Giveaway Week Continues!

Today I finished an item that will go into the giveaway box, I hope you like it. It is a design by Primitive Blessings and I made it into a candle mat. I decided to use wool for the noses and gave it a touch of antique spray but kept it lighter than usual on some. I just noticed that the site is gone, pending renewal, sure hope Tiffany hasn't quit designing.

Another item I finished was a stitchery I made, a few years ago. I used a darker tea stained fabric, then stitched it with a wool lana. I was not pleased with how it came out, hard to see the design in one way, but once I made it into a pillow, I liked it better. What do you think, should I add this to the box, would you like it? I reproduced it from an old fraktur and hope to do more new patterns in the future.

If you would like to be entered into the giveaway, leave a comment on this POST!

I have been getting things done around the house and cooking. I want to find things I can eat and make ahead of time and this time I tried a banana/pineapple cake and added my cookies with butter as a crumble topping. It wasn't bad and it was really good with strawberry ice cream on top, lol. In the summer or when I am sick, I treat myself to Bryers strawberry, it is all natural and a little sugar once in a while, won't kill me. Now I need to think of ways to moisten the cake and make it more of a snack cake that I can take on trips or a treat when we kayak. I am thinking this would be a nice cake to make strawberry shortcake with.

Giveaway Week!

I want to thank everyone for all of your kind words and support. I am not the type who likes to complain but it is nice to be able to vent sometimes;) I have been on a lot of trips since Bill and I have been married and lots of disasters, but this was the worst. 

Our first trip was in New Hampshire for a camping trip. We visited Castle in the Clouds and the next day we paddled the lakes in a canoe. Bill got burnt badly and woke up with a fever and the chills, so we headed home. Got home and found out we were robbed and then the store spilled something on our film and we lost most of our photos, but I have wonderful memories of the fun we had and the misadventures. I have had bad rentals that I got to and said, no way, made them give me back my deposit and checked into a hotel. Vacations always have their good and bad, but it is the memories that are important , the ones we use to relax our minds, a mountain top, the sounds of the loons at night. Then there are the memories that make us laugh, because murphy's law is always part of life;)

And here is where we start the giveaway. Murphy's Law: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong". I am sure all of you have taken a trip, at one time or another and had something go wrong or think after, now I know better, won't do that again. 

My example: Be careful when you rent cabins in the woods, trees and swampy areas are prone to moss and mold growth, which makes a house extremely musty. On ours, you could see the dark stains on the walls and floors, so don't be afraid to ask for a close up shot of the rooms;)

My motto is, be prepared for anything. Someone cut themselves on a fish hook, I  had neosporin bandaids. I even bough Bill's extra glasses and on the day we left, he broke his. He cannot see without them, and he is the driver on long trips.

Now, give me a, "what to watch out for on a trip". It can be the accommodations, area or the travel, anything you want that we might not think of and can add to our list for future vacations. Or if you are one of the lucky ones who have perfect vacations, you can tell us a tip that makes vacations better or easier.

I will draw a name from all of the comments and one winner will get a box of goodies. I will post some photos, of some things, later in the week. Some things will be a surprise. Something handmade, patterns, fabric, etc. You can also let me know what types of crafts and sewing you like to do, favorite colors, etc in your comment. Then when I draw a name, I can customize the box for the winner. 

I will leave the contest open until Sunday, August 4th at 10pm EST. I will also announce the winner that night. I truly appreciate all of my visitors and friends that I have made in the blogging world.

One good thing I did on this trip, was to take photos, one of a church and a few gravestones. I am hoping to have some new patterns next month and get back into creating again.

And I will leave you with one simple message for tonight. This boy already has a sense of humor;)

He is two months, today!

Vacation?

Well, things didn't work out as planned and we came home wednesday. A combination of people who take out their frustrations on others, bad cooking arrangements and a moldy house, put me into a state of stress that caused me to get sick again. Add a cute but obnoxious niece who wanted to jump on me in the water and a sprained back put me over the edge;)

The first night seemed to be the start of a wonderful week. The location was wonderful, nice calm cove with views of the mountains.

The house was large and looked wonderful from the outside but the floors and walls were plywood. Add a damp environment and you get mold growth on the wood, which made it hard to breath well.

It was cloudy on the first day so Bill and I took a trip down to the end of the lake, which was a little over 4 miles.

The second day rained so we went for a drive by ourselves, so I could get a break and do some shopping at the outlets. On the way we took a back road and saw this dam that warned, when you hear the alarm, the water rises immediately. I would not want to be on the banks when that happens.

By day three, the sun was shining and it was perfect for paddling but I was mentally and physically exhausted and since it was my sister's vacation, I kept my mouth shut and said I was ill and went home. We took the scenic route and had a nice time enjoying the lakes and mountains and found this old dam at Bear Brook State Park area. It was a nice place to stop and stretch our legs.

The nice thing was, I had extra cash left that I had saved for the trip and I decided to treat myself with a stop at The Quilted Crow. They were off to another show so they were pulling things off the shelves, so the pattern stock was being depleted but I was able to find some nice patterns to make and some fabrics to use in my Christmas projects. I also got some gold eye needles to use. They go in smooth but I notice that gold ends tend to stick as you go through, maybe it is just me? Stay tuned for my 5'th year Blogaversary, coming soon! I am working on one gift and hope to have it done to show you.

Last Post?

I have been very busy this week, planning and packing, then the last few days cooking, for our trip, so no sewing at all. I also made up some stitcheries to keep my hands busy, some candle mats and I think that might be a nice item to add to the goodie box for my giveaway. I have also been sick again and on meds, so hopefully they have done their job and a few days of fresh air and paddling will get me back to my old self.

With the trip, I am not sure if I can get online to do blogs, but I should be able to do some photos and postings offline, then put them up from the local Dunkin donuts. Years ago we went to Squam lake, but we had to launch from the end that is full of houses and no places to land, so we got too hot to go all the way. This trip, my sister has rented a house on the lake, so we can just hop in the kayaks and take off, and it is on the nice end, lots of mountains and wilderness areas to explore.

This is a photo I took from our first trip, were we gave up and looked longingly at the mountains in the distance. I will try and do photos and post daily, so I hope you all have a wonderful week, in case you don't hear from me;)

Pattern Winner and Oldies but Goodies!

I have been blogging for five years on Blogger, but I had a blog, previously, on Yahoo. At the time I didn't think and lost of the postings and photos, but I did save a lot of things on my memory stick, so I do have a few of the old things that I had posted about.

I used to sell on a regular basis, on ebay and I may start selling things again. Today I was looking through the stick to find a photo for my sister and found a few things I had forgotten about and things that bring back wonderful memories.

This is an older rug that I made years ago, I think it was for a challenge swap, I have no idea. My short term memory encompasses the past few years too. I really like this pattern but see things I don't like and ways to improve it, so I would like to redo it and make it into a pattern, but I can't remember where I got the idea from.

Here is a box I painted with one of my designs. I used to make them and add a matching item to go with it, usually a punched piece or a needle keep.

And thinking of summer vacations, this was the first trip Bill and I took after we started kayaking. We were paddling around an island and came upon this house, that was built on a rock. Talk about a house on the water, lol.

I was also looking for simple penny rug ideas and found this Penny Wreath. I love the idea, but I think I would make it more prim, maybe one in fall colors and one for Christmas. Not sure if I would use styrofoam, I would rather use a flatter back for them. Maybe I can have Bill cut me out a thin wood circle for it. 

And now for the winner of a free epattern. The lucky winner is Glenda! Glenda, please email me with your choice of epattern from my ecrater site. Today I started going through my patterns and found a couple that I could share in my anniversary giveaway. I will take some photos and give a sneak peak of some of the goodies, next posting.

Shabby Apple Winner and Pattern Giveaway!

I really enjoyed doing this giveaway, it is always nice to give something special to my readers and Shabby Apple was very generous in giving away one of their beautiful dresses. This week they are having a summer sale, so be sure and visit. Dresses are 20% to 80% off!

I used the random number generator and #14 came up. The lucky Winner is MelancholySmile! I will email you with the list, so I can send your information to Shabby Apple. Also, be sure to visit Melancholy's Blog, you have to see the wonderful chicken coop that she and her husband built.

This week I was lucky again, I know, you are all sick of me entering contests, lol. Actually I just happen to visit sites at the right time, this one was for the first commenter and I won something twice this week, so I will refrain from doing another;)

Many of  you may be familiar with Terrye French, she is a wonderful artists who does designs for folk and whimsical painting patterns. She also does designs for publications like Create and Decorate and goes by the name, The Painted Pear Basket.  I won her newest book, A New Day and a Little Whimsy. So many wonderful designs that I can make for our home and gifts for my friends. I also won a pattern of my choice, Terrye has wonderful epatterns too and they work well in different mediums so you don't have to be a painter to use her designs. I will be painting and working with the designs in different mediums, in the coming weeks and will share my creations with you.

And now for the giveaway! Visit Terrye's Website, The Painted Pear and tell me, what is your favorite pattern? I will choose a winner on Monday night from all of the comments on this posting. Also, visit Terrye's blog, Painting with Friends. She has a lot of wonderful freebies that you can use.

Don't forget, this is my anniversary month and I will be doing a giveaway at the end of the month, so stay tuned for more on what will be in the giveaway.

Wool Flower Mat!

First a reminder, the giveaway for a Shabby Apple dress is still going on until friday, so if you have not commented, visit the blog post and leave a comment there. If the dress is not for you, maybe something you could give to your daughter or a friend?

I started a new piece, a wool mat for my table, or maybe a gift, haven't decided yet. It was raining all afternoon so I had to take a flash photo, bad idea with wool pieces, but you can see my progress so far. I am not following the pattern, I could not figure it out and i know my pieces are off, but it is a nice project to work on while I watch tv and relax. I do the basic stitching first, then I will add the stems and details later.

We had a lot of rain and then a lot of humidity, perfect for my flowers outside. I grew Cosmos to attract butterflies. This is the first time I have grown flowers from seeds and they have grown so tall and beautifully.

It was so hot this weekend, that I got sick from paddling, too much hot sun. We paddled to the beach and I jumped in the water. Most of the time I sat in the water or under the umbrella and waited for a breeze to kick in so I could paddle back without killing myself. This weekend will be nice and cooler, so hopefully I can get  some good paddling in.

Shabby Apple Giveaway!

Who wouldn't love a new dress! Shabby Apple, a shop that features "Vintage Clothing," is offering one of my readers a free dress. I spent the day browsing their online store and found so many beautiful dresses that I would love to have.

Shabby Apple's line of "Vintage Clothing" takes us back to the days of romance and fun, with their vintage and retro lines. Their collections feature dresses based on themes which makes it fun to shop. You can choose outfits for a vacation, a special trip, wedding, night out and a beautiful line of clothing for the mother to be.

I was able to choose from a list of dresses and I hope you love the dress, as much as I do. The dress is called, "At Last". Besides the fact that green is my favorite color, it is a color that can go through the different seasons by adding a sash or belt in a coordinating color. It is a versatile dress with classic styling, who wouldn't love it.

To enter the contest, leave a comment on this post only. Visit Shabby Apple and then come back and tell me, what dress you would pick if you could have any one, that you want. They also carry a fun line of skirts, tops, shoes and accessories, so have fun browsing through their shop as  you pick out your dream dress. Sorry, but this giveaway is open to U.S residents, only.

Now you get my pick, other than "At Last". I love Inca Trail, it is a beautiful dress with sleek lines and I can hike in it, lol. I really think this look is sexy and flattering to the figure, if I only had one;)

I will leave the contest open until Friday 11:00 pm EST, July 12th and announce the winner, on Saturday night. Have fun browsing or even treat yourself to a little shopping, we all deserve a special dress just for us and if you love "Vintage Clothing", you will love Shabby Apple Shop. 

Projects..Winner and Yard Sale!

I started a new project this week and so far I got the base done. It is a pattern by Primitive Blessings called Flower Garden. I can only do basic stitches and have no desire to learn something new right now, so I went with a simple blanket stitch. I used a black linen to attach them to and next I will cut out the flowers and start adding those. The colors in the photo are off, except for the blacks, everything else is darker than it appears, including the stitching, so it blends in nicely, but I lightened it up so you could see the patterns in the wool.

My sister rented a house on Squam lake in New Hampshire and invited us and I am very excited about going. I don't need to spend money since it is paid for but I would like some spending money just in case so I will be selling off a few things. I have a lot of books and things that I never use and here is a sampling of some things I have. If  you are interested and want to make an offer, I will be happy to accept offers. If  you are looking for any books or supplies, I might have them, so ask away.

I am not sure about selling this way, but thought I would try it and see how it goes. I will add sold to any item that is gone. I will leave the sale open until saturday, at which time I will be listing on ebay.
Sorry but US sales only.

This punch needle is one I made as a sample for my pattern. It is 5 1/2" x 6 1/4". The edging is jute that has been hand sewn. It is the perfect piece to go with your summer groupings. This piece has been aged with walnut ink, so it will fit in with primitive and antique decor.

120.00 or Best Offer!

I also have rug hooking books, so if there are any on your list, you can email me with your request and I will check my shelves. I do have a few dye books, as well. These books are in good condition, slight wear from shelving but I never really used them, just looked at them when I got them.

A set of books that is perfect for the beginning hooker.

50.00 or Best Offer!

Maryann Lincoln's Dye Book, out of print.

80.00 or Best Offer!

Another item that I never used. I tend to dye like I cook, a little of this and that;)

This is great for those who want to do their own dying by using primary colors to make a multitude of colors and shades, swatches included.

80.00 or best offer!

And..... What was it? It was a horseshoe crab, did you see his little eye in the photo? Here here is with all his little hitchhikers. The winner of the drawing is Barbara of Cat Patches! Congratulations Barbara! Email me with your choice of pattern and I will send it right to you. Since our vacation is at the end of the month and I might only have phone access, I will continue the weekly pattern giveaway each week and a final giveaway at the end of the month. Thank you all for your fun guesses and visiting my blog.

Sunday Paddle Giveaway!

We have been getting a lot of rain this month and this weekend was threats of storms. It was also very foggy on the bay, so we decided to stay close to home in the cove. Luckily it was high tide so we could paddle in the coves and get a nice long paddle in.

The nice thing was, the clouds kept the sun from beating on us, but it was still humid.

We took at break at the beach and enjoyed the views, at least what we could see of them. The bridge was shrouded in a fog bank.

We also enjoyed walking in the water and spied this.... What do you think it is?
I will choose a name on Wednesday night from ( any) right guesses and the winner can pick one of my epatterns or booklets.
This month is my 5th anniversary of blogging so look for weekly giveaways and a final giveaway of goodies,  at the end of the month.