Special day today

May 2 is a very special day for us because its our weddingday.

Today we are married 5 years !!

AND

my daughter Lindy (from my 1th marriage) has her birthday today

she's turning 24 years.

Happy birthday Lindy !!

I did tell you I was going to put more photo's that I took with my new camera.

I made some pictures of our garden pond (which is about 180" x 120")

(click pictures to enlarge)

The birds are using this bowl to take a bath in

Some of the goldfish that are in the pond (a total of over 30)

And I made several pictures of our frogs in the pond.

We have 3 of them, 1 female and 2 male.

The light green one (in the middle) is the female.

The frogs make noise by pumping air into their vocal pouches

These sacs serve as a resonating chamber, allowing the frogs to SING!
Male frogs vocalize by squeezing their lungs with their nostrils and mouth shut. Air flows over their vocal chords and into their vocal sacs blowing it up like a bubble gum balloon

I think this frog looks abit like Kermit

Its mating season so they climb on top of each other :)

Yes Kermit is on top of the female !!

Three of a kind LOL

The female is flooting on the water

Well lets hope there are many baby frogs next year :)

Garden pictures

Oh boy ... I love my new camera.

So much that I haven't stitched much the last few days LOL

No I was playing with my new camera and did make mainly close-up pictures,

I still don't know how the hole camera works, but the close-ups I already know.

I took some picture in the garden of the flowers

(each picture click to enlarge)

Pansy

Don't know the name of this one

Mint (mentha)

Don't know the name of this one

 Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor)

Don't know the name of this one

Forget-me-not

Don't know the name of this one

Muscari botryoides (don't know the English word for this one)

Don't know the name of this one

Garden lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

Bird Cherry (Prunus padus)

And when I took enough pictures of the flowers, it was (Mc) Bowy's turn.

Here are his lovely eyes

and even of his nose I made a picture

At last I wanted to now if I could make some good close-ups of my needlework.

These are the first stitches of the month May from LHN, I must hurry with the stitching because in a few days its may 1th.

But ... my camera makes beautiful close-ups :)

Thanks for looking and I hope I don't bore you with my pictures. 

The next few days I going to post more :)

Village sampler row 4

The last few days I didn't stitch alot because my mother in law was here to stay for a couple of days to visit and we had a great time !

I have stitch row 4, the next row I will stitch are the last houses

and half of the outer border

 

Yesterday we did go to a fle market and I saw there a very nice house ... a NUT house, squirels all over it and I loved it, so the nut house was going home with us :)

I also bought a new camera which is coming tomorrow. With my old one I couldn't make any beautiful close-ups but with the new camera I can, so next time (I hope) I can place even better pictures !

Village sampler row 2 and 3

I have not much stitching done these past few days, 

but row 2 and 3 are ready of the village sampler.

Row 2 was a row with the alphabet and these letters I stitched with Nina threads, color Blue Mania

I love the blue thread on the blue fabric

Row 3 where again houses, 5 this time and the sun is shining :)

This is how the village looks so far, I hope to stitch more the coming days.

Village sampler row 1

First I want to thank you all for the lovely comments on the antique iron.

Yes I know ... I should have been stitching on the next gingerbread but I wanted to make a pillow first and because I couldn't find a perfect stitching for it in my stash that was finished, I decied to stitch this village sampler that will make a great pillow.

The pattern is called Le village d'Anne and its from Tournicoton.

There are 6 rows in it:

3 rows with houses, flowers and trees

and

3 rows with the alphabet and numbers
I'm stitching this on light blue jobelan 28 count with DMC

(click photo's to enlarge)

The flowers are blooming in the gardens by the houses.

The next row will be with a part of the alphabet.

In our garden there are also many plants who are blooming.

Mystery of the antique iron

Many of you where wondering what I was going to do with the antique iron.

(each photo you can enlarge by clicking on it)

Okay here we go ...

You take:
an antique iron
a pattern called L'Atelier de Zélie from C Mon Monde  
(search on google and you will find many shops who have this chart)
40 count stitching fabric (I used evenwaeve Orion cream)
threads mentioned on the chart
some little pieces of fabric (for the mini quilt)
ribbon or lace
button (I used a button in the shape of a scissor)
cartboard
little piece fiberfill
two-size tape
magnet strip (which stick on iron, many have them for show on the refrigerator)
2 little clothe pins ( My DH made them from matches)
1 pin
=================

Stitch the pattern, this is realy fun to do

Look at her hair, that are french knots. I think it looks realy cute.

Make a mini quilt, its only 2 1/2" long

Attach the quilt to the stitching part and at the bottom of your stitching piece you sew a piece of ribbon or lace.

Draw the bottom of the antique iron on cardboard and cut it out. Put the two-size tape on it. Lay on the other side the fiberfill and your stitchingpart en fold the fabric to the back and stick it on the tape. Attach the button on top and it should look like this.

Take the magnet strip and glue it on the back of the cardboard.

Put the clothe pins on the quilt, stick the pin at the bottom through the stitching fabric and then the fun part .... just hold it to the back of the iron and it will stick !

Isn't it great ?? I realy like it

If you don't want to use a magnet strip you can always glue the cardboard on the iron, but I used a magnetstrip so maybe in the future I can change the stitching part and put a different stitching on the antique iron.
But for now I'm going to enjoy this one !!

I hope you enjoyed the story of the mystery of the antique iron :) For me it was fun to read that you all where so curious.