Double the Fun from Melissa!

My package from Melissa came Saturday, but I've either been too busy or it's been too dark to get pictures. Today, despite the overcast and lack of decent lighting I am sharing with you the wonderful exchange(s) I received from sweet Melissa!

Melissa was under the weather and under a pile of other obligations (see also: work, school, life) and wasn't able to get my fall exchange in the mail in September. So it showed up with my winter exchange which only doubled the fun.

Check out these wonderful fall goodies and the festive fall bean bag:



I tried and tried to get a good picture of the needle minder (made by Melissa herself) because the skeleton cameo cracked me up, but the lighting is just so bad from it being overcast and the flash washed it out. Oh well, here's the best I could do for your viewing pleasure:


And the silkweaver fabbie (which is both fall-ish in color and winter-ish in irridescence) was definitely a high point too!

And here's the winter exchange that accompanied the fall:

Don't you just absolutely love the darling little pillow?! It's finished so perfectly. I perched it in our Christmas tree right next to the ornament Vonna sent me last year.

Thank you for a wonderful year of exchanges Melissa! It was so great getting to know you (we're FB friends now) and getting all these lovely little treasures in the mail all year!!

-Kim

Winter Exchange from Joan

I meant to get this posted yesterday, but just didn't get a chance. Joan spoiled me quite nicely in our final exchange of the year. Check out the goodies she sent:



She picked out an adorable Country Cottage Needleworks design that I had on my list of JCS ornies that I want to stitch. To answer your question in the card, Joan, I don't mind at all! Your finish on it is so cute. :)

She also sent me plenty of goodies, too. There was an adorable Mary Engelbreit magnetic notepad, a Mill Hill kit, the Holiday Decor set of DMC floss, and a beautiful sampler fabric portfolio.

Thank you so much for not just this exchange, Joan, but for all four exchanges throughout the year. It's been so much fun being the recipient of your beautiful stitching and generosity!

Happy Holiday!

Melissa

Package

Hey Kim, your package is on the way. I sent it Priority Mail, so hopefully it will be there early next week. Be sure and look inside things well when it arrives because there are a couple of goodies tucked away inside of one of the items. :)

I also just want to say how much fun I've had being a part of this exchange group this year. I really wish I was able to commit to it again next year, but my life is just so busy these days that I know I just shouldn't. In just the past six months, I've been promoted into management at work, gone back to college, and moved. Yeah, life is definitely busy these days. LOL I'll still be lurking around blogs and checking in on Facebook, so I won't be a complete stranger. :)

Melissa

Running a Few Days Late

Hey Kim,

I sincerely apologize! I'm running a few days late with your exchange package. The latest 2-3 weeks have just been insane between fiscal year-end coming up at work this month, my grandmother having a stroke, moving, and then hurting my back last week during the move. Between it all, I just haven't been able to get in much stitching time unfortunately.

Thankfully, I don't have too much more to go to have your piece finished. I already had most of the stitching done before I started packing up to move, so I just need to get that last little bit done and then do the finishing. I tried to finish the stitching part on Sunday while I was watching football, but just wasn't able to stitch yet due to my back. :( It's feeling significantly better this morning, so I should be able to finish up your piece and get it in the mail by Monday at the absolute latest.

Again, I'm so sorry for being late!

Melissa

Autumn Exchange from Joan

Well, Joan spoiled me rotten in this Autumn exchange! She stitched a beautiful little Halloween sampler which she then finished into a box top. Inside the box, she tucked in an adorable pair of witch scissors. :) She also sent me an adorable little Halloween tin and a plastic handle tote filled with lots of Halloween goodies, including an adorable needle minder from Kelmscott Designs. I've been eyeing this little guy since it first came out a couple of years ago, so I was thrilled to see it in there. :)

Here are some photos (click for a larger view):









Thank you so much for such a wonderful exchange Joan!! This was my first personal mail at my new home, too. Everything else has just been bills so far. LOL

Melissa

Summer's Here!

Summer has arrived in the Midwest! Melissa sent me the most wonderful exchange package and it arrived at my doorstep this afternoon!

She stitched this sweet Lizzie Kate design and expertly finished it as a pinkeep complete with a pocket on the back. I had to laugh at the fabric choice for the back. We've been going through lemonade in this house like it's water the past few weeks! It's all anyone wants to drink. Thank you Melissa - it's perfect!



And look at all the lovelies she sent to go with:



Dragon Floss cotton and Soy Luster soy silk - both of which are a first for me! The Ewe & Eye & Friends sampler pattern is absolutely gorgeous! And some darling little strawberry notecards.

Thank you so much for a beautiful exchange Melissa! I hope everyone enjoys a comfortable and enjoyable summer!

I can't wait for Autumn!
Hugs!
Kim

ACK! Unintentionally Late

I came to post that my package went out in the mail to Kim today thinking I was a couple of days early only to discover I'm five days late! I don't know why, but I had in my head that our mailing date was June 21 (the first day of summer). I sincerely apologize for being late!!

Kim - Your package is on the way. Here's the tracking number:

0310 0480 0002 3792 8685

Summer Exchange from Joan

I received my summer exchange package from Joan. There are so many beautiful things that I hardly know where to begin, so I'll just start with a photo. :)



For the stitched piece, she made me one of the gorgeous Blackbird Designs stockings. I love these little stockings so much, but the finishing on them completely intimidates me. Joan's finishing is absolutely impeccable though! It's stunning.

She also sent along several goodies for me, including another gorgeous project bag she made. The fabric strip is a country style sewing theme and is absolutely adorable. I love it! Given how many WIPs I have, new project bags are always a welcome sight. ;)

She also included a beaded scissor fob kit. I've only attempted to make one fob in the past, so having a kit is great since I don't have a lot of necessary supplies for fob making. It's great having some written instructions, too! I can't wait to give it a try.

Next was a beautiful little pincushion chart called "Ole Pincushion" from Theresa at Shakespeare's Peddler. It's designed to fit into an old zinc Ball jar lid, which Joan also included! I was over the moon when I saw the lid. It immediately took me back to wonderful childhood memories of my Gran doing her summer canning using old Ball jars. :)

Speaking of antiques, she also sent me some beautiful little mother of pearl buttons that she said she picked up in her antiquing adventures. Given how many biscornus I stitch, one can never have enough buttons, and antique ones are just that much more special. :)

As you can see, she spoiled me quite nicely with this exchange. Thanks again so very much for everything, Joan!

Melissa

Spring Exchange from Joan

I was a happy stitcher today when I opened my mailbox and found a pretty pink package from Joan! She definitely spoiled me with a beautiful tuffet (Hearts & Roses by Dinky Dyes Designs) and lots of stitching goodies. The stitching on the tuffet is perfection, Joan! You did such a beautiful job on those Rhodes hearts! It doesn't really show up in the photo, but in addition to the four hearts on the top & bottom of the tuffet, there are also five alternating Rhodes hearts on each side, too!

As for the stitching goodies, she sent some really fun flower shaped buttons, a hank of the new Belle Soie color Boysenbeauty (I *LOVE* Belle Soie silks!), a beautiful Blackbird Designs chart from my wish list, and a pack of Piecemaker needles. As if all that weren't enough, she also sent me a gorgeous project bag that she made herself!!

Thank you so much for all the wonderful goodies, Joan! Oh, and to answer your question in the card, yes, the tuffet will fit beautifully in my collection of smalls. :)

I did make it by the post office to drop off my outgoing exchange package before going to work. It was only about 50 cents extra to send it Priority Mail vs. regular First Class mail, so I went with Priority. It should arrive at its new home in a couple of days, hopefully. :)

Melissa

Exchange Going Out Tuesday Morning

Like Karen, I got waylaid by some medical issues. My back went out on Thursday night, so I spent all day Friday at the doctor's office, getting x-rays, etc. I've been home on happy pills ever since, so no driving for me. I'm off the pain pills as of tonight, so I'll be driving over to the post office first thing in the morning to put the package in the mail.

Greetings from California!

Hi ladies!

I apologize for not posting sooner. The first part of this year has been a bit crazy for me. I have been extremely busy at work and have also started training to walk a half marathon in June which has kept me busy on the weekends, too. I think I've only managed to update my own blog once since the start of the year which is definitely not the norm. LOL

Like others, I'm definitely ready for spring as well! Even though I'm in southern California and don't have to deal with freezing temperatures and snow, it definitely gets chilly (for us) and rainy during the winter months. I'm ready for some beach weather again! :)

I've had so much fun looking at designs for our first exchange. Of course, the bad part of that is always that I discover things I'd forgotten I had in my stash that I'm now itching to stitch again. So much stash, so little time. I'm sure none of you could possibly relate to that, right? ;)

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. I'm off to watch the Olympics and do some stitching.