Birthday Clubs - 2009

I belong to a birthday club on the I Love Cross Stitch Yahoo group where we exchange gifts on our birthday and a birthday club on ILCS Yahoo group where we exchange birthday cards with 2 skeins of floss. Well, Friday was my birthday and this is a photo of all the unopened cards and packages I received.

I was so looking forward to getting up on Friday morning and opening prezzies, but real life got in the way and I didn't get the opportunity to check everything out until this morning. I still had one house guest this morning, but I was so curious I couldn't wait any longer. My DH and our friend laughed themselves silly while I was tearing into everything cause I kept saying "This is gorgeous" and "Oh I can't wait to start this one." They both agreed I'd need a dozen set of arms in order to do all I want to get stitched. Here's a photo of everything inside those envelopes and boxes. Photos of the individual gifts are below.

From Vicky L I received Waxing Moon's Gripers Club and the charms that go with it. Vicky also sent me all the specialty threads needed to stitch this piece. There was 1 skein of Blue Jay, Gold Leaf, Maple Syrup, Grape Leaf and 2 skeins of Freedom - all from Gentle Arts. I can't wait to dye a piece of fabric and get started on this one; I think it's going to go to the office with me when it gets done.

Rene isn't in my birthday group, but she sent me the sweetest card and inside it was a frogging tool she beaded in my favorite colors of red and purple. Both ends of the "frogger" have an adorable lady bug charm. This will always be on the table beside my stitching chair and I hope you don't take offense to this Rene, but I hope I don't have to use it too often. LOL

Linda sent me New Snow by Glendon Place. She also sent an 18 x 26 piece of ColorScapes hand-dyed 28-count cashel from Picture This Plus. Everyone knows I'm a huge fan of Christmas and winter themed cross stitch. In fact, I was eyeing this chart and fabric the last time I was in Dixie Darlin' in Pigeon Forge TN. I was kicking myself for not buying it, but now I'm glad I didn't.

Shelley gave me Waxing Moon's Christmas Short Stack along with 2 JABC buttons that are needed. The package also included a fat quarter of purple fabric and 2 Post-It type notepads.

Shelley's package also include a gorgeous bookmark. I'm an avid reader, but every time I'd stitch a bookmark for myself, one of the grandkids would claim it; now I have one of my very own. Here is a close up of the bookmark she stitched. I had read about this type of finishing for bookmarks but never got around to trying it. All I can say is that from here on out all my bookmarks will be done this way - it's the perfect way to hide the backside of your work.

Karol Johns sent me this cute card and 2 skiens of DMC - 761 and 772.

Leigh Ann made this beautiful plate for me. Leigh Ann isn't part of any cross stitch group and I only recently met her and her family, but they were part of the group that was here Friday and Saturday to help me celebrate my birthday. I'm not sure how she does it, but she adheres fabric and/or photos to clear plates. Some of her work that I've seen is absolutely stunning.

Sandy sent 2 skeins of DMC - 300 & 819 - in this cute card.

Rhonda sent me Christmas Gazebo Sampler from The Victoria Sampler along with a pack of Mill Hill's #40557 gold petite glass beads and a needle minder from Kelmscott Designs that has my initial on it.

When I opened the box from Nancy it had 3 individually wrapped gifts inside. The first one was a set of USA themed kitchen hand towels, the second one was a 20" x 27" piece of 28-count evenweave (the color is called Mushroom) and the third gift was a green Christmas themed tin box where the lid holds a 4 x 6 photo. I was floored when I opened the box and found 8 more gifts wrapped up inside it. She sent me the cutest Christmas theme chart called Snowed In from Stone & Thread and it included the snowman button, a package of Dress It Up buttons that spell Christmas, a cute little candy cane charm/button (Nancy, you'll have to tell me how I can use this on a stitched piece), 1 skein of Carrie's Creations thread - Grape, a container of flower shaped bathroom confetti, a bar of flower shaped bath soap, a small beaded fob and a beautiful beaded bracelot. I put it on as soon as I saw it and I haven't taken it off yet. Did you make the beaded items yourself? If so, I'd love to see more of your work.

Here are close up shots of the 2 beaded items. As you can see, that bracelot looks good on me! LOL

This lovely card came from Marl.

Meari gave me Gingerbread Garden Sampler from The Victoria Sampler and 3 skeins of Carrie's Creations thread - Ruby, Boysenberry and Deep Purple. She also included Victoria Sampler's Humor is a Virtue ornament. Again, these charts are perfect for me.

My next package came from Kim and it was the first one I received; it came a couple weeks before my birthday and one piece of the envelope was torn. I wanted very badly to peek inside that tear to see what I could see, but made myself put it down and not touch it until the proper time. Kim, you don't know how hard it was to do that. She sent me 2 charts from Cross My Heart - Tiny Little Teapots and My Cup of Tea, a 13" x 18" piece of hand-dyed 32-count opalescent Lugana in a color called Magic Juice, a package of Mary Engelbreit's dimensional teapot accent pieces, and a key chain shaped as a boomerang.

I got DMC 498 and DMC 535 inside this lovely card from Kim Ritchie.

Kathy isn't in my birthday group either, but I'm very happy to name her as one of my closest friends. Kathy knows I'm slowly working on making enough ornaments to decorate an 8-foot tall Christmas tree and she sent me 2 charts from my wish list - Pointedly Stitched Ornaments I from Homespun Elegance and Christmas Sentiments Vol I from Blue Ribbon Designs. Kathy is a member of the birthday group with the ILCS yahoo group and she sent me 2 skeins of floss from Carrie's Creations - Epiphany and Sea Kelp.

Ethel sent me Art Venture's Antique Santa, Bucilla's Christmas Collection Ornament kit, a memo pad, a fat quarter of blue printed fabric, a 15 x 18 piece of 28-count white Monaco, 3 skeins of thread from Carrie's Creations - Cherry, Foxfire, & Canteloupe, and 3 skeins of DMC thread - 321, 347 and 349.

Deborah isn't part of my birthday group but is very dear to my heart and she sent me a pack of Mill Hill's #40557 gold petite glass beads, a pack of Mill Hill's #10033 Antique Cranberry Magnifica glass beads, and one of the Just for Fun charts from The Sweetheart Tree called Merry Christmas. Deborah also sent a 9 x 9 piece of 32-count Raw Belfast linen for me to use to stitch Merry Christmas and the threads called for from WDW - Linen, Holly, Garnet & Cypress. And she spoiled me even more by giving me a chart from My Big Toe called Sisters in Stitching; it's the green box on the right side of the photo. Inside that box is the chart, necessary threads, needle and fabric. I'm going to see if I can't replace the line "stitching bits and bobs" with our names.

I got Waxing Moon's #138 Monthly Sampler - April from Debbie Jo. She also sent me a pack of Piecemakers size 28 needles and a 13 x 18 piece of natural linen.

I also received two gift certificates from 123 Stitch - one from Kelly and the other from Evalina. Not sure what I'll get with them, but if you noticed the recurring Waxing Moon theme you probably won't be too surprised if I use them to get some of her charts missing from my collection.

My birthday on Friday didn't start out as I wanted it to (had to take M in for some tests) and then get home to straighten the house up and start cooking for guests coming over for a BBQ on Saturday. But the surprise was on me when everyone started showing up late Friday afternoon for a party that night and staying over for the cookout on Saturday. I never even got to open my pretty prezzies until today after the last house guest left. But as you can see, everything was worth the wait. I was thoroughly spoiled and I hope everyone knows how much I appreciate what they sent.

I'm so tired this afternoon I'd like to take a nap, but it's back to work for me tomorrow and I'm afraid if I lie down now I won't be able to sleep tonight. So I'll force my eyes to stay open for a few more hours and go to bed earlier than usual.

That's it for now and I'll try to update again before another 4 months goes by.

D