from my Best Buddies . . .

 Merry Christmas 
Scrapbooking Ideas Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

SNOWMEN AND 80 DEGREES!

Yep, a strange combination!

So, here's a question for you ~ How often do you get 9 solid hours of 'ME' time when the only thing you can really do is CROSS STITCH?

Answer ~ whilst flying over The Atlantic of course!

We left England last Friday for our Christmas vacation here again in Florida (11th time and now definitely our 2nd home!) and over the past few years although I've always packed my needle supplies in the suitcases for the tight security reasons, this year I took a deep breath and thought 'Well, I'll try, if they remove the needle, so be it!' and Hey Presto ~ my innocent face got my trusty needle through security and a leisurely 9 hours stitching produced my last Happy Dance of 2011 . . .

Charmed Flakes 'Deck the Hall' by Hinzeit
stitched on 28-ct Jobelan Bay Leaf with suggested DMC threads

I was struggling with this one a couple of months back, I didn't like the heaviness of the required backstitching or solid line underneath the snowmen so decided to omit both, change the wording at the bottom to the lighter shade used for the snowmen's 'twig' arms and I'm really happy with the finished design! :)  I have the silver snowflake charms to add when I get back home and decide on a finish ~ for now I've put these 3 little fellows in the fridge so they don't melt before I get back home!!!

Temperatures here in Orlando have been a very nice high 70 degrees and are, from today, rising to the low 80's and are a welcome relief from the dull, gloomy days back in England.  Christmas is very pretty out here and the villas are decorated beautifully, the life out here is very laid-back, very clean and very friendly.

 

Yesterday we drove out to my favourite needlework shop ~  Needleorts ~ and on DH's orders, I took my Christmas stocking and with very little difficulty managed to FILL IT!  Ooooooh, a child in a candy store would have been hard put to have a bigger smile on their face at the end of it!

In case you're wondering ~ my 2 best friends are happy and warm staying with the lovely lady who's the nurse at our Vets ~ our house-minders are not really bunny people and I know they'll be spoilt-rotten where they are ~ miss them sooooooo much :(

I haven't had much time to blog read but will catch up as soon as I can and if I don't post again before the 25th . . .

HAPPY CHRISTMAS
May it be peaceful, joyful, warm and full of love

xxx

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS . . .

Do you remember my disappointment with my last Pine Mountain Designs kit?

The fabric included in the kit was completely different from the one they had both pictured and advertised resulting in the threads having no impact whatsoever WELL this is the kit I chose as a goodwill gesture from Pine Mountain who responded very quickly and very kindly . . .

'Home for Christmas'

These sweet little kits stitch up so quickly so I'm pleased I can say it's finished and I can declare another Happy Dance for 2011 . . .

As I said before they always remind me of wrapped sweets waiting to be opened, the ribbons at the end are always so pretty once they're tied into bows

In case you were wondering ~ the holly around the pillow IS real and comes from our Holly Tree in the back garden, normally the berries come too early and it's just the leaves by Christmas but nature having a law of its own this is what we have this year . . .

Both the birds and the squirrels love this tree and it's just outside our bedroom window so dawn is pretty noisy round here!

I've had a good weekend getting all the Christmas bits & pieces done so feel a little more relaxed now!  I hope everyone else is up-to-date too and enjoying the countdown?

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

xxx

THE STOCKINGS WERE HUNG . . .

The South of England has its 1st covering of frost this morning and although it's so, so pretty that also means that the big day is fast approaching and I'm so behind on everything that I shall skip the subject straight away and instead share my new stitching addiction Happy Dance with you . . .

These were the ingredients . . .

32 count 'Country Grain' Linen, Au Ver a Soie and Mori Silk Threads and 5 button embellishments

and this is what those magic ingredients produced . . .

'The Stockings' by Shepherds Bush

Gorgeous subtle colouring and just love those cozy patterned socks!

3 stockings and a rather unusual funky Christmas tree with a present waiting at the bottom (hope it's another Shepherds Bush kit for me ~ Santa, I have been very good really, OK the housework is screaming at me and my Christmas preparations are zero BUT!)

Herringbone and Satin Stitch

I just can't make up my mind how to finish this one or my previous post ~ Red Snowman?  I don't really want to frame them behind glass and not sure if that would work with all the button embellishments either?  You all know how I'm a dedicated pillow finisher but with these lovely silk threads which could never be cleaned if they were handled too often ~ ummmmmmm! any ideas?

I'm keeping tuned in with all the lovely seasonal stitching you creative blogging friends are producing and everything is really fabulous and very inspirational ~ it's such a wonderful time of the year for cross-stitching :)

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

x x x