Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all and wishing everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

It has been a very quiet and relaxing Christmas, so I guess I got exactly what I wanted for Christmas. We had a very nice family dinner on Christmas Eve and spent Christmas Day "chillin". We are still in PJs and watching our 4th movie of the day.

Hope everyone had a good day. Tomorrow will be another fun day with my daughters and then stitching time for me on Sat. and Sun. before heading back to work on Mon.

Happy Stitching

CQ Give Away

My CQing friend Nickilee is having a CQ Goodie Bag give away. Check out her blog for a chance to win this beautiful bag of CQ bling, glitz, and treasures.

Having been in a few CQ swaps with Nickilee, her work is very pretty and creative. I KNOW the contents of this give away will be just amazing. Her hand dyed lace is so beautiful you just want to pet it.  Check out her blog, not only for a chance at the give away but also look at her dyed laces and cq work. 

Nicki Lee's RaviolLee Dreams

Happy Stitching.

Preparing for Christmas

Well as some people know we are remodeling our house. We have been living in a townhouse since Mid. Aug. The exterior of our house is in pretty good shape, but the interior is another story. Here are pics of our house before and our house now.

Our House before remodeling started

Our house now during remodeling.

What does this have to do with getting ready for Christmas? For the past several years I have switched from making Cookies to making candy. I really do enjoy making candy for the holiday: English Toffee, peanut brittle, caramels, chocolate covered cherries, and more!!!

Well, instead of working in my big kitchen with stainless steel counters and all of my kitchen tools, I am working in a small kitchen, very limited counter space and minimal kitchen tools. I plan to do what I can in my limited space,  just hope everything turns out. If not my excuse will be my house is under construction!!!

Merry Christmas to all that celebrate this holiday. May all of your wishes come true this magical season.

Happy After Thanksgiving and Preparing for a Merry Christmas

WOW!!! Thanksgiving is over...it was a BLAST.  Spent the weekend with my family, we had a 45 person sit down Thanksgiving Dinner. On Sat. we had a 50th Wedding Anniversary party for my parents. It was a wonderful party, great seeing family and friends. Back home on Sun. completely exhausted, finally feeling rested today.

A first for me I put my Christmas tree up last night. I have never had my Christmas tree up by Dec. 2nd. It is very cute, decorated with lights, gold/pearl garland (need a couple more strands), and my 6 ornaments from Nickilee's CQ ornament swap.

This week, better get going it is Wed. already, stitching on OJM CQ RR block, updating the cqwiki with two NEW lessons and RR Photos, AND my own CQ Ornaments that I need to make for gifts.

Enjoy the rest of the week, I'm off to work...this day job business really disrupts my crafting/blogging time.

Happy Stitching

Over Extended

I have found myself "craft" overextended. I could not get my 12 Days of Christmas gifts finished and have dropped out of the swap.

Why is it that crafting time is so limited compared to day job time?

Round 2 of the CQ Round Robin has begun. All the blocks were mailed to the 2nd round stitcher on Nov. 15. I received mine yesterday, it is just beautiful. I hope to do some stitching on it this weekend but might have to wait until after Thanksgiving. Lots to do to get ready for holiday travel.

Happy Stitching

Jody

Crazy Quilting Round Robin

Round 1 of the HGTV Crazy Quilting Round Robin ended today. All blocks have been sent on to the next person. I have never participated in a Round Robin until this one. So far it has been great fun, great way to get your creativity going.

Each person created a blank crazy quilt block at least 18" wide/long but not more than 24" wide/long. Lots of "Creative" space to stitch/embellish. I'm wondering if it gets easier as the blocks have more on them or harder coming up with embellishments/stitches that go with the other people's work.

The HGTV CQ group is GREAT!!! This group encourages every one to participate, no matter what you skill level. Everyone that signs up knows there will be a range of skill level stitching on their block. I find this very inspiring, you can always learn from seeing someone elses work.

In the rules you are only allowed to post two sneak peeks of the block you are working on. So there will be lots of surprises when the finished block returns to its owner.

Here is one of my sneek peaks from the block I was working on. This block was pieced/belongs to Nickilee - CQer and Lace Dyeing Expert.



I'll be getting my second block sometime next week.

Back to finishing my 12 Days of Christmas swap gifts. I have the weekend to finish them, deadline is next Friday (have to be received) so I need to allow some shipping time.

Happy Stitching
Jody

New Magazine!!!!

Where Women Create
Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women

Last weekend I discovered this new magazine. It is a new magazine but not a new publisher, Stampington & Company's Sumerset Studio. I always look at the Stampington & Company's Sumerset Studio magazines but had never purchased one until I saw this issue.

It is WAY Cool!!!! Very inspiring premier issue. This magazine will be published quarterly, it is rather pricy and no discount per issue with a subscription. $14.99 per issue or $59.99 for the year (4 issues). I will be looking for the next issue, check it out and then decide if I want to subscribe or not.

As in other Stampington & Company's Sumerset Studio publications the photos, color, and layout is just beautiful and very inviting.

This issue has articles about several women and their creative spaces. Check it out, I found this magazine at Borders Books. There are links to their web sites and/or blogs. Hope to have some time this week to check out the web sites and blogs. Of course there many ads, but most have links to web sites.

Happy Stitching and Creative Time
Jody