Teresa Kogut Inc.

Guess what has arrived?

admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:45:00 +0000

They’re here…….

the 2011 “From the Heart” calendar and…..

the 2011 “Country Bears” calendar!

Both are available now here on my site. Just click the “shop” button above and it will take you directly to the calendar page. As I have done in the past….I will sign each calendar as an added bonus! Thanks to all of you who have purchased calendars from me in the past, it is greatly appreciated!

New Punchneedle Patterns

posted August 4, 2010

Finally!!! I have them ready….new patterns for you….in plenty of time to create those handmade Christmas gifts! Hope you like ‘em. Click here to order.

Follow my blog for more updates…..

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:24:50 +0000

don’t miss out

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 03:38:59 +0000

posted May 21, 2010

I am so excited to tell you all that I started a new blog. This website has been my “blog” for over a year now and I intend to update it on a continuous basis but not as often as I use to. I will still add new products for sale on this site and share more “business” type information. The new blog will be more personal with photos, new works of art, etc. Also, I will announce on my new blog whenever I add new products for sale on this site so you won’t miss anything.

The reasons I started a new blog:

1. easier & quicker to upload photos

2. can upload videos (once I figure out how to download and edit)

3. can change the layout and format easily

4. more options for adding links on the sidebars

5. easier for you to post comments and read other people’s comments

Click here to check it out. Hope you like it as much as I do. Make sure you add it to your favorites!

A GREAT DAY

posted May 10, 2010

Me & My Boys

Mother’s Day at my parents house

Mom & I

Mom & I again……just love this picture!!

Thanks Kevin for taking the photos. We had a great day at my parents house just relaxing and spending time together. We usually plant flowers for my Mom but the temperature dropped last night and we woke up to frost so we are waiting for warmer weather.

PROUD TO BE HER DAUGHTER….

posted May 8, 2010

A Mother’s love is….

kind,

gentle,

pure,

patient (well, we try)

unconditional,

nurturing,

self-sacrificing,

faithful,

hopeful,

prayerful

and never-ending.

Thank you Mom for all you do. My goal in life is to raise Kyle & Ryan to the best of my ability and hope that they appreciate me as much as I appreciate you.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, MOM!

Do Good…..

admin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:54:49 +0000

“When I do Good”

acrylic on antique board 22″ x 16.25″

Ahhhh, another folk art acrylic…..I just love painting these! Still shooting for painting one of these a week…..I look forward to it every time. This quote is by Abraham Lincoln (I know…I use his quotes a lot…..but he is full of wisdom) Assuming a person knows right from wrong and knows the true meaning of “doing good”…if all people followed this simple idea, we could achieve world peace

JUST FINISHED

posted April 23, 2010

PN068-Just as Happy

punchneedle embroidery 5.25″ x 3″

created from this painting……

Pattern will be available in June. The summer needle art trade shows are coming so I will be doing a lot of punchneedle patterns for the shows. It is fun and relaxing to do this while watching television at night. You know me…..I can’t just sit there and do nothing!

FIVE NEW PATTERNS AVAILABLE NOW!

posted April 22, 2010

I finally added my new patterns to the site shop! Just click here to take a look

NEW FOLK ART PAINTING

April 19, 2010

“Park Folk Floral”

created for Park Designs for a hooked rug coming in 2011

FIRST BASS OF THE SEASON!

April 16, 2010

After school today, Ryan and his friends, Dillon & Holly, from next door went fishing in our pond. Ryan caught the first bass of the season. He was so excited! I love to see the kids outside having fun…….too chilly to swim in the pond but fishing is just as fun!

and of course he had to have a silly photo as well

POP GOES THE MENTOS

posted April 15, 2010

Ryan’s Science Project

At first Ryan used alka-seltzer because he didn’t know what mentos to use. Well this photo shows Ryan’s reaction the first time he used the mentos. It came out with so much more force than the alka-seltzer that it caught him off guard. Just love this photo!

This happened using alka-seltzer…..can you see the alien head?

We did this experiment three times…..once with alka-seltzer, once with mentos (but didn’t have an accurate way of measuring) and the third time he got it right. Kevin attached a tape measure to a piece of wood so Ryan could measure the height of the pop shooting up. He used four different kinds of pop and the winner was diet Dr. Pepper. It shot up 6.5 feet!!

LOVIN’ THE FOLK ART…….AND GREAT QUOTES

posted April 14, 2010

“A House Divided”

acrylic on antique board 21.75″ x 15.5″

Another great quote from Abraham Lincoln inspired this painting. I believe he was speaking of our government when he said this, however, not only on Capitol Hill does his statement ring true. “A house divided against itself cannot stand” is true for every household in the world. We, as families, need to work together, play together, spend time together, love one another and have each others back. If we all put our families first, not only our lives and our families lives would be more full-filling but our country would be stronger and better for it.

Peace to you and yours……

AND THE WINNERS ARE….

posted April 12, 2010

Congratulations to Lisa Harris, Charlotte Blevins and Kristin Koglin….your names were drawn for a free Country Bears calendar! I will ship them out tomorrow…….. enjoy!

BACK FROM MISSOURI

posted April 12, 2010

My cousin Shelly, Aunt Marsha, Greg, Dad, Kyle, Mom, Trey, Me,

Ryan & Uncle JR

(Kevin was our photographer)

Aunt Marsha, Trey & Uncle JR

Trey & Ryan coming back from a walk……boys are not afraid to get dirty!

Me & My Hubby

Kyle, Ryan & their cousin Trey

Our “furry children” got to go to Missouri, too.

We had a wonderful Easter vacation in Bernie Missouri with family. We followed my parents down to visit my Dad’s sister and family. It had been two years since Kevin, the boys & I had been there. The weather was sunny & warm so we spent a lot of time outdoors. Our family may be small but we are big on love!

HAPPY EASTER!

posted April 2, 2010

HE IS RISEN!

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation”

Mark 16:15

“Angel in Blue”

acrylic on canvas 20″x 20″

Wishing you all a blessed Easter! We have so much to be grateful for……reflect on your blessings during the Easter season.

Kyle’s birthday today!

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:11:03 +0000

Why does 17 sound so much older than 16? I guess because he is that much closer to 18?!?! Anyway, my “baby” is 17 today. Happy Birthday to you, Kyle!!

Below is a cute photo of Kyle and Buster in 2005

MARCH GIVE-A-WAY

posted March 30, 2010

I am giving away three 2010 Country Bears calendars

see below for details

back calendar jacket shows all 12 months

All you have to do is email me one word that describes “Spring” to you. Please type “give a way” in the subject line. Thanks for entering and good luck!

My email address is tkiemail@yahoo.com

Drawing will be after Easter break on Monday, April 12

A CLEAN HEART

posted March 25, 2010

“A Clean Heart”

Acrylic on antique board

Close-up

I am feeling renewed this spring……Lent is a time of renewal, sacrifice, almsgiving, & penance…..a time to ask God to create in us a clean heart. I am also feeling renewed in my creativity. I have been painting acrylic folk art on antique wood boards….I have 10 finished so far and every one I finish is my new favorite!

QUILT TOP FINISHED!

posted March 24, 2010

“Quilting Bee” flannel quilt

by Teresa Kogut

Finally….I have finished my quilt top! This is the first quilt I’ve ever made and I have Sharon to thank! Sharon taught three of us how to quilt. We met once a week at her home for a couple of hours to make sure we were on the right track, to show us the next step and to share tips and tricks. I loved the process! I worked two-three hours at a time just once a week on Sunday afternoons or early early in the morning and the next thing I know….it’s done! This photo shows only 1/2 of the quilt…..I laid it over a rail to take the picture. Once it is quilted (which I am hiring out) I will take a picture of the entire quilt.

MY HOW THEY GROW

posted March 23, 2010

First Day of School 2004

I stumbled upon this photo while searching for something on my computer…..wow, when I saw this picture and realized it was only 5 1/2 years ago…tears welled up in my eyes. The years go by so fast……and to think 6 years from now they will both be graduated!! Ok….I need to stop thinking about it….too depressing!!

I love you, my boys!

MORE ORIGINALS ON ETSY

posted March 19, 2010

“Dream Big”

This would be great hanging in a child’s room as a constant reminder to always dream big!!!! I added this painting along with three others this week to my Etsy Shop.

GIVING UP SOME OF MY BABIES….

posted March 12, 2010

“Garden of Dreams”

I am in the process of thinning out the mountains of originals that I have painted over the past 14 years of my licensing career (I have over 2,000). It is hard to part with them, but what good are they stored in a portfolio when someone could enjoy having an original hanging on their wall. I sell prints of some of my artwork as well, but there is nothing like the color and detail of an original painting. I plan to add original paintings twice a week to my Etsy shop. Click here to check them out!

NOTE: All originals sold are to be used for personal use only, no commercial use whatsoever. I retain all copyrights on my original artwork and will still offer these paintings to my licensees via digital files.

STAND FIRM

posted March 11, 2010

“Stand Firm”

acrylic on antique wood 31″ x 24″

Here is the process……

I painted a layer of chocolate brown, then drew the image

My favorite part is when I have all the acrylic colors in place then I start sanding which reveals the wood grain and colors underneath. Topped this one off with a layer of stain to further the antique look. The quote is from Abraham Lincoln…..my fave!

MARCH ALREADY?

posted March 1, 20110

I wanted to update you all on my progress in making my first quilt. It is slow going….mostly because I don’t have a lot of time available to work on it. I am in the process of sewing my A block and four patch blocks together into rows…then sewing the rows together. After that all I’ll have to do is cut and sew the borders. YAY! I am really enjoying the process and I just love my sewing machine…..I’m hooked!

MAKIN’ FRIENDS

posted March 1, 2010

Yesterday afternoon before the Olympic hockey game between USA and Canada, Ryan and I made a new friend. The weather was perfect….mid 30’s which melted the snow enough to pack firmly…matter of fact I got too warm and took my coat off! In support of our great country and in hopes that team USA would win the game we sported our snow buddy with an American flag. As you can see, Ryan had fun posing for the photos……….I couldn’t decide which picture I liked best so I posted them all. Enjoy!

Fun Fabrics…

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:13:02 +0000

Just Arrived! My sample yardage of “Tis the Giving Season” fabric line from Marcus Fabrics! Time to get busy on those Christmas projects so there’s no rushing at the last minute! Check your local quilt shop :p

NEW PAINTING

posted February 19, 2010

“Responsibility”

phase I

“Responsibility”

phase II

“Responsibility”

phase III

“Responsibility”

DONE!!

”Responsibility”

Close-up

I am keeping my new year’s resolution of spending Fridays creating from-the-heart artwork! I am loving it, too. I thought you might like to see the process from start to finish. “Responsibility” is antiqued acrylic on canvas measuring 12″ x 30″.

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!

posted February 18, 2010

Congratulations to Mary Lou! Your name was drawn for the Legacy give-a-way! Thank you to all the folks that entered the drawing….I hope to do one a month so check back often!!

IT’S A GIVEAWAY!

posted February 12, 2010

Free Legacy products to a lucky winner! The give-a-way includes a 100 page spiral notebook, tiny spiral notepad, list pad, magnetic closure notepad w/pencil, and boxed notecards!

All you need to do to enter the drawing is email me at tkiemail@yahoo.com, put “give-a-way” in the subject line and put your name & three things that make you happy in the body of the email! The drawing will be next week! Good Luck!

THE BEGINNING….

posted February 11, 2010

“My First Quilt”

The beginning of what, you ask?…….maybe a new addiction…….well…here it goes…..I am in the process of making my first quilt! I know it may surprise some of you that I am not a quilter since I have been designing quilting fabric for 13 years now (wow, time flies!). I love everything about quilts…..I love the pattern of color, I love the feel of the fabric, I love the heirloom quality of a quilt. I always knew some day I would become a quilter. Actually, my Mom and I were going to take a class and learn together but she had surgery on her hand so we put it off….now she & my Dad are spending the winter months in Florida (don’t worry, Mom, when you get back in the spring, we are still taking that class together). I feel a bit guilty getting a head start on her but a wonderful opportunity fell in my lap and I couldn’t resist. I go to Curves three days a week after I drop Ryan off at school, so I have been working out with the same ladies for the past three…maybe four years and they have become my friends. At Christmas time, Sharon (our quilt instructor) invited us ladies to her house for coffee, monkey bread and good conversation. During this gathering, Marsha said “Hey Sharon, when are you going to teach us to quilt?” (you see, Sharon brings in her quilts to Curves when she finishes them and we all google over what a beautiful job she does). Sharon, being the giver that she is, said, “Anytime……when can you start?” So that is how it happened. We meet at Sharon’s house once a week for further instruction and we go home and work away on what she has taught us. I am really enjoying what I am learning and I am so excited to finally be quilting!!

The photo above is the flannel fabric I am using for my quilt. It is called “Quilting Bees” and I designed it for South Sea Imports at least 10 years ago. I will post photos of my progress. Oh and by the way…..my sewing machine is sooooo happy to be out of it’s case! It hasn’t seen the light of day for over three years!

COME ON SPRING

posted February 10, 2010

I am excited to share with you all the new spring Legacy products! They create the most usable, organizational, beautiful products ever and I am so happy they chose my artwork to create a garden-themed collection (makes me want to dig in the dirt). These babies are shipping now to gift shops across the nation! Shown in this photo back to front, left to right: note card set, recipe box with recipe cards, book marker, magnetic dry erase board set (the board has a pocket for cards and/or appointment cards, also includes two small magnets and a dry erase list pad), large magnetic list pad, small magnetic list pad, “Gardener” journal with pen, small spiral notebook, tiny spiral notepad, coasters, another purse-size notepad, and a magnetic phone number pad. Whew! That’s a lot of product!

They are even more beautiful in person……….AND if you are lucky you will see them in person, too! You have a chance to win five of these products next week! I will be doing a give-a-way starting Friday and running into next week! Details to come!

WONDERFULLY WICKED….

posted February 10, 2010

”Wonderfully Wicked”

by Teresa Kogut for Marcus Fabrics

Ooooooh, check out my new Halloween fabric! I just received sample yardage of “Wonderfully Wicked” and wanted to share it with you. Check your local quilt shops for this new line…it is shipping now! I can just see these brightly colored fabrics in a quilt, or made into pillow cases, pajama bottoms, tote bags…….oh the possibilities!!

A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN

posted February 8, 2010

Today is my Mom’s birthday! Wishing you a fun-filled sunny day, Mom!

YAY! NEW NECKLACES ON ETSY!

posted February 3, 2010

These pendants (and others) have been done since before Christmas but I just haven’t had the time to finish them into necklaces. However, when I looked at my Etsy shop yesterday and saw that I only had two items left for sale I decided to take a little time today to finish, photograph, and post them. I still have seven pendants just patiently waiting to be finished……..their time will come……….click here to go to my Etsy shop.

A GREAT INSPIRATION

posted February 03, 2010

“Happy People”

24″ x 36″ acrylic on canvas

Quote from Abraham Lincoln

”Happy People” close up

You know the question “if you could meet anyone dead or alive, who would it be?”……my answer is Abraham Lincoln. He was a fascinating, intelligent, and fair-minded gentleman that left us with many great quotes to inspire us to become better people. His words are timeless…….

The best yet….

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:59:25 +0000

”Christmas Joys” Cookie Jar

”Christmas Joys”

“Christmas Joys” dip bowl with spreader

”Christmas Joys” dessert plates and mug

I know it is a bit early to be thinking about Christmas 2010, however, I just had to share with you what Park Designs has done with my “Christmas Joys” artwork! I have been designing for Park over 7 years now and I have to say this year’s line is my favorite! The attention to detail is amazing….the sculpted pieces of the polar bears and snowman are as perfect as they can be…..thank you so much Park Designs for believing in my art…you always do a fantastic job! Also a big thank you to all of you who purchase my serving pieces from Park Designs…..without you, none of this would be possible!

Keep your eye out for this line of Christmas serving pieces at your local gift shop this fall!

Blessings, Teresa

RYAN’S 12!

posted January 22, 2010

My o’ my where does the time go? My lil’ one is not so little anymore….Ryan turned twelve yesterday! He is a wonderful young boy with a heart full of kindness and joy. I love you more than words can express, Ryan! Happy Birthday, my sweet boy!

CALENDAR SALE!!

posted January 20, 2010

January 2010 Country Bears calendar image

Last month I posted that I was about to sell out of the 2010 Country Bears calendars…..well…..guess what I found?? For some odd reason I had put 20 calendars in a different area of the studio (a testament to my organizational skills, lol) Well, since we are so far into January, I thought I would offer these last 20 calendars at the sale price of $9.00. Gotta love a sale!

Have a great day……Teresa

WINTER IN MICHIGAN

posted January 18, 2010

Ryan & Mr. T. Ferguson

My parents are spending the winter in Florida and this morning my Mom sent me a text of the beach and wrote “it’s sunny and 60 degrees today”. So when I got home, I sent her this picture and wrote “it’s not sunny and 28 degrees here”. Aahhh, longing for springtime here in Michigan……..

PRAY FOR HAITI

posted January 14, 2010

“NEVER CEASE PRAYING”

Thessalonians 5:17

WELCOME 2010!

posted January 6, 2010

Ahhh, a new year….a fresh start…..a time to look at the past year and make some changes and set new goals. I love this time of reflection and time of planning. I always ask myself….”what do I want to accomplish this year?”……or, “what changes can I make in order to reach my goals…personal & business?”

As I have mentioned in past blogging that I would love to have more time to paint from the heart. I have set a new goal for 2010 to spend every Friday doing just that. I am working on an entirely new style using acrylics on canvas or wood. My goal is to have 20 paintings done before Surtex in May. This is a show where agents meet with past and potentially new licensees to look at art for their products. I would love to make a splash with my new style. My other goal is to have 45-50 paintings ready for the Market Square Grass Roots show in February 2011. I wanted to do this show in 2010 but I didn’t make it my focus last year therefore I was not prepared. Market Square is a wholesale show and is not open to the public, but only to store merchants. This is the show I did way back in 1994 when I got started. I am really looking forward to going back!

Those are my business goals…….personal goals…..well, one is that my husband and I decided we need more time together (he started a new career in real estate so we don’t have as much time together as we use to) so we are going to have “date night” every second Thursday of the month! We will alternate each month who does the planning for the evening…..I am so excited, we will have fun surprising each other!

Another REALLY common goal for the new year is losing weight…….shedding those extra pounds I gained from Thanksgiving through New Years. I workout 5-6 days a week so that is not a problem for me…I just love to eat! So I am looking to eat more healthfully this year. We got a Wii Fit board and Wii Active for Christmas…..what a blast! So fun to do with the family….so my goal is to play around on that after dinner at least three times a week. We played it last night……geez are the koguts competitive!!!

If you are looking to be inspired, I recommend Earl Nightingale’s, “The Strangest Secret”. Below is one of my favorite quotes from his book.

“The only person who succeeds is the person who is progressively realizing a worthy ideal. That’s the person who says, ‘I’m going to become this’ - and then begins to work toward that goal.”

– Earl Nightingale, Author of The Strangest Secret

I wish you all a healthy, happy and prosperous 2010 and I hope you reach all your goals, too!!

Merry CHRISTmas!!

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:05:39 +0000

It has been a while since my last post…..tis the season to be overwhelmed!! Those of you who follow my blog may be wondering if I met those deadlines over a week ago like I had hoped……..sorry to say, no, I am still working on them. SO….I am making it my number one New Year’s resolution to paint “from the heart” one day a week…..no matter what! I have chosen Friday to be my “from the heart” day……I will keep you posted as to how that is working out.

Now onto better things……..

Wish I could have found our Santa hat to put on the babies for their Christmas photo opt but it is missing. They are still adorable without it

The photos below are of ornaments……one of my favorite things. Can you ever have too many ornaments? We have an annual tradition of going to “The World’s Largest Christmas Store”, Bronner’s, in Frankenmuth, Michigan. We all pick a new ornament for the tree……my parents go, too, and they let the boys choose a new ornament as well. So over the years we have collected a wide variety of ornaments. We also have a nice collection of my licensed ornaments, but the most priceless and precious ornaments are the ones that my children have made over the years….take a look……

One last thing before I go……I have heard (and felt myself at times) that the Christmas Season is rushed, busy & stressful……that Christmas has become too commercialized and all about the presents……..some folks even get down right grumpy and rude…….”happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”….etc, etc. A friend said something that really put it in perspective…….”be true to YOUR beliefs, don’t worry about what others are doing”……..say “Merry Christmas”, take time to enjoy the great things about Christmas like gathering with family & friends, Christmas music, drive around looking at Christmas lights, enjoy your church functions………remember it all (always) gets done and everything works out, no reason to stress. We are preparing for the greatest gift in the world….Jesus…..and if we keep that in our foremost minds and hearts, we will no doubt have a joyous Christmas Season.

I wish that for all of you…….Merry CHRISTmas!!

NEW ON ETSY

posted December 10, 2009

Even though my deadlines haven’t been met yet this week, I had to take a few hours today to finish these necklaces and upload them to my Etsy shop. I have had the pendants done (along with nine other non-Christmas ones) for over a month now but I’ve been so busy that I couldn’t find the time to finish them. But since Christmas is only two weeks away I had to at least finished the Christmas ones……yay! Hope you like them, click here to check them out.

CALENDAR UPDATE

posted December 8, 2009

“Jack Frosty Sledding”

The last few posts are of artwork I had done a few months ago….they are just now “in season”, so I thought I’d share them with you. I also want to give y’all a heads up…..my “From the Heart” calendar is SOLD OUT, and I only have a handful of “Country Bears” calendars left so don’t miss out, get yours now. Thank you to all of you who have already purchased one of my calendars

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

posted December 7, 2009

“Santa & Friends”

OK…..are you wishing me luck to get through the week and meet all my deadlines? Here it comes, ready or not.

I would like to thank all of you who follow my blog, purchase from my website shop, etsy shop or ebay shop and to all of you who have purchased a product elsewhere featuring my artwork. Without you I wouldn’t be able to do what I do so I very much appreciate all of you. God Bless.

HAPPY DECEMBER!!

posted Dec 4, 2009

“Holly Jolly Snowman”

How time flies! I haven’t posted in over a week! I am swamped here at the studio working on a new fabric line, finishing up my Legacy 2012 calendar (I know….I still don’t have it done yet!) and designing 30 greeting cards for a boxed card set. Whew! However, I see light at the end of the tunnel. I am hoping to have all this completed by the end of next week…….at least that is the plan. Then… my favorite time in the world……..painting “from the heart”……meaning painting whatever strikes my fancy…..not thinking “will this license?” , “are these colors trendy?”, or “will anyone like this?”. Nope. None of those thoughts, just me, the canvas, brushes and paints. I crave this kind of creativity 11 months out of the year……so I can’t wait!!! I don’t get many opportunities to paint “from the heart” because I am so busy meeting deadlines and painting for a specific product. Wish me luck in meeting my goal next week so I can unleash my creativity!

Also my favorite time in the world is Christmas. I am looking forward to all the wonderful things that come along with this time of year. This weekend we are decorating the house and putting up the tree, next week is Ryan’s Christmas concert at school (love, love, love this), next weekend my friends are coming over for a sisterhood Christmas gathering……oh what fun!

Wishing You a Blessed Day!

admin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:29:14 +0000

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and takes a moment or two out of the busy day to give thanks for all the blessings God has given us. Look around you….blessings are everywhere.

ADVENT TEA AT HOLY ROSARY

posted November 23, 2009

Mom & I at the 2nd Annual Advent Tea

Definition from Wikipedia: Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming”) is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus; in other words, the period immediately before Christmas.

My Mom and I went to Holy Rosary’s Advent Tea yesterday afternoon. Neither one of us had ever been to an Advent Tea before but we are sure glad we were invited this year (thank you Carol & Keri). The “Recipe for an Advent Tea” was printed on the programs they handed out and I want to share it with you so you have an understanding of what takes place at this event.

Recipe for An Advent Tea

Ingredients:

24 Tables

Teapots full of Hot Tea

Candlelight & Seasonal Decor

Music, Singing and Prayerful Entertainment

Lovingly combine all above ingredients with Christian women. Full recipe makes an unlimited number of hearts ready for the Advent Season.

Thank you to the ladies that organized this wonderful event. Thank you to the amazing singers and musicians. Thank you to the men that served coffee, hot water for tea, and ice water to all the tables. Thank you to all the ladies that hosted a table and invited eight women to join them in the celebration. Everyone brought a “dish to pass” (yummo!) and non-perishable food items for the Food Pantry. Each table was beautifully decorated and were so unique. There were Christmas trees and twinkle lights everywhere! There was time for reflection on the different gifts God has given us….such as Acceptance, Time, Talent, Faith, Laughter, Patience, Hope, & Forgiveness. The fellowship and joyful spirit of this event was a fantastic way to prepare for Advent and to help keep our focus on what is really important during the Christmas Season………God’s love for us shown in His perfect gift to us….JESUS!

ANOTHER NEW PUNCHNEEDLE

posted November 21, 2009

“Springtime Robin”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

posted November 20, 2009

“Birthday Blow-out”

Today is the birthday of someone very special to me…..my agent, my friend. Linda came into my life many years ago as the most cheerful, fun-loving, hard-working sales rep I’ve ever met. She soon afterwards became my licensing agent. We have worked together now for 13 years and our business relationship has blossomed into a beautiful friendship. I wish you a blessed day today as you celebrate your birthday, Linda. Wish I could be there in NC to give you a hug…..and buy you a glass (or two) of wine.

ANOTHER SNEAK PEEK….

posted November 13, 2009

”Sunflowery Day”

“Crow to Crow”

Sneak Peek….

posted November 13, 2009

“Urn of Flowers”

“Liberty Wool”

I am working on new punchneedle embroidery patterns in the early morning while the boys get ready for school. I love these little works of art. Hopefully I will have these two available by December 1st along with four more. I will post more new as they get done.

Open Studio

posted November 7, 2009

photo by Ryan Kogut

We had our first open studio yesterday! It was so much fun that we are doing it again in the spring!

I have been designing quilting fabric for over 12 years now and I have four yard cuts of every fabric I have ever designed. Over the years I have donated fabric to quilt guilds and given the quilting members of my family fabric for various projects, but I still have hundreds of yards left. They have been stored in totes, some for as many as 12 years! I have been wanting to have a big sale for a long time but it took some wonderful ladies at Curves to give me the push I needed to host an open studio…..so, finally, I picked a date, made some flyers and viola…..open studio!! (OK…it wasn’t that easy…..after a few days of cleaning, organizing, digging out the 50 pound totes that where in storage and setting it all up….then viola…. open studio!)

You may be wondering……doesn’t Teresa use her fabric for sewing/quilting? Sad to say, no…..not yet. I love fabric….I love designing it, I love the feel of it, I love quilts, I have a sewing machine…..but guess what is lacking……..TIME! I know some day I will be a quilter….. actually after getting all of the fabric out and looking at it, I have a feeling it will be sooner rather than later. My Mom also wants to learn to quilt. She has even bought a new sewing machine so we are getting closer! Matter of fact, she is coming over tomorrow to help me put all the fabric that was left after the sale back into the totes, but before we do, we are each picking out enough fabric to make a quilt! We are excited to get started……maybe that will be our New Year’s Resolution

I want to thank all of the people that attended my open studio. So many nice people…some I knew and some I didn’t, but I got to know them while they were here. Many thanks to my Mom that helped with set up and was here all day yesterday for the sale, cutting and folding fabric. Thanks to Kevin for lugging the heavy totes from storage and also helping out yesterday. Ryan, wow, what a worker. Ryan helped with set up and was also there during the sale to help out. I feel very blessed.

Below are pictures I took this morning….after the sale. We sold many, many yards of fabric but from the pictures, you’d never know it!

This is a shot of the “everyday” fabrics.

This table held all the Christmas fabric. The chair on the right has a tin box where everyone that came could put their name in a drawing for a free Pansy Bear fleece blanket.

And the winner is…..Arlene P! Congratulations!

This side of the studio has three work stations. The one where the gorgeous “Dashing Through the Snow” quilt is hanging is Kevin’s station. The one in the middle is my acrylic work station and the one at the front is my jewelry making station. The entrance to the studio in just to the right of this photo. The small table held T-shirts, Halloween and Autumn fabrics.

This is looking at my main work station…….normally there is not fabric here but projects I am working on. For the open studio we used every flat surface we could find to display fabric. Calendars, Christmas cards, books, slates and journals were also for sale.

Christmas Fabric…….Joyful Angels, Dashing Through the Snow, Frosty Friends, Twelve Days of Christmas, Up of the Rooftop are shown in this picture.

Everyday fabric…..Small Friends, Quilting Bees, Garden Party, and Slice of Summer where manufactured by SSI over ten years ago!

This is just before you enter the kitchen. The two peg boards hold yarn that I have used for rug punching. They also hold some felted purses that I attached punchneedle embroidery to.

This is part of the kitchen just behind the below picture. I have a small round table with a green cupboard sitting on it to hold wool yarn. Next to the table is a bookshelf made out of old white barnwood….they, along with the two cupboards above, house yards and yards of wool yarn that I use for rug punching. Directly across from this is the refrigerator, microwave and oven.

This is a shot of one of my favorite finds while antiquing….I use this discarded comic book rack to house my punchneedle patterns. It also shows the Weeks Dye Works floss rack. Behind this is the studio kitchen.

This is what I love about being in my studio in the morning. As the sun rises over our pond and shines through the front windows and slider door, everything in the studio takes on a glow of warms hues. Even my stash of wonderful antique wood doors, bread boards and cutting boards look like a work of art just as they are. They are patiently waiting for me to put my brush and paint to them and give them new life………I am patiently waiting as well.

Pastels……gotta love ‘em. The vibrant color you get from pastels is as close to nature as you can get! I use these with my watercolors for that extra punch of color.

This is the left side of my main work station….phone, intercom, pens, pencils, markers, scissors, stapler, alarm clock, remotes and television…..definitely not artsy, but necessary.

This is the right side of my main work station…..where I paint the bulk of my licensed art. I use pastels and color pencils along with my watercolors for more detail and vibrant color. Behind this desk is my computer, printer, scanner and more non-artsy-but-necessary “stuff”.

This picture shows a portion of what is behind my main work station. You can see the scanner, postal scale and some new art ready for scanning. To the left of this is my computer and printer.

This is where I make jewelry. It looks out the front of the studio. I also store my portfolios of watercolor paintings here along with a cupboard full of watercolor paper. You can see a couple of santa sculptures that I created years ago (I miss making those whimsical figurines….maybe I will make some new sculptures for Christmas gifts this year). I store my jewelry making supplies in pottery crocks and bowls that I made at the Flint Institute of Arts.

This is the narrow pathway into my acrylic/shipping area. I keep all my boxes and packaging supplies here as well as frames, licensed products that I sell on ebay and acrylic supplies.

Oh, I love this picture!! This is my little acrylic station. I would like to spend more time working with acrylics…..hopefully this December after all my licensing commitments are met.

Hope you enjoyed the open studio tour!

HALLOWEEN NIGHT

posted November 2, 2009

Ryan’s Costume…..creeeeepy!

It was nice that Halloween fell on a Saturday this year. After trick-or-treating we all hung out together and played games and had a fun time!

Jolly Halloween to You!

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:13:08 +0000

“Jolly Halloween”

2012 “From the Heart” October calendar image

MOVED SOME PATTERNS FROM ETSY TO MY WEBSITE SHOP

posted October 29, 2009

PN058 - Scarecrow

PN057 - This Land

PN056 - Folk Floral

The above punchneedle patterns have been available for a couple of months on my Etsy shop…..but I decided to keep all the pattens together here on my website. Just a head’s up to all you punchneedle enthusiasts.

Just click here to order these patterns

CARVIN’ PUMPKINS

posted October 27, 2009

Kyle & Ryan’s creations

Ryan in action

Kyle carefully planning

and, of course, the best part about carvin’ pumpkins are the roasted seeds….yummo!

FUN WEEKEND

posted October 26, 2009

Zorro & the Good Witch

Saturday evening we went to the Holy Rosary Halloween Dance. It’s fun to get dressed up and be someone or something else for an evening. (well, the fun started once we got out of the driveway…….you know how it goes when you’re in a hurry……my eye makeup started out to be much less, but the more I put on one eye, the more I had to add to the other eye to “balance” it out, then I’d get too much and have to add more to the other eye - kind of like cutting your bangs when you were a kid and the next thing you know your bangs are an inch long…..then I could only find one of my black high heel shoes, then when I got in the car my hat was too tall and fell off, I sat on one “witchy” sleeve and shut the other sleeve in the car door!) But all is well and the dance was a blast…….I only had to cast a couple of evil spells…….

Today is my Dad’s 72nd birthday. We celebrated yesterday at my folks house with dinner, cake & ice cream and a fun game of scattergories (that game makes my brain hurt).

Happy Birthday, Dad! XOXOX

Some paintings have more meaning than others…..

posted October 23, 2009

“Spring Hope”

“From the Heart” April 2012 calendar image

I am working furiously on the 2012 calendar. I know, seems so far away……..but the art is due November 1. So far I have only five paintings finished. Thought I would share one of them with you today.

“Hope” is a comforting word……without hope we can feel lost, frightened and sad. When I think of “hope”, I think of springtime, warm breezes, flowers, robins, re-birth, and Easter (all very comforting things). However, for me, I also think of my Mother-in-law……her maiden name was Hope. She also brought comfort, she had a passion for gardening and flowers and she hosted many Easter celebrations at her home.

The sign in this painting was actually a gift we had given to her years ago. It returned to us upon her passing two years ago this November. We miss her dearly. Our hearts hold precious memories of her and we have comforting mementos to remind us of her smile, her graciousness, her generosity, her kindness, her sense of humor and most of all, her love for God and family.

SOURCE OF AMUSEMENT….

posted October 22, 2009

Yesterday afternoon I let my dogs, Buster and Daisy, out of the studio…..it was a warm fall day and they were anxious to get out. Shortly afterwards I heard them barking frantically so I went to check it out…. I saw them barking and jumping at a long metal pipe in which they thought a chipmunk was hiding inside. You see, for the past year or more we have had problems with chipmunks burrowing underneath my studio. They have dug several tunnels under my studio and now my husband’s barn. I know, I know, chipmunks are adorable. When I first starting seeing them hanging around the studio I was happy because they are sooo darn cute….little did I know they were reeking havoc under the foundation of my studio. Daisy our lab mix has caught one and ran another into a birdhouse for my husband to take care of and yesterday she was trying to get a third one (I have no idea how many we have). Well, the chipmunk was not in the metal pipe, but it must have been hiding in there at one time and the scent was still fresh because my dogs were going bonkers! Daisy was on one end of the pipe and Buster was at the opposite end. Whenever Daisy would move the pipe, Buster would start barking and jumping at it with his front paws. Below are a few pictures of the amusing site.

NEW PUNCHNEEDLE PATTERNS

posted October 20, 2009

“Primitive Santa”

punchneedle embroidery pattern

Finally….I have four new PNE patterns available for purchase..thank you for your patience. Just click here to check them out.

Ready to be impressed?…..

posted October 19, 2009

Click here to see….

Never too early to start Christmas Shopping!

posted October 16, 2009

Santa with Deer pendant necklace

Old Friend pendant necklace

I just added three new necklaces to my Etsy shop today! Check it out here.

New Fabric Coming to a Store Near YOU!!!

posted October 13, 2009

I am so excited about this line!!! It has been several years since I have designed a northwoods-themed fabric line and this one is so gorgeous! I love the warm colors and more realistic-style animals. Every man would welcome a quilt made with this masculine fabric. Oh, if only I had a cabin in the woods….I would make curtains, pillow cases, table runners and more! Hope you love it as much as I do!

(will be in quilt shops end of March 2010)

I will be putting similar ads together to feature the new Halloween line “Wicked & Wonderful” and the new Christmas line “Tis the Giving Season” and posting them soon. It’s a Good Day!!

Congrats!

posted October 13, 2009

Thank you to all of you who entered your name in the tote giveaway! The winner is…….Denise Wailgum!

Congratulations, Denise, your tote will ship today! Thanks again, everyone!

Grab a Kleenex

posted October 9, 2009

I just viewed the below skit on youtube and it brought tears to my eyes…….so real….so scary….then….so comforting. Click link below to view.

Lifehouse’s Everything Skit

GIVE-A-WAY!!

posted October 8, 2009

Peek-a-Boo Pansy Bear

Tote Bag Giveaway

I know…..it’s fall…..and this tote is not very fall-like….but do pansies ever go “out of season”? Anyway, I love this tote…it will hold your favorite magazines and important papers with ease because of it’s shape….it measures 14″ wide x 16.5″ tall x 4.5″ deep. I designed this tote exclusively for Books Are Fun back in 2006! I hope the winner will enjoy the warm summery feel of this tote all through the coming winter months.

All you need to do to qualify for this giveaway is email me at tkiemail@yahoo.com….please put “tote giveaway” in the subject so I don’t mistake your email entry for spam. Then, in the body of the email, in three words only, tell me three things you are most grateful for. Don’t forget to sign your name at the end. The drawing will be Monday, October 12 and the winner will be announced on my blog on Tuesday! Good Luck Everyone!

Happy Fall Y’all!

posted October 3, 2009

”Old Friend”

Just a quick note to let y’all know I have new jewelry available on Etsy (a couple are Halloween pendants…..just in time for trick-or-treating). Just click here.