December Goals

It is hard to believe that in a little while it will be 2008! Looking at my December goals I didn't do a bad job on completing them.

December Goal

1. Mail Bourse Exchange-Yes, sent and received
2. Mail Birthday Exchange-Yes, sent and received
3. Finish Allie's Stocking-Yes, finished and hung
4. Start/Finish Mac's Stocking-No, :(
5. Start/finish Christmas gifts-Yes
6. Mail Christmas cards & gifts-Yes
7. Work on Topaz Fairie-Yes!!

January Goals

1. Work on Topaz Fairie
2. Order TF beads and Kreinik
3. Start Egyptian Sampler
4. Start Harvest Witch
5. Start Mine All Mine (Mac Stocking)
6. Stitch Freebies
7. Mail Frost Friends Exchange
8. Mail Fob Exchange
9. Start/Finish Valentine Exchange
10. Mail Valentine Exchange

It looks like I will be busy next month!

Renee and I had a nice lazy day of stitching yesterday so I was able to get a good amount done on Topaz. I plan on working on her later at least until I run out of the yellow floss for the dress. If that does happen I guess I will just have to start Egyptian Sampler a day early! :)

I am still way behind in my blogs and I am beginning to think I will never get caught up so if I don't get a chance to swing by your blog, I want to wish everyone a happy New Year.

Happy New Year to you and your families!!!

A Finish and Progress

I noticed today that I hadn't posted a picture of this little finish I did last month. It is the same pattern (Peony by CCN) that I used in Mylene's birthday gift except that I finished this one into a needleroll. I was satisfied on how it turned out considering this was the second time (for me) finish with a lining for the needleroll. I still need practice on that particular way of finishing!


Now for a progress pic on Topaz. :) I was working at a nice pace yesterday until I ran out of DMC 3350. I think I will work on filling in the rest of the flower tonight. :)

I'm slowly making my way through my blog feeds. It's amazing how fast they pile up when you aren't paying attention! Be assured even if I am not commenting a lot I am reading your blogs. :)

Have a great weekend!

Goals for 2008

Today's venture to the LNS went fine. I was on the quest for a pattern I had seen earlier but as my luck runs it was sold earlier this week. Buggers!! I didn't leave the LNS empty handed. I purchased 2 designs by X's and Oh's. I can't reveal which ones they are as I will be using one for the Valentine exchange on the SBEBB. I also picked up the Mill Hill beads I need for Egyptian Sampler.

I guess it is getting time for me to post my 2008 stitching plans. I counted my large finishes (anything over 8 x 10) from last year and I stitches a total of 9 pieces. In 2008, I would like to finish 10 large pieces. So here is my list of large pieces I plan to stitch.

1. Egyptian Sampler by TW

2. Harvest Witch by Stoney Creek (SAL with Renee)

3. A Child's Prayer by Calico Crossroads

4. Mine All Mine by X's and Oh's (Mac Stocking)

5. Stocking for Me

6. Stocking for Mike

7. Summer's Magic by Dragon Dreams (SAL with Renee)

8. Legends of the Dragons by Dragon Dreams, TW, and The Black Swan

9. The Brat by Enchanting Lair

10. Moonlight Visit by Sandra Parlow

I am not sure if I will meet this goal for next year or not but I am going to give it my best shot! :)

Here's Paddy

I finished the 3rd kitty in the Pam Kellogg series last night called Paddy. I really like the colors in this pattern. Three down and nine more designs to finish:)



This week's SBQ is:

Did you receive any stitching-related gifts for the holidays?

The gift I received this year was Renee coming for a visit and us being able to stitch together in person. I am hoping tomorrow to be able to make one last stash run to the LNS before the end of the year and that will be Mike's present to me. He picks such great gifts. LOL!!

Have a great night!

Topaz Progress

I have been working on Topaz Fairie here and there over the past few days. I don't have much progress to show other than one flower.

I want to thank everyone for their comments and holiday wishes. I am severely behind on my blog reading and probably won't really have a chance to catch up till after the New Year begins.

Have a wonderful day!

Penguin Tin

I hope everyone is having a GREAT day! We have had a pretty great day here. The kids woke up and opened presents and immediately headed off their separate ways to try out the new gifts. Krissy took over the bathroom with her new flat iron and make up. Allie spread out on the floor with her new markers and velvet poster and Mac is lounging in the chair playing his new GBA game. Now we are just waiting for Christmas lunch to be ready! :)

Renee (and her kitties) got here late Saturday evening. She hand delivered Egyptian Sampler to me! I can't wait to start on it. I am going to try and hold off till Jan 1 to start it but if it keeps calling me I might end up starting it sooner than Jan 1. My plan is to work on Topaz Fairie to keep me distracted. :)

Since Renee came to visit I was able to give her Christmas gift in person. I made her this cute little tin. It is stitched one over one on 32 count fabric. If you remember a few weeks ago when i cut my hand I was working on a gift. This is the one that I was working on so blood, sweat and tears really went into making this one!



I modeled the inside like a tin I received from Vonna with a magnetic strip. I really love the strip as I use it to keep track of needles.

I hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas!!

Thrift Store Shopping

In less than 8 hours my bestest friend since I was in elementary will be here until the first of the year! Whoo-h00!! I am terribly excited so much I hardly slept a wink last night.

Sadly, I didn't work on ANY stitching yesterday but I did do something stitching related. I stopped at a local thrift shop that I have had good luck with finding cross stitch magazine and yesterday was no different. :) I came home with 4 Cross Stitch & Country Samplers from 1987-1992, 2 JCS issues from 1995, and 2 Alma Lynne Designs leaflets. All that for 2 dollars! I have already found one pattern in the JCS March/April 95 issue that is a must stitch for me. It's called A Child's Prayer by Linda Connors (Calico Crossroads). This one has a beautiful verse on it for any mother.

I was noticing today that it has been 3 years since I started blogging. It isn't my blogiversay as I started off with just a blog about my daily life and then a few months later is when Crafter's Creations came about. I deleted my first blog a long time ago as I couldn't keep up with 2 blogs. Anyways, I think I have only had one picture of me up and I know how it is nice to associate a face with a blog so here is Mike and I at last night's Christmas party.

Front: Dawn & Mike

From our home to yours I want to wish everyone and their families a very Merry Christmas!!

Midnight and Precious

I have been working on the Millennium Cats by Pam Kellogg this week and I finally took some pictures of the 2 kitties I have done.

January-Midnight

February-Precious

With today being the first day of winter break for the kids I am not sure how much stitching I will get done today. Then tonight is Mike's Christmas party for his work. Last year's party wasn't exactly a hit. Main thing was the food SUCKED!! Oh and not too mention they ran out of the fixings for a strawberry daiquiri at 7 pm didn't impress me. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be different this year!

Before I go here is a picture of my mischievous kitties. Oh they look sweet here but don't let that fool you. They can unornamentify(is that even a word?) a tree in less than 10 minutes!!

Have a great day!

Exchange for Terry

I saw today on the SBEBB that Terry has received the bourse exchange I sent her. I stitched an Arm and a Leg from Raise the Roof Designs in the 2006 JCS ornie issue. I stitched it on some 32 count opalescent fabric. You might have guessed that the opalescent fabbies are my favorite. :)

It turned out just a little smaller than I had planned but it still turned out pretty cute.

This week's SBQ was suggested by Kathryn and is:

Have you ever helped anyone else learn to stitch? Have you ever helped anyone learn a new stitch or technique?

I have taught several people how to stitch. I showed my best friend how to stitch on a visit, I have taught all 3 of my children, I taught a friend in Mississippi, and lastly but not least I taught my brother. As for special stitches...I am doing good in learning and mastering them myself!

Peony

I heard from Mylene that she has opened her birthday package I sent to her. I stitched "Peony" from Country Cottage Needleworks. I used the Crescent Colors that came with the pattern so my only problem was remembering to complete a full stitch before moving on to the next one. Mylene, I hope you enjoyed everything I sent you. :)


I did stitch today but I don't have any pictures to show today. I decided to stitch the freebies from Pam Kellogg called "The Millennium Cats". I am not sure how I will finish them yet but I am sure I will think of something.

I hope everyone has a wonderful evening!

The Heart Throb Fob

I finished up the fob I was working on today and decided it was way too pretty to give away. This pattern is a freebie from The Drawn Thread called Heart Throb. I stitched mine on some 32 count opalescent fabric. This pattern is a fun and quick piece to stitch not to mention pretty, too. :)

And on the back of the fob, I stitched the year I finished it.

Have a good evening!

Bourse Exchange

I have to say yesterday turned out to be a pretty awesome day for me. For starters, I got my bourse exchange in the mail from Amy. Isn't it beautiful?! Thank you, Amy, I love it!!

However, the best news of the day came late yesterday afternoon. Renee is coming for a visit!! Oh, I can't wait to see her on Saturday!! I am going to predict there will be lots of stitching, talking, and laughing. :)

As for stitching, I didn't get a lot done yesterday because I was playing catch up with the laundry. I started a small fob design for an exchange but as I have been stitching it I am thinking I might just have to keep it for myself. My plans are to finish the fob today and then if I have time I might work on Topaz for a little while.

Happy Stitching!

Topaz Weekend Progress

I worked on my fob piece for the Fob exchange last night. I finished it but I am not too sure if I really like it or not yet. Parts of it I really do like but some parts (mainly the colors) I am not so sure about. I guess I will keep looking and see if I find something better that I like. :)

Like everyone else, I have been thinking about my stitching goals for 2008. I have decided on one thing for sure, I will be attempting to stitch more freebie patterns. I love the freebies and they usually a quick finish which is why I love them! Oh, and another thing, is to stitch my Christmas gifts through out the year instead of waiting to the last minute. LOL...we will see how that one turns out!

Here is my progress of Topaz Fairie from this weekend. She is really starting to come to life now. :) As you can see I avoided stitching on her wings so no frogs visited me this weekend.

Enjoy your day!

An Early Gift

I got a nice surprise from Mike last evening. He got me a new stitching chair! It's a glider chair and I love it! I already tried it out last evening and it works perfectly for me to sit and stitch plus it is so COMFY:)

When I stitch I usually sit cross legged with a throw blanket over my legs which has been a problem lately since my puppy dog has been claiming it as hers lately. So, this morning, I decided I was going to buy me a new throw blanket to match my new chair AND so I won't have to fight my dog for my blanket. :) Sounds good doesn't it? LOL Anyways, I found this adorable dark blue blanket with snowflakes all over it and it is really soft! Problem now is Mac is trying to steal my blanket. Hmmm....maybe Santa will bring him one so he will leave mine alone.

I worked on Topaz yesterday and finished her face, hair, and other arm. I also managed to frog out all the stitches in the wing I messed up. I am going to put her away for just a little while to work on the Fob Exchange and the Valentine Exchange. I have an idea for the Fob Exchange and will start on it after I get off of the computer. :)

This morning I ran my errands as fast as I could trying to get home before the rain turned to ice/snow. In doing this I messed up and went to the PO last when I should have went there first! I thought they closed at noon on Saturdays but I was wrong by an hour. I got there at 11:10 am and they were closed! A little while after that is when it started to snow here. :) We didn't get anything measurable but it was pretty to look at while it lasted.

Possibility of Snow?!

I am sorry I didn't post a progress picture yesterday but I was having such a good time working on Topaz last night. As you can tell I have started the frogging yet. I have just decided to work on the fairie for awhile before I start ripping out her wing.



We finally have a forecast for a possibility of snow!! Okay, so it is only a inch that is predicted but I will take what I can get. If you don't know by now I love snow. I love to go outside when it is snowing and either play with my kids or my puppy dog till I am cold and then I rush in to make hot chocolate and curl up under a fluffy blanket to get warm. We don't have a fireplace otherwise that is where I would be getting warm! :)

This week’s stitching blogger's question was once again suggested by Nancy and is:

Do you do anything special to your threads before putting them through your fabric to make them more manageable?

When I use Kreiniks I do use a damp cloth to moisten the thread before I start stitching. It seems to help the metallics glide through the fabric easier. Other than that, I don't do anything special to my threads.

I am off to finish cleaning the house and then I will be working on Topaz again:) Have a great weekend!

Santa Claws

It was another cold and rainy day here so I curled up this morning and finished the one over one stitching on this little design. You can find this freebie here.

I am pretty much done with my gift stitching! Whew....that is a big relief! :) Now, I can stitch some ornaments for our tree.

Sorry for such a short post but I am really tired tonight and I think I am going to turn in early tonight.

Have a good night!

Topaz Weekend Progress

As I mentioned in yesterday's post I did work a little bit on Topaz Fairie this past weekend. I filled in the rest of her arm and worked on the other wing. While I was stitching I did find an error in the opposite wing so now I have to frog the whole wing. I am not looking forward to that so I am putting it off as long as possible!



Also, I did get a chance to finish Joyeux Noel into an ornament. I didn't have anything Christmasy looking to match so I opted for a matching pink. For some reason I can't get a really good picture of Joyeux Noel. The linen is actually a smoky blue color and is really pretty but for some reason it looks grey and dull. I am going to blame it on the rain we have been having.

I am not sure if I will get any stitching done today as I have to clear out a spot in the living room for the Christmas Tree. We have an artificial tree due to our allergies so I also have to dig it out of the storage area. I have been putting it off because this will be Claudia's and Bitsy's first Christmas tree and I am not ready for them to bat at the ornaments or climb the tree.

Enjoy your day!

Joyeux Noel

It has been a cold, wet and dreary day here today. Rain in December...something is just wrong with that! So, what is a girl supposed to do on a day like this? Why, cross stitch of course! :) I worked on Topaz Fairie a bit more this weekend but I didn't feel like pulling her out today so I opted for a quick finish. I stitched Joyeux Noel by The Cat Whisker's Designs out of the 2007 JCS issue. I am planning on finishing this one into an ornament later tonight.



I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Safe and Sound

I found out today that Bea's RR made it home to her safely. Some glitches came up in this RR and it took a little longer than expected so I felt bad for Bea so I included a little Christmas fob for her.

The design comes from an old issue of Cross Stitch & Country Crafts (May/June 1989). The design is by Laura Doyle and is called Christmas Wreath. I stitched it one over one but I am not sure what count I did it on. It measures just a little over 1 inch by 1 inch...i think maybe more like 1 1/4 inch by 1 1/4 inch. I was really happy with how it turned out and honestly for once I can't find anything I would have done differently. :)

I am going to head off and see what I should stitch on today! :)

Have a great weekend everyone!!

A Great Shock for Me

Yesterday was a pretty good day for everyone here. I managed to finish to pieces into ornaments, so that means I can check 2 more gifts off my list! Yippie!!

Snow Happy-Beth Stephens

Trimming the Tree-Lavender Wings

It just wasn't me who had a great day yesterday, Mac came home with awesome news. He made second place in his class spelling bee and gets to move on and compete against the other classes. He was so excited and all he could talk about how he is going to be in the local newspaper. Now, I have to admit this took me by complete surprise as last week's spelling test was a 55 percent!! It isn't that he misspells words as much as you can't read them. He has the WORST handwriting possible. Anyways, as you can tell I am one proud Mama :)

Before I go I want to wish my mom a happy birthday! Happy Birthday Mom:) We love you and miss you! Enjoy your day!!

Topaz Fairie and a SBQ

I finally decided to go ahead and work on Topaz Fairie yesterday. I am glad I did because I made some progress on her. :)

Today's SBQ was suggested by Nancy and is:

What tips would you give to a new stitcher to help her stitch faster and neater while still keeping it enjoyable?

To a new stitcher my main advice would be to always count, re-count, and count again! There is nothing more discouraging than having to rip out stitches due to a small miscount. Another thing I would advise is keeping the length of your threads at a reasonable length. If it is too long it will get tangled up causing knots and just a big mess. My last piece of advice would be ...do not be afraid to wash your projects! I seldom have a problem with the flosses bleeding but I generally stitch with DMC. When I do use overdyed threads I take more care in washing them in cool water so they don't bleed.

Danielle-I was planning on finishing Trimming the Trees into a top for a wood box. I messed up and didn't leave enough room on the top and bottom to allow for coverage with the batting. When I cut my material for some reason I thought I needed a 4 x 6 inch piece when in fact that was the size of the top of my box. Ooops! :)

Trimming the Tree

Remember the secret gift I was going to work on? Well, I finished it but I can not finish it how I wanted to do the finishing. Stupid me, didn't leave enough extra room for the finishing. There is enough room for it to be finished into an ornament so all is not lost. I was really hoping to finish it today in the particular method I had in mine....grrr!

I am not sure what I will work on later today. Either it will be Topaz Fairie or I will start on Mac's stocking. He is trying to act like it doesn't matter that his stocking may not be done but I can tell that isn't true so I am going to try and finish it in time. The only thing I am really worried about is getting my Kreiniks in at the LNS in time if not I may have to figure out some other substitution for them. We haven't picked out the fabric for his stocking yet but I have a sneaky feeling the fabric he does pick out probably won't have a Christmas theme.

I can't believe that Christmas will be here in 20 days!! It sure doesn't feel like it here. We haven't had a first snow this year yet. :( Snow is the whole reason I love winter time! The closest we have gotten to snow this year is this morning when it started raining and it was mixed with ice but that last a whole 10 minutes. I know because Bitsy decided to dart out the door and I had to chase her around in the yard while it was raining!

Since it is raining and is cold I think I will heat up some water and have a cup of hot chocolate and decide what to stitch on today. :)

Enjoy your day!

Snow Happy

I decided to go ahead and finish the stitching on the gift I have been working on. This is a freebie from Janlynn and designed by Beth Stephens. I stitched it one over one on 28 count fabric. I think he is just adorable! I will be finishing this one into an ornament for my brother and his girlfriend for Christmas. They were talking about visiting us this year at Christmas so I may not even have to mail it off!

Thank you for all the wonderful comments on Allie's stocking. As soon as she got home from school she demanded to see it. I told her before she left for school that I would have it finished for her by the time she got home. She loves it!! I still have Mac's left to finish but I don't think it will get done this year. He will have to wait until next year for his which is okay because I still have to do Mike's and my stocking, too.

I am not exactly sure what I will work on later. All I have been stitching is gifts for friends and family lately maybe I will work on something for me. I really have to get my holiday stitching done during the year and not wait to the last minute! I am sure a lot of you are feeling the same way, too:) What ever I do work on later I know for sure it won't be one over one today! My eyes need a break..lol.

Have a great day!

Allie's Stocking Finished!

I thought I was going to have Allie's stocking finished yesterday but Bitsy decided to autograph the stocking with her paw prints. Apparently Bitsy had been playing in my plants and left dirty paw prints on the fabric. Grrrr...I was able to get the dirt out but now that it was completely wet I was going to have to wait for the fabric to dry.

This morning I finished putting the final stitches in Allie's name and proceeded to do the sewing part. In the picture, the blank area above the name looks like it is sewn uneven but I promise this is an optical illusion!


Here is the backing fabric Allie picked for her stocking.

Yesterday I went up to our LNS for our monthly stitchers group. I had fun but since the stocking was at home drying I brought the current gift I am stitching but since it is one over one and the lighting wasn't really good enough for one over one stitching I ended up looking at all the wonderful patterns. Ah...3 hours to look at patterns and not have a child tugging at my shirt wanting to leave!! I was very good and only purchased a few items since I had just bought stuff the day before:)

This weekend I accumulated:

Beatrice-The Trilogy

Britty Bunny-Brittercup Designs

Trimming the Tree-Lavender Wings

package of needles

1 yard white 32 Belfast

2 wood boxes

2 pkgs mill hill beads (for topaz fairy...still have a lot to get!!)

I'm not sure what exactly I am going to work on today. I need to finish the gift I'm working on but I have something in mind for the Frosty Friends exchange. I have already finished something for the exchange but I came across something I think would be better but that remains to be seen!

That has to wait until I get my errands done for today! I have to buy groceries and the post office but it is kind of cold outside and I don't want to go outside. However, I have to do it...for some reason the kids think that they will die if there isn't food here for them to devour when they walk in the door after school. Enough talking about it...I have to get my butt up and do it! :)

Enjoy your day!

Three Kitties and Half a Tree

I stitched what I could on the Britty Kitty Stocking yesterday. I did run into town this morning and picked up the colors I need to finish it. Of course I just couldn't leave the LNS without without buying a couple of new patterns and some 32 count Belfast Linen.

It has been a pretty quiet evening around here tonight so I am going to go and work on Allie's stocking for a little bit.

Have a good night!

November/December Goals

November Goals

1. Start/finish Bourse Exchange-Yep
2. Start/finish Birthday Exchange-Yep
3. Start/Finish Lottery Exchange-Yep
4. Start/Finish Snowman Exchange-Yep
5. Work on Topaz Fairie-Nope :(
6. Work on Christmas ornaments and gifts-Yep
7. Start on a stocking-Yep, almost done, too:)

I completed 6 out of the 7 goals I had for myself this month. :)

December Goals

1. Mail Bourse Exchange
2. Mail Birthday Exchange
3. Finish Allie's Stocking
4. Start/Finish Mac's Stocking
5. Start/finish Christmas gifts
6. Mail Christmas cards & gifts
7. Work on Topaz Fairie

One Kitty Done

I made some good progress on Allie's stocking yesterday. That is, until I ran out of green for the tree! I should be able to pick up the floss needed either tomorrow or Saturday which means I should have the stitching finished this weekend.


I am planning on working on the stocking today but I am not expecting to get a lot done. I woke up this morning with a nasty cough and a stuffy head. I already took some cough medicine (yuck!) so I am planning on snuggling under a nice warm blanket with a hot cup of of hot chocolate!

Have a great day:)

A Small Start

I worked on Allie's stocking today. It is stitching up nicely. Of course, it isn't stitching up fast enough for Allie!

Nothing really exciting happened around here today. The highlight of my day today was I bought myself a new hot chocolate mug. I already broke it in and had a cup of hot chocolate this evening! :)

Have a great night!

2006 Snowman Box

I was beginning to think that I wasn't going to find any finishing fabric for Ursula Michael's 2006 Snowman. I have been looking for a couple of weeks and I hadn't found anything that came close to looking good with the snowman. My waiting finally paid off this morning when I came across this beautiful fabric! The fabric has silver sparklies which goes perfect with the opalscent fabric I stitched the snowman on.

As you can tell I haven't done a lot of stitching today. I did start Allie's stocking this morning but I only put in about hour's worth of stitching before I decided to finish the box. I am planning on working on it later tonight after the kids go to sleep. I do have one more piece to finish but it is for an exchange so no picture of it for now.

The only thing bad about stitching for the holidays is it takes stitching time away from my larger projects. Every year I keep telling myself I won't wait till November to start my gift stitching and every year here I am stitching away on gifts because I didn't do it through out the year. Someday I will learn......but when?!

Christmas Tree

For the past few days, I have been working on this ornament for my mom. I stitched it one over one on 32 count fabric. However, after seeing it finished it just may not arrive at my mom's house. It might just end up on my Christmas tree!

This one is a freebie from Janlynn called Christmas Tree by Sam Hawkins.

It has been a pretty good day around here. The weather is kind of yucky outside. Cold and wet. Good day for stitching! I am planning on starting Allie's stocking tonight after the kids have gone to bed. I still need to gather the floss up so while I am doing that I am going to gather the floss I need for the Frosty Friends Exchange. Which means I get to play in my stash for a little while! :)

Shopping Mess

The Thanksgiving rush is over and now the Christmas rush begins! We had a nice day yesterday. We had some turkey with friends and came home and had more turkey with just the kids and us. We cooked too much and ate way too much but it was all so good!

I wasn't planning on going to town today with it being the day after Thanksgiving but Krissy needed a book from the library for school on Monday. So I took a deep breath and made my way out in the mess of shoppers. First stop was at Hobby Lobby to pick up some finishing fabric for Allie's stocking, next was a Wal-mart for some sore throat medicine for Krissy and Mac, and then finally (or so I thought!) was stopping at the library. As I was pulling into the parking lot I thought it looked a little bare and immediately realized the library was closed! Grr....now I had to make a trip all the way across town to the bookstore to buy the book instead. After buying her book, we finally made it home only for me to realize I forgot to stop at the post office. Luckily the tiny town I live in (I'm serious if you blink you will miss it!!) does have a post office so I didn't have to run back to Rogers.

Stitching wise I don't have anything to show because I didn't even look in the direction of my stitching stuff yesterday. I can show you the fabric Allie picked out for her Christmas stocking.

I am planning on starting her stocking (Britty Kitty Christmas Stocking) sometime this weekend. It shouldn't take me too long to stitch it up as it is a rather quick pattern to stitch. Tonight I am hoping to finish a gift I have been working on this week.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Crazy Week

It has been been completely crazy around here this week! My week started off with me hitting a deer with my car. The bright side is no injuries to me but the down side is there are injuries to my car. That little glitch put in my plans as I was going to do my turkey shopping on Monday but instead I had to do it this morning. Since the kids are out for Thanksgiving Break they ended up coming with me shopping. *sigh* You guessed it...I forgot about half of what I needed. So I ended up making a last minute run back to the grocery store at 4 PM and let me say the store was a complete mess of shoppers!

However, in between grocery runs I did manage to finish Mac's box off today. It isn't one of my finest finishes as I was being rushed by a 9 year old but it made me him happy.

After that it was back to the kitchen for me. I managed to get a cheesecake baked, a pumpkin pie baked and 5 dozen peanut butter cookies baked. Tomorrow the good stuff gets to be made! :)

With the past few days being so crazy I haven't had a chance to read any blogs or answer some of the questions so here goes:

Stitchermommy-The name of the pattern is called Colorful Critters Tree Frog by Funk and Weber Designs.

Becky K- Yes, the fabric is hand dyed by me. I hand dye about 75 percent of the colored fabrics I use.

I hope every one has a great day tomorrow and to all my friends celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow.....Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Tree Frog

My hand is feeling much better today! Which means I had a pretty good stitching day. :) I finished up this little frog from Funk & Weber Designs. I stitched this little froggie one over one on some of my own hand dyed fabric. Mac totally loves it! He asked me if I would stay up extra late and finish it into his box. I told him I would have loved to but I didn't have the "perfect" fabric to line the box with yet. After he looked through my fabric stash he agreed that I didn't have anything that would look good with it. He did make me promise that he could go with to pick out the fabric.


Jen FW-I would be happy to send you a picture of the Tree Frog when I get him finished. :) I really enjoyed stitching this one up and I plan to stitch the other critters that go with him!

To answer some of your questions on my letter ordeal with Mac....Sadly, the school he goes to is a somewhat large school so the one school nurse for the hundreds of students doesn't get to know the children one on one. The paper that gets sent home has to be signed by a doctor/audiologist and returned to the school within 60 days. Since he has had a history of ear problems Dr. L and I both agree that it is best to have his hearing checked yearly just to be on the safe side. However, sometimes the school will test twice a year and that is when it gets messy because he has just had one a couple months previous and they usually want me to have another test ran to make sure. I know that they do this to make sure the child is receiving all the help they need but I don't see it necessary to have an ear exam twice a year when there are no hearing problems. I have asked his teachers repeatedly if he notices Mac not hearing things, etc. and his response has always been that he has no hearing problems in class. While no one notices any problems it does make me feel better to have him tested and no for sure that all is okay. While I complain about the running back and forth that it involves I have always been grateful that each time the result have came back normal.

As for my week it is gonna be a busy one! I still need to do my shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. Once that is over then it is time to start baking for Christmas. :) I love this time of year because of all the baking I get to do.

I hope everyone had a great day!

Elliot the Snowman

Last night I was able to give a little Christmas present to my friend, Mindi. I know it is early but Mindi loves the Christmas holiday so I knew she would really enjoy it and she did. The design is from Full Circle Designs and is a current freebie called Elliot. I stitched it one over one on 32 count Opalescent fabric. I finished it into a box for her to keep some little goodies in it for her kids. I enjoy spoiling her with my stitched things as she appreciates them and displays them. As I have said before (at least in my opinion) that is the best way of complimenting me. :)


I did attempt some stitching late last night and got a few stitches in but nothing major. I started a new little pattern from Funk & Weber Designs and is called Colorful Critters Tree Frog. This one is for my little guy. He is frog and bug crazy. He has loved them since he was about 2 years old and I kept thinking it is just a phase and he will outgrow it. Well, 7 years later he still loves them so I don't think it is a phase anymore. I will be finishing this one into a box for him. Since he is all boy I do tend to worry things I make for him will get destroyed so I tend to try and finish him things that are sturdy like pillows. I think the box will work for him as he likes to have boxes to put his money in and hide. Strange I know but he doesn't like to put his money in a piggy bank.

On a completely different note, Mac's school sent a note home this week saying he failed his hearing test. I get this letter EVERY single year from his school. Mac was born 10 weeks early (2 lbs 11 ounces) and has had problems with his ears from the day he was born. His ears produce too much ear wax causing him lots of ear problems. I really don't think that it is directly related to him being premature since his dad has the same ear troubles but the doctors insist that it is from his premature birth. Anyways, when his ears are wax free and his allergies are fine and he has no ear infections his hearing has been tested and his hearing is completely fine. I don't mind the letter coming home saying there is a problem but after 5 years......of me taking him to his regular doctor to get a referral to have a hearing test taken, then having that doctor fax papers to the school saying his hearing is perfect and did they bother to inquire before they test if the child had allergies or an ear infection at that time..... it is getting really annoying! Seriously, how hard is it to ask a 9 year old child if they have an ear problems before you attempt to test a child?!

So Monday morning I get to call and make an appointment with Dr. L to have his ears looked at again. He will wash his ears out, give him some ear drops to put in, and a date to to have a REAL hearing test taken. With Thanksgiving next week I am not sure how soon we will get an appointment to be seen.

I think I have bored you enough for today. :) I am off to go dig out my stitching stand!

One Snip Too Many

I want to thank everyone for their birthday wishes for me yesterday. It turned out to be a pretty good day. However, that wasn't the case this morning! I was cutting some cording when apparently my hand got in the way of the scissors. I managed to snip the fleshy part of my hand in between my thumb and finger. I can't repeat exactly what I said but it was quite colorful. The irony of the whole thing is on my scissors it says "ultra sharp". Boy, they were right on that one!!

As for cross stitching, I don't think that is going to happen anytime today. I can't even close my
hand to hold on to the hoop! Who would have thought that a hobby as quiet as cross stitching could be dangerous to your body! LOL

It looks like it is going to be a quiet night around here. Krissy is spending the night at a friend's house and Mike has to work late tonight so it will be just Allie, Mac, and me tonight. I think we will order a pizza and watch a movie. That is if Allie and Mac can agree on a movie to watch!

Have a great weekend!

Day of Leisure for Me

Well, I turned 33 years old this morning . I have no big plans for today. My biggest goal is to do nothing! No laundry, cleaning or cooking for me today. :) Looks like I should be able to get some gift stitching done today! Later this afternoon I might make a small trip to the LNS but other than that I have no big plans.

I am still working on a gift. I am hoping to finish the stitching and start on the finishing today.

I hope everyone has a great day today!!

Birthday Gift from Mylene

I got another birthday package in the mail today. This package is from Mylene for the birthday exchange on the Robin's Nest. She did a great job putting it together for me! :) She sent me some beautiful buttons (the green ones are my favorite :) ), some really sparkly ribbon, and CHOCOLATE!


The best part of the package is her stitched gifts! :) This one is so perfect for me! I love it!!

AND.....she stitched me a birthday card, too! I have admired many of her cards before and now I have one I can actually admire and touch! :)

Thank you, Mylene! I love the whole package!!

Since I have been working on exchanges and gifts I really don't have much to show right now. I am currently working on a gift and I think it is going to turn out really cute. That is, if I finish the stitching on it. One over one stitching on 32 count fabric.....need I say more?

Enjoy your evening!

Needleroll Finished

Like I said I did finish the freebie from Dragonfly Stitches into a needleroll. I really like how it turned out:)

It is cool and raining today. What a better day to curl up on the sofa and stitch! I am planning on finishing up the stitching on the design for the Snowman exchange. I have an idea on how to finish it but I am not sure if I have all the materials I need or not. But before I do that I think I will grab a cup of hot chocolate and catch up on some blogs!

Have a great day:)

Gift from Margaret

I didn't get a chance to sit down and post about the present I got yesterday from Margaret. She made me this gorgeous needelbook!! I love it!!!! The thread is a variegated blue-purple and is really pretty.


And she put my my first initial on the back :)

She also sent me a very lovely redwork pattern and I can't wait to stitch it. She included a postcard for my postcard collection, too. Thank you for everything Margaret!!! :)

Well, its Sunday so I am off to fight the battle with the laundry! Have a relaxing afternoon!