Blogs, Blustery Winds and Beautiful Candles

So the picture above is the nice candles I purchased for my Secret Santa gift at work. They were half price so I got the 2 smaller ones for $3.00 each and the larger one for $4.00. I really got a lot for my $10 limit, don't you think? Mom and I put the sleeves around them and tied pieces of jute about the paper sleeve. On the ends of the jute you can see the little elephant charms we strung on them. Of course it has a matching gift bag and tag. The hand made graph below will be in a clear plastic tag holder. The work swipe badge will be on one side and the design below will be on the other side. She likes her astrology sign so there is a crab and the symbols that represent Cancer plus her name. I am stitching it on brown perforated paper. I haven't decided on the floss color yet.

I was fussing around on the Internet this morning, visiting some of the blogs I like. I love the blogs which have innovative finishings of the handiwork. The French stitchers are SO outside the box with the finishing ideas. Cross Stitch Happy (http://www.xstitchhappy.com/) is very generous and she has many designs she has created and they are available free of charge. Her latest is "Friendship Heart Scissor Fob". The index is on the right side of blog with links to her free designs.

A German blog called "Kissy Cross" (http://kissycross.twoday.net/) is another generous blogger who shares her creations at no charge. There is a link on the right hand side which will take you to her free designs.

Of course this is the time of the year when many generous designers share their plans for Stitch Alongs for the next year. The above design is one of those SAL's which started this month and will continue with the last monthly chapter in July 2009. The first installment is available at http://gazette94.blogspot.com/ . At Gazette 94 there are many free designs also from this talented stitcher and I really love this SAL. I like seeing what the total piece looks like before stitching it. I would hate to waste my time only to find I really didn't like the elements. This one is not to be missed in my opinion.

The wind has become very gusty here in the Lilac Thicket. I was peering through the Lilac branches and saw the fallen leaves spinning like a cyclone headed north down the street. The leaves are now heading south which means our temperature is dropping. The skies are grey and I know a storm is heading our way. The Girlz are busy sleeping, not wanting to venture out of the Thicket and get their well coiffed fur mussed up! Well I will close and get busy with some stitching or other industrious activity here in the fragrant Lilac Thicket. Salutations!