Merry Days of Christmas, Entry 2....

Greetings and Warm Welcome to my blog ~

where I share my love of all things needle and thread.

Entry 2....

I have made a personal exchange arrangement with three friends of mine on Facebook to exchange Christmas ornaments (and to be honest I'm thinking about doing an exchange every other month until next Christmas - I love to exchange ornametns). The other night (literally the night before Thanksgiving) I was trying to come up with an innovative idea to finish a Christmas ornament. You know I don't want to do everything the same all the time and I love to come up with different finishes.

So I was thinking about this Prairie Schooler I had stitched for one of my very dearest friends that is exchanging with me and I wanted to make it special. I had an idea...

and the day after Thanksgiving I asked the mister if he would drive me to Michaels. He complied, so he wandered the aisles as I headed to the scrap book section. The idea included gluing paper to mat board. so I chose my colors and went to the check out...as I pointed out Cricut machines, scissors, Cricut machines....

(I don't think he got the subtle hints 😂 )

Anyway...yesterday I began to create and assemble what I had in my mind...

a house shape....

trees to layer for depth...

mounted ornament on top of all...

to create a little scene...

and here is the result!!!! 

"Up on the Housetop"

The Prairie Schooler - Book 25

32 ct. slate by Hand-dyed by Stephanie

DMC floss as charted

THIS is flying to its new home today...but this WILL BE HAPPENING again to stay here.

There you go sports fans (hi Edgar!)

I have to work for the next foreseeable future...

Did I tell you all that I work outside the home at a local quilt shop? Well I do...and although it is supposed to be a "part time" job, it seems to be "full time" job most of the time. 

It's all good, I love to work there and I can do what I want in between phone calls and customers.

So I have to work because the lady I work with is on jury duty and I teach classes this weekend there so....Who knows when I'll be back to do another entry, but I will definitely be back to share some Merry during these Merry Days!

Until next time...

keep a smile in your heart and one on your face and you just can't go wrong!

Love, Smiles and Big Hugs,

Vonna xxxx

Merry Days, entry 1

 Greetings and Warm Welcome to my blog ~

a place where I share my love of all things needle and thread

First off today....

I want to thank each and everyone of you that visited my blog and left such comments and notes of kind encouragement and support. You do not realize how much that means to me. Truly.

Thank you.

Today as many of us know...

it is the beginning of a new liturgical year and the first Sunday in Advent. We light the first purple candle in our advent wreaths. (well I don't light mine specifically, I twist know and the batteries fire up 😏)

Today as we light our first candle, I pray that my Advent Season of preparing the way, is fruitful. 

 

I have struggled the last couple of years and particularly this year with my faith. Oh, I pray, I go to church, I give of myself to others in service. I do all the things...but I feel like I'm walking in a desert. I've had these periods before, but none that has lasted as long as this particular dry spell. I need to twist my batteries and spark it up. 

For the last month I have been preparing in my mind, how I am going to "work" my Advent, my preparation, my sparking of the fire in my heart. I have purchased a new study bible and two Advent scripture reflections to read daily during Advent.

I also have determined that I am going to try to read the entire bible in 365 days. I have tried this before (TWICE) and failed both times. This time I need more stamina. 

Today as I sat in Mass, I prayed that the Lord help guide me through these days. Help me focus, help my walk with Him. In my heart I heard Fast and Pray. I did, clear as a bell. So my plan is to fast and pray, and read and read.

Do you have a prayer intention? I still am doing my prayer intentions, writing them in my prayer book, praying over them each morning and evening. I would be honored to pray in whatever capacity for you. If you are so inclined, my email address is above on the right hand side bar...email me and I'll write your intention in my book. Nothing is ever shared, except with God.

Today was the first weekend of the Angel Tree in our church....

the coordinator of the Angel Tree for the past couple of years stepped down. It was in jeopardy of being dropped this year unless someone took it over. 

I and my girls took it over. Today I was proud to see only 8 tags remain on the tree, 78 tags were taken. And I'm hopeful the remaining ones will be taken as well. There is much organizing and work involved with the tree, but to hear the desperation in the voices of the families I've spoken to...well it makes all the work worth it. Here are the tags that I created and hung on the tree:

I thought they turned out sweet....

Today, I also shared a tutorial on how to make embroidery hoop ornaments: 

You should see them on our tree 😍

Now these are embroidered...but needlepoint and cross stitch pieces would work the very same way. You may view the tutorial video: HERE 

The link will also be listed on my tutorial blog.

Well I think that is enough damage for one day 😀

Until next time...

keep a smile in your heart and one on your face and you just can't go wrong.

Smiles, love and big hugs, 

Vonna xxxx

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Greetings and Warm Welcome to my blog ~

a place where I share my love of all things needle and thread 

I will be coming here to share throughout the month of December for

What can my readers expect for these merry days? 

Helpful hints, tips, tricks in crafting

 Nostalgic memories

 New tutorials

 Recipes

 Stories from my home to yours....we all have a story to share.

My blog has long been a place of sharing. I enjoy to learn, teach, help others - near and far - in what I love best. Due to unfortunate circumstances in the past year, I deleted all of my content on this blog.

This is a fresh start for me and I intend to make this blog and myself ~ better than ever.

Luckily I did not delete my 15 year old tutorial blog (albeit I thought long and hard about doing that as well - after much prayer and discerning of who I was and what I stood for I decided to keep sharing). 

It seems many people do not know about my tutorial blog. Do you? I have a very well laid out, precise blog with links to a lot of tutorials both written/pictorial and also video authored by yours truly...that I have been sharing for 15 years. Many of the techniques that are displayed in my tutorials were actually original creations of mine: mounted tag ornament, snow globe ornament, hoop box, hoop scissors box, package ornament, mounted flatfold, mounted ornament...and I have more in my head that I will create and share. 

ALL FREE FOR ALL!

I have been direct messaged and emailed frequently this summer and fall about my blog and the questions has been the same: will I be moving it to Patreon or making it a paid site. 

The answer is emphatically - NO! 

While I understand many others are moving their content or portions of their content to paid tiers - I am not doing that. God has blessed me with creative talent. I create something (or do steps to creating something) every. single. day. 

When blessed with something God-given, we are asked to share: 

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, 

and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, 

not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Cornithians 9:6-7

 I will continue to share freely without any payment of any kind on my platforms: 

My blog (here) The Twisted Stitcher

My free tutorial blog: Learn to Finish with The Twisted Stitcher

My YouTube Channel: Vonna Pfeiffer

My Instagram: @vonnapfeiffer

I have lots planned in the upcoming days, weeks and months (years) ahead. I'd strongly urge you to double down and follow me on all platforms, because you don't want to miss out what I have planned in my head.

2020 has been a nightmare in more ways than one.

I refuse to let a year end in negativity. I refuse to let others get the best of me. 

I've been thinking all fall about how to end the year...and what better way to end, 

....yet start anew....

 with my most favorite season of all ~ Christmas.

Join me to share fun, frivolity, joy, laughter, inspiration and creativity!

It is my firm belief that to be a light unto this dark world ~ you have to spark joy.

Join me and together we can spark joy all over the world by acting on simple foundations of:

KINDNESS

JOY

LOVE

SHARING

CARING

CREATING

UNDERSTANDING

That's what I want to do. Make my little world a little bit brighter and hopefully inspire others to make their own little worlds a little bit brighter too....little sparks all over - grow to big, big fires and a lot of light.

Until next time,

keep a smile in your heart and one on your face and you just can't go wrong.

Smiles, love and big hugs to each of you,

Vonna xxxx