Reflections of a Desert Rat

Have You Ever

2012-01-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

felt like a project is cursed? I never have before but I'm beginning to change my mind. Now I love this design. Quaker Gone Tropic is such a fun design and I've had plans to stitch it ever since I first saw it. I took a lot of time changing the threads from the silks to Threadworx cotton. I even started it over when I didn't like the first color I had chosen for the large central motif. I'm stitching it over one on 25 count lugana and I love the color of the fabric. So what's the problem? The problem is that I can't count! There, I've said it. I plain can't count. it's either that or I can't follow a simple graph. Now the graph is very simple and straightforward. It should be very easy to follow. But me, in my inimitable wisdom, have decided to stitch the motif vertically instead of horizontally. I thought the colors of the overdyed threads would flow better that way. The problem is that I keep losing my place on the pattern. I keep dropping down to another portion of the pattern and stitching that. Then I wonder why it's not working. I guess I'm going to have to use a line marker to mark my place vertically. Last night I was ready to chuck the whole thing out the window but I have decided that I will NOT be defeated by a cross stitch pattern. Oh no, not me. So if you hear strange babbling coming from my house, just ignore it. It's only me going a little bit crazy here in Phoenix.

New Organization

2012-01-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to finish organizing my craft room for about 2 years now. I've basically been happy with it but one thing I wasn't crazy about was my bead/jewelry organization. I had an old microwave cart with my tackle boxes on a shelf and a bunch of photo organizer boxes on top but it still was very hard to find what I was looking for. So I got to snooping on the Internet and found what I think is the perfect solution. The top picture is a scrapbook organizer cart. Now I love drawers to store things in and it has 20 of them and holds all my supplies except for what is already in the tackle boxes. It's so easy to go find what I'm looking for now. And the room looks so much more neater. The tackle boxes will be moved into their corner once I put the rest of the beads (which are now in the black box on top of them) in them. Then I plan on using the black boxes to store my DMC floss in. My DMC boxes are in pretty bad shape and need replacing so I thought I'd use what I already have. The second picture is my Ikea storage for all my cross stitching. I have all my kits and supplies in the baskets and everything that is in a particular basket is on an index card in a file box on top. That way if I'm looking for a certain project, I can find the index card and know exactly what basket it's in. That was last year's organizing project. All of my fabric is in a plastic chest in the closet. Give me a couple more years and I might finish this project.

A Furbaby Update

2012-01-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me that I haven't shown you how Annie has grown or how much Rosie has matured.This was after their visit to the groomer's last Saturday. Annie came home with little yellow ribbons on her ears. Tomboy that she is, she immediately rubbed at them until they came off. No sissy ribbons for her! Rosie had red plaid ribbons and hers actually stayed in for a couple of days. She has gotten so much calmer in her middle age. She is such a nice dog. I can't believe I ever dreamed of giving her back to the adoption agency we got her from (long story, lots of untruths told). But she is now my sweetheart. Annie is more Sherrie's and David's dog. Oh, I get my loving but not quite like they do. Next time I'll see if I can get an updated picture of Squeak and show her off as well.

Last Night's Fun

2012-01-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

Every year Glendale lights up its downtown area with over a million lights. They call it Glendale Glitters. In the past, we've always made an effort to go on opening night which is always the night after Thanksgiving. In the past few years though, it's gotten so crowded that we've stopped going then. The closing night is called Glendale Glitter & Glow. They have a bunch of hot air balloons come to town and inflate in the streets and light up the night. That's always been our favorite time to go. It's so much fun to watch the balloons inflate. They are tethered so there's no danger of them getting away. So Dave, Sherrie & I went last night. It wasn't too cold so that was nice. While we waited for the balloons, Sherrie and I browsed the antique stores. We ate street food and walked or should I say tried to walk. It turns out that more people have discovered our special night and are coming out in droves. There were over 100,000 people there and so we stood more than walked. Once you got away from the park area, it was a little easier to navigate. We got home around 8 pm and I am sore today. I feel like I've aged 50 years. And Dave is in the living room groaning as he gets up from his chair. But it was fun and we'll probably do it again next year.

QGT Update

2012-01-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I made a little bit of progress on Quaker Gone Tropic. I am loving this project except for the fact that I think I need new glasses. Even with my magnifier, I'm having a hard time seeing the threads to stitch over one on. And this is only 25 count! But I have no plans of giving up my over one stitching. I'll just make an appointment with the eye doctor and get some new glasses and get back in business. I'm loving the colors in this thread. At first I wasn't sure if I would like them or not but the more I stitch, the happier I am. Hopefully this week I'll get more done on it and have much more progress next week.

Framed!

2012-01-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

This was my last finish for 2011. It's the one I did for Sherrie for her classroom. I thought I'd post a picture of it all framed up. Sherrie worked with my framer and made suggestions which Chris was able to follow. All I did was suggest a shiny black frame. I thought that would make it more like a piece in a classroom. Chris does a wonderful job of framing and Sherrie seems really happy with this one. In fact, I showed her a couple of others that I had been thinking of doing for her and she decided to have me stitch them. This is a big accomplishment. Normally when I show her something I've stitched, she politely tells me it's nice. Unless it has a cat in it. Then it automatically becomes hers. This is one of the few times that she has actually requested me to stitch something for her. So those two will be going in my stack of things to stitch this year.

Quaker Gone Tropic SAL Progress

2012-01-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

I did manage to start Quaker Gone Tropic on the first. I'm stitching it over 1 on 25 count lugana so it's been sort of slow going. I wasn't sure when I started it if I liked this color thread on this fabric but the more I see it, the more I like it. The fabric is from Stitches & Spice over in Australia. When I received it, Dave asked if I didn't have any fabric in my stash to do this. To be honest, I have a ton of fabric but absolutely none of it was the color I was looking for. So I could honestly say, "No, dear, I don't have fabric for this." The thread is the only one I used that is called for in the pattern. It's Pears & Poppies from Silk 'N Colors. The other colors are from Threadworx. I'm anxious to see how they look as well.

A New Beginning!

2012-01-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

Well, since this is the start of a new year, I decided to make some changes of my own. Aside from the usual resolutions (lose weight, eat healthier, get more organized, yada, yada, yada), I thought I would give my blog a fresh new look. After several frustrating hours of messing with it, trying to figure out how to add the tabs under the header, I finally relented and asked Dave for help. It took just a few minutes more and we had it figured out. I knew marrying an engineer would have its advantages. So now I just have to use them, the tabs that is. I still have a bit more work to make it just how I would like but I think it's a good change. Oh, and just for the record, I plan on blogging more this year as well. Hopefully my new look will inspire me to post more.

The other new thing I'm going to do today is start a new project. I've never before specifically started a project on New Year's Day but I thought it might be fun this year. So as soon as I'm done here ( after lunch of course), I'm going to get out Quaker Gone Tropic and start it. It will also be the first time I've used the Needlework System 4 floor frame. I bought it from the wife of a friend when he passed away and she discovered he had 2 of them. So this should be an interesting experience. .

Good Bye 2011

2011-12-31T12:38:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to pop in here and wish all of you a very Happy New Year! 2011 had it's ups and downs (especially healthwise) so I know that 2012 will be better. The new year gives us all a chance to start over with a clean slate. So good bye 2011 and hello 2012. May we all have a blessed and happy start to 2012. Oh, and if you're on the roads tonight, stay safe.

Next Year's Plan

2011-12-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

So, I've thought long and hard about my stitching plan for next year. Did I want to do something different every month? Did I want to start a rotation (which I never liked because just when I started making progress on a piece, I had to put it down to work on something else)? Did I want to try and finish more UFO's or WIP's? How about a combination of things? I think I have just about decided on a plan for 2012. I have possibly 2 SAL's that I want to participate in: Quaker Gone Tropic with some of the stitchers at the 123 message board and another one with a friend I met last year, Kathy A. Then Sherrie asked me last night if I had finished her graduation sampler. Now she graduated a year ago and I really didn't know that she was interested in having one stitched for her. I had started a Stoney Creek design but didn't accomplish much on it. So that will go into the pile. Then there were the UFO's I was trying to finish last year. So I think my projects for next year will be:

Quaker Gone Tropic
Autumn Abstract or Desert Mandala
Cirque de Triangles
Cirque de Carreaux
The Wave
Sherrie's graduation sampler

I think I'll assign specific days to the SAL's, perhaps Monday and Tuesday. Then I think I'll play it by ear for the rest of the week and just stitch on what I want to out of the remaining projects. That way I won't feel pushed to stitch something I really don't feel like working on that particular day. I may even manage to finish one or more. I also reserve the right to insert smaller projects into the lineup should I feel the need arise.

So there it is. Bette's Stitching Plan for 2012. It's manageable and I might actually complete more this way. Now to go dig out the graduation sampler and add it to the pile.

Next Big One!

2011-12-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

This is the project that I plan on starting on January 1, 2012. Now I don't honestly remember ever specifically having a project to start on the first day of the year before but I'm changing things up this year. There is a SAL for Quaker Gone Tropic over at the 123 message board and I thought since I had the pattern already, I would join right in. It took me a while to decide on the fabric. I finally chose one from Stitches & Spice over in Australia. It's 25 count lugana and the color is called Eureka. I plan on stitching it over one and I just love 25 count lugana for that. The pattern calls for Silk 'N Colors thread but I just couldn't see spending that much for silk when to be honest, that isn't even my favorite brand of silk. I managed to convert 3 of the colors to Threadworx overdyed threads but just wasn't happy with anything I tried for the 4th color. So I just decided to bite to bullet and get the silk color for that one thread. Overall I'm very happy with the results. It's a fun, tropical piece and I think I succeeded in finding fun, tropical colors. So, come January 1st when I'm watching the Rose Parade, I'll be stitching on my new peoject.

Last One !

2011-12-26T18:46:00.000-08:00

Well, this is my last finished project for 2011. At least, that's the plan for now. I just don't have any projects that I want to start between now and the first of the year. Now that may change if I can find a quick project that I can stitch up in a day or two but I honestly don't think that's going to happen. I stitched this one as a Christmas present for Sherrie, who is a middle school choir director. I thought it was so cute with its primary colors and the sentiment is perfect. She likes it a lot and is hoping to find a place for it in one of her classrooms. The fabric is actually blue fiddler's cloth that I found in my stash. It just doesn't look very blue in the picture. But it is blue. I love the bright colors. It made me so happy when I was stitching it. So I'm saying farewell to 2011 and am hoping 2012 is even more productive.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

I'd like to wish everyone out there in blog land a very Merry Christmas. As many of you have, I worry about the state our poor old world's in. But I also have to remember the many wonderful things that have happened this year. So my prayer for you is to have a very Blessed and Merry Christmas. May this season of love remain in your hearts through all of 2012. From my heart to yours,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Rosie the Red Nosed Doggy

2011-12-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

Now I've never had an animal that would let me dress it up in different outfits. Actually I've never wanted to dress any of them up. But Brian was visiting over the weekend and he decided to see if either Rosie or Annie would tolerate the antlers I usually wear at work. Annie didn't want any part of them but Rosie actually seemed to enjoy wearing them. Who would have thought it? This is the best picture I could get of her wearing them. She was too busy running around showing them off for me to take a picture. So from Rosie the red nosed doggy to all of you, a very merry Christmas!

What's Up?

2011-12-11T05:05:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's hard to believe that's it's been a month since I updated my blog. One of my New Year's resolutions is to update this more often. I do have a good excuse though (I think). I not only have been dealing with Valley Fever but now I have a shoulder problem as well. Someone just shoot me, please! Seriously, I've had a tremendous amount of pain and tightness in my left shoulder for about a month now. I've been going to a massage therapist and I have an appointment with an orthopedist in late January but it has slowed my stitching considerably. But I keep on keeping on and hopefully will at least finish Sherrie's Christmas present before Christmas. I'll post a picture of it after Christmas since I'm not sure if she reads my blog or not. I do want it to be a surprise for her. But she's been coming home almost every weekend now and that cuts into stitching time.

Ive been thinking a lot about next year. I think I want to continue my program where I try to finish some UFO's. I'm also planning to participate in the Quaker Gone Tropic SAL that is staring in January. I have the fabric and all the fibers and just have to mount it on my scroll bars. Then there's Lizzie Kate's Inspirational series that I love. So many patterns, so little time.

I also want to continue reducing my stash. I started selling things on ebay again and was pretty successful at it over the summer. I just have way too much stuff and will never get to most of it. So all the patterns I culled out a couple of years ago will be going up for sale. It is amazing how much you accumulate over the years. And equally amazing how our tastes change. What I liked 10 years ago I wouldn't look twice at today.

So what's on your agenda for 2012?

PIF Winners

2011-11-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems my PIF didn't generate a whole lot of attention. But that's okay. I've decided that everyone's a winner! Cue the balloons and the confetti. Blow your party horns! I'm going to send something to all three of the ladies who commented on my post. So Karen and Donna, I'll be getting in touch with you in the next day or so to make arrangements to send you your loot. Thanks for entering!

Pay It Forward!

2011-10-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

Gosh, has it been almost 2 months since I've updated my blog? I know time seems to fly but I hadn't realized so much time has gone by. I actually do have a really good excuse. Along the time of my birthday, I managed to contract Valley Fever. Now most of you probably don't know what that is since it's endemic to the Southwest. It's actually a fungal infection you get from breathing in the spores from the dust around here. We've had some really good haboobs this summer (also known as dust storms) but I thought after living here for almost 18 years, I would have had a very mild case already and had nothing to worry about. Well, I was wrong. Valley Fever can be so mild you don't even know you have it or devastating. My case is somewhere in between. I spent several weeks just absolutely exhausted where I didn't even watch TV. I just sat in my recliner and stared at the wall. I am under a doctor's care and on meds and will probably be treated for at least another 2 months. The doctor is watching a node on my lung but hopefully with the medication, it will disappear.

The reason I'm mentioning all this is because I fully intened to have this Pay It Forward right after my birthday. Well, better late than never. I was fortunate enough to win a Pay It Forward from Meari at http://www.meari.blogspot.com/ earlier this year. So now I'm paying it forward to two more people. Here are the rules:

1). Send no less than 5 stitching related items per person within the next 365 days.

2). Items can be DMC, other threads, stitching needles, straight pins, buttons, scissors, ribbons, ect. - a combination of items such as 3 threads, 1 pack of straight pins, and 1 pack of stitching needles or just 5 threads.

3). The items must be new and not used.

4). If you win, you must be willing to post this PIF on your blog and do the same for at least 2 people. This PIF is very simple and easy to do.

So that's all there is to it. Just leave a comment on this post (with your email please) and you're entered. I'll be picking 2 winners 2 weeks from today. Feel free to post this on your blogs or tell your friends about it. The more the merrier. Have fun with this and good luck!

Another Thing I Like Is...

2011-09-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-09-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-09-20T05:39:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-09-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

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.

Another One Bites The Dust!

2011-08-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I managed to finish another UFO on Thursday. This is another Michael Powell design called Windmill (who would have ever guessed?). This makes 3 of his designs that I've actually finished. He is one of my favorite designers and I only have about 20 more of his kits to go. I love the way they turn out but, boy, do I hate doing the backstitching on them. I really dislike the way 2 strands of floss look when backstitching so I decided on Windmill to use one strand of #8 perle cotton. That seemed to work much better than the floss. I guess I'll get a better idea after they're framed. I'm thinking of having the 3 of them framed together with a black mat and a silver frame.

This design is called Christmas Lights. I'm not sure if it goes with the other 2 so I may rethink my idea of framing these 3 together and substitute one of the other kits I have of his to stitch. As you can see from the bottom picture, it just looks out of place from the other 2. I know I can find something else that will work better than this combo.

A New Way Of Thinking

2011-08-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

I had a revelation this morning as I was trying to shove another chart into an already crowded drawer. In the last few years, I have purged a lot of charts and magazines. Now I have been really good about not going into them in the garage and taking everything back. I KNOW I can NEVER stitch everything . I'd have to live to be 500 years old to stitch all the charts and magazines I had. So I kept only the things I really like and have been slowly getting rid of everything else. I went from two full 4-drawer file cabinets to one so I've been feeling pretty good about my stash. But there I was trying to jam just one more chart in the drawer. So I thought to myself, I need to go through these and do some more purging. But then it occured to me that I didn't need to purge anymore, I needed to STITCH more. Yep, that's the answer I came up with. I just haven't been stitching enough. I used to be able to stitch in the evenings while watching TV but everyone complained about my light shining on the set. So I need to find a better way of illuminating my stitching area. Then I got to thinking about how I chose what I'm going to stitch. Usually it's the newest pattern in my stash. But maybe there's a different way of choosing. I got to thinking about themes. Maybe I can stick with a specific theme. Now I don't think I can do only one theme in a year but I can manage a new one every month. Maybe one month I can do all Lizzie Kates. Maybe in April I can do flowers. There's always Christmas in July. Get the picture? I'm gonna go think about this a little and see if I can come up with a workable plan.

Look What I Got!

2011-08-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

I was very lucky to win a giveaway from Dani at http://tkdchick.blogspot.com/. I have been following her blog for several years now and was able to meet her when she came to Phoenix in March. She is a lovely person and a wonderful blogger and stitcher and photographer. These are all the goodies she sent in her package. I love the little pillow/frame weight. Such a great philosophy. And a new scissor fob. I just bought a new pair of scissors that need a new fob. I always need needles and best of all, a new little ort box. Now I wasn't sure what it was until I read Dani's instructions on how to make them. It's so clever. I can't wait to use it. Many thanks to Dani for her generous giveaway. And more so for her friendship.

A Framing Update

2011-08-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post a better picture of my cross stitch hybrid. The other pictures just didn't do it justice. So after experimenting with different locations in the house, I finally found one where the glare off the glass wasn't too bad and the colors were true. It's just a very simple frame but I didn't want anything too elaborate. The whole piece is very simple so a fancy frame just wouldn't work. Also notice that the mat is not cut even. It's wider at the top and bottom than on the sides. That was my framer's idea. She said it would keep it looking more retangular and I have to say I agree with her. It's so wonderful when you have someone who knows what they are doing and are creative as well.

Now I know a lot of people don't use glass on their needlework. In some cases, I don't but most of my pieces do have glass. We have an evap cooler for the months when we don't use the AC (it's popularily know as a swamp cooler here) that puts out a very fine white dust when it's running. The dust is very hard to get off things especially fabric. So I'd rather take my chances with glass then definitely know things will be ruined without it.

New Framing

2011-08-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

I recently was able to have 2 of my most recent finishes (okay, they not both finishes of mine but I'll tell the story of that later) framed and am very pleased with both of them. The cross stitch hybrid is actually a Christmas design but I think with the colors I can hang it out year round. The bottom mat is silver as is the frame (not shown in the picture) and the top mat is a pale speckled gray. In keeping with the rectangular shape, the top and bottom of the mats are wider than the sides. It's so different! I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

The other little piece has quite a tale behind it. I came to work one day and found a box at our front door. It was labeled Mom's craft stuff. I took it in and opened it and discovered a treasure trove of needlework. Some of it was (very badly) framed and some of it was unframed. When the manager of the store came in, we went through it together and decided that all of it needed a new home so we split the contents between us. Some of the pieces were unfinished, some had stitches missing but it was obvious that whoever stitched them really loved what she was doing. And someone appreciated them enough to make sure they were placed where someone would love them. I would hate to have seen them be sold at a garage sale or donated to a thrift shop. So I am going to begin framing them a little at a time and I think when I get some of them done, I'll do a giveaway on a piece or two. So keep checking back. You'll never know when they'll pop up here.

Margaret Sherry Part 2

2011-07-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I said I wasn't going on a search for the new Margaret Sherry bookazine. And I didn't. Really I didn't. Yes, I drive past Barnes & Noble and Borders on the way home from work. I also drive right past a Joanne's as well. But I was good. I didn't stop at any of them. But sometimes things just kind of fall into your lap. I was casually reading the message board over at Cross Stitch 123 and what popped up at the top of the posts but one that read FS: Margaret Sherry Magazine. Now I'm usually never in time to take advantage of these opportunities but I noticed that the post had just been put up not 2 minutes earlier. So after thinking about it for all of 30 seconds, I decided to take the chance and email Leisa from New Mexico. Well, to my surprise, I was the first person who contacted her. So after emailing back and forth for a few minutes, I quickly arranged to pay her and soon became the proud owner of the Margaret Sherry magazine. I NEVER get lucky like that. But I guess the stars were aligned and I was just destined to own it. Many thanks to Leisa for offering this. And, me? I am one happy cross stitcher.

Stopping the Madness!

2011-07-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

I realized the other day on the way home from work that I need to stop the madness of chasing after charts and books that I don't need or have room for. Several weeks ago I had heard about the Margaret Sherry bookazine that had been put out. Now Margaret Sherry is one of my favorite designers. I just love the child-like wonders of her designs. I buy every magazine that has one of her designs in it. So you can imagine how excited I was to hear about this new publication. Until I found out just how hard it was going to be to get my hands on it. So I was driving home from work and decided to stop at Barnes & Nobel because I was sure they would have it. I was wrong. As I got in my car, I began planning my next stop. Now, mind you, it's 110 degrees out and humid to boot. And here I was planning a road trip to maybe, if I'm lucky, get a copy of this bookazine. I don't even know what designs are in it but I was determined to get one. Never mind that I knew that most of the patterns were in the magazines I already had. So I sat in my car and did some hard thinking. I decided I wasn't going to chase after the elusive bookazine. If I happen to come across it in my travels, that would be great. But I would not make a deliberate effort to find it. Yes, I would love to have all the patterns in one place. Actually I do. They're in a file folder in my filing cabinet. So I'm stopping the madness of having to have everything that everyone else has. I'll be happy for you if you find it and wish you well. Me, I think I'll just go dig out my file folder and drool over the ones I already own.

Another One Bites The Dust!

2011-07-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

Well, in my quest to actually complete some things this year, here is my latest finish. It's called Snowflake and is by Art-Stitch. It's another cross stitch hybrid. For those new to my blog, that's a cross stitch pattern I've stitched in needlepoint. I had a lot of fun with this one. At first when I started stitching it, I wasn't sure I liked all the colors. I was afraid it would turn out to pale. I did, in fact, change the gold to a darker shade. But I really like the way this one turned out. Yes, it's actually a Christmas design, but I can see having it out all through the year. I'll take it to the frame shop on Friday and try to figure out how to frame it. Now onto the next UFO. Which one shall I finish next?

Stitching Update

2011-06-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time to give an update on what I'm actually stitching. I have found that I'm stitching less and less much to my chagrin. I love stitching, I will always love stitching. But I'm finding myself drawn to bead work and jewelry making. I've always loved shiny things and since the bead shop moved in just 2 miles away, I've been taking classes and just generally making a nusiance of myself. It's also easier on my hands, neck and shoulders. I've had a lot of pain lately and am trying to do all I can to minimize it. So I haven't been stitching as much as I would like. But I still have all kinds of plans to stitch things, especially with overdyed threads and fabrics. So in order to get back on track, I'm displaying a couple of pieces that I have been working on. The top picture is of a Michael Powell I started a couple of years ago. I don't know why I haven't finished it yet. Oh, wait, yes I do. It's all that weird backstitching he has. But I got smart with this one (I've stitched 2 others of his and have maybe a dozen more to go) and did the backstitching in #8 perle cotton. It's much easier than the floss and I like the way it looks better. So this one is just a few days from being finished.

The second piece is another cross stitch hybrid I'm doing in needlepoint. I wasn't sure at first if I liked the colors but now I'm really excited about the way it looks. Once all the stitching is done, I'll backstitch some Christmas trees in with some beads and it will be all ready for the holiday season. I'm having a lot of fun with this one. It's kind of mindless so I can do it at night while watching TV.

So that's what I've been up to. How about you?

How Come

2011-06-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

I can't be satisfied with what I've got? I was just thinking about all the free cross stitch patterns that are available on the Web. I must have a stack of patterns about 6 inches tall that I've printed off. And that's just one stack. I have folders full of patterns. Free patterns or patterns I've printed off Artecy.com (where I've been a member for years). And I'm not just talking about about cute, little patterns used by designers to grab your interest. I do have lots of those as well. And I love them when I need a pattern for a round robin or a card. No, I'm talking about gorgeous, big patterns. Like the Book of Ink Circles (or BOINK as it's affectionately known as), or the ones from Papillon Creations (both names which escape me at the moment). There are some French blogs that are posting gorgeous samplers that are free for the printing. AAS has a wonderful, whimsical Christmas design that's a free SAL. You could stitch for several years just from the free patterns that are available. So with all this bounty, why do I still feel the need to BUY patterns? I know I tell myself I'm doing this so when I retire, I'll have my pick of what I want to stitch. But tastes change. Who knows if what I want to stitch today will be what I want to stitch tomorrow? I tell myself that if my favorite designers retire, then I need to get their patterns before they go out of print. If I never bought another pattern, I'd be set for life. I've even been culling out things I know I'll never stitch. But I still find myself drawn to new patterns. It's a sickness, I tell you. And I'm not sure I want to be cured!

Good Bye My Friend

2011-05-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Today's a very sad day for my family. Our beautiful Bear was sent over the Rainbow Bridge. He was almost 13 years old and had been suffering from Cushing's Disease for the past year. It finally got to be too much for him and we made the very sad decision to send him over today. Bear was a very special doggy. He was Sherrie's best friend and Rosie's constant companion. It will be so hard to see her without him. But I know it was the right decision. I just wish it didn't have to hurt so much. So I'll say farewell to Bear knowing that he's romping in the meadows with Lady and Sam and getting beat up by Tiffany and loving every minute of it. We'll see you later, Bear.

New member of the Family

2011-05-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd show off the new puppy we got yesterday. We (my DD Sherrie and DS Brian) went to a pet expo yesterday. Now I had no intention of returning with a dog although I knew this summer would be a perfect time to get one. Sherrie will have the summer off from teaching and can help with the training. But I just didn't know if I was ready to deal with 3 dogs. Bear is not getting any better and I'm afraid his time is short. Maybe that's why I though a 3rd dog at this time might ease things for Sherrie and Rosie (our Aussie/Sheltie). Well, there were all kinds of rescue organizations there. I did want a younger puppy because of all of the issues we had when Rosie came to us. So while wandering around, we spied some beautiful puppies. There were 5 red ones and a black one. I just couldn't leave her behind. I called DH (who is out of town) and he said it was up to me. Wrong thing to say! So we are now the proud owners of a very mixed puppy. The only thing we know for sure is that the mom is a German Shepherd mix. We think we are going to call her Annabelle with Annie for short. Not sure if that is definite but that's what we're leaning towards. So, World, meet Annie.

Happy Dancing!

2011-05-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

I'm happy dancing all over the place. My kitchen is DONE! Yes, after all the storm repairs that had to be done before we could start and 3 months of work and waiting, my new kitchen is complete. It's so beautiful! When I look at the pictures of the old kitchen, I can't believe that it's the same room. The whole room is so much lighter and brighter. It looks so much bigger. I was kinda worried about how everything would work together, but I think it looks great. So come on! Happy dance with me!

A Couple of WIP's

2011-05-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd show a couple of the WIP's that I've been working on lately. The top one is Cirque des Carreaux from Ink Circles. It's stitched on 25 count lugana in a color called Terra Cotta. I'm not even sure if the color is still available. I've had it for so long in my stash that it could be many years old. I'm stitching it in a Threadworks color. I really wanted to use this fabric but really had an awful time finding a color that would work with it. I think I succeeded with the green. It reminds me of Autumn and I'm really happy with it. I've made good progress with it. I finished half of what you see there in just about 1 week's time.

The second picture is the new project I added in since I finished a new project. This is another cross stitch pattern that I have converted into needlepoint. I kept largely to the colors that were called for, changing maybe only one or two. It's going to have stylized Christmas trees on it when all the background is stitched. I believe the pattern is from Art-Stitch. I'm also making good time on it and hope it have it finished by the end of this month. We'll see if I can make it.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2011-04-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

32 years ago today I married my best friend. I remember the day like it was yesterday. It had poured down all week (16 inches in 24 hours earlier in the week) but on the morning of our wedding, it was bright and clear. It was a wonderful day and it was a great preview of what was to come. Like most couples, we've had good times and not so good times. We survived a layoff and a cross country move. We have 3 great kids but even that was not without problems. We had my dad living with us during the last year of his life and Dave treated him as if he were is own dad. Through it all, we've stayed best friends and lovers. If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

David had the flowers waiting for me when I got home yesterday. The daisies are extra special because they were our wedding flowers. They're my favorite and I know that's why Dave gave them to me. The roses are for true love and that's what he is to me.

I didn't want this to become sappy but I just wanted to let the world know how special he is. Happy anniversary, David!

Spring Exchange

2011-04-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

I recently participated in a Spring Exchange run by Lainey over at Lainey's Stitching House. It was probably the best run exchange I've ever been in so kudos to Lainey for doing such a great job. My exchange partner was Sue (http://pointedstitcher.blogspot.com/). I received a lovely package with some very pretty threads, a lilac candle, some bath fizzies (which I can't wait to use) a notepad and a cute little box of spring tissues. And of course, before I forget, a lovely stitched cube. It's a Lizzie Kate pattern called Bloom. It's my first cube ever and I'm really pleased with it. Sue did a wonderful job in finishing it. It's currently residing on my dining room buffet where everyone can admire it.

This last picture is what I sent to Sue. Great minds think alike cause I sent her a Lizzie Kate piece as well. Mine is called Happy Spring from Lizzie Kate's pattern called Spring Things. The finishing was a flat fold done by Karen over at Stitching and Sharing. Karen does a wonderful job and I can highly recommend her to anyone who needs finishing done. This was a great experience and was a fun way to share our love for stitching with someone new.

PIF from Meari

2011-04-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

I was very fortunate to win a PIF from Meari at http://meari.blogspot.com. Now I usually don't ever win anything but I got lucky this time. Meari sent me some lovely threads, a Mill Hill bead kit, some needles (something we all need more of) and a lovely little dragonfly scissor fob. Now that gives me a scissor fob on each pair of scissors I own. Two of the threads she sent were by Carrie's Creations. Now I know this is a very popular brand of thread but I have never used it. So I'm excited to get a chance to try this. The colors Meari sent remind me of pansies so I'm going to see if I can find a small pansy pattern to try them out on. So now I'm going to PIF as well. Keep checking back in the next week or so to see when I post my PIF.

Here's Another One!

2011-04-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Here's another piece I picked up from my framer today. It's my little cross stitch hybrid that I recently finished. I really like the way this one turned out. The light gray mat is fabric and I just love the texture of it. This was such a fun piece to stitch. So much so that I have another hybrid lined up and ready to start. But I've promised myself that I would finish up the other UFO's that I've been working on before I start on another new design.

Here It Is!

2011-04-11T12:30:00.001-07:00

I have finally been able to have the poppies framed. As you can see, I decided to go with a monochromatic scheme. I figured that would make the poppies really pop (yes, that was a joke!). We tried a set of green mats but they just didn't work in my opinion. My framer came up with this combo and I'm really pleased with it. I just hope Don likes it as well. Oh, the first picture is my sweet kitty, Squeak, investigating the picture. I just had to include it as well. It looks like she approves of it as well!

Poor Me!

2011-04-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Now I fully intended to spend the day stitching. Yes, I had to make a slight detour to go pick out some new floor tile (the one we were going to use has been discontinued - what else is new?) but I really wanted to have a day where I didn't have to do anything but stitch. Well, it doesn't look like that's gonna happen. While I was taking things out to the garage, I managed to smash my finger in the door. After I finished thinking all the bad words I knew, I went in to survey the damage. My poor finger is pretty well bruised both front and back and I managed to shave it open as well. It's nothing serious but it's throbbing pretty bad and I just don't think I can hold a needle right now. So I'm just going to have a little pity party for myself and spend the rest of the day sulking.

I did manage another finish before I took out my finger. Blue Gentian Sampler with my variations. I'm really pleased with the way it came out. So far this year I think I've finished as many as I did all last year. I'm on a roll!

New Friends

2011-04-03T14:46:00.001-07:00

It's been several weeks (almost 3 to be exact) since I had a wonderful experience of meeting some lovely people from our neighbor to the north. I have been following Dani's blog ( http//tkdchick.blogspot.com/) for a couple of years now and she recently came to Arizona to visit with her friend Kathy in Yuma. They were making a day trip over to Mesa for a trip to The Attic for a stash spree. Dani very kindly invited me to join them so I drove over and met Dani, Kathy and several of their other friends. It was a wonderful way to spend the morning. Not only did I get to add to my already considerable stash, but I got to make some new friends in the process. Phyllis, Judi, Kathy and Dani are all from Canada so it was great to hear about their shops and interests. Annette is from Mesa and met us at The Attic. It's her home shop so she was able to give us inside scoop on what they have available. Now I know I live here as well but The Attic might as well be in another state as often as I go to it. It's a lovely shop but I just can't justify the drive too often when I work at a LNS. Anyway Kathy was very kind to give Annette & I a gift which I love. As you can see from the picture, she gave us the cutest little case with some great goodies in it. I especially love the little scissors. They're so retro and I'm really into retro lately. Can we go back to the 60's? Anyway I loved spending the day with my new friends and meeting fellow stitchers. Now when I read their blogs, I fell like I'm reading a letter from a friend. (Does anyone still write letters??)

Almost Done

2011-03-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

This is the second new project that I started at the beginning of the year. It's a lovely kit from The Cross Stitch Guild by Jane Greenhoff called Blue Genetian. Now I know a lot of you are not fans of kits but this really is a quality one. It has a really nice linen and the thread, while I'm not sure of the brand, is very nice to work with. And there's plenty of it. So I can highly recommend it to anyone. I did make some minor changes to the chart. The trees next to the house are supposed to be worked in algerian eyelets but they are not my favorite stitches, either to do or to look at, so I changed them to smyrna crosses. I much prefer that stitch so out went the eyelets, in went the crosses. I also had to adjust the size of the letters of my monogram in the heart. There was just not enough room for the "W" so I made it a little skinnier. I'm also going to put french knots in the center of the flowers on the border instead of regular cross stitches. I think it will just add a little more interesting texture. When this is all done and framed, I'm going to use it as an introductory class in stitching on linen at the shop.

Another Finish

2011-03-21T15:13:00.001-07:00

It's a very rare day here in Arizona. It's very gray and overcast and it has rained all day. I decided that it was a good day to stay in and stitch. I haven't been able to do that in a long while so I took advantage of the time. I watched movies from the Syfy channel and finished up my cross stitch hybrid piece. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I love the bright colors and the very basic shapes. While it's very simple, it has an elegance that I really like. I'm not sure how I'm going to frame it yet. I do know I want a shiny, black frame around it. I'm no sure about the mats though. I'll have a chat with my framer and see what she thinks. Now to add another new project to the mix. I really should be stitching on a UFO but I have another hybrid in mind that I have most of the supplies for and am anxious to start that one. I keep telling myself to work on the older projects but there's just so many new ones calling my name.

Phase 2 Done!

2011-03-20T13:58:00.001-07:00

Well, phase 2 of the great remodeling project is done. The countertops were installed on Friday. I am so pleased with the way they look. I always second guess myself as to whether or not I made a good choice. This time I think we done good as my dad always used to say. The installers were here all dayon Friday and then the plumbers came after they left. The only problem that occured is one of the backsplashes broke as it was being installed. I think you can see it in the picture of the stove. Since it is a bookmarked piece, we really didn't want them to replace it. So they took it back and were going to repair it. They'll be out tomorrow to install it. I am really thrilled with the way this whole thing is turning out. I can actually see the end coming soon.

Day 7: Getting There

2011-03-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well, we're on day 7 of the great kitchen remodeling project. As you can see from the pictures, the cabinets are hung, and the floor cabinets are in place. Dave is still try to get the dishwasher and the sink hooked up. The stove needs to be pushed back and the microwave hung, and I think that will do it for phase one. The countertop will take about 1-2 weeks. The floor will probably wait until the end of the month. That was the soonest our guy can lay the tile. But I'm okay with that because he's really good and I want it done right rather than quickly.

I really LOVE these cabinets! They are some of the prettiest I've ever seen and certainly the nicest we've ever had. Our cabinetmaker is a real perfectionist and makes sure that every i is dotted and every t crossed. But as I said before, I want things done right and am not in a hurry for this project to be done.

End of Day 1

2011-03-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

So we're at the end of the first day of the great kitchen remodeling project. As you can see all of the tile has been removed. It's gone! The old ugly saltillo is forever vanished from the kitchen, dining room and foyer. It will never show its butt-ugly face in my house. Can you tell that I really, REALLY disliked that stuff? The guys (and I include my dear husband David in that) did a superb job in keeping the dust out of the rest of the house. Big sheets of plastic, open doors, and the swamp cooler did wonders in keeping the air and the dust out of the house. The dogs spent the day outside. Rosie loved it, Bear keep asking why he couldn't come in. Squeak spent her time either in the closet or under the bed. She was NOT a happy kitty. Tomorrow will be more of the same as our floor guy comes back and gets the floor surface ready for the new tile. That will be laid in several weeks because he has another job he has commited to but that's okay cause the ugly tile is gone forever!

It's Starting!

2011-03-06T13:27:00.000-08:00

We are starting a huge adventure at our house. We are getting ready to start remodeling our kitchen. As you can see from the pictures, it looks very dated and dark. The tile is saltillo and is very hard to clean. In fact, five minutes after the floor is scrubbed, it looks like you haven't washed it in months. The cabinets are dark and sagging. My glass cabinet (which was the first to go) was actually shored up by a 2x4 and the glasses still rolled to the center. The house is 32 years old and the kitchen has never been renovated. So we decided that it was time. We've only lived here for 17 years. The cabinets will be a natural hickory, the countertop will be a gorgeous gold/gray granite and the floor is going to be a gray tile. The guys are coming tomorrow to remove the tile and grind the floor if necessary. We know there's a crack that needs to be repaired and that will be done before the cabinets go in. Hopefully that happens later this week. Apparently the cabinet-maker is waiting for the doors to be finished. I really getting excited about this. Not the mess, of course, but having a beautiful new kitchen. I may even be inspired to start cooking.

A Little More Progress

2011-02-21T13:47:00.001-08:00

Just thought I'd show the progress I've made on my cross stitch hybrid. I'm almost finished stitching the final building then all I'll have to do is the street underneath them. I am so pleased with how this is going. When I started it, I wasn't sure if it was going to work. But I love the way the colors have meshed together. Now I will never give up cross stitching but I may see if I can find more patterns that will adapt themselves this way. It is much easier for me to see the canvas than fabric and if I have good light, I can work without a magnifier. Which means I can stitch while watching TV with my family at night. And that is a good thing.

Here It Is!

2011-02-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

Last fall I participated in an ornament exchange run by Bronny at http://bronnysbits.blogspot.com/. I posted earlier about the lovely ornament and gifts I received from my partner but I wasn't sure that my ornament had made its way to Australia. You see, the first time I sent it, it went all the way to Australia and they sent it back due to the address not being found. Now the only thing I could find that was wrong with the address was I didn't have it all in block letters. So I put it in another envelope, redid the address and sent it off in the hopes that this time it would make it. Well, after traveling halfway around the world TWICE, Karen has her ornament. So now I figure I can show it here on my blog. It's stitched on a Token & Trifle card from Kreinik with overdyed wool from Weeks Dye Works and Mill Hill beads and treasures. The larger beads are ones I picked out of a box at my local bead store. I love working on the cards. The stitches are small but it really was a lot of fun stitching it.

A Little More Progress

2011-01-30T12:10:00.001-08:00

I just thought I'd post about the progress I've been making on the two pieces I seem to be spending the most time on. The one on the left is the one where I made the mistakes in the border. It seems to have worked out ok. All the flowers and the leaves fit and unless you look really close, you can't tell I messed up. The other one is my cross stitch hybrid. It's moving along quite fast. And I love the colors. Now I'll probably never really cross over to the dark side of needlepoint. But this makes a really nice break. And it's really fast (did I mention that already?). I've already pulled a few projects out to see what I'll start next but I do want to work on a UFO after these are done.

The organizing is coming along quite nicely. I'm on box 6 of 16. I'm making slow but steady progress. And it's such fun to pull things out I had forgotten I had. It's really stoking the fires to stitch more. Maybe I should do this more often.

Making Progress

2011-01-24T12:43:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to show the progress I'm making on my little cross stitch hybrid piece. I really, really like the way it's turning out. This style of pattern really lends itself to being stitched in needlepoint. And I love the threads I'm using. Now I wouldn't use them on a project that has a lot of different colors because it's too expensive for me to use it like that. But on something like this where there's less than 8-9 colors, it works just fine. Now I will never give up cross stitching in a normal fashion. But this is a lot of fun for a change of pace. As for my other stitching, the piece that I miscounted the border on is coming along nicely. Unless you know it's there, the mistake is very hard to spot. Opps, I gotta run. It seems my kitty also loves the thread I'm using and I keep having to rescue the piece from her hot little paws. Now she's after my scissor fob. Lord, save us from some very curious kitties!

The Hardest Part...

2011-01-23T12:53:00.000-08:00

about organizing is seeing things I had forgotten about and wanting to start stitching on them now! Some of them are things that I have already started and some are new things I want to add into my rotation. I did find some things that I have decided I will never do and have pulled them out to either sell them or give them away. There are too many things I'd rather be doing right now (like jewelry and beadwork and watercolor painting) than punch needle or huck weaving. There are just so many hours in the a day and as much as I would like to spend more time with my hobbies, I don't have that luxury. So some stuff must go. The other stash will continue to sit in its appointed basket and will sing its siren song to me. Finish me, stitch me, I can already hear it calling to me. I... must.... resist!

Getting Organized

2011-01-21T14:09:00.000-08:00

I finally got my craft room straightened up from being Christmas Wrap Central. Now ever since I got the system from Ikea to hold all my supplies, I've been meaning to find a way to figure out what I had. It seems I've been buying duplicates not only of patterns but the occasional kit as well. So today I decided there would be no more procrastinating and I would sit down and organize them. So I got out my handy dandy index cards with their box and pulled the first cube. I took all of the kits out of the basket and made an index card for each kit. On the card I put the name of the kit, the manufacturer of it, and what was included in the kit. If there was a designer attached to it, I noted that as well. Then the card went into the box behind the divider that said "1". See, each cube will be numbered. I just have to go to the cards behind that number and I'll know exactly what kit is in what cube. When I take a kit out of the cube, I'll take the corresponding card out as well. If the kit goes back in the cube, the card goes back in the box. When I've finished the kit, the card will be thrown out. It will be a lot of work setting this up, but I think it will help keep me on track with what I have. I'll let you know if it works!

Progress Being Made?

2011-01-16T14:28:00.001-08:00

It sure doesn't seem like I've been stitching too much lately. Actually I have been working on my cross stitch/needlepoint hybrid project quite a bit. I really wanted to work on it this weekend but I forgot it at work and really didn't feel like going back for it. And the other projects I picked to work on this year haven't piqued my interest yet so I've been working on this one I added in at the end of last year. It's actually a kit from the Cross Stitch Guild by Jane Greenoff. It's her beginning linen kit and I'm hoping to get it stitched and framed in order to give a beginning linen class at work. Now it doesn't look like I've made too much headway on it. I did have to frog the lower right hand part of the border. Then I was looking at the chart and looking at what I had stitched and I realized I had made a mistake in the upper right hand corner. Then to my utter surprise, I discovered the exact same mistake in the

lower left hand corner. So in order to corect the mistakes I would practically have to rip everything out and start it over again. Or... I could try to fudge the areas that I have the problem in. I think I'm going to try option #2. But I will do that next so that if it doesn't work, I won't have that much more stitching to frog. I don't know how I did it but at least I was consistent.

Nothing!

2011-01-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

I received the new issue of the Stitchery catalog yesterday. I've always loved going through it and marking the pages for things that I absolutely had to have. Now I don't usually buy everything I see. I usually wait a day or so and the desire to purchase fades away. Occasionally it doesn't and I usually do indulge in new stash when I've seen the same item in several catalogs and am still lusting after it. Too many times I've gone back to order something only to find it's been discontinued. So it was with great eagerness that I checked out this newest issue. Imagine my disappointment to find that there was absolutely nothing it it that I had to have. Nothing, zilch, nada. Not one thing reached out and grabbed me yelling "BUY ME, BUY ME!". So I can conclude either one of two things from this. Either I'm perfectly happy with the stash I have, or the designers are just not coming up with anything that is really piqueing my interest. Or a third possiblity is that I'm getting burned out. So I quietly tossed the catalog into a tote, figuring I'll look through it again and see if anything changes. Who knows, I may have missed a diamond in the rough just waiting for me to discover it.

A New Year and A New Project

2011-01-01T10:48:00.001-08:00

Well, it's a new year. 2010 was rather unsettling. I didn't have any major upsets in my life but there were many minor things that made life a challenge. Sherrie is living back at home since graduating and is now searching for employment. I love having her home but it is quite different going from just the two of us to having another person here. But it's all good if just a little disconcerting. I'm looking forward to 2011 and a fresh start.

I have all the UFO's I'm going to work on in a special tote sitting by my chair. It includes the new projects I'm allowing myself to work on as well. This is one of the new ones I decided to add into the mix. It's by a new (to me anyway) designer called Butterflychirp. She has several rather retro designs that I have in my stash but I decided to start this one first. Okay, I admit it. I actually started this early, last week in fact. Yep, I cheated. But it's my hobby, my rules. Anyway although this is a cross stitch pattern, I decided that it would lend itself very nicely to needlepoint. Now I like needlepoint, I just don't do a lot of it. The hand painted canvases are way too expensive for me and by the time you add in the different threads you can use, you can have several hundred dollars in one piece. I do have a few canvases I purchased but want to save them until I get better at needlepoint. That's why I like counted needlepoint so well. I can follow a chart (just like in cross stitching) and chose my own threads. So when I saw this little design, I decided to try it. I converted the threads to Silk & Ivory (a VERY nice silk/wool blend that I won't use very often since it is much more expensive that the perle cottons which I love-good thing I work at a LNS). I figured since there were so few colors in this I could afford the special threads just this once. It's working up rather quickly and I'm very pleased with the way it looks. I am having to be very careful to mark off the chart as I go. Since I'm working on the diagonal, it will be very hard to find my place without marking the chart. So I call this my little hybrid project.

Holiday Wishes!

2010-12-24T13:22:00.001-08:00

I would just like to wish all my friends a very Merry & Blessed Christmas. May the spirit of the season continue through the new year. God bless us everyone!

A Moment of Panic!

2010-12-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

I decided this morning to gather up all five of the projects that I will be working on next year. I wanted to get them all together in one bag so I can just grab it and go when I need it. I easily found three of them (one's on my scroll frame next to my stitching chair.) but I could not find the other two. They weren't where I had left them and I began scrambling to see if I could locate them. After about an hour, I gave up and went out to run a few more errands. In the back of my mind, I knew I had put them in a tote several months ago when I cleaned up my work space. That meant, I had lost a tote! Who knew what else was in there? When I came back home, I began to search for the tote. Imagine what I felt when I realized I was missing not one, not two but three totes! Now the other two totes contain knitting projects but they were still missing. I looked every place that I keep stash. No totes! I looked in my craft room and my bedrooom. No totes! Finally I looked in the closet of the spare bedroom. There resting quietly on the floor were the three missing totes. Just happy to be sitting there in the dark. And when I opened the one containing my cross stitching, there were the two projects I was missing. So I quickly scooped them up before they could escape and put them with the other three projects next to my chair. The tote went back into the closet where it is happily residing with the other two errant totes. Do you think I have too much stuff?

2011 Goals

2010-12-19T14:55:00.001-08:00

I've been reading a lot of different cross stitching blogs lately and everyone seems as though they are making stitching goals for next year. So I got to thinking about what I would like to accomplish in 2011. I know a lot of stitchers are going to do the Startitis plan where you start 15
new projects on the first 15 days of the new year. While it sounds intriguing, there's no way I can afford to start 15 new projects. Now I don't mean that money-wise. I mean that I have no idea how many UFO's and WIP's I already have. Adding another 15 to the mix would overwhelm me. Then there's the plan where I could stitch whatever and whenever I like. In other words, the goal is to have no goals. Now I really like that idea. But that's how I got so many UFO's in the first place. I need a little more discipline in my life. So I found a blog that has a plan that I think I can work with. It's http://goldenangelsworks.blogspot.com. You take 5 UFO's or WIP's and work on them and then you add in 2 new projects. This, I think, is manageable. I think the new projects I add in will be freebies or ornaments or just some smaller projects. This way I have seven days and seven different projects to work on. If I work on a different project every day, I'm bound to make some progress on some of them. Now all this being said, I do reserve the right to change my mind at any time about this.

So I think I already know the 5 UFO's that I want to start on in the New Year. I want to stitch:

Cirque des Triangles
Cirque des Carreaux
Windmill by Michael Powell
The Wave (my newest BAP over one)
Autumn Abstract

I haven't decided what freebies I want to stitch yet but there are a few that have been calling my name for a couple of years (BoINK, anyone?)

So I think I'm ready for the new year to start. Anyone else care to join Dawn and I on our journey?

A New Ornament!

2010-12-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

This year I decided to do something I haven't done in years. I participated in an ornament exchange organized by Bronny at bronnysbits@blogspot.com. I haven't heard yet if the ornament I stitched found its way to its new owner but I received mine earlier this week. Pauline sent me the lovely Santa ornament you see in the first picture. I am very pleased with it and I really hope Santa brings me the bottom item on the list. The next picture is a very pretty pin pillow she made for me and sent along with the Santa ornament. I really like it as does my kitty. I keep having to move it because she wants to snuggle with it. The third picture are the kits she included with the ornament. They're card kits and I think I'll get an early start on stitching some cards for next year. They are both really cute and I really appreciate them. So thanks you, Pauline for your lovely Christmas presents and thanks to Bronny as well for doing such a fine job of organizing this exchange.

It's That Time Of The Year!

2010-12-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you all know what time I mean. Why, it's Christmas, of course. As you can see the tree was put up the day after Thanksgiving. Sherrie insisted that it had to go up then so she actually did most of the work putting it together and decorating it. As we were hanging the ornaments, I got to thinking about them and realized that most of them are homemade. Now, that doesn't mean they are all cross stitch. There are the old fashioned felt ones with sequins. There's beads and sequins stuck in styrofoam. There's even a tiny nativity scene in an eggshell. I've done the cross stitch ones in the little round plastic frames that were so popular in the late '70's and 1980's. I've also done quite a few ornaments on perforated paper. Those are some of my favorites to finish. Cut them out, stick some felt on the back and voila! they're finished. But what's really important is the memories attached to them. Some I made before the kids were born and some when they were little. I have a set of six felt Santas that even now the kids fight over who gets to put them on the tree. Super Santas they always called them and to this day, when I see them, I have to smile. So my tree is not just full of ornaments; it's full of memories as well.

Back On Track

2010-11-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

Well, since I finished my NaNoWriMo (Yeah, me! I'm a winner), I'm going to try to get back here more often. And I definitely missed my stitching time. So hopefully I'll be making some real progress on my two projects I've started. As you can see from the pictures, I haven't done a whole lot on either one of them. The top one is an autumn abstract that I got for Christmas last year. I love it with all of its fall colors. The second one is The Wave, a pattern I got off of Artecy. I started the autumn abstract to offset the lack of fun colors that I've been stitching The Wave with. So while I want to do one at a time, I fear the one will get too boring before too long.

I also found this neat list of questions on Andie's Blog (sorry but I can't the link thingy) that I thought I'd post. They've made me think about my stitching and exactly what it means to me. So here goes!

1). What are you stitching at the moment?
At the moment I am stitching The Wave and an Autumn Abstract.

2). How many finishes have you had this year? Small? Medium? Large? Extra Large?
Only three, two Lizzie Kate's and one kit from Maia that was of some really gorgeous poppies. The one Lizzie Kate is small, the other is medium. The poppies could be considered a large project. They did take several months of intense stitching but they're for a very good friend of mine, so they were worth it. I also stitched a Christmas ornament so I guess that makes four projects.

3). Do you think you will finish any more in the next month and a half before the end of the year?
Nope!

4). I could buy one thing for myself what would it be?
A house somewhere on the South Island of New Zealand.

5). What is the best thing you have ever stitched?
That's a hard question. I guess after thinking about it, the Stoney Creek wedding sampler I did for my son Christopher and his wife. They wanted the colors of the roses changed to yellow and wanted their own wording on it as well. So it took me a while to get the colors right and then I had to chart everything from scratch. It was quite an effort but well worth it.

6). Do you like making lists?
Actually I do. I like being able to cross things off them and see what I've accomplished. I also like listing the cross stitch pieces I have done so that I can see how far I've come since I first started.

7). Do you stitch in rotation or OAAT?
For a while I stitched in rotation. Then I realized I didn't want to stop stitching on a certain project just because my time was up. So now I try to stitch OAAT but I occasionally I'll stop and do something else just as a change of pace.

8). What is the next thing you plan to stitch?'
I really haven't thought that far ahead since I just started two new projects.

9). What is your favorite ONS? And why?
Honestly I don't have a favorite ONS because I work at a very well stocked LNS and really have no need to buy online. But when I do, I usually will shop at Stitches N Things or maybe Cross Stitch 123.

10). Do you have a stitching chair?
Yes, it's a Lazy Boy recliner sitting next to DH's chair. I have a storage end table right next to me and my Daylight lamp and can be as happy as a clam there. I also have an Ikea chair in my craft room that I can stitch in when it isn't occupied by Sherrie.

11). Do your children/pets get into your stitching things?
Other than Sherrie wanting to swipe some of my knitting stash, my kids are grown and out of the house. So,no,they don't get into things. Now my kitty, Squeak, is another matter. Everything has to be zipped (and that doesn't make it foolproof) and undercover. She's been known to run off with full skeins of threads and hide them.

12). Do you participate in any stitching forums?
I occasionally post on the MB on Cross Stitch 123. I also posted a couple of time when The Stitcher's Village first opened. But I don't do it very often.

There you have it. It's probably much more info than you wanted but at least you know a little bit more about me.

Just An Update

2010-11-22T12:42:00.001-08:00

Okay, I know I have not been here in a while, but I do have a good excuse. I've been doing NaNoWriMO again this year. What is NaNoWriMo you ask? It's National Novel Writing Month. In November if you sign up you commit to writing a 50,000 word novel in a month. I signed up last year and was able to finish despite spending the two days before Thanksgiving in the hospital. So I decided to try again this year. And I do believe I'm going to make it again. So my stitching has been put on the back burner while I write an incredibly bad novel (let's face it, no one writes a good novel in a month). But it has gotten me back into the habit of writing which I have loved since I was a little girl. So this year I vow to spend some time revising and rewriting this godzilla of a novel.

What little stitching time I did have was put to use stitching an ornament for Bronny's ornament exchange. I will post pictures of it when I know my partner has received it. I've also started on The Wave and another more colorful Autumn abstract design and I'll try and post pictures this week.

In the meantime, I've got to brag about Sherrie for a moment. As I've mentioned before, she is graduating from NAU this December. She is currently doing her student teaching and so far the kids seem to love her. This last week we went to NAU where she was one of 20 seniors to receive the Golden Axe award. 20 seniors out of the entire university receive this award. It is for the most outstanding students that are graduating. We are so proud of her. She has turned out to be such a beautiful and capable young woman. It seems like only yesterday when she was going off to college. How soon they grow up. The picture is the one that is published on the university website announcing the winners. I just had to share with everyone how proud I am of my lovely daughter.

10 Things I Like: #3

2010-10-21T05:29:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd get back to my series on 10 things that I like. I do have some cross stitching I'm doing but really have nothing to show yet. One is an ornament for an exchange, one is an autumn abstract that has probably no more than 20 stitces in it so far and the final piece is The Wave. You remember that one. It's the one where I had to rip out everything because I had miscounted the grid of the pattern. I did start it again but right now I only have a little beige showing and it's pretty boring to look at.

The third thing(or place if you prefer)that I like is New Zealand. This is one place where I could easily break my rule of not using the word love but I will restrain myself. Dave & I spent 3 weeks there about 6 years ago and really fell in like with the place. It really is a gorgeous country. We went in May/early June and felt like we had it all to ourselves. The scenery is truely spectacular! One of my favorite moments was at a place called Willowbank Reserve near Christchurch. We had planned to see the show and eat there but had arrived a little early. So we got to walk around and see all the animals. They have a kiwi house where you are separated from them by only a knee-high fence. They were fascinating to watch. But the highlight is the picture at the top of this post. I had just rounded a corner when this little guy hopped up to me. I stretched out my hand and well, you can see what happened. It was a very special moment for me. The second picture is from a cruise on Milford Sound and the third is from our crossing of the Transalpine Highway. I would like to go back but Dave says there are too many other places to see especially here in the US. So I remember that trip as truely a special one.

A Few Storm Photos

2010-10-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday we had some tremendous storms here in the Phoenix area. I left work about 15 minutes early because of the warning and made it home in plenty of time for the fireworks to begin. Now it hasn't stormed here in a long time and it doesn't do it very often even in the monsoon season. But when it does, it REALLY storms. We had winds about 35-50 mph and in our area we had hail as big as golf balls. Sherrie's car is parked outside and we were worried about what kind of damage it was taking but God blessed us in that there wasn't a scratch on it. Our guess is that the hail was deflected by the tree next door and the overhang of our roof. Other than a lot of leaves on it, it was fine. The one picture is of the hail in the backyard. The next is the view out our front door. The rain was just gushing off the roof into the front stoop. But the neatest thing we saw was an absolutely perfect rainbow when it was all over. I mean it was a perfect arch in deep, vibrant colors. I couldn't get a picture of the whole thing with my camera so I am only showing a part of it in this picture. But it was gorgeous! The weather has been relatively cool here since then and it feels like fall is right around the corner.

It Wasn't Meant To Be

2010-10-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's been one of those days. I really wanted to stitch today. I mean I REALLY wanted to sit and spend the day stitching. Well, I started The Wave (my next BAP) over the weekend. And I was really pleased with the progress I had made in that short period of time. Then as I was stitching today, I suddenly noticed that that the first grid, which should have been 10x10 was actually 9x10. So I was going to off by one stitch all the way down the left side of the pattern. Now that wouldn't have been so bad if same color was used. But no, after about the first 10 rows, the colors started changing and I just knew I'd get in trouble down the line. So I started frogging it. Now remember this is being down over 1 with one thread. I managed to get one row out but it's going to have to be ripped out a little at a time or I'm either going to scream or throw it out. So then I decided to work on a Veraco kit that Dave had given me last Christmas. It's the Autumn Abstract which I love. Now it's supposed to have presorted threads. You can see from the picture just what their definition of presorting is. It was 2 strands of thread in each hole and the rest in a lump. Now I suppose you could just pull from the lump after you have finished what was on the card. But how on earth would you know what color they want you to use. So I am somewhat patiently matching all the threads up before I can start stitching on it. At this rate, it will be time to start cooking supper and I'll have done zero, zilch, nada stitching. Somedays it just doesn't pay!

Another Finish

2010-10-03T07:59:00.001-07:00

I have another finish to brag about. I am kidding but it's been so long since I've had two finishes in a year, that it does feel a little like a celebration here. I'd been in a stitching slump for so long, it felt like I would never get back to stitching like I had done before. And it wasn't like I was doing anything productive. It was either computer games (which is still a major time waster in my world) or reading (which is NOT a time waster in my mind). I just had a real hard time getting back into the routine of stitching. But with the poppies done, I decided to concentrate on getting the Lizzie Kate I had started several months ago finished. I do think I like sticking to one piece at a time as opposed to a rotation of projects. That way I feel like I've actually accomplished something and not scattered my energies around. I also have so many UFO's stuck in a drawer that I would like to get out and finish. I think maybe next year will be the year of the UFO. Anyway, back to the Lizzie Kate. It's called Time for God and I really like what it says. I stitched it on cognac linen with sampler and Weeks threads. I did change a couple of the colors because we didn't have what the pattern called for. I really like this one. For right now it's going in the FUPPY box in the closet until I save up enough to frame it.

To EvalinaMaria

2010-09-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

EvalinaMarie, I realize that you may not have found my email address yet. I left a comment on your blog with it but you may have missed it. So I thought I'd put it here in hopes that you'll see it. It's azxser at aol dot com. I hope you see this cause I would love to send you your package of goodies. The package is all ready except for your address. Hope to hear from you soon.

We Have Another Winner!

2010-09-20T13:48:00.001-07:00

Well, it's my birthday and I'm giving away the goodies. We've picked a winner for my birthday giveway and it's... Drum roll please. EvalinaMarie! You are the winner of my birthday giveaway. If you'll email me, I can get your package off to you.

This has been such fun. I've discovered a whole bunch of blogs that I want to follow. There are so many of you doing so many interesting things out there. It's really inspired me to try new things. Hopefuly my winner likes what I'm sending. If not, EvalinaMaria, please feel free to pass what you can't use on to someone else.

Well, it's back to my regularly scheduled programming. I'm in the process of finishing a Lizzie Kate and hope to have the pictures posted this week. I'm also taking the poppies to be framed this Friday so they'll be back soon.

It's My Birthday!

2010-09-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

My birthday ia this month (the 20th to be exact) and I've decided it's time for another surprise giveaway. I'm still drowning in stash that needs a new home so I thought this would be the perfect reason for having one. Same rules apply as before. If you comment on this post, you'll receive one entry. If you mention this on your blog, you'll get an extra entry. If you link to my blog, you'll receive a third. And to make it even more fun, if you become a follower, you'll receive another entry. So you can get a total of four entries for this giveaway. I can promise that you'll receive lots of goodies. So come on and help me celebrate. And, no, I won't tell you how old I'm going to be. Some things are better off left unsaid! Oops, I almost forgot. The cutoff date will be September 18 and I'll draw the winner on the 20th. Good luck, everyone.

It's Done All the Way!

2010-08-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

It's done, it's done, it's done! The poppies are finished! Even the beading. I was off last Friday and just decided to sit down and get to beading. I decided not the wash the poppies. I had such visions of the reds running and I just couldn't take that chance. So I'm going to steam iron it (not on the poppies though) and get the rest of the wrinkles out. It goes against everything I know not to wash them but better safe than sorry. I really love this piece. I'm almost sorry to be giving it away but Don loves poppies so much and he has none that are counted cross stitch. He does have several that are needlepointed but I think mine are much more realistic looking. Don usually lets me pick out his framing for him and I think I'll suggest a light and a dark green mat with a black shiny frame. Now to get back to Lizzie Kate's Time for God.

My New Obsession!

2010-08-27T13:25:00.001-07:00

I have a new obsession. I have always loved jewelry. I especially love vintage looking jewelry. Years ago I learned how to make seed bead earrings but most of what I've done has been self-taught. Well, my favorite bead store recently opened a branch just a mile from my house. So in the last two weeks I've taken 2 different classes. I really would like to learn how to make jewelry the correct way. First I took a bead stringing class. I made the pink bracelet you see here. I made it for myself but when Sherrie saw it, she asked if she could have it. Now she NEVER likes anything I wear. be it shoes, clothes, jewelry or my hair. So I figured if she wanted it, she must like it. A Lot. So I gave it to her and I figured I'd make myself another one. The class I took last night was wire wrapping and we made the earrings and pendant shown in the next picture. Now wire wrapping is a lot like hardanger. It may be easy to learn but you need to practice it in order to do it well. But I'm happy with the results and think more trips need to be made to the bead shop.

10 Things I Like: #2

2010-08-23T13:14:00.001-07:00

I like polar bears. In fact, I think polar bears are one of my favorite animals second only to cats. There is something so majestic about polar bears. Yet at the same time, they also look so cuddly and playful. Now I'm sure they would just as soon eat me as look at me but you know what? That's just who they are. And I don't fault them for their natures. If I'm stupid enough to get that close to them,... well, you get what I'm trying to say. I just feel so bad that their habitat and way of life is threatened. What a sadder world this would be if the polar bears go the way of the dinosaurs. I hope my grandkids (should I ever be fortunate enough to have them) will someday be able to see the bears where they live. By the way, the pictures here were taken at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson. Believe it or not, polar bears are very adaptable to different climates. The same fur and skin which keeps them warm up in the Arctic also keeps them cool here in Arizona. At least that's what the sign at the zoo says. There are actually 2 different bears here in the pictures. One is Boris, a larger male and the other is a smaller female (I forgot her name). I could spend hours just watching them. So, yep, I like polar bears.

10 Things I Like: #1

2010-08-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

I really like the ocean. I like the way it smells, I like the roar of the waves, I like the way the sand squishes between my toes. I could watch the ever-changing waves forever. I especially like watching a storm roll in off the sea. The clouds roiling in the sky, the waves crashing upon the beach, the wind whipping my hair. It's all so exciting. Now I'm not talking hurricane here. Having lived in Florida and going through Hurricane David in 1979, I understand the devastation a storm like that can cause. But the power in an ordinary storm is so amazing. I really would like to live on the coast but I know that's not going to happen. So I will just continue to visit the sea anytime I can and revel in the vastness of it all.

It's Done!

2010-08-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

The poppies are done. Everything except for the beading, that is. I just took it off the q-snaps, hence the wrinkles and creases. The backstitching in the centers is done, that's where the beads are going to go. Now the problems is washing it. I am going to need to test the floss to see how much, if any, it is going to run. I'm not just going to drop it in water without checking. That would be a disaster if it ran. I think I'll check the floss first then if that looks okay, I'll put a wet paper towel on the back and see if the reds run there. Even if they don't run, I may just steam iron it rather than chance it. Once I find out if it runs or not, then I'll do the beading. I'm so glad this is done. Now to go on and pick out my next project. I think it will be the Lizzie Kate that I started earlier this year.

We have a Winner

2010-08-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

in my kitty giveaway! It's Meari of Meari's Musings. I loved reading all the comments about everyone's kitty and wish I had a frame for everyone but that's not the case. And, yes, the extra one I have will be in honor of my little demon, Squeak. She is the love of our family and I wouldn't trade her for anything (although Rosie and Bear might disagree with me). So Meari, if you're out there, please email me at azxser@aol.com and I'll get your prize off to you. Thanks for playing, everyone!

the Home Stretch

2010-08-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I'm almost done with the poppies. I had a marathon stitching session today and finished the third large poppy. Now all that remains to stitch is the stem and the final bud and stem. It feels like I've been stitching on them forever. At the same time, it seems like I just started them. It's been a while since I enjoyed stitching anything as much as I've enjoyed stitching on them. Maybe part of that is because I know how much Don will love them. It's so much easier to stitch something when you know it will be appreciated.

2010-08-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a project that I knew was kitted up when I stumbled upon a frame and pattern that I had a duplicate of. So I decided this would be a perfect giveaway for any kitty lover. Or maybe you have a friend who loves kitties. No matter whether you have a kitty or two or want to stitch this for the kitty lover in your life, this giveaway is for you. I'm giving away a kitty pattern and the handpainted frame that goes with it. There is NO fabric or threads with this. It's just for the pattern and frame. Now here's what you have to do to win this. Just comment on this post. That's it. That's all you have to do. Now you can get extra entries. If you talk about this giveaway on your blog, you'll get an extra entry. A link to my blog will give you a thrid chance. And for extra fun, you can get a bonus entry. Simply tell me in your comments the name of my kitty. It's here somewhere on my blog. Search the entries and you might get lucky. I'll run the giveaway until next Monday (8/16/10). Let's have some late summer fun!

10 Things I like

2010-08-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about things I like. Now notice I didn't use the word love. I think that word can be so overused. I love ice cream. I love to read. I love flowers. Now do I really feel the same way about these things as I do about my family & friends? I don't think so. I love my God, my family, friends and my furbabies. So I decided to write about some of the things I like. And I'm gonna try real hard not to use the word love when talking about them. I've tried writing a gratitude journal but it felt artificial to keep saying saying thank you. Not that I'm not grateful for everything I've been blessed with, I just eventually couldn't think of anything new to be thankful for. So I've decided to think about things I like. I like a lot of things but to make it easy I thought I'd stick to 10 of them. So starting tomorrow I'm going to start blogging about things I like. They won't be in any particular order but just as I happen to be thinking about them. So join me tomorrow as I embark on my journey to discover what I like most.

Some Framed Projects

2010-08-05T11:29:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd take a break for showing off the poppies and brag about 2 pieces I just picked up from the framer. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about the animal one but I'm not sure if I've ever shown off the other one. It's a counted needlepoint piece that I did as a class project here at the shop. You choose a Watercolor then coordinate your other threads to it. In case you can't tell from the picture, the outer mat is deep purple as is the frame and the inner mat is creamy yellow. I'm not a fan of purple but I thought this worked best with all the colors in the piece. The animal one is a kit I picked up in New Zealand. I substituted some better quality aida (it's also a larger piece of fabric), and all the threads in the kit were DMC so I was happy with them. It reminds me of our great vacation there so I have that one hanging in my hall where I pass by it every day. Unfortunately is was almost impossible to get a picture of them without reflections on the glass so if it looks likes there are marks on the mats, they're just reflections from the glass.

Poppy Update

2010-08-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

Well, they're back. I'm talking about the poppies. It's been a week or so since I posted any update so I thought I'd catch you all up on them. I made some progress on them but not quite as much as I would have liked. But I still think I can finish the last main flower this week and possibly the rest next week. Then I need to try and figure out what I will stitch on next.

When I started cross stitching years ago, I was a one-project-at-a-time gal. I'd start and finish one project before I started another one. Then I started stitching in round robins and needed to work on more than one project at a time. Soon I had so many UFO's that I'm not sure how many I have stuffed away. So now I'm thinking of going back to one at a time. Of course, I know I'll have occasions where I need to start and work on something as a gift but I'm liking the idea of actually finishing something in a reasonable amount of time. So I can either start The Wave or finish the Lizzie Kate I started several months ago. Decisions, decisions.

We Have A Winner!

2010-07-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we have a winner for my first ever giveaway. Vanessa, a Stitcher from Upstate New York, was drawn from the list of those who posted a comment. So Vanessa, when you'll email me your name and address, I'll get your package ready and sent out to you. My email address is azxser@aol.com. I've had such fun with this giveaway that I think I'll make this a monthly thing. I have so much stash that needs a new home that I think this is one way to relocate it. So be sure to keep checking back next month so you can see when I post a new giveaway.

Happy Dancing!

2010-07-26T16:48:00.001-07:00

I'm happy dancing all over today. So far since I started Weight Watchers in late May, I've lost over 10 pounds! I just reached my 5% goal today. I thought I had gained since we've been eating out so much so I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find out that the scales had gone down this week. Now I don't see much of a difference but other people (including Dave) have said that they can tell. Now I'm even inspired to start working out again. So come on and join me in my happy dance!

Destashing Part 2

2010-07-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

So I'm back to trying to finish the job I started a couple of weeks ago. You know the one. Getting my filing cabinet back to a usable state. As you can see from the pictures, I have a long ways to go. Unfortuately I'm discovering just how much being disorganized has cost me. Not so much in a monetary sense (although there is that aspect), but in having so much stuff that I REALLY don't know what I have. I mean I found not 1, not 2 but 3 copies of the same pattern. Now it's out of print so I'm sure I can find a good home for the extra copies but I could have had 2 other patterns for the money and space these 2 cost me. And, honestly, how many patterns of polar bears can you have? They're my favorite wild animal but do I really need 12 charts of polar bears? So I'm really determined to get this mess straightened up so I can actually see what I already have and what I need (nothing really but we know need has nothing to do with it). I'm just so tired of being disorganized and wasting time and money on something that is supposed to be fun.

Poppy Update

2010-07-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

My poppies are coming along quite nicely. I was able to sit and focus more this week than I have lately and did manage to stitch quite a bit on them. I think I should be able to finish the flower I'm on in the next week or two, then I'll just have a couple of buds to stitch and it will be done! As much fun as I've had stitching this, I'm ready for it to be finished.

I think I've decided to stitch The Wave as my next big project. I love the almond blossoms but am just not ready to tackle that one. So in anticipation, I've already bought the fabric (25ct antique white lugana) and all the threads. I'm kind of looking forward to stitching this one. I've never stitched one by Artecy so we'll see how easy (or hard) it turns out to be.

There's still time to sign up for my giveaway if you haven't already. I love surprises and hope everyone else does as well.

It's blazing hot here in Phoenix today so it's a perfect day to stay indoors and stitch. Stay cool!

I'm Feeling Generous

2010-07-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

I did some more organizing in my craft room this past weekend. When I did my major purge last fall, most of my charts and magazines just got stuffed in a file cabinet in a very random manner. So I really didn't know what I had kept. Well, this made it tough to buy new stuff. But that didn't stop me. I just bought what I wanted. Now when I refiled things this past weekend, I discovered that I had quite a few duplicate charts (some of which were very expensive). So I've decided to have a monthly giveaway. So if you are interested in my stuff, just leave a comment with your email address on this posting. If you post a link to my blog on your blog, then you'll get 2 entries into the giveaway. I don't think you'll be too disappointed in what I'm offering. You'll never know what you'll get. The drawing will be open for 2 weeks so I'll have my daughter pick a winner on July 28. Oh, and I'll ship anywhere so all you overseas gals, please feel free to enter.

We're Back!

2010-07-11T13:18:00.001-07:00

Here's an updated photo of the poppies. I couldn't figure out why the last one I posted was so dark. Then I remembered that I usually had a lamp turned on right over them. I didn't do that last time and I wasn't really happy with the picture quality. I just couldn't figure out why. Then it hit me one night in bed (yes, one of those lightning bolt moments). So here's an updated picture. I've made a litle more progress but not as much as I would have liked. My reading has been interfering with my stitching big time. Ever since I got my Kindle 1 1/2 years ago, my reading time has gone way up and stitching has gone way down. I'm hoping to sit down today and stitch on them. I want to spend about an hour in my craft room finishing what I started yesterday then I plan on sitting down with the poppies. But first before anything else I must remove the blackberry cobbler from the oven. Isn't summertime great?

Did You Ever...

2010-07-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

see something on TV and think "that would make a great cross stitch chart. Or how about something in your home? I had a floral comforter that had a pattern that I thought would make a neat crewel pattern. Well, I was watching Dr. Who a couple of weeks ago and they did a show on Vincent Van Gogh. Now I'm not usually into art or paintings but they showed some that I had never seen before and I just fell in love with the colors and the style. I checked around and sure enough I found patterns for them on the Cross Stitch Collectibles site. So I just got them yesterday and it's really thrown my planning into chaos. I had decided that my next big project was going to be The Wave. Now I really want to start the Branches of Almond Blossoms. The Van Gogh has about 29 pages and The Wave about 19. Do I do The Wave first or should I start a rotation with both of them? Decisions, decisions!

Next!

2010-07-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever found yourself anticipating what you'll be stitching next? Silly question, I know. Since I'm on the road home with the poppies (even if I didn't stitch on them at all this week), I've been trying to decide what larger project to start next. There's a Van Gogh that I'm waiting for in the mail (but that's for another post). I had seen The Wave in a catalog but was sure I could find the chart for it. I did, on Cross stitch Collectibles. Using 101 different colors. Now I'm all for realism but come on. The artist probably didn't use 101 colors. Then I found it on Artecy which I have been a member of forever. I've printed off a lot of their patterns but have never stitched one. She only used 43 colors. That I can manage. Then I saw another by the same artist, Mount Fuji in Clear Weather. Now I'm stuck. I like both of them. Which one should I do next? I'm leaning towards The Wave simply because I've liked it longer. How's that for logic? Or I may just wait till the Van Gogh comes in and I see which one I like best then. No matter what I decide, I think I plan on doing it over 1 on 25 count lugana. I just love the look of over one and I think I'm up for the challenge. But first, back to the poppies!

New Grandpuppies!

2010-06-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, most people post pictures of their grandchildren. I'm not so lucky to have any yet. My oldest son and his girlfriend can't afford them and, well, to be honest, neither can my younger son and his wife. And Sherrie has absolutely no interest in children at this time. However we do now have 2 new grandpuppies. Brian and his GF decided they just had to have a dog and then Brian just knew that the first one needed a friend. Their names are, wait for it, Peter and Piper. Yes we have Peter Piper for granddogs. Peter is the one on the left in the pictures and Piper is the one on the right. I have to say they are both very sweet and loving and rambunctious. And, no, I won't make them Christmas stockings.

Weekly Update

2010-06-28T15:03:00.001-07:00

Here's another update on the poppies. I've kinda slowed down on stitching them. I want to get them finished and I can see the end but my motivation has waned. Maybe it's the summer heat but I just don't feel like doing much of anything except reading. I plan on working them tomorrow morning and hopefully that will jump start the process again. I do have several other projects I'd like to work on so maybe that can be my motivation to get stitching again.

California Vacation Pictures

2010-06-21T15:25:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would post a few of the pictures we took when we went to California last week. The drive down the coast was absolutely amazing. I can sure see the appeal of living there. It did get pretty chilly traveling with the top down but what else do you do with a convertible on the PCH? Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks were also gorgeous. That's where we took the picture of the little deer. I was actually only about 10 feet away from the car.

On the weight loss front, I think I did really well on vacation. I only gained 1 pound in the week. Now I know that's going the wrong way but considering I ate every meal out and counting points was well nigh impossible, I'm pretty happy. We did do a lot (and I do mean a lot) of walking, so I'm sure that helped. Now that I'm home I can keep a better eye on what I'm eating and hopefully start losing again.

WW Update

2010-06-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been 2 weeks since I started WW. And I'm proud to say I've lost another 2 lbs. That makes almost 5 since I began. Now I know a lot of people lose much more to begin with than I have but I figure I didn't get this way in one day so it will probably take a lot longer for me to lose it. But I feel really good about my progress. Now if I can stay the course while I'm on vacation!

Sunday Update

2010-06-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here's my weekly update on the poppies. I seem to have lost steam on stitching them. I didn't get quite as much done on them as I wanted to this week. It seems that Sherrie brought home a bad cold and promptly shared it with me. So I've been fighting a really bad cough. It's been keeping me up at night so I've been real tired and just didn't feel like doing much of anything. I've also decided to stitch exclusively on the poppies till they're done. I'm so close to the end that I want to finish them and get them to Don. We're going on vacation at the end of this week so I know I won't have much to report for the next couple of weeks. We're taking the convertible for a drive to Sequoia National Park and Yosemite then coming home by way of the Pacific Coast Highway. I can't wait for that drive.

Just to Share!

2010-05-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

I just thought I'd share a couple of pictures from Sherrie's trip. This was at a lion's perserve next to their hotel. The kids actually got to bottle feed the babies and hold one of them. The lion Sherrie is holding is about 5 months old. She couldn't believe how soft its fur was. I can't believe all the things they got to do.

Yeah Me!

2010-05-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I would have trouble sticking to the WW plan this time around. I am so used to just shoving food in my mouth that I really thought I wouldn't be able to do it. But after adding more lean protein to the mix, I wasn't quite so hungery in between meals. That made it all the more easier to stay on target. Well, I weighed myself this morning and lo and behold, I've lost 2.8 pounds! I'm really motivated to keep at this. I did discover that if I pay more attention to what I'm eating, I do better. I used to just gobble the food without even thinking about what I was eating or how it tasted. Now I eat slower, smaller bites and really savor the food. It makes a small portion seem bigger. If I can just keep this mindset, I should do okay. So YEAH ME!

We're Back!

2010-05-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got my camera back so am able to update the poppies. Sherrie had borrowed it and took it to South Africa and she returned it safe and sound (which considering her track record with cameras is a good thing) on Thursday. I did try to use hers, but she had hundreds of pictures on it and I didn't feel like uploading them all just to get one picture. Anyway I haven't made as much progress on them as I would have liked. It seems like things just keep getting in the way of stitching. There were a couple of series finales that I just had to watch (whatever shall I do without Lost?), books to read and decluttering to be done. I do hope to stitch some tomorrow but we'll see how that goes. I'm planning on having lunch with a new friend and then Dave and I are going to go to a movie later on in the afternoon. Maybe I can stitch some in the morning. So here they are in all their glory.

Trying Again!

2010-05-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to be honest here. For the past several years, I've been telling myself that I don't look too bad for an old broad. I would look in the mirror and think that I could look a whole lot worse. Then I saw the pictures of me at Sherrie's graduation. I couldn't fool myself any longer. Pictures don't lie. Somewhere along the way, I had gotten fat (I'm just calling a spade a spade). It started with stress eating when I became a caretaker for my elderly dad. Working full time, taking care of a household, animals and him just got to be too much and I began to eat. The problem was, when he passed, I didn't stop eating. Prior to his coming to live with us, I had joined Weight Watchers and lost about 28 pounds. I felt good and looked good as well. So I've decided to join WW online this time. My original leader had left and I just couldn't find a connection with any of the other leaders available. I mean watching a grown woman prance across the room in footie pj's riding on a stick horse was just not my cup of tea. So Monday I bit the bullet and signed up. It's actually quite easy to track the points. My only problem is that I feel like I'm hungry all the time. I find myself counting the minutes until I can have my snack. I suppose I'll get used to it. So I hope you'll follow along with me as I once again undertake this journey. Opps, gotta go. I hear my crackers calling my name!