Two Cute Give-a-ways

My friend Candi is having a give-a-way, well really she is having 2

on her blog  Quilts N Things 

she is giving away 3 cute windmills

Also

on her blog   Candi's Eye Candi

Aren't these cute.  Go over and visit Candi and sign up for the drawings

                                                                                Good luck.

Blog Parties.......Everywhere!!!!!!

Ok, I have to tell you, I have discovered a most fun activity.......

Blog parties................now I know I am a bit slow, because they have been going on for a long time, but I am just having so much fun discovering wonderful blogs from all over. You know the kind where you hate to hit the close button, because you really, really do not want to leave.

So if you have not discovered blog parties you should give it a try, here are a couple

Over at Twice Remembered is Make your Monday, where you will find DIY projects
On Beverly's blog you will find Pink Saturday where 164 bloggers share something pink.
Blue Monday's are celebrated on Smiling Sally's blog
Charlotte hosts Spiritual Sunday and White Wednesday over at Faded Charm
Then there is Out Door Wednesday and many more, like Table Scape Thursday.

So get a cuppa, and join the parties.............you will be so glad you did.

A Generous Give A Way

Over on Tales from an OC Cottage you will find a fantastic give away. Go check it out, enter your name. I am

Good luck

T-shirt dedesign & Christmas CQ

I wanted to redesign the collar of this t-shirt. I don't like things against my neck so after checking out the internet on how to do this, I dove in and here are the results.















I also shortened the shirt, no more puckers of fabric around my waist, which doesn't need any more attention. LOL














This is DD, Samantha's Christmas table runner done in Crazy Quilting. I put together the table runner and sent it around my CQ group for help in decorating the seams. It has been to Texas, California, Arizona, South Dakota and is back here in Wyoming so I can add my touches and finish it off. Last year when Samantha, Andy and the boys visited for Christmas we went to Cody, Wy. for after Christmas sales and she started getting blue, crystal and white things for a new scheme for her dining room. So this is part of that.




Click on
the pictures
for a
closer look
at the
details





by Susan and Moira














Close up of seams details















Spider and web by Susan.....spiders and webs are good luck in CQ

More details of the table runner to come. Believe it or not Christmas is only 3 months away.

I have been Neglectful

I want to touch bases with you all, I have been very neglectful with all of my blogs. I hope I am beginning to get back into a more settled place.

We gave Ken his quilt on July 5th at Claudia's memorial service and he was/is very touched. He can't believe how everyone came together for him, people he does not even know.

Our kitty, Missy Mew, who we believe was bitten by a snake is now back to her ornery little self, we were very worried about her, she was a very very sick kitty for nearly a month. At one point we feared brain damage because of the sickness, thankfully we were wrong.

My current projects include a king size log cabin quilt for our bed. Instead of a regular backing my plan is to do a 2 sided quilt, I have found a pattern I like so we shall she how all that comes together. So I still need to piece another top to become the back to my log cabin. LOL.

There is an American Hero's quilt on my machine, it is taking a long time because I had to rip out one and a half rows of quilting.........it is ready to begin quilting again. I really do not like the design I am doing but it is to late to do anything about that. So now for a test run before starting again.

Also, making soaps for Ole Timers a celebration of the Anniversary of our town, with this year being 100 years. I need to do more soaps, it is next Sunday. Have been playing with different techniques.

We also have (well Kirk has) been putting a porch on the house. Tomorrow we have to go cut fire wood, and need to make a few more trips before winter (yes, winter is coming).

Thanks for hanging in there with me....

A neat contest

Check out the "Frugal Mom" blog. She is doing a daily give away this week, not to mention great ideas on how to save money, and who can't use that information these days.

http://www.frugalmom.net/blog/

Enjoy

RR details Candi block, This N That

Candi's block is finished, at least my part is. I had no real plans other then the beautiful painted button. First I stitched the heart on the left, done in a very colorful Sassa Lynne fine perle. It needed something else so with the same thread a vine of flowers was born. Next, with lace from a buy with Susan, that I cut apart the seam treatment was created on the right and a few seed beads added. I hope you like it Candi.















I have been kind of distracted lately, am feeling much better, but everything is calling for my attention. My interest in my herbal studies has really been taking me away.

Honor has been bestowed upon me, first Leslie and Hideko asked if I'd write for the CQI newletter, a small bit about our newest addition to the list....the Novice group. With this group I am also heading up a stitch sampler group and have started a lessons on color for the group.

Just a few days ago Rissa requested that I write for the CQmagonline ...... so my head has been spinning with that.

I only hope that I will be able to do justice to these things.

My entry for the Beaded Poem Contest (on CQI) has been submitted and voting is taking place, I will share it with you once that is done.

The last few days I have been working hot and heavy on my entry for the purse contest, (also on CQI) deadline is looming. Once that contest is over, I will share that entry with you as well.

So that is about it for now, God's Blessings to all. Have a wonderful day.

New Etsy Item

We have added something new to the Etsy Shop.

Kirk made me a meat chopper the other day out
of beautiful Hickory wood. I love it so much that
he made some more items.

We are offering a 5 piece set for 18.00

3 Hickory spatulas
1 Hickory meat chopper and
1 29" x 29" bread cozy.

Visit my Etsy shop for more information, on this
great gift idea for the cook in your life.

Judy's Block

Happy New Year to All.

I know I am a bit late in posting, the flu/cold bug have been visiting my house, today is the first day I have felt like something other then a lump of yick.

I want to share with you some progress I have made on Judy's block.

First to the center, a flower motif on top of one of the print flowers to give the work some dimension. I plan to add more french knots and some beads to enhance all of the flower centers. Not sure what else yet, but was looking at some glass leaves.














On this seam (the picture did not come out to great) is a zig zag lazy daisy (detached chain) in turquoise DMC floss with gold seed beads to trim.














A fan stitch with french knot, in Sassa Lynne Perle Fine, Purple Zing.















A fan in blanket stitch, cream 2 strand DMC floss with a flax pearl. I used Carole Samples template to help me get these even.















Here another buttonhole/blanket stitch (one of my personal favorites). For these seams I used rayon thread in Petal Rose, two strands. To the upper one seeds beads in turquoise are added to the points. The lower seam lazy daisy and straight stitch form the flower base for a head of gold/orange beads, representing a flower bed.














I think I have lost my mind, time will tell. Along with the stockings, sane quilt, and soaping I have planned I have joined a purse contest and a year long challenge on my CQ list, Crazy Quilting International.

I won't be able to post the progress on the purse until the voting is done, but will keep a step by step for after.

The monthly challenge I can share. For January, it is piecing either in curves or landscape. We can choose to do the alternative challenge which is "Experiment to find materials that look like or can represent snow or snowflakes. I am working with curves........I think....LOL.

That is it for right now. Oh BTW..........we are getting RAIN, ya rain! It is 41 degrees, I WANT SNOW, NOT RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAA Rain = mud, with snow the mud can be deferred to spring. Grin.

Happy 2008

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. I wanted to share some family pictures with you.

Alyssa (DSD), Michele (DDIL), Letha (DMIL), myself, Samantha (DD) and Destiny (DGD)















Everette (DFIL), Codey (GS #5), Josh (DS), Kirk (DH), Andy (DSIL),
Tristan (GS#2), Brandyn (GS#3), Konner (GS#4), Bryce (GS#1)















It was so wonderful to spend time with our children and grandchildren, and Kirk's parents. What a blessed time it was. We also spent time with Kirk's sister Yolanda and family, and our good friends Gilbert and Cathy. We could not have asked for a better Christmas.

The new year, I hope, will be a good one. We are looking forward to spending Christmas here in Wyoming next year with all our loved ones. We have alot to do to prepare for Christmas 2008 with the big project, an addition to our house. If you'd like to keep track of that I invite you to visit my other blog...........http://newlifewy.blogspot.com/...............this is where I talk about the things that go on around our little Wyoming homestead.

Looking forward to this new year, I am planning some new soaps for my Etsy shop, beginning with Valentines Day.........yes an unabashed advertisement, LOL. 3 new soaps are on the horizon so keep a watch out for them at .........Big Horn Mountain Creations .......you can always see new items that have been posted to my shop, on the side bar of this blog.

One of my goals for this year is to make each of my family a new CQed Christmas stocking, so I will be posting my progress on that project. That is 12 stocking, one a month......hummmmmm we shall see how well I do on this.

I have way to many ideas for this year that is for sure, I will be pleased if I can get those that I have mentioned here done. I will also be involved in several RR, along with another of my lists, studying stitches, through Carole Samples book. I have several quilts to finish up and of course to begin.

So along with the new addition, gardening, regular house stuff, and my sewing I might just have a busy year.

May the Lord Bless each of us with health, strength and loads of love of family and friends.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year All Ya'll

Hi everyone, we are back from our wonderful Christmas trip to California.

We had a wonderful time and I finally got to hold my new grandson Codey, WAHOO!!

Every moment we got to spend with our family and our friends was so wonderful and I am so thankful for the opportunity to go for the visit.

I want to wish everyone a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Gods Blessings to each and everyone. See you next year.

Slow Cloth

I am so glad to see this subject being tossed around. I can't say it as well as everyone else has but I can tell you that the idea of speeding along has annoyed me for some time. I know many who create a quite a day................I just can't! I can't stay on one project for hours at a time, I will so lose interest in it and leave it by the way side.

There was a time when all this speeding around made me feel bad about my self, until I had a talk with myself, giving myself permission to enjoy the process at my own pace.

I am so into "SLOW" everything (well just about everything, I need to eat slower, LOL). I love the process of things, in fact I really don't like getting things done because I can't enjoy working on it anymore.

So I say................move over mister/ms rabbit, us turtles may be slow but we WILL finish the race and with alot more gained in the process.

Back Home

Thank you to everyone for the prayers you offered up on my behalf, I can not tell you just how effective they have been. My travel was perfect, weather sunny and clear. I got to visit with my Dad and he was doing pretty well. He is still hanging in there, only God knows when he will call him home.

It has been hard getting back into the swing of things, I am still tired but it is slowly coming together.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Kirk and I spent it, just the two of us, it was very relaxing and enjoyable to cook, eat and clean up together (we usually do the eating together, LOL.)

A couple of months ago I started working through Carole Samples book, Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches with several other gals. I thought you might like to see some of the works I have done on this journey.










These first two are the single stitches. It is good to start with the basics, I am learning alot with this study.

I also wanted to share with you some cute new additions to my holiday decorations.



I love snow people!
Are these not just the
cutest? Their scarves
come off so they may
just get some fancy
CQ scarves.

I am so looking forward
to Christmas, we are
heading to California, to
spend it with our children,
grandchildren, Kirk's parents,
and our friends. I need to get my tail in gear and finish up the Christmas
gifts (I know I am not alone).

It is good to be home and back among friends, thank you once again for holding me up in prayer, you will never know how much you helped me.

Hugs and Gods Blessing to everyone.

CQ Magazine in posted

Calling all CQers.

CQ Magazine has been posted. This is free and a must for anyone who loves Crazy Quilting.

The gals who put this magazine out have done a fantastic job. Go have a look!

http://www.cqmagonline.com/vol06iss04/index.shtml

Thank you to all who have worked so hard to provide us with this great resource.

I have been TAGGED

I have been tagged for the MEME. My tags came from Leslie, Karrin, Candi and Carole all in the same afternoon. LOL. Here are the rules as posted on Leslie's blog.

Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged.1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.


1. I love being in nature, that is where I feel closest to my Lord Jesus.
2. I realized last winter after a nice snow, and the sun came out....God created glitter.
3. Blue is my least favorite color for decorating or crafting, it is best in the sky and ocean, on a pair of jeans or deep blue glass.
4. 60 scares me.
5. I agree we should have grandchildren first, we have 6
6. I am thankful for gravel......see my Wy blog @ http://newlifewy.blogspot.com/
7. One of my favorite things to do besides quilting, Cqing, is gardening. I began gardening over 30 years ago and still get great joy from playing in the dirt and helping things grow. We love having food we have grown or hunted, and find great satisfaction when a meal features mostly what we have gathered ourselves.

Ok, now to tag 7 other bloggers.

Kate @ High Altitude Gardening
Fran @ Quilting in Alaska
Wendy @ Wandering Rose
Kerry @ KerryKatieCakes
Fran @ Sew Frantastic
Gabriele @ Gabriel's Spot
Rebekah @ Daddy's Girl

Enjoy.

One of a Kind

Morning all, I have decided what I will tell anyone who asks "Do you sell your things?"


Yes, I sell my pieces but I have to warn you...they are not the quality of Walmart, and they are one of a kind not one in a million.

Hope everyone has a good Sunday.

Disappointment

Blogs are for all kinds of things, sometimes even a rant.........................................


I am feeling quit disappointed at the moment. I asked a group of ladies what they thought I should price my Christmas stocking for if I should decide to sell it. I was thinking $45.00 would be a rather low but ok price for something with all the fancy fabrics, laces and glass beads, not to mention all the hours I spent on it. My husband said $75.00. I am getting answers of $15-25....$30.00 at the most (and comparisons to Wal-mart). Talk about a disappointment, some of that lace is $4.00 a yard. Heck I spent 10 hours on the poinsettia alone.

So I guess I won't be selling it, I'd rather give it away then sell something like this for China prices.

I give up, I have tried to find something to sell that might give me a little income and everything is a bust because no one wants to pay a decent wage, be it CQ, quilts, longarm work, glass work, soaps, lotions...so I give up. I am not going to try anymore, (some people look cross eyed and can sell a rock), I could not sell ice cubes in hell. My Etsy shop is closed as of now.

Thanks for listening if you read this far.

Gail

A Gift

I wanted to share this lovely chest with you. My MIL brought it to me when they came to visit. I love the shape and of course my favorite colors, pink and green. I have not decided what treasure I will keep in it yet. Thank you Mom.

Hope everyone is having a fun 4th.

Scrapbooking of Quilting

I have been taking a some time off from quilting. So instead I have began to scrapbook my quilting. Here is a couple of pages I did today. These pages are of the I Spy quilts I did for my grandsons.















Things are better now and I am getting past the burnout, so hope to be back to quilting shortly. Have been working on my Garden Party quilt off and on, on the longarm machine and hope to show you that soon.

We just had company and it was good to get out, spending some time out and about, I needed that and I think it is what has helped. More scrapbooking pages to come, documenting my work, besides it is the only thing I have to remember these quilts.

Until Later, God Bless

Lace Buy

We had another lace and motif buy with Susan......look at all you get for 12.00!















The motifs and something a little extra by way of the buttons.















Some of the lace and more motifs.
















And some more lace...........remember you can click on the picture to get a closer look. The next by is in September. Lace buy group.

This is going to be a busy week, DH family is coming for a visit....this is a good thing, but will require me to do work I would not normally do. LOL. So less time for crafting.

Until later..........................