Susie Stephenson's new studio is open for business.

Stephenson Fiber Arts Studio is in the old 1846 Salt Marsh Schoolhouse on River Road in Edgecomb. Stephenson and her husband, Tom Blackford, bought the building and property across the road from their house and sheep farm several years ago. They have been restoring it to use as a studio and showplace for Stephenson's fiber arts, and a space to use for what the building was originally built for – a classroom.

Surrounding the hilly area and ledges around the house are large, wide open fenced-in areas where Stephenson's 12 Jacob sheep, five Angora goats and an alpaca named Wally roam free.

Stephenson's and Blackford's lives are full. When not tending their flocks, they're both busy with the business of shearing the sheep, then washing the wool, dying it, spinning it, and making all manner of colorful, fun, beautiful, awe-inspiring items with it.

One of Stephenson's passions is rugs. She designs and hooks rugs with themes ranging from mermaids to beloved pets, favorite sayings, and her kids' drawings. Her rugs adorn the walls and floors of the new studio space. There's one just inside the door, in the spot where a rug for wiping muddy boots should be. Visitors aren't discouraged from doing that, but it doesn't feel right wiping your feet on a work of art. A newly finished rug will be placed in that spot for her open house on Dec. 10.

“There will be a basket placed beside it, with slippers in it, so people can take their shoes off and put the slippers on,” Stephenson said. “I'm OK with people walking on them as long as I'm going to keep them for my own use. The ones on the floor are not for sale.”

All of the rugs are made from recycled clothing — sweaters, wool blankets and shirts — with some bits and pieces of her own hand-dyed wool for accents. She also “over-dyes” some of the recycled wool to make a new, richer color, using large pots on an old stove in the “dye kitchen.”

Each rug is an original design, and no two are the same. It's hard to imagine how anyone has the time to make all the rugs, and other items, that are on display in the studio. And that's not counting the ones that have been placed in various shops around the area.

Some of the wool is sent to a mill for spinning.

“The mill will make it into a ‘roving’ ( a long and narrow bundle of fiber made from raw wool), and then I can spin it from that,” Stephenson said. There’s a bathtub filled to the brim with washed naturally colored wool. “I use this to make the dryer balls. They are to use in a dryer in place of Bounce sheets, which contain chemicals. They'll reduce the drying time and eliminate static. And they'll last for years.”

When not dying wool, and hooking and mending rugs, Stephenson and Blackford stay busy making smaller works of art from their wool.

On Dec. 9, Blackford was in the process of making small decorations for the Christmas tree that will be adorned with their art for an open house on Dec. 10, and through the Christmas season.

The showroom in the studio is full to the brim with their whimsical, imaginative creations. There are hairpins, dryer balls, mermaids, Santa heads, garlands, fingerless mittens, catnip mice, wool “beads” to use for making earrings, bracelets, necklaces ... whatever you want. There are also hair pieces, or wool dreadlocks, to be used as fun, colorful hair extensions.

Stephenson seems to have an endless supply of energy. It’s hard to imagine how she and Blackford find the time for all they do.

“Basically we do whatever’s got to be done on a particular day,” Stephenson said. “You've gotta feed the critters and do the chores. That's number one in keeping the whole thing going. Then depending on the season, we decide to shear, or work on the fencing, put the rams in the pasture for breeding. Right now we're getting stuff ready to go on the Christmas tree.”

Blackford, who has done most of the renovations in the studio, said it's a work in progress.

“Every month has a focus,” he said. “January and February, it will be classes. We're going to have some beginning hooking classes, some dying classes, and others, on a continuing basis.”

There will be an open house On Thursday, Dec. 10 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., with refreshments and plenty of fiber and artwork to enjoy.

The studio is located at 245 River Road in Edgecomb. For more information call 207-315-2277, or visit http://stephensonfiberarts.com.