Flying Rabbit Punch Needle

The thing I like best about punch needle embroidery is it's so easy to create and use your own designs. Then the finished designs can be made into many various items.

The technique is similar to rug hooking but on a much smaller scale. In my next post, I'll share some of the tools and a work in progress...

Birch Roosters Begin

This is the way it was. Kyla showed me a TV program that she had recorded on the DIY cable channel. The show was Woodsculpting and featured Chris Lubkemann, an extraordinary whittler/wood carver. He demonstrated how to whittle roosters from small branches. Here is the book he wrote and here is my first attempt. Not beautiful, but it does look like a rooster. I work with gray birch all the time, as you know, and in fact this rooster is made from, you guessed it, my  Xmas/Valentine's tree!!! Talk about recycle! There will be many more of these to come. The key is a sharp knife. And just a pocketknife will do. The roosters are usually painted in bright colors, and mounted on something, block of wood, etc. But for a first try, I think it looks like one. You can see the work of this carver at http://www.whittlingwithchris.com/

Valentine Tree

Here  you see the Valentine Tree with the hearts and read apples, strawberries and birds. This is a gray birch from the edge of the field. It was the Christmas tree until Feb 1. The ornaments are placed with a very long fishing rod. Apparently spring will come early this year, but from the looks of this picture, you wouldn't know it. Happy Valentine's Day!

Green Hearts for Valentine's Day

 What to do with your 2010 calendars? Here is something. Make green Valentines! This is the same pattern that Reba posted a while back. It's two half hearts woven together. Take your calendars and place the pattern over the print in such a way that the heart will show the picture.  Finding the red colors for the holiday was easy. The backsides are red wallpaper from the book of samples that I bought for crafts. These will all go on my gray birch EX-christmas tree, still standing with only red ornaments left over from the holiday. So this is really a green valentine's idea. See the pattern below. Have fun!