Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Wow!! It's been a very busy month!

Please don't think for a moment that I am ignoring this blog. I have just been very busy lately. For the shop news, I did add several new magnets, including a really cute red squirrel and my first round magnets. These have all been done on a beautiful, soft antique white 28 count linen. I was so pleased with how the round magnets came out that I will be doing more (including Christmas ornaments) this way.


The squirrel really jumped out at me. I love squirrels for some unknown reason. When I lived in Texas, I had one resident in the oak trees in my yard. My cats loved watching them come over and steal the bird seed. We have resident squirrels here in Finland too, and yes, they are bird seed thieves!! This one won't steal anything but your heart...


As you can also tell, I am playing with new backgrounds. The round ones were shot indoors on a paper that has glitter. Then we found a really neat handmade light blue-gray paper. The squirrel was shot outdoors on the new paper. I did not do any color correcting to it, and I think it is a much more accurate picture of the magnet.

In between finishing these magnets, I have been working on Christmas ornaments along with my first model for a designer. I don't have any pictures yet on either project, but promise I will take some soon. I am also back to working just about full time for the Angel Quilt Project, which makes quilts for premature infants. My latest finish for the Canadian Division...


We have family arriving on Sunday, and will be taking an overnight cruise on the new Viking Grace from Turku to Stockholm and back. We are all excited about this. Yeah, I know.. who gets excited about a ferry boat ride? Well, this is more of a cruise ship with the restaurants, nightclubs, and other facilities. Plus, it is brand new. We watched the christening of the ship live. Finns do these cruises as mini-holidays, and it is very reasonable. For me, it will be a test. I usually take my laptop when I leave home. This time, my computer stays here. I am taking only one small stitching project - another first for me. I am going to relax and enjoy some quality time with my husband. Two years ago this week, he proposed to me. It's a special week for us, and I hope you have a special week as well. I will post pictures when I return.. 

Saturday, June 22, 2013

A First For Me...

I was stitching along this morning, working on the last magnet on this piece of linen when I decided I really disliked the design I was working on. It's a grouping of peppers, and between the shaping of the peppers and the cartoon-y colors the designer chose (or their conversion from DMC to Anchor), I could not see wasting the time to finish it. Sigh... I guess I am too antsy to get started on something else. Now I am free to move on to other projects.

So, yes, finally, I have a start on ornaments. There are so very many cute ones that it is very hard to decide what to do first. I did manage to narrow the field down a little. As I finish these, I will be adding them to Storenvy first and then to Etsy after September 1st. Why the difference? I have to re-list my items every 4 months and pay a new listing fee with Etsy.

I have also become a lot more active with the Angel Quilt Project. They do so much good for families that are truly stressed. Stitching for them makes me feel good. My finished pieces will be heading to Canada for finishing and final delivery to a family. I will still be stitching for the US Division as well.

Don't forget -- there is only about 2 days left to enter the Summer Giveaway. I can't wait to see where my butterflys are going to go. I do hope they will end up with someone who appreciates them.

It is Midsummer's Day here in Finland. Time for good food, good friends, and family. I hope your summer goes well. I will post a picture of this next group very shortly.

Happy Stitching!

Saturday, June 15, 2013

A HUGE step forward!!

Today is a huge day for this humble little shop. I finally purchased a domain name and started building a more permanent home. Soon, you will have just one spot to go to get the latest news, find the shop links, see what is going on, and enjoy pictures of Finland and my work. The new domain is My Needle's Song.

I also set up an internet panhandling account for my enterprise. It's not like I need a lot - I brought a good amount of stash (fabrics, floss, and charts) with me. It's more that I need a few things that dangle enticingly just out of my reach. I want to upgrade my chart design software, buy a used sewing machine, and invest in a few more fabric choices. Not a lot, like I said. Every dollar (or Euro) helps. I don't have a lot to offer right now, but I will give all donors a permanent 20% off in either store. That, and you will have our undying gratitude. The campaign is ongoing, so please do feel free to stop by anytime and donate securely via PayPal.

I will have more items coming for the shop next week, and then.. it is time to start getting ready for Christmas. Look for a Santas, Snowmen, and Angels. These will roll into Storenvy first, and then be listed at Etsy in September.

Until then, Happy Stitching!