Another contest!

Stitch Pink, a blog about stitching and breast cancer awareness, is having a contest for a MDesign Survivor Tree Ornament (click to read and enter) with some other pictured goodies. You have until June 7th to enter and advertise.

"Four of a Kind"

The mail carrier knocked on my door and handed me a puffy envelope, ! Yeah! I wasn't expecting anything. It was a true-blue RAK, from Daffycat.
Thank you Sharon!!!!!!!!
What an adorable kit, "Four of a Kind", it's by Jeanette Crews. Fat, little birds! And they have such sweet little faces. Oh my word, they are so cute.
Thank you for thinking of me Sharon!

this IS personal

This is personal. Not detailed (I'll spare you) but important.

I have developed a bad attitude, BA for short. (Thank you EMS staffers, hee hee.) I have had one for some time, but it was only recently that I realized it had morphed. Ugh, ugly word, maybe increased. Or, no, morphed fits it best.
I have always had very strong opinions. Always. Even as a kid, though I always kept them to myself. I think it may have just been something to do with the way I was, personality wise, always wanting to please and not make waves. I guess also due to the fact that I didn't want to hear another's opinion on my views.

Well now, I am in the water with large paddles..... splashity splash!

It wasn't until talking with friends, especially my neighbor friends and my DH that it dawned on me. This summer was a huge turning point for me. I reached my absolute max in everything. I am so sure of what I want- in life, with relationships, and every other facet. I guess it was a time of clarity. Though I didn't make all the connections until now.
Odd thing this brain is.
Now I have this incredible urge to tell what I think. I am being open. About my feelings.
What a liberating experience.

Basil, seems to be common....

I have seen this on a few blogs and so far all I have seen is basil.
Anyone have any other results???

You Are Basil

You are quite popular and loved by most people. You have a mild temperament, but your style is definitely distinctive. You are sweet, attractive, and you often smell good.

What Spice Are You?

*eta: I changed the "You are quite popular and loved by post people" to "loved by most people". This is just an assumption.

May 11......

Happy Mother's Day

to those that are moms,

those that have them,

and to those that will be!

meet my new friend

This is my new friend, Cozy Heart.She smells minty when heated. She's pink.
Now a part of the group of my other good friends, the rice sock, the hot/cold packs made by 3M, and the hot & cold reusable pack from Rite Aid. Yep, I like my friends.
But I never thought to freeze a rice sock. Learned something new!
Cozy says she would like another, purple, cozy.

The Humbugs

fabric: 18ct Victorian Red aida ( I think)

fabric: 18ct white aida

thread: DMC 310 thread, for design and hangers

design: my own

The Challenge at EMS was to create humbugs, two of them, one done on light fabric and the other on dark, but, using the same pattern and thread on both.




I sent out the package to bebeche, then it dawned on me- I should have written in both English and French. Not just in English as I had done. Stupid me. She received them, and I think she likes them. I sure hope so.

I was going for a modern sort of look, I guess you could say. I was very nervous about the finishing and thought that if I could make it simple (KISS) then it would allow me to focus a bit more on the assembly. This way it gave me a little wiggle room in case I messed it up ( it tore or something) and I had to restitch.

I made the italicized "b" on my PC Stitch. I wanted it to be lowercase as her username ( like mine) is all in lowercase. On the backstiched username side I sketched the "b" on paper and decided I liked it. The rest of the name I sort of "stitched along" going more by how it looked and not on how well it fit. (*chuckle) Not the best way to design something. On the other hand, it felt very creative to me... I was stitching in hand, doing one section on the red then on the white, and so on. Probably sounds rather weird, but, it was very nice, going as the needle took me.
I crocheted the loops using the smallest hook I had at the time using DMC 310. I rather like the effect. Simple. My hands trembled the whole time. Nerves. Pure nerves.

The pictures are very deceptive. The stitched borders/outlines are 4 inches by 2 inches. Then once they were stitched up and stuffed they were sooo tiny. If I hadn't seen for myself how it all started, I don't think I would have believed it.

LionBrand

I pop in to Lion Brand's free pattern section a lot. Poking around to dream about what I may someday do but I only noticed this today.
Lion Brand has a blog called the Lion Brand Notebook which has a very interesting article on how to make Recyclable Bags. By Recycled bags it means reusing plastic shopping bags and making them into a messenger bag, or a crocheted mini shoulder bag; or using the ribbon from VCR tapes and making a sling bag. (I'd call the last two purses, but that's my opinion).
It looks very interesting. Could especially be good for the bags that had ripped or slitted on the way home and can't be reused as is. Just so happens that's the case for us a lot.

All the way from France!

The humbugs from the EMS Challenge:Humbugs Dark and Light Exchange arrived.:)

They are beautiful! Dom, who sent them to me, stitched them up using Primrose, from L'atelier du Pic Vert. It's a beautiful blend of colors. The way they look on the dark brown reminds me of chocolate with frosting. Mmmmmm. (In the first picture I was trying to hold them up together, with the door in the backdrop,but I don't think it came out quite as it should have. I'd click the camera and wiggle over and over. *chuckle)

She had wrapped them in the pink tissue paper, and enclosed a nice note and a kit of Christmas Cards as an extra little goodie. I had done my "usual" in not touching the lovely puffy envelope until I realized after passing by it several times that the envelope was open! I pulled everything out, worried that they didn't quite make the long journey. But, they did. I had heard about other stuffed stitched items not making it to their destination. Instead, an empty envelope arrives. *Gasp! Wasn't the case (thankfully) this time.

Aren't they sooo pretty?????

Thank you Dom!!!!!

I also realized after mailing out mine to *destination* that I wrote the note in English. Grr I should have written in English, translated it on Google and then wrote that as well. So sorry *exchange partner*.

Speaking of which, she should be getting mine soon. I hope.....

..ya know?

There are many things I have in my stash, bought and free, that I would love to do, but haven't for one reason or another gotten to. An example of this is the Dragon Dreams "Dragon of Hope" design , which Annie is working on now. I saw that gorgeous little purple dragon on her blog, *sigh, and I want to make it so badly. I have no idea what I would do with it when I am done, but it's on my to make list. Someday.
Well I think someday needs to move up a bit. My sister would love it. Just know it. I love it. It could go on a journal, or on the wall or on a throw pillow.... My son might even like it too. And this goes for the whole series of Generosity/Elemental Dragons!
Wonder if a bellpull style of them all could be pulled off and have it look nice with me and my brand new finishing skills, *chuckle.
Thoughts to ponder.

I managed a few half crosses on Cats- nothing WIP picture worthy. The first I have touched it since February. I didn't cry. It felt sort of peaceful actually.

amigurumi and an exchange

Angelsan crochets those cute little ,amigurumi characters which I find amazing anyone can do. I didn't realize how odd I am, until I mentioned how cute I think they are- especially the food ones. (Mmmmm, donuts......)
Oh my word. Come to think of it, a crayola crayon would be divine too! Or even a little box of them.
Here is an example of some of them. I love the ones of cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, and other sweets. I love them with and without the little happy faces.
I think it all ties in with how I like personification.
Now, whether I would try to learn how to make them? No clue. But they are fun to look at.

I participated in an exchange of humbugs. I sent mine out and remembered to take pictures this time. I can't wait until she gets them so I can post the pictures. They were fun to make, though I was nervous for most of the creating. I'd definitely do it again! Plus it could be a very nice style of finishing for ornaments and even little scissor fobs.
Did I mention these were my first finishes of the year????

Thank you Barbara of Mainely Stitching who posted about the Contest at Stitch Pink which is dedicated to Breast Cancer, "Where Stitches Are Made for a Cause".
I entered.... what a cool idea. :)