Who is Orange Sink?

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Rice Lake, WI, United States
My home town is Rice Lake, a small town in northern Wisconsin. I own Red House Wool Studio~ an in-home wool and rug hooking business. I enjoy collecting and decorating with antiques and primitives. Orange Sink Blog is a journal of my interests and ramblings about life. Cathy Greschner

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Sunday, November 18, 2012

Open House Photos~At Last!

Our Open House and Studio Tour was a success in ways that probably won't be  fully appreciated until the months and days ahead.  People came, enjoyed, stayed and watched while our merry band of hookers pulled loops and stitched appliques!  We drank mulled cider and shared cookies and hot wild rice soup and marveled at the rugs and beautiful wool surrounding us!  All that was missing was the snow...... so I added some to the header photo..... LOL!
Welcome...... come in...... let us show you our studio, rugs and works of our hands! And perhaps entice you to pull a few loops of your own.....
Max could hardly contain himself all morning..... waiting and waiting for the first visitor to arrive!  Little did he know he was to be banned to the kitchen during the festivities....... much to his displeasure I might add!  He is overly friendly when people visit while his brother Smokey is quite shy and stands in the background and barks.  Dave came home early from deer hunting to keep them entertained  for the day! 
The living room was ready with antiques and goodies. A few things sold..... but unfortunately I have most of it left to decide what to do with!

Lisa loaned me her twig tree to decorate the entrance!  It looked so nice she said I could keep it through out the  Holidays  as she wasn't decorating with it this year!  Thank-you Lisa!
The old cook stove came in handy as a wool holder..... anything with a flat surface around here is now fair game for holding wool!
I don't know if I ever told you about the door to the garage.... behind the tree.  I painted it a few years ago  to look like old wood wainscoting. For some reason people are fascinated by it so I have left it that way.  Kind of a rustic charm I guess......

The wool is waiting and inviting!  There's a little bit more too.......
A former window turned into shelving holds more wool.  Hand dyed and  ready for hooking and projects!  Jill is keeping us supplied with a nice selection!  She dyes beautiful wool as some of you know who have purchase it.  Am I spoiled or what to have this all at my fingertips!

My old twig bench and early blue trunk came in handy as extra seating and a place to show off some wool applique! The rug on the back of the bench is Jill's garden rug! I believe she sells the pattern on her website NorthwoodsWool.Com

Jill has done some gorgeous wool applique work!  This is a Wool Crazy pattern. Her stitches are so perfect! I absolutely love this piece!
Another view of the living room and baker's cupboard.  Jill's rug "Got Wool" under the cupboard was sold!  She hooked it quite a few years ago and said she was ready to part with it!  It made me a little sad to see it go!  Loved the sheep!

I wanted to show you a picture of Lisa's second rug she hooked!  My "Wild Horses" pattern. It is a stunning rug!  The colors which I kind of winged when I helped her pick out wool really turned out neat don't you think?  I loved having it here for the open house!  Gosh..... I wanted to keep it!!!


There's more wool in the studio to pick from. I think I had every rug I ever hooked on display!

Here's a little view of my tiny check-out area.....  I always have my samples of Rebecca Erb and Heaven's to Betsy wool hanging on a bulletin board behind the counter.  It helps to me to recall the names of the wool and to know which ones we have!  Am I organized or what!  

Oh yes..... more wool I'm afraid..... Jill's marbeled wool hangs in the door way from a curtain rod. More dyed wool in reds and grays in the cupboard.  And it's kind of funny but we talk about how badly we need even more wool!! LOL!  Well..... we have to work hard to sell more and teach some more hookers so we can justify all this ordering of new wool!  We are just beginning and have high hopes this thing will grow!  
I didn't get photos while we had a full house of people. I was too busy talking and explaining things to everyone!  We were all all very busy helping people so when there was a break in the action the girls all sat down for some hooking and chatting.  
From left to right: Lisa's daughter Callie, Lisa. Jill. Penny. Lorena and Saundra.  Callie is our newest hooker by the way!  She pulled a couple of loops during the open house and she got hooked big time. She came by the studio today to purchase a kit! Her mother's enthusiasm has rubbed off on her! LOL! I had to giggle as they all looked so involved in their projects!  But let me tell you right here and now..... these are some serious hookers!  And the best friends and dearest ladies you will ever find in the world!
Many many many thanks to you all for all the help with the open house!  It was successful because of your help and enthusiasm!  
Good things ahead..... I feel it in my bones!  Hooking has taken a hold in the north woods of Wisconsin!  

Blessings!

Cathy G  



25 comments:

  1. absolutely wonderful, cathy!! everything looks so beautiful, so cozy and inviting and i so wish i could have stopped buy, to chat, pull some loops, share the goodies!!glad you already posted... i must confess that i kept on checking if there was an update from you!! i am so glad that you had a great day and a successful open house - including a new hooker - lol!! gosh do i wish i could dig into all your woolens there..yummy!! congrats to a great day!!

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  2. What a wonderful place to be together with friends.
    Blessings~Sara

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  3. Congrats on your open house. It all looks amazing. Even though I don't hook, I'm crazy for wool and hooked rugs and all that in one room is almost too hard to take. I would be drooling :) Looks like you ladies had fun and that's what it's all about.
    Best of luck and much success. It's really a beautiful studio.
    ~Nan

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  4. omg, this is just awesome........as a rug hooker....or not....I would have loved to be at your open house!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  5. Everything looks lovely, Cahy. Wish I was closer -- I would certainly have added some cash to your coffers! Good luck. Sarah

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  6. Cathy, your decorating skills are excellent! The studio looks so festive and inviting. I love the picture of Max waiting for visitors! LOL! How cute!
    I hope the open-house inspires new hookers for your classes in the coming year. How could anyone resist that lovely wool?

    Have a delightful Thanksgiving!

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  7. Cathy,
    Love, love , love all the pictures! You girls did a fabulous job displaying everything. It looks so wonderful! Oh how I wish I could have come. The ladies really do look very industrious hooking away in the one picture! I do so hope this will help you to introduce more folks to working with wool in your area. Thanks for sharing all the pics with us. It was almost like being there! Hugs, Lori

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  8. Morning Cathy, oh how festive looking, great job, full of wonderful Christmas goodies, Thanks for the tour........Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Blessings Francine.

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  9. Cathy,
    Looks like your "open studio" day was a success and so beautiful! I'm sure you are going to lure in more new hookers and stitchers....just seeing it is a "hook"!
    Beautiful photography!

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  10. Cathy it is even better than the best...so inviting and filled with wool...I'm sure this is the start of a long and wonderful studio full of wool lovers and rug hookers....congrats on your Open House...now...when are we having a little AAPG & Friends gathering???

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  11. Cathy, what a transformation over the past few years. It is the most beautiful studio. I was drooling over the displays (and all that wool). Only wish I was closer :)

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  12. That is so wonderful. It is hard not to have wool envy. What a lovely studio. I would love to jump on a airplane and just spend a day hooking there. It is just lovely.

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  13. You always make things so wonderful and magical...I wish I could have been there...I would have made quick work of all those shelves of wonderful wool!

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  14. Wow!!!wish I had your shop close by...I would be there in a heartbeat!! Congrats on the successful open house! You did an amazing job with your decor,,,wish I was as organized as you! Still love love your original version of the Wild horses pattern in blue hanging on your wall...you should sell some of your finished rugs online...I am sure they would go fast. Hugs Susan

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  15. Hooray fr hooking in the woods of Wisconsin!!! I'd be visiting every weekend if I lived closer! All that lovely wool... and I have to say I love that door! First look at the pic and I thought "How cool, a wainescoting door!"... then I read you faux painted it that way? Amazing! Had me fooled! :-) So anyways, I'm reading your blog on my lunchbreak at work... now I want to run home and hook! :-)

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  16. Cathy, you have the most beautiful studio and so very well organized. My jaw dropped and my mouth stayed open and I'm still drooling.
    You have found your calling for sure. The wool looks so nicely displayed. It would be hard to resist buying more wool.
    I was here earlier but didn't had time to leave a comment although I was so tempted.

    It has been so nice accompanying you in the birthing of your Little Red House Studio. I wish your graduating classmates could see you now.
    I love this success story and it makes my heart sing.
    Hugs.

    JB

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  17. Oops, I mean Red House Wool Studio, sorry.

    JB

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  18. Hi Cathy!
    OH MY GOODNESS!!! What GORGEOUSNESS!! I LOVE EVERYTHING!! Sorry for all the Caps, but I am just in AWE of everything!! All of your wool is just beautiful (I controlled myself from doing more capital letters!) and it looks so warm and inviting! How I wish I lived closer!
    So happy that all went well and all the work, display and time payed off! Congratulations!!
    Thanks so much for sharing!!
    Warm Hugs~~
    Julie

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  19. Wow, wow, and WOW! What spectacular pictures you have shared with us! Like everyone else who has commented, I sure wish I could have attended your open house - you did such a great job of organizing and decorating the studio to make it cozy and festive. Congrats on your success!

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  20. Hi Cathy, WOW...What an incredible creative space you have...so warm and inviting...I am so pleased to read your open house was a success. So many wonderful items, beautiful wool, lovely rugs, a rug hookers dream...so wish I lived closer, I bet you are incredible teacher too...Have a Happy Thanksgiving, greetings from Maine, Julie.

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  21. Cathy ~
    As others have said, "WOW!!!!!!!!" Everything looks fabulous and all that wonderful wool! I have purchased wool from Jill and I know what great wool she has!
    Lisa has done an excellent job on her second rug. I am SO impressed ~ it must be that good teachin'!
    Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
    Pug hugs :)
    Lauren

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  22. Wow those are some amazing photos, everything looks so wonderful. I hope just the first of many wonderful days to come. Blessings!

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  23. What a happy, creative place!
    Happy Thanksgiving!
    Robyn

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  24. Cathy,

    Oh my, look at all that wonderful wool! I so wish I lived closer!!! Pulled out one tub of Holiday, and right on top, my little hook rugs I bought from you last year, it's like Christmas, love them! OLM

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  25. I'm just drooling over all the wonderful rugs and wool. Looks like my kind of place to visit sure wish there wasn't so many miles between us!

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