February Fun and a Giveaway

This week began my Brown Gingham February/Valentine celebration! I've done some Valentine decorating for this HEARTy holiday as you can see, with the help of Scrapin Blogs again and set my Playlist to some LOVEly songs...everything from Three Dog Night and Partridge Family to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. What can I say...it's an eclectic mix 8o) I've also tuned in a special opening song for all my Google Friends and Blog List Pals since it is Friendship Month!
Saturday  started it off the celebration with .........................

Go toValentine Giveaway here and check out the post, or  to enter my giveaway betweenSat. Jan. 28 to Feb.4th  click on this link  www.mymemories.com  look around, go to the Digital Scrapbooking Kits and pick out your favorite kit, come back and leave me a comment mentioning it. That is it.  Winner will be announced Sun. Feb. 5th. I can't wait to hear back from you all...Oh, and tell your friends...the more the valentiney!

It is also Nat'l Cherry Month, so, go over to It's a Very Cherry World for Wednesday is Rednesdayand check out a very cherry  cheery post. Even though berries are best....Cherries are always on top 8)

This is my kitchen window that is adorned with a very special treatment..lace panels that are filled with yummy berries and fruits and a gingham and muslin window topper embroidered with strawberries and cherries!

It  is also American Heart Month.......American History/Black History Month..............
Nat'l Embroidery Month...
February 1st is Robinson Crusoe Day, so in honor I  downloaded a free Kindle Reader from Amazon.com that way I can read 


and a while back I purchased a vintage cookbook............A Calender of Desserts......soooo,

Remember, if you'd like to pull up a chair and watch some vintage TV, it's time for the Donna Reed Show just click my  TV icon on my sidebar, or

while  doing some crafting, cleaning..whatever..the Red Skelton Show is playing on the    click the icon also found on the sidebar.

Well,. I'd better be going I have more surprises to get ready for you all coming..now,

where's my list.....OH. Don't forget the Giveaway!..

I have a surprise for all my Friends!

This will be a new post I'll do regularly. It'll showcase projects in various stages of completion and new designs ready to go out into my Etsy shops and Brown Gingham Creations website. I have a few things started..yes, all at the same time.....I do that to complicate things for myself..tehehe. I'm not going to showcase those right now because I have a Valentine Surprise for all my Bloglandia Friends. But, more about this later, and bear with me, you will definitely want to read more.


For a few weeks I have been playing with a new digital scrapbooking program I was awarded over at Daniella Hayes....Layers of Creativity. I posted about that HERE  Before some of you start LOLing because you know how digitally impaired I am, the My Memories Suite V3 is an absolutely wonderful point and click program. Now. you may be saying, 'Melody, you don't do scrapbooking?' Well, you're right, but I am always on the lookout for some great desk top publishing venues to make my blog and selling website a little unique and MMv3 is perfect. The banner above with the quilt and sewing embellishment was created by Me 8o) I can even add music or my own voice to this banner...uh....as soon as I learn how to do it...okay I haven't mastered the whole program, but wait......
I have also created a BGC tag that will be printed and attatched to all my creations.....

an 8 1/2x11 Stationary/Letterhead..........that can be e-mailed straight from program or print and mail.

There are a myriad of business apps for this program. If doing craft shows...signage. Need business cards?

Create your own design and take to the printer! Do you do seminars online or at locations...flyers to put in storefront windows, e-mails, or community bulletin boards. See! The options are limitless.

Oh, and it seems I have found I enjoy digi scrapbooking!

Print, add a little stitching, cut out, embellish with a little lace and sworovski, and you've got  an ATC..or..
Take a vintage pic, add background and some text..................................

print on computer fabric sheets and voila'...an embroidery 6x6 square to stitch up and apply to a pillow!!!

Can you tell I am LOVING this program. 

Recently, I was contacted by Liz of MMS and asked if I would like to try v3. I did and now comes the Valentine surprise for my blog friends.......dutdutdutdah..... 

She has allowed me to offer a free software download of My Memories Suite v3 to a lucky winner! I am sooooo excited to be able to give someone such a fun giveaway and this is going to be so simple you won't believe it. All there is to do to enter my giveaway between Sat. Jan. 28 to Feb.4th is click on this link  www.mymemories.com  look around, go to the Digital Scrapbooking Kits and pick out your favorite kit, come back and leave me a comment mentioning it. That is it. Told ya it'd be simple. Winner will be announced Sun. Feb. 5th.
I can't wait to hear back from you all...Oh, and tell your friends...the more the valentiney!
My giveaway debutes  on Pink Saturday with Beverly and continues all week at all the blog parties listed Here I visit. Come with me  there is always something fun.

I'm going to a new blog party on this wintry day

As I've typed before I co-host parties for the Etsy Cottage Style Blog. I have belonged to the Etsy Cottage Style Group for a long while.

It is a varied mix of those who love and/or create vintage, country, and shabby chic interiors, art, and crafts, and most have Etsy Shops. The people I have met there are so creative and talented..they have inspired me.
This week's linky party is................................

To join in on the party or just to visit the 'Craft Room's' go HERE

Now if you are lucky enough to have a room dedicated to your creative passion..I am in awe. My Hubby reminded me that it was probably a room created by a husband out of fear and frustration. The 'stuff' grows..takes over whole table tops...LoL... swallows a room if allowed.  We will not remind Hubby of the 'Man Cave', but to continue, I do have a Craft Closet and a little wall space adjoining it.....no... no pics today. I'm one of 'those' people who knows where something is, but someone else would run screaming...think Fibber McGhee and Molly's front closet..not quite that bad, but............
I will show you where I sometimes create like here.................................................................

 In nice weather you'd find me on my rocker on the kitchen porch above or my porch swing on our front deck, below

Sometimes I'm in the kitchen

Or more likely, in the dining room with lots of light and a large surface....see why Hubby says it takes over....hehehe.

 I must admit embroidery can be done anywhere, which is why I like it soooo much. I have even  been known to embroider projects while riding  in the van 8/
 Lately I find my laptop is a place I have been creating. I am not into scrapbooking, but I do like paper and vintage images. You all that create mixed  media paper designs are awesome....someday I hope to try my hand at mixed media paper and textiles for little journals...anyway....I was the recipient of a giveaway over at  Daniella Hayes....Layers of Creativity weeks ago and received a wonderful software program for Digital Scrapbooking. I have been playing with the program for a while and find it so much fun!!! In a future post I'll have more info and a surprise, but for now let me show you  just a little of what I've created.......

A stone mat with black and white photo of our original flower shop (40 yrs ago) side window

These two banners for the new parties I co-host,









this little collage of a fairy world,



and this little mermaid collage.  Caution...THIS IS ADDICTIVE 8O)
Well, that's it for now. I think I'll go listen to a little vintage radio show here on my side bar or maybe watch a little vintage TV also on my sidebar.....just click on either button, grab a seat, and join me!

Wintry Ohio

This beautifully preserved sleigh hasn't seen any work this winter, so far. It is located in the Pioneer Village at Caesar Creek Park a little north of Kings Island. On Thursday we had a Winter Storm Advisory, but luckily it by passed us. It is freezing out now and a few flurries, but only a dusting and no ice.  We really can't complain...it's been in the 60's and seems to be heading up in temps again. We have soooooooo much water here that if it did snow I think it'd just melt in the wet and freeze or slush.

I have added the new things to my website I posted last week, so they are ready to go to a new home and I added the instructions and picture of the crocheted bedspread you can create yourself under

'Free Embroidery and Other Sewing Patterns' Here  on my website too.



With it so cold outside Cincy has a few things to do inside.............................................................
There is Krohn Conservatory
Where you can visit the desert, the rainforest, or a tropical getaway...all in the same day....................................................

You could also come over to Entertrainment and walk through an awesome display of train vignettes........

The displays start at the beginning of the Train era

 That is a real river running throughout the  whole building which leads to water falls

This is a separate room of season train layouts...couldn't leave out a wintry blast

The buildings are all created with exacting details..I love them as mini dollhouses.

And, I couldn't leave out the 1940's Woolworth building they created. They were working on modern train city, so no pix of that yet.

This  place is  great for all ages..male or female.....they change the displays every so often, but every time you go you see something you missed. There is a room where the train creators work as you watch......a cafe,....rooms to rent for parties......special event and display auditorium......Hobby Shop for trains, dollhouses...even outside train gardens (during the summer). 

Then there is the Museum Center...........................................................................

See the History of Cincinnati

Play in the Woods

or go in the Cave

and, you can't forget to check out ancient Ohio. There is so much more to see here it would take days to  visit.....and it does.

Of course there is no way to forget the Antique Malls to browse......................................................

Ohio Valley Antique Mall

Grand Antique Mall


And these are just the two close to home. There are many more only a few more miles away.

Now, in Cincinnati the saying is...'If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes it'll change'.......Well, one day it began at 60 something, but by the next it was 13 with a wind chill of 0...80. On those days I like to sit with my flowers......................................................................................................................

Get out the seed catalogues........................................................................................

and dream of my gardens.....................................................................

or create them...........................................................................

These are just a few things to do in wintry Ohio. On Pink Saturday I think I'll snuggle up with some warm hot chocolate and visit all the pinkiluscious post and then on Monday visit Etsy Cottage Style for their
 to dream of green.....colorful.....warm days.
On Wednesday I'll be at Sue's For Rednesday.................................................

to check out all the redhot vintage goodies.

Oh, and on wintry Ohio days I love to listen to old time radio shows while I embroider...'sew'.......I have placed a new radio show on the vintage..... just go to the vintage radio icon on the sidebar of my blog and click it. Remember the Cary Grant movie Topper, well this is the radio show version.  Topper became a weekly show. 'Sew' sit back, relax, go back in time..8o)