Welcome 2014!!

A Wrap-up of 2013

First of all I want to wish everyone  a Happy New Year! This may be my last post of this year and I’m trying to cover everything.  Here is a rundown of my WIPS:

Africa

Around the World in 80 Stitches

Positive Thinking

Thine is the Trick and the Treat

Idelia Mae Rich

Three Kimonos

The Rose Sampler

Turtles All the Way (Just started 12-21-13)

Now here is a rundown of my finishes for 2013

Spring Heart

My Needle and My Floss

Anniversary Heart

Petit Cat (Cinnamon Stick)

Bottle Cap Pincushion

Easter Bonnet button, framed and ornament 1 over 1

LHN Holiday Hometown series #1, 2, 3&4

To Thine own self

Shadows

Banu 2012 SAL

Home of a Needle worker

Needle Worker

Stitching Mends the Soul

Something Old, Something New

Needle & Thread (needle book exchange)

Marriage Sampler

Angels of the World

Mary’s Sampler I & II

Christmas Muffin Top

Spiral

Sugar Skull (On the Brighter Side of Life)
 Pictures of these are located in a page called 2013 Finishes at the top of my page.

I just have to share the wonderful gifts I received from Gracie over at needlespinsanddragonflies for submitting the winning names for her two new adorable elves.

Their names are Pip and Nina.

Here are a few stash enhancements I bought at the last stitch-night and on Etsy (my new favorite place).

Well I think I have covered everything and I appreciate you sticking with me to read all of this.  This has been an exciting year and so glad I could share it with you all. I pray that everyone have a safe and happy year end and I will see you in 2014 (if not before).

I'm still here!

So lets see what's new. I finished Plum Street Sampler I before Thanksgiving and had planned to finish version II but the black fabric was getting to me so I had to set it aside for a while so here they are as of today.

To relieve my eyes from the black I picked up my Rose Sampler to give it a little attention and it went from

to here

and this was after I found a mistake and had to frog the border back to where it is on the left side.

I got a little frustrated with the frogging so I stitched this little muffin top from the Just Cross Stitch 2013 Special Christmas Issue.

Now I just have to take the time to finish it in my cupcake cup.

I picked up a couple of charts at last night's stitch night

This is as far as I have gotten on the "Sweet Shop" in the LHN Hometown Holiday series

but at least I have all of the current charts and can get caught up before any news ones come out next year. Last I just want to share some other stash enhancements.

As I've stitched I've listened to "Bone to Ashes" and "Devil Bones" by Kathy Reichs, I have one more to go "Cross Bones" before I have to make another library run.  Thank you all for stopping by and please make sure you have an email so I can reply to your comments. I try to reply to everyone.  So away I go to make some more wonderful little xxs.

I am so thankful for all of my followers and friends, I hope everyone has a safe and very 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

I'm Back...

Now that the smoke has cleared...

I can return to my normal everyday life and I have things to share. On the 6^th of November my daughter was married and it couldn’t have been a more beautiful day.  The temperature was in the 60’s (yes in November) and the sun was shining bright as can be all day. I know I may sound a little partial but my baby was the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. Here see for yourself.

She asked me to make her a wedding cake, something I had never done before and it just about drove me to the loony ben. I used a Martha Steward, marble wedding cake recipe with white butter crème frosting with a chocolate Ganesh filling all made from scratch. After making a couple practice cakes the end result wasn’t too bad…

 Don’t worry “Cake Boss” you still have your job.

In between practice cakes I was able to frame the wedding sampler, they loved it.

I was able to make a little progress on “Around the World in 80 Stitches” I now have half of part 14 done.

I have been keeping up with the “Plum Street” mystery SAL every Sunday; there is only one more part for both I & II to go.

I completed the third part of the Jardin Prive’, “Positive Thoughts”, I think this one has about two more parts.

In the mean time I have also finished "Angels of the World" by Joan Elliott.

Well thank you all for sticking with me during my absence; I don't know who was more nervous me or my daughter, but I'm back and will see you again soon. I'll be making more wonderful little xxs. 

As Usual...

I'm late with my Wipocalypse report again but here goes:
I actually stitched part 13 on Around the World in 80 Stitches

This is without the beads, they will be easier to put on at the end.
I have been working on Angels of the World

I'm a little farther along since this picture, I've started on the globe in the center.
I finished the 4th part of the Plum Street sampler I shared before.

One sampler is more detailed than the other with more little motifs(the top one in black) and is stitched on 28ct and the lighter one is stitched on 32 ct linen. I also completed the second part or Thinking Positive sampler from Jardin Prive.

No progress on Trick or Treat, Africa, Three Kimonos, Idelia Mae, or the Rose Sampler. However the anniversary sampler for my son and daughter-in-law has be delivered and according to daughter-in-law is hanging in a place of honor.  
Well until next time thank you to all of my followers who still visit in spite of my tardy post and off I go to make those little xxs.

And the Winner Is...

 RICKETYJO

The Just Cross Stitch 2012 Special Christmas Issue will be winging it's way to you as soon as you email me your mailing address.

TUSAL and so little time...

First let me start by sharing my TUSAL, it has a little of everything:

White on the bottom from "Spiral", black from "Trick or Treat", and purple from the wedding sampler for my daughter. So as you can see I've been a little busy.
Speaking of busy I have framed the anniversary sampler for my son and daughter-in-law.

All that is left is the delivery.  My needle book exchange is finished and here is mine that I sent to my partner.

I will show the disaster I made with the first attempt next time.  Once this was done I started on DD sampler and all that is left for it is framing.

 The picture doesn't do justice to the Picture This Plus fabric called "Mirage" it's medium gray with purple undertones and yes my daughter's choice.

Last but not least I started on the Facebook Sunday SAL "Mary's Sampler" from Plum Street Samplers designed by Paulette Stewart. Actually I am attempting to do I & II, one is on an unknown color 32 ct R&R fabric and the other 28ct black cashel and both being stitched with DMC.  

Well like I said I've been a little busy and I've still got lots to do.  I would like to welcome my new followers and say thank you for all of the wonderful comments.  The back is back to normal or at least pain free for now.  I know I have been promising a drawing, well here is a little one for now.

As I was organizing my many magazines I discovered that I had a duplicate 2012 Just Cross Stitch Special Christmas Issue.

  Yes it is the 2012 issue but it's full of beautiful ornaments and it could be yours, just leave a comment saying you're interested and I'll draw a winner next Sunday October 13th.  Until then I'll be making so of those wonderful little xxs.

  

Getting Older Sucks!

Yes, it really does.  Last week for some unknown reason my back started to ache, it was a throbbing pain on the right side. It hurt so bad I couldn't lay on my back to sleep I had to try and stay on my left side, anyway I thought maybe it was a kidney stone.  So I started drinking more water and cranberry juice, no improvement, it got so bad that I drove myself to the emergency room.  Once there the doctor checked all the vital signs, asked all of the important questions and then sent me for a CTscan, after telling me that the pain could be anything from a aneurysm on the aorta to muscle strain.  As the pain meds started to kick in I finally got the results, all the test were negative and the only thing he could tell me was maybe I had slept wrong or tweaked (not tweerked) my back some how. I was happy that there was no major problem and this was categorized as old age aches and pains for no reason. But I guess I'm luckier than some as long as I'm in pain I'm alive. Okay that's the end of the rant, now for some stitching updates.
I  missed sharing  my IHSW progress and my Wipocalypse report so this will cover everything.
I made no progress on any of my original wips:
Angels of the World
Africa
Three Kimonos
Idelia Mae Rich
Rose Sampler
Around the World in 80 Stitches
But I have managed to add to their numbers with:
Spiral

Thine is the Trick or the Treat

The Way to Happiness (a free SAL from Facebook)

As if this isn't bad enough I have also signed up for another Facebook SAL that starts this coming Sunday all I have is the floss toss.

Last but certainly not least I have the floss and chart for my daughters wedding sampler still awaiting the fabric which is on it's way as we speak.

The pumpkin I posted yesterday I purchased a couple of years ago at a craft show, I thought it was rather unique. It was posted for Cathey at Pumpkin Patch & Co in celebration of her blogoversary and sponsored by Sharon from It's Daffy Cat.
Well I won't promise to post more often because I hate to keep breaking promises but I will try my best. For now thank you all for the wonderful comments and I'm off to make some more wonderful little xxs.

PUMPKINS FOR CATHEY

Have a great day Cathey! To see more pumpkins visit Daffy Cat.

37 Years and Still Together...

I met my husband when I was 12 years old, we were both tall and rail thin but we fell in love at first sight. All through junior high and high school we were inseparable, he played on the basketball team and I was his biggest cheerleader. Even when he went away to college and me to the Army, nothing came between us, we vowed to grow old together and so far we are doing just that. 

This past Saturday we celebrated 37 years of marriage.  We may not be rail thin anymore, and our hair is a lot more salt than pepper but the same love we felt way back then is still going strong to this day. For our anniversary we spent the weekend in Atlantic City at Harrah’s casino, and I got to stand next to a box of money (supposed to be a million dollars).

 I would have loved to be allowed in that box for a few minutes. We played a few slots and walked the boardwalk and I enjoyed spending alone time with my soul-mate.

Last week I showed a piece I was working on a piece called Thine is the Trick and the Treat well; all I showed had to be ripped- out.  I usually start my stitching in the center and work outward, but that I thought would have been confusing with this design so I began with page 1 which is the top left corner and as you saw I had finished that whole first page. Just as I was removing the q-snaps to start the second page I noticed that the fabric was turned the wrong way. So on Thursday I began to slowly and carefully remove all of the stitching, I worked from the back cutting the floss.  It was hard work but saving the fabric was more important than the floss (fabric $27.00 vs floss $.39) you do the math. Anyway I restarted on the drive to Atlantic City but it was a little hard working on the uneven threads of the linen  in the car, so this is all I got done.

On Sunday after being out walking the boardwalk and enjoying a delicious lunch at “Pickles Deli” (Rueben on marble rye)

 we went back to our room to relax and hubby watched the football game I decided to start the other design I took with me (just in case). It is called “Spiral” from Jardin Prive, the fabric is 32 ct Lakeside linen called Woodsmoke and it is stitched with DMC #5200. I love the all-white on this color it really pops.  

As if I need another project to stitch, I have just joined another SAL this morning (it’s free) from http://lesmarottesdenath.free.fr I will start gathering my floss and fabric in just a little bit. 

Thank you all for stopping by for a visit and I hope you come again and leave lots of wonderful comments as I go to make some wonderful little xxs.