Tucson’s Old Pueblo Rug Hookers will host their annual Tucson hook-in January 28.
It’s a busy, busy week here at High on Hooking. And a short one too. Today six of us from the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) were doing our regular demo schtick at Albuquerque’s BioPark – at Heritage Farm in the Botanic Garden, specifically. (We’re there the first and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Feel free to visit.) Come early Friday morning, four of us will saddle up (okay, we’ll climb into Cathy’s SUV) and make the eight-hour trek to Tucson.
What’s in Tucson, you ask. Besides warmer weather, of course. Well, I’ll tell you. Saturday, the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers are hosting their annual Tucson hook-in at La Paloma Country Club. Last year I was a OPRH virgin. Not this year, sisters! And I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I had a great time on my hooker-girls’ weekend. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might
2016’s prize! An Anderson frame at last.
remember how last year I managed to “win” an Anderson frame in the silent auction. There was some serious back-and-forth with another woman, but she already had an Anderson, and I’d wanted one for years. (The reality is that there were two up for auction, and she got the second one with it’s smaller hooking area.)
Like I said, four of us AWAG members will drive the l-o-n-g drive to Tucson Friday. Two other members will meet us there, their significant others left behind to fend for themselves in hotel rooms while we hook, chat, purchase, eat, make friends, bid, hook, eat, and chat some more. It’s going to be a great weekend!
Tynan presents this week’s current rug update. He will allow me to bring it to the Tucson hook-in to work on and share.
Attend a hook-in lately? (I’m talking to you, New England peeps! I know all about the Eliot Hook-In happening the same day as Tucson’s.) What made it so worthwhile for you? Share any hook-ins coming up!
One of the cases containing fiber art at the Albuquerque Sunport. You can see Cathy Kelly’s fabulous rug down in the bottom, left corner of the pic.
If you’re coming to the Albuquerque Sunport (that’s the Airport to anyone unfamiliar with the city) in January, you might be surprised to find a substantial fiber exhibit on the way to the parking garage. Yes, fiber! Tom and I went to see it this morning.
In mid-December the Fiber Arts Council put out a surprise call for artwork from supporting guilds. “Hey, we need your pieces tomorrow – Sunday – at Rebecca’s house. We’re installing it Monday!”
More fiber art at the Sunport.
Cathy Kelly and I were able to get a couple of pieces to Rebecca’s in time, so the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) was definitely represented. The display is up until February 2, so if you live in the area, get thee to the Albuquerque Sunport. If you don’t live here, Southwest is the major carrier here when you arrange your airline tickets. 🙂
Sorry that I can’t provide the names of all the local artists, but at least you can get an idea of all the creativity that’s present here in Albuquerque. It’s one of the reasons we picked the city to become our new home last year.
Weaving and needlework, oh my!
Thank you, Albuquerque Fiber Arts Council! PS – That’s my rug hanging on the left-hand wall. It’s aptly titled “Welcome to New Mexico.”
Kudos are due to the set-up team and to all artists who made this exhibit happen on three-days’ notice! Carol Ellis, Board Member and Education Chair, thanks all for acting so promptly and for providing so many fabulous pieces of fiber art! We were able to use almost everything that was delivered. Additional thanks are due to Rebecca Wardlaw for collecting and organizing this Council Exhibit. Photos of the exhibit are featured on Facebooks pages of Rebecca Wardlaw and ABQ Fiber Arts.
A mug and its rug to welcome the cold winter months of 2017.
The calendar tells me that there are 15 or so days left to December and 2016. The 15 prior to today – and many more before them – seem to have just come and gone in a rush of mug rugs and holiday fairs and fall visitors and holiday preparations and meetings for this and that. Add in a dollup of family issues and arthritis crap, and I’ve realized that something’s gotta give or I will.
Fortunately, I’ve actually managed to get most presents bought and my cards and packages posted. (We were hoping to get back to New England this Christmas, but the kid has to work, so no dice. We will DEFINITELY be there next year!) Now I need to take some time, not really to rest per se, but to recharge and start thinking about 2017. That means sitting down by myself and playing and planning. The “by myself” part is the BIGGIE. Social media’s been a constant bug in my ear lately – the blog, Facebook posts for myself, H on H, and my guild. Hell, it takes so much time just to delete all the holiday offers I’m getting in my two mailboxes every minute of every hour of the last two months! And then there’s the stuff I actually want or have to read! It’s time to get off of the merry-go-round for a couple of weeks. Oh, I know it won’t be a complete black-out; I’m not that good. (Plus I’m nosy.) Still, I need to remember what it’s like to enjoy sharing something rather than feeling as if life on earth depends on my posting it.
What exactly will I play and plan, you ask? Don’t worry; I’ve got plenty to keep me busy for a LOT LONGER than I have.
First and foremost, I have to get my class proposal to the Espanola Valley Fiber ArtsCenter. Should’ve had it done last week, but that’s the holidays for you.
Since I’ve been going on aboutAlbuquerque’s Fiber Arts Fiesta coming up in May, I really have to get on that stick and get my own project started. I’ve been running things through my mind for months, and I think I know what I want to create. Well, I almost did; it changed some last night in bed. Different lightbulb went on keeping me up. It’s time to run with all the ideas, mock them up, whatever. The thing is due for jurying come March 1. That’s like two months away! Gotta get to work.
Website and other business stuff. Jean Ottosen‘s been so good talking about her
Newest issue of Fifth Wednesday Journal.
business changes and challenges, that she’s inspired me. It’s time for a more formal approach. Jean, be warned! You may get a call.
Reading and reading and reading. I love to read, but this time of year, I don’t get a lot of pleasure reading done because it has to wait till I get in bed and you all know what happens then. Make no mistake, I’m reading plenty – at least two short stories each evening. I read the slush pile for a great lit journal, Fifth Wednesday, from October through January (and again in the spring). It’s a labor of love, particularly this year as we’re reading for the twentieth anniversary issue. LOTS of authors are sending stories in hoping to be included. Some are good, some aren’t. But it’s a great chance to switch up that creativity thing.
AWAG President Mary Ramsey working on her mug rug doo-dahs (see last week’s blog post). Notice how the glass she’s holding matches the wool so perfectly.
In between all those “workish” things, there’s always time for some fun. Yesterday the Adobe Wool Arts Guild celebrated the holidays and another happy year hooking together. Dagmar Beinenz-Byrd of ZiaWoolz hosted marvelously. There was food and a fiber-themed Yankee Swap And food. And hooking. And fun. Always fun. I got so lucky when I moved here and joined AWAG. I love my guild.
Isn’t Darlene Nelson’s wood man exquisite?
Linda Towle was working on her owl doodahs!
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and here’s to 2017! See you in a couple of weeks!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from High on Hooking!
This week’s been all about really pushing farther into my new “world,” the New Mexican community I’ve become a part of in the past year and a half since we moved to Albuquerque. Specifically, I was very fortunate to be invited to join two fine organizations: the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center and Susan’s Legacy. I said YES to both because, hey, if you don’t try something new, you’re never going to grow. Or meet new people!
The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center (EVFAC) is a unique resource for fiber artists and those who find beauty in the fiber arts. Visitors to the adobe storefront in the historic district of Española, New Mexico enter a world of looms, colorful yarns, beautiful handmade textiles, books, and supplies.
Photo from New Mexico Tourism
I stole that right off their website. EVFAC’s mission is to cultivate and support multi-generational participation in local, traditional and contemporary Fiber Arts. (Yep, lifted that too.) One way they do this is to provide a full educational program in many fiber arts, not just the weaving that started the whole shabang. A couple of weeks ago, they contacted me and asked if I was interested in teaching a class. Apparently, someone gave the educational coordinator my info. She liked what she saw on the website and emailed me. I was stunned because a few weeks ago, I headed up to Santa Fe with my compadre Melinda to check out EVFAC’s Fall Fiber Fiesta. Neither of us remembers me even talking about High on Hooking. We were more interested in admiring the artists’ work and, of course, buying things to bring home.
Regardless, I’m in the midst of creating my proposal. We’ll be saving the environment and using t-shirts and other donated fabrics to create our rugs. More on it all later. Because EVFAC is about 90 miles north of home, we’ll probably wait till spring when the snow stops flying up that way to run the class.
Amazingly enough, my involvement with Susan’s Legacy (SL) also came about because of hooking. (It does seem to have become the center of my New Mexican universe…) Anywho – every two years when Albuquerque’s Fiber Arts Fiesta is held, a local charity is picked to receive funding from “doo-da” sales. “Doo-das” are small gifts made by the various guilds. Guests donate $5 to the featured charity, then get to pick a doo-da. Apparently, it’s a very popular part of Fiesta.The Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) – my guild – will be hooking mug rugs as our doo-dahs.
Kathryn Weil, who happens to be a quilter, is the executive director of SL. Her presentation to the guild reps struck home with me. The organization is small, but mighty. We chose it as our charity for Fiesta 2017 (May 19-21).
Susan’s Legacy is a small, non-profit agency that provides intensive recovery support for women with co-occurring mental health and addictive disorders. The goal for clients is to move from surviving to thriving as self-sufficient, contributing community members. Clients must be committed to recovery and actively engage in the services provided by SL to support the goals of becoming mentally stable and substance free. …Susan’s Legacy addresses these needs by providing case management, individual mental health and addiction counseling, and psycho-educational groups. Susan’s Legacy provides services to clients free of charge. Because clients don’t pay for these services, Susan’s Legacy is dependent upon grants, donations, and fundraising to continue its work with co-occurring women.
Mental illness and addiction runs in my family, so I’ve had some experience with SL’s charge. In addition, many of my food pantry clients faced these same challenges. (For those who are new to High on Hooking, one of my past lives involved running a couple of pantries.) Little did I know when I contacted SL to volunteer in some capacity – like helping with paperwork or grant-
Hoping to sell the newest mug and its rug, but who knows? Maybe it’ll become a doo-da for Susan’s Legacy next May.
writing – that Kathryn would propose something else. This week I became a Board member. I was so impressed with the women I met at the meeting; I only hope that I can offer as half as much as they do.
Of course, Tom’s wondering how I’ll keep everything straight and have enough time. I figure that God always provides… Well, almost. 🙂 I’ve got my eye out for a part time job too. We’ll see what happens.
If you’re into any sort of creative endeavor, I suspect, like mine, you’re eyes are always open trying to find new sources of inspiration. In my case, I find the muse in all sorts of places including:
nature, especially here on New Mexico’s high desert;
On the road to Taos there’s all kinds of inspiration to see.
poetry and other literature;
music;
Pinterest (also a handy place to park stuff I find online);
trade and other art-type books;
the works and designs of others (seen in person at museums and markets as well as online); and
magazines (I have a serious, serious addiction much to Tom’s chagrin).
So, I get all jazzed when I find something new, especially something interactive. Because, of course, I have all sorts of time for new things to do – NOT! Nonetheless, my new inspiration habit-in-the-making is completely worthwhile for a couple of reasons.
First – what am i talking about?
If you’ve liked my Facebook page, you’ve probably noticed that I try to share daily blog posts that I receive from, amongst others, rug hookers and other fiber artists. One of those is written by Kate Gillery of Briar Cottage Studio in Pittsburgh. No, I’ve never met or even corresponded with her, but she creates some nifty punch needle projects, and I know that many of you are into punch needle. Don’t know why, but one day I delved more into her website, noticing a page entitled SKETCHBOOK. Turns out it’s a blog of sorts itself!
In Sketchbook, Kate provides a one-word prompt each day. Here’s today’s:
Daily Challenge
Quick sketch no more than 15 minutes.
First thought that comes to mind from a random word chosen from the internet.
The word today is: TEDDY BEAR
***
Kate also provides a sketch that she herself did; today’s includes a cute, little bear who looks like he belongs in a baby’s nursery.
Second – what am I getting out of this prompt?
Here’s the thing: While I dutifully grab my journal and pen each morning, I don’t necessarily draw anything. Rather, these prompts are pretty much like many I’ve done as writing exercises, take the prompt (be it a word, phrase, photo, whatever) and free-write for fifteen minutes. Or more, if the going is good. Sometimes you might extract a decent story from it all.
Here’s a mug rug set I finished up just yesterday. The mugs are the inspiration. Hm, can I find a mug that inspires a teddy bear rug?
Many of you know that until hooking started filling up so many of my hours, I wrote some fiction, was published in a couple of anthologies, even placed in some contests. I’m also an assistant editor for Fifth Wednesday diligently working (okay, it’s a labor of love, no pay) to find tomorrow’s great new authors. The last year I’ve been trying to make time to write, but failing miserably. Since I found Kate’s prompts, I’ve managed to do some creative writing most days. Woohoo for me! Sometimes I actually do a sketch to go with what I write, but that’s not the point. What’s important is that I’m stretching my mind in a new way – well, really an old way for me – and I’m really enjoying it.
***
That’s it. Simply that I’m enjoying something creative that’s also inspiring me. Take a look at Kate’s page and maybe you’ll find a muse in it too.
This week’s been all about really pushing farther into my new “world,” the New Mexican community I’ve become a part of in the past year and a half since we moved to Albuquerque. Specifically, I was very fortunate to be invited to join two fine organizations: the 
