Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

So grateful for all the many blessings in my life. I have wonderful friends, a supportive family and get to spend time doing art.  And a bit of travel thrown in too!

Here is the family dining table before I got it cleaned off for Thanksgiving. It's my favorite spot for all the various art projects that I have going on. My sewing machine is on the end to the left. I'm sure it will go back on the table tomorrow!

I have been busy making lots of things since we returned from Mexico. These funny little guys are off to a show and sale at Art From Scrap for the month of December. All of the linen animals were created from one sample book of designer Italian linen that I found at the reuse store. I loved all the dots and have enough to make a few more.

Beaded hearts make nice ornaments and a great way to use up some of those beads that we collect.

Some wool owls and a little wolf went off to the Art Hus in Solvang.

Mrs. Crow and her friends below will be going to "Just folk" in Summerland tomorrow for their annual Christmas tree.

A few hooked ornaments that were pretty quick to make.

Mr. Gnome took a few evenings to hook.

And more hearts with a kind of primitive look for Just folk.

I made 20 dog ornaments for their tree this year out of felted sweaters.

Hope you all have some creative time this week.

 I still have quite a few projects to finish up before the Holiday Marketplace sale at the Wilding Museum on Dec. 6 in Solvang. Come by and say Hello if you are in the area! I hope to have lots of new hooked items for sale.

Oaxaca in October

Before our workshop started a few of us went off on a little adventure to Josefina Aguilar's home and studio. We all came home with some of her wonderful ceramic pieces. She is now blind so it was even more special to get a chance visit her home and give our respects and appreciation for her lovely art.

Some of the pieces that came home with me.

We visited the Rudolfo  Morales museum again and saw some of his murals and collage work.

A wonderful lunch with local squash blossoms at Jacoba's on our way home.

A stop by the small weaving village of San Tomas was a new adventure full of color and local women weavers selling their wares.

The next day we took a trip to town to visit the Stamp Museum (MUFI) in Oaxaca. They had an interesting show of letterboxes that were created by local artists.

And fun photo op pieces that we had to try out.

Our next stop was the Graphic Arts museum with wonderful bird watercolors by an early scientist-adventurer documenting birds and wildlife in the New World.

We had time to visit many of the colorful markets that were filled with flowers and treats in preparation for the Dia de los Muertos celebrations.

Art adventure in Oaxaca

Here's our wonderful group of adventurers. Back row, Colleen, Sandy, Bonnie & Joely.

Front row, me, Sue, Syd, Petti, & Karen.

Our first exercise led by Syd got us all loosened up. We made 6 timed collages using paper that we chose and then passed on the next person. It was fun to see how our collages changed as we had less time and paper to work with. These pages then could be used in our art journals as backgrounds.

Each Journal was prepared with a "Pocket" that we could use to put our fellow travelers' paper dolls in. We had the most fun making 10 dolls of ourselves to share with each other and also put in our art piece for Casa Colonial.

Petti's colorful dolls:  paint, paper, fabric...some even had moveable arms and legs!

We had a beautiful day for our first field trip out into the countryside. The Toledo art center was once a textile factory, now a wonderful art museum and workspace with a great gift shop.

There was an interesting show with lots of old fishing boats on the main floor.

A few of the old looms were still saved in a small room.

Outside an interesting staircase that was designed by Toledo.

Nearby was the paper making studio. We were given a nice demonstration of the process and then treated to a visit to their wonderful shop.

Love the colors of the handmade paper. I think most everyone had to buy some!

Necklaces made from rolled beads of the handmade paper.

More paper jewelry.

Here are the girls at the checkout counter of the paper shop. 

Loved the tile floor and beautiful high ceiling!

Wonderful textures and vistas at every turn....

Succulents on the patio with a wonderful view of the Etla Valley.

More to come!

Off to Oaxaca for our Art Journal workshop

Colleen, Syd, and I will be heading off to Oaxaca again for our art workshop- "Colors of Oaxaca"with a great group of creative women.

We will have fun making some paper and fabric art journals and visit some new museums and art studios with plenty of time for shopping for textiles, wood carvings and all manner of other goodies.

Back around Oct.24 just in time to get busy making things for the Holiday season.

We will be playing with stamps, paints, colored pencils, and collage.

Got in a quick visit to the Art Hus in Solvang to take a few things over before we leave. Here's my little spot- managed to get a few new hooked things in there.

Our home in Oaxaca, Casa Colonial...just a quick walk to the city center.

Hope you have a wonderful week ahead and have time for some creative fun!

Hooked Crow

Just got this hooked crow finished up. I have two more in the works. I think they look best in a group. Hope to put them into our shop in Solvang next week. 

Heat wave here again...may have to go cool off in the Pacific Ocean today!

Pumpkins and Owls at French General

We had a great time hooking Saturday at French General in Los Angeles. Everyone got a good start on their projects. These are the fun faces that showed up! 

Wonderful ladies and wonderful work!

Hope I get to see them when they are all completed. 

Now I need to go and get some hooking done for some upcoming shows and sales.

Owl and Pumpkin Workshop at French General-Coming soon!

If you would like to learn to rug hook I will be teaching a workshop in Los Angeles this September 27, a Saturday, at French General, 2009 Riverside Dr., LA, CA 90039.

Visit

www.FRENCHGENERAL.COM

to sign up or 

email: notions@frenchgeneral.com

for more information.

We will be hooking either an owl or pumpkin just in time for the fall season.

all materials will be provided including some nice hand dyed wool!

Would love to have you join us and have fun with this unique fiber art that you can use in many different ways....rugs, purses, book covers, stuffed animals, ornaments, fiber jewelry and more!

For more ideas check out my Rug Hooking board on Pinterest!

I wanted to hook another pumpkin that wasn't "orange"...and a new crow and squirrel.

Spent half a day dyeing some nice "Pumpkin" colors for the workshop using Dorr wool.

Of course, Henry had to help!

Hope to get some more hooking done this week. I have a new colorful owl to show you.

Have a great week!