I'm humbled!

Thanks to all of you that have commented with such positive and glowing remarks to my tin box finish and exchange with Su! If you don't know what I'm talking about, please see my January 30th post below :)

I've recently had many people ask how I've done things and finished some of my projects. *Plus* I have another finish for an exchange that should be received either today or tomorrow that I did take detailed pictures of for posting... As I've never seen this one done before and is my own design and layout. I'm really excited about this finish..because I mentally labored over it for a long time trying to figure out how to do it and I think it came out *smashing*! But alas you'll have to wait to see this one until my "partner" receives it.

Anyway, I've decided to make another "blog" for my finishing techniques that I've done. Now mind you, I do NOT *think* I'm the master finisher - BUT I do know that at times I struggle with "how to's" and hit a concrete wall with how to finish projects. I'm always inspired by all you fabulous ladies out there and many times I wonder how a certain thing was finished, or where did you get that idea, etc. So I've created a little "space" where as I get time, I'll post how I've done things to help others finish items if they think they'd like to give it a "go". Plus there are many routes to take to do a any kind of finish to a project and I *may* have a way that is different than the way someone else does it.

In my sidebar is a link to "The Twisted Stitcher Tutorials", but you can click on this link HERE for my first installation and detailed description on how I finished Su's tin box.

Again, my sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you that have left such super nice comments about my recent projects and exchanges. I've had a multitude of "new" commenters lately and I see from my "hits" bar that many have come but not commented...leave a comment! I love to read them and make new friends. I try to always visit everyone's blog when they visit mine and would love to meet many more new friends!
Thanks again and until next time....I'm signing off!
*I'm thankful for the inspiration all of my on-line friends *new and old* give to me! It really IS a small world with the internet to help us all become friendly and exchange ideas :)

My tin exchange

Su e-mailed me this afternoon letting me know that she received my tin that I had made for her in our personal tin box exchange. I believe she really likes it! I didn't know that Su liked Bees or Beehives, but I thought this little design ~ which is an element from a larger design by Little House Needleworks, entitled "Joy in the Journey" ~ was really cute! This design was featured in one of the last For the Love of Cross Stitch magazines a few years back.
Imagine my surprise when Su told me that bees and skeps are one of her favorite things! Yippee for me! I picked good! It really was a coincidence!
I found the lovely fabric at a Wal-mart. It brought out all the romantic pastel colors that I cross stitched, as I changed all the colors. :) AND I did know that Su favored roses, and had that in mind as I was selecting the fabric to line the box inside and out.

I used a green cording and a braided cording for the top and sides of the covered box. Then on the inside I chose a golden yellow wee cording to outline the top and bottom of the inside box.

I stitched the design on 35 ct. raw linen and personalized the box with her name. I used all DMC in my own color choices. I'm glad Su liked my little box that I made for her. I was more than a little nervous because words cannot describe Su's creativity and stitching abilities...my humble abilities seem so far down the scale compared to hers...but this little box turned out beautifully in my own opinion. Thank you to Su for exchanging with me. Our agreed deadline was April 1st...I was more than a little early :) But I was just so thrilled to be stitching for Su that I jumped right in with both feet! LOL! I'm tickled that I'll be getting something FABULOUS I'm sure from Su this Spring!

Again my sincere thanks for all the visitors both new and old friends! Your nice comments are definitely a boost to my day! Until next time :)

I've been tagged...

I've been tagged not once but twice! First Julie and second Mary Kathryn. I'm supposed to list 6 weird things about me. Here goes:

1.) My toes look *exactly* like my Grandma Epperson's toes. I always thought so, then one day my Mom up and says, "You've got Gran Fran toes!" (my Grandma's name is Frances - oh, and I have her toes....)

2.) I have an insatiable appetite for dill pickles. So much in fact that I got up from the dinner table one evening in the middle of dinner and drove to the grocery to get more because we ran out! My husband thought I was whacked...boy was I....I was pregnant with the twins...and didn't know it yet! LOL! But I still love them no matter if I'm pregnant or not! Dill pickles...try some!

3.) I *have* to have all closet doors firmly closed before I go to bed. Didn't Chuckie come out of a closet????

4.) I eat potato chips dipped in ketchup. YUM-O! Rachael Ray doesn't know what she's missing!!! And it doesn't take 30 minutes to make :)

5.) All appendages (legs, feet, toes, fingers, arms) must be inside the perimeter of the mattress when asleep...WHY? because a man lives under my bed and will saw off anything hanging over....(that's what I used to think as a child...but apparently childhood fantasies continue..because that is a *cardinal* rule for me still.)

6.) I'm a bit of a *neat* freak...everything must be put away and clearly marked in appropriate containers for me to feel good. If my house is messy...I feel bad...when it is nice and clean and free...I'm in the BEST mood ever. I want to be in good moods...so I'm a little compulsive about organizing and cleaning. :)

Ok, so know you know I really am weird! I think this has gone all around the blogs...but if you read it and want to do it on your blog...consider yourself *tagged* by me :)

My Partner has received her "From the Heart" USEBB Exchange

I posted my USEBB "From the Heart" exchange on Monday and today Tobie (the recipient) notified me that she received her package! I made her a painted and antiqued paper mache box. Here's what I did: I painted the box Americana Mustard. Then once dry I used an antiquing medium and distressed it to make it appear old and worn. I had looked at Tobie's blog and saw that she subscribed to Country Living ...I decorate in primitive country as well and figured if it didn't work out...I'd keep it for myself! LOL! (no such luck!) :) After that was all dry I sealed it with a matte polyurethane. I was just tickled with the color of the box and the look it had!
Then I lined the box with a complimenting material to the design.

Here's the inside of the box....I also glued some twisted cording around the bottom of the box to make the bottom "pop".

Here's a pretty good picture of the color of the box...see it looks old and antique!

Here's the top of the box. I stitched Glory Bee's "BEE MINE" design on 28 ct. mottled linen using DMC. I used the same white cording to go around the outside of the design then I used a wee little gold cording to go around the design on top of the white cording...I thought that it added some "umpf" to the design top and made it "pop".

I sent along some "extras" too, but I didn't take a picture of them....

SO here's just ONE of 4 projects that I've been really working on and couldn't show! What do you think?! This was my first box finish ever and I think it turned out really nice. It sure was hard to wrap it up in bubble wrap and send it away from home....but it made me so glad because I think Tobie *really, really* liked it! That's why I enjoy exchanging so much, because it brings others joy! Until next time! :)

Today I'm thankful for having stitching friends, inspiration and creativity!

Friday's findings....

Hello Dear Readers! Glad you stopped by...sadly I don't have any progress pictures to show you today :(

I've been stitching my little fingers off, but nothing that I can show you...see all of them are for exchanges or gifts or something. So there you go...one day there will be a windfall of pictures and then you'll understand!

I've been busy though! First off - Su asked on her blog if anyone one interested in a tin exchange and I contacted her. Happily Su agreed to an exchange with me. My little brain has been going over patterns and notions non-stop since Tuesday. I charted a pattern using different elements from different patterns and came up with what I believe is perfectly suited to Su. (or hopefully it will be perfectly suited to Su, we'll have to see what she thinks when she gets it AND after the stitching and finishing is done! LOL!) Today, I just returned from purchasing various elements for the finishing for said project. I think I've got a winner! I hope it turns out as well on fabric and with needle as I have it pictured in my mind!

Next Carol invited me to join a new Neighborhood RR! How exciting is that?! I tell you, I've been slobbering over the pictures that I see of others RR's that are Neighborhoods for close to a year now and I'm thrilled that Carol invited me! I'm in a group that is forming with 9 other ladies and I've been working away preparing my cloth and looking for the design for my square on my RR. Yesterday I dyed my own cloth in coffee and tea. And I baked it at 250 degrees and "basted" it with the coffee/tea solution until I got the right "mottled" look that I was striving for....I know this sounds odd, but I read about this somewhere and thought I'd give it a go...actually I've done it before and the results are just beautiful (in my own opinion). See I want to purchase the Lakeside Linens or R&R reproduction linens that look old and antique with that mottled look...but they are so costly and the way I go through linen the cost would be astronomical...so I found linen on the bolt at a local craft store and went to work. Ok so I lied...here is a picture of my coffee/tea stained and baked linen....

This is in the sun....but can you see the mottled look it has?! I LOVE it! Plus it smells good too! Baking doesn't harm it at all...if you flip and baste it every 15 minutes. It was an intensive process, but the result, I felt was outstanding. Also considering that I only paid $16 for a yard of the material, and the deminsions of the fabric was 36" x 36" quite cheap! If you bake it longer...it gets darker, I have a few peices that I did with the longer bake and they look quite good too! My husband laughs and says I pay more attention to baking and basting my fabric then I do any meal I make...well that is most likely very true :)

Well that's about all I have today to share.....work this weekend and snow is supposedly on it's way. The twins have a cub scouts pack meeting this evening with the yearly derby car race. They are foaming at the mouths hoping to bring home a trophy! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Thank you for visiting! And again thank you for all of your comments!

Monday Stitching...

Hi everyone! I've had a busy weekend...first I worked 22 hours or so at work between Saturday morning and Sunday evening...so that leaves little for stitching....but Monday the kids and DH had off because of the MLK holiday, so I used that to get some stitching done. I'm signed up for A LOT of exchanges with late winter/early spring mailing dates! I needed to get at least one project done. So I chose a Biscornu for yesterday to start and I didn't think I would get it finished...but here is a small picture to show just a fraction of the entire thing...so it is not spoiled for anyone...although I don't believe my exchange partner reads my blog anyway...
Here it is in all it's glory. I tried something different for my second Biscornu....I sewed tiny antique seed beads of the matching color all along the seam. I was playing around just to see what it would look like and you can see on my small little picture that ... it looks pretty darn good!

I stitched this little guy on 28 ct. lavender mist jobelan, using DMC 52 (varigated purple/lavender) , then Mill Hill seed beads 02085 for the seams and I found the most gorgeous glass swirled purple/lavender button. Once the exchange is mailed and my partner receives it I'll post all the pictures I took of it.

Let me enable all you readers and crafters out there to try this finish. I did this in one day, start to finish. It is really a very easy finish and the results are astounding because it always looks like...how did you do that?

Well we have a little ice/snow mix here in central Indiana this morning. The kids are in school, but one is at home because I believe he has strep throat...so it's off to see the Doctor yet again! We've seen the doctor so many times in last 9 years with our four kids that I know I've paid off at least 4 years of his college loans :)

Today I'll be stitching on one of my exchange pieces...which one...I have no idea...but I'll find one that catches my interest and get started on it :) I have 3 of my 5 PIF gifts delivered...so that leaves 2. I'm working on one right now and it's very close! But I think I'll leave it as a surprise...it's much more fun that way!

Thank you to all of the readers that have visited and left comments for me...there's been some newbies leaving comments! THANKS! I'll definitely blogroll you and visit soon! Thanks to all my readers, your comments bring a smile to my face and a warmth to my heart! Plus they stroke my ego...and we all can use a little of that from time to time...yes?!

Until next time!

Progress Report - Nantucket Rose

My progress on Nantucket Rose....hmmm...not much to look at is there?! But this is two days work of stitching...probably about 4 hours. Not too shabby - I'm thinking.

Rose is a beauty when completed. Here's a picture of her in all her glory:
I can only dream of the day that she'll be gracing my bedroom wall in all her glory! I look at her and think...what is she looking at?! What is she thinking?! Is she reading a love letter? Checking her makeup? What???!!!

Anyway stitching the trees...which is where I'm at....is complicated...lots of thread changes in very similar green tones make me go cross-eyed. AND I've found as I've aged that stitching with my contacts is a big NO~NO...especially with tiny stitching with mulitple thread changes...Yesterday I had my contacts in and had to go up and take them out my eyes were watering so badly and I couldn't focus. Plus I've decided that I'm going to have to make a "working" copy of the stitching so that I can use a highlighter to mark what I have and "have not" stitched. I'm telling you I'm going cross eyed trying to figure it out! LOL! But the struggle is worth the outcome...no?

I finally entered into the realm of "bloglines" and am finding myself even more compulsive about checking my computer!! And as many blogs as I read...everytime I come to check...someone has updated and of course I feel that I must look because I may be missing some dramatic finish or stitching....I'm having fun and that's what its all about!

Thanks to all you nice people out there that visit my blog! I enjoy reading your comments and in turn reading your blogs. You all are very creative and my stitching and finishing and ideas have all improved since coming into the blogging world!
Until next time! :o)

Ewww, Ewww, Ewww my first Biscornu!

Happy dance for me....I signed up for a biscornu exchange on the Robin's Nest and decided that I needed to try to make one before I had to make one....so here is my efforts:
SIDE ONE:


SIDE TWO:

BISCORNU SIDE VIEW:

I stitched this little beauty from a freebie pattern off of a french website....can't find the link right now...but if interested let me know and I'll find it...anyway...it's stitched on 28 ct. antique ivory. I stitched with some Anchor varigated needlepoint thread that I found at hobby lobby, it has orange, yellow, rust and hot pink colors in it. I thought it was just beautiful actually....

When I finished it I put little clear glass beads on each corner to give a sort of majestic look and I added cording so that it could be used as a scissors fob. Wouldn't it look lovely attached to a pair of Gingher Lanell scissors?! I thought so....because as I was stitching this I had a person in mind for this on my Pay It Forward list. So....that lucky person can expect this in their mailbox sometime this week! Hmmm.....wonder who it will be?! Dunno...guess we'll all have to wait to see :o)

I feel like I have been banging out projects lately...what's up with that? Oh....winter break and no school, no cub scouts, no girl scouts, no soccer, no swimming, etc. etc. etc. Guess since school starts back up tomorrow my "realistic" stitching patterns will return....Oh, well it was fun while it lasted!

Until Next time!

Hey thanks to all the new people that have been visiting my blog! Love all the visits...and all the super nice comments from everyone....you all inspire me and make me smile!

First 2007 Finish

Hooray for me! I got my first 2007 finish done! I started this on Dec. 31 and finished it today!

I made it into a little scissors fob...I ruched some silk ribbon and sewed it to the top......This is from Prairie Schooler's - Prairie Year. I stitched it on 28 ct. coffee stained (by me!) linen and used DMC threads.

This is going to some lucky participant of my Pay It Forward Challenge....hmmmm....I wonder who?!

Still have the stomach flu blues here at the house...it's taken me 3+ days to recover and now my DH has it...the kids so far seem to be having strong immune systems...I'm praying that it stays that way. I was supposed to work this weekend, but thankfully my co-worker is trading weekends with me so I don't have to work!! YIPPEE! I'm just going to relax and get better and hopefully the kids will stay healthy.

Thanks for all your well wishes for good holidays, new year resolutions and visiting my blog...you all make me feel so good! Until next time! ;o)

I'm thankful for New Starts and New Beginnings....

The Stomach Flu Blues....

Well I spent my New Years Day in bed with the stomach flu....if there is anything I hate...it is the stomach flu. I started feeling a little queezy late New Years Eve night and by 6 a.m. the next morning...whamo! I was sick and it lasted all day. As I lay in our "sick room"...Katie (my oldest) joined me, she was ill too. So far my husband and the other three have not gotten it yet. Let's keep our fingers crossed!


Before I was struck down by the infernal illness I got some stitching done. One I can't show because it is a secret for an exchange. The other I can show:

This was in my goodies I received from Cathy. It is Pine Mountains Monthly Rounds. Isn't it cute?! I loved it! I gave it as a gift to my stepmother for Christmas. She loved it too! Thanks again Cathy!

I'm stitching today on Prairie Schooler's January Clock from the Prairie Year leaflet. I'm going to try to keep up with those monthly this year (yeah right!). Plus I'm going to figure out some of my Pay It Forward gifts that I need to get done and out of here, so they aren't hanging over my head. THEN, I really need to pick up VoHRH ~ I've not touched that since SEPTEMBER.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season...now it's back to the grind...I'm ready. Since I effectively had a "purging" yesterday....it's gangbusters with my diet! LOL! At least that's a positive way to look at spending the whole day with my head in the toilet.

Cheers!