Playing Catch Up & Winning

February was a lucky month for me because I won a couple of stash building contests! However, I also had severe dental problems that required extractions, lots of pain meds, and bed rest. Because of this I never got around to acknowledging the ladies who were so generous to me. So, without further ado, I would like to remedy that situation right now!

Lyn Gaskill has a Blog Teaser Contest each month having to do with old time Broadway stars. It is always a challenge and yet well worth the research effort because she puts together some wonderful stash bags, silkies and pin keeps for prizes. You may remember the dramatic red and black pin keep I won in January from her for being the first to get the bonus question correct. In February I was actually the first to answer all the Teaser questions correctly. For that I was the very happy recipient of a silkie of Mary Ryan (the starlet featured in her quiz) AND a squishie bag crammed with additional silkies and other fabulous stash enhancements!




I was also the first to answer the bonus question about Edward G. Robinson correctly. For that I won another of her wonderful pin keeps! This one she describes as being "glitzy". Boy! Is it ever! I love the colors and the sparkle! I can't believe that I am now the owner of two - count them - TWO Gaskill pin keeps!

Thank you, Lyn, for offering us all this opportunity each month and for the work you do putting together the questions and the lovely prizes.



Lyn has a wonderful display of sane art quilts on her blog right now. They are from a show she went to called "The Best Little Quilt Show In Texas". Check it out.

The next package to arrive in the mail last month was from Sue Biles, a friend from CQ For Newbies. She was the hostess of a 6" CQ Heart Swap. I sent the heart I posted on 2-1-09. She actually drew my name for the swap. She kept my heart and sent this beauty to me:


Isn't it great? I love the bleeding heart fabric and the tiny silk ribbon roses. To tell the truth, the whole heart is just great and I am so glad to have some of Sue's work in my CQ basket. Not sure what I will use it for right now but I am going to put it with the one I got from Vera Ellen of CQI until I decide. In the meantime I am developing quite a collection, huh? And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the 3 darling heart charms that she included in the package as "extras" for getting the heart mailed out to me a bit late. Not that I complained or minded, considering my own condition at the time. Thank you, Sue, for hostessing this swap and for the work you did on this heart. Also, hugs for including the charms!

Yesterday I received a box full of goodies from Cathy Kizerian, a friend from CQI. It seems her DH drew my name from all those who had entered her 100th Blog Posting Give-Away. OH BOY, what a treat the box was to open! My daughter and I wondered if it would ever empty out! I have to admit, there are some trims in there that just made us giggle. We were having so much fun saying what we could do with this, that and the other thing with each item that came out of the box - then we came upon these large fluffy, fringy, wide trims. My daughter got a little bawdy with her descriptions of where she could best put them to use. ROFLOL all over again! I am sure not going to follow her suggestions....no sireeeee!

Here are some pictures of the wonderful contents of that box. The fabrics are lush, the silkies, lace, hankies, and ribbons are to die for. Can't wait to use them.





Thank you Cathy for being so generous! Tell your hubby that I appreciate him drawing my name out of that bowl so so so much, VBG. Congratulations again on your 100th blog post. At the rate I am going I may never get there, but if I do I will remember your generosity and try to pay it forward.

I think this is enough for today. I will try hard not to have to do this much all at once again. Enjoy your stitching and please leave a comment - let me know what you think of this post.

Where Am I Going To Put It All?

As I mentioned before, Connie, DD Amy and I went bead shopping at the skating costume shop. I had a hard time deciding what I could leave behind for some other lucky person - as you can see by the photos below. I didn't mean to be selfish...honest I didn't. I just saw such potential in everything I touched!

Here are some of the sequined appliques that they had. They are just a bit larger than a quarter but not as large as a half dollar. They can be cut apart to make separate motifs for CQ. There are actually two different patterns on these.


Aren't these leaves and flowers lovely? They can also be cut apart to make separate motifs for CQ. The baggies in the middle hold about 1/3 cup each of Swarovsky crystals and gemstone beads.


Couldn't untangle the sequins and trims quick enough to satisfy my photographer (lol) but you can get an idea of the pretty rhinestone encrusted ones I picked up for my future evening purse, the ones I got for CJ are in there (guess which ones CJ) and so many other beautiful colors. There are also some baggies of iridescent glass sequins type beads that get held down at the center top hole with a glass seed bead - had never seen these before!


This pile looks like a mess of tags but there are over 150 little bead bags here full of tiny iridescent seed beads, sequins, bugle beads, rondelles, briolette and rocaille beads in 3-4 sizes of each color, pearls in all sizes, crystal/glass beads of all shapes and sizes and some odd sequin shapes that we were assured aren't even made anymore. Just imagine sifting and tossing through these baggies for the afternoon.


Then there were the laces.....we know how I love the lace! I was so happy to get the roses which turned both directions so they were sold as a pair...the butterflies are great and the hearts were the last they had. Even the large lace motifs can be cut apart and used bit by bit if necessary. Yes, you guessed it....I bought all the lace the lady had left and plan to dye a lot of it. Connie tells me that the roses have dyed beautifully for her and she will be posting some on her blog soon.


I did give Connie a cut of each bolt of lace before we left the shop. The lady could not believe we stood there and did that! Hey, when you are getting it at cut rate prices on cut rate retail prices from the 1980's you can share!

Speaking of sharing, I want to thank Lyn Gaskill for having a monthly give-away on her blog. It is a little quiz that requires a bit of research but it is always fun! For prizes she offers a silkie of an old time actress and a second place prize of some sort. Sometimes she throws in a bonus prize. I won the bonus prize this month for knowing that Ricky Nelson sang a song in the Jack Lemon movie Wackiest Ship in the Army. I was a big Ricky fan as a teen! Thank you again, Lyn, for the wonderful silk CQ pinkeep with silk ribbon roses! I have begun to stick pins in it already as you can see. Here are front and back views of the dramatic pinkeep I won.



Have a great day and keep on stitching a more beautiful world!