TUSAL, At Last

Here it is - a week late, but, as you can see, quite full. All those lovely red, green, black and gold orts at the top are because I was inspired by Carol, and her ornament a week self-challenge. So I printed out a couple of dozen of the charts I have been collecting for years, planning to stitch one ornament a week. But once I started stitching - I couldn't stop!

This one is trimmed and the backing fabric cut - but not yet sewn. I had this filed under cross stitch quilt squares, but don't have the author's name.

I know this was a recent freebie - but at the moment I can't recall the site and my printout doesn't say.
This was actually the second one of this chart that I stitched - altho I started it first - I wasn't paying close enough attention and started stitching the flowers in green instead of the called for red - so I stopped and started again correctly, finished it (and gave it away), and then picked this one up and finished stitching it with the red and green switched - and liked it!
I adore this little penguin - altho I just noticed I didn't stitch his eyebrows (isn't wonderful how you notice these things in photos?). I didn't stitch the white on his belly and his eyes since he is stitched on white - a case of the "lazies".
Just a simple candy cane - but I think it's rather pretty.
An alphabet tree - I've done several of these in the past, altho this is the first time I've stitched this particular chart.
And all I've got done on my little Christmas tortoise is the outside backstitching - something different that I'm trying for the first time that I saw suggested here. He should be called Slow as Christmas, don't you think?

I've stitched all of these on 14 count aida, cause I have lots of it in my stash. WalMart used to carry an inexpensive brand, and I bought lots of it when they were clearancing the cross stitch supplies.

I'm sorry that I can't provide links to the freebie ones above. Some of them are no longer available, some I don't have author info on and on two of them, the websites no longer exist. When I first started saving freebie charts that I found on various sites, I had no idea that 10 or more years later I would have thousands of charts (printed and saved to disk) and that I wouldn't remember where I found one particular chart. Nowadays I make the effort to include the website in the saved chart's name, if the author of the freebie hasn't included it on the chart. And I'm trying to remember to put my info on the freebie charts I design.

Thanks for visiting today.

Christmas Wishes

Wishing you and all your dear ones a most Happy Christmas!

O Holy Night

Alyssa Rossi sings O Holy Night - amazing!

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth;
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;

Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine.

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, To our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord, O praise His name forever!
His pow'r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow'r and glory evermore proclaim!

My favorite carol.
Thanks for visiting today.

The Friday 56 – 11 Dec 2009

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

The book closest to me is The Phoenix Transformed by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
”Oh. Oh. Damn,” Harrier said.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Christmas Humor

First, thanks to Diane and Marsha over on the EMS Cross Stitch Board for The Monks (click on the monk picture for the video).

Then, to share my favorite version of The Twelve Days After Christmas (click on the choir picture for the video)- if you want to see the lyrics, you can find them here.

Still in the humor line - we all have terminology that we use quite casually - and sometimes forget that not everyone will understand what we mean. As a cross stitcher, when I think of floss - I think of embroidery thread - usually DMC or Anchor brands. Ann (in the UK) pictured some floss wallets she had made - and then explained them - which reminded me of when I first became a Floss Mom - my DH listened patiently to me talking about my Floss Kids all over the world - and then, quite seriously, asked, "Don't their dentists give them free samples?".

Thanks for visiting today.

More Ornaments

Hopefully, I'll get my tree decorated this afternoon during the SEC championship game (Roll Tide!). When (and if) I do, I'll take some photos - the greatest majority of my Christmas ornies are handmade by me over the past 30 something years, and other handmade ornaments have been received as gifts or in exchanges.

In the meantime, here are few more pics of other ornies that are special to me:

Away In a Manger, a freebie from the Chart Shop (a fantastic source of free charts, most card size). It took me forever to figure out the little pink thing in the lower right corner was a pig!

Another ornie framed with a canning jar lid - I thought I remembered him being called Mad Santa - but when I checked the Mad Santa chart is different, so now I'm not sure where I found this chart. I stitched him with four strands on 14 count green aida - I didn't want to chance the green showing through on his white fur or beard.A beautiful Matroishka ornament I received in an exchange from an angel stitcher (from Russia).

A sweet angel stitched for me by Jenny, one of my Floss Kids.

I've seen several versions of this in different places, this one is Microsoft Word - Anna12_Elchweihnacht NEU.doc (despite the name, clicking on this link takes you to a web page, where this title links you to a pdf document!).

While searching to make sure the above was still available as a freebie, I ran across this crocheted pair.Aren't they sweet? I don't read/speak German so the pdf associated with it doesn't help me! Anybody up to do some translating for me?

I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of my ornaments.

Thanks for visiting today.

The Friday 56 - 4 December 2009

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

The book closest to me is The Lost by JD Robb, et al.

"That was… Okay.” Hard to argue when they’d both nearly been killed when dismantling a subversive and illegal human cloning organization.

It's good to be back after missing this meme for a couple of weeks!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Speaking of Missing Exchanges

Have you ever had an exchange go astray?

A few years back, I did on an Holiday Ornament Exchange.

A quick note on the quality of these pics - I did not have a digital camera in 2005 - so these were taken with my flat bed scanner!

This is the ornament I originally stitched:

Front

And back

I don't know about you, but I seldom stitch the same chart twice, so when this ornament didn't arrive Down Under, I stitched this replacement:

Front

And Back

I was rather proud of using a cinnamon stick for the trunk of the tree, and thank goodness, this one arrived safely, although it took three weeks! As far as I know, the original ornament never showed up.

And I'm sorry - I've had a quick browse thru several hundred of the free designs I have saved - but I haven't spotted either of the above, altho my faulty memory says they were both freebies. If anyone recognizes them, would you let me know so I can give proper credit?

Almost complete change of subject -

Do you remember the Kerstballen designs submitted last year to Miriam's blog? Lots and lots of creative ideas (in case you need some - lol!). I submitted several, but had designed a few more that I never got around to sending to Miriam.
Pictures are clickable for a larger printable view. All the usual legal bla-bla-bla applies - but if you stitch one or the other, please do send me a photo.

And here's a pic of the plaid calico cat framed with a canning jar lid. I did submit this design (along with a plaid stitched back chart) to Miriam - have a look at her blog if you'd like to get the chart.
Do you have an exchange gone astray story?
Or a free ornament you designed?

Thanks for visiting today.

PS - I haven't forgotten about my promised giveaways - one will be coming real soon now.

Mitten Ornaments

Wow - I can't believe it's been a week already since I last posted - time is winging by!
I've been really slow getting out my Christmas decorations. Today was too cold and rainy to decorate the outside, and I just couldn't get motivated to start decorating inside, either. Maybe if I share a few favorite ornaments, I'll get my decorating mojo going.

Pere Noel and the Missus. I charted the Missus after stitching Pere.

Caribou - isn't he silly?

And a set of four to spell out the season.

All of the ornaments are simply backed with felt and have either ribbon or yarn hangers.

Free charts can be found here. Seven pages of creative moufles!

Nope, still not in the mood to decorate. Any suggestions?

Thanks for stopping by today.

In All Things, Give Thanks

Tomorrow, we in the USA will celebrate Thanksgiving. Twixt the turkey and the pumpkin pie, many of us will stop to reflect on the things we are thankful for.

I am blessed in the many things I am thankful for: my DH of 37 plus years, my family, my friends, hobbies I love (and the time and funds to support them!), my good health ... the list is endless, praise God.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things in our lives. As a Christian, I've spent time on my knees thanking God for so many things. But 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. This can be a stumbling block - how do you give thanks for bad things? So I want to share with you this blog entry I found some time ago that helped me to understand the crucial difference between "in" and "for": Provocative Christian Living.

I pray this is a blessing for you as it was for me.

No matter where you are, nor whether tomorrow is a holiday for you, I wish you a Joyous Thanksgiving!

Thanks for visiting today.

Found in my email this morning. If one or more don’t sound familiar – you weren’t paying attention!

I Owe My Mother

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC .
" Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS .
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTION-ISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION .
"Just wait until we get home .."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home !"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

And my favorite:

25. My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you"

And I must add my favorite Bigmama-ism, who taught me WATER SAFETY:
“I don’t want you going near that pool until you learn how to swim!”

What did your mother teach you?

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Whew - I'm Back!

After a very frustrating time of trying to resolve the issues on my home network - I think it is all finally working!

I haven't forgotten my giveaways - I'll hopefully post about that tomorrow.

First, some overdue acknowledgements:
I was thrilled to win Day 9 of the 13 Days of Halloween Giveaway over on Missy's blog. Her presentation was charming:

And look at all the goodies! Can you see the bat stickpin in the second photo? Mega cute!


















Thank-you, Missy. I love it all!






Then, I was lucky enough to win a copy of Simon's Cat from Daffycat. Besides being beautifully wrapped in the ladybug paper you see in the photo, she included a heart charm - I have a project in mind for it! Sharon, thanks a million - I'll let you know what the grands think of the book - I know I'll enjoy it.




Monique received the Needle Book that I stitched for her for the Tiny Treasures Needle Book Exchange, so I can post a picture of that.


The design was a freebie months ago on Danybrod's site - I thought it adorable.



Here's a before photo of the EMS Rose Sampler SAL that I stopped working on last year:


And an update tonight of the progress I've made over the last ten days or so:

I'm stitching this in hand - and so it looks fantastically wrinkled right now! This is one of the projects in the basket by my comfy chair that I want to finish before the end of the year.

And last, but not least - my TUSAL update:

Better late than never! I am having to push down on the orts as I place them in the jar, but I think it will last until the end of the year (I hope!).

I have a gazillion blog posts to catch up with, and mega-dozens of emails, so that will be all for tonight.

Thank-you for visiting my blog today.

ETA: Blogger is driving me crazy with the way it handles photos - and it's a very short trip!

Friday 56 6 Nov 2009 and Giveaway Winners

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

The book closest to me is The Outstretched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory.

When he’d been a lot younger, there had been a certain excitement in seeing the sigils glowing with magick as they hung in the air before him; there was even a kind of aesthetic pleasure in creating them, for like ornamental writing they were pretty in an austere, yet baroque fashion.


Giveaway Trivia Answer: Gingerbread Girl by Waxing Moon Designs (no one hazarded a guess) and here is a pic of my finished ornies. I did change the little girls dress to have a white collar (the design had the plaid continue across the yoke of her dress).

The Winners: Not too many entries - was it too complicated? But the lucky few had increased chances of winning thereby!

None of my DGS was interested in doing the drawing - so my DDIL did the drawing for me. Without further ado - the winners:

For the books: Blu said...

Entry 1 for both. The books, because hey, there's no such thing as too many books. And the kit, because that plant looks like something my aunt would like on her walls...

For the kit: Blu said...

Entrys 2 & 3 since I'm a follower!

Please email me your snail mail address so I can get your prizes in the mail!

I'll be posting another giveaway Sunday - so be looking for it as I share some of my blessings with you.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Sweet Dreams finished crochet and other projects

I originally found this chart here, but when you follow the link to Sweet Dreams, AOL hometown has been shut down, so I have no idea who the original designer was. I suspect it was Priscilla’s Crochet.

Oh, look what I found: the new site for Priscilla's Crochet! Isn’t Google wonderful? And Sweet Dreams is listed under her freebie filet samplers!
And look what else I found for sale when I was googling. Wonder if Priscilla knows about it?

I'm finishing this as a pillow - hope to have a pic for you tomorrow.

I've also finished the little ornaments I was working on - but since they are the subject of the Trivia Question in my on-going giveaway, I can't show you a pic of the finish until Friday.

And last for tonight, I've decided to make some more floss wallets for Christmas Gifts - and there may even be one in my giveaways this month! Hmmmmm - we'll just have to see about that.