by Jean Ottosen | Sep 22, 2022 | Nature Journaling, Rug Hooking
Hello everyone! I’m a few days late with my blog post. Wild Wonder nature journaling conference ended in the wee hours of Monday morning. I took every class and checked out some of the social breakout rooms and chats. It meant 12 1/2 hours of excellent instruction a day!
I didn’t need to do it this way. Classes are recorded for future viewing. But I have a hard time carving out time on a regular basis for thirty classes plus keynote addresses. So I try and do it all during the five days of the conference.
Monday I spent catching up on sleep. Tuesday I spent catching up around the house. Today I spent preparing for hurricane Fiona. I hope she will be a post tropical storm or less by the time she arrives in my part of the world, but the local meteorologists aren’t so sure. So we prepared.
The last couple of days I spent time hooking more on the large Parker’s Cove fishing shacks series wall hanging. It’s been slow going. I basically took the summer off to be with friends and family. Now I’m back on track.
Well that’s it. Talk to you later. If you have been, thanks for reading Have a great rest of your week and weekend everyone!
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by Jean Ottosen | Sep 12, 2022 | Bullet Journals, Business, Exhibits, Inspiration, Nature Journaling, Rug Hooking, Sales & Merchandising, Sketching, Spinning, Supplies & Materials, Travel
Hi everyone! I started a new business journal not long ago. I find my bullet journal, note taking style of journaling to be helpful in keeping me on track with everything that needs to be done.
I worked on my website more. It’s been challenging. The photos in particular. I may have to pay someone to deal with those. Though I’d like to know how to do it myself. Eventually I’m going to have to. I also worked on entering new product.
I made a trip to the Visual Voice Gallery and back, to pick up a piece to ship to a private buyer. I shipped two pieces off to a private buyer. In the end there were actually five pieces sold since the beginning of September, which I consider very good. I am quite pleased with that. Just a reminder folks – the “Offbeat” exhibit is up until September 24th!
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I had lots of inspiration trips this past week.
Thursday we were up in the Annapolis Valley area to Gaspereau Valley Farms. I took my spinning wheel for a going over by a lady there. I found mohair locks, undyed, and purchased a pound. I am going to have fun dyeing them!
Friday we were up to the Gallery in Truro. Today we went to Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park and I sat on the beach and painted for a couple of hours. A beautiful day!
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I am back working on finishing the Parker’s Cove fishing shacks series. It is proving more difficult than anticipated. And more time consuming. I think I finally found a way to do it that I like.
This week I will be busy attending a worldwide nature journaling conference. That is another place I look for inspiration – nature.
If you have been, thanks for reading! Have a great week everyone!
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by Jean Ottosen | Sep 5, 2022 | Business, Exhibits, Sales & Merchandising, Weekly Review
Hi everyone! Just thought I’d pop in and let you know I am part of a group exhibit at Visual Voice Gallery in Truro, Nova Scotia right now. I was into the gallery to have a look around. The exhibit looks very nice. A few of my pieces have sold. I’m looking forward to more sales in the future. The exhibit is up until September 24th, so if you are interested in a particular piece, you might want to contact the gallery owner soon.
A special thank-you goes out to the lady who runs the gallery. Thank-you for the respect and care you give my work, and for listening to the stories it tells. Thank-you for taking the time to present it so eloquently to your clientele.
I am also busily working on my new Shopify website. Hopefully it will be ready to launch this fall. I am having some challenges with images at the moment. But I expect to have that dealt with soon.
Come November 14th to December 24th I will be taking part in the Christmas Show and Sale as well. There will be wall hangings, ornaments, and seasonal notecards (that can be used as gift tags or greeting cards) available.
Well, that’s my news for now. Have a great week everyone!
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by Jean Ottosen | Aug 22, 2022 | Dyeing, Media, Miscellaneous, Patterns, Rug Hooking, videos
Hi everyone! I’ve been very busy lately. I’m working on a channel on the ko-fi platform. You can check it out here.
Ko-fi is a platform where you can simply follow someone for free information, become a supporter by donating to their channel, become a member of the channel for a monthly membership fee (and receive extra content), and potentially take part in that channel’s community.
What is the content? At the moment it is mostly videos and blog posts. I’ve determined I don’t film well! Despite that, so far I’ve uploaded five videos, and I have another two ready for editing. I am currently taking my From Start to Finish class and putting it up under the Beginner Tier. I have given public access to “Intro to Rug Hooking – Part 1 – What is Traditional Rug Hooking?”. However a Beginner Tier membership Is required for the rest of the series. I will be posting the rest of the series this coming week. Plus I have uploaded videos on finding fibre to hook and how to prepare fibre for hooking.
I have also uploaded a video on one way to finish a hooked rug. It is under the Beginner Tier. It is the same finishing video that was on YouTube for a few years and garnered over 34,000 views. It’s been off YouTube for a few years now.
My Intermediate Tier includes more in-depth videos and videos on other creative topics as well. To date I have a video on “The Shirt Project”, where I turned many LL Bean shirts and a bit of stash fabric into mementos for the many descendants of the owner of those shirts, once he had passed. I also have a walk through video of my nature journal. There will be more videos to come in this level, especially related to rug hooking.
For those rug hookers who are more experienced and do their own dyeing, I have uploaded a video on my Advanced Tier on spot dyeing using multiple colours and syringes. This is a traditional oven dyeing method.
I will be uploading videos on a regular basis. I also am planning on blogging regularly. Plus there will be fibre and patterns uploaded to the shop regularly.
So keep your eyes open for changes coming up this fall! If you have been, thanks for reading. Have a great week everyone!
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by Jean Ottosen | Aug 15, 2022 | Gardening, Miscellaneous, Travel
We had a wonderful trip visiting family and friends in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick this past week.
While in Moncton, i took the opportunity to visit with Lucy Richard of the Wooly Mason Jar dye system. I dropped off some gifts for her gift baskets and had a good time talking shop.
We continued on to Fundy National Park Tuesday afternoon. We checked into an AirBnB and visited family in the Park for the evening. The next day we had an interesting time hiking Matthew’s Head Trail with everyone. The trail was quite slippery and muddy with lots of tree roots and rocks. It had rained the day before. While I found the trail challenging, the views were magnificent!
We discovered Kelly’s Bakery in Alma and their World Famous Sticky Buns. We took some fresh ones to everyone Wednesday morning.
Thursday we left one branch of the family and headed to Moncton again, via Mary’s Point, a bird sanctuary. There weren’t too many birds there yet. I hear this week they will start to come by the thousands. We made Moncton by supper time.
Friday we headed out to Saint John along the backroads, with our host driving. We stopped at several covered bridges, even driving on some.
We visited Brent Rourke’s woodworking shop and store outside Bloomfield. Hubby was able to tour the workshop while the rest of us did some shopping.
We made it to Saint John for a late lunch with more relatives. Then it was off to the Saint John Art Centre. There we saw the SAQA exhibit. I highly recommend it. Afterwards we checked out the Loyalist Museum and did more shopping
We stopped at a small nursery/vegetable/fruit stand on the way out of town. The produce was gorgeous! Strawberries were ripe They had 10 pound boxes of blueberries. The prices weren’t too bad either.
The next day it rained. In between showers I made it to the Art Shack in Moncton. They had some decent prices on a wide variety of products. They were backordered on some items I was interested in. They also had some items on sale. I was finally able to pick up some white ink pens for toned paper.
I also made it to a combo framing/gift gallery called B Home. The framers there seem very knowledgeable and skilled.
I also made it to Glass Roots Gallery in Riverview, NB. There were a wide variety of products available at an affordable price range from artisans and artists from all over New Brunswick.
Sunday we came home
Absolutely no rug hooking or art produced this last week. But, I did talk to a couple of young ladies about visiting for an arts and crafts retreat. One wants to learn how to sew clothes. The other isn’t sure what she would like to learn. We’ll see if anything transpires.
Well that’s been my last week. The week before that I was hosting company off and on. I also have a new food dehydrator I’ve been trying out. Plus my garden is producing and needs constant care and attention The deer have discovered it…and the earwigs.
I’ve also been canning. So far it’s Peach Jam, Gingered Zucchini Marmalade and Zucchini Relish. There’s more to come though.
Well, if you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! Have a great week everyone!
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by Jean Ottosen | Jul 31, 2022 | Business, Exhibits, Gardening, Miscellaneous, Rug Hooking
Hello everyone! A lot has been happening here.
The “Summer” exhibit ended and I took more work up to Visual Voice Gallery for the next two group shows this year. The Gallery now has a good cross section of my smaller works. If you are interested in anything smaller than 12” x 12”, feel free to contact the gallery. I have yet to update my website shop. That will be happening this week. It was a fun afternoon, chatting with the gallery owner and getting feedback on various pieces and from her and her clients. If you are interested in my work, just call and ask. If she doesn’t have it, I’ll have it here in my studio.
We also had company arrive and leave. We were a pit stop on the way to see their parents. It was fun to meet their children.
We did have a lot of tree pruning and culling done. A crew of 4 or 5 guys came with chainsaws and a bucket truck with mulcher on back. It took them all morning to beat back the jungle. There is a lot more sun on the garden now. I’m hoping to plant some understory shrubs below the mature oak, maples and poplars.
I’ve spent a lot of time in the garden too. We’ve been harvesting peas, radishes, lettuce, beet greens and Swiss chard. I planted more peas and beans just last week. We’ll see how the peas do in the heat. I planted them in a shade garden essentially, so maybe they’ll be alright.
Hubby helped me put down cardboard and wood chips (the mulch from the trees) between and around the raised bed garden. We’ll see how it does for keeping down weeds.
Of course, to do all this work in the garden we had to remove the garden netting. And, of course, as far as critters were concerned it was open season on the garden! The deer have been browsing the beans. The blue jays are after the snap peas. The starlings are digging up my bean seeds.
A robin and flicker were out near or on the edge of the garden today. I don’t know what they were up to, but they both looked awful guilty! The robin hopped down from the edge of the raised bed and slunk away with the occasional furtive backward glance. The flicker stayed so still a couple feet from the bed, hoping I wouldn’t notice him no doubt!
I just shook my head and smiled. It’s a good thing critters are so darn cute! I may have to cover my beds again until the second planting of peas and beans sprouts.
Aside from that I’ve been working on my large Parker’s Cove piece, updating my inventory, transferring files from my iMac to laptop, and adjusting work for the gallery – new hangtags and new hanging systems.
I’ve been reading a lot of gardening and permaculture books, and watching YouTube videos on the subjects. I’ve also been watching videos on harvesting and preserving produce and herbs. We are having a bumper crop of herbs this year.
As most of you who follow me on Instagram know by now, I am no longer on that platform. I cannot delete my business account apparently, but I have removed all my images save one. I can no longer access my personal account, so if you are someone I know in real life, and you are trying to get a hold of me through Instagram, I suggest you try my business page on Facebook, or send me a message through Messenger. Otherwise email is best.
To be honest, I found the payback for being on social media to not be worth my time and effort. I will retain Facebook, for now, but I am even reconsidering it. All my information is on this website, as well as this blog. I prefer to spend my time creating, rather than on social media.
That’s it for this week! If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Have a great week everyone!
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by Jean Ottosen | Jul 18, 2022 | Business, Events, Exhibits, Finishing, Gardening, Rug Hooking, Sales & Merchandising
Good morning everyone! I had a wonderful time at the Show & Sale with The Bonnie Hookers at Scott Manor House this past Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I managed to share information on rug hooking, demonstrate and even sit someone at a frame to learn. The ladies I worked with were kind, friendly and generous.
I’ve yet to check in with Visual Voice Gallery to see how the “Summer” exhibit went. I’ll touch base sometime this week.
I did manage to hook a lot on the big Parker’s Cove fishing shacks wall hanging. I may need to pause to dye more blues for the sky. I also worked on finishing some Parker’s Cove pieces.
I’ve been busy in the garden. I’m reorganizing my freezers in preparation for this year’s harvest.
This week will be a mix. We have various appointments and a property management crew coming to cut a few trees and prune others. The trees surrounding our yard are large, producing too much shade, and possibly a hazard during a winter storm. Now is the time to deal with them.
Well, that’s it for now. If you have been, thanks for reading. Have a great week everyone!
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by Jean Ottosen | Jul 11, 2022 | Business, Exhibits, Gardening, Rug Hooking, Sales & Merchandising, Travel
Good afternoon everyone! It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Hence the lack of blog post last week. We had company the last while and we took the time to show them around the Maritimes. It was our vacation, as well as theirs.
I did not accomplish much rug hooking, but I did manage a bit on my large Parker’s Cove fishing shacks piece. I need to refocus on finishing the edging on the earlier ones and hooking more of them. I believe I counted 15 shacks in total.
In other news…
The show and sale at Scott Manor House in Bedford, Nova Scotia, starts Thursday at 1 PM and goes until Saturday at 4 PM. Friday we will have the doors open from 10 AM to 4 PM. There is, reportedly, an afternoon tea at the House on Friday as well. There will be a broad range of styles and prices at the show and sale. If you’re in the area it would be a nice way to spend some time. I understand Scott Manor House offers guided tours as well.
The exhibit at Village Voice Gallery in Truro is still on. It ends July 16th. There will be another group show the end of August into September. I will be a part of that as well.
That’s it for my rug hooking news.
I have a lot of company and vacation time coming up. Extended family and friends coming to visit. We’ll be heading out sometime in August to connect up with family in New Brunswick. Lots happening! Gotta love summer!
My garden is a mixed bag. Some of it is growing very well, some of it is so-so, and some is not doing well at all. Still, I am harvesting lettuce, radish, beet greens and Swiss chard to make wonderful salads. Plus I’ve already harvested some basil, cilantro, thyme and parsley. Everything is going as well as can be expected in the garden department.
If you have been, thanks for reading. Have a great week!
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by Jean Ottosen | Jun 27, 2022 | Business, Exhibits, Finishing, Gardening, Photography, Rug Hooking, Travel
Last week I had a lovely retreat, so to speak, with Hubby. It was actually a working vacation for me. We went up to Annapolis Royal, NS and rented a cottage in the area. The view out the front window was gorgeous!
We decided we didn’t want to cook while there, so I roasted a chicken and cut it up the day before we left. I also made some hummus and vegetable sticks for dipping. Plus we took the usual peanut butter and homemade jelly, and boiled eggs. Plus fruit, bagels and bread. We survived on that, oatmeal and two grocery store salads for the entire time we were there.
Well, except for our friends’ providing a BBQ supper and a picnic beach lunch! I tell you…there is nothing better than eating fresh baked homemade bread sandwiches out on the rocks overlooking the ocean!
We were gone for three nights. My friends are rug hookers too, so we had a great time hooking and finishing while I was there.
I also searched for a suitable gallery to show my Parker’s Cove fishing shack series in Annapolis Royal. While there are a good many galleries there for the population, many have unfortunately closed since the beginning of Covid.
Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know I started hooking the large Parker’s Cove piece. It’s 12” x 36”. I am currently hooking the last of five fishing shacks. It will be a couple of weeks or more before I finish. We are expecting company.
I had a photographer in to photograph my work. It was a massive job! He managed to photograph everything in about an hour. We worked together to finish over 75 pieces during that time! This is all the work I have in the house that was not previously photographed, excluding the Parker’s Cove series. I’ll have that photographed when it’s finished.
Other than that, I’ve been enjoying Elizabeth Miller’s site – Parris House Creative Community – on Mighty Networks lately. There was a lovely Zoom meeting in our gardens, showing each other our yards, but focusing on vegetable gardens. Elizabeth has a huge garden! Plus she’s into so many interesting things! I loved the opportunity to see her space, even if only virtually. I also took part in her monthly Crafternoon on Sunday.
My first group show with Visual Voice Gallery in Truro started Monday! The theme is “Summer”. Check it out, either in person or online! You can find it online at: Visual Voice or visit 128 King Street, Truro, Nova Scotia.
I am currently busy preparing for a July show and sale at a local museum Stay tuned for more information!
If you have been, thanks for reading. Have a great week everyone!
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by Jean Ottosen | Jun 20, 2022 | Business, Exhibits, Finishing, Photography, Rug Hooking, Sales & Merchandising, Travel
I had a lovely afternoon last Monday up in Truro at the Visual Voice Gallery with the proprietress. We went through my work, I described my process, and she decided which pieces she wanted to keep for various shows. I also took my notecards on the off chance she might want some of those. She did!
So now if anyone is looking for my work through a gallery in Nova Scotia, they can contact the gallery owner at: gallery@visual-voice.ca
The first show I’m a part of starts today at Visual Voice in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada. It’s a group show on the theme of “Summer”.
In other news…
The Visual Voice Gallery owner mentioned two other exhibits I could take part in this year, both group shows. One is the end of August into September. The August/September one is called “Offbeat”. I plan on presenting her with some unusual pieces I’ve hooked over the years to see if anyone is interested in them
She also mentioned the Christmas sale, in which she tries to keep items under $100 CAD. I have several items I could display in that sale as well. Then there are my Christmas notecards. So if you’re interested in acquiring or seeing my work in person, visit Visual Voice!
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I am organizing hooked pieces for a photography session later this month. I finally went through the professional photos I’ve had taken in the past and noted them on my main inventory list. I need to be better at figuring out what needs to be photographed professionally and what’s already been done. Next up is to take the pieces that need photos off the walls for the photographer.
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I am also preparing for an exhibit with The Bonnie Hookers July 14-16th at Scott Manor House in Bedford, Nova Scotia. I will take a variety of work that is a variety of sizes. I will be there most of those days to help demonstrate rug hooking, answer questions and facilitate sales. If you are a blog reader and show up at the sale, make yourself known to me and I’ll try to show you around the exhibit.
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I’m working on finishing some of the Parker’s Cove fishing shacks. I’ve also started the biggest Parker’s Cove piece to date. It is over 12” x 36” and will take awhile to hook. I’ll be working on it during my upcoming self-designed artist retreat.
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That’s it so far everyone! If you have been, thanks for reading. Have a great week everyone!
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