Nancy from The Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is in her 25 days of Christmas giveaway.  Please stop by her blog and sign up if you haven't already.  Tell her Nancy from A Lil Bit of Stitching sent you.  She is giving away items from her shop for the 25 days leading up to and including Christmas.  She is so generous and her items are fabulous!  And even if you don't wish to participate in a giveaway, stop by her blog to check out her shop for her wonderful cross stitch supplies.

Will be back soon for my update.  After I figure out how to change my blog.

Happy Stitching!!
Nancy

And the traveling pattern moves on to......

Debbie of Debbie's Corner.  Congratulations Debbie!!  I will get this into the mail to you tomorrow.  I only had 5 people that were interested in stitching this pattern.  So I numbered them in the order in which they posted and then asked Mark to pick a number from 1 to 5.  He picked 3 and then looked at me cluelessly so I had to tell him that the person with that number would be getting the pattern I had just finished.  Now, I am sorry that you all aren't winners but you will have another chance.  Just sign up and follow Debbie and you could be the next one to stitch it.  

I have to tell you that the only reason I had entered into this one was because it was Halloween.  I usually don't go for this kind of pattern but I felt that it had some bit of charm to it that said to me...Ok go for it.  Well, little did I know that I was going to enjoy stitching this piece so much!  So, I went looking to check out Bonnie Sullivan of All Through The Night's designs as I had never heard of her before stitching this piece.  I am not usually one for Folk Artsy kinds of designs but I did see some designs of hers that I really like.  In fact, when I saw her designs, I immediately thought of some ideas that she would probably do fantastic at designing and may have to contact her.  These ideas that I have in mind are right down her alley and I am willing to just suggest it to her and hope that she decides to run with it. These ideas as designs I would love to stitch because I know they would remind me of my childhood and where I grew up. Anyway, I do believe that I will be buying a few of her patterns and hope that she gets to be more well known as this pattern travels to more destinations and more people realize just how much fun her designs are.  

Now, I will tell you that I almost didn't finish this piece.  I received a post from someone that was having an issue with the traveling pattern as she feels that it takes money away from the designer each time we pass it on.  Well in a way she is right......but in a way she is wrong.  One small piece that goes to a number of people to stitch and that person looks up the designer and likes more of her designs and buys them to stitch, passes on the traveling piece and that person stitches it up and enjoys it and checks out the designer and likes what she sees and buys some of her work and then sends the traveling pattern down the road to the next one and the same thing happens.  Whatttttt is happening????  Well the designer is getting known and she is getting her designs sold.  Or we could do what this person that posted me suggested and just stop it from travelling.  What happens?  The designer doesn't get to be more well known as fast and then she probably doesn't get as many of her designs sold.  Now would I do this with a big pattern that cost alot? Absolutely NOT!!  But one that doesn't cost that much, by doing this could end up making the designer so much more money then even she realizes.  So Kathy even though you don't agree with this happening, it is not a copyright infringement and since it could help the designer get more well known and make more money, I am sending it on.  I hope you realize that a business has to be open to ways that it advertises and believe it or not, we are the ones doing the advertising for Bonnie.  Advertising is very costly so $4.00 a person is not much for the percentage that she could gain.  

So, that is why I finished it with happiness and will be sending it out tomorrow to the next person.  Here is what my finished piece looks like.  I did not go with the suggested threads and used what I had and even blended my threads for the table to make it look more like a marble table.  I love the way it came out.  

Oh, I wanted to mention that Nancy of Victoria Motto Sampler Shoppe is having another giveaway of a $25.00 gift certificate to her shoppe.  She has some beautiful items.  So just go to the giveaway section of my sidebar and click on the links for her giveaways and when you post to enter her giveaways tell her that Nancy from A Lil Bit of Stitching sent you!!  

Now off to finish stitching my Halloween piece that I had started last year and put it down because I hadn't finished it by Halloween. I think I will be able to finish stitching it before Halloween this year  although I don't think I will get it completely finished as I am not sure what I want to do with it yet.  

I hope everyone has a very happy and stitch filled week!!

I will leave you with a picture of my furbabies enjoying the patio.  

Traveling Pattern

Good Morning!  I have been busy stitching.  I am stitching Jolly Jack from All Through the Night.  I got this pattern from Debbie at http://debbiescrossstitch.blogspot.com.  I started it on Sunday and will probably finish it on Friday.  But I want to get the pattern back out into the mail for the next person as soon as possible.  So, if you would like to stitch this pattern please tell me in a comment and I will pick a person on Sunday evening around 5 pacific time, so I can get it out in Monday's mail.  I am willing to mail it anywhere in the world but please remember that if you want to stitch it before Halloween, it might not get to you in time as it would be coming from Las Vegas, Nevada. USA.  Here is the picture of the pattern
 

Catching up!!

It has been a long time since I have blogged.  There are several reasons for this.  One is that I have been busy.  A graduation/vacation, lots of work and some stitching.  I have been reading blogs and reading my group posts etc.  Just not blogging myself or commenting or posting.  Life was taking too much time away from my stitching and that is where my priorities were lying at the time.  So, I think we will try to catch up from where we left off.  This is very picture heavy so you might want to grab a drink or a snack...or both.   At the end of May, I took a trip to Maryland for my nephew's high school graduation.  I spent 3 days with him and we had a ball.  We went to his graduation, had frozen yogurt after the ceremony while he went out to celebrate with his friends.  We went to the Amish Marketplace in Laurel, MD and had a good time.  We really didn't go many places but we just had a good time.  Of course, he did have to bring up about the time I almost spilled the popcorn when I took him and a friend to see Finding Nemo when it first came out.  Well now I have one on him.  I took him to the bank and went to pull up to the window but he directed me to the night deposit box.  Once he realized it we had to back up to the drive up window.  The woman inside was laughing and we were laughing.  It was great and I had a chance a week or so ago to conveniently bring that up to him....so we laughed again.  I sure miss that kid sometimes.  So here is a pick of the graduate and myself.  He is attending Community College now.

While visiting with him, we were discussing what the rest of my vacation plans in Pennsylvania would be.  I told him that I would be visiting our Aunt.  He told me how he wished he could see her.  Soooooo,  on that Sunday, we got in the car (my sister who came to MD with me from PA, my nephew and myself) and drove to my Aunt's house.  I had called my cousin the day before to see if they would be there and told her that we wanted to surprise my Aunt.  And we did!!  After visiting with her for a while, it was time to take him back to Maryland.  My brother in law had met us at my Aunt's to pick up my sister and my nephew and I went a couple of towns over to pick up the friend that I would be staying with for the week.  She went along back to Maryland with us so I would not have to drive back alone.  We had a great time.  

While in Pennsylvania for the week I enjoyed visiting with my best friend since high school.  I am getting old. We have been friends for over 35 years.  We had a good time.  A pool party for her son's birthday and Memorial Day, Some breakfasts out (she works swing shift so we had limited time together so we made the most of it.), Fun Days at the park, and the trip to the airport when I came back to Vegas.  I also visited with some of the State Troopers that I used to work with and visited with some of my Aunts and Uncles.  

But in the course of my blog, I visited Just Cross Stitch in Lederach, PA.  Here is a picture of Carolyn, the owner.  And a picture of the charts that I bought there.  I bought a few magazines also but they got mixed in with my others before I remembered to take a picture.  

 That same evening after visiting Just Cross Stitch and having dinner with my Uncle and Aunt, I stopped at AC Moore on my way back to my friend's home.  I didn't take any pics of the items I bought there but it sure was fun trying to get everything in my luggage to fly home.

I also visited the Frame shop in the small town where I grew up.  Grace of Gracefully Framed was very gracious by staying open for me to browse even though I showed up 5 minutes to closing time.  I was taking Meari's box finishing class and wanted to see if I could get some mat board that was the excess cutouts from their framing pieces.  Grace was nice and allowed me to take a picture of her with some of her cross stitch supplies.

 Of course, I had to buy some stash there too.  Here is what I bought. 

So, I spoke of Meari's box finishing class earlier.  I had a great time learning the proper way to finish a box with a cross stitched piece with this class.  Thank you Meari!!  I know I will be using this finish in the future.  The box that I made is going to my Brother in Law in PA.  He had asked me about getting him some playing cards from different Las Vegas Casinos.  Well, if there is more then one deck, then they need to be stored in something.  So, here is what I made.  

After this one was finished, I joined a Summer Ornament Exchange.  Here is what I made for Lynne in Minnesota.  I can't seem to find the pictures that I took of the ornament Lynne made for me.  I know I took some but I went back through the pictures and can't find the.  So, I will have to take some more and make another post.  It is so cute, the flip flop ornament that she made for me.  

Ok then I took some time and took a class that I needed to take for my continuing education classes to renew my massage license.  After that was all handled (which I have 2 more classes to take for 2 more upcoming massage license renewals),...

I needed a birthday present.  I found the perfect pattern for another box. It is a freebie pattern from club-point-de-croix.com.  

  The fabric for the inside of the box was one of the fabrics in a fat quarter pack that I got at AC Moore during my vacation.  

And while I was finishing the box, I decided to completely finish my Namaste piece by Ink Circles.  The stitching had already been finished but I needed to really finish it.  I wanted to give it to a friend/colleague/fellow massage therapist that has been so good to me since I met her here in Vegas.  I plan on making another one for myself  I just love this.  

Now if you are still with me, I commend you!!  This had been very picture heavy.  I hope you all are getting your stitchy things finished or if not finished, at least some stitches in them.  My next project is a Halloween piece for a private exchange.  I would love to say that I will post pics as soon as she receives it but we all know that Life just gets in the way.  But I will say, that I will try my best.  Now I will leave you with a picture of what my furbabies have been doing, while I have been busy.  I would have loved to get a picture of Lil Bit last weekend when I was finishing my last projects.  She climbed up on the table and laid on my supplies and was watching and occasionally sniffing my progress.  But she was between me and the camera, and I knew she would move if I tried to go get it.  Anyway, here are my kids!   Have a great week!!   Nancy

Another Nancy has Another Giveaway!!

Nancy from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having another great giveaway!  There will be many winners!!  Will you be one of them?   Click  Here  to check it out!   If you decide to enter, please tell her that Nancy from A Lil Bit of Stitching sent you!!  

And come back soon!  I will try to get an update on my blog happenings next Sunday or Monday!!  Will have stash to show and hopefully some stitching progress.

Until then.....Have a wonderful week!!

TUSAL, and class

Well my TUSAL is late again.  Why?  Well I had almost no stitching due to a very busy work schedule.  And I just couldn't bear to show my near empty jar.  I knew I had to have a stitched piece done and I knew it would be done by the end of the week so I waited for that.  If you want to know more about TUSAL just go here.   The picture on the left is what I managed to finish for the month with my little stitching and then with the piece that I needed to get done this week.  That piece is in the background.  The pic below is my orts for
year.  Slowly getting something in there.

Now I guess I should show what it was that I stitched on.  Early in the month I got just a bit done on my Stitchers 12 Days of Christmas.  But I didn't get done what is needed for the month.  So no update on that.  I didn't get to my Namaste, so now I will have to try to get two of them done in May.  Shouldn't be too hard as it will be going with me on my trip back east for my nephew's graduation and a visit to my best friend from high school. 

But I had to finish a piece this week that I am using for a box finishing class that is being run by Meari - one of our moderators at the I-Love-Cross-Stitch Yahoo Group and of Meari's Musings.  I am making the box for my Brother in Law who wanted playing cards from some of the casinos here in Las Vegas.  Well he needs a box to put them in.  So, I found a design by Dobi Bullock  of the Las Vegas Welcome Sign.  I made a few floss changes and stitched it on 28 count Crystal Gothic Linen as I wanted it to have a night time effect.  So, here is a picture of the stitched piece before ironing again.  And a picture of the stitched piece, the box and the fabric that I will be using to line the box.  I will show more pictures as the box is finished.

To end this post, I leave you with a picture of my Lil Bit.  She had been playing with the pieces of paper that I throw for her but as she got nearby to this cigar, she ended up just flopping over and grabbing it and licking it and chewing on it.  That is some potent catnip.   

I couldn't get any other crafty pictures with the kitties as I knew they would move before I could get back with the camera.  But Tony decided that I was working in his sunbeam and it wasn't going to stop him from soaking it up.  So, he laid down right on my pattern and needlecase and threader.  He did leave me just enough room to work and did not lay directly on the part of the pattern that I needed.  All I could do was laugh.  Our fur babies bring such joy to our lives!!   Until next time........ Don't forget to check back from time to time to see if I have added any giveaways to the sidebar.  I sometimes will add them even if I haven't had an update.  

Late TUSAL, Updates and an Award

Hi all!!!   What a busy month March was.  With celebrating my birthday and alot of work I didn't have much time to do anything.  

First off I want to share this blog posting http://northernexpressions.blogspot.com/2012/03/sad-commentary.html with everyone.  If you have seen it before then you understand my wanting to share it.  Please read it and be reminded that copyright infringement takes away jobs  and we don't want our designers giving up.

So since I still don't have much time and want to stitch sometime today, let's get on with the pictures and such!  Shall we? 

Here is my TUSAL for March.   The first picture is only my Orts from March.  The second picture is all of my Orts for the year so far.

As you can see, it really doesn't look like I have gotten much stitching done this year.  But I have 2 projects that I am working on each month and if I get those finished to a certain point, I will work on something else for the rest of the month.  Nothing extra this month.

I only managed to get my section done for the Stitchers 12 Days of Christmas by Sue Hillis  that I am working on as a SAL with Debbie of Debbie's Corner.  Here is my progress.    I didn't need to move the scrolls so I only took the picture of my progress from last month.  And of course I had already mapped out where to start this month when I remembered that I hadn't taken the picture for this update.













And I worked on the third chakra on Namaste by Ink Circles.  I am loving working on this one.  The colors are so vibrant but still the design is so comforting to work on.  I would love to just work on this one specifically until it is finished but I am limiting myself to one chakra a month.  Once it is stitched, it will be finished into a bell pull.  Tell me what you think of it so far.











Now for the award.  Last week, Cleejoow in Belgium awarded me the Liebster Award.  Thank you!!   She said that she loves reading my blog but thinks I need a little encouragement for blogging more often.  I appreciate her concern and hope that if someone can award me some more time in the day, that would be one award that I would appreciate above all others. Life is getting in the way of my stitching and my blogging.  So I will give you a little info on this award. 

 Some background: Liebster is a German word, meaning favourite, dearest or beloved and the Liebster is awarded by bloggers to other, newer bloggers, who have fewer than 200 followers, to spread the word and help the new(er)bies gain wider recognition. The award comes with four conditions that each recipient must satisfy when accepting:

1. Choose five up-and-coming blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) to award the Liebster to.

Debbie of Debbie's Corner - I love reading her blog when she has time to blog also.  She is busy as it is tax season but it should soon slow down and hopefully she will be able to blog more.  Shall we give her some encouragement also.  She hasn't blogged her progress on Stitchers 12 Days of Christmas lately.

Shelley - She has a wonderful blog but has been going through a rough patch lately and could probably use some encouragement also.  She does beautiful stitching.

Lisa -  I love reading Lisa's blog as it is not only on cross stitching progress but also of her travels since she has been in Cambodia.  She has been traveling to many places and it is wonderful to see pictures and hear of these places through her eyes.

Taffy - Taffy's blog is great.  She stitches so fast and always has great progress pics.  She sometimes shows beautiful scenery pics taken around her home area.

Linda - Linda doesn't blog as often as some people but her blog is a fun read.  She has lovely stitching updates.

I hope you will all visit their blogs and become followers also.


2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
Thank you Cleejoow  For those of you that have not visited her blog, please do so.  Her blog is a fun read and most times has pictures of pretty things.


3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their sites. Leave comments on their blogs so they know about the award.
Ok, I did that part under section 1.  I will send them emails and possibly leave a comment on their blogs to let them know of the award after I finish this post.


4. Share 5 random facts about yourself that people don't know about you.

Now 5 random facts about me.  Hmmmm....what to pick, what to pick.

     1. Three career jobs that I have had over the years are.....data entry for an insurance company,  emergency services dispatcher and massage therapist.  How is that for different spectrums of the career fields.  

     2.  I grew up in the country where it was 10 miles to the nearest grocery store or even the nearest McDonald's when they finally got one.  

    3.  It took 15 years from my divorce to actually find my true soul mate.  So, never lose hope.  As the Moody Blues have sung.....I know you are out there somewhere.  It's true.  

   4.  I used to be an Emergency Medical Technician and a Volunteer Firefighter.

   5.  I have trouble with all of the estrogen mimic chemicals found in so many of our food and personal care products.  With more exposure to these chemicals, I will actually exhibit an artificial PMS which is worse then any natural PMS I have ever had.  I have actually gone off on someone verbally and felt like I was standing beside myself watching it and yet couldn't stop it.  It is scary that these chemicals are allowed in all of these products.  So, I am working toward minimizing the exposure to these chemicals a bit at a time.  Anyone that has recipes for natural lotions, cleaning products, etc or especially a completely natural cosmetics company, please share your information.  

So, there you have it.  

A few days after my birthday, I received a package in the mail.   Debbie of Debbie's Corner.  sent me a wonderful package filled with surprises.  Take a look at this!   She sent me a cute pattern called A Tail of Two Kitties.  A kit to make a necklace, bracelet and 2 pair of earrings., a large notepad, 3 beaded bracelets, some kitty buttons and some evenweave.  She even sent me some instructions on how to dye fabric using natural products.  Now I just need the time to try it out.  It will be such fun!!  Thank you again so much, Debbie!!  

Both kitties have been a bit under the weather.  Tony recently had dental surgery and had 3 teeth removed.  And now this week I had to take Lil Bit to the Vet for a mouth infection also.  She is now on 3 medications.  She must be feeling somewhat better already as she has been having the bazoons today and also has been harassing Tony all morning.    So with this I will leave you until next time with a picture of Lil Bit.  I hope you all stay well and Happy Stitching!!

February Stitchy Updates

Ok, I promised a stitching update this weekend.  Fortunately, I didn't say exactly when on the weekend.  Geesh!  It is Sunday evening already!

I have been working on Namaste from Ink Circles.  I am doing one chakra a month.  I have the Crown Chakra and the Third Eye Chakra finished.  I love the colors in this.

Next is my Stitchers 12 Days of Christmas that is a SAL that I am working on with Debbie of  Debbie's Corner. I am really enjoying this one.  Sorry that the picture is not the best.  I thought I had taken 2 pictures but once I downloaded them there was only one there.











And now  even though I didn't get much stitching done this month, I did have a start and a finish.  And it is the same project.  I actually started this one the end of January and finished it the beginning of February but I never had the time to finish it into a true finish.  Eventually it will be framed. Not sure with wood or fabric though.  I thought this was cute and I wanted something a little different to stitch around Valentine's Day.  It is from either the 2008 or 2009 Pattern of the Day calendar.  I don't remember for sure which one it came out of until I check to see which one has it missing from the box.

Now, I have some stash to show. Quite a while ago I was RAK'd by Shelley Thompkins of Shelley's Artsy Fartsy Life.  She is part of the I-Love-Cross-Stitch group on Yahoo.  Shelley, Thank you again so much for all of the stash patterns.








I also won a few giveaways.  First was some Cluny Ric Rac from Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

I picked the Paprika color and although I haven't used it yet, I have placed it in the picture with one of the projects I plan on using it on.  Also, Nancy has a lot of giveaways so you might want to go to her blog and check it out.  She has an online shoppe with lots of pretty goodies.

And I won the Lizzie Kate giveaway for the Winter Limited Edition Scissor Fob, complete with the tiny cute little scissors.  She also included a chart called Hop Squared.  Thank you so very much!!

And I guess I saved the best for last.   Back in early January, the I-Love-Cross-Stitch Yahoo group held a competition on Autumn stitching.  This is the piece that I submitted.  

Well my piece won this competition.  And I received a prize from  Kelly, the List Mum.  She went all out on this prize and I love it.  I received the Coffee Dragon Pattern from X's and O's. Then she added a piece of Hand Dyed 28 ct Jobelan fabric from Polstitches in Green and Purple.  And 6 skeins of Hand dyed varigated floss also from Polstitches.  And she sent the cutest card.  It had everything that I like on it.  A kitty, faeries, a frog (the kind I am ok with and not the kind that will mess with my stitching) and it has purple flowers on it.  Thank you so very much Kelly and also to all that voted for my Autumn Leaves.  

Well that is it for the picture show.  I have 2 other projects that I have worked on this weekend but I won't tell you about them right now.  That might be part of the next post.  We shall see.  I think I need to finish up here so I can finish up the rest of my computer work and get back to stitching.  I have the stitching bug today. Hope my Lil Bit doesn't chase it away as she does with most bugs that she finds.  

Everyone have a great week!!!    Love and Hugs!!!

February TUSAL

Good Morning!!  I have a question.  Just where as February gone?  I thought I just posted my TUSAL yesterday only to find out that SHOULD have posted yesterday again.  Sheesh!!

Been busy, busy, busy.  Just not that much in stitching.  I will show you.  This is just my orts since the last new moon.

And here are my Orts for the year.
















If you wish to join up with TUSAL, you should visit Daffycat at  http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/

I need to run.  Another busy work day.  So I will post updates to stitching over the weekend.  Looking forward to showing my progress.

Have a great day!!

First TUSAL and Stitchy Updates

In honor of  Chinese New Year, I decided to set my preview picture of the chocolate buddha that I saw at the Jean Phillipe Chocolate Store at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.  



Today is the New Moon.  So according to Daffycat's instructions, it is the day to show off our Orts.  It sure doesn't look like much for January.  But I have to admit that some of those orts are awfully small. You can read more about this from Daffycat's blog.  http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com

So now I will show you what I worked on to create those orts.

First off is Namaste from Ink Circles.  This is the Crown Chakra.  It really such beautiful colors.  I particularly love purple so that makes it even better.










Now all of the red that you saw in my Ort jar, came from The Stitchers 12 Days of Christmas by Sue Hillis Designs.  This is a SAL that Debbie from Debbie's Corner and I are stitching.  I need to get a bit further along yet for this month so I will give another update on that at the end of the month.







And now a picture of my Lil Bit as she was helping me to get things together for several projects.












But I can't say that she is the only kitty that helps me with my stitching.  Tony was sitting beside me on the chair not long ago while I was stitching.  He was sleeping away.  Then I saw this paw slowly coming toward my table and the threads that I had lying loose there.  I had to tell him...No Tony.  You can't have that.  And he slowly moved his paw back.  About 30 seconds to a minute later....here comes the paw again...very slowly.  Again...No Tony, you can't have Mama's thread.  And he moved his paw back slowly.  A bit of time went by and there was that paw again....moving very slowly.  I had to tell him...No Tony, you can not have Mama's toys.  By now, my honey was watching also and laughing.  Tony pulled his paw back and gave a big sigh.  He then laid down and went back to sleep.  So tonight I will show a picture of my two babies together.

One last mention for today is that today was Rene Rusk's birthday.  Rene passed away January 9th 2011 and has been missed tremendously.  I think of her often and can often hear her talking to me about my stitching and what I need to do.  May you rest in peace and know that you are loved and missed by many.

Until next time.......Goodnight!