More February Hearts and a Giveaway Winner

Well, now....it's late on Monday, February 28th. Another whole month of 2011 has managed to by. Where does it go? You know, I'm a listmaker. Among the lists I make are ones listing things I'd like to do NOW, do in the future....and some I just dream about doing. I find this speedy passage of time damaging to my various lists. There just doesn't seem enough hours in the day to get IT ALL done. So, I suppose it's true: I'll never live long enough to do all I want to do and create all the things I long to create. Someone asked me recently if I ever get bored. Well, I find laundry boring, but I do it anyway. Sewing, hunting and gathering, beading and all that wonderful stuff is NEVER boring. With that in mind, I'm going to show you some 'more February hearts' I've gathered and announce a giveaway winner tonight. Now giving something away sounds great to me.

First of all....my 3rd Anniversary Giveaway Winner is Amy from Oklahoma. You might want to visit her blog here. (Thank you, old navy man, for choosing the number!) I'm happy to send her the pincushion, candy and miniature landscape shown in my previous post. And, a word to all who commented in hopes of winning - who knew there would be 98 comments? I was thrilled so many wanted to win. Also, your comments made me feel pretty darn good and I thank you for that and your continued visits to the Bird Nest! It's been such a fun three year experience and I'm looking forward to continued blog posting and more sharing in the future too.

Now...more hearts. How about this really red glass votive candle holder? I love it...simple, red, and really heavy glass. Adds a little festive touch to cozy up my house. My daughter gave me this twig heart with the tiny pink glitter heart perched on a wire. It's a little flower holder...with that little glass vial to hold water. Of course, when I took this photo...there wasn't a flower anywhere in this house to add to the photo. Still, cute isn't it? I found this green striped glass vase at the flea market. Gosh...it's very heavy and so cute.

I have a small collection of clear glass heart boxes and tiny heart-shaped dishes. Here are some of them. You never know when another one will show up. And, lastly, a necklace I've had since the early 90's. I gathered the metal hearts and glass beads from various places, adding them a few at a time. I don't like wearing it...too heavy and it makes too much noise as I move around. It looks much better on my studio mannequin than it ever did on me anyway!

So, there you are. More hearts and a lovely giveaway winner. I suppose February can end with a show of hearts from my place to yours....and thank you again for all those wonderful comments. 98....who knew? take care out there, pat

PS. I just noticed the clock....it's March now...see how fast the time goes?

3rd Anniversary Giveaway!

Three years ago...on February 23, 2008, I began posting on this 'blog adventure' of mine. I had no idea what I was doing and I can't say I know what I'm doing now. However, it has been an interesting and educational experience....for me. What it has meant to YOU, I've no idea, but hopefully, we have become friends. I feel that way.

With that in mind...and because I can't send you all something, I'd like to present one of you with a gift to celebrate the beginning of another year in the 'blogosphere' here at Bird Nest on the Ground. If you are interested, kindly make a comment on this post and your name will be included in the drawing. As always, that old navy man will pick a number to see which of you wins.

If your name is drawn...you will receive one of my glass Candlestick Pincushions, pieced of wool fabric and decorated with crocheted flowers with embroidered leaves, a beaded button at the top with the same flowers and leaves, and several of my favorite heart and leaf straight pins. It's eight inches tall. Then, there is one of my miniature landscapes. It's hand appliqued and embroidered...the design is 3" x 4 1/2." Loved making the tiny American Flag and flag pole!
Of course, who wouldn't love some chocolate...so you'll find that in your package also. Along with these things will be a little bird card. I purchased this one from Michael's. It's so cute, so you need one too.

OK, now...take a chance...send me a comment and let's see who wins these three items. I'd love to send it to YOU. Celebrate with me! We will choose the winner on Monday, February 28th at 10:00 p.m. Make sure I have a way to get in touch with you! And, take care out there....pat

Even More Hearts

Well, here it is...Valentine's Day. From my heart to yours, hope your day was a happy one. As promised...here are more hearts to celebrate not only today, but the whole month of February.

My newest heart earrings. They look kinda rosey pink here, but are really very RED. And, vintage looking....just my kind of thing...and I love French Hook earrings too. I'll be wearing these soon. Well, maybe I'll need a new garment to 'go' with them first.

A friend gave me a pincushion with a red heart straight pin in it....I couldn't rest til I found more and intend to add one to various pincushions leaving my Nest to go somewhere else to live. I just love these....notice I bought them at JoAnn's....if you just can't wait to have some of your own. There are leaves available too....another of my favorite motifs!

Here, also, is a bird I made some time back. As you can see, it's a Christmas bird, but it also has a Satin Stitch heart on its' breast. The bird is about four inches from beak to tail and the heart is about 3/4 of an inch. Love those Satin Stitch hearts!

Long ago I found this 3/4 inch copper heart cookie cutter and always love using it....makes great little piecrust heart cookies. You know we can't waste the dough trimmed from the pie when we flute the edges. My kids always liked the pie dough baked with some cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on them...hearts or sometimes circles made with a thimble. I must say, I think they are awfully cute myself! Do you see the cute white glass heart-shaped leaf beads??? Love those too...(thank you, Debbie!)

And, lastly.....wouldn't you know...the key to my backyard studio also has a heart included on the chain. Not to be left out...so do my car keys. Well, we just have to have all our little favorite things, don't we?

So, more hearts with more to come.....sure hope your day was a very special one. Do take care out there! pat

More Hearts for February

As promised the other day...here are more hearts from my house to yours during this Valentine month. I've been wandering around looking here and there to find all the hearts of different kinds to photograph...in my house and the Nest also. Tomorrow, I will be at the downtown studio...so the camera may find even more then. I never tire of the heart motif and I hope you enjoy seeing all the hearts I can come up with.

I've shown you this quilt before, but maybe you'd enjoy another look. It is one of my favorites, made from someone else's pattern....something I rarely do. This quilt was FUN to make, has hearts, baskets and birds and so I just had to make one. The pattern belongs to Robyn Pandolph. I made this quite a while ago, so I've no idea if the pattern is still available, but you can click here to find Robyn. She designs fabrics also and most of the ones in this quilt are hers.

I have a doll that my mother gave me several years ago....you see the doll here. So sweet. An Arkansas artist made the house pin my doll is wearing. It has that cute little heart over the door. She makes little clay houses in addition to several other things, but I LOVE the pin. You can check out Beth's work here.

In my bedroom, hanging on the closet door, is a heart made from wool. I made it a while ago and got the pattern from a vendor at Quilt Festival in Houston. You can find that vendor here.
It was easy to make, although I must confess...I didn't make mine totally like the pattern. It was lots of fun though.

And, lastly, I must show you this photo I took late this afternoon. It was taken on my front porch. Like a lot of you....we had snow again yesterday...about seven inches. My porch has a roof over it and is about 7 feet deep, but the snow was blowing in every possible direction, so everything on the porch had snow on it, my little wicker table included. I went for my walk this afternoon and when I walked back up on the porch, I just glanced down and saw a HEART underneath the table. Do you see it??? A snow heart. How cute is that? Kind of looks like a 'stencil' of a heart. It made me smile and so I had to run get the camera. (I have been searching for rocks that look like hearts for a long time. Several bloggers I could name have found all kinds of heart-shaped rocks. I've searched everywhere I've ever walked, and have found none. So, now I'm asking....how many have found snow hearts? Guess I'm luckier than I thought.)

So, there you are. More hearts. There will be more before the month is over. Maybe even a tutorial on two of my favorite hearts to embroider. Y'all stay warm....and if I don't post again before Monday...have a delightful and Happy Valentine's Day! pat

French Knot Buttons

Today I was trying to think of something pretty to show you. The weather has been awful, not so much here,...but just about everywhere else across the country from what I hear. Today, the snow we had yesterday pretty much melted and the roads aren't bad...so, actually, we've got it 'good' if you ask me. I'm concerned for everyone else. Anyway, I could get out to the backyard studio, thanks to melted snow, and was trying to come up with something new, fun, interesting, and PRETTY to post about. Nothing really caught my fancy today....so, as I walked around the studio, my eyes landed on these buttons and thought you might enjoy them.

When I made these...longer ago than I want to say....my imagination conjured up all kinds of scenarios whereby I would make and sell zillions of them, encouraging people to buy them and incorporate them in great pieces of their own. Then, I made them and realized that the time involved would not permit me to sell them at a fairly reasonable price....so another of my 'great ideas' was shot down. My friend, Sharon H., used to tell me that I was horrible at handling business...and I suppose she was right. (I have actually made others and included them in some piece or other I made to sell...but I have a hard time doing it. So little time, so much to do and all that!)

So, here you are....my four embroidered buttons. I still think I should do more...someday, somehow...for some reason...but for now...these are the ones I can show....so, please enjoy them as who knows if others will appear here. The largest one is 2 1/2 inches, and the others are 1 7/8 inches. If you've never covered a button...well, it's not at all hard...but embroidering could be another story. You don't want to 'over-embroider' or you'd never fit them over the metal forms. Fun, though.

As you can see, the primary stitch I have used on these buttons is the French Knot. And, you've heard me say many times how much I love stitching those....yes, indeed! The large one has MANY French Knots and the others, not so much. Of course, the last one has the fewest, but I like it a lot. It is done in Perle Cotton, the others DMC floss. One tip - I LOVE using a Milliner's needle for French Knot making. So much easier and prettier too.

Another thing about my embroidery...with the exception of ribbon roses when I make them, I suppose you could call the flowers I stitch Fantasy Flowers, as they are not very realistic and are really SIMPLE. I always call it "School Girl" embroidery. Mostly, I just want to stitch, have a good time doing it, and present a nice looking piece of embroidery that I'm proud of when it'd done.

So, there you are....something I feel is 'pretty.' Hope you enjoyed seeing them and maybe you will try one or two yourself! Stay warm....and be careful out there. pat

PS. Thank you all for so many wonderful comments on this post....I so appreciate each and every one. "Connie" asked the question, "no more creations on etsy?" so I feel the need to let you know I'm sorry that my etsy shop is empty of inventory. I have to tell you that it isn't because I'm not making things for sale, it's because I'm one person, I spend a lot of time on one piece, and, like they say, "so much to do, so little time." Because I'm determined to do good work and provide my customers with their 'heirloom' piece, I can't hurry the work. And, just when I think I am caught up...another request comes in. I am happy to fill them and so appreciative when customers are patient. And, remarkably...they are. If you find yourself interested in something, please email...but be aware I can't fill an order quickly. Again, thank you so much for visiting my blog, you make my day!!!

Red Rose Heart

It's February....a special time for hearts. You've seen many I've made. I love including them in my work in many different ways. So, during this month, I will be showing you some of them...in thanks for all of you who follow this blog. Thank you so much, you always make my day! Also, I'm dedicating the showing of these photos to my Valentine....my hero...that old navy man who has lived with me for 45 years. (Our anniversary isn't until June...but since we got married the year of the first Super Bowl,1966, and have watched every single one of them together...we kind of celebrate an anniversary 'of sorts' on Super Bowl Sunday. It's fun. We don't always cheer for the same team...but we have fun.)

So, here's the first heart....to all of you and Richard. It's made of felt....about 4" x 7" wide. I've had it a long time. I made it one day on a whim....just to see what the ribbon would look like on the felt. And, it IS red...looks kind of pink in these photos. I need to do more silk ribbon embroidery, I suppose....because I love designing this type of thing and then seeing it 'born' as I stitch. Sounds weird..but I know YOU know what I mean.

Mixed in with the ribbon flowers, are some French Knots...I could make those all day long, they are so much fun. And, beads for the flower centers. There are never enough beads. Actually, I am working on a project now requiring a certain green color of beads.....I have 'MILLIONS' of beads in the backyard studio....do you think I have the 'right' color of green? No. Isn't that just the way it goes? Well, I'll track some down, you can bet on that. And, you know what the old navy man says...."do you want me to drive you to Little Rock to find some?" Now, isn't he a keeper?

So, I hope you enjoy this red heart....the universal symbol of love. So, love to you all...and especially my hero for all these years. Y'all take care out there! pat

PS. I'm getting ready to go for the 'daily' walk. (Actually, I only walk five days a week!) It's cold and rainy today, but I'm going anyway. For all of you out there covered over with the results of this huge winter storm....I wish you safety and warmth. I will be having a giveaway later in the month as February is also the third anniversary of my blog...more on that later.