Wierd and unusual websurfings:

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Honourable Lady Erica the Undefeated of Chalmondley Chumleyton Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Never knew I was royalty! :-)

It's been an astonishingly busy week - baking like mad (totals came to 3 blueberry-banana oat breads, 10 dozen one-bite Pecan Pies, 10 dozen Chewy Chocolate Bites, 2 large batches of Peppermint Chocolate Fudge, 1 batch of Cookies 'n Creme Fudge, 2 large batcheds of Chocolate Snow Swirl Fudge, 30 large cupcakes (iced), 3 dozen small cupcakes (iced), 14 dozen Chocolate Pinwheel cookies and I'm not exactly sure what else at this point but I'm sure there was more!). Teachers gifts are done and given, neighbours gifts are packaged and will be given tomorrow and I'm going to do dishes for what feels like the hundredth time this week........

Sadly, I've not picked up a needle. I'm feeling the lack. I do have a new model to start though all kitted and ready and another model should show up in another week or two.... Time to get back to work, I guess!

Happy Holidays to one and all! Stay safe, keep warm (or cool, depending on your locale) and most of all - hug someone you love!

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SBQ and a little finish!

Yes, it's that time again! From http://blondelibrarian.net/stitching/archives/2006/12/sbq-finishing/ this week's SBQ was suggested by Carol (http://carolsxsblog.blogspot.com/)and is:

Do you have any good internet links to tutorials for your favoritefinishing techniques that you would like to share?

I have found many good tutorials on-line. For the most part I finish ornaments with my sewing machine since it's quite fast and easy. This year I have found some other websites that have intersting finishing techniques that I've yet to try but really want to at some point:

http://susimac.blogspot.com/2006/02/ribbon-trim-instructions.html
- an interesting tutorial on how to do ribbon ruching

http://institches.batcave.net/mystitching/nosew/nosewcube.html
- how to make a no sew cube with a needlework design

http://institches.zap3x.com/mystitching/flatfold/flatfold.html
- how to make a flat fold

I also dug up some instructions given to me quite a while ago about how to make tuck-away pillows that I really want to try in the next little bit. It seems simple enough, but then I haven't actually sat down and tried it yet. I would share these instructions, but I'm not the copyright holder so can't share them. Maybe after I try it I'll write my own and post them. We'll see...

In the finishing department - I finished stitching my youngest DS' ornament for this year. It's from Dragon Dreams and was in the 2004 JCS ornament issue. Bryce is quite happy with his ornie!

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Busy, Busy Me!

What a crazy weekend we've had! First we had to head off to DH's family Christmas. This is a large gathering of family - we're so many now we need to rent a hall! I think there were between 35 and 50 people there. We do a gift exchange as well amongst the ladies and the men. I had a panic moment when I woke up on Saturday - I forgot to finish an ornament for the exchange!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Luckily I had one stitched, just not made into an ornament. So out came the handy sewing machine and the cording drill and some glue from the magic glue gun. Here's the finished product. It's from an old JCS issue, but darned if I can remember which one! I know it's a piece by Mosey 'n Me. It turned out quite well, I think, especially considering I finished it in an hour flat! :-)

Sunday had us at home briefly then it was off to a surprise birthday party for my youngest DS and the annual cookie exchange for me. It was a wonderful afternoon spent with friends. We do a little gift exchange as well and it's always fun. I had another AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH moment as I realized, yet again that I was asleep at the switch and I forgot to finish my stitched gift for the gift exchange..... This year I stitched an SB needleroll - English Christmas Roll. So, another frantic hour with my sewing machine produced a finished roll. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product...... I'll have to 'borrow' it from the recepient so I can grab a snapshot of it! Someday I'll know where I put my head, really I will! ;-)

Now I need to spend this week getting the darned tree decorated (it's been up for almost 2 weeks and is naked bar lights!) and getting the rest of the decorations up. I need to get DH's Christmas gifts too and I've got to plan what I'm baking for teachers and neighbours for Christmas! Someone stop the clock, please? Just for a day or two???

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Over-ornamentification!

Well, I've been busy this last week! A bunch of friends and I get together every December for a cookie exchange. I got over-zealous this year and made everyone Sapphire Star as well as the cookies....(well, okay, the cookies aren't baked as of yet, but the dough is made - just need to slice and bake!)... I made the cording and the tassels and did the glue thing to put them together. They look alright, but it took waaaaayyyy too long. Think I'll go back to my trusty (if somewhat unreliable) sewing machine (please Santa - new machine please!!!???!!!)....

This design is from the 2004 JCS Ornament Issue. I substituted the Waterlilies called for in the pattern with Wildflowers (LNS didn't have any Waterlilies and I couldn't wait) and the bugle beads I used are from a little bead shop near my parent's house - Gecko Beads.

I think they turned out pretty good and hopefully my friends will like them. Just hope they don't read this before Sunday..... ;-)

Now I've got at least one more ornament to stitch and a few more to ornamentify before Christmas... Maybe I should finish putting up the tree at some point too..... Hmmmm.........

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Happy Birthday Bryce!





Well, so Mommy is a few days early..... My little Bryce will be 7 this coming Saturday. Hard to believe! We had his birthday party last weekend as we're busy with other things on the actual day. So here's my little birthday boy....who isn't so little anymore!

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