felting, you name it, we had it!

Anyway, we had the most fabulous three days, doing everything from the aforementioned handwork, to antiquing in Shelburne, hiking in the acres behind Jane's gorgeous spot, watching the deer and the bunnies and the birds, watching DVD's, drinking wine, making incredible art trading cards...all this while staying(largely) in our pj's!

So thanks to Jane, Elaine, Wanda, Karen, Bonnie, & Marion for a retreat to remember..pictures to follow...