Lots of Christmas ornaments!!

I have a few Christmas ornaments to share.... cannot believe how long it has been since I have posted. So much going on, I wish I had more time to stitch.

I sent this "Christmas Ornament" to Brendon for the HoE Christmas Ornament Exchange... not Christmasy? I know. But, Brendon loves the Giants and I know that... I sucked it up as a Red Sox fan and stitched this for him. I thought of adding a little holly or something, but my eyes were so buggy as I was between prescriptions at the time, and thought... this is good! Hey, I have NE Patriots ornaments that just say NE Patriots on my tree... typical US sports fan stuff...lol. Anyhow, I know he loves it!

This is the beauty I received from Kathy K. for the same exchange... love, love, love it! Cannot get enough BRD ornaments on my tree!! Thank you so much Kathy, so beautifully stitched and finished.

Now... on to ornaments I have been blessed to receive this year :-) This sweet little German angel is stitched by my beloved Marie P. So very, very sweet!

And dearest Andrea added this stunning addition for our tree!

While sweet, sweet Katrina sent me this cutie...

And the ever so kind and thoughtful Margaret sent me this sweet thing - a Barbara Ana freebie from a FB group, and she tweeked the colors thusly... awesome!

So, I stitched a few gifts... this is for Brenda, one of my oldest and dearest pals... my hand tremors are often very bad (neurologist says there is no diagnosis, so not sure what is up)... best pick I could get with the tremors acting up so badly and could not go outside for a better pic due to snow... Holly Jolly Ornament Heart in Hand 40 ct Vintage Country Mocha Linen, GAST and WDW Floss

For Katrina... Peace Dove Ornament JBW Designs in 2014 JCS Christmas Ornament Issue 32 ct Antique White Belfast Linen, Stranded by the Sea Floss in Majestic Angelfish

For Karen K. ... Rejoice Ornament Lizzie Kate - Flora McSample 2012 36 ct Fawn Lakeside Linens, WDW Floss

For Andrea... Christmas Alphabet Ornament Heart in Hand - FB Freebie 32 ct Driftwood Linen, GAST and WDW Floss

For Margaret... Believe Ornament Lizzie Kate - Flora McSample 2012 36 ct Fawn Lakeside Linens, WDW Floss Unfortunately, my tremors did not allow me to get even a relatively decent pic of the ornament I stitched for Marie P. I will wait until she posts a pic and grab hers...

Yeow!

Found out today that Erin has received the Halloween ornament that I stitched for her for an exchange...

Yeow! Ornament Prairie Schooler 2012 JCS Halloween Special Issue 32 ct Antique Ivory Belfast Linen, DMC Floss

Red Berries for Becky

Lynn W. (cannot find blog link!) has finally received my ornament for the latest round of the HoE Christmas Ornament Exchange. The USPS did not run late... I did :-( I had such a brain cramp, mishap, oh boy, whatever one might choose to call it... on getting this ornament done. I think, bottom line, is that August is not a good month for stitching! So much to do around here. And, the original ornament I started for her just did not speak to me at all, so at 80% stitched, I put it aside and started anew! And, that seemingly took me forever too. All these beads, I went with a simple pillow finish. It is truly delicate, and I am very glad she told me it was worth the wait!

Red Berries Ornament

Rosewood Manor 

The Gift of Stitching Magazine, December 2006

36 ct Sand Edinburgh Linen, DMC Floss, Unknown Beads from my stash...

Overdue Update

I am long overdue to post again to my blog. I do not kid myself, however. I don't think more than a tiny handful still even read my blog. Nonetheless, I have been negligent, so I will post a few things today. I realize I, myself, do not read blogs much at all any longer. I do, however, follow many of my xs friends on Facebook. Much easier. At one time a couple of years back, I was reading blogs so often that I fell very far behind in my paperwork at my office. Thus, I had to stop and right the ship again... I have received a couple of HoE exchanges I can now share:

I received this cute little snowman ornament from Melissa from the recent Christmas Ornament Exchange round. She says it is a freebie she has wanted to stitch.  I might have it, but I don't think I do... not all sure who the designer is, but this really, really is cute.  And Melissa did a nice job with finishing it too.  Thank you so much, Melissa.

I also received this pretty biscornu from Jayne in the UK (so very sorry, I cannot find her blog link).  She chose some delicate colors and fabric for me. Thank you Jayne :-)

How could I have not yet shared this pretty little birthday gift from my dear friend, Margaret ?  This is so delicate and sweet. Sadly, my camera fogged up when I went outside to take the photo.  I had thought this final one had come out clear, but I was mistaken!  Thank you Margaret, for this delicate gift and the goodies you sent to me too!  I must catch up with stitching birthday gifts again...  right on my to do list that goes!

Despite getting little stitching in, in total, over the past three months, I am up to date on Frosted Pumpkin's Stitchery's Once Upon A Time Sampler...

In June, we had The Princess and the Pea. So cute!  Loved stitching those pretty quilts on all of those mattresses.

In July, we had Thumbelina.  I just love those colorful little fish and the little mouse. 

And in August,we had The Bremen Town Musicians (or at they called it, The Musicians of Bremen Town, but as a German child growing up, I learned of it as Bremen Town Musicians)...  the animals are a bit updated than in the original fairy tale. Super fun to stitch.

And here we are so far.  Um, my camera was foggy again in this shot.  This is the best of a few.  Next time I will do better (how often do I say that??)...

Well, that is what I have to share...  like I said, this is basically a dead, non-read blog. But I share anyhow.

New Gingher Eve Scissors For Sale.... BEST PRICE!

We, Mike & Carol's Internet Store are taking pre-orders for the new Gingher Eve Designer Series Scissors. They are due in September, and might come in sooner according to the wholesaler. Hold on to your hats, as Mike as once again posted the BEST prices on the internet.... 4" scissors are $27.99, and 5" scissors are $29.99... plus shipping. You can pre-order them at the link earlier in this paragraph. Sorry, no international orders.

Way Overdue To Post...

I realize I have not posted to my blog in quite some time. I have been stitching, just not getting things photographed and put up here on my blog. I severely sprained my ankle on June 21 while at a marina in Portsmouth, NH. We were set to go boating to Boston with our friends/neighbors for my DH's birthday. Despite what turned out to be a serious injury, I proceeded forward, took the longish boat ride and we stayed at a super nice hotel right next to the marina. We went and had a fabulous dinner at a famous steak house next to the marina, and my neighbor bought us all a horse and carriage ride since I could barely walk... in the AM, we boated home and I got medical attention... the orthopedist says this will likely not be healed until well into September. The swelling has finally gone down for the most part, bringing the pain level higher (I would imagine the very torn ligaments are healing and I feel it more without the swelling around them??)... anyhow, doc says I am on track.

I did not receive an ornament in a recent HoE Christmas Ornament Exchange.  My partner apparently had a crisis in her family and dropped out of sight. Marie noticed this, and she angel stitched this super cute, super long and skinny santa for me...  I laughed for a good five minutes when I saw it.  I love it. Thank you so much Marie.  As always, you sure did not have to do that :-)

 

Marie also is a very good friend, and she sent me the pretty little box for my bureau for my birthday.  It is chock full of little stitching supplies like fabric, floss, beads and such.  I just don't have any idea how she gets all of this done!  Thank you so much Marie, what a treat.... someday you will remind when your birthday is....hint, hint

And, I recently heard that Kim received the biscornu thatI stitched for her for the HoE Biscornu Exchange...  I did not have the supplies called for by Victoria Sampler (who ever does??), so I changed the colors to reflect the season of spring, the time of Mardi Gras (and matching the theme of the  irises on the tuffet).

Jazz Tuffet Pincushion

Victoria Sampler

32 ct Antique Ivory Belfast Linen, Glissen Gloss Silk in Mardi Gras, RG Petite Treasure Braid, DMC Floss, Beads leftover from a JN sampler, and Swarovski Crystals from an HoE exchange

I have tons more to share... I am caught up on Once Upon A Time Sampler... errr, sort of.  The August part just came out and I need to start that.  I am also working away on A Year of Celebrations...  I hope to get pics up soon....

"Amy" Christmas Alphabet Ornament

I stitched this ornament for Amy for the HoE Christmas Ornament Exchange.  I really hope she will enjoy it...it was fun to make.

"Amy" Christmas Alphabet Ornament

Elizabeth's Designs

R&R Reproductions Park City Blend 40 ct linen, DMC and Weeks Dye Works Floss

Christmas Ornament from Becky K.

I received this sweet Daffycat reindeer ornament from Becky this week.  She stitched this for me for the current HoE Christmas Ornament Exchange.  I think it is so cute.  Thank you Becky, shall cherish this for years to come.

Jack and the Beanstalk... June and July...

 Not much stitching got done in May.  I did attend a class at Celebration of Needlework in Nashua, NH.  The class was taught by Lauren Sauer.  I should have taken a photo, as I got a bit done at home after the class...  next post, for sure...  I did manage to finish the May block for the Once Upon a Time Sampler... super cute, here is Jack and the Beanstalk. 

 and... how the sampler is coming along now.  Received the June chart today...  I must say, this sampler is getting cuter and cuter each month.  I love what they did for June!!  For those who do not know, this is Once Upon A Time Sampler by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery...  stitching it on PTP 40 ct Gold Doubloon linen with called for Weeks Dye Works and DMC Floss.

 Also finished in May...  the next two blocks of A Year of Celebrations.  Here is June... time for the beach!

 And July...  oh, a patriotic block, I see!

And here I am so far.  When the next issue of Cross Stitch & Needlework comes in, I can stitch three blocks. Since the December block was released in the first issue, I can stitch it under September once that is finished.  More than halfway home now with A Year of Celebrations by Hands On Design, 40 ct Vintage Country Mocha Linen, using the called for Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Art Sampler Threads and Crescent Colours flosses.  Still really loving how this one is coming along as well.

Goldilocks

April brought us Goldilocks and the Three Bears for the Once Upon a Time Sampler...  another fun block to stitch.  Not sure why it took me until virtually the end of the month, as I stitched little else so far this month.... nor did I read much this month... where have I been?  what have I been doing?  Honestly, I just am not sure!  So.... now awaiting what surprise The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery will bring for the May block on this cutesy sampler.

I hope that you are all enjoying your change of season.... a chilly spring here, but at least it is spring now.  Yard work is back in full swing.  And Celebration of Needlework is next week!!

Joy

I have received a lovely email from Conny today, thanking me and letting me know that my tiny little Christmas ornament for her has arrived safe and sound in The Netherlands. This is for the current round of the HoE Christmas Ornament Exchange (taking sign ups for new, reliable members... let me know if you are interested!!).

Joy Ornament

Lizzie Kate Flora McSample 2011 Christmas Ornaments

Silkweaver 40 ct Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Linen, WDW Floss

 

Once Upon a Time.... there were Three Little Pigs

Just in time for the end of the month, I finished up the March block on Once Upon a Time Sampler. Yep, totally not what I usually stitch, yet I am really enjoying this one. I know it is going to be cute in my office sometime early next year. Not sure which of my three offices I will choose for it.... I had to run outside in the cold and take a pic in early AM daylight and then run back into the house. For some reason, the linen does not want to flatten. No interest in pressing it right now ;-) Anyhooooo, so glad I got to stitch the wolf on this block... totally did not want to stitch another cutesy princess this month :-)

Oh, and my orts so far, as of last night. I am a total floss miser... teeny tiny little pieces of floss... collecting my orts this year gave me my first actual impression of how very little thread I leave behind. German frugality!!

I am sorry - I had put the info about Once Upon a Time up when I first started it, and had not thought to do it in this post.  The SAL can be accessed here:  The Frosted Pumpkin Once Upon A Time Mystery SAL

What Month Is it?

It is March, and it is very early into spring here... and a possible "snow bomb" to hit us tomorrow night because... well... Mother Nature is angry with the Northeast US?? I dunno, cannot figure any other logical explanation. Some day, if I ever dig out of the cold and the snow here, I shall wave and say hi to you all..

In the meantime, I received some beautiful Halloween ornaments from exchanges this week...  

This beauty is from Roberta for the current round of the HoE Halloween Ornament Exchange. I think this must be by Notforgotten Farm... just LOVE it!!! Thank you so much Roberta! Wow!

And another BEAUTY from my dear friend Karen - we decided to do our own personal Halloween Ornament Exchange... she stitched this colorful delight for me. I think it is from a recent JCS Halloween issue... I shall say it again... LOVE it! Thank you my friend!!! Cannot wait to hang these for Halloween!!

And on Monday the 17th, the new May 2014 issue of Cross Stitch and Needlework arrived.  I was waiting on this!!  I ran upstairs, pulled the floss, got online and ordered the WDW Boysenberry that I did not have, and worked on this all week as I got a moment here and there... and finished it right before bedtime last night.  I love, love, love this sampler!!!  I am almost half way through now, and no block has been a disappointment!

Happy Spring... to those who have spring weather! We will catch up with you in August, I suspect... 

Bonus Time!

Last night, I finished up the third block on Anniversaries of the Heart. This one is a bonus chart that BBD supplied to be placed here in the center of the top row. No personalization for this one. I noticed as I was stitching it that the lower case alphabet is missing a couple of letters...lol Guess that is fine, artistic license for BBD! I absolutely cannot tell much difference between the CC Cinnamon Toast and the CC Jakey Brown in the alphabets... might be my skeins, or just might be that way with those colors? On to the next block later today...

I heard yesterday that my dear friend Karen has received the little Halloween ornament I made for her. She and I decided to do our own personal Halloween ornament exchange... I chose one of my all time favorites to stitch for her...

Witch's Pantry Plum Pudding NeedleArt JCS 2012 Halloween Issue 32 ct Cameo Belfast Linen, DMC Floss

Oh My Heavens!

Saw in my friend Margaret's blog that she has been working on And They Sinned, and I realized that while I put an hour or so into mine at times, I have not posted an update in quite a long time. Margaret is much farther along than I am - take a peek at hers :-) I am a bit mired in the sky/Heavens in the top section. I think I will keep this pulled out and put a little time into it this weekend. Might be time for me to go back to using a rotation with my stitching??

This sampler is great fun, and I really hope that once the blob of the sky/Heavens is finished, I will really love having a whole slew of little colorful motifs to stitch next.  One problem for me, though, is that I am using a skein of GAST Tarnished Gold that is a fantastic color lot... very tarnished.  But it is years old and from Gentle Arts' earlier days (I can tell by the sales tag on the skein - where I bought it has been closed for a looooooong time). Problem?  Some of the threads are much thinner than they should be.  Not sure what happened there.  Half or more of the skein is unuseable.... unfortunate.

OK...  kinda determined to finish the blob here...

More snow today. So exciting.  Who wants Spring anyhow??/ (strong, strong note of sarcasm is required here)...

Valentine Rose

First two blocks of Anniversaries of the Heart are now complete. This second block, Valentine Rose, is dedicated to my husband...

Halloween Time for Melissa

Melissa has received the Halloween Tree Ornament that I stitched for her for the HoE Halloween Exchange... I stumbled across this cute freebie while surfing one day, and here is the result...

R.I.P. Ornament

The Stitcherhood - chart is here 

Kiwi Illusions 28 ct Pumice Lugana, DMC Floss

Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time... I was on Facebook and somehow ended up at the page for Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery... how? I have no idea. Perhaps FB decided it was a page I would like and had it in my newsfeed? I can figure no other way... But I visited there, and somehow clicked to join a year long mystery SAL called Once Upon a Time... and here is the first two months (very, very unlike me kind of choice) -

So, this sampler is charted in what I think the designers call a "kawaii" style... may be misspelling that, but I guess from what wiki says it is some kind of new fangled Japanese art style... simple and cute.  So why did I choose this??  I think it has to be my childhood love of fairy tales.  But I always liked the darker elements of fairy tales... no dark elements here... yet!  So we have Snow White and two of her dwarves doing the laundry in January, and then we have the Princess and the Frog Prince  hanging out with flowers and pastries in February... hmmm.... awfully big eyed, little girl looking princesses, if you ask me.  March is different...  no princess in March and a villain shows its face.  Irregardless, I am having fun stitching this up on PTP 40 ct Gold Doubloon linen with the called for DMC floss.  The designers charted this for PTP 28 ct Gold Doubloom opalescent cashel linen... I like the high count fabrics, and felt this does look a lot like a piece of parchment paper, like the page of a fairy tale book. Did not feel like using opalescent, and glad for that choice.  We shall see where this goes.... in the end, I imagine this will hang in one of my therapy offices.  I see quite a few kids in treatment, the little girls will giggle at it...  sigh, sometimes we never grow up ;-)

Sugar Plums from Amy

Just received this really cute ornament from Amy for the HoE Stitcher's Choice Christmas Ornament Exchange. I really love it. Her fabric trim finishing is just the cutest! Thank you again, Amy!

Snow Garden

Despite having And They Sinned as a major project to work on this year, I have decided that BBD's Anniversaries of the Heart has become a must stitch right now.

I spent the last couple of days starting it off, and tonight I finished the first block, Snow Garden, while DH watched Ender's Game.  It is so delicate!  I am using Lakeside Linens 40 ct Pearled Barley, which is much browner than the same linen was when I stitched Houses of Hawk Run Hollow.  No problem, like this shift in color.

Since I am from a very small family that is also fractured and made even smaller, I will need to really think about each block and how to dedicate it.  This first block has my sister's "pertinents and such" on it, as she has a winter birthday in January.  She has the same initials as the model on the cover of the chart ;-)  She is single with no children, so I added our parents' first initials within the design for her.

I am sure many of my friends, including stitching friends, will soon make their way onto other blocks in this sampler.  Sometimes we have to make our own families.

Now, if I could just find my GAST Picnic Basket I would be all set to do the second block....

So snowy here in NH.... really hope you have better weather than we do.  More on the way for us.  Enough already. 

Winter is Here... And It is Hanging On

Winter is here and letting us know it... two straight days of snow, and certainly not the first storm of the year. We are doing our hearty New England "thing" and doing our level best to just accept it. But since my back porch is looking like this this morning, I was reminded that I had yet to share this... a small ornament I stitched up weeks ago, popped into one of my ornament baskets and forgot about....

Winter Jumble Ornament (select motifs chosen from larger sampler chart) The Drawn Thread 40 ct Dirty Newcastle Linen, Crescent Colours Floss

A Year of Celebrations

I decided to start something fun that will carry me though much of the year...  Hands On Design has a project entitled A Year of Celebrations currently running in Cross Stitch & Needlework.  As each square is only 50x50, I figured I could easily pop this into my life and do this.  I decided to use 40 ct Vintage Country Mocha linen and am stitching it 3x4 on a fat eighth.  She started with the Dec/Jan charts first, so I have December put aside and will have to wait until I at least have September in place before I can place it properly on the linen.  Lots of colors in this one...  WDW, GAST and CC floss.  Three squares done and so far only CC Snowball and WDW Pumpkin have been used in more than one block, so I am wondering how many flosses I will end up needing to get this done.  Unfortunately, this is clearly designed for the Northern Hemisphere, and we will see if July is Independence Day and November is Thanksgiving... which would make this exclusively US oriented...  think international stitchers would have enjoyed this as well.  I love how each block has a little word to describe the month. 

OK, I hesitated but will share this bit of info... I chose this because the colors remind me of this incredibly colorful set of coffee mugs I recently bought for the kitchen.  I am making this small as I just miiiiiight choose to hang it near the mugs.... so, I have heard of buying an outfit to match a new pair of shoes, but a needlework project to match a new set of mugs?  That is how I roll...

A reindeer for Marie

Marie has just written to let me know that she has received the Christmas ornament that I just sent off to her for the HoE Stitcher's Choice Exchange... so glad she likes it. The chart is OOP and after I stitched it and had it ready to ship, I found myself wondering if she already may have this one.... shhhh, I am not going to ask her ;-)

Dash Away All Ornament

The Sampler Girl

32 ct Precious Metals Belfast Linen, CC Floss