Last Gifted Gorgeousness post for 2016...

December Update....

But first, in case you do not know what I am talking about ...

Gifted Gorgeousness (or GG) is a SAL run by the wonderful SAL Mama, Jo from Serendipitous Stitching.  Basically, on the 15th of each month, we post anything which is stitchy gift-related.

I haven't done many exchanges this year (as I find them a bit too stressful - I always have grand plans for getting everything done early and then LIFE gets in the way and, well, you know the story!)

Anyway, the few I have done have been run by the Tuesday Girls on the No Fuss Swappers blog.  There are two things I like about these swaps:

1. Plenty of time before the deadline.

2. Absolutely straightforward, no sending of extra gifts.

So, I took part in the Bah Humbug Mug Rug exchange and I was lucky enough to have the gorgeous Teresa send me a few gifts.

A mug rug, a Christmas mug and a delicious gift, all wrapped in a Christmas fat quarter.

Isn't it all so very gorgeous and Christmassy?  Thank you, so very, very much, dear Teresa.  I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. 

I, in turn, sent my mug rug, mug, delicious gift of a mini panettone and Christmas fat quarter to Nor.

I hope you like your Chrissy gift, Nor.

This next gift you have seen before, it is Baby Joe's first Christmas, which you can see in more detail in this post.

Next up is Oh Holy Night, which I made up into a little felt bag, which I filled with Christmas goodies to give to my best friend, Kim.

... and, of course, we have more progress on Amy's London blanket. I am on the last colourway but alas, it will not be done in time for Christmas!

A bit hard to knit with Furio around!

 ... and last up, a girlfriend was having a clean up and gave me all of these lovely Jill Oxton cross stitch magazines and a Cross stitch Samplers book.

If you want to check out what everyone else does for GG, please head over to dear Jo's blog.

Well, time to sign off now, 

hugs, 

Christmas is Coming, 2016 .... Part Two

My dear friend, Linda, has lent me this book to read for Christmas:

How Mrs Claus saved Christmas by Jeff Guinn

Doesn't the book cover look so pretty with my red and yellow roses?  Together, they make a lovely Christmas display.

On a further Christmassy note, I had a lovely seafood lunch on Sunday by the Yarra River at Waterfront Restaurant with my "Tennis" Group or Mother's Group.  We have been meeting for over twenty-six years now.  We don't really play tennis, we just used to meet as a playgroup in the club rooms of a tennis club - hence the name - but we do get teased a lot about our lack of tennis prowess and playing!

.... and to continue the Christmassy theme, I finished-finished my Baby's First Christmas Ornament - as you know, I am always very anxious about my finishing ability but I must admit, I am pretty pleased with how this one has turned out.

What do you think? Will it past muster?

On another note, we have had the 'cat wars' here as DS1 came home on Friday night (yay!  So lovely to have him home) with their cat, Nobu (DDIL is due to arrive this Saturday).

Best to say that Furio and Milo are feeling a little put out and Furio and Nobu are duking it out for who is Alpha Cat! lol!

Now, guess who is trying to get close to me whilst I am doing some authoring for a publisher??    Furio, of course!

Close!

Closer!

Ooops! Mum has got cross with me and pushed me away.  Okay, I will go stick my head in under the monitor - that should be comfortable! lol!

Okay, that is it for me for now, 

hugs, 

P.S. Sorry, no pic of Milo this post, he is very skittish with the new cat in the house - next time, I hope!

Smalls SAL_November Update

Hi all, I have quite a few Smalls goodies to show you this month.  

Quite a few of them are Prairie Schooler designs, one of my very favourite designers.  I find that they are perfect designs for travelling.  Just enough colour changes to keep it interesting but not too many to make it difficult whilst stitching in a car or on a plane and no half or quarter stitches and very little backstitching but oh, such wonderful designs. I love them!

#1 November Small:

This gorgeous PS Christmas Tree   Now, Prairie Schooler designs do not usually use beads but I could not resist blinging up this design from Book #150, "December".

... and here it is all finished up and gifted to my dear friend, Lisa.

Actually, she moved it from the spot above and it now lives with Santa in her dining room (much better pic, anyway)...

#2 November Small:

Trick or Treat What's to Eat?' from Prairie Schooler Book #188 Trick or Treat.

This was an absolute dream to stitch, I started it on a Friday and finished it just before midnight the next Saturday night.  So, a very quick stitch for me.

#3 November Small:

Prairie Schooler Skeleton!

See his right shoulder (on the left)?  Well, it should be sitting at the same level as the other shoulder but I didn't notice the discrepancy until after I had stitched all of his arm and the two keys.  At first I thought to myself, 'oh no! All that frogging!' But then the more I looked at it, the more I quite liked my unintentional change to the design and I have decided that the poor skeleton has a dislocated shoulder - poor lamb!

Skeleton from 

"Boo Moon"
Prairie Schooler Book #189

Fabric: Mystery orange (yes, it is actually orange, much brighter than the pic shows) lugana 

Floss: DMC 3371 and 720

#4  November Small:

Here goes, another PS design, of course (because it was stitched whilst travelling).

Black Cat from PS Book #140 Pumpkin Patch

28 ct Orange Lugana

Floss: DMC 3371 and 720 plus WDW Fiesta for the moon

#5  November Small:  (this one is actually an October Small that didn't quite make it into last month's post)

This is my version of Bad Fairies for the September theme for the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL  

I adapted the design from a French design book, which seems to have fallen through a black hole on my book shelf - not sure where it has got to, very strange! - so I can't even tell you what it is called! 

[Update: Still haven't found the book but I have found its title: it is a French book of design motifs

"Pointe de croix couleurs"

#6  November Small:

This is my very latest Christmas Ornament finish and it is, of course, for a relatively brand new baby (he is three months old now).  I am delighted with it.  I love the colours and the changes that I made.  I added his name and the year.  It is from the JCS 2016 Christmas Ornie Magazine.

#7  November Small:

Xmas Hearth

A Christmas stitch for my dear niece, Jade.

#8  November Small:

Old Glory

Designer: LHN

.... and lastly, three and a half years in the making!

#9  November Largeish Small:

Look carefully, at the last pic, can you see the mistake I made, again?  Another one that I intend to keep, as it sort of fits in with the theme of the piece.

Witchy Remedy

Silver Creek Samplers

JCS Halloween Ornie Mag 2011

Fabric: Unknown

Floss: Suggested DMC

Well, that is it for me, for this month's Smalls SAL.

hugs, 

P.S. This is my third post for today - must be a record!  If you want to check out my two earlier posts from today, please click on the links below:

TUSAL Post (late as usual)

He's Coming Home!

P.P.P.S. Also, don't forget to visit dear Jo's Online Advent Calendar each day up until Christmas.

Online Advent Calendar 2016 - December 1st

Merry Christmas to all you lovely Elves out there, 

Here is Day One of Jo from Serendipitous Stitching's Online Advent Calendar

This is my very latest Christmas Ornament finish and it is, of course, for a relatively brand new baby (he is three months old now).  I am delighted with it.  I love the colours and the changes that I made.  I added his name and the year.  It is from the JCS 2016 Christmas Ornie Magazine

Jo always sets us a little task for our blog post; we have to answer a Christmassy question:

Decorations - do you have a favourite decoration you must have on display every year, maybe an heirloom, one the children made or something with a special story behind it?

For me, it is this sweet Kitty cat cross stitch that I made many, many years ago (at least twenty years, I think) and always put on the tree.  (It was stitched so long ago that I have no idea who the designer is but I have a feeling it was a kit) 

Now, you might notice that it bears a striking resemblance to my dear furbaby, Furio, so I must have been prophetic when I stitched it - lol!

Merry Christmas everyone, 

Now,please don't forget to visit the Advent Calendar on Jo's blog each day up until the Big Day! 

hugs,