It's Been A While...

Yes, folks, it's been a while since I last put finger to keyboard to do a Blog post, partly due to being busy and running out of time, as the days keep flying past (who can believe it's the middle of March already???!!! Not me, that's for sure) and also because the blogging mojo went awol for a while. Still, it's better it was the blogging and NOT the stitching mojo - right? :0)

OK, so where do I start? Hhhhhmmm... first off I have to show you all the lovely belated half of the Christmas gift I received from Barb - only belated due to the weather and poor Barb's ill health preventing her from getting and sending them. They were well worth the wait, I can tell you - lookit the pretty wrapping in my favourite colour:

Inisde were these gorgeous goodies:

Barb tells me that the bag was printed by one of the ladies who is on a dig that she told me about some time ago. The image is of a Roman torq which was once worn by a Roman lady - this is much more vivid in colour than my pic shows. There were also some Piecemaker needles for me to try, now I've found my missing mojo. LOL The card is so pretty and looks great next to my Kwan Yin statue. Thank you again Barb, I love them - you know my tastes so well. :0)

Now let me cast my mind back again and try and remember what else I've been up to. Well, I made a stack of cards, ready for the Birthday Thread Exchange that I joined over at Needlecraft Haven... but I can only show you the ones that have been sent. There were two birthdays in February, one for Sheila:

and one for Kathy:

No more of those until April now. Though I did take part in the NH Forum's Sweet Feet Sock Exchange, with opening and reveal being on St Valentine's Day.. and that was alot of fun. Unfortunately I got a bit previous and managed to delete the pics I took of the socks I sent to Jaclyn (no blog, as far as I know)... but here's a pic of the accompanying card I sent to her:

Here's a pic of the lovely card, thread and fab pair of socks I received from Lindsay:

Another pic I'd managed to delete - thank goodness it was uploaded to my Webshots Album! I enjoyed this exchange so much it would be great to do it again some time (Hint! Hint! LOL)

I did make some other cards but this is going to be a pretty pic intensive post as it is, so I won't post them -  but if you're interested.... or just plain nosey and need to know (like me LOL), then you can see them in my Webshots Album.

It's good to report that the stitching mojo has stayed around - and that's another reason for the lack of blogging. There are only so many hours in a day and any spare time has seen me sat in my favourite armchair, plying my needle. I've been so keen I've joined the Monthly Challenge at NH Forum and a number of SAL's, as well as stitching gifts (like the Polar Bear and Tiger) just because I want to. It's been a reasonably productive year so far. :0)

First item for your delectation is the January Challenge piece:

Design: Petit Chat, internet freebie

Designer: Tralala - Des Filles et une Aiguille

Fabric: Zweigart 28ct Brittney, Antique White

Threads: Dragon Floss, Barrels of Laughter (blues); Carrie's Creation, Rose

Finish: Pinkeep style Scissor Keep

I had wanted to finish this as a cube (it would have been a first for me) but the polystyrene stuff I'd been hoarding had disappeared and I couldn't find any foam shapes online any bigger than 2cm sq, so this didn't get finished in time to go in the album... in fact I only got around to finishing it this month, after doing the finishing on the February Challenge piece. It took that to get the cube finish out of my head and give an alternative I was going to be happy to do. LOL

Then I finally got around to stitching a piece that was a previous Monthly Challenge on JA/S&S Forum.. it had guilt tripped me for long enough:

Design: Mr Penguinee, internet freebie

Designer: Mary Olson and Candy Scott of The Work Basket

Fabric: Zweigart 32ct, White

Thread: Carrie's Creation, Raven

Finish: good old Pinkeep

It came out quite a bit bigger than anticipated, so there was only just enough of the thread to complete it (anyone know where I can buy Carrie's threads from in the UK, please?). It was lovely to add another design to the finished pile though. And soon after that followed the NH Forum's February Challenge piece:

Design: Love, internet freebie

Designer: The Stitcherhood

Fabric: Polstitches 28ct Jobelan, Ice Ltd Ed

Thread: Carrie's Creations, Wedgwood

Finish: Pinkeep style Scissor Case

Now this one was a must stitch and I knew immediately what to use and which finish to do. Those are my Ann scissors, bought because I loved the colour and due to them having the same name as my Mum, now in Spirit... so now my Ann scissors are wrapped in Love. :0) Then I had a rare sleepless session one night so, instead of tossing and turning and disturbing DH (who had to go to work the following day and wouldn't have thanked me), I headed downstairs and grabbed a small project from my stitchy bag.... and got it fully completed. That was my January Christmas ornie:

Design: Robin and Holly

Designer: unknown, pullout from a magazine

Fabric: 28ct Brittney, Antique White

Threads: DMC oddments from my scrap box

Finish: Tuck Ornie (pre-finished tuck pillow)

Another pic I've managed to delete.... thank goodness for my Webshots Album! The tuck pillow was a pre-finished bargain from that well known auction site... wish I could find a few more of these, as this type of finishing is beyond me at the moment - and it's sooo quick! LOL

In between some of the smaller pieces I'd been stitching away at my piece for the NH Forum's Quaker SAL, Quaker Winter Slumber by Midnight Stitching. It went from this, which I started on the 6th of February:

To this, towards the end of February:

But soon became the first Happy Dance of March:

Design: Quaker Winter's Slumber #020

Designer: Midnight Stitching

Fabric: 32ct opalescent Lugana, Wind (unknown make)

Thread: Thai silk, Navy - very fine, stitched 2 over 1

Finish: to be finished as a Bellpull

The pic makes the fabric look a bit pink but it's all a greyish blue, very wintery... and very sparkly. There wasn't much sunshine when I took the pic, so it's not come out that well. This was an absolute joy to stitch and I'd love to do the other seasons at some point. The chart will be winging it's way to Tina (no blog) soon - hope she enjoys stitching this as much as I did. :0)

It was then time to choose a new project.  Clare is running a Prairie Schooler SAL on her Forum, Needlecraft Haven, and it was impossible to resist.... especially as it gave me an excuse to buy a gorgeous piece of sparkly fabric for it. Yes, that MS piece has set off a new love for opalescents... why have I not tried these before?! So here's the small start made:

Can you tell what it is yet? ROFL For those folks that aren't members of NH: I shall torment you a little longer with this one and only tell you that the fabric is Polstitches 32ct opalescent, Mummies Curse. Eheheh.

Also on the cards is another new start: Sampler au Bouquets by Jardin Prive. It was too late to join the SAL blog, so some of the memberss over at NH Forum are having a SAL with this. I've opted to stitch all three designs as one piece and am eagerly awaiting the release of part III this month. The NH SAL starts today (Tuesday 15th) and it's a "go at your own pace" one, so no pressure, for anyone that might be interested. Still waiting in the wings is my Enchanted piece, for the Carriage House Samplings SAL (another NH activity), but I don't have a suitable size of scroll frame for it at the moment. I could use a Siesta Bar Frame but I do not want to use drawing pins to attach this fabric to the frame and risk damaging it.... especially as I was a bit frugal on the extra for framing/edging. I can't help it - it's the Yorkshire blood in me. LOL ;0)

Oh, I nearly forgot! Whilst I was in a finishing mood I dug out an ornie I stitched back in 2009 and completed it - yes, it's taken me this long to get around to it *blush*. Here's the result of that:

Design: Holly Reindeer, internet freebie

Designer: Sharon Bennett, Daffycat

Fabric: 32ct linen, Mocha (unknown make)

Threads: Carrie's Creations, Buffalo Fur and Frosty Pine; DMC: 498

Finish: Pinkeep style Ornie

Many thanks Sharon - I love these little reindeer and it was another lovely piece to stitch... I just need to be in the right mood for finishing.... and it took a while *blushing again* Right, I think that's all the stitchy bits up-to-date now. Phew!

So what else has been keeping me busy? Lots of fun over at the NH Forum for one thing.... and my home. Yes, DH finally realised that the bathroom and kitchen need a total overhaul, so we've been planning and choosing what's wanted and getting quotes. The bathroom suite and a plumber to fit it have been chosen - he'll hopefully be starting in April (unfortunately that was the earliest he could fit us in, as he's popular). The kitchen maker/fitter has been chosen and we'll be in the process of finalising everything for that soon. The bulk of the waterpipe trench has now been backfilled and some of the slabs have been relaid... that's an ongoing job, as the weather doesn't always play ball when we have a free weekend to do jobs. I booked our summer holiday (vacation) - the same cottage we've stayed in the last couple of years... looking forward to recharging my batteries in my favourite place. :0)

DH and DS are still busy with the theatre stuff. DS has a part in the May production, Jekyll & Hyde, and DH is Stage Manager - he's popular for that job, as he gets everything and everyone organised well in advance, so everyone knows what they're meant to be doing and when. I shall probably be going to the performance... another solo seat at the back. LOL

I've been continuing with Development Circle meetings... but I don't know for how much longer, as one of the ladies has just dropped out. It has never been a large group anyway, so every member counts, and we suspect that it won't be long before a second member drops out - if that happens it won't be viable any longer. I shall be gutted if/when it does fold.... but I know that these things always happen for a reason... and when one door closes, another one invariably opens. I just have to be patient and see what the Universe has in store for me. :0) One door that has opened already: I will soon be going to a new monthly Meditation group that's being held locally - just a small group of women who wish to develop their Meditational skills. It starts in April... am looking forward to that.

DH and I have been to two Mind, Body and Spirit events so far this year, the first in Grimsby in January (the first time we've been to that event in a while) and, most recently, to the one in Elsecar, near Barnsley. They are always interesting.... and a lot of the stallholders now recognise me and say hello, which is nice. The main pull these days are the talks/workshops they hold, rather than going for the lovely goodies.... though I am now saving up for a Native American style flute, as that instrument is calling strongly to me. It helps that you don't need to read music to be able to play a passable tune. LOL

Well, that's not all of the news but it's the main happenings... enough there for you to have needed to make a coffee and put your feet up for a while. ROFL I will admit that I'm now extremely far behind on the blog reading/commenting but it's got to the point where it's unmanageable.... so, I don't like doing it, but I'm going to have to admit defeat and start again with many of your blogs, for which I apologise. I hope you'll all understand.... but I really don't want to be chained to this computer for the next month or two, trying to catch up. DH and DS would soon complain if there were no clean undies in the drawers or food on the table at mealtimes. LOL

Thank you all for taking the time to stop by... hope to be paying a return visit shortly. :0)

Another Lovely Surprise

I had a lovely surprise in the post at the weekend and, though it isn't craft related, it's such a lovely gift I had to show you all.

I'll admit that, once again, until I saw the address on the back I did wonder if I'd had another one of those brain fart moments and forgotten about something I'd been buying on eBay..... as you do. ;0) But the address immediately revealed that it was from the very kind and generous Barb (no blog). Here's what I found on opening up the bubblewrap bag:


Two books that I will definitely enjoy, as they are just the kind of thing I like to read, a fabulous postcard - just look at that dragonfly brooch on it! - and an intriguing tissue wrapped box. On unwrapping and opening it I found this stunner inside:


A fabulous geode with the loveliest feel to it. That pic just doesn't do it justice - it's waaay nicer in real life, with lots of sparkle. Barb found it in a crystal shop while she was on holiday in Dartmoor and says it said "Send me to Karan" so she did - after first cleansing it in the River Tavy. Such a lovely thing to do. :0)

And the geode looked so totally at home in the spot where I took its pic that it's now living there, alongside my House Angel.

Thank you again Barb for such a fab surprise..... and I love my geode. :0)

Thank you for visiting and for the lovely comments you leave. May you all be Blessed with good friends and kind deeds. :0)

A Surprise

Well I'd planned on showing pics of my recent eBay bargains this time but a surprise package in the post changed all that, as I felt the need to share that instead.

When the postie knocked I thought: Ooo my goodies have come - nice man. :0)
Well they had but among them was a rather big package. OK, I know my brain can have as many holes in it as a sieve at times but I definitely would have remembered ordering something of that size..... and I knew I hadn't.

OK, a quick look at the basic address details on the back and no Eureka moment hit. Oh, dear: maybe some poor eBayer seller had a severe brain fart moment and sent me the wrong goods?
Well, only one way to find out.... so I opened it. Now that did get me worried as this was the box I found inside:

Now I know the two fellas in this house can sometimes behave like a pair of big kids but I knew 110% that I hadn't ordered this just to prove that point....... not even in my most cynical mood. (Well, OK - maybe I might have got as far as popping it into the cyber basket...... but that's as far as I'd have gone. Honest! LOL)

None the wiser thus far there was no other choice: time to tackle the sticky tape holding the flap down and hope there was a name and address inside. Well I couldn't have some kiddy in floods of tears because he hadn't got his boxing thingy, could I? (I can hear you all shouting: Open the box! Open the box! Wasn't there a programme on TV with that? Hughey Green or some-such hosting? Sheesh, is that showing my age!) Carefully peeling back the tape so I wouldn't damage anything I opened the flap and peered in and spotted........... not a boxing thingy at all but a box of what looked like cardmaking goodies and a card. This was the fun card:

I never knew there were so many kinds of shed - did you? LOL Inside it revealed that the sender was none other than Lynn. She'd been having a sort out of her craft corner and knowing that I'm a keen card maker kindly thought of sending the surplus my way. How kind is that? Even kinder, knowing that we both share a love of owls, Lynn also included a rather nice kit of a barn owl too. Here are the contents all spread out:



Was that a collective chorus of "Finally!" I heard then? LOL It was like opening up Long John Silver's Mum's Treasure Chest for Crafters because, as you can see, there's a good mix of really useful bits and pieces. It took me quite a while to look at everything......... and some of those items I've already put to good use. :0)

Kindest of all were the lovely words that Lynn wrote in the card and they reduced me to a tearful, tissue clutching heap in about 10 seconds flat.

So a public and heartfelt thank you Lynn, for this unexpected but much appreciated kind gift, the lovely words and the boost it has given me - your timing was perfect. Cyber friends really are the greatest! :0)

May you all be Blessed with good friends, kind words and thoughtful acts. :0)

Challenge For a Finish - July

The Challenge for July was a monochrome piece - any design, any finish. I immediately knew exactly what I wanted to stitch and what finish to do, as it's a piece I've wanted to stitch as a gift for a certain someone for some time. This is the piece:

• 
  Design: Country Bunny
• Designer: Jean Farish of Country Things
• Fabric: 28ct white evenweave, unknown make
• Threads: DMC 101 and Ecru
• Finish: Floss Ring Tag

I finished the back with our initials and the year in the same DMC 101 thread and also added a charm:

It was completed in plenty of time to post off to Julie as part of her birthday gift, before we went away on our holiday, and I'm glad to say that she liked it. :0)

Am also glad to say that this was one July commitment that was completed in plenty of time for the deadline....... can't say the same about my Christmas ornie...... or the Christmas Wishes SAL, which I still haven't started. Oops! :0)

Thank you for all your lovely comments, they are greatly appreciated and do brighten up my day. Hope you all had an easy start to the week. :0)

An Aromatic Gift

As it was the JA/S&S Forum's Monthly Challenge Reveal Day at the weekend I can now share with you pics of the beautiful surprise gift Julie sent to me this month:

Apologies for the poor pics - the digicam just isn't up for the job..... and neither are my photography skills! LOL Here's a close up of the design, which (on my computer screen) looks to show the colours much truer to life:


It isn't just beautifully stitched and finished though...... Julie made it into a lavender sachet and filled it with dried lavender from her garden, so it smells wonderful too. :0)

The beaded edging is one of my favourite styles of finishing - though I don't use it that often as I know just how labour intensive it is. The back is finished with a lovely charm:


I love it and it now sits on my bedside cabinet, as the lavender scent is a natural aid to help bring me restful sleep. The lavender soap I previously kept there is nowhere near as lovely to see as the sachet! :0)

Thank you again Julie for my beautiful gift and for the kind words you wrote in the card - your timing was perfect and you helped being a lift to what was peoving to be a difficult day. Thank you my friend (((((((((hugs))))))))). :0)

Many thanks to all who take time to vist and especial thanks to those who leave a comment - I always read and appreciate every one. Hope you all had a good weekend and an easy start to the week. :0)

A Surprise PIF

I received a surprise envelope from Lisa in the post today and just had to show you all the lovely goodies that were inside, so here's what I found when I opened everything:

A gorgeous stitched pinkeep floss tag with floss ring and tags and a skein of rather lovely Carrie's Creation Autumn thread. Here's a closer look:

This is such a pretty design, beautifully stitched and finished, and the colours are so me! :0)

Unfortunately, as usual, my pics just don't do it any justice at all.

The back is finished with a lovely autumn leaf fabric that perfectly matches the thread colours:

Isn't it gorgeous? Thank you again Lisa for such lovely surprise goodies: I love them and you have certainly made my week! :0)

I was going to do a catch up post today but will leave that for next time, as this has to have a post all of its own.

Thank you for visiting and for all the kind comments. Oh, and there's still time to sign up for the Giveaway: drawing will be on Wednesday night. :0)

Great Gifts

I am feeling really spoiled this week, thanks to the generosity of two lovely ladies. :0)

On Wednesday a Jiffy bag arrived that had a well known address on the back, so I knew I was in for a rather nice surprise - yes, Barb (no blog) has sent me yet another wonderful gift. Here's what was inside:


Isn't the notecard pretty? I do love the watercolour effect on these. The box had me intrigued, so I had to open it quickly and here's what I found inside:


Another one of Barb's beautiful beaded creations, this time a bracelet...... and all in my favourite sea blues and greens. Here's what it looks like on my wrist:


The clearest pic from a bad batch - it was very hard taking a pic one-handed! Believe me, it is waaaay prettier and much sparklier in real life than my bad pic shows. Thank you again Barb for my wonderful bracelet - I'm in awe of your beading skills and all the kindness and generosity you have shown to me (((((((((hugs))))))))). BTW, it's already packed in my bag so I can take it with me on holiday and wear it when we go out. :0)

Today another Jiffy bag arrived, another with a familiar address label on it...... this time from Julie. This is the good bit of holiday reading material that was inside:

Thank you again Julie, it's greatly appreciated. :0) This book takes some of the characters that briefly appeared in Daughters of Fire (that story's main character was Cartimandua, Boudica's comtemporary), and weaves their story. As I enjoyed D of F so much it will be good to see how this one develops. It's also already packed in my bag....... there's no way I could delay reading this one when I love all things Celtic. :0)

Thank you to all for visiting and thank you again to two very kind and generous folk. :0)

Challenge for a Finish - April

I can now show you the piece I completed for April for Challenge for a Finish........ though I think some of you may already have seen this elsewhere. ;0)

This time the challenge was to stitch a flower design and finish it as any needlework accessory and, as I was so embarrassingly late completing my piece for last month, I deliberately opted for quick and easy and decided to stitch and make a scissor fob:

Design: Scissor Fob

Designer: Gandja, Un Point C'est Tout - internet freebie

Fabric:

Count On Me 28ct evenweave - Aster

Threads: DMC

Finish: funnily enough.... a scissor fob.

This was my first ever scissor fob finish. :0) On the back I stitched some of the outer border and added an initial:


No, it wasn't for me...... the colours and everything were chosen to go with those scissors and the whole lot was gathered together with a certain person in mind who I know loves all things pink and who I thought might need a little cheering up. Am glad to say that Karen liked the gift, so that's me happy too.

The Challenge for May hasn't yet been announced but there's a strong possibility I may not be able to take part, as we go away for a weeks holiday very soon - it cuts in to my stitching time quite badly as in the daytime we are usually out and about quite a bit and most nights we are playing Trivial Pursuits with my DSis, Aunty, Uncle and Cousin. The friendly rivalry and banter always makes for a good night. :0) One less weeks stitching in the month will make things even more pushed than usual though, so it depends on what the Challenge is for as to whether or not I'll be able to fit it in.

Thank you for visiting and for the kind comments - each and every one is very much appreciated. :0)

A Surprise

I was going to show another progress update of Night Watchman today but something rather nice arrived in the post and I just have to show you that instead. It's rather special and just has to have a post all of its own. :0)

I wasn't expecting anything so when a bubble wrap bag popped through the door it was a case of thinking that DS had been ordering something from Amazon again......... until I spotted my name on the front and another one I know well on the back. Yes, the wonderful Barb (no blog) has been spoiling me again!

When I opened the package this is what I found inside:

So beautifully presented it was a pleasure just to look at them for a while before investigating further. When I opened the envelope and those lovely little bags here's what I found inside:

A very pretty Spring card, a gorgeous skein of Oliver Twists One Offs: a mix of wonderful hand dyed threads and ribbon in sea blues and greens, with a little purple thrown in - my favourite colours - and the most exquisite hand made beaded scissor fob in golds and turquoise. I tried to get a close up pic, to try and show you the detail:

Not sure if it is showing it that well though. It sparkles so much IRL, so why do pics always make things look so flat?! I sat with my jaw dropped (not a pretty sight! LOL) with the fob in my hand, turning it round and round, just thinking "Wow! Oh, Wow!". Even my DH was quite taken with it and he's not usually one for the needlework pretties.

Thank you so much again Barb for your kindness and generosity - I'm in awe of your beading skills (and envious!) and will treasure my beautiful fob always. :0)

As I said, this deserves a post all of its own so I shall leave the NW update and other things until next time.

Thank you for taking the time to visit - hope you all have a great weekend, whatever your plans. :0)

Heart Stitcher

Remember I mentioned finishing a small item but couldn't show it because it was on it's way to a new home? Well it's now arrived safely with Barb (no blog) so I can show you what it was.

Design: Heart Stitcher

Designer: A Mon Ami Pierre, internet freebie

Fabric: Zweigart 32ct Murano, Ivory

Thread: DMC 816

Finish: Floss ring tag

This piece was, initially, going to be the heart-shaped finish for February's Challenge for a Finish but soon realised it was too small and fiddly for me to be able to complete it as that. Once I'd chosen the new piece for the Challenge it was a case of knowing exactly what I was going to do with this and where it would be going off to live. :0)

Here's a view of the back, which has our initials and the year.



Am glad to say that Barb likes it and the Ozark threads I put on it, which she hasn't tried before........ well you can't send an empty floss ring tag, can you? It just doesn't seem right somehow. :0)

The Crop-A-Dile certainly makes short work of adding those eyelets and is the best piece of kit ever! LOL Though I've still not gotten around to using it in my cardmaking..... yet.

Thank you for all the well wishes and I'm pleased to say that the after effects of the migraine were short-lived - now my fingers are crossed it was just a one-off as I really don't want to go back to how things were when I was in my teens and twenties, when I used to have one or two a month. Not nice!

Good job I had recovered OK as the three of us went over to Doncaster on Friday night to celebrate my Auntie M and Uncle W's Golden Wedding Anniversary - there was a disco and karaoke, complete with flashing coloured lights. Auntie M didn't know Uncle and their sons had arranged the party and they just told her to get herself dressed up and they'd take her out for a meal, giving her an excuse for calling in at the Welfare Club on their way.... where we were all waiting to greet them. It was a good night (despite my restriction to plain water all night) and it was lovely to catch up with quite a few of the seldom-seen relatives, as well as meet some of the newer members of the family (my eldest cousin's grandchildren, the latest being little Curtis Jack who is around six months old and was blissfully unaware of the party going on around him, as he slept virtually all the way through it. Bless!). Thought I'd share a pic of the lovely cake that the cousins had had made for the occasion:

Unfortunately I couldn't have any but DH and DS made short work of theirs, so I guess it must have been good. :0)

Saturday we had a late start but I still got out of bed feeling like an old cronk - anyone would have thought I'd been up doing the cancan at the party! LOL The aches soon wore off as I got moving around so DH and I popped into town to the health food shop to stock up on my cereals and get some more camomile tea. Whilst in town we popped into TJ Hughes - we didn't stay in there long, as DH didn't find any trousers suitable for work and I didn't spot any jeans...... or a changing room to try anything on. Do they have them in there? I need smaller clothes now, especially trousers and jeans, but don't know what size I'm down to so I wasn't going to buy anything I hadn't tried on first. Yes - I can actually start to shop in regular clothes shops again. Yay! Never mind, there's always another day. We stayed in last night, so I started - and finished - the stitching on the March Ornie for the JA/S&S Monthly Christmas Ornie SAL....... told you it was a quickie. :0)

Today (Sunday) DS went off early, to go swimming, and DH and I had a trip out again, once it had stopped snowing. Yes, that's right: snow..... again! It settled initially but as soon as it stopped the temperature went up a little and the bulk of it melted, leaving everywhere waterlogged. I went from wanting to go out, to wanting to hibernate with my stitching and then back to being happy to go out again, all within the hour or so it snowed. First port of call on our delayed trip out was The Range: they didn't have the cereal bowls I wanted (am I the only one who doesn't like square bowls or ones that remind me of dog dishes??? LOL) but I did come away with some smaller circular templates I've wanted for ages (they're X-cut and the cutter and larger templates I have are Fiskars but reckon they should work together OK) - they'll make small circular ornies and pinkeeps much easier to do. I also came away with: foam dots (for 3-D cards); a pack of PaperMania flowers in yellow (for Spring/Easter cards); a pack of beads (for the Christmas ornie finish); cool melt glue sticks and a storage box (in the interests of organisation!). Into Poundstretcher next for some Lock'n'Lock boxes for the cereals (Spring really must be in the air, with me this interested in getting organised! LOL). One quick call into Tesco Express later and we then went home. It's amazing how fast the day goes when you're pottering around like that.

I'm not in a finishing mood tonight so won't be tackling the ornie........ I guess I'd best pick out some fabric and thread for one of the other Challenges...... or maybe do a little more on Sea Stars.

Thank you all for visiting and for the kind comments - hope you're all enjoying the end of a great weekend. :0)

A Surprise

I have had a wonderful surprise gift sent to me by Barb (no blog). On opening the Jiffy bag a lovely smell of roses wafted out, then I pulled out a very pretty drawstring bag and a card...... intrigued by the bag I opened it up to find a beautiful scissor keeper, matching fob and a lovely set of scissors, along with a friendship magnet inside. Just had to share some pics with everyone.

So wish I could take better pics, as these just don't show how those beads sparkle.

Here are some close-up pics - hope they show just how beautifully these are stitched and finished.......

........ and how pretty the colours of the fabric and thread are.

Aren't they gorgeous? I keep looking at them and still can't believe they are for me. The friendship magnet has a lovely sentiment and is now displayed on the freezer door with my small collection of other magnets - all of which have a special memory attached to them.

Thank you again for my wonderful surprise Barb (((((hugs))))) - I am so thrilled with everything. You made more than just the day for me. :0)

Today I had some great news but I shall keep that for my other blog. I will also share update pics and other stitchy things another time too.

Thank you for visiting and the kind comments - they are very much appreciated. Hope you all have a very enjoyable weekend. :0)

A Gift and an Update

Last week I had a lovely surprise gift arrive from Barb (no blog), a fellow member of JA/S&S Forum. I was amazed when I opened the box and found these three Barbara Erskine books inside:

If you're reading this: thank you again, Barb, for your wonderful generosity. My DH thanks you too - for the many peaceful hours he will get while I'll be busy reading them. LOL :0)

I completed making the card for the Stitched Christmas Card Exchange over on JA/S&S Forum and that is now winging it's way to my partner. Unfortunately I can't post a pic yet but will do so when I can. I also posted off my parcel to my No Stash For Christmas Exchange partner at the same time. Opening day isn't until Christmas Day, so I'll be living on tenter hooks until then, waiting to hear if I got things right for my partner. I didn't think to take a pic of that.

Apart from the stitched card and Sea Stars SAL night, the distinct lack of stitching has continued. I am, on the other hand, continuing to get quite a bit of reading done. I recently finished Chocolat by Joanne Harris - please see The Reading Corner blog for more on that. It's now registered with the Book Crossing site and is up for grabs, if anyone wants it, and I've also updated my book list on the Swap Blog. I'm now reading Picture Maker by Penina Spinka which takes the story through several Native American tribes and their cultures and is a fascinating read - any spare minute has me reaching for the book rather than my stitching. Oh well, at least I'm slowly whittling away at the mountain of books I've acquired recently. LOL
Lelia: There's a bit more about the Kate Morton book over on The Reading Corner blog here. I'm still working my way around to reading it. :0)

As for Sea Stars, here's where I got up to after last Thursday night's stitching session:

I just couldn't seem to get a decent flow going with the motif at all, so didn't get as much done as I'd have liked. I guess the sleep deprivation, whilst DH was in Italy, didn't help - I wasn't going to bed until around 2am each night, occasionally going on to read until 3am. At least when I eventually did go to sleep I got through the night reasonably well, only waking up a couple of times (usually it's about every hour). DH got home on Friday: they almost missed their flight, due to a bad crash on the Italian motorway which held them up for an hour and a half. Thankfully they didn't, as it would have entailed a much later flight to one of the London area airports and an overnight stay down there - the trip had already been a very tiring one, so none of them fancied that scenario.

My latest order from Sew & So arrived last week too but I can't show any of that as all the items are intended as gifts. I have to make a comment about the great customer sevice I received though: one of the Glass Treasures I ordered arrived broken, so I emailed them to let them know and asked for info on returning the damaged item and getting a replacement. I received a very quick response to say that there was no need to bother with returning it and that a replacement would be sent out the following day - it arrived safely the day after that. Top notch! :0)

The weekend has been a busy one again: Saturday we went to Uncle Henry's Farm Shop to get some shopping and managed to get a couple of small gifts and some nice nibbles for the festive season (a fruit and nuts mixed platter plus a savoury nibbles platter - a little healthier than the usual very high calorie stuff we used to get. See, I'm learning. LOL) As the cafe was very busy we opted to go back through Kirton to go and eat at the Garden Centre cafe instead. Good call, as we managed to get a couple more gifts there too. :0)

Sunday was the Food Fair at Lincolnshire Showground and DS came with us to that. It was quite busy but am pleased to say I coped fine with it and we had a very good day out. We also came away with some gifts too. I'll write more about it on my other blog. :0)

Today has been my usual Monday routine. Alex came for a visit and this time brought four of her latest embroidered patches with her - they're gorgeous and I can't wait to see how she finishes them. Unfortunately I forgot to take a pic, as we were busy nattering. :0)

I haven't made any stitching plans for this week....... will just go with the flow.

Christine: The Crystal Skull DVD was OK but both DS and I thought that it wasn't up to the previous films - though not bad for a couple of hours escapism, LOL. There's a bit of an element of Close Encounters meets Indiana Jones which is rather surreal and left us looking at one another and saying: What the?! What were they smoking when they wrote that? It also seems to be a bit of an intro for a younger model for future films....... but I can't say any more without spoiling it for you. Would be interested to know what you think, if you watch it. :0)

Thank you all for stopping by, especially as it's a busy time of year. Hope you all had a great weekend and a good start to the week. :0)

Gifts, an Opinion and a SAL

Hope all the Mum's out there in the UK had a lovely Mothers Day. :0)

We picked up my DSis and had our trip to Rosehill Crem yesterday, meeting up with DBro and his family there: we left some flowers and the tag I'd made by Mum's name plaque, then some flowers by Mum and Dad's plaque on the new monument and some near where Mum and Dad's ashes are. It was cold and windy there but it didn't seem to have put off all the visitors, as it was very busy, and all the flower offerings were so lovely and such a joy to see.
We spent the rest of the day at my DSis's. When I got home my card and gift from my DS were waiting for me - didn't get them before we left as he was sleeping off a late night at a friends 18th birthday party! Here's a pic of my card:
Inside it says: ME! with his name. DH swears it's me he takes after in the sense of humour department. LOL
My gift was the new Elizabeth dvd:

Can't wait to watch this, although DS has made me promise it will be on a night when he's out - he doesn't mind buying these things for me, he just objects to being forced to watch them, the Philistine! ;0) I think I'll be treating myself to "The Other Boleyn Girl" dvd as it's another one I want to watch/own. As you may have guessed by now I have a bit of a fascination with the Tudor era........ have always wondered if I had a previous lifetime back then. :0)

Alex isn't coming for her regular visit today, as she's currently on sick leave, after having a minor surgical procedure last week. I've still got most of my regular jobs out of the way though and have also carried on with the great safe place hunt - still haven't found those elusive reindeer ornies for finishing but I did find another piece that screamed "finish me":

Am debating making this up into a small fob-type ornie, backing it with one of the two fabrics in the pic but can't decide which, if any, would suit it best. What do you all reckon? Have also got some nice Christmas red fine bead trim that would look nice with it and/or some gold ribbon. Please leave comments or email me on what you think. :0)

I managed to do one threads length worth of stitching on Love Is You whilst at my DSis's yesterday but it's not worth showing a pic of - didn't manage more as the fresh air got to me and I fell asleep, as did DH and my DSis (think we're all ready for the knackers yard! LOL). Thought I'd show you where I've got to with Part 2 of the Ozark SAL instead:

Can't fit the whole width on the scanner (DH hasn't had chance to fit the new bits to the computer yet, so can't use the digicam) but it'll give you an idea on the design and colour - isn't it pretty? Must get on and finish this as Part 2 of the For Amanda SAL is now out and I want to start that soon. We should also be finding out what the Monthly Challenge piece is today and I'm determined to complete it on time this month - not bothered which piece it is, as all three were lovely pieces and all ones I would love to stitch.

Usually I stitch in the evenings (seem to get more done then), with an occasional afternoon session when the mood takes me, but I think I may have to start with a few more regular daytime stitching sessions until the SAL's are completed, in an effort to keep up with everything. I would dearly love to start the mixed stitch Papillon SAL, as it's so pretty, and the Loopylou Elegance SAL that's soon to start over at JA/S&S is also mighty tempting - that design got my vote when the SAL was first suggested, as it was one I wanted to stitch - but have finally had to admit defeat and tell myself no: got enough to keep me busy already and any more would be just too much pressure. It's supposed to be an enjoyable hobby, not a pressurised chore. :0)

BTW, the 18th birthday party DS went to on Saturday night was a "masked ball" and he went in fancy dress and a Venetian style hat/mask combination. As he got ready here, rather than at a friends house, I actually managed to get a couple of pics this time and plan on sharing those as soon as the new bits are fitted to the computer. :0)

Thanks for all the kind comments and sorry if I haven't commented on your blog lately: have got a bit behind with blog reading but hope to catch up with everyone's news in the next couple of days.

Hope those who are currently having snow are staying safe and warm, that you've all had a good weekend and all are having an easy start to the week. :0)