The Cat's Out of the Bag

Calling all  Little House Needleworks/Crescent Colours fans!

Remember when I mentioned that I was doing model stitching and I showed you all of my orts as proof that I really was stitching?

Well, take a look at this.....it is called Four Corners.  It is a thread pack and will be released in three parts.

Borrowed from Little House Needleworks (here)

I had so much fun stitching this.  I would like to thank Sharon Crescent of Crescent Colours for letting me stitch another fabulous model.  Thanks Sharon!

Here are a few of my favorite shots.....

Now I'm off to try and catch up on my blog roll.

Happy Stitches!

I'm a Bad Girl

I may be a "Bad Girl" but I do feel much better after a mini shopping spree at my favorite not so LNS.  I decided to follow everyone's advice and I put my order in for some market goodies.  Soon I will have to stalk the mailman!

Hopefully I'll have some updated stitching pictures after my Sunday stitch in with the girls......

Happy Stitching!

Tons of Goodies and a Market Giveaway

I promised pictures of the goodies that I was lucky enough to pick up while I was at market.  While this is not everything, most of it made it into this picture.  (Sorry if it is a little dark, we've had rain for the last four days and also got caught in the Tropical Storm Nicole remnants so my lighting is less than desirable.)

Not pictured are some additional charts from Raise the Roof, Miss Crescent's Crowne and Sam Sarah as well as a Jenny Bean T-Shirt from Shakespeare's Peddler.  I also came home with some Crescent Colors Cottons and Belle Soie.  YUMMY!!!  (Thank you dearest Sharon!!!!  Kisses!!!!)

Lately, I've really been into Lakeside Linen and I've got quite the stash to prove it.  However, I've seen many of you using linen from Picture This Plus.  So, since I was unlucky lucky enough to have them just down the hall, I took a quick peek.  After seeing all of the delicious colors I knew I had to give it a try.  I was good and I came home with only one stitcher's half.  I don't remember the name of it off the top of my head, but it is a lovely shade of lilac in 36ct..... (I know, it looks a little grey in this picture, but the color in the picture above shows up a little better.)

This is one of my favorite pieces from the show..........

It is a birth sampler from Chessie & Me.  After I read the saying I knew I had to have it.  It says "When you were born, you cry and the World Rejoices"  "May you live in such a manner that when you leave this earth, the World cries and You Rejoice".  Quite lovely, don't you think?  I thought it was a perfect sampler to add to the stash so that I'll have it on hand when the time is right.

Speaking of the time being right, I think that it is time for another giveaway.  I picked up a couple of goodies from market just for you.......my dear blogging buddies.  It will be a surprise as to what it is, but I will say that I did buy duplicates because I had to have it for my stash as well.  I'm also going to include a few bits of fabric and a chart or two from my personal stash since I had to make room for my new goodies.  (Hubby's orders!)

So, if you would like to join in on the giveaway, please comment on this post only.  To earn a second chance in the giveaway, feel free to post about my giveaway somewhere on your blog.  Please be aware that you must comment a second time to get this second chance since I usually use a random number generator to pick my winner.  Followers only please, as I would love to reward those who faithfully read my blog.

This giveaway will end at Midnight (EST) on October 10th and I will draw the winner on Monday, October 11th.  Good luck to everyone! 

Happy Stitching!

Back From Market

First of all, I would like to extend a hearty "WELCOME" and a warm hug to all of my new followers!  I just love meeting new stitchy people!

I made it back from Market in St. Charles and I'm still all in one piece.  It was a grueling, but fun five days.  I started off with an early morning flight out to St. Louis on Thursday.  Let's just say that the first leg of my journey was almost a personal hygiene disaster while mid-flight.  I should really preface this by saying that I am not a great flyer.....I get motion sickness!  But, even with my handy dandy dose of Dramamine, I was digging in the seat pocket to look for that little white air sickness bag!  I've never been so happy to land in my life!  Thank goodness for the longer layover so that I could put my stomach to rights.

After a short second leg, I made it to the St. Louis airport where I patiently waited for my friends.  I was so excited to see Sharon and Jean Lea.  We had a quick, but heartfelt reunion and then we were off to the hotel.  We arrived early enough on Thursday that we were able to get a jump start and get few things set up in the booth.  These are the racks of floss that Sharon brings to market.  The one on the left is filled with cottons.  The center one has all that buttery goodness that is Belle Soie Silks.  The third is filled with the Pearle cottons.  Just look at all those colors!  There are so many that most of the cottons and silks are double hung.  It's almost like having your own personal rainbow at your beck and call........

On Friday Sharon taught a class and then she was on the panel of a technology forum.  I got to enjoy the class and I was even lucky enough to receive some wonderful kits from Erica Michaels, JBW, Lizze*Kate and Miss Crescent's Crowne.  Then while she was on the panel, I went up to the room and finished setting up.  Here's the end result of some hard work........

On Saturday morning at 9am, we were open and ready for business!  Two full days of selling our new cottons, silks and pearles.  There was also some furious selling of the newest Silk Thread Pack collaboration between Raise the Roof designs and Crescent Colours.  It's called Halloween Town.  You can see it here on Theresa's blog (Shakespeare's Peddler) or here on the Crescent Colours blog.  Speaking of Theresa of Shakespeare's Peddler, here she is in action on Saturday.  Her room was packed every time I walked by!

Luckily, I was able to get out of the room a few times so that I could visit with some of the other designers.  I was even able to pick up a few things for myself as well as a couple of items for a giveaway.  (GASP......did someone say GIVEAWAY??????  Details will be forthcoming.)

Here is a peek into the room of Just Another Button Company.......  Just look at all of those buttons and button kits!

Next door to us was Chessie & Me.  Here's a peek into her room as well.........

Sunday evening was a race against the UPS clock, but we got the booth packed up and shipped in record time!  It was such a fun market and I was sad to leave everyone on Monday morning.  Especially my dear friend Sharon.......it's hard to be so far away.  I'm just so grateful for technology so that we can talk to each other without spending so much money on long distance calls!

I hope you enjoyed the little peek into market.  I hope to have some pictures in the next couple of days of a few of the goodies that I picked up while I was there.

Happy Stitching!

It's Market Time!

Here we are again, the fall has officially arrived and you know what that means........the TNNA Market in St Charles!  Woo-oo!  I can't wait to see my dear friend Sharon Crescent of Crescent Colours.  I haven't seen her since my visit in May, so it is high time that we spend some good "friend time" together.

Now, I can assure you that although this market will be tons of fun, I will be working my little tail off this weekend!  I've been entrusted with much of the set up since Sharon will be teaching some fun classes.  (Too bad I can't just go to the class instead!)

Speaking of stitching, I think I finally kicked that little frog out the front door last night.........after he hit my piece for the FOURTH (yes, I said fourth) time.  He's lucky I don't like frog legs!  With the meat on those legs, he would have been a fulfilling dinner time treat!  But, at least I'm finally on my way with this dang piece.  I just need to get my needle smoking after I finish packing tonight.

Oh, and one last thing.  To any of you who are not my regular readers and think that you can start some funny stuff at my home while I'm gone...........JUST DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!  The watch pup will be on guard 24/7 along with Hubby and his best friend Ruger.  So, if you want to cross the line, just be forewarned!  (This is why I don't usually post about being gone until after I'm already back.  I just want to stay safe you know!  So I apologize in advance if the preceding statements offend you.)

Happy Stitching!

Whirlwind Adventure

I know I haven’t blogged in over a week, BAD ME! Well, I have an excuse. In fact, I think it is a great excuse………I went on VACATION! I decided that after all the drama that I have been enduring on the home front, I needed a getaway. One that was far, far, far away from the hustle and bustle of normal life. So, after following doctor’s orders and consulting with my dear sweet friend Sharon, I booked a flight and headed out to the “Grand Canyon State” and what I think of as the “Land of the Sun”, Arizona. You know, were the sun always seems to shine and the temperatures are warm with little to no humidity.

Last Wednesday morning found me up at the butt-crack of dawn even before the birds started singing. My brother was kind enough to take me to the airport for my 7am flight out. I flew through Chicago (Midway) and then landed in Phoenix around 1:30pm. The flights were full, so the only time I was able to stitch was during the layover. I was able to start LHN’s Needle and Thread from the 2010 Nashville Market. Upon arrival in Phoenix I found warm temperatures and sunny skies! Ahhhh………relief! Sharon swept me out of the airport and we split a Nacho plate from Red Robin before heading over to The Attic in Mesa. Oh, what joy to be able to walk into that shop! If you are ever in Mesa or the greater Phoenix area, it is worth the trip. Jean and her girls are FABULOUS! (Don't forget to check out Jean's gorgeous newsletters!  Can you tell I'm a happy client?) After some browsing and drooling we headed out to dinner to a pizza place called Sauce. It was definitely not your typical Pizza Hut pizza and salad. Oh, how yummy!  Thanks for the fabulous dinner Jean!

Thursday brought a morning to sleep late followed by plenty of “girl talk” and catching up with my dear friend Sharon. We headed over to Arriba’s Mexican Grill for lunch. I love Mexican food, so eating in Arizona was a treat for me. I had some great Chicken Tacos which had a “kick” that I don’t normally get at home. We also saw someone order a 48oz Frozen Margarita. That thing was HUGE!!!! I wish that I had my camera with me since you would not believe how big that drink was. There were two people sharing it and by the time we left I think they only lowered the contents by one inch! Thursday afternoon we hit the Pandora store. We don’t have a Pandora exclusive store at home, so this was a treat for me. They had every charm imaginable in that place. I got myself a few new ones including the retired compass and I also picked up a gift for my mother for Mother’s Day. After shopping we went to The Attic for their stitch night. I was welcomed with open arms. If you are ever in the area on a Thursday night and you want to stitch, I know they would welcome you with the same warmth that they showed me.

Friday was another fun day. Lazy was the word of the morning and we headed out to Kona Grill for lunch and another wonderful dining experience. (I had some sushi and sashimi, which is another of my favorite foods.) We headed home for a little stitching before we went out to Chase Field to watch my favorite baseball team……The Arizona Diamondbacks!

In a side note, I didn’t have a favorite baseball team until two years ago when we went to Sedona on our honeymoon and got to watch them on the Hyatt’s outdoor lounge TV’s while listening to the crowd at the stadium. In the end, they lost on Friday night, but it was a great game. I even got a few awesome pictures. Look at Johnson getting ready to swing at the baseball. How amazing is that?

We had GREAT seats on the second level! I even had my fingertips on a pop fly from Gillespie, but my arms weren’t long enough and the ball ended up on the level below. All I can say is that I can’t wait to go to another MLB game. Hubby even told me that if I wanted to watch the D-Backs on TV that he wouldn’t mind if I ordered the MLB package for our cable network. How sweet! However, I think I will pass this year and I’ll save up for it next year.

Saturday was filled with stitching. They had a Stitch In at The Attic, so we went there for the day. I had tons of fun. Not too much stitching on my part though. I was too busy shopping! It has been awhile since I have set foot in a brick and mortar store and my pocket book is quite a bit lighter as a result. I ended up with a few patterns, some stitching accessories and a ton of fabric. Some of the ladies even convinced me to try a stitching on a piece of 45 count fabric. So, I’ve decided that I’m going to stitch one of Blackbird Design’s Reward of Merit pieces. Seriously though, check out this haul! (I should also mention that dinner Saturday night was at another fabulous Mexican place....Tia Rosa's!  So many thanks to Sharon for my lovely stay.........thanking you with dinner isn't thanks enough in my book!)

To my surpirse, I even saw Paula of Kelmscott Designs during both the Thursday night and Saturday stitch in.  It turns out that when she is not in Canada, she calls Arizona her second home.  Check out these goodies that she sent home with me.  Thanks Paula!  See you at Market!

Sunday was a day of rest. I just stitched all day long on Block Two of Shores of Hawk Run and LHN’s Needle and Thread. Of course, there was a little light packing for the return home on Monday as well.  Sharon sent me home with a model for the Columbus show. I'll be busy stitching that over the next week or two since it will need the fast turn around.

So, after running around yesterday and doing various errands, I’m now back to the grind at work. Whew! And, I just now noticed that none of my pictures had any stitchy progress to show.  I really did stitch a ton while I was on vacation.  I promise! I guess you will just have to stay tuned…………

Happy Stitching!

P.S. to Jennifer at Feathers in the Nest ~ I haven't forgotten about your win.  I picked up the last piece yesterday and I have some finishing to do, so I hope to have it in the mail to you by Monday!

I'm Famous!

I haven't done much blogging or much stitching lately as you already know. It has been breaking my heart that I have not had the will to pick up a needle and thread. Then, the day before I left for Nashville I saw the most darling little sampler freebie "Now I Know My ABC's" on the Blackbird Designs blog.  I knew that this was the sampler that would help me gain the strength to start stitching again.

Before I began packing for my Nashville trip I dug deep into my floss and fabric stash and came up with an alternative to the listed threads and fabric.  I grabbed my favorite Dovo's that I use when flying and I put my "kit" into my carry-on bag with the idea that I was going to have this started and finished before I got home. 

Once I arrived at the airport I became a little anxious since I was flying alone.  I'm not a "big traveler" and this was only the third time that I had ever flown by myself.  I calmed myself down by reading and once I got settled with that I decided it was time to pull out my stitching. 

I dug into my kit and pulled out all the necessary starting items.  I threaded my needle with the first color and then I determined my starting point.  I pulled that needle and thread through the fabic and experienced the most wonderful feeling in the world!  It was as if all my worries and stress floated up into space.  I felt free and alive again!  I should have just skipped the book and started with the stitching, but who knew?

Now, my weekend in Nashville was extremely busy, but whenever I had a free second alone I would pick up my sampler and add a stitch or two.  Once I was about halfway through I decided that it was time to show my progress to Barb & Alma (in the Blackbird Designs booth).  I took it to them and told them what an inspiration their designs were to me and how they (as designers) have helped me through the stress of life that I am dealing with right now. (Btw, this was not their design....in fact it was a charting of a sampler that Barb found, but that doesn't matter to me in the least.  Had they not reproduced it, I would never have seen it or started stitching again.)

Next thing I knew it was time to head home.  I continued to stitch on my sampler all the way home, but I did not fulfill my goal of finishing it.  In fact, it took me another few days to get it done due to my work schedule and the issues that I am dealing with.  The good news is that I haven't abandoned my stitching after all.  In fact, once I finished it up I decided to share it with Alma and I attached it to an email so that she could see it.  I was quite excited with the picture since the colors were very true to life on my screen.

Want to see it?  Well, here is the part where "I'm Famous!" comes in........check out Blackbird's Feburary 27th post ! (Scroll all the way to the bottom and mine is the last one.)

Happy Stitching!

Busy Weekend

As you know, things have been very crazy in my life lately. After much contemplation I decided that I needed some time away. Six months ago I had talked to my boss about taking this weekend off even though it is the middle of tax season. First off, I have a WONDERFUL boss. He agreed to let me go. With everything that has been going on I had thought about not going away. But, I'm so very glad that I did.

This weekend I was privleged to assist in the Crescent Colours booth at the TNNA market in Nashville, TN. While I worked my tail off, I also had so much fun. This whole weekend was so theraputic for me. I got to spend time with one of my very best friends that I don't get to see often enough. I got to see friends that I haven't seen in awhile. And I was able to meet new and exciting people and make new friends.

While at market I got to spend time with many wonderful designers that I have come to know persnally over the last few years. I also got to meet many new ones as well, such as Tracy Horner of Ink Circles. We as stitchers are so blessed to have such talent in our group!

I was stuck in the booth most of the weekend. It was crazy busy and the days really flew by. But, when I did get the chance to go out, I had a great time seeing all of the new stuff from everyone. I was lucky enough to be gifted some fabulous charts to add to my stash. I also have a huge mental list of charts that I want to add as well. I guess I'm going to have to contact my favorite shop so that I can scoop up more good stuff during the market celebrations.

So, now it looks like I'm going to have to return to the real world. Work is calling and I will have to make up for the time I spent out of the office. That means longer hours this week to make up for my "play time". Of course, that is in addition to the major hours that I am putting in due to the season.

Oh, by the way, Hubby found a job. He is supposed to start in two weeks. I don't know how this will all play out, but I hope it is exactly what is needed. I appreciate all the kind comments and prayers for Hubby and myself. We aren't out of the woods by any means, but things seem to be moving in a much better directon than they were.

I wish everyone a wonderful week. Happy Stitching!


One last P.S.
I'm still planning to blog, but it will be very sparse for the time being as I need to spend my time in some other areas for a little while longer. Thanks so much for understanding.

Time...

.....where does it go? I've been so busy the past two weeks! I've got so much to say and so much to show, but I just don't have the time to tell about it. So, this is just a quick note. I do intend to write more later. (And no, I haven't forgotten about all those pictures from the Outer Banks....they are still in my camera and have yet to get downloaded to the computer!)

Two weekends ago I was lucky enough to go to my first TNNA Market in St. Charles. It was a blast! I met so many great people. (It didn't hurt to have a stash boost either!)

This past weekend I spent at the "Harvest of Friendship" retreat in Virginia Beach. This was the third retreat I've ever attended and the second with this group. Wait until you see all the great stuff! Again, I met some really great people from all over.........from Virginia to Colorado, to Minnesota and even one from Alaska!

Unfortunately, the real world and work calls so I have to go. I really need a vacation from my time off so that I can catch up here!

Happy Stitching!