USEBB Ornie Exchange and The Busy Elf!

Hello Friends :)
Thanks for all the well wishes, the tummy is doing much better. I had a slight case of it this time, maybe it is because I've had the stomach flu so many times in the past 10 years of being a mother that I'm becoming immune to it! LOL!
Anyway on with the show! Today (must to my delight and surprise!) I had a package in my mailbox! Whoot for me :) It was the USEBB ornie exchange *already* (mine's not done yet...shame on me!) from Becky K. She made me a lovely hardanger christmas tree:

Isn't it fabulous?! I love it and our initials on the back! I shall always remember it each year as I lovingly hang it on my tree! Thank you so much Becky...it is perfect! Becky also spoiled me (and my family) ROTTEN! Here's a snap of all the many extras she sent us:

She gave me a loose feathers chart...I had just been admiring this on one of our fellow blogger's blog, now I have my own copy!, she also sent me a tin of altoids (LOVE THEM!) and a cute snowman tin, two BIG cadbury chocolate bars (I'm not sharing), 5 handmade icicle ornies (for my 5 little icicles ~Keith (dh) and kids~) this brought a big smile to my face and they are hanging on our tree right now! Becky sent along 4 coloring books for my little devils, I mean angels, and Ellie the queen bee, is coloring in it as I type. She enthusiastically told me that she "wuves puppies" interpreted she "loves puppies". Becky also included a lovely handwritten card with a sweet note to boot! Thanks Becky K, you made my day! (awww...that rhymes!)

Next up ~ that sleuthy elf ~ has STRUCK again! The mysterious Santa's Helper has once again struck at my house! My daughter Katie was gifted on Monday....and today I was gifted! That sweet guy or gal...whomever it may be ;) .....sent me a lovely skein of GAST misletoe. I think I'll hang it over a doorway and make my husband kiss me tonight! *wink* *wink*

Thank you sweet elf - whomever she/he may be! I appreciate your thoughtfulness and your kindness, it makes me smile to think someone thinks enough of me to gift me! And dear elf...YOU are making quite a stir!

On a side note....Ellie, who has become a most delightful sentence maker....told me this morning in no uncertain terms this: "Mom, Ellie is funny!" here I said, "MmmHmmm." then I guess she didn't think she had my attention so she then stated: "I'm pretty too!" Glad to know that she has a strong sense of self confidence. Yep, she's a princess for sure! LOL!

Finally, did you hear the angels singing?! I know I've been giving them quite a work out lately, but FINALLY, and I mean finally...I got my USEBB ornie stitched. Now on to the finishing.

Thanks for visiting and all your lovely comments and gestures :) Until next time - keep on stitchin'!

Round #4 Round Robin and Christmas Surprise

WOOT! Did you hear the angels singing?! I got my square of Cindy's RR finished this afternoon! Thank goodness...another thing to mark off my list!!! Here is my square for Round #4 of the Hello Neighbor RR:

Designer: Sandra Cozzolino

Design: Taken from Welcome Friends Booklet

Fibers: DMC

Cindy chose the most amazing fabric for her RR..it is 32 ct. Days Gone By Silkweaver....I believe I see some of this in my future! GORGEOUS fabric!

Here's the whole RR, I think it's looking fabulous!:

Don't you think my little shack looks like your hillbilly neighbor's house?! LOL!

Next I had a sweet surprise from dearest Harmien I sent her the annual Just Cross Stitch Ornament Magazine and she said she'd stitch me the first project from it....Here's what it looked like before I opened it:

And here it is in all it's glory! Front:

Back:

Don't you just love it?! I am thrilled to bits with it! It is in my smalls basket as I speak and I keep looking and looking at it. It's Midsummer Nights Designs offering for this year and they've become a popular favorite of mine of late. So sweet Harmien, thank you for your kindness and generosity :) I love it and am thrilled to BITS with it!

I'm a bit under the weather today. I think I have a slight stomach bug or something...not right at all and sort of achy all over. My DH is coming home early this p.m. so that I can take a shower and go to bed. I will be able to do so with a clear conscience now that I know that the RR is packaged and ready for the mail on Friday! WHOO HOOO!

Until next time: may your fabric be the canvas and your needle your brush as you paint a beautiful masterpiece!

Surprises Galore!

First off I'd like to "thank" each and every one of you that took the time to leave me a comment about the loss of my husband's friend. Today is his memorial service and it shall be a tough one for all of his collegues.

First Up: I'd like to share with you my Biscornu Basket...which is really just a "french bread" basket and I made a "liner" for it without further ado, here it is...isn't it cute?! Love them all ...those little goodies in there :)

Next Up: Today I received my first Crazy Exchange! Janaina must of taken a liking to me and this is all the goodies she sent to me:

A super biscornu and fob featuring my initial and on the back her signature and location and year...LOVE IT and she was also good enough to send me the most lovely letter and two chocolates to try from her homeland Brazil, two lovely green Anchor flosses and some thread bobbins...what a great surprise! Thank you so much Janaina! I don't know if she has a blog, but I will certainly let you know once I find out!

Then I got another package today...this one was from Melissa. She had e-mailed me to see if I would want some empty tins she had...as she said she had lots of them...well apparently! As look at this that I opened up today!:

Watch out! I'm going to be making up a lot of these cuties in a few months!

Lastly I received the Stitching Bloggers Birthday gift from Patti This is the biscornu that she made me....isn't it lovely?!

Here's all the loot I got from Patti.....

Thank you so much Patti, I enjoyed the lot of it! :)

I've lots to be thankful for and one of them is for stitching friends and blogging. I've never stitched as much as I have this year and it is simply because I'm inspired to do so by all you clever ladies out there. I am lucky to be a member of this vast community. Thank you!

Until next time....stitch with dancing fingers :)

Blessings

Yesterday my husband's friend at work was killed in an auto accident travelling to work. Needless to say, my husband and all of his coworkers are devastated. We don't live in a "big" city, we don't have big interstates, rather we have country roads, country highways and the occassional 4 lane highways to bigger cities. This is a crushing blow to the many people that knew this excellent example of a man and person. My thoughts remain with his widow and their daughter. It is a tragic loss.

This Thanksgiving holiday, I am thankful for all the many blessings God has bestowed in my life. My husband and four beautiful children, our health, the roof over our heads, the food in our bellies and the days that God has given us to enjoy each other and his wondrous works. My little family is my world and I'm thankful that I have been so bountifully blessed.

I wish that for all of us, that we can recognize the many blessings in our lives and give thanks for them. It's easy to get mired down in day to day grind, turmoil and strife of life, but the person that can rise above this and see the "forest for the trees" or "stop and smell the roses" is a truly blessed person.

Happy Thanksgiving....and tonight, gather your family and loved ones and hug, kiss and celebrate life with them, for it is a gift from God that should not be misused, for you never know the hour or the time it shall be taken.

New Blog

for an "old" blogger :)
Susan of Red's Thread has changed to a new blog at wordpress...so make note and update your readers :)
Here's the link:

http://livnlaf.wordpress.com/

Have a great weekend!

Week 3 with CdC

Cirque de Cercles ~ The Snowbird's SAL ~ Week 3 Progress

(picture is clickable)

I think that I did pretty much progress it's always hard to say, but you can follow what I've done each week in my Cirque album located in my side bar if your interested. I think that a couple of things slow me down: stitching 1:1 on black evenweave is the main thing and I'm constantly looking at colors as I go along. See I colored my pattern but I just did general "hues" I'm actally choosing the colors as I stitch. And I find that I'm chaning some things as I go. Hope it turns out ok!

But here I go patting my own back again. I had a visual picture in my mind of what I wanted...and this is EXACTLY it! I really am proud of my prgress so far. It's bright jewel tones...just make me smile!

Thanks for checking in on my progress! Thanks too for all my visitors new and seasoned alike :)

Until next week, I hope you stitch with dancing fingers!

SBEBB Harvest Exchange for Paula

I know I've posted about every day this week, and I'm sorry to clog your readers....but I want to share this exchange that I've been biting my nails over for the past two weeks. Paula just sent me an e-mail to let me know that she received the exchange! Hurray! I was VERY worried.... Anyway, I made her (of course - it's a sickness) a pinkeep (are you bored yet with me?!), but the design I chose just screamed pinkeep. Here it is:

Front and Back

Designer: Trilogy ~ Autumn Spots

I didn't have pins that looked totally fabulous with the design so I made my own using seed beads/glass beads and straight pins. I thought it turned out pretty OK. I sure do hope that Paula likes it.....I'm unsure if she likes it or not.

Alrighty then, that's it for me today....tomorrow is CdC day with the Snowbird's SAL....so no posts from me until Friday to show my update on it. Wish me luck!

Thank you for all your kind comments on the Busy Needle Pinkeep....I've looked at it all day! It has brought me that much joy :) So I guess I'm glad I was hoggish and kept it for myself. You know I think it is the only small I've got that I actually made myself?!

Until Friday, may you stitch with dancing fingers! HUGS!

Hot OFF the Q-snaps!

I'll let the pictures do the talking....

Little House Needleworks Exclusive from The Busy Needle

32 ct. lugana from Sassy's Fabbys (color: Sugared Coffee)

Threads: Crescent Colours

Finished as: Pinkeep

Isn't it the cutest? I just love it...I honestly do....I was going to send it away to a friend's house, but frankly I can't bear to part with it...so it shall be mine! I'm just thrilled with it!

I've had quite a lot of questions lately so here's the answers:

1.) Pattern of my tea cups and saucers...I have a couple of different patterns and I don't know what the pattern is, honestly. I have the entire set of china for both of the cups/saucers and they were previously owned by my Great-Grandmother Weber and my Grandma Weber. So they are OLD. My mother about had a heart attack when I she saw them in my pictures and told me to put them away. I told her what good were they tucked away in a box and nobody to gaze upon them?! So I have them out and use them.

2.) The lace under my pictures is a bureau scarf and it was from my Grandma too :)

3.) The antique sewing machine I've talked about a couple of times before, but it was on a junk pile and my industrious brother saved it from the heap and electrified it into the quaintest, cutest lamp around!

4.) The angel on the material under the presser foot of my antique sewing machine lamp is just a tea towel and the angel/flowers are machine embroidered on the towel - I'm not that good ;)

Alrighty friends, thanks for your visits, I appreciate your comments and I hope that you all are having a TERRIFIC week :) Tomorrow is Laundry Day at my house :(

Until next time...stitch with dancing fingers!

World Kindness Day!

Friday I received a box in the mail...Hmmm....I thought, no exchanges that I haven't received, I wonder who it's from? I walked into the house and saw that it was from a friend of mine Susan. Well I wanted to rip that thing open but as I flipped it to find a place to begin the demise of that box, I saw a note that said do not open until Nov. 13, please. WHAT?! Well I wanted to open it, but I didn't. So today, I awoke bright and early to let the ripping begin :0) And this is what I found:

A lovely letter saying that today is not only dear Susan's 46th birthday but it is also World Kindness Day, and that susan decided that this year "...to celebrate my birthday by giving "gifts" to the women in my life who have shown me such kindness and friendship, whether it's been through sharing e-mails, reading my blog, or just being there with a hug whn I needed it..." Well I don't know that I deserved such a special gift, but it is a beauty and I shall show you more now!!!
A lovely BIG bar of Lundt's Raspberry filled chocolate...have you ever tried it with coffee Susan it is delightful and so nourishing for breakfast ;)
See the wee ornament in the picture? This is the backside of it.



Here's a close up of the divine little ornament the Susan stitched for me! It's from the Little House Needleworks Dear Diary series...I love it so much! Peace is what she stitched for me....maybe she knew this week was not going to be "peaceful" and this will help me to remember to think "peace"!
Susan, I wish you the best of birthdays and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this special note and gift that you have presented to me! What a lovely surprise! Thank you!!!

Next up: Here's the Busy Needle Exclusive from Little House Needleworks that I ordered a couple of weeks ago....it came on Friday and I hurriedly started stitching it for myself! It's almost done!!!! I'll have a picture soon to share :) I'm well pleased with the design. Isn't it cute?!

Here's one of my son's Ian showing off his most recent Lego creation :)

And I shall leave you with a picture of my wee Ellie...with her first set of Piggy Tails....isn't she the cutest?!

Until next time dear friends, may your fabric be the canvas and your needle the brush for painting a masterpiece!

An's Birthday Gift

Dear, sweet An e-mailed me just this morning to let me know that she just opened up my birthday package for her! So without further ado I'll let you all see what I did for her. (Well these aren't clickable....so go to my sidebar picture albums and choose Gifts to Others to see clearer pictures....SORRY!)

Singing Mermaids Stitcher's Tin

Fabric: Picture This Plus Opalescent

Fibers: DMC

Inside of Stitcher's Tin - Magnetized Lid for Scissors and the Pincushion bottom

Side Detail of Stitcher's Tin

I certainly had bigger plans for An's birthday, than this humble tin, but time slipped away and this is all I could get together for her. I believe that she likes it :) And it was made with love and her in mind.

Happy Birthday An! I hope you have nothing in life but sunshine and rainbows, with many more birthdays to come!

Thank you friends for visiting my 'lil blog and wishing me such kind words and well wishes. Your visits and comments make me smile and make me stitch with "happy fingers" (as dear Beatrice always says!). Have a great week....mine, it's gonna be a busy one - but I shall think of all you out there stitching to your hearts delight!

Week #2 of Cirque de Cercles

Hello Friends! A quick update on my CdC SAL project with the Snowbird's SAL!

Here's what I got finished last week:

Week #1 (11-1-07)

Stitched 1:1 on black 28 ct. evenweave

Here's Week #2:

Week #2 (11-8-07)

Not a stunning amount of progress, but I had to frog the darn green scroll part about 3 times! But I did get a fair amount done and I'm pleased with my progress....I think as soon as I get to add some more color it will be even more dynamic! Or I hope so! LOL!

I hope you all have a great weekend. It's off to work I go.....but I'm hoping for an easy road!

Until next time I hope you stitch with dancing fingers!

Birthday Present for Nicole!

Hello Friends! Just a quick post to share one finish from my weekend! Today sweet Nicole said she received my stitched part of her gift and here it is:

Front of Pinkeep

Designer: Country Cottage Needlework Freebie "BLOOM" (modified)

Fabric: 32 ct. Creamy Cocoa by Sassy's Fabbys

Fibers: DMC

Finished as: Pinkeep

I used the freebie "BLOOM" from Country Cottage Needleworks as my pattern, but instead of stitching "BLOOM" I stitched Nicole N. - otherwise the pattern is the same, but I changed the flower colors. I finished it into a pinkeep. (my most favorite finish of late! LOL!) And I used Sassy's Fabbys, I'm in LOVE with this fabric! This will definitely be purchased again and I highly recommend it!

Here's the back of the pinkeep with my "signature" square

Side View of the pinkeep

I was thrilled to stitch this for Nicole and it really came out sweet I think. It's feminine and charming just like I envision Nicole. So many happy returns Nicole and very Happy Birthday from me to you!

Today I'm stitching away on my CdC! Oh, it's looking good! You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see it though! :)

And Until next time may you stitch with nimble fingers :)

Harvest Exchange!

Look at this lovely flatfold, scissors fob and a LHN Dear Diary pattern from my wishlist! I got this most excellent exchange from a new SBEBB exchanger (and new to me blogger) Lynn isn't it gorgeous?! I love it! Lynn also told me that she used my very own tutorial to make the flatfold! What a big compliment!

*pictures are clickable for clarity*

Here's a close up of the stitching that Lynn did for me....notice my new Gingher Bianca's modeling the scissors fob! I just bought these lovlies from Carol's DH Mike. The poor Bianca's was needing a fob and I didn't have time to stitch one up...well nevermore! Lynn stitched a perfect one for me! :)

Thank you Lynn for making my laundry day extra special! What a big surprise to get in the mail from my buddy the Postman! Thank you so much!!!

Until next time....may your needles fly over your fabric like a bird soaring on the wind!

Weekend Finishes!

Hello Friends :)
I been a busy bee this weekend! Hurray for me :) It was the perfect weekend...laid back, lots of crafting and family time...AND my DH and I went on a date! Yippee!

The only thing I can show you is, my Round #3 Fair and Square friendship squares finished off into a pinkeep. These were stitched by my partner for this round Staci (who doesn't have a blog). Here they are: (pictures are clickable for clarity)


I also finished 2 stitched birthday presents!!! Whoop!!! Those are going in the mail tomorrow so An and Nicole...watch your mailboxes!

Off to pull my projects for more exchanges and the Hello Neighbor RR.....

Until next time, may your needle dance across your canvas!

Snowbird SAL start

Hello Friends! I'm biting at the bit to publish this post! I became the member of the The Snowbird's SAL......yes, I know what was I thinking?! Another BIG project and it's not like I'm sitting around on my hands! BUT I'm hoping with Dani and the gang holding me accountable I might see a completion? Anyway I'm stitching Cirque de Circles by Ink Circles. I must admit, this pattern never *did it* for me until I saw this in the CdC gallery:
Isn't it GORGEOUS?! I love it....the lady that stitched this plotted her own colors and this is what she came up with....I think it is stupendous! So I got the pattern when I saw Dani had started this SAL up.....made copies, got my markers out and went to town coloring in my CdC. I've got a plan and I made my start....without further ado - Here it is!:

Week #1 - Cirque de Circles - November 1, 2007

Stitched on 28 ct. Black evenweave 1 over 1...that's probably 5+ hours of work there

So what do you think??? I'm dying to know! My plan is to do all the outlines and the smaller circles in this rich gold color. The insides of the larger medallions only will be colored. I think that will make all those *pop* even more....the lady's that I fell in love with had all the circles even the small ones colored in, but I think that there will be more drama if I leave those all monochromatic and stick with the larger medallions. I also think that stitching it 1:1 is making it look very delicate.......so what do you think?

Next Up: Sassy's Fabrics!!!! Have any of you ever stitched on Sassy's Fabrics?! Well I'm here to tell you - 'WHAT A DEAL'! Thanks to Monique who posted to her blog about Sassy's and their ornament cuts....I thought WOW! I need to scoot over there and check them out for fabric for my Fair and Square squares. They have ornament cuts that are 6 x 6 and just perfect for ornies and well Fair and Square! So I purchased a load of them to try. Here they are:

The colors from L to R are: Tan Marble, Sugared Coffee, Toffee, Khaki, and Creamy Cocoa

I'm really ready to give them a try. I think they look rick and luxiourious...and I love the Sugared Coffee one....I think that it's *close* to vintage exemplar that LHN is doing a lot of their designs on of late - I may be purchasing a whole bolt! :)

I found out from belonging to a LHN group that The Attic (in Mesa, AZ) and The Busy Needle (in Tucsan, AZ) had shop exclusives that Diane Williams designed. So being the LHN NUT that I am, I called them both yesterday and ordered them! I can't wait til they get here...I've seen the Busy Needle exclusive on Ebay...but I have no idea what the Attic's looks like. But I guess I can't go wrong, because I love anything and everything that Diane does.

Ok well, I'm going to be busy stitching a RR and exchange over the weekend. WISH ME LUCK!

Have a great weekend and I hope your needle and thread dances over your fabric!