June Already?

Please Note:  I have not done any linking within my text in quite a while.  As I preview this, I notice links come up everywhere in my post, including old text.  My computer has been embedded with "trusted offer surveys" left and right.  My apologies for this and I suggest not clicking on any of the links.
So, about my life:
I have been addicted to Facebook and Pinterest recently.  Fun stuff.  I have also been doing a lot of work both in the home studio and at Long's Gardens.  My dogs are happy that I get to be home more now that Open Season at the Gardens is over.
I have been playing with Zentangles for a few months now and have started creating pieces like the one pictured here.  My new style of quilts are done on silk with very fine threads and a lot of doodling.  Ohhhhhhhhhh, I really like where I'm going with this. I can't wait to do more.
I have also been attending some local quilt guilds and meeting new people with the same passions about quilting.
My mother in law has been hankering for pictures of her grand-dogs.  So, here are a few.  Gwynnie loves sitting on this windowsill.  I have tried to break her of the habit, but to no success.  She has the best, most comfy view in the house.  She and I have been putting oil of coconut in our hair every few weeks.  She tries to eat it before I can get it on her.  It is quite entertaining.  She also loves taking naps with her best buddies Bogie (dog) and Loki (cat known as Big Dog).

Christmas, Quilts, and Dogs

 A very Merry Christmas and tidings of a Happy New Year to all!
I just finished this quilt recently.  It is McKenna Ryan's At Home in the Woods pattern.  I worked on it for a client for 2 years, slowly doing the cutting of the pieces next to the fire when it is really cold up here.  The quilt came out quite nice but I have decided that I do not love the look of fusible applique.  It is just raw and unpolished for my taste.  The pattern was beautiful though and there was no way to create it using any other technique.  The fine details in the flowers, bumble-bees and hummingbirds could not have been achieved without using the fusible technique.  All in all, I am very happy and proud to have finished this quilt. 
The photo of the dogs is basically for my husband's mom.  She loves to see how her grand-dogs are doing.  This is Bo and Gwyn (who is growing up) sleeping on their favorite blanket (which has proceeded to the next life already) and the fireplace glove that Gwyn likes to have close by.  I love that they keep me company in the studio, yet lately I've been trying to explain to them that if they interrupt my too much - no Kibbles next month.    Also, they lack the knowledge (or faith) that I will be right back, they don't need to follow me everywhere.  Ah, it is good to be loved though.
Peace, Blessings, Love, and Hope to you all!

Dog Tired

Here are my babies taking a well-deserved break.  This last week was quite long, hard, and surreal. 
We had two friends that left Colorado and a lot of stuff in our basement.  There was a lot of comings, goings, and sorting happening.  We ended the week doing a catered dinner for 16 for friends of ours.  The photo was taken right after delivering the meal.  It was also our 5th anniversary of actual marriage.
We had the most wonderful night of doing absolutely nothing!  We were told to go out but after such a week as we had, it was so nice to just be home with only my husband and animals.  We had delicious New York Strip steaks and honey gold potatoes fried with some garlic.  Simple and perfect!
Today, we pull everything out of the studio so we can remove the carpet and expose the beautiful hard wood underneath.  It will be so much nicer to sew and dance on now!  Maybe we will feel like going out tonight for our anniversary dinner after a lot more hard work.

October is Here

Another beautiful fall week has passed. The aspens have been in their full golden glory. When I lived in Virginia for a short time, I was continually asked to compare the beautiful surroundings to my beloved Colorado. It is a difficult comparison like apples & oranges, they are just too different and glorious in their own right. I love the Eastern mixture of reds, oranges, and yellows. The oaks, maples, and hickories were my favorites. I feel this scene can be captured best by the Goblin Tapestry style of weaving my grandmother made. There is something very pristine though about glowing gold amid the evergreens against the clear blue sky though that really takes my breath away. As my husband & I discuss color often, he thinks he can get the color of aspen leaves by adding more orange. I maintain the belief that it is not just color that makes them special, it is also how the sunlight effects them. It makes them glow with an inner light. Fall is glorious!
We have had a visitor this week that we have yet to see. It's comes through in the evenings though and leaves it's evidence in our driveway. By the looks of it, it is a pretty big bear. We have finally realized (and put together) the different types of raised hair my hound dog gets for different wildlife. For the bear, it is a wide thick bristle all along his back and down the tail. He stays fairly calm now for elk, deer, or moose as he knows we like to watch them and leave alone. Bo gets pretty uppity for fox but not too mad. The scariest of his hair-dos is what we call the shark attack. This is reserved for very bad threats of any kind (usually dog) against us. The hair along his back raises in a very thin and sharp ridge like a shark fin. He is such a good dog though that when threatened, he still asks our permission to defend. If we say no (usually) he just stands there. My big, sweet Bogie-bear (snoring at my feet at the moment) jumped into my life to become my best friend. It's funny too, I was never a dog person. For nine years though, this boy has run my life. I'll have to take him hiking today so we can enjoy this wonderful fall day.
I plan to get out there and get inspired so I can use it when the winter snow drifts come.
Keep quilting and crafting!

My Bogie Bear

Today was all about my dog, Bogie. He is the light of my life and my best friend. This is only funny because I was afraid of dogs for quite a while. You see, I was attacked by a dog when I was 3 1/2 and the same dog got me again just before 4 years old. My parents kept nice dogs around when I was little. Partly because they love dogs and partly to keep me used to them. Family dogs were fine, but strange dogs terrified me until I met my husband.
He taught me how to read dogs. There are many things that make good and bad dogs. Genetics in the breeding are the start for personality. I have learned however that nurturing can win out over nature. I have had the pleasure to meet 3 of the sweetest pit bulls ever as well as many not so good ones. This is the case with my sweet beast.
Bogie is a Catahoula mix of the mountain variety. We didn't quite know what we were getting into when the 7 week old was given to us. Luckily, we did some research and found out his genetic temperament. Catahoula's are not recognized by the American AKC because they don't breed true. They can come out grey with spots, brindled, or the mountain ones are brown with a white butterfly on chest and white feet. That's my little Bogie bear. He weighs 89 pounds and is the great at snuggling. The Catahoula's have a reputation for fierceness and a used in packs of three to bring down wild boar, bulls, and alligators.
I never wanted to be afraid of my own dog, so we learned and trained for specific things. Socializing him was a huge goal and we succeeded. He is friendly with other dogs, people, and children. Just don't bring food into the picture. As he ages, Bo is getting more aggressive over food issues. A good old codger we knew looked at me once and said, "You ruined that dog." To which I happily took responsibility for taming a beast into a sweet, snuggle dog.
Don't get me wrong, Bo can be quite a handful. As a puppy, we trained him the property boundaries by having tied to a rock climbing rope that was tied to the house. He could go anywhere on the property and we checked on him often. During one of those check ons, I found my dog looking up at me innocently with his teeth in the knot. He was halfway through untying the knot! Well, right then I knew I had thinking dog. He knew he wasn't allowed to chew the rope, we'd gone over that one. But to untie it... it was funny. I have thousands of Bo stories if people like them, I'll continue to share. The story of how he made me see a bear so he could eat the cake is good one, maybe tomorrow.
I'm writing about my buddy today because he is at me feet trying to shake some heavy anesthesia. Very fast metabolisms are another Catahoula trait, so the Doc has to give a rhinoceros size doping when my dog gets surgery. Yep, Bogie went under the knife today to get some lumps removed. We weren't too sure if it was a hernia, fatty lumps, or worse. Luckily, it was the fatty sort which can be dangerous as well. One of the lumps had tentacle-like things that were thinking of strangling an important blood vessel. He is going to be fine though and continue to enrich our lives. We are moving him to the back rooms now so I'll say goodbye for today. Thanks for letting me talk about my best friend while waiting for his recovery.
Dogs are the best. Bo's the first I've ever truly loved. Now I understand just like everybody else. If you have one, go hug your dog right now.