Eliza Framed

Hey, Friends!

I’m having fun stitching Betsy by Sheepish Designs now.  She'll be finished soon.

During my LNS’s framing special, I had Eliza Scattergood framed.  Isn’t she beautiful?  She was my first finish of this year, and just getting around to framing her!

Here's a close shot of the frame.  

  As a reminder to my careless stitching, I stitched Plum Street Samplers Count Twice, Stitch Once on 40ct Lambswool. 

Planted tomatoes and cucumbers in pots on the deck mid-May.  There were a few blooms on one of the tomato plants, and now look!!  I could hardly believe it when I saw them.  There must be something to that Miracle Grow planting soil. 

I haven’t picked up a book in such a long time, but DS left his old Kindle for me to try, and it’s really not as bad as I thought it would be.  Always thought myself a paper page turner, but who knew!  There are lots of books on there, so I finally found one that I could read more than a page or two.  By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer.  Maybe on to something with this gadget.

Let's all take a moment to remember those who've given their lives to defend our country while we celebrate the first holiday of the summer.  

Peace♥Love♥Joy

Happy Stitching!

Charlene♥SC

Finishes

The semester is underway, I was finally able to fix 'the' problem, and things are getting back to normal at work. I didn't think I'd ever be able to say that again. I still have to do a part of the process in the evening from home, but as long as it's working properly, that's fine!! Thanks for the good vibes and commiseration I felt coming my way!

Thought you may like a talley of the 'do you sign your cross stitch' post. Of the ten who commented, six said Yes, they do at least initial and date their pieces (and that is really what I meant by signature). One said only original creations, and one said they never thought about cross stitch, but did put labels on quilts, ets. I used to date and initial all my stitching, but sort of got out of the habit. I'm going to try to make it a point to remember so someday, when someone unearths them they'll know in what era they were stitched!

I finished reading Mariah Stewart's Dead Certain, as I mentioned before, out of order, but ready for the final in the Dead series. May take a break with someone else, but it's on the shelf, ready to be read ;-).

I also finished the Gateway to Summer project.

One of the reasons I wanted to do this series is that I have a small collection of gates hanging on the wall of my living room. I want to incorporate these into that collage. Hopefully I will be able to find frames with a similar finish... but since the gates are all different, I don't feel the frames have to be exactly the same.

Hum... I have a metal frame picked up from a thrift store that has a sort of vine-y look. Maybe that will be good for Summer? Let me go see if I can put my hands on it. Yes, I found it. Tell me what you think?

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful 'rest of the weekend, and come back again soon!

Weekly Update

It's been wild and crazy at work this week, and I'm so far behind in reading all my list mail and visiting my blog friends. A few day makes a HUGE difference - sometimes I have a chance to read a message or two, or follow alink to blog updates - but not this week. I hope all the members know that I don't respond with welcomes, happy birthdays, and other comments that sometimes would like to, but there's just not enough time in the day! I should be doing some work right now, but just have to take a break once in a while.


I finished reading Dead Wrong, by Mariah Stewart this week. It's the first in a series that I had already read number three, Dead Even. It wasn't such a bad thing, but if I hadn't started I would read them in order. Now I'm reading number two, Dead Certain. These are mystery FBI cases with a little romance thrown in. Pretty nice night time reading. If you like JD Robb you'll probably like these, too.

...and so, I decided to next work on Random Threads by Erica Michaels. It's on 28ct Light Exemplar by Lakeside, and I'm using ...silk buttonhole twist. I don't believe I've used it before for cross stitching, but am enjoying the way it stitches up on this 28ct linen.

This was the very beginning,

and this is where I am, now.

Long ago I finished Helga Mendal's On the Road Again mystery stitch along, and my plan was to use it on a tote bag. This isn't a really good shot, but it is on and I've been using it as a work carry-along bag.

I joined in with the group at Brookes Books Interactive for a Christmas in July swap. This is the sweet Joy ornament I received from Sue, and she also sent along a little kit with frame, fabric, threads, and even a needle for me to complete. This was a fun swap, and Sue, I really do like what you shared with me!

My recipient was Kathy, and this is the ornament I sent to her. It is from the JCS 2009 Ornament preview magazine. I included a couple of skeins of Christmas colored silk as well.

Thanks for taking your precious time to drop in today. I'm going to take a few minutes to go and do the same. Do come back again, soon!

The Weekend

Having a holiday and an overnight guest didn't allow for my typical lazy weekend, so I'm making up this weekend. Last night I stitched and watched TV (can't show you yet - it's a surprise), and this morning sitting here reading group mails and blogs. What fun? Love it. Being tempted at every turn... I keep trying to say, NO - you are already S.A.B.L.E. (stash acquired beyond life expectancy).

I just found a giveaway, and if it's posted on my blog I get extra chances. Don't you want to see? Visit Violarium to check it out. Good luck to all.


I finally finished JD Robb's Imitation in Death. No, it's not that I didn't like it, I'm just a few pages at bedtime reader. I went back to the Book Rack and got a couple more after work yesterday. I have credits there - take in books you're finished and they give credits, then when you buy used books they are half price! I love it - don't mind at all reading a book someone else has read. Since as I said, I'm a few pages at bedtime reader, I do prefer paperbacks anyway.

Sharing a few of my glass collections with you today.


Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you're having a fun, lazy weekend, too!!

Book -- Ceremony in Death

One of the goals for my time off work was to finish a book. Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb is the one!

"With her husband, Roarke, watching her every move, Eve is drawn into the most dangerous case of her career. Every step she takes makes her question her own beliefs of right and wrong—and brings her closer to a confrontation with humanity's most seductive form of evil."

I've really enjoyed the books I've read in this series - so much that I immediately started another - Portrait in Death.

~Happy Stitching~

Stash Building

I went to my local used bookstore on Friday, and was it ever a good day!! Books are another of the things I love! I also had a 'balance' from when I had traded in other books, so it was even better.

First place I usually go is the crafters' section. I found Creating Historic Samplers by Judith K. Grow and Elizabeth C. McGrail, 1974 First edition (127p). It is quite an instructional book with Four Samplers to Make. There are also several photos of antique samplers from the 1700's which are lovely works of art.

The other book is Mother Goose in Stitches by Kathleen Thorne-Thomsen, 1976 First edition (96p). It, too, has some instructional pages, with over 40 patterns and images.

The next is Needlepoint by Design ~ Variations on Chinese Themes, by Maggie Lane, 1970 (114p). There is a lot of instruction and history here, but the artwork is so pretty, and I believe the charts can be used for cross stitch as well as needlepoint.

One of my favorites that I got recently at the Flea Market is, The Kate Greenway Treasury, An Anthology of the Illustrations and Writings of Kate Greenway, 1967 (320p). I stumbled upon this wonderful book while browsing through paperbacks. It was stuck at the back, still in a box. The gentleman said, 'Do you know that has been here for three years, and I think you're one of the first to even pick it up'. I'm so happy that I did! It has so many of her wonderful verses, but also her wonderful illustrations!! This old book still has the dust jacket, but underneath on the cover is a beautiful gold stamping that I'll try to show you - and in my favorite color combination. Also, on the inside front and first page - usually blank - is a great image.

There are others that are not nearly so interesting, a few of J.D. Robb Death series that I'm reading now and a couple of Kathy Reichs that I want to try. She's the Temperance (loosely) from Bones. On the back cover it says, "Kathy Reichs blasts into Patricia Cornwell territory..." I love Cornwell, so we'll see...

Conspiracy in Death ~ *****

Along with my needlecrafts, reading is one of my joys.

A friend from work loaned me a book, Conspiracy in Death by J. D. Robb (a pen name of Nora Roberts) that I've just finished reading. This is the first by either that I've read.

This is not the first in the series, 'in death' mysteries, but was enjoyable just the same. I will read others - possibly from the beginning to get the background.

Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant who uses her instincts to track ruthless killers. Her husband, Roarke, an Irish billionaire, assists in the investigation along with her assistant and others from the force. In this episode, Eve investigates the sidewalk murders of homeless people by a killer collecting human organs.

Are you thinking reading is keeping me from stitching? Naaahh - that's not the case at all. It just seems I can't go to sleep unless I read a few pages to relax.