Bear Love

We started our new year off with a wonderful treat!  A visit from Craig - dear friend and bear-maker and Someone Who Can Do Just About Anything...and do it so well.

 He visited an antique mall in KC before heading to our house for dinner, and he found this wonderful toy wagon.  It needed a few modifications to fit in his suitcase for the trip home to Andover.  I'm sure by now it has found a home in one of his wonderful cabinets, nestled in with other equally wonderful antique toys and bears.

Last summer we had the good fortune to house-sit at Craig's home in Andover, MA, while he and his family vacationed.  When they returned, he gave me this Darling Bear, which I named Andover.  The starfish is for all the fabulous memories we have from visiting all those wonderful East Coast seaside villages.

Andover is by himself in the picture, but he has lots of "brothers and sisters" in my collection who are also Craig bears!  Just for fun, here they are.  I should add that when Craig photographs his bears, he makes them look absolutely ALIVE...  I'm afraid I can't even come close to that.  I think it has to do with making sure they are looking at the camera - which I didn't always get right, but I'm sure you can still tell how wonderful they are.  The bear in the first picture belonged to my Mother-in-Law Rene, who was also a big fan of Craig's bears.

That's my very first Craig bear below, on the right - Merlot.  Craig says he has "come a long way" as a bear-maker since then... but I love Merlot!  Without Merlot, we would have never met Craig!!!  See close-up of the bear on the left in the next photo.

 

 

The framed piece in the center below is a hooked rug I made (and framed).  It is a pattern by Victoria Engalls.  I added the striped wallpaper and wainscoting to the design - and black and white tile which you can barely see at the bottom. 

Gettin' a Bear Hug!

It sounds like 2011 is going to be quite a year for Craig and his family, but I sure hope we get to see them again soon.

The Start of Something Big

A BIG RUG!  Yesterday (January 1, 2011) was the official start of hooking for my next BIG rug project.  The pattern is "Crazy Horse Quilt Runner" by Susan Quicksall - 30" x 91".  I have A Plan in Mind for how to complete this rug during 2011, but just in case My Plan turns out to be Impossible, I think I'll keep it to myself for awhile!  Here the rug is draped over my frame so you can get a sense of how BIG it is!

Here's a closer shot.  I plan to start hooking with the horse.

That cute little scissors holder is a gift from my friend, and rug hooker, Dulcy.

Speaking of gifts from friends who are also rug hookers, Big Sheep (snoozing in basket) is a gift from Anne, and that cute round hand-painted wooden snippet bowl is a Mimi-Thing.  Big Sheep oversees all rug hooking efforts.  The old Singer works... well it would work if I replaced a belt.  Maybe someday!  Mostly I just love to look at it...

Here is a photo from Susan Quicksall's website of a finished version of the smaller rug like mine.  You can clearly see the "crazy quilt" design approach.  This photo will be very helpful to me as I work on my version!  Susan provided a list of hooking suggestions - one of which is to complete the motifs first.  Notice how each motif is outlined in a light color.  Unlike most outlining, that light outline goes on the outside of the drawn pattern line.  I think it makes the motifs appear to float above the crazy background!

All this wool... and much, much more... will become my Crazy Horse Quilt Runner!

I spent the better part of my planned hooking time yesterday reading up on various finishing techniques, cutting wool, and pondering the pattern...  but I did make an official start on the rug... ta dah!

I don't know if large flocks of birds in the backyard on the first day of the new year is a bad omen or a good omen... but here's what we saw out of our kitchen window yesterday.  These photos were taken through the window screen so they are a little fuzzy.  It was amazing!  I couldn't even get them all in the photo.

 

 I think they are a Good Omen.  Let's go with that.
Happy New Year Everyone.  Peace on Earth.

Eureka Springs Getaway

Eureka!!!  Last weekend we visited one of my favorite places, Eureka Springs.  Having our buddies Becky and Ray at nearby Beaver Lake just makes it All That Much Better!!!  

Friday night we attended the preview of the antique show in town.  It's always a good show and I've found a few treasures there over the years.  This year my goal was to Not Buy Anything...  I'm supposed to be "downsizing" ha ha.  I saw at least 100 things I would love to have, but I showed Great Restraint.  I could not resist this though... is it an antique?  Yep, it's an antique.  My third grade Mathematics textbook - in mint condition! 

And then this little print... couldn't resist it either.  So romantic...

Here's a close-up.  I think it's quite a shame men don't wear those ruffly collars anymore!

This flower print is also from the Eureka Springs antique show - maybe 5-6 years ago?  I love it - love these colors and the flowers - everything!  It is quite old.  This hangs in my kitchen at the top of the stairs.

Take a look at this...  this is just heaven!  Right there at Beaver Lake.  Heaven!  Many thanks to Cee Cee for letting us spend some time with her in her studio.

We are so happy because we are about to go inside for a little Sip of Dickle, and to look at The Jewelry, in that order.

After their Sip, we sent the guys off to "look around"...  and then out came The Jewelry!  Ray looks like he knows what happens when The Jewelry comes out!

About an hour (and two necklaces for me) later, we let Cee Cee get back to her creative endeavors.  What a treat!  There are always crazy things to see and do in Eureka Springs.  One of the things I love about this place is that it is not necessary to try to Explain Everything... 

I don't have a photo from Simply Scrumptious Tea Room and Emporium.  If you find yourself in ES, do not fail to have lunch there.  It was... simply scrumptious!  Thanks Miss Charleen!

And many thanks to Becky and Ray for the laughter and the hospitality there in the Acorn Palace at Point Mirage... where the Illusion is Real.  (Well, it used to be until Ray took a chain saw to it!)

Unfinished Buniness

Nope, that is not a typo.  This really is about unfinished bunnies.

I'm on a quest to finish an "undisclosed number" of "projects" before starting anything new (not counting the new crocheted shrug I started two nights ago!  Augghhh!).  Lately I have not been too good about finishing things.  Starting something new is Just So Much Fun!  Am I right?

Actually, I love this little rug and am very excited to see it so near completion.  Several years ago I came across a painting on an art website - see the color copy of the painting in the upper left corner of the photo.  The artist was listed as "unknown" - so no one to be upset at me if I copy it!

I thought the composition and colors and of course The Bunnies would be perfect for a hooked rug.  I filed it away for awhile, then set about converting the color copy to an enlarged black and white copy, then to red dot, then to the linen background.  My rug hooking teacher, Anita White, helped me pick out the wool.  I wanted to stay pretty true to the painting.  My straw is a bit darker, and my bunnies are not quite as detailed, but I think it is translating very well overall.  I plan to frame it.

Question is...  how long will it take me to get there?  I hope to show you Finished Buniness very soon!  (Spell Check really objects to my word Buniness...)  Maybe putting it here on the blog will give me a little extra motivation!

Vacation Memories #4 - Whale Watching

One of our favorite vacation experiences was our whale-watching tour.  We started our journey in Gloucester Harbor.  As we left the harbor, we saw this wonderful sailing ship.

 This is the view from the top deck of the whale-watching boat.  Below was another deck with a dining room.

 Another sailor enjoying a beautiful day at sea.

It took about 2 hours to reach the area where whales had been spotted by other boats.  We were 33 miles out from the harbor!

 This is one of our first sightings - a humpback whale.  Many photos were taken that day!

 Lots of watching over the side of the boat.  And lots of running back and forth every time someone spotted one on the other side of the boat!

 This is another whale-watching boat in the same area.  The captains of all the boats are able to communicate with each other - which really helps find the whales!

 It is possible to see the whale's spray from a long ways away!  Spotting that is one of the best ways to find the whales.

 Here are several swimming together - pretty close to the boat!

Now very close to the boat!

 This one swam right under the boat with her calf right beside her.

 I thought it was so interesting how the color of the water changed depending on the direction of view.  Look at this blue...

 The sun and clouds created an amazing image.

 Here's the blue version!

The entire voyage took almost 6 hours - but it was worth every minute.  We saw 7 different humpback whales - with many sightings of each one.  Each whale has a unique tail pattern.  (I was not lucky enough to get a good shot of a tail up out of the water.)  The whale "experts" on the boat were college kids studying marine biology.  They did a fantastic job of helping everyone have a good experience.

 If we ever get back there, we'll do this again!