Camp Norge-Rosemaling Post #3

The People

They organized us and were kind to us...

That's Penny, the organizer and Jack, on the right; he was the cookie/coffee server.

One day the NVO disappeared with Jack and came back as the Salt Lake City Ambassor to District #6 of the Sons of Norway, hehe.

You go NVO!!!

They taught us...

(This is seriously an awful picture of us but our instructor, Marley, looked so good I had to include it. Marley was such an excellent teacher!)

They fed us...

(Melanie and crew - food was so delicious!)

and they entertained us...
(Not to worry kids...this is not me...yet. ;-) )
Unfortunately I do not have any photos of "White Elephant Bingo", but I am sure you can imagine!

Thank you for a fabulous rosemaling weekend at Camp Norge!!!

Camp Norge-Rosemaling Post #2

The Art

Os

 By Julie Anne

There are several different styles of rosemaling that are related to the different areas of Norway. The Rhoda Fritsch site gives a great description and an example of the different styles. My current favorite style is "Os" due to it's use of white as a background color and it's geometric design inclusion. It's also the style that utilizes happy bright colors and a simplicity that tends to draw me in.

Valdres is another style that quite lovely. (I have yet to find a rosemaling style that is not lovely, IMHO.) The advanced class at rosemaling camp, taught by Julie Anne, painted this breathtaking plate from Valdres:

Isn't it beautiful?

View all three plates from rosemaling camp here.

Back to Os...
Julie Anne had these lovely plates for sale :

The NVO hooked me up with a purchase of these three plates.
 A splurge for sure!
Thank you NVO, you are so good to me.
My plate runneth over.

Looks kind nice with the WIP too, eh?

For the "time" being....they're keeping "time" with the clock at the entrance of the kitchen:

It was "time" for some color happiness

 with the help of the wonderful "Os".

Camp Norge-Rosemaling Post #1

Learning

The NVO and I just returned from three days at Camp Norge; three fun filled days of rosemaling inundation. The search had been on for a local rosemaling class since 1995 and the closest thing I could find locally were a couple of classes on tole painting, so you can imagine my delight when I stumbled across an entire weekend camp - just a short nine hour drive from our home to scenic Alta, California. ;-)

This was Camp Norge's 53rd rosemaling camp; it's been going on twice a year for 26 years! They fed us, taught us and entertained us and get this- the entire weekend cost $82 (this included everything including the rosemaling supplies).

Priceless!!!

58 rosemalers: 18 beginners, 20 intermediate and 20 advanced.

The NVO and I...beginners. :-)

Astri, Marley (our teacher) and the NVO with our nearly complete Telemark rosemaled plates.

Some touch-up work, a little curing and varnish and we are good to go.
(Oh, from what I understand, and I'm all on board,
 the back of the plates must be finished, as well.)

 The NVO's                                                                    Astri's

We displayed the two hearts together,

in our dining room, with a woven rug from Norway.

The colors in the rug were an exact match with the plates.

 Ahhhhhh, Camp Norge,

we'll be back!

What is Essential...

Le Petit Prince

The Little Prince

Den Lille Prinsen

~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The NVO has three favorite books; "The Little Prince"
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is one of the three.

He has collected copies since his childhood and has copies in several languages.

 Domy, note that French is front and center. :-)

Yes, I see that one is upside down (I'm sorry Manja, it's the German one).
I'm reveling in the perfection of the imperfection. ;-)

The NVO has a very special story related to the book that
he will tell on his blog in the near future.

His favorite text from the book is as follows:

"On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur.

L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."

Translated in English as:

When we met, the NVO did not have a Norwegian version, can you believe it?

  A trip to Norway in 2009 constituted a hunt for "Den Lille Prinsen" -
to our surprise and delight it was easy to find.

In fact we purchased a regular paperback in Andalsnes and later
 this beautiful pop-up version in Molde. 

As far as I am concerned the collection is complete with French, English,

Norwegian, German, and Dutch,

but I have a feeling we are still collecting. ;-)

The Rose

"The Rose" has significant meaning in the book and I would like to think that I am the rose in my Little Prince's life, but I am afraid I may very well be "The Counter" (the business man). :-)

I cannot stop counting!

Early on in our courtship I stitched this for the NVO,

I laid the photo down outside and as an extra added bonus accidently 

caught the trees and the sky in the reflection. Kinda' cool huh?

Oh well, "The Little Prince" is a beautiful story and I am so
fortunate to love a man who loves such a story.
The NVO truly knows...

what is essential...

Random Dishcloth 3 of 3

This is another crochet stitch from the "365 Crochet Stitches a Year" Perpetual Calendar by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss  - "Kittens in a Row", April 15

(Seven stitches down, 358 to go!)

This is for my friend who is a tax accountant; hence, the April 15th crochet stitch date, hehe.

Hoping this will coordinate with her trailer that she so graciously shared with us.
Thank you!!!

Random Dishcloth 2 of 3

 A regular ol' granny square with picot edging.

Random Dishcloth 1 of 3

A random pattern starting with the "Geranium" from Lesley Stanfield's

 100 Flowers to Kint & Crochet

"Fit Blanket" WIP

"Movin' Right Along"

~Kermit

 Random daisy color placement recommendation as per my blogging friend

 Inga Helene at the Artic Strawberries blog.

I got so excited about seeing what the daisy squares would look like crocheted together that I had to join four rows in one direction. I think I like it and the no rhyme or reason as to which color comes next is growing on me. Thank you I.H. :-)

Confidence boosting fellow blogging friend Sue at Mrs. Micawber's Recipe for Happiness suggested that perhaps this could be a State Fair entry next year.

How sweet is that?

Back to Girlie

Vanity

I have not been making the time to be girlie anymore.

Lately, it's been a ponytail and minimal make-up, if any.

Po' NVO, he doesn't say anything, but I think he likes me girlie

 and I most certainly do, but it can be so time consuming and expensive,

 and I'm always looking for ways to save time and money not spend it, for heavens sake!

Girlie left to make room for frugal. :-)

But now...

Girlie is back!

A Target run and the NVO's skills at sprucing up the "girlie" area aka vanity

 came to the rescue.

First, the Target run bore these:

$16 for new cosmetics

I didn't really need these but they were so fun and frugal that the

temptation of these motivational boosting items were irresistible.

I have sworn off department store cosmetics,

and getting my hair done professionally.

Instead it's $11 for hair color for 12 weeks (see above - coupon, too.)

Nice 'n Easy and a good pair of scissors in the hands of the NVO and I'm set.

(Don't get me started on how much money this saves each year and how all these types of things add up...because you will never get me to stop :-) )

This hair procedure has been going on for over two years now and I am

 none the worse for the wear. ;-)

Then the NVO built vanity cabinets:

 

Including this very handy tissue holder.

 He even built a spot for a back-up box of tissue.
So very clever, is he!

 Metal drawer knobs were replaced with...

 ...red painted wood knobs from an old armoire.

These will eventually be embellished with rosemaling,

but that won't be until after the NVO and I attend Rosemaling Camp.

(Yes, you read that correctly - The NVO and I are attending Rosemaling Camp this Autumn.)

The area directly above the vanity will be rosemaled, as well.

Rosemaling is a style of decorative painting from Norway,
primarily using flowers and scroll work.

I can stare at Google images of rosemaling for hours and hours; so beautiful.

See my amateur attempts on this post.

I'm really hoping to improve my skills at camp...and the NVO, he's attending right along side me.

It must be love!

(Hey, I go ice fishing every year for Valentines Day - that's love, too.)

Then the drawers were lined with towels:

These red on red towels were purchased at either Target or Walmart and lined the drawers.

The inside of the drawers get so dirty with a lot of make-up and that this makes it so easy to throw the drawer "liners" in the wash and they are as good as new.

I forgot to take some "before" photos for comparison,

but here's a little bit of an idea of the most recent clean-up and organizing.

 "BEFORE"
(Well it's really "AFTER - PHASE 1")

"AFTER - PHASE 2"

An earring organizer in one of the side drawers from Bed, Bath and Beyond, fit just right.

It pretty much just looks like the drawers were shut and the knobs were changed out.

Oh well, I will likely post again after I find a couple more red and white polka dot

 containers for organizing, add smaller red knobs to the vanity cabinets and the rosemaling touches have been added.
Stay tuned for "AFTER - PHASE 3".

It's good to be girl!!!