This is an up close detail of the beading on this piece. This is the first cross stitch I have done with beading.

This my most recent FINISHED cross stitch. I was hoping to finish it DURING autumn, but I finished it December 5th. I am now working on winter, but I am no where near finished. I had started it and then the boys put grubby fingerprints ALL OVER it and I was so upset that I put it away. I tried using Spray N Wash with Resolve in it and then I washed it with Ivory liquid soap and it came completely out! So I started working on it again but I am VERY far behind.

This is a cross stitch I did to improve my skills and work my way up to a Teresa Wentzler pattern. As I was working on it, my friend Laura seemed to be on my heart alot. She was going through a rough spot in her life and when I worked on the angel, I seemed to think and pray about her. I decided God was telling me that she needed to have this, so when I finished it, I fussed and stressed about picking the right frame that she would like (I took about 2 months to fret over this). She said she really likes it and I am proud of how it came out.

This is what they look a little further away. I should mention that the kids stamped their own cards this year too! My heart stamps are a mess thanks to my oldest, but it was fun! I'm glad I had a bunch of butcher paper and thought to tape it to the counter top, because otherwise my new crafting counter would be a mess!

This is what I made for my boys' teachers. I used my new Cricut machine and cut out the flowers in all different sizes and in two shapes: shadow (the thicker flower pieces) and sillouette (the thin flower pieces). I painted some shish-kebab skewers in green acrylic paint and glued the flowers in layers on the "stems". I then took a sticky "jewel" and put it in the center. I used Hershey's kisses, milk and dark chocolate, to hold the flowers in place.

Wow almost two months with no blogging! I'm a slacker...sigh.... I know it! The holidays just put me through the ringer and then when we got home from a great trip to Big Bear Cali, my computer died! I know excuses, excuses. Then add a budding addiction to facebook games and being able talk with old friends through facebook, and that's why I have neglected the blog. I promise to do a full blogging tonight or tomorrow....or soon. I just need to go do some valentines cards for the preschooler. Then I need to make the teachers' valentines gifts! Plus I want to make a card for an aunt who is getting married. So I will have to step away from Facebook....uh I mean the computer for a while. I do want to do this more, so hopefully I'll be back soon!