Last few - Chalkboard Ornaments & Merry Christmas!

I really enjoyed stitching these Chalkboard Ornaments by Hands on Designs. This selection has gone to friends and family, and in 2018 I'd like to stitch the series for our Christmas tree, perhaps one per month.

Stitched on 32 count black Belfast linen with the recommended threads, these designs were a pleasure to stitch.

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This will be my last post before Christmas so I wanted to take the time to thank each and everyone of you, thank you so much for visiting my blog, sending me messages and emails, and always leaving positive comments here and on Instagram. It always makes my day to hear from you.

I wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas, filled with lots of happy times, laughter and yummy food too. Take care and all the best for the Festive Season.

Merry Christmas!

Katrina xx

Two More and Christmas Baking

Well, it's finally here, the first day of my annual summer holidays, wahoo! Hannah and I are having a day around home finishing the last of the gift wrapping and Christmas goodies baking. I hope I can fit some stitching in there somewhere too!

I loved stitching this little angel for a dear friend in the UK, Petra. Petra is originally from Sweden and we became pen pals over twenty years ago after I spotted a penpal request in one of our NZ Women's Weekly magazines. We've been great friends ever since - we share the same birthday and have lots of interests in common. Petra has been out to New Zealand twice, once before Glenn and I got married and then again when Hannah was a baby. Both times she thoroughly enjoyed her travels here. I've yet to visit Petra in the UK but it's most definitely on my bucket list!!

This is Christmas Angel by Little House Needleworks, once again trimmed with Lady Dot Creations chenille.

The other ornament for today was stitched for another of my close friends Wendy. Wendy and I have been pals for a long time too, we used to work together, and Wendy does some wonderful paper craft and patch work crafting.

This is Peace by Sue Hillis Designs and can be found in the 2009 Just Cross Stitch ornaments magazine.

Each year I like to make up my male co workers a little box of treats and there's always plenty to share with family too.

So far Hannah and I have made apricot and bailey's truffles, custard and white chocolate biscuits, peppermint bark and gingernut trufffles.

We've also made some rocky road and malteser fudge, yum!

                     




Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by xxx

Make Merry

This ornament was made for one of my co workers, Val, for her recent birthday. I've known Val for many, many years as Glenn and I built our house in the same area where she owned a dairy.

Val does a variety of wonderful craft work too and earlier this year, she began working with me at the Paul Hunter Centre to help with some administrative tasks and facilitate craft programmes for our clients. Val makes me laugh every day, she has such a cheery manner, so this Lizzie Kate design was picked with that in mind. It's from one of the Tiny Tiding charts.

See you soon xx

Pineberry Lane

Today's ornament was sent all the way to a long time stitching friend, Carol in the US. Carol and I have been friends since the early days of stitching blogs on the internet. Each year we exchange an ornament and I now have a very special collection of treasured ornaments from Carol. 

I chose to stitch Pineberry Lane's A Sprig of Holly for Carol.

Once again, I used Lady Dot Creations chenille trim, in vintage I think the colour way is called, and attached a rustic bell. Another lovely design to stitch - I've had so much fun this year picking out designs for my stitching friends.

See you tomorrow xxx

Rejoice

Happy Monday friends. Today's ornament was made for my lovely friend Elizabeth, a kiwi friend from Auckland.

This is a Mosey n Me design from an earlier Just Cross Stitch ornaments magazine. Stitched on 32ct dirty belfast linen with the recommended threads, and this time I used a Lady Dot Creations pom pom trim.

See you soon x

Fa La La La

This little sheepie ornament pattern by Country Cottage Needleworks has become a favourite of mine and this year I chose to stitch it once more for my dear friend Kath.

Stitched on 32 count natural belfast with the recommended threads, pom pom trim, rustic bells and a hanger made from the same fabric as the backing.

Have a wonderful Sunday xxx

Santa's friend

Some of the ornaments I have stitched on this year have started arriving at their destinations, near and far.  Most years I stitch ornaments all year around so I have a little collection to gift to my family and friends in December but this year for some reason or another, mostly extensive house renovations!!, a lot of these were only stitched in the last few weeks. I'll try and be more organised next year!

Anyways, over the next week I'll be sharing some of my 2017 ornaments.

You may have seen the sweet Lizzie Kate ornament I recently received from Andrea in the UK, well, here is the ornament I sent to Andrea.

This is Santa's Friend by the Snowflower Diaries from the 2016 Just Cross Stitch ornaments magazine. I stitched this on 40 count linen using the recommended threads. 

For the trim I chose some Lady Dot Creations chenille in Sizzle. This trim has become my favourite to use and I have used several colours this year. I purchased several colours and styles from Crazy Annie's.

See you soon xx

Deck the Halls

This time next week my summer holidays officially begin, yippee! Hannah only has 1/2 day at school left for 2017 today - it's been a busy time for her the past week with a carol service, service assembly and then final assembly at school as well as a few days feeling a bit lousy with bad hay fever . Now she can enjoy the start of her long summer break. Glenn will be on holidays too and this summer we have a trip planned to our favourite holiday spot, a few days in Taupo, followed by a beach holiday. 

Hannah was ready to start decorating for Christmas in November sometime! But we waited until a few weekends ago and then spent a Sunday morning getting our lounge all festive looking. We haven't pulled out all the decorations this year and went with displaying our favourites.

So here you go, please enjoy some of our Christmas treasures:

We have two trees up this year - one for some of the gorgeous stitched and crafted ornaments we have received over the years.

 
and Hannah's tree. I just love the eclectic collection of ornaments on here.

 See you soon x

December so far

Whew, we're having bit of a heatwave here at the moment, the last few days have been in the 30's C and Tuesday was the hottest day I can remember in a long time.  Considering that just two weeks ago the weather was still very cool, summer has arrived right on time. 

Hannah and I have started the lead up to Christmas with lots of pre Christmas activities and festive fun!

We spent an enjoyable afternoon with my SIL Jude and nieces Alice and Sally watching a local production, Peter Panto.

Great fun - we laughed and laughed, "Oh no he didn't, oh yes he did!" There are some incredibly talented people and children in our little district.

I found some fun Christmas fabric at Spotlight recently so whipped up a new project bag for my stitching and knitting.

Obviously we don't have any chance of snow here at this time of the year, ha ha, but I thought this fabric was so cute.

We have a new addition to our little family Christmas traditions this year. Meet "Elvis" the naughty elf.

So far Elvis has drawn on the bananas in the fruit bowl, been found reading Harry Potter to the dollies, he sent Hannah on a candy cane hunt, was wrapped up in the fridge one morning (to cool off as he's not used to this hot weather!) and this morning he'd left his own shopping list to add to our grocery shopping. I'm sure there'll be more hi jinx to come!

I had a lovely day out to Napier last Friday with my co workers. This has become an annual event and we all have such a good time together. It was a beautiful sunny day up there and it was lovely sitting at Starbucks on the Marine Parade enjoying a peppermint mocha frappuchino watching everyone go about their day.

Saturday afternoon it was the local Christmas Parade and this is the first time in a few years that Hannah hasn't been involved in any of the floats.

As with previous years, our local firemen had loaded up one of the fire engines with a foam canon which was a big hit with everyone, children and adults alike,especially since it was a stinking hot afternoon.

Our community Christmas tree was also put up over the weekend and Hannah was able to find the decoration she had made a few weeks ago at the local A & P show.

2017's Santa photo.

We've also been along to the movies to see "Kiwi Christmas", a family movie about Santa running away from the North Pole and coming to NZ for a holiday! It was a total crack up, with a few sad bits too.

This year Hannah's school formed a little junior choir for the first time in many years. For the past few months they have been practicing really hard and last week they had their very first performance for parents, grandparents, etc. It was so sweet and they put on a wonderful show. I had a tear in my eye the whole time!

See you soon xx

From Andrea

 A little parcel arrived all the way from the UK, from another dear stitching friend, Andrea.

This year Andrea sent me a Lizzie Kate ornament, the design is from the 2017 Just Cross Stitch ornaments magazine.

I was so delighted to see it as this was my number one favourite pick from the magazine. I had already decided to stitch it early next year for our tree so now I won't need to!

As always, it has been stitched and finished beautifully.

This is the lovely card Andrea also sent.

This year we have two Christmas trees decorated, one especially for all the handmade ornaments we've been given over the years - photos to come!

See you soonx