Uh oh, we have a new pair of scissors!

The latest addition to my Gingher family has arrived! Would everyone please welcome Jamie to the family?

"Hiiiiiiiiii, Jamie!"

Sorry about the glare but my camera batteries are in desperate need of recharging, so I didn't want to chance snapping another shot and watching my camera die. Lord forbid if I couldn't post these pictures on my blog right away instead of waiting a few hours for the batteries to recharge! *snicker*

Here's my latest finish --

That's a Tie On pillow kit by Pine Mountain called "Winter". Of course it now sits on my year 'round snowman/Winter shelves. I hope to add at least one pillow or small picture to that display each month.

I did get some work done on a WIP last night. This is the latest picture of "Break Time" by Stoney Creek:

It's hard to see but I have done some stitching on the windmill blades but it just doesn't show up very well because the floss color is almost the same as the fabric. Maybe I can get the windmill finished up tonight.

Tornado aftermath update: We finally got our power restored at the shop yesterday. Whew! It took a week but hey, we're glad to have to it back and our time without power certainly wasn't due to lack of effort on anyone's part. The head of our Emergency Operations Center keeps insisting we didn't have a tornado. He says it was a downburst. Uhhhhh, okay. Citizens have written letters to the editor of our newspaper with their eyewitness accounts including photos they took of the tornado, yet the powers-that-be still insist there was not a tornado. Whatever. Why can't they just admit that someone dropped the ball and didn't sound the sirens or at least admit that Mother Nature isn't quite as predictable as we'd like to think she is? Because they're men, that's why. HAHAHAHA!

Hope everyone is getting some great frog-free stitching time in and not worrying about this being Friday the 13th. It's just another day. :)

"Poker" by Hinzeit finished

This is "Poker" by Hinzeit for my dad for Father's Day. He is an avid poker player so this is very fitting for him and a gift he will like. I used a different fabric instead of the suggested one -- I used 28 count lugana and is an opalescent by Silkweaver. IIRC, the name of the fabric is Sparkling Forest but I'm not certain. I didn't use the charms because I thought it made it look cluttered. The frame is by Kay's Frames. The photo showed the poker chips in the upper right hand corner but I like it better with the chips in the lower left.

Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately. If you'd like to see photos of some of the tornado damage from my town last Thursday night, click on the link to my Photobucket album and then click on the sub-album named "June 5 2008 tornado damage". Fortunately, we had very little damage at our business and none at our home. Whew! Other people were not so lucky. Some are homeless and there are still quite a few without electricity. We were truly blessed and we are very grateful.

Hope everyone is doing well. The weather is awful for everyone this year! Stay safe, happy stitching, and avoid the frog!

Gingher scissors

Hi. My name is LoriRay and I am a scissor ho'. My scissors aren't just for collecting -- I actually use them and it feels good to do that. I don't plan on doing anything about my addiction so don't try and help me. There is no help for me. I am too far gone. See for yourself:

That's a picture of my entire Ginghers scissors collection. The two silver pairs at the top are the 8" spring-action and 4" spring-action scissors. The rest are all 4" embroidery scissors. The middle row from left to right are: Emma, Ashley, Freedom, Glory, and Bianca. The bottom row from left to right are: Julia, Katelynn, Lindsay, and Penelope.

Due to my scissor addiction, I am certain more Ginghers will find their way into my scissor collection along with a couple of cheap pairs and my new Heart's Content black cat scissors. Oh yeah, I forgot about the five scissor fob kits by Shepherd's Bush in my stash closet -- complete with matching scissors. One of these days, I'm going to make a ton of fobs for my scissors.

Ahhhhhhhhhh, I do love scissors. :-)

Last teacher's gift finished

Well, I finished the final teacher's gift this evening, just in time to give the teachers their gifts tomorrow. Whew! I opted to purchase the male teacher's gift but ended up stitching the three female teacher's gifts. I didn't do that just because the teacher was male but because my 6th grader insisted his male teacher loooooooooooves golf and would prefer a gift related to golfing. So, that's what I did and it ultimately allowed me to relax a bit in getting the third and final gift stitched instead of worrying about four.



The third and final gift is from a Leisure Arts pattern booklet and is mounted on an eraser for a dry erase or chalk board:

The last picture I have for you is a wonderful gift stitched for me by my mother. She did one of those Altoid tins! Daaaaaang, I've never even done one of those! LOL! Here is the outside (top) of the gorgeous tin she finished:

And here is the inside:

Did she do good or what??? I know I am impressed and honored to have this gift. Thanks a million, Mom. I love you.

My life

A friend asked me yesterday if I was having any regrets since I quit Radilogy school. Nope, no regrets...and her question got me to thinking about my life. If you don't want to read sappy, sweet, happy stuff, then back out now.

I am so content. Not "content" like "having settled"...but "content" like "happy and at peace". My life is good. I have two beautiful and healthy boys and a husband that mean the world to me. (The boys are up for rent when their mouths get going and I'd consider loaning out my husband when he decides to use my food storage bowls to house greasy nuts and bolts when he and my oldest son are working on a truck.) I get to work at the shop doing the books while working with my husband/best friend and I get to play happy little homemaker, too. Every week I do our grocery shopping after making a menu which usually entails several new recipes. My little family sings my praises every night at dinner (they do love my cooking!) and we have wonderful conversations.

Today is a wonderful day. I got up with the family this morning, helped the boys do their hair (shhhhhhh - don't tell anyone...it was a first and probably a last), and have piddled around the house ever since. I have had a relaxing bath, done laundry, started a roast in the crock pot for roast beast sandwiches for later (new recipe -- another perk of having extra time at home), posted on message boards, and played with the youngest cat (I tried to be affectionate to her but noooooooooooo). All of this and it's only 10:30 AM. See? Life is good.

The rest of today will be busy -- gotta work at the shop for a bit, wash the truck, clean up a little more around the house (dang cats and their fur balls that seem to accumulate overnight in almost every corner), finish up some laundry, and then this evening will find me stitching. Well, after the roast beast sandwiches, that is. ;-)

I hope everyone finds a reason to reflect and be happy today. *hugs*

Halfway done with teacher's gifts - woo hoo!

As of today, I have one more week to get a total of four teacher's gifts stitched. As of this very moment, I have two completed -- stitched and framed! The first is a design from a Leisure Arts publication and placed in a frame I bought at Hobby Lobby for 50% off -- please pardon the angle I had to get to avoid strange glares and lighting issues:

The second is a Lizzie Kate pattern called "Teachers Touch the Future" and put in another Hobby Lobby frame that I got for 50% off -- again, please pardon the weird angle. I am not a professional photographer and it shows. *snort*

Thanks for looking! Now I have to get busy and get two more done, plus a Father's Day gift. And I wonder why none of my big projects ever get completed. LOL! ;-) Happy stitching!

Another LK finish and a PM confession

Well, there it is! Just a few minutes ago, I finished the July Lizzie Kate Flip-It. I am getting more and more excited about this WIP and am anticipating what it will look like finished. *big cheesy grin*

I want to say thanks to everyone for their comments! It makes me feel good to know people are enjoying the pictures and my stitching ramblings here. And to Carolyn, thanks for the nifty lil' tidbit of advice about clicking on a commenter's name and how that'll take you to their blog (if they have one). I never knew that! Thanks! Cool beaners!

Speaking of leaving comments...one particular person (Lisa) recently left a comment on my blog and asked a question. (Lisa) This person (Lisa) actually asked me how many Pine Mountain pillows I have in my stash. (Lisa) Does she (Lisa) realize that counting how many PM pillows I have might cause me to go into some kind of awful seizure or something equally horrific? (Lisa) Okay...I'll be brave...but if something happens to me, it'll be her (Lisa's) fault. (*narrowing eyes at Lisa*) Okay...here we go...I'm goin' in. *insert Jeopardy music for about a minute or so...and keep an eye on Lisa so she doesn't leave town or something in the event I stroke out and can't return*

Okay, I'm back. I did it. I counted nineteen total Pine Mountain pillows left to stitch in my stash-- this includes tuck pillows and pillow kits that require separate pillow forms. And before somebody (Lisa) asks, YES, I already have all of the recommended pillow forms. (Are you happy now, Lisa?) ;-)

Hee hee, thanks for the laughs. Happy stitching!

And yet another Pine Mountain finish...

I finished this a couple of nights ago but just put in the pillow form and took a picture tonight. This is a finish for me and Brad. You can see our names at the bottom of the stitched area. I was going to add our wedding date in the middle between our names, but since the two boxes on the bottom aren't the same sizes I thought it would look off-center.

2007 Finishes

My list of "Recent Finishes" over on the right-hand side was getting too long. I decided to remove all of the 2007 Finishes and put them here.

12/31/07 - Bent Creek Zippie kit, "Snowman", for me! :-)
12/6/07 - Pine Mountain pillow kit, "Thoughts of Mother", a small Christmas gift for my mother
12/1/07 - Hinzeit's "Racing", a small Christmas gift for my 11-yr-old son
11/23/07 - a pattern from the "All God's Chillun" leaflet as a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law
11/1/07 - Pine Mountain "Snowman Face" pillow kit
10/30/07 - "MKT/Katy Railroad Logo" for my uncle
9/5/07 - "Bucket of Bluebonnets" by Country Cousins for my mother
7/28/07 - Quilt Square for a 123 Board Member's grandson
7/21/07 - "Birds" by Heart in Hand for my mother
7/8/07 - Faithwurks wooden cat with the phase "Here Mousey Mousey" (for my shelf with cat stuff on it)
7/1/07 - Bent Creek's "Wedding Row" (for me and Brad)
6/22/07 - Hinzeit's "Nurse" (for a friend)
6/14/07 - sewed a pair of pajama pants for my bonus son
6/12/07 - Bent Creek's "Snowman" Flatbed Zippie (pattern only) for a 123 member's son
5/31/07 - completed square 5 of 16 for my "Town Square" afghan
5/19/07 - stitched a small card for a 123 member's son
5/18/07 - stitched an apple from a Glory Bee pattern and placed it in a tuck pillow for a teacher's gift
5/17/07 - altered the size and stitched Lizzie Kate's "To My Teacher" for a teacher's gift
5/14/07 - Lizzie Kate's "To My Teacher" for a teacher's gift
5/13/07 - a teacher's gift by Anna Lee Waite Designs that says, "Teachers who love teaching teach children to love learning."
4/22/07 - a freebie "Pi, Er, Squared" for my Algebra instructor
4/14/07 - Pine Mountain pillow kit called "Sew Glad We're Friends" for a friend
4/8/07 - Shepherd's Bush "Forget Me Not" needleroll for a friend
3/25/07 - Pine Mountain pillow kit called "Play Ball" for my oldest son (Steven)
1/16/07 - sewed curtains, two fleece blankets, and three pillow cases for youngest DS's and bonus son's room
1/8/07 - Kreinik's "Snowglobe" 40 count silk gauze kit (over one)
1/7/07 - Hob Nobb's "Winter Blues" (for me)
1/6/07 - sewed curtains and a matching pillowcase for oldest son's room (Steven)

Lizzie Kate June Flip-It done

Yay, it's halfway done! I finished the June stamp last night but was too tired to post about it before I went to bed.

Nothing much to report about here -- just the usual: the boys' baseball games, working at the shop, keeping up the house, etc. It sounds mundane and boring but I'm really loving it! :-) I don't have as much stitching time as I thought I would but I'm still getting quite a bit of stitching time and this summer should prove to be more stitching-friendly. (I say stuff like that all the time and it rarely works out. ;-) )

Before I go, I will do a shameless advertising plug. Debbie from My Big Toe Designs offered door prizes during the recent on-line needlework show. I was fortunate enough to have my name chosen as a door prize winner and I received the neatest package from Debbie! She sent me a thread picker, a scissor fob, and marking pins -- all in my favorite color of purple! I love them!!! Sooooooooo, if you've been thinking about buying some of her gadgets, I say go for it! They are wonderful!

Okay, advertising and rambling over. ;-) You may now return to your regularly scheduled blog-surfing.

Another quick, small finish

This is a little adirondack (sp?) chair that I painted probably 5 years ago. It's a dark green and I had been meaning all these years to stitch a quick lil' something for my mother and her love of gardening. Well, here it is! It was hard to get a good picture because the stitching is behind glass but I think you can see everything.

This was a fun and very fast stitch...I think it took me 2 hours and that was with watching the news and visiting with Brad and the boys, too. LOL!

Now that I look at it, my centering left a lot to be desired but that's easily fixed. :-)

"Always and Forever"

Here is my latest finish -- "Always and Forever" by Little House Needleworks. I completed this on 4/19/08 and framed it today in a black store-bought 5x7 frame. I stitched it on 32 count "Dusk" linen by Silkweaver with 2 strands of "Purple Iris" thread by Gentle Art Sampler Threads. I didn't leave the glass in the frame like I normally do because I just didn't care for the way it looked, so this one is unprotected. *gasp* Of course it's purple because it will sit on a dresser in mine and Brad's bedroom. :-) Also, I added a row to the girl so she was a bit taller. Being six feet tall myself, it made me feel like she was more 'me'. BAHahahahaha!!! I also purposely stitched it to where the guy was more blue and the girl was more purple -- sort of to make it appropriately more feminine and masculine.

I have got to get busy on a gift for a friend but my Stitcher's ADD has been kicking in big-time lately. Yikes! Oh well, at least I'm getting some good stitching time in with very little visitation with the dreaded frog.

Thanks to all of you for your comments. I love reading your responses. If I don't already have a link to your blog, please include it in your next comment because I'd love to visit your little corner of the e-world, too. :-)

"Love Letters" is finally finished!

And there it is! :-) We went to Oklahoma City yesterday so I was able to get to a Hobby Lobby much quicker than originally anticipated. I found the perfect braided cording and glued it on a little while ago. I used pins to hold it in place until the glue was dry enough. You might still be able to spot a few areas where the glue has not finished drying and is slightly visible but I just couldn't wait any longer to take the picture and get it posted.

I'm actually a little proud of my first flat-fold. My next flat-fold will be better but this one is just fine where it sits on Brad's nightstand now. :-)

P.S. to Mom - Don't think you got away with your comment on my last post. Hah! ;-)

And another Pine Mountain pillow finish...

Yep, I finished another Pine Mountain pillow for my snowman shelf. Okay, so this isn't really a "snowman" pillow, but it's winter and it has snow...that's close enough. ;-)

With as many Pine Mountain pillows kits as I had accumulated -- and there's still plenty more in my stash closet -- it's nice to get a few of them stitched up. It's even more nice to look at them all arranged on the shelves.

Back to other stitching now...who knows what I'll stitch next? I spent hours last night fondling stash and kitting up stuff. Then I found myself online placing an order for more stash to finish kitting up a few things. It's almost wagon time, folks.

Semi-finished "Love Letters" flat-fold

Well, folks, here is my first attempt at a flat-fold. I used instructions I found on-line at the "Focus on Finishing" website. I still have to find a braided cord or something to go around the outside margin of the piece, but that may be a while as Wal-Mart didn't have anything today that matched and my nearest Hobby Lobby is an hour away. Anyway, here are the three views:

I promise it's not off-centered...that's just an optical illusion. (Really, trust me on this. I am anal and I have measured the finished piece a gazillion times.)

Being that this is my first flat-fold, it is far from perfect but it's somewhat better than I thought it would turn out. It wasn't as hard as I thought it might be but it was still somewhat of a PITA. Nevertheless, I will be trying my hand at another flat-fold -- maybe even in the near future. Overall, it was a learning experience and pretty fun.

On a different note...here is your helpful hint for the day. When the winds are gusting up to 48 MPH and you are crossing the Wal-Mart parking lot with your cart that happens to contain a 3-feet tall mirror, your cart is instantaneously turned into a sailboat. Er, sailcart. This, too, you must trust me on. Really. ;-)

Oooooooooh, irises!!!

My most favorite flowers in the whole entire world are irises, especially purple ones. Little did I know that the house we moved into a couple of months ago had them planted already. Here is a picture from our front flower bed:

I can't wait to see more of them in bloom. More pictures will surely follow soon!

Today, I went to the fabric store and bought some fabric to make a flat-fold with my "Love Letters" piece. I've never made a flat-fold before, so may the force be with me!

Goodbye, BJ.

We had to put down our 11-yr-old lovable mutt (BJ) today. He was a great dog. :(

Beej, I miss ya', buddy. Hope you feel great again now.

"Love Letters" finish...well, sort of.

Okay, so it's not really "finished" but the stitching is done. I need to iron this piece and figure out what to do with it. Here it is:

The pattern is "Love Letters", a freebie by The Chocolate Cat. (http://choccat.com) I stitched it over two on Bittersweet 40 count Lakeside Linen given to me by a friend on the boards. I used one strand of silk floss in the color of Mulberry by Caron Waterlilies.

It's for my husband Brad, and even though he really likes this piece, he doesn't have a preference as to how I finish it. There's always the usual framing option, or maybe I could find a tuck pillow...any ideas?

Thanks for looking! :)

What a disaster!

"Where Stitchers Gather" was calling my name. I figured I'd start small and stitch my first ever needlebook. It stitched up pretty quickly and easily. I went to start the assembly and ended up ironing the interfacing on the front side of the stitched piece instead of the back side. I was so heartbroken and felt almost physically ill. Needless to say, "Where Stitchers Gather" has gone back into the craft closet to sit on a shelf for a little while. I need to chill out about totally ruining my first needlebook. :(

And another Pine Mountain pillow finish...

Yay, now the last Pine Mountain finished pillow isn't sitting all alone on that shelf. :-) But now there's only two pillows on that shelf. It needs more. I must stitch more PM pillows. *eyes glazing over* *mwahahahahaha*

What a blast -- and much-needed stress-reliever - all this stitching has been. I love updating my blog, my stitcher's journal, and my Photobucket album when I have a finish.

Tomorrow will find me stitching on a gift for another friend. It's a real PITA but I'm hoping that once I get into it that I'll just keep going. I'm at the very beginning of the project, it's over 40 count, and I've already had to frog part of it. *pulling hair out* We'll see what happens over the next few days. If it doesn't work out, I have another (easier!) project in mind for that friend already, just in case.

Quick update -- About that horrible instructor...I went and turned in my withdrawal paperwork to her last Friday. She said she would miss me, she cried, and she wrote me the nicest letter. I guess she didn't mean to be awful to me the time we had talked before that...she was probably just lashing out at me. It doesn't make everything all hunky-dorey and it doesn't make it right but it certainly makes it understandable. At least I got to leave with my held high and knowing that I really was the student I thought I was.

It's late so I'm going to eat some soup and head to bed. I've got a little work to do tomorrow at the shop but the rest of the day should find me being Happy Little Susie Homemaker (laundry, cleaning, etc....ugh) and stitching, too. :-) Hope everyone is getting tons of stitching time. Oh and btw -- keep that *@)! frog away from me and my 40-count project! ;-) hahaha

Another Pine Mountain pillow finish...

Aren't Pine Mountain kits fabulous? I mean, you get everything you need (with the exception of a pillow form sometimes) and they are so much fun to stitch up. Pine Mountain pillow kits are a nice -- and sometimes much-needed -- break from BAPs, too. I love 'em! And now that I've done a totally shamless advertising plug, here's my latest finish:

I started this and finished it today. It looks so cute with my other year 'round snowman stuff but for now he is sitting on a shelf all alone. I, uh, kinda ran out of room on the one shelf I had dedicated to year 'round snowman stuff already and had to start another shelf. Oops. Guess I'll have to stitch up another Pine Mountain kit with a snowman or winter theme. Gee, whatta bummer. ;-)

Lizzie Kate "May" Flip-It finished

Tonight I was able to sit down and finish the Lizzie Kate Flip-It for May with the exception of the buttons which will be the "holes" for the birdhouse:

When the entire piece is complete, I will press it and then add the buttons as the final, finishing touch. Here is the WIP picture of the entire project so far:

Now I get to decide which project to work on next. Hmmm...I hope I pick a project that's already a WIP and not start something totally new. *mwah hahahaha*

Top Secret project revealed!

Recently I finished a "top secret" project that I sent to a friend. Well, she got her package today so I can post pictures here. It is a friedship needleroll by Down Sunshine Lane:

I also sent her half of a Shareables magnet that says "Bound by heart strings". She is a very special person and deserves for people to be good to her. :-)

Bye-bye Radiology School...

Today I quit Radiology School. Even though I was an A-student and am totally in love with Radiology, the working environment was not for me at all. I am very saddened but how long am I expected to keep forcing something that is not meant to be? One of my instructors was quite horrible, nasty, and mean to me when I informed her of my decision, so suffice it to say that I'm still licking my wounds. Yowza. Ouch. Meanwhile, I have to get up enough nerve to turn in my dosimeter badge and withdrawal paperwork -- which means I have to face the instructors one last time. It kills me to say this, but I'm too weak and beaten down at the moment to do that. They can wait a few days.

I am taking with me some wonderful life experiences from Radiology School. No one can take that away from me. This just wasn't for me. Some folks may want to label me as weak or thin-skinned, but my own personal level of how much BS I could take was exceeded and I know I gave it my all.

Thanks to everyone for the support along the way, and now in the aftermath, too. *hugs* It's time to close that chapter of my life and move on. Goodbye, Radiology School. Let the healing begin.

A small and quick finish...

Ta-da! :-) On our trip to Oklahoma City yesterday, I started this Pine Mountain Designs pillow kit. It's called "January's Cool Crowd" and is a top tie pillow. I finished it today - what a fun, easy, quick, and cute stitch!

It now sits on display with the rest of my year 'round snowman stuff. You can see the entire shelf by visiting my Photobucket album. Just go to the bottom right-side area of this blog where my favorite on-line places are listed and click the link to my Photobucket album. From there, find the album called "Home" and you'll see the right and left sides of my shelf.

It's been a great Easter so far...hope everyone is having a wonderful day. :-)

Another major stash haul - woo hoo!

Actually, I've had two more stash hauls since the last one. One was the package from Drema at Needlecraft Corner and the other was from our shopping trip in Oklahoma City yesterday.

In the picture above, you'll see The Drawn Thread's "Where Stitchers Gather" chart and accessory pack in the center of the top row. *droooooooool!!!* I had to order the fabric from 123 Stitch because I didn't have a piece on hand that I liked as well as the model. The other stuff I got from Drema is not pictured and included things like the latest WDW and GAST threads, the last two charts from the Bent Creek Red Thread series, the latest kit in the Bent Creek Big Zipper series, and a few other things I can't remember at the moment.

The picture above also shows what I bought at Cross Stitch Haven and Heartland Needleworks in Oklahoma City. Beginning with the top row, from left to right are: The Trilogy "Winter Line Up" chart, 4 My Boys "Live~Forgive~Love" chart, The Drawn Thread's "Where Stitchers Gather" and accessory pack, Carol's Treasures/Butterfly Ranch Designs chart pack for needleroll, needlebook, and scissors fob in blackwork with specialty stitches, and Twisted Oaks Designs "America the Beautiful" kit that will make a small sampler or a needleroll. In front of the Twisted Oaks kit you will see a brush to brush up the nap of Wisper floss or anything fuzzy like that, and you'll also see a small Mill Hill kit to make a bracelet. The second row down from left to right are: Diane Arthurs/Imaginating chart called "Snowmen", a snowflake print Stitch-a-Gift tuck pillow, a cut of Lavender Bliss 28 count lugana, a cut of Tattersall (light), and a cut of Weeks Dye Works 30 count Parchment linen for the Little House Needleworks chart/kit "Heart of America" laying on top of it. The last row is another Stitcher's Journal, 2 skeins of WDW floss that is retiring (I think the color was Lavender...I've already put it away. Ooops!), Shepherd's Bush chart "Heart & Home Folio", Shepherd's Bush kit "Green Snowman", and Shepherd's Bush kit "Plant Joy".

As far as finishes go, I have finished my secret little project for a friend. I can't post a picture until she receives her package because she does read this blog. The package will go out in tomorrow's mail so I should be able to post a picture soon. :-)))

Today I will finish a Pine Mountain pillow kit called "January's Cool Crowd". It will be an addition to my year 'round snowman display that grows little by little. I've already got the pillow form for it so I don't even have to wait to finish it. :-) I'll post a picture later. (It's great having a camera that will let me post pictures right away -- YAY!)

Today we will have ham and all the fixin's. We're going to eat our first dinner at our formal dining room table. Cross your fingers that we don't drop stuff all over the off-white fabric on chairs. ;-) Happy Easter to everyone!

Major stash haul - woo hoo!

Between eBay, Mystic Stitch's recent sale, 123 Stitch, and more...the mail was good to me today. Here is a picture of everything spread out on the couch:

Now to tell you what everything is...

Top row, from left to right is: The Prairie Schooler Book # 144 "A Farmer's Almanac" pattern, The Prairie Schooler Book # 147 "Old MacDonald" pattern, The Prairie Schooler Book # 115 "Pins & Needles" pattern, and Shepherd's Bush "Garden Gate" kit.

Second row, from left to right is: "Needles and Pins" pattern by From The Heart, "Sheep May Safely Graze" pattern by Homespun Elegance, "Love Me" pattern by Hands To Work, "The Jelly Cabinet, Part II" pattern by Leisure Arts, "The Jelly Cabinet" pattern by Leisure Arts, "Crates & Sacks 3" pattern by Country Cross-Stitch, and "Breeds of Sheep" pattern by Amaryllis Artworks.

Third row, from left to right is: four Mystic Stitch patterns -- "The Solitude Collection - Fence With Snowscape", "The Solitude Collection - Twilight", "Before Sunrise", and "Crackling Silence".

The last (fourth) row, from left to right is all fabric I ordered from 123 Stitch: 16 count Water Lily aida 18 x 25 (for Lynne Nicoletti's Cats Fortune Teller chart I already have but I only need 12 x 12 of it for that). The other five pieces are to replenish fabric that I like to keep on hand but was running low on. They are each 18 x 27 and are 28 count Lambswool Jobelan, 32 count Country French Cafe Latte linen, 28 count Ivory Jobelan, 28 count Antique White Jobelan, and 28 count White Jobelan.

Woweeeee! Now I just have to wait for my package from Drema at Needlecraft Corner to arrive, my package from ABC Stitch Therapy, too, and a couple of things from eBay. :-))) The wagon will soon be calling my name. It has to 'cuz Lord knows I can't continue at this pace much longer! ;-)

Uh oh!

I have discovered a new passion. Smalls. You know, like needlerolls, needlebooks, etc. Oh holy cow -- just when I thought I had all the cross-stitch addictions a girl could have, I go and discover smalls. Keep in mind that I've loved needlerolls for a while now, but if it's small (and especially if it's a needlework accessory)...look out. I just added a new link over on the right-hand side called "World's Largest Collection of Smalls Blog". Go check it out...if you dare. *mwah hahahahaha*

There is an order coming from Drema at Needlecraft Corner that is making it's merry little way to me as we speak. I will try my best to not tackle the mailman and raid his mail truck each day until the package arrives. No guarantees, but I will try. Two of the items in the box are the "Where Stitchers Gather" chart AND the accessory pack. *thud* I can't wait. I spent all of about three and a half seconds drooling over the picture of that thing and BAM...I ordered it. There is no hope for me. ;-)

My Start-itis flared up again last night. I can't say what it is yet because I will be mailing it out to a friend along with another little goodie. It's top secret for now, but I should have it finished within the next couple of days. Pictures will come after the recipient has it in her little hands, so be patient. :-)

If I don't forget, the secret project will be the first I add to my new stitcher's diary/journal. I thought it would be neat to keep track of projects, especially the ones I don't keep for myself. The plan so far is to log in the journal the projects I don't keep. We'll see.

Meanwhile, I should go be productive instead of sitting here spending money I shouldn't spend. (But this is soooooooo much more fun!) Now that I am officially on Spring Break, I have been stitching and it feels goooooooooood, too.

Gingher scissors -- ooooooooh, ahhhhhh!

Oh, how I love Gingher scissors. *drool drool* They have certainly become a weakness for me. My mother got me started on Gingher's so it's all her fault that I'm a scissor ho. *hee hee*

I won two pairs of Gingher scissors off of eBay and they arrived in yesterday's mail. The pair on the left are the 4" Bianca scissors and the pair on the right are the 4" Julia scissors. These two should feel right at home with my other Ginghers -- the 4" Glory and the 8" spring-action. *big, cheesy grin*

Today was a really crappy day so I came home, bawled/vented/cussed to my husband, visited with the kids, fondled my scissors, and roamed cross-stitch boards. It never ceases to amaze me how the love I have for my family (not to mention the love they have for me) and the love I have for cross-stitch can take so much stress away. *deep cleansing breath*

Now I am going to study for a little while, take a relaxing bath, and stitch for the remainder of the evening - I don't care if there's just 30 minutes left. Tomorrow I get out of school at noon, Thursday I will have a full day at clinicals, and then I'm on Spring Break until 3/24. Suffice it to say that I am definitely ready. *another deep cleansing breath*

Shepherd's Bush "O Beautiful" WIP picture

Alrighty, third time's a charm. My first two tries to post this got eaten by Blogger. Guess they got full. ;-)

Now that I have high-speed internet service at home and a digital camera that will communicate with my laptop, I can post pictures anytime. WOO HOO!

As of a few minutes ago, "O Beautiful" is almost halfway done. That's the picture you see at the beginning of this post. It was a Christmas gift from Brad to me -- at my request. *hee hee*

I'm off to go stitch some more but on a different project. Maybe I can come back with more WIP pictures. LOL!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend and getting lots of frog-free stitching done. :-)

Wanna see some pictures?

As promised, here are some pictures. Remember that I'm not a professional photographer. ;-)

First, here is the finished and framed Mill Hill kit "On the Range":
Second, here is the finished and framed "Horses" by Hinzeit with the recommended frame by Kay's Frames:

Third, here is my brand new start on "I Corinthians" by My Big Toe Designs. I am stitching it over two on 40-count Hint of Heather fabric by Silkweaver. The darkest thread is Royal Purple and the lighter thread is Sugarplum, both by GAST:

Fourth -- and last, here is my "Break Time" WIP by Stoney Creek:

If you'd like to see more pictures (including some pictures of the new house), please visit my Photobucket album. You can find the link on the right side of this page if you scroll down. I think it's under the heading "My Favorite Places". It's late - I'm too tired and lazy to go check. ;-)

By the way, my husband got a new digital camera. Come to find out, his digital camera communicates with my laptop and mine doesn't. Well, needless to say, HIS camera is now MY camera so now I can post pictures anytime I want! WOO HOO!

I'm going to go stitch some now before I can't hold my eyes open any longer. Saturday and Sunday will find me balancing family, housework, homework, and stitching. Hopefully I'll get lots of family time and stitching done this weekend. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and that y'all get tons of frog-free stitching time.

Hello fellow stitching addicts!

Here we are, the first day of March and I'm still not smoking. Woo hoo! But I've given up nicotine and delved even further into my stitching addiction. Oh well, my Visa may be melting but my lungs feel great! hahahahaha

I've started two more BAPs for a total of three new projects started in the last month. What the heck am I thinking??? Well, "Break Time" by Stoney Creek isn't a BAP but I have just gotta have it for my dining room wall now that the kitchen and informal dining room are done with a John Deere theme. "Solitude" by Mystic Stitch definitely qualified as a BAP and it's for a formal dining room wall. Now, my latest start is "I Corinthians" by My Big Toe for my bedroom.

But wait! There's more!!! I'm stitching "I Corinthians" on 40-count Newcastle linen by Silkweaver. *mwah hahahahaha* The color is Hint of Heather and I'm using Royal Purple and Sugarplum by Gentle Art Sampler Threads. Ohhhhhhhhhhh, it's lovely already and I barely have one corner of the border done. Even Brad has peeked over at my work and commented already on how much he likes it. :-D

I still need to post a bunch of pictures -- the new house, WIPs, new starts, etc. I'll get to posting pictures again as soon as I can.

That's all the news for now. We're all doing great and hope you all are, too. Happy stitching!

Quick updates...

Sorry, no pictures yet but here's the latest news:

We moved and are almost totally settled in. *whew*
Not much stitching going on but lots of studying.
I'm still a non-smoker! WOO HOO! I've been smoke-free for over 5 weeks now.
Still haven't got the business taxes done but will get 'em finsihed before the end of February.
Kids are great, husband is great, I'm doing purdy darn good myself, and the animals are great.

That's it for now...just had a quick minute between studying and getting dinner ready. Hope everyone's doing great and that you are all stitching since I can't until this weekend. (But look out this weekend -- I'm gonna be a stitchin' fool!)

My needle is ssssssmokin' but I am not!

Quick updates:

First of all -- and most importantly -- I can't remember if I posted the update about my oldest son's lump. I'm at home on dial-up (ewwwwww) so I'm too lazy to go see previous posts. The bottom line is that the lump DID shrink (thank God!) so our doctor feels it was an infected lymphnode after all. *major happy dancing*

Now for everything else...

Today made 8 days that I have not smoked. Wow. I honestly can't believe I've made it this far. *patting self on back* We'll see if I can add just one more day to that total. Sometimes I have to make it minute-by-minute or hour-by-hour, but the ultimate goal is still one day at a time.

I have three -- count them, THREE -- finishes for 2008 now. *more happy dancing* Two were works in progress (WIPs) already and one was a quick stitch. The first finish is the Mill Hill kit "On the Range". The second was the "April" Lizzie Kate Flip-It. The third was "Horses" mini-block by Hinzeit. I'll be taking "On the Range" and "Horses" to the framer's tomorrow. The "Horses" will only cost about $12 since I have the frame already, and the MH one should be fairly cheap, too, since I won't have it matted or anything. I know, I know, I could easily frame these myself but with school starting tomorrow, I won't have the time or energy. Besides, I want both pieces protected by glass anyway. The frame jobs shouldn't be done for 2 or 3 weeks, so please be patient for pictures. :-)

Speaking of pictures, I took a picture of the "Racing" Hinzeit I finished not too long ago. I also took pictures of the rest of the stuff my mother stitched for me that's in various areas of my house and of the WIP picture of the LK Flip-Its on one piece of fabric. Maybe one day this week I'll get to transfer the pictures from my camera to my hard drive, then get 'em posted here. No promises but we'll see because it's such a PITA. ;-)

Well, that's it for now. Hope everyone is getting some great stitching time and that 2008 is a good year for all.

Still not smoking -- for now!

Okay, it's officially been 4 days and I have not smoked, nor have I murdered or harmed anyone. *deeeeeeeeeep breath* I'd sure love to have a cigarette. *another deeeeeeeeeeep breath*

Thanks for the votes for my next projects. :-) We'll see what gets started next but it'll probably be at least a few more days. Realistically, it'll be another week or two.

Feel free to check out my Photobucket account. I just spent the last hour or so cleaning it up. It's all nice and purdy for everyone to look at now. Lots of stitching pictures are in there from 2004 to present. The link is on the right-hand side of my blog under "Favorite Places on the Net" (or something like that).

Gotta run...hopefully I'll get some stitching time shortly. If not, maybe I can just poke someone with my needle. That should make me feel better. *mwah hahahahaha*

As requested, here are some pictures. :-)

Okie dokie, let's see what we've got here...

Here is my Bent Creek Zippie kit "Snowman" all stitched and framed. He now sits with my other snowmen I leave out year 'round. That snowman collection just keeps growing and growing. Wonder how it does that? *hee hee*

Here is the small gift I stitched for my mother-in-law from the "All God's Chillun" leaflet:

Next, here is the picture where I have completed one more pattern of Heart in Hand's "Words of Wisdom". It's teeny-tiny but turning out very cute! That's a quarter in the picture to give you a size reference. Just 8 more of these patterns to go and it'll be complete!

Here's the WIP picture of Mill Hill's buttoned and beaded kit "On the Range". All of the stitching is done and the top 1/3 or so of the beadwork is complete, but you may not be able to tell in the picture.

Now, here's my WIP picture of Shepherd's Bush "O Beautiful". It's amazingly gorgeous and I am very proud of my work on this one.

I think that's it for my updated stitching progress pictures. I haven't done enough on square 6 of the Town Square afghan to warrant posting a picture -- yet.

Happy stitching, everybody! I'll be stitching my lil' non-smoking heart out in about an hour or so. :-)))

Lots of stuff to blog about...

Well, as of January 5th, 2008, at approximately 4:45 PM, I smoked my last cigarette. *ahhhhhhh* With the help of Commit cherry-flavored lozenges, I have not smoked since then. WOO HOO! I can't remember the last time I made it this long without smoking. The nicotine gum seemed to just piss me off, quitting cold turkey never lasted beyond 8 or 9 PM, can't do the patches because of my skin allergy to the adhesive, and I'm too chicken to try Chantix or any of the pills/drugs on the market for smoking cessation. These lozenges are da' bomb!!!

My 15-yr-old son, Steven, was diagnosed with shingles last Thursday. Since the development of the shingles, he noticed a lump a couple of inches below his armpit. We had it checked out while at the doctor's office for the shingles and the doctor says if it's just an infected lymphnode, then the size of the lump will decrease by Friday, January 11th. If not, well...the lump has to come out. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Meanwhile, I thought maybe I had better not try to quit smoking with Steven's lump issue. I mean...what if it turns out to be something horrible? How would I cope with the added stress until our follow-up appointment on Friday the 11th? Blah blah blah...whatever. I finally convinced myself that whether this lump turns out to be something or nothing at all, there will always be a "crisis" to deal with. Might as well face life as a non-smoker. The sooner, the better. :)

Now for stitching updates! Yay! With my serious dedication to not smoking, I have stitched for hours and hours and hours. I got all of the stitching on the Mill Hill "On the Range" kit completed and have now done about 1/4 of the beadwork. For my Lizzie Kate monthly Flip-Its on the Tattersall fabric, I've done the border for the April stamp and have started stitching the word "April". I'll probably get that done and start filling in the space around "April" before bedtime. (Unless I get a bad nicotine craving...then I would just go straight to bed. LOL) On the Shepherd's Bush "O Beautiful", I got another row of words done and two more steps/bands. It's now about 1/3 complete. WOW!

I guess the Mill Hill "On the Range" kit will end up as my first finish for 2008. Instead of having it framed professionally (why bother?), I think I'll just order a frame on-line and do it myself. Let's be realistic here -- How hard is it to frame a piece that's done on perforated paper? ;-)

Hopefully, Shepherd's Bush "O Beautiful" will be #2 on my completed challenge list. Who knows?

Steven's shingles and lump, my quitting smoking, and some serious stitching marathons have kept my little pea-brain busy. The boys' school starts in the morning and mine starts a week from tomorrow. So, look for more rambling updates soon. Meanwhile, thanks for the comments, support, and kind words. They really mean a lot to me. For those of you who comment, feel free to post links to your blog(s), too. I'd love to take a peek!

One more finish for 2007

I got in one more finish for 2007 -- just a small snowman. It was from a Bent Creek Zippie kit. I got the frame stained yesterday and hope to get it framed tonight or tomorrow.

December 31st found me frantically ordering a bunch of stash I don't really need but just HAD to have. Now that it's 2008, I'm officially on the 10/25/50 Challenge wagon. *full body shudder*

Here's my 10/25/50 Challenge plan:
1. No ordering of any new stash unless it's something needed to complete a project I already have (like threads, etc.), or unless it's a deal I can't pass up (like an incredible price or limited edition type of thing).
2. Complete as many projects as I can instead of buying new stash. I don't know yet if I'm going for 10, 25, or 50. We'll just see how long I stay on the wagon and how much I get done. The main goal is to buy less and stitch more.
3. Try to stay on the wagon for six months. A year would be better but 12 months of no stash buying??? Are you kidding me?!?!?
4. Afghan squares count as one finish. Projects that are difficult to finish (like a framing job that makes one want to scream and hurl the entire project across the room, difficult ornament finishing, etc.) may be counted as two finishes.

That's basically it for my 10/25/50 Challenge guidelines. You can follow my progress at the top of my blog. It may be slow going but I'll get some finishes posted up there eventually. ;-)

Over the past few days, not only was I able to complete the Bent Creek Zippie Snowman, but I also got some goooooooood stitching time in. YAY!!! I had what I call "Project ADD", which is where I basically hop from project to project. Got a couple of hours in on my Mill Hill kit, got the second part done on the "Mother's Wisdom" project (over one - ack!), and got quite a few hours in on my beloved afghan. Ahhhhhhhh, that felt good! Still no school for about a week and a half, so we'll see how much damage I can do between now and then. *mwah hahahahaha*

Hope everyone's New Year is starting off great. I love reading your comments! Thanks for reading and posting. :-)

Merry (early) Christmas!

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is ready for Christmas by now. We are, and I can't wait to see the kids' faces when they open their presents. They're getting a few things they thought we didn't buy for them. *hee hee*

I finished my first semester in Radiology and got an A in everything except Radiation Biology. Dang it -- there went my chances to graduate with honors. No biggie...I'm still proud of myself and of my family. Without the support and understanding of my husband and kids, I couldn't have made it this far.

My last final was December 19th and I have done some serious marathon stitching since then. WOO HOO! My needle has been sssssssssmokin'! I started Shepherd's Bush "O Beautiful". The kit was an early Christmas gift from my husband. There are 27 steps of bands, 8 sets of the lines with wording, and 6 smaller steps of stitching. Of a total of 41 steps, I have now completed 11 of them. It's looking gorgeous so far.

Last night, I completed Lizzie Kate's March stamp on the Tattersoll fabric. Yay, 3 of 12 are done. Just 9 to go! hahahaha

I removed the Bent Creek Snapperville from my WIP list. *sigh* I accidentally cut the dang fabric too short, so I had decided to stitch it on two separate pieces of fabric (half on one piece, half on another). The plan was to have it framed in two frames but joined by hinges, sort of like a book, ya' know? Well, I'm just not happy with that idea after all. Since I can't make up my mind whether to toss the piece, continue with the plan, or just start it over, I've decided to just set it aside for now and do nothing with it or about it. We'll see what happens.

School doesn't start for me again until January 14th. Between now and then, I have to take some of that time and get our taxes for the shop done. Otherwise, I'll be trying to juggle that and school at the same time. Ewww...no thanks! If I can stay motivated and get the taxes done, then a big majority of my time will be stitching. Well, children-permitting, that is. LOL! I also plan on getting some blog-reading done, too. I've missed reading everyone's blogs and just roaming cross-stitch related sites.

Merry Christmas to everyone and have a safe and happy New Year's. *hugs*

Here's the latest news...

Hello all! :)

Just this past week, I have two small finishes to happy dance about. One is Hinzeit's "Racing" mini-block and will be for one of Cody's Christmas gifts. He's 11 and will love it. I had purchased the matching Kay's Frame for it and it's now at the framer's. (I know, I could've framed this myself. Call me lazy. Hah!) The second finish is a Pine Mountain pillow kit called "Thoughts of Mother" and is for my mother as part of her Christmas.

No pictures for now, but soon! It might be a week or two before I get pictures posted. I gotta get through finals first. (ewwwwwww!)

This has been a great evening. I stitched for a little while on the Mill Hill kit called "On the Range", munched on walnuts, and drank some bottled water. I've got some homework and studying to do, but we have a winter storm coming this weekend. Looks like we might get iced in Monday and possibly Tuesday, too, so I'll get all of my homework completed anyway just in case. That will basically leave my time free to stitch if/when we do get iced in. Woo hoo! I'm ready -- we have plenty of food, firewood, and stitching stash. What else would I need? *big, huge grin*

Finals are 12/14, 12/17, and 12/19. After that, I'm out of school until January 14th. YES!!!! I am soooooooooo ready for the break. I'll be working a lot during the break to get the shop's taxes done and get caught up on some things, but you know I'll be a stitching fool during that time, too. :-)))))

I'm trying really, really, really, really, really hard to not start any new projects this weekend. Something tells me that I won't be successful. "Oh Beautiful" by Shepherd's Bush is calling my name. But, then again, so are a ton of other projects -- any of the Tall Guys, a few Hinzeit patterns, several other Shepherd's Bush kits, and so much more. *sigh* I'd better not die before I'm 185 years old or else I might not be able to get all of my stash stitched up.

Guess I'll sign off for now. Hope everyone is doing great and that the frog stays away from your stitching. :D

Finally! Lots of pictures, as promised...

Well, I was going to post these pictures and updates last weekend but my husband decided to shoot himself in the thumb with a BB gun on the same day my 11-yr-old son was suffering from strep throat. I thought it was rather inconvenient for my family to schedule their mishaps and illnesses when they knew I was trying to update my blog. ;-) Brad (the trigger man) and Cody (the strep kid) are all better now so let's try this again.

Here is the picture of The Silver Lining purple iris my mother stitched for me. She did a fantastic job, and over one! It now hangs on my bedroom wall where I see it and admire it every day. :)

Didn't she do great? I love it! My favorite flower is the purple iris and it goes perfectly with the other things in my bedroom.

Next is a little tuck pillow my mother stitched for me from a Paula Vaughan design. It sits atop my standing jewlery box where I get to enjoy it every day. You will see a crocheted doily underneath the pillow. I didn't make that -- I can't crochet to save my life!

Here is a picture of my work-in-progress (WIP) of Heart In Hand's "Mother's Wisdom". I have chosen the first ten charts and decided to stitch them on one piece of 32-count linen over one. There is a quarter in the picture so you can see just how teeny one finished rectangle is:I do love over-one stitching but I'm really slow and couldn't do it without my OTT-Lite that has the 3X magnifier attached. I get some good progress done under the magnifier, pull my work out from underneath it to see the stitches regular size, and then say to myself, "Where the hell did it go???" LOL! The plan is to stitch all ten patterns on one piece of fabric (five in one row and the other five in a row below that), then get it framed and hang it on the hall wall between the boys' bedrooms.

The next picture is of my Town Square afghan WIP. This has got to be the slowest project in the world. I keep putting it down to do other stitching. I swear it will be finished one day! There is even a spot reserved on one of the living room walls just for this afghan. I have a wooden quilt rack thing that hangs on the wall, and the afghan would drape/hang over a rod on the rack. Make sense? Anyway, here it is so far:

Next is a picture of a really quick finish. It's Pine Mountain's "Snowman Face" tuck pillow kit. I think it took a whopping 10 minutes to stitch. LOL! Regardless, it's still a finish and sits with the other snowman stuff I leave out year 'round.

Now for the WIP update on the Lizzie Kate Flip-Its (the year's series that begins with F-34). I've mentioned these - and perhaps included a picture - in a previous blog entry. These are done on one piece of fabric which is 28 count Tattersall (Graziano). The white borders are woven in. Here is January and February with the beginnings of March:

Another recent finish is the MKT/Katy Railroad logo for my uncle as part of his Christmas stuff this year. He worked many years for Katy Railroad and I think he'll like this:

Last, but not least, are the Birds I stitched for my mother. I finally framed it and here it is:

Well, that's all the pictures I've been promising. Hope you all enjoyed looking at them as much as I enjoy stitching them.

Last note -- Radiology school is still going strong. I do love working at the hospital, dealing with the patients...everything. It's a great journey and I'm usually in the top 3 of my class. I just wish I had more stitching time. ;-)