Santa Stitching Update!

I KNOW!!! Two posts in one day ... you'd better brace yourselves! Tee! Hee! Hee! This is really just a quick pop-in to give a stitching update.

First stitching update ... in my post earlier today, I showed you the sweet stitched heart ornament I received as part of my SSCS parcel from Florence ...

Isn't is cute?! Well ... my original OPAM partner-in-crime, the lovely (and clever!!) May Britt left me a comment to tell me this stitchery was designed by HER and is available on her blog as a free give away! Wow! Well done May Britt and thank you for generously sharing your creativity ... so that I received a sweet Christmas surprise from Florence after she stitched your sweet design! :0) If you'd like to stitch a version of this for yourself, pop across and say G'day to May Britt and download her sweet stitchery. Don't forget to say THANK YOU!!!

Second stitchery update ... it's been an overcast, rainy day here on top of our 'hill', so what's a girl to do but STITCH! :0) With a long list of Christmas stitching to motor through in the next couple of weeks, it was just a matter of where to start.

... so I traced and started stitching a sweet little Christmas birdie. This is a lovely stitchery designed by Gail Pan a Christmas (or two??) ago and available through her blog. Make sure you say 'Thank You' if you start stitching this little cutey, too. :0)

OK ... time to take a break from stitching and hit the kitchen to find something yummy to cook for dinner. Hmmm ... why is it that coming up with WHAT to cook every day is the trickiest part of being Chief Cook?! Enjoy your weekend ... Til next time ...

STITCHY BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Santa Speaks French!

JOYEUX NOEL!

That's what my Secret Santa will probably be saying this Christmas season ... cos my Secret Santa is FRENCH! :0)

My SSCS parcel arrived on my front verandah this week with Christmas greetings from the lovely Florence. Now you KNOW how excited I get about parcels!! Well ... I got SO excited that I forgot to take a photo of BOTH SSCS parcels before unwrapping the ornament ... OOPS! :0) I really am a big kid at heart! Tee! Hee! Hee! So ... when I opened the ornament parcel from Florence, I found ...

... stars and snowmen stitched around an appliqué heart! How COOL! Oops! Get it ... cool ... SNOWmen ... never mind! :0) I just LOVE this sweet Christmas heart ... Florence has done such lovely neat stitching and the variegated thread colours match the red highlights in my lounge room ... where it is now happily hanging to bring Christmas cheer. Hmmm ... in fact ... since it's not overly Christmassy ... I might just leave it on display all year round to add a splash of red ... and perhaps to remind me to keep Christmas in my heart all year round. :0) Thank you Florence!!

The other part of my parcel looked a bit like this ...

... actually ... it looked EXACTLY like this! :0) OOOHH!! Lots of little gifties all tied together to tempt me before Christmas Day!!! I might have to get someone to hide this pile of presents away so I'm not tempted to join the "Naughty" list! :0) 

I only join one swap a year these days ... too much else on my plate and I don't want to let people down by missing deadlines! ... and the reason I chose the SSCS as my yearly swap is because it is the best-run swap I've ever been part of. Thank you, Chookyblue, for your hard work in coordinating and organising this fun swap every year. I know you're super busy, too, so it is even more special that you keep finding the time to bring some Christmas swap cheer to blogland! :0) Big thanks, too, to Googygirl for very ably assisting Chooky this year. Organising swaps and challenges is a lot of work ... just ask my Sweet OPAM Partner-In-Crime, Sweet Peg!! :0) ... so a big thank you goes to you both for this year's SSCS organisation. Hope Santa brings you both lots of goodies this year ... no matter what language YOUR Santa might speak! :0)

Okey doke ... I'm off to be like Santa when he's ... "Making a list and checkin' it twice!" My pre-Christmas "To Do" list just keeps on growing to the point where it can't just be a mental list any more ... gotta write it down so I don't forget things! :0) Speaking of Christmas lists ... my blogging buddy Kerryanne over at Shabby Art Boutique is hosting her "Simply Christmas" again this year ... and she is one super-list-writer! :0) If you're keen to get organised for a handmade, home-baked, simplified Christmas, make sure you head on over to visit Kerryanne to see what Christmas tips, tricks, goodies and projects she has for you.

Also on the list theme ... OPAM gals ... HAVE YOU UPDATED YOUR SIDEBAR LISTS????? Yep ... the end of the month is upon us again and Sweet Peg and I will be checking our emails for your updated tally and bloghopping around in the next couple of days, so please update your sidebar list and send a quick email to Sweet Peg or me to let us know how busy you've been in your sewing room for November.

Hope you're all having a wonderful start to your weekend and that you're managing to cross a few things off the ol' "To Do" list. I'm not even going to THINK about the countdown to Christmas and how few days I have left to get organised ... EEK!!! :0) Til next time ...

BIG CHRISTMASSY BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Parcels On Santa's Sleigh!!

That count-down clock to the day the fat, jolly man in red visits us is well on its' downhill run ... EEK!!! I'm still firmly in denial, but HAVE had a little chat with Santa to get my SSCS gifties on his sleigh and on their way to ... UH, UH, AAH!!! I'm not saying! One of those "S" in that title stands for "secret", so I dare not reveal the unsuspecting recipient ... I'm too scared of Hostess with the Mostest, Chookyblue! She might chase me with her whip! Tee! Hee! Hee! Let's just say that these parcels ...

... are taking a trip overseas and will be landing on someone's doorstep soon, ready to help them get in the Christmas mood.

HUGE thanks to Chookyblue and her co-organiser Googygirl for organising and coordinating the 2013 SSCS. With my time being squeezed with work, designing commitments and family time, ESPECIALLY at this time of the year, I made the decision a few years ago to only join ONE swap a year ... and SSCS is IT, because it is always so well organised and run. Thanks, Chooky!!!

And now ... it's time to keep a date with my poor neglected pillow. I hope your week is clicking along nicely and that you're managing to cross some things off your "To Do" list too. Ooh ... OPAM gals ... only a few days of November left, so please update your sidebar lists and email your tally of finishes to me or my Sweet Partner-In-Crime Sweet Peg. And don't forget to remember to stop ... take a breath ... take some time out for YOU ... and have FUN!!!! :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Back On Deck ... FINALLY!!

AAARRRR! Avast ye lily-livered landlubbers! Cap'n Kris is back on deck! :0) No ... really ... I'm not delirious ... just a bit sleep-deprived ... but happy to be feeling MUCH better than a fortnight ago when I last checked in. Let's just say my summer cold turned out to be the lurgy-from-hell ... SHEESH!

However ... I'm back to firing on almost all cylinders, so I thought I'd better catch up with my blogging buddies. As well as being unwell over the last couple of weeks, there's been heaps going on with my day-job, so I haven't had a lot of time to stitch, but I DID manage to finish the Christmas wall hanger I showed you a sneaky peeky of a while ago ... wanna see?! :0)

TA DA! "Christmas Greetings" with a sack of gifties on Santa's sleigh. Hmm  ... I've just realised that I took this photo a bit early ... afterwards, I sewed some sweet rusty bells to the points of the bunting on the bottom edge of the hanger, so it now tinkles in the breeze blowing down our hallway. I've started planning a companion project for this Christmas sweetie, but have to get my SSCS gifties happening first or Chookyblue will be after me with her whip! :0) I'm already a week or so behind on my "To Do" list ... SIGH! Busy few days coming up for me, I think. :0)

Another special thing that's happened in the last little while was my Beloved Geek Boy and I being presented with a special gift. You see, one of the lovely ladies who lives in the retirement village where I work is a very clever artist. Some time ago, I was admiring an ink sketch she did of the original farm house that  once stood where our village is now and commented that I'd love something similar of OUR Federation style cottage. Well ... she agreed to get her pencils and ink out again!! :0) Here's the result ...

The artist, Ivy, holding the sketch after I had it framed. Didn't she do a FANTASTIC job!! I feel very privileged to have this hanging on my wall now. It's especially precious to me as this lovely lady is very unwell. Isn't it a nice thought that we can leave little pieces of ourselves with people through our creative pursuits. Something we quilters and stitchers know very well. :0)

Well ... there's been lots more happening (in between feeling truly icky!!) but right now I can hear the kettle calling my name, so I'm off to play Polly. I big thank you to those of you who've been checking up on me via email and calls ... your care and friendship are VERY much appreciated! :0) Hope you've all been keeping well during my hiatus and I'll look forward to catching up with you all. I hope to be back soon with more updates and adventures. Enjoy the rest of your week! :0) Til next time ...

PIRATE-Y BEAR HUGS! AAAAARRRRRR!!!

CHEERS!
KRIS

Miserable Summer Cold!!

What's worse than having an icky cold? Having an icky SUMMER cold! GRRRRRRR!!! I know it's not quite summer, but there's just something miserable about being sick when the weather is warm. SIGH! I have stuff to share, stuff to show you, but right now I'm just ... STUFFED UP!! :0(

So for now I'm drinking lots of juice, popping cold tablets and hoping to kill this sucker as quickly as possible so I can come back and chat to you all. Hope your week is a little less filled with sneezes, coughs, tissues and cold tablets. Til next time ...

SNUFFLY BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS

PS I'm finding that the glare from the computer screen is making my head feel like it's going to fall off ... which at this point would be a bit of a blessing really!! But ... it may take me a few days to answer emails and comments ... I hope you'll forgive my tardiness! ;0) BH!