Flash in the pen

Flash in the pan is a phrase used for brief success that is not repeated.  Flash in the pen is when your hot flash radiates heat to your linen and makes your Frixion pen marks disappear.

 

 

 Working on the stem and satin to complete that vase and I'm switching stitches to meet my mood.  I can do the stem easily, but when a circle is to filled, should they follow the curves or be straight?  I did the ovals and then after outlining the bottom, filled it with satin.  No one will know the difference.  I had to re-pen the vines on the right too, and they are finished as is the complete border.  The piece is not pressed and not lying flat which is why it looks so wonky.

 I will start photographing the individual Santas for the sale and will set up a separate page and offer them some time this weekend.  I'll post the time and date.

 

 We're pretty cold here.  Nitzy is in his favorite stretched position and Missy is being a brat as usual.  My scratches are healing. 

 And we have another cat hanging around.  Beautiful fluffy longer hair, gray with white chest and nose, flea collar embedded in his neck.  We tried to get close but it's not happening, and I don't know what will occur when the brats see him on our deck. 

Tomorrow I take Carole for an Echocardiogram, the next day we take my nephew (stoned on Valium) for his claustrophobic MRI, afternoon is my DEXA scan, dentist on Thursday.  Busy week.  With one car since we took my new vehicle into the body shop this morning.  Mark pulled out for a left hand turn and didn't see the EXPLORER coming from the right.  Both are OK, cars are hospitalized.

 

Have a safe and warm week!

 

Sally will be done shortly and I can't wait.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Waiting for dinner

so I thought I would show a few pics.  First off is the change in Sally.  I kept the green in the side border, removed the yellow, added darker rust.  Switched the green and rust in the bottom ... stems and flowers? .... and it looks better.  You can't see the green very well but on unbleached, it's hard to see a lot of colors. 

Had kielbasa and cabbage soup yesterday, sort of a sweet and sour dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lovebirds snoozing.  Once her eyes open she is upstairs, downstairs, in the basement, everywhere!  Picked her up to take her to the garage and she tore me up again.

 

Hunting season is coming to a close and some of the herd made it through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take a look at what we call our majorettes.  White go-go boots.  Blast from the past, no?

 

And to top off the stuffed cabbage meal, one of my favorite quick and easy desserts.  This is the filling for the peanut butter pie and I save some fat and calories by skipping the graham crust.  Drizzle a little chocolate over and it's heaven.  Third cup peanut butter, one 8 oz cream cheese softened, 1 cup powdered sugar (confectioners), beat together.....then quickly blend in one 8 oz Cool Whip.  Done.

Company will be here shortly - made the make-ahead mashed potatoes so no last minute rushing. 

Have a nice weekend!!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

February

Yes I know I'm rushing things.  But I was working on a box for January and realized that February is the red month.  Never did a red box, this one is over black, distressed finish, red sampler.  Needs tweaked yet but I'm fairly sure this will be the offer for next month.  But you know by now that I can't be trusted and my decision making is like riding a Tilt-a-whirl, spinning while going in circles.

 

 

I would like to make available a few boxes each month of one design. That way I'm not overwhelmed with shipping and trying to match designs to orders.  You should be getting tired of them by now so the coming months may be different in some way, either paint color, maybe fabric, maybe lined, or I'll get frustrated and not change at all.  We'll see how this works out.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fading borders

Hey.  What's happening?  We're a little chilly here in PA, and crabs prefer warm weather.  So chilly that the Nit Boy came in to snooze with the Bud Man.

My border, after I got my rhythm, managed to end up on the right row.  Amazing.  The tiny design within it, is barely visible.  Even the bottom's green thread fades into the linen.  I am considering changing them to the rust or bright blue, maybe even the yellow.  Instead of removing the four stitch design I may just outline those with the darker color.  Have I ever done a reproduction as it was charted?  Yes!  All of my first sampler kits from the Scarlet Letter, but I was a youngster then and afraid of my own shadow.  

The going is slow because of my thumb, which cracked.  Too much detergent and lack of hand care causes my hands to turn to Velcro in the winter, a form of eczema, treated with hydrocortisone cream twice a day.  Which I didn't do and the thumb cracked.  Extremely sore and hard to heal so pulling the needle is pretty uncomfortable.  But little by little I am getting her done.

 

See how the border colors fade away?  Rust.  It needs the rust.  Hopefully the thumb will heal so I can do the stem stitches to finish Sally.  Oh.  I have to complete the stitches in the house, only one small section on the left is crossed.  Keep forgetting that. 

 

I received my Belfast Tumbleweed, a very nice sagey kind of greenish something. Still not as stiff or as dark as I like it but a very nice shade.  That's R&R Sea Glass on the right. Ordering unseen browns online doesn't work for me because too many have a reddish undertone which I do not like.  My Rook pieces should come this week and although not as dark as my original (gifted from a friend and I'm forever grateful), they should be a good shade, not like the last piece I received.  Did I have a giveaway for that?  I think I did.  So even though I haven't crawled out of the slump yet, I am ordering linen.  No new charts (and there are several I plan on selling) because this climb is more difficult than before and I have to decide if going to smalls is the best option at this time, forgoing the larger samplers.

 

I had a few questions from no-reply'rs and can't remember what they were so I guess I can't answer right now.  And as for the Pringles, I love chips with chocolate.  Pretzels and chocolate.  I even dip hot French fries into chocolate milkshakes.  My personality is that of a crustacean but my eating habits are more porcine.

 

Hope your week is going well, stay safe!

Thanks for visiting.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

My Mosey guys

Greetings folks.  How's the year starting for you?  How do you feel when the decorating is removed and the house seems bare?   Is it worse to get it all out or put it all away?  For me, putting it away.  I can never remember what goes where and when I think it's right, the lid won't close.  So it's wrong.  During this time, I munch.  Every time I am in the midst of decisions, dilemmas, or disorder, I grab for something.  Years ago it was a cigarette.  There were two Pringles cans in my sight and my arthritis is either growing my knuckles or my hands are becoming like my butt.  One half of the chips are gone and you either dive in for a grab or risk breaking that perfect chip by sliding them out.  Does anyone else get their hand stuck in the Pringles' can?

 

I showed you this Mosey 'n Me design (#57) before and it makes me smile every time I see it.  But once put away, I forget about checking for this linen band.  Stitched by my SIL, she often hemmed edges and hung her seasonal designs on dowels with hemp cord hangers.  This one is an 8" wide band of linen, really neat fabric for this type of finish.  Looks 28, maybe 30, from many years ago.  I've checked for this and haven't found it yet, but did see unbleached linen band with decorative edges which I don't want.  Also, the ticking stripe edges which I thought would be good for Santas if the red thread is close. 

The other Mosey (Starlight Ride) she stitched for me is so cute, but I really wish the blue linen was a very dark gray blue.  It's really nice looking but I'm not a blue lover.  I think the metallic threads would really stand out and the entire design would pop.  Pop.  Ginger ale or 7-up?  I just can't stop shoveling into my face.

 

 

Some of you asked about the brats.  We haven't decided on a heating system for the garage and as soon as the weather went into the 40's, they sat at my window until I gave in. 

Except Nitzy.  He's a rebel.  But he does come in when he's hungry and usually after dark.  I can't leave their food in the garage because of the new stray and also Yellow Cat.  And yes, that is white crap which will be gone by Thursday when it will be in the low 40's and Mark will be golfing.  They golf until their balls freeze.  Golf balls that is.

 

Thank you for your suggestions on the future Santa sale.  I thought the prices were a little low but I see finished pieces on EBay that don't sell.  I will probably take your advice and add maybe a dollar, no more than two, and the seller is OK with that.  From the number of email requests I received, I think I will sell individually so everyone has a chance.  He doesn't have a Paypal account so it may be by check only or I have to use mine and add another 50¢ for the fees.  I will let everyone know days ahead of the sale.  Thanks again for the feedback.

 

That's all!  Back to working on Sally.  What a difference the dark border is making.  I stitched the entire bottom wrong and had to remove it all.  Big surprise.

Take care, thanks for visiting.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Santas

Selling as sets or individually?  Beautifully stitched and finished, almost all on sage or khaki Aida.  Some have the same Aida backing, many are fine corduroy. Not sure how to price them - would you help me with the price I have listed?  Good deal or too much?  Shipping not included.

 18 Aida  - $5 each or $35 set?
Seriously considering these for myself.

 Cream Jobelan  $5 each?

I'm buying this one.

18 Aida - $25 for the set?

   

Jobelan with ultrasuede (?) $4 each?

 

 18 Aida - $4 each?

Jobelan set $5?

14 white Aida set for $5?

 

 

  18 Aida $3 each?

 

 

Linen? and 14 count Aida $3?

 

 

Be honest!!

Thanks.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~