Paper Dolls

I have always loved paper dolls. One day while skipping around in blogland I came across this post on Creative Breathing (which is a blog that takes my breath away!!!!) and there was a link to this site.......Betsy McCall.
So, if you grew up in the 1950's, 1960's or 1970's I am sure you are familiar with Betsy. In each issue of McCall's magazine there was a page with Betsy and some clothing for you to play with.
I wish I had saved those, but now you can go to this site and print out the pages.
I am determined to use these totally lovely pages in card and tag making soon!
Aren't they just the cutest?????

Stamping Again

How exciting! Last Saturday I spent time stamping with my childhood friend Diane. We have been friends since grade school and have always been in touch throughout the years, but have not "hung out" for a long time. Diane had the great idea to meet at Archiver's and use one of their tables.
We had such a great time and it did not seem like years had passed since our last gab session. Hopefully, we can do this a lot in the future.
These are the three cards I made. Sorry, about the scanned images being a little "off." I am having trouble with this new computer and my old scanner.

The Deer Who Saved My Life

I solved my cross-stitch crisis. I laid down my Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow for now. In January I decreed 2010 the year of the Christmas Ornament. I want to make tons of ornaments and have them finished as cute as the one above from Carol's blog and the ones below that Karin and Katrina did.

For Christmas Mike got me a subscription to the digital magazine Gift of Stitching. I wanted this magazine mainly for the ornament pictured above. I love it! Love Prairie Schooler. So, I searched around in my small fabric stash and found an unknown count evenweave. I started it Sunday and am loving it! It feels like the same fun I had stitching in 1993. I even stitched last night while watching TV (which has been unheard of lately)!!!! I am in love and I feel free to stitch what I want right now. No pressure. Just fun stitching! Yipeeeeeeeee!

I think the evenweave may have something to do with it or it might be that the design size is so much smaller. Anyway...it is fun!

I feel like a 10 year olld boy trying to cross-stitch!

I am frustrated!!!

Trying to stitch today....got everything set up.....working on Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow....it just would not "go." I was doubting the called for colors, could not find my picture of the whole work so I could check.....could not count right......

Okay, going to switch to BBD Blessings Be Thine....28 count from the 36 count. Boy, this 28 count seems big...it never seemed big before.....I just want to stitch a straight row and not have to concentrate so hard........I am going to read a book instead......

Now it is evening.....Sunday evening. I hate Sunday nights. I have "failed" to have a "cross-stitch" weekend again.......am I even any good at this? Don't be silly, of course you can do it. I mean you have stitched many projects to completion in the past. But none since I switched over to linen (oh except for a couple of "simple" Christmas ornaments).

Christmas ornaments??? That's it! That is what I will work on tonight while watching TV with Mike. I am not going to get my undies all in a bunch over the fact that I am in a Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow stitch along and am now behind the group.....I mean I do this for fun right? Carry on.......

Lucky Me Again!!

Look what was in the mailbox for me this week! A 1934 Needlecraft magazine! Look at that cover. It is just perfect! This was a lovely surprise sent to me by the most generous and lovely Jeannie of The Marmelade Gypsy!!! I am in love with vintage illustrations and this one if firing on all cylinders!

In looking throughout the magazine there are tons of great illustrations and several articles that really resonated with me. Blog fodder!!! I am hoping to get in touch with my creative side this weekend and get busy posting some fun things.

Thank you Jeannie. It is rare that one receives a present that is just "so me!"

Lucky Me!

I received this totally great and gorgeous Birthday card from my friend Jennifer Bradley!!!! She is a genius stamper and I was so excited to receive this card from her!

We have not met in person but connected through the internet. It was on Split Coast Stampers and Inky Antics that we became acquainted. Then a couple of years ago a few of us started a Card Kindness group where we sent out hand stamped Christmas cards and birthday cards. While the rest of us have slacked off, Jennifer is still going strong and we are so lucky for that! I will treasure this card as I do all of the others I have received from Jennifer through the years.

Thank you Jennifer!!!!!! I promise you that the first time I get back into my stamping room to stamp I will be stamping you up a card!!!!!

One Sunday a Month

One Sunday a month several of us are getting together from 1 to 5 p.m. to work on our projects. Part of the group is working on Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow (my progress so far is above) and the others are working on a project by Jeanette Douglas' - My Stitching Album (Cathy's progress on one of the pages is below).
I wanted to take a picture of each person and their project but as this was our first meeting I did not want to be too pushy. I am sure that by May I will be in full swing and will be taking photos of the gang in funny poses.
Above is Karin's progress on Block One of Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow (hereafter to be abbreviated as CHRH). Karin is working on 40 count linen with silk threads. I admit I had several moments of thinking about throwing in the towel because I am working on 36 count and compared to Karin's mine looked to big. Or so I thought before I went to Sunday stitch. More on that later as we go around the table. I will say that I do think this will be the preferred fabric count/threads because it looks just amazing!!! (Plus Karin is an expert stitcher! Man, she is good!). But I am having a bit of trouble keeping up with 36 count. It is the highest count I have worked on so far.
This is one of Debbie's pages on My Stitching Album. I should have taken pictures of all of the pages she has finished so far! Doh! Debbie is a stitcher extraordinaire also. More proof of that coming up in this post.
Pat is doing CHRH on 32 count with DMC. It looks awsome! I love her needle minder too! Queen Pat is now her name.
Rita is on the Jeanette Douglas team. Pictured here is a very difficult stitch that she mastered during the afternoon. I know that feels great!
Here is the lovely Teri showing her gorgeous work so far. CHRH on 32 count with the silks. Yummy!
Here is my lovely buddy Patti. She worked on and finished this totally wonderful JBW Design for a Valentine swap she is in. Do you see all of the charts behind her? We are all sitting around a table surrounded by the most wonderful charts/ideas/threads! Again, I say unto you, go to Inspired Needle!!!! It is the best and home to many unique charts you won't find anywhere else.
Eye Candy!!! Debbie worked up this Heinzeit chart for a shop model. It is amazing! My camera did not caputre all of the subtle colors and sparkling jewels; but you can get a pretty good idea of how cool this piece is.
Love Dancer's tutu!
One of the things I like best about this piece is how the reindeer's names are shaded.
Above is Linda's CHRH. Okay, here is the truth. Before I came to the shop on Sunday I was working on my piece and thinking it just did not measure up compared to Karin's. I actually went as far as to bring other projects with me to work on Sunday. Yes, I was going to quit. But then there was Linda! She is working on 36 count with DMC thread just like me. She started in the middle of the design so I could see how exciting some of the other squares were. Yippee! It looked stupendous so I am back in business! It would have been so typical of me to just quit and never go back to the project; so I am glad that I have rescued this piece along with my gumption.

The lovely Barb was with us also. I did not get a picture of her or her amazing work. I will rectify that soon. Barb is Amazing!!!!!! Her work is on par with the great masters! She also stitches a lot and always has such wonderful things to show and tell. So in February I will make it my mission to drive everyone crazy with my camera so that I can share lots more inspiration with you.

And the best part???? Tomorrow night is the regular Tuesday stitch night!!!! So much fun!

Eye Candy! and a question....

One of the best things about stitch nights at Inspired Needle is show and tell. All of the pictures on this post are of Christmas ornaments that my friend, Karin, and her friend, Katrina made last year. They decided that they would each stitch an ornament a month and make two of each ornament. They would exchange with each other and have a total of 24 ornaments.
Here are pictures of some of them. Karin and Katrina are master stitchers. Every ornament was breathtaking!!!!
Every ornament was finished meticulously and cleverly by Artistic Needle. I am going to be sending a few ornaments there this year!
These four darling ornaments were stitched by Katrina. Karin said it was a Birds of a Feather pattern that is out of print so don't get excited like I was.....but I am going to keep an eye out just in case I see it somewhere.
See what I mean? One is cuter than the next!
I know the ornament above was from the Just Cross Stitch ornament issue 2009.
Wasn't that fun???? I am inspired! Luckily for me, my needlwork shop is named Inspired Needle!!!

That brings me to my question. For our anniversary my dear husband bought me a gift certificate to Inspired Needle. I have managed to not spend it yet. I have so many wonderful patterns in my stash. Should I use the gift certificate to kit up some of those patterns OR should I wait until market and new patterns come out and then go crazy in that department???? What would you do?

Wow

Wow! That is what I said when I saw this image on Reyln's blog. Isn't this a gorgeous painting?

Relyn found the painting on this blog, Old Paint. This is a wonderful blog where a new oil painting is posted each day.

I think this is vital information and wanted to pass it on to you.

Breaking the Ice

It is Sunday night
the night of the week that feels the most uncomfortable
have to head to work in the morning
want more time to play, stitch, read, listen, be......

On the other hand
looking on the bright side
I can go upstairs
get in my comfy warm bed
open my book
read
sleep
and then go to work in the morning
lucky to have a job
friends
blogs
stitching
books
music
and all the things that make up my soul

Now looking forward to Monday (well just a little bit more....let's not get crazy people)

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!
May 2010 bring good health, loving family and friends, healthy routines, renewed passions for the things you love, and the feeling of wonderful connections you can find with the ones you love and who love you!

Annual Christmas Mood Setting Day

Every year my Mom and I spend a day around Christmas going somewhere to browse, ooh and ahhh over Christmas decorations and cute shops.
This year as we are both broke we went to Jackson Square Antique Mall in La Grange, IL. We reined ourselves in to just a very few purchases; but we took lots of pictures of things we would buy if we were really going to town!
I definitely would have bought this little Santa doo-hickey. I would have said "oh, this is very Mary Englebreit" and away we would go!
There was lots of fun Christmas jewelry.
Fun threads!
I thought this was a great idea. Frame a piece of old Christmas wrapping paper in a clear simple frame.
If you know me, you know that I could not pass this up! It is a cut out from an old magazine. It was only $2. Had to have it.
Same story, second verse!
This is one we left behind but I really liked it.
Love vintage graphics!
This lady would have definitely gone home with me. Isn't she gorgeous? They were selling her with an expensive frame though.
Gather round all of you nostalgic Chicago Christmas shoppers, here are some boxes from Marshall Field's. Nothing says Christmas shopping like these do! If I was still in my hoarding stage I would have bought these and then wrapped my Mom's Christmas present in them every year.
Here I am with some flashbulbs. Another great memory!
Fake fur wreath with pheasant feathers. Who would have thought that this was cool? Not me, until I saw it.
Here is the "My Grandma had that" portion of your visit. So cute!
Lastly, here is my other minimal purchase. I am going to turn this book into a journal. (I finally sent some books off to my Dad so he can start on the project!)

I might not be back here until after Christmas, if that is the case I am wishing you all of a very Merry Christmas!!!!!

love
laura

Best Christmas Album ever!

Would you like to listen to the most glorious and beautiful Christmas music around? Well, here is the album (it is also on CD for you newfangled folks). More than anything, this music reminds me of being a kid at Christmas. It encompasses all of the many themes of Christmas; the glorious birth of Jesus, the feeling of family traditions, and the excitement of a child on Christmas morning to see what Santa has brought. Check out your local libraries or Amazon.com; I am sure you can find a copy. Let me know what you think!

NEW BLOG ANNOUNCEMENT

I have been fiddling around with a second blog for some time now but just couldn't get it quite right. It started out as a cross-stitch trade blog; but I decided to just have giveaways for those charts.

Then I saw some other blogs with these newfangled backgrounds and found out they were free??? So, I was playing around with those and that is a ton of fun. I really wanted to use them on a real live blog (and do not want to change the classic look of Maude and Mozart) so I came up with an idea.

Every year since 2000 I have been making a Top 10 List of the books I have read that year. I figured that this new blog would be a good way to keep track of all those book lists and I can even put up bookish information any old time. So........announcing the start of the LET'S READ blog. Hope to see you over there!

Today I had an ice cream sundae with coffee ice cream!!!! Need I say more?