Another Thing I Like Is...

Arizona Diamondback baseball!  Now I'm not a fan who's just recently jumped on the band wagon.  Nope, not me.  I've been a fan since 1999 when we bought our Nissan Altima that Sherrie now owns.  We got tickets for 10 games that year and I just fell in love with the team.  I loved the old colors of teal, copper and black.  I'm not so much a fan of the new Sedona Red.  It seems like half the teams have red as their color.  But I wear it now cause that's what you do when you're a fan.  I've stuck with them through the great seasons (yeah, 2001!) and the not so good seasons (last year comes to mind).  And this year has been such fun to watch.  I know a lot of people have moved here from other parts of the country and they bring their love of their teams with them (hear that Cubbies, I'm talking to you) but it would really be nice to rally around the home team.  We may not get past the first round of the playoffs or we may win it all.  But no matter how we do I'll be sitting there cheering them on.  And I'll probably be there next year doing the same!

And the Winner Is...

So I assigned a number to everone who left a comment on my blog to adopt this lovely piece of orphan needlework and the number generated was 12.  So the winner of my blog giveaway is Karen!  I have your number, Karen, so I'll be calling to find out how you want to receive this.  I can mail it or drop it off to you or bring it by the shop. 

Thank you all for entering my giveaway.  And especially for the birthday greetings.  They mean the world to me. 

And keep your eyes peeled for a Pay It Forward that will appear here in the next week or so.  Take care and we'll see you soon!

Birthday Giveaway!

It's my birthday and you get the present!  This is one of the orphan cross stitch pieces that was left on the store's front doorstep a couple of months ago.  I had the framing spruced up a bit but left the original frame since it looks so perfect with the design.  This is a lovely Victorian posy stitched on perforated paper with cotton floss.  It's very nicely done and deserves a new home.  Hence, the giveaway.  All you need to do to win this is leave a comment on this post.  I'll leave this open till Sunday night and choose a winner on Monday.  So please help me celebrate my birthday and give a deserving piece a new home!

Do You Remember

where you were 10 years ago today?  9/11/2001.  I do.  I remember driving my son to his job and listening to the radio.  It was a gorgeous day here in Phoenix, blue clear skies, the summer heat having broken.  I remember the DJ coming on and saying a plane had flown in to World Trade Center.  They didn't know what it was but they thought it was a small plane.  By the time I got home, the second plane had gone into the tower and I knew then that it was no accident.  I turned the TV on and began watching the coverage.  It seemed so surreal.  Dave was actually scheduled to go on a business trip to Washington that day.  I couldn't convince him that this was not a good idea but he was determined to go.  He would not allow the terrorists to win.  Fortunately he never made it to the airport since the planes had been grounded.  I remember the horror of watching the towers fall.  I remember seeing the devastation at the Pentagon.  And I remember later feeling the pride that flight 93 fought back and won the first battle of the new war.  Even today, 10 years later, it's hard to remember without tears streaming down my face.  No, I didn't know anyone personally who perished that day.  But I feel like they are all my brothers and sisters.  We never know what life has in store for us.  So today, I'm gonna hug Dave a little harder and love my family a whole lot more and thank God for all He's blessed me with.

My Newest Obsession!

Now I haven't been stitching as much lately as I normally would but there's a good reason.  You see, I have become obsessed with making my own jewelry.  I've always loved shiny things (I must have been a crow in a previous life) and ever since a new bead store opened up about a mile from my house, I've been busy taking classes and making jewelry.  These are some of the pieces I've made recently.  This set is actually peach but it doesn't show that well in the photo.  It's wire crochet done with copper wire.  The necklace is one of my favorites.

 The above pieces are chain maille.  It's so simple.  All you do is link rings together.  Now some of the patterns can get very intricate but I'm not there yet.  But I plan on doing much more with this technique. 

 These two bracelets are kind of orphans since they are the only two of their kind that I've made so far.  The one on the left is a flower garden braclet.  I have some of the cutest monkey beads that I plan on using in another one of this type.  The other is much more peach than it looks.  It's done with a right angle weave and I also have the beads to do another one using that technique.

 These two pieces are a spiral weave called a DNA weave.  Guess why?  I enjoy this style but I don't wear it at work too often since it feels funny when I'm on the computer.  It's a little too round to work on a keyboard.  But I love the look.

These two braclets on the right are flat spiral weaves.  One thing I did learn in this class is NEVER use a lobster claw clasp on a bracelet.  It is impossible to fasten by yourself.  But the class is to teach you how to do all kinds of clasps so they had to throw it in.  Never again!

Well, I just thought I'd show you all what else I have been doing with my spare time.  I love beads and crystals and rocks and rings and just about everything you can think of to put in jewelry.  Except lobster claw clasps.