Making Progress...

Just thought I'd post a couple of pictures of two small designs that I am currently working on.  I hope to have them completed very soon.  

The first is going to be a greeting card design for Christmas.  It's a group of ornaments hanging from a string of Christmas lights.  It's a pattern from one of my cross-stitching magazines from the UK.

The butterfly piece is a sample I am doing for my friend Kim.  She is expecting her 2nd daughter in early November and would love to have the baby room completed with a butterfly theme.  She would really like a small baby quilt with cross-stitch butterflies to use in the room.  I found this pattern in a cross-stitch magazine and thought I'd show Kim the finished piece to see if she would like this design for the quilt.  If not, I can always use it for something else, but if so, I'll have one of nine butterflies completed.

This last one is a small design for another Christmas card.  I completed it last month and added it to my "2014 Smalls SAL - Completed Projects" page but I thought I'd add it to the main blog page as well.  I think he's cute!

Joining the 2014 Smalls SAL

I decided today that I would join the 2014 Smalls SAL hosted by Heather from Stitching Lotus.  I have quite a few ideas for cards and other small items this year and this is the perfect way to make sure I get some of them finished.  I'll be committing to complete one small piece each month and it will be posted on or around the last Wednesday of each month.  I'm excited to get started!  You can learn more about Heather's SAL or sign-up to participate by visiting her site here or by clicking on the link on my blog home page.  I better go get started...the next one is due on April 30th!

TUSAL Progress - October Update and My Birthday

Yes, yes....I know.  If you have been paying attention, you probably realize that I skipped the TUSAL progress post for September.  I have no excuse other than I simply forgot. :-(

The update for October is actually not due until tomorrow (10/5/13) but I thought I would go ahead and post a photo while I was thinking of it.  This month's jar/glass actually contains two months worth of threads.  As you can see, I have quite a few ORTs and have been making progress on several projects.  I even completed a couple of small cards for Halloween which can be seen in an earlier blog post.

This month's TUSAL photo is sitting beside some beautiful flowers I received for my birthday from my parents.  They are quite lovely and actually are in the shape of a birthday cake.  The rose in the center represents the candle.  I included a photo of the entire arrangement but it's hard to show the shape.  I had a great birthday and even took today off from work as a gift to myself.

The next posting is due November 3rd.  If you're not sure what the heck a "TUSAL" or "ORT" is, be sure to check out the link to the TUSAL challenge by clicking on the list on the main blog page.

Two More Halloween Cards

Today I finished two more Halloween cross-stitch cards.  I think they turned out pretty well.  I'm particularly fond of the one with the ghost.  I played around with the colors and think the green worked out just fine.  The original pattern did not have any color behind it but since I was stitching on white evenweave fabric, I had to provide some type of background to make the ghost pop off of the fabric.

I think I'm going to stop with the five Halloween cards.  I'll probably start working on Christmas holiday cards soon.  I'm still looking for some really cute but small patterns.  The Halloween ones worked up pretty quickly so I feel like I'm making some progress.  Hence, why I have those WIPs and UFOs still sitting out there I guess!  LOL! 

WIPocalypse 2013 - August Update

As promised last month, I made quite a bit of progress on my cross-stitching.  No empty TUSAL glass for me next month on September 5th!  The catch is that the progress was made on other projects and not those on my current WIP list!  LOL!  Oh well.  I did start and finish a couple of small items that I have turned into cards for my Calico Craft Designs Etsy shop.  I don't have a lot of experience making cards and I thought these for Halloween came out pretty well.  What do you think?

Happy stitching until the September update on the 19th!

WIPocalypse 2013 - May Update

For the month of May I didn't do a whole lot of cross-stitching.  My hubby unexpectedly had surgery this past week and I just simply did not feel like working on my crafts in the couple of weeks leading up to the surgery.  He came through the procedure on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 with flying colors and is doing well.  He's been sleeping off and on throughout the days this week so I've had some time to work on my various WIPs.  Though I don't have a lot to show for this month, here are my WIPocalypse updates.


1.  "Cross Stitch Gold" Magazine's "A Day to Remember" card series by Durene Jones.  I am stitching one of the six funky birds for a card design.  The main portion of the bird is complete with only part of the back-stitching left to do.  I hope to finish it very soon.

The previous stopping point

Current progress

2.  "Cross Stitch Crazy" Magazine's "Crazy for...Dragons" pattern by Maria Diaz.  I started this one last week on May 17th.  I know, I know...another WIP!  But I just couldn't resist.  Maria's dragons are just sooooo darn cute!  I picked out one to make for a birthday card and tweaked the colors just a bit.  I know eventually I will probably make a couple more of these cuties, including the one shown in the title from the magazine.

My starting point

Current progress

Happy stitching until the June update on the 23rd!

Rainy Weekend Projects

This weekend was one of cooler temperatures, windy conditions, and almost 4 inches of rain.  There were areas of local flooding, overturned trees and power lines, and rising rivers and streams.  But…aside from these nasty problems some unfortunate people were dealing with, it was also the perfect weather to make you want to stay inside and work on crafts!  And that’s exactly what I did!

I did venture out on Friday afternoon after work to meet a friend at a local Hobby Lobby store.  She’s putting together two deco mesh wreaths for her mom and mother-in-law for the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday.  I met her to help pick out accessories to add to both wreaths.  She already had a good idea of what she wanted to do, including the base colors, but needed help deciding on how to make each more cohesive.  We wore out the floor walking back and forth in that store, pushing a cart around for almost two hours.  Two.  Hours.  Now, I like Hobby Lobby as much as the next crafty girl but that was a really long time to be in one shop!  But…we did get everything she needed to work on her projects this weekend and I think her mom and mother-in-law will be very surprised.

After dinner Friday night, I ventured over to her house to help her get started.  One wreath is a really cute ladybug-themed project with a punch of yellow to add some additional color.  (I may have to do one myself!)  The other is a jewel-toned, wine-themed wreath for a dining room.  It’s really large and includes a photo frame to hold a family portrait.  I think both ladies will be very pleased.  I was glad that I could assist and see her ideas begin to spring to life.  I can’t wait to see what they look like when finished.


Moving along


Saturday and Sunday were my “hermit” days.  I didn’t set foot out of my house on either day.  I had everything I needed at home:  cross-stitch, craft and garden magazines, movies, my fur-babies, and my awesome hubby.  In between a lot of reading and movie-watching, I mostly worked on the small cross-stitch design that I started last week to try to make it into a card.  It’s the one on the bright lime green Aida fabric and uses the bright, funky bird pattern.  I got quite a bit completed and I’m thinking I may give it to my mother-in-law for Mother’s Day.  She and my younger brother-in-law will be visiting from out of town this coming weekend.  I’m hoping to finish it by Friday.  I already have the card making supplies but I really need to find something unique to write on the inside of the card.  Hmmm….

As a side note, today is the fifth of May, a Mexican holiday known as Cinco de Mayo.  Per Wikipedia, “it is celebrated in the U.S. and in parts of Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla.  It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.  In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.”

Happy Cinco de Mayo to you all!

Rockin' the Lime Green!

So...I've been eye-balling this lime green (officially named "Grasshopper") Aida fabric in the stores now for well over a year.  I always wanted to stitch something on it but could never think of anything that would fit with this super bright fabric.  So, I'd pick it up, think it over, put it back on the store shelf, and later wish that I had purchased it.  I did this numerous times - What's the definition of "insanity" again? - until last weekend.  I finally sucked it up and bought it.

Charles Craft 14-ct Aida in Grasshopper Green

Along with my prize, I bought a copy of "Cross Stitch Gold" Magazine, the June 2013 issue.  It just so happens that this is their 100th anniversary issue.  Inside, what did I find you ask?  Only the perfect design to go on my new bright green fabric!  Six designs to be exact.  It's a series of six card designs by Durene Jones, all featuring quirky and very bright birds.  I thought they would make perfect cross-stitch cards using my new fabric.


A card design by Durene Jones

I am going to start with one of the designs to see how I like it on the new cloth.  I have chosen to modify one of the designs' colors to better match the Aida.  I'm also not going to work the entire design as I want to leave space for a greeting.  I'm so excited about getting started!  I don't even know who this card is going to go to when it's finished!  LOL!

I'll post a couple of pics once I actually get started on it.  Has anyone else used this fabric color before?  If so, please share what you made with it.  I'd love to see your ideas!