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WHAT'S NEW
1st
quarter 2012
2nd quarter 2012
friday, june
14, 2013
busy, busy, busy...as beavers...shoveling linens out the
door...it's been a good and productive week...and we are happy campers.
little house mystery sampler is due here on monday and we
will ship immediately...walking both days this weekend...going to the farmer's
market early tomorrow a.m. in between "walks". we actually
survived 106 last saturday - i walked out of this shop at about 2:00 p.m. and
thought i had hit an inferno - lord it was hot, had a lumpy thing removed from
the back of my right knee yesterday - grew big enough that the doc finally
agreed it was big enough to remove and i don't know how many stitches i have
because it's all covered up with a sticky pad thing that has survived one shower
and has to survive another shower and then i can take it off tomorrow afternoon
after the 3rd shower. neither my husband nor the doggers were too
sympathetic to my tale of woe - and i thought it was going to be a piece of cake
- except the "numbing" stuff had worn off by this morning and so advil
has become my new bestest friend thru the end of today...
have the website almost ready to preview our new treasures
here and will have something interesting and good with the next update...and
bear and i are going to do some volunteer work in san francisco next saturday
for the whole day - leaving about 8:30-9:00 a.m. and not returning home 'till
almost midnight and annie is coming to feed the doggers for me. i will
have lots of pics that i will put up...so look for them sometimes after saturday
the 22nd.
in the meantime...we've had some more fun stuff come thru the
door...and here they are:
just nan
summer typography (w/embellishments) $15.00
porch garden mice $11.00
garden mouse pin $10.00
just cross stitch
- 10 years dvd (2001 -2010) $49.00
have you wished you could get back issues of just cross stitch magazine in a pdf
format...well - here you go!!!
lizzie kate:
spooky string $4.00
fa la la la la $4.50
joy to the world $4.50
silent night $4.50
faith is being sure boxer (fabric & beads) $16.00
so...there you go...more things coming next week - we are
happy - it is summer here now and as long as we stay away from anything over 100
- it's mostly doable...the gardens are beautiful and the roses just love the
heat...i have the back bay of the garage to finish cleaning out and i am working
on the breast cancer kit every chance i get...and with 2 days off this weekend -
the list is quite long and i expect to be very productive...love long lists ;)
hope you all have a great weekend and a good father's
day/graduations/weddings - seriously - june is a very, very full month and then
we'll just fly right into the celebration for the 4th of july...the older i get
the faster the time seems to go.
thanks for visiting this week...and here's to a great
weekend.
wednesday,
june 5, 2013
couple of new charts that we
love...piles of stuff everywhere that will soon be up on the web site under the
listing "only here" and some other pretty swell stuff to.
we are also having a sale on
lakeside linens...once they are gone - they are gone...they are all listed on
the sale page so have some fun.
little house needleworks:
simplicity $6.00
beehive needleworks:
tending the garden $11.50
yes, we are open this
saturday...i will be working alone as annie and family are heading over to san
francisco to watch child youngest play trumpet in the clam shell in golden gate
park...how fun...and since we are expecting 106 degrees on saturday i think i
could be pea green with envy...because if it's that hot here - it will cool and
foggy in the City.
haven't figured out when i'm
going to walk on saturday - probably not at all because our worst hot is the end
of the day and i can't even imagine sweating that much...intentionally ;)
have a great weekend...maybe
i'll finish up the garage or paint some more boxes or do some more sewing...all
for the "special only here page" but i also have a pantry to clean out
and also make some more clothing donations to hospice....or...i could just sit
and trim the rest of the paris flea market pockets so annie can turn them right
side out for me next week and then i can put some ribbons on them...with such
endless choices - it's just too hard to make a decision ;)
mostly i think i'll be trying
to figure out how not to melt if i make the silly mistake of stepping outside.
thanks for visiting...we do
appreciate it and let us know if we can help.
friday, may
31, 2013
operative word is
"chicken" - operative phrase "with her head cut off" -
operative visual "running like a wild woman" but all good.
annie is over in the bay area
for 2 days...we have bins stacked to the ceiling waiting for delivery trucks to
arrive - as ready as we were and as much work as she did before she left
wednesday night - you guess it - nothing arrived - it will all be here on monday
and we shall just tackle it together - cause that's just what we do.
in the interim - i have spent
hours at the sewing machine, with a paint brush and with jewelry pliers and i
have to say - some pretty cute stuff that i'm very happy with... had to
wait until we closed this afternoon to apply coats of orange smelling wax to
boxes - they are now drying and i will buff them out on monday - and i will
bring the "linings" for them...because those are loaded into my car
for this weekend. i also have a box of bag straps to thread handle webbing
thru - it's mindless television fodder and the rest of the bag parts are sitting
waiting for handles - so that's the next step.
loose
feathers 2013:
of course we are participating and here is the information as we know it so far:
Barb
Adams and Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs are ready to start another successful
year of Loose Feathers! There will be 12 designs in this series, with one
being released monthly starting at the beginning of July. They have chosen
to create designs that have been inspired by their love of family and samplers
for this series.
Each
sampler will be framed and then the 12 pieces will all be grouped together to
hang on a wall. The size of the grouping will be approximately 34" x
22". The size of the first finished sampler is a 6" square, the
designs in this series will vary in size.
The
designs will be stitched on R&R 30ct linens, and will be using hand dyed
threads.
that's all i know for
right now but we are definitely taking reservations - however you want to
"play" with us is great: chart only, chart/fabric,
chart/fabric/threads - it's totally your decision - all you have to do is let us
know and we will take care of the rest with pleasure.
back of the house and
patio got power washed last weekend. there have been two other times in my
life when i was that dirty: putting in a 20x25 foot patio pad for a brick
patio a very long time ago in sacramento and spreading 8 cubic yards of
mulch...last saturday was quite the experience - it rained dirt down on me - it
took me 3 shampoos to get my hair clean...and the description "drowned
(dirty) rat" didn't even begin to cover it.
this weekend's adventure
is to do the front of the house and the driveway...work on the garage a little
bit more (i have actually found the back wall of the 2 card side of my garage
and it's been many years), do some serious walking with my friend terry, go to
the farmer's market tomorrow a.m. and maybe, just maybe get some studio work
done upstairs...maybe.
so...it's a little slow
with treasures coming in right now...except for when we get dumped on monday
morning and in the interim - i'm going to hustle really quickly - get the those
boses waxed and head out...looking at 100 degrees tomorrow...so the power washer
just might be fun and cool all things considered.
all our kids here in
modesto graduated last week/weekend but the surrounding cities and the church
high schools are graduating this weekend...so the city is busy and everybody is
watching out for the kids to make it home safe and sound after the festivities.
have a great weekend...i'm
off to hit the wax can...thanks for visiting...
friday, may
24, 2013
so...it's memorial day weekend, the list of things to
accomplish is two pages in a notebook and we'll see how much of it i
accomplish...should be interesting...and just too much fun...
i've been wandering around in the web site where you all
can't see - there were some monumental dust elephants in there...and i've added
a couple of pages but don't want to put links up until they actually have
something in them...and that's coming
in response to your questions - of COURSE we are getting the
new liberty hill box - it will be delivered here the end of june and yes, we are
taking names for our list.
a school girl's work box $58.00 SOLD OUT
liberty hill has a new design. the school girl trunk measures
approximately 9"x5"x6" tall and is a pennsylvania piece that a
school girl might have owned in the 1800's to house her stitching and other
important treasures. the make believe girl is named eliz. crumb. the
front of the box has a delightful scene including a brick house, trees, a
crescent moon, quilt shaped stars, a dear and even eliz. herself.
under the lid you will find a small drawstring stenciled bag containing a
2" first stitch starter, a project board with a ring for your threads and a
heart shaped scissor fob for your favorite pair of snips. these are in
limited supply and hand crafted and hand painted.
and that folks is the news for right now...because it's
memorial day weekend and because everybody has their minds on weddings, father's
day, graduation and all of those things that are happening right
now.
we are building more lady dot things, playing with the web
site, working on the breast cancer 2013 paris flea market and shoveling...and i
also have some shopping carts to spray paint out the back so we can wrap them
with fabric but...there has been a slight breeze (just enough) that i am not
comfortable spray painting anything out the back because there are cars parked
out there. when we get them started - i will definitely post pictures for
you - just the cutest things and everybody is doing a different color
combination...
in the interim - i have a garage that needs to be finished
being cleaned, i have a studio upstairs that is the last holdout for carpet in
our house so the carpet is being stripped out (yes, i'm doing that myself) and
then, because we have 2 free "big stuff" pick ups a year, the carpet
and "stuff" from the garage clean out is all going out to the
curb. also have a stack of wooden boxes that need to be sealed before i
paint them...not to mention walking, the farmers' market tomorrow morning and
the aforementioned list on my pad. so...because i have some more page
building/deleting and we're waiting for the hoffman update - and i have a ton of
fabric to cut for bags (to be put on those special pages i'm building) i had
better shake a leg and get moving in a forward motion... being so sick for
almost a month and then finishing it up with mowing/baling - it has set me back
just a little bit...and i was so pleased to notice that they had flooded the hay
fields this morning...which means in a month or two we will have more
mowing/baling/unscrew my eyes and scratch my brains out.
thanks for visiting...we so appreciate it.
friday, may
17, 2013
it's been an interesting week...we love
interesting weeks - to be sure - except they are hard to plan around...but
sometimes i think my life is far too structured and maybe 'letting go' just a
bit would be a good thing and then i get a panic feeling around giving somebody
too much control and so then i just puddle thru.
this is NOT the JCS ornament edition - it is the regular issue that has some of
the xmas ornaments in it. we upped out subscription on this one as well as
the regular issue that has some halloween ornaments in it. if you want
either one - let us know. we will have the christmas ornament edition
information up as soon as it's available to us. reminder...these two are
just the regular editions of JCS magazine with either xmas or halloween
ornaments in it.
the drawn thread:
we love these new offerings from the drawn thread - so pretty - so spring...and
cynthia does absolutely wonderful houses and the yellow one is no exception.
the spring garden $12.00
spring jumble $9.00
cricket collection:
letters part 1 $8.00
letters part 2 $8.00
letters part 3 $8.00
letters part 4 $8.00
shakespeare's peddler
just love this sampler...hard to get a good scan of it - dark fabric...but i
tried my best.
sarah chapple 1831 $25.00
fabric for the newest loose feather
agnes platt's strawberry sampler will be arriving no later than wednesday with
some here either today or monday and then we can start shoveling kits out the
door - and hopefully with a good tail wind we might get some threads today
too!!!
in the meanwhile...i'm walking this
weekend - hopefully will get 15-16 miles in...terry and i have a date to walk
downtown to the farmer's market tomorrow morning early and then i'm calling mr.
bear on my trusty phone and he is going to come down and get the goodies so we
can continue our training and not be dragging squash around the city ;)
when i can see (see paragraph below re
eyeball condition) i am secretly sneaking around the website cleaning up,
brightening, changing, and removing all forms of dust bunnies and other
"stuff" from the website. adding a couple of new pages over the
next few weeks - those are going to be a secret until i'm all finished with
them...and then we shall see what we shall see...
finally got over most of the galloping
crud that i caught right after the blue ribbon designs weekend - and just as
that happened...last thursday they started mowing and baling hay (first cut of
the season) and there is NOTHING in my arsenal of medications that will cure the
croaking voice, irritating cough and the real need to unscrew both eyeballs out
of the sockets and just itch my brains until i can't stand it any longer - we
get about 5 mowings a summer...this was our first one...and it's always the
worst because it's on top of everything else that is creating pollen...oh
well...
so...i'm going to publish this and then
go finish sewing around the last 33 of the paris flea market envelope bags so
annie and i can trim and turn them. she is stringing some new fobs for
lady dot frippery and i need to order some more clasps and crimp covers - i
can't believe how many we have gone thru and that i need to reorder those little
buggers. then, after my sewing marathon - i'm going to come back in here
and go sneaking around again ;)
have a wonderful weekend...enjoy...the
kids are graduating sometime next week/weekend and then summer will truly be
here...i borrowed a very giant power washer from some good friends...i am power
washing anything and everything that gets in my way tomorrow after our
walk...and it's supposed to warm up again so i think the term "drowned rat
in crocs" will be the best description of me. we shall see what we
shall see - but i guarantee you i will have moss free patios and paths...and
maybe even a clean gazebo full of wisteria that might have a second blooming if
i play my cards right.
thanks for visiting.... all of us
at elegant stitch.
friday, may
10, 2013
we are taking pre-orders $9.99 let us know so we have enough ordered to
take care of everybody ;) happy weekend.
wednesday, may
8, 2013
lots going on here - the
biggest thing is trying to get rid of the cough that just wears me out by the
end of the day - makes keeping my head up at night a little difficult.
we've accomplished a lot and have reordered threads and fabric is on the list
for this afternoon...and things have showed up here...so it's been lots of
running, skipping and jumping...all at the same time...no wonder i'm tired when
i get home.
we have to get our numbers
into the distributor in a week so if you are interested in little house
needlework song of the seasons - please let us know asap. all the
necessary information is listed below:
little house needlework mystery sampler:
song of the seasons mystery sampler
of course we are doing this...and we will take care of you however you want us
to...this is strictly your choice. there are three charts to this mystery
sampler with release dates from the distributor of june 11, july 9 and august
6. the charts are $8.00 each chart. there are 13 skeins of weeks dye
works in a pack if you desire for $28.60. the stitch count is 151 x 178
and we are offering either 30 count wdw straw at $15.70 per cut or 35 count
straw at $16.70 per cut. so, the choices are strictly up to you...charts
only, charts & fibers, charts, fibers & whichever count linen you
desire...tell us what you need and we will put you on the appropriate list with
our thanks.
betsy morgan coming to visit in
september - both our classes are very, very close to being sold out - we are
so excited...and it will be so fun to offer two incredible classes with this
amazing teacher. wonderful time is coming...i just so enjoy her classes -
excellent teacher...all good.
stacy nash - we have been waiting for this book and it
arrived the other day. spent a couple of happy hours last night turning
pages and reading... love her things...it's just a wonderful book of eye
candy...
my name is lidya $27.95
blackbird loose feathers (last chart of the 2012 season)
agnes platt $18.00 - has all of these wonderful designs.
this is the last chart (5 total) of the 2012 loose feathers series. we are
awaiting our charts/threads & fabric (everything has been ordered) so hang
with us - they are coming very soon and our automatics will go out to you all
immediately.
as soon as we have word of any automatic program from blackbird designs for 2013
- we will let you know - but this is the LAST chart of the 2012 season and not
the beginning of a new 2013 series.
little house needleworks:
a new chart from diane - i hope she does some more of these - love this
birdie...
miss peepers $6.00
just nan:
these came in while i was sick - and i'm late in getting them up...and for that
i apologize.
barnabee in bloom $13.00 (we have a few left)
summer by the sea w/embellishments $17.00
spring typography w/embellishments $15.00
okay...so...jumping in here before the entire internet comes
crashing down upon my head again. am cleaning up and deleting and moving
things and making some changes to the website and figuring out where and how we
want to go and what we want to do...we are excited about the changes and working
on some more wholesale things and am setting up a sale section on this website
and i think you'll be pleased with the results.
weather here has been horrible...90's one week, snow falling
in tahoe and closing the roads, torrential rains in sacramento, cold here and
yet, back to the 90's again by this weekend.
yes, we are open this saturday (2nd saturday of the month -
05/11) so if you're in the area drop in to say hi...the girls were talking about
coming in to stitch...but who knows at this point - and i have more than enough
to keep me out of mischief and hopefully i can get a few miles in on saturday
afternoon - that yuck i had for almost 3 weeks really kicked the stamina right
out of me...and scary as it is - november 15, 16 and 17th are just around the
corner training wise...and i am almost finished with some very special pin
cushions that can be had for a mere donation to our wonderful group of twinkle
toes walkers who are going to san diego... http://www.the3day.org/goto/lgmbear
so...before i lose all of this - a happy rest of the week -
school is almost out - we had proms last weekend - annie's tad and our next door
neighbor - and i believe with seven highschools in the area - we will have more
proms saturday night too!!! enjoy the weather and the end of school...i
hear dry creek park calling my name on sunday for my jaunt thru the california
oaks.
thanks for visiting...we so appreciate it.
lgm, annie, didnot and scruff la la
monday, april
29, 2013
belinda and i got horrible cases of the galloping crud
somewhere on our travels...i don't remember a thing from wednesday afternoon
until now and it's still a little sketchy.
i had an update all done - the computer blew a fuse and ate
it this morning so i had to repost everything again...
other than this disgusting "stuff" we had a
wonderful time at our event, the september workshop information has been posted,
i posted a sale on fabrics/fibers thru close of business on monday and i'm ready
to crawl into another hole...
thanks for your patience with us...this junk is not for the
faint of heart.
thursday,
april 18, 2013
lots to do this weekend...some of our workshop guests are
arriving this afternoon and we have a chinese feast tonight for dinner and after
i leave for the airport to pick up our shivering teacher from iowa and bring her
back to 84 degrees tomorrow and warmer over the weekend and then we are doing a
little bit of site seeing over sunday & monday...it will be a great trip and
a really great class and we are so very excited to see everybody.
september retreat information will be posted next thursday
the 25th and we are very excited about that - we're changing it up a little
bit...and i think everything will work well.
so...i had better shake a tail feather or two because
somebody is bound to come thru the door at any minute and i still need to move a
sewing machine off the table and a pile of shabby chic paris flea market
envelopes i'm working on.
little house needlework mystery sampler:
song of the seasons mystery sampler
of course we are doing this...and we will take care of you however you want us
to...this is strictly your choice. there are three charts to this mystery
sampler with release dates from the distributor of june 11, july 9 and august
6. the charts are $8.00 each chart. there are 13 skeins of weeks dye
works in a pack if you desire for $28.60. the stitch count is 151 x 178
and we are offering either 30 count wdw straw at $15.70 per cut or 35 count
straw at $16.70 per cut. so, the choices are strictly up to you...charts
only, charts & fibers, charts, fibers & whichever count linen you
desire...tell us what you need and we will put you on the appropriate list with
our thanks.
lizzie kate:
think deeply $8.00
a perfectly kept house boxer (linen & button) $16.00
buzzy string $4.00
jingles wait 'til december 25th w/embellishments $4.50
cheer w/embellishments $4.50
merry w/embellishments $4.50
stacy nash primitives:
1802 biscornu pinkeep $10.00
cast your spell pinkeep $10.00
jack treat bag & pinkeep $10.00
robin pinkeep $10.00 (pattern includes both counted thread robin and quilting
fabric robin...very cool)
velvet bunny pinkeep $10.00 (pattern includes both counted thread bunny and
fabric bunny...how fun!!)
kelmscott designs:
1/2" mother of pearl acorn buttons (10 per pack) $9.00
we just love these...they are so very cute.
so...that's the end of it for this week...waiting for guests
to arrive, my front room is absolutely FULL of boxes and stuff for the weekend
and i'm going to load up my car tomorrow afternoon and jet over to the
hotel...get that room set up. house is clean (or was when i left this
morning - but the wind is still blowing and the doggers drag all kinds of things
from the yard right thru the dog/cat door...who knows what will be on the rugs
in the family room when i get home, teacher almost to the airport on her side of
the world...it's all good.
we will have a team picture of team twinkle toes posted early
next week too - the entire TTT (twinkle toes team) will be here - am so very
excited about that...and annie has promised to be the camera person...that will
be fun too...
and then...it will be gone in a flash and we will start
preparing for september and i have a list of projects in various states of
disarray that annie and i need to get a handle on - some of which will be posted
for fundraising and i think you will like them...we certainly do.
so...i am jetting out of here...thanks for visiting this
week...we wish you a lovely weekend...and the insanity in boston is just too raw
to mention with no answers...but pay a kindness forward to somebody in
need...they won't be the only ones who feel good about the kindness.
lois, annie, didnot and scruff la la
thursday,
april 11, 2013
sorry - last week was a tough one - and this week didn't
start much better so i just kind of put my head down and one foot in front of
the other to get thru it...2 year anniversary of losing my mom...and trying to
help some good good friends wander down the same path...not a fun club to
join...but it will happen to all of us at some point in time...some sooner than
others...some far sooner than should ever happen...and the finality of it just
tears at our hearts. april is not good for annie either - both parents in
april so we just are "getting thru" this month...and thus, not very
cheerful and the update was just too hard...BUT...
we are so looking forward to our teacher and guests who will
be starting to arrive next thursday - we will have a wonderful time - we always
do - and i think, at this point, i'm dirtier than the store was/is...all the
dust is just jumping right on to me.
we had horrible wind the beginning of the week - two full
days of it - the pollen and allergies were just insane - and in thru windows and
doors it sifted...blew over a neighbor's tree in the front yard - tree
"stuff" all over the neighborhood...just yucky and between the white
wisteria and the liquid amber tree seed pods - it looked like snow and giant
spikey balls all over the yard and then mix in the tree stuff from 5 redwood
trees in the back yard...unreal. the bird feeders were swinging so hard in
the wind that the doves were having to white knuckle it - they were not leaving
the black sunflower seeds for love nor money - so it was definitely a case of
white knuckles and hanging on for dear life while they stuffed their faces.
we also - amid all the craziness getting ready have some new
things and we're very excited about them too - love the primitives and so here
we go before this internet connection shuts down on me.
stacy nash primitives
harvest pinkeep drum $10.00
letters scissor pouch $10.00
garden gate sewing book & pinkeep $10.00
beehive needleworks
martha tizwell's tulips $11.00
plum street samplers
spring jack $9.50
so...i am stitching when i get home - the first piece of the
2013 BC collection is finished...i have to finish up the on-line show stuff in
the morning - i have a monday deadline and i want to be all done before i go
home tomorrow evening - have to return something on my way home too - doggers go
for bathies on monday morning - guests start arriving thursday - picking up our
wonderful teacher from the airport thursday night - and after class i am taking
her for a bit of sight seeing in northern california...and we'll have a team
picture of 2013 3day walk san diego team twinkle toes because we will all be
together next weekend...i even purchased a sleeping bag a week or so ago...and
it's safely tucked upstairs in the hall closets along with all my
"stuff" that we spend months "gathering" for our weekend
stroll the middle of november. it's all good - and we are excited to see
everybody...if i could just convince the dirt to stay off of me and keep to the
dusting rags but alas - i fear that is an impossible request...i just seem to
attract it ;)
thanks for visiting...hopefully the world will be back to
spinning on the right axis...and with temperatures warming up very quickly here
- we are definitely in "spring" and the strawberries are already at
the farm stands...it's all good.
friday, march
29, 2013
yes, we got caught in the
data request serge that blew up the internet this week...i figured out how to
stop it on my website...that was a major brain exercise (thank heavens my brain
still works a little bit) and so we can progress further.
we are working on the
information for our september event here at elegant stitch and will post it as
soon as we get back to business after our april event. we are also in the
middle of posting information for the on-line show which is happening at the
same time as our april event and since our teacher is staying a few extra days
with us (we are very excited about that) it seems the last two weeks of april
are going to be "hang on tight for the ride" kind of weeks.
our entire team twinkle toes
will be here in april and we will finally get a team picture to post on www.the3day.org
website and that is going to be quite the picture too...we are a strong team and
have already made huge "strides" into our fund-raising. we are
also working on some stuff from here that will be tied directly to donations to
our team so check back because there is going to be some really cute stuff - and
i'm not spilling any more beans. i also know that one of my team mates is
working on something pretty cute too...
paris flea market 2013 we are now at waiting list status and availability will be
determined by whether the two guilds take all their reserved kits. the list is
constructed and in alpha order so if you are not sure if you have your name in -
i will be more than happy to double check that for you. annie has finished
stitching one of the pieces for me and i'm going to put it together this
weekend...it could be another photo moment. we are also working on the
scissor fobs - just ordered some more beads to complete those and i figured out
dear little pins to go into the pincushion that is going to be part of this kit.
unfortunately there is not much new this week - we are
waiting for the last bit of the blue ribbon designs mystery sampler to arrive
here not to mention the little house sheep virtues and a couple of other things.
yes, there will be a loose feathers from blackbird designs
later this year - we will have more information sometime around may - we had a
really good chat with alma and barb about this on sunday morning at market...and
we are so interested in what they have come up with.
the workroom in the front of the store is FULL of april kits,
pressies, bags, bows, notebooks, finishing kits...all ready for everybody to
arrive, the rest of the store is being cleaned and i'm tossing with a frenzied
fury but i'm doing that at home too...almost "spring cleaning" but
nothing THAT drastic ;) annie told me she was cleaning out her shoes this
weekend...i did that one last weekend.
so...have a very happy spring weekend...easter is here very
early and we are supposed to have 81 degrees today and thunder showers and 70 on
sunday...very weird weather and yet there are almonds actually showing on the
trees...it seems they grew big very very fast and yet we have very little snow
pack up in the sierras so that's worrisome too!!!
lois, annie, didnot and scruff la la
wednesday,
march 27, 2013
brief note: i've had
to unhook the "order" form on the website on a temporary basis - we
are receiving a lot of "spam" on it thru the website and i have my
hosting company trying to figure out where they are coming from - over 200 a
day...when we get it straightened out - i'll re-link it. in the interim,
please use the phone (800.790.0810) or the email address to send orders.
thanks!
thursday,
march 21, 2013
we've been asked a couple of times to give a sneak peek of
the 2013 breast cancer project...i updated the front page and also - here you
go. i have exactly 100 kits after we pull for my 2 guilds who do this
project every year so we will be delighted to put your name on the list and that
reserves you one of the 100 available kits.
here's a sneak peek of the finished envelope bag, scissor fob, scissors - just
so you get some idea. the envelope fits a full sized chart, it is lined in
the small print shown at the top left flap - there is a pink pearl pin and a
crystal pin holding the flap back (yes, those are included) and the jeweled
scissor fob will be finished for you and clipped to your tiny eiffel tower
scissors. the stitching parts of this project are not ready for display quite
yet...but this will certainly give you an idea as to which path we are following
this year and no, i don't have a price yet but we do our bestest to keep
the kit cost very reasonable.
paris flea market 2013
needlework press: i kept waiting for our needlework project
boxes/clip boards to come in and of course - as i work on this update - i get
notice from ups that they will be delivered late this morning. so...we
have the chart which is quite wonderful and includes all 50 states, canada,
england and france - can be framed or made into a sweet little front buttoned
bag...and as soon as i finish this update - the ups man will make an appearance
at my front door with the project boxes - it is guaranteed - without fail.
my home $14.00
kathy barrick: it seems that kathy barrick is back
under her own name (not carriage house) and both our distributors will be
carrying her charts. we have put the selections in here and hope you like
them
cat and mouse $10.00
crowned heart $12.00
moon dance $9.00
strawberry bird $9.00
joyeux noel $9.00
october 31 $9.00
strawberry town $9.00
and so...it's been another week - bruce's red persian went in
on monday to have his teeth cleaned - bad breeding - he now has exactly 6 teeth
left in his head and a jaw bone graft - we won't even discuss the national debt
that was incurred...but ya do what ya do because ya do it...he is recovering
quite well but it is mama who gets to shove the antibiotics down his throat
twice a day...papa remains the "good parent" while mama is becoming
less and less popular the better mr. lolo gets feeling... there is just
nothing fair about this one...and of course, cats are much different that dogs -
you can't hide it in a piece of cheese...nope...but the other kitties in the
house think that the canned cat foot mixed with chicken broth into a mash is
quite tasty and i think mr. lolo has gone back to crunchy food...there is no
winning....
we have pink envelope bags everywhere, i have the solder gun
on the front table and boy, that sucker can get mighty hot, the kits for the
retreat are up in the front room and desperately need my attention...hopefully
today...
annie has a pile of things that need to be ordered and there
is some serious cleaning to be done around here as well... walking this
weekend, the oak, mulberry & ash are SERIOUSLY in bloom and i don't think i
have one tiny smidge of mascara on this morning...and it happened overnight -
was nothing like this yesterday...
so...that's the "fun" from the central valley -
more next week - in the interim - i am playing with easter eggs at home - paper
ones that come apart - the insides are painted gold leaf and this afternoon i
get to go home and get "glass" glitter everywhere in my kitchen when i
coat the outsides - and keep the giant sucking machine very handy because
grinding that into hardwood floors is not a good thing.
spring is truly and really here in the valley - the red bud
tree is almost full bloom and yesterday's trip to the back yard - purple
wisteria about 3 days off and the top of the patio will be in full white
wisteria bloom by this time next week. and of course, with spring comes
the allergies and those are quite spectacular this year as well.
have a great weekend...palm sunday...easter is right around
the corner but it still seems way way early this year.
thursday,
march 14, 2013
greetings to everybody...it's been a busy couple of weeks
around here...market and return, shoveling and rearranging and reordering and
now we are in the waiting game - for stuff to come and for things that we
ordered at market to come in...not too patient with the waiting game...and
honestly don't understand the waiting game...but in the
interim...
...we are getting the last of our kits ready for our blue
ribbon design workshop in april, making arrangements to show our dear friend
belinda parts of california she hasn't seen yet, getting really excited because
the entire "twinkle toes" team will be here at that event and we shall
have "before" pictures - because you can damn bet that mama sandy and
mama lois will want pics of our little "twinks" after they have
finished their 60 miles in san diego...
we have also cut out and bonded all the paris flea market
breast cancer projects and i am about ready to hit the sewing machine with those
and annie is cutting wire for the custom fobs we have designed and will
make...our scissors have been picked - and kindly sent by kelmscott designs -
little hints...tiny eiffel towers make the perfect snip for paris flea markets
and shabby chic....i still have to cut up 18 rolls of 1.5" doubled-sided
satin ribbon...need to get that done because that ribbon is incorporated in the
bag construction...
...also have to get ready for lady dot at the on-line
needlework show in april (april is going to be very busy) and finalize the
details for our september workshops - some new and different ideas going on for
that one. and, in the middle of all of this happy and fun crazies...we are
walking our little feets off in training...and i'm getting very close to 1,000
training miles since november of 2011 when i started this adventure...but the
weather is turning too and we should be into the 80s today - spring vanished
while we were at nashville...the almonds have gone from beautiful white blossom
trees to green leafy trees and the peaches are not far behind...and yet, my
peonies have not come up in the pots at home...but the red bud tree is about 3
warm days from being a blaze of hot pink flowers and some of the japanese maples
have leafed...and i should have wisteria blossoms in less than 2 weeks...we are
already irrigating...again, some very weird spring weather - spring was a week
long this year...
so...here we go...there is more ordered and coming in and i'm
sure as soon as i finish this update the ups/fed ex/and mail person will show up
with more stuff and i'll shoot for a monday update because tuesdays are
impossible - we have a house full on tuesdays and my brains start to fall out of
my ears ;)
just nan:
spring in the tulips (1st of a four part series) w/embellishments $17.00
8 point star garden w/embellishments $20.00
of course we have the fabric for it...
flower bunny needle slide $7.60
running rabbit charm pin $10.00
drawn thread: love the new easter designs...sweet and
fresh...very, very drawn thread...
easter basket $8.00
easter eggs $12.00
praiseworthy stitches: we brought some of these back as
special order from market and i have a couple left over so first come, first
served. great kit - big piece of fabric to work on...and all the bits,
beads, threads, fabric you need to complete it...
quaker harvest necessaire (ltd. edition kit) $55.00
new york dreamer: this caught my eye at market...i have
spring fever...and it's done in dmc/crescent colours and weeks dye works...the
colors are wonderful and at 150 x 64 stitches it will be pretty sweet smalled
up.
spring time $8.00
ink circles:
the birds and the bees $14.00
auryTM:
hope (quaker style) $16.00
hands on design:
sew many tools (a finishing tutorial) $14.00
not only is this a cute little box but the finishing instructions are just
amazing!!! the designer is a quilter and a crafts person (i've got a lot
of her designs/books) and her instructions are just terrific - you make that
little "candy box" and the directions are concise and easy to
follow... and the stitched pieces are as sweet as can be.
so...this is crossed off my list - there is a solder iron on
the table, a cool glue gun, a ton of other stuff and a pile of kits to finalize
(making sure that i have put everything in them correctly) and i can mark THAT
off my list...not to mention the pile of sewing, marking, pinning, etc. that
awaits...and cutting of wire and crimping of beads and, and, and, and,
thank you for visiting us this week...either monday or
wednesday next week and hopefully the waiting game will be over as far as the
last of the market things arriving...that will make me very happy.
great weekend to you all...now that we've done "spring
ahead" it's dark as pitch out there in the morning...but that will change
as the weeks continue...
all of us to all of you...and there are now about 40
plastic eggs all over this shop now...and scruff la la is in cat heaven.
tuesday,
february 26, 2013
are we going to market??? of course we are. have
i done an update in two weeks? of course i haven't....BUT...i do have a
really good excuse...
a) annie has been sick for three weeks...the flu was horrible
and then 2 other things went wrong, thus...my hair was on fire because i was trying
to do this all by myself...and i don't think i messed up too badly...but lord
love a duck...it got a little bit hairy there in a couple of spots.
b) i managed, after seeing the dermo guy, to discover that i
had 3 spots behind my left ear, on my neck (yes, right in the wrinkle) of skin
cancer. so...head and neck surgery and a 3.5" incision down the side
of my neck...that pretty much took care of my good time. not to mention -
the aforementioned dermo guy also found multiple spots on all four appendages
that were sprouting cancer cells...and so 18 days of 2 treatments a day of chemo
cream...and i had some very lovely red/inflamed/raw hamburger wounds on all
appendages. that was some ugly stuff too...and i am now (thankfully) in
the process of healing all of those wounds. but all of this with both of
us went on at the same time so we didn't have the slightest clue what to do
except hold on tight and figure it would end soon enough.
so...yes we are going to market, wouldn't miss it for the
world. some of the things are already on their way to us and will be here
when we get back into the shop on monday...but we so look forward to seeing all
the things in "person" so we can make determinations as to
finishing/quality/look, etc. that i don't do much "pre-ordering"
because i want to be surprised, wowed and excited...it's a huge part of why i go
to market...to get inspired and re-energized...and i've been to every single one
since 1997...so yes, i am looking forward - it's one of my very most favorite
markets...
we will have a market report on monday sometime after lunch
if all goes according to plan...and in the meantime...gas in my car on the way
home, the few last things to plop in the bags that are sitting on my living room
floor...making arrangements for bruce to come down and take care of the pussy
cats...and we are out of here first thing thursday morning.
now...just for fun...some of the bestest cat toys
ever...empty plastic easter eggs that wobbly roll across the floor. scruff
la la had a good good friend bring her some and she had such a good time hiding
all of them...i was at the craft store the other day and found 2 bags of 10 eggs
for $1.49 per bag...so yes, somewhere in this shop are 20 plus of neon colored
plastic easter eggs...and if you hid a kitty treat in a few of them...when they
get swatted against something hard and open into two halves...there is a kitty
treat right there to ease the "pain" of breaking the eggy...easy to
put back together again...and insert another treat...and off they go chasing the
wobbly all over again.
spring is good - eggys, almond blossoms (almost - they will
be full blown by the time we get back on sunday night) and tulip trees...it's
spring in the valley and we should have 75 degrees here by saturday while we are
FREEZING in nashville...it's just not fair.
we'll be back asap...and thanks for visiting and thanks for
your patience.
lois and annie
monday,
february 11, 2013
apologizing for my fit of "quiet" the last two
weeks...it has just been a very bizarre time around here - if i didn't know
better i would suggest that there were two moons out there on a collision course
- just too bizarre for words. hopefully this will be week three and it has
now run the course...the final straw was thursday afternoon when i discovered my
debit card had been compromised...thankfully my bank caught it before i did...it
is not fun trying to use my well-fed debit card only to have it
"decline" twice in a store...but, even with the card closed - they
still have continued to "try their luck" at various places on-line
around the country... and THIS was just the final chapter in the two week
saga ;)
so...now that we are on a new week and we leave for nashville
market 2 weeks from this coming thursday and i have a page full on the "to
do" list for this week...i had better shake my tail feathers and get moving
- the decks have to be totally cleared before we hop on a plane...because it
will be complete and total chaos on our return!!
drawn thread: of course we have the new valentine things...so
beautiful
a little love $9.00
have a heart $10.00
little house needlework & impie hattie & bea
collaboration
vanilla & chocolate
chart $8.00 pre-made armoire $27.00 (lined, ribbons and felt -
finished size appx. 13 x 7 inches)
shepherd's bush
snow flakes pin cushion (complete kit) $20.00
grey snowman (complete kit w/silk fibers) $30.00
from the heart needleart by wendy
camelot's rose needlebook $7.00
we are waiting for shipments...it seems constantly
waiting...new couch is in the family room and the "magic" couch will
be donated to hospice since it just doesn't fit up the stair well to the
upstairs office - it will make it to the landing, but it will not turn the
corner and head up three more stairs and thru the door...that little piece of
news was discovered yesterday before we tried to get it up - the only
thing that came down was the futon mattress - but that is back upstairs now too.
got walking done this weekend too - have 150 miles training
in so far for san diego and i really need to get myself in gear and start my
fundraising. i also need to pitch out my first pair of favorite shoes
(thank heavens i have 2 more pristine pair in boxes - but, i have to get those
broken in before i pitch out the old pair) and then i can also break in the pair
of multi-colored shoes that i purchased as well...parts of them glow in the dark
which will be good because by the time we do san diego at the end of this year -
day light savings time will have ended...so it will get dark much more quickly.
fabric for the breast cancer piece 2013 arrived last
week...it's very pretty and very paris chic. we have picked our monogram
alphabet and i have to do a proto type before we leave for nashville...i'm very,
very pleased with the fabric choice...and it will be sweet with a 1.5"
double satin bow holding everything together.
so...time to get cracking here...waiting for the ups and the
fed-ex and then launch into the various appointments and jobs that need to be
done...i'm now on 2 sheets of lists...and i guess i had better find the suitcase
sometime this weekend and find some clothes to put in it...and all my market
materials ;)
have a great week - hope the east coast has dug out and you
didn't get slammed too badly with the 2nd round. still cold here - was
actually supposed to rain over the weekend - that went away and now they are
chirping about 70 degrees by saturday. it really has been a bizarre couple
of weeks.
thanks for visiting...i'm heading off to the lists.
monday,
january 28, 2013
tons and tons and tons going on around here - fabric and
threads and charts and packages arriving almost faster than we can get them
processed but it's all good - it just keeps us on our toes...sometimes to the
detriment of other things (like this update).
we have a ton of things here - some of which have been here
for a week and it's my fault - but i am trying desperately to get life in
general under control and also get super serious about walking - even ordered
another pair of shoes...and have to break in another pair of shoes because my
hot pink and grays that went with me to dallas are now giving me some shin
splints issues and that is the first and most obvious sign that footsies soon
need to be changed out.
we are also expecting all our linens and threads for the
april workshop...and i have a meeting tomorrow afternoon with the hotel to make
sure all of that is in order...and after that is all in place - we can start
making up kits - belinda let me know this morning that all her finishing supply
kits are finished so we are making fine progress.
so...with no further ado...and if there are more things that
come in between now and friday i promise an update for you before the week being
out.
we just finalized all our travel arrangements for nashville
as well...we are leaving thursday, february 28th and we'll be home that sunday
and we'll have a market update up on monday...annie can run the front and i'll
just put earphones in and away i will go... we are really looking forward
to this market - a little bit later than normal - but it should help with the
weather, we have rented a car and will be doing some exploring on friday and
then back in for the evening...we really love this market and we are also so
very excited that the fall market will be back in st. charles this year - love
that wonderful town too!!! 2013 looks like it will be quite wonderful.
blackbird designs:
the gift is small (last loose feathers of 2012) $16.00
violet's blue $9.00
with thy needle & thread
$12.00
is stitched on 40 count...we are doing elegant bean for ours too!!!
lizzie kate
a new series - here is the completed piece...it's just very cute...
 jingles series
completed
deck the halls (w/button) $4.50
ho ho ho (w/button) $4.50
noel (w/button) $4.50
as for me boxer (w/linen, buttons & beads) $16.00
spring string $4.00
promise me $8.00 (one of my most favorite sayings)
plum street samplers
a red cottage $9.50 (and some amazing flowers too!!!!!
niky's creations
sewing case $8.00
just nan
peacock alphabet (w/embellishments) $13.00
baby celebration (w/hand-painted silver swan) $17.00
winter typography (w/silk, charm & beads) $15.00
so...here we are...and there we go...it's a little warmer
here this week...the saga of the magic couch continues with bear's decision to
move it up into his office once sunday afternoon is over. the town here is
in a complete roar - kaep has been on the front page of the paper every day for
over a week now...everybody in town - fan or not - wearing colors...the wreaths
are still on the front door and the flag is ready to be unfurled sometime this
coming sunday morning. he is very excited...and it will be an amazing
game...
enjoy your week...and thanks for visiting with us!!!
tuesday,
january 22, 2013
okay - one more football game to go...and i just posted all
the pictures for the Blue Ribbon Designs workshop here in April - the project is
absolutely wonderful and I can hardly wait...and i will have more updates on the
other stuff coming in by the end of the week...but here's the questions to the
idiot things below:
3. sharlene - remember - almost 20 years - he just
ain't worth it!!!
i have a very, very dear friend that i've obviously known a
very long time who lives in peabody, MA. we had an ugly discussion last
friday on the phone about "her quarterback" and the NE patriots, etc.
and thus - throwing our friendship under the bus for tom brady. i know her
well enough to know she is laughing out loud when she reads this...because if
she doesn't - beyonce will come visit her, as i threatened her...which is yet
another rip roar we have between us. and yes, i will show you a small
picture of "beyonce" and i know it is not at all what you are
thinking...and this "beyonce" joke has been going on for well over a
year now.
how can you not laugh....
4. 
my front doors and there will be the story of "the magic couch"
now, the magic couch. we have a taupe leather couch in
our family room - it's almost 10 years old (if not older) and it has been ridden
hard and put up wet. we've done countless cats and 4 dogs with this
couch...and it was that very smooth leather to start with that never stood a
chance with the assorted "herds" we have raised. anyway - 2
weeks ago i decided enough was enough and dragged my husband out to the
furniture store because he's the one with two knee replacements and if he can't
get up and off the couch it doesn't matter how "pretty" it is - if it
doesn't work for him - there is no point. in 30 minutes we found the
perfect couch (and a wonderful black/cream mattress ticking upholstered chair
for moi) and signed, sealed the purchase agreement to learn that it would take
about 2 weeks for both pieces of furniture to come in...you guessed it.
they were delivered friday evening. game sunday. new couch (and
sidekick chair) are part way in the living room and the dining room and part
down the entry hall because the taupe leather couch is "magic" and our
entire football season (including pre-season) has been watched from that couch
(as well as some pretty stinky prior seasons for the 49ers). so...my new
furniture will remain exactly where they are right now until a week from this
coming sunday and then whatever happens happens and the magic couch will go live
at the hospice store and maybe...just maybe...pass along it's "magic"
to somebody else. but until then - it shall not be moved and shall remain
exactly where it is right now.
my husband is relatively calm. our new quarterback
hails from about 8 miles down the 99 freeway here and his parents have moved
from Turlock to Modesto so finally - after all the years of ugly press this town
has generated (scott peterson being one of them) we have something to be proud
and excited about. the bakery lady in the town of turlock is making $$
hand over fist with her football and "kap jersey" cookies and my
little dogger daisy buchanan has decided she no longer wants to be a "gold
rush girl" (49er cheerleader) but in fact kap's girl friend.
and so i'll be back at the end of the week with more stuff -
annie and i are awash in threads/linen and boxes and we had a housefull today -
all the tuesday regulars...the creativity around here from all these talented
women is inspiring.
enjoy your week - i'm off to drop off another check at the
groomers - forgot to tip her yesterday - that old saying about "shooting
horses"...lord - the brain is just melting right down the drain...then off
i head to home where i have a kitchen table full of "stuff" to
continue working on.
friday,
january 18, 2013
four things...down and dirty...
1. pictures of the blue ribbon april workshop will be
updated on monday or tuesday - it is really, truly cute and i just love it.
2. tons of stuff shipping out to us on monday - blue
ribbon mystery, sheep virtues and a few other things...we are going to be
rocking and rolling around here next week.
3. sharlene - remember - almost 20 years - he just
ain't worth it!!!
4.
my front doors and there will be the story of "the magic couch"
enjoy your weekend and thank you so very much for visiting.
tuesday,
january 15, 2013
i so apologize for not getting this done yesterday - a major
severe case of gastritis hit me sunday evening and that coupled with the cold
(41 in the shop when i walked in monday morning) pretty much knocked me on my
behind yesterday and i did something i have never done before - i closed the
shop at 11:00 and went home and slept almost six hours. am treading very
carefully today...got one banana down with no issues...but going very easy on
the coffee and everything else.
and so...here is my update and we will have new things the
end of this week and the blue ribbon mystery sampler will be shipping to us from
chicago next monday and we have a pile of other things. we will also have
pictures of the blue ribbon class scheduled in april...and i'll get caught up
and try to make more sense than this is.
we hope you enjoy our new frippery...they
were quite fun and we have more "fun" coming.
friday,
january 11, 2013
all pictures taken, edited and arranged - am now writing
descriptions and building appropriate web page...
we will be back on monday, january 14 with our menu of
treasures and maybe if the weekend is good to us we might even have some more to
add to our menu...
tomorrow is the 2nd saturday of the month and we are indeed
here and open from 8:00 to 2:00 and then i have some walking to do and a very
important football game to watch...and i just might have to wear my christmas
pressie SF baseball cap...everybody in town is "wearing the colors"...
we'll be back on monday - and it's not a big deal to do an
update because i have all the bits and pieces ready and in place.
have a great weekend...we are scheduled for freezing cold for
the next four days - 28 this morning when i came in...way to cold for the
california creatures....brrrrrrr
thurday,
january 3, 2013
the holidays are over – thankfully we all survived
it…somehow congress has figured out how to put a rather large band-aid on some
serious problems as a temporary fix…but we managed to survive that one
too…and will await the next battle royale and honestly, no matter what your
political bent – it is getting pretty silly all things considered.
So…we have some fun stuff coming up and I think we
will be ready for our debut about january 14th or 15th. tuesdays
are usually a little tougher because we always have the girls come down for the
day and the work tables are strewn with wonderful creations and stitching and
projects and and and and – spending the day running from place to place and
answering questions and helping and suggestions and they keep my mind working
and I am forever grateful for that – I have my own personal brain exercisers
that come right to the shop…love each and every one of them…
but, because i am one of the teasing types – here is a
little “blip” of a pic that might tweek your interest a bit…and there are
a million flavors and there will be more on top of what we will post on the 14th…
these two are called “pinkie” and “blue boy” and there are
names like “my pretty” and “alarm clock” and “rubber ducky” and so
forth. we are quite pleased with
them and i'm hoping you will like what we have done.
the 2nd piece of news is we have been asked
and asked and asked why we made the 2012 breast cancer piece the last one…many
disappointed comments, many sadnesses…so…we found 2 bolts each of moda flea
market fabric that we loveand they will be delivered the end of this month and
we will get to work…and yes, we will do another breast cancer piece for the
year 2013 although the amount of kits i get is determined strictly by the
numbers i can get out of the bolts – i think i already have it in my head and
am quite excited to get started on it – it usually turns into a 7-8 month
project and i already know that it will be a little pouch of some kind with some
stitching stuff to go with…not huge…but wonderful, padded, and very chic
with a few very cute accessories.
here’s a few snips of the fabric:
we are also turning in our “semi-final” numbers on
the beautiful blue ribbon designs mystery sampler tomorrow or monday…so if you
are interested – please don’t hesitate – i don’t want to disappoint you
and not get you into the first round…and we HATE waiting for fabric and
threads and i think i’ve padded the amounts enough – but i’m usually
horribly wrong when i try to play that silly game.
also – on the blue ribbon designs informational
highway – i now know the color of the fabric for april – it’s a new color
and beautiful…and i will have pictures and more pictures and tons of
information within the next 2 weeks on the workshop in april.
holidays and other commitments – see the above mentioned mystery
sampler - have caused a diversion in her attentions which we totally understand
but i have it on good authority that we are now on the front burner again and
pictures will be very soon and i will post description of project with the next
update.
lastly, because i have an appointment at 4:00 this
afternoon – here's a brief story. as
many of you know, am in training for the komen walk in san diego the end
of 2013. this training involves 8/ 9
miles (or more) walking at a time and out where i live there is a manmade lake
that sits in the middle of an undeveloped commercial property.
although there are signs on the fencing around the property about not
feeding the ducks – there are a ton of Canadian geese having
been born there who consider it home and spend the winters there.
one of them is a beautiful goose who has at some point broken his wing
and it kind of hangs down on his right side.
i walk past the lake all the time and i noticed that he can’t fly and
so he just kind of hangs out. it
made me so sad when i realized that all the geese had left and he couldn’t go
with…and as i walked i came to the realization that this was a perfect spot
for this goose because he was safe and protected and if he couldn’t fly –
what a perfect place for him to hang out and be safe so the sadness for the
goose turned to good thoughts. new
year’s morning i’m out walking…and all the geese were in two batches on
the far opposite side of the lake. i
couldn’t find my broken winged boy and started to worry for him.
continued to walk around the fenced property and got to the opposite side
of the lake…guess what – my goose buddy was hanging with his hoodies – the
mallards – standing head and shoulders above the ducks…but hanging with his
buddies – quite content and very definitely in charge…
the whole thing made me giggle…shunned by his own…but went to make
his own way with the ducks… made
me think that hanging with the mallards was a really good thing and that was a
course i was going to take for 2013…lessons well learned...
i’m pushing the limits of my appointment and need to
get my behind in gear…i will close now with good thoughts for the new
year – we made it thru 2012 but there were moments when i seriously doubted
it. we’ll be back in a few days
with updates and i will definitely be back on the 14th with the debut
of our new toys…thanks for visiting, off we go into 2013 with hopes for a good
one for everybody…we so need some “good stuff” to happen to all of us.
friday,
december 21, 2012
short note - nothing much happening except lots of web site
cleaning, lots of beading in preparation for our debut of new products before
january 15, 2013, waiting for the huge storms off the west coast to crash into
us...it's starting to darken up now...and they say at least 3 days...getting
ready for 4 days off...making some more dogger cookies for all our dogger
friends...watching our BIG game on sunday night against seattle...some knitting,
stitching, etc to do...we will re-open next wednesday, 12/26/12...
of course we are doing the little house needlework sheepie
with virtues series...just let us know if you need chart plus fabric or plus
button or plus threads or plus everything...we would be absolutely delighted to
help...
loose feathers (blackbird) is enroute to us...we should have
that when we reopen next wednesday...so we will be busy getting that in the mail
for everybody...
blue ribbon mystery sampler - we have quite a bunch doing
this with us - we are so excited - it is just wonderful...and belinda does such
an amazing job - so professional and beautifully put together - and we are so
excited she is coming to visit and workshop with us in april...and a little
birdie told me that in all this blizzard in the midwest that there is a warm
stitching spot and maybe some finishing touches on the design that i will be
able to share with you in a little bit of time.
other than that...it's time to unwind and enjoy the holidays
with all we love...2 foot and 4 foot alike...and so we are going to do that and
wish you all...
VERY
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
from all of us to all of you
we'll be back next week for new years...be safe and enjoy
all we are blessed with
thursday,
december 13, 2012
we are overwhelmed with beads/bows/stuff and it's all turning
out pretty cute...trying to figure out packaging and so on and then some
previews coming early in the new year...needed some help with some product
naming ideas - sent that job off to a brilliant "namer" and am hoping
inspiration will hit her because it sure hasn't hit me yet.
this started out as a very weird day and i won't get into the
whys and wherefores but until i got here 1 hour late this morning...i thought i
was on my regular time - i wasn't - i was an hour later and after a conversation
with my husband when i got here because the blue tooth wouldn't load in the car
the entire way in...discovered that the alarm didn't go off this morning and
thus...an hour behind. too many people on the road - it was just weird...
anyway...for those of you who need sneaky peaks...here is a
peak at the blue ribbon designs mystery sampler...it's pretty cute...and i've
cut and pasted the other information from a couple of weeks ago and colored it
"blue"...
first off - ABSOLUTELY we
will be doing the blue ribbon designs mystery sampler...and 
sneak peek
it's pretty cute...here are the details:
release dates being the 21st of january, february and march. stitched on
your choice of 30 or 35 count beautiful linen and you'll be able to figure out
the color if you look closely at the little advert above...and stitched with
weeks dye works threads. the charts will be $8.50 each. we will be
doing cuts of the linen as fat quarters as follows: 30 count $23.35 and 35 count
$25.00 there is a thread pack available at $50.60 for 23 skeins of
thread. we are such fans of blue ribbon designs and this is going to be
spectacular...and so fun to stitch with all the little motifs (see those little
"clues" on the above flyer).....toooooo sweet. please let us
know so we can pre-order the correct number of charts and if you want fabric -
let us know what count linen you will need.
we continue to take signups for blue ribbon design's mystery
sampler - i think this is really going to be fun - and if you are ordering up
the 35 count linen - we are adjusting the thread packs accordingly so you won't
have too much thread. we've calculated and figured and we will get it
right for you - we promise.
we are awaiting packages - some came in right before we
closed and we didn't have time to process them...we will do that tomorrow and
then the weekend is filled with last minute things that need to get done and
lots of package packing to be mailed on monday to places far and wide... so,
fair warning, this might not be the last time you hear from us this week...in
the meantime...back to crimp beads and crimp covers and pearls and cards and
bags and stuff scattered all over the 3 big work tables in the front of the
store. you have no idea how many times i looked for silver crimp beads -
couldn't find them - except that i had two thousand of them sitting right in one
of the bins - literally right in front of my face...i think it's just a product
of the day and i should probably just start all over again in the morning.
if i can keep the rain away - serious walking this weekend
too - toes need attention - haven't been to the toe guy since i got home from
dallas, feet needed to heal so he can torment them again...and i think that will
finish up the day tomorrow.
dash, dart, run, wait, hurry, never enough time...all of
those things describe this time of year...we all do the same exercise...because some
stuff just has to wait till the last minute...but i think i've got that list
under control too...we shall see how "smart" i am at the end of the
weekend. thanks for visiting...my pliers are calling ;)
friday,
december 7, 2012
yes, we are open saturday
(tomorrow) from 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m,
we are busy as beavers as we are planning some really fun
things for 2013 - but they are multi part wonders that take lots of lists and a
great deal of patience. every time i'm ready for something - i find that i
have placed the missing object in a really safe spot - i know, you have figured
it out already - and that really safe spot has moved to somewhere else and not
told us...but we are building and plotting and look for some really fun and
special things after the first of the year - some exclusive and some thru our
lady dot label...very fun.
we continue to take signups for blue ribbon design's mystery
sampler - i think this is really going to be fun - and if you are ordering up
the 35 count linen - we are adjusting the thread packs accordingly so you won't
have too much thread. we've calculated and figured and we will get it
right for you - we promise.
and, speaking of blue ribbon designs - we are delighted to
have her two newest charts here in the shop... she always does such a
wonderful job and her charts are a work of art.
berries, birds and blooms $14.00
sunflower serenade $12.50
and, now that she has the mystery sampler almost ready to go
- she can start back working on our april workshop piece...and we should have
little bits and snips in the next month or so...i will ask her for some
teasers...she has been on a total "head's down" status to complete the
mystery sampler...and i "think" the end of the tunnel is in sight...
the purple thread
christmas strawberry (complete kit) $15.00
such a pretty berry - delightful to do as a gift or an ornament...
still have the disgusting crud (DC) which hit me on the
friday after thanksgiving - it's been two weeks today and i am seriously tired
of coughing...not a cold - just this dreadful cough that rattles me down to my
toes...and the "cure" was making me feel sicker than just hacking
myself into semi-coma and of course now mr. bear has it but he got the cold and
the whole thing so it is a pretty disgusting household..."quil" things
all over the bathroom counter and various flavors of cough medicine - i fear i
am unable to look at anything cherry flavored - disgusting. haven't
been able to walk - have to do that on sunday morning before the football game -
i felt so bad last weekend and it rained so hard for so many days straight - i
would have had to become part duck to have survived outside...so it's out on the
road come sunday morning - after the grocery store.
that and the dogger flu - didn't turn out to be dogger flu -
in fact - it was a lesson learned the hard way. thanksgiving weekend, i
cleaned out all the large pots on the patio - all the excess ivy and the remains
of the summer peonies, etc were removed. due to the weird weather - i
noticed that next spring's peonies were starting to sprout - far far far too
early. told bruce that we needed to add more soil to protect the new
sprouts and after that, we needed to treat the pots with snail pellets and it
would be clean and neat before it really started to rain and the snails would be
gone.
you guessed it - it poured that tuesday. and two
of my doggers decided that instead of drinking out of their various water dishes
inside the house - it is much finer to drink out of the saucers under the pots
which contained water that the snail bait had leached into. no appetite
for 3 days, throwing up, laying around - by friday morning i knew we couldn't go
thru the weekend like that - into the vet we went (and every pet owner will know
the following sentence..."because it's friday"). dr. mike took
blood because he just couldn't figure it, gave us an antibiotic and something to
coat their bellies and told us he would call home friday evening, but he felt it
was something they had ingested. sure enough - when the light bulb finally
went on in our brains - there we were at 6:30 saturday morning, lifting pots,
emptying saucers and leaning empty saucers against the sides of the pots times
about 15 very large pots.
end of story - both of them are now fine, not real happy with
mama shoving very large horse pills down their throats, desperately needing
their bathie appointments this coming monday morning, enjoying some seriously
clean blankies, sweaters and beds and very lucky doggers indeed and with much
smarter parents and thanking heavens that it was so diluted that it didn't do
any permanent damage. it doesn't take much...which we learned...and the
powers that be were very kind to all of us - and never again. somebody
tell me why doggers drink disgusting water out of saucers instead of their water
bowls - wait - i know the answer: because they can.
so...because i've got a ton of 28 gauge wire that needs to be
dealt with and a coiling machine...and cats down here that want to sit on the
exact chair that i was sitting on - i'm out of here...thank you for visiting
this week...hopefully by the time i write again, this horrible cough will be
merely a memory...
be careful, be safe, the weather is just weird, i'm making up
bundles to take down to the gospel mission to donate for those who are not as
fortunate as we are...and am looking forward to a quiet and pleasant holiday
season.
enjoy...and, almost forgot - posted some really fun pictures
from dallas walk - they made me inspired all over again...what an amazing
weekend that was and how much to look forward to in san diego 2013.
wednesday,
november 28, 2012
lots going on last week and
this week...some wonderful new things to tell you about to start out 2013 - just
lots and lots going on...and we are supposed to be under flood watch in the
northern valley - there are about 5 storms backed up and they are saying 5 days
of non-stop rain. the fog was so bad monday morning - pea soup wouldn't
even cover a description and the addditional rain will just add more "peas
to the soup".
first off - ABSOLUTELY we
will be doing the blue ribbon designs mystery sampler...and
it's pretty cute...here are the details:
release dates being the 21st of january, february and march. stitched on
your choice of 30 or 35 count beautiful linen and you'll be able to figure out
the color if you look closely at the little advert above...and stitched with
weeks dye works threads. the charts will be $8.50 each. we will be
doing cuts of the linen as fat quarters as follows: 30 count $23.35 and 35 count
$25.00 there is a thread pack available at $50.60 for 23 skeins of
thread. we are such fans of blue ribbon designs and this is going to be
spectacular...and so fun to stitch with all the little motifs (see those little
"clues" on the above flyer).....toooooo sweet. please let us
know so we can pre-order the correct number of charts and if you want fabric -
let us know what count linen you will need.
country cottage needleworks
and yes, of course we are doing this one too - it comes as a 12 part and can
either be done individually or on 1 piece of linen so it looks like the picture
below. the charts are $6.00 and the button embellishment is $1.40 per
button..
here's the first one and i think this will be very fun.
la d da
ode to summer $10.00
with thy needle and thread
heaven & nature sing $9.00 - she's very sweet
merry yuletide $10.00
letters for santa $9.00
shepherd's bush
merry christmas $20.00
(complete kit w/linen & silks & charms)
say thanks (complete kit) $16.00 box sold separately
$18.50
grateful heart pin cushion (complete kit) $20.00
kelmscott designs
silver cross scissors $11.50
primitive cross scissors $11.50
all hearts come home for christmas (island cottage needlearts) $7.00
eliza scattergood (plum street samplers) $10.00
merry necklace kit (the primitive jewel) $10.00
flowers of spring (wendy kc designs) $10.00
and, as noted on the front
page - we are having a fiber sale thru monday, 12/3/12 at 25% off - in stock
fibers only please.
so...i'm stumbling thru the
last of some sort of "something" i got last friday - can't call it a
cold because there is no nose action - just generally tired and some horrible
coughing...my ribs hurt from coughing and yesterday the dogger flu started going
thru our household...daisy buchanan first and mr. nicky started feeling very
needy yesterday afternoon - we are waiting for gatsby to finish out the week
with dogger flu too.
it's gray and pouring rain
outside - and so i am saying goodbye and heading off to order some office
supplies, cut up some tissue paper, do some finishing work and work on a couple
of things that are flying around in my brain (what there is left of it) and am
hoping for some sort of break in the weather this weekend so i can get some
walking in...
be safe running around doing
errands and preparing for the holidays...as witnessed here over the last couple
of days - people have too much on their minds and aren't really paying attention
to driving...and with the slickness and weather changes - makes me a little
wary. in the pea soup the other morning - we were lucky to be able to see
traffic lights 50 yards out and yet 50 mph still seemed to be acceptable - and
that's on city streets...amazing. just be safe please...and if the other
guy isn't going to watch out for you - you need to watch out for them...
and so the
"holidays" begin.....
wednesday,
november 21, 2012
so what's new...life caught up with me...and the list is far
longer today than it was on monday and the list for the 4 days we are taking off
is longer than that...but i'm happy - got a lot accomplished, have great plans
for much more accomplishment over the next four days...and annie and i will be
back fresh as daisies (or maybe "mums" given the season) on monday
ready to start the onslaught all over again. we both needed 4 days and i
can't remember the last time we actually took 4 days off from here so this will
be quite the experience.
done some "behind the scenes" clean up on the web
site and plan to do a bunch more...but have put a new page up that you can get
to from the front page...right up at the top...it answers the question i get
asked all the time lately - why are you walking, why do you spend so much time
walking and i plan on keeping that updated over the next 360+ days - watching
the seasons and getting ready for san diego - it all makes perfect sense to me.
so...i am thankful for you all, i am thankful for my friends,
my business, my husband and my pets but mostly i am thankful to still be
here...almost 16 years later.
may your weekend be wonderful and may you accomplish
everything (or at least a good portion) of what's on the list...and we'll see
you back here monday...
thanks for visiting.
friday,
november 16, 2012
the world got away from me this week - and i apologize for
not updating sooner. i need this weekend to get caught up and straightened
out - the middle toe on my right foot has decided to become infected 2 weeks after
the 60 miles in dallas so over the next couple of days the feets are living in a
bucket with epson salts and i really have to pay attention to those feets as
well as get some finishing done this weekend so those things can be mailed
before thanksgiving next week.
we are indeed thankful for all our blessings and we will be
having a "thankful" sale starting monday, november 26th so please come back and by
then i'll have all my marbles in one sock (or close to it) and i will be in a
better position to make relevant conversation.
until then - there are closets to be cleaned out, winter
clothes to switch over, large bags of "gently worn" to be taken to
the gospel mission on sunday along with 2 turkeys so that others who aren't as
blessed as we are have full stomachs and warm clothes.
i am indeed thankful for all my blessings. be back on
monday - i promise.
thursday,
november 8, 2012
just nan:
gingerbread mouse (w/linen & glass head pin) $12.50 SOLD OUT
i am going to set up a 3-day walk page as soon as i finish
this and go into the 3-day website and sign up for san diego in 2013...the team
is gathering...and until i get some of the pictures back and some of them are
forwarded to me to put on that page...i'll just start with these so you can see
just a little. i've done some very hard things in my life but this was
honestly the most incredible thing ever and worth every single blister because
despite all my good intentions, dallas is more "slopey" than modesto...i
thought dallas was far flatter than it was - but the foots are healing. so
- with a few pictures and a little commentary...here we go.
i was very honored to be chosen to hold a survivors flag at both opening and
closing ceremonies. this picture is at rehearsal thursday afternoon.
i had been picked up at the airport by my team buddy sandy and whisked to the
shopping mall in plano - only 8 minutes late for the appointed 4:00 p.m.
rehearsal time. that's me on the far right and we are all getting our
instructions for 6:00 a.m. the next morning.
friday morning as we came off the stage leading 1,800 walkers out onto the
streets of dallas. when i came off the stage somebody handed me a flag to
carry - it was "commitment". took one look at that and knew i
wouldn't be handing it off - put it in the flag holder 20 miles later in camp -
it was the bestest.
every where we went on friday - there were children standing outside their
schools cheering us on. this was early friday morning somewhere and all
these little ones were high-fiving us and cheering us - they were amazing...
friday night at camp - we stayed at a community college and were met when we
returned to camp by the entire college baseball team. they carried our
bags, treated us like we were precious jewels and helped us put up our tents at
the end of a 19.7 mile day. kind and gracious and generous with their
time. we were in the first couple hundred to get into camp so by the time
all the tents were up - it was a total sea of pink pup tents. this is
where sandy and i lived for 2 nights.
sunday night at sandy's house and we've done 60 miles and don't those feets just
look like they did 120 miles ;) i am still emptying blisters around the
two middle toes because the feets got shoved forward into the toe boxes of my
shoes but give it another couple of days and another half bottle of advil and
i'm going to be just fine. i have learned all the tips and tricks from the
2 and 3-peaters and i am all ready to go again and have ordered another pair of
shoes and, and, and, and...
and, just a word about my walking partner. a true
champion, never missed a beat, never a bad word, nothing but just the bestest,
kindest and most wonderful person i could have been blessed teaming with.
sandy durr - palmer texas - i salute you and love you and thank you for being
with me on this journey. we as a team of two raised $9,200 with all your
help.
just unconfirmed numbers from the stage on sunday night but
a band of 1800 walkers (supported by 325 volunteers, 125 medical crew, youth
corps and countless law enforcement from the dallas environs) walked 60 miles
and raised $4,300,000.00 one sunny and very warm weekend in dallas, texas in
2012 to be used to treatment, diagnostic tests, support, research and help for
many. san diego 2013 - here we come.
xoxoxoxoxo me and my bestest walking buddy sandy
tuesday,
november 6, 2012
YES WE DID!!!
EVERY SINGLE MILE!!!
more pictures when my lost bag arrives home wednesday afternoon.
wednesday,
october 31, 2012
to everybody on the east side of the country - including our
kids and all our friends...we hope you return to normal sooner than later...we
have held our breath for days watching this thing approach...and now we watch as
you navigate what's in front of you - trying to put your lives back
together. you have our hearts...
nothing much to update with - obviously shipments are backed
up because of the incredible weather so i will just wish you bon voyage because
tomorrow a.m. at 4:00 we will be leaving the house to make it to the airport for
a 6:45 flight into dallas where i will be picked up by my dear team mate sandy
and off to rehearsals for opening ceremonies...then off to dinner and then to
bed because we have to be at ceremonies on friday between 6 and 6:30 and then
the 60 miles begins.
we are both very excited, scared, nervous - the unknown has a
habit of doing that but i know we will be beyond wonderful. have 4
disposable cameras in my bag because can't use phone (no way to charge it - no
electricity available) so we will have a ton of pictures on the web site...need
to construct a "pinker" page and i just know it will be amazing...and,
from this side of 60 miles - next year looks pretty inviting...we will see just
how inviting from the other side of 60 miles.
keep good thoughts - we will need all of them - east coast,
please keep safe and breathe in and out - it seems impossible at this point -
but i've done the earth quake in s.f. so i fully know what destruction looks
like - and know that the rest of the country is holding you in our hearts...
until i get back - hang on tight...
p.s.: not a creature was stirring except for the little
mouse that is enroute the shop.
thursday,
october 24, 2012
last update was very strange - with the new scanner and the
flu shot i had on friday morning which caused a horrendous headache and a little
weirdness...i think i left a good portion of the update floating around in lala
land...normally flu shots don't bother me - but this year it just seemed to suck
the brains right out of my head.
things have come in the door this week - most particularly
the newest drawn thread and they are beautiful, also a just nan and a new
sampler from with thy needle and thread.
crazy busy around here prepping ornaments for
finishing...it's so much easier to cut out all the "bits" and prep all
of them and then start the assembly line...so i have little circles and disks
and batting and cording all over the back table...and they look so pretty and
they are so much fun...it's a joy to make them come to life.
so...while we are crazy busy and i don't want the internet to
"fall down" while i'm in the middle of this update - on my broom i
shall get and vroooooommmmmm off in preparation for wednesday and very, very
spooky things...
the drawn thread:
christmas dreams stocking $16.00 (w/embellishment pack)
give thanks $10.00
trimming the tree $12.00 (w/embellishment pack)
little noel $12.00 (w/embellishment pack)
christmas dreams sampler $18.00 (w/embellishment pack)
christmas quartet $22.00 (w/embellishment pack)
just nan:
peppermint snowflake tree $16.00 (w/embellishment pack)
with thy needle and thread
j.m. gardner 1888 reproduction $16.00
liberty hill: i was a little disappointed with the color
picture that we had to scan - it showed such "bright" colors and when
the boxes finally arrived here - i took mine out and took a picture - it's much
more antiqued and the colors are so much softer...we hope you will
reconsider...because they really are beautiful...
halloween jack stitchers wallbox $54.00
this hand crafted, hand painted box stands 11" tall by 5" wide.
it has 2 separate compartments: one with a lid to hold a small and the other
side to hold your thread "sticks" which are included. also
included is the fob/project board tied with a ribbon that is shown in the left
bottom corner. there is a nail peg on the front to hold your scissors
(these kelmscott scissors are NOT included) but certainly available from
us.
and so...with all of that in place - i will do an update
either tuesday or wednesday of next week before i head to dallas.
had a question the other day from a very dear friend...not understanding the
references to dallas and i guess i've just been living it so long and it's
finally here that i need to explain myself.
next thursday morning, 11/1/12, at the crack of dawn my
husband will be driving me to the sacramento airport and i will be hopping on a
plane to dallas to participate in the susan g. komen 3-day walk for a
cure. i am being met at love field by a dear, dear friend who is walking
with me - sharing a 6.5 foot square pink tent somewhere in dallas for two nights
and walking 60 miles in three days with thousands of new friends. my
duffel is packed and i am SO ready to go and do this. our "team"
of two has raised almost $7,700 and we are not finished our fundraising yet...we
still have a full week to go. i've clocked in 600 plus miles in training,
totally blown thru 1 very expensive pair of shoes and now have 3 new pair
sitting in my closet and in my duffel bag...if you want to take a look - here ya
go - http://www.the3day.org/goto/lgmbear
our team is "twinkle toes" and i am SO proud of us...it is going to be
an amazing journey and if we both survive, i'm going to do my best to talk
"lucy" into doing san diego with me next year...and yes, we are the lucy
and ethel show and our world is truly pink.
wish us luck - i know we can do this - i have absolutely no
doubt and i am so full of faith in doing the right thing - that faith will put
wings on our shoes and carry us along... will post pictures here as soon
as i get film developed when i get home. have to do the disposable camera thing - there is no electricity so phone battery life is very precious (no hair
dryers either) and thus the disposable cameras...it's amazing what a pioneering
spirit one develops when there is no electricity ;)
thanks for visiting this week - will do a quick one next week
before i leave.
friday,
october 19. 2012
very, very, very steep learning curve on this new scanner
with a MAJOR headache...got home too late last night - most all of the 88 miles
getting home was road crew taking lanes down to 1 lane and playing tag with the
trucks since it is major roadways in the middle of harvest and down the central
valley of california...didn't get home until just after midnight...which i don't
think helped the headache.
i had an absolutely delightful time with the members of the
santa clara chapter of the ega - and they had chocolate cake to celebrate their
chapter's b'day - great bunch - were willing to try anything i gave them to do
and it was good fun and they were very kind and made a wonderful donation to my
komen fund...i was in heaven.
i have a date planned sunday with my guild from sacramento -
this is going to be an all day workshop and it is always such good fun to spend
the day with friends...and since we pulled off a win last night for our football
time - i don't have to worry about my husband having a stroke on sunday
afternoon...since we don't play until monday night 10/29 and then we have the
komen weekend off...it's all good. last night wasn't pretty but it was a
win...so i'll just take it.
details posted for the april 2013
blue ribbon design workshop have been posted and a preliminary photograph of
the top of the box...
drawn thread: the new charts are in the mail to us and
should be here by monday so i will do a quick update early next week.
hoffman: we also have an order from hoffman enroute -
but that hasn't come in today either...i think they are taking the "inland
passage route" to california...will add those to the upcoming email.
amy bruecken designs - just because she is so very silly and
fun
kitty for sale $8.00 button pack $6.00
blackbird designs:
feast of friendship $9.00
lizzie kate:
joy to the world (w/fabric & button) $16.00
dance in the rain boxer (w/fabric & charm) $16.00
flora mcsampler 2012 ornament $5.00
blizzard babe snow belle $4.50
ice queen snow belle $4.50
frosty friends snow belle $4.50
kelmscott designs and designers
hoot needle minder $9.50
heart in hand folk art wooden thread keep $9.50
pumpkin scissors 3.75" long primitives $11.50
|
queen ewe scissors fob (with lampwork sheepie bead and crystal crown (scissors
not included) $10.00
tulip mother of pearl thread keep $10.50
mother of pearl buttons - 1/2" buttons in package of 10. please
specify color when ordering. $7.00 per package
light copper square (dmc 402)
lilac mini ovals (dmc 304)
lime mini hearts (dmc 3348)
lime mini rectangles (dmc 3348)
orange mini ovals (dmc 921)
pink mini hearts (dmc 3727)
pink mini rectangles (dmc 3608)
purple mini ovals (dmc 550)
purple mini squares (dmc 550)
seabreeze mini squares (dmc 3844)
turquoise mini ovals (dmc 3845)
black miniature hornbook (see with stranded jacks design from
plum street design (see below) $9.50
plum street sampler
stranded jacks $9.50
primitive jewel
christmas threads $7.00
tall snowman necklace kit $10.00
wendy kc designs
star flakes humbugs $12.00
so...before my brain explodes and because i'm so very happy
that my iphone has "scheduled" 3 days of rain coming very very soon
which warms my heart because i have not washed my car since the drizzle we
got a week ago...and because i have a teaching trip on sunday and my car trunk
is full of good things and because i have some finishing to work on for a couple
of people (one a very, very dear woman from lawrence, kansas...am bringing a
shirt from dallas and i want to include her ornaments coming back to her...
i am practicing "poof" 'cause i'm out of here and
hopefully a few more advil will take this headache away because the first 2 gel
caps haven't budged it.
enjoy your weekend...have some mileage to cover saturday and
hard to believe that two weeks from right now we will have the first of three
days into the history books. my "lucy girl" is doing a practice
5K tomorrow and we even have spiffy 2 pound camp stools...we are going to be
just too prepared and we are taking lots of pictures so i will bore you to death
with pics when we get home.
poof!!!!!
thursday,
october 18, 2012
and so my morning started with my trusty scanner absolutely
DYING a horrible death but keeping it a huge secret from me until i went to scan
for the update. long story very short - back and forth with my computer
guru in pennsylvania and finally a call to mr. bear who within 30 minutes of
knowing of the death of the trusty scanner, appeared on my doorstep with a new
scanner which i then had to install, after un-installing the dead one and now i
have e-waste on my work table and a sleek and shiny one installed on my
desk. all the scanning is now done, problem is i am heading out in about
30 minutes to santa clara/cupertino to teach a class tonight while hopefully mr.
bear will be sitting in front of the television rooting on the 49ers as they
hopefully pluck the sea hawks (referred to in our house as the sea chickens)...
so, all's well that ends which is close to how i feel about
today but i'll be back in bright and early to get the update done...with my new
slick and shiny newest bestest friend on my desk. and thus, my life goes
on ;)
thanks for your patience...i guess i shouldn't
complain...poor little thing i've had since 2004 and i must admit - the new one
is quite a bit faster - go figure that ;)
see ya tomorrow a.m.
thursday,
october 11, 2012
OMG - it's raining outside...and it's raining enough that
everything is completely wet - including what once was my clean car - and it
smells so good outside and i hope it continues for hours.
gas price has not budged one tiny little bit since it hit
melt down level last friday -despite the fact that the governor allowed
"winter fuel" to be sold 3 weeks early than normal - at one station
here in town - regular is still sitting at $4.63.9 and nobody is bringing the
prices down until they absolutely have to...
so...here's the little treat that i promised...and i didn't
get around to it because annie left on holiday very early monday morning and
i've been waltzing around here to the fox trot pace - not the waltz - and after
i checked under all the racks for dead bodies...i have put everything away and
managed to get all the re-stocking orders in and tomorrow and saturday when we
are open...i can start shoveling more "stuff".
so...here it is and i can't even tell you the fun everybody
had with this over the weekend and i have some left but not a ton and i can't
recreate this and it's exclusive to here...so...blah blah blah
my pumpkin kit $14.00 (until they are gone) SOLD OUT
it comes with the watch (with glass front just like a real watch), my pumpkin
chart, the threads and the little bit of 35 count to stitch it, the finishing
supplies and instructions, the initial (and you have to tell me which
initial you want), the antiqued key, the loops to attach initial and key, the
ball chain necklace - basically everything you need to make this...and, if you
are smart cookies (which i know you all are) here are some pictures of what you
can do with it - because the back flips off and you can exchange different
"things" to go in your watch. there is also an instruction sheet
as to how to do this - i put all of these "extra" disks on mat board
and covered the disks with scraping paper - and i know there are a million
things that i haven't even thought of. one of the ladies at our event this
weekend actually stitched the little "bok bok" turkey from the plum
street designs type pad blog spot (right side under freebies) and did him on 40
count over 1 thread because then he was 1.25" tall and fit in the watch and
he is absolutely wonderful.
a disk of antique buttons, another one of colored pearls, another one with glass
headed pins and the one that is inside the watch is old watch parts/watch face
and gears...a zillion ideas...how much fun.
so...yes, we have ordered the just nan, yes, we have ordered
the newest blackbird "feast", yes we have ordered the new drawn thread
and we are awaiting the delivery people to show up here...
our retreat with betsy morgan was one of the best, if not the
best, we have ever had here...she was just wonderful, everybody seemed to have a
great time, lots of progress was made on the stitching piece and some great
finishing of our pre-stitching...we just loved her and can hardly wait for her
to return...just excellent.
and, speaking of excellent...our april workshop is well on
it's way, and i will have all the information, registration form, etc. with the
next update - and it's pretty cute and belinda is equally organized and so easy
to work with...it's going to be great fun.
so...i have some stuff to do before i head home to watch the
debate in a couple of hours and a pretty stuffed schedule over the next three
weeks before i hit the run way enroute dallas - leaving 3 weeks from
today. totally excited - totally terrified - so totally signing up for
next year...how could any of this be wrong...
thanks for visiting...me and the sewing machine have a date
until i go home ;)
thursday,
october 4, 2012
almond harvest is in full swing - the amount of dirt in the
air is impossible and when they are finished mucking around with the almonds
then the walnuts are going to start. on top of that - cutting hay and
alfalfa and mowing down acres and acres of corn for silage...i spend my days
(and nights) under a haze of 24 hour allergy pills that do absolutely nothing to
quell the mascara running down my face...and it's worse on this side of town
because we are very "aggy" over here as opposed to 'cross town where i
live...hopefully soon it will be reasonable again.
am very excited because my dallas walking buddy is arriving
today and we have a quick 8 mile stroll scheduled for very early tomorrow
morning before the festivities begin (but they are actually starting tonight
because a bunch of ladies are arriving today) and it will be good to cheer each
other on walking next to each other as opposed to over facebook and messaging...i'm
so excited. she will pick me up at love field in dallas 4 weeks from
today...and the duffel in my closet is getting fuller and fuller and fuller and
fuller. who would have ever figured that 2 gallon zip lock bags would be
the best thing since cornflakes...everything goes in those bags in case of
moisture which will seep into clothing, socks, sleeping bags, etc and make life
horrible and miserable. much like breast cancer - until you actually "do
it" you have no idea what's involved and it's a constant learning curve
but i think i'm "getting" it at a good pace.
before our event starts - we've had two new things...one
pre-order and one that is here...and so i will post those for you and then there
will be another "surprise" kit that we've put together on monday or
tuesday of this coming week - we are quite proud of it and think they will be
most fun and so reasonably priced...so check back...
blackbird designs:
merry christmas $9.00
so pretty...and the colors are gorgeous and so out of the box for christmas and
because of that - we're even playing with different color linens - just because
we can and bittersweet is looking pretty swell.
liberty hill:
carolyn called me yesterday - these are arriving the week of october 8th and we
will ship immediately so everybody can have them for the special spooky
day. there are a limited amount being painted and we have reserved all we
could get and can't get anymore so if you are interested - please don't
wait because i don't expect many to be left after our weekend.
halloween jack stitchers wallbox $54.00
this hand crafted, hand painted box stands 11" tall by 5" wide.
it has 2 separate compartments: one with a lid to hold a small and the other
side to hold your thread "sticks" which are included. also
included is the fob/project board tied with a ribbon that is shown in the left
bottom corner. there is a nail peg on the front to hold your scissors
(these kelmscott scissors are NOT included) but certainly available from
us.
so...i'm whacking on out of here - have a couple more things
to get done before the first guests start to arrive...we are excited - it's
going to be a great weekend and we shall have details for our april 2013
workshop with belinda from blue ribbon designs within a week. i even have
a little sneak peak - and it is just so pretty and sweet and it will be a very fun
workshop...having belinda is always a pleasure.
we are so very ready for betsy morgan and her beautiful
casket - i know everybody has finished their pre-stitching and we will be
inspired - excellent teacher and a wonderful project...and so many good friends
to spend the weekend with - what more could i ask for - and it's actually cooled
off so we are not at 100 degrees - life is sweet...
poof - i'm gone ;)
wednesday,
september 26, 2012
and so we begin the lovely almond harvest, followed closely
by the walnut harvest, all wrapped up in a giant cloud of DIRT and allergies so
bad that no amount of medication will stop the mascara from running down my face
the minute i leave the house and head out into the orchards...DISGUSTING!!!
we've had lots of running, busy, running, more busy in the
last week getting ready for our guests next week and all the stuff that goes
with that...i have large piles of "stuff" everywhere and we are very
excited for this wonderful class to start because we really really love this
piece and betsy morgan is just such a great teacher...
it's still hot here (low 90's) which makes walking a bit
tedious in the evenings and i have to get some more miles in thursday and friday
nights and then both days on the weekend because i leave for dallas five weeks
from tomorrow...i can't believe it's so close...but i should believe it because
i keep tripping over the GIANT duffel bag in our bedroom and it seems every time
i go past it i throw something else into the dark hole. took another 9.16
mile stroll from the hospital last saturday - picked up my new sunglasses, got
my new pair of shoes broken in and got home in record time...it's almost funny
because bruce drops me off in weird places and like a homing pigeon i end up
back on the doorstep with the dogs barking greetings at the front door...
and so, with no further ado...here we go:
lots from kelmscott designs this week...
spirit of hope needle minder $9.50
baa wooden thread keep $9.50
|
miniature wood hornbook $9.50
stitch area is 2.5"x2.5" and the full size is
2.5"x5.00". Any motif would fit on this tiny hornbook.
medium hornbook $12.00
design area is 5.75"x5.5" and overall size is 5.75" x 7.5"
tall
primitive jewel chart stargazing $7.00
swordfish scissors $11.50
please specify silver or primitive
vineyard scissors $11.50
please specify gold or primitive
acorn house designs:
jack-o-in-the-box $17.50
chart contains the hand-dyed cheesecloth that the pumpkin sits on and the
handmade clay stem for the pumpkin.
oct 31 $8.00
halloween $8.00
cute, very cute garland...so many ideas...so little time...boo!!!
plum street samplers
salem sisters III $9.50
paulette does the best halloween...she just does
vexation sampler $10.00
multiplication sampler with the verse written by a scottish
mathematician.
very wonderful...and i love multiplication tables...the best.
primitive jewel
halloween threads $7.00
mother of pearl thread rings $9.00
trenner needleworks
words to live by $10.00
includes one wooden palette
wendy kc designs
heart petals accessories $12.00
wonderful chart that includes finishing instructions
and...now on to other things
chessie & me
hallow-wee house $22.00
with linen and silks...so cute!
autumn sewing book $10.00
and crafts store wooden box or paper mache "book" is just what the
doctor ordered for this one...distressing is the key...and with a little wax -
easy peasy...
ewe & eye & friends/twisted threads
black sheep redeux book 2 $19.50
love these - such a good idea to bring them back in book form...
sampler threads new colors are here - gorgeous: island
blue, pecan pie and old covered bridge
weeks dye works new colors are here too - pamlico,
battleship, cornsilk and clockwork...just terrific colors and finally a bluish
dark gray...so glad.
and last but certainly not least
sam sarah designs
shining star $8.00 embellishment buttons $3.40
fun every day perpetual calendar january $8.00
50 die cut tags $14.90 calendar stand $25.00
these are stitched on perf paper and mounted on the tags which are just
wonderful and then hung on the little calendar stand. yes, i am stitching
these - i have no idea in what life that might be but i'm stitching them.
i LOVE this idea...and the tags and chart are sitting right on my desk ready to
go home...and it's a wonderful way to use up scraps of thread that i have and if
you don't have the "exact color" it calls for - i'll bet you have
something very close...AND i can see it in the car...it's soooooo good.
so...off i go...have more cleaning to do, have to finish up
what i'm working on with the sewing machine so i can put that away. need
to gather up the rest of the equipment to take with us next week. need to
work on some finishing for a dear friend in the mid-west and need to finish up
some packaging...and that little treat will be available the monday after next
weekend (or possibly the tuesday) and it's pretty darn cute.
have a great week - i'll do my best with an update before the
festivities begin mid-next week and i'm heading for the hills...stay safe, fall
is in the air (can we find fall - NO, all we can find is DIRT) and i'm hoping
for a very quick harvest so my eyeballs can live in my head with comfort
again...thanks for visiting...am out of here.
friday,
september 14, 2012
it's been a busy week here - it got hot again on top of it
and if they don't stop plowing fields and blowing dirt up into the air - i just
might have to kill somebody (or at least myself). everything has a lovely
"tinge" of brown to it...and we haven't even started with almond and
walnut harvest - then it really gets ugly...but the tradeoff is the bestest
fruits and vegetables thru the summer...so what's a girl to do except go thru
dusters at every turn and buy more dusters...
as you probably guessed, we did not make the trip to
baltimore. it's just too far for us to go for very few of our vendors - we
did some ordering and we will show you those below and i missed seeing some very
special friends of mine - but it's a very hard justification to fly 6,000 miles
round trip times two of us as well as all the rest of the expenses of
travel...blah, blah, blah.....
besides - we had the breast cancer kit to get out, i had
walking to do, we had a shop to clean because we're having some wonderful
company in about three weeks and that has pretty much consumed us...and then the
responsibilities of home, animals and husband and teaching twice in october as
well as our workshop/retreat and then leaving for dallas seven weeks from
yesterday and trying to get back on a plane that following monday - i think poor
southwest is going to have to pry my butt out of the seat when i hit sacramento...but
i am so ready to go and so excited.
my very dear walking buddy sent in a nomination letter for me
to be a flag bearer and she must have written quite the letter because they
picked me...what a tremendous honor...and of course, the pile in the corner of
the bedroom is getting bigger as i think of things i need to take with me and i
do believe that i need to get a tube of waterproof mascara...because i can
guarantee that we will both be blubbery messes when it's all finished...but it's
going to be amazing and i am so very ready to do this.
re the breast cancer piece...we received a package with about
1/3 of the little tuffets - we added those to the kits and sent the first bunch
out - we are waiting for more tuffets and then the next batches will be ready to
ship. So, if you have a friend who has already received their kit and your
mailbox is empty...don't worry - if you are on the list - not a worry - we are
just awaiting some more tuffets and then, off you shall go!!!
so...with that...we were so excited to see that the purple
thread was going to have new things...and we've ordered some of them and they
have arrived and we shall have a few more in a couple of weeks - i just need to
get my brain functioning again (see above couple of paragraphs)
the purple thread: all of these are complete kits - all you
have to do is add the stuffing of your choice. i'm partial to ground
walnut shells...but poly works great too!!!
bittersweet strawberry kit $17.00
september apples $21.00
gabrielle's needlebook $20.00
winter violets $18.00
i am everywoman $25.00
will have a few more designs in a couple of weeks - need to get them in here for
our event...
needle ID cards $10.00 package
these are pretty fun...it's a little glassine envelope about 2 x 3.5 inches that
holds a set of six heavy card stock cards with some needle information on one
side of the card and pictures of the actual sized needles on the other side of
the card - they make wonderful gifties and should be in everybody's
stitching/finishing supplies...we love them.
just nan: these are being shipped and we should have
them next week
noel 2012 chart/embellishments $11.00
frame for noel 2012 (we only have 2 left and they are sold out at JN) $32.00
advent calendar w/embellishments $23.00
so...that's is for right now - we are waiting for the hoffman
update this afternoon and hopefully there will be new things there too...it's a
funny time of year and i think that everybody is holding their collective
breaths for the election to be over and for all that washington political mess
to be finished. we are making arrangements for our april 2013 workshop and
that's fun, i'm walking as much as i can and wish the temps would go below 90 -
the heat is ugly in the afternoon...but other than that...it is what it is...and
we continue to fill our days with beautiful and fun things...and i need to stay
off pinterest - the constant phrase when i look is "wow, what a great
idea" and that always gets me into trouble - huge trouble - button
ornament, button trees, pumpkins with paint dots on them...it's a DIY kinda
house lately ;)
have a great weekend...i have 25 miles to get in and also
eyes dilated at 8:00 tomorrow morning so bruce can then let me loose to wander
aimlessly around modesto looking for my home...actually, i think i'll just
"walk home" from the hospital...that will take care of some of the
miles that need to be put in this weekend. for those of you who know
modesto - don't tell me i'm crazy - i already know that!!! thanks for the
visit...be good, be safe and enjoy!!!
everybody at elegant stitch!!!
wednesday,
september 5, 2012
some new things came in this week - we were very pleased with
them...and new stuff coming from the baltimore market and those things have been
ordered and we are excited about that... so, let's start with what's here
already and then i can fill in details with the other things as they come in...
little house needleworks:
peace tree $15.00
comes with a full skein of crescent belle soie silk and the dear little birdie
button on the top of the tree
the drawn thread:
halloween jumble $10.00
the tricky witch (both designs & button embellishments) $10.00
spiders 'n bones (both designs & button embellishments) $10.00
with thy needle & thread:
witch pumpkin? $10.00
on pins & pumpkins $10.00
annie has almost finished stitching ours for us and we are waiting for gourds or
pumpkins to come in at the vege stand so we can add the appropriate stem to our
long skinny pumpkins...
so...we will have new purple thread designs right after
market, there will be a new release of kelmscott designs the middle of september,
we are releasing our breast cancer piece the middle of september, the christmas
ornament edition has arrived at the distributors from the printer and is enroute
to us, i found these wonderful little treasures that we are going to do
something with and have them ready for the october betsy morgan
event.
it's still hot here - we were in the high 90's over the
weekend and today we had thunder and drops of rain - but it's supposed to be 93
today.
walked both days this past weekend in preparation for dallas
the first weekend in november and i can now officially make the statement that i
have 500 training miles in the log and i'm quite proud of myself - never would
have thought...not in a million years.
have figured out something that we will post on the website
next week - am trying to work out all the details so we get it absolutely right
the first time and as soon as i finish this i am going back to shoveling and
moving around here...it's a dirty job but somebody has to do it and i have
excellent help because scruff la la supervises every single move in hopes that a
cricket will come out to play with her. she also waits for lunch time
because she is quite fond of greek yogurt and is more than happy to help with
that.
have also found some amazing things on pinterest over the
last couple of months...and i've turned into a button idiot - and am now working
on some ornaments and trees....
with that - i'm heading out to shovel more stuff - thank you
for visiting with us today - we so appreciate you taking your time to spend with
us and please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
everybody at elegant stitch.
wednesday,
august 22, 2012
so...now that the kits are completed and printed, bagged,
tagged and put away and all that needs to be accomplished is packaging the
little box and inserting that lovely little tuffet into that packaging...life is
starting to move back into the "normal" column again...or so i think.
the weather has metered back just a little bit into the
mid-90s which is far more tolerable than well over 100 which we had for what
seemed to be an eternity. the electric bill came monday and i held my
breath as i opened it...and much to my delight - it was reasonable - compared to
what i thought it would be so that was nice.
we can now devote all our energies towards our wonderful
event with betsy morgan in early october. now that i'm finished with the
BC 2012 piece i can also do my pre-stitching and that is on the list to be
accomplished by the end of this weekend (sandwiched in with another 25 miles
training and heaven knows what else by then)... we are so looking forward
to having betsy visit us in the central valley and it gives her an opportunity
to spend some time with her daughter in the bay area...she is just amazing and i
look forward to having this class.
and so, yes, there are some new things...and i can find the
top of my desk after clearing off all the notes, patterns, folded papers,
sketched out alphabets and bits and pieces that accumulate when you put together
a project like we just finished...so...here we go...
LIZZIE KATE;:
faith, hope & love boxer w/linen & embellishments $16.00
tiny tidings XVII (w/embellishment pack) $13.00
unwrap the joy (w/embellishments) $6.50
 6 snow
belles completed
ready for snow w/embellishment $4.50
all dressed up w/embellishment $4.50
baby it's cold outside w/embellishment $4.50
ACORN HOUSE:
eek! $9.00
WITH THY NEEDLE AND THREAD:
september word play $9.00
hilda's alphabet brew $9.00
and of course we will have the two new ones on her blogspot - they have been
ordered from the distributor.
PINEBERRY LAND
two hares marking sampler sewing box $11.00
quaker egg pinkeeps $11.00
and last but certainly not least:
JUST NAN:
autumn typography w/embellishments $15.00
haunted pumpkin tree w/embellishments $16.00
spider moon w/embellishments $18.00
autumn hoots needle slide $7.60
woodsy owl charm garden pin $10.00
harvest moon pinball tin $17.00
these are the cutest things and in very limited amounts...tiny, tiny and toooooo
cute.
and do...that is the end of that...many more new things
coming in the next couple of weeks as market in baltimore looms closer.
times are a changing...the world is certainly tilted the wrong way on it's axis
i think...and i, for one, will be most glad when this election is over...the
negativity is starting to drive me a little mad...and so senseless. i just
wonder what would happen if all the campaign $$ being spent on both sides of the
aisle were put to some other use than buying t.v. opportunities to bash the
opponent...some wonderful things could be accomplished...really and truly...but,
unfortunately i wasn't put in charge of this kind of thing...so i just shake my
head and hope and vote and say low under the radar...
enjoy your week...labor day is coming soon - can it be
possible...lots of stuff to do...if you sniff very carefully in the morning air
- you can maybe get a small sniff of autumn - just the very slightest
sniff and i had better stop and put gas in my car tonite on the way home before
they add another 20 cents per gallon overnight. we've gone up over 40
cents per in the last three weeks...and it's well over $4.00 per gallon again.
but oh wait, autumn means almond/walnut harvest and that
means DIRT until my mind starts to warp...ugh...
have a good, good one and thanks for visiting this week...
monday, august
20, 2012
i've had my head down, lots of
charting, printing, packing, wiggling and dancing and trying to stay cool.
we are finishing and are packing
kits....and i'm pleased with the results and feel good about putting my name on
this one...
back to normal will take place this week - i feel like i've
given birth to this little "baby". thanks for your patience...
lgm
let's play good news/bad news this morning...it's always good
for a giggle or at least a head nod...
bad news - there is nothing new
this week except the JCS october edition with halloween ornaments in it - we
have five copies of that left. have ordered new things - they haven't come
in because they were out of stock because the distributors are cutting it so
lean these days...it's a continuing game of order/backorder/order/backorder
until the "new piece" becomes an old piece that nobody wants anymore
and then we start the same game all over again with frustration
hitting monumental degrees.
good news - as frustrated as we get - at some point
in time this has to change and i'm just wandering around looking for pretty
clouds ;)
bad news -
trying to chart the new breast cancer piece - eyes turn square after about 2
hours on the computer and the focus is gone - and i have to re-learn the stupid
charting program every time i do one of these because the brain is getting old
and soggy and the retention is totally out the window over the course of the
year.
good news - found the manual, opened to the right
page as far as the symbols are concerned and that was enough to make the program
behave itself and do exactly what i wanted it to do yesterday afternoon when it
was misbehaving and i gave up and put it's nose in the corner for a time out.
bad news -
our football season starts this evening at 6:00 when we play minnesota in a
pre-season game. it's seems awfully early this year for some reason and
the performance of our team has a large impact on the grumpiness or
non-grumpiness of the resident "bear".
good news - his new 3x5 foot banner is ready to be
placed in it's brand new attached flag holder on the side of my garage door (his
garage door is surrounded by stone while mine has some wood trim that works for
screws) and we will have the appropriate picture of our "colors"
messaged out to the appropriate friends this evening...
bad news -
it's ugly hot here and will continue thru the middle of next week - we are
supposed to hit 106 tomorrow and quite honestly, anything above mid-90's is just
nasty and the marching band kids are out practicing in this disgusting mess - thank
heavens without the wool uniforms.
good news - relative humidity is only 18% and we're
not phoenix where it's supposed to be 115 thru the middle of next week.
bad news/good news -
this is double pronged - the 2012 breast cancer piece is finished and we will be
shipping the middle or third week of september - we are almost finished kitting
- need some more of kelmscott's beautiful rulers and some sampler threads and we
can call it a wrap - and we are getting closer and closer to being sold out - so
please, if you are interested - let us know so we can put you on our list.
and so...life continues...i have to
figure out how i'm going to get the training in this weekend...we are open
tomorrow as it is the 2nd saturday of the month - i'm over 425 training miles -
and i need to put in at least 20 more this weekend - but trying to find some
hours when it isn't over 100 and i'm home is going to be the challenge - i will
win...
the olympics end on sunday - it's been
quite the story and i enjoy the summer games every four years - women's
athletics have just soared into greatness and how wonderful for everybody - even
if they didn't win a medal - they experienced greatness in their sports - you
had to be pretty special just to get to london - what an amazing gift.
back to my charting - back to my square
eyes - back to waiting for the delivery people to show up with boxes - back to
being a little bit frustrated - and back to believing in the rightness of
things... there is no choice in my world.
have a great weekend...if your kids
aren't back yet (ours started tuesday) this will be a busy weekend getting them
ready...all part of the cycle of life.
annie, me, kayla, scruff la la and
didnot
all trying to stay reasonably cool
friday, august
3, 2012
and the answer to the questions is NO, i haven't been sitting
on my behind doing nothing! it's been busy here - very busy indeed and
while i'm kitting my brains out - annie is ringing and packing her brains
out...and then i go home at night and i've been stitching and charting and
carrying on...so here's a list of our accomplishments:
life is a gift - untie the ribbon
- 2012 breast cancer fundraiser $45.00
we are now officially taking names (although we already have quite a list and if
you asked to be put on that list - it has already been done). we will
release this the 2nd week of september. i have added new pictures to the
front page but i'll pop the last pics in here too - a ruler case with waxer 
and here is the flip side of the ruler case and a tiny sneak peek at the needle
case  .
we will be finished stitching this weekend, and with a few exceptions all the
kit packs are put together (i just finished beads and beading needles) and now i
can write the instructions and get those printed. we have tried to make it
very easy by putting all the required materials for each piece in separate,
labeled bags and all the required stitching threads in yet another labeled
bag. there are so many little goodies in this project it was the only way
we could think of to not drive you all crazy trying to sort everything.
The kit contains the pre-made outside "box" with the ribbon, all the
wool, beads, pins, mother of pearl thread rings for the strawberry, the pink
scissors with the safety tip and all the materials to make the garland of
flowers scissor fob, the linen and finishing forms for the "gift
tags", the linen, wool felt, beads, perle cottons, ruler, waxer for the
ruler case and then all the linens, wools, buttons, beads, etc. for the needle
case and then the little mystery treat (right LK!!! xoxoxoxo) so, with all
that said - i have a limited amount of the kits because of the "box"
issue with the fabric...we have literally used every scrap of moda fabric and i
expect they will be all gone before the release date - and i will be so excited
if that happens.
while all of this has been going on - we have received and
sent out all the pre-stitching for our betsy morgan workshop in october - the
pre-stitching kits are just a hint at how classy and wonderful these kits will
be.
we also received and sent out the loose feathers from
blackbird design, the little house needlework current ornament and annie is
working on part 2 of the lizzie kate mystery sampler which will be in the mail
to everybody in monday morning's mail.
so far, other than the good things from above, we are kind of
lacking in new things and i'm hoping hoffman will have some good things with
today's update.
the just cross stitch ornament edition has been ordered so
please don't hesitate putting your name on that list if you are interested
because they usually fly out the door as well.
other than that - it's as hot as the devil out there and has
been for 2 weeks. i am fully registered and confirmed for the walk in
dallas the first weekend in november - i plan on at least 20 miles this weekend
starting at o'dark hours tomorrow a.m. to beat the heat and then attack some
serious piles in my house including but not limited to the sewing room upstairs
which will be without carpet by the end of the weekend or i will die trying.
so...keep care of yourselves, we pray for rain for the
midwest but i fear it is too late for all those crops, we pray that the
california fire season will be easy on us this year and we hope that it cools
off just a little bit because the kids are all back to school come tuesday
morning bright and early.
happy august and the dog days of summer!!!
wednesday,
july 18, 2012
blackbird designs:
sarah's house $16.00
our auto should be here very soon and we have made a decision. the entire
chart and the extra goodies have been charted for silk. we have the cotton
conversion and we are sending autos the overdyed cottons - unless you tell me
differently. the price difference is astronomical and it was just a
decision that we made. if you are on auto and do not want the cottons -
please advise asap and we will get the silks for you..simple as that.
just cross stitch ornament
edition:
the front cover just came out yesterday afternoon - of course we are ordering
them and of course we are taking pre-orders to make sure we get everybody
covered. if you are interested - please let us know asap so we can get the
order fairly right.
ornament edition $9.99
shepherd's bush
tall sheep $6.00 pins shown on the pin cushion $14.50
birdsong sampler kit $50.00
uncle sam kit w/bag $12.00
taste summer kit $16.00
flock of pins kit $20.00
and thus...the week sorta
ends. we are hoping for some deliveries today - and in the interim - i'm
cleaning off the decks and getting ready for the onslaught of our little purses
and some finishing work that has to be resumed - not to mention the continuing
preparations for our betsy morgan class in october.
on another note - my first pair
of walking shoes died yesterday...i can't bring myself to throw them in the bin
- i think i will retire them gently (maybe i can find something on pinterest as
to how to turn them into a flower pot or something equally clever) - the
new shoes are totally broken in and ready to rumble...and the newest pair is
sitting in their box - waiting for the "break 'em in" launch. i
leave 15 weeks from tomorrow - am excited, scared, anxious and just a little
proud of myself that i actually have accomplished this training - and i even
purchased a couple of sleeveless shirts the other day because i had quite the
"tan line" on my arms... when i started training (in november
2011) it seems such a long time till november 1st this year - and it yet it has
sped by like beep beep the road runner...
we are cranking up into the 100
degree version of summer by this weekend and for all of you to the east of us -
i will apologize right now for any more of that ugly stuff we are sending your
way. have a wonderful rest of the week and a really good weekend - i've
got another 20 plus miles to get under my belt and the "to do list
home" is about 20 miles long too!!! thanks for visiting...
wednesday,
july 11, 2012
we are fine here - it's just
that there is nothing "new" and we are in a holding pattern - we spend
a lot of time hurrying up to wait...so this week the update is going to be
bullet points with a teaser!!!
*bullet point*
07/10/12 102 degrees
07/11/12 108 degrees
07/12/12 106 degrees
07/13/12 104 degrees
saturday, sunday and monday somewhere around 97 degrees
we so love summer - and this one so far has just sucked!!!
*bullet point*
all the lizzie kate mystery samplers are out the door - we are waiting for more
thread packs to arrive - hopefully the middle of next week
*bullet point*
we are waiting for our darling little purses to arrive too - am thinking maybe
the middle/end of next week - they should be in the same box from our
distributor as the LK thread packs mentioned above
and we have all the fabric cut and ready to go and poor annie seems to be buried
under mountains of bins sorted into various piles
*bullet point*
managed to run into the bathroom door last tuesday morning, stubbed my toe,
didn't think another thing about it after the mild cursing that went on here
when i was by myself until wednesday morning when the right little toe was the
size of a small zucchini and the color of a cherry tomato. because i
couldn't possibly go to the doctor without the pedicure that was scheduled for
thursday which was now postponed to friday - it was confirmed broken on friday
and now looks like a smaller zucchini and an unripe cherry tomato. it
feels just fine in shoes and i tape them all together when i walk and the baby
toe will be voted off the island if it does not continue to behave.
*bullet point*
i've crossed over 365 training miles for november and have my airline tickets
purchased and have started my "take with me" pile in the duffle bag
under my bed.
*bullet point*
and, despite my graceful self, i managed to get another piece done for the 2012
breast cancer project "life's a gift" and it's posted on the front
page but i'll also post it here. there will be 2 more pieces to go in
this, the fabric box is totally finished for you - you fill it up with the
stitchery bits as you complete them. so far we have a strawberry thread
holder, a tiny pincushion, a scissor and fob, the "package tag" which
has your monograms (one on each side of the tag) but i'm keeping the last two
pieces a secret for now but not for long - i promise
life's a gift - untie the ribbon "so far" with more coming.
and so, i am hoping for new
stuff later on this week but so far - this is the grand scheme of things here in
the dreadful central california valley where we are all roasting...and it is
worse the further south you go - we have a friend in visalia who visited
yesterday and was talking about 113 down where she is...that is just beyond
ugly.
thanks for visiting...i'll be
back when i have something of import to say...stay cool and keep out of the
heat...stitching is a good thing to do in the heat!!!
lois, annie, dids and scruff
la la
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