I am happy (and relieved) to say that we are STILL Covid free in this area.  People are being really good about the masks, and distancing, so I think we're going to beat this thing! 

It's been a heck of a month for getting work done too - as I mentioned last month, I had two pieces stitched and ready to go to a magazine, but they needed to be framed.  Fortunately, I had purchased a frame and mat for one of them (Wonderful World) before the epidemic hit, so just had to lace that one onto some foam core board, and it was ready to go.  The other one (Earth Fractal) is one of a set of four, so however I finished it had to be something I could recreate when the rest were done. 

But this is when it's good to have a helpful hubby!  Bill made me FOUR matching stretcher bar type frames, which I covered one side of with foam core board.  Then I did some 'frameless framing', lacing the back, so the black fabric showed around the sides.  It came out really well, and I finished by covering the back (where the lacing is) with brown paper, so it also looks very professional (wink).  I sent them off to the publisher, and got a note back, saying they were two of the best pieces I've ever done for her, so I'm quite pleased about that, I can tell you! 

The rest of my month has been devoted to finishing a set of 6 little elves... I would tell you how adorable they are, but why take my word for it?  I have a friend who is taking the pattern pieces as I finish them, and working on SIXTY-ONE ornaments for Christmas presents!!  I sent her pics of the final two, and here's what she had to say about them: 

"Jo, the cup cake elf is to die for.  Each elf just got better as you went along. The block is just too cute. You have given your customers a good variety of poses and outfits to choose from.  As well as (interchangeable) faces, legs, and ears to make them their own. These guys are the best ornaments yet - and I honestly never thought you could beat the snowmen - but you have. I’m having so much fun stitching little outfits for these guys. You have made my summer, thank you from the bottom of my heart..."

Aw shucks, LOL.  Now that all the stitching is done, and the photography is ALMOST done (I need to re-take pics of one elf, as I changed his legs, LOL), I have to hurry and get the chart corrected, since my distributor just placed an order for 4 dozen of them - yikes, guess I know what I'm doing for the next few days! FYI, these guys will be in NEXT month's newsletter, so you don't have much longer to wait - and you can see the PEEK I put in last month's note...

On top of that, we've been plugging away at our bathroom renovation... we borrowed a friend's tile saw, and have the top half of the big walk-in master shower repaire; and on the bottom half, the back and one end of the replacement walls done.  The tile for the other end wall is actually cut, but we had to stop as we realized with all the finiky cuts we probably don't have enough tile to finish the areas around the shower doors. 

We ordered more last Friday, and they just phoned to say it was in, so tomorrow a.m. we'll run into town and get that... it will be WONDERFUL to have our master bath back, (GBG), as we've been running down two flights of stairs every morning to shower in my office bathroom!  Anyway, I have a list of things I want to get done - including more updates to the website, so I'm going to close now... keep safe, and we'll visit again next month!