Ornament Exchange with Melissa and Cool Christmas conversions

I'm finally back with the pictures of the ornament exchange I did with Melissa.  She sent me this adorable Snowman, which my lack of photography skills do not show to its best advantage.  I tried with and without flash, but this was the best I could do.  I really need to invest in a better camera and/or a tripod.  All pictures *should* be clickable for a closer view.

I sent Melissa Lizzie*Kate's "My Favorite Time" stitched one over 2 on 40 count Lakeside Linens Vintage Light Exemplar using the DMC conversion.  The only color change I made was for the single X at the top of the ornament.  I stitched it in the same brown as the branch because the gold blended into the linen.  It was finished as a simple pillow with a feather-edged ribbon hanger and embellished with buttons my kids picked from my stash.  I added a fringed patch with my initials and the year to the back and did a rough blanket stitch around the edge to finish it off. The postman must have really liked this one, because it took a week for it to go "priority" within the US.  I was seriously getting worried that I'd have to restitch it, especially since I sent Vonna's at the same time and hers arrived in two days and she lives one state farther east than Melissa.  Too bad it's not possible to email packages!

 

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For those who might be interested in the conversions I used a few posts back on Fresh Threads Studio's "Cool Christmas" from the JCS 2010 ornament preview issue, here are most of them.  I forgot to write down the blues I used for the last one.  I'm pretty sure these are accurate, I did keep changing my mind on some of the colors as I stitched, but I tried to write down the final colors. 

Symbol charted	DMC charted	Orange	Blue	Pink	Black/Red	Red/Black	Purple
n	310	310	310	310	304	647	310
3	702	970	322	351	413	844	3746
u	907	742	996	353	414	304	341
~	B5200	B5200	B5200	B5200	B5200	B5200	B5200
/	964	3824	3325	604	666	310	554
50/50 circle	3812	608	995	601	310	666	552
@	3820	3755	3820	3820	647	648	3820
o	3822	3325	3822	3822	648	762	3822

For the silver on all of them, I "made do" with a double strand of Talon American metallic sewing thread from my stash because I didn't have the Kreinik and I couldn't find my silver DMC.

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I have done the bulk of the stitching and restitching of the Cat's Whiskers "On Christmas Day" sampler.  I haven't decided whether I want to bead it or not, so I haven't stitched the small snowflakes (which I'm not entirely sold on either) yet.  It is in serious need of a press before I can show a picture of the progress/possible final product.  I stitch in hand and it's been rolled from all directions as I've stitched, so no matter what I try the ends curl in too much to get even a halfway decent shot.  Maybe I'll break out the iron and board over the next few nights and take a pic or two and get your opinions on whether to bead or call it done!

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In the great likelihood that I don't post here before the new week begins, I want to wish everyone the happiest of new years, and may 2011 bring you all the blessings you deserve!