Uncategorized

HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY TO ME!


After I posted yesterday, I looked at my archives and realized that a year ago I started my little ole’ stitchy blog.  I checked to see when my very first post was and it was yesterday!  One year ago I started this blog and I have enjoyed every minute of it.  So to celebrate, on short notice, I have 3 little give-aways.  All you have to do is leave me a comment about anything and let me know which give-away you would like to win by the end of day March 31, 2013.  I will pick 3 winners on Monday,  April 1, 2013.  So here is what I could find in my search today:

Giveaway 1#1 is a Lizzie Kate Friendship pattern, A piece of Plum Blossom 28 ct Linen sized 14 x 18,  a Piece of 28 ct hand painted Monaco from Youthful Needleworks, some thread and some Mill Hill Beads.

giveaway 2

#2 contains Friendship pattern with a clay sculpture of a dragon and 2 little kids, a piece of Pewter 20ct Lugana sized at 12 1/2 x 12 1/2, some threads and some Mill Hill beads.

giveaway 3

#3 is for  5 skeins of my favorite scarf yarns-Pomp-a-Doodle, Sashay, Starbella and Fun Fur.

I have had so much fun with this blog and have met so many wonderful, friends here.  I look forward to the next year.  Remember, you have until March 31 to leave me a comment and let me know which give-away you would like to win.  If you post onto your blog and let me know, you will get a second entry.  Post on your Facebook for an additional entry.  Since my followers are all over the world, I will mail anywhere.  Thank you for taking the time to see what I have been up to this past year.  Hugs!

Storage

I Love to Organize!


I don’t know about you, but there is something I just love about organizing.  And the companies that make bins, baskets, boxes, bags and buckets know this and rely on this.  Today I want to share with you my newest find for organizing my Kreinik threads. About a year ago I “de-kitted” my cross stitch kits because I realized that I was buying duplicates of beads (a future post) and krenik threads.  These things are not cheap.  So I put them in an Art Bin box that has spindles for spools of thread.  Since the Kreinik threads are so thin, there was so much empty space being wasted and I have been on the look out for a new way to organize my threads.  So here is what I found over the weekend:

Krenik thread storage

This cute little pink box (had to have it in pink although it does come in other colors) that is called the “Really Useful Box”.  I found it at an office store and they come in many shapes and sizes from a very small box that will fit in the palm of your hand all the way up to great big storage bins.  This one happens to be the 1.7 litre size and is quite perfect!

krenik thread storage 3

After putting them in the box, in numerical order, by type, there was a little wiggle room and I didn’t want them to get all jumbled up.  So I took some thin card board ( I get it in the 12 x 12 paper packs I purchase from Stampin’ Up!) and made some dividers.  I  cut 10 strips   5 5/8″ x 2″ and they worked perfectly!  I still have a little room to grow before I purchase another one.  I even cut some extra dividers in preparation for the next box 🙂

krenik thread storage 2

It has a clear lid so that I can see what is inside without having to take the lid off.  This will come in handy when I spill over to the second box.  I think this is the perfect box for my Kreinik threads and I don’t anticipate having to re-organize them again in the future.  I just love it when an organization problem is solved.

Mermaids

Introducing Emmie!


I finished Emerald Mermaid over the weekend and she looks beautiful and sparkly!

Emerald Mermaid finish

Karen referred to her as Emmie in one of her comments posted on my blog and I rather like the name and have since been calling her Emmie.  She was truly a joy to stitch,  once I got past the fabric problems.  I was quite sad to put the last bead on her and to add my initials and date.

Emerald's beading

Emerald's face

The colors in her are so rich and the beads are perfectly placed.  Just look at her face.  Isn’t she just the sweetest?

Emerald's tail

And that tail!  I can’t resist mermaid tail 🙂 So now I will start saving $$ to get her framed exactly like Mediterranean Mermaid. Both will hang on either side of Enchanted mermaid in my living room.  I will be sure to take pictures when she is framed and hung.

Floss · Storage

My Floss Storage


I was pulling threads for my next project and realized that I never shared where I store my skeins of floss.  DMC cabinet

I think that Hubby ordered this for me back in 1998.  It is a limited edition DMC floss cabinet.  I have number 1386 of 2000 made in 1999.  I remember it took a long time to get as they were ordered in advance and made after ordering.  It’s in my living room, so it is a little scratched up from 2 boys and their toys over the years.  But I love it!  I have patterns to stitch panels for the doors that will have my initials on them.  I just haven’t gotten to yet.  I’ve liked the wood doors for years, and only this last year dug out the patterns to do in the near future.  Here is what it looks like when I open the doors:

dmc cabinet open

It has 13 drawers and the first 12 drawers are numbered with dmc floss numbers. The drawers have sections in the front and back for the floss.

close of dmc cabinet drawers

dmc drawer

Whenever I need floss for a project, I usually check my boxes of bobbins first and then pull the threads that I need from here.  I make a list of what is empty and the next time I go to Joannes or Michaels I pick up the colors and replace them.  I have noticed that some of my floss skeins are really old and a slightly different color than a newer skein.  I hope I pay attention to this when I want to use those colors on a project and make sure that I don’t use them together.  I love my floss cabinet.  It’s so fun to open a drawer and see all the beautiful colors.  The bottom drawer is my “junk drawer” of the cabinet.  It’s full of black and white floss and duplicate skeins.  I also store all of my needles, small scissors and some varigated floss in there.  Where do you store you embroidery floss?

DMC logo plate

Fabric · Mermaids

Emerald is Getting Beaded


I’m about half way through beading Emerald Mermaid.  She is looking awesome!

Beading Emerald

I should be finished with her this week.  She really has a lot of beads on her.  But the more beads, the more sparkle 🙂  When I finish her, it will be time to start my Asian design for the Joan Eliott Round Robin.  I received my fabric from Stephanie on Saturday. It was a long time trying to get what I wanted.  Stephanie worked really hard to make me happy.  Here is what she came up with:

Mocha Delight

It is 28 ct Jobelan Mocha Delight.  There isn’t a lot of color variations in the fabric but the color is really going to make my Geisha girls pop as well as the cherry blossoms I intend to put on my layout.  I will post a picture when I get it stitched and ready to go.  Thank you Stephanie for taking the time to make me happy 🙂

Uncategorized

A Chance to Win Some Goodies


Good morning.  I don’t have any stitchy stuff to share at the moment, but I do have some info on a blog give-away.  My friend Karen, over at My Stitchy Ramblings is celebrating on getting 100 followers.  She has some awesome prizes you can try to win.  But you have to go to her website here to get in on the drawing.

Fabric · New stash! · Pillows · Uncategorized

Some Pillows and some new stash


Today I realized that I never posted my February Pillow.  In fact, I never put it out 😦  So in putting January pillow away and getting out the March pillow, I took some pictures.

February pillow

The February pillow case, no pillow in it.

March Pillow

The March Pillow.  I love all the blues and greens.  Makes me thing Spring!  Is it here yet?  Kind of felt like it today.  Sunny and in the low 40’s.  Beautiful! Now onto some new stash I received this week.  First some goodies from a very sweet friend:

Goodies from Johanna

The latest Just Cross Stitch magazine and some of the limited edition DMC floss.  I love all the shades of blue in this floss.  The magazine has a cute teapot design in it.  Johanna knows I love tea pots.  Here is the tea pot.

teapot in magazine

Very cute and springy.  I love the colors in this one.  It will be added to my long list of projects to do 🙂  Thank you Johanna.  You are so sweet to think of me.

Next I have some more of Stephanie’s fabrics.  This first batch I received on Tuesday:

Stephys fabbies

The top left is Bliss, next to that is Twixt N Tween, under Bliss is Orange/tan, next to that is Turquoise, and on the bottom is Banshee.  All are 16 ct Aida except for the Orange/tan-that is 28ct Lugana.  They are all just beautiful.  And on Thursday, I received these:

More Stephanie fabrics

Regular Banshee on top and Banshee Brown on the bottom.  They are both beautiful and Banshee Brown is awesome!  It is what I want for my Asian JE Round Robin!  Both of these are 16ct Aida.  Stephanie is in the process of making me the Banshee Brown in 28ct Lugana for my RR.  I can’t wait to get the fabric and get started on my layout.

So it’s been a good week with lots of fun stitchy stuffs to add to my stash.  Thanks for stopping by to see what I have been up to:)

Mermaids

Emerald Update


Here is my progress on Emerald as of last night:

progress on Emerald Mermaid 2

Sorry I didn’t get back the other day to post a pic.  I am almost finished the stitching on her. I hope to get most if not all done tonight.  Then I can start the beading.  Then she will really start to come alive and sparkle.  Thanks for stopping by to see what I have been up to.