No takers

I guess we'll be handing them out at McDonald's this morning while enjoying our sausage gravy and biscuits.

 

 

 

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A sampler and a santa

Hiya.  Remember the rust that I removed after I removed 4 other colors first?  Yes it looked good on the dark brown, but I just couldn't envision it with the red and blue at the bottom.  Thank goodness for linen's strength.  Because after I changed it to 632 which blended very nicely with the muted colors, I popped for red. 

Yep.  Something hit me (unfortunately it was right after removing the rust and completing the 632 replacement ) that 3777 was it.  I have removed as many stitches as I put in, over and over, same letters. Some evenings I looked around for Bill Murray because this project felt like Groundhog Day. Glad I finally hit on something I can live with.  I planned on the top of the piece being drab so the bottom pops, but it just wasn't working on this very dark linen. Now the large alpha is finally completed, the colors finalized, and I can move toward a finish. 

 

I hope it comes quickly because the mail brought another order and this guy was in it.  I didn't realize it required overdyed floss so I will have to make another order just for the threads.  I wish he was a little smaller.  On 30 count he is 7 1/2" x 6 3/4".  I also thought Cocoa linen (recommended) was very pinkish brown but this looks very Havana-ish.  I love the 3777 on my current dark brown linen and plan to use this combination for a few Santas.  I see another decision on the horizon.  Not good.

 

Have a great day!

 

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Release the snark day

That should be on a Tshirt.  Well today is the day.  Mark is golfing so I can snark with no collateral damage.   It's a beautiful sunny day, but the last Friday of August.  I'm working inside to complete an order and found a few pieces of wood cut to 3" square. I labeled the back with the dimension and it can be a corner square or just a floss tag.

 

We have been giving away tomatoes as fast as we can but can't keep up with the bounty.  I do not like canning tomatoes so I will try making tomato soup and freezing it along with seeded tomato chunks for winter soups.  Love tomato sandwiches with mayo and also grilled cheese with thick slices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The garden was the best ever since we installed two Enforcers - it definitely keeps the deer out even though we feed them several times a day in the yard.  And of course, I never remembered it was there and got squirted numerous times.  Felt pretty good in this heat!  The short plastic fence is to keep the cats from using the garden as a litter box.

I'm almost 6' and the tomatoes grew above me since this was taken over a month ago. But now, the blight has taken hold and there are no leaves left, just green and red globes.  Breaded and fried green tomato slices drizzled with reduced Balsamic are heavenly.  Lots of various peppers are being canned and made into pepper butter.

 

 

Bud is enjoying himself on the new gingham oilcloth I found for the little table.

 

 They are all past due for flea meds but these brats have turned into summer snots and won't let me apply it.  I've been buying the PetArmor Plus through Walmart online, six pack for $40.  They had it for $32 which is great for 6 vials but the price changes all the time.  Free ship to store too.

I've decided to send The Attic a box or two for their auction instead of stitchery.  I hope that's OK.  This is one of my favorites (had to redo it since the file disappeared) and I think it came out better than the first time.  I can't get these 8" squares so I found an 8" round that I will use.  I wish I knew what equipment was needed to do the videos.  I can show you how I manipulate these.  For example, the large box has the original stitchery in the grass, but look at the round.  The bunny is now behind the peacock because I wanted the blue instead of brown.  Anyone can do this and so many have emailed to request instructions but I can't explain, it has to be viewed. 

 

That's all I got.  Back to snark central.  I think I will designate a day each week as release the snark day.  We'll see how that works.

 

Have a great weekend! 

 I am really surprised at how many have entered for the hornie!

Be back on Sunday, all snarked out, with the winner.

 

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Hornbook offer

Greetings folks.  After many hours (days, really) working on only three little labels, I have given up.  I don't know if the new inks in the printer have changed formula or what, but they are giving me fits.  Changing to pink or green tones when glued, changing again when sealed, so I am using the design I had printed a while ago when I thought about making these before the ink cartridges were replaced. Whatever the reason, I can't waste any more time on a little inexpensive item.  And after staining them all, I realized they look so much better on a solid background, so I am doing a paint wash in dark brown over the stain. 

 Because of all this trouble, I wanted to burn them, but decided to calm down and grow up.  Things happen, go wrong, create more work, require more patience, cause stress, but they are things.  Things.  Not my health, not my family, not those fricking brat cats, just things.  I am heartbroken at the news of my cardiologist, a wonderful kind man, and also a friend's DIL at 46 years of age.  Devastating and unexpected diagnoses that leave very little hope.  And I'm going to get upset over little hornies that I want to be perfect for my stitching buds?  Cause myself to become Velcro Velma 24/7 with these hot flashes?  Make my monitor beep again?  No.  I'm calming down, enjoying the crock pot's kielbasa and peppers aroma.  So.  For you.  A very small offer.  A little hornbook giveaway.  They will be available when I list the boxes in a few weeks, but thought packing one and shipping it away would be a small symbolic get the hell away from me and satisfy the snark.  I can be thankful, I can calm down, I can accept the insignificant annoyances, but if menopause has taught me anything, it's that the snark must escape or there will be consequences. 

 

If you would like this small offer (these are printed labels, not actual stitchery), you know what to do.  We've done it enough times!  The 3-in-1 hornie measure is 2" across, 3" to the top, and 4" with the handle to gauge your project's stitching or linen margin, but please don't expect them to be exact!  After sanding they may be 1/16" off.  I know it's not even worth mentioning but I don't want any emails correcting me.  Yes, it happens!

Leave your initials in your comment, email me if you are unable to leave a comment, and I will draw a name on Sunday 28 at 8pm. 

 

Have a great weekend,

stay safe, snark with a thankful heart.

You can quote me.

 

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Two steps forward

ten steps back.  Do you have any idea how many times I have removed and restarted with different colors on this sampler?  I lost count myself.  Yes the pumpkin looks great on this brown linen and it goes very well with my sampler sack, but I want the stronger colors in the bottom section.  So for the last time, I am removing the latest choice of pumpkin and replacing it with the 612.  I'm sticking with three colors in the alpha and it will take a while to remove the pumpkin, but I may continue with the rest of the project first and go back later.

 

 

Hornies are a real bitch.  To size something so small has not been fun and quite time consuming.  I like seeing "bits" of samplers but for some reason, I have to have it more concise and balanced.  Geez.  I wonder what that reason could be.

 

Houses do not work well on these because of the size and after finally uncrossing my eyes yesterday, I am limiting the sampler designs to three of these four. 

 

Everything will be for sale at one time.  Because these horny hornie measures are made of 1/4" thick wood, they must ship with the package rate of $2.60.  I was going to take one of my many Death by Chocolate Zucchini Breads down to Bruce for sympathy, but my favorite postal guy follows the rules.  No bribes. 

 

Have a good week.  So upset that we are in the 20's of August.

 

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Hornbook measure

Good idea?  One cute little hickeymabob instead of several for corner measuring?  I thought about this when working on my hornbook and the corner tags (which I still love) and finally got around to having Mark cut a few. 

Each side is a measurement so you have 2, 3, and 4 in one piece. A hole will be drilled in the handle for hanging.  Didn't get that far yet.  Not easy making such a tiny label.

 

What do you think?  Should I make a few for sale?

 

 

 

Have a good weekend!

 

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