Autumn Sampler

Happy Fall Everyone! 

Now that we are officially in the Autumn season, I just want to stitch fall related items! 

Happens to me almost every single year.

Still stitching away on City Sampler but I put it down to work on a little freebie from Brenda at With Thy Needle and Thread. 

(because it's fall related and I couldn't stand not to stitch it now that we were approaching fall).

I'll post a pic of that when I get a little more done to it. 

What I've got here today is an Autumn sampler that I did years ago.  The pattern was offered in a Better Homes and Garden Magazine. 

Like many years ago.   See the date there?



1994.  Eighteen years ago.  

And I'm embarrassed to say that it's not framed. 

I know.  

Apparently I like to stitch more than to frame/finish a project.

But what I think happened, was that the sampler didn't really match my home decor colors at the time.  It would have clashed is what I thought.  I just loved stitching it.  Well, not ALL the leaves (lots of changing the thread color there).  Plus it wasn't fall anymore, the season being passed by the time I finished this (I think I've stated I'm not a fast stitcher), so no hurries in getting it framed anyway. 

It clashed, not fall season, why bother?

So, I forgot about it.  For a long time. 

Then I went through a dry stitching spell, where I didn't take up a needle and thread all that much. 

I rediscovered it in my stitching stash drawer when I got back into stitching again. But it wasn't the fall season so..........back it went into the drawer.  To be forgotten about again.  Out of sight, out of mind. 

So, here we are 18 years later.  It's almost an antique.  

Well, not really. 

I think it will finally get to the framers this fall.   I better not put it back in the drawer just in case!  Clash or no clash, it should be framed. 

Have you ever had a stitched item that took you forever to frame?  I hope I'm not the only one. 

For my stitching friends, are you a frame it with glass or no glass person?  Share your thoughts. 

Until next time,

"Brown Paper Packages.......

.....tied up with string".  As soon as I read that phrase, I hear Julie Andrews singing it as she did in the classic movie "Sound of Music".   Such a pretty song. 

And she has such a lovely voice.  I can't carry a tune to save my life.  It's just not a gift I possess.

But I can stamp. 

And can whip up a brown paper package for a birthday gift with a coordinating card.  So there's that.

I had a large pillow box that I used for a template.  I carefully undid the side glued seam, traced the opened up box on some craft colored cardstock, scored it in the appropriate places and used red line tape to adhere it back into a pillow box.  Before adding the tape, I stamped a swirl image all over. 

A doily from Wilton with a black scalloped circle and the phrase typed out on the computer is the focal point.  Embellished with an off-white prima flower and pearl then tied up with some stretch white cording (string) :)

The card was clean and simple using the stamp set Build A Blossom and it's coordinating punch.  The black layer was embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper folder.  Pearls for accents.



Pretty, pretty, pretty and easy to boot.  If I do say so myself.  Love little brown paper packages!  I think the recipient enjoyed it too.

Hope your week gets off to a great start!  Thanks for stopping by!



Supplies Used:

Stamps: Build A Blossom, Elements of Style, Well Scripted

Paper:  Crumb Cake, Black, Whisper White

Ink:  Versamark, Stazon Black

Accs:  circle punch, Nestibilities scalloped circle die, prima flower

         pearls, stretch cording, Wilton doily

June Cottage

Happy Labor Day!  That is what we are celebrating today.  Actually, not so much celebrating  as enjoying a day off from work and school.  It's been such a nice 3-day weekend.

 

Finished up CCN's June Cottage a while back but just now got it pressed and had it's picture taken. 

 

  

 

I decided to leave off the flowers that were floating with the clouds and didn't make the French knots.  I'm not all that great with making the knots but truth be told, it's more laziness than anything.  I just wanted to be done with the piece and really didn't want to trouble myself with doing them.  Perhaps when I take it back out to frame it up I'll do them.  Or not.

Skipped around with these cottage months and today I ordered October's.  I'm so itching to start on something new that is autumn related!  Ready for that season to be here.  Done in with the hot weather already. 

 

In the meantime, I've once again been working a little more diligently on Weeping Tree Sampler.  You can see previous pictures of this sampler I posted (back last August) here.  I made mention back then that I'd hoped to have had it finished before the end of the year was out.  Oops.  That didn't happen.  I put it down for other things (probably something fall related!) and then just didn't take it back out. 

Here's a not so good photo of it's progress. 

 

 

I've actually gotten the house all done since the photo was taken and have fixed the few places I missed some little x's on the brick work.   All I have left to do on the house is the window pane backstitching.   Then it's on to the bottom part of the house where the phrase is along with some motifs at the bottom border and another planter on the side of the phrase.  Then last it will be the sawtooth border all around the sampler.  That will be a job.  I keep going back and forth on whether or not I'll do the sawtooth border.  I'm all for it right now.  That can change tomorrow. 

Off to enjoy the last of our free day with some more stitching.  Hope you have a great rest of the week!  Thanks for stopping by!


 



Keeping Calm..........

Hello Friends!

We are back into the swing of school time!  Whew!  I'm trying to "Keep Calm" as we carry onto the new school.  My boys started 6th and 4th grade and I've got 14 new little ones in the preschool class I assist in.  They are precious!  

Things have been busy and I have been super tired lately with getting adjusted into our school routines.  Things are settling down now and everyone is happy in their places.  

Back in July, I sent a little gift to my sister.  It was a book entitled, 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society', a historical fiction novel, that is charming and full of quirky characters telling the time when an English island was occupied by Germany during WWII .  An English themed book, the card I enclosed with it was a perfect match I thought.   

All supplies used are from Stampin Up! 

We are already looking forward to a three day weekend with Labor Day coming up!  Just 4 more school days.  Woohoo!

Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Carry On

Paper: midnight muse, whisper white & real red

ink:  real red, white craft, gold metallic ink

accessories:  1"inch circle punch, clear jewels





Little Owl Pillow Box

I found a cute pillow box owl via Pinterest (where else these days?!) awhile back.  Of course I had to pin it and make one of my own. 

Sweet little thing; perfect for housing a little gift of somekind, like jewelry or a gift card.  Maybe even a chocolate nugget or two.  And so easy to make!

I used the SU! Pillow Box Die to make the box.  Used various punches to make the eyes and "wings", Heart to Heart punch for the feet and the 3/4 punch to make the circles for the "body feathers" (could use a scallop die or the scallop punch as well).    

Paper used was Pink Pirouette cs for the box and designer series paper in the same color for the body feathers.  Little bit of bling for the twinkling eyes. 

Here she is in her "nest" before being sent to my niece with a little bracelet inside for her birthday.

Here is a link: KERRY'S CRAFT BLOG where she has a whole bunch of colorful ones and a newly made video tutorial explaining how they are made.

                

Thanks for stopping by!

Stampin Up & Flower Soft

Hello! 

A little bit of stamping goodness for today.  Made this card a while back and just realized I had it sitting in my drafts and never posted it.  

It uses an older SU! stamp set called, Serene Spring.   Colored the image using an aqua-painter and classic pads & ink refills, paper used was watercolor paper.  Some flower soft in different spots for added texture and dimension.   Not sure if the flower soft comes through in the pictures but it's really pretty in real life.   

Trying to get through my pile of books.  Seems like I've checked out more library books than I'll be able to get through before the return date!  I've added more to this stack since I took the picture. 

Just finished "Sweetness at The Bottom of The Pie" and found it immensely enjoyable.  Mystery type novel set around 1950 England involving a precocious 11yr old girl named Flavia.  Fun read.  Next up is "The House at Tyneford". 

Better get to reading! 

Hope your week so far has been a good one! 

Cottage Of The Month Progress

So.

Little behind on my cottages.  Got a little sidetracked with other stuff but I'm back on stitching these cute houses.  Here's my work in progress on June:
 

See the lenses?  I'm sporting readers now, +1.0,  to do my needlework.   I had been struggling for awhile and then it occured to me that magnifiers might help and so I went shopping for some and got a 3 pair pack for $8 at my local TJMaxx.

What a difference it has made in my stitching!  And you know what?  I kinda like wearing them.  Thought I would feel so self-conscience and well, old.  But not really.   Now I find myself checking out glasses wherever I go in case I find a really cute pair. 

Think I'll go slip them on now and stitch a few rows before breakfast.

Have a great day!