magpienight

A special occasion

2012-01-31T00:07:00.000-05:00

It's the anniversary of me not posting in this blog for a whole year! Wow. Time flies when you're procrastinating. Well, I reopened my Etsy shop, so you can go check that out. My Facebook page is still there, it's been a little quiet, but that's because I haven't been there running my big mouth as I usually do. I've been quiet on Twitter, but that's because I forgot to update Tweetdeck.
I hope you all still love me. I'm here, I'm just busy. The kids are good and I'm doing well after my surgery in Nov 2010. When my doctor said a year recovery, he wasn't kidding. I am in good shape now, though.

I promise it won't be another year before I update. I swear! If you get bored, you can go check out my youngest daughter's Facebook page where we post all of the weird stuff she says. It's good for a laugh or three.

I won, I won!

2011-01-12T13:36:00.001-05:00

First of all, I WON, I WON! I won ten free patterns from Gulf Coast Cottage PDF !!!

I know I haven't been here a lot, things have been a little crazy! I had another spinal surgery in November so I have been dealing with that, plus my crazy kids. I've had my Etsy shop closed up for awhile, but i should be back up and running soon.

In the meantime, I entered a giveaway for the awesome Gulf Coast Cottage PDF Etsy shop, where you can find totally fabulous felt patterns to make toys for your kids (or even yourself!). It was a giveaway for TEN awesome pattern, free!
I was thrilled to get a message from Jen today telling me that I was the winner! I'm so excited! I've been cross stitching more for family and friends lately rather than to sell, and I picked back up on knitting some toys. This will be a perfect way to spend some of my recovery time! The patterns are Gulf Coast are great. I got the toaster pattern last year and it was great.
You can make toys for your kids that they will love and you don't have to worry about lead and other yucky things because you know what they're made of.
These are my ten picks:

The Bountiful Harvest felt food pattern

Four Fancy Mini Cupcakes

Retro Plushie Robot

Easter Basket pattern

Italian Feast

Peanut butter and jelly lunch

Candy Coated House and Gingerbread Family

Taco Time Mexican Combo Meal

Pie pattern

Pizzeria Fun

I can't wait to get started on these neat patterns. My kids will be thrilled! So will I. I can't lie. I enjoy the toys...I might even make an Easter Basket for myself, too!

Thanks to Jen at Gulf Coast Cottage PDF for this great giveaway! It totally made my day. :)

Ryan

2010-07-14T14:01:00.007-04:00

This past Sunday, Ryan August was on his way home from Atlanta with his son Declan. During the trip, a storm caused his car to slide off of the interstate and strike a tree. Declan was in the back fastened in his car seat and survived with minor cuts and bruises. Ryan died on impact. He was 34 years old.

His wife Sarah, one of my oldest and dearest friends, is now facing the unfathomable task of dealing with this tragic loss. One can only wonder how you cope with something like this. I don't have any idea.

Ryan was a kind and gentle soul who loved his family intensely. He was a quiet man who cherished his wife with a passion and thought his son hung the moon. He was a talented artist who was admired by a huge social circle both online and in life.

A PayPal account has been set up to accept donations for his wife and son. If you would like to send a donation and message of support, please send it through PayPal to ryanaugustdonation[at]gmail.com.
If you would like to help but do not have PayPal, please contact me at magpienight[at]gmail.com.
Ryan designed the cover art for the 7 inch that my husband Sean's internet parody band put out last year. Ryan screen printed each cover by hand with help from my husband and Declan. The records features guitar by Stephen Egerton of Descendents and ALL. The proceeds from the sale of the remaining records will be donated to the fund set up to help his wife and son. Find out more at Masters of Punk Rock. If you make a purchase, please note that it is for the Ryan August Donation Fund.
The sales proceeds from this art print will also go to the donation fund.

I wish I could write a more fitting and eloquent tribute to him but I am at a loss for words other than what has already been said. You can follow this facebook page to share memories of Ryan and find out ways to help his family.
You can see Ryan's work here at I Want Your Skull and on his website, ryanaugust.com. A thread on one of the message boards he frequented has grown to more than 20 pages of posts about him. A friend has written a beautiful blog post about him. Another blog post features artwork in his memory. A post here shows an example of Ryan's generosity in his support of artists. I'm sure there will be more to come. Right now we are just trying to help Sarah and Declan with the struggles they face, and holding them in our hearts as we remember a man who was taken from us too soon.

Who I am celebrating this Memorial Day

2010-05-31T14:57:00.000-04:00

My great aunt, Juanita Redmond.

She was an Army Nurse who served on Bataan in WWII. She wrote a book about her service, I Served on Bataan, which was made into a movie, So Proudly We Hail. She was captured during the war and escaped during the last few days before Corregidor surrendered. I am lucky enough to have a copy of her book, which has been out of print for years.
She is pictured here on the left, giving new bars to a fellow lieutenant.

So Proudly We Hail

An award is given in her honor. The Juanita Redmond Award is given to an Air Force nurse who provided significant contributions to the health care of an Air Force individual or family, demonstrated excellence in critical nursing or accomplished a special achievement resulting in the improvement of nursing care.

She died at the age of 66 in 1979 and is buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, in Section 21, Grave 769.

Her obituary:

(Lt. Col.) Juanita HIPPS
The Times and Democrat, Orangeburg, SC
Wednesday, February 28, 1979
“Juanita Hipps, Heroine of Bataan, Dies”
St. Petersburg, Fla. – Lt. Col. Juanita Redmond Hipps, a former Army nurse who served on Bataan and Corregidor in the early months of World War II, is dead at 66. She died Sunday at her residence. Col. Hipps, then Lt. Juanita Redmond, was author of the book, “I Served on Bataan.” It became a bestseller in 1943 and served as the background for the war movie “So Proudly We Hail,” the story of Army nurses. Col. Hipps was a native of Swansea, S.C., and received her nurse training at South Carolina State Hospital. She entered the Army Nurse Corps in 1936, was transferred three years later to Manila and served in hospitals on Bataan and Corregidor and later was evacuated to Australia. She was one of eight nurses to escape just before the surrender of the Philippine Islands. Upon her return to the United States she was featured on an Ed Sullivan Show as one of the outstanding heroines of the war. She also was a cover girl for a national magazine and was among the first nurses to earn her golden flight wings. She assisted in establishing the U. S. Air Corps flight nurse program and retired from the Army in 1946. Among her many citations are the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, three Presidential Unit Citations and U. S. and Philippine campaign ribbons. Funeral will be in Arlington, Va., Thursday, March 1, at 2 p.m. in the Fort Myer Chapel with full military honors. She is survived by her husband, Gen. William G. Hipps of St. Petersburg, Fla.; son, William G. Hipps; grandson, William G. Hipps, III; granddaughter, Abigail Hipps of Dayton, Ohio; sisters and brothers, Mrs. Henry P. Moore, Jr. of Orangeburg, Robert P. Redmond of Barnwell, Helen R. Campbell of Columbia, Rose Lynn Ulmer of Walterboro and Peter L. Redmond of Westchester, N.Y.; and a number of nieces and nephews. Family and friends are being received at the home of Henry P. Moore, Jr., 2068 Hydrick in Orangeburg.

Thanks, Aunt Juanita. You kicked some major ass.

April 2010 Free Pattern

2010-04-30T22:04:00.001-04:00

Don't be surprised that it is the last day of the month and I am just now putting my free pattern up. You know me too well to even fake it.

This month's pattern was inspired by a commercial that I am pretty sure you've all seen by now. You're probably having naughty dreams about the actor, too. What? I know it's not just me. Admit it. You are. And if you're not, you should be. T-t-tasty!

Here it is!

I'm on a horse! Click here to download.

Tasty man on a horse! You wanna see him in action?

My kid on a horse! She's crying.

A monkey on a horse! Creepy.

I'll just leave you with that. Sweet dreams!

April 2010 Featured Etsyblogger

2010-04-30T21:34:00.000-04:00

This month's Featured Etsyblogger is Pam of Magdalene Jewels! She has two Etsy shops full of goodies. Sweet knits and sparkly jewelry!

Her knitted and crochet items can be found here at Magdalene Knits.

Look at this super cute baby boy sweater set! How adorable is that?! I love the color.

Pam's other shop is full of awesome jewelry and can be found here at Magdalene Jewels!

I love this carnelian gemstone bracelet she has. So pretty!

Thanks for being a member of Etsybloggers, Pam!

Rooooomba, woof!

2010-04-26T22:07:00.000-04:00

I have been really horrible at blogging, yeah? I have a carnival due this week and also the April featured Blogger post to write, not to mention all of my blatant self-promotion...what's a girl to do?

Post a picture, I guess.

New vacuum cleaner:

His name is Trooper.

Yes, these pictures were taken in the late afternoon and my kids are still in their pajamas. Adelaide's don't even match. At least the dog is clean. He is being offered a bib.

I'll come back and post something more interesting later. In the meantime, go buy something.

Featured Etsyblogger March 2010

2010-03-31T23:30:00.024-04:00

This month's featured Etsyblogger is Vicki of DizzyDragonflies!

She has two Etsy shops for her knitted items and dyed yarns! You can find them here and here!

Look at this delicious Tropical Waters dyed yarn:

And what about this Spicy Mama dyed yarn? It must have been named after me. ;)

Vicki has quite an online presence and you can find her many places:

Vicki's Plurk

Flickr

Vicki on Ravelry

Wow! No wonder she's dizzy...she's all over the place! Check out all of Vivki's links and get to know her. You'll be glad you did. :)

Stitching With The Stars

2010-03-27T23:13:00.000-04:00

If you're smart, by now you know that my fierce lady Niecy Nash is on this season of Dancing With The Stars. In honor of her appearance and OBVIOUS WINNING SKILLZ, I have created this magnificent cross stitch pattern with a lovely picture of Ms. Niecy with her famous flower. When she wins, you can hang this piece on the wall at the victory party you'll be having.

This pattern can be downloaded for free, but I ask you two things:

-Vote for Niecy on DWTS.
-Put down your needle while she's dancing. All eyes on Niecy.

Thank you, my friends.

Click here to download

Gardening for Lazy Dummies (like me!)

2010-03-26T19:45:00.002-04:00

I don't know a damn thing about gardening. I wish I did, but I don't! Almost every houseplant I've ever had has died. The only things I've ever been able to keep alive have been my bamboo plants, and even they are starting to look kinda sickly. Or maybe they're just lonely.

I see all of these gardening thingies (I call them thingies because I have no idea what they actually ARE) and I want them. Sometimes I think if I had these nifty little gadgets, I could grow stuff. If you have known me for more than five minutes, you know that I am not an outdoor person. Although the idea of gardening sounds fun, I am way too lazy for it. Also now that I have an awful back, I'd never be able to bend over and do all of that work on the ground. What a...bummer? I hate hot weather, too. I don't like to sweat. People that have to be close enough to smell me don't like it when I sweat, either.

So instead of giving gardening tips like I am some sort of expert, I decided to show you all of the thingies that seem like they could turn me into a quasi-gardener.
This, my friends, is how I prepare to garden.

First, I would buy an AeroGarden. This thing looks FUN. Like all I would have to do it open up the box and pour some water on it and voila! I'M A GARDENER.

I also like the fact that it looks kinda like a UFO, and the top part appears to be hovering. I think maybe I just want this to be in my house because it's neat looking. They have them in different colors. Some of them grow tomatoes!

Speaking of tomatoes, I saw this Topsy Turvy tomato thing on tv and I wondered if it would really work. I tried to grow tomatoes once, and I ended up with a pile of tangled weeds. My grandfather had a tomato garden when I was a kid and those fresh tomatoes were so yummy. I wanted to have fresh tomatoes all the time! Now, with this jacked up windsock, it might be possible!

Then I found out about these things. They look like alien pods. I am fascinated. I think they are sort of like automatic plant growers. Could I screw this up? Possibly. Will they look cute on my countertop? Absolutely!

They make this thing, too! It's professional.

These things seem like they could really help me become a real gardener. Like stuff someone who knows what they're doing would buy. It's almost like buying them would make me credible as a botanist!

And that's how I prepare for gardening in the spring. I'll buy stuff like this that'll make it easy! Or maybe I'll just buy a bunch of seeds and throw them in the yard. Sort of like grab bag gardening. We'll just wait and see what pops up. I left our jack-o-lantern from Halloween 2008 by the mailbox so long, it sprouted and now we have a lovely vine on the mailbox. Turns out my laziness is good for something, sometimes!

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Etsybloggers Blog Carnival

Live from St. Olaf, it's Saturday Night!

2010-03-12T14:31:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day weekend this year is going to be a huge hit in this house - Betty White will be hosting SNL on May 8th! What? I'm so excited I don't even know what to do! I haven't been this happy since I had an 8.5 pound baby removed from my uterus over two years ago. Ok, I'll admit I was pretty excited when I made my 100th sale on Etsy yesterday! But Betty White, people. Come on. I love me some Etsy and all, but this is Betty Freakin' White we're talking about here. Also, very appropriately, my 100th sale was for my Little Golden Girls cross stitch pattern. A very nice moment to share with the gals!

I believe I will be hosting a sleepover at my house for all of my GG fans, there will be food and margaritas. Come on over and watch with us!

A Spicy Vernacular

2010-03-04T22:55:00.000-05:00

I am a Dancing With The Stars fan. Ok, that's a load off my shoulders. Aren't you glad you know?
Now that I've gotten that out there, I must tell you that Niecy Nash is going to be on the new season of DWTS. NIECY NASH, people.

I love Niecy Nash, in case you couldn't tell. That is all. She is fierce! I actually made a cross stitch pattern of this picture. I haven't started stitching it yet, though.

Raineesha, I love you!

February 2010 Featured Etsyblogger - TiLTCreations

2010-02-28T09:04:00.000-05:00

February is a short month, and it's hard to spell, too. Here I was thinking in my procrastinator's brain that I had a couple more days to get my monthly Featured Etsyblogger post up...and today is the last day of February. What? Why is February so short, and have I just misspelled it four times already?

This month's featured blogger is Theresa of TiLTCreations! Hi Theresa! She has not one, but TWO Etsy shops and to make things even, she's got two blogs as well.

First, let's check out her Etsy shop, TiLTCreations. It's full of things I tend to overspend on...like purses, handbags, messenger bags, totes and backpacks! Lovely stuff here! Someone cut me off from my PayPal account, like...now. And today is the last day of her BOGO 1/2 off sale!

Here are some of her goodies:

Get ready for the Zombie Apocolypse with this Hand Embroidered Zombie Worker Denim Messenger bag!

So if zombies aren't your thing, check out this adorable handbag in Cherry Red and Black Floral fabric!

And her blog to go along with TiLT Creations: Crafts, Kids, Home and Life!

So now on to her destash shop, TiLT Too! Destah...another thing I should stay away from, Oh, boy. I am not a seamstress by any means, but I am somewhat of a fabric hoarder. I guess I think one day I will suddenly be able to create beautiful things with my TWO sewing machines that I barely know how to use?

This shop is full of fun fabrics and various patterns!

My favorite fabric is this purple, red and orange wavy stripe yard. It's so neat looking! I imagine it as a little skirt for my toddler. Or maybe a pillow. Or...or...or...maybe I should learn how to make those things before I go nuts over the fabric. Isn't it pretty, though? Look!

And look at this adorable pattern for "My Book". So cute!

And last but not least, the blog to go with this shop is TiLT Creations Too.

Theresa is amazingly talented and you should check out her shops and blogs - I see an Artfire rapid cart on there too...so get your PayPal fingers ready. These shops are hard to resist!

Congrats Theresa, and thanks for being an Etsyblogger!

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Feb 2010 Featured Etsyblogger

February 2010 Free Pattern

2010-02-27T12:04:00.001-05:00

Yeesh, I wait til the last minute, don't I? I'll blame it on...something else. It's not my fault, I promise. This month's pattern is a little ladybug - 38w x 27h stitches and 6 colors. Ladybugs are good luck!

Click here to download

Vaycay!

2010-02-24T11:34:00.001-05:00

No, we're not going on vacation. We've done it before, though! Imagine that. In 2008 we went to Disney World. Yes, we did! My in-laws took us. It was awesome.

When we went to Disney World, Chloe had a fabulous time. Adelaide was only 6 months old and she didn't really even know what was going on, but my in-laws went with us and they spoiled her rotten while Sean and I took Chloe to the Magic Kingdom. We ate so much food I thought we'd explode, but we also walked about 50 miles throughout the whole vacation so it sort of evened out. We took a train down to Orlando. We had a sleeper cabin, which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND when traveling with children. I canot express how much this saved our sanity. We had a top bunk twin bed for Chloe and a bottom bunk double that was a couch AND a bed (score!) and our own bathroom, which doubled as a shower, although we didn't bother with that. Luckily nobody puked. Addie slept in her car seat most of the time and the rest of the trip she spent looking out of the window and admiring the hideous po-dunk towns we traveled through.
Overall, I'd say that trip was #1. We took the kids to Tweetsie Railroad and Mystery Hill up in Blowing Rock, NC in 2009, and that was quite fun. Much cheaper, but the weather was weird. It was hot, but not quite hot enough to swim in the outdoor pool, even though it was June. Weird.

Anyway, here are some pics of our Disney trip. You can just see for yourself how much fun we had. I'm just not going to write any more about it, ok?!

On the train!

Fountain at the hotel (can you tell how happy she was that I forced her to take a picture??)

Saying goodbye to Oma and Opa at the train station.

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Etsybloggers Blog Carnival!

Same old story

2010-02-18T14:57:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I've been busy. Busy sleeping, mostly! Working on a few new felt projects, fixing up my Zibbet shop, Etsying, and some of that et cetera stuff. You know. Cafe World. it sucks me in. I just can't figure out why it takes 2 days to make a pot roast. I mean, wtf, really? In real life I can make one in like six minutes.

Last weekend it snowed in South Carolina. For reals, yo. I couldn't believe it. It was a Valentine's Day miracle. Except it happened the day before Valentine's Day, so it was sort of a pre-miracle.

My backyard:

My front yard and driveway:

The towering pines in my yard (I was so afraid the snow would break the limbs and crash on my house, eek!)

I promise a real post later. We're actually leaving the house today for an appointment for the kids (the sitter is driving us, but I am excited to leave the house!) so I'll be back later on to tell you all of the exciting things that are going on. Try not to be so impatient!

Zibbet, Zibbet!

2010-02-09T15:53:00.004-05:00

So, I've been working on opening up my new Zibbet shop. Want to check it out? Use my referral link to sign up! Here's some linky goodness for that .
They have like 400-something premium memberships left for $7 a month, regularly $15. You can sell without fees! I really like it. If you sign up on a premium membership, please use my link! I will love you forever. Well, I'll love you forever anyway, but if you do that I might make you some cookies, too.

I am having a Grand Opening Sale there! HALF OFF YOUR ENTIRE PATTERN ORDER for the first 15 customers. You could buy every pattern in my shop at half price. But, it's only for the first 15 buyers. So hurry up if you want to get a great deal! I'll refund you the 1/2 through PayPal, or contact me first and I will set up a disounted order for you.

I also set up on Shophandmade. I'm still working on that one. Listing takes time people! And it's hard work laying here on the couch taking meds and eating chocolate all day. Don't forget about my Artfire, too. I'm all ovah the interwebz, peeps!
And as always, there's my good ol' Etsy shop. My bread and butter.

I am also working on a special order for Aurea, the maker of the pretty pretty rings that I covet. I have several projects to get done like, now. Better step away from the chocolate and get to work.

January Featured Etsyblogger

2010-01-30T08:42:00.000-05:00

Wow, I sure waited til the last minute this month! Better late than never, I suppose.

This month's Featured Etsyblogger is Erika of Nico Designs, a crafter from Texas with a shop full of sweetness.

With the purchase of this Chloe the Angel cloth doll you are helping the Ronald McDonald House and with cancer research/education at MD Anderson Cancer Hospital! Nico Designs uses the proceeds in memory of Chloe, forever 7. You can read more about it on her blog.

How adorable are these Love Pears?

This Trellis Classic Tote Diaper Bag is on sale! You can use it for a purse, too! So cute.

Erika is super talented and we're glad to have her at Etsybloggers! Check out her shop and give it a heart, stop by and follow her blog - you'll be glad you did!

Rain, rain, go away. Come again, like ...in a few years, or maybe never.

2010-01-26T16:49:00.002-05:00

This family of mine, we're inside people. When the weather keeps us indoors we don't complain too much. However, it seems like when we DO want to go outside, that's when we get a hurricane or something.

We don't get a lot of "snow days" here in South Carolina. In fact, if we ever get a snow day where it actually SNOWS, I would probably eat my own foot. The past year we have had two days of school closings due to this "snow" they say is going to "engulf" us. One of the days we had about a quarter inch of frost on the ground for a few hours. The other time it was sunny and beautiful, despite the weatherman's best efforts to terrify us about the impending blizzard. It really sucks when you have kids home from school and they are expecting snow, but instead they get a lovely, spring-like day.

So the winters are pretty easy here in terms of keeping the kids occupied. It's the rainy days we have to worry about here. Luckily my two year old is pretty much thrilled to sit in a cardboard box all afternoon, unless she is placing marshmallows in her mouth one by one (learning to count) or throwing her toys across the playroom (honing her baseball skills). I can give her a frying pan and an empty cereal box and she's happy for days. Coloring on a huge tablet works, too.

We didn't put her in this box, but we're considering hiring it as a babysitter.

Chloë is a little harder. She gets bored so easily and I don't want her sitting in front of the tv all day. She's happy these days to cross stitch with her mama and she also loves to read, so that's a couple of things she can do that don't melt her brain. I let her get a Facebook account (she doesn't have the password) so she enjoys Scarabbling with her dad online and playing some vampire game with her friends. She's mostly either crafting or internetting, rain or shine.

See how happy she is when she plays Farmville?

Of course, she's happy when she cross stitches, too. VERY happy. Almost...maniacal...hm.

That is a piece she's working on to list in the Hearts for Haiti shop on Etsy.

It's my January 2010 Free Pattern , the ASL I Love You cross stitch.

She's such a sweetie.

Sorry if you were waiting for more helpful hints other than "stuff your toddler full of marshmallows and put her in a box" or "allow your 10 year old on slightly age-inappropriate social networking websites". These kids aren't hard to entertain, inside or otherwise. Of course, since I had surgery, we've had a babysitter here and I have been doing exactly nothing. Get back to me in a couple of months when I'm changing diapers again. I might have a change of heart.

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Etsybloggers Jan 29 Blog Carnival. Ta-da!

New in our Etsy shops!

2010-01-22T19:06:00.000-05:00

Chloë and I have a few new things in our shops! She's been working feverishly on some new items to list, but she's had a lot of schoolwork lately, plus baton class and playing in the orchestra...she's a busy bee these days! She put her creativity to work and finished up this Funky Panda cross stitch. This Funky Panda comes complete with his trusty orange-topped acorn. Looking for a Valentine's Day gift for that someone who has everything? I can bet you they don't have a Funky Panda! Especially one made with love by the coolest 10 year old in the world. Just listed in her Etsy shop:

Funky Panda with Acorn cross stitch

I made a few things, myself. A few more Golden Girls cross stitches and a fun little PB&J embroidery. All listed in my Etsy shop, of course.

i love you PB&J handstitched embroidery

You get the forks...I'll get the cheesecake! 2-piece Golden Girls cross stitch

There is nothing that can't be fixed by a slice of cheesecake.

Of course, it helps if you have four sassy ladies to share it with.

Picture it...Sicily, 1912

This one sold about 5 minutes after I listed it!

Thank you for being a friend - cross stitch

And one I listed awhile back, but one of my favorites:

Ma! cross stitch. Can you hear Dorothy now? MA!

Lastly, as promised, here is the link to some pictures of Project Tower. It's the Auburn University Creed! It's about 11" x 17" using full stitches and backstitches. it took me 8 weeks to finish it. If it hadn't been for my surgery, it probably would have been done a month ago, but the deadline wasn't until around now anyway. It is now on its way to the customer. I sort of felt sad seeing it go. I've had it on my lap for so long now!

I'm recovering from surgery, laying around making new cross stitches. Some days I'm not feeling my best, but mostly I am doing okay. The doctor did tell me it would be a long road, they did remove part of my spine, after all. Yeah, isn't that gross? They took bone and muscle off out of my spine! It's no wonder I spend my days hopped up on Vicodin. Oh, well. Who needs a spine when you've got all 7 seasons of the Golden Girls on dvd? Not me!

January 2010 Free Pattern

2010-01-19T20:14:00.004-05:00

I amost let January pass by without a free pattern! Here's one you can stitch for your sweetie this Valentine's Day and I'm nice enough to give you almost a whole month to get it ready! Although this is a small pattern (26w x 33h stitches) and it won't take you a month to finish it. In a month you'll be able to make one for every person that you love - even if you love 500 people!

Click here to download

Do you like this enough to donate 0.45 cents for me to buy a new floss?

I'm baaaaack!

2010-01-19T17:14:00.000-05:00

My surgery went well and I am recovering nicely. I am not supposed to do anything for a couple of months, though. What! Nothing? They didn't mean cross stitching. I can't lift anything over 1 pound. Luckily, cross stitching weighs significantly less than a full pound.

My laptop broke awhile back, but it's fixed and on my lap again. Whew!

Anyway, the point of this post is to tell you my Etsy shop reopened. So...hey, guess what? My Etsy shop is open again!
To celebrate, you should buy this, because it will make you happy:

In other fabulous news, I finished Project Tower. I will post pictures as soon as it gets to the recipient, so I don't spoil the surprise.

Chloë's new Etsy shop!

2010-01-02T20:55:00.002-05:00

Chloë has opened up her own Etsy shop called Chloë In Stitches. She is selling her finished cross stitch! She is super excited about doing this and she is working really hard at getting more items ready to list.

She put up her first item tonight.

Little Bird cross stitch

Isn't she cute?

I love that kiddo. So proud of her.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T12:01:00.001-05:00

Wow, it's 2010 already! Where did the time go?

2009 was a good year for us.

My husband got a awesome new job and we now have great insurance and other benefits we didn't have before. He got a raise, too, and I made him this cake:

He liked it this much:

I love him bunches. Last night he made flautas for dinner and he even does his own laundry! I think I'll keep him.

My 10-year-old Chloë took up cross stitching, along with starting 5th grade and learning how to play the violin.

Adelaide, aka The Babylaidey Monster, turned 2 and started talking up a storm. I watched my children grow and change so much it made me the happiest and saddest mama in the world, all at the same time.

My girls are the most adorable things ever made. They melt my heart on a daily basis. Of course, sometimes I want to throw them out of the window, but overall I like them a lot! Especially when they are being this sweet:

Whoops! I just said "awww" out loud. Yes, I sure did.

I started selling on Etsy and saw the year end with 43 sales over an 8 week period. I have received 82 hearts since October 22 and I hope I can get 82 more in the next 8 weeks, too! I joined a lot of online groups and met some great crafty people and made a lot of new friends.

In August, I drove halfway across the country with both of my children, by myself, and I survived. My daughters got to meet family members in Texas that they rarely see. At stops along the way, I met some of my online friends that I had been talking to for years, but never seen in real life. Chloë met her pen pal Annika in Dallas and Adelaide got to meet her great-grandma for the first time. We ate enough tamales to feed a small country and when it was all over, I was sad we had to go home, but sort of relieved it was over because on the way home my children acted like this:

Of course, in 2009 I also herniated two discs in my back, which are still giving me a huge pain in the ass (literally). Otherwise 2009 was a pretty fun year.

I'm not asking for a repeat by any means, but when it comes to disasters, 2009 was relatively low in that department.

I hope 2010 is good to us. I hope it's good to you, too.

You know what would make it great? A cupcake. I think I'll go have one now.

New GG quotes!

2009-12-31T13:40:00.000-05:00

I just listed 4 more Golden Girls quotes in my Etsy shop. I have 2 more in the works, they should be up by this weekend.

2 more Back in St. Olafs, 1 Thank You For Being a Friend, and a new one - Ma!

Can you hear it? Dorothy exclaiming, "Ma!" and then Sophia, "What is it, pussycat?"

I miss those gals.

Thank You For Being a Friend, in a 4" hoop on blue-gray aida. $8

Back in St. Olaf, in a 4" hoop on pale pink aida. $10.

Back in St. Olaf, in a 3" x5" oval hoop on lime green aida. $10

Ma! in a 3" hoop on blue aida. $6.

Today I am working on Project Tower, my ginormous Etsy project. I think I'll also draw up some more patterns. Maybe I will also have a cup of coffee.
Don't be shocked at my active lifestyle! I can handle it! I promise.

PIF free pattern

2009-12-27T22:03:00.002-05:00

I just listed this PIF free pattern on Etsy. If you want it, you gotta TELL me. Then you have to heart the listing and do something nice for someone else. Those are the rules. If you don't play by the rules, I will make you sit in time out.

Buy Handmade!

Do you like this enough to donate 0.45 cents for me to buy a new floss?

And on to the next holiday!

2009-12-27T15:43:00.001-05:00

You know how when Halloween is over, stores start putting out Christmas stuff? Sometimes they throw a little Thanksgiving in there, but it's usually straight from Halloween to Christmas.

So even though New Year's isn't really a holiday holiday, like a gift-giving holiday, I am skipping it. Besides, it's this week. No time!

It is officially Valentine's Day season! I like Valentine's Day a lot, but probably not as much as my husband, because that's his birthday.
My youngest daughter's middle name is Valentine, after her dad. Oh yeah, his middle name is Valentine, too. It's a good thing I wasn't named after my birthday holiday, because then I'd be Maggie St. Patrick. Hmm.
My oldest was born 1 hour and 26 minutes after Easter, but her middle name is not Bunny. The younger one was born December 14th and I wanted to name her Natalie, which means 'Born at Christmas', but she's an Adelaide instead.
I don't want to have any more kids, so 9 months before every holiday, I get scared.

Do you know what you're getting for your sweetie this year? Well, next year, since it's technically still 2009.

A cross stitch would be a good idea.

You can buy a pattern from me! Because, well...I sell them. On the internets.

Here's a new one guaranteed to make you go "aww".

Lovebirds

Featured Artist: My daughter, Chloë!

2009-12-24T14:15:00.002-05:00

My oldest daughter Chloë is ten years old. She is in the fifth grade and enjoys playing the violin, skateboarding, baton and best of all - cross stitching! I was ten when I first started stitching, so it makes me really happy that she enjoys it so much, too. She's been super busy stitching up her holiday gifts lately. When that's all over with, she wants to open up her very own Etsy shop to sell her finished items!
Oh, be still my heart - she IS my child! Chloë is a great kid and I couldn't be more proud of her. Here are some pictures of Chloë and her work!

Working on the fire ant/panda fetus cross stitch:

Gnome WIP:

And here's her gnome, finished!

Hot Sauce WIP: (Ho Sauce! She was very amused)

Hot Sauce, finished! This is for her cousin. He puts hot sauce on everything!

Retro Kitty WIP:

Retro Kitty, finished!

She made this for her aunt Kate:

And finally, her Taco Time WIP:

She says this one will take her FOR-EVER!

My kid is awesome, huh? She is smart and fabulous. She wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up. I love her!

Chloë wants to give a shout out to one of her favorite Etsy artists, Aurea Praga of The Golden Plague. Here is her favorite thing from Aurea's shop, the Lac Kitten Ring from the I'm All Ears Series.

Chloë says, "This is a really, really good ring!" and I agree!

You can find the cross stitch patterns she used in my Etsy shop.

Hot Sauce cross stitch pattern

Retro Kitty cross stitch pattern

Mini Gnome Cross Stitch Kit

Taco Time! cross stitch pattern

Daniel Montoya

2009-12-20T17:44:00.000-05:00

Daniel is a graphic designer and visual artist in NY. He has two Etsy shops: One where he offers really cool digital collage sheets and then another for his visual and digital art; including prints, ACEOs, pendants, paper gifts and oil paintings.

Here are some of my favorites from his shops! He has tons of stuff, check it out! So many favorites - I can't list them all here. Well, I could, but then this would be the Longest Blog Post Ever Made.

Yoga Asana Slide Pendant

Bluestars Digital Collage Sheet (these are Buy 2 Get 1 Free!)

Yoga Asana series Bookmark

I created some cross stitch patterns from some of his Sun Mandala designs. I really love the geometric designs he works with, and the color palette is so pretty. I had a lot of fun creating these and I plan on stitching them up as soon as I get a chance! Here are the patterns I made:

So if you like his work, you can buy it, print it, use it for scrapbooking, make crafts, hang it on your wall, wear it, bookmark with it, and now...you can stitch it, too!

I croissant you!

2009-12-19T15:07:00.000-05:00

My mother came by this morning. There was a party at her office yesterday and she brought us the leftovers.

She brought us all kinds of country ham biscuits, sausage balls, brie and croissants. Lots of croissants.

This many:

Look at them...delicious, buttery...

FLAKY! The good kind of flaky.

I put honey on them and then I ate them.

My mommy is good to me.

Stay Golden...

2009-12-18T19:35:00.000-05:00

I've been making cross stitched and embroidered Golden Girls quotes lately. They've been a big hit in my Etsy shop and I've had a lot of fun making them.

A few of the newer ones:

One of my favorite Blanche quotes. This one is still available on Etsy for only $7 + shipping!

Picture it...Sicily, 1912 cross stitch. Still available! Picture it...the perfect gift, 2009.

Thank You Being a Friend cross stitch. I listed this on Etsy and it sold about 10 minutes later. I'm working on some more. Sit on your hands!

Back in St. Olaf on turquoise aida. Still available!

Back in St. Olaf on gray aida, 3" hoop. Sold in a day!

And the ones that started it all...these particular ones are gone, but will always return.

Free December 2009 Pattern

2009-12-17T19:41:00.001-05:00

I'm a little late on this, sorry. Oh well. If you were planning on making a spicy tuna roll cross stitch for someone as a gift, you better hurry.

Click here to download

Do you like this enough to donate 0.45 cents for me to buy a new floss?

A new cross stitch pattern: SAY WHAT! I said, A CROSS STITCH PATTERN!

2009-12-17T18:07:00.000-05:00

SAY WHAT! Denny Pinkham cross stitch pattern.

Yeah, you saw it on Regretsy. Denny Pinkham generously allowed me to use his SAY WHAT art for a pattern! You know you want it!

WHIMSICLE!

I'm tardy to the party...pictures.

2009-12-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

Whoops! I took awhile to get these up, didn't I? Here you go:

It's fun to have a party on your birthday, it's fun to have a party on your birthday! And this is how we did it!
Well, actually that should say: It's fun to have a party a day before your birthday! And we did it because your birthday was on a Monday!

I made some goody bags. They are full of bubbles and crayons!

My sister-in-law made a delicious Foofa cake. She is amazingly awesome.

THIS is the inside of the cake. It was so delicious, I almost didn't even know what to do. I quickly decided to eat 4 pieces.

My in-laws dressed up as Muno and Foofa. My MIL made these costumes! She is Foofa and FIL is Muno. They were the hit of the party!

Opening presents with Daddy, big sis, and friends.

Enjoying her new blankie with her Opa Roger.

Party guest, DJ Jude Rock.

And afterwards, she even convinced Daddy to wear the Toodee hat.

Mommy, where the party go? All done?

Picture it...a 2 year old's birthday and I am still alive

2009-12-13T22:48:00.001-05:00

I made it through The Adelaitor's birthday festivities today, and I will post some pics in the morning. I put some up on my personal facebook earlier, but I am pooped. YES, even too pooped to show off pics of my amazingly adorable children.

My Crafty Bunny embroidery and my Maneki Neko Lucky Cat Embroidery are ON SALE!!! Yeah, $4 off. That means only $10! How long will it be on sale? I dunno. Act fast, people. No time like the present. Present! Get it, like a gift? Ok, ok.

I sold my Picture it...Sicily, 1912 embroidery today. Tomorrow it goes to live in OK. Picture it...Oklaholma, 2009.

Don't worry! My Back in St. Olaf cross stitch is still available...

Beautiful Blogger Award

2009-12-10T14:59:00.001-05:00

I was given this Beautiful Blogger Award by Shannon (aka GigglyMama)! She's a super awesome new pal of mine that I met on the Hand Embroidery Network. She's a mama, a blogger, an embroidery goddess and most recently the new owner of my cross stitched mini gnome!
Thanks, Shannon!

The rules:

1) Thank the person who nominated me for this award.

2) Copy the award & place it on my blog.

3) Link to the person who nominated me for this award.

4) Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself.

5) Nominate 7 bloggers.

6) Post links to the 7 blogs I nominate.

Ok, here goes nothin'

I nominate these 7 blogs:

1. Kat at Sassmowth
2. Crafty Missus D!
3. Projects by Jane
4. Miss Marcy's CutesyPixels
5. Jerritt's Rebel Kids Homeschool
6. Aurea Praga at The Golden Plague
7. Mary Le at Misobel Studio

And of course, Giggly Mama!

It's a hard pick, because I love so many of you!

7 interesting (or some not-so-interesting) things about me!
1. I started cross stitching when I was about 10.
2. I don't like to cut my hair, ever.
3. I have a frog phobia.
4. I have completed about 3/4 of three different college degrees but I still can't decide which one to go with.
5. I cried when Bea Arthur passed away.
6. I am also a licensed nail technician and medical assistant, but not at the same time.
7. I love my life. I really do. My husband and my kids are the greatest things ever.

There you go! :)

December's Featured EtsyBlogger

2009-12-10T14:05:00.000-05:00

This month on EtsyBloggers, our featured blogger is CalKat, the jewelry junkie!

Calkat is Kathy and Carrie and they have an amazing Etsy shop full of gorgeous jewelry! This is one of my favorites!

But, wait! These gals are multi-talented. They have THREE other Etsy shops! Check 'em out! Ametista, for apothecary bottles and other gifty goodies; The Clay Shoppe, for cool polymer clay molds; and Yoga Fairies, for their super cute clay yoga fairies.

And by super cute, I mean this:

Please take a look at their shops and give them a heart or two (or three, ten, whatever)! They are some very talented ladies!

Lucky Cat Embroidery

2009-12-08T13:47:00.000-05:00

One of the few embroideries I'm working on right now (well, the only finished one):

Maneki Neko Lucky Cat Embroidery

Need a pincushion or five?

2009-12-07T20:32:00.000-05:00

My back seems to be fubar and I have sort of been restricted to doing, like...nothing. I spent awhile on the couch today, doing some stitching on Project Tower and making pincushions. I need to put up some pics of my Project Tower Secret Code Cross Stitch, but it's supposed to be a surprise for the customer's husband and I don't want pictures floating around online. I'm super secret like that.

Wait, what? You want to see my pincushions? Ok, here you go. These will make nice little stocking stuffers. Well, they will after you buy them so get to it!

Just listed in my Etsy shop:

I cross stitched the button on this one:

Easy Peasy Shopping

2009-12-06T22:18:00.000-05:00

In my Etsy shop, Your Photo into a PDF Cross Stitch Pattern!

Do you need to buy a gift for someone who already has everything? They don't have this! Pictures of kids, pets, families, vacations, anything you want! Add a gift card for supplies to give the perfect present.

Have a pattern made of your kids and stitch a few for grandparents, aunts and uncles! Needlework makes a great family heirloom and what could be better than using a picture of your children for the pattern? Does Grandma cross stitch and you have no idea what to get her? She'll love to stitch a pattern of her grandbabies. Aunt Trudy from Idaho always hates that basket of Hickory Farms cholesterol you send her every year...this year, you'll be the favorite niece or nephew. Nobody wants that nasty fruitcake. They want cross stitch!!

See how cute it is?? Ok, so this is my own kid and I'd think she was cute no matter what, but I know all of your little babies are cute, too! Not to mention they're itching to be immortalized on fabric with embroidery floss. Make them happy this year. Turn them into a pattern!

Eating is the Reason for the Season

2009-12-04T16:32:00.001-05:00

Well, it's MY reason anyway. Actually it would be more appropriate to say Eating is the Reason for my Ass Expansion.

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is coming up, so we are still in the grip of all of the holiday deliciousness. Until January 1st diet still means die-with-a-t around here.

My very, very favorite thing to make this time of year is sweet potato casserole. I never really make it unless it's for a holiday meal. It's so yummy that I don't even care that it makes me gain five pounds just by LOOKING at it. Mmmmmm...sweet potatoes, how I love you. If I didn't add so much sugar and butter then this might be considered borderline healthy, but who really wants healthy food this time of year? The answer: not me. Probably not you, either.

Now I'll tell you how to make sweet potato casserole, a la magpie.
Ok, that sounds gross. Casserole with magpies. Ugh. Let's call it Magpie's Fabulicious Sweet Potato Casserole. That sounds much better!

Magpie's Fabulicious Sweet Potato Casserole
First you start with sweet potatoes, duh. You need 3 cups of cooked, mashed taters. You can peel 'em and boil 'em, or use leftover baked ones, or you can microwave then in their skins and peel afterwards. Any way you do it, you gotta end up with 3 whole cups, mashed.

While you're preparing your sweetay-toes (that's what my youngest calls them), go ahead and preheat the oven to 350.

Mix together:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter (yeah, for real...a 1/2 cup of BUTTER. I told you it was yummy)
1/3 cup milk (you can use any kind of milk, but it comes out better if you use 2% or whole milk. Don't mess with that fat free nonsense)
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Spread all of that deliciousness in a 9x13 glass casserole dish. Now it's time to make the topping!

Mix together:
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

Now sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole and bake the whole thing for about 45 minutes.

Next, go buy a pair of these:

The bigger the better. I like to call these dinnerpants. As in, I only wear them when my dinner necessitates an elastic waist on my pants. Just in case you were wondering, any dinner with this casserole is considered a dinnerpants meal.

I don't have any pictures of this lovely treat because the last time I made it was at Thanksgiving. I'll take some pictures next time. Enjoy!

This is for my December 4th EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival, but it made me really hungry.

Pandas and Monkeys and Biscornu/s, oh my!

2009-12-02T23:28:00.000-05:00

I am still unsure of the plural of biscornu. Is it one biscornu and two biscornus? Or is it two biscornu, like deer. Two deer, not two deers.

I may never know.

So when I had an Etsy purchase for two of my biscornu patterns I simply said, "enjoy your patterns" instead of "enjoy your biscornu/s".

Also I had a few sock monkeys and a couple of pandas jump ship earlier. That makes 7 sales today, 6 patterns and a pincushion.
All of the patterns have been relisted! Does that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? I sure feel all warm and fuzzy. I think that might be the muscle relaxers, though. I'm going to bed now!
This post brought to you by Little Panda! Isn't he cute? He was one of the 7 sales today. Luckily, he is endless.

Must be Cyber Wednesday, too.

2009-12-02T10:06:00.000-05:00

Woke up today to 2 Etsy sales! Sock Monkey Biscornu pattern and Skully Pincushion.

The biscornu pattern has been relisted, but I am still working on more pincushions. You'll just have to be patient. I said the same thing to the older child this morning, who was a little miffed that the pincushion was gone so quickly. Apparently she wanted it for herself.

Also, I made it to 100 Twitter followers today! Hooray! Now I know at least 100 people like me. Or at least want to spam me a little. I'll take what I can get.

Look, I made it Cyber Tuesday

2009-12-01T16:29:00.000-05:00

My back went out so I failed to get my Cyber Monday stuff up. I was too loopy on lortab and robaxin. So, I created Cyber Tuesday! Cyber Tuesday is today. That means you will go to my Etsy shop and buy all of the things you were going to buy yesterday.

If you hadn't planned on buying anything yesterday, shame on you. Go make up for it now.

Look at all of the fine things I made for you!

Who wants a crafty bunny? He ran with scissors. Oops.

Hello, felt pincushion.

Look, here's another!

A mini gnome and an owl, fa la la la la, la la la. La. Buy these for a stocking stuffer! You know you love gnomes. Everyone does.

Hay hay, it's vacay

2009-11-24T08:27:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all! That's right. I said y'all.

I will be on vacation for Thanksgiving - my Etsy shop will close this evening, Tuesday 11/24 and reopen on the morning of Monday 11/30. IF YOU NEED AN ITEM SHIPPED BEFORE THE HOLIDAY, PLEASE ORDER BEFORE 4PM EASTERN TIME TUESDAY 11/24. My last PO run will be at 4PM today. That means all you party people on the west coast need to get up early and shop. I know it's only 5am out there, but there are no excuses.

In other news, I am excited to report that there really is no news. I am working on Project Tower today, Tupperware Lady cross stitch, and some pincushions. I also have a few finished stitched things to list when I get back from vacation. So next Monday, be prepared for the onslaught of awesome.

Speaking of Tupperware Lady, I am stitching this on 22ct white hardanger. It'll be about 5"x7" finished. I'll list it in the shop, but if you want it, you can preorder.
Just "convo me"! Or, "convo me, y'all". That works, too.

Thank you for being a friend...or a customer, a buyer, whatever.

2009-11-23T20:19:00.000-05:00

Yay, Etsy sale!

Goodbye, Estelle pattern. Someone bought you today! I'll miss you.

For about five seconds because I have already relisted you.

Estelle Getty PDF cross stitch pattern on Etsy

You can keep on buying her and I'll keep on bringing her back! Believe it.

Meet my new husband

2009-11-22T18:45:00.000-05:00

Winners!

2009-11-21T19:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I don't have the heart to pick when only 2 people entered. That's right. I can't even give this stuff away!

So congrats to Yamarilet and Jamie! Read their blogs and look at their Etsy sites! Because I say so. Do it now!

What's that, Friday?

2009-11-20T19:36:00.000-05:00

You're awesome? Why yes, you are!

Three sales on Etsy today: Dexter cross stitch pattern, sock monkey cross stitch kit and a custom embroidery pattern I made for a special someone who has a sock monkey-loving kiddo (thanks, Julie!)

Tomorrow is the end of the Free Pattern Giveaway, so tell all your friends and retweet your little asses off, ok? Yes, I am that excited about giving something away for free. I'm fun that way.

Tonight the husband is off work and we're going to watch Mad Men dvds and I'll stitch some more of my Etsy order, which will now be known as Project Tower. It's a code name, like spies have.

I lied

2009-11-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

Ok. I got a good start on my Etsy order after all. I didn't think I was going to have time for it this evening, but I did.

My oldest is going to see New Moon tomorrow with her friend. They are on opposing teams for the werewolf/vampire thing...I really have no idea what that is all about. I am not into this Twilight stuff, but her world revolves around it. They are going to write "Team Edward" on their faces. Or one of them is, I think. The other one wants to be for the werewolf.
I can't keep up with all of this.

Now it's midnight and I am going to bed.

A post that will surprise no one

2009-11-19T21:59:00.000-05:00

Um. Did I say I was going to do a bunch of stuff today? Because I sort of didn't do a lot of it.

Things I did do:
I finished the craft bunny/running with scissors embroidery. I am very happy with it!

And...that's it.

I didn't even take a nap, and that's usually the one thing you can be sure I'll accomplish.

I did spend my afternoon helping my oldest and two other 11 year olds cross stitch. They are Chloë's friends, twins that live a block over. I was all excited because one of them (a boy who loves football, sports, mud and bugs) was so into it. He stitched the acorn from my mini owl pattern. For his sister I drew a tiger pattern, which is what she requested. They both did a great job and I made them kits to take home for finishing their projects.

So my afternoon wasn't productive in terms of getting my to-do list done, but I taught two kids how to make something cool, so I am happy with that.

Thursday To-Do

2009-11-19T08:58:00.000-05:00

Today I'll start on my recent custom Etsy order. I am really excited about this one. It's a large piece, 11" x 16"/17", but only 2 colors. It is a custom design that I created for the buyer. I get to bust out my scroll frame for this one, which makes me a little bit giddy. It's sort of hilarious to me that things like that get me so excited, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Also on today's list (and we'll see how much of this gets done, because I am famous for putting off my deadline-free stuff)
-finish the top part of the sock monkey biscornu
-finish my craft bunny embroidery (it's looking mighty cute, if I do say so myself)
-finish making my felt pincushions
-take pictures of all this foolishness
-nap

I'll let you know how all of this goes.

You do want to know, right?

I thought so. Your life revolves around my to-do list. I know. It's ok.

And the good juju continues...

2009-11-16T22:02:00.002-05:00

Sock Monkey, sold and relisted!

Lucky 100, or something like that

2009-11-16T21:52:00.000-05:00

Today (like, two minutes ago) I got my 100th Facebook fan! Yay!

I have 66 followers on Twitter. Who's going to be the 100th?? Come on, people. Fight, fight!

Attention, attention: Biscornu WIP Update with bonus FOs

2009-11-16T16:37:00.000-05:00

Have you been waiting on the edge of your seat? I didn't think so. I am still going to update the progress on the Sock Monkey Biscornu, because that's why I have a blog...to brag about myself on the internet.
Here it goes!

Biscornu pictures, in order:

After 2 hours:

After 4 hours:

After 8 hours:

After 12 hours:

I've put in another hour or so since that picture, and I expect to be finished with another 30 minutes or so of work. All I have left is backstitch. THEN, I'll do the back.

Here is my beautiful daughter and her red panda body. She wanted to stitch a panda, but in red and purple. My husband said it looked like a fire ant. I think it resembles a small animal fetus, myself. She has put purple arms, legs and ears on it now. I need to take a new picture. So proud of her! She did a red and orange acorn, too. Right next to the fire ant fetus.

I stitched up my mini owl pattern so I could put an actual picture on the Etsy listing.

I did the same for my Little Sock Monkey pattern:

No post is complete without a gnome! I stitched this up the other night just for fun. I used the DMC color variations floss for the grass. It made some of the grass come out sort of blue, but so what. I wanted to see how the floss looked.

In other news, magpienight has 95 fans on Facebook now! I wonder when it'll get to 100? I should have a party.

What the gnome says, it's true.

2009-11-16T00:53:00.000-05:00

BOGO MONDAY 11/16: Buy one cross stitch pattern in my Etsy shop and get one free! Just tell me in notes to seller which free pattern you want.

It's a 3 sale Sunday!

2009-11-15T10:14:00.000-05:00

Sold and relisted on Etsy:
Mini Gnome Cross Stitch Gift Kit
Elvis Costello 3 cross stitch pattern PDF
Tupperware Lady PDF cross stitch pattern

November Free Pattern Giveaway

2009-11-14T20:05:00.002-05:00

Win a chance to get a cross stitch pattern from my Etsy shop for FREE! What do you have to do? Stand on one leg and twirl a beach ball on your nose. Ok, not really.

But if you did do that, I would give you a free pattern. Probably a few of them.

What you REALLY have to do is this:
-become a follower of this blog
-make my Etsy shop one of your favorites
-heart the pattern that you would choose if you win
- become a fan of magpienight on facebook
-follow magpienight on Twitter
-tweet this blog post
-make me a pie

Well, the pie thing...that's not really a requirement. I do love a good pie, though. Preferably a blueberry one. Remember that in case you need to do me a favor one day.

Alright, back to business:
After you have done those 6 things (follow blog, favorite my Etsy shop, heart the pattern, facebook fan, twitter follow, tweet the post) leave a comment on this post telling me who you are, that you have done those 6 things, and which pattern you would choose. Your comment number is your entry number. In one week, on 11/21, I will use random.org to pick a number for the winner! If you are already doing those 6 things, then just leave a comment on this post saying so. Also, thanks!

A free pattern! Aren't you excited? If you're not, at least pretend to be.

New gift kits!

2009-11-09T21:05:00.000-05:00

I'm listing the new cross stitch gift kits on Etsy right now. They have everything you need to stitch. For any level of stitcher!
I have a panda, a sock monkey, and a gnome. I've also listed a framed piece I made of the same mini panda that's in the kit.
And of course, here are pics:

Thank you for being a friend, pimpin' my shop all ovah the interwebz

2009-11-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

Hey, look! FrogPondStudios featured my Golden Girls cross stitch pattern in her Etsy Treasury!
Yay! Thanks, FrogPond.

I put in about 4 more hours on the Sock Monkey biscornu over the weekend. I accidentally went to AC Moore yesterday without a bra on. Walking down the yarn aisle I realized I was a little, um...free. Whoops. Luckily I had a baby with me, so I just hugged her to my chest and hid my boobies. I probably looked like the best mother in the world. Who else carried their 2 year old all over the craft store like that? No one. No one who remember to wear a bra, anyway.

Today I'm going to work on some pincushions and kits. Exciting, yes?

CutesyPixels giveaway

2009-11-08T11:52:00.000-05:00

Miss Marcy over at Cutesy Pixels has a great giveaway going on - check it out. Etsy shop graphics package ftw! Cute stuff.

Ecrater shop

2009-11-06T08:55:00.000-05:00

I set up a shop on Ecrater, which is not really huge news because it has the same stuff as my Etsy shop, but there you go! Now you can buy my stuff in two places! Shazam! Do it.

Post pics or it didn't happen: WIP, FO, OMG, ETC.

2009-11-04T12:34:00.001-05:00

Here are some things I've been working on and some things I finished.

Just a disclaimer:
I should have ironed all of these first, but I melted some, uh...stuff on my iron and I need to get a new one. It's not candy, I promise, because I do NOT eat caramels while I iron things. I just don't.

This is an owl cross stitch that I made for Addie from a pattern I got at Expression Essentials. Vera has the cutest patterns!

Here is one of Bad Bird's free patterns, Love Bear. It's embroidered then pencil tinted. The heart is fabric from one of Chloë's old shirts.

And here's another of her free patterns, Pumkin Girl. I made it into a little treat bag for the small child for Halloween.

The Foofa pillowcase, which should be renamed The Forever Unfinished Foofa Pillowcase. I still have to do the other Foofa head, the one in the hoop with the creepy faceless eyes. This may be finished by 2015.

Here's a cross stitch I did on our trip to TX in August. It was for Adelaide, but I spilled coffee on it. If the stain comes out, I may make it a pillow for her. I left like zero edges for framing it, but it's so bizarre I doubt I would have anyway. I think it's super weird looking, but she likes it a lot. Strange kid. It's from two free patterns I got from Stitch-Cross.

Another free pattern from Stitch-Cross that was a special request made by Chloë. What is with my kids and their obsession with animals/insects/bugs with ginormous heads? So weird. She thought this looked like Gidget, the Taco Bell dog. Gidget died while I was working on this piece, so Chloë asked me to add the taco quote as a tribute to the poor little doggie. Here's Gidget, she thinks tacos are delicious and she wants tacos now.

Here are two that I stitched up recently. They're free embroidery patterns from The Floss Box.

Last but not least, I am working on my Sock Monkey Biscornu pattern. It's a quick stitch, but I haven't had so much time to work on it. The caramels and everything, you know. Keeping me busy.

This is about 2 hours total work:

Here it is after 4 hours total work:

Ok, that's all for now. I'm working on making up some cross stitching kits for Etsy and that's all I've got going on today. The baby is actually taking a real nap right now, so I am pretty amazed. I might actually get some things done.

November 2009 Free Pattern

2009-11-02T19:17:00.003-05:00

Yesterday our internet was down. My sleuthing husband decided it must be the modem, so we called the cable company to come out and bring us a new one. Once they checked our connection, it was determined that the problem was at the cable box on the electric pole in the backyard.

A squirrel had chewed through the wire. Damn squirrels. They dig up my yard, they molest the birdfeeders, and now they eat my internet.

So here's the free pattern for this month.

For those of you crazy people who actually like squirrels, this one's included, too.

Click here to download

As always, I'd love to see your finished work! It goes without saying which pattern I'd like to see the most. Right? Ok.

New patterns

2009-10-31T21:57:00.001-04:00

I just listed 7 new patterns in the Etsy shop, 4 quick stitching small patterns and 3 biscornu patterns.
They are all original designs by yours truly!

Here's my favorite, the panda biscornu. It has 4 fortune cookies that predict wealth, love, happiness and good health for you. I thought that sounded nice. I am going to make one for myself that predicts naps, margaritas, sushi and ice cream.

Now I will go have a bowl of cereal, because when I make stuff I get hungry.

If you are too lazy to click on the sidebar, here is a link! I am so helpful. Don't you love me?
My Etsy Shop

Surprise Mail: It's my favorite

2009-10-30T13:17:00.000-04:00

My MIL, she rocks. She bought this and had it sent to me:

The whole dang fabric bundle. 11 fat quarters and a panel. I'm not really a quilter, so I think I'll just make some bedding with it. I'm giving up on the Yo Gabba Gabba pillowcases. I am so sick of stitching fill in on Foofa's head I could puke. I still might make her a Muno pillow out of red dot minky but that's it.

We came, we saw, we booed

2009-10-29T23:21:00.001-04:00

We made it to Boo at the Zoo and the weather did not interfere.
This is a photo essay of what happened. Featured is my lame DJ Lance hat. They were out of orange fur and I had to get fleece.

Then we came home and Adelaide cried and Chloë fell asleep with her vampire teeth in her mouth. I ate another cupcake. Now I am writing about it in this blog.

The end!

Don't be scared...

2009-10-29T17:40:00.000-04:00

Here is the Boo pie. I hope the children are amused. Chloë still won't eat it.

The sneaky pumpkin is trying to eat the pie.

It tried to eat my cake balls, too.

I want sprinkles!

2009-10-29T17:11:00.000-04:00

The small child is being a jerk because she didn't take a nap.

Today I:
Made the DJ Lance hat
Made Adelaide a Jack O'Lantern blanket with the leftover fleece
Made a metric asston of cupcakes for Chloë's school Halloween party
Made a BOO chicken pot pie (it's in the oven so you'll have to wait for a picture of my handiwork)

We're going to Boo the zoo tonight since the weather is nicer. The Marthafam is on the way over. We'll gorge ourselves on chicken pot pie and cupcakes (of course I made extras) and then take all of our childrens on over to the zoo. Oh yeah, no way in hell is Chloë eating chicken pot pie. It has VEGETABLES in it.

I did not get to biscornuize very much today since I was making hats and cupcakes and blankets. Maybe tonight.

It's Thursday! My tv night! Holy F, I am so boring.

Mmmmm...cupcakes

Look at my irregular sprinkle placement. Some cupcakes got like 3486209843 pumpkin sprinkles and others had two or three. Whoops!

Biscornuizing

2009-10-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

So what is the plural for biscornu? Biscornai? If I am making a biscornu do I say I am biscornuing or I am a biscornuist?
I am sort of obsessed with biscornu(s?) lately. I think it's my OCD that makes me love the symmetrical patterns. I am working on two of them right now from patterns that I drew. If they don't come out too jacked up looking then I'll put them on Etsy. If they come out jacked up looking, then I will probably still put them on Etsy. People buy some crazy shit sometimes.

Hump Day!

2009-10-28T08:22:00.000-04:00

There was a monsoon last night so we didn't make it to the zoo. It's just as well because I didn't get a DJ Lance hat made in time, anyway. I have the stuff so I'm going to throw one together tonight because we're going to the zoo tomorrow. Chloë got a costume yesterday, finally. I have redeemed myself as a mother! She is going to be Alice in Wonderland, although the costume is sort of a punky emo looking Alice in Wonderland (wha' happen?") from the "tween favorites" At Party City. The caption states that "Alice just got a sassy makeover" which is the most lolworthy thing of the week.

She has the wig, too. Sigh.

The Last pattern

2009-10-27T10:47:00.001-04:00

For Lisa!

The Last website
The Last logo cross stitch pattern on Etsy
Sean's going to get a kick out of this, too.

Elvis is King

2009-10-27T09:06:00.001-04:00

I made some Elvis Costello patterns, inspired by my friend Sarah, who is the biggest Elvis fan I know. Her son is sick so I thought she needed a smile today. I don't even know if she cross stitches, but at least now she's got a good excuse to learn.

How cute is she? Very. Elvis ain't looking too bad, either. Mmmm.

It better not rain tonight for Boo at the Zoo. For serious.

My MIL sent us a box of costumes and clothes yesterday. She made Sean a DJ Lance costume (minus a hat) and a Toodee costume for Adelaide. She also made a Toodee dress for her to wear at her birthday party in December.
I have to take pictures of this stuff. It's amazing! I wish my MIL didn't live in TX. I need her to be my sewing sensi.

Off to post the Elvis pattern, then to go shopping for some Halloween stuff - DJ Lance hat stuff, a costume for Chloë, and something for me. I should just wear my pajamas. Then I wouldn't even have to get dressed today.

1 minute post

2009-10-26T20:01:00.001-04:00

I promised Chloë we'd watch Dancing With the Stars at 8 (yeah, I watch it, so what?) so this is a 1 minute post.

I don't have time to type anything. Tomorrow I need to find a DJ Lance Hat or materials to make one.

Happy Easterween!

2009-10-26T13:50:00.002-04:00

I made a cross stitch pattern out of a drawing by Caren Osgood. Her bunny is adorable! It's going to be an embroidery pattern, too. Just listed it on Etsy. Thanks to Caren for letting me use her drawing. Check out her sites on the links section below.

Isn't this cute? It reminds me of Pat the Bunny. So sweet.

Working for the weekend

2009-10-26T11:06:00.003-04:00

That's bad because it's only Monday.

Tomorrow we're going to Boo at the Zoo with the Marthafam. Asher's already inquired about crafts, as we made felt owls the last time he was here. Maybe we'll do Jack O' Lanterns this time.

Adelaide's going to be a gnome for Halloween. Chloë doesn't have a costume yet because I'm a bad mother.

Today I'm working on hand embroidery patterns for the Sock Monkey and the Gnome. Later on I'm going to try and finish up the Foofa pillowcase and get started on cross stitching the Sock Monkey for myself. Or maybe to sell, who knows? We'll see how it turns out. I'm incredibly anal about how the back of my cross stitch looks and if I'm making it just for myself, I won't be so picky and it'll take me less time.
I've sort of lost interest in the Lucky Cat on black since I just stitched it so recently. I think I'll set it aside for awhile.

I'm also going to make up a pdf tutorial with pics for Ashley, so I'll put it up for download here, too.

I bought a new rotary cutter and mat today because my old cutter was pffft. This one is made by Sewing Basket, a 28mm cutter just for my felt. I've never used this kind before but it was on sale and I had a coupon. I hope I don't cut my finger off.

I'm on Facebook now! Please become a fan! Please? There's a thingy (a widget?) to the right.

Free October 2009 Pattern

2009-10-25T20:24:00.005-04:00

I'm going to try to get a free pattern up every month, either cross stitch or embroidery. This month it's a penguin cross stitch. This is simple and uses only 4 colors, so it's an easy project you can stitch up in an evening or two. Great for a beginner!

Ta-da!

Click here to download

Please send me the results, I'd love to see your completed projects!

Do you like this enough to donate 0.45 cents for me to buy a new floss?

What a Lucky Cat!

2009-10-25T10:57:00.000-04:00

I finished my Lucky Cat cross stitch, finally. This is on 18 ct aida and it fits nicely within the 4x6 mat. I have started stitching it again on black aida 14 ct, so it's bigger this time. It'll probably take me forever, because I'm still in the middle of embroidering pillowcases with Yo Gabba Gabba characters for Adelaide's birthday.
I'm almost done with Foofa (the first one I started) and I'm not quite sure I want to finish the rest...I made the mistake of filling in the entire design and it's taking me way too long!

Anyway, here is my Lucky Cat, made from a pattern by Expression Essentials. Sorry about the glare! I should have taken the picture before I framed it.

Here are some felt signs I made for the girls' bedroom doors. Chloë requested a skull like that. Why she wants a skull hanging on her door staring at her all night is beyond me. These aren't stitched around the edges yet.

Here is Chloë's, all finished and hanging on her door. Weird, but she likes it! I'm not done with Addie's yet.

I'm almost afraid to say I'll be done with the YGG pillowcases by December. We'll see!

Today:
work on a couple of patterns for the Etsy shop
fold the rest of the laundry
go pick Chloë up from Summerville
NAP
grocery store? That may be a little too ambitious for today. It's almost 11 and I'm still in my pj's.