Dusting off the Punchneedle!

As usual I'm always waiting to the last minute or so it seems to finish up projects. Maybe it's because I start too many!!! It's time again to update the Poppy Shop for Feb 1st. Primitives By The Light Of The Moon

It had been awhile since I had used my oxford punch needle so with having located it again and my cotton yarn what fun I had making two little mats. I must say that yarn sure makes the work go faster. Then I blew the dust of my punchneedle and was able to make a couple of new punches for some little boxes I found at a local antique shop.

It just seems like I couldn't keep one tool in my hands for long because before you knew it I found my embroidery needle and with a pattern from Betty's booklet "Meet Willie The Perfect Sheep" I made a little redwork pinkeep.





Time is almost up for the giveaway for the pinkeep. It's listed a couple of post below. So find it and leave me a comment and I'll add your name to the list.

Happy Trails....Ginger

~*Winter Days*~

It's still cold here in Oklahoma. The ground is still covered in sleet mixed with snow and ice. You can actually walk across the yard and not see your footsteps. The cows stay close by the feeders and just make an occasional trip down to the frozen pond to get a very cold drink.



The sun is out today and the ice is beginning to fall from the eaves of the house and the trees.




I have been working some on the "Whiskers" runner but not so sure that I like the background. I believe I will take out some of the darker green and find something that blends in a little better.

The last couple of days I've been trying to put together a few more things for the Poppy Shop that needs to be updated on the 1st of February. It's hard to believe January is almost gone. With that said back to work!

Happy Trails....Ginger

*~It's That Time Again~*

Time for a giveaway! It's been cold and icy here on the plains of Oklahoma. Ol' man winter is showing his stuff and I'm warm and cozy in my sewing room. I just finished up this little pinkeep and want to give it to one of you. So just leave a little note on this post and I'll sign you up. If you don't have a blog just leave your email address. I'll announce the winner on Saturday night January 31st.




After a full day Sloan eagerly awaits seeing his Daddy and Papa so he can go home and see his Mommy!

Happy Trails....Ginger

Just a Doodlin'.....

It's been another busy weekend and I don't feel like I accomplished one thing. Do you ever feel like that? Sure I got loads of laundry done, attended a birthday party for my nephew, went to church, made several trips into town. Come to think of it I guess I accomplished more than I thought I did!

I thought I would share a couple of little doodles....nothing fancy just been thinking about planting flowers. The farm store we stopped at over the weekend already has seeds out. Just right click on the picture and print it out it's your's for the usin' just give credit to the designer if you would.


I find myself looking at this little one and seeing just how fast time does go by. He does love his PaPa! He has to be doing whatever PaPa's doing.


Of course a snack of crackers and cream cheese is a big hit.



PaPa was busy looking at a book so Sloan had to get in the recliner and look at one too.



This bubble blower sure makes blowing bubbles a breeze. It's a good thing I don't mind bubble splashes. You know they grow up so quickly or do they PaPa???





Happy Trails to You....Ginger

Progress!

So far I'm making a bit of progress on ol' Whiskers. The background color is a muted old looking green.

When I start something I like I can hardly wait to see it finished. Perhaps this won't take so long after all!

Oh someone asked if I have taken lessons on hooking. A friend of mine did show me a bit a couple of years ago but for the most part I've looked in books and just a few weeks ago I bought a couple of dvd's by Gene Shepherd. They really show you step by step.

Well back to pulling a few more loops.

Happy Trails....Ginger

"Whiskers"

I honestly have to say I haven't been hookin' long. Rug hookin' that is! I tried it about 2 years ago and struggled. I've seen some wonderful things done with the wool and hook and decided I just needed to give it another try. So I bought a new hook from a dear friend and drew off a pattern and away I went. Amazing what a different hook will do for you. So after making some small mats and rugs I decided to give myself a challenge.

When Dad and I went to Texas back in the fall I stopped by Stonehill Spinning in Fredericksburg. The gals there were so nice and I purchased a couple of patterns.
"Whiskers" is a big fall runner measuring 20 x 62 1/2 inches.

Hopefully by this Fall "Whiskers" will be totally done!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sloan loves to climb...and it really keeps you on your toes. He was so thrilled this morning when his Daddy dropped him off to see a new slide waiting.







Happy Trails....Ginger

$1500 Prize~Winning Hamburger!!!!

Everyone is given a talent...great or small it's what we do with it that counts. You can hid it under a bushel or you can put it to use.

One of my sisters "Jane" has a knack for cooking. Cooking in the modern family is becoming a lost art with fast food on every corner and the ease of a microwave in almost every home. I wonder about the generations to come.

Jane has two girls and has had them in the kitchen helping prepare the meals since they were very little and to keep them inspired they have entered the State Fair, magazine contest, the Pillsbury Bake~Off and the Oklahoma Beef Cook~Off.

The last two Beef Cook~Off's held here in Oklahoma, Jane with one of the girls has been selected to come to the contest. With over one hundred entries the judges try them out at home themselves and narrow them down to two finalist in 3 different categories. This year Jane and Mandy Jo were the finalist in the Kid Pleasers category. They were invited to OKC to a steak dinner the night before the contest and stayed in a nice hotel. My Mom goes along to cheer them along!

Jane and Mandy Jo made a Hamburger with a special sauce. The children participating with the parent has to be involved in the preparation. They have exactly 30 minutes to have it done from start to finish.

In the Kid Pleasers category they won 1st place receiving $500. Once all the category winners were announced the grand prize winner was chosen...and the winner is

Jane and Mandy $1000.00

Now Jane had told Mandy before they ever went that she could have half of the money if they won.



Mandy and Jane were interviewed by local tv stations and will also be featured in March on RFDTV. Mandy plans on taking her big check to school on Tuesday for Show and Tell. Her plans for the money is buying her and Big Sis' Erin a Wii game system and then the rest goes in the bank.



Mom and Erin are happy about the results and are looking forward to the next contest!

Happy Trails...Ginger

Needle Punch, Hooked Rugs, and Lil' Quilts

Jenn and I have been busy with needles, thread, floss, wool, and hooks making new items for our shops at LPS and CFP.

We have both shops filled with hooked rugs, pinkeeps, cupboard hangers, and some other sweet offerings.

If you find a few spare minutes we would love for you to stop by!

Happy Trails....Ginger

Grandma's Helper!

Most week days you'll find my lil' helper right by my side. He loves to sit in a rocker that once belonged to his daddy and eat snacks and watch a video.



He likes to help with the laundry....



Even sweep the floor...guess I need to buy him a smaller broom!

Today he's not feeling so good so it's lots of time spent cuddling with a blanket and watching video's.



Yesterday, my sister Jane watched Sloan in the afternoon and I was able to make it to a rug hooker's guild. It was an afternoon to sit and enjoy some time spent hooking and admiring what everyone was making!

Happy Trails....Ginger

~*Almost 200 Quilt Books For Sale *~Plus More To Come

I've been busy loading in more pictures of the quilting books I have for sale. There are also a few needle punch books and embroidery thrown into the mix. As I add new pictures they will be at the top of the list.

I still have a knee high stack to get listed...so keep checking back.
Here's the link....Books for Sale


I've just finished hooking two more rugs. The goat is a pattern I picked up when I went on a trip with my dad to Texas. I love the colors...of course red is one of my favorite colors.



This little mat is one I designed for simple little reminders of spring. I've been thinking of my tulips and other bulbs tucked beneath the cold ground. It always a nice surprise when they begin popping up!

Happy Trails....Ginger

I won't live long enough to....

Make all the projects in all these books. I'm cleaning out a major portion of my quilting and painting books along with a few repeats of rug hooking books.

I want to sell them all...but not sure just yet where to list them all. I'm guessing there are a few hundred.







I just hope the camera battery and computer holds out!
If your in NEED of some quilting books you might stop back soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a link to a start of the massive list of books!

Primitive By The Light of The Moon Picturetrail

Happy Trails...Ginger

Pocket Change & Connecting Hearts Hand Hooked Rugs

This week's off to a good start with the finish of two little hooked mats. The pocket change mat used up lots of odd wooley worms.



Connecting hearts are made of hand~dyed wools with a few vintage ones thrown in here and there.

I have to say my hubby was a little worried the other day when we went to a thrift store and I made my way to the register with a green wool men's blazer. Let's just say overall's and wool blazers not a good combo. No worries it went straight to the washer and dryer and then into the rug hooking basket.

Happy Trails...Ginger

Moo~ving Day!

Well after a warm day yesterday today we had wind chills in the teens and twenties.
So we put our coats on and headed on down to the front pasture. It was moving day for 24 cows, 2 bulls, and 5 brand new baby calves.



Time to pull off last year's calves and take the cows to another pasture.




A little hay before the trip!


Danny built a really easy pen set up for sorting, so everything usually goes really smooth as long as you watch where you step.




"Big Ears" gets to stay here!



After a short ride everyone makes it safely to their new destination.



After all that moo~ving it was Home Sweet Home for us and a hot bowl of homemade soup...mmmh!

Happy Trails...Ginger

Primitive Rugs ~ Hooked & Punched

My first hooked rug for 2009! It's amazing what can happen when you don't sleep much and you hook by the light of the moon.



My first needle punch of the year! It's promised to go out in the mail on Monday!
It's a pattern by Fully Wooly Primitives. A simple design that just seems to say spring is on it's way!

What a wonderfully, warm day we have had today. It's hard to believe but we made it into the 70's. It's suppose to turn cold again tomorrow and hopefully we will be seeing rain soon. We are in a burn ban because we haven't had enough rains and the ponds are really getting low at our place.

Hope your having a wonderful day and finding some time to do what you love best!

Happy Trails....Ginger

A Scrapbook of Memories

The Year 2008 is now a scrapbook of memories. They hold some of my most prized possesions....days of hugs and kisses with my little grandson, a husband that loves me for me beyond measure. Special moments with parents that hold dear to my heart, sisters that make me laugh and share in the adventures of life, blessing of my children and their spouses. Each day was an adventure.

Each year is an adventure. What will I do with today? It's a journey through sunlight and shadows. Will I make the most of it?

My greatest hope for 2009 is a heart for the Lord. If only this can be... the rest will all fall into place. Lord let it be.

Happy Trails....Ginger