Please forgive me.....

Dear Stitching Friends,

First and foremost....Merry Christmas! I realize that this greeting comes after the fact, but hey, aren't there 12 days of Christmas to be celebrated?! I hope you all enjoyed the day with friends and family. Why is it that we spend SO much time preparing for Christmas and in 24 short hours.....it's over? Thoughts to ponder for another day, I suppose.

It's hard to believe that there are only a few days left before we welcome in another new year brimming with potential while we leave the past behind.

2018 has been the most challenging year of my life and I am happy to report, that with the support of family and friends, I have survived to tell about it.

My last post came on February 14, 2018...just 2 short days before my mom was called to become a member of the cloud of witnesses in heaven. Mom was such an amazing woman, my best friend and my rock. My heart shattered into millions of pieces the night she left this earth and I thought I'd never see the end of the dark tunnel that surrounded me for what seemed like an eternity.

A divorce that was in limbo, the death of my beloved Mom, and an endless winter that seemed like it would never break so spring could take root and breathe life back into all living things.

I did attend Nashville, just 2 short weeks after Mom's death. I didn't want to let her down so I did it to honor her and the belief she instilled in me that, I can do anything if I set my mind to it. My second Nashville Market was more successful than the first and I knew Mom was smiling down on me from heaven.

Slowly, one day at a time, the days became longer and brighter, allowing new life to break through the cold ground. I felt a kindred spirit with the daffodils as they pushed through the dead overgrowth of last year, reaching towards the sunlight that would welcome and warm their bright yellow blossoms, casting a glow of colorful happiness across the landscape. As spring took command, the grip of pain and grief slowly began melting away.  The hole in my heart remained, but my spirit began to lift.

July brought my divorce to a final close. Another chapter ended. The next task was clearing out and selling Mom's place. Many memories were uncovered as we went through her possessions, allowing a strong healing balm to soothe our mending hearts.

August brought an unexpected joy into my life...one that I thought might take years to happen. I met a wonderful man who loves, respects and cherishes me. A man who is my equal. A man who not only supports my dreams, but also dreams right along with me.  He has added a happiness to my heart that I have not experienced in a very long time, and I am grateful.

Mom's place was put up for sale in October and was sold in November. It was a great relief to know that we were free from the upkeep and maintenance before the Northeast winter made its appearance.

And here we are...almost ready to usher in 2019...with new hopes, dreams and more Silver Creek designs. I have many ideas filling pages of my Idea Journal, just waiting to be brought to life. As you can imagine, designing and stitching took a back seat for much of 2018. However I will be debuting 2 new designs at Nashville Market...and maybe a couple other surprises.

I can't believe that in 2019, Silver Creek Samplers will be celebrating its 10TH YEAR! I look forward to bringing you more designs that make your hearts and hands happy. I could not have made it this far without your support and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Time does not always allow for blog updating, so please feel free to look up Silver Creek Samplers on Facebook. I will do my best to keep you all informed and in stitches!

Thanks for spending some time with me down by the creek!

Diane

NASHVILLE "NEWS"!!!!

Greetings Stitching Friends!

My last post was such a downer, that I hope to redeem myself with this one.

I can hardly believe that in just 2 short weeks, Silver Creek Samplers (and sister) will be hitting the road to Nashville for Market.

ACK!!!!!! There's still sooooooo much to be done, but I wanted to take a few minutes to share my new releases.

At the end of January, my mom was hospitalized and had emergency surgery for a perforated ulcer and I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to get to Nashville. After her surgery, she gave me her blessing to go. She is now in rehab, working to regain her strength and return to total health. She's on the mend, but still has a long road ahead.

This year brings only 3 new designs with 1 available for shops to pre-order. With all of the life changes I have been facing, I am satisfied that I am able to offer these few but fabulous designs.

OK. I've yapped enough. Here they are. The few, the fun, the fabulous.......

If you see something you like, please let your local needlework shop owner know and they'll be more than happy to pick up 1 (or all 3) for you at Market. Thanks for browsing my new offerings and for all the support you've given Silver Creek Samplers over the past 9 years. I have MANY more designs in the works, so thread that needle and keep stitching!

Now I have to return to Market preparations. Talk to you soon!

Diane

It's been a year....

since I last spoke with you, and what a tough one it's been.

First the good news: I will be attending Nashville once again and I will have 3 new designs available for your local needlework shop to bring back for your stash enhancement. There will be a 4th one that shops can pre-order as it's still being stitched and the likelyhood of it being finished for Nashville is very slim.

The bad news: I am in the process of a divorce. This has taken away from my stitching and has only allowed me time to debut 3 new designs for Nashville. There are many more ideas in my sketchbook, but it will take time for them to materialize, as I begin a new chapter of my life.

I look forward to this new beginning and ask for your thoughts, prayers and support.

I hope to have time to post again, showing you some peeks of my Nashville "News". If you do not see them here in the next couple of weeks, please check out my facebook page. I will be sure to post them there.

Thank you all for your kindness and friendship,

Diane Grick
Silver Creek Samplers

New for Nashville!

Hello Stitching Friends!

   I just wanted to take a brief moment and introduce you to my newest designs that will be debuting in Nashville. This is going to be my first year in Nashville and I hope it goes so well that I will be able to return in the future. I have been very busy bagging up patterns and building my inventory for Market. I don't want to run out, although I guess that would be a mixed blessing!
   OK. I've yammered enough and I'm sure you want to get on with the visual that I have lured you in with, so........

If you see something you like, please let your local shop owner know. If they are planning on attending Nashville, they can bring home the goods!

I know Christmas seems like a distant memory, but I'd like to share a yet-to-be-named sneak peek of a future Christmas sampler that is on the scroll rods now.....

and this is only a SMALL section! There's SO much more, but I just can't won't show you yet!

But I CAN share this brand new release with you....

"Skating Lesson" has JUST been shipped to distributors and should be available shortly.

That's all I have for now. Thanks for stopping by. It may be cold here by the creek, but I'm sending you all warm happy stitching thoughts!

Do come again!

Diane

Christmas by the Creek

Hello stitching friends!
It has been much too long since we've chatted, but life can be a whirlwind that sometimes sweeps me off my feet. I have seen so many BEAUTIFUL trees all decked out in lovingly stitched finery, that I thought I'd share my tree with you....

See any stitched ornaments? Me either. Actually, there is ONE on the tree...

This was stitched MANY years ago (please pardon the crude finishing technique) for my soon-to-be in-laws. But I never had the chance to gift it to them, as my husband's father died suddenly and tragically just 10 days before Christmas. So, I tucked this little lamp-post ornament away and it has hung on our tree for 22 years.

Stitching always seems to slow down this time of year, as Christmas preparations take center stage. I have managed to finish a new design that I am planning on releasing sometime after Christmas. Here is a sneak peek of "Skating Lesson"...

I have recently begun stitching a new Christmas sampler, but there's not enough completed for a sneak peek. I'll do my best to keep you updated on the progress.

Colvin is a high-school senior this year. He has just earned the rank of Eagle Scout, although we are going to wait until spring to have the official celebration and ceremony. It was only a few weeks ago that I FINALLY had an opportunity to take his senior pictures.

I simply cannot believe how fast the time has flown. But I am so proud of my gentle giant and love him with my whole heart.

Well dear friends, it has been a pleasure sharing a bit of my part of the world with you. I wish every one of you special folks a very Merry Christmas and a New Year full of wonderful blessings!

Wishing you love and peace,
Diane

The Prodigal Blogger has Returned!

A hearty howdy-do to all my stitching friends!

Yes, it's actually me! With life being extremely full these days, I have sorely neglected keeping you all updated in the happenings here at the creek.

Spring brought several new additions to our chicken flock and the need for a bigger chicken coop. Building commenced in April and we finished it up in June. Construction took place any time I had a few spare moments to power up the tools: in the morning before work, in the evenings after work, and anytime in between. I learned how to install vinyl siding as well as how to hang roof shingles. Here's a looksie at our Pennsylclucky Inn:

My son Colvin is now a high school senior and he is also working on earning his Eagle rank in the Boy Scouts. He secured enough donations to install a new digital sign at our local fire company, of which he is also a member. His plans after graduating include going to college to become an EMT/Paramedic. I'm just a wee bit proud of my boy.

I have been busy designing and stitching. I was supposed to attend a retreat in Myrtle Beach, SC last week, but Hurricane Matthew put a stop to my visit. I was sad that I was unable to attend, but I still got a lot of stitching done without leaving my living room.

November 4-6, I plan on attending a Stitching Weekend at the Strawberry Sampler in Glen Mills, PA. I will be packing up the Nissan Versa with all my models and charts for all attendees to see up close and personal and enabling some serious stash enhancement to take place! Here's a link if you're interested: http://www.strawberrysampler.com/stitching.html

I do believe this fall has been the prettiest ever! I have lived my whole life in Northeast PA and I don't think I've ever seen such colorful brilliance as I have this year!

BIG NEWS......I will be attending the Nashville Market in March 2017 for the VERY FIRST TIME! I am nervous, but ever so excited to meet all the shop owners as well as fellow designers.

Before I end this LONG overdue post, I'd like to share one final photo that was taken at a state park that is just 1/2mile from my house. You can find beauty EVERYWHERE...no matter where you thread your needle!

 Please do come back to the creek for a visit. I'll try to not stay away for so long next time!

Sour note in the Sing-A-Sampler Series!

Hi all!

This is a VERY IMPORTANT post! It has been brought to my attention that the floss lists for Parts 2-4 of my Sing-A-Sampler series are incorrect. Here are the CORRECT floss requirements:

SING-A-SAMPLER PART 2:

SING-A-SAMPLER PART 3:

SING-A-SAMPLER PART 4:

If anyone has any questions, please let me know. Please stay tuned for another post updating you on all that's been happening here by the creek!

Keep Dreaming....

For many of you (myself included), a white Christmas was not on the agenda this year. My feelings were not hurt by the lack of white stuff on the ground. Living in the northeast, snow is something to be expected this time of year, but instead, I reveled in wearing short sleeves and having to open the kitchen window to cool off. I know records were either broken or tied for the warmest temperatures.

For those of you who were wishing for a white Christmas, I REALLY am not sorry! But perhaps these sneak peaks of future releases will brighten your spirits.....

"Merry Sleighbells"

still in the scroll frame without a name!

Take heart my friends, we still have 3 full months of winter left to delight in the white stuff!

A Christmas Greeting from Silver Creek

Why is it that we spend so much time preparing for Christmas, and then once it comes, it's over in the blink of an eye?

For 16 years, my family has gathered at our little ranch house by Silver Creek, to celebrate Christmas. Our house is small, so when 10 people gather, it's quite a crowd! As our tradition dictates, we shared in a dinner of chicken and biscuits, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, green beans, and cabbage salad. My Aunt Harriet (whom I call the "queen of gravy") taught me the fine art of gravy making many years ago and because of her lessons, I have mastered the skill.

After everyone eats their fill and the dishes are done, the presents are passed out, 1 by 1. We wait for each present to be opened before another one is unwrapped. This way, we can all see what each other received. It's a fun time and there are always stories to share about many of the gifts.

The BEST gift was received by our son, Colvin. On Christmas Eve day, he took his driver's test and is now a proud licensed driver!

As has become our custom, we gather by our fireplace and a family picture is taken. Most years, it has required numerous re-takes, but this year, we nailed it on the very first try!

BACK ROW: Diane, Alan (my husband), Mark (my Dad), Bill (my brother-in-law), Sara (my sister)                          MIDDLE ROW: Leta (my mom), Uncle Harry, Aunt Harriet; FRONT ROW: Colvin (our son), and David (my cousin)

 

Molly and Chloe each had their own private photo sessions:

my beagle-basset Molly Brown

13-year old, Queen of the Castle, Chloe

From the entire family of Silver Creek Samplers, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a New Year FULL of stitching and many finishes!

...and Peace came to Silver Creek Road

It's been a VERY LONG TIME since I chatted with my stitching friends and for that I am so very sorry. I'm sure some of you have noticed my blogging absence as well as the fact that I have not released anything new in a long time. Life has a way of throwing curve balls, and this curve ball was one I almost struck out on.

My husband Alan and I have been married for 21 years. We've had our ups and downs, but were always able to keep the train on track...until this year. The marriage train almost ran off the tracks and over a cliff. I wasn't looking forward to Christmas (or anything else). Our State of the Union was crumbling and we were both ready to secede from it. As the holiday season approached, my mom and sister asked me what was on my Christmas list. I told them all I wanted was Peace on Silver Creek Road. However only my husband and I could make that happen and it wasn't looking likely that it would. Thankfully, Christmas is the season of miracles.

As we were trying to make our way through this dark wilderness, I could only focus on getting through each day and nothing more. There was no designing and very little stitching was happening- thus the lack of new releases. Until quite suddenly, our relationship took a turn for the better. Neither one of us could explain it, but we both know it's a "God thing".

I have once again regained my focus on stitching and designing. In the time span of just a few short weeks, I have designed 6 new samplers and I have resumed my stitching. I am the happiest I've been in a long time and it feels quite refreshing!

I do have 2 new releases to share with you. The first one, I designed and stitched in 2011, but then chickened out on releasing it, for fear that the large amount of words would intimidate many stitchers. I decided that THIS would be the year to release "The Master's Plan".

As you can see, it's a BIG one, but well worth the time to stitch.

In real life, I HATE mice. I am not scared of them, but I CANNOT share my living quarters with them. Their little beady eyes, whiskers and gray fur are cute... in the woods... NOT my house! When Chloe (our worthless cat) invites one of these wretched creatures upstairs, I grab the closest shoe and proceed to....ummm...well, to put it delicately, extinguish said rodent's life. Ok, I KILL the blasted creature! Please don't judge me! LOL. Anyhoo, my next new design features an adorable MOUSE! It's called "Sweet Marmalade". This is one mouse that is more than welcome to share our abode-especially if he shares his marmalade!

Thank you all for your kind and generous support. Designing is what truly makes my heart sing and now that peace reigns on Silver Creek Road, I hope to be bringing you all many more wonderful patterns in the years to come. :)

My Name is Molly.....

and I am Diane's banana-loving beagle-basset (AND the most adorable dog in all canine-dom. Mom told me, so it must be true.) In case you didn't know, my Mom has been SO busy settling in with her new job. While she was at work, I was reading her post about PROMISING to draw a winner for the free pattern give-away. Since she apparently STILL hasn't drawn winners, I decided to help her out by picking them myself. Please don't be too irritated by her tardiness. She does work hard so that I can dine on the finest Blue Buffalo kibble that has ever crossed my canine lips.

After drawing the winners and writing the names in my bestest writing, I had to figure out how to work her blasted camera. I've seen her use it a million times, but never paid much attention since I spend much of my leisure time sleeping keeping watch over the house.

The cat isn't much help either. All she does is hiss and glare at me. It might be because Mom calls her "worthless" but I think it's REALLY because Mom thinks I'm cuter......

I had so much fun pulling the winner, that I lost all control and in pure puppy-like fashion, I pulled 4 more names. I don't think Mom will mind, since Silver Creek Samplers HAS been going and growing for 5 years now. I'm trying to get this post done before she gets home, so here are the winners. Don't forget to email Mom your address so she can get your patterns mailed out....... Uh.... Hi Mom.... you're home early. I was just...........

Mom told me I had to....

update my blog! It's been nearly 2 months since we have last visited. Since our last chat, there have been some wonderful life-altering changes...no I'm not pregnant! But, I have been blessed with full-time employment. After 4 1/2 months, I am proud to say I am a working girl once more. I am gainfully employed at a local furniture/appliance store as a graphic artist/web manager. They have been in business for 100 years and it's employee owned. My first day was July 21. I still have a lot of things to learn, but am very happy where I am. The best part was going clothes shopping. Between losing weight and never having to dress professionally, all I owned was blue jeans, t-shirts and sneakers. All of which, to no surprise, are not considered "professional". I actually LIKE getting dressed up and looking like a lady. But I'm still a country girl at heart who can't wait to get home and put on shorts and t-shirt!

In my last post, I tempted you all with a free give-away of one of my new patterns. I have not forgotten about this. I will draw the winner this weekend and post the results ASAP. I know that my newest designs aren't exactly "new" any more, but a promise is a promise, no matter how outdated. So stay tuned to see who wins the give-away. I think I should pick a couple of winners to let you all know how sorry I am for leaving you hanging for so long.

Because Mom says I've waited "WAY TOO LONG", she is sitting right next to me making sure I get this post done. She knows what a procrastinator I am, but she loves me anyway!

Also this weekend, I have plans of picking colors for my next design. It's a Halloween theme and that's all I'm going to say!

Thank you all for your prayers, good vibes, and caring support throughout my unemployment. Even though I've never met most of you, it warms my heart to know that so many people care.

So please bear with me if my posts become fewer and father between. I'm still stitching and have no plans of stopping.

We'll be chatting again REAL soon and I'll share the names of the winners too!

Your friend till the creek goes dry,
Diane

HAPPY ONE HUNDRED!!!!!!!

Not only is that the number of calories in my favorite light greek yogurt, it's the number of lovely folks who are now following my Silver Creek Samplers blog. To whomever just started following my blog... THANK YOU! I have hovered at 99 for so long and FINALLY, just today, hit the 100 mark. So you all know what this means, don't you?.........................
It's time for a FREE GIVE-AWAY!!!!!!!!!!
I have just shipped THREE new patterns to my distributors today. So in light of that information, here are the SIMPLE rules of my give-away.....

1) You must be a follower of this blog.
2) You must post a comment which includes which new release you would like to win.
3) All comments MUST be posted by Friday, June 27.

That's it! I will then randomly draw a winner from all who commented.

Now I suppose you are itching to see these new samplers that you will have to choose from, so hang on to your hats. Here they are........

"Seeds of Freedom"

"Shadow of Your Wings"

"Garden Bliss"

There you have it. So to all my followers: get commenting and stay tuned to see who the lucky winner will be. It could be YOU!

Thanks for stopping by the Creek,

Diane

Ohio or BUST!

Hi Friends!
Gosh it's been a long time since we've had a chance to chat, so pull up a chair and sit a spell so I can catch you up on what all has been happening here at Silver Creek!

First the job hunt. I'm still unemployed but have a very good bite on a graphic artist position. I am waiting for a call any day now to hopefully hear when my interview will take place. So I ask for any and all prayers/positive vibes/good wishes that you may be willing to send my way. I am so ready to go back to work and waiting is the hardest part.

Secondly, my running. As many of you know, I have been in weight loss mode since last September and have lost 65 pounds. I have participated in two 5K races so far this spring. My times were 32 and 33 minutes respectively. I am very happy with my results and hope to keep improving on them. I plan on running some more 5K races this summer.

April 26 in Carbondale, PA

May 4 in Binghamton, NY

And last but not least...the MOST exciting news of all...I had my first Meet the Designer event this past weekend. Last fall, I received an invitation from the Crossroad Stitchers group located in Strongsville Ohio. 

I designed a small sampler especially for this day and I will share a sneak peek with all of you in just a bit. I invited my mom to ride along with me since it was a 6.5 hour drive from Montrose, PA to Strongsville, OH. I had a BLAST with these ladies. What fun it was telling them all about me, my family, and how Silver Creek Samplers came to be. My trunk show included about 29 of my designs. I had no idea I had so many until I laid them all out on my dining room floor......

We enjoyed each others company so much that the day seemd to end in the blink of an eye. There was a charity raffle, great food, and inspiring show and tells shared by all. It's a shame you couldn't have been there as I "show and telled" 3 of my upcoming designs that no one else has seen. Here is my promised sneak peek from this weekend. I plan on releasing this in the near future, so be on the lookout for it soon!

COMING SOON...."Stitching Feeds My Heart"

I would LOVE to have the opportunity to do another event like this one. So if your group is within reasonable driving distance (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia etc.), I'd love to spend some time with you! 

That's about all the news I have for now. Thanks for stopping by and spending some time reading this long overdue post! I really enjoy sharing my happenings with all of you and do hope you'll stop by for another visit here down by the creek.

Diane

Move Over June Cleaver.....

and make room for me! As many of you know, March 7, 2014 was my last day at the print shop. I want to thank so many of you who left kind and thoughtful comments, and to those who didn't, but kept me in their prayers. It has been a tough road for sure, but bored I'm not! I have kept myself busy like never before in my life. Some of it, I'm sure, is nervous energy. But I decided to NOT treat this like a vacation-sleeping in, staying in my pj's all day while I stitch up a storm. I've done everything but. Being unemployed has offered me the time and ambition to do so many things around the house that I previously lacked time for. Our bathroom sink, like most, needed a shelf underneath to make organizing easier, as did our kitchen sink. Such wonderful open spaces....so WHY don't they come with shelves?! I am happy to report, that with a little yankee ingenuity, shelves have been installed under both sinks and look a little bit like this:

The next project I tackled was scrubbing the kitchen floor on my hands and knees. Our kitchen gets all the foot traffic and as you can imagine, it's impossible to keep the floor clean. Our tiles are very forgiving, because their color allows the dirt to be camouflaged making one think that "they aren't THAT dirty"..... and that my dear friends, is called denial! I perused Pinterest and found a wonderful recipe for heavy duty floor cleaner. Warm water, washing soda, white vinegar, a bit of dish soap, a Mr. Clean scrub brush and LOTS of elbow grease, back strength, and arm power......BAM! My floor looks brand new once again.

I Wish I Had Better News....

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, I am a graphic designer by trade.

I knew from the time I was a junior in high school, that I wanted to spend my life designing and letting my creative spirit soar.

I have held graphic designer positions at 5 different jobs since high school graduation, and 3 of those 5 have closed their doors.

I received word from my boss yesterday, that our tiny little print shop will be going out of business and that Friday is our last day. I still can't believe it even as I write this terrible news to you. I am at a loss. I have had the wind knocked out of my sails so many times that it's going to be hard to pick up the pieces this time around.

Jobs are NOT plentiful in my neck of the woods or any neck of the woods for that matter.

I truly wish to continue designing my samplers that so many of you have come to love, however that won't and can't replace my full time salary.

I think it's time to leave my graphic arts field in the dust and pursue a mid-life career change. I haven't yet received a sign from "The Big Boss" as to what I might be gainfully employed at.

My faith has always been such a big part of who I am, and I'm finding it so very hard to look to the heavens for help and guidance.

Please pray for me and my family, that peace and prosperity might soon again visit our place down by the creek.

With much love,
Diane

Tomorrow's Birthday is dedicated to....

my INCREDIBLE mom. That's right folks, tomorrow is my 42nd birthday. Just me and ole Abe Lincoln. I like to tease my mom and ask her why she couldn't have held me in for another 2 days so that I could be a valentine baby and celebrate with my grandpa.

This was my 1st birthday in 1973. And the man holding me was my amazing grandpa.

Every birthday I am reminded how blessed I am that God gave me such a wonderful mom. She was faced with the challenge of raising my sister and me after my father left. I always felt that mom deserved flowers on my birthday for giving me the gift of life. Mom, these are for you...

Thank you for being strong for me when you felt weak. Thank you for giving me what I needed, not what I wanted. Thank you for keeping your cool throughout my childhood temper tantrums. Thank you for making me feel important yet not allowing me to think the world revolved around me. Thank you for loving me when I was unlovable. Thank you for telling me I can do anything if I put my mind to it. Thank you for giving me life. I love you!

Mom always made sure I was clothed, fed and loved.

and when I was bad, she fed me to the goats!

1973: In my pj's hanging out with mom

Such a toothy grin! 1st grade 1978

Graduation Day! 1990

2004: When mom married my step-dad

Life is so good! Here's to 42! May it be full of wonderful things (like perhaps a piece of chocolate cake with peanut butter icing)!

 

Thanks for celebrating with me down by the creek!

Diane