JUNE POSTING AND SAL FINISH!

Hello there! It's time for another update.

I had a minor accident...  Have a large bead box that sits on a shelf. I was looking for some other items and this fell off the shelf. Don't know what happened or why it fell. But, made a terrible mess. Fourtunately the lid on the plastic bin stayed sealed. So I didn't get a mill hill bead shower. However, some of the individual containers had broken. Scattering beads through out the box. End result is a 1- 1/2 pound tupperware container full of mill hill sead beads. Will take a while to use these.
Another bit of news. Due to extremely high fee's and new ebay regulations, I have closed my ebay store on May 31st. Ebay was making more on my threads, and beads, than I was. At first I was upset. Spent 3 years building my store, paying cash for everything. This saved me in the end. While I have quite a bit of inventory, and may have auctions in the fall, I do not owe money or credit intrest on inventory. I do miss my stitchers. However, I am finding that the time freed up has been a relief. Trying to run 2 business's at once, was stretching me quite thin and not leaving me time for the things I really love. And that is cross stitch! So here is my progress so far this June.

This is one of about 14 or so "Faberge Eggs" from the Solaria Gallery. I downloaded this from the http://www.patternsonline.com/
website. I joined the website several years ago and they used to give a free pattern of the month. Several of them were the eggs. Have always wanted to stitch one or 14 and finally had the chance! I changed some of the colors, added DMC light efects threads and Mil Hill petite beads from my earlier accident.

LET THEM EAT CAKE!
This is the Margaret Sherry SAL for the month of June. I pulled a muscle in my back. This was the first week of June. Soooo, for about 10 days I was restricted to my stitching chair and the heating pad. The heating pad and I became very close and was named monkey.... Anyway, I was able to start and finish the stitching in 3 days.  I am also a button collector. Any cute craft buttons, holiday buttons pretty buttons off old discarded clothing. I have a whole plastic box full. Fun to look through when sewing a project together. This, for me, is the year of the cupcake! So many cute scrapbook stamps, stitckers, machine embroidery designs and cross stitch patterns. This gave me a good excuse to use those cute cupcake buttons. I fed the checkered ribbon through the loop on the back of the cupcake. The shaped the ribbon into a bow and stitched it in place. A lttle fray check on the edges of the ribbon and all set for my new hanger!

And speaking of hangers! Last year Joyce Clark posted pictures of a wonderful wrought iron piece with many of her stitched ornaments hanging on it. Absoultely beautiful and a great way to display small ornaments/stitchery. I found one at Hobby Lobby and used a 40% off coupon. It is smaller and was black in color. This week, with my newfound freedom from ebay, I spray painted it white. Use 2 flowery cabinet door knobs to hang it on the wall. My husband told me it isn't near big enough and thought I should find something larger. Well, he should know better than giving me ideas.  Because I was looking at a wrought iron screen used to partition off rooms. I'm thinking it would look nice all stretched out and on the back wall in the living room. That will teach him!

This is a HAED design I am stitching on 36 count linen. Started back in april. Starting at the bottom and working my way up. Not exactly a SAL. I haven't learned the HAED website yet. Will be asking for help insetting up my WIP files and stitch meters. I did move up in the world and start a photo bucket account for the site.
This is an old magazine pattern. Has been in the "to do" file for a very long time. Am using 14 count plastic canvas in place of Aida Plus, a few DMC Light Effects for sparkle and have the jingle bells in hand for the finishing. The DMC Effects can be difficult to work with, as the threads are bad about twisting into a knot when trying to complete a cross sttich. The pattern is, The Holiday Bear Stocking ornament, from the American version of the December, 1995 issue of The Cross Stitcher Magazine.  He is featured on the cover, along with a pretty pointsettia stocking.

I have also had a good month for UFO's.(have to quit looking in boxes....) I have beaded three and looking to sew them into finishes. 2 are Shepherds Bush designs that are to be made into wooden box top covers. And , another small design that will probably be made into a sachet containing something that smells good. Will post when they are finished. This week our diesel repair service is keeping us hopping. So stitching time has been cut short. Gotta pay the bills!
Until next time, happy stitching to all!