JN 2014 SAL.....

It's that time again for our JN SAL post for this month.  Zeb of Keep Calm and Cross Stitch is the one who had started this SA but she is no longer updating her blog for this SAL.  However, there are some of us who have continued on with this SAL each month.  For me, it's been a great motivation to continue stitching on the many charts and kits that I have collected or been gifted with as presents.  I will continue to do this in 2015 as well.

Last month during my JN post I mentioned that I wanted to stitch the JN Ornamental Advent starting this November to do each month to complete it by next year.  Well I am stitching 2 for each month and managed to get my 2 completed this month.  YEAHHHH!!!  I will continue to stitch 2 each month and will have them all completed by October 2015.  Who knows....I may do more than just the 2 a month to try and get them done sooner so that I can start the "sewing finishing work" way before next October.

I do apologize for the wrinkles.  I did pack this project to take to stitch on during the Thanksgiving holiday while visiting family.  Yes.....my family does know that I am ALWAYS stitching on something. 

That's all I have to share for today. 
Happy Stitching!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. 

Smalls SAL.....

I'm sorry to be a day late.  Busy schedule this week with our holiday schedule.

Heather of Stitching Lotus is the host of our 2014 Smalls SAL.  You can click on the link above or on the one highlighted next to Heather's name.  I am SOOOO GLAD for this SAL as it has helped keep me motivated to getting some of my smalls stitched up as gifts.

This month I stitched 2 pincushions.  One was for Angelica and the other one was for Debra.  Both ladies have received them so YEAH.....now I can post them to share with you.

 

 

I found the links to the alphabets here at the following link.

http://patternmakercharts.blogspot.ca/2010/01/sajou-no-321.html


But I did finish stitching my ornaments so YEAHH for that!!!  Now I just need to do the "finishing" work on those ornaments.  That will be done next week.  That is all I have to share for today!

Happy Stitching!

 

Painted Atoid Tin information.....

Maggee commented about what was the procedure for painting the Altoid tin that I posted in my last post.  Here is what it looked like.

As I said in the previous post, my friend Pat tole painted it for me as a present, but I had no idea what or how it was done.  So to find out the answer for Maggee, I just emailed Pat and here is what she replied to how the painting of an Altoid tin is done.

"Tin is much different than wood because it is not porous.  I will assume the tin has no rust because that is an entirely different process. 

 

I sand the tin well so it has *tooth* for the paint to stick.  Then wash the tin in soapy water, rinse and wipe with vinegar and let dry.  Let dry thoroughly - several days is best. It is important to do the vinegar to remove any oils that may be on the tin. (Paint will peel off if there is oil)   I use an all purpose sealer for the next step but most people don't have it, so  you can use RustOleum and spray the tin lightly.  Let dry thoroughly.  Then paint the tin with your basecoat  color - several coats.  Again let it dry before adding any decorations or designs.  If is a good idea to varnish the tin when your design is complete.   

 

This is not a quick process - that is why I try to prepare more than one tin when I start.  But tin makes a nice surface to paint on so the prep work is worth it."

 

I only paint on wood frames that I know I will be keeping for myself or on paper mache boxes.  Painting is not my area of expertise as it is for Pat.  As I told her, I will stick to the sewn projects and cross stitching projects.  I don't need to take on another hobby.  I have enough as it is!

 

I thought if one person was questioning, others might wonder as well.  So I decided to just post it all here for everyone to read.

 

Happy Stitching.....or Happy Painting if that is your hobby!

 

 

TUSAL time again.....

It's that time again for our TUSAL report!!!  You can click on the link above or on It's Daffycat.  This will take you to read about the rules of doing this SAL.  This has been fun to post each month and I hope she will be doing it again next year!

I've been busy stitching the last of the ornaments this month.  Sad to say.....I CAN'T show any of them to you right now because all of them are for Christmas gifts this year.  I had to get 3 finished this month and I accomplished that goal!  YEAH!  Plus I've managed to squeeze in some stitching time on some new things.  I will get back to stitching on my Stacy Nash Christmas at Hollyberry Farm hopefully over Thanksgiving break this week. 

I've been stitching on a couple of birthday gifts also and finishing up some other smalls this past week.  Once my girlfriends receive their birthday gifts, I will share their present I made them with you as well.  Angelica has already called to say she's received her present and liked it!!!  WHEW!  I was hoping she would like it!

Here is my November ORTs.  The tin is a tole painted ORT box that my dear friend Pat painted as a gift for me one year.  I LOVE IT!!!  It's just an Altoid tin but her tole painting is soooo exquisite!!!  It's just perfect for sitting on display in my living room beside my loveseat where I sit to stitch.

Here are a couple of the small projects I've been working on for you to see where some of these ORTs are coming from. 

Now I'm off to stitch for the rest of the day.  YEAHHH!!! 

Happy Stitching!

iStitch Sew Advent SAL ......

I just wanted to post that Carol of iStitch Designs is taking orders for her new Sew Advent 2014 SAL.  I did this SAL with Carol last year (which was her first year doing it) and I HAD A BLAST!!  It was so much fun to wake up each day to a new little part to stitch up for a special design.  Now granted, it's taken me a year to find the right size little hanger as I had in my mind that I wanted it as a bellpull.  So I've searched and found the perfect size.  I had hoped to have it done up before starting this year's Advent but I don't think I'm going to get around to getting it finished in time.  Especially with Thanksgiving is next week for those of us in the USA.  I have my week already booked for something every day next week. 

However, I have all the supplies from last year's Sew Advent SAL left over to use for this year's Advent SAL  YEAHHHH!!!  I'm using something from my stash without having to buy more.  This is making me very happy!!!

So if you haven't clicked up the link above but still want to join, I suggest you do that right away and join in on the fun.  If this year is like last years SAL, the parts are so quick and easy to stitch up each day that it really makes you feel like you are accomplishing something!!!  So here is the link again, Sew Advent 2014 SAL, and hopefully you will be motivated enough to stitch along with us.  Be sure to check out last year's Advent SAL that Carol still has available for purchase listed under her "Charts" link.

Happy Stitching Everyone!

Snow day.....and school's out!

We got our first official snowfall last night!!!  It started out as a wet snow last night and then in the middle of the night changed to the night fluffy white snow!!  But.....it still made a deep pile on the driveway.  We got up this morning and checked the news and saw that DS school was closed......along with TONS of other schools and businesses!!!  He was very excited and hubby kept checking to see if the AF base had a closure but no such luck.  Poor guy!!  But DS and I shoveled the driveway for him when he comes home.  So I thought I'd take pictures of our snow before we shoveled it all off the driveway.

After a nice warm shower and a yummy hot lunch after all that shoveling, I'm ready to stitch while sitting underneath a warm blanket and watch a movie with DS.  Yes....I'm excited about the snow but wasn't really wanting it THIS early in our season!!!  I am NOT complaining!  I promise!!!

Happy Stitching!!!

My Stitching Friday and a Contest Reminder.....

YEAH!!!  Today is Friday!!!  I can honestly say I have NOW finished stitching all my ornaments that are to be gifts!!!  But....next week will be my finishing week of them all.  Nooooooottttttt a problem!!!  I'd almost rather finish them all at once.  Makes it easier for me as some of them use the same backing fabric!!!  haha

Today I've saved it to be a day of COMPLETE STITCHING all day long.  Do you ever PLAN to have a complete day of stitching but then this errand needs to be run or I need to do that  chore and you then realize ..... there went your day of stitching down the drain?!  I've had that happen to be a few times but then again, I try to stitch on something every single day!!!  I can't tell you exactly WHAT I'm stitching today because these 2 things are for gifts.  And yes....I do keep some of the stuff I stitch for myself.  I will share a photo soon of these things I'm stitching today.

But.....if you have not been following Nancy Turner of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe blog, well you should!  She is having a 25Days of Christmas Contest but you have to enter each day to try and win whatever prize she is giving away.  You can click on the link above or on my sidebar to get to her blog.

AND........starting today is her Customer Appreciation Week..  She posted it yesterday for it to start TODAY!  I have ordered some of her overdyed threads before and they are very very pretty and wonderful to stitch with.  So be sure to go and look on November 13 to see the rules for ordering or click on the link HERE.

Now it's time for me to get off this computer and get to stitching today!!!

 

HAPPY STITCHING EVERYONE!

Happy Veteran's Day!!!

I want to recognize all those who have gone before me and possibly have sacrificed their life for my freedom today!  I had a grandfather who served in the Army but he would never talk about it.  He was too affected by all that he did while he was active duty. 

Being an AF wife and having my husband be on active duty, I can understand.  Many don't understand how I can be that way but it is just the way it is.  I don't have to know ALL that goes on but I just pray! 

So if you have a moment, THANK A VETERAN for their service and all that they do.  We live away from family all the time but our military friends BECOME our family.  Why?  Because we know what it is like to live that life and understand the sacrifices and help each other out. So send a card of encouragement and thanks to that Veteran that you may know whether they are active duty or retired. 

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Christmas Give away.....

WOW oh wow!!!  Nancy of Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a 25 Days of Christmas Giveaway!!!  You can find her blog link HERE.  Nancy is giving away some REALLY great prizes but there are some rules for winning her prizes!!!  You must be a follower of her blog and if you aren't, it's easy to sign up.  Just go to her website at the link above or on my sidebar of blogs that I follow and click to see how to enter to win some of her wonderful prizes.  Plus she gives you extra entries for posting on your blog if you have one and also on your Facebook page.  What stitcher could not use more fabric, trims, floss, or a free chart from her designs???  I can't wait to see what she has planned for the rest of the month for us to enter to try and win!!!

Speaking of stitching and stash......HOW are your Christmas ornaments coming along????  I have all but 2 ornaments left to stitch.  Then later this week I hope to be able to do the finishing on them.  Yes.....I feel very behind on my ornaments this year.  Usually November is my time to rest from the ornament stitching but with having a cross country move from AZ to OH.....well, that kind put a cramp in my stitching considering I had to get the house all set up once we got moved in.  But I did enjoy the time that we were staying in temporary lodging as I could stitch without guilt because I was still looking for a house to settle in here.  hehe

So I look forward to showing those ornaments to you after Christmas this year!  I can't show some before Christmas because those people FOLLOW my blog! 

I'm off to pay bills and do a few other chores before settling in for some SERIOUS STITCHING today!

HAPPY STITCHING EVERYONE!!!