Another lovely Friendship Card...:)

Hello and Happy Sunday Evening:

I made a card tonight for a contest over on the Paper Wishes Message Board. The message board members were challenged by the Paper Wishes designers to create a card using the new Chocolate Dipped Artful Card Kit. I had a lot of fun using this kit. It is only $9.99 and is definitely a great value. You get papers, die cuts, and greetings. A great collection to make a quick card for any occasion. The only extra I added was some gold stickles to give it some dazzle.

Thanks for looking! I just love reading each of the sweet comments on my projects. I hope you all have a spectacular week. I have Friday off. Yay! Something to look forward to. I also want to wish a big welcome to my new followers.

Good Night Everyone!
Jen

February IHSW, TUSAL Update and WIPocalypse

Hello Friends!

I got lots of stitching done this weekend. Three day weekends are great. My son had the day off from school so I was forced to take the day off too. I'm glad I did. I got to work on several projects this weekend.

First up is my Santa Ornament I started last month for the Christmas All Year Around SAL Blog.

Before:

After:

Next up, I worked on my Thomas Kinkade WIP. I figured out a way that makes this project seem a little less daunting after all. The chart is completely black and white so it makes the symbols hard to read. I didn't like using a highlighter on my chart since it bled on the paper too much. Instead, I started using a red pen to cross off the symbols I've stitched already. As crazy as it sounds, that made a big difference for me. Seeing those red x's gives me a feeling of accomplishment and new motivation to keep working on this project. Now it doesn't seem so scary and burdensome. 

Before:

 

After:

Third up! I started my BAP for 2012 for BeckySC's BAP Challenge. I'm doing Little House Neighborhood by Little House Needleworks.

Starting Progress: A Roof :)

Finally, my February TUSAL Update. If you would like to participate, please visit DaffyCat's blog.

This really isn't everything folks. I'll have you know that I also made a Birthday Card and did some handquilting on my quilt too. Not bad crafty progress for a three day weekend huh?

Editor Note: I am such a blonde. This post was also meant to count towards the February WIPocalypse. Duh! :D

I hope you have a fabulous week. Thank you for visiting and for your wonderful comments. :)

Jen

Stitching News: My Secret Exchange Piece

Remember the secret exchange piece I was working on a few weeks ago...well now I can show it! I participated again in the Stitched with Love Exchanges. Our theme this time was Love/Friendship. My recipient, Fiona, received my package. It made a long way across the pond to the U.K. I'm so glad the post office didn't fail me. My package was big.

"Fond Hearts" by Maggie Bonanomi - Blackbird Designs

Stitched on 28ct Jobelan - Lambswool

Stitched with Weeks Dye Works threads: Red Pear, Havana, Williamsburg Red, Collards

Finishing: Flatfold

I used all of the called for colors with the exception of one. The pattern called for Palomino for the leaves. The color looked too brown and even my LNS owner thought that was a strange color for leaves. I didn't want the leaves to look dead after all! This project was so enjoyable even though I had little time to finish it. (Long story there) I really didn't think it would take too long....until I got to the words which are all done over 1! I've never done over 1 stitching before so that was a first. I thought a Flatfold finish was perfect and I did it with the help of a wonderful tutorial provided by The Twisted Stitcher herself, Vonna. :) Her tutorials are awesome. You can visit her tutorial blog here.

Here is pic of the whole package I sent to Fiona. 

And finally, here is the package I received from Shannon. I just love how she did the cube finish. I loved everything in her package to me.

Well that is all the news I can think of for today, time to get back to stitching.

Jen :)

Paper Crafting: Valentines Favors

Happy Saturday Friends:

For Valentines Day, I wanted to give something small to the girls on my Wednesday night bowling team. Can't go wrong with chocolate right? Usually not (unless you find out later than one of your teammates is diabetic! Whoops!) Oh well, her husband enjoyed the treat for her I'm sure.

I found an awesome tutorial on the Split Coast Stamper website for a candy bar holder made with paper. These were quick to make.

All of the material came from my paper stash. I used Valentines Papers from K & C Company. Ribbons are from Paper Wishes. Stickers and pearls from ??? ( I have so much, I can't keep track of everything.)

I hope you all are having a fabulous Saturday.

Toodles for now!
Jen

SAL Update and My First Biscornu

Happy Thursday Friends:

Now that work has settled down, I have been able to get back to my normal stitching routine. I was able to work on Halloween House. It is coming along nicely. I can't stitch on it Friday nights with the other SAL girls since I have a bowling league that night, so I've made it my Monday project. I seem to have the motivation to work on it Mondays. Not sure why...

I also participated in the Spring Biscornu Exchange over at the Friendly Stitchers Yahoo Group. I have never done a biscornu before. They always looked complicated to me, but I was really amazed at how quickly I finished mine. It only took a weekend. Obviously, the time would vary based on the size. Mine was a little one. The bigger plus to this project...all materials came from my stash. Woohoo! I wanted to do something cute and fun for my partner, Lindsay. I thought these cows were too cute. Now I want to make one for me. :)

"Cow Biscornu" by La Coccinelle Brodeuse

(Free pattern link here)

Stitched on 28Ct Forest Mist Linen

DMC Floss 310, 433, 437, 818

Design Size: 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Since I needed some finishing help, I referred to the instructions on this site. They were excellent!

Thanks for looking everyone. Don't forget, the February International Hermit and Stitch Weekend is this weekend. I'll be working on my Thomas Kinkade project and starting my BAP project....Little House Neighborhood by Little House Needleworks.

Talk to you all later!

Jen

Has Google gone Crazy??! Apparently not completely...

Please tell me the rumor about Google disabling our followers application is that...just a rumor?? I read on another blog that Google Friend Connect is being disabled as of March 1, which means we may lose all of our followers! I swear every day seems to be more and more headaches with Blogger. They need to leave what works alone and stop messing with stuff! Supposedly, they are replacing it with something else, but I have little faith in how well it will work given that other apps don't work properly already.

I have added a new Follower application on my left side bar. Pleaseeee click Follow in that one cause I don't want to lose you precious crafters/stitchers/quilters that I have had the joy of interacting with on my blog. This application is fairly new but many bloggers are using it already. It really is much more than a followers application. You can organize the blogs you follow and do other things of which I can't say cause I haven't play with the program much yet. But it has gotten great reviews from what I understand.

Spread the word on your blogs my friends. Perhaps the new application will work but I would rather be prepared and have another application in place in case the new Google one doesn't work.

Editors Note: Official announcement on Google's blog.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-spring-cleaning-out-of-season.html

I now retract all I said above because the changes only affect Non-Blogger based websites. So if you use Blogger for your blog...you are fine. Phew!! Thank you to Madame Samm for clarifying what in the world is going on. You can read her post here. She is great with Blogger so I have confidence in anything she says.

However, my new Linky Tool will remain for those who those who do not have blogger profiles but wish to follow my blog. Time to actually get stitching...

Jen :)

A Vintage Friendship Card

Friends are wonderful, yet it is amazing how most friendships don't last. I have had my share of friendship disappointments, but the ones I still have, I cherish each and every one of them. That includes all you bloggy friends who take the time to read my thoughts and encourage my creativity with your sweet comments.

                                                          (Click on Pic for Better Detail)

I made this card using materials from the November card kit from Cupcards to Go. I just love the vintage style of this card. I covered the card with a pink background first then layered the vintage lady paper on top leaving some of the pink peeking out on the two sides. I like how the lace ribbon has both colors showing through behind it. The sentiment came from a sheet of rub-ons that came with the kit. I just love that quote, don't you?

I hope you all had a great start to your week. Thanks for stopping by!
Jen

Some Wednesday Funnys to Share..

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

No crafty posts to share, but I have some funnies instead. I was reading Joysze's weekly "Random Afternoon" questions when it reminded me of a funny e-mail I received from a co-worker a while ago. These made me laugh...

~ Only in America .......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.

~ Only in America .......do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.

~ Only in America .....do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

~ Only in America ..... do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

~ Only in America ...........do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.

~ Only in America .......do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.


EVER

WONDER ....

~ Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

~ Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?

~ Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?

~ Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?

~Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?

~ Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

~ Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

~ Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

~Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

~Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

~ Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

~ You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?

~ Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

~ Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

~ If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress? (Makes one Wonder!!)

~ If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?


Okay Friends...how many of you said out loud "THAT'S TRUE" to at least one if not all of these??

Hope these gave you a chuckle today. :D
Jen