* * Thank you * Thank you * Thank you * *

I have had such a brilliant Christmas made even more special by the wonderful gifts I have received from my stitchy friends. I hope you enjoy looking at my new stash as much as I will enjoy "playing" with it all.

Big thanks to Julie - for these two gorgeous Christmas Frames - I will search for a small chart to fit both and stitch them for next Christmas to have pride of place on our mantle - thank you Julie.

Thanks to my my friend Cathy who lives in the USA - she has sent me some beautiful Caron threads - I will have many hours of fun thinking about how to use them.

Karan sent me a beautiful religious chart - thank you Karan. I doubt whether I will stitch it fro this coming Easter but it will definately be one to do in the future.

I joined quite a few of the JA exchanges this year and I have already shared the ornament and teh card exchanges - thanks to both my partners. Polly sent me some beautiful stash for the £5 exchange - a skein of Ultra-Suede, The Dye is Cast (New Day)thread, 32ct lugana and some fab transparent sticky notes (now won't they be great for making notes on charts)- thanks Polly.

Angie was my partner for JA Secret Stash £15 - the goods she sent were fabulous in all my favourite colours - thanks Angie you're a star. Parcel parcel had:- 4 skeins of DMC perle 5#, 3 packets of stain cord, "Anemone" Pure Silk ribbon, and 22ct, 28ct and 32ct fabric in beautiful pastel shaeds. I am so spolit -thanks Angie.

I organised the JA "No stash for Christmas" exchange which was great fun. I sent a parcel to Karan which I really enjoyed putting together. My stash arrived from Dusty in USA. There was a lovely pair of socks(already worn and in the wash, a fridge magnet, Pumpkin Patch room freshener, handmade recycled writing paper, flower stickers, and flower pattern sticky notes (another new one on me). Thank you Dusty for a wonderful array of non-stitching pressies.

and my good friend in Norway, Hege, sent 10 Krenik skeins of Silk Mori (such a huge treat), a small hardanger and blackwork chart, and a beautiful chart "Flower Samplers Book 1" by Hillside Samplings. I don't know which chart to do first, or shall I go look for something fro the Krenik - thank Hege, you really spoilt me.

I do hope everyone had a good day yesterday and that you all still have the holiday feeling for a few more days. We're off to Twickenham tomorrow to see the rugby, Harlequins v Leicester Tigers, DD is so excited.

Our two children suddenly look very grown up this year, especially yesterday, so we took some photos - enjoy.