More ornaments - finished and sent out. Go me!

Are you tired of these yet? Me? I'm just happy to have them finished up and sent on instead of staring at me accusingly from a plastic bag on my dining room table where they waited for months to be assembled. I wish I was kidding. Or exaggerating.

Art Deco Frame by Julia Lucas Designs
JCS 2005 Christmas Ornament Issue
Stitched with DMC Pearle Cotton and DMC Thread
(Images / Name intentionally blurred for privacy)

I've gotten more use out of this edition of the magazine than any other, and out of this particular piece. This marks the fourth and fifth time I've stitched this piece, all in different colors. (You can see the wedding version I stitched for my in-laws, and two additional birth record ornaments here and here). And I have a few more partially stitched waiting to be finished up, including one for my own son. Who is two. Okay then. Moving along....

As I've mentioned before, since it's stitched on plastic canvas, it's super easy for me to stitch on it in the car when we travel, and if I've started one on the sheet of plastic, I don't even need the chart. Putting them together is a little tedious, but I've been fiddling with my methods and it gets a little easier to put them together each time.

I also love these pieces because they're SO easy to customize. I went traditional with the one for my in-laws, but experimented with the variegated pearle cotton for one of the birth record ones. For these, I chose blue for the girl (her mom is NOT a girly girl pink kind of mom) and green for the boy, and went with a nautical theme for the clip art accent to reflect the theme of the nursery. I did stitch a birth record for Alexa, but Blake's is languishing in my stitching box. I really need to get on that. He'll be .... well, let's just say I hope to get it to him before he leaves for college.

I should explain that Alexa and Blake are the children of a very dear friend of mine. We met online while we were planning our weddings (9 years ago!) She lives across the country in Colorado, and though we've never met in person, we've bonded over our similar upbringings and her friendship is one I treasure. She sent me a lovely thank you note on behalf of the kids and she was touched by the gift. It's nice when your hard work is met by such appreciation, and it's definitely motivational to finish up a few more projects that have been sitting around.

Remember my first finish of 2011?

The one that's going to be my first post of 2012? The one I gave you a little sneak peek at WAY back when? Here it is all framed up.

Pot Luck by Ink Circles
Stitched 2 over 2 on 32 ct. Vintage Examplar
with Carrie's Creations Silk Thread in Double Fudge Brownie

I am so thrilled with how this came out, and my friend Julie absolutely loved it. I was able to give it to her in person right before Christmas. I love that - a lot of the gifts I make are sent in the mail. And yes, it WAS sitting around that long waiting to be framed.

She was so excited about it and couldn't wait to hang it in her office. She had chosen the pattern and given me a list of colors she liked from several thread lines. She picked a few in the Carrie's Creations collection that were combined into one thread, the Double Fudge Brownie.

The thread was lovely to stitch with and the color variations are beautiful, much prettier than they are in this photo (the sneak peek is a more accurate representation). It's been difficult to get a good photo this winter, compounded by the fact that I am usually trying to take photos at the last minute before I pack it up and send it off (or take it with me). And the framing is courtesy of my husband and American Frame - I can't say enough good things about either of them!

You'll be seeing this pattern again. I have it kitted up in an olive green silk thread, also from Carrie's, for our house. But don't hold your breath - it's going to be a while. Years, even. But I do have a few more projects to show you - they're in the queue, photos and all, just waiting for me to write a little post about them and get them online. Wish me luck!

What's been keeping me busy...

You mean besides Pinterest? Technically this does involve Pinterest since I found the ideas on there. This idea has been re-pinned hundreds of times, and it's one of the first craft projects from the site that I did - a Wedding Invitation Ornament:


The idea is to cut up a wedding invitation into strips and put them inside a clear glass ornament. As you twist and turn the ornament, you can see glimpses of the wording. As soon as I saw the idea, I knew I'd be making one for my cousin and her new husband.

Luckily, I helped the bride with the invitations, so I had the files on my computer and didn't have to cut up the actual invitation itself. I printed out a copy and set to work cutting up the strips but I wasn't all that thrilled with the results. The size of the font varies, which adds visual interest, but doesn't lend itself to being cut up into neat, equally sized strips and it was difficult to gauge spacing between some of the smaller lines. It was bothering me that there were skinny little strips and much thicker strips. After several attempts, I decided to re-format the invitation itself into equally sized strips, which looked MUCH better inside the ornament (and let's not discuss the fact that I bought two sizes of ball shaped round ornaments, and two sizes of flattened round ornaments because I am a nut job and none of them are actually glass because they don't seem to sell individual glass ornaments but I have come to terms with the fact they are acrylic, mmmmkay?)

Once I got the strips coiled and stashed inside the ornament (a chopstick and a pair of long tweezers came in handy for this), I finished off the ornament with a sheer white ribbon from the actual invitation (they were pocket invites tied with the ribbon) and two smaller black ribbons to tie on their initials. The original ornament had a seashell charm as a nod to the theme of the wedding, and I liked the idea of the charm, but there was no "theme" to the wedding. I did, however, honor the black and white color scheme. I love, love, love how it turned out and I think my cousin and her husband will love it as well.

But that's not the only ornament I've finished up. In addition to the stitchy ornaments, I've been working with some buttons I've inherited from my husband's grandmother. She passed away this past January, just after her 99th birthday. My MIL generously gave me a very large jar and several bags of buttons that Grandma had collected over the years. I've had a lifelong fascination with buttons, stemming from the hours I spent playing with my own grandmother's buttons (both my grandmother and my husband's grandmother were accomplished seamstresses and had massive collections of buttons, fabric and notions).

I had some ideas for button monograms, but I wanted to see what else I could do with them, especially with shank buttons that would not lend themselves to being glued onto paper and framed. This is what I came up with:

These are just a few of the ornaments I created from Grandma's collection. (There are at least a dozen more ornaments I finished since taking this photo, and I've tried several other techniques which I will share soon.) Of course, most of the buttons were not sorted, so I spent several hours with my two year old, "playing buttons" (which means I spent several more hours while he slept re-sorting all the ones he had jumbled together). Most of them are strung on pipe cleaners, which worked out very well to not only shape the ornaments, but the fuzzy stuff on them helps hold the buttons in place better. For those that kept spinning around on their shanks, a little hot glue on the back helped hold them in place. I raided my own stash for the ribbons and have gotten VERY good at tying neat little bows.

I should also mention that I don't really have a dedicated craft space in our house yet, so I tend to work a lot in our dining room. (We generally eat in the kitchen, so I don't have to worry about cleaning up my projects for every meal.) All of these ornaments were made sitting at a dining room table we inherited from Grandma, so I spent a lot of time thinking about her as I was making them. She was quite crafty and clever herself and loved to crochet and sew. I loved her dearly, and these ornaments are a wonderful reminder of her.

This is a closeup of one of the ornaments we're keeping for our tree. It's hanging next to one of the dozens of hand-crocheted snowflakes that adorn our tree, every single one of them made by Grandma. And this one below is another closeup:

Another Fair & Square Exchange... and I FINISHED something!

I have been stitching, and I'm on a bit of a finishing kick. I have several ornaments I wanted to make sure were completely finished and ready to hang. It's a goal I made for myself when I realized that the ornament I stitched for my son *last* Christmas has yet to be completed (I have to add on some JABC buttons) and finished as an ornament. I plan on getting that one done (and up on the blog as well as the tree) by the end of the year. Please do not ask me about his 2011 ornament. I will probably get to that sometime this July.

But I have been keeping up with my Fair & Square Exchanges. They're small, manageable projects that motivate me to stitch and I was determined to get this one done and out the door well before the deadline. At least I accomplished THAT goal.

I was paired up with my friend Marie P again, which was wonderful. I stitched for Marie last year, and was thrilled that we were partnered up again. But this time, instead of heading off to Texas, her squares made their way to her new home in Vermont (now there's a change of scenery for sure!). We chose to do squares of with a Christmas theme, and I wanted to honor Marie's new home. This fit the bill for sure, and is from Little House Needleworks, one of Marie's favorite designers. I also wanted to make sure I stitched something Marie didn't already have, so I picked it from the 2011 JCS Ornament Issue.

Fresh Fallen Snow by Little House Needleworks
2011 JCS Ornament Issue
Stitched over 2 on 32 ct. WDW Cocoa
with WDW Seaweed and Light Khaki


And these are the squares that Marie sent to me:

The design is Christmas Lighthouse by Of Generations Past and I have been admiring this design at my LNS the last few times I've been in, but couldn't bring myself to buy it because I have *so much stuff* to stitch already. I'm absolutely thrilled Marie stitched it for me, and I have another surprise - it's finished into a ornament and hanging on our tree! I was in the middle of finishing up some ornaments to be given as gifts this year (which you'll see in upcoming posts) and these squares went right into the pile. Luckily, the shape lent itself to a very easy finish and it was done in no time (and I genuinely appreciate the signature squares, not only for the personalization, but for the fact I do not have to hunt down backing fabric.)

It's in good company - we probably have two dozen lighthouses (and adding more every year) on our tree. I try to collect an ornament for every lighthouse we visit, as well as ones that are non-specific. Once again, great thanks to Marie!

Fair & Square Exchange

I have been stitching. Really I have! (Yes, I know I start out most of my bi-monthly posts with this claim). Sometimes I do put down the laptop and tear myself off Pinterest and pick up a needle and thread. Staying involved in the Fair and Square Exchange is a good way to get motivated to stitch.

My latest partner in Round # 26 was Milly D (http://stitchingobsessionii.blogspot.com/). Milly and her husband Patrick celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in July, so that gave me the inspiration for these squares. In her list of likes, Milly listed hearts and folksy designs, and also mentioned that her favorite color was red. Once I picked the heart, I thought it would make a lovely ornament, so I asked Milly if she'd mind if I did a slightly non-traditional signature square. Typically, the signature square includes the stitcher's name or initials, their location and the date. Since I was stitching it in honor of their anniversary, I wanted to do something a little different. I didn't tell Milly exactly what I wanted to do, but she gave me the go ahead to change it up.

The design is also slightly larger than the F&S guidelines, so I stitched it over 1 on 32 ct. Antique White, which brought the size in line and ended up being perfect for an ornament. And did I mention I continued the love theme by choosing Crescent Color's Cupid for the thread? If it's at all possible, I like to tie in the name of the thread with the piece I'm stitching. It's a little "secret" thing for me, and it helps narrow down color choices (something I can struggle with when presented with SO MANY great thread colors!).

The chart is a freebie I've had for a while, but it is available here: http://gazette94.blogspot.com/2009/01/grille-gratuite-73.html, along with dozens of other beautiful charts.

And these are the beautiful squares I received from Milly in return. Milly chose JBW Designs A Very Merry Autumn to stitch for me - a wise choice. Autumn is my favorite season. I love all the beautiful fall colors, and always look forward to the end of summer heat.

Milly's stitching is lovely, and I will be finishing this up as a no sew cube to put on display in our living room. For as much as I love the fall season, we don't have much in the way of seasonal decor and this will be a most welcome addition. I have to hit up the craft stores before all the fall goodies are gone, as I'm thinking an orange / brown / red plaid ribbon would be perfect for this piece.

20+ Crafting Apps for your Phone

One of the advantages to reading a ton of crafting blogs is finding articles like these.

20+ Phone Apps for the Crafty Folk

The apps range from family crafts to drawing to craft show finders to apps for helping with knitting and quilting. There's an app for keeping track of your fabric stash, as well as ones by CraftGawker, Etsy and Pinterest (which happens to be one of my very favorite websites).

And yes, I will be back shortly with some stitching. i finished up a wedding piece I need to frame, and am currently working on my Fair and Square exchange.

My gift from the bride

I love it when a gift is given with care and thoughtfulness, and my gift from the bride this past weekend really hit the nail on the head. She and I are close, and we emailed quite a bit about everyone else's gift - she wanted to make sure that she picked something that would be meaningful to each of her bridesmaids, and she did just that. She put together a scrapbook of old photos, letters, ticket stubs, etc., for her maid of honor. For another, she made a lamp filled with shells from their trips to the beach, and for another, she bought a boxed set of a movie adaptation of a favorite childhood book.

For my gift, she tracked down my online wishlist (she never asked for it directly, so she's a pretty smart cookie) and picked several stitching pieces that I really wanted, but never managed to purchase for myself. I love that two of the charts she picked are for ornaments - I am ridiculously sentimental when it comes to Christmas ornaments, and every ornament on our tree has special meaning to us. Now when I stitch these up, they will forever remind me of Kerri and Mark's wedding.

She chose

• Imaginating's Nutcrackers II (Germany, Ireland and France)
• The Sweetheart Tree's Irish Shamrocks Chubby Nutcracker
• Little House Needlework's Snowflakes

She also included a package of bobbins that I use for winding threads, and some Thread Heaven. I was so touched that she'd take the time to track down my list and find items that would have special meaning to me. All she really knows about stitching is that I do it - she's not a stitcher herself.

Of course, now this probably means I should a) put down the computer and do a little stitching, and b) finish up the piece I stitched in honor of my cousin's wedding!

What I did this weekend...

This past weekend, my beautiful cousin Kerri was married in our hometown, and I was deeply honored to be part of her day as a bridesmaid. When I first started dating her cousin (who is now my husband), she was just a little girl, only 10 years old and this weekend, she was a lovely bride.

I will never forget the first time I met her and the rest of the extended family. It was at a family dinner, and as she and her parents were getting ready to leave, she walked up to me, gave me a HUGE hug and said, "When you marry my cousin, I am going to be a bridesmaid." At that point, I wasn't even thinking marriage, but I said, "You got it!" and hugged her back. I guess she was pretty perceptive, because even though it took 12 years, she walked down the aisle as a bridesmaid on the day I married her cousin.

When she got engaged herself, she called me at almost midnight, soon after it happened. I had no idea why she was calling so late, and I thought something had happened. When she yelled, "I AM GETTING MARRIED!" into the phone, I was so incredibly happy for her and just thrilled when she asked me to be a bridesmaid. Soon thereafter, I was able to call her and tell her about a little project WE were working on for her wedding - but had to wait a few weeks to let her know if it would be a ring bearer or a flower girl. More happy screaming and tears followed, as did the ringbearer.


I am not much for sharing photos of myself because I *do not* take a good picture. I just don't. But when I saw this posted by a very good friend of mine, I was so thrilled. It's such a beautiful picture and it's definitely going up on our Family wall. This is outside the church, just after the ceremony, and yes, this is the ring bearer in question. He's not quite two yet, so it was a little touch and go to get him to cooperate, but I have to say I was more than a little choked up when I saw him. My little baby isn't a baby, but he's the absolute light of my life (along with his dad).

The wedding was just perfect, the weather was awesome, and we were able to welcome Nick's favorite cousin to the family (Nick just adores Kerri's new husband). My wish for them is a long and happy marriage filled with love and togetherness. There will be good days and bad, but together, they can do anything.

My first commissioned piece

Blackbird Designs - I Thee Wed
stitched on 32 ct. Mushroom Lugana
with recommended threads

My beloved cousin Kerri was the maid of honor in her friend's wedding, and asked me if I would stitch something for her to give as a gift. After a few emails back and forth about what her friend might like, I sent her a few suggestions and this was the one she picked. She liked how it tied into the wedding colors of pink and green and thought it would look beautiful in her friend's house.

So this is the very first piece I stitched on commission, for just the price of materials and not my time. (I didn't mind doing it - stitching is my sanity as I am sure you can all relate to). All in all, not a bad gift for about $50, and yes, I had my husband frame it.

Once again, I must highly recommend American Frame. Beautiful frames, pre-cut acid free mounting board, and free shipping when you spend more than $50 (if you frame several pieces, it's not hard to get to $50). Plus they will send you up to five samples of frames and/or mat board before you even order.

We tried something new this time with spacers. Normally, I frame without glass or acrylic, but my cousin asked if we could put something over the stitching to keep it cleaner. Since we were framing without a mat, I did a little reading on the site and found the spacers. They come in long sticks that are easy to cut and fit into the frame, and worked like a charm to provide an air space between the acrylic (most online places will not sell and ship glass) and the stitching itself. Now that we know how well it works, I'll definitely be doing it again for a few pieces I plan on hanging in our kitchen. They won't be right near the sink or stove, but I'd like to give them that extra layer of protection anyway.

I do have several other pieces awaiting the framing process, so hopefully I'll be able to show them soon.

Yes, I am stitching....

Not as much as I would like to be, but I blame that on a wireless connection, a laptop, and a renewed obsession with cooking. My Facebook friends get regular links to recipes I've found, and I am currently wading through over 1000 posts in my food blog collection. (I might have a small problem with a recipe addiction...)

I do have a few pieces I am working on, and a small pile of things waiting to be framed by my husband. Two of them are wedding pieces, and I should have a post by the end of the week about a third wedding piece, the first one I've done "on commission" that was gifted to a bride and groom back in May. One of the two remaining wedding pieces is for someone near and dear to my heart - my beautiful cousin Kerri, who is getting married in August. I also have two birth pieces I need to get cracking on, and my ever present assortment of ornaments.

I am managing to keep up with some of the crafting blogs I read, and this is another FANTASTIC project that would totally work for some customized finishes for needlework. I know I've spent hours looking for buttons and embellishments, and this idea is absolutely genius.


Customized buttons made from Shrinky Dink plastic. Genius, I tells ya. Genius. Check out the tutorial on Scissors.Paper.Wok.