Near To a Finish and Some New Stash!

July 26, 2016 My Time Stitching36 Comments

It’s been a busy couple of weeks. And I have been working pretty hard on Aphrodite. Her hair is amazing, but is taking me so long to finish!

Just look at that gorgeous hair! There are many gorgeous colors in that hair. I’ve worked on it the last 2 nights and I am hoping to finish that hair tonight and get to the backstitching and hopefully to adding some beads! She is going to be Fabulous!!

So this last weekend, hubby and I took a day trip to Port Huron in Michigan. We went to a craft place that I have been wanting to visit for years!!! Mary Maxim. Have you ever received one of their catalogs in the mail? I have, for so many years. And finally, I went to see the store. Love their sign out front.

Isn’t that just the coolest sculpture to hold their sign? Love it! I spent quite a bit of time in there. Looking at yarn and afghan and baby blanket kits. I couldn’t decide what to get! Lots of other craft items there, too. But I was obsessed with all the yarn 😉

Look at that long aisle of yarn!! So many skeins to feel and squeeze and so many colors! This is what I actually ended up getting:

2 skeins of a scarf yarn (yes I am addicted to scarf yarn) that I have never tried before. They will be fun to knit. A skein of Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball and pattern. Maybe I can actually knit this one up since I am still at a stand still with the other 2 shawls I started. The Knit Pink book really caught my eye 😉 It is full of fabulous patterns (yes in pink) and I fell in love with a knitted afghan that I want to make for my younger son and his girlfriend for X-mas. I couldn’t find a tweed yarn at Mary Maxim, so I ordered some this morning from LoveKnitting. I also LOVE the scarf on the cover, but can’t find the yarn called for…yet 🙂 I think it is an Italian yarn. But if I can’t find it, it is a bamboo yarn, so I may find something else I like.

I also found some scrapbook paper and a small bobbin box for my cross stitch threads. Can’t seem to find the little boxes at the craft stores anymore.

After leaving Mary Maxim, hubby took me to Fort Gratiot, where I saw my very first Lighthouse, Ft. Gratiot Light. It is actually the oldest lighthouse in Michigan, built in 1829 and stands 86 feet tall.

The light was automated in 1933 and still guides ships today on Lake Huron into the St. Clair River.

Beautiful Lake Huron. This was on Saturday, and the temperature was a muggy 98 degrees. There were lots of boats on the lake and the beaches were packed.

This is the St. Clair River. The bluest, most beautiful water I have ever seen! It actually took my breath away. This river flows under the the bridge from Michigan to Canada, rightfully called the Bluewater Bridge.

My sweet husband. Posing in front of the beautiful blue waters and Bluewater Bridge.

Just a stone’s throw away from our neighbors in Canada. I love this photo.

So, if you are still with me, thank you for re-living my weekend to Port Huron. I hope I haven’t bored you. It was a wonderful day and I have some great memories and some fun new stash. So now I am going to go work on Aphrodite and hopefully have a finish to show you next time. What are stitching today?

cross stitch · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Hand Stamped Cards · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · Stamping stuff

Mermaid Progress

July 13, 2016 My Time Stitching17 Comments

I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally be finished with Aphrodite‘s tail and that shell! They are so big! The entire part is bigger than my open hand with fingers spread!! Wow, that took a while to do. So now I am moving on up! She is a skinny mermaid, so I am hoping she won’t take me too long to finish. I am itching to start a Pixie! Speaking of which…here are all the fabrics I have purchased from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics specifically for Pixies and a few witches.

Just look at all those beauties!! All except 2, have been matched with a specific pattern. Most of the pieces are about 14 x 17, which is perfect size for a pixie or witch from Nora Corbett. There are a couple of larger pieces that will be cut into 2 pieces for 2 pixies. There is one large piece that is for a larger mermaid. As you can see, I am addicted to Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. The gal that dyes them is awesome. She dyes one of a kind pieces and posts them on her Facebook Page and her Etsy. And she is quick to ship once you purchase. Great fabrics, awesome customer service and quick shipping. I have 2 more pieces on the way for 2 more pixies and that doesn’t even put a dent into how many Pixies Nora has come out with. I may run out of wall space first, LOL.

And for you paper crafters out there, here is my most recent card I made using Stampin’ Up! products.

I love birds, and the Best Birds stamp set with matching dies makes it so easy to create with. So sweet!

So what are you crafting these days?

Black Forest Pixies · cross stitch · Fabric · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · Pixie

What I Am Up To

June 29, 2016 My Time Stitching30 Comments

It’s been a busy summer so far, but I have still managed to fit in the things I love to do. Over the weekend I picked up this little beauty from my local needlework shop, Stitches N Things, where I had her framed by Juanita, at Way Cool Mats:

I love her! The frame is perfect for her. She is Blossom Collector by Nora Corbett. I stitched her on a One of A Kind fabric from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics, 16ct Aida. And she is even up on the wall in my craft room, along with Queen Anne’s Lace.

I can’t wait to see what Pixie I will do next…I have lots of wall space. I have been purchasing fabrics from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics for all of the pixies I want to do. Just look at all the beauties:

I have 2 more that arrived since this photo and 3 more on the way. All but 2 of the fabrics have plans to have something stitched on them. Just love her fabrics and can’t wait to see what pixie will get my attention next. But it won’t be before I finish Aphrodite. Here is my progress on her:

The shell seems to be taking me forever! I did some major stitching on it yesterday but it still seems far from finishing. But I am determined to finish her before switching to another project or starting a new one. Once I get past the shell, I am hoping going upwards will be much faster.

And since a few of you have asked to see some of my stamped creations, here is one of the make N take cards I had at my Stampin’ Up! Open House a couple of weekends ago.

So that is what I have been up to lately. What is taking up your time these days?

Craft Room · cross stitch · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Stamping stuff

Good Things are Happening in June

June 20, 2016 My Time Stitching41 Comments

Hello my blogging friends. It has been a busy month for me. I don’t know if you know, but I am a demonstrator for a company called Stampin’ Up!. I teach people how to create their own greeting cards and scrapbook their memories with stamps. April 3, 2016 marked 15 years as being a demonstrator. And on June 1, 2016 I reached $200,000.00 in career sales. It may not mean anything to most, but for me, these are 2 goals that I wanted to meet, and I did. And within months of each other. And June 1, 2016 was the launch of the new Stampin’ Up! catalog, so I have been busy making new samples and planning a New Catalog Open House which I had on Saturday.

The Open House went well and everyone that attended had a great time seeing new products, creating a couple of cards using new products and getting freebies. Now I can get back to a normal kind of routine 🙂 I also had another exciting thing happen this month. On June 1, I received an email from a company called Stamp N Storage that my new craft room photos had won May Studio Showcase! I won $75 which I chose as store credit because there are 2 more storage items that I want for my craft room. You can read about my craft room win and see phots here. I LOVE their storage units. My room looks a little different even now, because I keep moving and adding things to better suit my stuff, LOL. Once I get the last 2 items I will take a couple of more photos for you. Hopefully that will be the end of rearranging. I am having fun creating in my new space. It is my own little piece of happiness 🙂

I have been so busy, and I had 2 little vacations in the middle of everything, that I haven’t been able to do much stitching. During vacation time I didn’t stitch at all! Seven straight days with no stitching. I thought I was going to lose my mind! This last week I finally had some time to stitch a couple of nights. But I was only able to put in 12-25 stitches before my eyes drooped too far to see anymore. But here is how I left Aphrodite last night (my best stitching day in a long time 🙂

Not a whole lot more added since my last post about her, but every stitch counts, right? I am hoping to stitch a lot more this week. So sorry I have been out of touch, but what have you been working on lately? I’d love to see 🙂

Black Forest Pixies · cross stitch · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · New stash! · Nora Corbett · Pixie

A Pixie Finish and More Fabric

May 31, 2016 My Time Stitching21 Comments

Isn’t she a sweetie? I finished her Sunday night. She was a pretty quick stitch, taking me only 19 days! I just love her and can’t wait to get her framed. She is Blossom Collector by Nora Corbett. She is one of the Black Forest Pixie’s and my first Black Forest finish. I stitched her on 16ct Aida one of a kind by Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. Here are a few more pictures of her:

Speaking of Fantasy Dyed Fabrics, I picked up a few more of her beautiful fabrics:

This one is a beauty! 16ct Aida in Blues and purples with a hint of brown and cream. Love it! I have plans to stitch Nora Corbett’s Sweet Pea Pixie on this one. I also picked up this one:

This one is 28ct Monaco, beautiful blue and white with a hint of purple. I do love the colors, but this fabric looks like linen to me and not sure I would ever stitch on it. I do not like linen at all.

I also special ordered this one:

I think that this has to be my most favorite color combination; pink, blue, green all in pastels. I do keep coming back to this combination. This 16ct Aida piece was a bit small for what I wanted, so I have re-ordered a 2nd piece 🙂 And I am keeping this one. I just couldn’t send it back! I LOVE it too much. This one I plan on using for 2 of Nora’s beautiful Pixies: Lily and Rose. The other larger piece that I will receive is for a Joan Elliott mermaid. If you haven’t checked out Fantasy Dyed Fabrics, or haven’t visited this week, check it out! She is always adding more beautiful fabrics and this week she added some gorgeous Opals!

So now I am back to stitching on Aphrodite mermaid and still loving her and her colors. I will post an update photo of her this week. So what project are you working today?

Crochet · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · New stash! · yarn

New Fabric and Yarn Stash

May 20, 2016 My Time Stitching21 Comments

I recently told you about a new dyer come to town; Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. I received 4 beautifully dyed fabrics from her yesterday and just have to share the beauties with you.

Just look at those beauties!! All 4 are 16ct Aida and about 14 x 15 in size. Perfect size for Mirabilia Pixies or fairies 😉 I have an idea what I will put on the top left one, but will have to test that out at a later date. The others will be ready when the right Pixie comes to mind. If you are looking for one of a kind hand dyed pieces, check out Fantasy Dyed Fabrics on Facebook and on Etsy. What you see is what you get, great prices and quick shipping. And check back often as she is always putting up new fabrics as she dyes them. I have 2 more pieces on the way and can’t wait to see them in person. I already have designs in mind to stitch on them both. I will share when they arrive.

My next stash share is a ton of yarn!

I ordered all of this Stylecraft yarn from Loveknitting.com for a special project; a Faded Painted Rose Blanket by Sandra Paul.

Isn’t it just gorgeous? I just swoon every time I see it. I have never crocheted a granny square and have only ever made a flower or two, but I really want to tackle this project. If you want to read more about it and where to get the pattern, you can read about it on the Cherry Heart Blog here. Now that all my yarn has arrived, I hope to get started on my first square next week. Wish me luck 🙂

What new products have you added to your stash pile recently?

Black Forest Pixies · cross stitch · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · Pixie · Uncategorized

Pixie and Mermaid Progress

May 18, 2016 My Time Stitching10 Comments

So last week I told you I put down Aphrodite to start stitching on Blossom Collector. I was going to switch back and forth, stitching on them both. But I have been smitten with Blossom Collector and have stitched solely on her for the last week. Here is where I am with her:

She is going rather quickly. After just one week, I am about halfway done with her. I just love the Magenta hues. The strands of what I think are the blossoms she is collecting, are stitched with Caron Waterlilies and I just LOVE stitching with them. So soft and silky and the strands just glide through the fabric so smoothly! I think it would be fun to stitch with them all the time. If they just weren’t so pricey. Oh well, I will enjoy stitching them when I can 🙂

And here is how I left Aphrodite a week ago:

She is another sweet stitch that was going quite quickly. I can’t wait to get back to her and her gorgeous colors. I was just starting on the shell when I put her down. She won’t be abandoned for long. I miss stitching on her. Wouldn’t it be cool to stitch on 2 things at one time?

So what are you stitching on these days or what can’t you wait to get back to stitching on?

Black Forest Pixies · cross stitch · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Nora Corbett · Pixie

A New Fabric Dyer Has Emerged!

May 11, 2016 My Time Stitching16 Comments

My very best stitchy friend has decided to give dying fabrics a try. She knows what we all want in a hand dyed fabric; We want what we see and we want it quickly. She sells one of a kind fabrics on her Facebook page and Etsy shop. You can find her on Facebook at Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. And she will ship to you within 3 days! Now that is service! So go check her out and join her group so that you will see when she adds new fabrics to her page and check back often as she will post photos of new fabrics as she dyes them.

I received one of her fabrics in the mail yesterday and couldn’t resist stitching on it right away. So this is my new start on her fabulous fabric.

This is a 16ct Aida pale blue fabric with gray and magenta. I thought it would be perfect for Nora Corbett’s Blossom Collector. She is another one of Nora’s sweet Pixies from the Black Forest Pixies.

So go and check out Fantasy Dyed Fabrics and let me know what you think.

cross stitch · Cross Stitch Patterns · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · Romanitc · Uncategorized · WIP

There’s A New Mermaid on the Beach

April 27, 2016 My Time Stitching42 Comments

Mirabilia came out with a new pattern on the 15th, and Nora did not disappoint!

Introducing Aphrodite Mermaid. I just love her! And while I wanted her, I was going to refrain from purchasing her until I completed something. But my wonderful hubby went and ordered her, the bead pack and the specialty threads and she arrived in my mailbox on Friday. And while I tried to continue on with the Mira Mystery, Aphrodite was singing her Siren song and I couldn’t resist!

Now we all know that I am weak when it comes to mermaids, so a new start it is! I started stitching her Monday night. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Kaleidoscope by Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. Just love all the colors in the fabric and knew it would be perfect for Aphrodite.

So this is how I left the Mira Mystery:

I spent so much time frogging this one the last few days I worked on it. So it was time to put it down for a rest. I am thinking I should put all of my WIP’s into a rotation so that I can get some finishes in. I probably have 8 or 9 cross stitch projects going now. Eeeek. I will tell you, working with DMC again is wonderful!! The coverage is so much better than the Weeks Dye Works.

So, how many projects do you have going right now? And does it bother you to have more than one project going at a time?

Afghans · Crochet · cross stitch · Mirabilia · Romanitc · Stitchy Gifts

Stitching Update

April 21, 2016 My Time Stitching25 Comments

Hi! I’m still stitching along with a ton of other things; stamping, scrapbooking, putting pages in albums, and reading. But let me show you how my stitching is going on the Mira Mystery. I am finished section 1! Finally! Took me about a month, but I finally can move onto section 2. Here is how it looked last night:

While the above picture shows the stitching colors better, the photo below shows how the fabric actually looks:

I have seen the mystery stitched in full by other stitchers on the facebook group, and she is a beauty! Just wait until you see that sweet face!

I also finished this yesterday:

The baby shower is on Saturday, so I finished in great time. I really love how this turned out! The pattern is beautiful and while I didn’t think the colors would be great together when I started, I am loving them now.

So it is all ready to be packaged up. Just have to add a tag and washing instructions. I also made a card to match.

The nursery theme is owls in these colors, so this card is perfect.

So that is what I have been working on this week. What have you been creating?

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