the story of: the august desktop

Happy Monday! Happy August! When a new month comes along, I get silly excited to show off the new desktop, and with it, announce a new story for the month. Yes, I know that's ridiculous, but there it is. So...without further ado...August's story is...

The Wind in the Willows! I've loved this story (collection of stories?) for so long, and was terribly sad when they removed Mr. Toad's Wild Ride from Disney World. (I love Winnie the Pooh too, but the ride just isn't the same for me.) I've watched and read many versions, but have never read the original book. Perhaps it's time...

Animals aren't always my thing when it comes to drawing, but I've been working on a new collection which will come to the shop soon. Mole, Toad, Rat and Badger are similar in style, so it's also kind of like a sneak peek!

Download the August calendar desktop in JPG or PNG format. It's one size fits all, so you'll just need to set your desktop to fill the screen for proper sizing.

And, and...The winner of the Share Day sponsor giveaway is Meg of Tripping Over Joy! Meg, please email me (molliejohanson[at]gmail[dot]com) with your address so we can get you your prizes!

the story of: alice puppets and next month

I had very good intentions of having pretty pictures of some printable finger puppets for you. But guess what? It's the last day of May, the last day for this month's story...and I have no paper that will work in my printer! Shocking, I tell you. So we're going to pretend there are photos.

Here we have printable finger puppets so you can tell the story of Alice in Wonderland! What you see might not look exactly like a finger puppet though, and this is where we pretend to have photos.

Print these puppets on card stock, then cut around the characters.

Cut strips of card stock, and make them into loops that fit loosely around your fingers. They could even be large enough for two fingers, especially for some of the wider characters.

Tape the loops onto the backs of the cut-outs. The lower third area is probably best for most, although on Alice, the middle is better.

Slide them on your fingers and tell the story! Of course, these are rather versatile, so I'm sure you'll find some other fun things to use the character cut outs for too.

Were you able to picture it without the pictures? I hope so. I am sorry about running out of supplies here...

Download the puppet PDF, and then...

Get ready for June!

Next month's story was chosen by my sister Anna, and I think it's going to present some fun discussion. And if I get my act together, a cute puppet too!

For now, you can add this story to your desktop! There's a one-size-fits-all calendar desktop in JPG or PNG. Be sure to set your computer to have it fill the screen.

Happy last day of May!

UPDATE: If you downloaded the puppets and they wouldn't print, please download again. I've updated the file to work properly now. Sorry about that!

the story of: the talents

This month's story is an old one. Somewhere around 2000 years old. You can read the original in the Bible, Matthew 25:14-30. Even if you aren't typically a reader of the Bible, it's a great story, and you can take many meanings from it (I'm not going into Biblical interpretation here...). It has been on my mind recently, and after I paraphrase the story, I'll share a few thoughts.

And now, the story of...

Once, in the land of Talang, there was a man who was going on a trip. Before leaving, he gave one of his servants five hundred talents, the currency of Talang. To another servant, he gave two hundred talents, and to a third, one hundred talents. He instructed them to make good use of the money, and he would check in with them upon his return.

Each of the servants did what they thought best, and in time, their master returned from his trip. The first servant explained that he had used the money given to him, and had doubled it to one thousand talents. The second proudly showed his master that he had doubled his to four hundred talents. The man was pleased.

When it came time for the third servant to show what he had done, he returned the one hundred talents back to the master. The man was confused and a little annoyed. His servant told him that he was afraid that something might happen to make him lose the money, and so he had buried it in the ground for safe keeping.

Now the master was angry. "What were you thinking?" he asked. "At the very least you could have put the talents in the bank to earn a little interest!" He took the one hundred talents and gave them to the first servant, then threw his lazy servant out and had nothing to do with him ever again.

The End.

There are many translations of this story, and although not all of them use the word "talent", which is indeed a measure of gold or currency, I think it is for good reason that the master gives his servants "talents". Each of us has things that we are good at or able to do. And those things can apply to many areas of life. So the question is, how are you using the talents you have, and how are you making them grow?

When I'm not feeling so well, I sometimes see things differently than other times. I get down. But that can be good, because it helps you see things that you need to. You see, I have talents. I'm not saying that I'm great, but there are things that I am good at. Or at least that I could be good at. And I'm not so sure that I have made the effort to push myself.

It's too easy to settle for done, and that's a problem. Recently I've seen some things that other people are working on and I've felt inadequate. But what have I done to improve? I don't want to be like others, but I need to be the best version of me possible. It could bring great things!

How about you? What talents do you need to be using or improving?

the story of: the talents desktop

Hello April! With this busy week, I'm a day late in posting the new desktop calendar. Oops! Thankfully, for many reasons, there are still plenty of April days ahead.

This month our story will be the Story of the Talents. I won't give anything away just yet, but you'll hear more about this soon.

Also, I've decided that there won't be a puppet to go along with this story. In January, doing a different puppet project each month sounded like a good idea. I'm reevaluating and giving myself a little grace. There will be more puppets, just not every month.

Now, how about that desktop for you to download? It comes in one size...you just set your desktop background to fill the screen. Choose from April's JPG (much larger file size) or the PNG.

Other news:
Don't miss my giveaway on Thompson Family Life. You can win 10 embroidery patterns!

And, I've got lovely new sponsors, as well as some fantastic returning friends! If you're viewing this in a reader, be sure to stop by and check them all out!

the story of: the bremen town musicians

Today, I'm so happy to be sharing with you, the story of the Bremen Town Musicians. This story goes back to the Brothers Grimm, but has been told many times by many talents (even the Muppets!). For those who haven't heard this story before, you may recognize the characters, because they usually look a bit like this:

I'm going to share my own version of the story, with some shadow puppet pictures to accompany it. (You'll have to forgive the photos...The lighting was interesting to get the shadows, and taking pics of this sort is still new to me!) And then very soon, I'll have a little download so that you can make your own shadow puppets and pass this tale on to others. Here we go...

Once there was an donkey. His owner decided to get rid of him, and so he was without a home or a purpose. Knowing that he had some musical talent, however, he set out to Bremen Town to become a musician.

Along the way, the donkey encountered a dog, who, like the donkey, no longer had a home or a purpose. The donkey felt for the dog, and invited him to come along with him to Bremen. He even suggested that the dog might become a musician as well.

Soon, the two new friends came upon a cat, all alone. She seemed so sad, but had a lovely voice, so they invited her to join up with them on their way to Bremen Town. And so she did.

Before long they met a very distraught-looking rooster. There was a purpose planned for him, but it involved a bath in noodle soup. The musical group asked the rooster if he would like to come along to Bremen Town, for he could certainly add to their sound.

By this time it was getting late, and the newly-formed band was getting quite hungry. They spotted a house with smoke rising from the chimney, and a warm glow of lights coming from the window. The animals climbed onto each others' backs so that they could peek through the window, and they began to sing. For they thought that perhaps the people in the house would reward them with some food and a place to rest.

Little did they know that inside the house were two robbers. When they heard the animals singing they were so started that they ran from the house, thinking that it was the sound of ghosts. With the house suddenly abandoned, the animals went inside, had the dinner that the robbers had left, and curled up and went to sleep.

One of the robbers came back to check on the house, not believing that there were really ghosts. But in the dark, he startled the animals. Suddenly, there was a whole lot of commotion! Legs kicked, teeth bit, claws scratched and voices cackled. The robber was convinced, not that there were ghosts, but some horrible creature, much worse! He ran out of there, and never returned.

The animals decided that this new house was much nicer than Bremen Town could be, and so they stayed and sang and were friends for the rest of their lives.

It seems that I have a knack for choosing stories that feature breaking and entering. Never mind that though. What I love most about this story is that these four animals (whose lives looked pretty dim) formed a bond, worked together, and it ended up being a better situation than they would have ever looked for otherwise. Funny how that happens sometimes, huh?

the story of: goldilocks and the three bears and them

Last week I told the story of Goldilocks, with a slight change in the ending. I also shared with you some thoughts I had on the story, and today I have the pleasure of presenting the thoughts that my wonderful sponsors have had. The really great thing about stories is that different people can take different things from them, and this is so true with what you're about to read.

Here's what I asked: When you think about the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, what is something that you might learn from it? Something that applies to your own life? Or perhaps just a part that really sticks out to you?

Here's what they said:
All I can think as a lesson to learn from the story is "Be adventurous! And it doesn't hurt to take a friend to help you make the leap and be a look out" :) -Tara from Sew Tara

It's been a long time since I've read Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but the thing that sticks out most for me is that you have to keep trying. If something doesn't work or feel right the first time, it doesn't mean you have to necessarily give up. It just means you have to keep trying until you find something within your comfort zone that works for you. On the other hand, I believe we also need to step out of our comfort zone in order to grow and change. -Brianna from Girl Seeks Place

Sometimes it seems that I am Goldilocks and all the things she "tries" are my crafty pursuits. I've tried several crafts that have been too tedious or forced...I think I have found the ones that are just right (for now, anyway). Hopefully, though, three bears won't come home and find this mess I've made! -Daphne from Sunrise Folk (image from Daphne's creative space)

The first thing that I think about when I read the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is of course why Goldilocks was wandering through the forest on her own! I mean, there's a family of bears living out there! Why did she think it would be safe to go out there all on her own. That hardly seems like a good idea!
I also wonder if there's an untold Goldilocks story from the view of the three bears (you know, like the untold story of the Three Little Pigs!). Where were they that day? Why didn't they lock their door before leaving? Why did they leave their porridge on the table uneaten? They should be eating all that porridge and getting ready for winter! What did they really think when they saw Goldilocks sleeping in the baby bear's bed? I highly doubt they were going to eat her, but Goldilocks ran away anyway! Maybe this story is the reason we're all afraid of bears ;) -Cristina from Craftee

If everyone if willing to sacrifice there is always room for one more. -Isabela from Ooh Leela! (image found by Isabela; source unknown. Anyone know where it's from?)

In all of the original stories I read, whether Goldilocks was an old lady or a little girl, she was definitely portrayed as someone devious, and not deserving of any of the comforts she took from the bears. However, I wonder if Goldilocks would have behaved as badly had she ever been invited in by the bears to share in those comforts. I find a caution here in being careful not to encourage envy in others, and not to become envious ourselves. We need to be aware that not everyone around us has the same level of comforts and blessings as we do, and we ought to be sensitive to that and willing to share what we have with those around us. On the other hand, we need to be careful not to become so envious of others that we grow desperate and find ourselves willing to compromise our own moral compass for the sake of a bowl of soup, a rickety chair, and a half a minute of sleep! Not to mention the weariness of running away once we've been caught or "woken up". -Nichole from I Was Only Stitching

I think that I can relate to Goldilocks in the way that I also have a habit of being impulsive when curiosity gets the best of me. Goldilocks wasn't trying to be a pain, or rude, or take what didn't belong to her. She was captivated by the experience of something new and unknown. It's ok to explore and push the boundaries, but we have to remember that not everyone thinks the same way or understands our motives and proceed with some caution (and a please or thank-you). -Jill from Lune Vintage

(image links to source)

The other day I was looking for a version of the Goldilocks story. The one which speaks to me is where just after she is found out and starts to run, the baby bear calls after her to come back, that he has forgiven her. She changes her ways + they become good friends. When I read that, I recognize the power of forgiveness. That happens sometimes. I get hurt + I don't want to forgive. But I know that
holding on to hurt feelings only hurts me. And when I do forgive, a great shift takes place. The shift in my heart takes over and smooths out the hurt edges in me. I become softer. I would much rather live in forgiveness than muck around in hurt. -Andee from Bearing Fruit

Thank you so much ladies! Be sure to visit my sponsors. They help support what I'm doing, they go the extra mile with the "homework" I send them, AND they all have wonderful stories that they are sharing through their blogs.

the story of: goldilocks and the three bears and me

Blog "features" feel like a commitment that I might not follow through on, but a few will most likely be popping up around here from time to time. With a whole year of stories planned, it seemed only suitable that we officially have a story feature, and so today I bring you...

Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Me.

(all images from a 1974 story book)

Once upon a time, there was a family of three bears. They lived in a happy little home together, and each day they would go for a morning walk while waiting for their breakfast to be just right for eating.

On one particular morning, a little girl named Goldilocks (named for her lovely blond curls) discovered the home of the three bears. She knocked on the door, but no one answered. Instead, the door opened easily, because the bear family had left it unlocked.

Goldilocks went inside, looking around for who might be there, but found no one. She did, however, find some breakfast porridge all laid out, as though it was just for her. The largest bowl was too hot, the medium bowl was too lumpy, but the smallest bowl tasted just right. And so she ate it all.

Being curious, and a little worn out from her adventure so far, Goldilocks looked around for a place to sit for a while. She soon discovered several chairs to choose from. The first was too large, the second was too squishy, but the smallest chair was just right. And so she sat. Unfortunately, what felt right, wasn't, and the chair broke into several pieces.

Now she was more tired than ever, and looked for a place to rest. Upstairs, were three very comfortable-looking beds, and Goldilocks was certain that a nap would make her feel better. The first was too hard, the second was too soft, but the third bed was just right. And so she slept.

In the meantime, the bear family returned to their breakfast. The papa bear noticed that his porridge had been tasted, as did the mama bear. Of course, the baby bear had no porridge to discover at all! They then found their chairs moved and sat in, and the baby's chair was broken in pieces! At last, they went upstairs. The blankets were ruffled bunched up, and baby bear's blankets had a very strange lump in them!

The bears weren't too sure what they should do, but they didn't have to do anything. Goldilocks suddenly woke up from her nap and was so startled by the bear's presence that she started to run from the house. But the bears stopped her, and told her that she should visit again. But next time, perhaps it could be when they were home to welcome her themselves.

The End.

The story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears goes back many, many years, and has many variations (the newest being mine!). You can read some of the history here. One of the traditional "lessons" to be learned from this tale is that you shouldn't go poking around where you shouldn't (not to mention that one should always lock one's door!). But I got to thinking about this from another angle...

What was it about this home that made Goldilocks feel so comfortable that she would walk in and make herself at home? And what can we do to create that same atmosphere?

Now, I don't recommend letting people come and go as they please in your house. But can folks drop by and stay when they need to? Do you invite friends and new acquaintances over for dinner? As an adult living with my family, and being somewhat of an introvert at times (yes, really...), this can be difficult for me. And yet I know that I want to have a home where people can come and be. For now, I need to do my part in keeping the house ready for visitors, and when I have my own home, I'll be even more ready for Goldilocks...

the story wrap-up...

I can't believe how fast Story Week went by! I really loved having this focus for the past seven days, and I hope that it will continue in life. As we wrap this up, I want to leave you with a few links:

Katie's story of how she got to where she is now, Ms. Kara's look at how "Story" has affected her, and something that I just discovered, and feel as though I've missed out on: Craft Corps (there are lots of stories to be read there!).

Telling a story, telling YOUR story, can make a big difference. Go on...tell.

answers...

A few days ago, you asked some questions, and today I have some answers! This is a bit long, so we'll jump into it, and I'll throw in a few random pics of mine, just for good measure...

Q: What got you into graphics?

When I was in high school, my dad needed some signs made for work. Even though he worked for a large company, it was easier to just do it himself (he has an art background), but he needed software help. I ended up working on those, and subsequent projects, and learned a lot from the experience. When it came time to choose a work path, it took some time for me to realize it, but eventually I settled on graphic design. I really enjoyed my education, and have used it in lots of ways.



Q: When did you start Wild Olive?

The blog started in 2004 as a means of inspiring myself to do fun things, other than just work. The focus has sort changed over time, but it is still something that keeps me inspired to make, do and create new things. My shop just sort of flowed out of that and started in 2008.

Q: I was not home schooled but I'm thinking more and more that I'd love to offer that to my (future) kids. I've also already started looking into adoption and if you're interesting in elaborating on any of that part of your story I'd love to hear more about your experience.

This could probably be a post of its own (or two!), and I may do that. But the brief answer:

Homeschool: We have done things different ways at different times, but there has always been a fair amount of "unschooling" at our house. This basically means that you learn without usual formal, traditional curriculum. It gives the chance to learn at your own pace, and in lots of different ways. Growing up, I often felt that I wasn't learning things, and would crave things like "real grades". Oh, and when I was 12, I would have done anything to have a school locker! When I went to college, I discovered how much I had learned, and that beyond book knowledge, home education had done an excellent job of preparing me for life. I didn't just learn facts and figures, I learn how to be a better person, how to serve God with my life, and how to have a heart for my family.



Adoption: For me, this has been an amazing experience. My parents have always told me how unselfish my birth mother was (is!), and how could she not be? What an incredible gift she gave me and my family. The short story here is that my mom's doctor called to ask if my parents would be interested in adopting a baby. They excitedly said yes, and he tried to calm them down, asking if they wanted to know anything about the baby. They said they didn't care if it was a boy, a girl, black, white or polka dots...they wanted me! I was 4 days old when I joined our family. My siblings and I all have very different adoption stories, including working with an agency, meeting birth parents, and doing foster care leading to adoption (oh, and my littlest sister was born on a train!), but everything in my adoption was VERY private and sealed up somewhere. Seeing and being part of the adoption process, I can tell you, it isn't always easy. In fact, it can be quite challenging. But it is soooo worth it.



Q: What kind of music do you listen to? Do you listen while your designing?

I love music, and lots of it! When I'm working, I often listen to Pandora. My favorite stations that I've created are ones for Sufjan Stevens, She and Him, Badly Drawn Boy, The Decemberists, and lately Sondre Lerche. I really enjoy lots of indie music, and often don't even know/care who I'm listening to because I just like the sound. Is that terrible? Other favorites are Jars of Clay, Chris Tomlin, The Welcome Wagon...I could go on...

Q: What are some of your favorite books or TV shows?

This was a difficult one. I really love to read, but haven't done much reading lately. Boo. But favorite books are Pride and Prejudice, The Pirate Books (by Gideon DeFoe), and Jesus for President. And, we don't have cable or such, so I'm always behind with my TV shows (I watch on DVD). But I really like Big Bang Theory, Bones, and Friends.



Q: Do you have any pets?

We have a rabbit and a crazy, cross-eyed cat.

Q: Where have you traveled/would you like to go to?

Mainly I've traveled in the Midwest, plus regular trips to Atlanta and Orlando. The farthest I've traveled was to San Diego. And wow, there are a lot of places that I'd like to visit. Portland, Seattle, Boston, London, Italy, Sweden or Norway. But, well, I also like staying around here...



Q: I've been trying to convince my sister to open up her own etsy shop for ages. She's scared that people won't like what she puts out there...Did you have the same sort of trepidation? Were you afraid that you wouldn't be making something that people were interested in? And if so, how did you manage to overcome that fear?

I think that everyone has some of that fear. And actually, it was my sister who convinced me to get over it. But if you don't try it, you'll never succeed, right? I think that when I realized that I had very little to lose (other than pride!), it made sense to go for it. And the other thing that I have come to see is that if something you make doesn't work, or doesn't sell, or people just don't "get it", it's not the end of the world. I feel like I've done really well so far, and I still make things that don't sell. But I've enjoyed making them. And if you are creating things that you like, selling them is just icing on the cake.



Q: What creative thing do you do that's just for you? Meaning, not for the shop or business...

A lot of these things have sort of blended together for me. The patterns and illustrations that I make are ultimately for me. I would be doing this anyway. The shop part is what inspires the quantity of what I create. But I would also so that the crafty things that I share here are for me. And the sketching in my composition books. Truly, the things that are just for me, are the brainstorming of all of the above. I find that just coming up with ideas (even ones that never come to anything) is so relaxing for me. I love it!

Q: ...and top 3 "desert island" movies?

Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Firth version, obviously), America's Sweethearts, and My Neighbor Totoro.

story: handmade

1. lost at sea, 2. Lace stories front side, 3. a page of her story, 4. Handmade Gift Bags from Vintage Children's Books, 5. Red Riding Hood Papercut :), 6. PB050047

A few handmade finds that tell stories. I really encourage you to click through to each of these. Some of them have delightful stories that go with them, and some are part of collections that tell a story. So lovely!

make a story board...

On Monday, at the end of my story, I mentioned that your life's story isn't just the things that happen to you; it is also the things that you life is actually about. Sometimes the things that make up what your life is about are big things, and sometimes not. But I believe that every day, we can choose to add good things to our stories.

And so I came up with an idea for something to help with this.



A story board. The idea is that every day or every few days, you can write something on this board to remind you that it will be part of the good story that your life is writing. Maybe it's volunteering somewhere, or taking extra time with your kids, or making a project that will remind you of your story.



I was affirmed in this thought this morning when I read a new Donald Miller post about writing a summation of the story you're living. He said that doing so will "give you a greater clarity about what you are supposed to do today, this week, this month and this year." Yep, it's about every day life.



Want to make one? You'll need a white board or chalk board (which I think would be cuter than the white board...but I used what I had on hand), some paint and a paint brush, ribbon, and a drill.



Measure and mark where the holes will go, and carefully drill.



Paint something that will remind you of your story. Add some extra embellishment too.



Once the paint has dried, tie on some ribbon to hang your story board.



Now, hang it up someplace where you'll remember how important each day, each diaper change, each meal cooked, each stitch taken, really is.

story: items

I've been finding a few fun "story" things on Etsy! A necklace (I REALLY love this), some blocks, and a print...

sewing in your dna...

Today I have another guest blogger...my friend Catherine! We met a few years ago while working part-time at a local library, and we each discovered a crafting buddy. Without further ado, Catherine's story:



Some things catch our imagination even as we are very young. Growing up, I wasn’t able to see my grandma much but I loved to hear stories about her and I had the same first name as her, spelled the same way too — Catherine. One Christmas, at the tender age of five, she sent me some small doll quilts, patches sewn together into bigger squares and backed. These grabbed me as odd right away. Mom told me they were handmade and that boggled my mind. My mom, who had done a lot of sewing at one point, had sworn off it for life and nothing in our house was handmade. My tiny quilts were handmade but yet they looked like everything else. My grandmother was a very neat sewer and the tiny quilts were well done.

The doll quilts quickly morphed into my favorite play. Forget dolls! I would sit on my bed with a long narrow book in hand (I believe it had quilt squares on the cover) and on top of the book, I’d place one doll quilt with the book holding it flat and pretend I was sewing. I remember playing this with friends and of course, they loved it too! We would both sit on the edge of the bed and place imaginary stitches and talk.



That’s about all the sewing I did till I was about thirteen or so and a lovely woman by the name of Elizabeth got a group of teenage girls together over to her house for tea and she taught us all how to cross stitch. My first motto was “One is Closest to God in the Garden” with small garden done underneath the words. I loved that pattern and I still do. That’s when I learned that all the X’s must be crossed the same direction and to my horror, had to redo half as a result!





And that’s really the beginning of my stitching adventures. I’ve always been captivated by sewing- I couldn’t tell you why, it’s just always been there. Maybe it’s something that comes to us in our DNA, from the ones who loved it before us. I’m very happy embroidering (hand towels are an especial fav) and I’m still mastering all sorts of mad skills on the sewing machine. Sewing brings the power to mend and that’s such a marvelous thing. Which reminds me…I’ve got to darn the duvet cover where the cat, in a happy moment of glorious play, ripped his claws through…it’s just so wonderful to mend rather than throw away.

Thank you, Catherine, for sharing your story. You can read more of Catherine's writings on her blog, Restless Violet.

it's your turn...

A few posts down, I gave you an opportunity to ask me some questions. I'm working on answering those, and you can still ask more, if you'd like.

But today I have some questions for you! You can answer them here in a comment, or you could answer them on your own blog and then leave a link to your post in the comments. Answer one, answer them all...it's up to you, but I do want to hear from you!

On Making:

What do you enjoy making the most, and why?

How did you learn the skills needed for making this?

In what ways do you use your making?

On Favorites:

What is your favorite handmade thing that you own, or have owned, and why?

What was your favorite story growing up, and why?

On Stories:

What story (true or fiction) have you heard that has impacted your life the most?

When you look at your life, what kind of story is it? What kind do you want it to be?

What are you doing to make your story the best it can be?

And the big question...

What's your story?

video: girl on the wall

Liz sent me the link to this amazing video. Watch it. It's a truly beautiful look at how a tapestry led to the telling of one woman's story.

a warm fuzzy story...

I'm so excited to have a guest blogger today! Many of you may be familiar with the lovely stitching of Kristi, AKA Stitchy Stitcherson. I asked Kristi to share a story. And if you thought her stitching was amazing, wait until you read her story...



Embroidery gives me warm fuzzies.

I should rephrase that by saying that needlework, in all its forms, gives me warms fuzzies. I am particularly enchanted by cross stitch and embroidery.

My love affair with needlework began many years ago when I was a newlywed. I worked days, my husband worked nights, and I needed a way to fill the lonely evenings. In middle school, a friend had showed me the basics of cross stitch, but at the age of thirteen I was neither impressed nor interested. But as I perused the craft aisle at WalMart in search of a new craft, I found a small cross stitch kit that looked promising. Relying on my limited knowledge and the kit’s instructions, I managed to complete the small project and was quite proud of my work—mistakes and all.



I started to stitch whenever I had a free moment. Cross stitch was more than a hobby for me, it was a passion. I subscribed to cross stitch magazines, read cross stitch message boards, and searched the web for pictures of completed pieces. I always loved seeing what other people were stitching. I became a regular at my local needlework shop, and soon the owner knew me by my first name. Cross stitch made me happy.

Even after the birth of my first child, cross stitch was a large part of my life. Naptime was stitch time. Though I had less time for my craft, I still loved it with every fiber of my being.



Then something happened that changed me: my husband walked out on me and our baby. Alone with a five-month-old and scared out of my mind, I no longer had the passion to stitch. In fact, I hated it. I hated everything that had been part of my old life (with the exception of friends and family, of course), and I took the framed pieces I had lovingly stitched off the wall and hid them. I wanted nothing to do with the old me and the way things had used to be.

Well, fast-forward three years, and I was happily remarried with a four-month-old baby. I started to miss some of the things I had enjoyed in the past, especially needlework. I tried to cross stitch, but not only was it hard to find the time to do it, but it was a bit tedious. I craved something I could do quickly and for short periods of time. This was about the same time I discovered the wonderful world of Flickr, where I was introduced to something new: embroidery. Pictures of embroidered goodness abounded! Vintage patterns of dancing veggies, hip new patterns of dachshunds and gnomes…I was in love! I did a Google search of embroidery and realized that it was something I could do—in fact, it looked easy! And thanks to my years of cross stitching, I had built of a large supply of needles & floss. I was ready to give embroidery a try.





Today, two-and-a-half years after my discovery, I am hooked on embroidery. I love being able to take something as simple as a needle and thread and turn them into something both useful and aesthetically pleasing. I love to think of my great-grandmother adorning aprons with flowers made of floss as I stitch a sugar skull on muslin with glow-in-the-dark floss.





I also love the people I’ve met through embroidery. I love how cool and kind and generous people are when it comes to this craft. The support and encouragement I receive and witness online is amazing. People who love this craft are something special. We are all different, but we have one thread that connects us all: our love of the needle. And that definitely gives me warm fuzzies!

Thank you soooo much for sharing, Kristi! You can find more of Kristi's stitching (and her story!) on her blog or on flickr.