Exchanges & Gifts - Picture Heavy

Happy 16 days before Christmas!!!

I woke up this morning to the sound of an ice storm ... not surprising because it was predicted yesterday.  It was still dark when I woke up, but now I can see the grass & bushes all covered with ice.  If I can't have snow, I'll take ice   : )   When I last heard the weather report, they were predicting ice all day & then a 60% chance of snow tonight.  I thought I had died & gone to heaven!  Sadly, John just told me the prediction has changed.  The ice is going to change to rain & then it will be rain-rain-rain through tomorrow.  Weather like this is probably what prompted Scrooges to utter his immortal words, "Bah!  Humbug!"

Well, as you may have garnered from my post title, I have some exchanges & gifts to share ... so I'd better get to it!  Before I do, however, I need to tell you that I sent my exchanges without taking pictures first.  I was so anxious to get them in the mail that I totally forgot   : (   I do have a photo of the ornament I stitched for each person, but most of them are Myra's photos unless otherwise specified.  Needless to say, Myra did all the finishing  Thank you again, my friend!

This first exchange is one I did with Maggee. Maggee sent me some wonderful herbal tea which she placed inside a pretty fabric gift bag, one of Nancy's necessaires, & a cross stitched ornament from my list ... LHN's Snow Bunnies which appeared in the 2007 issue of JCS Christmas Ornaments.

Here's the ornament I stitched from Maggee's list ... Joy of the Snowflake, Little by Little Design Company, featured in the 2011 issue of JCS Christmas Ornaments.  I really enjoyed stitching this & plan to stitch one for myself next year   : )

Here is the exchange I received from Edgar. For me he stitched an ornament from a JCS Christmas Ornaments issue that I know I've seen before but I have no idea what the name of the ornament is, the designer, or what issue it is in.  The fabric he used is a white linen with sparkles of some sort in it. Very pretty!  He also included a gift package of Lupicia Christmas tea.  He posted about this tea shop on his blog a while back & I was so excited about it!  How thoughtful he was to remember & gift some of this wonderful tea to me   : )

I am showing you a closeup of this 3-D card because it's pretty, of course, but also because there is a bit of a funny story regarding it.  I couldn't hang it with the other cards we've received so I displayed it on a table with some other Christmas decorations.  A couple days ago John received a card from our Subaru dealer & thought it had a really nice picture on it.  He brought it to me & said "here's another card to hang up!"  I told him it wasn't a personal card & therefore I wasn't going to hang it with the others.  He took it & put it in his CD/DVD room.  Yesterday John walked by the table where I had displayed this card & said "Oh sure, you put Edgar's card on display but you won't display the card we got from Subaru!" 

I can show you everything I sent to Edgar because he posted a photo on his blog which I'm sure he won't mind me borrowing for this post.  I'll borrow his photo of the ornament I stitched for him too   : )   I sent him some DVDs & a box of sort of local Christmas tea (it's made in Kentucky but not in the devil's playground).  The ornament I chose to stitch for him is Peace on Earth by The Primitive Hare, featured in this year's JCS Christmas Ornaments issue.  This is another one I plan on stitching for myself next year   : )

I also did an exchange with Lisa.  I can't show you what Lisa sent to me because I haven't received it yet.  She did, however, receive the package I sent to her.  She posted about it the other day & so I am borrowing one of her photos as well   : )   I sent Lisa some Christmas tea, a package of dark chocolate truffles, a needle threader, a fob, a Q-Snap edge cover, an acorn chart, & from her list of ornaments I chose to stitch Tra-La-La's Duo Noel, the sheep choice   : )

I stitched this design last year & Myra made it into a cube to display on a table top. Next year I plan to stitch the other design featuring the bird   : )

I did an exchange with Marie as well.  I have received the package Marie sent to me but unfortunately mine has not yet reached her. Hopefully she will get it soon.  Included in my exchange from Marie were a yummy container of mints, a scented candle, 2 skeins of Nancy's threads, & not one ornament from my list, but two!  From the 2010 JCS Christmas Ornament issue, Christmas Robin by The Victoria Sampler-Designs, & from the 2012 issue, LHN's Blue House in Winter.  

You might have noticed an unaccounted for package in the first of this series of photos. That is a belated birthday gift from Marie ... a very cute little notepad & pen for my purse   : )

This last exchange is one I did with Sarah.  I was late sending my package so I can't share with you what I sent to her just yet, but I can show you what she sent to me. Some linen, one of Nancy's charts, some thread wound on bobbins, a pretty notepad which at first I thought was Christmas related, but no ... it's a local design offered at a gift shop in Dubai where Sarah lives   : ) She also sent two ornaments!  I do not know the name of the designs or the designer(s), but aren't they pretty?

Addendum:  Sarah has informed me that the deer design is by Karen Kluba from Rosewood Manor   : ) 

That is the end of the exchanges for now   : ) I will post again when yet undelivered exchanges are received so I can complete this show & tell   : )

I have also received 2 gifts!  I usually don't open gifts until Christmas, but I knew these were ornaments, & I was told to "wait until December," & it's December, so here they are : )   This first one is from June.  I don't know the designer or the name of the design, but isn't it a cute little deer?

Addendum:  Daffycat very kindly informed me that this little fella is one of her designs ... Mistletoe Reindeer.  Thanks Daffy!

Last, but not least, is this lovely red bird ornament I received from Michelle.  As with June's choice, I have no idea who designed this or what the name of the design is, but I've never met a red bird I didn't like   : )

Thank you again everyone!  Have a beautiful Sunday!