tonight I have another swap item to show you. It was a pinkeeper made with the CD inside. This was another of Vickie Brown's swaps.
I was trading with Orinda of Colorado who is an exquisite stitcher especially in her detail work. I have pictures of the full front and back of the pinkeeper then thought you would like to see closeups of her stitching and beading front and back. Also the little extras that she added to the top front. You will agree that she is like no one else when it comes to her work. Wonderful.

Another cool and rainy night and day in Chicago. The rain really came down last night and the sun did come out this afternoon for awhile but it is not a typical June. Should be in the 80's and we are in the 60's. 70 is a warm day.

Last May my daughter and I were out shopping and were in a Tuesday Morning store. I saw this large fish and said very casually to my daughter look at that fish. It is really something but too expensive. Well she just sort of looked, shrugged and away we went. Well Mother's Day she hands me this large shopping bag and what is inside but the fish as a gift from David (my oldest son) and her.

Last year I had it lying down in the yard with some trailing plant coming out of it's mouth but decided this year to dig it down in a little to hold it and have it straight up. I planted some pony grass and impatience in it. See if you like my fish as much as I do.

MaryAnne of http;//www.magpiesmumblings.blogspot.com has just posted a new technique and made a piece of fabric that looks like leather. Now when you first look you think "what is that"? Sort of ugly but it grows on you. I told her I had a pic to post of a piece of fabric I made on the embellisher and then embellished by hand that could beat that for ugly but in reality when you see it in person it is very nice. I actually made two samples on normal size pieces of felt and they are going to be added to the front of tote bags.

The one I am referring to as ugly is the brown one with the furry look. The turquoise one is actually my favorite of the two.

Just a little fun today.

I mentioned in the last post about going into swaps. I have some pictures you might enjoy today that were from a needlecase swap run by Vickie Brown of Ribbonsmyth. My name was given to Jules Yonge of Texas and she sent me this absolutely beautiful needlebook. I say book because it is hard sided and joined with fabric hinges. She is an expert needleworker and I was just blown away when it arrived. She spent a tremedous amount of time making this I am sure. She has become a nice on line friend and maybe some day we will meet at a retreat somewhere. Right now Jules is having a hard time in her life. Her elderly aunt she was very close to passed away, then her Father passed away and Jules then broke her ankle. I think her hard times are behind her and there will be sunshine ahead.

I took these pics outside today but they appear a little washed out. In real life they are much more vibrant.

I have pics somewhere of the one I made for the swap but I cannot think of who I sent it to. When I do I will post the pics.

Yesterday I worked out in the yard for about 3 hours. I did the balance of the planting on the deck then divided some things up and generally moved things around in the garden. I was able to move all the furniture, planters, etc back on Sat. I am very pleased with the color of the deck now and did do another coat of remover on the lower deck and then power washed it with - MY OWN POWER WASHER -. I had so much fun using that thing that I decided with all the brick work and decking we have around here I could sure use one. I had borrowed the neighbors when the hose wasn't working well. Not enough pressure. I must make him a pie or something for being so kind to lend it to me and tell me to keep it as long as I needed it. It threatened rain all day but never came until in the night then we had a good storm. Everything is so green after a good rain. I think the sun is coming out now and will take some pics this afternoon. It will be so much prettier when the plants in the pots have taken off and are really in bloom.

I mentioned that I had Pat Winters puzzle piece but didn't want to take a pic of it until she had received it. Well now she has. It must have taken her days to do this swap. Pat has done various ones in the past and I have always enjoyed them. Thank you Pat for all your hard work.

The colors in her puzzle piece are teal taffeta punched with an overlay of black lace then once embellished the stiffening was attached and then the back piece of the same dark teal. We buttonholed around it to hold all together. I don't think the embellishments show up in the pic. It is hard to

photo glitzy items. I hope she likes it.

Tonight's post is more of a family post. You all probably know I have 5 grandsons and only 1 grandaughter. Well she turned 14 in Feb. and graduated last night from jr. high and will enter high school at Fremd High in Palatine, IL. Her brother will be a junior there this year. The unfortunte part of graduating is a lot of schools funnel into this jr. high but only about 10% go on to Fremd and the rest go to Palatine High. Therefore friends they have made in the past two years are split up. I guess that is life and you just go forward. Jenny is a very happy girl and is very friendly so I know before long she will know half the school.

We got there about 6.30 for the 7 program and were seated right on the ground floor in front of the stands because of Harv being in the wheelchair.

My daghter had nabbed 2 tickets so she bought her 7th. grader who will be doing the same thing next year. She crawled into the bench behind us in the special seating She is also very social and volunteers at all the schools so knew probably half the kids there. I am posting a pic of Jenny herself, one with her Mom & Dad (her dad is my middle son) and one with Grandma who had bought her red roses . She looked lovely and was going on to a party after.

I did comment that it looked more like a high school graduation. 8th graders sure have changed. I spent more time looking at the girls teetering along on very high, bejewelled shoes. Life sure does change.

Love you Jenny - she was always my girl when she was little. Still is my girl.

I am not getting very far with the butterfly quilt because I am still not organized. Too much with inside and outside but hope to have it all in order outside by the weekend unless it rains again. We have had a lot of rain lately. Almost every second day.

I thought I would go back and show you a few things that I have made over the past years and taken pics of. In July 2007 I found Robin Atkins was teaching a beading class thru the Embroiderers Guild and was able to get into a 2 day class. It was very close to me so I could just drive back and forth every day. She is a wonderful beader and teacher but this was a very free form type of beading. She said to find a bead we really liked and sew it down to the fabric. I regress that initially she had us pick out a pattern of a small amulet type bag and draw it onto our fabric we had bought with us with beads that would go with it colorwise. From there we just meandered and it was a lot of fun. If we were stuck she was there to help us but we all did end up with such different things. I made a small amulet bag that I wear and every time I get compliments on it. Went for lunch and shopping with my daughter for our last free day as the boys are on the run as of Mon. and a couple of people commented on it.

It is hard to take pictures of beads but there is the bag and as closeup as I had been able to get.