Celebrating but creating too!

Well, yes, the celebrations do continue!  The flowers are from MJ, Ron, Kayla and Ian!  Our kids in Indiana!  Aren't they beautiful!  And they still look as good as they did on my BD.

Now, before I show some more food pictures...this is my current project (can't post the Art Nouveau finished quilt until January 31st!)....I'm working on my fiber Valentine cards.  Lots of hand embroidery this year.  I just wanted to do something different so I'm combining QAYG for the background and embroidery as well as possibly beads on a few cards.  I actually timed myself on finishing just the hand stitching on one card and it took two hours for one card...I need over 20+ cards.  That doesn't include the piecing for the background or finishing edges and addressing.  Sooooooo.....Now I just hope my hands hold up...lots of aches and pains this year...what's up with that!!!  But I digress....

Some of these are finished while others are waiting for their 'final' stitching.  I'm just having fun creating each one!

For this heart, I'm embroidering the Portuguese Border stitch Kelly Fletcher showed in a tutorial on her blog Materialistic.  I only have the left side started, and if you're familiar with the stitch,  you have to go back and finish up the right side of each stitch.  Really fun to do and great TV work!  Thanks for the tips and tutorial, Kelly!!!  I love her blog and if you're wanting to be inspired with embroidery work, settle down with a glass of wine (or margarita!) and look at some of her past posts!!

Now onto more food/friends/fun!  Last night 14 of us celebrated our friend, Harvey's BD.  We had a wonderful dinner at BoneFish...just a delicious meal!!  Then we all headed back to Harvey and Susan's home for carrot cake baked by our fabulous, Verna!  She makes the best cakes and they all look like something from a bake shop!

Just a fun evening!  Tomorrow all the ladies are taking me to lunch!  Guess where!  A Mexican restaurant!!  I'm sure I'll have pics to post tomorrow!  Next up I have to show two cards I rec'd for my BD that are a hoot!!!  This first card was from my buddy, Mary, back in Michigan...

Too funny!!!










Next up is from Marilyn, who hosts all the wonderful New Year's parties as well as other gatherings!

You gotta love Maxine!

hope you enjoyed this little bit of humor...sure made my day!!  Now off to get machine stitching finished so I'll have lots of hand work!  Two big football games on today...good opportunity to finish some hand stitching.