The Struggle......IS OVER

Goode day my lovely friends.  I hope this message finds you well and seeing some lovely signs of Spring in the place you call home.  Though we are waking to a fresh inch of snow on the ground, Spring is gracefully making herself known.  The Robins have returned & are hopping around the yard, dodging the snow & singing despite it.  My woodchuck friend has come out of hibernation and, just yesterday, I saw her on the edge of the lawn munching on tender roots.  When I stepped out, onto the deck, she scurried to her home, which is under a large boulder in our stone wall, just to the right of the apple tree.  I left her a fresh Pink Lady Apple for a treat :).  I will confess, I just love her and leave her treats from Spring till early Winter, when she retires to hibernation. Last year she had two babies and it seems as though they have made their home on the other end of the stone wall!!!

Anyway, enough about my tenderness toward the wild creatures that call this place home...I popped in today to chat about Rug Hooking and my STRUGGLE which has finally come to an end :)

FOR THE LONGEST time.....I could not manage to feel comfortable with myself AS a rug hooker.  I have TRIED to hook, for a couple of years now, and never could seem to make it "click".   Then, last year in Belfast Maine, when I was invited to speak & vend at the 207 Creative event, I met my kindred spirit...Connie Fletcher of Seven Gables Designs.  Connie and I just clicked!!!  I will share with you that when I decided to accept their invitation to Maine, something I struggled with because the possibility of speaking in front of 100 people IS NOT my idea of a good time,  I told my sister-in-law Stephanie, "As scary as I find this, I know I have to go because The Universe is telling me... these are my people"  AND...you know what, they were/are!!!  We all had such a great time in Belfast, dinners out, sightseeing, hooking and chatting.  It was like Connie, Roberta, Steph and I had been friends for years!!!  Since that trip Connie and I have grown even closer and share a wonderful friendship. 

 Two weeks ago, Stephanie and I headed out, insanely as it turns out,  as it was in the middle of a pretty bad Spring snow storm.  Silly us, we actually thought we would drive out of it!!! NO SUCH LUCK as, the further we went, the worse it got!

 Have you ever driven in the white mountains of New Hampshire during a snow storm??? I don't recommend it! Poor Connie drove alone, from Maine, in that storm and wasn't able to drive over 35 mph the entire trip!!!  But alas..we all made it and found ourselves at Roberta's beautiful snowy log cabin by 5:30 where we promptly unloaded the cars and got into our comfy pj's and enjoyed a very YUMMY Chicken stew & crusty bread!!!

Oh what a wonderfully perfect weekend we all had....goode food, goode friends, LOT OF LAUGHS and all the ins & outs of rug hooking!!!  

We dyed wool, we transferred patterns, we HOOKED!!

AND ….I came away from it finally feeling like a REAL RUG HOOKER.  I am FINALLY comfortable with it!  THOUGH I still throw questions out to Connie every couple of days....it's the little things and I feel like I can move on from here and...DO WELL :).   Oh the gift of goode friends!!!   I can't wait for August, when we get together again for another weekend of Hooking Merriment :).

NOW....I am moving toward having all my patterns, on linen, and available ON MY WEBSITE just as soon as I possibly can.  

Be patient with me ~ If there's a pattern you would like before I have it listed on the website, just shoot me an email; Doreen@vermontharvestfolkart.com :)

Until next time ~ Wishing you JoY, Doreen

This is why......

You should never give yourself a hard time for dabbling in different mediums.  When something calls to you, don't question the why, or feel guilty because you should be doing other things, because all of it, all the little stop off's, turns & moments of trying new things, or revisiting old, feed your creativity.   I say all of this as if I am an authority on the subject, I assure you, the opposite is true.  I JUST accepted this fact.  This "knowing" concept that has taken me years to realize AND, to allow myself to do. Case in point...while I was immersing myself in the wonderful world of needle felting (oh my goodness, I SO enjoy it) a new punch needle design started to come to life~~~  Do you see that handsome turkey towering over the little house :). I love it!!  This is the moment when I finally realized, it's okay to mix things up, take time for the new, dabble in the old, let go and just "DO". :)  They ALL are creative and they ALL feed your creative soul and work together rather than separate you from one or the other.  Why did I think they did?????  Why is it so hard to just take the path and not question it. Change is scary....our heads always try to fight it!

 As a business owner, we are always making sure we are doing what's best for our business and from time to time,  the running of things hovers over the creative and creates a cloud that we need/must shake loose and let the wind blow away. The schedules, list and organization of it all, sometimes pins down our creative souls and we find ourselves in business mode rather than creative mode.  Thankfully, my creative soul is a fighter (thank you YOGA) and she makes sure the creative gets through no matter how hard I try to make it.  

What's funny is, I've no idea why I worry so about any of it.  Even though I've been dabbling in four different things, as of late, I'm still managing to keep it all in check.   All orders are going out when they should, whether it be wholesale shop orders for patterns or daily website and Etsy shop orders.  I"m creating new pn designs, dabbling in different mediums and still getting the work done. My house might be in desperate need of a good cleaning and I've a different project in literally every single room but I know it will all, eventually, get done.  It's all good :).

**Pattern coming February 14th**

Okay...as I have just noticed the blazing red sky outside the studio window, it tells me sunrise has arrived and it is time to get this house picked up & for Oliver & I to head out for our morning walk & chores.  We've a big ole snow storm headed our way this afternoon. Hopefully, it will hold off until after I'm home from the dentist & errands!!!  I'm also really hoping to make it to Yoga class this evening, so fingers crossed that still happens :).

Homemade pizza is on the menu this evening..Mark shall have to grill in the falling snow ~ I LOVE THAT!!  :)

Until next time, wishing you JOY my friends.  Doreen

~Slow Stitching ~ Yoga ~ Finding My Way~

Much like everyone else, I was tired after Christmas.   Being under the weather two weeks prior to Christmas, with a nasty cold, did not help matters of course but this year, it felt different;   I was exhausted!    Let's face it, no matter how you do it....Christmas is a LOT of work.  Do not get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Christmas and all that surrounds it & even, all that goes into it.  It truly is magical and completely wonderful .  But it is still VERY tiring.  The week after Christmas found me absolutely drained and exhausted.  All the plans, thoughts, ideas & designs, I had been thinking about for months and couldn't wait to get to after my busy workshop season & the holidays, now seemed wrong & uninspired.  I tried starting a few different designs and didn't like anything I did!!!  I sketched something new and then tossed it aside.  All the while, in my head, I was in a panic!!  A little voice kept telling me, "hurry, hurry, you must release new designs!!!  Thankfully, this feeling only ended up lasting for a couple of weeks but I can tell you ,,,,it literally felt like years. 

 December 29th found me on my Yoga mat once again (as I mentioned in my last post, I skipped Yoga classes during most of Nov and December) and thankfully, day by day, my mind started to quiet down and the exhaustion lifted.  I have come to realize, for me, Yoga is a medication..and one I can not skip!!!   I feel embarrassed that I skipped classes for those weeks, but in the end, I guess I needed to, so I could truly realize how important and necessary my yoga practice is for my health and well being.   

As my body, once again, started to feel stronger my mind did as well.  My muse returned, things started to settle into place and my time in the studio felt good again.  This bit of exhaustion and worry has made me realize something that I need to change;  I need to slow myself down! When I am punching, I catch myself rushing to finish a design, punching as fast as I can, so that I can get the pattern written and released as soon as possible!! I was stripping all of the joy out of my punching. So much was my rush to finish, I barely paid attention to the wonderful design in front of me that, in many cases, took me a long time to put down on paper.. That design, when I originally sketched it out onto paper, brought me joy and a smile to my face! Yet, when I began stitching the design with my thread and needle, I rushed so very much I lost that joy and was no longer bringing that piece to life, I was simply trying to finish it to move on to the next. As an artist, I MUST NOT let that happen ...I can NOT do that to myself. It is a grave mistake to make because, quite soon, the well will be dry and there will be no slow, joyful thoughts & ideas to put down on paper!!

When I punched this, I was in awe of it's loveliness as I brought it to life...The vine & THOS FLOWERS....oh my!!!
I need to get that back!

Back in December I came across an article on Pinterest on Slow Stitching with Maggie Bonanomi. It looked intriguing so I pinned it but never took the time to read it. Last week it popped up in my feed again so this time, I took the time to read it and my goodness, did it hit home!!! Slow stitching is exactly what I was no longer doing!!! I sat back and starting thinking about how I use to punch. I took it all in, I went slow and enjoyed every second of it. I magically watched as my simple sketch came to life with the colorful threads and my needle. Somewhere along the way, I lost that (it's a constant battle to keep ahead of the seasons, keep your name and work out there..etc..) and it's time to get it back. Yesterday, I sat in my comfy chair by the fire and punched. I felt every punch, I paid attention to where every loop was placed and how each one was formed and I enjoyed the slow, relaxing time I spent with my hoop & needle.

Thought and ideas floated by. New ideas and designs but also, things I want to try. New things, that recently I've been beating myself up for even thinking about taking the time to work on because, CLEARLY I have other things I need to do first! I have no idea why but I have been trying my hardest to lock myself into one category when clearly I am not meant to be there!!! I am a maker OF MANY THINGS (I honestly do not think I have the ability to do just one thing) and you know what, I've finally realized, THAT'S OKAY!!. I am giving myself permission to be more than just a punch needle artist and pattern maker who MAYBE, once or twice a year if there's time, might make a bear or spun cotton snow folke. From now on...I am going to take my time, enjoy the process and slow "stitch" my way through whatever it is I am making, whether it be punch needle, wool applique, rug hooking, bear making, spun cotton OR whatever else might find it's way into my thought process so that I MAY REMAIN JOYFUL AND INSPIRED in all that I do. I give myself permission to work on whatever I feel like bringing to life and not hem myself into any one particular category because clearly, I do not enjoy being there!!

.

Are any of you feeling overwhelmed? Are you moving toward changes to rid yourself of that feeling and if so..what are they? Is anyone feeling great ~ well balanced and energetic?? If so, please share what you are doing and what is helping you along the way :) Here are a few more links for slow stitching should you care to look into it. 1. Slow Stitching Article with Maggie 2. Slow Stitching Movement website 3. Slow Stitch ~ Mindful & Contemplative Textile Art by Claire Wellesley-Smith 4. Slow Stitch Video ~ by Ellie Beck ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forgive me if this post it a bit rambling and jumbled...:)  I'm using it as somewhat of a "journal writing" exercise this morning.  Goodness, I feel so much better having gotten this all down "on paper" Thank you for stopping by today and listening my lovely friends. I can't tell you how joyful it makes me to have you here. We've a fresh dusting of snow this morning and a very large snow storm on the way tomorrow afternoon. I am looking immensely forward to it! I am running errands in just a bit so that we may be supplied with the makings for my homemade Italian Chicken soup & rolls and I do believe I'll make an apple pie. I hope you enjoy the weekend ahead and if you are in the path of this very big storm ~ be safe and well. Until next time, wish you joy ~ Doreen

~Tools Of The Trade~

Good morning my lovely friends.  I hope this day finds you well. I've been keeping cozy by the woodstove (it has been bitter cold here in Vermont) stitching, filling orders, baking, cooking and SLOWLY getting back into my usual routine.  It seems like it took me SO MUCH LONGER this year to get back into the swing of things!!! When the holidays were over, I was completely exhausted! That will teach me to skip Yoga for the month of December!!! I was thinking I just didn't have time for classes but what I failed to realize was...YOGA was what I needed to keep me fueled and strong for powering through the holidays!!!  I won't do that again!!!    Alas,   January found me BACK TO MY THREE TIMES WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES (Locally at Studio G) and Yoga With Adriene, here at home on non-class days, and my body and brain feel normal again AND..my muse has returned!!   :)

As I mentioned above..... it has been COLD here in Vermont!  It feels as if the cold grabs ahold of you when you step outside!!  Mine & Olivers walks and taking care of our chores has been quick, I can tell you!  CHORES....it's really just filling the bird feeders and feeding our new Crow friends (more on that another day). :~) but it is quick nonetheless. The cold is expected to worsen next week (argh) and settle itself in for a good long visit!  Goodness, I am not sure I'm ready for it!  Thankfully, our first (insert disgusted face here at this being our first) BIG SNOW STORM  IS expected to occur this weekend so perhaps, the cold won't seem quite so.....COLD.   To me it feels extra cold when it's below zero and we've no snow cover!  Thankfully, it would seem, this storm headed our way is a BIG ONE and our snow cover may be over a foot, or more, when Monday rolls around!!! WOOHOO!!!  

  OKAY>>SO....I am popping in today to share my new favorite tool of the trade with all of you.

This wonderful frame from Folk Art Primitives!  

They are made by Alice Frazier and her husband Sonny and it is truly, in my humble opinion, THE BEST PUNCH NEEDLE FRAME I'VE EVER HAD/USED/TRIED. Truly!!!  It's the perfect height for placing on your lap...... it spins, it swivels IT tilts!!!

 The lap plate is removable...so you can punch with the frame raised up on your lap, with the plate in place or remove it and punch on a table, hold it in your hand or fold it flat for travel.  You can also tighten the "nuts" completely which is how I like to use it when I am hooking with it.  YES, this is for punch needle AND rug hooking!!!

My dear friend Connie Fletcher (Seven Gables Designs and Primitives) brought this frame to one of my workshops in November and I fell in love with it and have been using it exclusively ever since.  

My frame has a working area of 9 1/2" x 11" but they also carry a larger frame that has a working area of 11" x 16" (that's on my wish list)  You can also purchase a floor stand (also on my wish list when I'm farther along with my hooking)

I actually met Alice and her husband Sonny, several years ago when I taught at From Our Hands Spring Creative event ~ they are the sweetest people!!!  I have put a link in the sidebar to their website or you can click here; FOLK ART PRIMITIVES

http://folkartprimitives-alice.com/frames__hooks.

I promise you, you won't be disappointed!!!

Okay..I am off now to tidy the house, walk Oliver, fill the bird feeders, feed my crow friends (I now have four that visit daily) and then it's back inside to settle myself in for a lovely day of punching.

Until next time ~ WISHING YOU JOY, Doreen

***WE HAVE A WINNER**

Goode morning my friends.  We wake, here in Vermont, to falling snow, the grind of the town plow clearing the roads and the snap and crackle of the wood stove ~ I LOVE IT!

I want to thank each and everyone ONE OF YOU for participating in my Favorite Things Giveaway.  I read EVERY SINGLE COMMENT and can not tell you how much your lovely words touched me.  You are all so very sweet and wonderful.  THANK YOU.

OKAY..on to our winner.  I used a google random number generator to pick our winner.....we had 113 entries and the generator PICKED...….

#7 ~ DEBBIE OF WOOLENSAILS!!!!

  Congratulations Debbie!!!!  Please email me at Doreen@vermontharvestfolkart.com with your mailing address so that I may send your goodies to you. :)

Again ~ thank you all so very much.  Wishing you a lovely day, Doreen

Starting the New Year off right...FAVORITE THINGS GIVEAWAY

This year...
Hang on to your truth and respect the truth of others.
Choose to be happy.
Forgive those that you can forgive
and seek the forgiveness of someone who deserves it.
Do something outside of your comfort zone.
Be the voice for someone who has no voice.
Choose healthy food, activities and people.
Fall six times, get up seven… persevere.
Wish people a lovely day.
Live honestly, truly and with integrity.
Be the example for your children.
Remember that love is a verb.

Goode day dear friends & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  A fresh new year, 365 days of blank slate to do with what you wish (well, for the most part anyway)..what will you do with it?  Everyone's plan for the upcoming year is different but generally, everyone has something they wish to try, pursue, include, improve, change, etc. when a new year rolls around.  A few of my favorites on my "goals/plans/wishes for the New Year are to;

SHARE MORE

GIVE MORE

&

HELP MORE

SOOOO ….TO KICK OFF THIS NEW YEAR IN A GREAT WAY,  WITH THOSE WORDS IN MIND, I HAVE DECIDED TO HOLD A GIVEAWAY.....

I'VE BUNDLED TOGETHER A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS......

A bit of wool, a fat 1/4 piece of linen & weavers cloth, some wool & cotton threads, a wonderful pack of tarts (made by my daughter) and a gift certificate

ALL YOU NEED TO DO TO ENTER IS.... 

LEAVE ME A COMMENT HERE, ON MY BLOG..

***BE SURE TO LEAVE ME YOUR NAME AND A WAY TO CONTACT YOU**

**I'll pick a winner (via a random number generator) one week from now on Wednesday, January 9th**

Goode luck everyone ~ again...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  

Olde Salem Sturbridge Workshop

 A gusty wind howls as it hurls wet leaves of yellow & orange against our window panes.  The sun peeks through low dark clouds and glistens off the frosty landscape and mingles with billowing smoke from our chimneys.  Autumn has arrived!!!  Greetings my friends.  Twas a mere 34* here in Vermont this morning as I stepped out on to the porch with my morning coffee cloaked in my thick woolen socks & cozy sweater.  It was wonderful.  Presently, a fire burns in the woodstove and James Taylor plays on Pandora while the little man (our sweet Kurt Evan) and Oliver James snooze contentedly nearby.  I wanted to pop in while the "boys" sleep and share photo's of our first Autumn workshop of 2018.  

What an absolutely enjoyable time we all had.  This workshop was my first weekend workshop and  Stephanie and I couldn't have asked for a nicer group of ladies to join us.   Oh goodness, we had a wonderful time.  We punched, stitched, laughed, ate and reminisced.  Twas perfect!

Everyone's "Olde Salems" were absolutely adorable and the ladies were oh so pleased with them which just made my year.   It's funny how each one had it's own personality even though they were made from the same pattern. I love when that happens..it always amazes me.

I'm in the process of adapting the pattern (and making a few changes that I think will make him even cuter!!) to be released soon.  I will also have a limited number of complete kits for these fellows!!!

Okay..I can hear the little man stirring so I must run.  :)

Until next time ~ wishing you joy, Doreen

~OCTOBER~

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—

For the grapes’ sake along the wall.  Robert Frost

**IS CASE YOU'RE WONDERING....This is Esmeralda Frostbottom….she's coming soon :)

Until next time, Wishing you a joy filled and wonderful first day of October ~ Doreen

A couple little changes.

MY GOODNESS, can you believe September is drawing to a close???  I certainly can't!!! It is truly crazy, how fast this month flew by.  It was a flurry of appointments, gramma baby sitting time and filling orders..it's truly all a blur!! :)

Therefore, IN AN EFFORT to find time for...well, ANYTHING...haha...I am making a couple of small changes. These changes will make things much easier on me and allow for more creative time.  

#1......I will no longer be selling punch needle supplies such as weavers cloth, Cameo needles, hoops, frames, floss & thread. 

...Keeping up with the constant ordering/tracking/selling/shipping of these supplies is so very time consuming and taking this duty out of my daily schedule will free up a LOT of time for me. AS ALWAYS,  I WILL SHARE with all of you where you may purchase these products yourself.   

#2...I have reduced my Blackened Beeswax offerings to just a few pieces.  Things I can make quickly and easily.  This too, will free up a LOT of time for me. 

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and hope you understand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEW THINGS TO COME...

KITS....I will soon be offering a **LIMITED NUMBER** of full kits for all of my new designs. :)

 **I HAVE A NEW "BOOK" IN THE WORKS :)

I will be ADDING candles and tarts, made by my daughter, to the site, this holiday season.

SO..that's it. 

 Whew...I feel better already!!! 
 Now..on to the most wonderful time of the year!  
Love and hugs, Doreen

~Year Of The Pumpkin~

                                                                         

 At least it is at The Frost household. My goodness our pumpkin patch is amazing this year.  Mother Nature can be trying at times as she put us through hell with her hot, humid, unbearable days however, she has seen fit to reward us with the nicest pumpkin patch we've ever had.  This particular pumpkin is my favorite.  LOOK at those ridges..she's gorgeous!  And her color, oh my goodness I love all the variations of green!  She seems to be staying green too although, when I was in the pumpkin patch this morning giving everyone a roll over to avoid rot, she is turning orange underneath, which is baffling but as I said before "mother nature" :).

We are trying to hold off picking them but it is getting harder and harder not to!  We also have some gooseneck gourds growing in the patch as well. 

Autumn...she is slowly making her way to Vermont :)

She's a bit orange underneath :)

Here are a few other garden shots and a shot of my end of Summer/early Autumn window boxes. I'll be changing everything over to Autumn very soon! 

           Here she is in all her glory ~ Isn't she just the PERFECT Cinderella Pumpkin :)  I just LOVE HER!!!!!

 I'm off now to stuff my punched pillows and then I'm on Mimi duty this afternoon.

Until tomorrow ~ wishing you joy, Doreen

  

Olde Salem Cat & Jax ~ Coming Soon

Goode day my lovely friends.  I hope this greeting finds you well and enjoying these wonderful first days of September.  I have a few minutes while the little man is sleeping so I thought I would pop in and get back to the business of blogging.  It has taken me a couple of weeks, of watching my little boogie bear, but I think I've gotten into a flow and can do a bit of work while he is napping. The first few days he was here, I didn't want to put him down!  I wanted to soak up every ounce of his wonderfulness and learn his little quirks, likes and dislikes so I could feel comfortable in knowing his wants and needs. Hence, I would be able to do a smidge of work, albeit in drips and drabs, while he was here.  I still don't want to put him down of course, but we do what we must. :)


…..I've been working away filling orders, answering emails and punching on the days little man is not here and it's been going quite well.  I've been keeping up with everything except posting and chatting on social media and here on my blog.  I've been remise with both but now that we've established a ltitle bit of a routine, I'm hoping to get back to my chatty self..hope you don't (and won't) mind.

Pictured here is my latest design ~ Olde Salem Cat & Jax..they are finished and are awaiting their wool stuffing so they may be pillows!!!  I LOVE them both.   I am hoping to have them stuffed and their pattern written and ready by Friday.  This will be a double pattern meaning both designs will be in one pattern :)  Something fun and different.

Okay, we are approaching noon, which is when the little man is due to eat again, so I shall have to end this.  I want to do a ltitle dinner prep before he's calling me.  Tonight...Grilled steak, oven fries and garden salad..mmmm.

Until tomorrow ~ Wishing you a joy filled day, Doreen