Some designs

Hello all, long time no see. I am feeling the guilt of not posting anything and will update the needlework stuff in this post and move on to another post with just a plain update. I'll start with 2 designs I had published in the current issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine.
Here are two small photos I snagged off their site:



I have a couple other pieces to be published this summer I believe.JCS has had one on hold since I sent it to them last summer so it will be as much a surprise to me as to anyone when it is published. This is a sneak peek of one in progress that should be in the magazine soon.

Sadly, that is the last and about only thing I have designed and stitched this year. My mind has been away from the needlework world and is having a hard time reconnecting to that part of my life. I have a few different hobbies this year and I know I'll return to the world of stitching, after all, I have stitched since I was a kid and it will always be a part of me. I like to think of this stretch as a simple break or a rest while I adjust to a new stretch of my life.

Some more designs

Me & You Sampler


Her Majesty


Gentle Thoughts 2 (next 2 designs in one chart)



Heart's Peace

Two new designs

The above are 2 new designs. The first 2 are in one chart packet and I'm calling them "Gentle Thoughts". They use 32 ct Antique Ivory linen. The scans look different but in person they are the same fabric.

The 2nd design is the "Singing Bird Stitching Pocket", once again finished by the fabulous Deb Hunter of Artistic Needle. Instructions for assembly are included and the threads are from The Threadgatherer's Silk 'n Colors line. This piece uses 32 ct Antique White linen.

I have a couple more designs to release (including Gentle Thoughts 2) plus the promised family record sampler. It's totally ridiculous that I have stalled on getting that piece finished and it's all due to stitching my dad's name under the willow tree. I seem to be having a mental block about doing that but it will be done very soon, just have to bite the bullet and get stitching.

Blessed Harvest

Here's another new release, Blessed Harvest. Well, as you can see by the date, it's not THAT new, in fact, I've had nothing but problems releasing this in a timely manner the past few years. I couldn't seem to coordinate it with a fall release or else I'd forget about having it on hold. So finally, it's out with a corrected date on the actual chart.

We've been busy this past month taking DD to Seattle to start her freshman year of college. She seems to be adjusting very well (knock on wood) and we were impressed with the city, it was gorgeous and we loved the fact that getting into a car didn't involve getting burned on a steering wheel or driving miles before it would get cool inside.


Nest week it's Savannah to deposit our son and then empty nest reigns! So far, so good.

Cottage Pinkeep Sampler

First I would like to say thank you to all who have participated in the Angel in my Pocket project as seen below. I so appreciate each and everyone's donation. I have not yet sent everything off to Peggy yet but will be doing so this week.

Next, I have another new sampler I'm calling Cottage Pinkeep Sampler. Bascially, each of the 9 squares in this sampler can be made into a little pinkeep as seen above. The piece uses 32 ct Antique White and all Anchor threads. I hope you enjoy it.

Simple Pleasures and Friendship Pocket

The above is Simple Pleasures stitched on 32 ct Antique Ivory from Zweigart. Below is Friendship Pocket on 40 ct Vintage Examplar from Lakeside Linens. They are off to the distributors this week. Can anyone spot the cat hair? LOL

2 new designs and more to come

The above design is "Garden Angels" and is stitched on 32 ct Antique Ivory using Gentle Arts floss. The one below is "Strawberries for Ewe" stitched on either 28 or 30 ct Korty's Special Blend from R&R and uses Crescent Colours threads. I'll be sending these out to the distributors next week.



I have several more new designs including new stitching pockets coming out soon. Thank you to all who read my blog, I appreciate all the comments.

A few more offerings

Well, I don't know what got into me but I've been a stitching fiend for the past few weeks and have produced some new designs. The first is hot off the iron as of an hour ago and I don't have a name for it (any ideas?) but I absolutely enjoyed every stitch! It only took me 3 1/2 days to stitch and I love the colors if I do say so myself. I used a bunch of new Gentle Arts Shaker threads.

The second piece was finished for me by Deb Hunter and has the oh-so creative name of "Remember Me Stitching Pocket", lol. Deb always does such a fantastic job of finshing and I highly recommend her. You can contact her at artisticneedle@swbell.net

The third piece I'm calling "A Patriot's Sampler". I like to do a patriotic piece each summer and this one grew and grew, too many good quotes out there! I hope you'll like them and they should be out within a couple weeks.

Primitive Wizard of Oz finished

Finished! This is my primitive Wizard of Oz that I talked about below. It scanned a bit light but you'll get the idea, lol. Hope you like it.

Sheep's Paradise

Just a quick note and photo of my latest design, "Sheep's Paradise". It's done on 40 ct Sandstone with Crescent Colours cotton floss. It was so nice stitching with the bright colors at this time of year and I hope you'll like it.

Hearts for Thee

This is a new design coming out very soon called Hearts for Thee. It might be the last one for a while as my hard drive gave up the ghost and is now in the shop. I have little hope of recovering much but am trying to think positively. Luckily, I'm in the middle of stitching a new design and can rechart it without a problem. It's about half of the designs that I have out now that will most likely be "retired" so get what you want while there are still some out there.

Edited to add: the valentine pendants I put up here yesterday are sold but I did find a sheet I had printed before Xmas and will make a few more so keep an eye here in the next few days for a new post.

As far as the computer troubles, I know I should be much more upset to lose so much but strangely I'm not. I think I realize this is going to be a year of big change in our family and that is more on my mind than my designs. I've had a good run with them and plan to continue but am not buying a new computer until February 1st which is after mercury retrograde leaves. If you know anything about astrology you know that the 3 week period about 3 times a year of mercury going retrograde is not a good time to buy electronics, machinery, cars etc. I'm not taking any chances!DH gave me one of the new cute little laptops for Christmas so there is no hurry as far as being able to connect to the internet and get email. The tiny keyboard causes me a number of typos though. I do miss my mouse!

Speaking of change, DD graduates from high school in May and has applied to 8 different colleges, all on the west coast (except her safety school, University of AZ which is here in town). She's already been accepted to four of them and is just waiting to hear about the California schools. However, her number one choice was University of Washington in Seattle and she heard last week, to her delight, that she has been admitted. She also got her Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do last week so we've been celebrating.

DS just got back from a trip to San Francisco to check out the Academy of Art University and it looks like he is very excited about the place so I know the empty nest is finally here come fall.

On another note, I am discontinuing my webpage because I can never get it updated since DD is my over-busy webmistress and it just seems ridiculous to pay for it. I do much better here as I can update easily on my own.
Whoa, sort of a long post but I guess I had more to say than I realized. I hope everyone has had a great start to the new year. Thanks for reading.

Christmas Cheer

I just released a new design called Christmas Cheer and I hope you'll like it. This is a bit better photo than what is on the chartpack which was a roundabout mistake but I went with it as I didn't want to waste all the prints I had! Anyway, enjoy!

Halloween!

I just released a new design called Halloween. I wish I could have thought of a more catchy name, oh well! The fabric is 30 ct Witches Brew from R&R Reproductions which makes it 15-5/8w X 3-1/8h inches. There are only 2 overdyes used in this piece and they are from Weeks Dye Works, Whiskey and Okefenokee.
Thanks for looking!

A couple new designs

Since I stitch all my own designs I can point out my mistakes. It wasn't until I picked up a batch of framing, (this above "Angel Sampler" included)that I realized I'd not stitched the "o" on the word "oh" in the verse. Oh well, makes it that much more mine. I was very pleased with this pale pink frame that I got on clearance at Marshall's for $3.99. I've had it sitting around about a year and finally, something fit in it!



This one is called "Remembrance". A woman emailed me several months ago and gave me the verse which she had found on an Irish headstone. I hope she'll re-email me as I'd love to send her a copy. In the computer confusion that has been happening with me since June (including a trip to the computer tune-up place) that email has been lost. I just want to say thank you very much as I love the verse and hope it brings comfort to those who read it.

2 new designs

This is "Bloom"


And this is "Patriotic Summer"

Two New Designs

This is Immortal Bloom


This is Be Ye Kind

New designs

I have two new designs, the top photo is 'A Small Sampler' and the bottom is 'Little Cottage', hope you like them!

New Designs

This is "Fair Kind True". I originally designed this for a challenge with a friend and thought it would be perfect for Valentine's Day.


This is "Our Souls" which I did a couple years ago for my wedding anniversary and decided to finally release. Hope you like them!

Fear Not

This is my latest release "Fear Not" and I have to thank Deb Hunter for the wonderful job she does with my finishing.

I also wanted to add that my website has not been updated in quite a while due to problems with the host which I'm trying to get straightened out so please bear with me, thanks!

A Christmas Sampler

This is my latest release "A Christmas Sampler". It uses 40 count Bittersweet from Lakeside Linens and the threads are all DMC. Hope you like it!