My RR

Hello! Some of you worried blogging friends have e-mailed me asking if I was ok, since I've not been posting of late. Nope, I'm here....and this is what I've been doing: Hello Neighbor Round Robin 2007-2008

I've used many different motifs from different places, but I think I've got everything in there that I love....a nice house in country colors, a sweet fence with a flower arbor, bee hive with buzzing bees, a couple of furry bunnies and some sweet sheep...notice one sheep has a flower in his mouth. This baby is packed and ready to go out tomorrow. All I can say is THANK HEAVENS I'm done with it and don't have to worry over it anymore.... :)

Also going out in tomorrows mail:

My USEBB Summer Quaker Exchange :)

and

My Robin's Nest Birthday Exchange :) HEAD'S UP CATHY (we're partners)

Tomorrow I'm also starting my SAL with my dear friend sweet Julie . We are starting Inspiration by Rosewood Manor and will be SALing each Friday. So expect an update from me sometime this weekend on my start for this beautiful piece. I'm also expecting to get started on My Hometown by Carriage House Samplings....I'm supposed to be in a SAL with the group of RagTag stitchers that include RedsThreads, Joanie and Chelle....but I've not even started yet...sorry girls! I've had LOADS of exchanges...but they are slowing down because I've on purpose not signed up for as many as I had been because I need to start stitching for myself some. :) But I say that as I look at my exchanges list and I still have 5 exchanges upcoming through the month of August :) I just have to laugh at myself.... LOL! Go ahead and join in....

So until next time dear readers, I thank you for your visit, I love you for your comment and I hope you'll come back again really soon! Keep reaching for your needle and enjoying your craft!

Cathy B. Random Act of Kindness on MIA Exchange

First and foremost I want Cathy B. to know how much I think of her for putting this together to replace my MIA exchange for the Easter Exchange on the USEBB. I want everyone to see and know that although this was not Cathy B.'s responisiblity, she saw fit to interrupt her life to stitch a replacement for me. How nice is that?! So without further ado....I'd like to present Cathy B.'s amazing Random Act of Kindness, because that is definitely what this is to me :)

Cathy tells me this design is from Prairie Schooler

She made me the sweetest fob and sent many lovely goodies for me to enjoy!

This is my second fob that I own and it is definitely a beauty! I've already got it on my favorite pair of gingher scissors :)

THANK YOU CATHY! You didn't have to do this for me and your kind, generous heart went ahead and did it anyway! Thank you so much!

Next Up: I sent a small PIF gift to Michelle my #4 person on my list of PIFs. Go on over to her blog and check out what I made and sent to her, as I totally forgot to take a picture of it :( I made Michelle a beaded scissors fob in blue swarvoski crystals with a wee silver angel charm on the end :) I also sent her pretty flower embroidery scissors with a curved end and a couple of skeins of varigated floss....oh, and I also sent a postcard from Indiana :) I think Michelle enjoyed my small surprise for her.

I also sent another PIF, but I've not heard from that secret person yet...she's my last recipient! WAHOO! Got 'em all done!

Next Up: Got some finishing to do today :) I finished my USEBB Summer Quaker. I don't want to mail this one off! And if it wasn't for such a lovely lady, I think I'd have to stitch something else and keep this one! LOL!

I've been working hard on my Neighborhood RR...it is very close....Hopefully by the end of the week I can show you something :)

Ok, dear friends...until the next time, keep on smiling, keep your head above the water, don't let anyone down and try to be someone or something to everyone you meet! I know I certainly try to do all these things and I hope it shows :)

Quick Post....

Thank you all so much for your kind comments on my gift to Harmien! I appreciate them so much...it really makes my day to read your generous salutations! So thank you for visiting me :)

Next Up: Dear Rachel had a birthday on Tuesday....and although I was frantic to finish up my small token to her....I didn't get it out in time for her to receive it on her birthday :( as a matter of fact I was slamming it in an envelope and throwing it in the mailbox as we were leaving for Holiday World last Monday :)

However it did get to her on Thursday and I hope was a pleasant surprise. Rachel loves all things Little House Needleworks, so I chose to do Summer House ~ a freebie by LHN (the only freebie I own by LHN...and I own dog-gone near all their patterns!) I stitched this cute design over 1 on my baked and basted 28 ct. linen. Here it is:

Summer House Freebie ~ Little House Needleworks

Photo *pinched* from Rachel's blog :)

Fibers: Crescent Colours - Using my own combination

Green = Joshua Tree

Blue = Tartan Plaid

Red = Cupid

White = Cloudy

I've got this on my ever growing list of "making for myself" ....LOL! ** A quick note here...what do you all use to make your fobs weighty? I found out a wonderful trick....slip in a drapery weight....works lovely :)

Next Up: Pay It Forward gifts...got my last two done....won't tell you the people I'm sending them to today...but they should have them in the next week! WhooHoo! Take another thing off my list mister postman !

Next Up: Random Acts of Kindness....let me give a shout out here to my dear friends...first up: Amy, SC . We did a swap here...remember my My ABC exchange? Well Amy, SC loved my fabric that I used to do the back with...so I sent her a cut of it. Dear Amy knew I was wanting LHN freebies so last week, I received a letter with 4 of them in it. Thank you Amy...I've got plans already :)

Do you all know Deb ? Well you need to go on over to her blog and roll in her energy...she's a ball of fire :) She recently purchased an AMAP and received a freebie....I kindly asked her for a copy and dear Deb sent me a envelope full of freebie goodness! Thank you Deb!!! You are a sweetheart!!! I love each and every freebie you sent me :)

Finally, I know that I told you about dear Marie , well that sweetheart sent me a RAK in the form of CCN's Tea Room chart...just because she asked me some blogging questions and I answered them. Now that, I think, is very generous of her! Thank you sweet Marie :) You have become a dear friend of mine and I have to agree that if we lived closer, I'd drink tea with you every day, if you'd have me! LOL!

Well I think that sums up the whole list of things I wanted to tell you :) Besides, thank you to each and every one of my readers....if you just visit thanks! If you leave a comment, bless your heart! I always visit each and every person that leaves me a comment, because I know that it is special to read what others think of your creations. Until the next time....have a superior weekend...it looks like it is going to be a fabulous one!

Harmien's Birthday

Hello Everyone! Last week I mentioned some Tra-la-la-la-la-ing had been done around my house because I had finished something very special. Well today I get to share it with you all :)

First I want to set up the gift. Last year around this time, I became a member of Cyberstitchers. I was so excited because I'd always looked at everyone's lovlies posted over there and thinking what a good time I could have if I were a member and one day my wish was granted :) The next couple of days I got random comments from people commenting on my projects I had listed. Then on about the third day, or so I got this comment from a lady named Harmien. I replied to her comment saying "thank you" or some such thing and lo and behold I immediately received another e-mail from her. This one was "chatty" so we started firing e-mails back and forth the whole morning. And so we became internet buddies and a start of a lovely friendship. Harmien introduced me to blogging because she had a best friend Annemarie that blogged. I learned about the Stitching bloggers webring and about two weeks after I found out about blogs, I started my own, "The Twisted Stitcher". So Harmien had opened a world unbeknownst to me :) Who would have thought that so many talented ladies did the same craft that I craved doing....nobody around me liked doing cross stitch! And the things I have learned......So when it came time to think about choosing a gift for Harmien's birthday, I tried to make it magnificent. Because Harmien in my book....YOU are magnificent. And although dear friend, I will probably never meet you face to face, you are always in my heart. You, I am proud to call friend :)

Ok, as An says...enough with the emotiona "dribble" .... now, on to Harmien's present....I looked and looked through my patterns and nothing seemed "magnificent" enough until I remebered a pattern by Ellen Chesser (*I think*) of "Cherished Stitches" entitled Muscat Blue Sewing set. It had been featured in a late fall Just Cross Stitch Magazine last year. Now I couldn't find a Nantucket basket like they had for the set, but I came up with my own thing. Here's my final outcome:

Inside of "basket" padded bottom

The Muscat Blue "Basket" (outside) - I lined a paper mache round box with navy material and lined it with an antique styled cherub material, I made a round tube and put a draw string in the top with lovely cording and big tassles so that Harmien can close it off to keep her project on the inside. I glued my tube around the inside of the box and made a padded bottom (see 1st picture) and then put pretty white cording with gold beads glued around the padded bottom.

Fob Front

Fob Back

Scissors case Front w/ Fob


Scissors case back w/ fob

Here's the whole Muscat Blue Sewing Set

Harmien received this yesterday actually a couple of days after her birthday, but believe me that was good enough for me :) I sewed my little fingers to the bone to get it mailed by last Wednesday, so the good 'ol postal service came through for me, I think its wonderful that she received it just 6 days from when I posted it!

Happy, Happy Birthday Harmien...I'm so glad that you liked what I picked out for you, I was more than a little worried that it wouldn't turn out perfect for you, and although it's not perfect, I did my best and I think its passable. Thank you for being my friend!

Many hugs to all my readers :) Thank you for visiting and come back again. Until next time....

Potting Shed Exchange from Toni

I went to my mailbox on Friday and this is what I found: Stitched by Toni a perfect little pillow ornament :)

Isn't this lovely?

And here's all the sweet extras that Toni sent along :)

The little pick and heart stand is alreay in my entrance garden it says "Love Grows Here"

And the sweet little watering can is also haning in my garden...plus she sent me the flower journal :) I'm using it already as well!

Thank you ever so much Toni! I appreciate it all! Your stitching is perfection and the wee pillow looks perfect on my hanging shelf!

I've been tagged a couple of times by lovely ladies...so I'll address those now too :) *Thanks to Goldie and Tannia for tagging me :) I'm supposed to list 8 random facts about myself....

Here it goes....

1. I was almost a "Yankee Doodle Dandy" ....my Mom was in labor with me for over 72 hours, she went in labor on July 3, they thought I'd be here on July 4 (U.S. Independence Day) however, I didn't make my apperance until after an emergency c-section at 5 a.m. on Thursday, July 5...I always have been a day late and a dollar short! LOL!

2. I love to dip potato chips in ketchup

3. My job is dealing with any type of bodily fluid you can think of....I'm *not* kidding

4. I was the top scholarship winner from my graduating High School class, I was awarded 3 monetary scholarships based on my grades, extracurricular activities and my personality.

5. I didn't go to my senior prom

6. I drive a Ford Windstar SEL

7. It is COKE and not PEPSI for me

8. AND unlike Goldie...I do NOT wear the same size jeans as I wore in High School!

Ok, there you go....geez...that's hard!

I don't have any stitchy news....but I do think you all need to go over to this BLOG and give a warm welcome to Marie :) She's a friend of mine that I met from the USEBB board. Not only is Marie a wonderful stitcher, but she's posting techniques and tips for us all...so go on over and give Marie a "Howdy doo!"

Monday is my DH's 37th birthday! We're taking the kids out of school and travelling HERE Holiday World has been in this wee little village of Santa Claus, Indiana since my Mom was a child :) I spent many a summer day riding the rides and having the time of my life there and now its my kids turn. We go here two or three times a summer and we always have a grand time.

Hope you all are having a great weekend...until next time :)

Fair and Square - Friendship Squares Exchange

Hello People!
Annemarie kindly asked me to help her organize the Friendship Squares Exchange, since there seemed to be quite a bit of interest. We have made a blog which contains the "RULES" - this serves two parts...1.) it explains what the Fair and Square exchange will be 2.) Sets ground rules that we all can follow so that there aren't any hidden surprises.
If you are interested in partcipating or learning more about this idea....please go to Fair and Square Rules for more information. If you are interested then leave a comment and make sure that either your blog has your e-mail listed or that you actually leave your e-mail so that we can get a hold of you.
Names will be taken until June 1, 2007 for this first round...A new round should start every 8 weeks.
Thanks for reading and your interest!

My Pinkeep Exchange to Zorah and other news

Zorah finally received the pinkeep I stitched for her for the Specific Finish exchange on the SBEBB. I stitched "Goodwill" from Little House Needleworks thread packs. Here it is:

Goodwill by Little House Needleworks

stitched on 28 ct. raw linen using charted Crescent Colours

I also sent her some skeins of Carrie's Threads, which I've just used myself recently and I really, really like them! I hope you enjoyed your package from me Zorah! I enjoyed stitching for you!

Next up: have you heard about stitching "squares" for other stitching friends and making them into a quilt? Annemarie has a bunch of information about it posted on her blog today.... go on over and read all about it! If you want to join in on the fun leave a comment to dear Annemarie and she'll add you to her list! She's thinking about setting up an exchange of sorts between interested stitchers. Details are fuzzy right now, but she's got a link to another blogger's blog about what she's doing with her "friendship squares" and she's "polling" other stitching bloggers to see if there is an interest. I'm keen on the idea myself, as I'm invisioning making pinkeeps (you know I've mentioned my desire for more and more of them!) so go on over and give An a visit to see if you'd be interested!

Ok, well I posted my stitchy surprise today! The dear Post Ladies told me 4 - 7 days and the recipient of my humble surprise will have it in her (or his) hot little hands and that's all I'm saying! :)

Ok, well I see my dear Postman just drove up to my mailbox...I think I'm going to go out to see if I have anything interesting in my mailbox besides bills! Until the next time!

SBEBB Pinkeep from Judith

I received this lovely pinkeep from Judith ! She tells me it a Shepherd's Bush Design and that she stitched it on a Limited Edition Silkweaver Linen. She also generously gifted me with two hanks of fabric seen behind the pinkeep. Thank you Judith, I'm adding this little gem to my growing collection of pinkeeps. I've fallen in love with them since doing a couple for exchanges and I'm going to keep on "keeping on" making pinkeeps! I ADORE them! :)

Next up ~ I have completed my secret surprise for someone special! Can you hear the angels singing??? Because I didn't think I was going to get it done and I did!!!! After 2 days of intense stitching and finishing it is DONE!!! And it is BEAUTIFUL! ~ if I do say so myself...you can tell me once my recipient "receives" it and I can share it :) I'm just walking on air here....I'm so happy its done! tra~la~la~la~la~la!!!!

Ok until next time....th-th-th-th- that's all folks! :o )

My ABC exchange from Linda

I received late on Friday afternoon, the most delightful package :) The package was from Singapore, so that made it ever so much more fun! :) I opened it and found this lovely mattress style pincushion stitched and finished by Linda !

Petits Points and Toile Delin

By Marjorie Massey

Stitched on light blue 28 ct. linen Jubilee with DMC 815

Back with my name beautifully stitched. Linda said you used the "V" as a vase to hold 3 flowers for me :)

Here's the whole kit and kaboodle Linda sent along with the pincushion. I'd say that I was royally treated :)

Linda did a beautiful job finishing and stitching this gem! It is stitched 1 over 1 and is just so delicated! Thank you ever so much Linda, it prominently sits in the middle of my new stitching display shelf! It is beautiful and it's all mine! :)

I've been stitching away this weekend on my Neighborhood RR and after I post this I'm going to get stitching on a surprise...I don't have too much more to stitch before it's finished...but I have a lot of little parts that all go together to form the entire surprise. So I've got to get whipping on it or it will be terribly late. Hope to have my RR finished this week so that I can show you what I chose to do! It's looking good so far I think! Hugs to you all I hope that you had a restful, stitchy weekend where ever you are! Until next time....

Potting Shed Exchange For Rachel

Rachel alerted me that the USEBB Potting Shed Exchange that I stitched for her had arrived safely! So without further ado, here it is:

Love Builds a Garden

Designer: Waxing Moon

Fabric: 32 Ct. silkweaver solo

Threads: DMC

Finished: As garden themed Stand up

Here's the goodies I sent to dear Rachel :)

I was happy to be paired with Rachel because she sent me the most darling ornament in the USEBB Christmas exchange last year (also my *first* exchange ever rec'd!)...so I wanted to do something special for her :) The finishing worked out great...I purchased a fence just like I had when I completed Becky's House and then I saw the coolest little wooden flowers, so I picked up three of those and then I found the wheelbarrow...how can you have a garden themed exchange without a wheelbarrow? So I threw one of those in the cart too! Well these were all unfinished plain wood, so I had to divert to the acrylic paint aisle to pick out paint colors to paint my flowers and wheelbarrow.....got those and came home and started painting. After everything was dry, I glued the flowers to the back of the fence and then attached the wheelbarrow and attached the mounted piece on the fence and viola...it was done! I had a couple of bees left over from Becky's House Exchange so I glued them on in appropriate places and it was finished!

I'm so glad that it was received with joy! I was happy to stitch it for Rachel! Rachel told me that she was having a down day yesterday when she received my little exchange and it brightened her day :) All the better, yes?! Hugs dear friend ~ Thank you for liking my gift as much as I love our friendship :)

**I also want to post that if you've missed my post from yesterday...please travel on down to read it (or just look at the pictures) as I got the most astounding PIF gift from another dear friend Annemarie :) I want to be sure she gets equal exposure to your enthusiastic comments!**

Thanks for the comments ~ I *LOVE* them and your visits! Until next time.... have a great weekend, stitch much, laugh often and love with your whole heart!

PIF from Annemarie :)

Look at the lovely I got from Annemarie today!!! She sent me my very first Scissors FOB !!!

Look at the lovely way she did our initials in the lower left corner :)

An tells me this is a Mary Garry's Cabin design and she finished it perfectly here's the front :)
She also sent me some SWEET scissors! Which I am terribly happy about because they are razor sharp and curved at the end so that I won't snip out somthing I don't want snipped!
What a really great SURPRISE!!! I tell you it is a red letter day here!

I "met" An through my other stitching friend Harmien both of them are such dear, dear friends to me. Someday soon I'll go on and on about Harmien, but today I'm going to focus on An. An you are a sweetie and your stitching is perfection. The finishing of this fob is perfect! I can't get over it! I've made fobs for others, but never one for myself...so thank you from the bottom of my heart. This will always hold a dear place in my stitching basket. Now just I need to get stitching so I can use those scissors!

For my blog readers, if you've never met An, you need to go on over to her blog. She's bright and funny and always brings a big smile to my face whenever I read her blog. We exchange e-mails frequently and although I'll never probably meet you face to face An, you are a dear, sweet person that I am lucky to call you friend. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

(P.S. Harmien...you know I love you too! :) so don't get jealous! LOL!!!)

One of my exchanges I sent earlier this week should be received today, so expect another Twisted Stitcher stitchy update soon! I'm excited for my receipient to get this one! So until next time......

Surprise!

Hello Folks! Hope you all are doing great :)
I have a quick post....look what the Postman brought to my mailbox today:
It is a lovely surprise gift from Tannia , apparently I was the right commenter at the right time and I won this lovely surprise gift. Dear Tannia gave me a lovely notecard with an antique sampler on it, a Shepherd's Bush Needleroll kit (yes!) and a Mill Hill Ornament kit (sweet!) ;)
Wasn't that nice? If you don't know Tannia you need to check out her blog. She's a sweet lady (and I thought this before she sent me a gift - and now I think she's the cat's meow!) LOL!

Next up: What about MY stitching you ask? Well I'm stitching...MY LITTLE FINGERS to the bone...but I cannot show you a SINGLE thing...nope, sorry! All gifts and exchanges. So sorry....but I should have a couple of exchanges received shortly and there will be some stitchy pictures and updates. I can tell you that I finished my Robin's Nest Birthday gift today (Hi Cathy) and I think the stitching is really nice! Now I have to finish it...and I've got that planned already...so no need to stress over that anymore! I still need to finish my other gift...and I'm running out of time, but I'm not stressing over it...I'm taking deep breaths! Plus I need to get started on my House for the Neighborhood RR...but if I don't get my block done for myself well then...too bad, I'll send it without mine and do it when it gets back home.

So what did you all think about the new issue of The Gift of Stitching?! Great, huh?! I LOVE the seasonal Quakers and alreay have one kitted up to do for an exchange ;) I love that magazine and it seems that it gets better and better, don't you think?!

Ok well that's all the yacking I have for today! Thank you for all your good wishes and lovely comments about our Anniversary....we had a very nice day. Until next time....