Mary's Special Project: Take 2

Good Afternoon, Friends!

I've been busy finishing up part two of Mary's Special Project! I know that I'm a bit late getting to things these days, but I absolutely had to finish this in time to get it to Mary. She has been so wonderful at getting packages together for our ill friends, and I don't want to hold her up! So, Mary.....these will be in the mail priority to you first thing Monday morning!

Anyhoo....I loved the first bag I made so well that I decided to use the same fabrics for the second. The only difference is that they are shades of blue! I don't know why blue draws my eye like it does, but I love this bag! I hope the recipients love them as much as I do!

So without further adue, Take 2! Click!

Here's the front:

And the back:
Well, not too shabby from they way I see it!

I have a busy, busy day ahead of me, I'm beginning my spring cleaning as it is just warm enough to crack the windows and let the fresh air in. I cannot stand all of the dust without a window open! Plus.....I needed to wait until I finished up these projects so that I didn't dilly-dally and not get them to Mary in time!

So, I guess I will get busy now!

Have a wonderful day all,

Christy

Mary's Special Project

Good morning, Friends!

I just have a quick minute to blog this morning, as I am absolutely pooped and the bed is calling me VERY loudly!

I finished work on part one of Mary's Special Project. For those of you who don't know about it, then I'm sorry, I can't tell you. If you are a member of CQ for Newbies, then you SHOULD know!

Anyhoo....here's pics of the front and back of this little bag I made. It's about 8" tall and 6" wide. I really had fun working on it too....so many pretty things!
Here's the front:

And here's the back:
Well, what do ya'll think? I have yet to get any comments on my work, which is giving me a real inferiority complex!!! LOL!

Okay, I'm heading to bed, maybe I'll have a chance to blog more when I rise!

Have a glorious day!

Christy

Old Friends

Hello Friends!

I hope this post finds anyone who reads it happy and well!

No pictures to share this morning, just some odd ramblings that I thought I'd jot down before I head off to bed.

First of all, for those of you who are still young and in school, keep in touch with your friends. No matter what it takes, keep it touch. I recently joined up on MySpace for the sole purpose of finding out what is all about, and I am finding friends that I haven't spoken to since highschool. Ten years have gone by without as much as a hello to them, although, I must say, I have thought of many of them often. I think what bothers me the most is that I don't know anything about their lives since highschool, and that hurts the most. I sure do wish that I had kept in touch with some of them!

For those of you who don't know, I'm pet crazy! I love my fur and feather kids to the full extreme and the loss of one is generally devastating to me. I currently have 5 cockatiels, a lovebird, a robin, a rabbit, a rat, 4 guinea pigs and a cat. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for the bonds that I have with each and every one of them. I had an adorable yellow parakeet up until Tuesday when she suddenly passed away. I have been absolutely distrought over my little Tweety and I think I have been trying to fill the void by just keeping myself busy sewing and surfing the internet. She was such a great girl, and totally attached at the hip with her Momma. In fact, I nicknamed her "Buzzard", because she had to be on me every second that she was free to roam the house. It was so much fun knowing that as soon as I walked into the living room, she'd been flying like a madwoman to me and fussing at me. Now that she isn't here, I find myself avoiding the living room. I'm sure having a hard time adjusting to this loss, I miss her dearly.

Well, it is snowing again. We actually had a few days of decent temperatures, and now it is snowing again. COME ON SPRING!!!!!!!!! I love winter, don't get me wrong, but I am ready for the Tulips and the DaffyDucks to bloom! Now, I'm not quite ready for the mowing and weed pulling that come along with spring, but, I will be when it's time.

My husband and I have recently "re"developed our love of board games, thanks to our wonderful friends, Lisa and EJ. We have been having weekly, (when the weather permits) get togethers to play board games. I had forgotten just how much fun they can be! I have a few favorites too, and we are adding to the selection often. I love playing Battle of the Sexes, Taboo, Mad Gab, and Boxers or Briefs to name a few. Lisa called me yesterday to let me know that she had picked up a new game for us to try this weekend called The Last Word (I think), and I am excited as all getout to try this one out! Lisa and I are both the type that MUST have the last word, so it will be interesting! Not to mention when you add a few Strawberry Daiquiri's into the mix the guys will be giggling like schoolgirls! Ha!

Well, I suppose I have rambled enough for now, I have seen 3 emails come in while writing this, so off I go!

Have a super day!
Christy

It's been a while....

Hi Friends! It has been quite a while since I've sat down and typed out a blog entry, and boy oh boy have I been busy!

I've made several gifts for my wonderful friends and family, done a couple of Round Robins and made some 3 inch squares for a swap! So, let me take you on a photo journey of the past month or so!

First, this is a little fat notebook I made for Lisa. She's the closest thing to a sister I have these days! The picture is Alyssa, her daughter, my neice, last Christmas. I thought it was so cute!

The next set of pictures, is another little fat notebook I made for Lesa, Co Owner of CQ for Newbies. I made it as her something special for her birthday baggy, and to say a hardy thank you for running a great list with JK!

The next set of pictures are of a heart shaped pouch I made for JK, my dear friend and almost Mom! She has been so good to me for the past few years! It is amazing how close people can become that never meet face to face.
This is another fat little notebook I made, this one is for JK as well. I got to use the hot fix crystal set that she sent me for my birthday on this one! I was so excited! I think they made a lovely accent for the scalloped seam treatment.

Yet another gift I made for JK, this one is a brag book photo album. I used oriental fabrics for this one! I have never worked with all black fabrics and I absolutely LOVE how this one turned out!




Next is the 3 inch squares that I made for a swap over at CQ for Newbies. I had a ball working on these little fellas!



I hope the ladies that recieve them like them!




The next set of pictures are of Sue's Round Robin. It's the next in the Your Choice Round Robin group. Her block is going to a photo album cover and it's theme is Red Hat Society. I had too much fun working on this for her! It is really big, so I went nuts!



This first picture is a red hat applique I added, along with the red and purple stars and the seam treatments around it. On the left, I added funky purple yarn, and along the bottom I did a cretan stitch with detached chain over the top with a seed bead.

This patch I did a silk ribbon weaving pattern that JK sent me when I first started into CQ a year ago. I used plain white silk ribbon for the actual weaving, then I dyed the purple ribbon for the roses and the leaves using the microwave dyes from RibbonSmyth. I also added the seam treatments around it. On the left is groups of detached chain stitches with a small metallic bead. Along the bottom, there is a row of cretans with a row of herringbones on top of them.
This patch, I added a purple butterfly applique, and did all of the work around it. The curlicues are topped with metal flower beads. On the left I added a piece of red braid that has red bead woven into it. Along the bottom, I did a diamond pattern with straight stitches, and added fargo roses with a red seed bead on top.
On this patch, I added the silk ribbon roses, the necklace and the camera. The roses are dyed with the same dyes from RibbonSmyth, spider web roses using 7 MM ribbon. The necklace I used my wonderful hot fix crystals that JK sent me, and added the pale pink heart as a charm. I also added the camera since it IS a photo album cover!
On this patch I added yet another applique. This one is so pretty! I also added the seam treatments all the way around this patch. Across the top I did the curlicue thingy, down both sides I did feather stitches in varigated EdMar threads. Across the bottom I added a piece of heart lace with straight stitches. At the top of the straight stitches I added a french knot.
This is a lonely seam that didn't have anything on it, so I did it too! This is a row of Chevrons with 3 detached chain stitches nestled in the point with a seed bead.


And for the finale....Lori's Ariel block! I was the first to work on this great block, and I had such a hard time starting! Of course, once I got started I had a hard time stopping!

This block, I started off adding the piece of ribbon with Flounder on it. Across the top I added a row of lobsters, or Sebastians. on either end of the ribbon I added gold starfish. Underneath the ribbon I did a patch full of seaweed. The pearls are supposed to be bubbles. Along the bottom, I added clam sequins with pearls in the middle. Down the left side, I added some red funky yarn that I thought looked like a sea anemone. Down the right I did little fishes with pearls in between.
This is an adjacent seam that I did on the same block. It is a row of herringbones with 5 straight stitches in the middle of each herringbone. On the tips of the herringbones, I added 3 pearls in decreasing size.
Okay, that's the end to my photo journey of what I have been up to for the past month!

Have a wonderful evening all!

Christy