And the Winner Is....

I am thrilled to announce the winner of my "Merriest Christmas!" Giveaway. I used Random.org to generate the winning number and the winning number selected was #16. After counting comments and then then recounting to be sure, the giveaway winner is Lisa V of Perth, Australia!

Congratulations Lisa! I'll be sending an email to you shortly to gather all the mailing details so that your Samplerbird Stitchery gifties can be on their way to you. I  hope you have fun stitching it up for yourself or someone you love!

A big Thank You to all for taking time to comment on my last post and a hearty "Welcome" to my new followers! I can't tell you what a heart-warming and encouraging experience it has been to read through the comments. At a time when my self-confidence is struggling with the out-of-work blues, it means the world to me. Thank you for brightening my day!

EMAIL: If anyone sent an email to me in the last week and I have not responded, please resend it to me. For some reason, AOL placed emails related to my blog in the Spam Folder and as I was sorting out the true spam, I accidentally clicked "delete all" instead of "delete" so I lost it all. Arrrgghhh!

Finishing: I've been trying to do some Christmas stitching finishing over the last couple of weeks. Here are a few pics:

Peace and Joy (front) - The Drawn Thread
Stitched this year on 32 ct. raw linen over 1 and over 2. I substituted over-dyed cotton floss for the silk threads that I did not have and used beads and buttons from my stash for embellishment. Santa's beard and coat trim are stitched with Whisper. Finished using Cynthia's wonderful directions included with the pattern.

 

"Peace and Joy" (back) - The Drawn Thread



"Frosty" - Designer unknown.
Stitched long, long ago on 18 ct Aida with DMC. One of those stitched designs that had been lanquishing away in my 'finished' box for years. Wanted to try the finish I've seen on so many blogs this year and pulled this out to experiment with. 



"Festive Redbird" - Homespun Elegance
Stitched in 2009 on 28 ct. linen remnant from my stash using over-dyed floss. I substituted a brighter shade of red to match the beads that I wanted to use. Finished using Sandra's directions included with the patttern.



"Angels Sent" - Susan Greening Davis (Still Stitching with Susan) from the 2010 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue. Stitched on 30 ct white evenweave from my stash using DMC 115. 
I had the pleasure of spending numeroues hours (and $$$) in Susan's Michigan shop when it was open and I couldn't resist stitching this up for me and one for a friend.



Samplerbird Stitchery News: I'm busy stitching the model for the "Peace on Earth" ornament that I will be offering as a freebie before New Year's Eve (stay tuned for a sneak peak in a day or two) and I am working on a couple of new design ideas, the first is based on two things that I love, samplers and quilts, and the second is a set of smalls with a winter theme. Hope to have them ready by mid-to-late-January. 

Several of the comments to my last post mentioned that it was nice to find a design that fits in a standard size frame. I wholeheartenly agree. In fact, that is one of the factors that I am taking into consideration as I design. It is frustrating when we stitch up a perfectly lovely design and then put off framing because a custom frame costs so much. I was lucky enough to grow up with a Dad who was a master-woodworker and he showed me how to do so many things (if only I had paid more attention). I did learn how to construct a frame and over the years I've accumulated the equipment to do so but I don't always want to make a frame, sometimes I just want to go to the store and pick out a ready-made frame and get on with the framing. So I will try as I move forward with my designing to accomodate those of us that prefer to use a standard size frame. 

An Anniversary: I'd also like to mention that this week marks the 4th anniversary since our little Birman twins, Zissou and Zoe, joined our family. 



Zoe and Zissou settling into their new home.

   

Zissou and Zoe, this year, supervising the annual "putting up the tree" event. Note: Zoe (right) is smaller than Zissou (left) although it doesn't look like it in this picture. Sorry, the flash hides their blue eyes. 



By the way, I neglected to acknowledge Zissou as the model in the "Merriest Christmas!" picture from my last post. He has been a little miffed at me so I promised that I would show his latest glamour shot today. Isn't he handsome!

Thanks for stopping by today and a big CONGRATULATIONS to Lisa V for winning the "Merriest Christmas!" pattern pack, linen and threads.

Happy Holidays!