The Christmas Stamp

As a youngster I loved stamps, all sorts of stamps...even the S&H Green Stamps...remember those? But the Christmas stamps were always my favorite. The day the mail man delivered the Christmas stamps was a big, big deal! When we needed stamps, we'd place some coins in an old mayonnaise lid that was placed in our mail box at the end of our country lane. The mail man would see the coins & do the math, leaving us the appropriate number of stamps in with our mail. The math was easy back then...nickels and dimes divided so nicely into dollars. A few nickels for a few stamps...I thought that was such a cool trade off as a little girl.

Extra care was taken when I helped tear the Christmas stamps apart...didn't want to put a tear in the Mother Mary! Mom EVEN let me lick the stamps & put them on the envelopes, can you believe it? Yeah, neither could I!!! Looking back on that I do know why Mom passed that job off onto me...the tongue wasn't quite right for the rest of the day...Thanks Mom!

Do you suppose mail carriers still find coins in mayonnaise lids in the mail boxes? Can you really still buy stamps at the end of a country lane??

Just think about this...it isn't necessary to tear stamps apart any longer, if we choose not to...we no longer need to lick the stamps, if we don't want to...we can even print our own stamps with our pictures on them, if we so choose...why, we really don't even need a stamp if we go the electronic route for sending our holiday greetings.

Our children and grand children's stories are going to be so much different then ours...

Times change.

Did you know the first Christmas stamp issued in the United States was a 4-cent stamp issued in 1962. That would have made me 1 year old at the time. The red and green stamp featured a wreath, two candles and the words "Christmas 1962". By the end of the holiday season, one billion of the first Christmas stamps were printed and sold.

Often times I turn to childhood memories for inspiration for my next pattern design...with that said, let me introduce a new punch needle pattern titled, "Christmas Stamp". I couldn't decide what the cost of this stamp should be...a nickel, a dime?? After some pondering, I decided it had to be 25 cents in honor of Christmas day. The first in a series of annual Christmas stamp patterns...start your collection today! (Copyright 2009 - With thy Needle & Thread)

Stop by our website for a visit to view this new punch needle pattern along with others!

With thy Needle & Thread,

Brenda

Over the river & through the woods...

to grandmothers house we go!

(Purchase above pattern here)

Over the river and through the woods
To Grandmother's house we go.
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
Through white and drifted snow.

Over the river and through the woods,
Oh, how the wind does blow.
It stings the toes and bites the nose
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the woods
To have a full day of play.
Oh, hear the bells ringing ting-a-ling-ling,
For it is Christmas Day.

Over the river and through the woods,
Trot fast my dapple gray;
Spring o'er the ground just like a hound,
For this is Christmas Day.

Over the river and through the woods
And straight through the barnyard gate.
It seems that we go so dreadfully slow;
It is so hard to wait.

Over the river and through the woods,
Now Grandma's cap I spy.
Hurrah for fun; the pudding's done;
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie.

Visit our "PATTERNS BY OTHERS" category for several new patterns!

Gobble Gobble!

These tender little turkey shaped cut-out cookies have a wonderful taste of pumpkin pie...perfect for the "little" guests at Thanksgiving time, although your "big" guests will enjoy them too!

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt

FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 T. butter, softened
1 T. canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. pure orange extract
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. Half & Half
decorator sugar

Combine 1 cup butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add egg, 1/3 cup pumpkin and 1/2 tsp. orange extract; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cookie ingredients. Beat until well mixed.

Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface (pastry cloth is very helpful), one half at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Keep remaining dough refrigerated. Cut out with 3" cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Transfer to wire rack. Cool completely.

Combine all frosting ingredients except the powdered sugar, half & half and decorator sugar in a small mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add powdered sugar and half & half. Beat until well mixed. Spread frosting on cooled cookies. Sprinkle with decorator sugar.

These cookies are best to set a day before serving to allow spices to come through.

ENJOY!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Brenda

Happy Birthday...

One year ago today...

our special little one

was born.

Happy Birthday Beckham!

Getting to know the youngest people in my life has been a joy. ~ Frank Tarloff

Some cool finds...

Robert Redford and the folks at Sundance have some cool finds...I must share!

Love Love Love this ribbon...

I've used some of this cool ribbon around the necks of reindeer and snowmen in my new Christmas patterns. And yes, it comes wound on these wonderful old-looking wooden spools. When the ribbon is all gone & you're sad...you still have cool old spools!

Love Love Love these tailor's shears...
Anyone collect old scissors? I love old scissors and have managed to start yet another collection of something! Although these scissors aren't old, they look old. and I love them! While sewing today, I couldn't find my Ginghers (I'm always looking for my scissors) so I tried out my new scissors and YES they really do work! Great old looking scissors & a great deal at just 18 bucks!

Hurry on over to http://www.sundancecatalog.com/ to view these goodies!

With thy Needle & Thread (& scissors too),
Brenda

P.S.

If Robert happens to take your order over at Sundace...be sure to tell him I sent you!;o)

New Samplers...

Two new sampler patterns now available for your stitching pleasure!

#CS36 Feather Your Nest

worked on 28 count Cashel over 1 thread

stitch count ~ 145 wide X 210 high

#CS35 Be Kind & Be True

Worked on 32 count Belfast linen over 2 threads.

Stitch count~166 wide X 207 high

A big "thank you" goes out to April & Suzanne for their beautiful work on these 2 new patterns...thank you girls!

Patterns & frames for the above are now posted and available for purchase on our website.

With thy Needle & Thread,

Brenda

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

as Santa's elves are busy putting the finishing touches on new pattern designs.

Coming soon!

With thy Needle & Thread,

Brenda

New dollies!

New WINTER~TYME patterns

coming soon!

Watch your email inbox for a newsletter announcing the arrival of new holiday goodies! If you haven't signed up for our newsletters, do so today! The sign up is on our websites home page (at bottom of page).

With thy Needle & Thread,

Brenda

Did you know...

...that red is my favorite color? The shades of red mother nature paints with in the Autumn...her palette is much to my liking!

A beautiful autumn day

captured on camera to be remembered...

as mother nature will soon mix up new colors of paint

in
browns,
greys,
whites,
& icy blues
and paint her picture of winter...


Enjoy these last days of Autumn color...

Autumn is

a second

spring when

every leaf is

a flower

~Albert Camus

Enjoying a beautiful day outside,

Brenda

New jewelry!

Just listed 7 NEW jewelry pieces...

Hop on over to our website

to see these!

Hurry though...

as these sell out quickly!

Remember...

the handcrafted jewelry makes

great Christmas gifts!

Have a good weekend,

Brenda

Grandma Bear

had a wonderful

Halloween weekend

at Baby' Bears House...

Thanks Momma Bear!

Have a good week,

Brenda

Super fun...

Super sweet...

&

Super special...

Is our little "super man"!