Spring Has Sprung!

It's cold, but it's officially spring!  Daffodils are all over the place, so I brought some in, and added some pretty pink tulips to the mantel (the tulips are from the day old flowers at the market.... cheap, healthy,  and pretty!).

I love to display my pretty hooked spring pillows this time of year.  Well, actually, I have them out all the time.........but love them now with flowers and sunshine in the house!

And the Firefly piece is hooked and bound.  I may eventually attach it to painted canvas as a wall piece.

Firefly is still around.  His bad wound seems to be healing well.... although he won't let me get close enough to get a good look.  We did make progress a few days ago.  Firefly ate a bowl of food on the deck one sunny afternoon and let me sit in a chair a few feet away.  I think he really wants to be part of our family, just too nervous and distrusting.  I plan to try and trap him a bit later this spring.  If that goes well followed by a vet checkup, rabies shot, and the procedure, I'll then make some decisions about the little guy.

I had a lovely afternoon with bestie, Katie.  She had made me this awesome bracelet.

Isn't it just the cutest?!  So we spent a day at her house, where she taught me the technique and I made another for myself.

Mine's the one on the bottom.  It's a process of layering paper, collage, antiquing, and painting onto a wooden bangle.  Such fun!  And the best part is crafting with a special friend......

If you live anywhere around here (or wherever you live!)..... please check out Robin's Vintage Suitcase.

Robin is currently having a major redo of the Vintage Veranda Tearoom part of the shop.  It's sooooo gorgeous and cool!  Hopefully, it will be open in April.  I'll let you know for sure.  Also, the Vintage Suitcase and garden shop are in full bloom.  Check out the above link to a new blog I've been putting together.  Would love to receive your comment.  Also, it would be great to be linked up with you!

Happy Spring!
xo
dulcy

Hooking Small

I've been working away on my new fiber piece while thinking about hooking.  What else do I want to hook? (I counted seventeen pieces around my house.... counting pillows, rugs, and wall hangings... this does not include my many hooked bags and a few oldies put away).  It's not like my home is a shrine to rug hooking, as I have everything spaced apart and in various rooms.  But, I'm so into cutting down on decorating clutter these days!  I know a lot of you probably hook for holidays, and keep those pieces nicely stored to be brought out each season.  I think that's a refreshing way to display hooking and decorate.  But...... I'm not a big holiday decorator.  I like to keep things as simple as possible.... I like to keep seasonal decorating to a minimum.  I don't really like to have too much stuff stored away that's not being used.  That all being said, I'm thinking of using my hooking creativity to create smaller more painterly types of work.  I've done a few in the past.....

All these were made without much planning from bits and piece of this and that.  They tend to be playful and full of color.  The following is along the same lines.... in that I cut by hand and create my design as I hook.  This piece is loosely based on a photo my husband took of some woodland wildflowers.  You can see the photo in my previous post.

 

I stitched the hooked piece with the lace onto this gorgeous piece of wool dyed by my bestie, Tammy from  Skip To My Ewe.

This piece will be a wall hanging, and I'm waiting for the weather to dry out to find the perfect tree limb to use as part of the hanger.  I'll post it completed later.

I think this sort of thing is the direction I'm heading, at least for now.  I love the aspect of painting with wool.  I also like hooking small, not cutting a bunch of wool at one time, and just creating as I go.  I'm thinking postcard sized pieces that can be mounted creatively..... small gifts that can easily find a home in small spaces......

Oh, I'm sure there's at least another large rug or mat left in me, but I'm really happy with what I have right now.  Too much to create and not enough time or space!!

xo

dulcy

Rainy Days And Rugs

Yes, the "forever" Summer Jewels rug is finally done.  How convenient for Iris, since she needed a warm place to relax.  I'll post a catless version of this one later.

Below, I'm adding some springy shots from around our home, photographed by my husband, Jim Mayfield.

 This abhor is new.  I got it for Jim as a birthday present.  We've planted climbing roses on each side.  Hopefully, they'll get to growing and climbing soon.

Our only lonely blooming poppy.

The next photo is of my hand.  I'm wearing a charm bracelet given to me by my mom.  She started it when she was 14, and all the charms are at least 70-80 years old.  They are wonderful with all sorts of moving parts, very detailed.  A few have lost some bits or pieces over the years, mostly because I loved to play with it as a child.  I've been wearing it a lot lately.

It was very dark and rainy here last weekend.  Jim took a few "wet" shots.

And since Willow had not been included yet, here's a nice little shot of her.

And one more.  I don't usually like to put pictures of myself on here, but I'm posting this one because I think it's going to be my next rug.  I've been wanting to do a self-portrait, and I really like the way the dogwood flowers are reflected in my sunglasses.  I thought it would be great fun, and a nice challenge to hook it just as is.  Although I may crop it in a bit on the right.

Wow!  There's a lot of photos here..... thanks for taking the time to drop by and taking a peek into my little wet world.
xo
dulcy

It's ALWAYS About The Color!

New bag is coming along nicely.... I'm done hooking....  now for pockets, lining, strap, and buttons.  I found the most perfect button in mom's old button tin.  I think it was part of a set she used when she made a coat a long time ago (30-40 years.....?).  Again,  love working with these neutrals and black.  Great look for winter!

Fall seems to be the time for all the warm colors like orange, yellow, brown, etc.  I'm kind of tired of all the traditional fall decorations.  I guess it's just gotten so over the top in the last several years.  I'm liking very simple decorations and lots of jewel toned colors.  Purples, pinks, scarlets, bright royal blues, and intense golds.

I pulled the last of my spindly petunias Saturday, and planted these gorgeous dark purple pansies for winter.  As I was planting, out popped a good sized toad.  Poor thing.... I think it was dug in for the winter.  It hopped out and patiently waited on the step while I finished planting.  I gently picked it up and put it back amongst the pansies, and hopefully, it dug it's way back down in the nice warm soil.

Don't you just love these pink mums?!  Once again, I forsook the golds and reds for these pretty posies.

My periwinkle blue asters are just brilliant!  These sorts of colors seem kinda old fashioned to me, and that's what I find so appealing.  I'm sure that I'll eventually come back to the more traditional fall color scheme.  Maybe I'm just having a hard time letting go of summer.  I still have lovely blooming pink petunias, and gorgeous blooming fuchsia geraniums.  Also, my blue daze is spectacular right now.  I imagine the cool night temperatures are doing the magic.  The temps. also enticed me to get some home-made tomato soup going in the crock pot for this evening's meal.  Well..... it's that time of day.... yoga time!  Gotta go and stretch..... Here's to a lovely week ahead....xo

Color Abounds!

Color is everywhere around here, and it's really got me psyched to hook, plant, cook, and just plain create!

We planted many hydrangeas a few years ago, and they're really starting to burst forth with color.  I love it when the colors are not set, but rather mixed.... yet they change over time.  Right now this beauty is pink, blue, and green.  Lovely after last night's rain.

It's really hard to beat white!  This is a small portion of a massive bush that's probably a good forty years old.  It's great for cutting huge bouquets.

I planted this hanging basked with just one wave petunia plant.  It was kind of spindly at first, but has filled out nicely.  I'm currently in love with old fashioned pinks and blues in the garden.

I love the lavender plant mixing in with the pink dianthus.

Jim and Graham feeding the fish among the day lilies.

Swinging in the sunshine.

And playing freeze tag.

Lastly....  the new fall bag I'm currently working on.  I couldn't get my hands on the antique black I had originally chosen as a background.  My best surprises are when I'm forced to rethink my plan.  I found this lovely dark teal/green that gives the piece a more jewel tone feel.  I will hit and miss various colors from the flowers around the edge of the dark teal.

Off to prepare my pattern for the Jane Halliwell Green class next week in Searsport, Maine.  Very excited!

xo

It's All About Flowers!

My Garden Hydrangea pillow is hooked, and now on to the assembly.  I think I'm going to stuff it, and hand-sew on a soft wool backing.  I had lots of fun prodding the edges!

I took the following photos around some of our back gardens this morning.  The iris is gorgeous right now, and the peonies are just opening.  One of my favorite "happies" is to make a peony bouquet and put them in an old glass Ball jar.

Hope you enjoyed a nice little garden stroll!