If You Can't Dazzle Them With Brilliance, Baffle Them With......

........FRAMING!  Ha!  Okay, I know that I'm not going to baffle anyone with framing, but I didn't know what to put as the title of this.  So bear with me.  I do have more framing this week and that's just about it.  I've been spinning my wheels doing absolutely nothing!   Well, I shouldn't say that - I've been busy, plus DS has been out the door every morning at 6:00 a.m. for AP Chem and Physics study groups (God love that boy for being so diligent), but God help me for being deprived of sleep.  By the time I sit down in the stitching chair, I'm dead tired.  Also, have been having some computer problems that sparked a call to the Geek Squad.  Mucho $$ later, it works, but it's still a little quirky.  I am so far behind on blog reading, so bear with me on that too.  I'll catch up hopefully soon.  Anyway, here's some more framing I picked up:

Home is Where My Heart Blooms

Blackbird Designs

I was surprised that the framing turned out so well.  Joanne's did this one and the fabric was hopelessly stretched out of shape even though I worked on scroll rods.  The framer was a little dubious of the outcome, but he did a great job.  I did it on the called for fabric (whatever that was - too lazy to look it up - LOL) and he was concerned because not only was it out of shape, but was stained and crumpled.  I assured him that was how the fabric was suppose to be.  He raised an eyebrow like I was telling lies.  I think he thought that I'd driven over it with my car and spilled tea on it.  In fact, he asked if I had spilled something on it.  But he worked his magic and it's perfect.

Sampler of Stitches

Drawn Thread

I was a little bit on the fence with the framing on this one - I'm not into these types of frames, but IRL is really looks good.  I really enjoyed stitching this piece even though there were some errors on the charts.  I think that in a couple of places I changed out some colors and stitches.  I know that there was one metallic red that was only used in one small place.  Well, dang, when you buy a whole spool of a thread, you want to get some use out of it, so I replaced a couple things here and there so that I could feel like I got my monies worth out of that thread.

I did make a little bit of progress this week on Ann.  Are you getting bored with her??  I certainly am.  Although I have to say that I have my days - some days I can't stand looking at her - and some days I'm in love with her.  I think that if I could get some good stitching time in, I would feel the love so much more.  When you only get about 20 stitches done in one night, it gets a little frustrating because of the size of this thing.

Not a whole heck of a lot of progress at all.  I'm working on the lettering over to the right now, to catch up to the middle section so that I don't have to do all the lettering at one time.  Although, to tell the truth, I could just about do that lettering in my sleep (now there's a thought!  LOL  Wish that were possible).  I hope that it goes quickly, as I'd like to get the woman in so the man doesn't look so alone (although he does have a dog and squirrel to talk to).

Last weekend, Terri and I went to a Bead Show before our monthly Sampler Guild Meeting.  It was a trial trying to find a restaurant after the show even with the help of her Garmin.  I think her Garmin sent us to two closed restaurants!  It was fine though - I like to call those types of adventures "Scenic Tours" and just go with them.  It was funny!  I think that Garmin needs to update its system a little though.  The bead show was fun.  I'm not a beader in the least, but it's so interesting to see what there is to offer.  Of course, you know me, I can't walk out of anywhere without buying something.

I found these three wooden beads that I thought would look great at the end of scissor fobs - a frog, a mermaid and a snake (the mermaid can't sit up straight on her belly - perhaps the tatas get in the way!).  Now all I have to do is learn how to make those fobs.  I've been assured that it's not hard at all.

Then I found this fob and scissors.  The price was $15.00 and I was sure that it was only for the fob, but it wasn't!!  I thought it was a pretty good deal.  Especially because......

......the scissors actually fit into the end of the fob to keep the points safe!  I like them and it saves me from having to make one and I got a pair of scissors out of it.  Speaking of which, Jolene asked if my porcelain artichoke frog is full yet.  Well, almost Jolene (waving at ya).  I have to find three more pairs of scissors and it's filled.  I don't think that I'll have a hard time the way I've been going.  I'll take a picture soon.

The weather has been quite crisp up here in Michigan.  Unseasonably so.  I should take some pictures of the country roads around here because the colors are breathtaking!  Anyway, reading what blogs I could this week around all the computer problems, I stumbled across people working on knitting projects (yes, Mel, you've managed to pull me over to the wool side!  LOL)  So, I started hunting around in my stash for some knitting.  I found this wonderful Noro yarn.  Last year, I was going to make a sweater out of it, but when I got done with the back, even though I was on gauge, it was too small.  Well, I decided that I'd make a Entrelac scarf instead:

That's the back of the too small sweater on the right, but don't you just love how that works up?  This is going to be my travel project.  I find it easier to knit than to stitch in a car and will be perfect for working on while waiting for DD at dance and at her basketball games.  I have a hard time just sitting with nothing in my hands to work on.

I did manage some more thrift shopping this week, but I'll save that for another time.  It's amazing the stores you can find when you're trying to find a vacuum repair store!  LOL 

Well, that's all for now.  I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend.  Again, thanks so much for your comments.  I love and appreciate every single one.  Make a lot of X's. 

Stashing and Framing (But Barely Any Stitching)

Woo Hoo!  I finally got some framing back from Joanne's.  It took forever, but they had one of their great sales again, so I was all over that!  Usually it only takes a week or two, but it took four weeks this go around.

Cape Cod Girls

The Primitive Needle

36 ct. Highland Fabric

GAST Threads

I just love the frame for this one.  This picture doesn't do it justice, but it looks like fish scales with small flecks of gold in real life!  Very perfect for the piece!  Sometimes it surprises me that Joanne's actually has some great frames.

I also picked up Queen Bee by Shepherd's Bush:

 

Queen Bee

Shepherd's Bush Kit

I love the framing on this one too!  These are not the best pictures.  It's been cloudy as heck with little bursts of sun.  Taking a picture inside is hopeless, and just as I'd get outside, the sun would go away again.  Michigan weather for ya!

Stalking of the mailman proved successful this week!  He hates when boxes or large envelopes come because our mailbox is at the curb.  If he has to get out of his truck and walk up the drive and walkway, he gets cranky.  Poor man - he'll get over it!  The day he brought this package, the squirrels were in our Oak tree tossing acorns down at the poor guy.  He came up rubbing his head telling me we had vicious squirrels!  HA!

But I was doing a happy dance.  I love getting stash in the mail!  The box included Paradise Lost by Plum Street Samplers, A Mind Independent and Free by Carriage House Samplings, In the Garden by Milady's Needle (and Lois from the Elegant Stitch also included the Little Gems scissors with it), and the Kelmscott Adam and Eve Needleminder.

Then I just had to have The Multiplication Table Examplar (although I don't know if I'll dish out the $80.00 for the hornbook - may have to be a project for my FIL), and Sarah Woodham by Shakespeare Peddler. 

Then, of course, I just had to add to the scissor collection, so I got the Tudor Rose Scissors, and then while picking up my framing, I found the new scissors by Gingher which I had to have.  I have a lot of flower frogs to fill.

Then a couple of weeks ago, I won a Giveaway on M Designs site:

Sisters Needleminder by Kelmscott Designs

It was a great giveaway that included the JCS Christmas Ornament Issue (which I was tickled over because I couldn't find it in my neck of the woods), four of her Angel Charts, Miss Mary Mack's Pincushion and Miss Mary Mack's Needleroll.  She also included the Sisters beautiful Kelmscott Needleminder.  Okay, now don't you think that's enough?  Well, I guess I didn't.  I must be getting really itchy for some stitching on something else besides Ann.  I ended up ordering three more charts from The Strawberry Patch yesterday because they were having a Wacky Wednesday sale and all Country Stitches patterns were on sale.  I definitely think that my DH needs to take that smokin' charge card out of my hands. Either that or he'll divorce me when that bill comes!  But hey, 30% off is 30% off, right?  I'm saving money, right?

So lots of stash, and no time to do any of them.  Once again, stitching has taken a backseat to everything else - basketball games (DD's team 3-0 - Go Vikings), parent/teacher conferences, DH being out of town so for some reason I don't sit down until late, so no pictures of Ann this go-around.  I know you're all probably getting sick of her like me!  Okay, I'll give you one - does this thing not look like some kind of Pterodactyl?  It seems huge in comparison to the rest of the piece.

I actually tried to get myself to stitch something else the other night.  I pulled out a cute Halloween piece by Mary Garry, found some fabric and the threads and thought that it would only take me a night or two to stitch.  Did I?  Of course, not!  I started to pull the threads out and that danged bird above started screeching at me!  Dang!   Ann is relentless, let me tell ya!  Although, quite truthfully, I think it's me.  I really want to see her done and hanging near And They Sinned.  I started her December 31st 2005.  I'd really like to (if I'm not lucky enough beforehand) to put the last stitches in before December 31st 2009.

Well, that's it for me.  Thank you everyone for the wishes about my cold/flu thing.  I'm feeling much, much better now.  My SIL said that it had to have been Swine because the regular flu hasn't even hit the State yet.   I'm still coughing and sniffling, but that's nothing compared to what it was.  All I know is that it was miserable. But thanks so much for the wishes and for your comments. I love every one of them. 

Have a great weekend and make a lot of X's.