HALLOWEEN WITCH UPDATE

Just a quick update...

I will soon be finished stitching my HALLOWEEN WITCH. Then comes framing and I am hoping to have this ready to show off by Halloween. The old witch is looking good!!
Love the colors of her dress and the moon is just beautiful! Can't wait to show her off...

Sharing with you all...
Todays mail was my surprise, I received my Holiday Edition of "A Primitive Place" magazine. Inside they have 5 Holiday Home Tours. Many holiday crafts and recipes. Such a beautiful primitive magazine. Job well done. Anyone wanting to know more about the "A PRIMITIVE PLACE" magazine, please check out www.aprimitiveplace.org
Be sure to stop at the "members gallery" showing many beautiful homes.

Won't be long.......
HALLOWEEN WITCH will be visiting you!

Until we meet again.
Happy Cross Stitching!
CROSS STITCH WOMAN

LOTUS WATER LILLIES

Indiana's August 2010 was like no other August I can remember.
Hot hot hot!!! Very hot and dry weather. No rain!
Our grass is brown instead of pretty green. The farmer's corn crops are dry and ready to be picked. There is nothing better than an Indiana acidy tomato and I can't say I have had one this summer.

However...
There is one thing in my town that has loved this hot hot weather.
At the edge of town by a shopping center strip is a retention pond with a water spout and many many water lillies.

LOTUS WATER LILLIES
Oh are these Lotus Water Lillies ever showing off!
Each day there has been many people stopping by taking pictures. This is a site like no other. My neighbor who is over the flowers and grounds of the Eli Lilly Center and Indianapolis Art Museum told me this is a "spectacular" view. He tells me the Lotus Water Lillies are way above the ordinary water lilly. We are so lucky because the Lotus Water Lilly grows mostly in tropical country, not Indiana. It is actually from the Indian cultural. These beautiful Lotus Water Lillies grow 4-5 feet, the pink to yellow cream colored flower is 10-12 inches and the leaves are 19-20 inches wide. Very large leaves! They also have seed pods and as they dry and harden they rattle. Again, the Indian cultural cut these pods and use them for art work. The roots are edible in different countries. There are many species of Lotus Water Lillies but the name of this Lotus Water Lilly is Green Maiden Water Lilly.

Are you wondering how these Lotus Water Lillies come to be in this retention pond? I sure did. Well, again my neighbor man knew that answer too. He said a lady who was in the U.S. Water Garden Society decided years ago to plant a few seeds. I bet this lady is so shocked to see how many water lillies have grown this summer.

Once again, these Lotus Water Lillies have loved our "tropical" summer weather and the day I took pictures they were really showing themselves for me and many other takers. I must say they have been the most "spectacular" flower showing this summer.

So, I want to share with each of you this "spectacular" view.

I hope each of you enjoy my pictures of these Lotus Water Lillies!

Just to mention...I am still stitching my Halloween Witch.
Until We Meet Again...Happy Stitching!!

CROSS STITCH WOMAN

A PRIMITIVE PLACE MAGAZINE

I just received in the mail the first issue of "A PRIMITIVE PLACE" magazine.
It is the Fall 2010 issue.
The very first issue too!

If anyone loves the primitive/colonial decorating look...then this is a must have!!

A PRIMITIVE PLACE magazine shows off homes, how to decorate, crafts and recipes.
Anyone wanting to order this magazine ?
Go to www.aprimitiveplace.org

I also loved how the magazine arrived in a plastic covering with no rips or tears from postal machines. What a great way to receive a magazine! So well protected.

Now I can't wait to have the time today to sit down and browse through all the homes and recipes being shown off. Furthermore...can't wait for the next issue to arrive.
It will be for the holiday season and just in time for Christmas decorating.
Can't wait!!!!!!!!!

Be sure and vist "A Primitive Place" blog.
www.aprimitiveplace.org
This blog is for sure the best blog for primitive, colonial lovers. There is a lot offered so be sure not to miss out...take a look. Don't miss the "members gallery" showing all the beautiful homes inside and out. It is a must !!

Until We Meet Again...
CROSS STITCH WOMAN

HALLOWEEN WITCH "UPDATE"

Just a stitching update...

The ole HALLOWEEN WITCH is coming right along. To this date I have stitched the snow white owl, the witches face, hat and scarf along with some hair. I feel pretty good with my stitching so far. Everything seems to be moving quickly. I also have a few of the stars finished too.

I always do my backstitching last but with this pattern it was driving me crazy looking at the owl and witches face. Looking at these areas made me feel like I was sort of lost or no direction of where I was. Guess you could say, everything seemed to be running together. Don't know if this makes any sense but again was driving me crazy. So, yes...I did the backstitching of the owl's beak and around the witches hair. Then I backstitched the witches face and stitched in all details. I must say...I feel so much better!!
I now feel I can move on knowing where the owl & witches face started and stopped.
Maybe this is called "finding my way".

Next I will stitch the witches hand around the white owl and then on to her long stringy white hair.

I have a picture of the Halloween Witch in my previous post, so scroll on down and you can see this neat pattern.

So far this Halloween Witch pattern has been a real joy to cross stitch.
On to my stitching........

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN...
HAPPY STITCHING!
CROSS STITCH WOMAN

HALLOWEEN WITCH

HALLOWEEN!!!!

Halloween and Autumn is my most favorite season of the year. I love all the colors that go along with Autumn. The Halloween colors just catch my eye. I have a love for all vintage Halloween decorating. Perhaps this says my age or the time period I grew up. Whatever it might be I will take vintage decorating anyday over all the plastic decorating we have today. I have a nice collection of witches!! Witches are my favorite because they each have their own character.

As an elementary school student we had our Halloween party and all the Moms brought in cupcakes, cookies and fudge. All of us got to dress up in our Halloween costumes and the entire school had a Halloween Parade walking the city streets as many watched. This was always a highlight of school and Halloween.

Trick or Treating was simple fun! We didn't have the plastic pumpkins to put our candy or apple treats in, we just had ole paper grocery sacks. Our costumes came in a box that I can still recognize the odor as if it were now. In that box were your costume and false face.

Halloween fun also was innocent throwing corn on porches, soaping windows and carving pumpkins. I remember as a child walking to the local feed store and buying 25 cents worth of cracked corn for throwing. I would always get a good scolding from the owner. Oh yes, the older kids might try and smash a pumpkin or two just for fun. My parent's allowed me to have a Halloween party and we all bobbed for apples.
This was Halloween for me as a child growing up in a small town. So, I believe everyone reading this blog can see why I love Halloween.

I also have a love to cross stitch Halloween patterns. I have shared in the past my Leisure Arts Books and today I want to show off what I am stitching. Yes...it is a Halloween Witch. When I ran across this Leisure Arts Book I just had to have it. The witch sold me immediately! My pattern is from Leisure Arts Book " HOLIDAYS REMEMBERED",this is Book Five from the Christmas Remembered Series. The pattern is "HALLOWEEN". I am stitching on Antique Mocha Fabric, 14Ct Aida. This is a pattern that makes you not want to put it down. As I see the colors coming into play it becomes so addictive!! I have been thinking what it will look like framed. Today, I am showing the picture out of the book. When I finish this Halloween Witch you all will get to see her hanging on the moon.
Until then...HAPPY STITCHING!!!!

CROSS STITCH WOMAN

I WON ~ I WON !!!!!

I won the $60 CSN Store gift certificate from PLUM STREET SAMPLERS, PAULETTE STEWART.

This last week PLUM STREET SAMPLERS was doing a give-away.
Myself, I have never heard of the CSN Store online shopping. Also, I have never won anything in my life. Since I read Paulette Stewart's blog each day and seen her give-away I thought why not. I never think about winning because it hasn't ever happened to me, always someone else. How many times I have entered a comment on Pioneer Woman and see all those lucky people winning. As the saying goes...if you don't enter, you don't have a chance at winning. So, last night when I received my email from Paulette I was so in disbelief. Not me!! Oh yes me!!!
It took me a few times to read and reread that email trying to make sense of it. Then I go to PLUM STREET SAMPLERS blog only to find the video with Sophie and that chalk board and it had my name. Yes, it still took a second or so to soak in. Then came my email from CSN Store with my gift certificate information and code numbers...it really is true!

Today, I have been browsing the CSN Store online and thinking how can I spend my $60 only to find so many items. I have until the end of the year to decide, so I think I have a few days to make up my mind.

So, everyone when you see a give-away...go for it! Take a chance, afterall...you might just be the lucky winner.

I was so excited when I got the news that I had to email my sons and their wives. I also went to bed thinking to myself...oh my gosh!!! Can't wait to tell my husband in the morning. His thoughts are...pretty neat!!!

So, last things...a big THANK YOU to PAULETTE STEWART/PLUM STREET SAMPLERS and CSN STORES online shopping!!!!!
Make sure you go to PLUM STREET SAMPLERS and check it out. Paulette has an awesome blog and family. By the way, check out her recipe blog too, FOUR SEASONS CAFE.

CROSS STITCH WOMAN
HAPPY STITCHING!!

HAPPY 4TH JULY

WISHING EVERYONE A SAFE AND HAPPY 4TH JULY!!!