Plumcute Designs

Technical Difficulties Out The Wa-Zoo & A Contest Winner

I will preface this next rant with an admission...I am a technological ding-dong but, for the love of Pete (whoever he is) I have been plagued with tech chaos for days now.  It all started Saturday night with our internet going out and we didn't get it back until Monday afternoon (bum modem had to be replaced by comcast tech dude)...now my wireless mouse wont cooperate to save my life...in fact its performance is so frustrating that I have put off this posting because it's like nails on a chalkboard working with the thing.  As if that weren't enough...my computer is functioning at a turtles pace making editing photos (like the ones of the giftage for the contest/giveaway) darn near impossible!!!!  AARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Ranting completed...thank you...I feel somewhat better now...at least well enough to complete the random number drawing thingy, announce a winner, be thankful for things, and sign off for now (only to go troubleshoot the mouse and turtles pace computer)...

The contestants are as follows:

1 Stacy 8/11

2 Diana 8/11

3 Jean C 8/10

4 Tina D 8/10

5 Audrey 8/10

6 Ulla 8/10

7 Julie 8/10

8 Lynne 8/9

9 Colleen 8/9

10 Nancy 8/9

11 Pam 8/9

12 Dawn 8/9

13 Julia 8/9

14 Pat 8/9

Drum roll please (after much mouse clicking and rizzum-frazzuming on my part)...our winner is #9 Colleen.  So, Colleen congratulations & please send me your mailing info so I can send off your goodies!  I hope to post a picture of them tomorrow if my computer will cooperate.  HA!

Blessings:

this post only took 45 minutes (as opposed to the 15 it ought to have taken) VBG

a new mouse is easy to come by (Yes I am threatening the old one)

un-bloggiversaries & contests & goodies to give away

Thank you all for making this little adventure worthwhile & fun too...here's to another year of jabberings & meeting new people out there in bloggy land...

Until Next Time,

Tracy

The Un-Bloggiversary

This is one of my favorite trim pictures and it is totally unrelated to this post...

It came and went without any fanfare or even the slightest bit of whoopla.  Mostly because I have been down with the crud since the end of Long Beach Quilt Festival (and now my kidlets have it too).  I have been too pooped to blog for too long and I am thinking a little celebration is in order.  Today is my bloggiversary plus eight.  Yippee!!!  It's a little hard to believe that I have been jabbering away at you all for more than a year now (and even harder to believe that so many of you return to check out what I am jabbering about)!

So, a goodie giveaway is in order...leave your comments and I will do the random number thingy on Monday August 11th.  And next time I will share about Pacific International Quilt Festival... 

Blessings

a year of jabbering

blog-land friends that read and sometimes even comment about my jabbering

beginning to feel better

Until Next Time,

Tracy

Long Beach Re-Cap

I am so overdue with this recap...I apologize for my tardiness.  (I also missed my bloggiversary but will have to save that for another posting!)

Long Beach Quilt Festival was a blast!  We met many new friends & had a great time!  So, here is a picture of our booth...in all its glory...

and here is a picture of the vintage trims eye candy that I was faced with all weekend long!  It's a wonder I came home with any money at all...

Fortunately I had Mr. Plumcute along with me and put him in charge of the checkbook...vintage trims have no hold over him...

All in all the weekend was lots of work...but lots of fun too!  I still have to finish unpacking and putting things away...the house is in chaos!  I haven't touched a needle and thread in almost two weeks now (what's wrong with me????)  Hope to get back to designing and stitching soon!

In the mean time, I am going to go enjoy some summer with my kids before it's over.

Until Next time...

Tracy

Summer Workshop Plumcute Style

I am thrilled & honored to be a part of this wonderful event hosted by Cotton Spice magazine.  It is always a pleasure to design a little something as a gift from me to all of you out there in bloggy land!  So here is my latest little something something, just for you...

copyright 2008 Plumcute Designs

This is a fast and fun project with purpose...who doesn't have a stack of papers needing something lovely to wigh them down?

Now for the fun & easy part...stitching...

Supplies:

glass paperweight that you can insert your own photo into (I got mine at Aaron Brothers)

Floss...colors listed below

basic embroidery supplies

background fabric

fine point pigma pen for tracing design onto fabric

General Directions:

Cut fabric slightly larger than glass paperweight

center and trace design onto background fabric using fine point pigma pen

Use two strands of floss & backstitch, unless otherwise indicated, for all stitches.  Here is a list of colors I used:

dark green for outer hearts

light green for hearts inside outer hearts

dark blue for inner hearts

light blue for hearts inside inner hearts

dark rose for all swirl flowers

light rose for all french knot berries

Once you have completed your stitching, gently press design & insert it into paperweighttucking or trimming any excess fabric so that it dosen't show.

Below you will find the design...it should print out to be about 2 x 2 but you can change the size to fit your paperweight...

Happy Stitching (& I will be back soon to report on Long Beach & the flu...)

Tracy

The Show Is Over...

So, we packed up the booth yesterday from 3pm to about 7pm and headed back to grandma's house where three little peeps were waiting (my two & their cousin).  After lots of hugs and love we crashed into bed and deep sleep around 10pm.  I took a few pictures to share but won't be able to post them until I get home later this week.

It was lots of fun & we met many new friends!  I will share more details later.  For now, I need another round of hugs from my kidlets so I am off to do that!

Blessings...

Quilt Festival & all that it entailed

hugs from the little ones

time to rest

Until next time...
Tracy

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane...

O.K. so it's more like a Honda Odyssey towing a Uhaul but you get the picture...Sometime tomorrow or very early Wednesday morning I am heading off like a herd of turtles to Southern California for the much anticipated show!  If you are anywhere near Long Beach you should come check it out (Fri, Sat, Sun @ the convention center in Long Beach) and make sure to stop by and say "Hi!"

If I fail to post between now and the end of the weekend know it's because I am busy and that's a good thing!  I hope all of you in bloggy land have a wonderful rest of the week!

Blessings...

the prep is almost over

the show is almost here

all of my friends and family that have helped me along the way

Until Next Time...

Tracy

PS.  Don't forget to come by and check out the wonderful little event going on over at Cotton Spice blog...I am featured on August 2nd!

Thank You For Sticking With Me

I know I haven't been much any fun lately.  And so many of you have been faithful to visit every day or so...THANK YOU from the bottom of my crazy-getting-ready-for-the-show heart.  Tonight is my second to last night before loading the uhaul and saying road prayers!  I thought a little picture show was in order since I haven't posted in ages!  Here goes...

Peace & Plenty copyright 2008 Plumcute Designs

Merry & Bright copyright 2008 Plumcute Designs

Winter's Garden copyright 2008 Plumcute Designs

So, there you have it...some finished projects and new patterns!  If I fall off the face of the planet again just know that I'd rather be blogging.  Things will hopefully settle down again soon (fingers are crossed).  And don't forget to keep checking back for the two blog events I get to be a part of!  The first one is early in August and the second later in September.  Back to work for this little lady!

Blessings...

the show is soon

new designs finishing up nicely

you the faithful visitors...even when I am not so faithful about posting!

Until Next Time...

Tracy

New Look...New Things Coming...

I got bored with the butterflies & the swirlling red design-thingy and I thought I would try something a little more whimsical...for now.  So...I am super excited about some upcoming wonderful bloggy-land events that I get to be a part of (alongside some fantastically talented designers...it's VERY flattering to be included with these ladies!)  Be on the lookout for these badges & events coming soon!

and...

Well, that's about it for this chickadee...Must get back to work!

TTFN

Blessings...

Bloggy-land Events

Daughter off to summer camp O.K.

Whimsical blog decor

Until Next Time...

Tracy

A.W.O.L...and coming up for bloggy air...

Sadly, that has been my bloggy life around here as of late.  Not only have I not been posting in bloggy-land but I haven't been reading in bloggy-land either.  I feel so out of it!  So, what have I been doing???  (If not blogging)

Well, there has been lots of price tagging...

Wool grouping...

Fat quartering...

Pattern printing & assembling...

And a fair amount of Fishing & Reading too!

Tomorrow we are adding a little drama to the family routine as my oldest is going off to Summer camp for the very first time EVER!!!!  I have my little mantra ready and know how to get to my happy place.  I am not thinking about her swimming at the camp pool when I am not there to watch over her safety like a hawk (because as any mom knows the life guard just isn't enough).  It's not a long trip she will be gone three days and two nights...it will be a good thing...We can do this...I will just fold lots of pattern insides to keep my mind off her absence.  Now I just have to find someone for little brother to bicker with and things will almost be normal around here...HA!

Well, now that I have come up for air its time to get back to the grindstone...I have more work than I can possibly complete in the amount of time left before blast off!

Blessings...

show prep moving right along

summer camp

you all who continue to visit me here even when I disappear for long periods of time

Until Next Time...

Tracy

Something Merry & Bright

I had one of those "I am so glad I keep a sketchbook on the nightstand" nights last night.  I was dreaming of wintery things in fantastic color palettes.  Then, I got up this morning and began translating the rough sketchings into something of needle and thread.  I am tickled pink with how it's coming along too!!!!!  So, just a teaser for you...(bad lighting at time of photo shoot accounts for suck-y color...sorry)

 

copyright 2008 Plumcute Designs

If you are wondering what's become of all the works-in-progress that have been posted as sneaky peeks here lately...well, many of them are still works-in-progress...one or two have gotten all the way to completion but I keep getting myself side-tracked with "another" great idea...that's me in a nutshell more often than not, double digits on the in-progress projects.  I get a little done on each one every day but get none of them completed any time soon.  (this is when creativity becomes a curse...is that even possible??????)

So, with all my self-imposed (and some not-so-self-imposed) deadlines coming up for the Long Beach show.  I am still starting new projects...sigh...I guess I be burning some midnight oil over the next three weeks.  If I fail to post just know I am probably mid-way through trying to post, slumped over on the keyboard, sleeping so deeply I'm drooling...now there's a mental picture for ya!

Blessings:

dreaming in color

sketchings

creative chaos

Until Next Time...
Tracy