French Country Bunny Ornament

So it may have taken me a few years, but I did get another F&S piece finished up!  This one probably shouldn't have taken me so long since the cardboard for the inside has been cut to shape and covered with the batting for ages now.  But I struggled with getting the shape of the bunny done neatly, so it ended up in a drawer for quite a while out of frustration.  I don't know that I would do a shaped finish like this again - I might go with an easier to manage oval instead.

It actually made it to our tree this past Christmas, and I forgot to put it on the blog, though I did share the finished picture with the original stitcher!

This was my very first F&S Exchange with Michele.  (It's JBW Designs French Country Bunny)

How Pinteresting... Part 2

So in addition to the button monograms I posted about the other day, and the button ornaments I did a few years ago, I have another Pinterest Project to share.

My cousin had a Pinterest Party in December, and asked guests to bring something they made from a recipe they pinned, and a craft project to work on.  I made these Cheesy Bacon Rotel Cups, which were a huge hit.  They are SUPER easy to make and insanely delicious.  Even the guests who said they hated mayonnaise gobbled them up.  I've made them a couple times and the Hormel real bacon in the bottle (near the salad dressings and toppings) works just as well as bacon I cooked myself and was far less messy.

The craft project I worked on was something I've had pinned for a while - floor wax and glitter ornaments.  My friend Michele made some the Christmas before last and said they held up beautifully in storage.  I have been noticing that the clear glass ornaments you can buy at the craft store are much thinner and more delicate than they used to be.  I was worried about them breaking, so I bought the acrylic ones instead.  I also picked up a multipack of ULTRA FINE glitter that had 16 different colors in separate packets (because I have a decision making disorder and can't possibly commit to one or even two colors).  Most every tutorial I read stressed the importance of the ultra fine glitter for the best coverage.  You can also buy a six-pack of the glitter at the Dollar Store, but I found the glitter from AC Moore was better quality and wasn't that much more expensive, especially with a coupon.  An entire packet of glitter was enough to cover the inside of the medium sized acrylic balls, and definitely enough to cover the inside of the medium sized "disc" ornaments.

Monogramed

I won't describe the whole process - I followed these instructions, and they're very good.  The ornaments are really pretty and sparkly all on their own, but they were a little boring.  I had two ideas for jazzing them up a little, a rhinestone monogram using stickers from the scrapbooking section (the stickers in that post are exactly the ones I used) and a snowman handprint ornament.

Since I had 16 different colors to work with, I used a whole packet per ornament and did ones for Little Dude, my niece and nephew, and a pair for my cousin in their wedding colors of pink and black (she got the pink one, he got the black).  This one is Little Dude's.  For the monogram ornaments, I went with the disc shaped ones instead of the round.

A word of caution while using the stickers - they can be a little tricky to get placed correctly and trying to move them around can cause the little rhinestones to pop off (the stickers are the tiny rhinestones set on a clear, letter shaped adhesive base).  A steady hand and a pair of tweezers can come in very handy, and you can press the rhinestones back into place.

Given  Little Dude's train obsession, we did a train ornament for him using stickers.  For this one, the train goes most of the the way around (it was a pack of individual stickers) the ornament with his name in the middle.

I don't have a photo of it, but on the back of the ornaments, I used flat silver stickers, also from the scrapbooking section, for the year.  A little trick I discovered for perfectly lined up stickers was to use the sticky strip on a post it note to line up the individual number stickers to form the year.  The tweezers will come in handy here as well.  Be sure to put them in reverse order, sticky side up.  Once your numbers are arranged and spaced to your liking, use the post it note to transfer them to the ornament, rubbing over the post it note to adhere the stickers to the ornament.  MUCH easier than trying to get the stickers lined up straight and evenly spaced on the ornament itself.  I used the same stickers for spelling out Little Dude's name as well, using the same post it note method.

I also did some other round ornaments with the glitter, and for these, I painted up Little Dude's hand with some white acrylic paint and had him put his handprint on the ornament.  We practiced a few times BEFORE I put the paint on his hand, and he did really well with this.  I walked him through the process very slowly for each ornament, and I was amazed that he cooperated.  Once the handprints dried (you can see the little cardboard rings I made up to hold the balls in place until the paint dried) I painted on hats, scarves, faces and buttons, as well as the year.  Little Dude chose the blue one for himself, my ILs got the red one, the gold one went to my husband's aunt & uncle, and the green went to my aunt & uncle.  (We handed them out at Thanksgiving so they were able to put them on their trees for Christmas).

A Very Grumpy Christmas

Merry Christmas Grumpy Kitty

Brooke's Books Publishing

Stitched 2 over 2 on 32 ct. unknown green evenweave with recommended colors

Continuing on with our theme of "Pieces I stitched AND finished in 2013", (Which is mostly ornaments since it's a fairly quick process and I don't have to obsess about frames) here's a little something I whipped up for a friend of mine.  She adores Grumpy Cat, and when I discovered him making the rounds on the blogs,  I knew this would be for her.  The original was stitched on a pale blue fabric, but I think the green gives it an extra pop.  This was a super quick stitch, and I got it out in time for her to put it on her tree.

I did substitute a gold metallic thread for the star and some fuzzy white Wisper thread for the trim and pom pom on the hat.  The gold metallic is prettier in person, but I did not get the effect from the Wisper thread that I had hoped for, even using one thread.

I used the same red plaid background fabric that I used for Little Dude's ornament.  It has a little bit of metallic shine to it, and metallic gold threads running through it, so it was a nice compliment to the gold star.  My friend loves anything glittery and shiny, so I went with a sparkly red tinsel-like cording for the trim (from the $1 at Joann's).  It was slightly tricky getting that glued into place without melting the bits of tinsel onto the hot glue gun, but I love how it turned out.

Ornaments for Little Dude and his Preschool Teacher

Speaking of Little Dude's yearly ornaments, here's the one for 2013...

Little House Needleworks' Main Street Station
Hometown Holiday Series
Stitched over 1 on 32 ct. Linen with recommended threads
Backed with plaid fabric shown in background

Little Dude is train obsessed.  OBSESSED.  A few months before he was born, a friend of mine was cleaning out her basement and wanted to give us her sons' Thomas the Train table.  I turned it down, not knowing whether or not my child would be interested in trains.  It's a decision that I kick myself for on a regular basis.

All is not lost though - he has a very talented dad who hacked an IKEA coffee table and built him his very own train table.  We were also gifted with piles of wooden train tracks, trains and accessories from my BIL and SIL, who passed them on from my SIL's sister's son.  We added a few more accessories and trains for him, and they are by far his favorite toy.   He's gotten hours of enjoyment out of them.  He started playing with them when he was just over 2 years old, and it's been fun to watch how the way he plays with them has changed and developed.

And it's not just Thomas that holds his interest, although I am certain we've seen every single episode of Thomas, read all the books, and own most of the trains.  He's obsessed with all kinds of trains - real ones, wooden ones, model trains, books about trains, videos about trains, etc.  We've taken him to Day out with Thomas twice, on at least a dozen train rides around the area, museums, model train displays, you name it, we've done it.  Two weeks ago, we took him to the Railroad Museum in Strasburg for the second time.  We spent four hours there, exploring the actual restored trains (engines, cars and cabooses) and playing with the various set ups and displays they had for the kids.  He begged for a ride on the Strasburg Railroad across the street, but we told him another time as he was already getting crabby.  Never in a million years did I think I'd get a kid as crazy about trains as this one, but it's been interesting.  I've certainly learned way more about trains than I ever thought I would.  (And if you find yourself in the Lancaster area, I highly recommend a visit to the Railroad Museum)

The other Little Dude related ornament is the one I stitched up for his preschool teacher.  He started preschool in September, three days a week, and he LOVES it.  I was a little nervous at first, but he is still excited to go and very much enjoys it.   He's (so far) an only child and most of the kids in our neighborhood are middle school or older, so he's been making friends at school.

I wasn't quite sure what to do for his teacher for Christmas.  My husband and I bake a tremendous amount of cookies (usually 12 different kinds, plus several kinds of candy), so we hand out cookie platters to neighbors, family and friends.  I was already planning on giving his teacher some baked goodies, but I wanted to do something extra for her as she's been really wonderful with Little Dude.  My MIL is a former preschool teacher herself, and she said the gifts she treasured the most were handmade ones.  Perfect, right?  So I flipped through some of my JCS Ornament issues and this one popped out at me.

The Decorator by Full Circle Designs
JCS 2007 Ornament Issue
Stitched on 32 ct. grey linen with recommended threads

I lucked out and had two matching pieces of grey linen in my stash, so I stitched his name and the year on the back so she would always remember him.  I had a strand of red, green and pearl seed beads in my trim stash, and that finished it up nicely.  His teacher loved it, and told me that snowmen were one of her favorite winter / Christmas themes.  Score!

An ornament for our tree

I might as well get caught up on several of the pieces I finished at the end of 2013. I was determined to get some new ornaments on our tree, and someday plan to be caught up with the yearly ornaments for my son. (I can't tell if it's good or bad that he's four, and I'm already missing one year's ornament)

Angel Greeting by Kissy-Cross
Free Chart available here: http://kissycross.twoday.net/stories/4537414/
Stitched on 40 ct. linen with Belle Soie Cranberry Silk Thread

I apologize for the weird pink cast to the photo, but this is a beautiful piece.  The linen is a neutral sandy color, and the cranberry Belle Soie is a rich maroon color.  (The Belle Soie silks are always so lovely to stitch with, and they have a nice sheen to them)

It's been finished and sitting in a drawer FOREVER, waiting for my husband to stitch our name and the year (2011) for the back of the ornament.  (I won't even tell you how long it was kitted up waiting to be stitched in the first place)  I finally ended up doing it myself, and putting the piece together so it could hang our our tree this past Christmas.

Because his family is very proud of their German heritage, he went with the German wording, but the chart also includes Merry Christmas in English.

A wedding gift for a happy couple

Sew Blue by iStitchaholic 

1 over 1 on 28 ct. evenweave
with Belle Soie Peacock

Personalized as a gift

This was a freebie pattern offered by Carol of iStitchaholic.  The original pattern has an alphabet across the top of the design, but I wanted to personalize it for a wedding gift, so I used the alphabet for  their names and wedding date, and charted out my own ampersand.

Gina is a dear friend of my husband's from college, and we wanted to send her and her new husband something personal since we could not make it to their wedding.  This is actually the first of two pieces I stitched - the other is a framed piece for their walls that has yet to be framed.  At least this one got out in time to hang on their Christmas tree this year! (And you'll see the framed piece later, once it's finished up)

So I changed the pattern to personalize the piece, and I took the ribbon from their invitations to my LNS and found a perfect match in the Belle Soie Peacock silk.  Gina also had a bit of a lace motif throughout her wedding plans, so I picked up on that with the trim around the edges, and found some teal blue fabric (what you see in the background) for the back of the piece.  The lace is actually much nicer in person.  I didn't realize it looked off in the picture until after I had mailed it out.  But rest assured I didn't send out a wonky ornament.

I've been on a bit of an over 1 stitching kick, and I never fail to be thrilled with how the tiny little stitches come out, especially with silks.

On Safari

I keep meaning to check if these gifts have made it to their intended recipient, and it keeps slipping my mind. That happens sometimes.

So these are two pieces I stitched up for my friend's son.  We meant to get together over Christmas so I could give them to her, but between family obligations and illnesses, it just didn't happen. I left the pieces with my mother-in-law, since she is good friends with little Mitchell's grandma.

Animal Alphabet Birth Sampler
by The Historical Sampler Company Limited
Stitched 2 over 2 on 36 ct Edinburgh Linen
Personalized as a gift

This is a piece I modified from the original.  Whenever I stitch a birth sampler, I like to include as much of the information as possible.  The original didn't leave room for the weight, length or time, so I added in a box under the last row of letters and extended the border.  Luckily, this worked out perfectly.

I also changed out the original panda bear for an elephant.  The panda bear was very cute, but the elephant was better suited to the "vintage safari" theme used for the nursery.  Once again, my husband did the framing (with a frame from American Frame).  I'm not sure if I've shared this tip before, but I always give him the chart I've stitched from with the rest of the framing materials.  He uses the chart to find the center of the stitched piece, and pins through the center gently into the backer board, then works out from the center to stretch the fabric over the edges.  He finds this especially helpful when framing something with a stitched border such as this.  Once he's done, or has enough of the piece pinned to hold it in place, he removes the center pin.

In addition to the framed piece, I also stitched up an ornament for Mitchell, keeping with the vintage safari theme.  As soon as I spotted this piece at my LNS, I knew it would be the one I did.  This one was done as charted, except I left out the bird charm (the original has a tiny bird perched on the back of the giraffe) and stitched in the birth year instead.

Zoo Line Up by The Trilogy

Stitched 1 over 1 on 32 ct. fabric

I'm super happy with how both pieces came out.  They're very different, yet have a similar feel to the pieces I stitched for Mitchell's older brother, Mason.  You can see them here.

Nick's 2010 Ornament

And for the grand finale of this Parade of Ornament, perhaps the most shameful of all.

I finished stitching this piece in 2010, got the buttons for it in early 2011, and still couldn't manage to put the whole thing together until last week. Mind you, I've finished several ornaments for other people, but when it comes to getting it done for my own son? Bad mommy!! (We won't discuss why Nick doesn't have a 2011 ornament yet...)

The Stars are Brightly Shining by SamSarah Design Studio

JCS Ornament issue 2005
2 over 2 32 ct. Crystal Loch Belfast
Swarovski crystals, seed beads and JABC buttons

I fell in love with this cutie the second that I saw him, even though he was another snowman. I told you, it's a vicious cycle. And it doesn't help that I tend to *really* like the SamSarah Designs from the JCS ornament issues (this maybe be the 2nd or 3rd one I've stitched and finished, and at least the 4th I've marked for future stitching). The words also happen to be a line from my favorite "traditional" Christmas song - Oh Holy Night. I'm not religious, but there is something about that song that gets to me.

It's another very large ornament, and I had considered doing it over 1 but that would have thrown the proportion of the buttons off, so I went ahead with over 2. It's not the size of a dinner plate, but still.... Even though it's a larger ornament, it's still one of my very favorites that I've ever stitched. My most favorite is this one, Nick's very first ornament. Oh wait. Maybe this one. Or quite possibly this one. I'll stop now.

I did change out some of the colors - I wanted a deeper, variegated red for the scarf, and I subbed in some beads in the bush for some added texture. I also used beads for the eyes, and Swarovski crystals for buttons. I figured with the buttons, it would tie in nicely. And I changed out the gold stars for silver because we are, after all, a Dallas Cowboys family. (which is why "stars" and blue and silver are recurring themes in my stitching)

It's impossible to see in this photo, but the fabric has shiny iridescent threads running through the weave and adds a beautiful sparkle to the finished piece. And now that I've finished his 2010 ornament, perhaps it's time to get cracking on 2011. Maybe even 2012.

Snowmen, Snow women, and Snowboys!

Every single time I stitch a snowman (or snow-person), I think about how much I dislike stitching with white thread, especially large swaths of white. You know, the kind you'd see when you're stitching a snowman. And every single time I see a cute snowman ornament, I forget how much I dislike it and decide I am going to stitch it. It's a vicious cycle, but I do it for love.

These next two ornaments will be going to good friends of ours, Jenn and Marc, who just had their second son in May. Jenn and I were pregnant at the same time with our firstborn sons and bonded over the experience. Shortly after Jenn told me she was pregnant with her second, the JCS ornament issue came out and lo and behold, a pregnant snow-woman ornament!

Snowflake By SamSarah Design Studio
JCS ornament Issue 2011
WDW Blue Jean 30 ct. 2 over 3
with my own thread selections

This ornament is GIGANTIC. Okay, gigantic for me. It ended up being something like 4"x4". If I stitch it again, it will be over 1, but this is very cute anyway. I will most likely include a small easel with it though, in case they want to put it on a shelf or the mantle instead of hanging it on the tree. I also left the hanging loop long enough to fit over a doorknob if they so choose.

And I can't forget Nick's friend, Mason (Jenn and Marc's son) I stitched a photo ornament the year he was born, and plan to continue the tradition of stitching something for him every year. This one ended up being perfect for him.

Just a Little Flaky - Val's Stuff
JCS Ornament issue 2011
WDW Blue Jean 30 ct 2 over 2
With my own thread selections

I made some modifications to the design, taking out the wording and substituting Mason's name and the year, as well as adding some tiny iridescent white beads for snowflakes.


You can see the detail on the snowflakes here.

I ended up stitching both pieces on the same fabric and tried to coordinate some of the other colors so the pieces "go" together. Now I'll need to figure out what to stitch for Mason and his new little brother for this year, once the new JCS issue comes out.

A Basket of Apples

In the continuing saga of stitching and finishing ornaments for a Bride's Tree for not-so-newlyweds comes this next piece. Here representing the "basket of fruit" component is this lovely basket of apples:

Basket of Apples
Better Homes & Gardens 2001 Cross Stitch Designs
Stitched over 1 on 22 ct. aida

(Please note my finishing isn't quite as, ummm, crappy, as it looks. It's much nicer in person.)

This has also been completely assembled for at least 2 years, just waiting for some appropriate cording / trim.

A pink butterfly for a sweet baby girl

JBW French Country Butterfly for Kayla
Stitched 1 over 1 on 32 ct. Antique White
with Crescent Colors Cherry Tomato

Whenever I stitch a birth record for a newborn (or a 1 year old, as is usually the case by the time I get it done...) I like to include a Christmas ornament for families that celebrate Christmas. I've mentioned before how ridiculously sentimental I am about Christmas ornaments, so this should come as no surprise to you. It should also come as no surprise that I like to coordinate the ornament to the nursery theme whenever possible.

Almost four years ago, Mr. Sweet Pea and I attended the wedding of his cousin Christoper in NY, and last October, Chris and his wife were overjoyed to add baby girl Kayla to their family. Kayla's nursery theme butterflies in pink and brown, and I chose JBW's French Country Butterfly for her. The lettering was borrowed from another JBW French Country chart - French Country Bunny, I believe.

This is actually the second time I stitched the piece. Originally, I had stitched it 2 over 2 on 32 ct. It was nice, but not exactly what I had pictured. I went ahead and finished it anyway, or rather, attempted to finish it. We won't talk about exactly what happened, but let's just say a butterfly shape is not the easiest to cut out and stretch neatly around a cardboard template. A snip too far, a few curses and some grumblings of frustration and the 2 over 2 butterfly went in a drawer because I cannot bear to throw out any bit of stitching, even if it is ruined beyond repair. (I will ask my husband to make it disappear without my knowledge at some point.)

So I stewed about the mishap for a while, then finally decided to restitch the piece, this time 1 over 1. MUCH better. So much so that when I took it into my LNS, the owner asked if I'd mind stitching it again for the shop in purple. You'll be seeing this again (twice) actually in 2 different shades of purple (one for the shop, one for another of my nieces).

I finished this piece using a metal needlework form which ended up being the perfect size for this pattern and eliminated the need to cut my own templates. After the initial mishap, there was NO WAY I was messing with a butterfly shaped template, and I'm quite pleased with how this round shape looks anyway.

This can't possibly be my first finish for 2012... can it??

One that hasn't been motivated by a Fair & Square Exchange? Really? Huh. Imagine that. As I was writing this post, I kept trying to think of what else I've actually finished that wasn't done for a F&S, and I can't think of anything... Maybe I should stitch more and goof less.

Pumpkins by Little House Needleworks

Stitched 2 over 2 with included threads on 32 ct. linen
(personalization stitched over 1)
accented with copper seed beads

Does it matter that I've stitched this before for a F&S exchange? No? Good.

This piece was stitched as a gift for a friend I met through my cousin. I've known her for a long time, and we were bridesmaids together in my cousin's wedding last summer. I had such a good time with her at the shower and wedding and other wedding-related activities that I wanted to stitch a little something to honor her own wedding. Since they used pumpkins throughout their wedding materials and as decoration for their reception, I thought this was most appropriate.

I would like to have stitched it over 1 and made it slightly smaller (I favor smaller ornaments), but it would have been impossible to stitch in the personalization, so I opted for the over 2. It's still not *too* big, and it's quite pretty in person.

What held me back the most though was finding a trim that I liked for the edge. I thought I wasn't a fan of making cording and tried to find a store bought one, but nothing seemed to look quite right. Speaking of which, does anyone have ideas on where to find good cording and trims? I've had my best luck at JoAnn fabric, and even they have a limited selection. Am I just not looking in the right places?

Anyway, since I'm not usually a fan of making cording if I don't have to, I thought it would be easier to do some ruched ribbon. Clearly I forgot the LAST time I did my own ruched ribbon and it took me weeks of working on it little by little to get this orange stuff done. But done it is, and the ornament is all finished up. And yes, my finishing work is nicer than my second rate photography and positioning skills would lead you to believe (that bottom right corner isn't as lopsided as it looks). I was uncertain about the orange ribbon at first, but it's really grown on me and I can't wait to give it to the newlyweds (they're newlyweds for at least the first year, right?)

The parade of ornaments begins...

I've been trying to take advantage of naptime lately and knock out some finishing work. My 2 year old is fascinated by scissors and the glue gun, so I've got to work while he's sleeping and get my goodies put away before he wakes up. I've been working my way through our stash of finished pieces and deciding what to do with them. Loads of framing at some point, but a few ornaments as well. Over the next few weeks, I'll be doing my best to finish more, and share the ones I've completed.

Up first is a lighthouse ornament. (You're all surprised, I know) I have a few pieces older than this one, but this is the oldest of the ones I've tackled so far - an ornament I stitched back in 2008 that languished in the drawer simply waiting for some kind of cording. (Yes, the whole thing was almost completely assembled for nearly 4 years.)

Call of the Ocean by X-Appeal Designs
stitched over 2 on 32 ct. Picture This Plus Fabric in Dwarf
with overdyed and DMC threads
Stitched in 2008 - finished 2012

I did stitch this one before as a Fair & Square Exchange that went to Susan. This piece will join the multitude of other lighthouse ornaments on our Christmas tree.

Finished!

Celtic Wreath by The Sunflower Seed
JCS 2009 Ornament Issue
F&S Exchange from Christine

While I was on a finishing tear around the holidays, I finished up this piece, stitched by Christine for a F&S Exchange. It had been sitting around since the end of 2009 and I had always intended to make it into an ornament. I even had the cardboard cut to size, but just never got around to actually completing the project. It's like one of those WIPs that need just a few more stitches, and when you finally put them in and finish it, you wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

This piece would work as an ornament, although as a slightly larger one, but I decided to hang it from the knob on the china hutch we inherited from my husband's grandmother. It sits in the corner of our dining room, where I do most of my finishing work. I hung it on the door to get it off the table and out of the way, and decided I really liked the way it looked there, so that's where it will hang for the holidays.

And if you click through to the original post, you'll see I have a better photo of the piece before finishing, as well as a photo of the signature square I used for the back.

A gift for newlyweds

I've mentioned before that my cousin was married this summer, and I've shown the Pinterest inspired wedding invitation ornament I made. I also did two other stitchy gifts for the bride and groom.

The first one, another ornament, had already been selected, purchased and started before the Pinterest idea came into being, so I ended up giving the bride and groom TWO ornaments for a non-existent tree. Yep. They had no tree this year, mostly due to a new puppy with a penchant for chewing. They figured it wasn't worth the potential damage to the tree or the pup to risk putting one up this year. Next year, hopefully. Anyway, this is the ornament I stitched for my cousin and her husband:

All Hearts Come Home for Christmas by Historic Stitches
Stitched over 1 on 25 ct. Ivory with CC Ribbon Red

So pretty! Finishing it was a little bit of a challenge with the heart shape - the center part wasn't very deep and the angles made getting the fabric wrapped neatly a little bit of a challenge but at least it didn't suffer the fate of another ornament I attempted to finish the same day. I might have clipped an angle a little too close on a butterfly and ended up having to restitch it, but that's a story for another day.

I also stitched a wedding record that my cousin herself chose. She had asked me to stitch a piece as a gift for a wedding she was in, and while she was looking through charts, she spotted this one for herself.

Wedding Row by Bent Creek
Stitched 2 over 2 on 32 ct. Belfast Linen in Flax
with recommended colors

Overall, I am pleased with how it came out, though if I stitch it again, I would probably make a change or two, notably the hearts. They looked red in the original pattern, but called for a more brownish thread. While it doesn't look bad, especially with the other muted colors, I would probably pick something a little more distinctly red for the hearts next time.

The frame was again ordered from American Frame, and I chose it to match their new bedroom furniture. Yes, I went back on my computer and looked at photos my cousin had sent me from when their furniture was delivered, and I tried to pick something that would work well with the simple Craftsman style of their bedroom. Mission accomplished, I think. Framing was a little tricky to get lined up correctly because the names stitched underneath throw the piece a little off center, or at least makes it look slightly off center when you first start figuring out how to place things. My husband ended up going back to the chart itself to find the middle point and working from there. I really should have him write a post on how he frames things - he has a patience with it that I completely lack.

In the end though, it all came out beautifully and my cousin and her husband LOVED it! (they almost didn't love it because I forgot that it was sitting on top of a cabinet at my ILs house and I had to run back in and get it before we left to meet up with the rest of the family.)

More ornaments - finished and sent out. Go me!

Are you tired of these yet? Me? I'm just happy to have them finished up and sent on instead of staring at me accusingly from a plastic bag on my dining room table where they waited for months to be assembled. I wish I was kidding. Or exaggerating.

Art Deco Frame by Julia Lucas Designs
JCS 2005 Christmas Ornament Issue
Stitched with DMC Pearle Cotton and DMC Thread
(Images / Name intentionally blurred for privacy)

I've gotten more use out of this edition of the magazine than any other, and out of this particular piece. This marks the fourth and fifth time I've stitched this piece, all in different colors. (You can see the wedding version I stitched for my in-laws, and two additional birth record ornaments here and here). And I have a few more partially stitched waiting to be finished up, including one for my own son. Who is two. Okay then. Moving along....

As I've mentioned before, since it's stitched on plastic canvas, it's super easy for me to stitch on it in the car when we travel, and if I've started one on the sheet of plastic, I don't even need the chart. Putting them together is a little tedious, but I've been fiddling with my methods and it gets a little easier to put them together each time.

I also love these pieces because they're SO easy to customize. I went traditional with the one for my in-laws, but experimented with the variegated pearle cotton for one of the birth record ones. For these, I chose blue for the girl (her mom is NOT a girly girl pink kind of mom) and green for the boy, and went with a nautical theme for the clip art accent to reflect the theme of the nursery. I did stitch a birth record for Alexa, but Blake's is languishing in my stitching box. I really need to get on that. He'll be .... well, let's just say I hope to get it to him before he leaves for college.

I should explain that Alexa and Blake are the children of a very dear friend of mine. We met online while we were planning our weddings (9 years ago!) She lives across the country in Colorado, and though we've never met in person, we've bonded over our similar upbringings and her friendship is one I treasure. She sent me a lovely thank you note on behalf of the kids and she was touched by the gift. It's nice when your hard work is met by such appreciation, and it's definitely motivational to finish up a few more projects that have been sitting around.

What's been keeping me busy...

You mean besides Pinterest? Technically this does involve Pinterest since I found the ideas on there. This idea has been re-pinned hundreds of times, and it's one of the first craft projects from the site that I did - a Wedding Invitation Ornament:


The idea is to cut up a wedding invitation into strips and put them inside a clear glass ornament. As you twist and turn the ornament, you can see glimpses of the wording. As soon as I saw the idea, I knew I'd be making one for my cousin and her new husband.

Luckily, I helped the bride with the invitations, so I had the files on my computer and didn't have to cut up the actual invitation itself. I printed out a copy and set to work cutting up the strips but I wasn't all that thrilled with the results. The size of the font varies, which adds visual interest, but doesn't lend itself to being cut up into neat, equally sized strips and it was difficult to gauge spacing between some of the smaller lines. It was bothering me that there were skinny little strips and much thicker strips. After several attempts, I decided to re-format the invitation itself into equally sized strips, which looked MUCH better inside the ornament (and let's not discuss the fact that I bought two sizes of ball shaped round ornaments, and two sizes of flattened round ornaments because I am a nut job and none of them are actually glass because they don't seem to sell individual glass ornaments but I have come to terms with the fact they are acrylic, mmmmkay?)

Once I got the strips coiled and stashed inside the ornament (a chopstick and a pair of long tweezers came in handy for this), I finished off the ornament with a sheer white ribbon from the actual invitation (they were pocket invites tied with the ribbon) and two smaller black ribbons to tie on their initials. The original ornament had a seashell charm as a nod to the theme of the wedding, and I liked the idea of the charm, but there was no "theme" to the wedding. I did, however, honor the black and white color scheme. I love, love, love how it turned out and I think my cousin and her husband will love it as well.

But that's not the only ornament I've finished up. In addition to the stitchy ornaments, I've been working with some buttons I've inherited from my husband's grandmother. She passed away this past January, just after her 99th birthday. My MIL generously gave me a very large jar and several bags of buttons that Grandma had collected over the years. I've had a lifelong fascination with buttons, stemming from the hours I spent playing with my own grandmother's buttons (both my grandmother and my husband's grandmother were accomplished seamstresses and had massive collections of buttons, fabric and notions).

I had some ideas for button monograms, but I wanted to see what else I could do with them, especially with shank buttons that would not lend themselves to being glued onto paper and framed. This is what I came up with:

These are just a few of the ornaments I created from Grandma's collection. (There are at least a dozen more ornaments I finished since taking this photo, and I've tried several other techniques which I will share soon.) Of course, most of the buttons were not sorted, so I spent several hours with my two year old, "playing buttons" (which means I spent several more hours while he slept re-sorting all the ones he had jumbled together). Most of them are strung on pipe cleaners, which worked out very well to not only shape the ornaments, but the fuzzy stuff on them helps hold the buttons in place better. For those that kept spinning around on their shanks, a little hot glue on the back helped hold them in place. I raided my own stash for the ribbons and have gotten VERY good at tying neat little bows.

I should also mention that I don't really have a dedicated craft space in our house yet, so I tend to work a lot in our dining room. (We generally eat in the kitchen, so I don't have to worry about cleaning up my projects for every meal.) All of these ornaments were made sitting at a dining room table we inherited from Grandma, so I spent a lot of time thinking about her as I was making them. She was quite crafty and clever herself and loved to crochet and sew. I loved her dearly, and these ornaments are a wonderful reminder of her.

This is a closeup of one of the ornaments we're keeping for our tree. It's hanging next to one of the dozens of hand-crocheted snowflakes that adorn our tree, every single one of them made by Grandma. And this one below is another closeup:

Another Fair & Square Exchange... and I FINISHED something!

I have been stitching, and I'm on a bit of a finishing kick. I have several ornaments I wanted to make sure were completely finished and ready to hang. It's a goal I made for myself when I realized that the ornament I stitched for my son *last* Christmas has yet to be completed (I have to add on some JABC buttons) and finished as an ornament. I plan on getting that one done (and up on the blog as well as the tree) by the end of the year. Please do not ask me about his 2011 ornament. I will probably get to that sometime this July.

But I have been keeping up with my Fair & Square Exchanges. They're small, manageable projects that motivate me to stitch and I was determined to get this one done and out the door well before the deadline. At least I accomplished THAT goal.

I was paired up with my friend Marie P again, which was wonderful. I stitched for Marie last year, and was thrilled that we were partnered up again. But this time, instead of heading off to Texas, her squares made their way to her new home in Vermont (now there's a change of scenery for sure!). We chose to do squares of with a Christmas theme, and I wanted to honor Marie's new home. This fit the bill for sure, and is from Little House Needleworks, one of Marie's favorite designers. I also wanted to make sure I stitched something Marie didn't already have, so I picked it from the 2011 JCS Ornament Issue.

Fresh Fallen Snow by Little House Needleworks
2011 JCS Ornament Issue
Stitched over 2 on 32 ct. WDW Cocoa
with WDW Seaweed and Light Khaki


And these are the squares that Marie sent to me:

The design is Christmas Lighthouse by Of Generations Past and I have been admiring this design at my LNS the last few times I've been in, but couldn't bring myself to buy it because I have *so much stuff* to stitch already. I'm absolutely thrilled Marie stitched it for me, and I have another surprise - it's finished into a ornament and hanging on our tree! I was in the middle of finishing up some ornaments to be given as gifts this year (which you'll see in upcoming posts) and these squares went right into the pile. Luckily, the shape lent itself to a very easy finish and it was done in no time (and I genuinely appreciate the signature squares, not only for the personalization, but for the fact I do not have to hunt down backing fabric.)

It's in good company - we probably have two dozen lighthouses (and adding more every year) on our tree. I try to collect an ornament for every lighthouse we visit, as well as ones that are non-specific. Once again, great thanks to Marie!

Good friends

I swear, I know the nicest people. Last week, we got a lovely package from my friend Dianne (Dianne Rambling On). Dianne's a jack of all trades when it comes to crafting and has done some lovely collage pieces, one of which she gifted to us.

Why yes, that IS a lighthouse! (And I do wish I was there!)

Dianne made this pretty little piece which is now on display in our living room. I love how the design is layered and textured - the "sand" in the lower corner is actually teeny tiny little gold beads. Very cool!

Dianne also gifted us with this piece for Nick, appropriately named Nickademus, Raise the Roof Design's contribution to the 2010 JCS Ornament issue. Dianne and I were chatting and she said she had stitched this piece up. When I mentioned it was on my list to stitch for Nick, she asked if she could finish it as an ornament for him.

Now, I am a sucker for anything sentimental, so of course I said yes! I love when something has a meaning or a story or something behind it, and in years to come when we hang our ornaments on the tree, this one will always bring Dianne to mind. I'd like to teach my son about sharing his talents with other people, and also, how things don't always have to be sleek and shiny and mass produced to be special and valuable, how things that are made and given from the heart have great value.

I see kids with their video games and their computers and their cellphones and their toys that light up and blink and do all kinds of things and I wonder how much of an appreciation they have for things that don't need batteries or a power cord. I wonder how many kids would appreciate the time and effort it took someone to make something like this for them, and I want my kid to be the one that says, "Thanks! That was really cool that you would do that for me." And sometimes I worry that I'm going to be that weirdo mom that *isn't* constantly chasing after the newest, shiniest toy or that my kid is going to be that weirdo kid, the one that can entertain himself for hours with a pile of blocks or crayons or other simple toys. And then I think maybe I don't really care if we are those "weirdos".

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get off on a tangent about these things, but sometimes I think we can all use a reminder that happiness doesn't always come from a box on a store shelf.

Another gift for a not so far away friend

Let's take a break from lighthouses for a moment, shall we? Oh, I know! Back to the ornaments. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

Prairie Schooler Prairie Birds (Book 24) - Cardinals
Stitched 1 over 1 on 32 ct. mystery fabric
with recommended DMC threads

I stitched and finished this little ornament for my lovely friend, Dianne (Dianne Rambling On). I met Dianne when I started blogging and she has been a great friend to me both online and in person. We chat and share links on Facebook, email regularly, and have even met up in person in Ocean City, MD, over the summer. Jeff, Nick and I had a very nice lunch with Dianne, her husband and son, and Dianne and I had even MORE fun browsing in Salty Yarns on the Boardwalk.

Dianne is a wonderful combination of mom / big sister / favorite aunt and we can talk about so many things. She's also a mom, though her son is considerably older than mine (by 20 some years!). She's been a good resource for parenting advice and I am constantly inspired by her creativity and touched by her generosity.

When I admired a goldfinch piece from this Prairie Schooler book, Dianne generously loaned me her copy so I could stitch one up for my husband, who happens to really like goldfinches. I haven't quite managed to stitch his up, but I did stitch this piece for Dianne. Dianne is a nature lover and posts many pictures of her beautiful gardens. I know she appreciate the beauty of the bright colored cardinals in the barren winter as much as she loves the colorful spring and summer flowers, so I thought this piece would be perfect for her.

I stitched it a few months ago when I was on an over 1 stitching kit, and I just love how it turned out. It's really much prettier and more delicate in person, and for some reason, my finishing looks a little lumpier in the photo than it does in real life. But overall, I was pleased with how it came out.

Little did I know when I was stitching it that Dianne had already stitched and finished this piece for herself! (You can see it near the middle of the tree here.) But Dianne assured me that she loved it and thought it was cool that she had two, since mine is much smaller than hers. I like to think that I did a good job picking something she'd like!