Some finishes.. cross stitch and craft.

Hello all... i want to start by showing a pic of this years ornament exchange for my family Christmas Party.   This will be my second Christmas party with my dads family and it is still pretty awesome.  I just like being around them.  I have made this christmas tree out of felt... what do you all think?  Do you think they will like it?  

Then second... i wanted to show you my Just Nan mouse.  My dd and i both stitched these little mice... and i finished both of them for us.. i added beads to the lil broom.  They are complcated to finish but worth it... they are adorable. 

 Thank you for stopping to look.   

Have a great week... 

Keep crossing those stitches.  

Tracy

New charts bought!!!!!

I had sooooo much fun.   Last Friday evening... my DD, my bestie(my sister from another family )  and myself headed to our local cross stitch shop for her fall sale and cookout night.    Oh my goodness what fun... what fun.   We wend to Keepsakes in Sharonville, OH.   What a good time... wine... food... charts... stitching... talking... and laughing.   It was such a good time but it almost always is when i am with my bestie and my dd.   She has free chart buckets... and they are a blast to go through and get some goodies... that is always a treat.  The shop owners  bith cater to us that nite.  Barb welcomes and gets us settles.. keeps everyone cared for and glasses full.   Her husband grills the best grilled chicken known to man... omg it is so good.   All i can say to both of them is that they are way more than shop owners... and treating people to this type of evening is just amazing.   Of course then there is the %off of everything in stock... so i do have to end this post wih a pic of my goodies. 
Thank you for stopping by and looking...
Tract

Did i miss the release???

Did i miss this release???    I haven been trying to watch for it.   I really like this one..    it is a Plum Street Sampler chart... and i believe it is called either Jacks place or Jacks Bash.  If anyone has ths chart used for sale or knows of a shop i can get this at please let me know... i would love any details i can get.   
Thank you girls..
Tracy

THE BEST HAND MADE PROJECT BAGS

Look what my mail brought.... oh i am like a fat cat laying next to a bowl of warm milk.  My friend Barbara makes the very best project bags... she sells them at her oine needlework blog.  

http://theneedleworkstore.blogspot.com

these bags are made by Barbara ... and her blog is....

http://tostitchornottostitch.blogspot.com

She is soooo easy to work with and will find the fabric you have in mind... her work is so amazing... neat... clean... finished edges... quality fabric... amazing threads and designs... i am adicted to thes bags.  My daughter is too. 

I have tried so many times to get this one to rotate... but i can get it to do it... please excuse this... i will try to attach another at the end.   This is my second batch of project bags... and i am just so simply in love.    

This is the little small bag to go with it... to hold my extras... BUT itbis just PERFECT for my fob kit or an ornament project... and and this is sooooo pretty. 

I had to show you the embrodery in the cat... the pattern is amazing.  This is a smaller bag... and is about 6 1/2 X 8 1/2

Look at the finished edges... thes bags are fully lined... she has taken all into consideration and gives you such a good quality and well made bag.  

And this is sooooo adorable... his was made for my birthday.... isnt he adorable... my lil stitching turkey... she showed me a couple patterns... and this was by far my favorite... and he is made just as wonderful as the others.  

My birthday turkey is just adorable... and is about 9 1/2 X 15 ... isnt he adorable????

This is my tribal halloween cat.  He is about a 20 X 20 bag for a larger project and couldnt be more perfect.  

A few months back my daughter and i ordered a bag a piece... and i wanted to show you guys those bags too

This is m daughters bag... look at how the fabric matches the colors in her steam punk dragon.  His bag s made with quilted fabric and is just lovely.  

It is about a 13 x 13 and is made so nicely.  

This is my first bag she made for me ... it is about the 13 x 13 size and the swirlys in the fabric match perfectly with the scroll work in he owl... itbis my favorite color of green and no matter how many pics i take it does not even begin to show how nice it is... 

If you have not ordered from Barbara ... please touch base with her... you will not be disappointed with the bags she makes.  She makes several other things too... and she mailed our bags on monday and they arrived today... that was FAST.    Please take a look and if there is a certai. Design u want that you dont see ... please message her.   She makes it all so easy... and wow you will be wanting more and more of them.  

Tha k you for looki g and keep crossing those stitches

Tracy

FOB SO FAR... STATUS UPDATE WIP

On my birthday i took the day off work and started a special me project.. it was fun... and this is how far i was able to get.  

Autumn's Fright pin cushion kit

Shepherds Bush kit

bought at the finishing touch the weekend we were out of town.  

This is SUCH a fun kit and i am going to love finishing it... i am stitching it over 2 with 2 threads .  I will warn you if you do 2 threads u will need to get more green there is not enough to do all it calls for.  

This is the new store for The Finishing Touch in Louisville.  It was not hard to find.. but if you have gone to the old store this will be a bit disappointing to you ... my walk in closet is larger than this store... and there was not alot of available things to choose from.   For me this was not worth the 1 hour drive from Danvillle to Louisville.  But the ladies that were in there working were from the old store...and they were so nice and helpful you couldnt ask for better ladies.    I went to spend a ton of money and walked out with just a few things in a small bag. 

This is what i worked on while on the weekend trip to Danville..  this is the New Lizzie Kate Halloween series.  And it is a BLAST to stitch.   I am stitching it in the threads i calls for on a special cut of Down by the Sea Fabrics... is this not SOOOOO fun. 

I have another post to show you some very fun things so i hope to get it finished soon too.   Thank you for looking and keep crossing those stitches. 

Tracy

A New Car...

Hello readers... a few weeks back the hubby helped my daughter get a new little Hyunda Accent... the DH was so impressed with the way it handles and of course the 38 mpg and then on ECO mode it is more like 42 mpg.   soo... back to the dealorship we went.. for mine... here it is.. white 2014 accent with all the bells and whistles... hands free blue tooth.. sun roof... moon roof.  i just love it.   Going from the big engine in my Durango.. down to this itty bitty car has been a challenge but buying gas has been a breeze.  I was paying about $100 / week for gas... now.. $32... at most.  That is amazing.  It is a wonderful little car.   I love it.

Happy Mothers day!!!

It has been such a relaxed and happy mothers day for me...
My daughter brought me a chai tea.. and doughuts for breakfast...she brought me choc covered strawberries with coconut on them... yum!!!!!   then i sat watching movies with the kids... and stitching.  Dinner was made by my dh, dd, and ds, and it was a dinner fit for Kings...
Steak... crab legs... butter garlic shrimp.. baked potato, corn on the cob, and a dinner roll.   I ate way too much.  

I pulled out a UFO to work on today... Fairy Grandmother by Lavender & Lace

This is where i started... and after a lot of lavender thread.... 

this is where i was at the end of the day.  I believe i am going to save the beads for last... and going to work on the stitches alone for right now.  I am loving the way the colors are blending. 

Happy Mothers day to alk the mothers out there... 

keep crossing those stitches. 

Tracy

A date with a Phantom

Last Sunday my dd and i headed downtown to see Phantom of the Opera... i thought we had great seats... i have some pics for you.  

We were PRETTY disappointed in Phantom... the performance was weak.. the music was so loud that it drowned out ths singers from time to time to the point of not being able to hear and make out the words.  The person in the role if phantom had a weak voice... not one of the strength that a phantom would require... there was not this biysterous strong voice of demand... but a very unexperienced voice of what could have been a high school student at a high school talent show.  This is to be whole new design... and performance.... from listening to several people... they need to revert back to the old performance.  The word after was one of disappointment.. and that was not just from my group.  

just a piece of my weekend to share... 

keep crossing those stitches.  

Tracy

I'm late... I'm late...

For a very important post...

Oh my goodness... look at my goodies..  i hope my secret stitcher is able to see my blog and if she does....   THANK YOU!!!!   

This is the cloth covers that I place around my Q-snaps to keep the oils from my hands from getting on my projects... This is amazing that she knew I used these and needed another set in this size... 

Thank you! 

In this present was this absolutely GORGEOUS fabric... I would love to be rich enough to have one of every shade the Leslie makes... This fabric is amazing... Soft and the dye is so rich in color... I have a mermaid picked for this piece already... This is a large cut UNDER THE SEA FABRICS found at www.undertheseafabrics.com 

This is AMAZING!!!!!!

Look at all my goodies together... What an awesome secret stitcher I have... This was such a blessing to me to get these things.

I have saved my favorite for LAST... Oh my goodness... Oh my goodness... THANK YOU just doesn't feel quite enough... This is too much... I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new namaste case!!!!!  I have wanted one of these for YEARS... I love this and loaded it immediately!!! Well after I ran upstairs squealing like crazy!  

It has been such a hard few months... And this package came at the perfect time!

Thank you so much ... I hope you visit my blog from time to time... Oh my goodness thank you!!!!

Keep crossing those stitches

Tracy

Stitch and Frame... Ft Wayne, IN

Ok... So after we completed spending a wadddd of $'s at Vera Bradley... We had tons of time and my friend Debby had found a cross stitch shop... So off we went!!! This little adventure took us over the river several times and thru the woods... Stuck behind a stopped train... Singing and dancing to HAPPY... And then we arrived... 

Here is my temptations from the day...

Look at the models... The threads... The fabric...

Pics of the goodies that came home with me...

More of the shop...

The front sign... And what you will need to look for if u are in the Ft Wayne area... This was a great shop... Warm... Helpful... Comfortable to be in... Please look them up... And if you are reading Dawn... Thank you for a wonderful time! 

A Vera Bradley weekend.

This weekend was the yearly Vera Bradley sale in Ft Wayne Indiana. So Friday late in the day my best friend, my daughter, and I  with a jumbo Starbucks Chai Tea latte in hand... hit the road... Indiana bound. We arrived late in the evening to get some dinner and retire to stitch together in our room while watching the weekly dose of Grimm, and Hannabal.  What a comfortable evening.  

Of course the  5:30 alarm  screamed WAY too soon... And off we headed towards the war memorial coliseum.   The line of "Vera-ites" were already growing... And we stood watching the sun rise shivering and drinking coffee.  

The doors open and the staff welcomed us and ushered us into a room of goodies just waiting to be bought.   I had a budget ... An allowance of sorts... So I tried to stick to my budget... And I did ... For the most part... Ok a little over but still very happy with mt new treasures. 

I am having troubles getting my pics to load right... If you click them they should open so that you see the entire picture... I am sorry ... But I can't seem to get them to work. 

This is my daughter and me waiting for the doors to open on the colorful cloth world of adventure!

T

This is my best friend and I... A day of fun... And memories to add to my bank of good days! 

If you look behind the dd... Wow zeros the hoards of people with treasures in hand making their way to pay... Shew! 

This post would not be complete without showing you the many goodies I brought back ... What a fun day!!!!!

Saturday Finish!

Happy Sunday Morning to you.   I hope you are all safe from the weather elements. It snowed here Friday night around 5 inches here where i am.   Then again last nite another inch. This is the first time in YEARS i can say... i am tired of snow.  

I am so excited to show you my Saturday finish.   I have fun fabric... a totally fun chart to stitch.   (of course i believe all of Paulette's charts are FUN to stitch.  

This is ...

Stranded Jacks

Plum Street Samplers

Paulette Stewart

1 out of 5 squares

What a cut lil guy!!!!!

Look at the fabric.... 

36 count Burnt Bronze

and it is made by 

UNDER THE SEA  fabrics

One down.... now 4 more to stitch... this is sooooo fun.  And i just love the way it looks.  The facric is soft to work with and the color is just perfect!!!  I am off to start the second block!

Keep crossing those stitches... 

Tracy

I think i have a BIT of a problem...

Is there such a thing as a 12 step program for needle minders?   Giggle. 

Ok... so i have showed you all these wonderful little needle minders that Kim makes... oh my goodness.   I had to have a butterfly... and of course another dragon.. oh i am in so much trouble.  Kims work is beyond what these pictures could ever show.  She is amazing ... and talented.... and so extremely nice to work with.  Her creations are made fast....shipped and packaged safely. Please take the time to lookbat her Etsy shop and take a look at her goodies. 

The needles tuck under the base.. and are held by a strong magnet.. and the character   of the dragons show thru.  Their little eyes... i just think they are adorable. 

This is my blue dragon... and i need to think of a cute lil name for him.... i just love him. 

You can see in this picture that my daughter ordered a dragon necklace... WOW!!!  It is large and so cool looking!

I wanted to end with this picture... this is a dream of mine... i would love to have one of these hand made bowls... i have looked and looked and the prices are sooooo high.I am hoping to be able to afford one of these.... i thing it would be so cool to place this in the middle of my dining room table and place my smqll cross stitched pieces in it... maybe do seasonal pieces.  It is a dream of mine... maybe one day. 

good night all... i hope you each have a wonderful valentines day... and keep crossing those stitches... 

Tracy

Package from my Secret Stitch Pal

Today it is cold and dreary in Kentucky.  We have had snow showers off and on most of the day.  We are to have another 1-2 inches tomorrow. I am surrounded by snow and Ice from our last big snow "event".  I am very frustrated and want warmer days. 

As if that is not enough.... On the way home last Tuesday... My car just died and left me stranded on the side of the road.  After being sick for over 3 weeks with the flu.. Double ear infection... Viral bronchitis... And then walking pneumonia... I was afraid of being trapped with no heat like that.  Almost 3 hours later... The tow truck pulled away with my Clifford red Durango... Otha's been to 2 shops and finally on Friday they let us know it was sensors and the fuel pump... I should have it again Monday as long as all goes well... I am trapped with no car. 

So today I have been a bit down... In my mailbox was this fun little package from my secret pal! 

Look at the pink silks... Oh my goodness... Absolutely beaut-t-ful!!!!  Oh and the blingy needle minders... Oh my goodness... I just LOVE BLING !!!!!

I won't know who is sending me the gifts in 2014 until some time in December ... I am soooo thankful for her present it lifted my spirits on a pretty bad day!  

Just had to post my goodies!!! 

Take car... Hope all are safe and warm. 

Tracy