Third November Post (or I don't know what to tell you, I've been busy.)

This month has been busy!  I have been busy stitching!  I seem to have more time!  My housework has been very manageable, and I am getting more done.  It has been very pleasant, to say the least!  Even with Christmas coming, I'm not stressing.  I have most of the presents bought, and a good idea of what needs to be bought.  I am slowly decorating for the holidays, so it'a all good! 

Here is my first finish of this post!  It is Tiny Rose Mandala by Chatelaine!

 It was fun to stitch!  But I had bogged down on it because I was waiting for some silk floss to finish it.  (It finally arrived!)  I have three more little Chatelaine's kitted up, and will probably work on them in the New Year!

I started and finished this one yesterday afternoon!  I needed to get my ornament done for my November  ornament SAL post.  It's from Daffy Cat's blog!

 Mistletoe Reindeer.  Took it with me while DD had her rowing workout!

Here is the progress on my Stoney Creek Moonbeams and Stardust Witch.  Now working on the crescent moon she sits on.  It is full of metallic threads!

 This is the jar I chose for the Totally Useless SAL from Daffy Cat's blog.  It is a candle jar that I thought was pretty!  Started putting my cast offs in already!

Last Saturday afternoon, my LNS, Stitch It Central, had an open house, where people get to come and shop and sit and stitch!  The meal is pot luck, so everyone brings something.  I did not stay for the meal, but I still brought something.  My wonderful mom made homemade cream puffs for me to take!!  With real whipped cream and drizzled chocolate!  They are sooo yummy!  Everyone loved them!

I needed to grab some DMC's to finish kitting up a couple small projects, but that was all I was going to buy. Unless Maria had the new CCN Gingerbread Houses!  She did. (Sigh)  It came home with me, as well as all the threads to stitch it with!  Hee hee!  I brought my own fabric from home, just in case!  lol!

 And I had to start it.  Well, I had to have something to stitch at the Stitch and Sit, didn't I?  Never mind that I brought a couple other things to stitch in case she didn't have it.  (The Victoria Sampler Ginger Bread Stitching house and The Great Escape SAL)

 Here is my progress as of right now.  This one will probably be done before Christmas.

I didn't show you all this ornament from the Great Finishing expo a couple of posts ago, although it was finished.  You see, it didn't have the lovely silver trim around it yet!  Mom discovered the silver braid after she had sewn it together, so she asked me to bring it back so she could take it apart and add the silver braid.  

 This picture does not do this ornament justice!  It is so beautiful!  I love this ornament!  It turned out wonderfully!  Thanks again, Mom!  You're the greatest!

I worked on my Christmas cards last week, and Sunday night I finished them.  They are waiting for DD's school pictures to arrive, then they will be addressed and sent on their way!  

 I used my Cricut Expression to make all the holly and leaves! 

 Here is the sentiment inside the card.  I thought they were very cute!

Yesterday morning, I worked on my outside decor for the holidays.  I brought home a whole bunch of greenery that Mom, Deb and I harvested at the farm!  We took the loader tractor back to the fence line and gathered and cut all kinds of white pine boughs for decorating!  I brought mine home with me last Saturday night!  The whole back of my Cadi was full!  (shhh, don't tell Hubby!  I'm pretty sure I cleaned up all the evidence! lol)  Mom and DD cut some of the red sticks and berries while I was at the Sit and Stitch, and Deb gave me the birch stick.  I am pleased with the way it turned out, but I think I need a couple more birch sticks.

 What do all think?

I almost forgot to show you all what I got from the open house at my LNS!  All of us who attended the open house got to pick a little package!  In it was a sweet pair of scissors (of course I HAD to grab the pink!  lol), a lovely little biscorn pattern and either Aida or linen!  I believe it was all Polstitches fabric.  What a wonderful surprise!

 Now I just need to find some threads to stitch it!  Maybe some of my lovely silks.

This is my DD's latest finish!  She had stalled on this because she was missing one colour!  DMC 322, which I picked up on Saturday for her.  She finished it Sunday while we were watching movies.

 It's a Dragon Dreams freebie called "Compassion".

I don't have any bird pictures to show this time, but I do have a sweet picture of two of our kitties, Copper and Chloe.  The day before they were play fighting (I hope), but this was snapped yesterday, all tuckered out!

For all my firiends in the USA, I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful this past weekend.  And for my friends around the world, I hope your weekend was lovely, too!  I hope everyone is stitching and enjoying the start of holiday season!  Chat soon!

June Update! (And so soon! LOL!)

Hi All!  Here is another update on the happenings here at the Joyes' house!  Finally, May is over and we are into June!  My schedule has opened up immensely, which has been great on the stitching front!  Below is Papillon Creations Castles in the Air!  Part 22 down, and one more to go!  This month it was the four corners, and they are lovely!!  There were two versions, a drawn thread and a four-sided stitch version!  I chose the four-sided stitch version, as this is Aida!  I couldn't fathom trying drawn thread stitches on Aida!  LOL!

 Top Left corner.

 Bottom left corner.

 Top right corner.

 Bottom right corner.

 Once I have the last part I can start to bead!  I hope to have this completed early in July!  Wish me luck!  Because then I want to work exclusively on my Spring Carousel Horse!

I also finished my May ornament for my Ornament SAL.  It's by Country Cottage Needleworks, from one of the JCS ornament issues! (Sorry, can't for the life of me remember the year.)

 And just this morning, I finished stitching June's ornament, a LizzieKate, from the 2007 JCS ornament issue!  I started this one on June 6 while watching DD row out on the lake!  Sat in my folding chair, in the shade and stitched!  It was glorious!

Here is a picture of the biscornu that I made for my sister's birthday this year!  It was a freebie from designer, Faby Reilly!  It has two of my sister's favourite things, Lilly of the Valley and ladybugs!  She was thrilled!  She sent me a photo from her phone, as I forgot to take a picture!  :(

This is a picture of the invitation I sent out for DD's birthday this year!  I made it with my Cricut machine!  I am trying to use this more in my cards and scrapbook pages, as I have it!  And I have a bunch of cartridges, so why not put it to use!

The girls had a blast!  The three other girls met us at the salon, where they got to have manicures and pedicures!  They went with the wildest colours and the most fun finishes!  DD had her nails painted black with a white crackle finish!!  Way cute!

 They they all came back to our house and had homemade pizza and snacks!  Here are the four individual pizzas I made for the girls!  They choose their own toppings!

 Then they had cake!  White cake with purple icing for  DD!!

They had a sleepover and took over the living room!  Hubby picked up an air mattress, so it all worked out great!  They played basketball and volleyball outside!  Then they were all gone about noon the next day!  I got a very big hug and a "Thanks for my party, Mom!" after all the other girls were gone!  Makes it all worthwhile for me!!
Now last, but not least, I have a new bird to show you!  This one is called a Brown Thrasher!  Sorry, Dad, another one you don't have!!  LOL!  They like to forage on the ground for food and seeds!

Well I should get going now!  Hubby said that he hoped to be home close to 3 pm today, and it's getting to be that time!  Just going to fold a couple loads of laundry, and since I finished what I set out to do this week stitching-wise, I think I'll put the fabric I've chosen for the Tree of Stitches on my scroll frame and maybe make a start!  Have a nice weekend, everyone!  Chat soon!