Spring Exchange from Vonna

Today, I was speechless in delight as I received my spring exchange from Vonna! She sent me this gorgeous scissor keep case and the two pairs of scissors inside the case that you see below. The designer is Blackbird Designs and the pattern is called from me to thee in the Token's of Friendship book. Vonna used her own hand dyed fabric and chose her own dmc colors. Her finishing is wonderful and I just love everything about it. Thanks so much Vonna!

Spring Exchange for Carol

Here the last seasonal exchange 0f the 2007-2008 year for Carol . A design by Les grilles de Maryse called spring is in the air. It was a fun stitch and I finished it into a pinkeep with a dark purple fabric on the back. The pins I dyed with a green metallic like paint-a first. I also used a bow technique that Andrea from The Craft Room had highlighted on her blog. I have truly enjoyed stitching for Carol this past year and putting together these exchanges.

Other than that working on a personal exchange after much decision about thread colors as it is a monochrome exchange. I am also working on the house in small spurts-cleaning closets etc. The children are out of school and terrorizing their poor mama-already cries of "I'm bored", "I'm hungry" are floating into my little ears. Children anyone? anyone? LOL Thanks for all the comments on my daydream piece-I am continuing to work on that and hope to have a finish soon. Anyway I am off to be terrorized err loved some more. Happy stitching!

Stitching? What'sThat?

Yes, that title says it all! Not much stitching going on and I don't know why. I just can't seem to settle on anything for long. I still want to stitch-it just seems to be in a meandering kind of way. This is daydream by My Mark Designs . I am doing it on a Silkweaver Solo that I just love! I am going to put this in my boys room-because they do love to daydream! Also, I realized that it was the only room in my house that had none of my stitching permeating it(had to rectify that-LOL). Their room is blue and I think this will look really cool on their walls. Other than that, I do have a finish-but I can't show you as it is for an exchange. Hopefully next week.

Anyway, you may not see me much-not because I don't want to, but I don't have a whole lot of stitching going on. I also hope to working on some house projects too which will also cut into my stitching time. However the house needs some of my attention. Anyway, I hope your Memorial Day weekend is wonderful! God Bless!

A Sweet RAK and a Finish too!

First off, I received this sweet little biscornu from Ranae of The Needle and I. It is autumn biscornu by Helga Mandel. Isn't it cute? I love receiving surprises in the mail. She also sent me a skein of dmc variations. Thank you so much Ranae!

Next up is a finish called dye by Monsterbubbles! It was a limited edition kit released at Nashville this year. It came with a little piece of white fabric and some blueberry kool-aid. I dyed the fabric with the kool-aid first in this case and then I stitched. I think it came out cute-though you don't get much fabric. It is meant to be finished into a pinkeep. The kit does come with seed beads for the making of the pinkeep. This was a fun little stitch.



Lastly, I want to thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes and comments on my photos. You all know how to make a girl feel good! I hope everyone has a great week!

Lordy Lordy looks who's forty.........two!

Yes, that would be me you see above! Today is my 42nd birthday! I thought I would show you all what I looked like as an infant. The first picture is of me at 3 months of age. In the second set, I have no idea how old I am-the pictures say Nov 67 which would make me over a year old-but I don't think I am that old in the pictures. The last picture is of me and my grandmother. The other most important woman in my life besides my mom. Unfortunately, she died many years ago. I am not sure how old I am in that picture-at least a year old I would guess. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy looking at my pictures! Life is hard these days and so many things are happening but I am so grateful to be here alive and well today! It is truly a blessing. Thank you too my friends for helping make my life special!

Thistle Pinkeep!

This is thistle bird by Praiseworthy Stitches-one of the whimsical bird patterns. Now if any of you have seen this design you will notice it is not stitched as the original. This pattern gave me a hard time and at one point I thought I would just cut my stitched piece up with my scissors. In the end sanity prevailed and and I ended up modifying it to make myself happy. It is missing a couple of little motifs and the original pattern has somewhat of a diagonal border and you see mine is all straight. Cute pattern-but never to be stitched again!

And the winner's are......

Prize #1 of the Carrie's Threads goes to Sally of Salster 74 Hobbies (Sally, please email me your snail mail address!)

Prize #2 of the my needles work goes to Ranae of The Needle and I

Prize #3 of the LHN charts goes to Karoline of Karoline's Corner

Congratulation's to the winner's and thanks to all of you who left comments regarding my blog anniversary and participated in the drawing. All prizes were awarded using the random number generator. I have certainly enjoyed having this giveaway as I have gotten to meet some new people. Which is a wonderful thing! Now, that some of you have delurked-don't become a stranger! Leave me a comment or drop me a line just to say hello! If you have a blog-expect a visit from me soon. Many thanks from me again!

Blog Anniversary Drawings

On April 17th, I will be celebrating two years of blogging. It seems I just started! It has been a wonderful two years of meeting and making friends. Friendships that I hope will last a very long time! Daily, I am inspired by your fantastic projects, beautiful stitching and your willingness to give so much of yourselves to other's. Now, since I am a slow stitcher I have decided to give stash. So. if you will leave a comment to this post from now until 11:59 pm (central US time) April 16th I will enter your name in the drawing. I will pull the prizes in the order they are listed below on April 17th and post the winners. Anyone may join the fun-just make sure I will have a valid way of contacting you once the drawing is complete. Good Luck!



Prize #1-20 Carrie's Threads



Prize #2 LHN's My Needles Work Kit (comes with threads shown)



Prize #3 Bless Our Home and Home of a Needleworker patterns by LHN

African Woman Finished!

Finally finished African Woman the other day! So, a little dancing here in Florida! I don't know why I was dragging my feet about doing her feet!LOL I finished her in my Tuesday night stitching group. Hi to Sherri if you are reading this post! Anyway, she is by French designer Bleu de Soie . This designer does quite a few things-not just ethnic designs. So, you should take a look see-you may find something you like! AW is done on 32 count apple brown bindy with dmc thread. The lovely thing about her she is done with full cross stitches. The next picture is also by the same designer and it's the design I going to stitch as the companion piece to AW. This is African woman and child. I haven't quite decided on the fabric for her yet. So she is not started! Could I have been that skinny after childbirth?



This next piece is by another French designer called Corinne Leroy and the pattern is called African Beauties. I only have a little to show as I just started. They are being done on Silkweaver limited edition 32 ct tawny sparkle. A lovely creamy opalescent with mottled rose or mauve through it. It is being stitched with dmc variations 4130.



Now, if you are still here reading, this month I will have been blogging for two years on the seventeenth of April. So, on the tenth I will post a couple of giveaways with the winners being drawn on my blog anniversary date. So be on the lookout for that! Have a great week and happy stitching!

A Gift from Myrna!

Yesterday, I received this lovely gift from Myrna. She sent this vibrant dishcloth, a sweet fob and a marking pin made by her sister Ree! Sorry, the marking pin is deep in my stitching bag already and I couldn't put my hands on it. I absolutely love the colors in the dishcloth and fob. Now, I have another excuse to get me a pair of scissors-lol. I love it all Myrna, thanks so much! In other great news I signed up for the yearlong seasonal exchange again and dear Myrna is my partner!