End of 2012 and Start New Year 2013!

These lovely gifts came from Shirlee for the Christmas exchange on the Stitched with Love Exchanges blog.  The ornament was stitched with my favorite Christmas colors, blue and silver, and so beautifully put together.  I am going hate to put it away for next year. Plus I got q-snaps huggies, aida fabric, scissors, cat needle minder, and a bar of shea soap, which smells so good. Thank you Shirlee!

These are the gifts I gave to Jayne.  Some silk threads, scissors, Sue Hillis Spool Tree pattern, fabric, erasable highlighter, and a stitched pillow. The stitching took me awhile because the greens in the dress was very random. Near the end, I added green where I think the green should go, but the gold specks are uniformed.  I stitched the skin one over one, which was more easier to do than the dress. Here is a close up.

Caroler 

a freebie from Whispered by the Wind

25 count Stormy Clouds

DMC and Kreinik gold

Earlier this year, I joined an online class to make a top stitch box. I gave the box to my sister.  I decided to make another box for my second sister.  I stitched the top, stained and lined the box as I was taught.  Everything looked great.  (My sister came Sunday before Christmas.  She had to work a double shift on Christmas).  The only thing I had to do was attached the screws. No big deal, so I thought. I had the last laugh on that one. I am screwing the hardware on and they aren't getting tighter.  I am putting pressure and turning and turning, but it seemed the holes were too big  for the screws.  Because I got behind stitching, I put in a lot hours to get this box done in a weeks time and  the screws were too small.  I was so disappointed and frustrated.  I was going to get another box and send it to my sister in January. I took the stitch part off the box and made it into a wall hanger. I gave it to her next day, which she said she liked better than the box because she can hang up somewhere now. I guess it worked out but I am still disappointed with the box.

Dream by Joan Elliot

32 count Rocky Mountains even weave

DMC threads and beads

Hope by Joan Elliot

32 count Rocky Mountains even weave
DMC threads and beads

Merry Christmas by iStitch designs
25 count Stormy Clouds
stitched one over one, DMC threads

A picture to show how small the ornament is.

My sister , Amy, posing for me.

I had signed up in an Advent exchange with the Stitcherhood group.  These are just a few items I received. I, also, got needles, fat quarters fabrics, floss bobbins, another ornament, 4 out 6 Lizzie Kate Snow Belles and Lizzie Kate Santa '12 pattern.

Snowman towel on Day 10

 Stoney Crerk Snow Happens on Day 23

My first day gift, crystal snowman ornament.

Snowman candy jar with M&Ms peanuts and Almond joys, my favorites.

 Day 25 Glendon Place Murky Manor.  I hope I can start it in the coming year.  It was on my wish list.

Part of my Christmas tree.  The snowman ornament was stitched by Pat, I received this year. This is a new tree this year and all the ornaments barely got on there.

This past weekend, I stitch a little more on Lady Slipper.  The dress is starting to form and I think I am going to make it my weekend stitch. I do want to finish her by my birthday in April.  I am not making too many goals this coming new year.  I seem to make my goals too high, and than I feel bad not making them.

My goals for 2013:

1. Lose 25 pounds before my Las Vegas retreat 

2. Exercise 3 times a week for a period 20 minutes.

3. Finish Lady Slipper by April 21.

4. Finish 6 more projects I had started

5. Stitch 4 pages of HAED The Accolde.

6. Stitch 4 pages on Witches 'n Bits Time To Go

I think the goals are doable.  

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and this coming New Year will be filled with lots of finishes, good health, and happiness.  Happy New Year 2013!

Hugs, Vicky 

Exchanges and Life!

First I am going to show you my stitching and exchanges I can show you. 

This is part 4 of Lavender Blue. I have one page for this part than I can get part 5 and 6. I am trying to finish it before I leave but my hopes are low. I think I might have had something under the frame when I took the picture cause it is a little lumpy, lol.  Believe me, the material is tight when I stitch on it.

This is the top of the box. I glued the stitched piece on it today. I now have a couple books on top of it to get the glue dried and stay put. I just realized I didn't sign the piece and I always do that. Little too late now.

This is a stitched piece from a Spring exchange from Stitcherhood yahoo group.  Isn't she adorable? And there is a cat stitched on there. She is sitting on my tv right now.  I, also, got beads in variety of colors and ribbons and lace. Thank Ann for a lovely gift!

This is Bloom by Cherrywood Designs with some color changes. The pattern can be found in Cross Stitch and Needlework issue in May 2011. I used  Sassy Fabby's Mystique thread, Carrie's Threads Passion, Gentle Art Hyacinth, Weeks Dyes Carrot, Banana Popsicle, and Emerald on antique white evenweave.  I added fat quarter fabrics, beads and floss to give to Ann in the exchange.

This is  Born Shopper.  I have been stitching her on weekends.  I did stitch more on her since I took the picture.  She is starting to form more and I had done some of the gray under the mittens and top of the scarf.  Next time you will get the update.

The pictures above is the mail art I send out to Shari. I had the hardest time stitching this piece and took most of May to stitch.  It was not my first choice. I was going to stitch apple blossoms but the frogs was having a huge party.  They are just a  huge pest.  I went with bunnies and flowers. They are from Donna Kooler's 55 Favorite Designs.  It has its character flaws but it came out cute.  It is only my second mail art I had made and my first one was very wonky. This one is neater.

This one is Little House 2012 All Dolled Up Quaker Birds ornament.  I am stitching this one over one on some rose colored opalescent 28 count fabric.  I put my pair of scissors to show how tiny the ornament is going be when finish. I am using Carrie's Threads Periwinkle.

123Stitch has monthly contest and I have been entering in it almost every month since I discovered 123 Stitch in 2003.  At the beginning of the month, I got an email from Joann stating I was one of the winners of Little House Needleworks Summer Band Sampler.  After I picked myself off from the floor, I send her my information and I got it a few days later.  Now I have to get the other three, because they are very pretty.  And Little House being one of my favorite designers, I was stoked pink for a couple days.  Thank you all of you who sent their congratulations to me on my yahoo groups.

Next week at this time I will be in Colorado Springs.  I am leaving Tuesday on the Greyhound and be in there Thursday morning. I am looking forward to the trip. There is a lot to do and I am still working on the schedule because some places need reservations for the tours.  I will have fun and going see some wolves, an old ghost town, a castle or two, and a couple LNSs. Throw in a class, dinners and swaps, I don't know if I will get some sleep, well at least not much.  Sunday I am on my way to Tulsa to see my godson/nephew, who I haven't seen in 4 years.  I get to hang out with him for a couple days. I am hoping to get to the Aquarium and to The Silver Needle store before I leave.  I will be home on Friday.   On top of that, I got a new camera. I dropped my camera and the battery lid would not close. Since that was where the memory card is too, I didn't trust the camera will save the pictures. I was going borrow my aunt's camera and she did give it to me.  Last week I was in Walmart and they had some camera on clearance for $50. I had no intention buy a new camera until I got back, but with that price, I couldn't walk away. I can do a whole bunch of things with it. 

My next post will be about my trip with lots of pictures.  Have a great couple weeks.

Many hugs,

Vicky

Stitching update

Where did the time go? It seems to be flying out of my reach lately, and I haven't done anything special.  Can it stop for a few minutes so I can catch my breath? I really have not been stitching much.  I think the computer is the collaborate, as usual,lol. Here is a couple on my works in progress:

 This one is Halloween House and you can see I did a couple of pumpkins and little of the grass. Definitely will be working more on the grass and the boarder next time I stitched on this one.

This one is Born Shopper.  She is coming along and I do like the colors.  I want to get back to her soon. I will be doing the scarf next, where the red line is and hopefully some of the white next time.

I did a couple of Disney's ornaments for a RR.  I love the fabric because it sparkles.  The patterns were a little tough to read because the backstitching was very thick and there were a few quarter and three-fourths stitches right next to the lines.  They were quick to do and did both of them in one week.  The  characters are Lady from "Lady and the Tramp" and Ariel, from "The Little Mermaid".  Lady reminds me of Ryleigh, my friend's cocker spaniel.  Ryleigh and Ginger are now living in Florida, as my friend and her husband prepares the next step in their journey of living in Korea for the next two years.

The pictures above is part of a online class I am taking with one of my Yahoo's group.  I will be putting a stitched piece on a wooden box.  I stitched "Dream" by Joan Elliot on 32 count Rocky Mountain Purple lugana fabric.  I love her patterns.  Matter of fact, her pattern "Sleeping Beauty" will be in the next Cross Stitch Gold magazine. I will be buying it.  I stained the box a Mahogany Bay color.  I will be making a couple of these boxes in the near future for gifts. This one will be going to one of my sisters.

I am stitching a mail art envelope so I can not show that one yet.  I received mine from my partner, Shari. She did a great job and included some extras, needles and floss.  A girl can never have too much of floss and needles.  I covered the information for privacy.  My father brought in the mail and handed to me saying "That is so cool!". He liked it alot.  Thank you Shari!

I had went to a ortho doctor, because my right knee keeps dislocating.  Once it does, I can't walk with out pain until the next day.  The results is severe case of arthritis and my knee cap is off.  I do have it on my left knee, too, but not as bad.  I have two options, to get a artificial knee replacement or cortisone shots, but it will be in the future.  No doctor is not going want to put me under right now and with the weight, finding my joints will be hard for the needles.  It is one step at a time right now and maybe in a year, the knee replacement will be an option.  I am doing good on Weight Watchers. I lost a total of 11 pounds, including the first 7 pounds I gained in the first two weeks.  My leader thinks I am doing great, too.  The weather had been terrible last couple weeks but today it was finally cleared up.  I will be going back to my walking and so looking forward to it. 

Thank you for reading and leaving and comments you wish to leave behind.
Many hugs, Vicky