Saturday Stitching

Hey there my friends :-)
     How is everyone's Saturday going?  It's rainy, here in Southeastern PA...but it's warm today. I haven't decided if I would prefer sunny and cold or rainy and warm....my hunch is sunny and warm!  GOOD NEWS...only 79 days until Opening Day.  I'm guessing that many of you know just what Opening Day I'm waiting for.......
     My husband (Jay) and Antie (Beth, my sister :) left to take our oldest son Jimmy to baseball prax. (hint hint)  Chris (our youngest son) is doing some pre game hoops out in the garage...and I thought, what a great time to blog a bit, so here I am for a few, before I am off to take Christopher to his basketball game.  Kinda like your favorite stitching spot...I am in my cozy spot at my computer. Surrounded by favorite photos and momentos, with my own music on the phone (OK that sounds weird....but that's how I listen to music now!! ) where my creative juices can flow.  Funny how we all have a special space, huh?

 

Here's my spot...my guardian angel that I got at a yard sale...pictures of my boys and my niece..momentos of my boy's preschool days...and of course a diet coke!! Our sons go to St Cornelius and we love that our faith is as much a part of their school day as math and English. The picture to the left of the swan is by my son Jimmy when he was 5.

It reads,

"My gift to Jesus is to act like Him. I wood (would) be nus (nice) to others.  I will be nus to eve (every) budey (buddy).

Simple, sweet..out of the mouths of babes.

 

 

 

     So, what are you all stitching on, this Saturday?  Something for yourself...a gift for another, that project you have waiting to start?? I always love January...because I feel like it's time to start a new project...love that!  I have been working on new designs.  After a long hiatus...I am hoping to be back up and designing on a regular basis...with a slightly different twist!  Look for designs from Serenity Stitches in the not too distant future.  Today, however, I have taken a little break from "creating" to "re-creating"! A very close friend of mine is going through some anxious times...life isn't easy, is it? I have certainly learned that we all have "stuff" in our lives...nobody's bigger or smaller than anyone else's.  So, I am stitching a little pick me up for her....that I am going to have finished into a pillow, by our finisher.  You've seen it before..because I've stitched it before....

 

 

 

To Do List

I stitched this for the shop...and posted it several times...and it really "spoke" to a lot of people.  I have to say, it was one of my most favorite things to stitch, because it "spoke" to me too.  It's kind of like Jimmy's little picture...it's simple and straightforward....and sometimes we need that reminder.  I'm enjoying stitching this for my sweet girl, Alayna!

 

 

Here's a little snippet of one of the my new designs for Serenity Stitches :-)

It is making it's way to the creative mind of Molly made frames...and will feature a hand carved/hand painted mat <3 class="separator" p="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> 

 

If you're looking for a new project...you might want to try a design by With Thy Needle/Country Stitches.  The Strawberry Sampler is going retro! hahah....we used to have a Designer of the Month and Project of the Month...and we loved it! It's time to bring it back!  Our first Designer of the Month is Brenda Gervais, with With thy Needle.  During January....all designs from this talented designer will be 20% off.  And for the week, starting on January 10...our Project of the Week is Paper Snowflakes, from With thy Needle.  When you purchase the entire project (floss, fabric and design)...you receive 20% off of the entire "kit".  What fun!!! Pop over to our With Thy Needle page to do some browsing.

 

I think this is absolutely lovely...and great for this wintery time of year!

Paper Snowflakes

 

DON'T FORGET IT

 

Framing Sale: January 11 ~ January 25

Now that you've finished all your gift-giving, you can bring in those pieces to do for yourself!  From Saturday, January 11 thru Saturday, January 25th, all custom framing (including the mounting fee) is 20% off.  We don't like to let Lise up for air... So, finish up those last few stitches & find those finished pieces you put on the back burner before Christmas, & bring them in to be framed!!!!!

 

Well, it's time to finish up and get my ginger headed boy over to his basketball game.

Hoping you all have a wonderful day. 

Drop me a line and tell me what you're stitching!

And....can I just say..

 

LET'S GO NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS!!!!

 

huge hugs,

 

Abby



 







 

Happy New Year

Greetings Stitchers,
       Did any of you fall into the warp speed zone that I fell into between Thanksgiving and New Year's? I don't know if it was the shorter time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the common cold, the snow days, the school activities or just that warp speed problem...but my blog was obviously a victim of it!!  AND...I've been trying to do my blog all week and the program was NOT WORKING! After much complaining..Beth finally came to the rescue (after Molly and I sat looking blankly at a blank screen).  I firmly believe that Beth channeled my son Jimmy and figured out that we needed Google Chrome. (Jimmy swears by it!) After she figured THAT out, though...she basically said...you're on your own...good luck to you.  Fortunately...if we work real hard...between the group of us, we can pool our talents and make things work...so here I am blogging! We do hope that each and every one of you had a most blessed Christmas and Holiday season and that this New Year is off to a great start for you.  
       This time of year around the shop is ... interesting! Inventory is done...and there's a feeling of spring cleaning or winter cleaning or no more cookies and danishes feeling.  Something like that.... Suddenly, we can think about finishing and framing deadlines without the need to practice deep breathing exercises, Christmas projects are a thing of the past (though we vow we WILL start earlier this year...but that's what Christmas in July is for), our walls look bare with all of the holiday decorations down...so it's time for something fresh and new, it is time for projects for OURSELVES...something fun or something challenging (that we can do now that we can THINK again), we feel like organizing, organizing, organizing...yup, our stash is our oyster.
       In that vein of fresh starts..we have been brainstorming .... again, just one brain storming..as that's what we piece together from our pulled brain resources! bahahah!  Anywho...our cup is running over with exciting new ideas that will be making their debut in the weeks to follow!  I'll share a few of them with you below! 

www.strawberrysampler.com

Probably, if you're reading this...you know that we have a website. (if you didn't know that..pop on over and check out all there is to see).  Over the next several months our website will be going through an overhaul.  Over the next few weeks...we will be starting some subtle changes to our front page.  We are hoping that you like the updates!  There will be lots of new things to see, such as.... A Stitcher's Gallery, A Yard Sale, A Get to Know Us...and more! Be sure to check the website often to see what pops up as we go along! 

  TWEET TWEET

I don't know if I want to break out into....Rockin' Robin, tweet tweet tweet or sing the Partridge Family song!!!  Maybe both! You can now follow us on TWITTER....we are tweeting.  Granted, it takes all 3 of us to figure out how to tweet, what to tweet and where to tweet...but tweeting we are!!  This will be a very fast way for us to update you on LOTS of things going on here in the shop and on-line!  Follow us Now at @strawberrysamp.  We think this is right!!  I will double check with my almost 13 year old son Jimmy, after school...he keeps us technologically up to date!

facebook too!!                       

We know! We know!!  It seems like an overload of social media!!!  We're just trying to find ways to connect with everyone, and since I am constantly listening to all of the new places to "meet" (from my kids), we thought...WHY NOT SHARE our STITCHING? I have also been informed that facebook is for the "old crowd"...works for me! Like us on facebook for lots of neat things...like fb flashmob promotions.  It could be anything...a sale, a brand new item, a question......who knows, but you'll want to check in! 

Winter or Summer? ~ Snow or Sand?

 

    I think we're all very familiar with the phrase....POLAR VORTEX by now.  And though cold weather is GREAT for stitching, if Mother Nature is listening....we could just go with cold instead of frozen.  So...do you like stitching winter or stitching summer..... here's a few options for ya :-)

Winter Flurries

Wordplay: July

Winter Typography Pillow

Summer at the Shore

Snowflakes in Blue

Call of the Ocean

Wintertime

Summer at Holly Berry Farm

Just a little bit to catch up!  Will be back SOOOON!  I'm off to publish this and get off to car line to pick up my boys!

Hugs and Stitches 

Abby and the gang