Macro setting on my camera!

On my last trip to Phoenix I found this sweet child's sewing basket and look what was inside! Isn't that thimble the tiniest you've ever seen?



And this morning I ran around taking photos of my samplers on the walls because I finally figured out the Macro setting on my camera! It makes close up photos so much easier, even in the dark wall of my staircase. So I went a little overboard but thought it was fun and wasn't sure what to do with the photos so this is always a good spot to put them, lol.






The above photo is a little sneak peek of a sampler I'll be releasing soon...

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.

Maggie's Yokohama Adventure

My 17-year old daughter Maggie just returned from a homestay/high school exchange to Yokohama, Japan. Last year she was in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and she compares Tokyo to New York City and Yokohama to San Francisco. Here she is with her class on her last day there:



And a close up:


A shot of the empty classroom. High school students stay in the same classroom and the teachers will rotate to them vs. the opposite with the American system.


Her good-bye message to her class, don't ask me what it says, I can only read 3 of the words!


With her little "brothers" from her host family:


In Yokohama's Chinatown, which is the largest Chinatown in Japan:


more with classmates:


She was able to buy a summer kimono and attend a festival. Here she is trying to catch goldfish which I guess was not easy to do:


Photo of how her obi is tied so we can hopefully replicate it at home:


Some things are universal:


One of the things she loves about Japan is how they love "cute". She said these pigs are fish paste and very tasty:


Another example of "cute" with an everyday object:


The Yokohama Costco, just as overwhelming in any country:


One difference is there is kanji on the cakes: