Seasons Greetings and a rescue!

Hi everyone.

I'm late again with the posts: I'm determined to get some time off this Christmas so I've had to bust a gut making sure the January releases are out early, organising the sale (starts January 1st: I'm being pedantic; A January sale should start in January, yes?)

So, lots of stitching and lots of planning and being organised.

Want to see the latest finishes?

This was the first in Holmsey's Hymms: Little Donkey featuring Holmsey and Douglas Donkey.

This is the second in the series, released early to allow for xmas.

 'While Shepherds Watched' features Holmsey and a new friend, Bartholomew Sheep.

I'll be releasing the third design on Christmas Eve as a freebie here and on fb.  Elaine stitched it for me and finished it as a perfect ornament. She's done an amazing job hasn't she?

I can't tell you what hymm/carol/song it's from yet as Elaine is offering the finished ornie as a prize in a competition she is running.  I wish I could enter. Her ornaments are gorgeous.

The fourth witch, Cardine Temporum has been finished and released.  I can't believe how well the Coven of the Year and Holmsey stories have been received. I put them up on fb when each witch is released or each Holmsey chart is released.   I really enjoy writing them, so it's lovely that people enjoy reading them.  

 I know; my photograph skills have not improved!

Here is a wee clip of Cardine's story.

"Cardine is a very special hedge witch.  She is tuned in to the Earth’s natural rhythm and is particularly sensitive to changing patterns in the world.

Not really surprising for a witch named Cardine Temporum: this is Latin for ‘the changing of the seasons’.

At the moment Cardine is very unhappy with people: all people.  She’s had to work really hard to try and minimise the damage done by the greenhouse effect.  She rides around on her broom, persuading bees to go and hibernate in October; long after they should have been in bed.  She helps animals escape from floods, waters plants suffering in droughts and tries to make sure that snowdrops stay safely in the soil until it really is time to wake up.

And at the moment she feels she is fighting a losing battle.

Things came to a head earlier in the month when she flew to France to attend the climate control meeting. This was the largest event of its kind,  ever, and leaders from all the important countries in the world met up to drink coffee, eat biscuits and talk about what they could do to try to put things right.  There seemed to be a lot of talking and not a lot of progress!

Cardine got so fed up with these great leaders doing so little, that she lost her temper, flew into the meeting room and whizzed around on her broomstick, dropping rotten eggs on their heads.  

And that resulted in Cardine being placed under arrest by the French police until she calmed down and Witchity Poo could fly over to pay her bail.

Fortunately, our world leaders all know about witches and the good work they do.  Rather than face an international incident, it was decided that as long as Cardine apologised to her victims and promised never to throw rotten eggs at world leaders again, she could go home. 

And home she is, though still fuming and not feeling very friendly towards people at the moment."

Aw bless her.  

Oh, and I would love to share a friend's finish.  A lovely lady called Barbara started  The Year of the Hare for her grandaughter. Sadly, she passed away and her stitching friend Cheryl finished it for her.  She's done an amazing job.  She will be finishing it as a wall hanging for Barbara's grandaughter over Christmas.

It looks amazing when you see all the different Holmseys together like this.  I know Barbara's grandaughter will love it.  

Now before I go and enjoy my time off, stitching, crocheting and cooking and spending time with  my family, I want to share something else with you.   I was in a local charity shop this week.  I went in to make a donation this time of the year.  I usually buy something from Oxfam as a gift to you all, but this year, I wanted to help out a local charity.

I went in to do my good deed and I saw this beautiful embroidered picture.  It broke my heart.  It is signed and dated on the back and I took one look and had to bring it home with me. I'm hoping I can give it a clean and restore it and then re-frame it.  On the one hand, I'm gutted that someone could take such a beautiful piece of work to a charity shop, but on the other hand, maybe they wanted someone to try to fix it and rescue it.  

It's been professionally framed and there's no damp so I think the marks are from where fingers touched the fabric prior to framing.

Wish me luck.  I would love to make this look new again xx

 Right everyone. I'm off to get ready for Christmas.

Have a wonderful, amazing Christmas and have a peaceful and healthy new year.

Happy Christmas