Winnings and needle punch

I was thrilled to find out that I was the winner of a giveaway that Debbie of "WoolenSales"
had. I was able to pick out a free epattern or epattern booklet. Since I am new to punch needle,
and don't have very many patterns, I decided to pick her Winter e-pattern book.
It is full of projects. So now I am all set with Winter patterns. Check out Debbie's blog,
she is very talented and offers patterns for sale.
 A few weeks ago I showed you my first needle punch, it was a snowman pattern by Doreen Frost.
I was so proud of it, but look back and think how terrible that it looks, he he
You could see alot of the Weaver's cloth showing, so I decided to try it again. It isn't perfect, but
I can tell with each needle punch that I do I am improving. I will have to say, I like this one.

New Needle Punch Projects

I am really enjoying my new pass time Needle Punching, I finished two projects that I have been working on. Both patterns are by "Notforgotten Farm". Last weekend my husband and I was
able to go spend a weekend in WV at our farmhouse, where I worked on my needle punch, read a book and relaxed by the fire. Ronnie took  pictures of me, but I didn't get any of him.
Today is his birthday, we are meeting the kids and grandkids for supper. I made him a homemade,
from scratch cake for his Birthday, it is the recipe off of the back of the Hershey Cocoa box,
it is such a wonderful cake and easy. He loves it! Happy Birthday Ronnie! Hope your Birthday is a special one!

Love the pitcher

Winter Time

Love this pattern

Bo likes the snow

Me and little Bo

Enjoying the woodstove

Ron holding the grandkids school pictures

Homemade from scratch Chocolate cake

My very first needle punch

For a long time now I have been wanting to learn to do needle punch. I have been watching "You Tube" videos on how to needle punch. I especially love the videos from Lori, "Notforgotten Farm" and "The Old Tattered Flag". I have worked so hard on this project, I am a perfectionist,so I am not
totally pleased with the results. I can see some white spots and that bothers me. But I have to tell myself that this is my first project and I will get better with time. I can tell that when I really get
the hang of needle punching that it is going to be alot of fun. If anyone has any pointers to help me
I would greatly appreciate it. I used a standing Morgan hoop which I really like, I was afraid at this
point to invest in a gripper frame. Last year I made my first quilt and learned to cross stitch,
so this is my goal for this year. Wonder what I will do next.

Year long Gift!

I want to wish all of my blogger friends a Happy New Year, one of my goals this year is to learn to
needle punch, I have started a project and will show it when I am finished.
  I want to share a cute gift with you that my husband and I received from my grandchildren Cole and Riley this year. They gave us a gift bag and it is has 12 envelopes in it. One for each month of the year. I want to share the gifts we received with you.
 My husband made a deal with them that if they would take music lessons for 3 years that he
would give them each $1000. Well this Jan. is 1 year and they have stuck to it faithfully. Cole is taking piano and Riley guitar. I think Ronnie better be saving up his money.

Gift number one, January

Letter from Cole, a picture and game piece

Letter from Riley and a guitar pick

Lots of wonderful family photo's and school photo's!

Surprise package!

I received a wonderful surprise package today from a sweet friend, Trish Ladybug.
 Trish used to have a wonderful blog, but doesn't anymore, we met through blogging
and have remained friends.
 Trish sent so many wonderful goodies, a lamp,a beautiful pinkeep,  a crow, Christmas ornaments, some
fabric, and even a gift for my husband. I feel like Santa stopped by my house again.
Thank you Trish for your wonderful surprise, I love everything and will think of you
and our friendship whenever I look at my wonderful goodies! Now the fun of finding
special places for all of my goodies!!!

Gerald arrived today and Christmas cookies.

Wendy "Ravenwood Whimzies" had a 12 days of Christmas countdown with a giveaway.
If you haven't looked at her blog please go there for wonderful tutorials and some wonderful
recipes. At the end of the countdown she had a giveaway and I was the lucky winner.
Wendy is a wonderful lady and crafter. I love snowmen because you can leave them out all Winter.
Gerald is just adorable, thank you Wendy, I love him!!!

Today was such a wonderful day, I love baking Christmas cookies and listening to Christmas carols while I am baking the cookies. Of course I am singing along and eating part of the cookie dough,
I know we aren't supposed too, but it is so good.

I will share photo's of the cookies that I made,
Maybe next year I can also give the recipes for these cookies. I like to use real butter in my cookies, I think it gives them a wonderful flavor. And the chocolate chip recipe is on the toll house chocolate chip bag. It calls for 2 sticks of butter, I use 1 1/2 sticks of butter, I don't like a flat cookie and I think 2 sticks of butter makes them too flat.

Snowballs, I always make them for my dad

Noel bars, one of my husbands favorite

No bake cookies, I learned to make them in 7th. grade

toll house chocolate chip cookies

Wonderful Surprise in the Mail!

Yesterday I went to the mailbox to get my mail and on my porch I spotted a package,
I thought humm who could that be from.
What a wonderful surprise, when I saw it was from Wendy "Ravenwood Whimzies"
 I opened the package like a little kid on Christmas morning. She got me a beautiful sifter,
she must have spotted my collection in a picture. And by the way I didn't have the sifter she
sent me. And a wonderful bar of peppermint goats milk soap, It smells wonderful.
 I will be so proud to display my sifter and love how the goats mild soap is making my bathroom smell, can't wait to use it.
 Thank you Wendy, that was so sweet, I will think of you whenever I see my sifter and use my soap.

I love how Wendy wrapped the gift.

Beautful sifter and yummy soap.

I haven't been very creative lately, but I did manage to make an Amish snow girl,
that I gave away for a gift and a standing snowman. I haven't decided but may just
keep him for myself. I don't know if other crafters are like me or not, but I rarely keep
anything that I make for myself. Now I need to concentrate on baking and getting ready for Christmas. I have a Christmas "Chicken Soup for the Soul", book I love reading it the month of Dec.
so many of the stories concentrate on the true meaning of Christmas.
Wishing you all a beautiful week.