Here it is, back from the finisher! Not my vision, but still cute and very well done :o) Now where to hang???

All finished off! This is a pretty quick stitch and so cute :o) This is my second one and I don't think I finished it as well this time around. The brown cording was a little too thick so I separated it, maybe next time I'll make my own. Also I didn't tack the end of the cording down on the back under the fabric like I normally do, so I ended up having to use the chocolate chip button to hide the loose ends. Oh well, it still turned out cute, and it went off to Kelsey's yesterday afternoon, hopefully in time for the deadline. I'm not really sure what fabric and threads I used on this one, it's been stitched since last Christmas but I never finished it into an ornie (it was LITERALLY a UFO, lol, sicne it needed finishing, hee hee hee).

I have been so tired the past week, I think I must be trying to come down with something! Thanksgiving was a little rough, glad to see the backside of that one ;o) Now I feel a little more holiday-ish, not my usual excitement though.

Barely got any stitching done in the last week, and of course my list of gifts to be stitched is endless. I did finish my holiday exchange ornament last night (2 am, lol) and am so glad. That seemed to be dragging on forever, and everyone kept asking if it was a Halloween design so I was really getting nervous about the finished result. I have to say I am pleased it turned out well (and looked like Christmas!). I hope to mail that out tomorrow so I can post a photo soon. For now all I'll have is a mystery box posted here in my little gallery till my partner gets it.

I did the finishing work on Hillside Samplings cookie ornament (the name escapes me) last night as well (don't ever try the hot glue gun at 2am, my fingers may never be the same, lol). I wasn't quite pleased with the finishing but it had to go out to Kelsey's (http://www.kelseys-needlekrafts.com) today no matter what as the deadline is way too close!

I started Homespun Elegance's NOEL ornament today, I surely hope I am doing it right! These pillows are SO cute and turn out so nicely (in the designer model at least, lol, see terrible photo above) I had to have one. Love the pillow itself, very nice work by Olde Colonial Designs, and the idea for them was by Homespun Elegance. Hoping this works up fast, I may do several.

I got my BC Patriotic Row back from the finisher on Saturday. They did a beautiful job but not quite what I had envisioned. It is really cute though, I just had a vision in my head and it didn't match my vision ;o) Photo later! Have to figure out where to hang it. My walls are so bare I keep stitching and not hanging, waiting to hang several things at once so they all make sense and look good. I also got two models back that they did an AMAZING job with, I'm thinking I'll post a sneak preview soon.

John is now teaching boy scouts on Wednesday nights while I teach my church girls, and the last task of my evening with the hot glue gun was to glue back together all the shards of plaques that were dropped in coming home from last activity. I think I deserve a nap today!

This was a freebie I did last Christmas to benefit Kelsey's Needle Crafts charity tree in CA. I'm posting it on my website blog in hopes that it will be stitched for this or other charities :o) Link to my blog is over to the right (Stitches'N'Stones news).

So here it is, I did the hand-sewing at lunch. I originally wanted to add beads into the trim but I think I'm glad I didn't, something to consider another time! Stitched on 10ct. Tula with Crescent Colours threads and Mill Hill beads, I think I should have done a traditional round ornie rather than a needleroll. Oh well, hopefully someone will like it, since it's to go to The Busy Needle in AR for their annual diabetes tree project.

Now I've got to start the only xmas exchange project I have this year (sigh), and also hunt up the cookie ornament I stitched but did not finish for St. Jude's. I need to stitch at least one more charity ornie very quickly as well.

Stayed up half the night but it's DONE! I kept adding "just one more thing" to it because it didn't look quite right. I think I finally got it right, so now off to my friend it will go. She is recovering from the masectomy she had last week. Stitched on Silkweaver Strawberry Milkshake lugana using SanMan Strands and GAST and a few JABC buttons. The fabric it's resting on is what I used to back the ornament. Cording was made out of GAST by me. This was a freebie for the SanMan board members, I changed the lettering and made it thinner.

Here it is in all it's glory! I painted the frame green (came SOOOOO close to painting it bright orange but restrained) and added twine in the groove around the frame, then added a neat starfish button to the corner. Now all I need to do is hang!

Got a little ornament stitched up at lunch, will get it finished off tonight and figure out what charity I want to send it to. I think I've decided what I want to donate to the Busy Needle auction as well. I wanted something special that would draw a lot of interest and finally last night I came up with the 12 days of Christmas--whoever wins the auction will get a package a day mailed to them for 12 days with some really nice stitching stuff, i.e. charms, hand-dyed fabrics and threads, charts, buttons, q-snaps, whatever. Now to run it by Sara and see if she likes the idea.

Hope to have a few photos to show off tomorrow of finishes, I want to get the Hope freebie made into an ornie, the ornie from today made into an ornie, and the stitching done on the french freebie I started yesterday.

Finished BC Summer Row last night! I even have a perfect frame for it, although I need to paint it I think :P Pic will be here once framed. I think it turned out well, especially the little fish I did instead of the seagull. I added little beads for "bubbles" and a shiny green bead for his eye and that brought it all together. Here we have the start of my new lunchtime project, should finish by the end of the week most definitely! It is a freebie from a french site, my new obsession. Will post actual credits, link, etc. another day soon. I'm stitching this on some R & R Reproductions linen using Vicki Clayton's Dragon Blood silk and am really pleased. Now what to do for a home project?? I REALLY need to make a list of projects to do. I have a folder I keep with stuff I want to do NOW but it's so full it's overflowing...hmm...lol. I *should* be working on Christmas, guess that I should prioritize, especially since I wanted to do some charity ornies and they need to be done soon.

Finally finally finally! I lost my DMC 840 again, not sure why I have such trouble with that color but I certainly will avoid it in the future ;o) I'm in the home stretch of the BC Summer Row also, plus I bought different finishing materials for SanMan's Hope so expect to see some fun photos soon. Did lots of evening stitching and blew off chores the last few days, wish I could do that every night! But to stitch I have to give up snuggle time with John :P In fact, I need to move sofas, etc. in the living room today so I won't freeze while stitching and John won't boil on the other wall.

Now what to stitch next? So many choices, grrrr! I've got my ornament issues out and am scoping out possible presents in earnest, someone pointed out it's only 48 days today. I organized a lot of my freebies this past weekend while watching the last 6 episodes of MacLeod's Daughters with my sister. I can't stitch during that show, I think most of you who have seen the cast can figure out why ;o)

Just finished on my lunch break. I tried so hard to get it done last night but I got too tired! I guess I will give it to my friend after surgery. I bought several different ribbons to try on it but think I may need to go to Joann's or somewhere else to get what I really want. Not too much of a rush now! I can return to stitching on my two BC's this weekend, I surely hope I get something done!! I really want to do one of BC's turkey designs maybe after?? I have spoiled myself stitching for just me all year, now I really need to get into stitching holiday gifts but I don't want to! Notice the new feature to the right under the archives/links, photos of recent finishes and links to the corresponding blog entry. Took me half the morning to figure that out!

Well, maybe not a slump? I really WANT to be stitching, just can't seem to get to it this week. Last night I was able to be home all night (wow, no scouts, no meetings, no gym, nada) and worked on moving my office around to accomodate John's desk. I got it about half done, with a lot of mess and a ton of "long lost" stash FOUND, so that was a bonus. Now I wonder what to do with the stash though??? LOL

I had thought to take a break on Julie's RR and my BC Summer Row and stitch up SanMan's Hope freebie for a friend who is having a breat removed next week, but I need to have it done by friday and it's not started yet. Not even kitted yet!! It's not a huge piece, but considering today we have family tutoring, then dinner company, then scouts/my church girls tonight I doubt much stitching will be happening. As soon as we get home it'll be the whole bed routine and then dishes/laundry and once again bed :o/ That will leave tomorrow, and I doubt I can get it all stitched and then finished off in one night, especially since I won't able to just sit all night. I won't give up hope though ;o) And if I finish it for after her surgery that's fine, just wanted to give it to her on friday. On the BC row I have A-G to go and then I'm done!!! On Julie's I still haven't made progress, may have to have that be my lunchtime piece since I only seem to get stuff done then!

Lots of Halloween pics to share but not today! Also, got approved for a Cyberstitchers album so I'm slowly uploading to it bit by bit, been on the waiting list for awhile!