More Finishes

Bluebird of Christmas Happiness

by

Mary McLenon-Turley

of M Designs

I haven't been on here all week, but I have been stitching almost every evening after work. This one I finished earlier in the week. I also have a couple of more to show.

Norwegian Reindeer

by

Lynda D. Baldauf

of Scandinavian Stitches

I finished this one a couple of days ago. I also did another one just like it in green. I am getting closer and closer to getting my ornaments done, although I still have several to go. Then I will spend a day putting them all together.

I've been tagged!

Angela at Hooked on Stitches has just tagged me. So, here are 6 random facts about me:

1. Like Angela, I am a night owl also. (even on work nights). I very seldom get to bed before at least 11 on weeknights, and it's anybody's guess on weekends. I am definitely not a morning person either.

2. Most of those nights that I am up late-I'm stitching and/or watching movies. I have a certain few that I tend to watch the most-such as all the Harry Potter movies, and any of the Jane Austen stuff-Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Becoming Jane. I recently acquired "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" with Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, and I have watched it quite a bit as well.

3. I love to read too and when I was younger you very seldom saw me anywhere without a book in my hand. I haven't read very much lately because I have mostly been stitching in my free time.

4. I love music, all different kinds of music, especially Rock and Celtic. I have a guitar but I haven't played it much lately. A long while of a lately.

5. I love making Christmas ornaments, which is why this is my favorite time of year for stitching. I also like to make them out of felt, with beads and buttons and sequins and bits of fabric. This is on top of the fact that I love to stitch all year long to begin with.

6. Last but not least, I love, love, love spending time with my Grand-darlings. I have 4-3 boys and 1 girl, ranging in age from 1 to 7. Did I mention that they are my darlings?

I am going to tag the following people:

Sandra
Sharon
and Kathy

Rules are...Link back to the person that tagged you. Post the rules on your Blog. Share 6 non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. Tag 6 people or as many as you would like too at the end of your post by linking to their Blog. Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their Blog.

Feel free to participate...if not that's ok too, it's all just for fun!

Have fun!

Thanks to everyone

No photos yet today. I just wanted to thank everyone again for stopping by, or leaving a comment, and thanks also to the ones who are following my blog. It is really exciting to see so many stop by, and a lot of fun, and I enjoy stopping by to see all of you as well. I just noticed that over 500 people have stopped by, most of them since late September, and that is really awesome. I love seeing what everyone is doing and I love sharing what I have accomplished as well. Have a wonderful day everyone, and thanks again. You are all very inspiring to me.

Yea, it's finished!

I just now finished this, and here it is. I changed out all of the colors they had listed, but they are pretty close from what I could see in the photo in the magazine. I like them, anyway. Now to figure out the next one to stitch. I'm really glad I like doing this because I still have at least a dozen left to stitch. I really am having a lot of fun with this. And in a week or two I will be having even more fun because I have the 2004, 5 an 6 JCS ornament issues coming, that I have bought from a fellow stitcher over at 123Stitch. I have been drooling over them anyway and when I saw that someone had them on offer I jumped right in there.

Progress on "Peace"

This is how far I've gotten on "Peace" from My Big Toe Designs. I participated in the Friday night SAT over at Let's Stitch this evening. I didn't get as far as I intended to, but I still think I made pretty good progress. I am pretty close to half finished with it.

Snowy Night Finished

I meant to put this in a frame but couldn't find one the right size for it, so I just made a little pillow out of it instead. It didn't turn out perfect, but it is ok and I know that my boyfriend will like it very much. His birthday is actually tomorrow, but it will be next week before we see each other, to give it to him. (We don't live in the same town). He knows I am making him something but he doesn't know what it is. I was looking for a 4" by 4" frame but couldn't find anything less than 4" x 6".

I haven't decided what ornament to do next but I know I will have it figured out in time for the SAT at Let's Stitch, for tomorrow night. I have several left to do yet.

Snowy Night Finished

I just finished Snowy Night, designed by Pamela Byrd Smith of The Prairie Schooler. I absolutely love this one. I am actually going to put it in a small frame and give it to my boyfriend for his birthday tomorrow. He loves birds and my stitching, so I know he will really like it. I haven't decided what to stitch yet, but it will be another ornament from the 2008 JCS issue.

Starry Night Finished

I just finished another ornament-this one is "Starry Night" by Tina Richards Herman at Shepherd's Bush. I got the chart from the JCS 2008 ornament issue. It was stitched on 25 count Zweigart Light Blue Dublin Linen, using DMC threads. I didn't have the charm that was on the chart so I added a star instead, but I really like how it turned out.

Another finish

I just finished "Glory to God in the Highest" by Little House Needleworks. It was from the JCS 2008 ornament issue. I also just finished posting this over at Let's Stitch Too, which I just joined a day or so ago. Yesterday, actually. This was the project I was working on that I wanted to get finished. Now I can get started on another one, as I have several left to do.

PIF

Hello everyone, just wanted to announce that Susan and Angela are taking part in the PIF. There is still a spot for one more if anyone is interested. The first one to leave a comment will be the third person. Thanks Angela and Susan for joining in with me on this. I am really excited to take part in this.

Just wanted to edit this post to say that Robin is the third participant. Now, I will get started stitching something for each of you, to be received within the next 365 days. (I don't think it will be quite that long actually). Angela, I have your snail mail address already. Susan and Robin, if you will email me with yours then I will send yours when I get them stitched as well. Thanks everyone!

Scissor Fob Received by Angela

Angela from Hooked on Stitches just let me know that she received the scissor fob that I sent to her. I am so glad that she likes it. It is the other half of the pair of earrings that I recently purchased, for the sole purpose of turning them into scissor fobs. She posted a photo of it attached to her scissors on her site.

Here is the link to her site:

http://www.hookedonstitches.blogspot.com

Let It Snow

Here is another one I just finished stitching from the 2008 JCS Christmas issue. It is called "Let It Snow", and was designed by Nikki Leeman at Country Cottage Needleworks. Also done on mystery linen, with DMC threads. I used Kreinik blending filament for the silver stars because I didn't have what they called for, but it worked out very well. It was another fun stitch, for sure, I loved it! Now I am getting ready to choose yet another one.

A Christmas Song

I just finished my first ornament from the 2008 JCS Christmas issue. It is "A Christmas Song" by Lynda Watkins, from Full Circle Designs. I stitched it on a mystery linen, using DMC threads. I didn't have all the colors I needed so I switched some out, but I still like how it turned out. I have several more to make, as I am making a set of three for the bank for a Christmas giveaway, and I am making some for my co-workers. I am also taking part in an ornament exchange over at 123Stitch, so I am going to be making one for that as well. I love making ornaments, so I am having a lot of fun with this.

JCS Ornament Issue

I just got my JCS Christmas Ornament issue a couple of days ago and I love it. I have decided to put aside my Victorian Charm project for a little while so I can get going on the ornies. I am making a set of 3 ornaments to give away in a drawing at work, for our customers for Christmas, and I am also making some for each of my co-workers, as well as myself, etc. etc. I started on one of them last night and I will post a photo of it when it is done. It is stitching up really quick.

PIF

I just wanted to say that the PIF is still open. I would be very happy to draw three names and send each one something handmade by me, within the next 365 days. Just leave a comment. If there are not enough names for a drawing by 10/31 I will wait and draw the next Friday and go from there. Same conditions-just post the same offer on your own site.

October Christmas Ornament

This is my October ornament that I stitched for the Christmas Ornament SAL. It is called "Peace", and was designed by Linda Culp Calhoun, and adapted for needlework by Donna Vermillion Giampa. I got it from a 1995 book by Leisure Arts called Timeless Ornaments. I stitched it on 14-count Navy aida.

PIF

I am so excited! I just learned that I was chosen to be a part of Elisa's PIF from her blog Old Ragged Threads. This is the very first time I have participated in a PIF. So, here is how it goes.

If you would like to receive something handmade by me, just leave a comment on this post, and on Friday, Oct. 31 I will ask one of my co-workers to choose 3 names. Then, within the next 365 days, each one will receive something handmade, by me. All I ask is that each one chosen make the same offer on their blog. This is a wonderful way to spread happiness throughout the stitching community. This PIF is open to everyone. Thank you, and I hope you will join me in this.

Followers

I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who are following my blog. I am glad you stop in. I am pretty new at this, having only started this blog in January, and it is really neat reading everyone's comments and checking out their blogs. I have been inspired to do things I might not have tried otherwise, like working on evenweave or linen instead of just aida. It also inspires me to stitch more and finish more as well.

Scissor Fob

I found the neatest pair of earrings in the gift shop at Powell Gardens this afternoon. They were 50% off and I couldn't resist them. They are called Mille Fleur, by Two's Company. I don't have pierced ears so of course, the first thing I thought of when I saw them was "scissor fob!" So I twisted the little ear part through the handle on my scissors and back around the earring and it was perfect! And of course, I have one left over. The scan does not do it justice, but hopefully you can sort of get the idea of how pretty it is. Anyway, I have one left over, so, if anyone would like to have the other for the same reason, I will be happy to do a drawing for it. If anyone is interested, just leave a comment here and on Monday evening after I get home from work I will draw a name and someone can have it.

More Progress on Victorian Charm

Here is my latest progress on Victorian Charm. It won't be long now until it won't fit in my scanner and I will have to scan it in sections. I am having a lot of fun with this one. I love workng on this.

It's kind of chilly here today but I think it is supposed to warm up this afternoon. I am going to enjoy part of the day with a friend at Powell Gardens, a beautiful botanical garden with all kinds of neat stuff. They have got some Halloween stuff going on right now which will be pretty cool.