Okay, I don't have any pictures

of stitching to show you today, but I thought I would post a few pictures of some of the flowers in our gardens..
Peonies and Irises. Flowers seen most in Illinois I think, LOL..

I spent last week stitching

on some ornies and getting them finished and sent. One to the UK and one to South Africa. I am sorry the pictures are so terrible, but I took them with my phone and I am just not good at using it, LOL.. They really are much prettier than the picture shows. Now it is back to my Inspiration piece.

I made good progress

This weekend I got another section done and started section 10 of Inspiration. I would really like to finish this one by midsummer. We shall see, LOL. I am getting to see the town section of the piece now. I have made a few changes but not too many :).. Here is my current place. I will have to stop this week and finish up some ornaments for an exchange.

Some more progress

A little more progress on Inspiration this week. The color changes tend at time to make it slow going. Hopefully this rainy weekend I will have more time to stitch. I want to get a section done.

Have a Fantastic Weekend.

Some more Inspiration and a few friends

Okay, I actually am up to section 9 on Inspiration. I have decided to work on it till I finish it. I have to do a couple ornies this next week, but other than that it is Inspiration time.
Here is where I am now.

Vonna said I needed to add pics of the kitties. We have a total zoo here, but man do we have fun.

DC (9 year old black male)

Nala 1 year old red

Esme (Esmeralda Weatherwax 9 month old dilute tortoiseshell)

Callie (Calypso - 11 month old - Tortoiseshell)

(Mysty - 2 year old Maine Coon)

All of our cats are rescue cats and we are real suckers for a sad story. All were emaciated, some were ill and others were socially awkward, but now they get along really well. We have rehabilitated pretty much all of them. The Maine Coon Mysty is still a little socially awkward but she gets better everyday. She started out staying in a closet in a drawer the first two weeks now she lets everyone touch her and wanders around the house. Great progress I think for three months. Plus she has put on about 5 lbs. You could count every rib on her body when we got her and she weighed only 5 lbs.

Our Babies

I know this is a nonstitching post, but I have to show off our 12 week old babies. They are a lot of work, but are such a joy to have around and so fun.

This is dad Reggie.(above)

This is our little girl. Her name is Annie.. (above)

The little guy facing us is Beau (the one eating dirt is Annie, LOL)

and this is their brother, Artie. He has grey socks on his feet, LOL..

They are all Shih Tzus and way too cute, LOL. We hadn't planned on this many to start with but you know how things go and they certainly don't lack for attention in our house. Although Mr. Reggie is very stubborn.

Wow- No I didn't disappear

we have just been so crazy here at home. We have welcomed some puppies into our home and the kids have had a million things going on and, I know not an excuse. I promise to keep up more regularly.

Yes I have actually gotten a little cross stitch done these days. I have been working on Rosewood Manor's Inspiration. I am up to section 7 and here is what it looks like now. I really love this design.

I also started on Cat Lessons by Lizzie Kate the other night. Only gotten a little way on it. Please forgive the not so great pictures

Well I definitely feel in the mood to keep up to date these days. So see you all soon.

Long Time no post and My first Finish 2010

Sorry, been hectic here and haven't done much stitching but this weekend I made up for it.

I finished up my AMAP Victorias Sampler. The picture is not very good and I haven't iron it yet. Too much light faded the colors at the bottom of the picture it is much brighter, I will need to take another after it is ironed, lol..but I am so excited it is done. I used lots of different colors for it and kinda made it up as I went along. I had picked out basic colors and it was just a matter of figuring out when to use them. I am happy with how it came out.

I also got more stitches into my HAED Impossible love, I am now up to 1600 stitches done.

oh and we have a new friend. Please meet Reggie our new puppy, he is a one year old Shih Tzu and the biggest baby you have ever seen. He and Esme the cat have sorta made friends (sometimes) lol..

Well Talk to Everyone more later!!! And I will try to keep up better.

A Little more progress

on Impossible Love. 1200 stitches down only 175,000 to go,.

We also added a couple new family members from catsnap this last month. They were both abandoned in horrible circumstances, extremely thin and in need of somewhere to go quickly.

First is Mysty who is a painflly thin two year old Maine Coon, she is extremely shySecond is Esmeralda Weatherwax, aka Esme. She was abandoned, very skinny and a little wild. She is extremely curious but she is settling in nicely. She is 6 month old dilute tortoiseshell.

We also lost a four legged family member last week, to old age and cancer, our 14 year old black lab Shadow. We had him since he was 1. He is missed, but we had a great run together!!

Everyone have a Terrific DAY!!!

A New Year and a New Project

I try to start a new project at the first of each year. This year it is Impossible Love by Selina Fenech and Heaven and Earth Designs.
Okay, so page one got gridded and I got just a tiny bit of stitching on it, but it is started. This is one of the first HAED I ever got but have always been timid about starting it, but here we go. This is my year of fantasy pieces. I went through my stash and pulled out quite a few, LOL. Yeah, like they will get done, but I can certainly put a dent in them.

Everyone Have a FANTASTIC NEW YEAR!

WooHoo It Got Finished

The book of Spells is finally Finished. Sorry Little Sister Vicki but it is five days late for Christmas. Now when she finds the perfect box for it I will put it all together. Now on to getting ready for my New Years Eve stitching decision...

The Book of Spells by The Goode Huswife

Stitched on 32ct Silkweaver Reflections Midas Touch Lugana

with GAST, WDW, and DMC threads (2 over 2)

Book of Spells

did not get finished :(. But I did get this much done and I figure it should be done by tomorrow night. Vicki has decided she would like to put it on top of a needlework tool box, so we need to start looking for one the right size.I got a really cute Halloween set from my sister Vicki for Christmas. Here it is. I love Halloween stuff. She and the kids also got me several HAED's for Christmas too :)..

Well off to the daycare kids. I will try to be around more now. Have a GREAT WEEK!

Actually got a lot of my Christmas Presents done

Well Vicki and my moms anyway, LOL.. I posted pictures of my mom's. Here is Vicki's. It is from the Cross Stitch Happy Site. Vicki loves birds so here are hummingbirds.. The first picture is the whole set and the second is the other side and top flap of the scissor pocket. I packed it all in a mesh bag with handles that I got from Down Sunshine Lane to use for projects. The fabric is 28ct white opalescent lugana. Now the Book of Spells piece is another story, no it is not done. Hopefully by the end of the weekend, but at least she knew about that one, :)

Merry Christmas to you all..

Another Christmas Gift Finished

My mom is a super knitter and she is always looking for a ruler, so I made this Quaker Rule by Milady's Needle for her for Christmas. It is stitched on 40ct White Opalescent linen.

It has been awhile since

I last posted. Been so busy trying to get things stitched for Christmas. I have got to stop putting things off to the last minute.

Here is the arm chair companion I made my mom, I just finished getting it put together. I still have some small snowflake buttons to put in the corners or scatter around it, haven't decided which yet. The pattern is from the Floss Box. The Fabric is Silkweaver Spring Garden Opalescent Lugana 28ct.

Then I started the biscornu in the cross stitch tool set I am making my sister. It will be a biscornu, needlebook, scissor pocket and fob. She feeds every bird for miles around so I thought the hummingbirds appropriate. I got this design free from Cross Stitch Happy's blog. It is on a white 28ct opalescent linen.

I am also stitching her a large needle tool book from Goode Huswife called Book of Spells (she likes halloween). This is stitched on Silkweaver Midas Touch Opalescent Lugana.

I also finished stitching a quaker ruler for my mom but I haven't put it together or taken a picture yet. I will try to do that tonight. :)..

Well hopefully will be around more this week. (that means I got things accomplished, LOL)

Talk more later and have a Great week!

Penguins Ahoy

I finished the penguin biscornu last night now I need to work the base of the arm chair piece. I really like the way this one came out :)..

Gift Stitching

I am making an Armchair companion for my mom for the holidays. Penguins are a family favorite. This design is for the Biscornu that goes on top :)..It is from the Floss Box. The fabrics is opalescent 28ct lugana Spring Garden from Silkweaver.

Everyone have a GREAT WEEK!

A Little More AMAP Victoria Sampler

I got some more of this done this week, but I am running out of a couple of colors and had to reorder. Then I had a OMG moment and realized the date. I have Christmas gifts to make, this is going to have to go to the wayside while I get to work on those. How did this year go so fast. Well here is the picture of the AMAP and hopefully you will see some Christmas gifts soon :).

WooHoo a stitching finish and

I have been waxing nostalgic about some of my old projects that I have, ummm, slowed down on in the past (code word for set aside and haven't done a darn thing on). So anyway, I finished stitching the BBD Flowers for Sarah Needlecase but I am sure it will take me awhile to find the perfect fabric for the back and edges.

I also dug out my old AMAP Victorias Quaker which I am being creative with and making up colors as I go, I know, not always the best idea but who knows. Anyway here it is up to this point, I got quite a bit done on it this week.

Well off to work. Take care everyone, more later.

Lots of Catching up to Do

Yep, I am slow this month, LOL.

First I received two exchanges!!

First from All Season Ornament Exchange I received an adorable ornie from Jayne P. The design is Boo Moon by Val's Stuff. He is too cute and I love the little moon button. Thanks so much Jayne, I adore it.

Then I received my HOE Halloween Exchange from Suzanne from Australia. This is my favorite Prairie School When Witches go Riding. I love this design and the Halloween goodies were too cute. I love my exchange, thanks so much Suzanne.

I also finished my Ornament Exchange to Jayne and she should have it by now, so I will post it here. On one side is Wicked by Just Nan and on the other Batty Jack also by Just nan. They are stitched on 30ct WDW Peoria Purple Linen.

And I also picked up a BBD design Flowers for Sarah Needlecase. I am actually making it a wall hanging. I am on the last section now..

Finally, a nonstitching picture. These are our three kitties. They don't settle down together too often. The Tortoise shell is Calypso (aka Callie, she is 6 months), the red is Nala (1 year) and the all black is DC (he is 9 years old). DC is not too fond of Callie, LOL. But he adores Nala. No our pets are not spoiled, LOL..

Have a FANTASTIC WEEK!

Border finished

finally. I won't be able to show pictures of the other things I have worked on this week since they are secret for exchanges, LOL.. But here is the border finished on my Halloween RR. Yay, now just to figure out exactly what I want to put in the last to squares.