Stitching and Exchanges

 This is the Easter/Spring SAL Carole from Novalee 02 les croix et moi I joined when it came out.  I first started  it on a dark rose linen, but when I got to Part 3, I didn't like how the pinks were looking, so I started over on Fairy Dreams (a light cream color) 28 count lugana.  I finished it about a week or two after Easter.   I was in Virginia and my friend like it.  I am thinking finishing as a hanging picture on the wall.  I have some pretty fabric to use in the back.

 My friend has birdhouses as her kitchen decor.  She has been collecting birdhouses.  When I realize I was going back, there was 2 weeks before I left and didn't  have time to stitch something.  I had to run into  JoAnns and spotted a bunch of plain wooden birdhouses.  Light inside of me clicked on and decided to paint a birdhouse for my friend's kitchen.  I like how it came out since it is my first time painting on wood.  I liked it a lot and might do a bigger one later.  My friend loved it and it sits on her glass table.
The picture below is the back of the birdhouse and there are flowers on the sides too. 

I joined the Lizzie Kate exchange in i-love-cross-stitch yahoo group.  It went to Azzie in England.  I picked a freebie from LK website.  It was stitched on a 14 count pink aida with DMC threads.  I added pink beads instead stitching green Xs above and below the words, and I added a pink flower. I made it into an ornament and added 3 Carrie Creations Threads to complete the exchange.

 This lovely package came  from Azzie.  She stitched "Think Spring" into a bookmark.  It is very wide, so I am going add a ribbon on the back and hang it up on my   wall.  She added 2 Dragon Floss and 3 Sweet Six  Strand threads.  I haven't received SSS in a long time.  Are they still in business?   I love it!  Thank you Azzie!









 
The next 2 exchanges were in the KraftersKorner group.  The first exchange was a monogrammed magnet with two items starting with the initial.  I had Jennifer as my partner.  I was stump at first for a second item.  She hinted jewelry in her information.  I have a few journals in my room, and when I was writing in one, I realize Duh! A journal!, lol.

 

Mary send me this wonderful package.  She stitched a V with a flower.  it almost looks like she got it from  the same magazine I got the J for my magnet, lol.  She included a V charm, a "visual" journal, and violet glitter.  Everything is so pretty.  Thank you Mary!

The next exchange  was a hand-dye material, which the member had to hand-dye, with 3 skeins of floss.  I hand-dyed a piece of aida in purple for Georgena.  The first time I dyed the material, it was so light, it looked it was white.  I redid it, making the mixture a darker purple, and this is what came out.  It is a couple shades darker than the picture shows, but not much.

 

 This lovely piece of fabric came from Tara.  She used arylaric paint to dye it.  I forgot how she did it, but it is very beautiful.  The picture does not do its justice.  Thank you Tara!

I finished stitching LHN 2010 Under the Tree when I was in VA.  I just added the beads a few days ago.  I wanted to finish it at the retreat, but just did not get to it.  I did change the color of the dress on the girl. I don't remember the color of the  fabric,  but it is on 28 ct lugana.  I kept the 2010 because it came from the 2010 collection, plus after a year or two, no one is going to know when I  stitched.

Same thing with LHN  2010 Joy. It was stitched in VA.  Matter of fact, I started this March, my first time in VA.  I did not pick it back up until May.  It is stitches on the recommended WDW 30 count material.  I added the beads for the snowflakes.


I am stitching LHN Liberty Belles.  It is going fast and hoping to have it done by Monday, depending if life gets in the way.  Today I spent the day looking for a color in my pile of unorganized threads. I end up organizing them and I found 2 skeins of the color I needed.  YAH!!



I did take pictures of my new treasures from the retreat, but this blog got very long.  Next time I won't wait s long.  I did finish another exchange and received my package, but I can't show anything until everyone gets their package.  It will probably be a couple more weeks, since a few of us had waited for the Canada mail strike to be over, including me.

If  I don't post my lastest finish by Monday, I hope everyone has a wonderful and happy 4th of July!