Hi thanks Melanie I can also sympathise with you suing metallic three I've used it to highlight marbling in a fairy cross stitch hard work to use but so worth the effort.

Michelle,
Your cross stitch far surpasses anything I ever did...love it all!  <3  I can definitely relate to the cross stitching on black Aida...sigh, I made an even more colossal mistake and started stitching something on black linen...sigh, yes, I'm a glutton for punishment...imagine trying to see all of those little tiny holes in the fabric!    Sorry to say the project never saw the light of day (very unfinished) and I don't know if I even have the pattern anymore.  It was a beautiful one, though, a dragon cross stitch, made with metallic specialty threads.  A lot of work. 
I can see why you've won prizes...with such beautiful work, I can't imagine you wouldn't!  <3
Melanie  (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=

Very nice!