Blue Bayou Sneak Peek

Well...its that time again...for the last couple of years in January I have held a Blog sale centered around the color Blue...cause January is kind of a feeling Blue month. I was hoping to have a Valentines day sale but I don't think I can get everything completed and shipped out by January 14th. Instead, there will be a variety of different pieces...all in shades of blue, cream, sepia, black and white. I will post the date of my blog sale shortly.

A little reminder that I will also be listing a piece/pieces on the TDIPT Mercantile Site January 15th...hope you can come by to peruse all the wonderful work created by the folks of TDIPT.

Happy New Year my Friends

 May the Blue Bird of Happiness alight on your side of the fence.

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"Every new year people make resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority of people revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. This year I challenge you to a new resolution. 

I challenge you to just be yourself."

Aisha Elderwyn

Have a Mice Day!

Susan

Snowshoe Hare

The snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), also called the varying hare, or snowshoe rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail leaves. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks...but sometimes the snow is so deep that it has to wear extra foot apparatus...ironically, called snowshoes...to prevent it from sinking even further. Its feet also have fur on the soles to protect it from freezing temperatures.

For camouflage, its fur turns to grey or white during the winter and rusty brown during the summer. Its flanks are white year-round. Its ears are shorter than those of most other hares. In rare cases it may also be seen wearing a black wool coat which adds an extra layer of warmth.

In summer, it feeds on plants such as, grass, ferns, leaves and carrots; in winter, it eats twigs, the bark from trees, and buds from flowers and plants and carrots, along with the Arctic Hare, it has been known to steal vegetables from gardens. This animal is mainly active at night and does not hibernate.

 

The snowshoe hare may have up to four litters in a year which average 3 to 8 young. Males compete for females and females may breed with several males(Naughty).

This particular Snowshoe Hare is of the miniature wool felt variety with a painted head, black glass bead eyes, embroidered nose and a needle felted sheep's wool tail. Braving winter conditions, and donning his cross stitch snowshoes, he has walked to his outdoor larder to retrieve a (wool-felt)carrot for his supper.

This little fellow is about 5.5 inches tall from the tip of his ears to his chenille stem feet. The entire piece is almost 8 inches tall by 6 inches wide. 

Just wanted to share my very latest creation with you...it has been a long time since I've sat down and made something...feeling pretty rusty...trying to get my sewing mojo back again. Overall I am happy with how this pieces turned out...first time I have cross stitched snowshoes onto fabric and then placed a character on top of the snowshoes...I think it worked out as he does look like he's wearing them. 

Back to work...

 Merry Christmas my Friends!

Susan

PS...thank-you for your kind comments...I have really enjoyed hearing from you!

The 12 Days of Christmas Cats

Wishing you all the joys of season...

Merry Christmas!

Susan

News and Views...home renos

Kitchen before

Kitchen removed...no stove...2 burner hotplate cooking at its best...

The laying of 2 foot by 1 foot slate, each piece weighing in at about 10 pounds each...350 tiles.

Buttering the tile with mortar...laying tile is HEAVY, labor intensive and VERY time consuming work. First you have to remove the existing flooring. Mix the mortar, trowel mortar onto floor, lay orange plastic Ditra onto the mortar. Plastic Ditra provides stability for the tiles as well as tooth for the mortar to stick to. Then trowel on another layer of mortar, then lay buttered tile onto the mortared floor...I am getting tired just thinking about it. 

 Mixing grout

 After you finish laying the tile ...you then have to seal it...TWICE...ugggg.

I was on my knees with a small sponge brush painting each tile with sealer. We then grouted all the tile seams(((can I say...HUGE MUCKY MESS)))...scrubbed the whole floor...TWICE. Then I again painted each tile with sealer...are you tired yet? I was! I didn't even mention all the tile cuts you have to make. All in all I am completely in love with my new slate floor...I have to say that I didn't take into consideration how much work it would be for hubby and I...would I do it again...maybe...a big maybe. But the best part is we saved about $5000.00 to $6000.00 by doing it ourselves. Professionals charge exorbitant amounts to lay this type of floor just because it is so labor and time intensive.

The finished floor...

I individually picked and placed and replaced each tile a dozen times till I was happy with where it was...colors and textures evenly placed throughout the floor...again...time consuming but worth every minute.

The photo above shows where our kitchen was...we actually have our new cupboard boxes installed but I haven't taken photos of them yet...that will be a later post. We are currently waiting on our painted cupboard doors,counter-tops...in the meantime we are beginning the task of laying wide plank fir flooring. Whats that old adage..."No rest for wicked"!  

 OTHER NEWS 

I have begun setting aside time so I can to create new pieces...I will have one or more listed on TDIPT January 15th. My studio space is all set up and I am very excited and happy to be working again. To celebrate my return I will be hosting a Give-Away which I plan to have in January or February...so stay tuned. 

 Please feel free to join my email list(upper right of blog) to be notified of my up and coming sales.

In the News

Part two of TDIPT'S Stampington article will be in the January issue of Prim's Magazine...it will feature some of my work as well as other TDIPT artisans.

Pre-order Prims

  Cheerio for now..Susan