What a collection! I love those books-I still have one of mine from when I was real little.

How are the eyes? better I hope on the mend?

Hmmmmm....

MissGnomer might have to take up Hockey watching... Henrik Lundqvist is very easy on the eyes. I recommend you heal your eyes by looking at his picture often. And did you try the What on Earth catalog for that gnome? I think they were "related" to the "other side". Good luck -- hope you find one!

Hi Willow, Hope you are feeling better.
Love all your Gnomes... You need a yard girl.... you could really go crazy.....
You've got me wanting to take up embroidery.
Are Embroidery and Cross-stitch basically the same thing or very similar? Which one would be easier to begin?_____

I have plenty of Henrik photos to get me through my healing process.

My other favorite hockey player, Jose Theodore (free agent most recently with Washington, and also a goalie...love the goalies) is also quite a looker. Henrik is my light-eyed Swedish man-hunk goalie and Jose is my brown-eyed exotic man-pretty goalie. That's pronounced Joe-zay (French pronunciation, because he's Canadian from Quebec.)

Just a few more photos to brighen your day...






The mask he's wearing there from his years as a Colorado Avalanche is one of my favorite goalie masks of all time...those icicled gargoyles are fierce!

Oh, and I did try What on Earth...along with the others from that group (Wireless, Betty's Attic, Lighter Side, etc.) No luck.

If I can't find one, I think I'm still going to have her paint my guy up as Henrik...he's just too perfect for that.

I have been doing quite a bit better the past couple days. Thanks for your wishes.

I know what you mean about the yard....I just wish we could have a rock garden instead of grass...hate mowing!!

Cross-stitch is actually one of the stitches in embroidery work. And it's the simplest. So cross-stitch is a great place to start...if you can find a stamped pattern (kit that comes with a piece of material with the pattern stamped on it and a guide explaining what colors to use, etc.) Counted cross-stitch on the other hand is a little trickier than the stamped variety. In counted cross-stitch, you just have a plain piece of cross-stitch canvas, with all the little squares and holes. You have a guide also, explaining what color you use where. But it's usually much smaller and harder to focus on (for me and my poor eyes anyway.) I much prefer having the stamped pattern to work from. But they aren't as prevalent nowadays as counted cross-stitch.

Embroidery work will include more stitches than just cross-stitch. You might also be doing outline stitch, solid stitch, back stitch, split stitch, straight stitch, french knots, loop stitch, straight stitch, and others.

But I think all stamped kits come with a guide explaining how to do each stitch. So even if you are new to it, you can learn. The gnome kit I did had stitches that I'd never done before, so I needed to follow the instructions in the guide on how to do them.


I really enjoy it, but I won't be doing anymore until this whole situation with my eyes is worked out. It's too much strain on them.

Thanks for the info Willow.... where did you get the adorable Gnome that you embroidered and posted the pic. of recently... Was that difficult to do, say for a real beginner?

Sorry for being so long in replying, Sherry!!

I actually bought that gnome embroidery kit from eBay. It's from the 70s, so you can't find it new. I keep my eyes open for others, as someone told me there is a companion to it. But I haven't found any others.

I would say it would be a bit tricky for beginners...not impossible though. I would just think a beginner might get a bit frustrated with parts of it. But if you can ever find one, you should get it anyway and try. It would be fun.

Hello!!

Sorry I have been away for sooo long!!

I just have been reading all the types of gnomes you have and am really amazed, that your co workers are so good with it!!

But they probably don't have much say do they!!!

Yes I do love those slippers too!!...

Not to brag, but I think I am the favorite employee in the office. So they'll let me get by with quite a bit. I do a really great job, I'm dedicated to my job, and I'm really funny. So they totally dig me. As long as it's not anything rude or controversial, they are totally cool with it all.

I get along with everyone in my office, even though all of them don't get along with each other. I've just always been that person...the one who gets along with everyone. I do my job, don't cause trouble, and bring a little joy into an unhappy environment.

One coworker the other day said, "Do you know why I love you, Carol? Well, one of the reasons? Because one day you'll come in wearing a gnomes T-shirt, and the next day it's a Metallica T-shirt. You are just cool."

And I CRACK THEM UP. I have actually made a coworker shoot soda out their nose, and another I made her nose bleed from laughing so hard at something I said. It's a gift...

So that being said, they love my gnomes.

Thanks for the compliments on my gnomes. They are much loved.

There's Gno People Like Gnome People Like Gnome People I Gno!