Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes!

I wish I could say that I had a great day..  I was sick on my birthday and also on Mother's day, and in between I broke a tooth.

I hope better days are ahead...smile...

I have a confession to make... I hate letting go of things.

I am way too sentimental!  I made the above card using an image that I cute from a pillow that I had made for Mother-in-law for Mother's day many years ago.  She really liked the pillow that I made for her and when we lost her....   The pillow was given back to me.  It was really starting to show wear and I knew it was time to let it go.  So I tried to see if I could cut around my cross-stitching and m make it into a card.  I sent the card to my sister-in-law for Mother's day.  (My mother in law's youngest daughter). She seemed to appreciate the card.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Blessings,

Jill

My Mother

Hello Everyone, Thank you for visiting my blog today.  Before I post my pics...I want to introduce you to a new follower,  Vicki,   Vicki's blog can be found here 
Thank you Vicki for joining my blog,  Vicki does beautiful work, and I loved taking a tour of her beautiful (very Organized) craft room that she has posted on her blog.

 Today is my Mother's Birth day!  So this post is a tribute to her.

This is the picture that I have on my sidebar...through the years I made many hand made gifts for my Mother.  She told me that this gift was her favorite!

Yesterday, I did my yearly trip to the cancer to drop off a box of cards.  My Mother had actually asked me to do that for her.  It makes me happy to know that there is still something that I can do for her.  I didn't realize how therapeutic it would be for me too. 

A Rose for MOM

If  roses grow in heaven

If roses grow in Heaven

Lord, please pick a bunch for me.

Place them in my Mother's arms

And tell her they're from me,

Tell her that I love her and miss her,

And when she turns to smile,

Place a kiss upon her cheek

And hold her for a while.

Remembering her is easy.

I do it everyday,

But there is an ache within my heart

That will never go away.

Author Unknown

Hope you have a very blessed weekend,

Jill

Remembering my Mother in law

The pin did not scan that well, it looks cuter in real life
I belong to a group at yahoo, and each week they have a theme day. This week, the theme was scarecrows. The theme made me remember the little lapel pin that my Mother-in-law made for herself. My sister-in-law asked me if I wanted it and then passed on to me. I treasure it. My Mother-in-law was an excellent seamstress, and taught me how to sew (I don't sew any more though)---I can't remember the last time I sewed. smile... she was also great with cross stitch and showed me how to do that too. I wish I could still do cross-stitch. (These grandmother eyes won't let me do it anymore) With all the cross-stitch I have done in the past, I still can't picture myself doing a project like she did. Tiny little stitches on this pin, and all those tiny beads.

More of my Husband's needlework

Okay, I feel like I'm cheating...Posting my husband's work again...I just have not found the time to get anything done lately. This is a cross-stitch that he made many years ago. It is now hanging on the wall at our favorite bed and breakfast, where he gave the cross-stitch as a gift.

After looking at the blogs ...on the blog...where bloggers create....It has inspired me to get my craft room straightened up...NOT AN EASY JOB. That job was made even worse tonight. I was feeling like I was finally making some progress (after many hours of working in my craft area)
when I went to move some shelving, and I knocked it over. It's where I keep my beads and buttons, and lots and lots of tiny embellishments...which are now all over my floor. I just walked out of the room and shut the door. I was just too tired to deal with it today. (and I got too depressed just looking at it..). Fortunately, I wasn't hurt, and nothing got ruined. Just made a big mess.

Mother's Memory Jar

I always tried to have a special gift for my Mother on Mother's day...most of the time it was something that was handmade. The two gifts that I'm posting today ....I think were two of her favorites.

I got the inspiration for the memory jar many years ago from a magazine, but I can't remember which one it was...I know there are several web sites and blogs that have memory jars on them.(sorry I forgot to look for links before I posted this...

This is the picture that I have posted at the top of my blog, I was asked if I could show the larger picture, and I said I would post it today. I still have the dress that I am wearing in the picture

My Memory jar is full of slips of paper that I just folded, I started to read them today and I had to stop, I get too weepy to read too many at a time...some of the examples are...

...I treasure the heart shaped locket you gave me...The one that belonged to Granny.

...Thank you for "helping" the tooth fairy to put money under my pillow...

Thank you for being my MOTHER.

I had to stop reading when I came to the third slip of paper.....

The year I made this memory jar and showed it to my crafting buddy, Cherie, she also made one that year for her Mother. She rolled all her slips of paper, and tied each one with a pretty ribbon. I wasn't quite that ambitious. I just folded slips of paper....smile...

I'm posting this today, because I thought it might give someone else an idea for Mother's day, it's a gift I don't think would take to long to make. Just takes a little time to write out the slips of paper.

Life is Fragile...

Wow! Where does the time go...I keep thinking that things will get less busy, and I will have more time for my blog....NOT!! I hope everyone had a nice Holiday. I spent Easter day with my daughter who cooked a great dinner. The day before we had a yard sale at my sister-in-law's house so my weekend was quite busy. I gave my grand kids some goodies in the basket that I cross-stitched the border on...just some little trinkets for the family and CHOCOLATE! (My favorite food) Since they're teenagers, I mostly give them something to go buy their own gifts...never sure what to buy for them.

The cross-stitched picture is one of the first things I ever did with cross-stitch...It's not even counted cross-stitch but "Stamped" cross stitch. I would much rather do the counted cross-stitch. While going through my things to see what I wanted to put out for my yard sale, I found the picture so I thought I would put it on my blog...The words were true when I made it...

and I think even truer these days..."Life Is Fragile...handle it with prayer."

300 Posts

WE have a WINNER!

Jennie

from

http://www.bloominpaper.blogspot.com/

Jennie please see the comment below...

I can't believe that I have done 300 posts! Wow! Considering that I am someone who thought they would never have a blog...even I can't believe 300 posts...

I had wanted to have a give away before now, but because of my Mother's illness...I held off...

so now I'm going to try and have one...because I think I am way overdue doing this...

I am trying to down size my craft room supplies...so I am going to start with a give-away of Cross stitch supplies (later I hope to do crochet, and paper supplies)

I know not everyone who follows my blog does cross stitch...However, you might have a relative or a friend who does and might like to have some extra goodies...The things I am offering are not brand new, but some are in unopened packages. They are also from a smoke free, and pet free home.
Since I am on a very limited income, I can only mail to the United States and Canada...

If you are interested in receiving these goodies please post that in your comment...
There are 6 cross-stitch leaflets
14 count Aida Cloth
Needles
Bookmark to cross-stitch
Misc. DMC Thread
small Counted cross-stitch kit to do an Iris Flower

I hope to draw a name Wednesday...March 24...

More Needlework---Cross Stitch

" Memories are stitched with Love"

Yes, this is more of my husband's work. He did these two cross stitch projects a few years ago for our kitchen. He did a very nice job with them, but I guess I have never been able to appreciate them because I am allergic to tomatoes (I really like tomatoes---but they don't like me) and I don't care for mushrooms.

Merry Christmas

My daughter actually made this ornament. I thought it was a great idea, obviously it was made out of puzzle pieces.
My daughter, also made this wreath, It is special to me because she used buttons from my Mother-In-Law's sewing box

My poor angel is looking a bit ragged, I made her many years ago using a yarn pattern that I found on the net.

I made my Mother a gift one year using a PANSY theme, I made her a cross-stiched towel with a pansy on it, a pansy cross-stitched wall hanging, and put them in a basket with other pansy items, lik Pansy soap, Pansy writing paper, and this Pansy doll that I made. I cross-stitched her face, sewed her body, dress, apron, and pantaloons.

I made the afghan for a friend, the cross-stitched pillow for me, and the dress I crocheted for my granddaughter, It was one of her favorite dresses

With all the snow we had today, it really reminded me that it is winter and Christmas is coming.

Am I ready? Absolutely NOT! I have not had much opportunity to go shopping (and a very small budget to do so---like so many others I am sure)

I wanted to share with you some home made ornaments and gifts from years past. I had hoped to share more but (so far) I have not been able to find photographs of some of the things I have made...If I do find them, I will post later...

Are You ready for Christmas?

Pansies for Mom

Pansies for Mom, I have to apologize again, These are awful pictures of this cross-stitch piece. One thing I am NOT is a photographer! This is the second item that I ever cross-stitched, and it is probably the one I enjoyed the most, because of all the colors. It was easier than some of the others things I have done. I gave this to my Mother many years ago, along with a basket full of goodies. The goodies were a cross-stitch towel with a pansy on it...(never took a picture of it) some stationary with pansies on it, some Pansy shaped soap, and a cloth doll that I made for her, which I will post later.

cross-stitched Poodle

I didn't take a very good picture of this cross-stitched poodle that I did for my Mother many years ago...but I think you get the idea. I did it for her when she had her French Poodle named Mimi...

The poodle is not a Counted cross-stitch but a stamped cross-stitch

Father's day gift idea

This is an OLD picture of gifts that I gave to my husband years ago, but I thought the gifts kind of tied in with the Father's day theme.

I made my husband, a boat out of two cardboard boxes that I glued together. It doesn't look that great in the photo that I am posting today. It think it looked better in real life (smile) I made it up in one evening so I didn't spend a lot of time on it...but it did serve it's purpose. I also took a very small tree limb and tied a string on it to serve as a fishing pole.

Inside the boat I put:

Gummy worms in a tin can

A small tin of gold fish crackers

A funny video on fishing

A fishing magazine

A pillow I sewed with a picture of a fishermen on it

A fishing ornament that I made out of shrink it

Cloth fish that I sewed

An insulated vest with lots of pockets (like fishermen wear)

And Finally, a Fishing hat that I cross-stitched.

I thought that this could give ideas to some one for a Future Father's day, Christmas, or for a birthday.

"And he said unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."~Matthew 4:19

Hockey

Keeping in the masculine theme before Father's day...I'm posting a cross-stitch pillow that I made for my husband. He's a big Garfield fan and enjoys watching the Flyers play Hockey, so I took my Garfield cross-stitch and tried my best to make it look like he was wearing a Flyers Uniform.

My question for you...Have you ever played Hockey?

I played a little hockey in school during Gym class, and I have to tell you that I did NOT enjoy it.

Some info about Hockey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hockey

"I never compete against the competition. The only one I compete against is myself, because one day I will beat the competition and then who will I compete against?~Billie Akauola

Favorite Things Friday #13

A Question for you. When you see the R on the pillow---What is the first word beginning with R can you think of?
My R word is rain.! I Probably thought of the word RAIN because it's raining right now and I'm hoping that it's not going to rain tomorrow for my granddaughter's class trip!

I've already posted that one of favorite things to do is cross-stitch, so I guess instead I will say that one of my favorite things is the pattern that I used to do this cross-stitch pillow as a gift for my sister-in-law and her husband for their Anniversary. I used this pattern at least four times, besides the R pillow, I remember making a B, V, and W.

"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun."~Mary Lou Cook

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to you.

Today, I am posting a pillow that I made for my Mother a few years ago. Blogging has made me want to get back to doing all these things again...cross-stitching, sewing, crochet, etc. All I need is the time (and better eyesight)

"Her children rise up and call her blessed."~Proverbs 31:28

Favorite Things Friday #11

Today is supposed to be Iris Day...

The Iris flower is my second favorite flower (the rose being my first) So my favorite thing for today...is the Iris

3d image by Solaris
This is a picture of a pillow I had given to my Mother-in-law many years ago for Mother's day. Her favorite flower was the Iris.

"It was comforting to know that I was not at the head of the parade, that there was an older, wiser woman moving in front of me."~ Phyllis Theroux

"You Don't have a garden just for yourself. You have it to share."~Augusta Carter

"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment."~Georgia O'Keeffe

Favorite Things Friday #10

I know I posted "sewing" things in last Friday's Favorites post. This is like a part 2...Even though I am not sewing at the present time...sewing, at one time, was a big part of my life, and my hope is that I can get back to it again.

This card kind of reminds me of a quilt, The pattern and the directions for the card are in a book I purchased called "Paper Quilts" by Sandra Lounsbury Foose.

"Our lives are like quilts-bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love."

This Box of a miniature sewing room has always been a favorite gift of mine, My sister-in-law made it for me many years ago for a Christmas present. It has been hanging on my walls for many years.

"I rather be stitching than in the kitchen."

The above statement is so true...It has always been true that if I had my choice between baking, cooking and crafting...I would take crafting any day!

I sewed and cross stitched the above apron as a gift for my mother-in-law.

Happy Easter

"I am come that they might have Life and have it more abundantly." ~John 10:10

All things bright and beautiful

All Things Bright and Beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them All!

I found the pattern to cross stitch this baby bib in a Better Homes and Gardens craft book

In Tribute to Mom

I had given this pillow to my mother-in-law as a birthday gift, on March 15th...
many years ago. We lost her to cancer Eight years ago this week.

"The love of a mother is the veil of a softer light between the heart and the heavenly father." ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge