Walnut Creek Hook-In ~ ~ ~ The End

Welcome everyone, and thanks for stopping by to peruse the last of the rugs from the hook-in that I have to share with you. There were even more rugs at the show, but I didn't get pics of them all.

This is the larger version of Magdalena's two horses that I am currently hooking.

Oh, sometimes blogger just gives me fits. Somehow I've lost the spaces between the last two pictures and I can't insert text!

The wool pictured is what I purchased at the show, and the pillow I won in the Chinese auction. It is so much more muted in person! You don't even notice that the background wool has a pattern.

Thanks again for stopping by my blog and for all the wonderful comments you have left me. I appreciate each and every one of them!
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Walnut Creek Hook-In ~ ~ ~ Part 2

Here's some more pictures from the hook-in at Walnut Creek last Saturday. There was so much incredible talent displayed. Please enjoy the show! (I did not make note of who hooked what.)

I got to spend a bit of time chatting with Julie (L) from Plum Run Creek and Rhonda (R) from My Glory Stars.
I'd met both of them briefly but never really talked with them. They were both so delightful and are magnificent, prolific hookers! Julie insisted that my picture be taken with them (Ugh ~ Not them, me. I hate having it taken!) and posted on the blog since I almost never post pictures of me. Julie, this one's for you!

Thank you so much for stopping by. I do have a few more hook-in pictures to share with you in my next post. I do hope you will stop back soon!

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Walnut Creek Hook-In ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ WELCOME FRIENDS ~ ~ ~

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Yesterday was the second annual hook-in in Walnut Creek, Ohio. It was held at the Walnut Creek Mennonite Church. I know Amish country is very commercialized, but I was still picturing this quaint white clapboard church. What a surprise to drive up to a new brick church with attached social hall! The hall was filled with hookers and a number of vendors were set up selling their wares.

I've never been to a rug camp or hooking retreat and this is only my second hook-in I've attented. Normally I do not consider myself a chatty person, but yesterday I spent most of the day talking. I think I only hooked 5 or 6 strips of wool!

This is Tonya and her hubby from Mad Hen Primitives. Ali Strebel from Kindred Spirits is on the far right. Here is some of Ali's dyed roving and wool.

OOPS ;-) This picture was loaded by mistake, but it's just too cute to delete. That's Eema on the left and Loocie to the right.

Here's Deanna (L) and Carole (R) busy working.

As I've mentioned before, Carole is hooker extraordinaire! Her latest project is being worked on an old jute bag that was used to wrap concrete statues. She is leaving the background unhooked. I can't wait to see it completed, and knowing Carole, that will be very soon ;-)

Karin is working on binding her rug.

Voila! All done. The picture just does not do it justice.

Sylvia (smiling at the camera) and Lisa (to her left) are both working on the rug that Karin just completed.

Another northern hooker ~ that's Heidi on the left and seated to the right is Jane. Jane commented on my last blog post that she was going to be at the hook-in and would stop by to say hi. It's always fun to meet someone who reads my blog!

I am not a fine cut hooker ~ never will be ~ but I do admire those who hook with "spaghetti". This rug is being hooked in a #3 cut for her granddaughter (I didn't get any names). What a lucky girl! The hooker also hooks with a wide cut on other rugs. I believe she said she just started this in March.

A close-up of the shading.

This rug had a sculpted effect to it. It looked like long loops were hooked and then cut.

Here are two close-ups.

I hope you've enjoyed Part 1 of the hook-in. I have plenty more rugs to share in my next post.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

This 'n That ~ ~ ~

Hi everyone ! Thanks so much for stopping by.

Just a quick post to thank everyone who left such sweet comments about the antique pug that I purchased last weekend. So many of you thought he was destined to be mine ;-) I do love him and am so glad I splurged and gave him his forever home!

Hopefully next week I'll have a few small finishes to share with you. I just finished hooking a small mat I started a couple of months ago. Good thing I don't try to make a living as a hooker!

I have a bit of great news to share. I had been laid off for three months and last week got called back to work. Not the same job I had or quite the same salary, but I am not going to complain about a job with benefits. Under different circumstances, I would have totally enjoyed the time off, but it was a very stressful time ~ unemployment compensation just doesn't cover the expenses. I thought I would accomplish much more than I did, but I guess it wasn't meant to be...lol! I did clean about half my cupboards and purged tons of unnecessary paperwork (I burned up my shredder), but didn't hook or punch nearly as much as I thought I would.

This weekend I'm off to a hook-in down in Ohio's Amish country. It is only my second hook-in and should be great fun. Hopefully I will have lots of pictures to share with you!

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Sometimes an antique whispers to you...

...and sometimes it screams your name!

Yesterday was the Gathered Treasures show in Mansfield, Ohio. It was a mix of antiques and primitive crafts. I arrived about an hour after the doors opened and the crowd was quite heavy. If money were no object, I could have filled my little SUV, but since that isn't the case, my purchases were limited. I brought my camera, but didn't think to take any pictures :(

I ran in to a number of my hooker friends and probably would not have paid attention to this item had Sylvia not mentioned that she needed to buy one. Well, I guess if Sylvia needed one, so did I...lol! I think she referred to this as a table riser. I still haven't figured out what I will put on it.
This great little slant side box reminds me of an apple box. It is about 13 1/2 x 8 3/4 inches. It has some age but is not antique.

This wonderful soap was only a dollar a bar and smells yummy. I should have bought more!

I got this wonderful robin's egg blue wool from Alice ~ A Day in the Life. The color is much better in person. I am going to try to use it in the horse rug I am currently hooking.

Aren't these great little necklaces? I bought one for me and two for gifts. I can't decide which one is going to be mine.

Here is the backside.

Okay, now for the screaming antique part. I only had a few booths left to visit when I came across this little guy. I say guy because he has a blue bow around his neck. How could I resist an antique pug? I've seen pictures of these before, but never one up close and personal. I gently held him and put him down thinking I might go back and take a second peek at him. At Alices's booth I mentioned it. Alice said I must go buy him and how could I not listen to my friend? So, back I went and he will now reside with me. At least I don't have to walk him!

Isn't he absolutely wonderful? I was told he probably dates to the 1880's. I forgot to ask what he is stuffed with (I have sent the seller an email and hope for a response), but I'm thinking it may be cotton, seeds and all, because you can feel little lumps in the face area. He's just under six inches tall and has the most wonderful, mellow appearance.

I'm not sure if this is where he'll stay, but I do like him here.

Rhonda - My Glory Stars also was set up at the show. Her rugs had already sold by the time I got to her booth, but she had wonderful punch needle and sewn items. Oh, how I wish I had taken a picture! It was the first time I got to meet her and she is a real sweetheart!

Thank you everyone for stopping by and I hope you have had an enjoyable weekend. Please stop by again soon.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Procrastinator ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ one who puts off until a future time. That be me when it comes to taxes and the April 15th deadline. It's not like my taxes {or my mom's or son's} are so hard to do. We are getting refunds {except for me and the State - boo hoo}. They really are pretty simple. I use Turbo Tax. Then why do I have this mental block every year? This year I was going to be good. I started them weeks ago. Did I finish them weeks ago? Of course not. I did get them done yesterday and mailed today. Next year I will do better {grin}!

I thought I would share a few more of my garden goodies. This is a wild trillium my mom gave me years ago. This is the first year I've had two flowers. Woo hoo. The problem is, EVERY YEAR, the rabbits chew off the stems. Every year I think it is dead, but luckily every year it comes back. I hope my bragging hasn't jinxed it!

The hellebores are hard to photograph, but they are doing well and multiplying quickly.

Grape hyacinth are everywhere!

Don't know the names of these but they are just so sweet and cheerful.

This doesn't look like much but I must share it. I got a start of a wisteria from my mom 8 or 9 years ago and this year I was going to move it, only to discover it is loaded with buds for the first time. I have never even had one flower and look at all of them. Oh, I can't wait to see them bloom!

That's it for today. Thank you so much for stopping by and please come again soon. I hope your week is off to a great start.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren