pumpkin pass . . .

So it's Thursday and I've not worked stitch one on any of the projects I shared on Monday.  

Life, right?

Not that I haven't been busy. I played around with the Truvia baking blend and finally settled on a combination of ingredients that Todd and I both liked for No-Bake Cookies . . .

These are such a yummy and easy-to-make treat -- it was nice to be able to make them for my hubby again (who works very diligently to not eat sugar).

I also *finally* got around to putting together the painted canvas pumpkin for Kim.

I love the highlights in this fellow!  Blending the oranges and yellows in the pumpkin body and the olive and brown in the stem is key.  Once I had it painted (and it had dried), it was time to do the single letter monogram. I learned a GREAT technique for transferring fancy letters onto canvas.  First, you pick your letter and print it out in real size (and I outlined mine to give it a definite shape):

Isn't that a fun, scrolly "P"?! Next, you flip it over, and with a piece of drawing charcoal, cover the outline.  I didn't need to do quite so much scribbling--you really just need to cover your letter's outline.

The next step is to center your letter on your canvas piece, charcoal side down. Then with a sharp pencil, trace your letter design. Once you've finished, remove the cheater paper and voila!

Outline your letter, if you can, with a sharpie (because the charcoal is a fickle medium and easily blows away), and paint as desired!

Once I'd finished painting and it had dried, I used a liquid gold sharpie to highlight my "P" and give it a little pizzazz . . .

Then it was a simple matter of hot-gluing the cotton backing, leaving a little opening to stuff it with plastic bags, and then sealing it shut.

Add a bow, and TAH-DAH!

Tomorrow we're doing Trunk or Treat at our church.  It probably won't surprise anyone to learn that I'm decorating my PT Cruiser as The Great Pumpkin!  Pictures definitely to follow!

:)

on tap . . .

Got a few things rockin' the design wall this week.  First up, getting the mini harvest piece quilted and bound:

I had some leftover binding from another project that I'm going to use instead of the rust fabric I'd originally planned to use. I decided that it would be too eye-catching, and I really want your eye drawn to the embroidery center.

Next, still plugging away on my wool work . . .

Teehee! Still being secretive!

And finally, I'll continue to work on my first Patchwork of the Crosses (POTC) block. I'm so loving this! 

A light bulb finally came on for me. I went to start fussy cutting my honeycombs, and realized I couldn't just trace around a template. I had to be able to SEE where my template was going. I am a visual/doing learner (so spoken and written words don't always penetrate), so I'd never understood the concept of acrylic templates.  *NOW* I get it!

I made do and created an open paper template, but my next order is definitely an acrylic template! Linking up today's post to the design wall linky party at Patchwork Times!

A lot of different things, I know, but hey; variety is the spice of life, right??! Have a happy and *creative* Monday!

:)

a girl can change her mind . . .

Right??

I had originally planned on using this leftover piece of fabric . . .

(purchased and used originally for the table runner down there somewhere:)

on the back of my mini harvest banner.  But it's *such* a lovely piece of fabric, I couldn't bear to put it on the back of something . . . so instead, I used it here:

A girl can never have too many aprons, can she?  Plus it'll be perfect for cooking/serving Thanksgiving dinner!

I was pleased I'd used a yard (for the apron and then again for the new backing and binding on the mini-harvest piece).  Here's the stash report I'll be linking up to Patchwork Times:

Ah, yes . . . you noticed I also added two yards, didn't you?  That would be from this sweet sampling of sparkling, frosty blues that my sweet friend Janet, of rogue quilter, sent my way!!  

Isn't it pretty?  And totally me! I've already used some of it.

In a manner of speaking, anyway.  We celebrated June's 2nd birthday yesterday, and the snowflake piece was perfect under her birthday cake!  (Can you guess what the theme was??!!)

I also went ahead, based on many of your comments, purchased the cardstock pieces for the POTC blocks.

This will be my slow stitching today!  Whoohoo!!  I can't wait to see this block come 'alive'!

On a final and very proud note, I'd like to introduce my nephew, Nick:

Who graduated on Friday from United States Marine Corps boot camp!  Very proud of this handsome young man -- OOHRAH!

:)

world wide blog hop - feline style . . .

Leia here this morning.  Once again stepping up to fill a gap that *person* has left. Silly human. I'm still not sure what exactly to call her . . . some in my house say "Denise", some say, "Mom", and some say "Neesey".  Let's get some consistency, folks!

Anyway, that lady is busy playing around with a bunch of strangers (she calls them Mom and Dad -- these people are so confusing) who are staying in my house!  So not only do I get strangers, but I also get stuck with the blog.  That's okay.  

Y'all needed to know more about me, anyway.  So here it is, the Feline Fursion of the World Wide Blog Hop . . . many thanks to Squeaky, over at sarahdidit! for inviting me to participate.

1.  What are you working on?

I'd say making myself beautiful, but that takes no effort.

2.  How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I am the queen of my household . . . I have others to do my work.  How they go about it is their business, as longs as it's completed to my satisfaction.

3.  Why do I create what I do?

Truthfully, I am, so I create.  I create trails of furbunnies under the couch.  

I create bite marks in the big great plants. 

I create chaos when I walk under peoples feets as they come down the big stairs. 

But I have to admit I particularly enjoy the screams of terror I create when I walk into a crowd of little people!

4.  How does my creative process work?

There's that silly word, "work" again.  SMH

Next week, take a visit over at Missy's Homemaking Adventures, and Muffin is going to take over the hop.

But before you go, rub my belly . . .

If you dare!

And check out the rest of the Feline Friday posts over at sarah did it!

:)

one of these things . . .

Is definitely not like the other.  Usually, at this point in the year, my hanging basket of impatiens has run its course. But not so this year! It's still blooming and beautiful, so I didn't have the heart to replace it with mums. It's earned its spot this autumn!

Speaking of hanging . . . on the "design wall" this morning is a mini harvest flimsy!

Yay!  Next up is to back, quilt, and bind it.  I love the fabric I'm using for the backing -- I'm temped to make a simple something-- apron maybe?--with what I've got left of it.  It speaks "fall" to me!

I've also got my wooly pieces all cut and ready to go . . .

Haha!  You didn't think I'd give you more than that, did you?? Linking up to the design wall post at Patchwork Times!

Really, I don't know how much I'll really get done this week, because of the utmost importance is clearing up my space:

It gets bad fast.  My folks arrive in town on Thursday . . . and I'm making cream cheese mints for June's 2nd birthday party on Saturday, so something needs to be done! On top of that, I won 4 tickets to Lyon's Family Farms, another pumpkin patch place nearby.

I've never been to this one, but I plan to take Ellie tomorrow and June another day (perhaps next week). Sawyer got the sleepover in the tent - so don't think he's being left out.  It'll be a busy week!!

Go out there and make the most of Monday!

:)

going, going, went . . .

Our guild meeting this month was our bi-annual auction. Wow! There was so much fabric and quilt notions and beautifully made up baskets . . . 

Can you believe I didn't win a SINGLE thing??  Not for a lack of trying -- I placed bids on better than a dozen silent auction items . . . but didn't win a one. There were some magnificent live auction items, too, but they were a little too rich for my blood! It was a fun evening, regardless. And my library co-chair, Donna, felt so badly that I didn't win a single thing, that she gave me some purple out of one of her wins:  

Donna doesn't care to play with purple, but isn't this one fun??  I'm thinking I may find use for it before Halloween ... pair it with a little orange, don't you think??! So that's my stash report this week:

A half yard of purple in, a fat quarters worth of fabric out (fabric box and harvest mini).  Linking on up to the stash report at Patchwork Times.

Speaking of my harvest mini, here it is all cut out and ready to stitch up:

The embroidery panel will be about an 8" square.  I'm really digging my fabric choices!

I also cut out a pumpkin door hanger, for Kim.  I gave her the choice of the candy corn or the pumpkin -- she picked pumpkin!

So it's cut out (along with the backing) and ready to paint.

But today is Sunday, so it's not a painting day, it's a Slow Stitching day . . . and I've got some more wool to play with!

Here are my pieces, ready to cut and then stitch!  No peeks at the final ... this one's a gift!

Have a happy Sunday!

:)