1-1-11 Happy New Year!

Welcome to 1-1-11...What do you have in store?....
What roads will we take in 1-1-11?....its all up to us....just like a present to unwrap and be enjoyed...or not!  Life is all about the choices we make....some things  are chosen for us and then we have to decide how we will accept or react to those changes and some of those unchangeable situations in life......there are many turns in the road of life.....all a part of life's lessons. 
These lessons make us the persons we are today...have an open mind and look at your choices or sometimes act on a whim....follow your gut and think with your heart! 

Wishing you a healthy Happy New Year!  May your travels on the road of life be rewarding!

Benjamin Franklin once said “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.”  NOTE: in the spirit of the times  and politically correct "a better person" :-)

Strange Christmas Weather

I awoke this morning to SILENCE! I jumped out of bed and went to take care of the bird feeders.  Boy they must be hungry... The wind had finally stopped howling and the rain had ceased pelting!  All I can say is I'm glad I didn't have to shovel it!  The rain and winds have been here for a week....all I could think about was the poor birds.  I saw one wind battered  Blue Jay beat his way to the feeder and grab one peanut and the poor little Juncos would brave the wind and rain to feed on the seed that I had put on the ground.  But this morning no wind and the blue sky is starting to break through and lo and behold the six Mourning Doves showed up for breakfast along with four Blue Jays, a few Juncos and of course the Crows......

Have been doing mostly crochet since the holidays began doll blankets, throws and Christmas Scarves....today I get back to the hooking....I have one unfinished project that is on my radar....and a few designs in my head.

Here is my latest completed piece...  Sleigh Bells Ring--

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday and best wishes for the new year!

Backyard Birds

This summer I started setting up Bird Feeders...my intent to keep the Blue Jays happy...this past week I have notice lots of activity at both my feeders. 

I was so excited this morning to find todays visitors included Juncos,

lots of Evening Grosbeaks,

three pairs of Mourning Doves,

lots of European Starlings,

my flock of Blue Jays

and of course a couple of crows! 

My trees were full and lots of bird song and chatter.

The feeder as been a learning experience for me.  Every sighting sends me to Google.  For example Mourning Doves mate for life, like bird baths and are ground feeders.  They are farily large birds and it the first time I ever saw one was this past Sunday morning. Apparently the Blue Jays must of attracted them cause they keep pushing lots of seeds to the ground.

The Grosbeaks can shuck the sunflower seeds faster than I can put them out and compete with the Blue Jays.  The Grosbeaks are beautiful in color and have brilliant yellow, white and black coloring. (A hooking project I am thinking :-) ) First time I ever saw one of those was last week.  I wondering have I been blind to birds until now? 

The Junos also spend there time close to the ground when feeding and the Starlings have such beautiful colors in their feathers when the sun is shining on them.  The Juncos seem like such a fragile bird...just little puffs.

Now to share some research on Birdfeeding Myths:
Birds won't migrate when you are supplying food--not so apparently migration is not tied to food supplies and a few pounds of sun flower seed is not going to derail thousands of years of the birds evolution. :-)

Once you start feeding you cannot stop-- Although bird feeders are helpful to the birds in times of stress, breeding and hard winters they are not going to starve if you have to stop for some reason.  They only get a small part of their caloric and nutritional intake from birdseed.  They may move on but they won't starve.  Birds are not overly dependant on humans. 

So added to my list of things to do is jump out of bed and get the seed and peanuts out......one particular large Blue Jay sits on the veranda rail and stares in the window at me and lets me know if I am behind schedule.

For those interested here is the Newfoundland Winter Bird List

http://birdingnewfoundland.20m.com/winter.htm

Note I robbed all my pictures off the internet :-)

Comfort and Joy

Like everyone I have had a busy, busy fall! 
Tho probably not so busy as my friend Anne :-) Get a cup of tea or coffee and check out her Blog http://annesoriginalhookedrugs.blogspot.com/2010/10/is-everyone-as-busy-as-i-am.html

Lots of traveling, busy at work, busy with family and of course busy with hooking. 
This year because I had so much free time :-) I decided to hook three pieces to submit for jurying for the  2010 Comfort and Joy Show at Devon house hosted by the Newfoundland and Labrador Craft Council.  Comfort & Joy is an exhibition and sale of special creations celebrating the comfort and joy of the holiday season.

Pretty ambitious as from the time I made my decision to the deadline I also had a two week vacation and a conference in Toronto.......so "Hubby" made me a frame that I can take apart for travel and when I packed in went the frame the "Joy" piece I was working on and all the wonderful colors of wool...



I did get two pieces completed
"Joy"

and "Christmas Blue Jay". 

The good news is they were accepted for the Show!

For any of you in the big city in the next couple of weeks the Comfort and Joy Show runs from December 4 - 19 at the Devon House Craft Centre,

59 Duckworth Street

Here is the info on the opening of Comfort & Joy    

 Join us for an

Open House &

Opening Reception

Saturday, December 4, 1 - 4pm

find great gifts, enjoy tasty refreshments and discover your holiday spirit

CRAFT COUNCIL  GALLERY

Devon House Craft Centre,  59 Duckworth St. http://www.craftcouncil.nl.ca/

Dedication--Love-Inspiration-Motivation

Dedication is getting up at 6 am driving one hour to run in a 10K Road Race...hubby is running this morning...Turkey Tea Ten....

LOVE is getting up on this beautiful Sunday morning at 6  and going with him...

Practice takes Dedication.

Which starts my mind wandering....

Both of us run our Running Career highlight being the Ottawa Marathon.

Hubby did the full 42K ....I'd ran the half 21K.....17 weeks of training six days a week through wind, snowstorms, bitter cold and dog attacks :).

But what a feeling to cross that finish line..

Many times on the course I was needing a push and then along comes Inspiration.....I spotted hubby across the Rideau Canal he was still in the race.....this was my 50th year and the race was a gift to myself....I was celebrating 5 years of being Cancer free...how inspiring is that!

As I write this we are driving East towards the city a beautiful crisp fall morning 5 degrees and the fiery ball of sun is rising over the harsh barren land that is our home. I have a lot to be thankful for and that's what provides my Motivation.......

And they are off!! 

My Jack Russell Shiquita is feeling cheated as she was both inspired and motivated.  She went on the training runs with Hubby but gets left at the start line with me.

Always so much to do....I only have 99 skiens of wool to ball now....really don't like to waste a minute of my day so while I wait to cheer my runner on I  work  on a blue baby blanket I am crocheting (I crochet while Hubby is driving). I did have a fleeting thought of bringing my hooking.... The blanket doesn't have an owner yet but with our large family there is always a baby on the way.

The Race is Run... 47.28 mins!

Hubby is happy.He took four minutes off his time from his last 10K Road Race.

And I am proud! Hubby is seven months out of surgery for Prostate Cancer......what a come back :)

Its only 9:30 and I have a full day ahead of me.....I am going to work on my hooking. Wonder if Anne will get a reprieve from digging potatoes on this lovely Sunday. Now that swings my thoughts to my Grandmother Minnie....

There would be no work done in her house on Sundays...nor in her presence...work in her definition included any darning, hooking, knitting....

Times Change....

Paula

Paula Stacey-Flood

Wool.....have you ever thought about it?

Wool.....real wool....has been around since 4000 b.c and probably the first animal fibre to be made into cloth...guess our ancestors had lots of time to think and be creative on those cold nights in the caves...the first wool factory was established in 50 AD by the Romans in England....talk about staying power of a product...and its so versatile some of that is probably still around today :-).  They did find a piece in a Danish Bog that dated back 1500 BCE.  The British introduced the Merino sheep to Australia in 1797 and look at the industry there now.

Look at the properties of wool....it is hard wearing and absorbs moisture....it does not burn over a flame but smoulders instead...it is lightweight and versatile...Wool does not wrinkle easily....it is resistant to dirt and wear and tear.


I have to confess I am a wool addict.....every city and town  and cove I visit...I quickly scan to see if there is a "Wool Department"  I have trunks of it and bags of it... in so many colors....but I know there are more colors out there and I have to have them.  Wool colors are glorious :-).. I inherited my mothers wool (Myrtle Stacey) which I am sure had some of my Grandmothers (Minnie Hiscock)  wool in it.  I love to create with it......I have two quilts they knit tucked away not to be used...(two dogs here)..Look at all the things you can make with wool.
Below are some of my wool creations
Starting with one strand and you create a beautiful crochet baby blanket which speaks warmth and comfort

....needles and wool create a wool sweater or scarf to keep you warm on that fall walk or in the skating rink.  Or at the Santa Claus Parade!

 A piece of burlap, a design, wool  yarn of many colors and a hook and you create a piece of art.  Carpets, coats, suites.....us hookers love to recycle those coats and suits into mats.....oh I sigh (big breath) for all those wonderful mats that were created by our grand mothers and replaced by the store bought....

I hear the wool calling.......have 100 skeins to ball up!..and I know my friend Anne is busy at it....I'm inspired again!
 Nows wheres my hubby...I need a hand...

Paula
Paula Flood

Big Day.....

Ok so I have completed six pieces and working on two since this spring...now giving the fact that it was Sping and Summer that's alot of "Hooking" as I have also dedicated time to Kayaking, Biking, and visiting family and friends...and I work!...a wonderful summer but to tell you the truth I am thinking about and looking forward to those long winter evenings and all of the hooking projects I want to complete.  I digress....this morning a package containing four of my finished pieces went out the door on their way to St. John's (I am feeling the loss already). 

"Home, Change Islands"

"Stacey' Stage"

"In the Cove"

"In His Green Room"

No they are not sold! (wish) they are on their way to the Craft Council to be juried next week....big step. 

The Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador is a member-based organization that works to maximize the artistic and economic potential of the craft community of the province.  They operate Devon House.

As Thanksgiving weekend stretches out before me....it think of all the time I will dedicate to my craft....however I know that life will get in the way :-)

Remember ....A persons life is the ultimate road trip...

Wishing everyone a good Thanksgiving where ever you are....

Paula

Paula Flood
Firbre Artist
Newfoundland Original Hooked Rugs

So Now I'm a Blogger...

So Now I'm a Blogger in addtion to being a Hooker...a Biker...a Kayaker and a Runner...
This blog is to showcase my Original Rug Hooked Designs.

I am a native Newfoundlander whose love of the province shows in my work. My rugs provide color, warmth and texture in wall art of Hooked Rugs. I am mostly a self taught Rug Hooker and create my own designs and I work with wool yarn and recycled t-shirts.  I have always loved working with fibre and also enjoy crochet, knitting and cross stitch.  My Newfoundland roots are deep and my relatives arrived to these shores on Woody Island, Placentia Bay in 1773.  I love local lore and the rich history of the province I see a rug design in every cove, salt box house, church, and stage that I visit. 

Primitive style...For the beginner hooker, this style of hooking is probably the easiest to do. This style of hooking uses wide strips of wool, normally at least a 1/4" wide, and a very simple childlike drawing. It doesn't have to be realistic in style or coloring.

Barnyard King

Realistic style...This type of rug is hooked using a much narrower strip of wool... about 3/23" up to 1/8" wide. The object is to make the rug as detailed and realistic as possible.



In the Cove


Pictorial style...This style lets the hooker create a picture or scene such as a landscape. The width of wool the hooker uses may vary... it can be entirely wide, entirely narrow or a mixture. The object is to make the rug look real..

Change Islands

I just got home from a "Hook- In"  that I organized on Woody Island....we stayed at Woody Island Resort...and the stay was excellent!  Woody Island is very inspiring and you can't help from feel that "Hookers have Hooked here before" and of course I have a project that I want to hookfrom Woody Island...so I better get at it  :-)