Some Things I've Been Working On....

Anyone who knows me, knows I love pocketbooks and can't get enough of them. We all have our crutches don't we? **snickering** Well I thought I would give it a try on making some and add them to my store for sale. If you are interested in any, you will find them there.

I tried some different techniques like mounting crochet onto a metal frame or lining something that has been crocheted. I will admit that a few choice words came out of my mouth at times but mostly I had little trouble once I took a deep breath and slowed down. Do you find yourself working too fast sometimes and you really have to make yourself go slower? I do and when this happens it just makes me so angry at myself.

I'm still in love with HDF silks and if you haven't tried them yet yourself, you really are missing out on a very nice treat. I stitch with them just about all the time now which isn't fair to all the other fibers I have who are just sitting or hanging around doing nothing. I did get rid of all of my Silk N Colors and Waterlillies but that still leaves quite a lot. One thing I have promised myself in this new year is to use my Anchor floss alot more often. It is a wonderful cotton and I believe the colors are so much richer than DMC. Let me know your thoughts on that please.

I've gotten back into doing some more boxes and the black heart one turned out so sweet. I was tempted to make it a music box but I held out on that one. Maybe closer to Valentines Day or Easter.

I still enjoy making my "smalls" and always will. These are my first love....with samplers a close second. I have a few samplers that I want to stitch in 2011 and with any luck, I'll get them finished. I have my eye on two monochromes and one stitch sampler by the Drawn Thread that I've put off for just too many years. After I pull the fibers and fabric, I'll let you in on that one.

Well that's about all for this New Year's Eve. I think this finishes up all the projects that I had started in 2010 except the French sampler I'm working on right now but we all have to have at least one project that follows us into the New Year.....right? The way I look at it, I'm lucky to have only one.

As always, Barbara

Wishing everybody a.....

Happy New Year!!!

"New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights." ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

I hope everyone's New Year starts off with everything good and that you continue to have good fortune all year long.

As always, Barbara

New Ornament in Mail Today

I had a wonderful surprise in the mail today. I received a beautiful new ornament from my sweet friend, Trina. Doesn't she do beautiful work??? I absolutely love it and it's in a place of honor on my tree....right smack dab in the center front. Thank you so much Trina....you are a sweetie for making this for me.

I think that receiving a hand made ornament in the mail is one of my top ten loves....

As always, Barbara

A Beautiful Gift

A while back a friend asked me to make a shawl for a lady she worked with who was going thru some hard times. Well today she sent me a "thank you" gift that brought tears to my eyes. This beautiful plaque that has the most wonderful prayer on it. Let me read it to you:

A Prayer for You

I said a prayer for you today and know God must have heard. I felt the answer in my heart, although He spoke no word. I didn't ask for wealth or fame - I knew you wouldn't mind. A asked Him to send treasures of a far more lasting kind. I asked that He'd be near you at the start of each new day, to grant you health and blessings and friends to share your way. I asked for happiness for you in all things great and small. But it was for His loving care I prayed for most of all.

Isn't that beautiful? I love it and it now has a special place in my kitchen where I will see it at the beginning of every new day. I feel that I am truly blessed.

She also included this sweet ornament which says "Hope" on one side and a beautiful Bible verse on the other. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

I also included a picture of the stump work ornament that Jenn made me last year. It's one of my most prized ornaments.

May all you days be filled with love,

As always, Barbara

Christmas Cookies

My daughter shared with me a new recipe she came across and I thought I would share it with you. I will be making these tomorrow so I'll let you know how they turn out. Here it is:

Peanut Ritz Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients: Peanut butter, Ritz crackers, Almond Bark in dark and white chocolate, almond slivers and sprinkles.

Melt almond bark following directions on package. Place one teaspoon of peanut butter between two Ritz crackers and then coat with either dark or white almond bark. On the dark ones, place an almond sliver and on the white ones, place sprinkles.

That's it!!!!! I've been told they are extremely yummy and there are all kinds of variations you can come up with. I will post a pic of mine tomorrow after I make them.

Also, has any of you ever taken a look at the Christmas Gooseberry books? I have several of them and I don't think I could make my Christmas cookies without them. They have all kinds of great ideas for baking and decorating. If you haven't looked at them, you might want to check them out.

As always, Barbara

Merry Christmas

I want to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year.

I hope to hear from you in the new year....2011.... and I am currently working on a new project which I am enjoying immensely and will share with you in a few weeks.

As always, Barbara

And the winner is............

After using the number generator, Carol R. is the winner of my Christmas giveaway. I will be emailing Carol to let her know and to find out where to mail her gift. Thank you to all you ladies who entered and wishing all of you a Merry Christmas.

As always, Barbara

Sometimes wishes come truee

Well here it is monday afternoon and I'm about to freeze my tushy off. LOL I just know that you ladies who live in the cold states will think I'm a wimp.....you'd be right.....I am a wimp. It's only in the low 50's here today and it's suppose to get down in the 30's tonight. I'm just not a cold weather person anymore but then I'm not a hot weather person either. I'd be happy living somewhere where it's 70's all year round. I am sitting here knitting with a long pair of pj's on and a blanket over my lap. It's nice that I'm knitting a shawl....could come in handy.

Now for the unfulfilled wish so I thought I'd bring you up to date on hubby and his success with the cochlear implant. Well it looks like its not going to work for him as well as we hoped. He will be able to hear noise but probably not voices or what they are saying. He will hear something but not enough that he won't need to lip read. The doctor told us not to give up hope, that miracles do happen so I'm wishing and praying on every star I see. We knew going into this that it would be a chance that it wouldn't work but we did have our hopes up and it is disappointing. I'm a firm believer in that God doesn't give you more to deal with than what you can handle so we shall handle this as best we can.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't already. Last nite I finished getting everything together for the "secret" part and I know you'll love it. Aren't I a stinker? LOL

As always, Barbara