I am gobsmacked! Twizzlefixed! Over the moon!  Rose at Christmas City Stitcher has presented me with the Liebster Blog award!

The word, "Liebster" is German for "Favorite" and I'm thrilled to know that my blog has become a favorite place for other bloggers to come to be motivated and inspired. Thank you, Rose. I am truly honored.

To accept the award, the blogger must:
1. Link back to the person who gave it to you and thank them.
2. Post the award to your blog.
3. Give the award to 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you appreciate and value.
4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know they have been offered this award.
5. Share 5 random facts about yourself that people don't know about you.

So it is with great pleasure that I present to you my five favorite small blogs~

•  The World According to Agi With charming free patterns and innovative finishing techniques, Agi gets my creative juices going! She now offers paid patterns, too. A visit to Agi's world is a true adventure.

• Feeling a little blue? Visit Flossy Bobbin and that blue will become a veritable rainbow of color and light. Flossy Bobbin is funny, irreverent, and very creative. She's got a sunny attitude and can't help but make you feel the same.

• Aurelia at Eglantine Stitchery has been an inspiration to me for quite some time now. Her fun ideas, her careful and meticulous stitchery are a joy. Her cross stitch resource page is one of the best on the net! She hasn't posted since the holidays. Hopefully, she'll return soon with lots of new ideas.

• Ant-Stitch is a new blog on the scene that focuses on the great new patterns featured at Ant of Sweden. There are contests and freebies, so be sure to bookmark this one and visit often.

• A Bit of This and That is like sitting down with a friend over a hot cup of coffee. Beautiful stitchery and fun finishing techniques make Shannon's blog a great place to visit.

Be sure to stop by and say hi to all these talented and creative people.


Now for those five random facts...

1. I love games. Card games, word games, board games; I love 'em all. I'm horrible at chess and bridge, but can hold my own in dominoes and canasta.
2. When I travel, I end up taking lots of pictures of architecture and scenery, none of the people I am traveling with. 
3. I'll admit it; I'm a Facebook addict. Pintrest is starting to grow on me, too.
4. Parties scare me, but I love speaking in front of a group. 
5. I know how to fly an airplane.

Thanks again, Rose, for your support and encouragement. 


Happy Stitching to you all!
Jeanne

Framing made easy

Well, now that I have learned how to frame, I'm finding it a lot less intimidating. One of the best methods I've found is at Carol Leather's Needlework Tips & Techniques. This easy-to-understand tutorial uses foam core board and straight pins to secure the fabric. A couple of stitches at the back corners, and it's ready to display in the frame. The nice thing about this method is that the picture can be removed from the board and washed if necessary.

I used Carol's framing method for my most recent pattern, Fleur de lis:

It really was simple and stress-free, after I figured out how to handle the glass without getting smudges on it. My secret weapon? Vinyl gloves, of course!

And yes, this pattern will be available soon at Ant of Sweden.

Hatching something fun

Looking for a little Easter fun? You'll find it with Easter Chicks. Simple blackwork arches pay a whimsical salute to the awakening of spring.

Bright yellow beaks are just cross stitches with a long vertical
stitch down the center.
French knots or seed beads for the eyes.

Click here for the pattern

MJ did it with DMC variegated thread:

So bright and cheerful!