Life With Jules, and other stuff

I don't have any stitchy progress to share yet. Didn't feel much like doing anything over the weekend. Too much crap on my mind. Oh well, such is life I guess! Now to the title. You may wonder what my wish is. Well, since I am so friggin' broke right now (aren't we all) I haven't been able to purchase any stitchy magazines. I am so hoping to pick up the Halloween and Christmas special issues this year at the very least. Yeah, had to let the subscription go when it expired. I'll get back on my financial footing soon enough. I just wish I could go magazine shopping. (Think Lucy here...) WAAAAAAAA! Ok, back to normalcy.  Congrats are definitely in order for the newest little Prince and his mum and dad.  I stepped on a stupid nail this morning. Yeah, that really woke me up. And my foot hurts. That'll learn me!! At least it didn't go all the way through and was on the edge of the bottom of my foot. No tetanus shot. Nope! No Way! Not gonna happen!!  ...

Wow! I can’t believe I have blogged another year away. Yup! I missed my own blogoversary on the 1st but that’s OK. I did spend some of that day stitching. Here are some pics of what I have worked on: Progress on Coming Home for the Holidays A Christmas Ornie from the insert that came with the 2010 A Cross Stitch Christmas book Pincushion Pillow from the October 2011 issue of Gift of Stitching. I will probably finish up the GoS piece and put more work into the ornie tonight. I also need to show an update on Week-end a Paris: Until next time…

I’ve been moody, busy, quiet, lazy, angry, sad, and just plain tired! And it’s not even Valentine’s week yet!!! Not to mention that I have had a sinus headache for several days and my left eye has been a bit on the twitchy side! UGH…I would say thank God it’s the weekend, but Monday morning I get to haul my ass butt out of bed at o’dark thirty to get dressed up and be at the courthouse in Dade City, a mere 10 mile north, for JURY DUTY!!!! I have never, ever had the desire to serve and the last time (only 2 times) I was called I was exempt due to being active duty military! What I would give to still be in the Navy, LOL. Hopefully I will be able to get out of it. Now, how did I realize that I received a summons?! It’s only been sitting in my house since the first of the month. Well, I put it aside with other mail stuff, placed all of it in a box, and decided mid-week I better clean it out. I was looking for what I thought was a 1099 from school so I could do my taxes. What it really w...

Yeah, I have neglected this blog a little bit. I am trying to get my revision completed and turned in to both readers. I have done a little stitching on the Christmas Design SAL, but will show pics when I finish the section I am working on. I did go to one of our thrift stores recently and purchased several OLD magazines. Here are some pics:   Starting with the top picture and working clockwise: Leisure Arts, Dec 1988 Leisure Arts, Feb 1989 Cross Quick, Premier Issue 1988 Just Cross Stitch, Sep/Oct 1988 Country Handcrafts, Autumn 1993 Cross Stitch & Country Crafts, Jan/Feb 1989 Cross Stitch & Country Crafts, May/Jun 1988 Cross Stitch & Country Crafts, Jan/Feb 1988 All were 50 cents a piece! Other than that, my revision, and working 6 days a week, not much else happening in my life. I would also like to introduce you to Justin James Barnhardt! He is the newest addition to our family and my grand-nephew. Born on August 24, 2010. My sister is the ...

I have been living in a small retirement community called Zephyrhills (FL) since June 2006. When I first arrived here I noticed that there were virtually no LNS’s near me. I have made mention before as to the lack of an LNS and having to drive more than an hour away to either Silk Road Needle Arts in St. Petersburg or Needle Craft World in Kissimmee, which I don’t mind, but today I decided to explore a local quilt supply shop in Dade City . Now, Dade City is about 10 minutes north of me and I am very familiar with the town since my dad grew up around this area. In 2006 I called and inquired about cross-stitch supplies and the response was they do not carry anything. Today I popped in and took a look at the fabrics they have. As I made my way through the shop I noticed a huge-ish selection of FLOSS!!! Yippee! This will save me a trip to the other stores and internet shopping for some items. They do carry Weeks Dye Works, Presencia, some DMC, EdMar (Iris, Lola, etc), and a few others. ...

Well, I decided to start the Butterfly Shamrock Wreath from "The Cross Stitcher” magazine (April 2010 issue). I really like the way the butterfly is looking so far, just not the many, many color changes. Here is a picture of what I have started: Stitched on White 28ct Charles Craft Linen using Recommended DMC floss I also want to share an update on my design for the Christmas Design SAL over at Yoyo ’s. Here is a picture: After taking the picture last night, I settled in and did a bit more stitching on it. I now have some of the horse filled in and some of the dog as well as more of the half-stitching across the middle of this section. I will post another picture when this section is complete. I received the 5th part of the HalloSAL that I am participating in and hope to work on that mid-week. We’ll see how it goes. I am hoping to leave the last week of March for some card inserts since I wasn’t able to get to them last month. I also w...

International post can sometimes be a pain. What with the customs forms and the extra time for delivery. But that’s alright! As I have said before, I always mail priority and with that said I received word from Lorilee that she received her winnings! Here is a picture of what she received: I am so glad that she likes the needlebook (it was the first one I have ever made)! And she told me she did find some designs in the magazine that she plans to stitch. I do wonder about that as you, the reader, can’t always tell what is inside by looking at a picture of the cover. I contemplated listing all of the designs in the original post, then thought no. On the home front, I received my cookies today! Shall I begin with a box of Samoa’s, Thin Mints, or Lemon Chalet Cremes??? Oh the choices! I love Girl Scout Cookies and my best friend is always so sweet to send me an email every year asking if I want to order from her source or if I have someone here. You see, she lives ...

I was so excited to learn that I won the Gone With the Wind giveaway over at Feathers in the Nest. I received my winnings yesterday and am so looking forward to stitching the design. Here are a couple of pictures of my prize (note: the movie was already mine. I just added it to round out the picture.): I tried on the earrings and love them! They are not too heavy. The real test will come when I wear them for more than a few minutes (my ears are very sensitive, but I believe all will be fine since they are sterling silver). Here is a picture of me donning the new earrings: I also took a couple of pictures of my “Celtic” earring collection. I have a pair of shamrocks (that are a bit tarnished), a pair of gold claddagh’s that irritate my ears, and of course the lovely pair from Jennifer. Here is one of those pictures: I can’t resist sharing a picture of my Sandy “modeling” the GWTW design: ...

Edited Date to keep on top! Well, I have completed my list of what I want to stitch from my books and magazines and found that there are four (4) magazines that I have no reason to keep. So, for my very first ever giveaway, I am offering to you, my readers, a chance to win one of these fine magazines: The World of Cross Stitching (Jan 2005 - also includes a pullout Giant Mr. Men chart of the Alphabet), Cross Stitch Crazy (Feb 2005), Sampler & Antique Needlework (Spring 2009), and JCS (Mar/Apr 2009 - a duplicate that I received after purchasing a copy in the store). I have included pics of the covers of each of these magazines. I also have a progress update on Quaker Medallion . I am nearly finished with the stitching, should be done tonight, and will decide how to finish (i.e. frame, ornie, etc) it over the weekend. Here is a pic: I bet you're wondering how to enter this giveaway! Well, here are the simple steps to take for a chance to win: Post a comment here letting me k...

Well, I was trying to get some research in today, but Google Books kept messing up so I decided to do a little stitching. I am also a bit under the weather as I believe the cold conditions in Florida have finally gotten the best of me. So, here are a couple of small finishes: First up is Pineapple Cone Stitched on 18-ct Charles Craft fabric DMC Floss (came with kit) Designed by: Barbara Bangser 2007 Posy Collection Next is a bookmark. Part of the design is my own and part is from a magazine ( JCS , June 2009). The poem, or rather haiku, is mine as well. Stitched on 14-ct Aida fabric Floss color: Dark Brown (left over from Quaker Medallion ) And I have completed part of HalloSAL part 3. I still have a couple of sections to do, but I need to get the right floss first. I decided I didn't want to try to use something similar. I do intend to stitch a little on the Christmas Design SAL with Yoyo tonight. Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway ! So far there are two who actually post...

Just a couple of quick finishes to share. I finished "Joy" a couple nights ago. Here is a pic: Last night, after much fighting with the fabric, I finished the reindeer ornie (well, as finished as it is gonna get for now). Here is a pic: As you can see, I used beads for the eyes and the dot on the "i" in Christmas. I still have one leg to complete, and that is where the fighting came in. I must have stabbed myself a half dozen times trying to get the darker brown outline and legs completed. Those stitches go through the center of the square instead of in the holes already there. I didn't like doing those stitches. The stars were simple, but a lot of work. You have to start and finish each star individually or there will be a lot of "tails" showing through. The border is done using backstitching instead of the called for "Blanket stitch". I am not sure if I will frame the little guy or turn him into an actual ornament. Either way, that part wil...

...but I do have a couple of pics taken at my sister's last night. I went over to help her decorate her tree after work. Now, being the Trekkie that she is, her tree is almost 1/2 Star Trek. You'll be able to see some of those decorations in one of the pictures shown below: The last picture is of me (on the left in blue) and my sister (on the right in green). I also got the latest JCS issue in the mail today! I have been looking for it ever since I saw the cover of it on their website a few days ago. I am going to stitch the Austrian I, Tabatha's Sampler, and the monthly flowers for sure. I know where part of my pay check is going in a couple of weeks (and any monies I may get for Christmas, if my mother sent money that is)! Gonna make a trip to Orlando or Ocala to visit my (nearest) LNS!! In the meantime, I may not get a lot of stitching done over the next week or so. Between working at the flower shop during the holiday and getting the next chapter draft by Jan 1st I am g...

I still don't have my own pc back, so I decided to download the pics onto my dad's pc so I can upload them here. First up is HalloSAL. I decided to go with beads for the owls eyes instead of continuing to fight the french knots. While I am waiting for part II on HalloSAL, I decided to stitch Fraidy Frog from the JCS Halloween 2009 Issue. The first image is in normal settings on my camera and the second is in the "pop art" setting. I really like how the colors look in the second image! And finally, an update on Astral Lion . I am almost finished (have stitched much more since this photo was taken) and will post another update on it soon. I am now all the way across the bottom, have the smaller lions done (except for the backstitching), and most of the purple area complete. Now to get my pc back from that blasted Geek Squad! I will have an update on the Christmas SAL over the weekend as I have the 4th part to complete and the last part will be out soon (Sunday, ...

I have completed 3 Christmas cards (minus the inside saying) so far. I am enjoying making these; more than I thought I would. Here are a few pics (information beneath them): Tinsel Cat 14ct. White Aida Stitch Count 37h x 24w Cross Stitch Cards ~ Joanne Sanderson The next two are from Cross Stitch Crazy magazine's add-on 126 Xmas Designs : Snowman, p19 14ct. White Aida Stitch Count 40h x 48w (max) Three Kings, p16 14ct. White Aida Stitch Count 40h x 48w (max) I used scraps from my scrapbooking supplies to accent the designs and Staples brand Card Stock in beige. I have a couple of more that I want to make and then we'll see how the time is from there (as to whether or not I make more).

I promised an update and here it is. As you can see, I have made more progress on the sky portion of Astral Lions and have finished the large lion head. I am pleased with the progress I have made so far and happy that there have been very few "pull-outs". I have also started another small project from "The Cross Stitcher" magazine issue 205 (Christmas 2008). It's Elvis!!! Yea, I'm an Elvis fan. I get that from my mom, I think. I am also a huge fan of Lisa Marie Presley - she is an incredible singer and musician just like her father. Here is a picture of what I managed to get done last night: The chart is located on page 75 of this magazine. I am stitching it on 28ct Ivory Evenweave. I am still learning my way stitching on Evenweave - this is my 2nd or 3rd piece on this particular kind of fabric. At first I began the project on 14ct Black Aida, but decided that would be too dark and the white areas in the pattern would have to be stitched, so I switched. And ...