a new project

Well I have been known in the past for saying that " If I want something, I try first to make it myself ". This is how we became the "Sea People" in the first place, we were poor ,living and inshore fishing out of Feltzen South Lunenburg Co. way back in '78.Remember the store bought Kitchen Witch's from back then? Well I wanted one and could not really afford one ,or had other more important priorities . In the attic of the old house we were living I found some fabric scraps, I assume the old girl who lived there before us may have been a mat hooker :-) so I made some salt ,flour dough and sculpted a head and used the fabric and made my first Kitchen Witch, then made everyone I knew a Kitchen Witch to eventually after it got too cold for fishing we ended up opening our first shop in Lunenburg N.S. and the Sea People were born. We have been puppy sitting this past while, Miss Lou Lou Belle" she has given me a rude awakening of just what puppies are capable of getting into and especially her being a busy Border Collie. Over the years I have collected some very nice hooked mats from crafter's I have done shows with , young and old. I adorn or should say did adorn my floors with these lovely mats until Miss Belle came into our lives, she likes to pull them apart. I rolled most up but I miss their bright colors so I decided to paint myself a floor mat on cushion floor as well you can use thick canvas but this is more practical . Years ago I painted a mat right on the floor in Charleston, it was great and so are these. I am on my third one as you can see in the photos. The flowered one is mine and my first. Already one coat of varnish on this one at least two more coats of varnish to go and I believe then a rubbing of Min wax, I need to do a bit more research regarding that before finishing the others.

The two Crow Joy and the one I am working on now with the checker board border will be for sale.Once this High Humidity ends I will start to varnish and finish them. I am excited at the endless possibilities and the fact these are a usable art and can be table runners or mats and be used in any room . They are easy to clean and dog hair will not stick to them...yes I like that idea.
I added the third mat this morning, Friday....of course it as well as the others still need to be varnished but done with the painting of it after working yesterday and finishing up last evening,it was a long day..but I am like that when I start something new and exciting, actually...that is what I do all the time...work and I love what I do..housework is another matter these days....Thanks to Chuck for being my Kitchen Boy . We have puppy again this AM, but my plan is to prepare another mat this morning and this afternoon after Belle leaves I hope to go in search of more floor coverings...the Beast has been let loose again. My head is a spinning with all these ideas for fun mats, the sky is the limit.
I very much am enjoying the bright colors, but have thoughts of maybe this one being a beach scene with a shell border. Wish me luck and anyone who would like to see them closer, do drop in, if you are near, one of us or both are usually here. So off I go to get ready for Miss Cutie Pie...Bright eyes...ball girl....silly puppy...lookin for clues or something to get into....Puppies are always happy...have you ever noticed that? "Lookin For clues and trouble" and so ...so soft...