Now, I invite my dear visitors to see the lovely package I received from Mylene... I loved the magazine, the ornament (I hang it immediately on the branches I bought, see below - I was away at Christmas but wanted to have a Christmas feeling at home before leaving) and the hand-made card - Mylene is worldwide known for her cards :) She also remembered that I liked the fizzy cording she used on an ornament last year and now she sent me a pack! Thanks so much, Mylene!
Nath' sent me a super lovely French chart for a biscornu together with the silk skein needed to stitch it and that kicked me out of my scare of biscornus. I had bought this Spring/Summer biscornu pattern from Giulia Punti Anticchi a while ago, because I absolutely loved it, but I shyed out. Biscornus intimitated me. Why? I can't say. I thought they are very complicated to assemble and that I wouln't like going through endless complex instructions. And then I thought that okay, I should start with the one I have, learn how to do it right and then stitch the one from Nath - ideal, with no flaws. Oh how easy it is to make a biscornu. How could I think otherwise? :)
This is the spring face, with the special four pins on it, and it is stitched with Crescent Colours. 
Here is the summer face:
And no, I wasn't able to get an explanation from my camera why colors are different on both pictures!
Now I just need to find suitable buttons for the biscornu from Nath' and off we go to the second one! :)
Nath is just the friend you want to meet and stay with... another sunray that came my way in 2007 via this blog in 2007... I trust this friendship will last! :)
And I love to spoil people I love... I sent Nath a package with several charts I've already stitched, the 2007 Christmas JCS, a tatted ornament, a yard of Christmas fabric, a skein of silk... You can see it here.
Time to think about a spring giftie! :)
Pwaaaaah...... looks like I forgot the pictures at home on another pendrive.... so that's all I can show today... but I'll edit this post in just a few days after I return home!!! Must have been the usual rush before Christmas...
Elisabeth is one of the most lovely cross stitch friends I met through Internet, be it via a yahoo group or this blog. We've been chatting offlist and offblog for a long time about all the usual things two woman chat about :) And we were planning a private exchange for some time, but then life got in the way, Elisabeth moved into a new house, I broke my hand... so we were delighted to be partnered for the Prairie Schooler's Christmas exchange. I already posted my exchange piece some weeks ago, but now see the absolute beauty Elisabeth stitched for me!
This is one of the PS Angels which colors she adapted and added beads. Oh, the delight on my face when I opened the package... Oh the joy! Those who had the pleasure to received something her talented hands made know that her work is a true masterpiece... I borrowed the first two pictures from Elisabeth's blog because my camera wouldn't do justice to this beautiful piece.
What a superb finishing on the back... sorry for the blurred picture!
Heh, wasn't I spoiled? Elisabeth sent me Isabelle's Vaultier 'Red and white Samplers' book which I had eyes on for quite some time... And a little heart ornie, and the cutest notepad with dogs (we both love dogs!), and this fantastic French ribbon that looks like a measuring tape, which I'll save for that future very special project, plus a little heart button and a huge package of chocolate candies, a local delicacy from Elisabeth's town. Now, guess why I couldn't make a picture of them some days later! LOL
Did I tell you I surprised myself by making little happy sounds when opening all the wrapped-up packages... like a little child. Oh yes, I was happy, I was delighted.... Thank you so much again, Elisabeth, this was a wonderful exchange!!
You know who you are... many lovely persons who are still waiting for an answer, a comment on their blog, news from me... I apologize for neglecting my friends over the past weeks and just in time for the New Year resolutions, I promise to improve...
Life has been *busy*. The water pipe works in my appartment are over, leaving a thick layer of dust and dirt which I've done my best to fight the past two weeks. Others were less lucky than me and when I was leaving on Friday, works continued... noisy and disturbing. I wish I could say it's now behind us, but we face the neat plan of centreal heating pipes exchange in the spring... and that, as I was told, is much, much worse... Can it really be? LOL
I am already at my father's, enjoying an evening at the 'puter while he and his wife visit friends. I am dog-sitting :) two lovely mix-breeds, a 2007 addition to the family. They're small and adorable, one is still young, the female is about 4 years old, both rescued from a shelter almost immediately after the last doggie had to leave... I congratulated them on that decision. When I think they always called me nuts to have two dogs! Well, now it's their turn and they enjoy it. One day, another cat, another dog will join my cat and dog, but for the time being I'll be reasonable, I travel too much and my place in Warsaw is way too small for a zoo :)
H. was in hospital for two weeks. After his heart operation he is taking daily doses of blood thining pills which are adapted after each blood control which he does more or less every two weeks if there's no need to do it more frequently. Well, the last time the doctor didn't take time to think and his blood became to thin, generating an internal bleeding in one leg. He's now at home but still walks difficultly and is in a lot of pain. I'm flying to Oslo on the 27th and I suggested I'll take the airport bus to his home (a > 1h journey) because he can;t drive either. For him, this Christmas is not the best one. At least the whole thing didn't disturb our plans - we had decided that this year, he would spend Christmas with his mother. He was always here with my family... but as much as it is important for me to be together at this special time of the year, it was me who suggested he should stay with his mother... she's over 75 and doesn't deserve to have each Christmas dinner without her only son, methinks :)
I also started checking the reason for my recent health problems. I am finally diagnosed with PCOS and almost happy to finally have an answer after 15 years of noone knowing anything. Then another little thing was found and I need to undergo a surgery early next year, but that's nothing dangerous - just has to be removed before it becomes a danger. Unfortunately the reason of my constant pain in the lower part of the belly is still mysterious so after my return from Norway, I will continue doing checks and visiting doctors.
As you see it's been a time of dust and worries, so again, I apologize for a long silence to all who felt bad about it...
My brother, wife and kid arrive on the 27th as they are spending the Christmas Eve on the 24th with my SIL's family. My father is euphoric : he'll have both his kids and his only grand-son soon around him! :)
I just wish we had some snow... it's getting colder but snow we'll have not, this year, one year more, unfortunately. Ah, global warming...
Watch this space - I spent half last night uploading pictures and now I'm about to post them all , just let me describe them :)
I reduced my participation in stitchers' groups and exchanges this year, so unlike many or most of you, I don't own/receive many stitched gifts. But at this end of year I still received a few very special gifties I want to share with you.
I included a clay rooster, a laced napkin, a little hand-painted bowl (for orts?) and a recent chart I loved.
... Sharon opened it and here it is. A little box with a Prairie Schooler design from Cranberry Christmas, book # 142. There is a green star button with beads at the top and little clusters of mini beads in assorted colors, green and gold, at each corner.
It was a pleasure working it up for you, Sharon! Happy birthday again!
It's Sharon's birthday today! I sent her a PIF and a chart.... 
Thank you *very* much for your comments on my PS cube! :)
Elisabeth posted two beautiful photos of the goodies I sent her along with the cube (two new charts, one kitted, a small Santa, a little chest made of one piece of wood, a hand-decorated traditional Polish chocolate cake, a hand-painted silk card and a box to decorate) and she kindly let me copy them here.
Exchanges can be soooo much fun when you have the privilege to spoil a little someone as gifted, talented and lovely as Elisabeth is! :)
I can't wait to discover what she stitched for me but I won't be home before next Monday, I think.
We spent the week-end baking and decorating gingerbread cookies. A great time was had! All the family, big and small, everyone helped around a big table. And then we decided that from now on, we would always decorate - eggs at Easter and gingerbread cookies for Christmas, all the family together. Here are those I decorated, aren't they adorable? :)
My aunt created more traditional versions:
One of my cousins and my aunt...
His wife made funny couples, here is Mister and Lady Ghost:
Futher on, she painted a handsome little guy ready for a night at the opera (my cousin and his wife are big opera fans)...
...soon joined by the lady of his heart:
Here is my exchange piece for Elisabeth - I created a four-sided cube (of which just two sides are shown). I was ambitious: it took me about eight hours to sew-it together and do the decoration in the upper part. Haven't I said I could never earn my life as a finisher at that speed? LOL But I was proud of the result :)
That was from Button up - Book # 143.
The three other photos are all also from a recent leaflet, Cranberry Christmas - Book # 142:
- the one with red fizzy finishing stays home
- the gold/red one with smaller and bigger beads is a PIF for Mylene
- and the last one also stays home - you'll notice I did it in colors and added beads etc. It is a constant source of frustration because no matter what I did, I was never able to take a good shot of it and it *is* really nice.I have one more to show but it has to wait till someone receives it... ;-)
A small recent finish that stays home - I love it way too much to part with it! LOL
I added a green thread around the cording, it was such a good idea.
Plumpudding Needlearts freebie
Stitched with my choice of overdyes on Silkweaver hand-dyed linen.
I am spending a week at my aunt, grandma, with regular visits from both of my cousins and wifes, kids - a wonderful time.
Today my cousin's children are staying overnight. They consider it a rare treat when I come to stay a bit and they insisted in staing at my aunt's for two days this week-end. And as we are busy cooking and baking traditional Christmas specialties, we also have a great time together, we laugh a lot and enjoy being together.
On the pictures, just some of the many trays of miniature gingerbread Christmas cookies we bakes today, my aunt and my cousin's kids.
And then the traditional pierogis with mushroom and cabbage... with mushroom sauce.
