I Did It! I Did It!

Working hard paid off because I met my goal; the mid section of Sabrina's dress got beaded before the end of the month :o) Talk about a Happy Dance! And let me tell you, there were a lot of beads! A LOT!

Did you want to see a progress picture? No? LOL! Just kidding ;o) Here she is -

I'm still SO in love with her. I know there have been comments about her quirky shoulder but she really is stunning in person. I was looking at frames the other day and found two that would be perfect for her. They are both ornate and have a black hue. One is quite wide though so cost may be a factor. But both have this tiny beaded detail around the inside of the frame and went so well with the tiny black beads in her dress :o)

Speaking of beads...it looks like I'm not going to have enough Petite black beads to finish the last section >:o(

I even bought the said amount of packages. Grrrrr! It's even questionable with the larger black beads. Sigh! So guess what that means...I'll have to make an order ;o)

So now my goal is to have Sabrina completely finished by the end of June. How doable is this? I only have two small folds left so I'd say it looks pretty promising :o) If she does get finished, there will be one heck of a Happy Dance!!!! LOL!

Btw, I'll announce the winner of the giveaway on Monday, May 30, so there is still time to enter. Just remember to leave a comment on THIS post only. Good luck!

Christmas Rules SAL Block Five

Bet you thought I was behind huh? Nope! I've had this block done since the fifteenth ;o)

Santa almost didn't get his cookie though because I had to frog the whole thing, along with the word 'Give' >:o( There was a lot of grumbling...

So here's the whole piece to date -

I'm still enjoying this SAL immensely! It's been so much fun and of course my partner makes it even more so ;o)

You're probably wondering why I didn't have my block done right at the start of the month. Well...I've been diligently working on Sabrina! That's right! May has been the month of Sabrina and I'm almost ready to reveal another progress picture so keep your eyes peeled :o)

Btw, there's still time to enter your name in the giveaway! Please see the post below for more details. Thanks everyone!

Jackpot!

I know I've been MIA again... Once my parents left, I tried to catch up with my Blog reading and emails but I just couldn't Blog myself. It's been wet and cold here so very depressing and hard to get excited about too much :o(

I did hit the jackpot last week though! My friend K and I went out and had a girl's day out :o) Much needed, let me tell you. Anyway, she wanted to go to this craft place because she'd never been there before. I knew the place well because I had scored some cross stitch magazines there last year so I was all for it.

Just look at what I brought home -

- one hardcover Leisure Arts Christmas book
- one foreign cross stitch magazine (looks like it's from France?)
- six Just Cross Stitch magazines
- one For The Love Of Cross Stitch magazine
- two Better Homes & Gardens cross stitch magazines
- one Crazy For Cross Stitch Magazine
- one The Cross Stitcher magazine

- seven Cross Country Stitching magazines
- four Cross Stitch & Country Crafts magazines
- two Stitcher's World magazines

- Stoney Creek pattern book
- Letter Snow! Letter Snow! Letter Snow! by Hillside Samplings
- Gift Of Peace by Lavender & Lace
- six patterns by Homespun Collectibles

And only for $8! Needless to say, I was one Happy Stitcher :o)

I also picked up a pattern called Green Gables Sampler by Charland Designs -

I thought it was a TIAG pattern when I picked it up. So my loss is your gain ;o) If you would like a chance at winning this chart, please leave a comment on THIS post only along with a means of getting a hold of you if you do win. That's it! Easy peasy :o)

Since I've been away for so long, I have lots to share so stay tuned for more...

Friday The 13th

Okay, Blogger has been down since yesterday and is now back up. I'm trying not to see that as a sigh of an unlucky day ;o) LOL!

Yesterday I entered all the names into Random.org and the lucky winner was -

Congratulations Lisa! Your magazine is all ready to go and will be on its way to you today :o)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Just Because :o)

I seem to be MIA lately and I apologize. Things have been busy around the Pumpkin Patch! DH and I are trying to take advantage of ANY moment where it's not down pouring with rain. Sigh! Rain, rain, go away!!!! LOL!

I'm going to be away even longer because I'm expecting some visitors at any moment :o) Mom and Dad are coming today and will be here until Thursday. It looks like the weather is not going to cooperate so hopefully we can find some things to do.

That means that during this time I'll be away from the computer and therefore not answering many emails or reading Blogs. I'll have to catch up after they're gone. But never fear, I will be back to reading! I hate missing any of the action ;o) LOL!

For those of you wondering, Colleen (no Blog) was the recipient of my Springtime pillow that I did :o) I wanted to thank her for all the charts and floss that she sent me and it turned out that was the perfect gift. I'm still waiting for bunny to arrive at his/her destination. I sure he/she didn't get lost :o(

Since it's so blah out, I feel like doing a small giveaway! I have an extra copy of the January/February 2011 issue of Just Cross Stitch -

I didn't want to send this out to anyone just in case they already had a copy of it. So...if you would like the chance to win this, all you have to do is be a Pumpkin Stalker AND leave a message on this post only, along with a way for me to reach you if you are the winner :o) It's that simple! When Mom and Dad are gone on Thursday, I'll pick a name and announce the winner. Good luck everyone and have a great week!

Ninth Finish For 2011

Here's another project that I thought would NEVER end! While I adore this pattern (and you'll see why in a minute), it seemed that I was spending all my time on it this month. This is Rabbit Egg by Elisa Tortonesi -

It was meant to be a monochromatic piece but I wanted to change things up and make it look more spring like :o) I stitched it on 32 count Bay Leaf Jobelan (LOVE this fabric) with DMC threads.

There was some frogging and re-charting of areas so that might account for my slow progress :oS I think the flowers are 'supposed' to be dandelions but I wanted them pink. There were also carrots in the middle but since I didn't want any orange in this piece, I took them out and just put more grass in for the bunnies. LOL!

I have a plan for how I'm going to finish this but it's going to remain secret until I can get going on it. I will give you a hint though...I'm going to use the same material that I used with Charmed Flake. How is that for a teaser?

Just when you think all is lost, up it pops from the depths from somewhere in the post office! Back in January, I had won this chart from Danielle -

It was mailed on January 29 but never arrived. After two months, I pretty much gave up hope. Then yesterday, I picked up the mail and there it was! Of course it had a big honkin' stamp on the envelope saying "Found In Supposedly Empty Equipment ". WTH? And we wonder why things get lost in the mail...

Thank you Danielle :o)

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Lots of rain = lots of flowers. Unfortunately none of these are mine ;o) LOL!

The magnolias are my favourite and I thought I would miss them because of this weather :o( Luckily I got a small break in between the downpours and was able to snap a few pictures. Not enough for my liking though. We're 'supposed' to have sun tomorrow and Tuesday but we'll see. DH has already mowed the lawn once and I think its grown four inches in the past couple of days. LOL!

A Stitcher's Dream

We had another shop close down :o( This one carried a few cross stitch supplies but not enough to consider it a LNS. During the last week it was open; I went in and inquired about a few things. One thing was the Mill Hill bead racks :o) You guessed it, I came home with two! I was so excited and just look at these pretties -

Yes, those are all my Mill Hill beads and treasures. LOL!

So far I only have one rack in use. I'm not sure if I'll use the other one or not. I just wish we had the money to fix up my craft room with all the cabinets that I've been dreaming of ;o)

Spring is finally popping up -

It's still quite cool though and now we're having a week of rain :o( Come on warmer weather!

Happy Easter!

Dear Easter Bunny,

You know that your arrival each year is my very favourite time of year. What could be better than a combination of bunnies and chocolate? Okay, well maybe peanut butter and chocolate but that's beside the point.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE getting chocolate at Easter but I'm thinking we need to step it up a notch and get a little more creative. As we already know, giving live bunnies at Easter is not a good thing so I've done some looking around and let me know what you think about these ideas...

I realize that chocolate is your typical Easter treat but what about a Giant Gummy Bunny -

Seven inches of gooey goodness! I just won't think about the calories ;o)

What about Rabbit Ears Salad Servers -

Unlike a lucky rabbit's foot, no bunnies were harmed in making these!

It seems that like real bunnies, dust bunnies multiply like...rabbits! I turn my head and the next thing I know, there are three or four scampering across the floor. I think it would be in everyone's interest if you gave me a Dust Bunny Duster -

I'm not saying I'll actually 'use' it but it's the thought that counts, right?

Speaking of multiplying like rabbits...it seems these Bunny Salt & Pepper Shakers really know how to shake things up -

Do the babies come out black and white or white and black?

Finally, I think that I need one of these -

What bunny lover wouldn't want this? I might have to kick DH out of the bed though and I'm not sure how well that will go over ;o)

So for next year, just keep these ideas in mind. Of course a case or two of ECEs would be nice as well :o)

Eighth Finish For 2011

I've had this one done for awhile now. See, I told you I have a lot of things to share with you! There's just not enough hours in my day ;o)

This is Spring Is In The Air by Val's Stuff -

It's another freebie and this one IS on the internet! LOL! You can find it here.

I didn't like the colours that this design was charted for so I changed them all and used Crescent Colours :o) I'm really pleased the results. Pleased enough that I will stitch this one again! The fabric is just 28 count Ivory Jobelan.

I finally got my Springtime pillow in the mail today so you'll have to wait a little longer to see who the recipient is. I'm going to tease you even more though because I also sent out another little something to someone else :o) I found this rabbit template on the internet and put this cutie together the other day -

Sorry for the boring photo but it was the only one that showed just how purple the fabric is. All the other pictures came out with a blue hue :oS So who will get him/her? You'll have to just wait and see!

One Bad Blogger :o(

Yes, that's me. Bad! Very, very, very bad :o( I've been very neglectful of my Blog and sharing with you some wonderful things that have landed in my mailbox as of late. I apologize profusely to those that deserve these HUGE thank yous and I will accept the thirty lashings of the wet noodle...

When the woman at the post office handed me over this huge envelope, I had no idea what it was. I saw Terri's name on the return address but it wasn't until I opened the package that I realized it was a RAK :o) Terri was SO generous! Look at all the goodies that she sent -

I was just thrilled! But then I opened up the tiny package that was included and just stared in awe -

Terri stitched this over one and it's beautiful! Right now I have him/her hanging on my Ott-Lite but come Christmas, he/she will go right onto my ornament tree :o) Thank you SO much Terri! I know I'm late with my thank you but I can tell you that you definitely put a smile on my face that day and each day that I look at my cute little bird.

Last week another package arrived and I was just as stumped. This time it was from Myra! When I opened the envelope, this is what I found -

Isn't that just the cutest little pouch? But wait...there was something inside -

What could it be?

Myra made me a magnetic needle minder with my initial and a pumpkin :o) How perfect a combination is that? Not to mention the fact that I'm always putting my needle in my mouth (I know, a HUGE no-no) or pinning it to some part of my clothing (equally as bad because I sometimes forget where I pinned it) so hopefully this will get me out of those bad habits. LOL! Thank you Myra. You make such lovely things and I'm honoured to have a few of them in my home :o)

Seventh Finish For 2011

I wasn't kidding when I said that I have a lot to share. I've been holding out on you ;o) LOL! When things are quiet here at the Pumpkin Patch, you just never know what I'm doing or how fast my needles are flying...

Since I wanted to get into the 'spring mood', I thought this little freebie by Val's Stuff was perfect to begin with. This is Springtime -

For once I had the fabric but I didn't like the fibers she used so I changed it all up to my liking :o) I used all DMC and added a pink pansy button by JABC. But I didn't stop there! Oh no...

Today I finished it off into a little pillow -

Yay! I found the fabric in our local store that's closing down :o( I'm happy with the results but I was a little disappointed. I found the linen to be quite stretchy and a bit hard to work with while sewing so it's not up to my 100% satisfaction. LOL! Quality control is very strict here ;o)

Anyway, I plan on stitching this pattern again and basically just making a duplicate. How come you ask? Well, this one is going out to one of my readers as a thank you :o) How's that for a tease? Nope, I'm not going to reveal who that person is until the package has been received :oP

While I'm on the subject of pillows and duplicate projects, I thought I should share with you my second C Is For Cure by Lizzie Kate finish -

Again, just like the first one I did last year but this one will be staying home with me :o)

My Shop Is Now Open!

Yes, finally after a whole year of procrastination, I have officially opened my shop at Etsy :o) I'm still stocking the shelves so please bear with me. Not everything is in there yet. I didn't realize just how much work it was! LOL!

I hope you'll wander over, take a look around and maybe make me one of your favourites? :o) I've added my shop to the tabs at the top of my Blog for easy reference.

Don't venture too far because I have LOTS to show and share with you!

Christmas Rules SAL Block Four

Yippee skippy...block four of Christmas Rules is done!

I truly missed stitching on this project for the remainder of March. Come to think about it, I wasn't really that smart this month either because now I have almost another four weeks before I can stitch on this again ;o) LOL! Here is what the whole thing looks like -

I wonder how Nia is coming along :o)

I've had a few people ask how I'm doing so I thought I should probably update you. I saw my doctor and as far as he's concerned, it's my Fibro that's been acting up :o( He did order a blood test for Rheumatoid Arthritis but he doesn't think I have it. He gave me a new prescription for my Tylenol 3 with Codeine because my other one was from 2008 (I think) so its kick was pretty much gone. I can honestly say that one of the new pills doesn't really do anything for the pain either :o(

Thankfully the pain has subsided but there are days, like today, when I can feel it in my knees and elbows. Not fun. I also got some new medication for my migraines and although it seems to work like a charm without knocking me out, the prescription is pretty expensive! Just to give you an idea, six pills cost us $22 and that was 'with' coverage. Oye!

I can definitely say that I am truly blessed by wonderful friends though and that has kept my spirits up during this time :o) At the first of the week, I received a package of charts and floss from one of my Stalkers -

Colleen (no Blog) is from my home province of NB and has been reading my Blog for awhile now. She did a RAK and I couldn't be more thrilled! Thank you again Colleen! You are too kind and just know this stash went to a good home. A thank you will be sent out soon ;o)

Then yesterday I picked up another parcel and this was something I wasn't expecting. When I read the return address and saw that it was from Tina, I wondered what she was up to... Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found this -

ROFL!!!! Tina sent me a package of ECEs and Milka cream filled eggs (they even come with little tiny spoons!). Apparently she thought she could convert me... I'm sorry to say Tina but it didn't work :o( I guess I'm just an ECE girl at heart ;o) Thank you so much for the thoughtful package though. It really did put a much needed smile on my face!