Why did I buy this?

Greetings.  Cold rainy crap here today.  I have leaves to pick up after the high wind storm the other day and we won't be near 40 degrees for days.  It's 44 now, dark, raining, and my husband is on the golf course.  They just don't give up.

 I received an email complaining that I didn't post about the box sale today.  I'm sorry but I did say in the last post that the sale would start Friday morning.  There were a few problems and I hope they're worked out.  I guess if the item is sold, you go back to an error page.  Or something.

I don't have stitching to show but I did buy something that I'm now questioning.  A patched wooden shovel.  ??  Why?  I guess I will end up happy with the purchase but it was cheap and I sometimes get desperate for a more primitive item.  Very scarce around here.  Interesting though.

 I have to repaint all the trim because the Valspar we got was marking very easily.  Every time we put the level or square on it, a mark.  So I had a gallon of Behr eggshell enamel mixed and the finish is a soft sheen and very hard.   The crown is going up next week and I can't find a chair rail that isn't the typical profile, which I don't care for.  Too fancy, too many curves.  I found 1/2" stock and wanted to use the plywood cap moulding over, but it's 3/8, not 1/2".  I'll figure something out. 

Now that I've been away from stitching for a few days, I'm not sure if I want to start another Santa or a sampler.  Whatever I find on the floor will probably be my next project.  But right now, that would be a lot to pick from.  Had another chart slide.

Enjoy your weekend and stay safe.

Thanks for visiting!

Sale date

Hello people.  How you doing? 

Isn't this new little sampler adorable?  Anna Eliza Abe from Threads of Gold.  On my list!

 

We've had problems with the crown moulding and the trim's new paint is developing darkened areas. Between that, car problems and appointments, I haven't had time to check blogs or get the page ready for sales. Tomorrow I will try getting the Buy Now button for each box which will take quite a while, and the page will disappear until Friday. Friday morning it should be functioning and ready to take sales. If not, the roar you hear may send the Finding Bigfoot team to PA. Until then, no orders please.  Next week I will post some journals and a few more boxes.   The price for the rounds is $10 and ovals $12.  Shipping for one is First Class at $2.50 but more than one puts the weight over the 13 oz. limit and into Priority rates.  Much higher as you know. 

Heritage Mary and Frances - I'm sorry but you are no-reply and I could not contact you.

I have been trying to have a large salad for dinner in an attempt to rid the extra pounds from the 7 bags of Halloween candy.  I have a small flat shredder that I use for my Asiago cheese chunk to top the salad.  I was told that touching the cheese will eventually create mold.  True?  I always keep a small plastic bag on it for handling but I was close to the rind so removed it.  I touched the cheese.  I felt a little naughty.  But the shreds were not coming out!  I kept pushing it harder and harder into the holes and my short fuse was lit.  My husband was quietly watching sitting across from me.  I was pressing so hard that the loop handle was embedding in my finger and blood would soon be gushing.  I tried out my new cuss words, slammed the do-not-touch cheese onto the counter, and noticed something.  The grater was upside down.  I was trying to shred on the smooth side for what seemed to be minutes.  I said "I'm using the wrong #@*& side!"  Husband says "I know".  "WHAT?  Why the hell didn't you tell me?"  His reply - "I was afraid."  I often wonder if extreme cases of MENopause can figuratively move the "pair" to the female.  We become the aggressive hot heads and they cower during our tirades.  I like it.

 

For those of you looking for Frances Bliss and Lydia Hinckley, the charts came up on Ebay here.

Wish me luck on the page post!

I'm anxious to get back to stitching this weekend.
Thanks for visiting and enjoy your evening.

 

 

Box sale this week

Hiya.  Hope everyone is safe and not affected by the storms and tornadoes. 

For anyone interested in the sampler boxes, I will start listing the photos as I complete them on the Tags/Box page, and then add the Buy button (after I search my cavern for instructions) in a few days. This will give you an idea of what will be available and if there are any that you like.  Most of these you saw in my prior post, a few are new, and a few are designs that seemed to be your favorites.  I haven't decided if I will do any 3 box sets now.  I found a bunch of them in the closet where they shouldn't be, including the very large sets.

If I have trouble listing this amount, I may do it on Etsy.  Either way I'll do a post the night before the sale.

  These are NOT stitched pieces, they are printed labels.

Santa, again

Greetings!  I'm having a warm day in PA and I hope yours is whatever makes you smile.  Did you ever make a fool of yourself at the post office?  One of the winners is from Canada, and while I was buying stamps I asked if I could create a shipping label online.  He said yes, you can, but it's international and you will fill out a form also.  ???  What?  Canada is international?  We're attached to them!  There's no ocean to cross, I could drive there.  We're attached along our whole top!  As I started realizing what I was saying, I remembered that I had mailed packages to Canada before, and of course it's international postage!  I started smiling at my stupidity and he thought that smile was related to my joking around.  I'll stick with option #2.

So here's my latest Santa alongside the photo of how he is charted.

I changed the robe to 902, trim to 3829, pants and hat to 3011.  Dropped the toys again and did what I wanted.  The bag on his back was 610 and it was so close to the pants.  I used the new ink trick and ever so lightly brushed the bag with Sepia.  There 'ya go.  Instant color darkening.  I tested it on the corner of the linen and I am so surprised at how drastic the intensity is for such a light touch!  I also tested the stamp cleaner fluid to see if it would remove the permanent ink, and it did.  Then I washed it with a little soap and it was fine.  But I still need to be very careful because it's so much darker than other methods. 

 Speaking of that, husband cleaned the freezer and I spotted what I thought was a large piece of chocolate cake.  Well, as I watched it thaw and saw black liquid running from it, I realized it was my home made walnut stain.   Good thing I saw the liquid and put it in a container before the whole kitchen was stained. 

Doing leaves today again, and we are both exhausted.  Old.  And exhausted.  I made a new lounge hut for the brats with open fronts, lined it with pieces of my old wool carpet, and they are happy happy happy.  Angled from the wind and rain, plywood top extended for a porch, and an additional box for the new brat on the block.

 

I hope you all have a great weekend.  We're been so busy that I really haven't spent much time online and am way behind on blog activity.  So I hope you're all doing fine!  I worked on labels yesterday and will try to paint the boxes this evening, if my hand can hold the brush.

Stay safe!

Thanks for visiting.

 

 

 

 

Winner(s)!

Hey.  How 'ya doing?  Another week gone!  We've been busy painting trim and painting trim and painting trim.  The final color was darker than I expected after their fix and is very close to our current color.  VERY close.  I'm a little disappointed but I'll get over it.

I found these 12 days of Santa cards and now know what that bag of buttons was for.  These were probably from my SIL's stash because I remember her stitching them (and they were cute), and the buttons were from my friend's stash.  Mittens, reindeer, teddy, angel, stars, candy canes, hearts, gingerbread, and snowmen.  So there's my reason for not knowing what the buttons belonged to and selling the whole batch on Ebay.   I thought they were for Shepherd's Bush designs but I sold those charts and included the buttons, so these were extra.  The designs could be stitched without them.  Heartstrings also had 12 days of Christmas as a card set and they were cute too.  I may list these for sale on Ebay, but may be sorry later so I have to think about it.   Cross Stitch Stash has all of them and the other series of Santas. 

 I got an email from Christopher & Banks about a sale and happened to see this on clearance.  Witch tee!  This Halloween tee is selling out and only M and L are left.  Cute!

 

 

Getting to the point of this post - Random's scrambled winner is Jacqueline (no blog).  Uh-oh.  I hit the Random button again, and it's Anonymous Maureen!   Two offers are better than one.  So ladies, let me know what your choices are, and I will pack them up and get them in the mail, chocolate finger prints and all.  Thanks to all who participated!

I started another Santa from book 88 and hope to finish in a day.  Arthritic fingers from painting and ripping open chocolate wrappers has slowed my momentum, but I'm pushing along.

Another weekend upon us - enjoy it - stay safe.

Thanks for visiting!

Thank you Nancy!!!

Hi all.  First, I must say while clenching my jaws, I hate winter.

But I love the information that Nancy from Victorian Motto Shoppe shared in her post.

 My friend uses stamp pads for antiquing but never did I think to use a brush for control until I read Nancy's post. What a difference.

 You can use very light shading and continue until you get the look you're after, but the important thing - you can get right up to the floss without it seeping as dye, stain, and coffee does.  Or brush over the floss too for more of an aged look.  I took her advice and am so thrilled.

 

 

 

Here's the latest Santa from book 53 with changes to his hat.  The beard didn't have much contrast to the linen so I used my angled brush and very little ink, and added some depth around the beard.  On the left side, I just touched around the beard, and on the right, continued down the rest of his body.  I like the control, it's not wet, doesn't need rinsed, a little bottle of stamp cleaner cleans the brush!  This color is coffee and I have the black also to use on dark unbleached fabric.  Just test on the edge of the piece for depth and brush excess off on paper if necessary.  A very light touch of the brush on the pad is all that's necessary.

 

Happy happy happy.  Thank you so much Nancy!! 

  

I've been doing a little shopping - online so there are no "incidents"- but it was for all the family brats.  Wal-mart has a decent price on the pricey flea control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These two are very much like me, and could not stand to be out in the white crap.

 

 

I found some Santa cards while roaming in my mess, and will show you next time.

Have a snowfree day and thanks for visiting!