Surfing for Needlepoint and Cross Stitch

When I was in 4th grade my mother taught me how to do cross stitch.   It was only cross stitch on a printed design, but she started my love of needlework on that day.   Between 4th grade and 1995 I exclusively did counted cross stitch.  After 1995 I learned I COULD NOT keep track of what I needed to cross and where I was on the pattern.  You see #2 was born in 1995.

Now days I do a lot of needlepoint.  If you don’t know the difference between Cross Stitch and Needlepoint.. it’s pretty simple.

  • Cross stitch is done on a soft cloth, and you count  with little squares and holes. With Cross stich the stitches are formed by making X’s across the squares to make a pattern.   The pattern is not on the fabric, you follow the paper pattern and count to figure out where your stitches go.
  • Needlepoint uses different stitches, (but almost never and X). The other major difference between cross stitch and needlepoint is that a needlepoint design fills up the entire fabric, while cross stitch can be large or small but almost always has blank canvas around the stitched image.  With Needlepoint the pattern is painted on the canvas while cross stitch is a blank canvas.

At lunchtime around my house I like to dream about needlepoint.  I surf the internet for the perfect canvas.  Here are some I found today.

I love all things Poppy.

I found this one on Etsy.  This is hand painted by the seller WeezieWorld.  They are selling it for $75.00 Check it out HERE.

Looks like something  The Pioneer Woman would love!

I love the colors.. makes me wish I had a  floppy ear dog.  Hand painted by Etsy seller 4EVAU  Asking price on this needlepoint $29.00  Check it out HERE

Geometric Design..

I like circles.. but these are more like ovals.  ANY WAY.. I like the colors and the shapes of this one.  The artist is izzyandluca  Price $35.00  Check it out HERE.

Fart Queen…

This is NOT needlepoint.. it is a cross stitch.  I saw it and about spit iced tea ALL over my laptop.  I hope it brings you the same joy it brought me 🙂  Etsy Seller Xandy  Price $35.00 Check it out HERE.

Looking for a Way to Make Money? Here’s some ideas..

When I started out thinking what I would blog about today, I was pretty sure that I would do a top five list of what I would buy my children for Christmas if they were good or something..

I started my search out with #5. I was looking on Etsy for some cool Transformers stuff. That kid loves Transformers. After 3 or 4 pages of searching it occurred to me.. some really creative people are making a living off of the Transformer theme. Check these out..

1. Transformer UpCycle Play Notebook made by CinderLisaDesign Check it out HERE.

How cute and creative is this idea?

2. How about some Autobot Symbol earrings? Seller is RedFlare Check them out Here.

Show your allegiance to Optimus Prime & the Autobots with these fabulous earrings & help to fight off Megatron & the evil Decepticons!

3. Funny Robots in Disguise Transformer T-Shirt. Seller is JamJamTees. You can see them HERE.

I believe #1 and #2 would fight over this shirt!

4. Decepticon Transformer Bottle Cap pin. Seller is SpaceHappy Click HERE to see it.

Cute.. Creative..

5. Transformer Felt Ornaments. Seller name is blackrose1151. Here it is.

I know a certain 4 year old that would love this!

6. This is for the ultimate collector! Transformer Garter. Seller is PetereneDesigns Check it out Here.

This is the ultimate in Transformer gear.. a bridal garter..

Maybe this will give you an idea for something you can make and sell to avid collectors.

Veteran’s Day & Shopping for Poppies on Etsy

I love poppies. I love and appreciate veterans… so in honor of Veterans Day… I present you the top 5 Poppy things I want on Etsy.

I love this poppy garland. I would love to have it to drape over my

curtain rods. Made by Etsy Seller: Middleburg Want to see them

go here

Am I too old to wear these? I think I might be.. It doesn't

matter.. I love them anyway. The seller is empressbarrettes

Do you want to see these check them out here

OOH I love this dress. SO CUTE! The seller is Ananya.

Do you want to see it? Here you go

I know this is a little much for walking around the streets of

Ottawa Kansas.. I think I'd wear it while I eBay..

The sellers name is ChicComplement

Here it is

I have a table similar to this.. but it doesn't have this fabulous poppy on it.

The artist is: brambleygirl.

Here it is

The poppy's significance to Veteran's Day or Remembrance Day is a result of Canadian military physician John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields. The poppy emblem was chosen because of the poppies that bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their red colour an appropriate symbol for the bloodshed of trench warfare. An American YMCA Overseas War Secretaries employee, Moina Michael, was inspired to make 25 silk poppies based on McCrae's poem, which she distributed to attendees of the YMCA Overseas War Secretaries' Conference. She then made an effort to have the poppy adopted as a national symbol of remembrance, and succeeded in having the National American Legion Conference adopt it two years later.

Halloween.. it’s not just about the Candy!

This Halloween there was a lot of debate on what #3 wanted to be. First she wanted to be a gumball machine… I had no idea how I would even ATTEMPT to make that. Then she wanted to be a witch, but that idea fell through. We finally decided on a peacock.

I think the only reason she wanted to be a peacock? The eyelashes..

Pretty Groovy um.. Peacock-ish huh?

We made a tutu in navy, light blue, gold, green and purple.. added some peacock

feathers to her hair and behind her back.. and Bob’s your uncle… she was a peacock.

#4 and #5 wanted to be Mario and Ben 10. Mario is from the Nintendo

fame.. and Ben 10 is well, Ben 10 from the Cartoon Network show.

That Mario.. he’s so cute! I’m pretty sure his favorite part was

the mustache I drew on!

Here’s #3 and her friends getting ready to go take on the town.

Don’t you think #5 has a pretty big bag to fill?

Isn’t this the best looking Ben 10 you’ve ever seen?