Summer fun and crafts...

I love LOVE summer....there is always something to do and somewhere to go and I think this summer we took advantage of it all including crafting when the days are just way too hot to be outside. I have alot to catch up on, so let's get started....
First off is this cross stitch I did for my son's birthday of their dog Reese. You always look at a cross stitch thinking it won't take long, right? Wrong...I did manage to get it done as a little something extra for his birthday. I even framed it myself...of that I was proud.

Feelin' a little dotee fever so I got into a few swaps....this one is the denim and lace dotee. I love denim so she was definitely fun.

This was a "For the Birds Exchange"...I got the pictures backwards..sorry 'bout that. This is actually the inside of my first Altoid tin. I so wanted to keep this for myself. I love the way it turned it. You would never know that is what it was. I added a beaded scissor fob and a needle holder magnet made from a ceramic button.

This is the top of the piece....I just had to have a bird somewhere on it. I even tea-dyed this fabric myself with some Salada tea bags. Looked awesome.

Of course, there were the vacations away. Arkansas was our big one. That was my first time there. Other than the fact that is was sooooo hot, it was a GREAT trip visiting relatives. (gotta find those pics for my next post)
Second one, was our annual trip to Michigan for the 4th of July. This was a cool pic I took with my phone of the campfire through my wine glass.

The little cutie in the highchair is Sweetie Man's newest grandson and my step grandson. He grew so much since the last time we saw him. The little blonde cutie was a visitor that was being babysat for a few days. We had so much fun with them.

Sweetie Man with his grandson!

I also got in a scrapbook sorta mood and made a couple of pages. I'm currently working on more but here is what I have so far. First was a visit to a church turned restuarant/bewery.

Second, was just some fun we had a few weekends ago in the park...just Sweetie Man and I.

Also had some fun with our friends at a pool party they had in July. It was a HOT day so this was sooooo perfect. Sweetie Man had fun relaxing with his noodles!

I'm not a fan of deep water, so I made sure I was sufficiently tubed and noodled!!

So, that's about it for now. The Summer isn't over yet....still have more fun to have and more crafts and stitches to do. I'll do my best not to wait so long next time, so don't go too far away. Till next time, yinz crazy guys....

Holy Smoke...

...the summer is flying and I've been crafting but I haven't posted anything. Between vacations and fun on the weekends with Sweetie Man who has time to blog.....I really need to sit down and give you some updates. Been doing mostly cross stitch but I've also thrown in a little scrapbooking and recently some dotee dolls. So don't give up on me...I'm here, I'm alive and just having a fun summer!
Hope yinz guys are too...stay tuned...till next time!

A tribute to Hobby Lobby...

Like everyone else I too have joined the forces keeping me from blogging as much as usual....lazily sitting on the porch, reading and sipping wine on a cool summer night has beat out sitting in front of the computer. I really had nothing to blog about (since cross stitches I'm working on cannot be shown at this point due to "spying eyes") until a friend of mine sent me this from a blog she read. She said she thought of me, and rightly so, as I will be visiting for the second time this year the legendary HOBBY LOBBY of which I can only do so on vacations. So with that said....(and for the record, this brought a tear to my eye....) enjoy this little tribute to my favorite store....(aka, the Disney World of crafters...thank you, Nancy, for sending me this....now I know I'm no alone in the world when it comes to H.L.)


Hobby Lobby

Posted: 25 Jun 2010 04:58 AM PDT

Dear Hobby Lobby,
I really don’t even know where to start.
You are the bedazzled apple of my eye.
You are like a giant crock pot full of crafty goodness.
You are the Chick-fil-A of department stores.
To put it bluntly, if you were a person, you would be Beth Moore.
Every time I read Exodus and see verses about the building of the ark, I think of you. I like to add the phrase “from Hobby Lobby” to verses in the same way people add words to the end of fortune cookies at Chinese restaurants. For example, “All the skilled men among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn … from Hobby Lobby.”
Your coupons are legendary. I won’t call Michael’s a punk or Jo-Ann from the fabric store a hussy, and even shop both those stores often, but ultimately my heart beats true for you and your coupons. Do you rock 10% off or 20% or maybe even 30%? No, you know that’s not enough. You know we need more and you generously share 40% coupons every other week. You always give and never take away.
Your selection is so complete too. You have it all. From stamps shaped like wintery Christmas scenes to yarns as soft as Falcor’s fur in the Neverending Story, there is no shortage of awesome in your aisles. If my husband Jon hadn’t overused the Scrooge McDuck analogy I would tell you that I want to swim around in the rolls of fabrics like Scrooge McDuck.
And you’re not shy about your faith. You’re closed on Sunday and your stated, shared publically mission is to honor “the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.”
And you do, you do! Imagine how much less glittery Vacation Bible School would be without you. Imagine how few popsicle stick designed Noah’s arks this world would have without you. Imagine how few homes would have cross stitch “As for me and my house” verses in their foyers without you.
Sometimes I dream that you and etsy.com become the official sponsors of Stuff Christians Like. And Jon says to me, “Hobby Lobby paid us in fabric and knitting needles this month. The garage is full, do you want it?”
The answer is yes Hobby Lobby, yes I do.
Forever crafting. Forever yours.
Jenny Acuff

Car Show Fun

Every year my church has a car show combined with an outdoor service. Five years in a row everyone's prayed for nice weather and five years it's been beautiful. We have a blast and yesterday's car show was no exception. It's all free and we manage to feed anywhere from 500 to 1000 people all free with food donated and made by the church members. It's truly a miracle just like the loaves and fishes.
Sweetie Man and I have a tent of our own called Ed's Hot Zone. He makes HOT HOT HOT guacamole and salsa and I make hot jalepeno brownies. (yep, I said Hot as in SPICY....email me if you want the recipe) Anyway it's a blast and here are some pics to prove it.
First is the man himself...HOT ZONE ED!!! (what a cutie-pie!!)

Mr. and Mrs. Hot Zone Ed!!!


I made this sign which sits in front of our tent. Everyone says they hope we show up as they love the stuff we make.
This picture is really great. It's "LUCY" the scooter. The story behind this is that it was lime green and sitting in out back yard for sometime...make that years. Its was bought with good intentions....let's just leave it at that. We know how much our Pastor loves to use props for his sermons so we donated it to the church as it was useless to us after all these years. He in turn asked if anyone would like to fix it up. My good friend, Keri, and her husband, Frank, jumped at the chance and low and behold....Keri drove "LUCY" to the car show. She's a sleek black with butterflies on her...and better yet....she won a prize and was even part of the car show sermon our Pastor gave. Thanks, Frank and Keri,....she's a beauty!!

This is our church band getting ready for the service. They call themselves "misfits from The River"....but they really are AWESOME and a blast to listen too. They play very modern Christian music from today's top artists and sometimes even write their own.
I was about to take a pic of the cars but my zany lady friends insisted that they be included...gotta love 'em crazy church ladies. The purple shirts by the way say, "I Don't Go To Church" on the front....and the back says "....I AM the Church". We usually wear these on our Church Without Walls Weekends when we go out into the community and work.
Today I'm a bit tired from helping Sweetie Man with all the preparations...as I'm sure all the church members who helped prepare for this awesome day in the life of our church. I'm so proud to call them my church family.....the most loving, caring, God fearing people I could every know....Thanks for a great day everyone.....till next time, yinz crazy guys!

A Stitchy Weekend....

Spent the past weekend stitching with a group of wonderful ladies at the Turtle Bay Lodge in Tionesta PA. Thought I would share with you some pics of this beautiful get-a-way....

I'm a porch-a-holic....this one was awesome!!!

Some views of the rooms we stayed in...one with a jacuzzi.

The living room and kitchen were crazy huge!!!

The outside was gorgeous....and there were turtles across the river....tons of them sunning themselves.

And I can't forget the great ladies I spent the weekend with. Sorry about the blurry pics...we were all laughing so hard and got really giddy when it got late, the camera probably didn't stay as still as it should have. (that's me on the left end...laughing, of course)

Needless to say it was a great weekend and a well needed rest. The food was great as we all brought stuff in and the company was tremendous. It is so great to be around like-minded people. Friends who enjoy your passion as you do....sometimes the silence was so beautiful when all you would hear were the needles going in and out of the fabric...that sound was as sweet as birds singing. Other times we would laugh so hard that the tears would start flowing.

That was my weekend and that's about it for now....my stitching is calling.....so till next time, yinz guys....

A NEW BABY!!!

On Mother's Day, my niece, her hubby and their little son welcomed baby Maddi to their family. This little bundle of joy came into this world at 10 lbs. 5 oz. (and my niece is small) Needless to say, we are so happy for them and I'm so excited to meet my great niece...

Her big brother, Owen, was so gentle with her it brought tears to my eyes watching the videos they posted.
On the crafting end, this was an altered doll swap I did. My partner was into vampire books so I had to make my blue-eye, blonde hair Barbie into this Sookie Stackhouse wanna-be. At least that is what my partner said it reminded her of. She was really fun to make


Used lots of gesso and paints and just kept adding to her as I went along with no plans in mind. I was really pleased with my results. For a person who doesn't think she is too creative, I don't think I did half bad.
Well, that's it for now....been in a cross stitch mood lately. Laying low on swaps for now. So, till next time, yinz guys.......

My Art Journal...

...this is my first art journal. It was a 30 day theme journal that I finally finished for a swap and sent out. It's full of experiments and mistakes but I did learn alot from it. Alot of my inspiration came from Artist Teesha Moore. I have to keep practicing tho as I really would like to doodle more as she does. Just the same, enjoy the pics...and till next time, yinz crazy guys...

Etsy...

In case you haven't noticed, I've added some new items to my Etsy shop. A good friend of mine is into handcrafted jewelry from guitar strings and pieces along with some really cool beads. Check it out. I'm sure he'll be adding more to this as well as take special orders and sizes. Thanks for looking...
Till next time, yinz crazy guys....

Universal Truths....

1. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

2. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

3. There is great need for a sarcasm font

4. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

5. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

6. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

7. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

8. Bad decisions make good stories.

9. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work
when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

10. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I
don't want to have to restart my collection..again.

11. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to
voicemail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

12. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or
Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay

13. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and
suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it

14. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

15. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

16. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

17. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod
and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

18. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up
to prevent an ass from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters

19. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

20. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are
going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

21. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car
keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the
Donkey - but I'd bet my behind everyone can find and push the snooze
button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time,
every time! YEP that's me! I love my snooze button

Happy Easter!!!

Didn't want to forget my Blogger Buddies and wishing you all a very Blessed Easter! As my gift to you, please take a minute and watch a little video from one my favorite internationally-known Pastors (next to my own of course), Authors and Teachers, Rob Bell, on the Resurrection....it's fast and powerful!!! Enjoy!
P.S. This is the same Rob Bell we met last year for Easter in Michigan!

https://www.robbell.com/resurrection/

Art Journals...

I know I haven't posted for about a month....but doggone it....Spring has SPRUNG!!! It's really difficult not to want to do things outside and enjoy the beautiful warm air. I also have an important swap to finish...that I may have to mail my partner and tell her it may be a little late cause I got so caught up in it....sorta one of my temporary passions. I'm a sorta flip-flop crafter and jump from one subject to another. (tho I do have some standard do all the time crafts) I really enjoy researching the current craft I'm working on also and this one is just awesome. Though all crafts are stress busters to me, this one in particular really takes the "cake". Art Journals are just about the best stress reliever I've done so far. It combines journaling and art...the kind of art you did as a kid...the kind that made you smile and glad it was time for art class. I started off doing my journal not really feeling it until I discovered the art and tutorials on journaling of mix/media artist, TEESHA MOORE. OMG...I'm hooked. This particular art really brings out creativity (which I always said that I'm not creative, I can just follow a pattern really good). It also is a inexpensive no-brainer...you can use just about anything to journal with...old magazines, crayons, paint, stickers, water colors, pencils, pens...and most important, a notebook. You can talk about your day or do a theme. Great to do with the kids or grandkids. The best part is is that anything goes...nothing is wrong or messed up. My swap is a 31 day theme...unfortunately I got in the swing of things about 12 days into the 31 so I have some catching up to do to finish it. Sweetie Man doesn't want me to part with this journal but sadly I must...I do plan on finding a way to make a copy for my own use. We've recently been through a little difficult period here in the 'burgh and art journaling has really REALLY helped.

Below are a few pages I've done with the help of the Teesha Moore Tutorials. Hope you enjoy them and I'll definately post more. (remember if you click on the pic, you can get a nice close up)

Till next time, yinz crazy guys.....

A must see for Dog Lovers....

Altered Art....

For some reason I getting into this altered art kick so you may start seeing some glimpses of things in between the regular crochet and cross stitch stuff. This first one is an altered paper doll I had to actually make then dress with velcro clothes. I really liked her.

These aren't altered but they are some dotees I received. The first is a St. Pat's Dotee, the second is the I love (blank) Dotee and in this case my swap partner loved pink. And the last one is another Mermaid Dotee.

I just love seeing everyone's ideas of things from different places and countries.

Next, been in a crocheting mood so I made Sweetie Man a Ear Flap Hat and some Fingerless Gloves. So many free patterns on the internet for both of these items.

This was the hat I made for myself.

I started an altered art journal with things and pages that I was feeling at any given moment. Here are a couple of pages I started.

And I'll end my post today with the mother of all icicles that I've seen so far. Needless to say I did not venture anywhere near this one.....
So till next time, yinz crazy guys........

Happy Valentine's Day, yinz guys!!

...sorry, I couldn't resist showing this pic...don't worry, it's not me!!! (and nor will it ever be me!) Happy Valentine's Day!!