More Christmas in July!

Hi Folks!  My package to my pal in England was delivered, and her package to me has arrived!  I couldn't wait to fully finish them, though I still have one I'm contemplating how I want to fully finish.  I love them all and couldn't really tell you which one I love more!  I don't know the names, designers, nor any other information.  She knows me so well!  I do love the little girl surrounded by violets (my favorite flower) and she was the first of them that I fully finished.  I have to say, being a pack rat comes in handy.  I had both frames and trim I used in my stash.  Being a former Girl Scout (always be prepared) comes in handy at times!  LOL!!  So...without further ado, here are the ones I fully finished...  

And here is the one I have to figure out how I fully finish.  I'm thinking a block finish...I'll have to check my stash again...haha.  

She also sent along these goodies... Lots of charts... 

Doo dads and bling... 

I've been meaning to show you my mantle with most of my Americana stitching.  There is more scattered around the room, but most of it is right here.  AND there are more to finish!  There are never enough hours in the day!  

As for Christmas in July I have stitched and fully finished a few more ornaments.  I always feel like I'm behind in my Christmas stitching, I'm always rushing at the end of the year.  I have a list of things I need to do (and sometimes add to the list) so I really need to get stitching.  I've been working on another ornament (and hopefully will finish today) that has taken way longer than it should have.  

With a little break in the craziness I'll have another update soon!  Anyway...here are the other ornaments I've been working on.  I found these adorable beach related ornaments for my son and his wife.  They love the beach!  The first is Gingerbread Man 

and the second is Santa Resting.  

These are from the December 2009 issue of Stoney Creek magazine.  I used a 32 count mystery blue hand dyed fabric I had in my stash to stitch them on.  They stitched up really fast, but then I had to wait for the buttons from Stoney Creek.  I love how they turned out!  The next is Patriotic Christmas by JB Cross Stitch from the 2025 JCS Ornament Issue.  How appropriate to have that to stitch this year!  So I finished it yesterday...I can't decide if I should add it to my mantle now or wait until Christmas?  It's stitched on 32 count Stormy Night two over two and fully finished as a stand up.  Now I'm wondering if I should take it to the fair this year?  Decisions decisions...  

Speaking of fairs, I went to a Christmas in July Craft Fair last week.  I found this little dish that is magnetized.  You can put your needles or anything else inside the dish, or you can pass the bottom of the dish over any surface and pick up metallic things you dropped.  I just loved the little ladybug!  I think I'll be taking this to retreats for an orts collector...haha.  

Ok, I guess that's all the news that's fit to print.  It's been a bit wild with weather these days (they have reports of a tornado or microburst 20 minutes from us eeek! and there was a tree limb in the road about a half mile from our house yesterday).  The smoke from the wildfires has been pretty thick around here too.  Not fit for humans to be out and about, but life goes on.  Stay safe everyone, and know that I'll be praying for safety for those in the path of the storms,  flooding, earthquakes and wildfires.  What a crazy world we live in right now!  Still...we have our stitching to keep our minds and hands busy.  Take care...