I recently finished a tulip sampler (to display in our home).  It's the wrong season for tulips obviously, but I really like it. 

I made a padded fabric mat with a burgundy-colored velour, and put everything inside a shadow box frame.  This is my first fabric mat--the next one will be easier and look better I'm sure!
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cross stitch finished with shadow box
I used a pattern from "100 Cross-Stitch Gifts from Nature",  offered by The Vanessa-Ann Collection.   "Vanessa-Ann" is one of my favorite cross stitch designers and this book is definitely a keeper. 
The designers give you 4 different colorways, but I just went wild and used some of my favorite garden colors--mixing up the red, yellow, pink and purple.

I also used gobelin stitch to replace the little cross stitch frames in the sampler.  Gobelin stitch here is really just a slanted straight stitch.  It's a basic needlepoint stitch that I think is perfect in this design, as it really keeps the tulips front and center.  

Mixing up cross stitching with needlepoint and pulled thread stitches is always fun to do.

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detail of gobelin stitch frames
BTW, I used hand-dyed aida cloth to give this project a little something extra.

I bought this fabric from an eBay seller who offers absolutely gorgeous hand-dyed fabrics.  Her store name is Dove Cross Stitch.  You can find her at
 http://stores.ebay.com/DoveCrossStitch.   

 
 
One of the nicest things about crochet is that once you weave in the final thread and block the textile, you are done.  When I cross-stitch, I generally find myself with a lovely unfinished project and lots of uncertainty about what I REALLY want to do with it.  

For example, there is this dahlia stitch sampler that I had intended to mount on a board to hang...  

I especially like the colors in this piece.  It is based on the Sue Lentz teaching design Blue Dahlia.  I used some of her floss colors and the basic outline of the central flower, but worked it with lots of different stitches, including pulled thread.   I'm thinking it would look good framed in a recycled denim tote bag?  But I'm still not committed and it is still not finished!
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Blue Dahlia needlework sampler
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stitch details - not just cross stitch