Someday, I'll make something of this...

I'd like to make this blog nice, and post on it more often. I just don't seem to find the time. I know it's there, I've just misplaced it somehow...

I thought I'd at least give a little update on what's going on with the shop. The Etsy shop is doing well, lots of custom orders. I've collaborated with a fellow snarky gal and now make patterns for her shop, HitchedStitcher, and I'm making a pattern for Wend's Hell Devils shop, too. I'm also giving away 100 copies of the new "Regretsy(TM) made me do it" pattern to all the FJLs at the L.A. meetup next week. Hopefully this will help me continue to make sales through these slowest months of the year.

At Contempo Artisan Boutique, Staci has readied the upstairs of the shop for classes and supplies. I'll be selling cross stitch kits there, and teaching a series of handsewing classes. First one is February 2. I'm looking forward to doing this, as it will help me further share my love of needle and thread.

In designing for myself/the shop, I'm working on finishing a series of eyeglasses that I'm really happy with. I'm also stitching on more wooden boxes and vintage artwork. I'll post pictures when I have them framed.

Click on those pictures above for more information about the classes, or visit www.contempoartisanboutique.com.

Samuel L. Jackson reads "Go the F*** to Sleep"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjgV0aACAMc

NSFW, of course, but still hilarious.

April's Army

I made this for the April's Army Charity shop on Etsy. Gonna start up some more charity snark.

33: a retrospective

In just a few hours I'll not be 33 anymore. So what did I do this past year?

I finished another 30 credits of college
I nursed my Pappy back to health (he's running 5 days a week again!). Well, I helped.
Aubrey had her accident, and I became the mother of a burn survivor.
I started an Etsy shop for my needlework stuff, and some reselling of vintage.
I opened an Alibris shop and sold a bunch of books
I created over 120 cross stitch patterns
I stitched about 12 of them
Both my kids went to elementary school
I completely cleaned and organized my craft room/office, then trashed it again
I saw my best friend get married
I said goodbye to my therapist, who died
I said hello again (online) to some old friends whom I had missed

And some goals for 34:

get my office organized again and keep it that way
graduate from college
get a job/ get into grad school
Remember to be in the now, not in the then or the later
fall in love with me again.

It's been a while...

... but nobody reads this anyway...

I'm in a creative slump. An intellectual slump, too. Doing schoolwork is difficult because I can't concentrate. Doing embroidery is impossible for the same reason.

In happier news, the kids have been delightful and semi-helpful and have been getting along very well. Also, Tony came home. Small things, but the most important ones.

Easter Freebie!

I'm posting my first ever, hopefully not the last, series of freebie patterns here on the blog. Of course, I'd rather you give me money and buy patterns from my shop.....

here's freebie pattern #1: a marshmallow peep. Yellow. Chick. Marshmallow. Yummy. It's Easter personified from a secular viewpoint. Personally, I like them best stale. They're also good roasted over an open fire.

Click here for full PDF

Making the Jump to Blog world...

I (well, one of my patterns, anyway) was featured in Tracey Knits' blog. This is the first time (to my knowledge) that one of my patterns has made the jump from etsy/facebook to a stranger's blog. That's right, I don't know her and didn't pay her or anything! Hooray!

Check it out. She's feminist, sporty, geeky, and crafty. My kind of woman.

http://www.traceyknits.com