Gone to the Dogs Again!

Me and dogs.  Love them!  While in Tyler TX at the Star of TX Camp, I met a  hooker who also loves dogs.  Kathy from Fort Worth TX saw some of my patterns at camp, and this led to some new pattern developments.

Kathy loves hooking dogs and her canines are well represented as are her grand-dogs too.  To personalize the patterns for Kathy's family, I converted the Magdalena Menagerie pattern to include German Shepherds.

Magdalena Menagerie with German Shepherds by Kathy Clark
www.briarwoodfolkart.com all rights reserved.  Colors for illustration purposes only

After a couple weeks Kathy contacted me and asked me to make up another pattern of her grand-dog, two Akitas and a black Lab mix.  Here are the two prototype versions I worked up for Kathy to choose from.

Akitas and Lab mix with a Magdalena flair by Kathy Clark
www.briarwoodfolkart.com all rights reserved.

Another version is this one and its the one she selected as the final pattern:

Akitas and Lab mix in a simpler background so the dog dominate the pattern by Kathy Clark
www.briarwoodfolkart.com all rights reserved.

I think Kathy is going to have a busy summer hooking all her dogs, but she'll have fun doing so.  Thank you Kathy for sponsoring my business and love of making dog patterns.

If you wish to pin pictures for Pinterest, please respectfully credit The Grinning Sheep Blog for the photos.  All rights reserved on original artwork in the patterns shown.

Mr. Wes Meets Magdalena

I'm preparing to teach in Tyler next month and spending lots of time in the dye pots and working up patterns for students.

For her class project, Barbara originally ordered my Lil' Scrappy Dog pattern because it reminds her of her grand-dog Mr. Wes.

Lil' Scrappy Dog Pattern

Barbara asked if I could make a few alterations to Lil' Scrappy Dog and she indicated she likes the Magdalena style of other dog patterns I've designed.  My original reaction was to revise Lil' Scrappy Dog and Magda-ize him.  Here's where that idea went:

Lil' Scrappy Dog Magda-ized.

Then Barbara sent me some pictures of the real Mr. Wes.

Once I received the picture of Mr. Wes I decided it was best to do a total redesign and make a pattern that represents a true Pom (primitive style of course) rather than substituting Lil' Scrappy Dog.

So I played on the computer last night and worked up these Mr. Wes meets Magdalena prototypes:
Version one:

Pom version 1 Magda-ized.

Version two:

Pom version 2 Magda-ized.

I'm favoring version two, but it's up to Barbara.  Either way, I think hooking Mr. Wes Magdalena style is going to be a lot more fun than hooking the original Lil' Scrappy Dog.  I guess Lil' Scrappy Dog will have to be on my frame soon so I can Magda-ize him.

Post Script:  whoops, he went through another change; version 1 dog with version 2 background, so here's the FINAL version of Mr. Wes:

If you wish to have your dog Magda-ized in a rug hooking pattern, feel free to contact me about the project.

If you copy pictures from my blog for Pinterest, please kindly give credit to my blog site for the pictures.  

Post Workshop High

Hello Everyone,
I apologize for not sharing my wonderful experience about the Mesa AZ workshop until now.  I've been recuperating from a whirlwind trip to Arizona and a post workshop high also accompanied by the blues:  the anticipation and build up, the delivery of the workshop and then the end!  Oh, how sad to have fine experiences end!   Why can't rug hooking workshops go on forever?!!

The workshop, sponsored by Carol Miller of Mesa AZ, was great.  Carol did a fantastic job of organizing the workshop and she worked hard throughout to ensure everyone was comfortable and all hooking needs were met.  Thank you Carol!  I am grateful for the opportunity to share my love of rug hooking with you and all the workshop attendees.  Carol is also sharing input about the workshop at her "Ticklepie" blog http://www.ticklepie.typepad.com/

Carol, our workshop sponsor, at the worm table.

The workshop focused on the charming attributes of rugs from yesteryear (antique rugs) and how to bring these attributes to your own hooked rug.  Participants designed patterns in class on the first day.  Designing was seamless; the ladies were ready to launch into drawing a pattern and they seemed to relish creating their own design.  I provided some template examples but many participants already had designs in mind without the need for templates.  They needed little oversight or encouragement for this phase of the workshop.

Here are some pictures of designs in progress.  I wish I had more pictures but by circulating throughout the room there was little time for me to take pictures.

Joan has drawn her main motif onto Red Dot and is transferring it onto Monks Cloth.  Brenda is in the background cutting out a template for her design.

Rose is considering a ready made template along with pictures she brought to class as she works on her design.

Rose brought these pictures to class to help plan her design.  Her dog Penny loves to chase Morning Doves.  Notice the scale of size difference between these two images.  This is a perfect example of the wonderful naivete found in old rugs:  one animal is much larger in scale than another.  

Through my upcoming posts I'll share more pictures of rugs in progress and the rug show we had on our third and final day.

The Story of Izzie Mae

Thank you -  I've received some positive feedback from adding a new banner for the blog.  It was fun to make the banner, and it made me think I should tell you the story of Izzie Mae.  Little Izzie is part fact, part fiction and a whole lot of story from my mind.  As the banner says "A girl, a hook and lots of stories" so let me tell you the tale of Izzie Mae.

Before starting, I recognize I will either lose you as a reader because you will decide I am entirely crazy or you will find my tale entertaining enough to come back again for more sheepy nonsense.  I hope Izzie Mae's story makes you smile rather than doubting my sanity.  So here goes:

I love rug hooking more than any other artistic pursuit, and let me tell you, there have been many hobbies, interests and attempts at different crafts.  When I retired last year I took some basic altered art classes.  I was scheduled to be a vendor at the Hooker Hill Rug Retreat, a small and intimate camp run by fantastic women, and I wanted to make something different for camp.  I wanted to make a statement and keep up my reputation:  the hooker who makes crazy stuff.  This all coincided at the same time I found Izzie Mae.

Izzie May's name is from my imagination as is her persona which developed after my purchase of a tin type photo of a little girl and her mother.  I named the girl Izzie Mae and so began the saga of her life as a hooker girl.   Izzie shows up sometimes as a normal girl, but she evolved into a sheep girl and has many versions.  Some of the photos are not so great; it's hard to photograph altered art.

Me and Mama - Mama knew I was destined to be a Hooker.

It's only natrual Mama let me be a Hooker when I grew up.

Color - That's the answer.  Color.  The spice of Life.  Lots of color.

Izzie Mae's life story collage.  Story is below.

Izzie Mae Hooker- Snooker

I was born’d on Hooker Hill in July 1847.
Becuz of my natural talents, Mama always
said I was meant to be a hooker.

  I been hookin’ for
so many years I can’t
  remember when I started
but I love every
 minute of it.  I tried
   bein’ refined and usin’
 those small cuts, but
I’m a prim girl at heart.

I’ve tried a lot of
  things, but hookin
is my best talent.

In 1863 I was married to
Billy T. Goat & we’z plannin’
 on havin a big
brood of kids startin’
any time now.

And this is Izzie Mae's cousin Matilda.  They don't show much family resemblance between one another.

Now that you know Izzie Mae, will you still come by to see me for future blog posts?!