July Full Moon

Wasn't the full moon beautiful tonight? After an evening of heavy rain, it cooled off some and cleared enough to see this beauty.

SOH - Share Our Hearts - Received

***updated 07/30/07***

Please accept my thanks for all your time and talent put into making these wonderful hearts for me. My son was here when I opened the package, and he said, are all these for you? They are nice - what will you do with them? I haven't made up my mind yet, but I know for a while I'll just fondle and love them. Thanks just doesn't seem adequate, does it? But I do sincerely thank you all.


I'm the July member of the Share Our Hearts group on the CQ for Newbies list. I will post the hearts as I receive them here. It has been so much fun making hearts for the others in the group, and there are several more.

Today was the bundle day! Linda sent my remaining SoHs, and is it ever a bag full of beauty!



This one is from Peggy - and is it not beautiful? Purple and gold were my high school colors - but this is far beyond high school! I love the fan with flower sequins and the ribbon bow with pearls. Just lovely! Thank you, Peggy!


This pretty green and purple is from Jaki. Love these colors together! The bead 'streams' on the right are so unusual and pretty, and the enhancement to the floral fabric with silk ribbon and stem stitching just sets it off. And the sweet butterfly in the peak is just the right touch. No way you're getting this one back, Jaki! Thank you!

This one came from Karen. Isn't it elegant? The middle paisley section is a deep maroon enhanced with stitching. The button trail is just elegant enough - perfect, and the motif on the right has a rose in it's center, and there is braid and beads along the center. The bottom is a silk ribbon spray - very nice. Thank you, Karen!

Karen also included these lovely goodies. I don't have any motifs like these, and there's also lace, silk flowers, and some pretty fibers, too. Thanks again, Karen!



This one came to me unsigned, but I guessed correctly - can you? See the beautiful mother and child print surrounded by silk ribbon roses and detached chain stitches? There's a pretty metal fan charm stitched down with pretty thread. There are silk roses, a plant button, stitching and breaid. Just lovely! Thank you, Linda C!




This sweet kitty heart is from Lori - he's cross stitched with colorful threads matching the other pieces in the heart! A real sweetie pie! And there are delicate stitches and beads all around, too. Thank you, Lori!

And here is another heart from Peggy. One of the members of this group was unable to fulfill the year, so Peggy did a make up block. It's in a peach and pale green color theme, and just lovely. Sequins, beads, motifs all come together to make a very lovely heart - so soft and warm feeling. Pretty work, Peggy. Thanks and double thanks to you!

Today brought another SoH - this one from Candi.

It is so pretty in purple! There's a print in the center with a fairy on the crescent moon - my favorite! A great gold web with spider, a lovely seam of beads with a butterfly charm, and some wonderful SRE roses. Did the sprinkle of 'stars' glitter come on the fabric or is that something you attached? Very nicely done! Loving it! Click on the heart to get as full effect as you can in a photo. 7/7/07

Candi also sent a sweet silver angel of Faith, Hope, and Love. I believe it is a key chain fob, but I may attach it to my purse or craft bag!

Thank you so much, Candi. Your sharing is just as sweet as your usual kind words.

Oh, boy, oh boy! Another SoH - from Susan. She had posted about my heart on her blog about a week ago, but can you believe I didn't peek? I wanted to be surprised!
Isn't it beautiful? The heart is made from Doupioni silk, and it has a delicate fern stitched heart outline with pretty little beads. The main motif on the heart is a silk ribbon bouquet of blue bells. It is so pretty, and I love it! I didn't even know Susan did much silk ribbon stitching! 7/6/07

Then there are these great extra goodies! Some very pretty motifs that look so lacy and dainty, two heart beads that may be cloisonne, and some of the YarnPlayers' thread that I failed to order and is now out of stock!! You're a sneaky one - Ms. Susan!!

Thank you so much - I really do love it all!

Today when I got home, there was a box in the mail. What did I order? Hum... It wasn't anything I'd ordered, it was a package from Gerry! My SoH - oh, boy!
Isn't this a beautifully stitched heart? I love the colors, and all the beading is wonderful. There are tiny charm insects, and even a "Gerry" spider. Click to see all the detail - it's great. 6/29/07

Along with the embellished heart, Gerry sent a coordinated pieced heart for me to stitch on, along with some lovely beads and charms, fabric, and laces. There is also a sun push mold, pattern for the spirit doll, AND one of the great pin cushions that she makes. I saw them on her site a long while ago and thought how wonderful it would be to have one... Did you know that Gerry is a poet? She included the sweetest poem. What a special gift from a special friend. I love it all!!

Thank you so much, Gerry.



Today I received the first one from Wilma. Wilma, you're on the ball, aren't you? Wilma is vacationing and I'm sure she wanted to get this done so she could concentrate on having fun! I hope you're having the best of times, and look forward to reading about it when you return!

6/25/07

I think this heart is so precious! If you click on the picture, you can see the little angel and the beautiful, delicate stitching Wilma does. She also included several little (which I like) lace motifs, beautiful glass buttons, and a post card from Arnhem in The Netherlands.







Thank you very much, Wilma.

The Kids

I've mentioned that my DS's dog, Kilo, a Great Dane pulled me into the split rail fence next to our house that made a gash on my cheekbone last week. I'm doing fine, just a few stitches and some loose 'gel' in my eye that is causing me to see floaters, but the doctor says it's ok.

She and Pixie are getting along fairly well, although Pixie has learned (or at least it's the first times I've heard her) to growl. She's not a mean or hostile girl, she's just so big and heavy that playing sometimes hurts. She is almost a year old, so I guess she's still growing.

Pixie is still a bit cautious!

Kilo likes Pixie's water better than her own, of course!

The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter

I was telling a friend the other day about my button binge shopping spree, and she said she almost got an anxiety attack when she heard about threads or buttons and couldn't find them to buy. That sounds so familiar. I'm usually a bargain hunter, or at least a shopper. I have been looking for this book for several months, and finally found it at a price I was willing to pay. Now... Why do I 'need' this book? I don't. I have no small children or grandchildren, but I HAD to have it. Maybe there will be some images that I can use for CQ, or a quote, but it is here, it is beautiful, and it makes me smile. That must be reason enough!

Your Inner Blood Type is Type A

You seem cool and collected, though a bit shy. You are highly driven and a perfectionist, but that's a side you keep to yourself. Creative and artistic, you are a very unique person who doesn't quite fit in. People accept you more than you realize, seeing you as trustworthy and loyal. You are most compatible with: A and AB

What's Your Inner Blood Type?

Button Binge

~~~Updated 7/28/07 ~~~

I received some beautiful buttons from Wilma with my SoH birthday heart. Wilma, Wilma, you don't know what you started. It has been a long time since I had one of these, but... I just can't seem to help myself. I don't know nearly as much as I should about buttons before buying them online, but...

Still in the throws of a button binge! Here are some I got this week.

7/25

I got these in the mail today. 7/13

Silver luster
These extras came along with them!



I found these on Etsy!

Here are a few of the ones I've received thus far. This colorful group was described as depression glass, and they are lovely! 7/11

These were described as vintage clear glass and Lucite. Most are glass, but there are some that need a good bath. Got a good price for lots of buttons!


These are the medium sized ones



These are some with rhinestones and other shapes - need a bath!


Here are some sets with many multiples.


These on cards are vintage - .15 and .25 cents.

Birthday Box

updated 7/28/07

I was a member of the CQ for Newbies Group 1 Birthday Swap. My birthday is in December, but I chose to have May since I always wanted a summer birthday! My box came this week, and there are so many beautiful things in there I just have to share pictures.

First, I want to say Thank You to Rebecca for coordinating this major responsibility. And to all the generous participants of this swap: You've all been very generous and thoughtful with your birthday baggies, and Thank You never seems enough!

As a follow up to the Birthday Box, Gerry offered to 'complete' the project. For one reason or another, some folks didn't get their 11 baggies. I told her it certainly wasn't necessary, but was happy as could be when it arrived!

I got this one as a 'make up' from JK. It has the prettiest assortment of pink fabrics and goodies to go along with it. Beads, buttons, laces, trims. It's ready to grab a piece of muslin and build a block - which, by the way, is what I PLAN to do with the baggies from this swap, make a block from the contents from each of the baggies.

This is how the baggies kept pouring out of the box.

This baggie is from Christy. Notice the beautiful colors? Her card said, enjoy, "you had to wait long enough." Well believe me, it was well worth it. Love the beads with crystals and those red with gold ribbons, buttons, motifs, lots of great goodies!

Here's the baggie from Judyth. It's all color coordinated and lovely! Lace motifs - such a sweet butterfly, beads and sequins, and the great threads - excited to try the Rajmahal Art Silk.

This one is from Karen. Beautiful jewel tone fabrics, sparkly threads, coordinated buttons and silk ribbon. Very nice!!

Lesa's baggie has fuzzy fibers, beads, buttons, and lovely fabrics. One has a had drawn elf that Lesa does so well. There's a cross stitch kitty in a pumpkin kit, and a beautiful CQ'd heart door hanger.

Lynn's baggie has great fan motifs, buttons, charms, ribbons, pretty fabrics including a piece of maroon with gold swirls that is fantastic!

Nancy's assortment has wonderful fabrics with coordinated rayon threads, pretty printed pictures and some beautifully dyed flower motifs - how do you get those muted colors?


This baggie is from Peggy. There's a fiber art card, too, along with a tatted motif, pretty ribbons and lace, buttons, and great fabrics - one embroidered with an angel and another with my initial!


This pack is from Sue. See the tiny glove - just precious. A tiny angel and heart, along with beads, silk ribbon, and wonderful assortment of fabrics.


...and this one that has no name on it. It has a blue crocheted lady, lots of fuzzy fibers, assorted beads and baubles, fabrics, laces and trims. If you recognize it, I'd like to know who it's from...

Dover Publications

I am on the mailing list of Dover Publications. About every week they send a "Sampler" page of items they have available. One of the things I really like is that you can click on any of the items in this list to open for a closer view, right click, then Save As to keep a copy of ones that may come in handy. For example, this is one of the items I just saved to be used at some time in the future.

The Waste Lands - The Dark Tower III *****

Just finished Stephen King's The Waste Lands. It was great. The troop carries on in their search for The Dark Tower, through the Mid World town of Lud, meeting Blain and Tick Toc Man.




I think I'm going to take a break from the series and read The Half Blood Prince before I hear too much about the final book of the Harry Potter series. My son and I went to see The Order of the Phoenix over the weekend, and it was quite good.

Lovely Women

Isn't this a wonderful picture? I love the faces of these women - so intent. I found it on BiblioOdyssey.

Victorian Colors

What do you consider Victorian colors?



I took some size 20, white DMC thread and put it in with all my other dying experiments last week. I put about 10 yards in the coffee and two 10 yard pieces in the rose water. When I wound them on paper this evening, I thought, this must be why the old crazy quilts we see are in such lovely, muted colors - their dying products for their threads. I only imagine that they had primarily white to work with, so they probably used their natural resources to have different colors. I can hardly wait until fall to try those deep, purple berries that grow on the weed that grows in the Wisteria bush.

Materials

Since I've been in shopping mode lately, and on Friday we get off work at 3:00, I decided to drop in to the Good Will store. I love to check their books, and I got about seven!


Then I said, I'll just glance to see if they have any great silk... I want a few pastels. Should have gone out the door with my books... Evidently they had a recent 'shipment' because I came out with a LARGE bag full - and of course not all pastels!

This creamy colored silk blouse just would not stay on the rack - see all those pretty motifs?


Then there was the neutral / gold wrap skirt, big 80's style jacket - 85% silk 15% metallic.



Pink silk blouse

Pink silk dress suit / coat - Ann Taylor - too bad I'm not a size 6


Olive green silk, ankle length skirt suit


Hot pink silk long, dress suit


Blue silk blouse


Blue silk skirt

Oh, there are a few jewlry trinkets in my purse... Yes, THIS is a big part of why they call it CRAZY quilting!!