In My Backyard

The Big Coast to Coast Canadian Rug!

I belong to a street team on Etsy called the Trans Canada Etsy Team. A couple of months ago at a virtual meeting, we were talking about Canada Day and what we could do as a team to celebrate it. I am very quiet at meetings, large groups scare me, even virtually. I didn't say anything.

 The next morning as I was lazing in a hot soaky bath, I wondered what I could do for the team. There was talk about offering a discount shops wide, I will admit now, I have a problem with discounting my work. It feels to me to cheapen it, my rugs are works of art. I had an idea, what if every member participating sent me a cut up t-shirt. I posted it on our forum thread and the idea flew, right across the country. How exciting for me to weave a rug that everyone had their hand in. Also exciting that I had these ladies do the work for me, not quite as much cutting for me! It was so exciting checking the mail everyday and getting packets from across the country. I loved watching the colours coming in, at first the were all similar and then they weren't. Once all the tees were here, I used t-shirts from my stash and blended colour to make the rug work. Here is the rug, which is part of the Canada Day Road Trip and Giveaway  .                                                           

Trans Canada Road Trip Giveaway rug!

the cut up t-shirts

the loom is warped, ready to go

me & my loom

weaving has begun

I actually unwove the rug when it was almost finished, and then wove it again, so this pattern is not in the finished rug

finished rug, still on the loom 

finished rug! yay, it's a beauty!

Follow the Canada Day Road Trip link above and check out the participating shops so you can have a chance to win one of the fabulous prizes!

Trans Canada Road Trip Event

There are twenty Canadian Etsy shops participating in this huge event, and there are two amazing prizes up for grabs. 

One is an amazing goodie bag with lots of fun, fabulous items donated by all the participating shops.
The second is a gorgeous T-shirt rug - made with T-shirts donated by each participant, and woven by team member, fiveforty. (Me)

To win either of these prizes, all you need to do is simply buy from a participating shop. For every $10 spent in a shop, you will have one ballot entered into the contest. 

To receive one ballot without purchase, simply go to piggytails shop and send her a convo sharing a description of your favorite Canadian thing. Tell us why you love it and what it means to you.

Now, go visit these participating shops for your chance to win:

Enthral.etsy.com
fiveforty.etsy.com
willowcatvintage.etsy.com
MyHandboundBooks.etsy.com
iheartthatdance.etsy.com
laurabucci.etsy.com
designedbyrj.etsy.com
rjcharms.etsy.com
rikrak.etsy.com
offthehooks.etsy.com
tooaquarius.etsy.com
pixel8ed.etsy.com
tangente.etsy.com
inkyspider.etsy.com
kootsac.etsy.com
prairiepeasant.etsy.com
carvelcountrysoaps.etsy.com
paisleybaby.etsy.com
bovinebubbles.etsy.com
seaglassdesigns.etsy.com
piggytailsstationary.etsy.com
stringmealong.etsy.com

The event runs from June 20th, to July 1st. The draw will be held on July 2nd.

Full details and photos of the prizes are on our team blog here:
http://transcanadaetsyteam.blogspot.com/

Happy Canada Day from the TransCanada Etsy Team!!!

Found Flowers & Fluted Saucers

Finally something new from me.

 I have been busy in the gardens trying to get everything planted. 

I kind of fell off the Etsy horse so to say, time to climb back on and see where it takes me.

found flowers

oxidized silver, mother of pearl and glass earrings

fluted saucers

copper, oxidized copper and lucite earrings

A Week in June

Last weekend we drove to the Sault for Marks nephews wedding. We met our daughter Megan there, and she came home with us for a week. We drove her to Thunder Bay yesterday and she flew back to London. Here is our week in photos.

Central United church, ceiling

Marks parents

Megan at Old Woman Bay

Mark pebble hunting, Old Woman Bay

 

getting warm on the pebbles

Megan, pebble gazing

White Lake

Aguasabon Falls

Agausabon River Gorge lookout

gorgeous sky, Aguasabon River mouth at Main beach, Terrace Bay

Megan, Main Beach

boat heading out of river mouth into Lake Superior

Mark wading in 44° F. water, brrr

backyard bonfire, trying to warm ourselves up

Miss Bean, Aguasabon River

Kinoje, Aguasabon River

dog walk to the river, Megan and I with the dogs

Megan on an old walking boom

Pumphouse Beach, Terrace Bay ON

Main Beach, Terrace Bay

Megan, Main Beach

Main Beach

Long Lake

sawmill, Longlac ON

stormy sky, Thunder Bay

Cavers Hill

Pays Plat River

Little Hands Weaving...

I taught a basic weaving workshop to some children at St. Martin's School this past week, for their Art Fair. Using very simple cardboard looms, and a combination of wool and cotton for warp and weft, they wove either a bookmark or a simple bracelet. The workshop was a success and the kids loved it!

Here are some images of them weaving!

Little Black Fox

I was surprised late this afternoon, when I glanced out of the kitchen window to see the little black fox out back. I see him often, but passing through, on his or her, way else where. It discovered some dog food that was left out for a raven.

Gorgeous little beast.

black fox ... cross fox