Posted in Crochet, tagged Bowl Mitt, Crochet Bowl on October 10, 2017| 1 Comment »
Someone recently shared with me a photo of a bowl “mitt” for those of us who love hot food in a bowl but get tired of holding it with a tea towel. Theirs was quilted but I worked up a crochet one this week to give it a try. It worked great. It would be hard to write a crochet pattern as everyone’s bowls are different sizes. I’m going to try to make a few others for other size bowls I have.
Posted in Crochet, tagged Crochet, Crochet poncho, poncho on October 9, 2017| 2 Comments »
Here is a poncho that I made several years ago and have worn it many, many times. It’s my favorite. It is a simple design but very functional. We will have a poncho class soon. Start thinking about the yarn you want for your design.
Posted in Crochet, tagged Crochet, poncho on October 8, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Ponchos are making a comeback. And I for one LOVE THEM! They are super comfy and warm and if you find the right yarn they are super cute! I just finished this one using some really interesting yarn by Bernat called Dimensions. The color is Purple Swirl. Love it! We will have a Design your own Poncho class soon. Stay tuned. In the meantime we have the “Crochet Like Knit” class coming up Tuesday. Check it out here.
Posted in Paint Party, tagged Breast Cancer Awareness, Pink on October 7, 2017| Leave a Comment »
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month – the annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. 
We know many people who have survived this terrible cancer and several friends wanted to get together to create a piece of art to help with awareness. Their awareness ribbons turned out AWESOME! Great work ladies. You all ROCK! And thanks for rocking The Studio yesterday. That is the most fun we have had at Open Studio in a long, long time.
Posted in Serendipity, Small Town Life, Workshop/Retreat, tagged Brick Oven, Capon Springs, Flag Raising on October 6, 2017| Leave a Comment »
A few more photos from the trip to Capon Springs. Here is the spring house. The sign above the door says, “Capon Springs – called by local Indian tribes Cape-Cape-pe-pon (the healing waters) rises through 1600 feet of rock, the last 300 feet being sandstone-a natural filter. The flow-100 gallons a minute – has been undiminished for centuries. It’s origin unknown.”
Wednesday night after Bingo they served a homemade pizza snack. Yum. It was made in their huge brick oven where they also make tons of bread which they serve at all meals. Every morning at 8:30 the flag is raised in a ceremony and the National Anthem is sung proudly by all who attend. Traditions are alive and well at Capon Springs. It is such a beautiful place.
Posted in daily painter, Small Town Life, Travel, Workshop/Retreat, tagged Bingo, Capon Springs on October 5, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Our final day of instructing at Capon Springs saw us working with Palette Knives. Everyone was game to give it a try and we had fun creating some wonderful art. Then we finally got a little time to relax and enjoyed a soak in the mineral waters at the spa. What a treat….especially with a little Epson Salt thrown in to help the old arthritic knees. We spent time at the Fish Pond and wandering around taking photos of this magical place and ended with the traditional weekly Bingo game. (I didn’t win.)
What a fun day! If you get an opportunity (or you should make one) to come out to Capon Springs Resort and Farm you should jump at the chance. It is an amazing place that is such a gift to enjoy. Plan to come join us for the Spring Artist Retreat on May 20-24, 2018. It will be a good excuse for you to get away and to discover all that Capon Springs has to offer!
Posted in daily painter, Small Town Life, Workshop/Retreat, tagged Art show, Capon Springs, Live Music, paper painting on October 4, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Yesterday at the Capon Springs Artists Retreat we created Paper Paintings. And it was thrilling that so many came to give it a try….26 paper painters to be exact! Terrific!!! What fun we had creating wonderful animals, flowers and scenes using only torn and cut paper.
Then last night everyone displayed the work they have done since Sunday and we had live music for our “Art Show”.
It was terrific. If you didn’t come to the Artists Retreat you should KICK YOURSELF! It is so much fun. The good news is we have dates for the one in the spring….May 20-24, 2018. Mark your calendar NOW!
Posted in Serendipity, Small Town Life, Travel, Workshop/Retreat, tagged Deb Ray, Deb Ray Yarns, Spinning wool on October 3, 2017| Leave a Comment »
We are still at Capon Springs teaching at the Artist Retreat. But last night we had a special treat. My good friend, Deborah Ray who is assisting me at the Retreat gave us an explanation and demonstration on spinning wool into yarn.
It was fascinating. It helped us all understand the amount of labor that goes into making this beautiful yarn. It’s worth every penny they ask for it! Thanks Deb.
Posted in daily painter, Paint Party, Serendipity, Small Town Life, Travel, Workshop/Retreat, tagged Capon Springs, Fall Landscape, Paint Party, Retreat on October 2, 2017| Leave a Comment »
We arrived yesterday afternoon at Capon Springs Resort and Farm for an artist Retreat that will run through Thursday. Last night we had a Paint Party that was open to everyone…even if you had never painted before. And I think we may have some converts!
I love it when people paint for the first time and find that they can really do it! What fun…and we had some really nice paintings come out of this group. Today we are setting up for our first session which is and Introduction to Painting. While we have some people coming to the Retreat that have painted for years, we have many who are new to art. There will be something for everyone.
And look…I’m the “Artist in Residence”. Cool, huh??!! It’s not too late. If you are close enough and are interested you can join us. Just contact Capon Springs for room availability. It’s just $99 per night and includes 3 meals and all art instruction. Bring your own supplies or use ours for a small supply fee. You won’t regret it. This place is AWESOME! Did I mention the spa and mineral springs??!!
Posted in Crochet, tagged crochet buttons, crochet humor on October 1, 2017| Leave a Comment »
I went to the Shenandoah Fiber Festival last week and found these really fun buttons and sticker. Nothing like a little Crochet Humor!
The Studio 