2 new purchases & One world, One heart

Ok, in my Yahoo bloggers group it was mentioned that we check out this site, One world, one heart. It is a site where bloggers from all over the world are gathering and each blogger is giving something away. Honestly, once I started looking at blogs I was up almost half the night. I found several stitching blogs and other stuff. A couple were tatting blogs. I SO want to learn to tat before I leave this earth. I will share with you a story as to why later.
This led me to one of the tatting blogger's Etsy store where I bought these fabulous, must have them, it's my birthday and I have a bonus check, so why not earrings! Aren't they just the most beautiful things?
Then while I was on Etsy, I found this pink ribbon that is tatted. I bought it too and am going to make it into a pin.
Ok, here is the site for the OWOH: http://www.oneworldoneheart.typepad.com
Check it out! You will find it most interesting.
And the designer for the earrings's Esty shop is yarnplayer and her blog is http://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com
You will be amazed at her talent.
The designer for the pink ribbon's Esty shop is TattingsFInest
I love both so much!

I got stuff and more!

I am a very lucky woman for a lot of reasons. One is that I have a wonderful husband. I showcase my work here, but thought you would like to see some of his artwork. He is a very talented man that draws for me and has recently started painting. He has had no formal training, but I love his artwork. I have posted two of his drawings here.
The second thing is that I have great friends, some I have known for a long time, some for just a short time. Some live close and I see them all the time. Some I have never seen at all and are my online friends.
Today I opened my mail and I found I had received these gifts from some of my online friends. I got some of the most beautifully hand-dyed green fabric (my fav color) & some needles from Penny who is in many of my Yahoo groups. This gift was from an exchange on a new group, Crossed Exchanges. Speaking of which, I also received this cute little froggy kit from the moderator of the group, Evaline. I received it for being the first member. If you haven't checked it out, please do so. I think you will enjoy it.
Then I received the cutest arm chair stitcher's helper. It is in the cutest pink ribbon fabric. I love it. Twice in the past week I have sat on the point of my scissors. Now I can put it in the stitcher's helper so I won't sit on them again.
Thank you for being my friends. Thank you for taking the time to read this little blog of mine. And thank you friends for my wonderful gifts!

The next national holiday is almost here!

On Feb. 2 the nation will celebrate a holiday. Yes, it is Groundhog's Day but that is not it.
It is my birthday! And just ask my husband, my daughter or any of my closest friends, I do truly believe it is a national holiday. I love birthdays. Everyone's birthday! But esp. my birthday. (My daughter feels the same about hers. Her husband thinks it is genetic).
And I don't celebrate my birthday, quietly, alone. NOPE! I invite friends, family and everyone to celebrate with me. I am a recruiter in a not for profit blood bank. Year before last I called all my donors. I told them that on my birthday, since I was turning 46, I wanted 46 blood donors to save 46 lives (actually more than that since 1 unit of blood can potentially help save 3 lives). And they turned out. We had 37 donors that day. Not too bad considering I dreamed up the idea 2 days before.
Last year, I held a party at a spa. Invited 5 friends and family to come join me for pedicures and manicures, on my dime. Then we let the "boys" (husbands, sons, grandsons) join us for lunch at my fav Italian place, Luiggi's. The picture is of my daughter and I at the spa on my birthday. Notice my "crown".
My husband treats me like royalty on my birthday. And I love it!
Ok, now on to this birthday. This year I want to celebrate it WITH YOU!
So here is the deal: Since I must share my birthday with Groundhog's Day, then we will have fun with it. Leave me a msg. on this post and tell me whether you think the groundhog will see his shadow and run back into his hole, projecting another 6 weeks of winter or will he not see his shadow and stay and play, projecting spring is around the corner.
I will randomly draw a name on my birthday, Feb. 2 at 10:00 am CST from all who participate. The winner will receive 10 skeins of Sampler Threads, their choice of colors.

I have no filter...

Everyone who knows me knows I have no filter between my brain and my mouth. Whatever I think falls out of my mouth, generally within seconds of me having the thought.
So it would be no surprise to anyone who has known me anytime at all to hear I have volunteered to teach a biscornu project even though I have never done one.
Here is how the whole thing went down. We are having an EGA board meeting two weeks ago. Discussing what projects to do. I said I would teach my heart diamond floss tag ring project in Feb. & March and show them how to use a Crop-A-Dile in your needlework projects. No big deal, even though I myself have only used the thing twice. But at least I have used it.
Then onto the next project. We provide all the supplies for one project a year for our members. I said we needed to do a biscornu. Everyone was in agreement. Then I said, I will teach the biscornu. At this point, my brain asked my mouth "what did you just do? You have never even done a biscornu!". But it was too late.
So in May I will pass out the pattern and supplies for the project so they can stitch it. Then in June I will show them how to put the little jewel together.
Meanwhile, my Yahoo group, Cross Stitch Addiction, will have a FAL with me to show me how to do one so I can teach it. I have chosen the pattern for what I want to do. It is a pretty pattern that is 3" square when done. I am going to do it on 28 ct. dirty cashel linen over two. I am not worried about stitching the square. It is putting the pieces together that concerns me.
Here is the link to the pattern:
http://twdesignworks.com/Free/ecsorn.html
Instead of the large white smyrna cross in the center, we are going to put a pearl button. And I am getting some pretty crystals to put on each corner of the biscornu.
Wish me luck in my endeavor. And if anyone has a spare brain filter laying around, could you send it to me???

An anniversary of sorts

We celebrate all kinds of things. When the years pass, we often call them anniversaries. I have such an anniversary to celebrate.
Three years ago I was legally blind. Couldn't see to drive, much less to stitch. I had cataracts on both eyes. Simple enough, you say, just fix them. Well due to some medical problems, including a clotting disorder, I couldn't find a doctor to do surgery.
My husband of just less than a year took away my car keys. Something about me driving at night into a field thinking it was a road and not being able to find my way out. Just a little problem.
I gave away most of my stitching stash. No need for it. I couldn't see to stitch even with magnifying glasses.
Then I found this wonderful doctor. Actually, I had known him for years. He had done the cataract surgery on my grandmother several years before that (a really funny story about my grandmother in another post!).
He said he could do the surgery. We would do this, do that, change this, fix this and then I would be able to see.
January, 2006 he did my right eye, followed by my left eye in March, 2006. I now have perfect vision at a distance. Need no glasses to drive, work on the computer, etc. I just need "cheaters" when I stitch and read up close.
When I started to see again, I started stitching again. My DH had seen examples of my work, but didn't know that I "stitched!". So when I first started stitching non-stop, he thought something was wrong. I didn't just sit and watch TV with him and talk. I was busy stitching. I had to explain to him that I still loved him and wasn't ignoring him, I was just working on something that gave me joy.
So, while others are going on a stash diet, I am just beginning. I had every color of DMC once upon a time and lots of other threads and such. Now I am building it back up.
When I was young, I never imagined that at 44 I would be facing the possibility of never driving again, never doing some of the things that brought me pure joy.
Never, ever, take your health, even the health of your eyes for granted. We never know what is around the corner.
Now what did I do with that needle?...

The Floss Tag

After much ado, I have finished my first Floss Tag/Pin Keep. This will be my year of firsts: I finished my first Altoid tin and now my first Floss Tag all since the beginning of the year.
I finished stitching this piece on New Year's Eve. It is called Heart Diamond. It is in honor of February, which is Women's Heart Health Month. It is a gift for a friend.
I also got to use my new Crop-A-Dile I received from my DD for Christmas. I used a heart shaped eyelet on it.
I backed it with some really pretty red fabric I caught on sale at JoAnn's. I put some purple trim on it with some pretty pearl pins.
This was a joy to do!

The Altoid TIn

As some of you might recall I was given a million (ok, not a million, but a bunch) of Altoid tins from my boss. I had never done an Altoid tin so this was a wonderful opportunity for me to do one.
I did this one for my boss, who was a Navy Pilot during the Vietnam war. I did another one for one of my other directors who is ex-Military also. They make nice business card holders for their desks.
In my Yahoo group, Cross Stitch Addiction, this is the January FAL challenge. I actually stitched and finished them the very end of December for a late Christmas gift for both. They turned out nice, but I definitely need to work on this finishing technique.
I used a heavy weight card stock to wrap the stitching around. I think I needed to use something with a little more weight to it. And getting the trim just right around it was a little challenge.
But all in all I am pleased and both men were thrilled with their gifts!

Ok, now some stitching pictures!

Well, besides playing with my grandsons, I have managed to get a little stitching in.
The little diamond pattern is called Heart Diamond. I am going to make it into a floss tag ring & pin keep to give away at my EGA meeting later this month in honor of Women's Heart Health Month in February. My DD made the floss holders and I used my new Crop-A-Dile to put in the heart eyelets to hold the ring with. This was my last finish of 2008. I started and finished it on New Year's Eve while ringing in the New Year with my grandson. I used some Wildflower thread to do it up in.
The other photo is what I have been stitching on my "Big Girl Panties" by LK. You might have remembered I had a contest when I stitched the first line on it. I had put it away in order to do some Christmas stitching, but now I am back on it. The trim I photographed the stitching with is some cute eyelash trim that I am going to put around the flat fold finish I am going to do with it. It will be a hanging flat fold. I think it will be very cha-cha!
Now that the boys have left, I have to go back to work, but I plan on getting lots more stitching in. I want to continue doing small projects, but want to add some specialty stitches to my work such as blackwork, pulled thread, etc. My goal this year is to also learn to do more finishing techniques such as Altoid tin covers, cubes, biscornus, etc.

My day

My day, what can I say? This was the last full day the boys are going to be here and the weather has been great all week. Today it was 84 degrees and we went to the park. These pictures of my grandsons say it all as to how much fun we had.
While at the park, a deer ran through the playground. Out of no where. Ran around the fence and into a back yard. Out of that and down a street. Gave the boys (and most of the adults there) quite a thrill.
My sister in law gave us a gift certificate for Christmas to our favorite Italian restaurant and my husband, DD, 2 grandsons and I went there. It is about 20 minutes outside of our town in another small town and the food is fabulous. So, so good. Homemade bread and pasta. Owned by a father and 2 sons who are from Italy.
All in all, it was a simply wonderful day!

Happy, happy dance

Oh I am doing a happy, happy dance! Why you may ask?
Because my dear, sweet daughter gave me a Crop-a-dile for a late Christmas present. And some really cute eyelets. I played with it last night and I can't wait to make something with it. I have a stitched piece ready to make into a floss tag, but I have to get some mat board cut to mount it.
Thank you my dear daughter! Thank you very much!