Candace Has A Blog!

If you have visited here before, you are already familiar with Candace and her remarkable finishing skills! I have been privileged to share her stitching and finishing of several of my simple designs and in each instance she has made them shine far brighter than I ever could have! She has finally taken the blogging plunge and I hope everyone will take time to visit her new blog and leave her a comment so she will know you were there! Prepare to be amazed!

Where Do I Begin?

So much to catch up on, where do I begin? Do I start at the beginning and work my way backward or start at the end and work my way forward? Or should I catch up by categories of what needs to be posted? Or do I just jump in and get started in my usual haphazard manner? Hmmmm...... Yes, I guess I will just jump in - if I wait to get organized I may never get started!

First up - HoE Lizzie*Kate Exchange

I stitched for Maria from Sweden this time and decided a cat design would be best. Not a lot of L*K cat charts to choose from so I used part of the Meow Blocks chart to stitch a scissors fob for her. I added her name, my initials, the year and HoE on the back. I sent a few extras along with it - blue embroidery scissors, painted wood cat buttons and two of the Jim Shore Button and Bead Quilted Cats kits that she wanted. I hope she is pleased with the exchange, it was fun stitching this one up - I've wanted to stitch that design for a long time.

Sharon C stitched for me this time. She made a pinkeep using the Lizzie*Kate Bless Our Home Snippet chart. She sent along some extras also - pretty floral print finishing fabric, a magnet, wonderful-smelling body lotion, cute sticky notes, a skein of Stranded by the Sea Hand Dyed Floss, a skein of ThreadWorx overdyed floss in beautiful autumn colors, and a package of my favorite size needles. Thanks again, Sharon!

Where Have I Been?

Here and there, up and down, in and out, back and forth, round and round.......I always seem to be going in every direction at once. Work has been keeping me very, very busy so I'm pretty worn out by the time I get home, so not much energy for anything else right now. However, considering the current world economic woes, I am grateful that I have a job to be busy at. The Tiny Treasures Exchange keeps me busy as well, but it has been a delight getting to know its members - they are a great bunch of stitchers and it is very heartwarming to see them encouraging one another and enjoying the exchanges.

Several people have emailed asking if I'm okay. Thank you for your obvious concern! I am so sorry to have caused anyone to worry! I am not one of those highly scheduled, organized people that always seem to accomplish so much in so little time. Rather, I am more of an impulse, whim-driven person - working feverishly at whatever I am currently focused on, to the exclusion of most everything else. Then my focus will shift to something else for awhile. This is why I sometimes post lots of entries to the blog and other times not so much. I am usually surprised by how much time has slipped by without a post and then other times you can't shut me up! Designing is the same way for me - sometimes I can't do anything else, the design ideas are just running away with me there are so many. Other times the ideas are just running away from me instead - I will have an idea for something but it just doesn't seem to gel - I just can't stay focused enough to get anywhere with it. In that case, I set it aside and give my attention to something else for awhile. Sooner or later, I will get back to it and the pieces will all fall into place. So, welcome to my roller coaster!

Plant Kindness Chart

Plant Kindness pdf

This chart is great for using leftover floss - choose whatever colors you like.

Drawing Number 7 Winner is...

Audra!! Congratulations! Please contact me with your mailing address and your choice of prize - either the Beaded Scissor Pocket and Fob Kit or the Design Software CD.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the drawings - I just wish everyone could win! I think I may do some more of them but once a month or so instead of weekly. Thanks to everyone that stopped by to enter - I hope you enjoyed your time here! Please come again!

Stitch and Share Drawing Results

The Winner for the Stitch and Share Drawing is Sheila B! Congratulations!! Please email me your mailing address so I can get your scissors off in the mail to you.

I just wish I could send a prize to everyone that entered because you all deserve it!!! Your stitching and finishing have given life to these simple charts and have added so much to this blog! Thank You!!!

Cheetah Needlework Set Drawing Results

Since it's my drawing.....is it okay to change the rules?? There were just two entries for the Cheetah Needlework Set Drawing so the Randomizer doesn't work real well for that. I couldn't stand the thought of disappointing either of these eager stitchers, so.....it's a tie!! I bought an extra set of Cheetah Scissors, just in case, so..... Congratulations, Candace and Lori K, you both win!!! I will get your scissors in the mail tomorrow - so be watching for them! Thank you sooo much for sharing your beautiful stitching and I hope you will both enjoy adding the scissors to your Cheetah sets!

Stork Scissors Tin Photo from Candace

Candace is at it again! Another beautiful finish! I wonder if she gives finishing lessons? If so, I'm signing up! Thanks, Candace!!

Coffee Mug Mat Cube Finish by Karen

Well, I may as well start off the new year with an apology. I was looking back through old email for a particular message and I happened across a photo I had never posted to the blog. I am so sorry!!! Michele sent me an email to let me know she had posted a photo of the Coffee Mug Mat stitched and finished into a cube by her friend Karen. I wrote back and asked for permission to post the photo here and she said yes, but somehow I failed to get on here. So a little late (okay, a lot late!) here it is! Thanks, Michele, for sharing the photo and thanks, Karen for stitching and finishing the design and for continuing to accept me in spite of my bad manners!

Koi Pond Stitched by Maria

Maria sent me this photo of her beautifully stitched and framed Koi Pond! Thanks, so very much, Maria, for stitching the design and sharing the photo but even more so for the kind, heartwarming message you sent with it!