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!

Busy, Busy, Busy...

This has been such a busy month, first taking the Merry Cox class "Flowers in the Fall". This is her photo and I will post my piece once I'm finished! I did change a few things which I think is always fun to do to make it my own.



Immediately after that I went and visited my friend Laurel who lives between Reno and Lake Tahoe. I was so impressed with the area and we had a great time without husbands or kids. We ate, talked, rearranged furniture, talked, shopped, talked and talked some more. Very relaxing and revitalizing for me.


For Thanksgiving we did our traditional trip to Mexico along with my husband's mother, sister and her husband and a huge yellow Labrador Retriever. It was windy the whole time but always beautiful. Another very relaxing time. Here are my kids acting goofy on the beach and posing below in the wind.


I hope everyone had a nice holiday!

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!

Halloween Exchange

Worlds Above

This is my latest release, "Worlds Above". The verse is from an old Quaker sampler and I used vintage Tundra 40 ct from Lakeside Linens to stitch it. We just returned from San Francisco where the weather was delightful and I was able to celebrate my birthday and my daughter was able to visit with one of her friends from Japan. The photo of my son was taken at Golden Gate Park.

A couple finishes

I've actually finished a few pieces that aren't my own and am getting ready to start a Merry Cox piece for a class in November. The top is from Birds of a Feather and is for my sister. The bottom is from Ewe and Eye and Friends and is call "Christmas Sampler".

It was a busy September and it's about to get busier so I thought I'd post a few photos before I take off again. The big excitement for me was a trip to Utah with friends. We had a great time in Salt Lake visiting all the sites, the needlework and quilt shops and getting in the mood for fall since the weather cooperated and was beautiful. We spent the first day visiting the Temple, the Tabernacle and Brigham Young's home (bottom photo). I was pleased that the president of the SWANs made time to meet us for lunch and it was great to get to meet her and know her. The next day we made a trip to Ogden and visited Jill Rensel's studio and Shepherd's Bush where I was pleased to see a model of my design "Heaven Above". The witch photo was taken at Gardener Village, a site with restored Utah homes turned into fun little shops. Overall, it was a nice, relaxing getaway with good friends.

A new designer...

Have a look:





This is Annie's first venture into the world of cross stitch and I love what she has produced with her first 3 designs. Have a look at her webpage, she's very accomplished with stitchery and dolls also. http://www.anniebeezfolkart.com/intro.html

Thanks...

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who comments in my blog. I usually try to answer everyone but I have failed miserably at that this summer and I wanted everyone to know I do appreciate all you have to say and love looking at your blogs also.

Just Cross Stitch ornament issue

One of my favorite times of the year is when the new Just Cross Stitch ornament issue arrives. And I am especially excited this year as I am in it for the first time! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Birds and Butterflies...

This morning in the pool, a yellow butterfly came and landed on a bush near the water. I smiled. His wings were the happy color of a child’s crayon and he was very familiar to me. Last summer when I was having a difficult time with my dad’s death, these same yellow butterflies surrounded me wherever I went. Thousands of yellow butterflies. Driving in the car, they’d follow alongside. They’d greet me whenever I went outside. I felt protected, as though little angels were hovering near me.

Around that same time, someone sent me a code I could put into the url of my web page. My web page features a drawing of a girl stitching (me?) My web page also features butterfly graphics you can click on to get to another page. When adding the code to the page, the butterflies flew around the stitching girl. It almost made me want to cry. Was Dad saying hello? Saying I’d be fine?

So this morning in the pool, when I saw the familiar yellow butterfly, I said “hi”. And he circled around the fence and came back and sat on the bush. I said “hi” again. He circled and came back to land on the bush. Again I said “hi” and off he went over the fence and a different, smaller butterfly took his place, looked at me and flew away.

Ten minutes later a dove came and sat on a rock by the pool. I said, “I saw the butterflies, thank you”. Then another dove came to sit on the fence and the first dove started inching his way towards the second smaller dove. Mom? Dad? Strangely, I didn’t feel silly telling the second dove to take the other dove’s wing and fly away. I told her it would be OK, just take his wing… I looked away because the yellow butterfly came into view again. When I looked back, the doves were gone. I smiled at the yellow butterfly and said “thank you” and went inside.

Peaceful Paradise

This is my latest release that I've named "Peaceful Paradise". It's stitched on 40 ct Vintage Examplar from Lakeside Linens. The stitch count is 343 wide x 296 height.
Here is the list of colors:
DMC
676
758

Weeks Dye Works

Whiskey

Gentle Arts Sampler Threads

Hyacinth

Gentle Arts Shaker Threads

Fragrant Cloves, Old Blue Paint, Raven, Dungarees


Crescent Colours

Desert Mesquite, Black Coffee, Cherry Tomato, Eve's Leaves, Khaki Mocha, Blooming Crocus, Wild Berries and Old Oak Tree

Summer Exchange Projects

We just finished a summer exchange and I think all the projects were great!

A small animation from my son...

Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

From my sister and it truly is the best cake and frosting recipe:

Best Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup hot coffee
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add oil, coffee and milk; mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. (Batter will be thin). Pour into two greased and floured 9 inch x 1.5 inch cake pans. OR two 8 inch cake pans and six muffin cups. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. Cool cakes 15 minutes before removing from pans. This also makes about 32 cupcakes.

Favorite Icing

1 cup milk
5 Tbs flour
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the milk and flour in a saucepan. Cook until thick stirring constantly. Cover and refrigerate. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add chilled milk/flour mixture and beat for 10 minutes. Frost cooled cakes. About 12 serving.

Dancing Through Japan