Just stopping by briefly today to post about a sweet cross-stitch freebie I came across. It was stitched on linen using DMC threads - 304, 349,415, 433, 435, 699, 702, 838, 977, 3799, 3865 - and finished as an ornament. I think its just gorgeous!  Here is the chart too! This little pattern is from Gazette94.  She has over 120 free patterns, so get a cup of hot apple cider, sit down, relax, and have fun browsing through her
patterns.  There is an adorable cross-stitch of a sweet kiss under the mistletoe!  I hope you are all having a great time getting ready for Christmas!

AND WE HAVE A WINNER!

Using a random number generator, Gina of Cat Nap Inn has won the little ornie!  Please send me your address and I'll get the little stitchery out in the mail to you. 

Also, because of all your great interest in this little item I will be making another this week (maybe not exactly the same) and offering it as another giveaway!  Will post it soon.

 Also, I will be making some to offer for purchase once my blog shop is opened.

Thank you to all who entered, I had a hoot reading about all your kitty names.  They will be source of inspiration for my next rescue!

Hi All,

My apologies for not posting the winner of my giveaway yet.  I am just getting back on my feet after a really nasty cold and sinus infection.  I will try to get the winner's name out later today or tomorrow.  I am so sorry for the delay!

We are having our first (unexpected) snow today! Maybe an inch or two.  The roads were really slick this morning on my way into work.  It took almost 45 minutes for me to go 3 miles!

Will post more later! Have a wonderful, wintery day.

May you all have a wonderful day filled with much to be thankful for! Safe travels too!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Free Graphic

Good Fall Morning every

one! I wanted to share a sweet vintage image coming by way of Amy's Pick of the Day

which is a bit of verse to celebrate the season of plenty. When you go to her page, be sure to click on the image first to see the full size image. Then right click (Mac: control+click) and “save to” your computer desktop or a folder of your choice. This process will ensure you get the best quality of the image. You can use this image to make place holders for your Thanksgiving table or perhaps an applique on a tea towel. If you send Amy an image of what you made, she will post them on The Vintage Workshops' Facebook page.

This also reminds me of something I would love Santa to bring me this year .... a color printer/scanner/fax machine! I would love to be able to do some crafts with images printed to fabric.  Please tell Santa for me!

Here's wishing you a lovely fall weekend. I'm looking forward to some R&R with a good book, a kitty on my lap and some mulled cider.

Grandma was Plump!

glitter-graphics.com

Today while looking for a cute Thanksgiving blinky for by blog, I came across this one.  It caught my eye because having your loved ones homes is such a blessing but the other reason was because it reminded me of my dear Grandma Mary.  She was a jolly (plump) woman who loved her sons and grandkids.  She loved to cook for us and she did enjoy her cooking! If you asked for ham for a Sunday dinner, you got ham and roast beef! Same with pies and cookies.  She lead a wonderful and simple life with very little but lived with love and thankfulness.  This got me to thinking ... when did "grandmas" have to stop looking like the one shown here and had to start looking like Joan Collins? 

She looked so huggable and I loved hugging her! Her plumpness was so comforting and reassuring.  That's what I remember most about her and how she loved us and her wonderful smile.  I certainly thought she was beautiful because of this.  Maybe this is how our grandchildren should remember us and not our waist size? It's something to think about.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY

THANK YOU to all who have served their country (past, present, and future). May we always teach our children how fortunate we are to live in the USA with our very precious freedoms and to respect all those who sacrifice for our safety (EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, and police too!).

Kitty Christmas November Giveaway

I thought I should get busy and get my November giveaway posted!  I hope you all like it.  I modified a little pattern from Kitty Kringle's Pattern Book.  This little ornie was stitched on fiddler's cloth and backed with wool.  I aged it with my very own "secret" technique that I will share with you all someday. 

Now for the giveaway rules:
1. You must be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post only (new followers welcome).
2. You can post about my giveaway on your blog (additional entry).
3. You can tell me the names of your kitties (additional entry).
4. The giveaway will end November 30th at midnight.
5. I will draw the name of the winner by December 3rd.

Cat Haven Crafts November 2011 Giveaway

Good luck to all who enter!  We are having a wintery day here ... drove to work in snow, sleet, rain, and 35 mph winds! All at the same time.  It can really mess up a girl's hairdo!  My kitty's refused to go out on the porch this morning! I don't blame them.  I would love to be home stitchin' on a day like today!

Christmas Ornaments Made from Felt

Good morning! Whew, I have been busy.  My daughter and her husband have bought a house (only 1/2 block from me) and will be moving at the end of the month. So we are all caught up in boxing up and moving things around.  I have been stitching a little, but not as much as I hoped.  However, I did finish my Christmas giveaway that I will be posting about soon.

Today, I just wanted to share some sweet "free" Christmas felt/wool patterns  from Better Homes and Gardens that I came across. There are over twenty to choose from. Here are a few that caught my eye!

It's rainy here today and blustery. The perfect day to whip up some home-made chicken soup, corn bread, and to spend the evening stitching with a kitty curled in your lap.  Sending wishes for a peaceful Tuesday.

As part of my November giveaway, I asked you all if you used blog templates and if you did, whose did you use? I got many responses and thought I would provide information about some of them.  Please take some time to visit the blogs of these creative gals.

Twin Creek Primitives

Twin Creek Primitives is also known of TCP. The blog templates and graphics here are all free and the templates come with directions on how to use them. TCP also sells her creations on eBay at Twin Creek Primitives eBay. Quite a few of my followers use TCP graphics and templates.

The Cutetest Blog on the Block
Another site for finding free templates is The Cutest Blog on the Block. You can find all sorts of freebies here: background, banners, blinkies, and buttons to name a few.

Amybug's Primitive Attic

The graphics and templates at Amybug's Primitive Attic are not free, but they are beautiful.  One very helpful item that Amybug sells are "Selling Templates: that may be useful for those of you who are thinking about selling your primitives via a blog site.

Scrap-e-Blog

Scrap-e-Blog provides free blogger backgrounds.  Currently there are seven Thanksgiving backgrounds available that are very prim and cute. You can also request custom headers.

Well, I'm signing off for today, so here are wishes for a purrrrrrfect fall weekend!

Herbs and Free Kitty Halloween Cross Stitch Pattern

I wanted to share with you all a really cute (free) cross stitch pattern I came across today from Silver Cute Dwarf which is called "Boo" and something I'll be stitching this week! I love it.

The other thing I'd like to share is a bit about herbs. I love herb lore! They have along history as a natural remedies—and many other more unusual uses, too (especially if you’re bothered by a pesky witch or two this Hallow’s Eve!). Here are a few!

Basil - A cup of basil tea after dinner helps digestion. Ease a headache by drinking tomato juice blended with fresh basil.

Chives - Bunches of chives hung in your home were used to drive away diseases and evil.

Dill - Romans made wreaths and garlands out of dill. Dill keeps witches away.

Fennel - Bunches of fennel were used to drive off witches. It was used in love potions and as an appetite suppressant (don’t you wish!).

Garlic - It was thought to give strength and courage. Aristotle noted garlic's use as a guard against the fear of water. It's also been widely used against evil powers.

Marjoram - The Greeks believed it could revive the spirits of anyone who inhaled it.

Mint - It was believed to cure hiccups and counteract sea-serpent stings (especially important to those of you living by water!).

Oregano - Also used for scorpion and spider bites.

Rosemary - Rosemary in your hair will improve your memory. It will protect you from evil spirits if you put a sprig under your pillow.

Sage - Thought to promote strength and longevity and believed to cure warts. American Indians used it as a toothbrush.

Thyme - Burning thyme gets rid of insects in your house. A bed of thyme was thought to be a home for fairies.

Folk lore aside some herbs do help fight winter colds and flu, especially herbs known for their strong scents—rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, oregano, lavender, and others. They have high concentrations of volatile oils that have antiseptic and antibiotic properties that bolster the immune system. To ease sore throats, make your own gargle by adding a teaspoon or two of any of the following to warm water: cider vinegar, sage, chamomile, lemon juice, or raspberry leaves.

Have you ever heard of Cats Ear? It’s also known as False dandelion. Historically, dandelion was prized for a variety of medicinal properties, and it really does contain a wide number of pharmacologically active compounds. Dandelion is used as folk remedies in North America, Mexico and China. Cats Ear and dandelions are completely edible and if you ever get a chance to visit The Amana Colonies in east, central Iowa, try their dandelion wine!

Selling Poll Results and Some Fall Photos

Good morning all! I hope you are having a glorious fall day! First of all, I would like to share the selling poll results that I received during my September giveaway.  The majority of you indicated that you would prefer to purchase prims from me from a selling blog but a close second was from Etsy and lastly (and not many) preferred eBay.  So, with that information in mind, I am working on creating my selling blog (any tips would be greatly appreciated) and hope to have it up and running in a few weeks.

The second thing I'd like to share today are two purchases I recently made.  A little while ago I purchased an herb rack from Firecracker Kid Primitives and this weekend I finally got it up on my wall.  Here is a photo of it with some of my Halloween ornies. I really, really like it!

The next item I purchased was from Wicked Faerie Queen -- a cute little painted Halloween box.

I also wanted to share with you some of my Halloween decorating (I don't do too much anymore because of working full time and the time it takes to put up and put away things) that make me smile!

And lastly, little Mr. Nicky trying out the new throw blankets (they weren't out 5 mintues before he climbed up here!).  Take care and remeber to hug those kitties today!

For Kathy at Tolentreasures

I was reading Kathy's post at her blog TOLENTREASURES and while I enjoyed reading about her weekend, her "scarey" story kindof gave me goosebumps.  So, as I was browsing around the Internet today (and BTW, this post has nothing really to do with crafting), I came across this photo:

It was taken in 1950 and shows the image of another "creepy" guy. It was taken by a National Park Service photographer during massive renovations of the White House (yes, the one in Washington DC) in 1950. In the background, a group of men stand to the left. But there is an odd, translucent figure, standing alone, to the right. I'm not saying what he/it is, but here is a larger image of the photo.  Kinda weird, isn't it.

Need a Haystack or Two?

Just a short post today -- I wanted to share this little tutorial that I came across at Wee Folk Art for making burlap haystacks (perhaps your kitty won't want to chew on these!).  They can be made any size and the tutorial is very easy and step by step.  So if you don't feel like cleaning up pieces of hay all over your house, try out one or two of these haystacks.

What Cheer Flea Market

This past Saturday I went to the What Cheer Flea Market with my daughter and grandson, Henry. I haven't been able to go with her in ages so this was special and extra-special since it was Henry's first time there! He had a ball!

I wasn't able to do too much walking because my ankle is still in "the boot" but we did visit some great vendors! Especially the gals who have a booth at the Majestic Lion Antique Center in Des Moines. I've posted some pictures of their wares below.  I loved looking at all the fall decor but went home with just another addition to my vintage glass refrigerator containers (that I actually use all the time). Molly bought an antique butter mold and Henry got a vintage, wooden abacus (can't start math too young!).

This weekend we are going to try attend a local auction that always seems to have one or two things I would just love to have. Until the next post, enjoy your day!

We Have a Winner!!!

My apologies for the delay in posting the winner of my first giveaway! My Internet link was down.  But anyway, I am back and the winner is ..... Kathy H. So Kathy, please email me at: allmycats@yahoo.com with your mailing address and I will get your little Scaredy Cat pillow mailed out to you.  If I do not hear from you by Friday, October 7th at 5 pm EST I will pick another name.

Thank you all for your entries and responding to my question about eBay vs. Etsy vs. a Selling Blog. I will post the results to this question soon.

Also, please stop back in a few days as I will be having an October giveaway!!!

Some Fall Comfort Food

We are having a wonderful fall day here in east central Iowa! Just the perfect day for some comfort food for supper.  Here is a little recipe for Macaroni and Cheese from "Yankee" and takes about 25 minutes to prepare and feeds 4-6.  Here are the ingredients:

• 7 tablespoons salted butter, divided
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 8-ounce package ziti, macaroni, or your favorite pasta
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) extra-sharp Vermont cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 350°. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add panko and stir until coated; set aside. Cook pasta according to package, stopping 2 minutes shy of suggested cooking time. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking continuously, about 1 minute; don't let mixture brown. Add milk gradually and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until mixture is thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add salt, pepper, red-pepper flakes, mustard, and cheeses, whisking until melted. Add pasta; then spoon mixture into a lightly greased 2-quart casserole or four lightly greased 2-cup baking dishes. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly.

I enjoy with some crusty bread and a side of broccoli!

Sending some virtual hugs your way (and let your kitties roll in the fall leaves today).

Prim Plush Blanket Throw

When we went Up North a few weeks ago the cabin we stayed in had the most wonderful throw blanket -- all soft, warm, and plush.  I thought I might like to have a few to replace several in our family room that we have used really hard over the last few winters. So, when I came home I searched the Web for United Weavers plush throws.  To my delight I found a pattern that is very prim, has all the colors I wanted, and at a price that I was thrilled to get!  They also make this pattern in a rug, too.  If you are interested in this throw or any others that United Weavers offer, I would suggest going to this Web Site
to purchase one.  They are having a 20% off sale on these blankets and the price is the lowest I've found online.  Also, use this coupon code for ANOTHER!!!! 20% (summersale20)!  There are no shipping charges either! I can't wait for them to arrive because the nights are getting colder here and I want to put our old family room throws in our car trunks for "just in case" winter troubles!

Good morning all you crafty ladies! I hope you are having a wonderful, fall day.  It's been very foggy here this morning, but nice and cool and crisp.  I just wanted to remind you that my Scaredy Cat Pillow Giveaway ends 9/30 at midnite!

I also want to share with you a free pattern for a thanksgiving wool applique pillow.  Click here for instructions and the pattern.  I am thinking of stitching one up this weekend.

Kim also has compiled 101 Festive Fall Tutorials over at her blog. So, please take a minute and visit her at Everything Etsy

Some of you have asked about the wool kitties I used to make and sell and whether or not I will be making and selling them in the future and the answer is YES! So please stay tuned.  I may not get around to making my fall/Halloween kitties, but I most likely will be stitching up some of them for winter/Christmas.  Thanks for asking!

Totally Unrelated to Crafting, but ....

I know this is totally unrelated to crafting whatsoever, but I thought this You Tube video was hilarious and so am sharing it with you all - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgTyiaDmytw and also this from LOL Cats. If you view the You Tube Video you will understand the kitty.

Weekend Wanderings

Hello! I hope your weekend was wonderful.  I was able to get some things done even though I an limping around. I fell a few days ago ... I am really such a klutz ... and hurt my left ankle and foot. I am now wearing a boot and am not supposed to put weight on that foot ... we'll see how that goes.  A few weeks ago I dropped a large rock on my other foot and broke two toes.  I'm thinking that these are signs from God telling me I must spend more time sitting and stitching! :)

I had a wonderful time on Saturday with Henry as he visited his first pumpkin patch. Doesn't he look like he is having the time of his little life?

I have to laugh at the first picture in this post (scroll back to it). I'm wondering about the meaning and purpose of the "pumpkin" catapult in the right hand corner of the photo? LOL!!!

I am also thrilled and humbled that I now have more than 100 followers! To celebrate, I will be having another giveaway in October.  And I will be tallying up my questionnaire about eBay vs. Esty vs. a Selling Blog as soon as the give away is over.  But I can probably say that I will not be going back to selling on eBay.  Here are a few items that I've finished, need to be stitched into pillows or mini-quilts, or stuffed that you might find on my selling blog one of these days.  The first photo is a little mini-quilt/wall hanging that I made up from a free design offered recently by Shirley Hudson over at Hudson's Holidays;

This little saying makes me smile every time I see it.  I am also making a little pillow from the pattern on muslin, too.  Here are a few of my items.  When/if I sell them, I will let you know who is the pattern designer, but right now I can't find the original patterns in amongst all my patterns (thanks for not asking me to get up and look, the foot you know! :) )

All in all, it has been a wonderful weekend ... the corn is looking good, spent time with my grandson, my daughter and I spent some good quality time together and she made a DELICIOUS bacon/spinach/broccoli quiche for supper for us all!  Well, the work week starts early tomorrow so I'm off to get into my PJ's and enjoy a cup of chamomile/lavender tea!  Hope you all have sweet dreams tonight.