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!!

In case you're wondering...

...where I've been....I've been right here crafting my little fingers off. Alot of pics to show you, so sit back relax and enjoy...
First off, I've been trying my hand at a prayer shawl. Ran out of yarn so I need to get more but the pattern is the half moon shawl pattern on the Lion Brand site. I thing it's turning out really pretty. Done with a N hook so it works up fast using worsted weight yarn.
Second pic, is a cross stitch I've been working on. I started it awhile back and put it away then just recently pulled it. It's a Mastif and I think it is turning out wonderful.

This little fella is a snowman my neice found for me....he/she is knitting. Isn't it adorable???

I'm in a paper doll swap on swapbot and this is the one I received. Can't show you the one I sent quite yet but on this one, all her clothes were attached with ribbons and the hair is so cute and feathery.

Still doing my dotees and this one is one I received for a mermaid dotee swap. I just love her. You can tell alot of work was put into her!

My niece made these adorable butterfly towels for me but I really think that in the Spring I'm going to lay them out as table runners. I love them. The picture doesn't show how colorful the butterflies really are.

My niece, the crafter, did this awesome bracelet for me in a little swap we did between the two of us. I love bracelets with lots of beads and she does jewelry so well that I couldn't wait to see what she had made me.

Sweetie man was the lucky receiver of these SO cool painted peppers my niece made for our Christmas tree. She said the idea was from the Martha Stewart site. I fell in love with them! What a great idea!

I also did a I (heart) ______dotee swap. Of course, since I love crafts, that was my theme. Does she scream crafts or what. I even put a little ball of yarn and needles on her head for a hat (Sweetie Man's idea).

These were the mermaid dotees I made for the swap. I made one and then saw I was supposed to make two for two partners. Didn't turn out too bad, eh??? Check out the shell bikini tops!

I made this for my niece's family. It's a needlepunch penquin. This is almost as much fun as cross stitching.

Pulled out the old quilt that I never finished quilting. With all the dogs gone but two, I thought it would be safe...

This was the swap item that I gave my niece in exchange for the bracelet. Two tea bag cozies so she can carry her tea in her purse. Learned how to do this in a swap recently.

Had to make something for my great nephew and since he is so into dinosaurs I crocheted this Triceratops for him. Not too many patterns out there. I'm surprised he could make it out...at first he did think it was a Christmas tree tho.

While digging through my craft stash, I actually found this T-rex pattern I bought and cut out a long long time ago but never sewed together. Had to make it for my dino-crazy great nephew. It turned out great!

Last but not least, I made this one up myself. Sweetie man wanted me to make a wine bottle cover that had a rooster theme. I put some different patterns together and came up with this. It was a Christmas gift for friends of ours...they loved it!

And this, my friends, is the reason I've been crafting so much. 25 inches of snow in PA this past weekend.....well, I didn't do all my crafting this weekend, but it certainly helps to be stuck in the house.

And that's about it....I'll end with a picture of Sweetie Man with his buddy Eros. Took this a few weekends ago before he went out to travel and got stuck in another state due to all the snow....can't wait till he gets home!

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