A Heart a Day for 2013

The January 1st Heart - 3831 and a stripe of 3833

A few stitches a day can turn into a nice big tapestry over time.

That's the plan.

To celebrate 2013 I began a daily, no-brainer, relaxing, easy project that will be fueled by a little extra time in the day spent watching my favorite show, or having a conversation. It's like yoga with stitches.

Project Name: A Heart a Day 2013
Start Day: January 1, 2013
Materials: White Platinum 14-count Aida Cloth (a beautiful, high-quality, crisp white)
                  DMC's Anniversary Embroidery Floss Pack - 36 gorgeous colors celebrating DMC's 
                 100th anniversary, beginning with DMC 3831 and going in order through 3866
Technique: Cross-stitch
Goal: Fill the 18X20 inch aida tapestry with 13 rows of hearts
Why: I've always wanted a big tapestry wall hanging filled with hearts--I love this color collection--it's my way of celebrating 2013! And, if I've accomplished nothing else that day--I've stitched a heart. I'll be stitching anywhere from three to seven hearts a week, so it's no big deal! But eventually, it will be big.

It's no secret, I love floss (read my thoughts on being a floss-aholic here)--it's like paint to me. DMC floss is absolutely my favorite, because of the quality, and lately because of their box collections. Rather than me sitting down trying to design the tapestry and picking out the colors from the overwhelming number of colors available, it's much easier to take a box set, like the anniversary collection, and create my heart tapestry with a set color collection--easy peezy!

Also, hearts are easy to stitch...I've put the basic pattern below...and they're fun to create with two or three colors for a variety. No worries about having to look at a pattern! I can sip my hot tea, watch the new season of Downton Abbey (coming soon) and stitch a heart. I'll be giving Monday updates on the hearts of the week!

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Enjoy!

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Cross-stitched Heart

Eat, Write, Dream, and Stitch daily.

Sunday Threads

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts,...and be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

A Slow Cooker Shells and Cheese Story

Once upon a time, a girl named Sandy lost her favorite crockpot mac and cheese recipe. She looked everywhere for it. In the kitchen, in her recipe box with the angels on the lid, in her recipe drawer, in her recipe scrapbook her sister gave her years ago and she started and never finished it...and finally in her whole recipe book shelf! Gone. It was simply gone. And when she thought about it, the recipe used some ingredients she didn't even have in the pantry anyway (like a can of evaporated milk). It was snowing outside and very cold--she did not want to go to the store! So, she decided to create a new recipe, with fresher ingredients, and more flavor.

Melting the cheese and butter.

Adding the last of the ingredients.

We smelled it cooking!

This cooked on low for 2-1/2 hours--it's a taste of heaven.

Lauren coats boneless skinless chicken nuggets in flour with garlic sea salt, fresh rosemary, cracked black pepper and dried parsley.

Fry the pieces for about 12 to 15 minutes. Yum!

It worked! It was amazing and delicious with the homemade chicken nuggets her daughter Lauren made, and Sandy, her family and her slow cooker lived happily ever after! (now if only the fairies would flitter in and do the dishes while she sleeps!)

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, and cook it slow.

Art Journal Friday - Stop and Smell and the Coffee

When I want to smell the calming aroma of my favorite coffee...I can turn to this page in my art journal. It was fun because this particular page in my Smash book had a liquid theme, and months ago, I wrote a quote on this page about water, and that is all it had on it, until this week.

Real coffee beans

I was in the kitchen, grinding up my starbucks beans, and making the coffee. A few beans had spilled onto the counter, and I picked them up and realized that they needed to go in my art journal! And honestly, the aroma is amazing on that page. Of course I added some packaging from my coffee, and also from a tea I've been enjoying lately, and even the Bath and Body Works gift card I got in my stocking for all the other liquids that are calming and amazing. This page is so me, and so fun.

Eat, Write, Dream, Sip

Stitching Kanga Kitties

When I was little, I had a stuffed animal I loved, a kangaroo, and I loved her because she had a baby kangaroo in her pocket. So why not combine my love of embroidering on felt, stuffed kitties, and babies in pockets all together?
I drew my little patterns and cut them out on scrap paper, then pinned them to the felt, and cut out two kitten bodies, two kitty bodies, and one pocket piece for each Kanga Kitty.

 

First, I stitched together the baby kitty from a fun contrasting color or patterned felt. Before blanket stitching the little body together--with wrong sides facing, so no need to turn out--I embroider on little eyes and nose with a dark color that will show, then I blanket stitch all the way around, and leave a little opening. Since I have some dried beans from my garden, I thought it would be fun to use them for the stuffing! (just so I can say that some of my garden is in there) Then I finish blanket stitching the little body closed.

Next, I embroider the pocket onto the front of the kitty body, just free embroidering with cute loops and swirls and French knots in at least two different colors of DMC floss. You want a light, solid color for the kitty body so that your pretty embroidery will show. Then I embroider on the face, and do a loopy flower on each foot. The back side is embroidered with a little tail and some free embroidery. I blanket stitch around with wrong sides facing, and for some kitties I add a ribbon loop to the top of the head, then finish blanket stitching, leaving an opening to stuff before finishing all the way around.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch a cute kitty.

Oh Holiday Break, How I Love You....WOYWW 187

 Well hello work desk beauties of the world! I've been holidaying at home, and mah desk is clean people!!

See the beautiful messy, busy, creative, clean, awesome desks across the planet at Mrs. Dunnit's linkup right here!

Here's a big view of my Wednesday desk in the dark--it's been so cold here in the Ozarks. I've been knitting, watching movies with my daughter, art journaling, cooking, shopping, reading, and playing with my new 2013 planner. My desk actually is cleared off today. I'm stitching on my heart-a-day project (I'll have a post about it on Monday). It's just a little ongoing thing that will turn into a big thing! And then I'm lining up my UFO's (unfinished objects) to get them in the que to be done sometime before summer, hopefully.

Over in the corner by my big desk is a stack of books mostly on stitching, and then my new huge book on the universe--half price at Barnes & Noble the other day. I love stuff about the universe...maybe because astronomers always say that space is like fabric, and Lord knows I love fabric!

My new book about the universe!

 Also you'll notice the butterfly scarf. I swear, it's almost done!

I also got a new brayer at Michaels for 50% off. How did I live without this thing!!

Okay, so I'll throw in a pic of my new Sherpa throw from the Kohls sale. Orignally 50 dollars, it was marked down to 14.99 and I got it for free with my Kohls cash! (oh I love you after-Christmas sales) This is the softest thing, and I've been curling up with it and reading a lot.

Here's a closeup of the busy basket on my desk. We all need a busy basket, right?
We are all going to love 2013--it's going to be a wonderful, enlightening and creative year! You have gifts and talents that were meant just for you, and I hope you make the most of them this year. Crafty hugs!

Eat, Write, Dream, and Stitch up 2013!