Finishes

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Safe traveling and Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and gets to where they're going safely. Do your part on Black Friday to stimulate the economy. I'm going to do some cross stitch shopping online as my contribution to better days. :)

Currently on my wish list:
Hinzeit Crystal reindeer and sleigh (9 reindeer and 1 sleigh)
Holy Moses and Eye of the Sparrow by Silver Creek Samplers
2009 Annual Christmas Tree by Mirabilia
Lizzy Kate's ABC Christmas kit

We'll see what I finally decide on purchasing. :)

Friday, November 20, 2009

Bought a great new chart!

I like to enter my stitching in the county fairs, but this one.....well, it's totally unsuitable. But hilariously funny! I can't wait to start it. Take a look:

http://www.needlepricks.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=240

Maybe I should enter this in Woodlawn! LOL I'll be displayed behind a door or under the bed, if I do.

I also bought Picasso's Don Quixote by Ladybug Designs, White Dance by who knows because they didn't put their name on the chart, and Thea Gouverneur's Pears (a kit). All of these were my order from The Needlework Show.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Started wrapping Christmas presents

I'm so ashamed. LOL A little less than 2 weeks to Thanksgiving and almost all my shopping is done and today I started wrapping presents. Actually, it was necessary to wrap a few of the presents just to keep the surprise. The plastic bags are see-thru and I don't have much in hidden storage (stash has to go some place!!). Now a month from now I won't know what is in those packages, but that's a different story! LOL

Practically everyone knows C.R.S. (can't remember sh**). But at stitch group I heard there's a new one: C.R.A.F.T. (can't remember a f***ing thing). Appropriate for those who stitch, quilt, knit, crochet, tat, etc. and are of an age where forgetfulness is common, don't you agree?? We thought it was terrific! LOL

New CEC mitten freebie

The mitten-mitten is here! I've started this and just finished stitching all the tiny mittens. This is the first of all the mittens I've stitched. A stitcher friend of mine has stitched them all, but is not aware of this one....yet! I hope to surprise her at our weekly show and tell that this one exists. I've printed out a copy of the freebie for her. I like that I can use a cute mitten fabric for the backing.

Next up is SanMan Originals' Gift of Giving Day 1 (a turkey). I have all the floss and I'm sure I can find fabric to stitch it on.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Terra Cotta warriors

I'm so excited!!! I already have my tickets to this show at National Geographic. My brother gave them to me as an early present. We go near the end of March 2010. No cameras permitted. I figure they have a book for sale about the exhibit.

New finish: Alphabet Pumpkin, new start, movie

I finished JBW's Alphabet Pumpkin recently. What fun! I used DMC 4130. I like that it's for fall. I have so few things stitched for fall.

JBW Alphabet Pumpkin Sept 2009

I used my 10% off everything coupon at Joann Fabrics today. I also used a 50% off coupon on a new cookbook. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't a cookbook that was 1-1/2" thick!

Butter cookbook

It has standard recipes and of course uses butter in all of them. There's a recipe for Eggnog coffee cake. That could be interesting. And one for a chocolate chunk chocolate cookie with peppermint candy cane bits. Now that sounds yummy and seasonal! I love looking through a new cookbook, bookmarking potential recipes to try.

I picked up DMC for the Jim Shore 12 Days of Christmas. I won't be stitching the gold border and I'll be making them into ornaments. I've started with number 5 - the rings. It's not my favorite. I like the swan and partridge the best. The drummer, maid and goose are next and the others just kind of fill up the middle. Since the chart is by Mill Hill there are beads to attach. I hope that Stitching Bits and Bobs will have a Thanksgiving sale so I can order them. Not that I'll need them that quickly! LOL

Anyone planning to see the movie 2012? I'm planning to see it Saturday. Big question: Why does the Aztec calendar end in 2012? End of the world or a simple, non-related reason? Things that make you go "Hmmmmmmmm."

Sunday, November 8, 2009

More scans

Judy in Iowa on the SanMan board gave me this great Halloween exchange item plus the terrific scissors.

SanMan Halloween exchange from Judy in Iowa

I love it!!! Thank you, Judy!

At the craft show today (and it was gorgeous weather and not crowded when I arrived) I picked these pins up. I couldn't decide between the two of them. I thought of Madeline Albright and her meanings behind the pins she wears: if I'm feeling gregarious, I can wear the open design and if I'm feeling more introspective, I can wear the closed design. These are made from real forks!

Nov craft fair fork pins

I'm always looking for stocking stuffers and I bought this fork key chain. It's perfect!

Nov craft fair fork key chain


My next stop was to look at Santa ornaments. I saw this starfish Santa and passed it by since I'd just started my exploration of the booths. I kept it in my mind and on the way out I stopped and bought it.

Nov craft fair starfish Santa ornie

In the main building (the other finds were in the open stalls on the fairgrounds) I saw this pin from across the room. I checked it out then left it there as I looked around the other booths. I did see a carousel horse magnet made out of coal and a cute fox about 3 inches high made out of coal, but I liked the pin better. On my way past it again, I bought it.

Nov craft fair candy cane sparkle pin

When I put on my fanny pack in the parking lot I included a pen and some note paper in case I found really good craft ideas. Up to this point, an hour into the booths, I had not found anything to make a note so I could make it myself. Then I found the booth with my name on it!! If I'd won the lottery, I'd have just bought her out, but since I hadn't I feasted my eyes on her wonderful items.

She had taken 5" strips of a homespun check (burgundy and vintage tan, navy and vintage tan, and hunter green and vintage tan) about 1/2" wide and tied them to a string of white Christmas lights. She singe tied (like the first step in tying your shoes) one of each color between each of the lights. FANTASTIC! "I can do that," I told myself.

She made a snowman pin using two circles of felt; one white and one black. She used buttonhole stitch around the edges to stitch the two circles together. She painted on tbe eyes and mouth like it was coal pieces and an orange painted elongated triangle nose. A pin-back was either stitched or hot glued to the back. I think I'll sew mine on. FANTASTIC! "I can do that," I told myself.

She also had the cutest collection of jack o'lantern pins. These were about 2-1/2" around on the front, stuffed with fiberfil, pin-back sewed on, and painted face. She used a teeny tiny orange and black houndstooth fabric for one that was adorable! They were of different fabrics and faces. FANTASTIC! "I can do that," I told myself.

Although "I can do that" the question to ask is "Will I?" If I haven't made them by next year and I see her booth, I'll just admit defeat and buy them! LOL

Indian Summer is here!

It is 74 degrees today! Wahoo! It's too hot to stitch, but not to hot to write about stitching or to play in the stash.

The scanner is working again and I am thrilled. A blog loses a lot of oomph (is that even a word?!?!) without pictures to show off.

So, for the first time this year: VOILA!


Jody's round robin Nov 6 2009

This is from Black Cats & Flying Bats by Blue Ribbon Designs. I had to chop off a bit of the bottom since I didn't have the space in this Round Robin for the entire picture, but I like the look. Her theme is "Remember Me When This You See". I love Halloween and buttons and bought this chart specifically for her RR.

My theme is Halloween witches hats using charts from MonsterBubbles. I pulled out the pilgrim and Santa witches hats since I don't like them as much and they are strongly seasonal and I want to disply it year round.