Give Way is Tomorrow!

I made four more needle keeps.  As before, they look kind of lumpy, but it's because they've been folded.  I opened them up so you could see the designs.

The winner can choose two needle keeps.  That leaves six that will need homes.  SOOOOOOOO, once the lucky person tells me which two they select, I will place the six extra needle keeps in envelopes and seal them.  Than I'll draw six additional names and send the needle keeps to their new homes.

Happy stitching - until tomorrow (6PM CDT) - Cheers!

Ornament SAL 2013

I should have mentioned the Santa Paw ornament was my June Ornament SAL.  Can hardly wait to finish him into an ornament - maybe next week?

Cheers!

Have Stitchin' Bag, Will Travel

One of the things I absolutely love about stitching is it's so portable.  I've been spending a lot of time these past weeks sitting in hospitals and nursing homes with loved ones and find I need to keep my mind and hands busy.

Looking around our home at the needlework I've done over the years brings back many memories.  I can tell you what pillow or picture was done while my daughter was ill with pneumonia/chicken pocks/measles/tonsils out/strep throat.  I can tell you the very first project I worked on after my husband and I were married.  I can tell you about the cities I was in as I travelled for work through the years and where I was when I worked on whatever.  Needle and thread have so many tales to tell.

Here are some of the projects I've been working on these past weeks.  Some are completed, some are not.

This is a complimentary design by Michelle Latzen called Santa Paw provided by Stitchy Kitty (www.stitchykitty.com).

Here is Sophia's Scottie Mitten, a complimentary design from The Cricket Collection (http://www.cecricket.com/cricket).  I still want to add some beads and bells to snazz him up a bit ;)

I'm crazy about horses and horse stuff - here is a cuff I needlepointed.  The bit is done in Kreinik metallic.

Just started this 18-count canvas by Liz Goodrick-Dillon - will do this in DMC floss.

Quickly pressed this to show - a free design by me.

I found this wonderful free chart on the internet......but cannot find the proper link to give credit to the designer.  My apologies.

More later - Cheers!

Last Items for Give Away

Over the years, I learned to paint on porcelain in the European style from a wonderful Swiss lady.  I studied with her exclusively for five years.  It was a fabulous experience I wouldn't trade for the world. I collected many folders with classic European designs, each sheet in the folder contains four to five ideas/pictures.  I have many folders of the same designs and I know I will never be able to use them all.  The designs are so gorgeous, I hate to keep them in my file cabinets and not share with others.

When traveling, I usually lose at least one needle.  I've tried to come up with something to keep them in, nothing seems to work well.  Until now.  I've cut the designs into various sizes and folded them after lining the inside with scrap book paper and felt.

The needle keep you see, below, shows the front, back and inside of one I made.  In the last photo, there are four pins made of Swarovski crystals and sterling silver Swarovski charms.

Here are a few of the other needle keeps I put together.  They might look kind of 'lumpy' because I already scored the creases before taking the pictures.

The winner of the give away may choose two of the needle keeps I made (I'll post others with different designs as I make them).  The winner will also receive the four Swarovski pins.

Good luck!!

Kitten Stitching Give Away

Happy Second Blog Birthday to Kaye!  Take a look at this give away - it's AWESOME!!!!
Kitten Stitching 

OH.MY.GOSH!

Take a look at this give away at http://stitchingincrossesandmore.blogspot.com

I love stitchers!  They are so wonderful - I'm proud to be a part of the community.

Another Give Away Goodie

I love to know the history behind things.  Once I understand the background, it brings more meaning and richness to them.

Toile fabric and wall paper have always been one of my favorites.  In case you haven't heard of it, it's a type of pattern on white or off-white background with generally a pastoral theme of some kind.  The pattern is a single color.  Toiles were originally made in Ireland in the mid 18th Century and became popular in France and Britain.    

Can you guess what I've made that will be added to the give away?  It's a toile covered box in a beautiful red garnet.  I learned how to make the fabric box from LynnB's wonderful blog, http://lynnscrossstitchtutorials.blogspot.com.  

Now.....what shall I add the final week of the give away to go in the box?  I've got ideas......stay tuned!
Cheers!

Scissor Fob Added to Give Away!

I'm seeing a "pink" theme.   I've added a scissor fob I made for my first give away.  Attaching a picture of the three items some lucky person will be receiving.

Hmmmm......what will be added next?  (Probably something pink ;)

"Magnificent Paris" Needle Keep

My last post showed you the June freebie pattern, "Magnificent Paris".  I stitched it up and made it into a needle keep.  It will be added to the give away.

The tassel and cording look reddish in the picture, but it's a darker dusty rose to compliment the stitching and the material on the back.  It's bordered by pearls and Swarovski crystals.

Wo-Hoo!!  What will be added to the treasures next week?  Stay tuned......
Cheers!

Freebie - Magnificent Paris

My post about the history of Limoges boxes has me reminiscing about the trip to Paris my wonderful mother, daughter and I took several years ago.  The three of us had so much fun sharing new experiences and time together.  SIGH.  I'd go back in a heart beat.

My daughter speaks fluent French, so she helped us maneuver our way through Paris, the Louvre, restaurants, Versailles and the Eiffel Tower.  It was such an enjoyable trip - so many memories!
They inspired me to create "Magnificent Paris".

Enjoy!  Click on the following link for the free pattern: Magnificent Paris

P.S.  Take a peek at this summer give away from http://victorianmottosamplershoppe.blogspot.com.
You have until June 15th to enter.

First Milestone

YIPPEE!!  I reached my first milestone of more than 25 followers.  I promised my first Give Away would be an awesome one.  Hold on to your hats......

Have you heard of Limoges boxes?  I fell in love with these little porcelain marvels in the 70s while in college and on a Chicken Pot Pie Budget (I could buy them for 19 cents each when they went on sale.  I can truthfully say I haven't been able to look at chicken pot pie in the face since 1978).  You can surmise I could barely afford food, let alone a Limoges box.

Here's a little background on Limoges boxes:  the origins of these petite hinged boxes date back to mid 17th Century France where the fist discovery of the beautiful Limoges clay was discovered.  The original boxes were known as TABATIERES or tobacco boxes.  The very wealthy would also use these intriguing boxes as containers for jewelry, perfume or snuff. Through time these amazing boxes have become valuable collectables.

Each box is unique in that skilled French artists fit each box with detailed metal frames and clasps.  I purchase them as "blanks" (i.e., completely white porcelain) and hand paint them with a 17th or 18th Century design.  Each box is fired in a kiln (at approximately 1450 degrees) numerous times to achieve the affect I want.  Because each box is hand crafted and hand painted, they possess minute variations in color, brush strokes and form that make them unique.

OK.  Can you guess what ONE of the items in the give away will be?  Here's a photo of the Limoges needle case.  I will paint the winner's initials in 24KT gold on the inside of the box to make it even more special.

It measures 3 inches long, 1 inch wide, 7/16 inches deep

Here's how the give away will work:

1) Put a comment on this post and you are entered into  the giveaway.

2) If you are already a follower then your name is put in twice.

3) Put the photograph of this giveaway on your blog and then get another chance.

4) If you blog about this giveaway in a post on your blog then you get another chance.

Please let me know if you have done any of the above. Invite your friends to enter- the more, the merrier.

The winner will be randomly chosen on July 1st, 6PM CDT.   

Next week, I'm adding more goodies to the give away - watch this space.

Cheers!!