Soft muted shades of thread adorn this last design in the trio of patterns we are shipping this week.  Poinsettia House, Winter Greens and Joy will be available soon in your LNS!

Hoping all of you who are experiencing early winters don’t have looooong winters!  On the other hand it’s supposed to reach 90 here in Tucson this week.  Kinda hard to think about Christmas when it’s so hot outside!.

I love doing the alphabet with words slipped in! 

We’ll ship this pattern on Friday along with the other two.

“Joy” is one of the three new releases we are shipping next week. 

It’s an “easy stitch” and can be finished in multiple ways.  I chose to use Weeks Dye works wool to create a flattened pillow with an attached cord for hanging on a knob.  There are small seed beads in the design that add just a bit of holiday sparkle.

We’ll be shipping our holiday designs next week so I think I’ll share some previews in the days ahead.  We’ll have Winter Greens, Joy, and Poinsettia House.  Two are from the “All Dolled Up!” pattern line.

Check back soon to see some snippets!

Diane

I have received so many emails regarding the purchase of the LHN ornament for UNICEF.  To make this easier for those still wishing to purchase it I am including the link for the website where the three ornaments are posted:  http://gigir.canalblog.com/

Scroll down the page until you arrive at the tree filled with the three ornaments and then look below it to find the translation that you can read (the English one is the third one down and is preceded with an American flag).  Email Gigi with your request and she’ll email you back with purchasing instructions. Wa-la! That’s all there is to it!

Ours is not the only ornament available so be sure to consider all three.  Remember . . . . . . this purchase raises money for UNICEF and the designers have donated the patterns.

Thank you!!!

Diane

I just had to show you all this sweet finish of our 2009 UNICEF ornament by Brenda Wilson.  The trim looks like frozen ice wrapped around the edges.  You can email Gigi for ordering information at : jancaro@skynet.be. 

“The Library” is finally being shown as a whole design!  We will be shipping later this week so that the boxes will arrive with distributors the week of the 20th.  As you can see, each window sits on a book and tells a story.  The windows can be stitched alone to create smaller designs so you can say that pack holds five patterns in one!

Ron and I took the kids and grandkids to Disneyland this past Labor Day week.  We had a wonderful time between California Adventure and Disneyland.  We saw the spectacular fireworks on Labor Day and even caught a glimpse of Tinkerbell floating across the night sky.  So now it’s time for all of us to get back to work and get ready for the upcoming releases!

Number four is here!  Anyone like romance novels?  Or how about a good classic with just a little romance thrown in on the side?  As you can see, this window takes a look at love and all that it entails in some of our favorite books.  It will remind you of your beloved Jane Austen novels, Gone With the Wind and many others.  Next week I think I’ll unveil the entire piece. . . . . . . .you’ve waited long enough!

If cactus were inspirational I’d be all set.  These beauties are in our back yard.  They started out as small barrels and have now grown to at least four feet.  The blooms are quite beautiful.

Gigi has posted the information on her web site for the three designs being offered for UNICEF.  To read in English you need to scroll down a bit.  The children who receive the benefits from UNICEF  thank you!  And so do I! 

LINK:  http://gigir.canalblog.com/

Diane

Would a library be complete without an Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes mystery?  This third snippet reveals let another peek into one of the windows.  I’m sure that by now you’ve guessed which one!  We used 32 count Vintage Light Examplar for the design.  The stitch count is 257 x 129.

You will need the following Crescent Colours  thread to stitch the design (note that six of the colors use two skeins):

Roasted Chestnut     2
Caterpillar    2
Cayenne    2
Pea Pod    2
Brandied Pears    2
Stepping Stones    2
Dublin Bay    1
Bean Sprout    1

You will also need the following DMC thread:  #’s 355, 644, 729, 936, 950, 3371, 3865

My dear friend Gigi invited me again this year to participate in the fundraising she and her colleagues do for UNICEF.  I eagerly accepted the invitation and created a sweet little ornament in a winter setting.  This sale takes place in cyberspace but the actual origin of the chart will come from Belgium.  What this means is that if you want it you must (I’m almost sure) have a PayPal account to make the purchase.  I’m just letting you know ahead of time.  You will not be able to get it from me or any shop, anywhere.  AND, the amount of time it will be available is limited.

Can you help us to set new records this year by purchasing a pattern for UNICEF?   I’ll be posting information on my web site next week. 

From UNICEF web site:  “UNICEF is committed to changing the world for children. It strives to protect their rights, improve their health, and nurture their development through sound planning and monitoring of policy results.”

Also, we will have an ornament in the upcoming JCS ornament issue.  I believe it’s due out in September also.

Thank you!

Diane

Every library has windows, doesn’t it?  This window depicts a Classic scene which has come to life from the pages of some of our most beloved books.  Ships returning from far away lands. . . . . . . . coming ashore to a  place they call home.  Tune in next week for a second peek into one of the windows of “The Library”.

We’re unfolding our next design the way a Mystery evolves . . . . . . . one clue at a time.

Snippet #1 of the September release, “The Library” is a look at the bottom of the design.  The verse spans the length of the design, making this piece largely horizontal.  Tune in next week for a second snippet of the design.

It won’t be long before the largest and most heavily stitched LHN design will be available for purchase.  It’s a design that has been long in coming but now that it’s almost here I’m letting the cat out of the bag (so to speak!).

Next month we are releasing a design called “The Library”.  It’s big (and spans three pages)!  You walk up to the door of the library, open it, and walk into a world of books.  The library is old-fashioned. . . . . trimmed with bricks and ivy.  The verse I wrote for the design is, “An open book is a window into the world”.  You will discover the worlds of the Classics, Mysteries, Romance and Westerns.  Each genre is represented by a scene within a window.  It’s a book lovers delight!  Renee Herman gets an award for getting the model stitched and back to me before I knew it.  Just wait until you see it!  (Coming the end of September).

As many of you know, we lost our beautiful Golden Retriever, Molly, over six weeks ago.  After the loss I threw myself into designing a small piece that would both help me with my grief and  provide us with a visual remembrance of her.  “A Walk in the Park” can be personalized for your dog or you can use the Woof-Woof lettering we provide.  I can think of a number of ways you can fill in the center box but the choice is yours of course.  The design is stitched in two colors but for those that like a little more color, simply add whatever you wish . . . . . . there is no shading which makes the color changes really easy.  This one ships at the end of the week also.

Molly went to the park twice a day for most of her life.  The last two years she jumped at the chance to get her leash but she only made the walk once a day.  Even up to her final week she still managed a few trips.  It was one of the simple joys of my husband’s life. . . . . . . a walk in the park with his beloved Molly.

This is a preview of a new design we’ll be shipping at the end of the week.  It’s a wonderful fall piece that spells the word “Pumpkins” inside the gourds.  Who’s that peeking out from behind that pumpkin?   

We finished things a bit differently this time.  I had Vonna (http://tts-finishing.blogspot.com/) finish the very wide design into a cube for me at it turned out just great.  It can be set on a mantle, entry table, etc.  The sky is the limit on this one!

It’s time to start thinking about fall and winter stitching!

Just about every afternoon we can count on these big puffy clouds appearing out of almost nowhere.  The build higher and higher and move into the valley, bringing with them rain and wind.  This is monsoon season in Arizona.  The rain can come quickly and fill streets and river beds in no time.  The rest of the year the river beds are dry and look a bit odd without water. 

It’s getting dark in the house now. . . . . . . just like it does every day about this time.  Not good for stitching. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . but they are beautiful, aren’t they?

Now this is a departure for me . . . . . . . combining a wonderful children’s verse and the look of a LHN sampler.  I just love the fairytale nature of this design and how it draws you into the scene. 

This is due out at the same time we release “Mayflower Landing” which is close to the end of the month.

Until then. . . . . . . . . .