See what's in my stitchin' basket....

Coming soon... A NEW series of itty bitty cross stitched sampler patterns, all to fit the Twisted Threads tin frames. The above sampler measures 2" x 2 1/4". The sampler in the above photo is tied around a bundle of grubby candles...what a unique way to display your work! Keep an eye on our blog for other sampler designs & what other "things" we tie these samplers too! We will letcha know when this series of cross stitched designs is complete!

With thy needle & thread,
brenda

Introducing Easter Peep!

"Easter Peep" cross stitch pattern is now printed & ready to ship! Pattern can be found at http://www.countrystitchesonline.com/, under the NEW ITEMS category.

Keep stitchin,

Brenda Gervais

Growing so fast....

If your baby is..."beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time," you must be the grandma. ~Theresa Bloomingdale~

I thoroughly enjoyed the past 4 days that I spent with this little guy! He is growing so fast & is just a "lump of sugar"! Isn't he cute in his little furry bear hat? What once was a very loose fitting hat is now snug and almost too small to get under & around those plump little cheeks. I had to get just one last picture of Beckham in this hat....before he outgrows it. I then played with the photo in Photoshop, applying the watercolor filter to the photo. I like the "twinkle in the eyes" effect that the filter gave this photo.

Beckham has now found his hands and spends lots & lots of time looking at his right hand...so cute. His daddy was hoping for a left handed pitcher, but currently he looks to be a "righty"! He learned to blow spit bubbles while he was at Grandma's house. No, grandma didn't teach him how to do that!

Well after a fun filled 4-day weekend it is back to reality...it is back to work. Can I just retire & become a fun-time grandma?

Have a good week,
brenda

Sneak peek at a work in progress...

Little Peep is sporting her Easter bonnet with the blue ribbon on it & is marching in the annual Easter parade. Should be a beautiful parade...the tulips are in full bloom.

Here is a snippet of a new cross stitch design, called "Easter Bonnet". Did you ever get the Easter Peeps candies in your Easter Baskets when you were young? I loved those sweet marshmallowy candies in the shapes of small yellow chicks. I'm not sure why I liked them as a child, but I cannot make myself eat them in my adult life...too squeaky & gritty on my teeth! What was your favorite Easter candy? It was this childhood favorite that was the inspiration for this design.

The stitching is about done on this design and then I will have the fun task of deciding on its finish. I'm hoping to do a fun & different finish...we shall see! This design is worked on 32 ct linen over 1 thread. Size is somewhat smaller, at just 2 7/8" x 2 3/4".

keep stitchin,

brenda

Cookies for my Valentine!

I spoke to both of my adult children yesterday, it isn't uncommon that one calls while I am on the phone with the other (love it...makes me feel SO important)! They were both busy preparing for the big day...Valentines Day!

Daughter Erin ventured out in 8" of wet snow to do her shopping. Took her an hour and a half to drive the 2o minute drive home from the mall. She was white knuckled and nearly in tears by the time she got home. She bought her "love" a sweater and said it was too much money, but bought it anyway. Erin isn't participating in the recession, she is stimulating the economy!

Son Matthew has been planning a meal of marinated beef tenderloin & the trimmings for his "love" for several weeks now. He's called me several times for recipes & then followed by recipe questions. One call was to ask me if tenderloin is really $23.oo per pound. I proceeded to tell him he had probably picked the most expensive cut of meat...Matthew is stimulating the butcher shop economy as well! I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in that butcher shop! Another phone call... "Is there really 2 Tablespoons of salt in this marinade?" I got him set straight & said it was teaspoons not tablespoons...just a minor detail! Another phone call...I don't feel like going to the grocery store AGAIN, can I substitute white wine vinegar for red wine vinegar? I reassured him that it could be substituted as long as you are not a wine connoisseur!

I hung up the phone and began to feel somewhat guilty that I had only bought my "love" a Valentines card...I was being out-done by my children! You see, I get hit hard in February...first there is our anniversary, then it's Valentines and then a few days later it is his birthday. Any good gift ideas that I had for him for the year were all used up at Christmas time! Then I remembered a saying my mother would say..."The fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach". It was with that thought that I knew the perfect gift for my "sweet heart"...a batch of his favorite frosted cut-out sugar cookies. I awoke early this morning and they were freshly baked & just frosted when he arose for the day. Today there was no need for Cream of Wheat...he had cookies to eat for breakfast on this Valentines Day!

CREAM CHEESE CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIES

"Deliciously thin, crispy & buttery cookies to tease your taste buds!"

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond & vanilla extracts and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour until well blended. Chill the dough until firm.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. On floured pastry cloth, roll out the dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8" thick. Cut into desired shapes.

4. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet & bake for 7 - 10 minutes, or until light & golden brown. Cool cookies completely before frosting.

DECORATOR FROSTING

2/3 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 drops of red food coloring

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, powdered sugar & milk until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and food coloring. Frost your cookies & enjoy!

happy valentines day,

brenda

14% off at Country Stitches on the 14th!

SAVE 14% ON THE 14TH FOR 14 HOURS!

Join us on Valentines Day for sweet savings at

www.countrystitchesonline.com

Between the hours of 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM Central Standard Time on February 14th all online purchases will be discounted 14%. This sale runs just 14 hours...so don't shop too early or too late!

Offer valid for online purchases made on the 14th, during the above hours only, no exceptions!

Happy Valentines,

Brenda

COMING SOON!

HOPPIN' ALONG SAMPLER cross stitch pattern will be ready for your stitching pleasure in just a few days! This design is worked on 32 ct over 2 threads. Finished pillow size is approximately 10" from bunnies bottom to the tops of his ears.

The start of each day....

My day begins around 6 AM. I stumble out of bed, put my glasses on, visit the little girls room and then make my way downstairs and into the kitchen. And I must stress, this always happens in this exact order, ALWAYS! A creature of habit, that is for sure! It is here were I meet up with this.....

my little orange bag of my favorite coffee...dunkin donuts! Nope, no Starbucks for this girl! I would have to drive 1 1/2 hours to the nearest Starbucks. I brew my morning pot and then it is off to.....
enjoy my morning cup or two or three, and sit and do some needlework in the quietness of the early morning hours. My coffee pot has a cute little buzzer that goes off in 2 hours and I stitch until the timer goes off. It is then time to get ready for the day... and then it is off to Country Stitches to begin processing, filling & shipping orders to all our wonderful stitching customers.

What time of day to you stitch? Please share your stitching stories with us...we'd love to hear!

happy stitchin,
brenda gervais

P.S. One of our customers shared her stitching story with us, it is funny & I must share! She is a Valdani thread user and must lock herself in the bathroom when she stitches so her kitties can't get at those cute little balls of Valdani floss. I can totally relate....my cat LOVES the Valdani thread as much as I and I have fished several of them out of his water dish!

A NEW HOBBY...

I have been totally consumed this weekend with a new hobby....I'm asking myself, do I really need another hobby??!!! Wow, where was digital scrap booking when I had my babies? You see my photos aren't all in those darling little albums, no many of them are in Nike shoe boxes, I'm embarrassed to say!

I keep telling myself I am going to do better with pictures of our new little grandson, Beckham....so I've decided that digital scrap booking is the route I will take. You can still have all the cute little do-dads on the pages without all of the work of cutting, pasting & stamping. You simply download the pages and drag in your photos and then print the pages...piece of cake, right?

However....I must learn the layering proccess of Adobe Photo Shop first and that isn't a piece of cake at the moment! I have used the outdated Microgrx graphics program for years and keep telling myself I really need to start using that Photo Shop program I purchased a few years ago. After much persistence & a couple of days of experimenting I now have things figured out and am printing off pages....yippee!!! I am sharing a couple of the pics here on the blog...aren't they fun? These are actually teeny tiny (just 2.5" x 3.25") when printed and then you put the pictures in those plastic name badge holders, tie them all together with a ribbon and you have a sweet little photo album to tuck into your purse.

I began by doing a Google search for digital scrap booking. There are lots & lots of websites for downloading scrap booking pages. Some are free, some are for purchase.

A couple of my favorite sites are www.theshabbyshoppe.com and www.designerdigitals.com. The shabbyshoppe also has a blog that offers free calender downloads that you drag in a photo and save it as the background for your computer. My computer now has the darling February calendar (thanks to the shabby shoppe) with a photo of Beckham as the screen saver & I'm loving it!

enjoy your day,

brenda

New Punch Needle Patterns

SPECKLED EGGS

A dimensional punched 7" Easter basket that is filled with green sheet moss & a blue speckled robin's egg. This little basket looks darling hanging from a peg or the knob of an old cupboard door. This design is worked with the Valdani 3 strand floss.

LABOR OF LOVE
The old farmer & farmer's wife are taken in by all the buds on their potted plants...a labor of love! This piece is mounted on one of our signature hornbook paddles. Two old keys are tied around the board for added charm. This design is worked with Valdani 3 strand floss.





EASTER EGG HUNT
The bunny family are taking in the annual Easter egg hunt! The piece is punched with the Valdani 3 strand floss & mounted on a wooden hornbook paddle.




The punch needle patterns are now in stock & ready for shipment. We also have floss kits available for these as well. To view these new patterns, visit us online at www.countrystitchesonline.com. Patterns are located under the NEW ITEMS category.

happy punching,
brenda

Loving my new eyes!

Do you do cross stitch? Do you have a hard time working with small count linen? Then you need a LED head loupe!

My darling husband gifted me with a new set of eyes for my birthday & I love them! The LED head loupe comes with 4 different lenses for magnifications of 1.5 to 3.5X. There are various magnifiers on the market but what I like about these is the bright LED light that sits on the top of them....wow, what a difference this little light makes! I can now work on higher count linens (36 - 40 ct) with no eye strain & I can even see what I am doing!

If interested in purchasing a pair of new eyes, they can be purchased online here.

happy stitching,

brenda

The house is quiet again....

After spending a few days at Grandma's house, Beckham & Mommy packed up and headed home yesterday. There was immediate silence in the house...they weren't to the edge of town and Grandma was already missing...

HIS SMILES & COOING SOUNDS

HIM & MOMMY SNUGGLING

HIS LITTLE CREASES IN THOSE CHUBBY LITTLE LEGS

WATCHING HIM PLAY WITH MR. GIRAFFE

THE SMELL OF A JUST BATHED BABY

& THOSE CHUBBY LITTLE CHEEKS
Loving being a grandma,
brenda

Ouch!

If you haven't heard....the U.S. Postal rates had yet another increase as of January 18th. After postaging a batch of mail this morning I see a need for us to increase our shipping rates, very soon like! I don't like to do this....BUT we have not had a shipping increase for 3 years. Most packages that I shipped this morning were at a loss to us on shipping. A 1 lb. few oz box is now $6.12 (customer paid $4.25) to ship and that is at the Parcel Post rate, Priority rate is higher.

I will be spending some time on this, thinking through the best way to handle this increase. There are a few options, one being to increase the prices of the items that weigh more and require larger packaging. This is something we haven't done in the past and can be a bit hairy though...people who price compare will think our sticker price is too high. Another option is just an across the board shipping increase. If we keep the increase to a bare minimum there will be a need to ship more packages via Parcel Post, which is a slower method of moving mail....but do customers want to wait longer to receive their orders? Would they prefer to pay a bit more and receive them more quickly? Lots of questions to get figured out very quickly. I do foresee our shipping increases should be in place by weeks end.

So customers, let us know if you would pay for the faster shipping or if the slower, cheaper rate is okay with you!

Have a good week,

brenda

Easter Egg Hunt

A snippet of one of our NEW punch needle patterns...coming soon!

"Easter Egg Hunt"



If you want to be the first to know when our new patterns are released, please sign up for our email list. We send email newsletters periodically, announcing new patterns & other goodies too! This is located on our home page at www.countrystitchesonline.com, near the bottom of the page.

Just 67 days until spring,
brenda

Baby Bear!

(Beckham goes to his first Iowa State University basketball game at 6 weeks old) His daddy is starting him young!

Momma Bear & Baby Bear are coming to visit next week while Papa Bear is out of town on business....Grandma Bear can hardly wait!

Have a good week,

brenda

New Pattern Preview!

I received an email from a loyal customer just makin sure I am okay because it had been a few days since I had updated my blog...glad to hear that people are looking out for me, though it did make me laugh! Ahh...what great customers I have!

I can report that I am safe & sound...just been very busy stitching, stuffing & typing pattern instructions. Below is a sneak peek of 3 new pattern designs that will be ready for shipment in a week or so.

LOVE LETTERS is worked on 28 count Cashel Linen over 1 thread. Stitch count is 105w x 106h.

CHOCOLATE BUNNIES Easter Egg is worked on 32 count Belfast Linen over two threads. Stitch count is 62w x 75h.

SWEET CLOVER is constructed from muslin, then painted & aged for a wonderful "white wash" look. Her little ditty bag, with cross stitched motif, is filled with dried sweet annie. This little bunny will make a great Easter accent, but could also be kept out year round.

Think Spring,
brenda

Worlds Largest Snow Woman!

A friend sent these pictures to me and I just had to share this story with you. The story is about a very big snowman built in 2007 in the small village of Bethel, Maine. These people know how to build a snowman!

The "snowwoman" towered over the village featuring eyelashes created from discarded skis and bright red lips made from painted car tires. She wore a giant red hat and a 100-foot-long scarf, and her blond tresses were made from rope. She got a little bling from a snowflake pendant that's 6 feet long

With the temperature in single digits, several hundred people including busloads of schoolchildren turned out for the dedication of the 122-foot-tall mountain of snow named Olympia.


This ski town of about 2,400 residents already held the record for tallest snowman, dedicated in 1999. The village of Bethel had been waiting for someone else to break the record. When no one rose to the challenge, the folks there decided they'd have to break the record themselves.

Truly amazing to see a snowman towering over the tree line.

Previous record holder, Angus - king of the mountain.

"Olympia," named for Maine's senior senator, Olympia Snowe, stood nearly 10 feet taller than "Angus, King of the Mountain," who was dedicated by the town in 1999. That snowman, named for then-Gov. Angus King, was created by the same folks responsible for Olympia



It took more than a month, dozens of volunteers and tons of snow to create Olympia. Jim Sysko, a civil engineer, oversaw design and construction


To get an idea of scale, Olympia stood about 30 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty (without the base) Her arms were made of 27-foot-tall evergreens.
Her "carrot" nose, painted by schoolchildren, measured 8 feet long. Her eyes were made from giant wreaths.

She was built with a series of concentric circles. The crane dumped the snow into frames, and volunteers climbed in for long hours shoveling and packing the snow.


Olymia is now currently the world's tallest snow woman by the Guinness Book of Records. There previously was not a separate category for snow women, so the residents of Bethel petitioned for one!



There was plenty of snow for the project. Parts of Maine had more than 100 inches of snow to work with.

Volunteers started with manmade snow and then used snow piled on the runway of the municipal airport to finish the job.

For those of you wondering...it took until July 2008 for the snowwoman to melt!

Happy Winter,

brenda

A fun-filled Friday....

I popped in on my sister Sandra Friday for a fun-filled visit. A trip to her house usually means a trip to Country Threads in Garner, Iowa. More on this later....

We shopped the shops of Algona & also Britt, Iowa (Hobo capital of the world) before making our way to Garner.

I am finding that upon entering stores I am now gravitating towards anything that is baby boy blue, cuddly & soft....hmmmmm, doesn't have anything to do with becoming a new grandma does it?

My first find is this sweet little SLEEP SHEEP ON THE GO. The lamb makes the following 4 sounds of nature:

CALM - soft, gentle stream sound that promotes a serene, peaceful rest

SLEEP - spring showers sound that creates a cozy, relaxed atmosphere

ANOTHER SLEEP SOUND - Calm ocean waves sound that provides an ideal & tranquil setting

RELAX - harmonious whale song that relaxes mind & spirit

This little guy is made from the softest, woolly fabric and Velcro's onto a stroller or car seat.

I think Grandma might strap this to her bedpost before gifting it, for when I'm having one of those tossing & turning, too hot in these jammies, can't sleep type of nights! Works for little ones, should work for old ones too....right!??

Then there was this little guy...talk about soft! What little one, that is a bit cranky, with teething pains wouldn't absolutely love chewing on this teething ring? Yeah, that is what I thought too...so I bought it!

PLUS as sister Sandra pointed out it matches the baby quilt Great Grandma Millie made...another reason I needed this!

Baby quilt made by my mother, Millie. Another fun-filled day in August was spent with sister Sandra & Mother as we traveled from quilt shop to quilt shop in rural Iowa picking blue fabrics for the background of this quilt. A fun & memorable day for sure!


Then there was this plate... what mother & young child wouldn't love putting freshly baked cookies upon it for Santa? Yep, that is what I thought too!

After a lunch of chicken salad, wild rice soup, homemade wheat roll & carrot cake dessert we finally made it to our final destination,
Country Threads Quilt Shop

.

As we were walking up the lane to the quilt shop, Mary & Connie shouted out to "come in". The two were in their design studio working on a fresh & springy new quilt design. These two women are a hoot & always have fun stories to share.


I'm not sure which I like more...all the quilt fabric/patterns or her 18 cats. As we entered the building that houses the civil war reproduction fabrics a very beautiful long haired cat pops out of a wicker basket that she was taking her afternoon nap in. She stood up & did her stretch and greeted us in her very own cat way! I seemed to have befriended a certain calico cat (with a squeaky sort of meow) in the main shop and she followed me from building to building. You just never know where you may find a cat curled up & napping!


The summer time is a great time to visit "Threads" as the geese are on the pond, the goats are outside, the quilts are hanging on the fences, and Mary's extensive (and I mean extensive) collection of succulents is on display outside her home.

If you love fabric, quilting, rural life, farm animals & cats and haven't made the trip to Country Threads in Garner Iowa, you do need to put it on your lists of things to do in your lifetime...you won't be disappointed!

In the civil war reproduction building I found these three pieces of fabric that I felt my "stash" needed. I never really have a plan for fabric when I buy it. I buy it because I simply like it & with hopes it will be an inspiration for the next pattern design. I'm thinking perhaps clothing for a primitive rabbit...maybe even with a little bit of cross stitch here & there...we shall see!

Now my shopping bags not only include fabric, but soft cuddly sheep, teething rings, Santa plates & MORE fabric.

Off to create,

Brenda

A bit late...but still beautiful!

Each fall I plant an amaryllis bulb in hopes of it blooming at Christmas time. This year with the craziness of our busy time, I knew I was a tad bit late in planting. Not getting it potted until early November. I was off by just a week...but what better way to usher in 2009!

Besides the beauty of this flower, I get enjoyment from just being able to dig in dirt & plant when it is much too cold outside to do so.

The rule of thumb for these bulbs is, the larger the bulb the larger the bloom. The Smith & Hawkins bulbs are bulb of choice (available at Target near holiday time), often times producing more then one bloom.

These bulbs make wonderful gifts & little ones love watching them grow too!

December 30th....

December 31st....

January 1st....the first flower is open! Doesn't Mother Nature produce magnificent beauty?

THE MEANING & SYMBOLISM OF THE AMARYLLIS

Legend has it that the amaryllis - the stunning red flower we've come to associate with the holidays - began as a shy, timid nymph. Amaryllis fell deeply in love with Alteo, a shepherd with Hercules' strength and Apollo's beauty, but her affections were unrequited. Hoping that she could win him over by bestowing upon him the thing he desired most - a flower so unique it had never existed in the world before - Amaryllis sought advice from the oracle of Delphi.

Following his instructions, Amaryllis dressed in maiden's white and appeared at Alteo's door for 30 nights, each time piercing her heart with a golden arrow. When at last Alteo opened his door, there before him was a striking crimson flower, sprung from the blood of Amaryllis's heart. With this romantic - albeit tragic - tale as its beginning, it's not surprising that today the amaryllis has come to symbolize pride, determination and radiant beauty.

Happy New Year,

brenda

Happy New Year!