TUSAL, TWO big finishes and Vegas

Oh what a week it has been.
Today is the first TUSAL of  2012 and my martini glass is full. I have been stitching and stitching and stitching.

My first big finish - Jardin Prive's Sampler aux Bouquets on 32 count antique white Lugana. This took about 9 months and I loved every single stitch. I will be making it into a bolster pillow with help from a friend.

My second finish is Handblessings Hooked on Lighthouses. This piece was great fun but a little disappointing size wise. I thought it was much larger than it is. I am not sure now how I am going to finish it.

VEGAS
Oh what fun we had! We walked for miles. We looked and looked. People watching is an event all by itself. We saw "Divas" at Imperial Palace and "Hitsville USA" at Planet Hollywood. Both excellent shows and highly recommended.

Here is my big win for the week! I'm not very lucky when it comes to gambling.

My week was capped with lunch, shopping and stitching with some wonderful women. Juls and Margaret I knew online and Juls I had met before.

I made project bags, whatnot bags, needlebooks and scissor fobs for the two of them.

Look at the wonderful nutcracker Margaret brought me. Her husband and I are collectors and this will be a great addition to my collection.

There were 5 of us for lunch and then off to Stitcher's Paradise we went.
I did a little stash shopping! Gina (the owner) is a real sweetheart and could not have been more helpful.
Look at all these goodies. I am joining a Mirabilia SAL in 2013 and Winter White Santa will be my project!

Several ladies from the Las Vegas area came to the shop to greet me. They had heard about me or read my blog and wanted to meet me. Was I flattered - absolutely. I have some wonderful new stitching friends.

Here we are - from left to right
Brenda, Juls, me, Margaret, Cheryl and Michelle .

I am currently working on another small piece and would you believe with all that stash I forgot to buy one Crescent Color!!! - Hazelnut. Will have to track some down.

I hope that you all have had a wonderful week and are frog-free!

Fly by Post

This is a quick post as I am on vacation in Las Vegas for the next week.

Here is my latest stitching update.

I just love how this little guy turned out! My nutcracker RR is stitched and ready for mailing. I thought a long time about that title and think it will work. Once people start stitching their home states etc then the nutcrackers will truly be "On Tour".

Here is the latest progress on Sampler Des Bouquets. A Happy Dance next week????

While searching for thread, I found this in the bottom of my stash and decided to knock it out. One day and here it is!

JBW Hearts of Joy  from 1997 JCS Ornament Issue

Another finish for my WIPocalypse!

I am very excited this week as I am going to meet up with some online stitching friends - Juls and Margaret and a couple of other (unknown to me) stitchers for lunch and then a visit to Stitcher's Paradise. I wonder what I will have for new stash after that trip?????

And of course, Las Vegas is always interesting! I look forward to sharing my adventures with you next week.

Until then, stay frog free and stitch happy!

First WIPocalypse Post of 2012

Here is my very first WIPocalypse post of 2012 and I have made some progress.

JBW's Teddy Bear made into a birth sampler is finished and posted in an late December post.

I have made some more stitches on my Sampler des Bouquets.
Before:

Now:

My nutcracker RR is coming along. Thanks to the generosity of my Floss Fairy, Karen I have some 310 and was able to finish the gridding.  I will stitch the left corner nutcracker, put a title on it and send it out for the 27th.

I consider my first WIPocalypse post a resounding success. For the next one - we shall see!

And the reason for cleaning up fabric. I had to empty my entire park model. We had a new vinyl floor installed.

I LOVE it. It will be so much easier to keep clean.

Hopefully, not a single frog will enter. They cannot hide on this color floor (or so I tell myself).

Happy Stitching everyone!

Kitchen duty anyone?

And why did I mention kitchen duty?

I've made some gifts for a few friends.

Thank goodness for pre made panels. They make me look incredibly talented!

Look at this beautiful Christmas package from my friends  Dani! and Christin
Sorry, Christin. I forgot to mention you till now.
She sent some wonderful goodies along with her ornament.
If you have never had those Caramilk Snowmen - let me tell you - they are to die for - and in Canada only!
Since I wouldn't be home for Christmas I was hoping and wishing some would appear. And Lo and Behold! That card shimmers and looks like real ice on the branches. Just like home.
The gorgeous, gorgeous ornament she stitched me is a Teresa Wentzler and is even more stunning in real life.

I have been stitching constantly on my Jardin Prive. I am close to a finish and would like to add this to my done pile for 2012. I am about 4/5 done.

I have also done most of the gridding on a new RR that I will be in called the "Twenty Twelve RR". This is a group of ladies from Facebook and all of them are new to me. I have chosen Nutcrackers for my theme.
Here is my gridding to date and a photo of the layout.

You will notice the gridding is not finished. I ran out of 310 and neither Joann's nor Micheals had a single skein of 310, white or B5200! Can you believe that?  A wonderful floss fairy has put some 310 in the mail and it should be here tomorrow. Stitchers are the best!

It is crazy busy here and sometimes I think I need to stop the ferris wheel and get off for a while.

My stitching has been relatively frog free these days. I guess our unseasonably cool temperatures have scared them off to someplace warmer. I sincerely hope they do not stop at your house.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

Wishing you all a blessed New Year filled with fabric, threads, charts and stitching buddies.
Thank you everyone for all the wonderful comments, gifts and sharing you have gifted me with this past year.