Monday, January 28, 2013

Back to Pooh Corner

I never realized there were so many Pooh fans out there! Ever since I announced my new chartpak Promise Me, featuring some human/bear wisdom from Winnie the Pooh, I've been getting fan mail! I don't mean fan mail for me...but fans expressing their lifelong love of Pooh and all of his pals from the 3 acre wood.




This is such a sweet saying, it was a pleasure to graph and stitch myself. As I was stitching along, the melody from Kenny Loggins beloved song kept running through my mind...

So, help me if you can I've got to get
back to the house at Pooh corner by one
You'd be surprised there's so much to be done.
count all the bees in the hive,
chase all the clouds from the sky,
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh,
back to the days of Christopher Robin,
back to the ways of Pooh.



Ah...Kenny Loggins...long ago celebrity infatuation. Many years ago I owned a video of a Kenny Loggins live concert. Kenny was all beautiful in a shiny red shirt and flowing hair and...but, I digress. Wonder what Kenny is up to these days? And whatever happened to that now-historic VHS recording?

Whatever...I'm so glad you are enjoying the new L*K version of the famous Pooh quote 


I've leave you with another famous Pooh quote. Maybe it would be a cross stitch design, too?
 "A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference."





Friday, January 18, 2013

COLD weather, HOT off the press!

It's WINTER in Kansas! . Actually, we're having a typical Kansas winter...freezing temps for a few days and then several respite days with 50-60 degree temps. Which is why...REAL Kansans don't wear coats! We just dash and dart from here to there, with maybe a sweater or hoodie, but rarely a heavy winter coat! If you don't believe me, come for a visit!

We'll be shipping new designs early next week, and we just got them delivered from 2 local printers. (Nothing like calling it close!) Now we're springing into action, attaching already prepared buttons and beads (thousand of them!!) to our new JINGLES Flip-it series. 


We're SO excited about this new series. JINGLES are a group of 12 Flip-its! There are 12 ornaments, all different sizes and shapes. Of course, they'll look great hanging on your tree, but you can do lots of different finishes...pop them in a small frame, make a cute easel or door hanger, decorate a wreath...you always 
amaze me with your creativity!

For the first time ever, our awesome finisher is posting a FREE finishing blog with complete instructions, so you can DIY!





Each JINGLES Flip-it comes with it's own embellishment pack, alternating between tiny red buttons, and aqua snowflake button with white beads. All of the designs use the same color palette...classic Christmas colors with some fun aqua, pink and chartreuse thrown in for fun!


All 12 JINGLES also fit together like a puzzle to stitch a big Christmas extravaganza. We'll supply the FREE template to combine everything, with additional stitched elements to tie everything together. Just check our website at www.lizziekate.com and click on the Jingles picture. 


We'll also be busy putting our new chartpak Promise Me into sacks. Do you recognize this saying? It's from Winnie the Pooh. It's actually Christopher Robin talking to Pooh. Promise me you'll always remember; you're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you 
think. Good advice...for bears and humans!


Then, we'll put the Inspirations Boxers...well, in their BOXES! The saying on this new one is a familiar scripture from Jeremiah... As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. The colors are muted and blend with any decor. Great for a gift (wedding, anniversary) or a special keepsake for your own home. Boxer kit includes 30 ct. natural linen, chart with bonus design (we made a cool thread ring) and embellishments. 


Finally, we'll send out the new Spring String Snippets. Thankfully, these don't require assembly...from us, that is. This is so skinny and fun...lots of beautiful spring colors, motifs, and pure fun!  I stitched this in a couple evenings...it's so quick and cheerful!

Call in the elves...it's gonna be a busy weekend!  Happy Friday!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Getting ready for Christmas...2013!

What? My last post was about putting Christmas decor away, and now I'm talking about Christmas 2013!

You betcha! That's "normal" in the crazy needlework world, where Christmas isn't a season...it's a year-round celebration.


We're excited to announce our new Flip-it series for 2013. JINGLES!!! 

We've designed a group of 12 Christmas ornaments. You can hang them, or frame them, use them for package tie-ons, whatever you like. They're all different sizes and shapes this time...just to change things up and keep you guessin'!

And, like the usual Flip-it series, the 12 designs will all fit together into one big Christmas-y stitchery. We'll provide the FREE template, some extra graphed elements to fill in the gaps, and all the instructions on our website at www.lizziekate.com.


We're still waiting on the big beautiful frame for our combo piece, but here is a SNEAK PEEK photo to get you thinking Christmas...in January! What elements can you see...a snowman, a hooty owl, peppermint candies...

Here are some other fun facts about the JINGLES:
*There are 12 designs...we'll release the first 3 near the end of January.
*Each design comes with embellishments - either tiny red button, or aqua snowflake button and white beads.
*We stitched our JINGLES on 30 ct. natural linen, you can choose your favorite fabric!
*We stitched our big combined JINGLES on 32 ct. amber linen (Wichelt)
*Stitch count for the entire project is 80W x 369H.

*Our very talented finisher, Mona, will post FREE instructions on a special finishing blog for this series. First time ever, very cool!
*Thread list - Weeks Dye Works capri, cayenne, chestnut, grasshopper, grits (3), hunter, juniper, Louisiana hot sauce (2), mascara, molasses, pecan, peony, sweet potato.

Excited? We sure are! We'll have lots of other new goodies available at the same time the JINGLES are premiering, so stay tuned for more products SNEAK PEEKS!

Here's to celebrating Christmas all year long!





Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Bye, bye, dear (Pinterest) Christmas

A few years ago my blogger daughter, Ali, told me about her newest passion...Pinterest. I listened, looked at some pics and thought "what's the big deal?". Honestly, the whole Pinterest thing didn't make sense to me. Then last year at our annual Nashville Needlework Market, I was visiting Anne in her room at R & R Reproductions and she showed me Pinterest...again. Suddenly it made sense and I got inspired to give it a try!

Ali set me up a page (yes, I still need help on these things) and I slowly started pinning things. Then I started to get a nudge to actually DO and MAKE some of these great projects on my Pinterest board. When some girlfriends asked me to join their little Holiday House Tour, I found the motivation to bring my Pinterest board to life! It turns out, you not only can PIN ideas on Pinterest, you can follow the tutorials and do it yourself!

My personal challenge for our casual tour of each other's houses was to 1) shop only at Dollar Store, Hobby Lobby and Michaels and 2) to re-purpose and re-use alot of stuff I already had.

So, several cans of spray paint, 3 yards of burlap, tons of brown kraft paper, many blobs of hot glue and 2 balls of twine LATER...here are some of my (successful) projects!


This was my first Pinterest project - the coffee filter wreath hanging over my fireplace. The tutorial said to glue the filters on the foam wreath, but I used T-pins. I wasn't patient enough to wait for the glue to dry!

The fireplace looks much different this year, because I went with a winter white sort of look (inspired by Pinterest posts, of course!). I gathered up white pottery I had scattered around the house and office, and filled them with real greens from my yard. I jazzed up my Walmart stockings with some letters from Michael's (first can of black spray paint) and hung them with twine.


This project was TOO easy, but I guess it counts, because it was on my Pinterest feed. I downloaded this free 16" x 20" art, picked it up at Walgreen's an hour later and popped it in a frame I already had. This was so fun and easy,  I want to rotate other seasonal stuff in the same frame.


Also in my kitchen, I did some decorating with one of my favorite things...peppermint candy! I bought lots of peppermints at the Dollar store, then artfully arranged them with some other favorite things. The little glass pedestal thing holding the big candy sticks is a Pinterest project. I bought a glass vase and glass candle base at Dollar Tree, then glued them total and...voila...chic holder for $2!!!


While we're in my colorful kitchen, I got the inspiration for the little edible centerpiece from Pinterest. I used some of my giant roll of brown paper as a table runner, then put out chalk so everyone could leave holiday messages.  Of course, a couple men tried to eat the chalk. REALLY...they couldn't tell the different between chalk and appetizers?


OK...these little Santa mugs have nothing to do with Pinterest. I just remember having them as a child, so I picked these up at the antique mall for a little vintage decor. They even had the original box...so cute!


And now for the scary part of the projects...I got out the SEWING MACHINE!  Yes, I put my high school Kenmore to work making pillow shams for some of my sofa pillows. I saw similar pillows on Pinterest, but they were for sale, so I made my own, using fonts I printed off my computer.  I transfered them using my light box, then went over them with a Sharpee marker pen.


Yet another Pinterest project....an Advent calendar. I used a cork bulletin board, attached tags with pins, added some numbers, and hung a little ornament each day. It was strangely satisfying to select and hang a little ornament every day!


I used some old sheet music (my daughter graciously dedicated a book of Italian arias from college) for all sorts of things. I wrapped gifts, made little ornaments for the tree...


even used Modge Podge to attach some sheet music to some old candles. I collect old toy pianos...does it count as a "collection" if you only have two? If anyone has anymore of these these don't want, let me know!


I put some creamy spray paint to work (actually went through 2 cans) updating some stuff. My nice husband sprayed several old picture frames, candle holders, baskets, all sorts of stuff for my winter white theme. I created this Joy to the World art on my computer, sent it to my pals at Walgreen's to print and popped it in a newly painted creamy frame.


I used more brown paper to make little bookjackets for some old books. I know it's silly, but they look really nice, dressed in their brown paper uniforms with white marker text on the outside. I had never bought a white market before, and I'm hooked!


Speaking of updating frames, I used bright red spray paint on this old frame for my front door. I used leftover burlap and random stuff I already had to sew the stocking and added our initial with...what else...a  Sharpee marker!


My creative sister-in-law, Donna, visited one afternoon and helped me create an over-the-top tablescape for my dining room table. The tabletop was a festival of Pinterest projects...topiaries wrapped in paper, little individual ornaments filled with tiny branches in center of each plate, red tags tied around each napking...the craziness continues! We left just enough room on the table to actually EAT a meal!


Finally, the laundry room needed a little Christmas cheer. I spray painted some black branches, then hugn a few ornaments. Can you spot the little L*K 2011 Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue pillow? I completed the scene by displaying our grand dog's holiday wardrobe on top of the washer!


And there he is...our famous granddog, Henry, who has been staying with us while his Mom spends the holiday in Europe. After much sewing and ironing angst (may have ruined my ironing board cover with Wonder Under) I made the brown pillow with the 3 ornaments. Inspired by a Pinterest photo,  I used some extra brown linen and adhered the 3 ornaments to it. I'm not sure Wonder Under and I really get along that 
well!


Finally...a touch of Lizzie*Kate to finish our holiday decor. This little box is the bonus project in our 2012 Joy to the World Christmas Kit. I love the way my finisher Mona decorated this box. It opens up and there is more cuteness inside. 

Christmas isn't really over yet..remember Christmastide and the 12 Days of Christmas? So I'm not putting everything away quite yet.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!