Awards Galore and a Finish Framed

Recently, I was given two lovely awards by my stitching friends. I am always amazed when other's think of me in these times. Why? Because recently I feel frustrated with my stitching efforts and I don't feel that I am really doing that much. However, I will get past it. Anyway, I have been remiss in acknowledging this due to the fact I have been working quite a bit and I am going on vacation next week woo hoo! So, I have been trying to get ready for that too.


This award was given to me by the following two ladies:
Dawn of Golden Angel Works
Noreen of Needle Caboodle



The Kreativ award was given to me by the following ladies!
Dani of Navy Stitching
Von of On the Dry Side
Andrea of Deep Fried Cupcake
Bette Reflections of a Desert Rat (edited to add Bette-this was an oops on my part! Sorry Bette!)

Now, I am supposed to pass these awards on to more kreative and brilliant bloggers-well here is where you will all hear a clucking in your ear. Yes, that would be me chickening out. Hey! I love you all-so it's hard for me to just pick seven. My google reader runneth over! So much so I am having a hard time keeping up with all the postings. That being said I appreciate the awards and thoughts behind them more than I can say! Thank you again!

Now for that framed finish that I was telling you about. I decided to frame my hope piece by Mary Kathryn . A good friend suggested it and I thought it was a great idea. So here it is framed!


I also want to say a big thank you for the many compliments on my exchange with Jinger!! Anyway, I must run. Take care and happy stitching!

Monochromatic Exchange with Jinger!

Awhile ago, Jinger and I decided to do a personal monochromatic exchange together. Our deadline was July and the other day was the great send off day. She sent me this gorgeous hanging ornament done on lavender linen with purple haze WDW. I am not sure of the pattern name-though I have seen it before. I love the fuzzy purple thread she used to make the hanger with. She also sent me some purple fabric quarters, two purple votive candles and a lovely purple notebook that I can use to keep up with my finished works. Everything was quite lovely! What made this exchange even more fun is that Jinger I both live in the same city! Thanks so much Jinger-this was fun!



This is what I sent Jinger. I did a pin keep/scissor pocket for her. I used a freebie pattern called Moroccan tile I believe. It is usually used as a biscornu. I did it in an Atalie silk thread called Bombay. It was stitched on 30 ct. R & R linen called parchment. I sent a couple of charts off Jinger's wish list along with some threads and a thread holder by Monique. It was a pleasure to put together this exchange for you!

Scatter freedom chart winner is.....

Michelle of Ozark sew and sews ! My DD drew the name for me this evening! Please email me your mailing address Michelle. Thanks everyone for participating!

Scatter Freedom ......

and peace. A very apt saying for this independence day.I hope everyone has had a wonderful day today if you are celebrating the holiday. I have been busy with the kids most of the day and only finished this tonight. I had hoped to finish it yesterday-but better late than never right? This was a fun quick stitch done on 19 count flax with the recommended Crescent colors. Though the dreaded frogs visited me a couple of times on this and I had to make an adjustment in the border(sigh)-so it's my own little unique piece. I plan on finishing this into a cube. I am hoping Shepherd's Bush will do a scatter love for Valentine's-for some reason I can totally picture that.

Anyway, now I need to finish Cappuccino by LHN. I am close on that. I want to stitch all six-but every time I say something like that then it doesn't get done. They are so pretty though. I have also been thinking about Halloween designs too, but as usual the mind is ticking along faster than the hands. I am really looking forward to the Just Cross Stitch magazine Halloween issue! That should be pretty cool.

Up next week-my personal monochromatic exchange with Jinger from Rae of Sunshine Stitches. I hope the rest of your week is a good one-I am going to tackle the treadmill-ugh! Happy stitching.

PS: This chart is up for grabs-if more than one person is interested I will draw a name on Monday July 7th at 5 pm.

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!