Flatfold for Vonna :)

My Birthday gift for Vonna arrived a little early and she received it today :)
I made a flatfold for her with a Summer theme :) I REALLY love the way it turned out :) I am so glad you like it Vonna-you deserve it and more-you have been such a good friend to me :)




I received an order from Amy today! I just love this one :)
My Precious Treasures by Blue Ribbon Designs.


Thank you all so much for the warm welcome backs and just the kindness you show through your comments :) I appreciate them so very much :)

Have a great weekend :)
hugs,
BeckySC

And my friends say...POST ON :) :)

I love you guys!! Thanks -feeling MUCH more like myself :):)

I can share a very bad picture of a NR I stitched for KarenV. There is a BOOBOO in fabric calculations of the NR, but she says she still likes it and will treasure it :) :) I will send it to you soon, Karen :)


The winner of the snowman pillow is SandiLA. I will send it off to you soon :)
And the winner of the Snowman ROll is Staci :) Staci, can you email me your mailing info :)

Thanks again for being such supportive friends :) and thank you all so much for visiting with me and your comments :) You're the best!

OOPS, forgot to say thank you to everyone that has uploaded SMALLS to the Smalls blog :) WOW, just beautiful creations you have all shared!! THANK YOU!!


hugs,
BeckySC

A little finishing :)

Today has been a nice relaxing day :) It rained the early half of the day so after hubby returned from his physical, we decided just to stay in and enjoy the day. I headed right to my stitching room (he headed for his recliner and a good book ):) I picked out two projects to do the finishing on :)
The first is There is a Garden that I recently stitched. I decided on a needlebook finish for it. I think it turned out lovely :)



The second is a piece I stitched several years back. I made it into a roll :) It's a cutie and it's up for grabs if anyone would like it :) Just leave me a comment and I will put your name in for the draw :) I still haven't drew a name for the Snowman pillow, but will do so when this draw ends :) I will draw a name on Monday for the Winter Roll :)



I received my other order from Amy @ Down Sunshine Lane today....aren't these just GREAT??? I am really looking forward to stitching these. They are all by: Cmon monde

The I Think I can Exchange group is now full. We will open it up again for membership after some of our exchangers "graduate" to more experienced exchange groups :) I will post a note here on my blog when it opens again :)

NOTE: Tammy C never contacted me about winning the stitching box w/accessories...I will run the contest again on my blog at a later date...stay tuned :)

Thank you all for visiting with me :) I appreciate all your kind comments :)

hugs,
BeckySC

Stitching but I can't share as it has all been

exchanges and/or gift related :) I have loved each piece I have been working on :) I think my philosophy should be...make two of each exchange and that way I get to keep one :) :) :)!! Hubby is still on vacation this week and we are enjoying each other's company :) He took me to lunch today and by my LNS where I picked up Indigo Rose Bead Blanket Sampler :) along with a couple of items I needed to complete exchanges.
I also got an order from Amy @ Down Sunshine Lane (and placed another one today) last week :)
Here is a pic of everything I got from Amy along with the IR Sampler I got today :)
Indigo Rose-Bead Blanket Sampler
LHN -Faith
Designing Ladies Finishing Instructions 2006 (needed for needlebook I bought during the online needlework show)
Judy Odell-The Ultimate Needle Book
Judy Odell-The Ultimate Needle Book Finishing Instructions
Sheepish Designs-B is for Bee
I am looking forward to working on ALL (lol) these in the very near future :)


I owe a HUGE heartfelt thank you to several ladies (DEAR friends-you know who you are) that have helped me out with a situation over the past week :) I can't thank you enough for your kind, generous offers and help! They are much appreciated and will not be forgotten :)

[EDITED TO SAY CLOSED TO MEMBERSHIP NOW-WILL OPEN AGAIN WHEN WE HAVE SOME GRADUATES :) :) :)]
There are only a few more spots left for the I Think I Can Exchange Group. We are almost at the number of members allowed in order to be able to help/teach everyone involved :) Another HUGE thank you to KarenV who will be helping me out with this group :) I appreciate it so much, Karen and look forward to working with you and the wonderful group we have for this BB. Those of you that have been accepted (please remember this is for stitcher's that need help in finishing their exchanges, so that they can move on to bigger more experienced exchange groups-once they move on the group will open for a new group that would like to learn how to finish so they can participate in exchanges-if you joined this group by mistake, please contact me )I will be opening the Board on Monday, June 25 (this allows me to enjoy the rest of our vacation and be fresh and ready to HELP :) :) :). If it opens any sooner than that I will let you know. Thanks again for your interest :)

Thank you all so much for your visits, comments, and emails :) I appreciate you taking time to stop by :)

Hugs,
BeckySC

Want to participate in exchanges...but are new to finishing??

OR exchanges?? I am starting an exchange group for those that would like to exchange but need help in doing so. Those that may need help with how to finish exchanges or those that would like to start off with simple exchanges and work their way up to more complex finishing skills. I have had people want to join my exchange boards but have concerns about finishing and are intimidated by the finishing skills of others. This group will be open to any new (or a few of my experienced exchangers that may wish to help out with the group-would be wonderful) inexperienced exchangers/finisher's. You DO NOT have to have a blog to take part. If you are interested and will be an active member, please send me an email-you can find my email addy in my side bar-scroll down until you find the tiny bee mail :) The group will be private and limited membership. I may not get back to you right away as we are on vacation ;-) but you will hear from me soon.

Thanks to those of you that have written/called to check on me-I am just fine-feeling better-and busy! Hubby is on vacation and I am just trying to enjoy our time together and not spend so much time online. I have been stitching but it is exchanges and/or gifts and I can't share anything yet. I had an email from a few of you that said you miss seeing my finishes (I miss them too...lol!!)....I will be able to share quite a few with you at a later date and *HOPEFULLY* some other stitching soon as well. I have high hopes for a few projects I want to stitch/finish :)

OOH, I do have something to share...I forgot that I had worked on Victoria's Quaker on Sunday. I have missed two Sunday's in a row as I have been stitching on gifts/exchanges. Not much to see, and I didn't take it off the scroll frame to take the pic. I can tell those of you stitching this with the VC silks that I am running out of the Diane's Rouge color and will have to order more. The 1 skein that Vikki sent in the premium package is not enough of that color.


Thanks so much for checking in on me-you are so sweet and I appreciate you all so very much :)

Oh, BTW...remember that rain we have needed???? We have gotten it every day for 5 days! We have had some terrible storms with torrential downpours. One day we got 3 inches in less than 2 hours! I want some SUNSHINE :) :) :)


Have a lovely weekend :)
BeckySC

Goodies in today's mail...

I received 2 wonderful packages today. Thank you ladies both your AOK's couldn't have come on a better day. As many of you know I am going through some female health issues and let me say that the past two days have been rough ones :( Your packages brightened my day :)
Ladies, my email is down from some pretty severe storms we have had today. When it comes back up, I will get a personal email of thanks out to both of you :)

Linda in Iceland sent me Dance of the Bumblebee and OH how I love it! I stitched this a couple of years ago and finished it as a box topper and gave it to VeroM. I have since wanted to restitch it for myself but have not gotten to it yet. Linda stitched it over one and finished it just beautifully. WOW!!! I was so thrilled to open this package and see what was inside :) Thank you so much, Linda. It has found a loving home :) :) :)


And from Julie-what a wonderful package of goodies. It had a beehive/bee magnet picture frame -it has already found a home on my fridge. Also included was 2 lovely fabrics-one with bees and the other patriotic. I love them both! She also sent some ribbony type items as well as the CUTEST little BEE :) Thank you so much, Julie :)


I can't share any of my stitching at the moment as the past week has been exchange stitching :) I am almost finished with the last one (hopefully tonight)and I look forward to getting back to my own stitching.

Thank you all so much for the comments on my latest finishings-I appreciate so much your time and your kind words :)
I haven't really felt like being online much the past couple of days, but I will be back in full form soon I am sure :)
Thanks for stopping by :)
hugs,
BeckySC

I dug way into my "Needs to be Finished Drawer" for these...

I am preparing my stitching room for expansion. Hubby has my storage building built but still needs to find time to put the floor into it. He starts a 2 week vacation next Tuesday and we are hoping to get a floor put in then. I will then move all my holiday (Christmas) decorations (and most of you know how I go all out at Christmas and all the decorations I have) to the storage building opening one of our spare rooms up to me to continue on with my stitching displays :) In preparation of that move, I have been doing some spring cleaning in my current room and weeding out charts I no longer want/need (watch for a post about that or an announcement in my sidebar if you are interested) and trying to organize all the "stash" I have for finishing items. I have also been trying to put the finishing touches on small items from my needs to be finished drawer, so that I can change out to a smaller cabinet for those items in the new room :) Today was another day for finishing.
Today's finishes brought 2 items from the bottom of my drawer. WOW, I can't believe how long ago I stitched these.
The first is a snowman that I stitched 7 years ago, before I started stitching on linen. HE is stitched on 14ct. Navy aida. He is really adorable though and I used a cool snowflake print for the backing of the pillow. If any of my readers are snowman lovers and would like to own him (even though he is stitched on aida), please leave a comment and I will have a draw for him in the next few days :)


The next finish is Bent Creek Liberty zipper. WOW, I stitched this one in 2002, and as it is stitched on the 18ct. linen that comes with he Zipper kit I really didn't know what I wanted to do with it. I think this flatfold finish worked just perfect for it. I used the same patriotic fabric for finishing as I did for the pinkeep I made for Vonna last week. The color combinations work really well for this piece.



The cool thinkg about flatfolds is that they indeed do fold flat for easy storage...not that I ever put anything away-I love all my smalls to much to put them away :) LOL!

I hope to pull out a few more small items for finishing. I am close to having only large projects left in the needs to be finished drawer-they are very large though and will need to be framed.

Thank you all so much for your continued comments/emails about my stitching room as well as the comments from yesterday's finishing post. I appreciate your time and your sweet words :) For those who inquired, I bought the stairs at a woodworking party MANY years ago :) Someone asked about all the smalls and how long it took me to acquire so many-I have only had a love of smalls since 2005, when I started doing finishing on smalls so that I could expand my "exchange/gift giving world" I never finished anything other than framing before 2004-2005, and since that time my ability for finishing has grown so much and I enjoy finishing as much as I do stitching. Most of the stitching in my stitching room was done by me...HOWEVER, there are many gifts and exchanges from my friends among my own stitching-I cherish each piece so very much...honestly, you wouldn't believe how much each one that someone took the time to stitch for me means to me :). I hope I have answered all the questions :) If not, my apologies :)

Thanks so much for stopping by :)

Have a great day :)
hugs,
BeckySC

A Day of Finishing :)

First of all let me say my many THANK YOU's to all you lovely readers for your comments on my stitching room :) I am overwhelmed by your sweet words :) I can't thank you enough :) I still have email to answer regarding the room and will try to do so tonight :) Thanks so much again :)

Today was a finishing day for me :) YEP, more lovelies to add to my room :)
First up is a Pinkeep. A friend that I have lost touch with stitched this for me in 2001 and sent it to me. It has been in my drawer of needs to be finished off projects since. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it-but alas, my addiction to pinkeeps won out and I made a pinkeep :) I LOVE it!! I used a lovely lavender/purple print to match the purples in the tea cup and purple glass headed pins. It turned out just lovely and is now on display among my other pinkeeps :)

I love the finishing fabric. I think it goes so well with the piece.

And the purple pins :)

Next up is another pinkeep (yes, I am addicted!!!) This was a RR I did several years back. I chose MB's 4 seasons from a magazine and this is Autumn (I finished the season I stitched for my RR as a needlebook a couple months back) stitched by JudithA. TOO cute :)


And last but not least is my Beehive pocket that I stitched last year..or was it the year before?? I finished it as a stitcher's pocket. I used a lovely beehive print and it turned out just great! I need to go back and press the left hand side a bit as it wants to give me troubles. I *MAY* end up taking the seams out and using a lighter weight interfacing as I think this one is too heavy. I LOVE it though and look forward to using it :) (the lovely bee fob was part of a gift for my birthday last year from KarenV)
Front


Back

Inside

Thanks so much again everyone for visiting with me :) You are all so kind :)

hugs,
BeckySC

Answering a request (picture heavy) [EDITED FOR INFO]

I had a reader some time ago ask for me to share how I display some of my smalls/exchanges and so forth. She thought I had so many...I DO!!!
I apologize for taking so long to do so-I finally remembered to take pics today so I could share :)
Please remember this is MY room-nobody else has anything in this room so I can take up as much space as I need. I am outgrowing this space though and will soon start displaying in one of our spare bedrooms :)

[EDITED] I am a hands on type cross stitch lover. I believe in making things I can use and displaying them/using them-people that visit me are allowed to handle them.
AS for dust-YES, I have it. It's not as bad as you think to clean the room as a lot of the displays are in baskets and that helps with dusting the furniture. The biggest part I have to move around is when I need to use my work table-which you see in the first pic. I have to move some of the items to make room to work when I am doing finishing. Once I open the other room up for displaying-that will help and I can keep the the work table ready to use. When my smalls need cleaning, I put them in a small mesh bag and put them in the dryer for a few minutes on no heat. Works perfectly :) AND, yes, it's hard to leave the room...I spend a LOT of time in there :) It makes me happy!![EDITED]









































Thank you all so much for visiting :) I enjoy your visits so very much :)
hugs,
BeckySC