Multitasking...

 

November 1st. The sun was out, the wind was blowing, and there's snow on the ground. Thankfully, it will be in the 50s by the weekend, so the 4" or so we got for Halloween will have melted. Seriously, I'm not ready for shoveling and snow boots yet.

It was a perfect day to bake, so bake I did. By dark, I had four loaves of farmhouse bread, a dozen dinner rolls (yes, I know there aren't twelve in the photo. Hmmm. Wonder why? lol), and a lovely onion pie to go with our barbequed ribs.

 

And, as if that wasn't enough. In between working with the bread, I had thirty minutes each time to work on my needlework. Now that I know who they'll be going to, one green and one blue frog will be finished for my giveaway winners. 

 

I've been getting emails from the rest of my commenters on the giveaway post so I can add names to my schedule to create more. If you commented on the giveaway and haven't read yesterdays post yet, please do. I'm waiting to hear from you!

I'm starting today with a much needed hair appointment, so I'm going to grab my favorite Yeti™ travel mug and fill it with my morning coffee. I have to run, but I'll be back tomorrow. I'll be working on these guys when I get home.

 

Winners!...

 

 

A Winner Has Been Selected!

 

 (EVERYONE, PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST)

 

I used the random number generator from Random.org to select a winner.

 

 

Anonymous October 7, 2023 at 11:17 AM

 "I have to participate! clarastitching@gmail.com 😘"

She is the person who taught me to make the frogs!

Clara Warschauer!

 I decided to draw a second number and Winner #2 is

Magpie's Mumblings   October 7, 2023 at 7:25 AM

 "Someone will be very lucky to win this little charmer, for sure!"

 

Both frogs will be traveling out of the country. One will be going to England, and the other to our neighbors to the north - Canada.

I'll be notifying Clara, and I know MA will see this today, so that they can let me know which color frog they'd like to receive and how they'd like it finished...brooch, scissors fob or free standing. I'm currently working on them, so I can finish them in any format. MA - I'll need your address, too, please.

 

Now, I don't want the rest of you to be disappointed, so this is what I'd like to tell you. Everyone who entered the drawing on the giveaway post, please email your full name and current address to me. Also tell me your favorite color and finishing method for a frog - brooch, scissors fob or free standing. I may have your address information already, but I'd like you to confirm everything in a separate email for me.  

 

Here's why: I'm going to put each of your emails onto my project clipboard in the order they arrive, and over the next few months, I'll send a surprise frog to each of you! What do you think? Do you like that idea?

Please just click on the "Click Here To Send Me An Email" button in my sidebar to get a message to me with the information. It doesn't matter if you live in the US or elsewhere, but be aware that you'll be responsible for any VAT taxes or fees. I'll pay the postage. I hope you're all excited! It's my small way of saying "thank you" to all of you who took the time to respond, and for reading my posts all this time.

CONGRATULATIONS, CLARA AND MA!!!

 

 

Gettin' Froggy With It...

Now that I have the Pumpkin Patch pouches out of my head (there are only two left in my shop), I can get back to stitching my wee frogs. The green frogs are padded felt, and the blue frogs are padded dyed wool. That's why the "eyebrows" look like they're two different sizes - optical illusion because one eye has more dark blue on the wool than the other.

Today, I'll add the pearl purl outlines and then fill in the bodies. I'll do the outlines all at once, and then progress to the next step for each one. (Kind of like putting on both socks and then shoes, instead of one sock and one shoe, and then the other.)

I love doing these little guys, and will have them finished when I announce the Gratitude Giveaway winner on Wednesday. The winner can choose how they want me to finish theirs...a scissor fob, brooch, or free standing.

 

 

Remember, the giveaway ends tomorrow, and the only entries that count will be your comments on the original post HERE . You get multiple daily entries by also following me on Facebook and Instagram - but all the comments have to be on the giveaway post. You still have today and tomorrow until midnight left to add more entries, so either click on the link above, or click on the giveaway button near the top of my (right) sidebar over there ---------->

I'm going to have my morning coffee and then I'm back to my needlework. Tag and the girls will be here tomorrow to wish you a Happy Halloween! I'll see you again Wednesday.

Something On My Mind...

 

As I work on my wee frogs, I've been contemplating another project. I have these (along with many more) gorgeous Michelle Palmer drawings on fabric. To say I love her work would be a huge understatement.

I have a few ideas in mind for what I want to do with them, so while I'm stitching felt to fabric, and then beginning my goldwork, I'll continue to think on this. I can only do the goldwork during the day, however what I have in mind for these I could actually work on in the evening. 

Once I do something, you know I'll certainly share it with you. I can't ever keep secrets from you. I'm awful at that. So, keep your eyes open. You may see what I'm thinking about sooner, rather than later.

Don't forget to keep entering my Gratitude Giveaway! The link is in my sidebar - over there ----------->

It's Froggy Time...

 

It's time to make more wee frogs, so I pulled out all my supplies last night. I'll begin setting up the designs today, and I'm planning to have three or four in the hoop at the same time. I'm planning to hold one of each color aside until after the Gratitude Giveaway drawing the end of the month, so the winner will have a choice from the different colors.

 

(A note to MA: See the purple handles? Those are my 3" needlework pliers. They're from BeadSmith, in case you're interested. Let me know if you need a link.)

Of course, I'll have a green one, and then I'm planning a blue one (see the colors closest to the tweezers? Those.) Do you think I should do a couple other colors? Purple? Yellow? Pink? Do you think I should do  fantasy frogs or just stick to more realistic colors - even though the frogs are sparkly and beady? Let me know in the comments, please, as I'm planning to pull more fibers after the patterns are drawn on the fabric, and I get my fabric hooped.

We got an awful lot done yesterday. The weather was perfect to clean out the last garden bed, and then each of us sat on a yard tractor and mowed the acres of grass. It goes faster that way. Then I slept for two hours! Handsome has decided that while I'm still healing - from now on - I'm going to have quiet time for at least two hours every afternoon. A forced rest, if you will. I'm all for it. 

 

It will be perfect that I start today, as we have a concert to attend tonight. We're going to see the Marine Band (The President's Own) perform in Appleton, WI. Handsome and I know two former conductors, one is Ret. Capt. Michelle Rakers (who I wrote about HERE when she was still assistant conductor. She became principal conductor prior to her retirement from the military a few years ago.) Handsome and I are really looking forward to seeing the band perform in our home state.

 

I'm ready for my morning coffee, and then I'm off to play with needles, thread and beautiful, sparkly fibers. Happy Wednesday, dear friends.

October Craft Day...

 

Saturday we gathered for another craft day with girlfriends, old and new (this time). My girlfriend, Linda couldn't attend due to a back issue, and her sister-in-law Linda P. had another commitment for the same date. Kim was also absent, attending a child's soccer game. So this time, it was a group of five. L-r: Sarah (one of Marie's friends from church), me, Nancy (Adrienne's mother-in-law), Marie and Adrienne (our hostess). The theme for this month was to create a one-of-a-kind piece using a wooden turkey base purchased from Dollar Tree.

 

Marie was ahead of the game as she decorates and sells these at craft fairs in their area. She had a couple others that were already finished - all different, but really cute. This was one she finished ahead of time. She was still working on hers from the get-together, but it wasn't complete enough to share.

Adrienne chose embellishments that coordinated with the colors in her recent wedding. The "B" initial embroidery I just completed was their wedding gift. They opened it together, and Adrienne said it needed to hang in their family room, as that's where they spend the most time. Her turkey had actual fluffy, maroon feathers on it!

 

Nancy and I used the same napkin as the center of our design. I love her green painted turkey body, and all the colors went together so well. I love it!

I'm sharing a photo of my turkey, too. I decided to add flowers on the head of mine, rather than an eye like some of the others. I loved the shades of tan and gold in the leaves I used for the tail, and placed berries from the leaf picks to embellish the edges of my decoupaged napkin. The only thing I haven't added yet is an acorn to hang from the cord around its neck.

It really was a fun day, and I called Linda on my way home to make sure she was okay. She'll be seeing her doctor today to figure out exactly what's going on with her back. I could tell by her voice that she was hurting, so I really promoted the idea of her making an appointment first thing today. I'll catch up with her in the next day or so to check on her. 

I stopped at the local farm stand close to Adrienne's before coming home. The nice gentleman loaded fifty pounds of potatoes (only $16 for the whole bag!!!) into the back of my Explorer, and my youngest sister, Jan is going to come down during the week to help me can most of them. More food for the pantry shelves!

We got the girls moved into the barn yesterday, so they've got even more posh accommodations this year than last. I fed them there last night, so now they know meals won't be on the porch for a while. They had fun checking out all their sleeping spots, and checked the place for mice. Thankfully for the mice, they were unsuccessful in their hunt. Tag told me he'd like to share photos tomorrow of this year's setup, so I promised to help him pull that off. If you come back tomorrow, I'm sure Mr. Smarty Pants will fill you in as only he can. For now, I'm going to join Handsome for our morning coffee. 

Don't forget to keep entering the Gratitude Giveaway each day. It ends on October 31st, leaving you lots of time between now and then to get multiple entries in!

It Was An Inside Kind Of Day...

Happy Friday, friends! I told you yesterday that we planned to clean out the last garden bed today. Once we were up, Handsome and I chatted about it and decided to take it easy on weary bones instead. As if to christen our decision, shortly afterward it began to rain.

Handsome exerted more the day before, and was much sorer than I, and I had a bowl of week old tomatoes waiting for me. I decided to process them into tomato soup. I put the ingredients called for in the recipe through my food processor and then everything went into my Kilner pot. It was a lovely mixture of tomatoes, onion, celery, and garlic. Six pounds of tomatoes yielded a paltry pint and a half of soup, and once I lightly milled the ingredients through my mother-in-law's chinois, I couldn't bring myself to toss all that goodness. Instead, I added spring water, reheated it and canned all of it to use as an additive for soup, roasts, or even meatloaf. I had three and a half pints to put into the pantry after all the jars were pressure canned.

Once that task was complete, it was late afternoon, so that's where I punched out for the rest of the day. I spent a little time on the porch with the cats, spent some time with the dogs, and shortly after made dinner for Handsome and me.

So, that means today will be the day I work on my Etsy shop. I'm also going to set up a few froggies in my hoop. One for my Gratitude Giveaway, and more for my shop. I'm going to finish them as scissor fobs once the needlework is done. I think that will take care of the rest of this day, don't you?

Last of all...Don't forget you can enter the Gratitude Giveaway once a day just for being a blog follower, but you get to enter again if you follow me on Facebook, and once more if you follow Brynwood Needleworks on Instagram. Good Luck!

Giveaway Time!...

 

Are you ready for a giveaway?

 

I'm so grateful to all of you who read my blog each day, whether or not you comment. If you want to be entered into the drawing for your very own wee goldwork frog, though you'll definitely need to leave a comment for me. The winner may choose to have their frog completed as a scissors fob or a brooch, or simply a stand-alone froggy.

Here are the details:

• You can enter once a day between now and midnight OCTOBER 31st, 2023. The winner will be chosen via Random Number Generator at midnight, and announced on November 1st, 2023.

 

•  Enter once each day if you follow this blog. You must be a follower of my blog to enter the giveaway.

•  If you follow Brynwood Needleworks on Facebook, you can leave a second comment each day.

* If you follow Brynwood Needleworks on Instagram, you can leave a third comment each day.

* BONUS ENTRY if you share my giveaway link on Instagram, Facebook, or your blog! ❤️

• The winner doesn't have to live in the United States. If you win, I'll mail your frog to wherever you live.

 

• ALL comments need to be on THIS post to count. I'll be adding a button in my sidebar that will link back to this post to make it easier for you to find each day to enter. 

 

• Please leave your email with your comment (unless your profile connects to an email) so that I can send a message to you if you win. Comments without emails or a way to contact you will be deleted. If you  want to avoid putting your email address in your comment, you may send me a private email with your name, so I will know how to reach you if you win. (My email link is in my sidebar.)

 

That's it. I won't be replying to each comment on this post, but I'll see them all, and each one will count toward the drawing. 

 

Thanks Again & Good Luck!!