Happy Winter Holidays!

Here's wishing all of our fellow Brazilian dimensional embroidery stitchers the happiest of winter holidays -- whichever one or more that you celebrate.

This little penguin is my Millefiori design #905, "Black Tie, Optional". I linked him to my in-progress website and, although you won't find it there yet, this little design is still available for stitching.

It's printed on pale turquoise blue fabric and has some interesting stitch ideas. I try to add different techniques to each of my Brazilian dimensional embroidery designs and this one incorporates my original Tuxedo Flowers, the Forget-Me-Knot made with a Double Knotted Loop that I'm pretty sure is original, the Criss Cross Satin Stitch and Raised Close Herringbone, one of my favorite self-padding dimensional stitches. His sparkly little eyes are Swarovski bicone crystals and cast-on stitches and drizzles complete his little feet and "?arms?"
I haven't posted an actual pdf tutorial because Blogspot hasn't yet shown me how to link them to my blog.  One of these days I will...
          In the meantime, this is another Millefiori design that is available to stitch.

I had SO much fun with this design that I decided to use it in a winter tablescape. I purchased a clear 5"x7" acrylic photo frame from the craft store, popped out the hollow box and pushed this foam-core-board-mounted piece in (added a colorful backing sheet behind so it would look good from any angle). Then I purchased a small flat mirror with beveled edge and also found some acrylic ice cubes at the craft store. Fabri-Tac is my favorite clear, fast-drying glue. 

Little broken bits of an old compact mirror (I upcycle almost everything!) are attached with nylon beading thread to give an impression of falling snow.

Where I live in Oregon, we had a big batch of snow a couple of years ago. Here is Cuthbert, my Norwegian Forest Cat, amazed by the wonder of it all (and not one bit happy that I carried him outside in one arm, my camera in the other hand, and plunked him down in a snowdrift).

This year we are having NoSnow, but lovely mild temps. Can't complain! Every day is lovely.
           Happiest of holidays to all.

Rosalie