A Little Help From My Friend

Couldn't resist showing you a picture of my assistant!  She is with me from the beginning of a design until it is finished!  She's a little camera shy...I can't ever get her to look directly at the camera!  She's an angel.  Her name is Coco and she is almost 4 years old.  She is the friendliest pet I have ever owned...she loves cats and reminds me of a mother hen.  She never meets a stranger...human or otherwise.  We have to tell her that not all animals are as friendly as she is...... She loves the beach and can't wait until we take our travel trailer there for the summer.  All we have to say is.... ready to go the beach and she runs around in circles and chases her tail!  Yes, she does have sunglasses.  She'll put them on and pose for you soon!  Have a great weekend!

Love Generously!

Love Generously is the 3rd design in my series.  This is just a little peak at part of the design.  I don'tusually stitch from the bottom up but I couldn't wait to stitch the little medallion. 

I should have this one finished over the weekend and ready to send to the framer.  I'm on a roll...when I pick one up at the framer....I drop the next one off.  Care Deeply will be ready to pick up on Monday so I've got to get busy and finish this one over the weekend!

Live Generously is available now through Hoffman Distributing or you can ask for it at your local needlework store and they can order it for you.

Live Simply

Part One, Live Simply is finally complete!  Should be available from Hoffman Distributing soon and then at your favorite LNS.   To follow in the series will be " Care Deeply".  It's at the framer as I write...should be ready in a week.  I'm now stitching "Love Generously" and hope to finish it in a few days.

These designs are easy to stitch and fun!  They can be completed quickly, it usually takes me about 8 hours over a weekend to finish.

The series can be framed individually as I have done...or you could stitch the entire series which are all 51/2 X 51/2, same color family, and frame them together.  I used 30 ct Cafe Kona by R & R Reproductions.  In another post I will list the threads used.

Boo Boos and Other Stuff

I am patiently waiting for my "Live Simply" sampler to come back from the framer. Well, not exactly patiently....I get so excited when I have a new Chart about to be published. It's exciting to see which ones become favorites. The Ann Merchant sampler is being stitched for me while I work on my series. I have had such a time getting this series ready...first my sweet little dog, Coco decided to eat my chart which had all of my color notes on it. I'll have to post a picture of her. She is my helper...she loves to sit beside me as I stitch....sit on my lap when I'm on the computer charting and pretty much follows me around where ever I go. Anyway, after I recovered the color codes, I started stitching...got through the first one, started on "Care Deeply" stitched the whole thing and was so proud of myself. Got it ready for framing....looked down and saw I left the f out of the chart. Now how could I chart and stitch the whole thing and not miss the f ??? If it had been the j or u, I would have just said I did it on purpose. Those were the two letters that were left off of a lot of early samplers. But since I didn't think anyone would believe me...I stitched the entire thing over. Mistake was at the top of the chart, just seemed like it made more sense. I'm about halfway through the second and I actually like it better. Someday I'll get this series finished. Another great thing that happened...I usually stitch all of my own projects, but since I have a more than full time career as a non-profit executive director, I decided to have someone stitch my Ann Merchant reproduction. Asked around and found a wonderful lady who loves samplers as much as I do. I went over to visit her the other day to see how things were coming along and got to see lots of projects she has completed.she has attended many classes,with teachers like Merry Cox, who was my very first teacher. She also had a couple of antique samplers that she purchased on a trip to England. They were both beautiful...anyway we decided that in exchange for stitching my piece, I would chart one of her antique pieces for her. I love charting so it seemed like a great deal for both of us. I think we will probably work on some more projects together. My point to all of this is...stitchers are just great people!

Easy Cream Cheese Pound Cake!

I've been busy working on several needlework projects that will be out soon.  So I don't have much to post.  So I thought I'd post one of my favorite recipes that I use all the time!  I actually even get requests for it.

This is probably the easiest cake I have ever made that tastes like a "from scratch" cake.  It comes out great everytime.  Sometimes I buy frozen mixed berries, (strawberry, black berry, raspberry combination), add some sugar and let them sit for an hour two, then serve the berries on top of the cake with whipped cream.  Yum!  Try it and let me know what you think.  One of the best cakes you'll ever eat!

The recipe:
1 Butter Recipe Cake Mix
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese (softened)
2 tablespoons butter (softened)

Mix cake mix with water and sugar.  Add oil and eggs.  Add cream cheese and butter.  Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees in greased and floured bundt pan for about 45 minutes.

Live Simply

New Design that will be available from Hoffman Distributing in a few weeks.  Part 1 of a 4 part series.
Live Simply, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Speak Kindly.... Sneak Peak before it was framed!

Ann Merchant Sampler Original

The antique Ann Merchant Sampler.  As you can see she was attached to a wooden frame with nails...She will be lovingly framed soon.  The verse which cannot be seen on the bottom from the middle to the right reads:  My Mother, My Father, I know your kindness I cannot repay.  But I hope that as older I grow, I shall learn your commands to obey.

Her name is also faded but it on the left bottom.  Ann Merchant aged 11 years 1838.