It doesn't get much better than this!!!

Good gravy I’m having a great week.  Lovely compliments and eye candy coming out of the woodwork.  So many talented rug hookers bringing my patterns to life!   What’s a girl to do but gush and post.  I tell you now, it doesn't get much better than this. 

I don’t mean to steal these gals thunder, I don’t pretend that my little drawings place more importance over the rug hooking, but I do feel like a small part of a team when I see pictures of my completed designs. 

All in all, this sure is shaping up to be a fantastic week!  5000 plus likes on my Facebook page, the compliment of the year from a customer and eye candy to feast on.....candy might be dandy but rug hooking doesn't rot your teeth!  

This first design is called Peking Dragons, and I designed it for Armenia Corkum back in 2001. The Main Street Hookers all decided to hook an Oriental design and I custom created this pattern for the occasion.  She choose the colours she loves and although they were beautiful, Caroline went with the colour palette that makes me jump for joy.  I'm a primary girl, give me red, yellow and blue any day and I'll be singing in the rain!  This rug would fit in my house perfectly! 

I asked Caroline to say a few words about her masterpiece. 

Hi Christine - Thank you for your kind comments about my rug, and more especially, for creating Peking Dragons, such a great design in the first place. You're probably wondering how I came to have that pattern. Apparently, about 10-12 years ago, you drew it out (or as I was told, had a Chinese lady draw the symbols) for a fiber artist here in Fredericton. I know her first name was Mary, but I can't think of the last name for the life of me. Anyway, when she died, some of her rug hooking materials were passed on to the Cathedral Matters to do with as they saw fit. Thus, earlier this year, for a donation to the Cathedral Matters, I acquired the pattern. The linen still had the original tag on it, with a price of $70. I fell in love with the design at first sight, and after some thought, decided to dye the wools in colours I thought would suit both it and my living room. The background is 4 shades of blue, mixed together in a bag, and randomly selected and hooked in straight lines to conform to traditional oriental rugs. The brick shade used in the symbols was abrashed with black to give it a mottled colouring. I've been a little obsessed with hooking for the past couple of years....this was a great piece to try as my first "large" rug. I started it on April 7, and finished it this past Saturday, July 12th, hooking virtually every evening for 2-3 hours. You would think I'd be glad to be finished (and I am!), but of course, I got right back to work on another mat. One day, when I finally get down to your part of NS, I'm looking forward to dropping into your shop. Your patterns are really wonderful.

Best wishes, Caroline Montgomery Simpson

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And next but definitely not least, Janet Delo is hooking "Alice" and was in the shop on Saturday for a bit more wool and some show and tell.  She certainly made my day.  After seeing this work in progress I was floating, my feet barely touched the ground.   There are not enough words to describe how much something is liked, loved and appreciated. Janet's colour plan is perfect for this design and she's working in the traditional #3 cut. She's used spot dyes in some of the floral motifs and Eggplant (Dorr) for all of the scroll lines. Everything is perfectly balanced and complimentary.   I see Celebration Magazine in its future and I'm going to use this plan in one of my Initially Yours letters! 

Thank-you both for sharing and helping to make me current and interesting on my Facebook and Blog.  Without everyone's help and constant supply of delicious rugs to view, I wouldn't have the wow factor!    Bless you all for sharing!  Both patterns are on my Signature Designs page.  Click the link to view.  http://www.encompassingdesigns.com/signature-designs.html

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Louisa Horne is exercising her artistic prowess in the drawing and hooking of her three King Charles Spaniels.  I remember that one is Casey and another Finnegan but sorry I can't recall the third one's name.  For all you Canadian baby boomers you'll remember the beloved children's show with Mr. Dressup and his two sidekicks, a boy Casey and non talking puppet pup, Finnegan. 

This rug is going to have a huge appeal. A forever keepsake of her precious furry kids.  They look so real you want to stretch out your hand to get a lick and give a pat.