It's been a few weeks...

New Patterns...All patterns can be found at ZaneyMay's

Ladder Stitch Bracelets, seed beads and bugle beads and of course using ladder stitching.

Diamond Necklace, bugle beads and seed beads, using right angle weave.

Tiny Diamond Ornament Cover, seed beads and bugle beads, right angle weave and netting.

Lace Ornament, bugle beads and seed beads, ladder stitching.

By The Sea Earrings, seed beads and gem stone chips, netting.

By The Sea Bracelet, seed beads and gem stone chips, netting.

By The Sea Anklet, seed beads and gem stone chips, netting.

Ladder Stitch Rings, seed beads and bugle beads and of course ladder stitching.

By The Sea Necklace, seed beads and gem stone chips, netting.

A few more beads...

Camping over Labor Day Weekend. I made my famous Campfire Bundles, recipe here. The place where we were camping had a DJ one night and we went dancing, came back to the campsite very hungry, so I made up some Pineapple Shrimp Packets.
Canned pineapple slices, 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled & divined, 1/3 C chopped sweet red pepper, 1/3 C brown sugar, 1 TBS seafood seasoning, 3 TBS butter, softened. Place on double heavy-duty foil a pineapple. Top with shrimp and red pepper. Combine brown sugar, seafood seasoning & butter, dot over shrimp. Fold foil & seal tightly. Grill over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.


Last week I made Blueberry Streusel Cobbler with Blueberry Sauce and served warm with ice cream. This is a family favorite, it was gone in 24 hours after making it. I did get two pieces.

1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries (fresh is best), 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk), 3/4 C plus 2 TBS cold butter, 2 C biscuit baking mix, divided, 1/2 C brown sugar. Oven 325. In bowl combine blueberries, sweetened milk. In large bowl, cut 3/4 C butter into 1 1/2 C biscuit mix until crumbly; add blueberry mixture. Spread in greased 9" square baking pan. In small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 C biscuit mix and sugar; but in remaining 2 TBS butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over cobbler. Bake 1 hour and 10 min or until golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and blueberry sauce. Refrigerate leftovers.

Blueberry Sauce for Blueberry Streusel Cobbler-1/2 C sugar, 1 TBS cornstarch, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 pint fresh blueberries. Combine ingredients in saucepan. Gradually add 1/2 C water. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in 1 pint blueberries; cook and stir until hot.




Went to a birthday bash a friend was having, it was a lot of fun, seen few people I haven't seen in a while.

Tami and Nikki

Wax Bomb!

And of course Bob and I took Kayden to the Blueberry Festival.

Stitching, I finished a card that I will send to Kayden for Halloween. I am also stitching on Hang Ten by Raise the Roof. I have one page stitched!!! Sorry no pictures of that.

Dancing at the birthday bash.

Wax bomb at the birthday bash. Sorry the video is sideways.

If it were for bad luck

I'd have no luck at all...

A lot has happen since my last update. Was taking out the trash and almost stepped in an elephant size dog log in my front yard. I was so mad I made this sign, but the next day a storm came in and knocked it down. So, I propped it up and it was up for about a week. No one came to clam their dog logs.

Bob and I went out to eat for our 26th anniversary. We were both so tired we just ate and went home.
Dara has been helping me with weekly pool cleanings and the first week she helped we were walking down to the pool the customer had a stone slope to the pool from the parking area last year, but changed it to walk a few steps then there are two steps, walk a few steps and then there are two steps all the way down to the pool. When we arrived the auto pool cover was covered in water from all the rain we had. So, I set up the pump and we went to the next pool to clean. Came back to clean this pool and as I was walking down the steps I twisted my ankle and went down, almost hitting my face. It hurt for about 20 minutes or so then it seem to be better. We walked down to the pool and someone had unplugged the pump! I was so mad!!! So, I said to the guys that were there doing construction (the owners are putting in an outdoor kitchen and an built in hot tub) "why did you unplug the pump?!?" There reply was, all the water was running to the pump. Well that just floored me. As Kayden would say "DUH"! That is want the pump is for. The guy that seem to be in charge of the construction wanted me to take of my pump and put on a cover pump. My pump will pump 10,000 gals an hour (I think that is what it is) and cover pump would take days to take off all the water of the cover. Well we did finish with my pump and cleaned the pool. Then when we were at the last pool to clean for the day, I stepped on one of the hoses and again twisted the same ankle. Now I was in PAIN and it started swelling. By the time I got back home my ankle and foot was swollen and a funny purple-brown color.
Next thing that happen was a computer crash!!! Never have I lost everything in my pc. I lost everything except for the diagrams for my patterns, but I lost all my step by step patterns in PDF and Word. I was lost! What was I going to do! Then I remembered that I could go to The Bead Coop and view my PDFs there. So I started printing them out and redoing them all over again. I have to say all my customers were very understand and didn't ask for a refund, but waited until I got the patterns sent. Then just the other day it dawn on my "DUH" I could just save the PDFs form The Bead Coop right to my PC and just rename them with the correct pattern name. So, I have all my step by step instructions back except for the one that I was working on before the crash. I still haven't worked on that one yet. Trying to get motivated. I lost all my pictures, I am so glad that a month or so ago I put all of the family pictures and videos on DVD. But all the pictures for retreats in the past are gone and I was just getting ready to put them on DVD too, but was waiting for this years retreat to add those pictures. So, I won't have another video for a long, long time for ILCS retreats and HS retreats.

Memorial Day Weekend

We worked all weekend, except we took a few hours off and went to the my hubby's family reunion. Bob played volleyball.

Kayden and I had a fun time playing together.

Then more rain came in.

I finally got a picture of Dylan working at McDonald's. He started working there late last fall.

Water Wonders Pools & Spas

More liner replacement North Judson, IN before.

After

Argos, IN before.

After

And we build a new pool in Knox, IN

Stitching

I have two finishes!!! Waxing Moon Designs "Witch's Garden" I started this one at the HS retreat in the spring. I just had the gray stitched in the dress when the retreat was over.

I changed the color of the material for the designers choice and the gray in the dress was stitched in thread that is about 2 shades darker then what the designer had picked. I love the frog between the pumpkins.

Then I stared on Hinzeit "Jelly Mini Block Flip Flops". I changed the size of the count from 28 to 25 and didn't stitch the last flip flop above the "S" and added the buttons, so I changed the color pattern of the flip flops under "flip" to match the other side. I also didn't stitch the thongs on the flip flops, but stitched the solid color flip flop then used Rainbow Gallery, Frosty Rays as the thong part and attached the charms with it. If I remember right Vickie sent me this pattern for an exchange we did from ILCS group. Thanks Vickie.

Looks who's back!

Yes, that is Cooper, Dara's dog. She called Bob the other day while we were driving from one job to the next and asked Bob if he wanted Cooper, because she didn't have time to spend with him. Of course he said yes. I was not so happy about this decision, I just got all the dog hair out of the house and I am the one that is home with him. Don't get me wrong, I like animals, but when Dara got this dog, I let everyone know that "I did not want another dog". Now look what I got...another dog. Well, at least he is pretty good. He does listen most of the time and can be let out with out a leash, he stays in our yard, even when other people are walking, jogging or walking there dogs.

Then yesterday I got a call that Bob's Uncle died from cancer. The wake is tomorrow, but I won't be able to attend the funeral, which is Thursday. I'll be in Cape May, New Jersey for the ILCS retreat.

Well that is pretty much what has been going on here. There was more bad things, but it is all water under the bridge now. My ankle is still a little swollen, but it doesn't hurt all the time.

A quick update before Christmas

Beading

I made the wreath last year with the beaded ornaments, but this year I added the stars.
All the patterns and some are kits at Etsy and The Bead Coop.

Stitching

I stitched these for a friend of my Mom's they are for sippy cups. I am not happy with the pig, the colors make him look like he is sun burnt, and I have no idea why the designer would put french knots on a sippy cup. Stitching on plastic! I did the french knots when I had a thread I could snag, but there were french knots out in the open on "I LOOK", I didn't do stitch them.

WOOHOO! I finally have a finish! "Witches Stitch Too" by Homespun Elegance.

So I started on my Winter/Christmas SAL "Special Delivery" by Donna Gallagher, Creative Needlearts, Inc. He is my progress picture, below is what it will look like, when finished.

It has been a busy week, Bob left Tuesday morning for VA, but is on his way home now. Should arrive home around 2-3 am Christmas Eve. I am very happy about that. He didn't think he would be back until Christmas night.

Thought I would leave you with a picture of my last dessert I made for Christmas. Eclairs, yumm!

ThanksGiving?

Thanksgiving

It didn't seem like Thanksgiving at all. I did go to my MIL for dinner, but Dylan had to work and so did I so, we didn't make it to my Sister's. This is the first Thanksgiving that I didn't spend with my family since the beginning of time, will my time. LOL!

Beading

This week's new patterns are...

Star Ring

Flower Ring and Bracelet

All patterns can be found at my Etsy shop, Artfire shop and The Bead Coop
Christmas Tree

Friday I put up my Christmas tree. Kayden came over Friday night and he told me he wanted one too.

Stitching

Wednesday eve I started a new project Bobbie G Designs "CrossStitchAholic" I moved a few things around and of course I had to add something about beading.

I stitched it on a sweat shirt, it took me three times to get the waste canvas on right. The first time I had it on the shirt too low, by my belly button. The second time I had the canvas totally out of wack. Third time charm!

So I started stitching it and pulled my first thread through it would look great using Rayon threads, which is what the "Hi" is stitched in. But it was a pain the the neck. So I didn't used the Rayon on the rest of the shirt, I switched to regular DMC. Had to change a few of the colors from the pattern so it would look nice on the color of shirt I bought. But once I took off the canvas, I wish I had used a lighter color blue. But it is done and I don't think it's that bad, that I would take it apart. What do you think?

Well, that was my week. Hope your week was a good one.

July 4th

The 4th of July

At Uncle Terry and Dawn's house. It was a very nice day, even if we had to stop for a little rain. It soon cleared up and we were playing again.

Kayden


Exchanges
Book & Magazine Exchange from Carol B, ESC group.

4th of July Exchange from Vicky L, KK group.

Finish

I started this piece about two weeks before the retreat. I just finished it the other day.

Calico Crossroads, Kitty Litter.

Started this ornament in January and just finished it. This one is for Dylan.

Retreat Goodies
A few more retreat goodies.

I used my G.S. from 123 Stitch and this is what I bought.

A few things I need to finish some projects and a few things I need to start a new project.

I also used my 35% off from Turquise Graphics & Designs, that sent us goodies for the retreat.

These are the two patterns I bought.

Saturday morning I took in my 4-H projects. I put all my stuff on the table and set down to fill out all the paper work. As I was writing I didn't notice that I was shaking the table and the bag that I had my beaded ornament in, fell on the floor and the ornament smashed to pieces!!! This is the second beaded ornament that I have broken within a month. Lesson learned, buy shatter proof ornament from now on for beading.