Boxes for needlework at Hallmark (and Amazon too!)

P.S.  (3-3-12)  I bought another larger one today and got the brand name this time -"Cottage Garden"  I Googled the brand and found that many of them are carried on Amazon.com.       Here is a link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=%22cottage+garden%22+boxes

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Hey readers just wanted to tip you off to some cool boxes I found at my Hallmark store yesterday. I don't know if all the Hallmark stores have these or not but I was excited to find them.   I was in picking up some birthday cards and my store has a big display of all sorts of boxes that can be used for needlework.  They had round ones in cream, black, and wood grain.  In fact I have seen the same cream and black ones in my LNS, I think Shepherd's Bush has charted some designs that fit them. They are really nicely made.  There are a variety of wood grain rectangular boxes in different sizes - the larger ones contain a music box as well. They also had some smaller heart-shaped ones.  Each box is lined and comes with a window in the hinged lid into which you can insert your mounted needlework. I tested it out by adding a piece of matboard covered with padding and linen and there is plenty of room. (the boxes come with a glass insert which you can leave in or take out).

I bought a small one (about 3.5 X 4.5") for $12.95.  I plan on buying more in various sizes for gifts.  As you probably already know, sometimes buying boxes from the needlework accessory companies can be pretty pricey.  While these aren't exactly cheap they are reasonably priced I think.   

Here's a photo of the store display I took with my cell phone and a closeup of the one  I purchased.

That's all for today....I had a great time at my quilting weekend but no time to do further updates today.

WIPocolypse 2012 - February update

Well I'm a couple of days late I think but that's okay.   I've still only worked on one of my WIPocolypse projects, the American Sampler. I got a little further along.  I unrolled it from the scroll bars to photograph and discovered I didn't finish a little flower along the top way back when I stitched that part a few years ago - oops!  I finished the two trees in the middle, got most of the column stitched on the left side of the center, and did one more line of the over-1 verse.  I almost finished the lavender queen-stitch flower but I need to get one more shade of lavender thread to fill in 4 stitches and that requires a trip to the LNS.  The pattern calls for 3 shades of lavender but when stitching you couldn't tell the 'medium' much from the 'light' so I am altering a bit. 

I have a couple small finishes this week.   This is from one of those Just Another Button Co pincushion kits.  It's called "Stuck on You".  I took it with me to my monthly meeting with quilting friends and did the whole thing in about 2 hours.    My pincushion collection keeps growing but I can't help myself. I think it came out really cute and perfect for February.  The bottom box portion comes with the kit but it seems to be from those Whitman's little candy packs they have out this month for about $1.29.  I bought a couple at the grocery store in case I ever want to make more of these as gifts.   The kit included wool roving to use to stuff the 'chocolates' and it was so much nicer to use than the polyester stuffing.  I may try that in future for stuffing other smalls, it seemed to be less lumpy.

And, I am ahead of schedule and finished my February ornament last night.  I might even get 2 stitched for February (!) but I probably should work more on my WIPs this month.  I love the peppermint tree in this one!

We just purchased some tickets for spring training baseball games for next month (spring is coming already!)  and tomorrow we're headed out with friends to a fair Phoenix is putting on to celebrate Arizona's 100th year of statehood.   Yes we're one of  the 'youngsters' when it comes to the 50 states - Arizona was the 48th state (last on the mainland) to join the union on February 14th, 1912.  Happy Birthday Arizona!

Thanks for stopping in to read my blog, I treasure each and every comment.  I have added about 100 more blogs to my list in Google, I just need to find more time to visit everyone!

Bravo Queen Elizabeth - 60 years!

Monday marks 60 years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth.   You have to admire her still doing her duties at 85!  I think she's in the running for breaking Queen Victoria's record as the longest-reigning British monarch.  Considering her mother the "Queen Mum" lived to be over a 100 she's got a good chance I'd say.  I've always been a bit of a royal watcher even from 'across the pond'.  Here's one of my favorite photos of the Queen - looking every bit the 'royal'.

HRH Queen Elizabeth II

Ascended to the throne Feb 6, 1952
   

In stitching news, I finished up "Dog Lessons" last week.  I hope to get it dropped off to be framed sometime this week - it's a gift for a family member.  I modified the colors a bit to add a third color to the lettering as I thought it needed a little more 'life'. 

"Dog Lessons for People" by Lizzie Kate. 

Stitched with cotton overdyes on 32-ct Light Mocha linen.

I posted the finish below on the '2012 Year of Smalls' blog already but here it is again.  This is 'Garden of Love", our February smalls project.  It stitched up really quick with a kit I purchased from Inspired Needle in Illinois. Luckily I had the perfect fabric in my quilting stash to make it into a little flange-style pillow.    In the photo is a teacup from a little china set I had as a child. I was thrilled a few years ago when my mom unearthed them in storage.   In it is sitting a 'red hat' bear my husband got me as a joke when I turned 50 a few years ago.  (what's so funny about turning 50 I really don't know!)    Anyway,  I swore I would never be a red hat lady but my little bear is kind of cute.
   

"Garden of Love" by Citrouille Designs

Stitched with Belle Soie Silks on 36-ct LL linen

I'm working on my February ornament which is a LHN pattern this time, and I'm almost done with the stitching part.    I'm frantically trying to make some progress on American Sampler because it's almost time again for  a WIPocolypse update!  Didn't we just do that??

Wow - I have reached 200 followers - thank you so much friends!  I will have a giveaway a little later this month to celebrate, but I need a little time to get my act together.  Stay tuned.............