An Update on Miss Grace

I've been able to make a good amount of progress on Grace Bridges this week but am starting that huge house so I'm likely to slow down a bit now.  I started the roof and put some different colors in for the chimneys, one is the gold called for in the conversion and one is a brighter gold.  I'm not sure which I like best yet so I may just finish the roof and work around the house for now until I decide.  She sure is a fun sampler to stitch with many more fun motifs to come! 

If you follow my adventures with my dog Sage, you know that we've been having fun with Agility.  I'll be the first to admit that we have a long way to go before thinking about going to a trial.  But, it's such a good activity for us.  First of all, it wears Sage out both mentally and physically so she's content and good (and so I can actually get some stitching time in).  Also, it's just a lot of fun!!  So, to practice more often and improve our skills I've gotten a few pieces of equipment to practice in the backyard with.  Well, our tunnel arrived and we have had fun playing in it so far.  You'll notice that it's purple, one of my favorite colors.   Go Sage go!!  :D

Grace Learns Her ABCs

Yay!  I finished the alphabet on Grace Bridges!  Now onto more fun motifs like that awesome red peacock!  I'm loving the colors in this sampler although I'm thinking of playing around with the gold used for the house.  I'd like to keep it bright and the conversion I'm using has a bit more muted gold.  Still pretty but I might make change it to make mine a bit more vibrant. 

I had a helper when I was trying to take this picture.  He's always got to help me if I'm not paying attention to him.  :)

I'm sure you've now heard about all the devastation from the wildfires in Colorado and this week there was a new one visible from my place.  Not to worry, we're not in any danger here from this one and of this writing it's nearly contained.  Here's a photo of how it looked not long after it started.  Actually, when it first started the smoke came directly toward my neighborhood and then the winds shifted and blew it more north which is when I took this picture.  So, we've been smelling a bit like a campfire but that's a small inconvenience compared to the devastation others have experienced this fire season.  Hopefully we'll get some rain soon! 

And, last weekend Sage and I attended Paws In the Park, an event that benefitted the Longmont Humane Society.  It was Hot.  102 or right around there.  But we had fun!  We performed our Flash Mob demo with our ACES class and then lounged in the shade and then did two demos with the Zoom Room team.  Zoom Room is where Sage and I learned agility and really caught the bug.  If you're interested in trying agility this is the place to have fun doing it!  I didn't get a picture of our flash mob demo but here are a few pics of us doing agility, courtesy of Marnie at Zoom Room.  :)  First, here's the team, Sage and I are second from the left and she's wearing something called a cool coat that really helps keep her comfortable in the heat! 

Next up, my favorite action shot of the day!  She really ran fast on that grass!

And lastly, Sage and I have a lot of fun together, can you tell?

 

Mary Ann Blackburn Start and a Peacock Finish!

This week I have a teeny little start on Mary Ann Blackburn by Blackbird Designs to show you.  I have the most lovely piece of 40 count R&R Sheep's Straw linen that I'm stitching it on.  It's nicely aged and overdyed and to make it a bit more splotchy I spritzed it with water.  OK, that was an accident but I like the way it turned out and am loving these colors on it!  I'm stitching it with the called for Gentle Arts Sampler Threads by the way and even though I haven't gotten very far yet I think this one will go quickly!  I initially wasn't sure about the rooster/peacock that is in the center of the sampler (on top in my photo) but in the end I'm very glad that I stitched it as charted.  I did think about swapping it out for one of the peacocks in Grace Bridges or the one in the Peacock Pinkeep but decided to leave it as is and am happy I did.  Of course, now I am jonesing to start Grace Bridges.  Good thing I have that all kitted and ready to go as she may be next!  :)

I must be on a peacock kick because I also started and finished the Blackbird Designs Peacock Pinkeep in the last week.  I also did the bonus needlebook chart while I was at it.  If you're not familiar with this piece, the peacock pictured in the upper right of this picture is the top and the band at the bottom wraps around to form the sides of the pinkeep.  When it's all done it will look like a drum.  Normally I would crop this photo but as I was taking these pictures I had the pieces laid out on the couch to get a decent snap and the kitty was looking for attention, that's her foot peeking in the very bottom of the photo so I had to leave it in.  :)

I purchased this chart, the pattern and the Belle Soie when I was at Attic Needlework back in January and it's been in my bag to stitch every since.  Now she's stitched and will go off in the mail to my finisher this week.  I can't wait to get her back and display her! 

This week I dog-sat for my second favorite dog in the world and I happened to pick up a new piece of training equipment over the holiday weekend.  I was working "off contacts" with both dogs and had them each on an end.  Maverick sat down as I took this but I thought it was a cute photo and thought I'd share a bit of what I do in my free time when I'm not stitching.  You can see more about my adventures with Sage over at my dog blog.  Enjoy!

All About Agility

Recently Maverick came to visit and over Memorial Day I had gone to pick up the new agility training equipment that I had ordered.  This is a contact trainer which is half dog walk and half mini a-frame and the idea is to use a home sized piece of equipment to train your dog on their contacts.  Well, I had been working Sage on this for a couple days and with Maverick over I decided to play.  After just a few attempts he was getting the idea.  Such a smartie pants!  He sat down as I took this picture but I thought it was fun for both dogs to show how awesome they are!  And, they really are!  :) 

Of course, once we went inside both dogs totally passed out.  This is just one of the things I love about doing agility with Sage, it wears her out both mentally and physically!

Sage and I are going to attend an agility clinic to work on our skills and thoroughly wear both of us out.  It's mandatory to have a crate so the dogs get some down time during the breaks and at lunch.  Well, all I have at home is a wire crate that isn't even mine and that's heavy to bring to something like this.  So, my instructor recommended that I go pick up this lightweight, portable crate at Walmart for use at the clinic.  I got her the X-Large size for the low price of $26.88 and even better it's pink!!  Here's a picture of the cat getting crate trained... he is always the first to try any sort of crate!