New Look on the Old Blog and a BIG Win

I was just informed that I won a $50 gift certificate from Urban Elementz (those are the pantograph people I love so much!)  I entered their Crossword Puzzle contest in Houston at the Quilt Show.  It involved doing a search for about 50 design titles.  They gave you a picture of their design and you searched the catalog until you found the design.  I nearly gave up!

Ann laughed at me for about 2 hours while I poured over the catalog, looking at each picture over and over and over again until I found them all!

As for the picture on the blog, I have tried like 15 things and cannot get the stupid  interesting picture any smaller.  Aughhhhh!

So I apologize for the stupid   HUGE picture.  I will work on getting it smaller.  That size thing has always been an issue......and yes, big is not always better!

Added note:  My wonderful, smart, fabulous friend Joni figured out what to do.........Did I say she was smart and beautiful??


But it is cute, isn't it?  It is a pin cushion with pinsies I made myself.  And the creamer is from Occupied Japan which was produced after the war in, obviously, Occupied Japan.

Following the end of World War II in 1945 and until 1952, items imported from Japan to the United States had to be marked in a fashion indicating they came from Occupied Japan. Although four different marks were used on cups and saucers during this time ("Japan," "Made in Japan," "Occupied Japan," and "Made in Occupied Japan"), only the last two marks guarantee the pieces were made in the Occupied Japan timeframe. For serious Occupied Japan collectors, it is items with these two marks for which they search.

I found the creamer in some of the junk I have from my Evil Mother In Law's stuff that we are keeping like a shrine in storage.....but I didn't say that......