Darn It, Paulette!

I know I've been posting a lot of quilting this past year...but I still stitch! The pumpkin pillow in my latest Pumpkin Day post was finished in recent months, I just saved posting about it for that special day. There is a little project going right now:

I adore The Victoria Sampler's birdies. Too cute! The pine branches always seem to get the best of me, I can never get them placed as charted! Never!

I need to get this one finished, yesterday, if possible. Yesterday? Because OMG have you seen Plum Street Samplers new Sunday Mystery Sampler? AS IF I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PROJECTS ON THE GO Paulette is gifting the lot of us with the rest of the 12 Days of Christmas designs she started in Just Cross Stitch magazine. Now, I love me some 12 Days and these are just too nice to save for later! I have fabric ordered from 123 Stitch! so as soon as it's here, wahoo! Just kidding about cursing over it...many, many thanks to our dear, generous Paulette!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

A Teeny Bit Crabby

Thank you all for the kind comments regarding my last freebie. Also for the happy birthday wishes for Jessie. There were so many, she was over the moon! I still need to figure out how I want to finish A Star Danced, I'm thinking a pillow...if I can find a fabric I like.

Now, why am I crabby? It's all those stinkin' single stitches of snow! But they are finally completed and with that, the January block of Crabby All Year is finished! ***mini happy dance*** This months' block has two little bird buttons to decorate. Those will wait until the very end, when all the stitching is finished. I guess I'll work on the top banner now until it's time for the February design. This is a really soothing pattern to stitch, easy to follow and not so many color changes to drive you batty...yet enough to keep things interesting.

Too cute! And so much fun to stitch! I only wish we would actually receive some snow with our cold this year. No, just cold. Blah.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Crabby New Year!

You heard me right! It's a Crabby New Year! Yay, it's finally time for the Crabby All Year Stitch-a-long! I have everything ready to go and I can't wait to start stitching! I am using DMC floss on Silkweaver's 32 count Lugana, Days Gone By. Here is a quick snap of the fabric, the $$$ buttons and the floss for the first set of designs.

Here is the rest of the thread. I store my DMC in Floss-a-way bags with a 3x5 index card inside. The card makes the floppy bags stand up. Small projects are threaded on rings. On large, kitted projects like this, I use index card file boxes from the office supply to store the threads. Otherwise they are stored in my floss cabinet.

I have been so excited to start stitching! I've heard from most of the SAL participants and they are ready as well. There is a section at the top of my sidebar...everyone is listed there; except for our Crabby friend, Carol, as she doesn't have a blog. Anyone wishing to join in on the fun is more than welcome. There is still lots of time to gather supplies and start...the patterns are simple so it would be easy to catch up even weeks from now! Come on ~ be Crabby with us!

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All last night and early this morning, I had it in my head this was Friday...and that I just had to work one shift and I'd have all weekend to stitch. Major disappointment when the weatherman said today's weather; blah blah and Friday's; blah blah. Poo, today was Thursday. That sucks.

Isn't this a pretty fabric? The colors are much prettier IRL. I won this Silkweaver's Solo in a Christmas game at San-Man Originals message board. There is always lots of fun and games and stitchy chat going on there; a really fun message board. Thanks, Chris!

Welcome to all new (or lurking) readers! Please leave me a comment so I can come visit your blog. Thank you for reading my blog today. I'd like to wish you all a Happy (Crabby) New Year!

xox

Two finishes

What, with it being Christmas and all the goings-on, I completely forgot to share this little finish with you. Here is a precious Hanukkah ornament I made for my dear sister, Carol. I created this using Mill Hill's Tiny Treasured Diamond kit Star Of David. These little ornaments look so complex but are insanely simple...and I am not one that easily follows written directions. From start to finish, this was one evening and one morning. I highly recommend these for a super fast and easy finish. Oooo, and all the bling!

Last night I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on my laptop and finished Summer Joy! It was true satisfaction to put that last stitch in! This was such a fun piece to work on. I must have taken a zillion pictures but this was the best I could get. The fabric color is acually much richer. I still can't decide how I want to finish-finish it. Any suggestions?

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After I finished Summer Joy, I unkitted it and put away all the floss I recived for Christmas. (No, Cindy, they were just the 3000's!) By then, Harry Potter was over and LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring, extended edition was going...yes, I was up past Midnight! Then, I got out the floss for the Crabby All Year stitch a long and played with it. I have it all sorted but still need to cut the threads. (I cut all DMC into 8 equal lengths.) Maybe I'll share a photo shoot of the kitted SAL next. I seriously thought about converting the DMC to GAST and WDW but with 46 colors, sheesh! Plus, I already have les Moutons going in GAST.

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Thank you for visiting my blog today, your comments make me smile!

xox

I haz new bud

Yup. New buddy. I haz one.

Everybody, please go say "Hi!" to Cheryl of Wicked Witch Maggie's World, my new best bud. Hey, she even says so! Cheryl is joining us on the Crabby stitch along. Welcome to blogland Cheryl!

Snuggly

Today is a snuggly kind of day. It's bitter cold, windy and wet outside. We are having a bit of snow but it's only the snarl-traffic kind of snow not the snow angels and snowman kind of snow. Ho-hum. Yes, it's a keep-under-the-covers-warm day and I had to work. I did have the foresight to start a pot roast in the slow cooker before I left, so I arrived home to savory smells and a toasty warm kitchen. It was yummy.

Can you believe I haven't blogged since Friday? Creepy! We had a very productive weekend. Rick cleaned the garage while Jessie and I tackled the basement. The stacks of stuff in the basement were becoming rather Dr. Seuss style! Rick hauled two pick-up loads to the Salvation Army. Yes, two loads. We have said for years we should have a garage sale but it was never going to happen. Why waste a Saturday taking quarters for your outdated curtains when you could be riding a motorcycle or stash shopping? It was a massive clean-out and a nice tax deduction and it felt good! The basement is sparkling clean which pleases me to no end. That is our tornado shelter and I think we have been in more danger of being buried alive than blown away.

Have you noticed how appliances have such bright lights on them these days? We have a new coffee maker and I swear you could make a sandwich by it's clock display at night.

My fabric has arrived for Crabby All Year. It is all I can do to resist starting it! I even bit the bullet and purchased those ridiculously expensive buttons, which should arrive soon. I know I won't need the buttons for another year but I had to. I just had to! It will be fun to get them out for trial runs, right? The threads still need to be sorted, cut and bagged, maybe this coming weekend? Oh, and I found another blogger, Missy, who is just finishing Crabby up...aww, it's so fun and silly! There are a few SAL partners lined up with me for 2009 and it looks like a go! We still have about three weeks before the SAL begins so you have time to get the charts and supplies and join us!

Here is an update on Summer Joy since last time. This is an easy stitch but I haven't gotten much time for it this week. Nice progress though.

Jessie brought home Tales of Beedle the Bard. I'll read it soon. Although, I am still depressed that the Harry Potter series is over. I would still like to read the Twilight series before I see the movie. Wow, there are tons of movies coming up that I want to see. I can't remember the last time we went to the movie theatre...not counting the drive-in movies last summer! Where am I going to get all this time?

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Blogoversary & SAL request revisited

Jean has let me know she received my blogoversary drawing gift. I sent her a big box of Christmas finishing supplies. It was lots of fun choosing what to include!

In the end, I stayed home yesterday. I figured it would be such poor taste to share my cold with unsuspecting others. Thank you all for the get-well-wishes; I don't feel too bad, just a bit run-down and I can't stop sneezing. I did get some great stitching time and was able to read blogs to my hearts content.

I have begun kitting up my Crabby All Year project. I am still looking for stitch-a-long partners if anyone is interested. Click the link above to see my original post. Click here to see the project I am planning, it's the fourth design down. I have purchased the floss and ordered the fabric. I chose Silkweaver's Days Gone By in 32 count Lugana. What do you think? I still need to order the buttons. OMG, they are $43.00 from 123 Stitch. It's hard to swallow that expense...I might ask for them for Christmas.

SAL anyone?

Jessie and I took a trip to Oklahoma City to go shopping with my mother and sister. We had a great girl's day out! Fabric stores and craft shops and even a stop in at Cross Stitch Haven. We had lunch out at Chelino's a favorite Mexican food stop. I had tamales and enchiladas and slurped down two beers, Tecate heaven. It was truly glorious.

While in the Haven, I had a (fabulous) breakdown! I've had my beady eyes on Raise The Roof's Crabby All Year charts for ages and when I saw them this time...they were bought and paid for before I could even say "But, I don't have time for another project!" Alas, they are mine. All mine-and I love them! So cute and silly!

I am thinking about gathering all the supplies up and stitching one block a month over the next year. Is there anyone interested in doing a stitch-a-long with me on this design?

Arriving home late in the evening, I found an envelope from France. I had RAK'd my friend, Marie-Hélène, a copy of the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments issue and look what she sent me in return! I cannot read but a few words...the designs are awesome. There is even a little mousie dressed up as a butterfly!

Thank you Marie-Hélène! I love these!

Thank you for visiting my blog. Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway on my November 1st post!

A New Start?

Yesterday was another Talons home game. Since Rick was off playing on his motorcycle with friends I took advantage of being husband-less and went stash shopping at The Silver Needle before the game! I had to spend the gift certificate Jessie bought me for Mother's Day, right?

I had a blast without someone waiting for me to finish...one always feels rushed; do you? I took my time and searched out a few things I just had to have. The first thing that really caught my eye was this Sisters and Best Friends chart Summer Joy. Love the colors and the bumblebees! I've always admired those S&BF designs I've seen others working on but I have never stitched one. This chart was so enticing I actually bought fabric and the Gentle Arts threads needed! The fabric I chose is a 28 count Jobelan called African Daisy...just yummy. I've been looking for another (yes, another, omg) WIP; have I found it?

I did have a couple of other charts picked out but those went back on the shelf when I found When Barnabee Met Bella by Just Nan. It is super hard to resist Just Nan designs. I love biscornus and this one is really detailed; not sure when I'll start it.
When I was finished with my stash shopping I made a trip to Barnes and Noble to see if they had any good magazines...they had good ones but they were all ones I already had...I ended up buying The Norton Trilogy by Peter Gethers. These are the bestselling The Cat Who... books -three in one Volume. I'm looking forward to reading it. Rick met me at the game and we had a good time. The Talons won...we did lose a game last weekend; I almost cried! But it looks like the team has pulled it together again.
A picture to prove I actually stitch; not just buy stash! I've done a bit of work on Peacock Cypher. You can read more about this on the Peacock SAL blog; after I finish this post...

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A big thanks to everyone leaving comments; you really brighten my days!