See that? That is my package to my Frosty Friends Exchange Partner. I am sure that she thinks i forgot about her. I did not. The package has been sitting unclaimed at the post office in her area since January 11th. What's up with that? I felt horrible when i got this in the mail yesterday and then when i got the e-mail from Becky about it, I felt honestly quite horrible. Living where i do, I have to rely on the post office and i am unhappy that this has happened. I don't know if you can see or not the package is ripped at the bottom and a few things are missing. So i will have to repackage this and replace them, then send it again. Hopefully my partner likes what she finally gets.

I am also frustrated because i had picked out Middy to stitch on the Mirabilia RR piece I have and I just didn't like the way the colors looked on the fabric. I really like Middy stitched on blue, but it wasn't working on this one. So i had to frog the whole thing and pick another pattern. I am going to stitch like the wind because i am already going to be late mailing this out. (sorry, Jenn) I don't want it to be any later than i told Jenn it would be. I have to start over though because i just would not of been happy with it.

I have placed my order for several Little House Needleworks charts for the RR since i just don't "have enough" of them for the RR. At least that is how i feel. :-)

Sorry no pictures until the exchanges all reach their destinations. I wouldn't want to spoil any surprises.

One of the more frustrating things about telling everyone that you will show pictures of what you are working on is actually being able to do it. I just started stitching on my part of the latest Mirabilia piece that i received. So i don't have anything to show. I sent out my fob for the HoE Fob Exchange several days ago, so i am hoping that my partner likes it.

There is also signups on the HoE for the Biscornu Exchange that everyone voted on for the next exchange. I am sitting this one out until i can make one for myself that doesn't look like it was finished by a chicken. Carol did say that she would probably open up sign-ups for the Pinkeep Exchange as well. Now this one i may do depending on several things though. I want to have this Mirabilia piece shipped to Jenn to work on, the outline of the LHN RR done and my part stitched and the layout for the HAED RR done. I have committed myself to a lot of things this year and while i am holding my own and getting everything done, i am mindful that life can get in the way. I do not want to let anyone down especially not in any of the RR's since i am looking forward to all of them.

There are also sign-ups on the RR BB for a Christmas Neighborhood. I am super excited about this one as well. Hopefully we get enough people for this to take off. I am already planning it in my head. A snowy neighborhood with a horse drawn sleigh going down the street. I am excited as everyones knows that i have wanted to do a neighborhood for some time.

Try to not get too excited, but true to my word here are photos of several WIP's i have plus a couple of exchanges that i have received.

This is the exchange box and piece that i did for the Crazy Exchange Christmas Exchange to Ina.



The design is from the JCS Christmas issue, but i can't remember which one. Sorry about that.



These next photos are from the Frosty Friends Exchange on the SBEBB from Melissa to myself. I can't post pictures of what i sent as my partner hasn't posted that she has received yet.

This next piece is L&L's "Angel of Joy" This piece went out on the second UFO RR i participated in last year. I sent her out with just a strip of blue done on the left side of her dress. As you can see the ladies were able to stitch quite a bit of her before she made it home.

This piece is one of the Vicory Collections crosses. My DH bought it for me sometime ago at Christmas and i never got around to stitching on it much. This piece went off in the other UFO RR i participated in last year. Lots got done on that piece as well.
This is a WIP i have for some friends of ours who were married in 2005. I will be mounting it in a Memory Tray when finished for their coffee table. It is Rosewood Manor "Walk Beside Me" wedding sampler.

This is the current Mirabilia RR i have in my possession. It is Stacy's piece and i simply love it. The colors are vibrant and it is just stunning to look at. I think she will love it when she gets it home. The fabric is SMF's "Shimmering Nightshade". This is before i started my piece on it.


This is a close up of some of the boxes. Each one is done in a different color and they are so very bright!
So there you have it, as promised photos. I hope i didn't crash anyone's browsers. I wanted to get it all in and i didn't know the next time i would get a chance. I would of included the "Sleeping Beauty Castle" progress, but it is just a bunch of brown and not super exciting yet. Maybe once I get another color in there.

As promised here are some pictures of what i have going on.

Here are the few pieces of jewelry i have left to sell for my store.

I have made several of this necklace with different shapes of glass that i have and there are silver circles inbetween connected by chain. Fairly popular.

Another view of the same necklace, but i really am having issues with taking good quality photos of the pieces.
This one is silver ovals with stars and moon charms and lilac glass pearls. I just made one the other day and this one maybe sold. I am going to do another but with different colored glass pearl. I think a midnight blue would be pretty. I am also working one similiar style but for St Patrick's Day.
Close up view of the charms. Sorry such photo.

This necklace is super popular. It is made with Czech crystals and silver wire. It is very lightweight and people have fun picking the different colors they want strung on it. This one is baby blue, grey, black and clear.

That's all for the jewelry. I have been making a lot of necklaces and bracelets for valentine's day. I have a bunch of special orders in for certain beads that i have now. I wasn't looking to do must of my stuff by someone picking out the beads they like, but it is proving to work out well.

In keeping with the update theme I am working on finishing up a few surprise items as well as some jewelry for my store.

The Little House Needleworks RR is gaining more ground now that the holidays are behind us and people are planning the new year. I am happy to see this one take shape as i have several ideas for my piece. This one is due to start mailing in March. Now i have to pick which fabric i want to use and order a couple more charts to go with my theme.

The HAED RR hasn't had any more posts, but through the grapevine i heard there may be another round of one going on that i might be able to get in on. Fingers crossed there. I love those charts and have an idea for this one as well.

I received the Mirabilia RR in the mail today and oh my, I super love this one. I love the colors she used to out the boxes, they are so bold and vibrant. I will have to e-mail her and see what they are because i must have them. I will post a picture of the piece here this weekend before i start mine on it. It is so pretty. I think the owner will be happy with it.

I still haven't heard if my frosty exchange parcel made it to my partner nor my Crazy exchange birthday piece. I am nervous about both as i always am when stitching for someone. What if they don't like what i chose? My largest fear is that whatever i send will come apart by some fluke and they will really be upset with the piece.

Right now i am working on putting a few stitches in "Sleeping Beauty's Castle" by Ruth Sanderson(HAED). I am trying to locate some floss for the Mirabilia piece that i will get started on tomorrow night as they have apparently decided to jump out of my kitted bag and do a walkabout. I really must organize my craft cabinet the holidays has left it in complete disarray!

Now that we are home and the suitcases have been put up, the laundry done and the Christmas decorations taken down i can finally get started on some stitching.

This is where i am at this point:

* Still waiting for the Mirabilia RR piece to arrive (it will be really tight because it will need to mail back out Jan 28, i don't know that i can make that since it takes me a little bit to stitch these)
* Frosty Friends Exchange - complete and sent
* Crazy Exchange Birthday piece - complete and sent (it had a little ways to go and i hope i mailed it on time)
* Started stitching on the fob for the Hooked on Exchanging Fob exchange
* Waiting to hear about the Little House Needleworks RR
* Waiting to hear about the HAED RR
**anyone who wants to join either please go to the Worldwide Robin Link in my sidebar and sign up, we have had a lot of people drop out after the holidays and i am hoping some others will join us**

I think that is it. I am working on several pieces of jewelry so that i can put them online, but i am selling quite a few pieces at work seeing as how it is close to Valentine's Day and i work with all men. So i may not get anything online at this rate.

Hopefully there will be a Neighborhood RR to open up this year as i really would like to do one of these, as the pieces i see are gorgeous!

It looks like the Biscornu won the poll on the Hooked on Exchanging board and i have no idea how to do these and so i am going to sit this one out. Well truth is i don't know how to do alot of the finishes, so i can't really use that as an excuse, but i am not that interested in them. Maybe i will do one on my own and see how i feel, but i am definitely not up for an exchange of them.

That's all for now. I am going to go through and take pictures of some works in progress that i have and the two UFO pieces of mine that had made it home to me. A lot of work has been done on both by some wonderful stitchers!

I am still out of town, visiting with the in-laws, but since i won't be home until Saturday and probably won't have time to post until the following week i wanted to do a post before the month was half over.

I start a year with tons of expectations and promises and at the end of the year, it is like a walk of shame to review the goals i met and did not. Heavy emphasis on the DID NOT MEET. So here is the 2007 Review of Shame:

2007 Goals posted in left sidebar (for the world to see and judge)

* Finish 10 projects on the 25 Challenge List - yeah let the laughter start now. I finished whopping 3 on the changed from 25 to 50 Project Challenge list. I must really have wanted myself to fail.

* RAK at least 3 people - Wait a minute i did this one. Thank god i am not completely useless.

* Comment on 6 blogs a day. - now i commented on several a day, but not every day. I mean, hello i did give birth this year and in the midst of that and the 3 week hospital stay resulting in my having surgery on Mother's day, I might have missed a day or two in there. I will do better, i promise.

* Join at least 3 exchanges for the year - this one is complete as well. I did several (Monochromatic Exchange, Easter Exchange, Christmas Exchange, and Frosty Friends Exchange - all completed and sent)

* Get the fabric for Fish City - um no

* Put stitches in all of the Projects on the 25 Challenge List - This one makes me laugh and cry at the same time.

* Pay it Forward pieces - did i mention i am a horrible person. *sigh* NONE done.

* Select piece for Frosty Friends Exchange - Done and sent

So my Walk of Shame is complete. I suck. I feel like i did a lot this year, but in reality i didn't. I put stitches in a lot of pieces, but mostly on gifts for family and NONE of which i listed because that would of made sense and made me look at least like i am not lazy.

Did i mention the baby and the surgeries and that i am still NURSING!

Yeah i know it doesn't count.

So to ensure that we have laughs for the next year here are the 2008 goals. I hesitate to list them as i have grand illusions on completing all of these, let me preface with DH wants a 4th child. I swear #1 on this list should be to find way for him to get pregnant.

2008 Goals

1. Finish and send all Pay It Forward Gifts
2. Select pieces for my HAED piece (HAED RR)
3. Select theme for my Little House Needleworks RR piece
4. Complete 3 items that are not Exchanges or RR pieces on the 50 Project Challenge list.
5. Join 3 Exchanges
6. update this blog with photos more often
7. Comment on several blogs a day
8. RAK 3 people this year(excluding the PIF owed)
9. Get fabric for Fish City
10. Finish kitting up the projects on my list so i can actually start them
11. Learn at least 3 new finishing techniques

Ok so we will all have a good laugh next New Years on me.