A Hidden Giveaway

No one knew it but my Spooky Cats post was a hidden giveaway! That's right...everyone that commented on that post was secretly entered to win the Spooky Cat scissor fob and needleminder set. This was only a little "thank you" for commenting on my blog. I'm always astonished how many comments I get on posts and by how many followers I've attracted, so I wanted to give a little something back. Oh yeah, you wanna know who won, right? The winner is Bekca of The Stitching Lion. Congratulations, Bekca! If you could email me with your mailing address I will get the package sent soon! My email is in my profile. Thank you all for your comments and your encouragement. I am truly a fortunate blogger.

I'm working on another little pumpkin for the Great Pumpkin Challenge. This is from Lizzie*Kate's November blocks. Just a little quickie stitch to keep myself busy.

Some of you eagle-eyes out there will have noticed the Blogroll in my sidebar is different. Blogrolling announced it was shutting down as of November first. Sad, I've used the Blogrolling for my blog list since I started my blog. I went ahead and changed my list to Blogger's version and put in those blogs I'm following and imported from Google Reader. However...my old Blogroll had around 650 blogs and the new list only has around 450. Some are missing! *Gasp* This is terrible! If your blog is missing from my list let me know ASAP! And does anyone know why some of my blogs are listed as an Internet Explorer feed? WTF? Grrr, I hate change.

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

October Curls

Can you believe I finished my October Snapper Year already? I'm thinking this design was the whole reason for stitching this project! I love this silly pumpkin. Ooo ~ this counts as a pumpkin challenge finish too, doesn't it? This one had nearly every color changed from the recommended ones. I enjoyed stitching it a lot...it was so easy and quick. Now, I have three whole weeks of stitching whatever I feel like before I can start the November block. It's hard to believe I finished so early. Remember when I stitched May's block early then had to frog the whole thing? Yay, this block is in the correct place!

Today is the New Moon! That means it's time for a Totally Useless update. My ORT jar is plum full. See all that orange thread from stitching pumpkins? Autumn colors are the best! Join us for the Totally Useless Stitch a Long...grab an empty jar, save your ORTs and post a picture on your blog on the New Moon.

It was back to work for me today. Blech! But not too bad ~ it's almost the weekend already, right? Oh, what I wouldn't give to be a lady of leisure with nothing to do but stitch and stash...

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Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Spooky Cats

Two more finishes for the Great Pumpkin Challenge! I stitched one spooky cat and pumpkin over-one and finished into a magnetic needleminder, then another over-two and finished into a fob to match. I love how they turned out.

Design ~ Spooky Cat

Designer ~ Heart in Hand

Fabric ~ 28 count Jobelan, tea dyed

Fiber ~ DMC

Just couldn't decide which photo to use...

This post was a hidden giveaway!

The winner was announced on this post.

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I'm making the most of my time off work. The house is squeaky clean. Two finishes have been completed. October's Snapper Year is started. Netflix movies are being watched. Stash is being sorted and organized, somewhat...lol. Stuff keeps appearing in my cart at 123Stitch. I'm having the time of my life!

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Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

*Gasp Pant Sigh*

I've been too busy to blog, can you imagine? It's been crazy around here. No stitching, no blog reading, no posting...I miss you guys! I plan to have a nice relaxing weekend, catch up on my blogs and do some stitching. Serious stitching.

In the midst of the chaos came a suprise in the mail from Patty of Hanging On By A Thread. What a gorgeous RAK! Stitched in my favorite color ~ green and the most beautiful handmade pins. Isn't this pinkeep scrummy? It's stuffed with crushed walnut shells so it smells good and has a lovely weight to it. Thank you so much Patty. I cherish it!

One of the things keeping me busy is some cleaning & redecorating. We've been working on the living room. We moved the couch. Fifteen tennis balls under the couch? Now you know for sure a Border Collie lives here! And don't feel bad that maybe all her tennis balls were stuck under the couch. There were at least thirty still in her toy basket...

After tomorrow, I have FIVE days off work. I can't remember the last time I took more than a long weekend off. See what I mean about serious stitching plans? I'm talking major stitch-ass complications here, girls. Bring it on!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

September Brings

Totally crap photograph but I couldn't wait to share! I'm finally caught up on Snapper Year! I finished September Brings this afternoon. This was a really fun design to stitch. I enjoyed all the different shapes and colors...purple ~ it's about darn time there was some purple to stitch! I adore the upside down "t"...don't you?

October is kitted and once again, I have changed colors around. This time every color but one needed adjusting! Of course, I won't start October until it is actually October. But then, I've got weird rules, don't I?

I'm now stash-diving, looking for pumpkin charts. I've joined up with Becky's Great Pumpkin Challenge. So much fun. Autumn designs are my favorite so that made this SAL irresistible. You should join us!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

An Autumn RAK

I know...I should be working on my Snapper Year but I got this in my head and couldn't stop thinking about it until I stitched and finished it! Do you get that way? I know you must!

I think I am stuck on these Bent Creek crows & pumpkins. They are just too cute. And Autumn is just around the corner so I'm all geared up for stitching for it! I stitched the same little crow & pumpkin again only this time over-one and finished it as a magnetic needle minder. These little needle minders are SO handy. I received one from Holly a couple of years ago and it is my most treasured stitching tool. I probably couldn't stitch without it! Holly even made a great tutorial on how to finish them...click here. To make these into needle minders simply put a strong magnet inside before you finish. However, Holly got one little something wrong, the forms aren't made of aluminum they are steel. Magnets won't stick to aluminum!

This is on it's way tomorrow to surprise someone who reads this blog!

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edit: This RAK went to Tanya of

Friendship Crossing!

Design ~ Autumn Row, portion

Designer ~ Bent Creek

Fabric ~ 28 count ?

Fiber ~ DMC

Finish ~ Magnetic Needle Minder

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

I Smell Poo...oh, and August Rings

I got home from work on Sunday...I don't usually work weekends but someone was sick and I'm the only one idiot enough to answer the phone...anyway, I got home and it smelled like dog poo in the house. Well, if no one has poo on their shoes the likely culprit is...the dog. A quick sniff of Sheba told us she had rolled in something ~ ewwww! Dogs, they can be so freakin' weird. Now, Sheba hasn't had a bath in years, literally. She has an odorless coat (I mean, she still smells like dog but then, she is a dog) and she is scared to death of the bathtub (scared enough to try and bite me once!) She gets brushed out once a week and spot-cleaned for dirty paws & such and that is enough. Usually. I can't really deal with poo-scented dogs. What to do?

Do you know there are such things as a Dog Wash? Just like a Car Wash! You go in and there are ramps up to platform-type tubs. There is a chain to snap to the collar and a spray wand. Dial up what shampoo, conditioner you like...there is even skunk odor remover! Insert quarters, just like a Car Wash. It was great. Sheba didn't seem to mind too much either. Now we have a lovely lavender-scented Border Collie with soft, fluffy, shiny fur. Bye bye poo smell! Goofy dog! And she still won't look at you if you're pointing a camera...

I've finished August! This one was quick and easy. I have even gotten quite far into September already. I might just be caught up in a few days. At least, I am on the correct month now, right? Woo!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

More Christmas stitching

Lisa has received my Ornament Swap! I stitched her LHN's Pear Tree and backed it with the fabric it's laying on here. It's so nice going to the fabric store and having the perfect fabric jump right out for you. Who knew they made yellow Christmas fabric? I played with the colors (since this was an exchange) and stitched the "L" and the "S" in red to represent our initials. This ornament was such fun to stitch ~but~ I had a little goof...I tea-dyed some 32 count fabric with this project in mind and dyed an extra piece of 28 count just to have it done. I guess I mixed them up because somehow I ended up stitching this on the 28 instead of the 32! I was having such a blast stitching that I never even noticed until it was almost finished. That made this ornament a little bit larger than I intended. Whoops! I'm pretty sure Lisa doesn't mind because she said she loves it!

Design ~ Pear Tree

Designer ~ Little House Needleworks

Fabric ~ 28 count Jobelan
Fiber ~ DMC with Mill Hill Beads

Finish ~ Pillow Ornament

I tried a new-to-me finish with this pillow, trying to follow the directions in the instructions. I may have stuffed it a bit more than the model shows and I could only find jute for the hanger/bow (it called for twine.) But I'm happy with the way it turned out. Cutting & sewing my stitching is nerve-wracking. I don't breathe easy until it's all finished!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Not Late ~ Just Lazy

I say, I'm not really late with the TU SAL. I took the photo on time for the full moon...I just haven't blogged it until now. Isn't this impressive ORT collecting, even with having eleven days less? Remember how late I was last new moon? Having lots of stitching mojo is awesome!

The Autumn Clematis has started blooming. I hope this means it is finally Fall, at last. Our weather has improved with rain and cooler temperatures (for the most part.)

Now, don't ask what the name of this Clematis is. I have no idea! "Edit: this is clematis paniculata" It grows like crazy. In fact, it went all Jack-in-the-Beanstalk and covered over the Butterfly Bush...I'll have to watch it closer next year! Sheba refused to look at the camera as she hadn't gotten her hair brushed this week.

The flowers are less than an inch across and are creamy white. And it blooms out late, late in the season. Pretty, isn't it? It's planted on the side of Rick's garden shed on a pretty white iron trellis. Damn stuff grows like Kudzu and you can't even see what it's hanging on...so it kinda looks like a huge green blob on the shed. LOL

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

July Sings OR "Take that, Cathey!"

Yes! I have completed another block! Are you happier, Cathey? Cathey (Pumpkin) has not let me forget that I am way behind on this project so this block is dedicated to her, lol! July was a breeze to stitch and was finished in no time. Once again, the conversion Bent Creek is using sucks and I used 434 instead of 3781 and 3854 instead of 422. I do understand this project was designed with overdyes in mind but it appears they didn't give any thought to the DMC alternates when writing the key. For example, in this design, the suggested DMC color for the birdies legs & beaks was 422, an olive/tan that looks nothing like the orange/yellow in the model picture. WTF?

I've kitted up August (and made 3 substitutions lol) and even put a few stitches in already. I imagine Cathey is squirming with guilt over her browbeating now. No, probably not. Surely, She is thinking, "You are still a month, behind, Sharon!" Ha! Well, I have it on good authority that Cathey now owns the charts for this project. You just wait...I'll be such a slave driver! *cue maniacal evil laughter*

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox