New Holiday Ornaments!

Due to the popularity of my previous HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS - Series 1 and 2, I decided I needed to create another fun set this year, called HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS, Series 3.

Each ornament design is 5" x 5" on 18 ct canvas (and 3.5" x 3.5" on 24 ct. Congress Cloth). I've stitched my models on the Santa Fe Sage green canvas, but really you can stitch them on any color (you'll stitch solidly on the canvas, so none of the canvas shows).  As you can see in the photo above, I stitched all four designs on one piece of canvas, but you can certainly stitch each one on a separate piece of canvas, or even in a vertical row, for a bellpull effect.

I also consider these cuties as "mix and match" designs, because you can switch out the colors of each border to suit your favorite look.  To show you how they look, I did two of the pieces in red pearl and red metallic borders, but if you prefer, you can stitch ALL four ornaments with a red and white border, for a matching look.  You can also switch out the inner patterns around the tree and stocking to red & white, green & white, or red & green - you choose!  And it sure would be fun to mix two packages with two ornaments in ONE design!  As you can tell, there's a bunch of ways to play with this design, and the stitches are all easy ones, so they really are fun to stitch up. 

MATERIALS NEEDED:  Watercolours 025 - "holiday" with DMC #5 304 (2 skeins), 890 (2 skeins), 3345 (1 sk), white (2 skeins)... along with YLI Ribbon Floss 148-021 (2 sk.) and 148-039 (2 sk.) - or Kreinik 1/16th Ribbon 002 (3 spools) and 031 (3 spools).  Stitch on four pieces of 8" x 8" 18 ct. canvas or ONE LARGE piece of 14" x 14" canvas for all four designs.

UPDATE, as of Nov. 15th:  I've been able to edit my website today, so you CAN order this fun pattern off the website!  Go check it out!!

PLEASE NOTE -- If you're interested in adding these new designs to your holiday collection: my website is currently frozen in an older 2015 version, thanks to recent "updates" done by my website provider, and I can't edit/add new products. They're working on the problem, but I have NO idea when my website will return to normal.  Sooooo, if you want this new design: please email me with your order request, and I'll send you a custom PAYPAL invoice, and we can do business that way!
   
HAPPY FRIDAY, STITCHERS!

Fast, Fun, and Festive!

Now that the holiday season is fast approaching, maybe you're in the mood to stitch something that's filled with red and green and lots of glitzy gold metallic.  I had a holiday idea that I've been madly stitching on these last few weeks and can now share it with you: a new American Quilt Collection design called "HOLIDAY GIFTS":

Oh, boy, this festive quilt design was so much fun to stitch up!

I grabbed a skein of Watercolours 025 - "Holiday" as well as a handful of reds, greens,

and golds in #5 pearl cottons and metallic Ribbon Floss -- then started stitching

some happy little packages.

I'm thinking about turning this cutie into a sofa pillow for holiday display, 

instead of framing it on the wall....

And I've also included alternate thread colors (blues) for a Hanukkah version.

So if you want to stitch yourself into a holiday mood this year, just jingle on over

to my website and get all the ordering info on this new HOLIDAY GIFTS pattern!

Ho, Ho, Ho and Happy Friday, Everyone!

To Market, To Market....

Although I'm not traveling to San Diego for the first TNNA show of 2014, I have sent my models for the stitch guides I've created for four Sandra Gilmore canvases. I had a blast working on painted canvases for a change, and I look forward to doing more of them in the coming New Year.

But I wanted to share with you my recent holiday stitch guide, for Sandra Gilmore's NUTCRACKER.

 He's a very handsome fellow, isn't he?  I especially love the raspberry and green colors, and couldn't wait to get stitching on him!
 

Because I was thinking this wooden nutcracker was shiny, I decided to stitch him in the shinier rayon threads of Ribbon Floss and Neon Rays.  Rather slippery threads, those rayons!  But I didn't have any problems with them, and they are so soft, they work nicely for the Elongated Tent Stitches I used for his hat and body.  I used regular Tent Stitches (or Basketweave) for his whole face. I also decided this nutcracker is so regal looking, his crown needed a tiny Swarovski crystal in the gold cross at the top of his hat. That's included with the pattern, by the way...

I padded his nose, and of course, his eyebrows and mustache (with soft Bella Lusso).  I left his fuzzy hair for last, mixing 2 strands of white Wisper with 1 strand of white Bella Lusso.   Personally, I didn't want super fuzzy hair, but if you did, you could always tackle some Turkey Work for those areas.

Since I wanted the nutcracker to be the focal point of the piece, I chose a quiet background, so it receded  behind - but not competed with - the nutcracker. I used a simple but elegant blackwork pattern, but enlarged it to fill the large background space, sorta like wallpaper, I guess...

 And, to tell the truth, I think my favorite part was stitching the ribbon border!  I've slightly padded the pink raised ribbon sections so they look like they're moving in and out of the canvas.  The white scalloped border is done with DMC #8 perle, and the green stripes are 1 strand of DMC Floche.

So if you are a nutcracker collector (and I know there are a lot of you out there!), or just want something fun to stitch for next year's holiday season, please visit my website for the stitch guide.  Or contact your local stitchery store for them to order both the canvas and stitch guide from Fleur de Paris, the distributor of all Sandra Gilmore canvases.

A Traditional Memorial Day

"In great deed something abides.
On great fields, something stays.
Forms change and pass, bodies disappear but spirits linger
to consecrate ground for the vision place of the soul.

And reverent men and women from afar and
generations that know us not and that we know not of,
shall come here to ponder and to dream
and the power of the vision shall pass into their souls."

~ Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain ~