Lots of Stuff to Share ...

I had a fun mail day on Friday ... don't you love mail days that don't bring bills *smile* The first package was from Scotland and a very big surprise. Last year I won Cheryl's blogiversary. Yes, last year ... but Cheryl was busy being pregnant and then delivering a sweet son, Caleb. I honestly had forgotten all about it, but Cheryl hadn't. Look at all the goodies she sent ... there are buttons and fabric and a wonderful Christmas recipe book and a sweet reindeer pattern. All of this would have been enough, but she also stitched for me a very lovely pin pillow. She knows I love red!

Here's a close up of the pin pillow ...

and the back ...

I just love it! Now I have to share a little story about the pin pillow that Cheryl shared in her card to me ... I got such a chuckle out of the story I have to share it ... hope you don't mind Cheryl :) She wrote that she had started stitching the design when she was in the hospital waiting for Caleb to be born. After the delivery she said she couldn't look at it let alone stitch on it because it reminded her of her awlful labor lol ... I'm so glad you did finish it Cheryl, because it's wonderful. I bet every one of us has a story like that about some stitched piece that may still not be finished.

I have an updated pictures of Autumn Song, an SAL with Natasha. It's coming along slowly. I'm only stitching on it once a week (Tuesday). Seems like I can't get more than one leaf done every Tuesday ... but love how it looks so far ...

I showed you these two pieces that I finished a couple of weeks ago ... well I sent them to Karen for finishing ... look at these lovelies ...

Here's my final piece for Halloween ... Trilogy's Halloween Tree ... not sure if I'll get it finished before Halloween, but it'll be ready for next year ...

and here's another finish from last week, this one's for Thanksgiving ... This is Bent Creek's Happy Thanksgiving Snapper. It's a fun quick stitch and pretty cute too ...

Now I need to concentrate on some Christmas stitching I'd like to do for presents and a few I'd like to do for me ... I never seem to have enough time to do all the stitching I want ... maybe someday when I can retire :)

Thank you all for you fun comments from my last post. I really enjoy reading them all :) I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

I hope you find your Joy in your stitches ...

I'm grateful for leaves ...

Did you know ...

that I love reindeer?? This design is by The Sisterhood. I stitched it with Belle Soie's Chocolate ... mmmmm, chocolate reindeer! lol ... sorry about the wrinkles ... I need to find some really fun bellpull hardware for it now ... any suggestions? When I started stitching this last week, I got Dasher and Dancer done and was getting ready to stitch Prancer but but but the design had the reindeer out of order?! What do you mean out of order?? Well she had them listed as Dasher, Dancer, Donder, Blizen, Comet, Cupid, Prancer, Vixen ... hmmmmm was I wrong all these years with the order of their names? Does it really matter? Hell yea it mattered to the "reindeer woman" lol ... so after talking to Terry and Robert and googling up a storm, I couldn't find the order any different that I knew ... so I felt a bit better stitching them in the order I have always known ... sorry The Sisterhood.

Did you know ... that you can actually find cheap frames that work perfect for a design? I was thrilled when I went to Joann's a couple of weeks ago and found this ready made frame that works perfectly with Kindred Spirits ... I am sooo happy with the result ...

a close up ...


Did you know ... that I took a beading class with Lisa back in September ... my very first class and omgosh I am soooo hooked on beading! What fun! Lisa came over last Saturday and look what we made ... 3 lovely bracelets. The blue one I made and the other two Lisa made while I was busy making ...

these scissor fobs! I had so much fun making these and can't wait to make more ... it's funny, the hardest part of beading is coming up with what beads you want to do and the pattern of them ... the beading is the easy part ...

Did you know ... that my mantle is now complete with Kindred Spirits gracing my wall ... I do love the look ...

Did you know ... Jolene is having another wonderful drawing at her blog ... pop over and say hi ... and she has an adorable freebie for us on her blog too.

Did you know ... that The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pattern moving on. Sign up on Sara's blog and see if the Sisterhood will be visiting you soon.

and last but not least Did you know ... how much I enjoy all your comments. Thank you so much for visiting :)

I hope you find your Joy in your stitches ...

I'm grateful for being home ...

Ahhhh Monday ...

Fall is definately in the air around here. Our days have been sunny but only about 65 and when the sun goes down, well you know it's not summer anymore ... I love this time of year. I really don't know why, but I always seem to have more energy in the Fall.

I had a really nice weekend. Met up with Lisa for a trip to our favoriate craft store (Ben Franklin) and then to dinner and visit. I've started a bit of beading lately ... took a class so I could learn how to attach the start of a bracelet or scissor fob and how to end one ... that really was the only thing I couldn't figure out ... damm but it's easy when you know how! lol ... anyway, I wanted/needed some beads so I could start playing ... this is one addictive hobby! I thought stitching was, but wow, all the beads and colors ... it's much like walking into a cross stitch shop and heading over to the threads ... I could get lost for hours! lol ... I haven't taken any pictures yet of the things I've made ... soon I promise.

Saturday I spent the day with my Dad ... I soooo don't do that enough! We had a great day working on pictures. He takes a lot of pictures at family events, downloads them this computer and there they sit ... so we spent much of the day downloading them on cd's ... trying to get us a little organized. We had homemade chicken rice soup that he had made the day before and some yummy french bread. Nice way to spend a Saturday. Sunday was the usual football and nascar, stitching and laundry lol

I finished a couple of small designs last week ... I really need to start stitching something other than Halloween designs! lol ... this is Wicked by primitivebettys ... it's one of her freebies and a very fun quick quick stitch ... I used some of mine (or Karen's) coffee dyed fabric and Belle Soie's Noir ...


here's a design by La-d-Da from the JCS Halloween issue ... stitched on some very funky 30ct green R&R, I just love it!


I've been playing with beads and finishing too ... here's my Black Cat from BBD's Trix or Treat book all finished into a Halloween pinkeep ...

and here's the back ... very fun finish :)

Oh and on Sunday I even got my house decorated for Halloween ... I like to enjoy my decorations all month long ... here's a picture of our mantel ...


Thanks everyone for all your wonderful comments about my cube finish. And even if you don't leave a comment, thanks for visiting my blog :)

Off to watch Monday night tv and I think I'll stitch on Peppermint Twist tonight ...

I hope you find your Joy in your stitches ...

I'm grateful for sunny fall days...