Tuesday, July 29, 2008

What inspires you?

I've just gotten back from a few days away at my Dad's camp. It's a place without indoor plumbing, without telephones and without computers. Going there is stepping back in time...a peaceful time.
It makes me see everything in terms of rugs. For instance this sunset would make a great rug....or...wow, how cool to try to capture that reflection in wool...in a rug of course.
What about that sky? Could I dye wool to make that sky? It's a little pink and a little lavender and what about the white pines? Could I use lots of antique black with a bit of blue and pink and hook what I see?
What about a really big water lily rug?
Or just a rug with lots of water lily leaves....the fallen cedars would look good in a rug too.
A pickerel weed rug? Don't laugh...I was thinking about it. Pickerel weed would look good hooked in a wide cut primitive style. I was inspired by the things I saw and the things I couldn't see. I found this plant at the west end of a small lake...a long time ago when the area was logged, horses were used to pull the logs out of the bush. Along the north shore a team of horses must have fallen through the ice. My dad told us where to look....parts of the old sleigh can still be seen in about 10 ft of water along the north shore. The day we were there it was breezy and we couldn't see it because there were too many ripples on the surface but I can imagine what it looks like. I think there's a rug in that story too.
Look for inspiration everywhere and take a camera wherever you go.
'nuf said

1 comment:

Cheryl said...

Wow, is all I can say. You have accomplished what I have only dreamed of. Hats off to you ladies. I have thoroughly enjoyed going through your pictures. I am so glad you ladies are pretty close to me that maybe in the future I can come by and say hi. Thank you for visiting my blog and all I can say about the gift show is make sure you take good walking shoes. It is huge, lots of things to look at and you leave with so many wonderful ideas. If you are ever in the need of some signs for your store, let me know and we can work out a wholesale price. I have many signs to choose from. I'm definitely bookmarking this blog as one of my favorites.

Please Step Back in Time

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A Hearty Welcome to New and Old Friends...join us for cider by the fire.

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A View of Our Shop

A View of Our Shop
Purchased from our local second hand furniture store (which by the way is chock full of possibilities for the vintage lover) this cabinet was a hideous green colour with rotten plywood on the backside. A lot of elbow grease and a complete re-working rendered it into this amazing distressed black/red cupboard. It's a BEAUT!!!

Another peek inside the shop.

Another peek inside the shop.
A nice mix of handmade, antique and found primitives combine to make this display. We purchase a few items from suppliers to fill in spaces....but the vast majority of our inventory is made by us...right here at 'The Door'.

Large Spindle Santa (formerly known as a table leg)

Large Spindle Santa (formerly known as a table leg)
Santa Spindles have become a shop specialty. They range from skinny to roly poly and from tiny hanging ones to massive freestanding newel posts. (Those are the big old fancy posts you can find at the foot of the stairs in big old houses like South Fork.)

Old Kitchen Cupboard Finds New Life

Old Kitchen Cupboard Finds New Life
We aquired the top of this cupboard at auction. Terry envisioned it transformed into a reproduction Pail Cupboard. When Terry envisions something...look out. With it's fresh coat of Wheatsheaf with Mallard Blue back the transformation was nothing short of spectacular. And yes...she planned that 2 mm clearance from the log beams. ;)

Another Make-do

Another Make-do
What do you get when you take an 1880's cupboard with the words "ye old preserves cupboard" written across the front in black Tremclad and pair it with a warped table with broken legs? Well...when you live in Terry's world you get this amazing secretary desk. The paint is Benjamin Moore Aura in Savannah. (What else would she use??)

It's a good drying day Margaret!

It's a good drying day Margaret!
Nothing beats hanging freshly dyed wool on the line. These bright yellows and greens will make fine additions to my next hooked rug!