Bringing in 2017

As I tucked away some treasures of Christmas and set out some old favorites

Family & Friends come to heart~

The laughter shared~

The sadness shared~

New friends to be thankful for~

Life-long friends that I continue to thank God for.

All of you that join me here & on my Facebook page~

You share your heart and lift my heart...

You encourage and support...

We exchange knowledge of materials, hobbies, interests...

Hearts come together in kindness and friendship.

Wishing you a New Year filled with joy and peace, Kind Friends!

Punch needle snow friends

'Woodland Snowman & Fox" copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

Hope your Holiday Season has been wrapped in hugs and love, Sweet Friends!

I found myself down with a fever and flu-like symptoms~

Beginning to feel better and grateful for healing.

Two new punch needle projects to share with you~

My husband and children surprised me with toys for Christmas!

Rug hooking frame, wool cutter... hooking tools... fabric to hook on!

I have wanted to learn rug hooking for 10+ years.

A few jobs to do and then I will be able to play!

'Warm Heart Snowmen' copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

In the village there is a clearing~

A small meadow where two snowmen share conversation.

Share their hearts~

Hope your Holiday Season is relaxing and filled with happiness, Friends!

Merry Christmas, Sweet Friends!

Merry Christmas, Sweet Friends!

Wishing you a Holiday Season filled with joy and wonderful memories~

Hope your travels are safe and your heart happy~

All the best to you!

"Cardinal & Wreath Snowman" copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

I have caught up on my work a little bit~

I close up business and enjoy

punch needle projects in the evenings again!

I think we have six film versions of A Christmas Carol~

We have watched two so far this season .

Bob Cratchit has the coolest old hats!

I'm sure this snow friends hat looks similar to one of them~

Another design is in my hoop~

I hope you are finding a little bit of time each day to be creative~

Wishing you a joy-filled Holiday Season!

Winter weather

From clear to blizzard conditions...

Thunder snow to sunshine~ 

Whipping winds relocating all of it!

Quick changes and treacherous roads.

So many of us seem to be in a wave of storms~

Gathering up coats, hats, scarves & mittens for shelters today.

Praying all are safe~

Hope you have a cozy & relaxing weekend, Friends!

Punch Needle Blue Christmas Santa

'Blue Christmas Santa' Copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

My heart has experienced many blue Christmas seasons~
You still have hope, joy, love...
You still share gifts and good will...

There is a longing.

Someone is missing and nothing can fill that empty spot. 

When a cardinal visits~

all dressed in red, 

there is love.

A tender moment when someone we loves comes to mind. 

How I LOVE to design, paint, collect, punch, felt etc. etc. flow blue!

No matter how blue I may feel~ it warms my heart!

l hope your Holiday Season is brimming with joy~

Filled with peace~

Touched with love~

Prayers and love to all who have heavy hearts~

You're being thought of and loved.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grateful for each of you~

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday, Friends!

Punch needle Santa's Redwork

'Saint Nicholas' Collection of four~ copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

We had beautiful sunshine & 72 degrees today!

Less than one week until Thanksgiving~

Tomorrow it will be cooler...

Sunday we are expecting a snowstorm...

Planted spring bulbs with my daughter this morning.

So grateful for the beautiful day~

Finished getting the delicate tubers & rhizomes set in peat bins....

Cleared the last flower bed.

Winter can arrive~

The Santa portrait patterns are available in my Etsy shop.

You can use your favorite red or green... even blue!

All of my patterns include the DMC floss colors that I use.

I thought the four of them would make a nice hooked rug...

Four in line would make a neat table runner...

Added to a Christmas stocking...

Made into tree ornaments...

A pretty red pillow with a Santa circle~

Oh the fun!

A season filled with joy!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Sweet Friends!

Veterans Day

~Veterans Day~

Honoring each of you, with grateful hearts!

Thank you for your service~

Vintage fabric yoyo's

301 of them! They are enjoying a gentle & restoring soak~

I've been enjoying antique shows & shops for 30+ years.

No matter how many shows, shops, festivals we attend~

There is always something fresh & new!

The show wasn't that big...

A high school gym & small cafeteria.

It was packed with some of the most unique and unusual antiques!

Butter paddles in bunches!

They looked like bouquets!

ONE was very unique~ it had a butter press on the handle end!!!

All one piece~

It was very rare and very expensive... inside a case or

I would have tried to capture a photograph.

We brought home a few treasures...

This collection of yoyo's was laying across a long table.

It was dressed with an antique rocking horse,

mounds of linens & table cloths,

crocks & jugs...

books...

stuff...

cool stuff...

neat stuff...

I just needed to find the price tag........

JOY!!!

They are becoming harder and harder to find~

These most treasured patterns.

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday, Kind Friends!

Wishing your hearts every joy~

Carved pumpkins~

My carved pumpkin~

Hope you're having a fun day, Friends!

Be safe as you're gathering tricks & treats!

Snowmen, sheep and a squirrel!

 "Brown Sheep Meadow" copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

We have been enjoying beautiful Autumn days!

Very little frost...

The vegetable garden continues to share.

We were warned that our fall foliage colors would be minimal.

Not as full, could be dull, muted.

NOT AT ALL!

The most beautiful, vibrant and stunning colors in years!

Wish I could share the setting with you~

 "Starry Night Squirrel" copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

Came across a row of young oak trees the other day~

There were acorns everywhere!!

Not sure how squirrels & other gatherers have not discovered the nuts!

I could have scooped them up with a shovel & buckets~

I filled my pocket and brought them home for our little gray & red friends.

Gathered some leaves so we can purchase the same oak varieties for

our back yard!

 "Snowman and Bluebird" copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

I used Instant Antique spray for this snow friend~

Pure white is beautiful...

I love the textural results of the antiqued floss on my more

primitive snowmen friends!

(Instant Antique is available from Primitive Gatherings)

Most of my punch needle designs are interpretations from

my original watercolor paintings~

The top image is a color printout of my original watercolor painting.

I painted this little meadow scene in 1996.

I originally punched the sheep with white & taupe colors~

They didn't stand out enough to me... the whole design was too cold.

Painting with threads is a little different than painting with watercolor!

Now I want to paint the scene with brown sheep!

Our snowman looks sad that my sheep lost their coats of white!

Soon to have their coats of brown, gray & black~

The one color I just love in this piece is the scarf~ DMC 4130!

It is variegated... rich harvest colors!

She has her November scarf on~

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Friends! 

Painted Acorn punch needle heart

Painted Acorn Heart ~ copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

I couldn't get through the harvest season without a few

punch needle hearts!

Once I close the windows and accept that our warm days have passed~

I completely enjoy Autumn.

The colors, the harvest~

Bringing some of those colors indoors to warm heart & home!

Wishing your hearts every sweet happiness!

Flow blue needle minder

Hello, Friends!

I hope your October is off to a great start!

It is no secret that I love flow blue...

Red Rooster Fabrics designed their Flow Blue Garden collection

from my original watercolor paintings!

I have been experimenting with printing my original watercolors

onto fabric... the image stays set~ I hope to make it brighter.

My needle minder is a bit on the large size... 5" x 7"

All hand stitched as I still do not know my way around

a sewing machine~

Added some vintage china buttons!

Perfectly reminders of treasured flow blue spice jars & plate chips!

Two antique lace treasures with blue & white pins~

It is always fun to add pen & ink illustrations to my projects...

Little character!

Pocket saved from one of the kids bluejeans!

Handmade... always from the heart!

Thank you for visiting here~

Wishing your heart every happiness!

Acorn Pincushions

These little buttons are perfect for the bittersweet themed pinkeep!

Pins with golden yellow & red heads...

Vegetable ivory buttons look like acorns...

This vintage gear button was perfect for my acorn wheel!

So much in life starts small... 

Builds...

Grows...

Hard work and determination~

I had a teacher who taught me to have strong foundations.

Build several sturdy legs to your table.

If one leg weakens~ the others will hold it up.

Then don't neglect the weak spot. Immediately work to restore strength.

I hope your week is off to a great start, Friends!

Stay strong & I hope you find a creative project, too~

Nautical Punch Needle~

"Freedom Lighthouse" copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

Sailing into another weekend!

September has arrived and the first week has disappeared already~

I started this punch needle piece on Labor Day.

It was nice to put work aside and enjoy time with Dear Hearts!

How I love red, white & blue...

Beginning stitches...

Detail work first~

Sometimes colors need to be pulled & changed as the design progresses...

Hope your September is off to a great start, Friends!

Wishing you a relaxing weekend~

Hello, September punch needle designs!

'Jack O Lantern Hill" copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

No matter the shape of my fall pumpkin...

Tall and narrow,

Short and flat...

Smooth or bumpy...

No matter how much planning I did to carve a really neat face~

The eyes always ended up as triangles.

The nose was always long and narrow.

It always had a smile~

"Bushel and a Peck" copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

The orchards are full~

We have been very short on rain this summer. Drought conditions.

The limbs are heavy but holding onto all of that precious fruit!

Little road-trips in the country... smells so good!

Hope your September is filled with harvest goodies & creative projects!

Thank you for stopping by, Friends~

"Blackbird Swamp" Copyright 2016 Michelle L. Palmer

Just around Oak Tree Bend...down Wheat Fields Hill~

You arrive at Blackbird Swamp!

Where the cattails sway in the wind & 

Red-winged Blackbirds perch.

They welcome you with their cheery calls!

A favorite place to explore on a sunny summer day~

Frogs called out from watery hide-a-ways...

Milk cows spotted surrounding hills &

occasionally looked my way with some curiosity.

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start, Friends!

Thank you for stopping by~

Eastern Black Swallowtail in the dill

My wee little patch of dill has the most beautiful 

Black Swallowtail visitors!

No worries... I can purchase dill pickles at the local farm market~

Chew on little friends!

If I hold really still... maybe she won't see me!

Way down yonder in the little dill patch~

So amazing~

Color palette of the food and the caterpillar match <3 p="">

Hope your Friday is off to a great, Sweet Friends!