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Showing posts with label RAOK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RAOK. Show all posts

Sunday, February 3, 2013

February’s (Coming) Here


Hey, Friends!

Last week I was looking at Karen’s Handiwork, and she said “I am off now to attempt my first mattress pincushion finish…”  I commented that I couldn’t wait to see her results.  I thought it was kind of funny when I didn’t hear back from her when I asked, “Who’s on the mattresses?”  I had been watching You’ve Got Mail (for the 20th time).  Just thought, she really is off to work on it.  Well, I could not believe it when I opened mail to find this wonderful mattress pincushion in person!  It is my favorite design from PS, Friends.  Karen’s stitching is exquisite, and the seam-work where it's put together is so lovely, too.  There are even hand-made pins that are just perfect!  It may take a while before I can put it to its intended use -- it'll be a work of art to admire for a while.  The hand-made card is cute as can be, too. Karen, everything is beautiful, and I thank you so much, my friend. 

I have really been spoiled in January!   Jackie, Faye, Kathy, Karen-AZ, and Karen-SC.  Thank you all for starting 2013 by making me feel so special!  Stitching friends are absolutely THE best



Mary Gibson got a couple of extra hours this week.  I woke at 3:30 am and was hot, tossing and turning, so I got up and stitched until time to get ready for work.  Of course by then I didn't want to go… but I did.  I have high hopes for Superbowl Sunday stitching.  I must be the slowest stitcher ever, but page six is almost done.

Since February is on the way here, it’s time to do some heart Valentine finishing; right?  I’m sure there’s a stack of them someplace in that room!  So when I got up this morning, I decided to go ahead and finish Endless Hearts that has been stitched since February 2012!  I was thinking of adding some buttons, but came across this rusted heart.  Pooh – it was solid… how to attach it?  Then I thought of this little drill I bought a couple of years ago, but never used.  Now there, a tiny hole to stitch it on! 

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!

May 2013 be filled with Happy Stitching!

PeaceLoveJoy
CharleneSC

Sunday, January 27, 2013

A Few Finishes


Hey, Friends!
I subscribe to Mary Corbet’s Needle'nThread site.  She does beautiful handwork, has a fantastic list of ‘how to stitch’ videos, and does a lot of great reviews for stitch-related items.  This week she shared a great idea – a fabric swatch book.  Many of you may already have one of these, but I don’t and wonder why not!


In the mail this week I got a special treat from Karen in Arizona.  It’s a little pieced pin cushion with embroidery stitching, and trimmed with buttons and pins.  Thank you so much, Karen.

I’m still stitching on Mary Gibson, but since I left work early on Friday because of the ice storm, got a little extra stitching in.  So I spent a little while working on a few finishes.  There’s Jingle all the Way, Winter Row, and Merry Christmas.  Those links will take you to the post where they stitched.  You can see these and others over at SNTF.

I received a comment from an Anonymous user named Ada, but couldn’t reply due to No-Comment address.  With some effort I found out that she is the creator of the DoLolly that I wrote about years ago.  She has been very sick for some time, but is now selling them again.  If you’re interested, you can find them on here on eBay.

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!

May 2013 be filled with Happy Stitching!

PeaceLoveJoy
CharleneSC

Friday, December 21, 2012

Nearing Christmas


Hey, Friends!

We have all been horrified by the tragic events at the Sandy Hook School.  Here is a link to make a small contribution to an effort to welcome back the entire school.  

A couple of Saturdays ago my LNS,
Stitch and Frame, had their holiday drop in.  At checkout there was a drawing for a percentage off.  My pick was 15% - WooHoo!  I got several pieces of linen, a LHN ornament, and a few miscellaneous tools and supplies.  THEN I had my birthday discount – which is 20%.   I got Eliza Scattergood with her linen and silks – Paulette’s Plum Street Sampler designs always appeal to me.


Here’s my recent stitching update:  The first of CHN Santa’s Village, Santa’s House, is stitched.  One little change – the smoke from the chimneys from white to blue/gray DMC 169, and I chose not to use the button, but rather stitched the star.  Today I picked up the second in the series, Poinsettia Place. I also finished Bah, Humbug by Sue Hollis Designs. It was a gift, and Edgar seemed very pleased.

Isn’t age a funny thing?  On my birthday I didn’t feel any different than I did yesterday.  Maybe that’s why when asked my age, there’s a noticeable pause while I calculate.   A day or so before, we were having a group/staff luncheon and the room is typically used with a TV and camera for distance meetings, etc.  I glanced up and happened to catch a glimpse of myself at a different angle, and I thought, who is that woman.  To me this means I need some sort of change in appearance – I don’t look like I feel. 

I have made the decision not to participate in the TuSAL anymore since I have usually been late if remembering at all.  I will continue to save my Orts in the glass ornaments which  started in 2008.  When you’re flying through your list of blogs, do you notice the tab / pages the owner has?   Lots of times there are sale pages, tutorials, as well as other things of interest to the owner.  As with my yearly finishes, there will be an Orts tab if anyone really wants to see them.

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous season!
 

I'm grateful  for a new washer and dryer !

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching
CharleneSC
and  


Saturday, August 25, 2012

Yarn 'n Silk


Hey, Friends!
Remember that I was the lucky winner of the gift from Patty of Hanging on by a Thread.  Here’s the lovely project she stitched for me.  I love it, and the way she chose to finish it. The La-D-Da chart also fills an empty spot in my collection.  Thank you so much Patty for your generosity and sharing your talents!

You know I’ve been looking for Midsummer Night Designs, Memorial Sampler.  Thanks to a recommendation by Ranae, it has been ordered.  Thanks so much for keeping an eye out!

Guess what I was at Walmart the other day?  They have brought back the fabric aisle and a few groupings of DMC.  Funny – they had them arranged in plastic drawers by color!

Have you noticed how early fall seems to be coming?  I was so surprised to see the dogwoods with full, red berries the other day. The other morning there was one little blue morning Glory on the trellis.  They always remind me of fall – the beginning of school, waiting on the front porch when I was a girl.  This morning was almost chilly when Pixie and I went out.


I’ve still be stitching on Gobble, until I ran out of one of the Hand-Dyed fibers colors!  I was certain there was enough – or at least a color close enough – but not so.  It’s ordered so should be on the way soon.  In the meantime, I’ve pulled out some pretty cotton/wool/silk yarn called Coconut Shell and started a scarf. 
Yesterday I stopped by a little shop and picked up a new to me type – Manos silk blend.  It really looks like fall, doesn’t it?

Thanks for stopping by, today and always.  I appreciate your thoughts and comments!
I'm grateful for a little chill (not so humid) in the air!

PeaceLoveYJoyJ
and Happy Stitching

Charlene
SC
and
õPixie

Friday, July 13, 2012

Finishes and Celebrations


Hey, Friends!
Who would have ever thought we’d say 90˚ plus days are cooler?  “Thank goodness it’s cooler today.”  And we’ve had rain for several days.  Not everyone, of course.  Mom lives about three miles from me, and there are days when one gets stormy downpours and the other gets only a sprinkle.  Must be on the edge of the cloud…

DS’s birthday is next week, so we’ll be celebrating this weekend.  Those of you who have been around here for a while know that in our family, the birthday person gets to choose the meal they want.  This will tell you something about my cooking skills… he wants Leek and Potato Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.  Guess he doesn’t care about the temperature!

And then the next week is Mom’s birthday!  She hasn’t told us her meal selection yet, but I did get the Gnomes Row that was originally intended for Mother’s Day - framed.  The frame size isn't exactly perfect, but I do like that a bit of the onion-skin dyed linen shows more.  It turned out okay, don't you think?

for Nicole
Next I stitched a couple of the Stitcher Sisters a freebie from The Primitive Hare.  She has some other beautiful designs, and a great piece in the JCS Halloween issue, Halloween Town!  I did make a few changes, but isn’t the chart just a guide?  They’re finished into little pin pillows, and my first strawberries (thanks for the encouragement, Carol)!  They’re filled with emery to keep those needles smooth.  These were sent to a couple of my South Carolina Sister Stitcher Pals - links are below the photo.
for Karen

And finally, the long awaited (didn’t it seem like forever?) doctor’s appointments are over for now.  He said there didn’t appear to be any significant blockages, but due to my risk factors we would try to prevent any more with exercise (guess stitching really isn’t
J), diet, and medication.  He recommended a Mediterranean diet and a wellness program offered by the YMCA.  They request a prescription for this, so when that arrives I’ll go find out more about it.  This is another sort of relief, as I’m sure you can imagine.  I’ve learned that many of you have gone through some of the same issues.  

To all of you who have been so encouraging during this process, a great big thank you.  Your hugs and kind words in comments, positive thoughts and prayers mean the world to me.  Without them I probably would have been more of a basket case.

Blogging and stitching friends are just the best!

I'm grateful for neighbors with vine-ripened tomatoes!
PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching
CharleneSC

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Short Update

Hey, Friends!
Sitting with a cuppa is so easy and brings so much pleasure using the Keurig coffee maker DS gave me.  I was planning to go out today to take for exchange a couple of things and a bit of business, but stitching is so much more fun!
I couldn’t resist stitching the BBD ‘Joy’ RAC I received before Christmas  with those gorgeous Belle Soile silks – wonderful, almost fluffy.  See the plans for finishing?  Thank you again – whoever you are.  It was a Joy, indeed!
Edited to add, Victorian Motto (chenille pictured) is having a giving away on New Year's Day!  Link on sidebar --> 

I have also been stitching away on the last couple of pieces for 2011 – had to get over that 30 mark.  Winter Row – just a bit short so I improvised and snuggled the snowman into the last few of the alphabet.  

Did I tell you about the silk fibers I got from Amy Mitten,Fibers to Dye For? They are called Smooth Operator, and simply luscious!  I used them on the Merry Christmas ornie that’s stitched but not finished.

I’m trying to make a list – not a challenge – of some of the things I want to stitch for 2012.  We’ll see how this works out!

Thanks for stopping by!  I appreciate y’all and look forward to watching all your projects’ progress in 2012.

PeaceëLoveëJoy
and Happy Stitching  
CharleneSC

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentines' Day





Happy Valentines’ Day to all my friends and readers out there!  I hope you have a very fine plan for this Valentines’ Day. 

I just noticed this observation on one of the blogs of a friend from UK.  Valentines’ Day in the UK is devoted to lovers, but in the US it is to celebrate the other types of love as well.  It hadn’t occurred to me that there was a distinct difference, but perhaps it’s because we in the US who don’t have lovers like to celebrate, too.



Oh, my!  I just about forgot to show you the snow we actually GOT this time it was predicted!  I started between 4 and 5 pm on Friday evening, and by midnight my deck looked like this.  Saturday morning, this was the view.


It was such a soft and pretty snow - yes, snow cream was in order!  Snow cream is a thing from childhood that can't be resisted when there is 'good snow.'

The recipe is simple - mix eggs, sugar, vanilla, evaporated milk, and slowly add snow!  When it's all mixed, put in containers for later consumption and place in the freezer - but keep out a bowl for the chef.  Yummy - so good!!





I’ve been the fortunate recipient of another RAOK (random act of kindness).  One of my long-time cyber friends, Judy, was organizing her craft room and decided to part with some of her cross stitch magazines.  I don’t know how she did, but it sure makes me happy!  I sat down with them last night, and there are loads of Halloween and Christmas graphs that will just HAVE to be done!  Thank you so much, Judy, for sharing all these great magazines with me – even the premier issue of Cross Stitch and Country Crafts. 
Isn’t it wonderful that there are such great and talented designers?  If it were left up to me to design, I’d get to use up my stash!!  Giggle  Even when I want to pick different colors for a chart, sometimes it’s not the easiest thing to do.  I spotted this over at About.com – several colorways to use when selecting.  It’s probably not the be all, end all, but it may be useful to help get started. 
Today is time for a TuSAL update.
With all the hearts and valentines I've been stitching this month, you can definetly see a tint of pink - and lots of red, too!




On to the stitching this week:
I finished Pear Tree, All Dolled Up ornament by Little House Needleworks. It is stitched on 28 ct Tea Monaco 1x1 using the recommended fibers.  If you'd like to see what the others who are in this SAL are up to you can visit here and from there there's a link to the original blog.
I did another Hugs by Khris Hurber of Dragonfly Stitches from the November 2006 issue of The Gift of Stitching on 28ct cream linen using DMC 48 variegated pink.
I saw a version of this Heart and Key in a Country Stitch magazine from 1992 and wanted to do them, and finally Be Mine from The Sampler Girl.
I do believe I’ve finished all the Valentine and Heart ornaments for a while, and I’ll be off on another genre soon… or catching up with all the SALs I’m doing!  Hum...no mention of actually finishing off all these ornaments, was there?  That has to be a priority one of these days.
I’ve started the Weather Poems for March with the Round Robin a group of us started recently.  Haven’t gotten a great deal done, but here’s the progress.
Thank you for stopping by and please do come back again soon!



    Peace~Love~Joy
an
d Happy Stitching! 
graphicCharlene

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Snow? Ice?

Friday:  We are supposed to get some ‘wintery mix’ this evening through the day tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to it – just watching the snowflakes fall.  They say this is our best chance so far this year…we’ll see. I know SO many of you are buried deep in multi-feet of snow and are sick and tired of it, but forgive your South Carolina friend the excitement of having a few flakes, please.
Saturday:  Well – they were right! Not so much with the timing, but it did… something!  I just took Pixie out -- she was not impressed!  There are two plus inches of … some icy mixture.  I think it’s mostly sleet with a little snow mixed in… some minute flakes and pellets (?) are still falling, and if their prediction is correct, will for most of the day.  It’s not the beautiful huge flakes one loves to see falling, but it’s ‘snow’.  That prediction also says the temperature will be below freezing through most of the weekend, so what’s here is likely to stay for a while.  Yes, I stopped by the grocery a couple of times during the week: well stocked and ready!  Enjoying hot, flavored coffee while browsing this morning…
One of my long-time, online friends was doing some organizing – imagine that - and decided to share some magazines she thought I might like.  There wasn’t a duplicate of what I have in the group she sent, AND she also sent a couple of snowman charts that I don’t have.  How special is that RAOK?  Thank you so much, Lesa.  I really appreciate your generosity and thoughtfulness – and Maddie’s approval!!
This week’s stitching has been good.  I finished “B” is for Buttons, with the exception of beads, with Brooke’s Books Alphabet SAL.
Finished Fa-La-La with the Little House Needleworks Monthly Ornament Stitch-A-Long Blog, Too group.  I had ‘finished’ stitching, then noticed the red bottom border on other members’ pieces… How did I miss that on the chart? It was quite a fun piece to stitch!  It, as the others will be, is stitched on 28 ct Tea Monaco 1x1 using the recommended fibers. I did add beads for the snowflakes and the candle's flame.       

Finished part 3 of the Needlemania 2 SAL with The Sampler Life.
On Friday night with Let’s Stitch, I finished the Sweetheart Kiss from Give Us a Kiss –Cricket Collection on 28 ct cream linen using recommended DMCs as another ornie for Friendly Stitchers’ Ornament-a- Month SAL.  Honestly, it's not as cute as I thought it would be - maybe when it is really finished...
I also started Lovely You, a freebie from Paulette at Plum Street Samplers on the same 28 ct cream linen using DMC 115.  With the encouragement of Edgar, I watched Great Expectations and Elmer Gentry last night  while stitching!  It was a tribute to the recently deceased actress, Jean Simmons. 

What?  Knitting?  Yes, I’m a very unskilled knitter!  I saw this on Snippets and Stash, and just thought it was SO cute – I even forwarded it to a friend who really knits.  When I was at Hobby Lobby – one of my favorite haunts – they had sock yarn on sale, so I went for it.  Now mine doesn’t look much like the one above, but it was a little something different while watching football last weekend.  Didn’t get too much done, you say?  Well… how many times did I pull it out before I got this far?  Let’s see – maybe five?  Found When I find the link again to an eerily similar story to mine – but very humorous, I'll update.  It made me laugh out loud and admire the fact that Annemarie ‘learns’ so much quicker than I do!
Well friends, that’s it for this week.  I hope you are having a great weekend, doing the things that you enjoy most!  I hope to be around your blogs to see you, soon!
    Peace~Love~Joy
an
d Happy Stitching!graphicCharlene

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Sweet Gift

In the mail one day this week I received a great surprise from Pat at Gatherings. It's a kit to make one of the dear little embellished children she's been sharing with us. What a kind and generous thing to do - just a RAOK, I suppose. Thank you, Pat. I will let you know when he comes to life!!