UPDATE: INTERNATIONAL CHRISTMAS SWAP

The International Christmas Swap organized by Caterina is over (www.leminisdicockerina.blogspot.com). You can see all picture here:
www.picasaweb.google.com/cockerina1/SwapDiNatale
I got the parcel from Carin Foster from Canada (http://orrlakemusings.blogspot.com). She made for me:
- pumpkin (an autumn)
- Christmas cake and candies (a winter)
- a rocking dog (a kid's toy). Unfortunately I can't show you the rocking dog right now because I hid it from my 4 year old princess (she loved it a lot and I didn't want her to brake it). So, I hid it so good that now can't find, but don't worry it is in a saved place, somewhere..., and when I find it I will post an image.

Thank you, Carin, it is very cute.



Unfortunately I can't show you the pictures of what I sent to Caterina because she hasn't got it yet. My husband's illness slowed me down in preparing and shipping the gifts for her, plus weather leaves much to be desired, but I hope, Caterina, you will get it soon and will not be upset. Smile! Happy coming New Year!

TUTORIAL: MARILEE'S CHRISTMAS CENTERPIECE

This is a tutorial for a Christmas Centerpiece "Candle on a Log".


1. Candle. You can make a candle from clay (red color, or white and then color it). Use a strong glue to glue the candle to the center of the bowl jewelry finding. If you want to paint the wick black, do it now and let it dry before adding the chimney.



2. Add chimney.


3. Trim the log to make a flat bottom so that it won't roll around.


4. Glue greenery to the sides and some on the top, but leave a space for the candle assembly.


5. Add the candle.


6. Trim with holly leaves and berries, other greenery, and pieces of white, or wherever you want. Color berries in red.




MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas!
This is my Christmas gift to all of you - a needlepoint pattern for a dollhouse miniature rug. You are welcome to change the color of a background. If you have any questions while working on this rug, don't hesitate to contact me: scarletsails@live.com. If you finish this rug I will be happy to post the image of it on my blog.
Happy stitching!



155 x 151 stitches
The size of a completed rug is 3.88" x 3.77" (9.84 x 9.59 cm)
stitched on 40 count silk gauze with DMC

Pattern:

HAPPY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Wreath is on the Door

The wreath is on the door
And the snow is on the tree
God has laid His holy hands
On all that we can see.

Be quick to raise your voice
And praise what He has brought.
Keep now His love in every choice
And Christmas in every thought.



It's Christmas Time Again
(by Bob Lazzar-Atwood)

Put your problems on probation
Run your troubles off the track,
Throw your worries out the window
Get the monkeys off your back.
Silence all your inner critics
With your conscience make amends,
And allow yourself some happiness
It's Christmas time again!

Call a truce with those who bother you
Let all the fighting cease,
Give your differences a breather
And declare a time of peace,
Don't let angry feelings taint
The precious time you have to spend,
And allow yourself some happiness
It's Christmas time again!

Like some cool refreshing water
Or a gentle summer breeze,
Like a fresh bouquet of flowers
Or the smell of autumn leaves,
It's a banquet for the spirit
Filled with family, food and friends,
So allow yourself some happiness
It's Christmas time again!

TUTORIAL: BETH'S HOUSE PLANTS

This is a simple tutorial to make house plants.



You will need:
- Green Leaves (leaf bunch found in bridal section at Hobby Lobby)
- Coffee Grounds
- Green Floral Foam
- Glue
- Scissors
- Pots can be found at Michaels



1. Paint pot the way you like.

2. Squeeze glue into pot (sides and bottom).

3. Cut a piece of green floral foam to fit the pot.



4. Trim green leaves to desired design.





5. Spread glue on top of green foam.



6. Press pot upside down into "dirt" (coffee ground) and tap of excess.





7. Cut leaf wires to desired height and put into "dirt".

International Christmas Swap by Cockerina

Today I got the parcel from Karin. Thank you, Karin, I can't wait till Christmas to open it.

My new shoes

This is a pair of lady's winter boots I finished last week.

International Christmas Swap by Cockerina

This is my update for the International Christmas Swap organized by Cockerina: I shipped my gift to Caterina in Italy. Caterina, here is a picture for you.

Dollhouse Miniature Advent Calendar December 2010

If you love miniature projects, then you are certainly going to love finding out what is behind each of the advent doors.

Each day in December, one of the virtual 'miniature' doors below will open to reveal a unique FREE ‘Christmas Project’ written by one of 'artisan' members of AIM…

Packed with 24 Christmas projects, you will not want to miss a day!

http://www.artisansinminiature.com/photo_25.html

CHRISTMAS SALE! WWW.SCARLETSAILSMINIATURES.COM

I have a Christmas Sale of Needlepoint Area Rug Patterns for your dollhouse in scale 1:12. Keep it in mind: IT IS A PATTERN, NOT A COMPLETED RUG!

You can find them here:

http://www.scarletsailsminiatures.com/shopnow.html?page=shop.browse&category_id=1

I also have a sale for silk gauze. The cost for a piece of silk gauze 12" x 12" 40, 49, 60, 72, 84, 90 counts is ONLY $15.00. Hurry up! The sale will be over at the end of December!

http://www.scarletsailsminiatures.com/shopnow.html?page=shop.browse&category_id=14

Contest "Another Dimension"

Thank you every one who took part in this contest.

I am sad to say that it is over sooooo fast.

I am happy to announce a winner: Tosha from Austintatious Offerings Needleworks.

Haveyou seen her beautiful website? Good luck, you will spend some time there:

http://www.austintatiousofferings.com/

I posted her comment and deleted later in purpose that nobody could see the correct answer. Here is her comment:


im2yar4u (http://openid.aol.com/im2yar4u) has left a new comment on your post "CONTEST "ANOTHER DIMENSION"":

Hi Natalia, This is a seal, balancing a ball that says kiss on it!


BRAVO! Tosha!

The catch was a word on the ball "K I S S" that many participants missed.

Patty Got My Giveaway Gift!

Patty got my Giveaway Gift and posted the pictures on her blog. Thank you, Patty. I am happy that you liked it.
http://patty-petit-orphelin.blogspot.com/2010/11/more-gifts.html#comments

CONTEST "ANOTHER DIMENSION"

I would like to offer you a new contest that I called "ANOTHER DIMENSION".

You probably know that there is a form of art that is called 3D pictures or 3D illusions. Roots of this art form actually date back to 1838. It began with simple observation and expanded into crude drawings and from there moved into a more advanced form in the late 1950s when professionals were studying how our vision works. I use this art to improve my vision, believe it or not.

I posted the 3D image. A winner will be a person who will tell us what this 3D picture depicts, because there is a hidden object inside. It is not necessary to print picture, you can do it straight from the computer, wherever it is convenient for you.



How to see the 3D images?

There are actually many ways to see these incredible images. The key to seeing them is for the picture itself to be out focus to your eyes. This allows the eye and the mind to solve the illusion.

Look toward the picture but do not focus on anything. Just kind of give it a blank stare, then relax. After a bit you will start to "feel" something happen. The picture will start to change, when it does this just keep relaxing and doing the same thing. Your eyes will do the rest of the work when you are patient. When the image first comes in, it usually is just a piece of it. Continue to do the same relaxed stare and the rest will "pop" in.

The winner will get a needlepoint pattern of a Dollhouse Miniature Area Rug "Aubusson" charted by me. It is not a rug itself, it is a pattern that is supposed to be stitched. I will add a Mini surprise as well. This is the image of an "Aubusson" Needlepoint Area Rug Pattern:



The contest starts on the 1st of December, 2010 and ends at 12.00 p.m. of the 7th of December. The first person who will send me the correct answer during the next coming week will be the winner and the contest will be over.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!

New Shoes 1:12 scale

I think that I will be back to my Pillow Challenge in December. Now I am busy with the preparation for the International Christmas Swap and making Christmas gifts for the ladies from our local dollhouse club.
Yesterday I finally had time to work on my shoes. Made 3 pairs so far. They all need some final touches I just couldn't wait to share with you.