9.29.2012

Are you scissor crazy?????????????

you know,
 crazy about scissors?
 
Hold onto your garters ladies,
look what arrived in today's mail!
NEW scissors to tug at your heartstrings!
 
The Vineyard Scissor...
Just 3 1/2" long with winding vine engraved details.  Available in Gold and Primitive Black...they look like antiques!
How many of you scissor hoarders out there own a pair of fish scissors?  If not, all scissor collections need a pair of fish, no? 
3 1/2" scissors in the shape of a sword fish....and the best part is they don't even stink!  Available in primitive black and silver.
Scissors are now posted on our website for purchase...just in case you need another pair of scissors :)


And because I'm a scissor freak, scissor hoarder, or sucker for scissors,
lover of scissors,
 I am most excited about this...
a sweet little chatelaine !
 
Similar to the chatelaines worn by a housekeeper in the 19th century,
to hold the necessary household items,
such as scissors, thimble, keys or watch.
I have chose to decorate mine with old buttons and pearls. The chatelaine hangs from a piece of vintage silk.
I've been wearing it as I finish up the piece that is currently in my hoop,
titled,
"Let Heaven & Nature Sing".
A wintery piece to get out for the holidays,
but will be one that can be kept out all winter.
The finish is still a bit uncertain,
but I am hoping to adorn it with antique sheet music
in a collage-fashion.
 
I have these Chatelaine Scissor Cases on order,
more on these to follow at a later date.
 
 
It's a beautiful autumn day here in the heartland, the hot dry summer is making for some spectacular autumn colors.  Our lake is now still as can be, looks like a sheet of glass...an autumn time occurrence here only...we are usually windy with white caps. 
 
  I must try to find a few moments to sneak away from pattern instructions & stitching to get out and enjoy it and maybe even snap a few pics.
 
Have a good weekend,
Brenda

9.26.2012

Coming Soon!

J.M. Gardner Antique Reproduction Sampler Chart
Just awaiting word from the framer to come and pick her up...not too much longer now! 
Floss Keeps & brooches will also be available featuring this wonderful miniature sampler.
 
Have a good day,
Brenda
 

9.11.2012

Floss Keeps!

Our floss keep category has been updated with inventory!
 
There are two new additions...
Mary Bartle, featuring two spunky brown dogs...wonderful for all the dog lovers out there!


Jane Shepherd 1817, featuring gardener's, fishermen, various trees and floral motifs.
 
Hurry on over to here to take a look at all of the floss keeps that feature color photo snippets
of antique samplers from my personal collection!
 
Have a good day,
Brenda

9.10.2012

Good bye hernia!

Today is surgery day.
Son Matthew is going in for a procedure today... getting a sports hernia fixed. 
He gets to have a little piece of mesh-like fabric sewn into him to mend his tear...
sort of just like mending a tear in a pair of jeans.
 
It's bothered him for sometime several years since his college baseball days,
 being more bothersome as of late.
Couldn't be from riding his bike across the state of Iowa, participating in a half triathlon, climbing the steps of the Incline, playing softball, or the hundreds of rounds of golf he's golfed this summer...
 
His sweet girlfriend Megan is filling in for Mom today... taking him to surgery, bringing him home, etc...
Thanks Megan!

I talked to him on the phone last evening. The main topic and concern wasn't surgery, how big the incision, recovery, how many days of work he would miss, etc, etc... but the fear and unknown of what all they were going to shave, pre-op!! 
He even offered to pre-shave...
save a nurse the hassle,
you know!
Speed things up a bit...
 
That's my Matthew.
 
Wishing you a speedy recovery,
 sonny boy.
Love,
Mom
 
 
 
 

9.09.2012

Long time no stitch...

Well, hi there Frances!
How have you been?
Long time no see.
Long time
 no stitch...
For those inquiring minds,
the Frances Pool antique reproduction
 is back in my hands.
I'm no different then any other one
who stitches...
I work on something for awhile,
things are going good,
I see a finish close in sight
and
then
you
notice
a
stitching
error...
 
 
and that is when I said,
see
 ya
 later
Frances,
and she was folded up
 and
put away,
until another day.
 
Until today...
I've spent this lovely late summer day
frogging
my stitching error.
To make things worse,
the stitching error was in the petite stitches.
All my smaller letters were one stitch too short....ugh!
Not my favorite stitch to stitch,
and definitely no fun to frog!
 
On a brighter note,
the J.M Gardner sampler is done!
It turned out really wonderful...
I cannot stop looking at it!
I.LOVE.IT
Tomorrow I will visit my local framing shop
and hopefully find a frame similar to what I have in mind
for the finish of this sampler.
 
There will also be J.M. Gardner floss keeps
and
brooches too!
 
Have a good week,
Brenda



9.08.2012

Mexico Bound!

Upon driving up our driveway the past days,
I 've been welcomed home by droves of migrating monarchs,
peacefully flitting about.
 
I couldn't resist...
I had to get the camera out
and
 shoot a few pics.
The late afternoon sun
made for some beautiful
background bokeh effects.
 
Monarchs catching a little rest
 and
working the leaves of our fruit bearing trees...
crab apples, service berry and apricot.
 
Trees that all bloomed too early
 and
 got nipped by frost,
therefore,
little to no fruit
 was bared. 
 
 However,
 these are still the trees
 in our yard
 that the migrating monarchs
 choose to congregate in.
(crab apple tree)
 
Did you know...
Each season there are 4 to 5 new generations of monarchs,
 but just one generation migrates,
 the last generation of the year. 
 
These monarchs that are seen hanging in our fruit trees
 will not completely mature
 until they reach their Mexico destination. 

(apricot tree)
 
Once they arrive in Mexico,
 the long and warm days
 will trigger the reproduction organs
 to mature
 and they will begin to reproduce.

Migration of the monarch has always amazed me. 
 Having never made the migratory trip before,
 the offspring
will travel the same route
 as their past generations did...
no GPS or Google Earth needed!
 
Have a good weekend everyone,
Brenda

9.07.2012

A little field trip!

During my visit with the grand-darlings we went on a field trip.
A little jaunt up Interstate 35 to the Reiman Gardens
on the beautiful campus of
Iowa State University.
 Each summer the garden has a theme that involves a special exhibit.
 This years exhibit is the
Nature Connects sculptures.
Sculptures that are built with Lego Bricks!
 
Here we have the American Bumble Bee...
There are 16, 383 lego pieces in this guy!
Just outside the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing is a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly...
37,481 Lego pieces create this work of art.
Blooming at the entrance to the Antique Rose Garden
 is a towering rose
 built with 41,242 Legos.
 
The gardens are in full bloom,
there are many photo opportunities
in front of the beds,
but this little one prefers
the water over the flowers...


somehow,
this doesn't surprise
his g-ma!

Just checking to make sure we see the pretty water fall...
within a matter of seconds the
flip flops are off
and our pant legs are rolled up!
Time to wet our toes...


Passing the Bald Cypress Allee, and around the bend,
you are greeted by the Hummingbird and Flower display.
(31,565 Lego pieces)
Marvelous! 

And though it is one of the smaller displays,
I would have to say this is my favorite...
3 little Goldfinches hanging from a feeder.
Notice the seed in the feeder is Lego pieces!

Moving along,
we approach Lake Helen...
 
The water lilies are putting on quite the show.
Real ones
and
Lego ones...
A koi and 5 Water Platter's...
more Lego art.
See the little frog?
It took 530 Legos to piece together
that little frog! 


 What's does Beckham see?
 

More water?
You guessed it!
 
Shoes are off,
pant legs rolled...
annndddd.....
so much for the pants!
Off they go too!
Time for another little toe-dip!
 
And all gardens must have a Gardener!
Although, I really am sort of feeling cheated here...
shouldn't it have been a female??
(37,497 Lego pieces)

Miss Avry joined us on this little field trip.
She enjoyed her stroller ride,
fresh morning air,
and snacking on her fingers...
 
Germinating acorn...
 
A Common Green Darner Dragonfly...

 
Approaching the prairie portion of the gardens...
The prairie is home to a display of various birdhouses made by Iowa artisan. 
Here are a couple of my favorite birdhouses.
An eight sided barn...
complete with a tiny quilt
encased within the haymow door.
And another favorite...
An apartment for birds!
 
Grazing up on a little bluff that overlooks Strafford Gardnen is the Bison. 
A bison and her calf!
Take note of the bird perched on the mother...
This display uses the most Lego pieces. 
 Over 70, 000 Legos and hours upon hours to create!
Amazing.
Look...
a Lego lawnmower!

This ends our field trip.
It made me want to go home and play with Legos!
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
The creator of this traveling exhibit is Sean Kenney,
and his five person staff.
To learn more about his amazing work,
you can visit his website at
There are a couple of sculptures that I didn't get pics of...
you can view them all on his website.
 
Have a good weekend everyone,
Brenda