Stars of Bethlehem for very special pals

Last year I took part in Chookyblue’s Christmas swap and sent this Start of Bethlehem table runner toNoemia in Portugal. The pattern, by Karen Gledhill, can be found in Creating Country Threads Christmas Special,  Vol 11 No 3. My good friend Jen and I had both loved the pattern and decided we’d make one for each other for Christmas 2011. Here is the one that Jen made me…. with our favourite block of the lot…. and a truly personalised label… She used gorgeous fabric she bought from Fee and very special 80 year old vintage ricrac…..I do feel very special! And here’s the one I made Jenny…. This fabric was simply perfect with all it’s glitter and gold….just like the gifts from the wise men!  I did modify the pattern slightly and instead of ricrac, I used gold ribbon and embellished it with red ‘holly berries’ (ie beads!!!)  Each stitchery worked in Cottage Garden Thread…. and wrapped in love and blessings. She also brought some other lovelies for me….. a moda gift bag filled with … a fat quarter bundle of ‘Tea Garden’ by Dena Fishbein for Westminster… a very clever pair of tweezers…..(these will come in VERY handy)… a gorgeous notepad and pencil, some lipbalm, scissors, buttons and scissor charm, and some yummy threads wrapped in red dotty ribbon….my favourite! What a way to spoil a gal!  Jen is one very special lady, that’s for sure! The delivery guy made a special stop late that night to our doorstep too…..we thought we had trouble when there was bashing on the front door at 8pm but the courier was just delivering this special parcel from my brother who just thought of me when he saw it….. I can’t imagine why????!!!! LOL This chocolate port will certainly be put to good use over Christmas, I’d say!!!!  Imagine the designs I’ll come up with!!!!! Only two more of these left before Santa sets off on his merry way….keep safe if you’re traveling and many blessings to you and yours during Christmas. love and sugary, sweet candy-cane hugs xo Wendy :O)

Stars of Bethlehem for very special pals

Last year I took part in Chookyblue’s Christmas swap and sent this Start of Bethlehem table runner toNoemia in Portugal. The pattern, by Karen Gledhill, can be found in Creating Country Threads Christmas Special,  Vol 11 No 3.

My good friend Jen and I had both loved the pattern and decided we’d make one for each other for Christmas 2011.

Here is the one that Jen made me….

with our favourite block of the lot….

and a truly personalised label…

She used gorgeous fabric she bought from Fee and very special 80 year old vintage ricrac…..I do feel very special!

And here’s the one I made Jenny….

This fabric was simply perfect with all it’s glitter and gold….just like the gifts from the wise men!  I did modify the pattern slightly and instead of ricrac, I used gold ribbon and embellished it with red ‘holly berries’ (ie beads!!!)  Each stitchery worked in Cottage Garden Thread….

and wrapped in love and blessings.

She also brought some other lovelies for me…..

a moda gift bag filled with …

a fat quarter bundle of ‘Tea Garden’ by Dena Fishbein for Westminster…

a very clever pair of tweezers…..(these will come in VERY handy)…

a gorgeous notepad and pencil,

some lipbalm, scissors, buttons and scissor charm,

and some yummy threads wrapped in red dotty ribbon….my favourite!

What a way to spoil a gal!  Jen is one very special lady, that’s for sure!

The delivery guy made a special stop late that night to our doorstep too…..we thought we had trouble when there was bashing on the front door at 8pm but the courier was just delivering this special parcel from my brother who just thought of me when he saw it…..

I can’t imagine why????!!!! LOL

This chocolate port will certainly be put to good use over Christmas, I’d say!!!!  Imagine the designs I’ll come up with!!!!!

Only two more of these left before Santa sets off on his merry way….keep safe if you’re traveling and many blessings to you and yours during Christmas.

love and sugary, sweet candy-cane hugs

xo Wendy :O)

Better late than never…

  I had the best news yesterday……my SSCS gift finally arrived at its destination – Portugal – yesterday!!!!!   I had given up hope for poor Noemia who has been waiting patiently since November and I had almost lost faith in the postal system !!!! Here is what I made Noemia…. Stars of Bethlehem I’ve copied the photo from Noemia’s blog as my photos were nowhere near as good as hers!!!   It is the table runner that was in Creating Country Threads Christmas Special Vol 11 No 3 by Karen Gledhill.   …and the ornament was inspired by one of the stitcheries on the corner of the runner….I just personalised it a little…can you see I used Cottage Garden variegated thread??   My favourite at the moment! Chooky assured me it WOULD get there…..but I was unsure……thanks Chooky for your unwavering belief in the posty….I now have a renewed faith in him too…the world over! You’ve probably also read about another bloggy friend of mine who came to visit me on the weekend here. It never ceases to amaze me how you can go through a boring period in your life and then suddenly, you meet someone new who you just seem to ‘click’ with. Jenny is one of those people and she has come to mean a great deal to me.  I have such great admiration for her, her values, respect for others, her understanding and thoughtfulness, her unselfish ways, her forward thinking , her love for her family,  her creativity and thinking ‘outside the box’ and her inspiration to me and others.   it is something special when you can laugh, cry and talk non-stop for hours and it feels like only minutes and when the day is up, you don’t want it to end….and all this after only three face-to-face meetings.   I’m so thankful to have met Jenny through blogging…..I know you know what I mean!!!  Friendships forged here are truly special! Poor Bloss couldn’t make it but Jen and dear Mr Elefantz made the trek downhill to the Burdekin and with the help of a rough mudmap, found their way to my house. Jen brought me some lovely gifts……. a beautiful make-up/lingerie bag  (I think I’ll use it for make up….a bit old for lingerie!!!! LOL) I wish you had smell-o-puter….the lovely rose fragranced soap is amazing…. and a very special apron that Jen talked about here but Blossom left her mark with her own little stamp of creativity… Like Mother, like daughter…..you two little creative bunnies, you!!!! With the flood relief on my mind, I’ve been working on this to send to those who have lost all their worldly creative goodies, with the thought that they know that despite not being there to help, we are definitely “with” them If you can, visit the Gum Tree Designs Flood Appeal to see how you can help too. and don’t forget…….the Flood Appeal Auctions organised by the lovely Toni and her sister….I’m auctioning this HUGE roll of Nancy Halverson fabric …which you can bid on here. Now is not the time to forget about each other, especially when we CAN do something to help another person….anywhere, anytime! Sugary hugs XXX Wendy  :0)