JoTs Cross Stitch Spot

Another W.I.P. Photo

2008-12-23T12:54:00.001Z

Diane Graebner - Christmas Eve:

19.2% complete as of 22nd December 2008.

A Finish to Report

2008-12-19T15:19:00.001Z

A. Fox Original - Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow ...:

Finished on 19th December 2008

Stitched on 14 count Hand Dyed (by me) Aida. I changed the design a bit, including re-charting one of the larger snowflakes.

Monarch Beauty

2008-12-16T12:38:00.000Z

Kustom Krafts - Monarch Beauty:

Seven parts of the Mystery SAL on the Kustom Krafts group finished. 48% complete.

Cabin in the Woods

2008-12-08T17:14:00.000Z

HAED - Cabin In The Woods (Faulkner):

Page 19 Finished. 1 page (of 42 pages) stitched which is 3%

Latest Update

2008-12-04T14:21:00.001Z

HAED - Tomboy (Fenech):

24 pages (of 36 pages) stitched which is 69.1%

HAED - Serengeti Glow (Schimmel):

10 pages (of 12 pages) stitched which is 77.8%

Kustom Krafts - Monarch Beauty:

Six parts of the Mystery SAL on the Kustom Krafts group. 36.6% complete.

HAED - Cabin In The Woods (Faulkner):

Half of page 19 (of 42 pages) stitched which is 1.8%

HAED - Sampler Letter R (Fenech):

Page 1 (of 4 pages) stitched which is 40.6%

HAED - Kustom Krafts - Blue Eyes:

Page 1 (of 9 pages) stitched which is 13.9%

Finishes:

Whispered by the Wind - Snow:

Finished on 24th November 2008

Stitched on 14 count Hand Dyed (by me) Aida.

Angel Stitchin - Candle Light:

Finished on 17th November 2008

From Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments 2008. Stitched on 18 count Blue Cloud Aida.

August and September Progress

2008-09-29T16:19:00.002+01:00

HAED - Tomboy (Fenech):

22 pages (of 36 pages) stitched which is 64.3%

HAED - Serengeti Glow (Schimmel):

7 pages (of 12 pages) stitched which is 72.7%

Kustom Krafts - Monarch Beauty:

Three parts of the Mystery SAL on the Kustom Krafts group. 6.4% complete.

Shinysun - Shades of Blue (Marsh)

Half a page (of 6 pages) stitched which is 10.8%

HAED - QS Hang in There (Middleton):

Half a page (of 4 pages) stitched which is 15.4%

HAED - The Pink Rose (Lenoir)

1.5 pages (of 35 pages) stitched which is 5.2%

A couple of progress pictures

2008-08-06T12:14:00.001+01:00

Lizzie*Kate 12 Blessings of Christmas Flip-it - Faith:

Finished on 2nd August 2008

HAED - Invariance (Bowser):

1.5 of 42 pages stitched which is 4.5%

Kustom Krafts - Monarch Beauty:

This is the first part of the Mystery SAL on the Kustom Krafts group. 1.5% complete.

Two Finishes and Four Updates

2008-07-14T16:16:00.000+01:00

First the finishes.

HAED - TT Snow Family (Raisch):

Finished on 19th May 2008

Derwentwater Designs - Cliff Top:

Finished on 28th June 2008

Now the updates.

HAED - Serengeti Glow (Schimmel):

6 of 12 pages stitched which is 58.5%

HAED - Tomboy (Fenech):

21 of 36 pages stitched which is 61.2%

HAED - Desert Princess (Bowser)

1 of 18 pages stitched which is 5.6%

HAED - Celestial Night (Fain)

1 of 36 pages stitched which is 3.6%

Stitching Update

2008-02-15T13:41:00.006Z

Here is my stitching update since the last post:

Lizzie*Kate - Winter Boxer:

Finished at last! I am celebrating this finish as I have had it on my to-do list for what seems like forever. It is stitched on 28 count flax linen and I really don’t like stitching on this fabric. I just have the Summer Boxer left to stitch.

Lizzie*Kate - 12 Blessings of Christmas Flip-it - Hope:

This was my first attempt at dying fabric and I am pleased how it worked out. The design is the first I have stitched of the '12 Blessings of Christmas'. I have the other 11 charts and will stitch them all one day.

CNSC - The Visitor:

I have stitched 1 of 4 pages which is 25%

HAED - Invariance:

This has so many colour changes it took a long time to get this far. I was ready for a change when I reached the end of the page!
I have stitched 1 of 42 pages which is 3%

HAED - TT Snow Family:

34% stitched

HAED - Serengeti Glow:

I have stitched 2 of 12 pages which is 20%
This is a lovely chart to work on. I was tempted to stay on it awhile longer, but Tomboy was next on my rotation and I haven't stitched on that one for a few months.

I am currently stitching on two projects, HAED - "Tomboy" and Solaria Gallery - "Girl from Alhambra", which I will show in my next post.

I’m back again – well sort of.

2007-10-26T19:56:00.000+01:00

Thank you for all the messages and emails. I will get around to replying ASAP.

It was an unplanned absence due to a couple of things. Firstly out of the blue Richard talked about us moving and after a long discussion we decided it would be the right thing to do. We spoke to the estate agent who said he thought our house would sell quickly as there was a shortage of this size house on the market in this area. We rushed getting things ready, doing all the jobs that have been put off. I also had to go through everything I own and try and get rid of half of it as we will be moving to a smaller house. Wow, I have a lot of stuff! As soon as we put our house on the market things cooled down and houses are now not selling in the area (well this size anyway).

Well amongst that I had health problems. I am receiving treatment which is going well.

My stitching has suffered as although I am stitching sometimes, there have been a few weeks when I couldn’t do any at all. In fact this is one of them as I just don’t feel well enough, I am missing it though.

I don’t know how often I will be able to write my blog, but hopefully things will get back to normal (whatever that is) soon.

Even though I haven’t done as much stitching, I still have some to share with you as it has been so long since I last did an update. I haven’t stuck to the rotation, just stitched on whatever, whenever.

I have finished Lavender & Lace Celtic Winter:

This is waiting to be framed now. It looks better in real life, but then don't they always?

Next I worked on HAED – Tomboy:

I have reached the 52% mark which is 18 pages. This was my target for the year. There are only 18 more pages to go!

Lastly is HAED – QS Believe:

This is at 16%, which is just over half of the first page. I was surprised at how much confetti or isolated stitches this had on the butterfly. Maybe it was just I wasn’t feeling too good while I was working on it, so it seemed worse.

I have also just finished Lizzie*Kate Winter Boxer but haven’t taken a photo yet, will show that next time.

I am currently stitching on The Visitor, which is a picture of a fox. It reminds me of the foxes that visit our back garden. I am trying to get the first page finished before taking a photo, so hopefully I will be able to stitch again soon.

Well that’s it for now, thank you for reading my blog.

Week 27

2007-07-05T17:40:00.000+01:00

Thank you for your comments and emails I really appreciate them! Sorry I haven't been visiting your blogs this week but there are not enough hours in a day at present to fit everything in. I have undertaken a couple of large projects for both the business and home so when I finish work for the day I am only fit to stitch for a short time before bed. I will catch up with everyone as soon as possible.

I am keeping to my stitching rotation, but because of the above I am not getting a lot done on each project. This week I have been working on L&L's 'The Quiltmaker':

If you click on the image it will take you to see what it should look like when finished. I would have got more done on this if my scanner and PC were friends with each other. I always get an enlarged working copy of the chart so I can see it easily and also mark off where I am going or finished. It took a lot longer to sort out than it should have, but at least I have it now, so there should be more progress when stitching on this in the future.

I also managed to finish Waxing Moon's 'Hitchin' a Ride':

I altered the snowflakes and missed out the backstitching in the sky. I love this design; I think it is such a fun one for Christmas!

Yesterday evening I worked on HAED's 'QS Believe':

Again if you click on the image it will take you to see what it should look like when finished. It was just blocks of colour, so easy to stitch, just what I needed yesterday.

Tonight I hope to bring out HAED's Tomboy for a turn.

I won a HAED chart!

2007-06-29T18:14:00.000+01:00

The Heaven and Earth Designs forum ran a game of bingo for fairy day and I nearly fainted when I won it! Two other ladies won as well and instead of selecting one of us to win the prize, HAED very kindly agreed to give all three of us a free chart. I chose Pirate by Selina Fenech. I am delighted to have won and to be able to select a chart that I love.

This week I worked on HAED's 'At First Sight' by Linda Tso. You wouldn't say I was addicted to HAED charts would you. Well here is my progress so far:

If you click on the image it will take you to see what it should look like when finished. I loved working on this design it has been the easiest so far of any of the HAED Charts I have worked on. I didn't spend as much time stitching this week so there isn't a lot done.

I worked on HAED's 'QS Believe' on Wednesday. This is my progress so far (again you can see what is should look like by clicking on the image):

I enjoy stitching this much more on the 18 count.

I am sorting out Lavender and Lace's 'The Quiltmaker' and hope to start stitching on it this weekend. I don't know why but every time I go to type 'Quiltmaker' I end up typing 'Guiltmaker'.

2007-06-22T11:39:00.000+01:00

I took the plunge and changed my blog template. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Don't know why but I was in a pink mood. The colour will no doubt change from time to time. I also designed a banner for the top, eventually I want to add something more 'cross stitch' to it.

This week's stitching time was concentrated on Celtic Winter. I didn't have as much time to spend stitching as usual but I am pleased with the progress made anyway. This is what Celtic Winter looks like now:

The dress is finished except for the hem.

Tonight I will start gridding for HAED's 'At First Sight' - YUK. I don't enjoy gridding but I do prefer stitching with it in place. This design (when I start the stitching) fits in with my pink mood. :)

Second Happy Dance of 2007

2007-06-14T16:21:00.000+01:00

I would like to share my second cross stitch happy dance of 2007:

This is 'Bring on the Snow' by Waxing Moon.

Here is my progress on Tomboy:

Another 1% done bringing the total complete to 43.2%

I re-started HAED's QS Believe last night on 18 count Aida. I only got a few stitches in after gridding so not worth a photo yet.

For those who would like to know where the seven hearts are hidden in the picture I posted last week, here is the answer:

I have just discovered that some emails are not getting through, so if you have sent me an email and not had a reply please re-send it, thanks.

Tonight I will be stitching on Celtic Winter.

2007-06-08T17:08:00.000+01:00

This is my start on HAED's Cabin in the Woods:

I started on page 19 instead of the top left as I usually do. Sorry the photo isn't too good, it does look better IRL. I should get more done the next time I work on this as most of the gridding is done and all the threads are sorted ready and cut into workable lengths.

I haven't been getting as much stitching time lately, so not much to show in this post. I did put a total of 3 stitches into HAED's Seven Hearts on Wednesday. It was our 7th wedding anniversary and although I didn't have time to spend stitching I wanted to have made a start with this chart on the day. We got this design as we thought it was suitable for the occasion.

There are seven hearts hidden in the picture, can you find them?

Update Continued

2007-05-30T19:57:00.000+01:00

Following on from my last post here are the two promised photos.

DMC - Tiger and Cub:

I had fun gridding the black and sorting the threads of the kit - not. It was the worst kit I have had for sorting threads out. For example there were six or seven shades of grey with descriptions such as pale grey and light grey. Then there were the oranges etc.. The totals of the strands didn't help either as mostly they were the same quantity. Luckily I have a DMC shade card (and a fantastic husband, who helped a lot), as in the end I had to use that to work out which thread was which. This is the left ear which is 9.4% of the total. I was gradually getting used to stitching on the black before I moved on. I am looking forward to stitching on this again.

HAED - QS Believe:

I decided to try 28 count Brittney to stitch this but am really not enjoying it. Only 6.2% has been stitched so I've made the decision to restart it on 18 count Aida.

I am just starting HAED's Cabin in the Woods. Hopefully I will get the first stitches in tonight.

Update - At Last

2007-05-30T15:12:00.000+01:00

I didn't mean to be away for so long but time just slipped away. It was time to move HandsOnHobbies onto the new server but to do so the shop had to be closed and completely set up from scratch with new software. My DH and I had two weeks to do the job, including a lot of new features and adding thousands of products with larger images! To check out the new (UK) site go to http://www.handsonhobbies.com.

The following are photos of my stitching progress since my last post.

Tomboy:

I have stitched 14 of 36 pages which is 42.3%

Diane Graebner's - Christmas Eve:

Stitched 16 blocks at top left approx. 6.4%

Solaria Gallery – Girl from Alhambra:

Stitched half of page one. I love stitching this design! Stitched approx. 16%

Celtic Winter:

Widened fur on hood, stitched muff and start of dress. Stitched approx. 55.2%

I have two others to sort out photos for and will show them later.

2007 Goals

2007-04-22T13:32:00.000+01:00

I've realised that I haven't put my 2007 stitching goals into writing so better late than never:

1. I would like to start a rotation of at least 20 projects, most of them large including quite a few HAED. As of 1st January I only had 3 WIP projects, which means a lot of new starts.

2. Get HAED - Tomboy to the 50% mark. I started the year at 29.9% (around 9 and a half pages).

3. Finish more than 4 projects.

Progress as of 22 April 07:

1. I have started 12 of the 20 projects.

2. Tomboy is at the 37.3% mark (12 pages). I have 6 more pages to stitch this year to reach my target.

3. I have finished 1 project (Diane Graebner's - Home for the Holidays)

Week's Progress

The following photos show my stitching progress for the week. The first is Dimensions - Sleigh Ride:

It is 15.7% complete. I am doing the backstitch as I go so it isn't all left to the end.

The second photo is my progress on Celtic Winter:

It is 48.6% complete. I finished the cloak and face and just started the dress as originally charted (although I have changed the colours). So far the two halves are fitting together nicely. I was worried how the original charted half would fit together with the cloak. The cloak was designed by Nathalie for a mirror image of Celtic Spring. I am stitching it for the actual Celtic Winter.

I am starting back on HAED - Tomboy today and can't wait!

HAED progress

2007-04-15T13:45:00.000+01:00

This week I have two Heaven and Earth Designs WIP's to show. The first is The Pink Rose:

I finished page 1. It is just background so not a very interesting picture to look at.

The second is Tomboy:

I finished page 13.

I had to re-do a patch of the wall in Tomboy, as I had used the wrong colour thread! It was tempting to leave it being just a patch in the wall which didn't stand out as being wrong. Every time I looked I knew it wasn't right and was going to bother me unless I corrected it. With it out the way I am pleased with my decision.

I am working on Sleigh Ride now, but I am not enjoying it. I would prefer to be stitching on a HAED. They are much larger but easier to stitch in my opinion. I am not sure if all Dimension charts are the same, but I have been put off in case they are. I like to cross stitch in two threads (or an even number at least), so a loop start can be used. I hate blending and with Sleigh Ride sometimes you have to use one of each or two, three or four strands, it just doesn't seem possible to get into a rhythm. As stitching is my hobby, something that should be enjoyable, I made the decision to put Sleigh Ride in to my random rotation rather than a focus project. It means I will still be stitching on it and hopefully one day will finish; but not quickly.

After a couple of days on Sleigh Ride I am moving onto Celtic Winter which is remaining as a focus project. I am hoping to finish the cloak this time around and start the part of the design that was originally charted. I just need to figure out how the two parts fit together!

First HD of 2007

2007-04-05T14:44:00.000+01:00

This week I finished Diane Graebner's - Home for the Holidays. I enjoyed stitching this design; it grew quickly and didn't take much concentration. The windows in the house sparkle but it doesn't show in the photo.

Last night I worked on HAED's - The Pink Rose. I wish I had started this on her face so there was something to look at instead of just the background. From now on I am going to start all large charts on the main part of the picture and then fill in the background. I find I enjoy stitching more when there is something to see other than a blob of colour. Luckily at the bottom right corner of page two I will reach her hair (although I won't get that far this time round). I will continue on The Pink Rose for a few days and then go back to HAED's - Tomboy.

I have updated my rotation page on my site with my new plan. This now includes links to each project page where there is a picture of how it should look when complete. To see it click here: http://www.jthanson.co.uk/rotation.htm

I haven't decorated the house for Easter this year, unless you count dust bunnies! I have got some daffodils, yellow cushion covers and yellow table cloth for Spring and they do brighten the house. I LOVE SPRING!

I hope everyone has a lovely Easter!

Another Week

2007-03-31T13:13:00.000+01:00

HandsOnHobbies has been moved back to the old server and is open for business as usual. I am trying to find out why it isn't happy with the new server. It should be fine, all the software requirements are met and there are no obvious errors. I really hope it can be sorted out as I spent a lot of time this week looking into different software and nothing was suitable, without a load of re-writing that is.

Once HandsOnHobbies was back working I managed to get a newsletter out about the new Clear Magic Stamps. The new stamps are a huge hit. I thought they would be as there are some lovely designs.

I am really excited as I have designed some software and it is currently being developed. I am not sure when it will be ready but as soon as I have further details I will let you know.

This week I have stitched on only one design, Diane Graebner's - Home for the Holidays. It is lovely to stitch. It is a quick and easy design with no confetti stitches!!! I love the larger designs but it is nice to take a break once in awhile. I needed this project this week as it doesn't take much concentration and was easy to keep picking up and working on for the short spaces of time that were available to me. I was working all day and a lot through the evening, so it was lovely to see the picture developing so fast. This is where I am up to at present:

I have decided to stay with this project until completion, which hopefully will be this week. I am then moving onto HAED's - The Pink Rose.

"Chain of Friends"

2007-03-31T13:01:00.000+01:00

This was from Velda's blog. Please copy the verse and photo for your blog and carry on the chain of friendship! Leave a comment so we can all follow the chain!

Holding Hands

This picture shows a line of little girls holding hands facing the immensity of ocean waves.

Alone they might be washed away, but together they stand strong.

Thank you for holding my hand somewhere along the way when I was facing a wave of my own. I hope you will reach for my hand when your own wave threatens.

All of us girls...

Old and young...

Near and far...

Hold special memories of good times we've shared.

We've had our share of hard times when our friends were there to make us feel better.

We've shared...

our hearts

our time

our secrets

our fears

our hopes

and our dreams.

Let us never break the chain of friends!

Weekly News

2007-03-24T14:44:00.000Z

This week our main water tap into the house developed a leak. I noticed a strange patch on the wall (which was recently decorated) which turned out to be caused by the leak. What could have been a quick repair turned into a saga, but thankfully it is fixed now. Although the wall does need to be sorted out!

We decided to move HandsOnHobbies to a new web server but it didn't go well and we haven't been able to get it to work correctly so the shop has been closed since Thursday evening. We decided to move it back to the old server for now and then probably start the shop from scratch using new software, which should be fun! Watch this space.

On top of which my PC is still throwing tantrums. Considering everything that is going on I am somehow managing to keep calm.

My sister is starting a new chapter in her life as she has just got the keys to her new house and is in the process of moving in. I wish her luck with her new start.

I have adapted my cross stitch rotation. I wasn't enjoying stitching on Sleigh Ride and Celtic Winter for just one evening a week. I prefer to spend at least a few days on a project before packing it away. With Sleigh Ride in particular I never looked forward to starting it and when I had to pack it away I had just started to get into it, so it wasn’t progressing very quickly. I have therefore adapted my rotation so both Sleigh Ride and Celtic Winter have slots every month and I can spend longer on them than just one evening. Also I wanted to have Tomboy as more of a focus piece. My new rotation looks like this:

Diane Graebner - Home for the Holidays
HAED - Pink Rose
HAED - Tomboy
Dimensions - Sleigh Ride
L&L - Celtic Winter
HAED - Tomboy
Diane Graebner - Christmas Eve
Solaria Gallery – Girl from Alhambra
HAED - Tomboy
Dimensions - Sleigh Ride
L&L - Celtic Winter
HAED - Tomboy
DMC - Tiger and Cub
HAED - Cabin in the Woods
HAED - Tomboy
Dimensions - Sleigh Ride
L&L - Celtic Winter
HAED - Tomboy
HAED - At First Sight
L&L - The Quiltmaker
HAED - Tomboy
Dimensions - Sleigh Ride
L&L - Celtic Winter
HAED - Tomboy
CNSC - The Visitor (Fox)
HAED - Invariance
HAED - Tomboy
Dimensions - Sleigh Ride
L&L - Celtic Winter
HAED - Tomboy

I have now also got a list of "Office Projects" which are smaller designs that I will stitch on when I have a few minutes to spare. They are:

Waxing Moon - Bring on the Snow
Lizzie*Kate - Winter Boxer
CSC - Holly Cottage
Derwentwater Designs - Cliff Top
Lizzie*Kate - Flip-it Blessings

My progress photos for the week include Celtic Winter which I did still stitch on Tuesday as usual:

and Tomboy:

I stitched half a page.

As soon as I get a chance I am starting Diane Graebner - Home for the Holidays. I am looking forward to this one. It should be an easier stitch. I wonder if it will make me feel Christmassy in March!

2007-03-17T14:42:00.000Z

Happy Golden Wedding Anniversary Mum and Dad!

Being married for 50 years is quite an act to follow.

Back to the story of my PC. I spoke too soon, although not as drastic as the week before I did lose a day's work. Although it is working I am having to be very careful as it could crash at any time. It is slowing up my work so much it is driving me crazy.

I did manage in the end to get some of the new stock entered into the webshop, but not all of it. I did get all the new Clear Magic Stamps entered and the gallery with examples of some cards made with the stamps. To see the stamps click here and the gallery click here. There are so many lovely new designs I can't wait to start using them myself.

Now for my stitching update. First of all Sleigh Ride:

Although I didn't get too much done this week the picture doesn't show my progress very well. I did do more than it looks.

Then Celtic Winter:

I think a few more weeks and I will have the cloak finished and I can start on the dress.

Last of all is Evening Lights by Mystic Stitch:

I started stitching this last Saturday. There were a lot of confetti stitches! Hopefully when I finish the trees there will be more patches of one colour. I was delighted to start stitching with a different colour - yeah for pink.

I forgot to mention last week that I have started Bring on the Snow by Waxing Moon Designs (Design 11 - Position 5 in my rotation) I haven't taken a progress pic yet. As it is a smaller design I am stitching on this gradually when I have a few minutes here or there.

I am going back to Tomboy later today, so hopefully will have an update next week.

Thanks for all your comments. I will be visiting your blogs later - PC willing!

2007-03-10T11:55:00.000Z

What a week! It started off with me feeling terrible with the tiredness being joined by a sore throat, ear ache etc. Then on Monday evening my PC went wrong. I have no idea what happened but it was working fine when I left it to do some stitching on Sleigh Ride and when I went back an hour later to do more work it had crashed. Richard (who is a computer genius) came to look at it but he couldn't get it to start. We spent hours trying things and in the end had to leave it to sleep as it was around 4am. I was doing my best to keep calm but it was a struggle as I realised my backup was out of date and I would have lost my years accounts which I had only just got up to date and balanced as well as so much other important work. Tuesday after only a couple of hours sleep was spent sorting out my PC. In the end Richard managed to get it working and I spent the remainder of the week re-installing software and generally getting things set up. It was such a relief when I found out I hadn't lost anything important. I have now done a full backup and plan to keep it up to date. I don't want to go through that again! Thankfully both of us (that is me and my computer) are feeling much better now.

Thank goodness for stitching! Without it I think I would have gone crazy by now - OK more crazy than I usually am.

This week I found that Sleigh Ride stitched up quickly. I am pleased with how much I completed:

Celtic Winter is coming along nicely as well:

I also started The John Clayton Collection - Mountains And Lake. I am adapting it as it has the strange fractional stitches that Heritage Stitchcraft loves using. I personally think they spoil this design so I am removing them. So far I am pleased with how it is working out:

I promise I will introduce a new colour soon! Blue is one of my favourite colours but even so...

Last night I did the gridding for Mystic Stitch - Evening Lights and am looking forward to starting this later today. Although guess what the first colour is? Yep, BLUE!

2007-03-03T11:32:00.000Z

I have been too tired this week to do a blog entry. I don't know why I have been so tired, but it has been such an effort to do anything.

Monday evening my mum came to visit, we had a great time. I did do some on Sleigh Ride, it was lovely having someone to chat to while stitching even though at times the conversation was reduced to "one, two, three, four ..." Here is my progress on Sleigh Ride:

Mum showed me some of the coasters she has stitched, they were beautiful and I am going to set her up an online gallery to show them off - just need scans.

Tuesday evening I stitched Celtic Winter as usual. This one is stitching up quicker as it is an easy stitch. I love working on this and watching it grow:

Yesterday evening I finished page 14 of HAED - Tomboy, that brings my total of finished pages to 11. It also means I have completed a third of the design, so only two thirds to go. I am pleased how it is stitching up:

Today I am looking forward to going back to my rotation. I have decided to work on the next three projects: Waxing Moon - Bring on the Snow; John Clayton - Mountains and Lakes and Mystic Stitch - Evening Lights before going back to HAED - Tomboy.

I hope this tiredness goes away for next week as I have a lot to fit in to the week. A lot of new stock is due and I need to find time and energy to enter it into the shop system. I am looking forward to it arriving as it looks good in the pictures!

2007-02-24T13:25:00.000Z

My husband Richard runs a software games business, and recently published the latest release in the Repton games series. The main character in these games is called Repton because he's a green reptile!

Anyway, it has been such a great success that I have been helping to fulfil the orders for the Repton software; one of the reasons I have been so busy lately.

Richard has received some lovely emails from customers expressing their pleasure with the Repton games, which is very gratifying for us. Several customers have said they are the best games they have ever played, and he received these rewarding comments from two customers recently:

"I have bought Repton 1, 2, 3 and Spectacular from you and love them all."

"I'm really enjoying Spectacular. It has to be the best £9 worth of entertainment that I've ever had."

We are delighted that the games are loved so much!

If you would like to download a free trial version to see what I have been waffling about click here.

2007-02-23T17:35:00.000Z

There are three progress pictures this time. The first one is Monday nights SAL Sleigh Ride:

I have finished the main clump of trees top left and stitched the snow at the top of the first roof, although the photo doesn't show this very clearly.

The second photo is Tuesday nights SAL Celtic Winter:

I have finished one page of the cloak and started the next page.

Now let me introduce you to the headless horseman:

This photo is my progress on HAED - A Favour. I had planned to finish his head before posting a progress pic but that would be another page and I want a break from this design. The photo shows page 24 and 28. There are a lot of colour changes and quite a few colours only have one or two stitches per colour!

I am now going back to stitch on HAED - Tomboy. I would like to get the current page finished.

2007-02-17T11:15:00.000Z

I don't know where this week has gone, it just flew past! Here are the weekly update photos for the two SAL, better late than never.

The first one is Sleigh Ride:

This is Celtic winter. I stitched it on Wednesday for a couple of hours instead of Tuesday as my parents and sister came on Tuesday evening:

I have also been stitching on HAED - A Favour and was going to post an update photo, but at the moment I have a headless rider which is rather alarming! I decided to finish the page before taking a photo.

Weekly Cross Stitch Update

2007-02-07T18:44:00.000Z

I only managed to stitch on Sleigh Ride for around 30 minutes on Monday evenings SAL, so not much progress. I stitched the tree trunks:

I stitched for much longer on Celtic Winter for Tuesday evenings SAL. I finished all the darker blue on the page:

Here is the current picture of HAED – Tomboy as of 3 Feb:

I didn’t get around to taking the photo until now. I am going to come back and continue this page next week. I have really started to enjoy stitching this now I can see the picture developing.

Birthday

2007-02-07T18:40:00.000Z

I had a great birthday (although no stitching)! I spent the day with R who surprised me by playing his guitar. He hasn’t picked it up for over 8 years and still managed to play beautifully. I was so touched; it was the highlight of my day.

I did well with presents, which included 12 HAED charts! I received:

"Giaccometta" Krystal Camprubi
"Ice Wind 2" Linda Tso
"Martyrs" Tracy Butler
"SunkenTreasure" Schim Schimmel
"Sunnia Golden Dragon" Linda Tso
"Swans" Ruth Sanderson
"TheAccolade" Leighton
"The Crown Jewel" Schim Schimmel
"Victory" Selina Fenech

Click here to see pictures. I can’t wait to start them all! I can see my rotation growing.

In a birthday card I was given a few lotto scratch cards which I won £19 with, which added to the fun of the day.

Celtic Winter Day 3

2007-01-31T15:32:00.000Z

Yesterday evening I worked a bit more on the Celtic Winter SAL:

I am pleased with the progress. I have completed around 5% in 3 days with only a couple of hours stitching each time. It is stitching up quickly and is fun to do.

Tonight I am planning to stitch on HAED ‘Tomboy’. I am looking forward to working on this again.

I am currently rushing around trying to fit next weeks planned jobs into this week, along side this weeks work. It is my birthday on Sunday and I would like to take a few hours off each day next week for some extra stitching time. If you can’t do it for your birthday when can you?

Unfortunately though it means I am not getting time to read blogs or visit the groups. I will catch up with them soon though – promise.

Sleigh Ride Day 3

2007-01-30T01:26:00.000Z

I didn't manage to get as much stitching time tonight as I had too much other stuff to do, but I still managed to make some progress on Sleigh Ride.

I have reached the first roof, but still have quite a bit to do before I finish the width of the trees. I will continue with the trees next week, although it is tempting to start the roof.

Thank you for the comments! I love receiving them.

The Master

2007-01-29T01:06:00.000Z

I thought we had managed to avoid all the bugs going around at the moment, but on Friday both R and I came down with colds. Feeling pretty lousy I couldn’t settle to anything so didn’t achieve as much as I wanted. Of course I did manage to do some stitching! I started ‘The Master’ which is the head of a male lion. This is a fun one to stitch so have made good progress.

This weekend we have also changed web hosts for my personal site. So far I have been happy with the new company. If it performs well we will be moving the business website over to it. A job I am not looking forward to, but as long as the new web server does perform well it will be worth it.

This evening (as long as I finish work in time) I will be working on Sleigh Ride for the Monday SAL. I will take a progress picture and upload tomorrow.

Summer Breeze

2007-01-25T01:11:00.000Z

Another new WIP:

This is Leisure Arts Summer Breeze by Paula Vaughan. I had problems with this at first and had to unpick everything I had done and re-start. It wasn't helped by the fact there are a load of fractional stitches in it! I hate fractionals!!! There is also a lot of backstitch (which I also hate) so I am planning to do it as I go along.

I am going to start 'The Master' next which is a male lions head and I can't wait. I love lions!

Day 2 of Celtic Winter

2007-01-24T00:47:00.000Z

Here is my progress on Celtic Winter after my second evening of stitching:

The white is wisper thread. It is the first time I have used this and I was surprised how easy it was to stitch with. Although I have to remember to keep the lengths shorter than normal otherwise it is bald before I reach the end, not quite the effect I am after.

I have started with the silver thread and think it will look good on the finished piece. I was going to use gold as charted, but with the blues of the cloak thought the silver would look better. I decided to use Petite Treasure Braid as I find this stitches up easier than other brands I have used in the past. It is more 'sparkly' than it looks in the photo.

Day 2 of Sleigh Ride

2007-01-23T00:32:00.000Z

This is my progress of Dimensions Sleigh Ride for the second Monday night stitch along:

Although it still looks like a blob you can see the trees at the top left of the picture developing if you know what to look for - honest. I think another one or two nights of stitching will get me to the start of a roof and that should look a bit more interesting.

Tomboy Update

2007-01-21T00:44:00.000Z

Tomboy by HAED is my focus project and I am planning to stitch on this in between my other WIP. Here is my progress so far:

I didn't get as much stitching time this week as I started an exciting new project for the business and this is taking more of my time than I thought it would. The story of my life! I will give details of the project when it is closer to being finished.

Stitch Along 2

2007-01-17T14:55:00.000Z

I am stitching L&L Celtic Winter as part of a stitch along on Tuesday evenings. This is my progress so far for one evening:This is the original Celtic Winter version with the cloak added. I wish I had more time to stitch as I wanted to carry on with this as I am really enjoying it.

I decided to start at the bottom this time for a change. I want to stitch the cloak first and then see how the original chart fits in with it.

Stitch Along 1

2007-01-16T16:00:00.000Z

I started Dimensions Sleigh Ride last night as part of a stitch along with the "International & UK Round Robins" ezboard. We are working on this design every Monday evening. My progress so far:

New Year New Start

2007-01-13T12:24:00.000Z

This year I am working on being organised.

I am updating both my blog and my personal website http://www.jthanson.co.uk . I still have loads to do.

I spent ages working out a layout for my cross stitch WIP gallery pages and am pleased with the result. I am receiving good feedback for it already which is great. To see what I have done go to: http://www.jthanson.co.uk/tomboy.htm

My cross stitch goals for 2007 are to have started:
Ladies
1 HAED - Tomboy
2 WOCS - Regency Lady
3 L&L - Celtic Winter
4 L&L - The Quiltmaker
5 HAED - At First Sight
6 HAED - Pink Rose
7 HAED - A Favour
21 Solaria Gallery – Girl from Alhambra
Christmas
8 DMC - Home for the Holidays
9 Dimensions - Sleigh Ride
10 Diane Graebner - Christmas Eve
11 Waxing Moon - Bring on the Snow
12 Diane Graebner - Home for the Holidays
13 Lizzie*Kate - Winter Boxer
Animals
14 DMC - Tiger and Cub
15 CNSC - The Master (Lion)
16 CNSC - The Visitor (Fox)
Scenic
17 John Clayton - Mountains and Lakes
18 Mystic Stitch - Evening Lights
19 Leisure Arts - Summer Breeze
20 New Stitches - Highland scene

I have made a webpage on my personal site for my rotation with links to the gallery pages to show ongoing progress. To see it go to: http://www.jthanson.co.uk/rotation.htm

My progress so far:

HAED - Tomboy

HAED - A Favour

WOCS - Regency Lady

HAED - The Pink Rose

Two Week Cross Stitch Progress

2006-05-17T17:32:00.000+01:00

I have finished two coasters since I last posted:

This is the top part of the Lizzie*Kate chart "Think Spring". I stitched it on a pearl fleck Aida which looks very pretty. Unfortunately it doesn't show up in the scan. The second coaster is a daffodil from the "Little Ones" range:

I am now stitching a lamb which completes the four spring theme coasters.

My main stitching project this week is HAED - "Tomboy":

This is what it looked like when I picked it up on Sunday. At the bottom of this page I will get to some ivy which is growing over the wall. I can't wait, although it is doubtful if I will get to it this week.

Last week I stitched on the "Pinn" kit "Japanese Beauty (Reading). This is where I got to when I packed it away:

Next week I am adding to my rotation. I am sticking to every other week on "Tomboy" but the other weeks I am going to do a random rotation on four projects: L&L Celtic Autumn (my own colour conversion); Jill Oxton's Giraffe; Lizzie*Kate Winter Boxer as well as Japanese Beauty (Reading). These are the four main projects from my 101 Tasks in 1001 Days list.

A Favourite Quote:
"A mistake is simply another way of doing things."
Katharine Graham

Over-dyed SBQ

2006-05-03T19:58:00.000+01:00

My answer to the SBQ:

Do you or have you stitched with over-dyed threads? (Weeks Dye Works, The Gentle Art Sampler Threads, Six Strand Sweets, etc.) If so, what is your opinion concerning them? If not, why not?

I have tried them but didn't think they were worth the extra cost. Also they don't suit my method of stitching. I use one strand folded in half and use the loop start. I find this much quicker and neater. Also I have been told that you are better not to wash the stitching once completed and I prefer to be able to wash items.

If I found a project that really would benefit from them I would try again.

I do like looking at them though - some of the colour variations are very pretty.

OK, as I am typing this I am gradually convincing myself that I should give them another try.

A Favourite Quote:
"Never test the depth of the water with both feet."

Birthday Flip-it Completed

2006-05-02T17:29:00.000+01:00

I have completed #69 off my 101 Tasks in 1001 Days list. The 'birthday' flip-it is now ready to be made into a quilt with all the other Lizzie*Kate monthly and holiday Flip-it's:

I was anxious when I started stitching it, but think it has turned out well. I adapted the 'Birthday Blessings' chart.

I also made good progress with the Pinn Japanese Lady at the weekend:

It will be good when she gets a head!

A Favourite Quote:
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes."
Oscar Wilde

101 Progress

2006-04-27T20:18:00.000+01:00

Although I have only finished two things to cross off my 101 list I am working towards a few of the goals:

#4 I am going through a couple of magazines every evening before bed and removing charts that I like. I was managing up to ten a day, but now I am doing 'New Stitches' and there are a lot more designs I like so it is taking me longer to file them. I think when I have finished the 'New Stitches' ones I will have enough room on my bookcase and will cross it off the list although I will be continuing until I have gone through all my magazines.

#5 and 6 I have got the 'Readerware' software all ready to use and have made a start at entering both books and DVD's. I also got the Palm edition so I can import the lists onto my palm. I love the software so far and am looking forward to working on this.

#9 My peel off collection is sorted into sections such as Christmas pictures, Christmas wording, happy birthday (thanks mum!) and I have worked out how I am going to store them. I decided on an A4 presentation binder with clear plastic wallets. The wallets are going to be stapled down the centre which makes them the perfect size for peel off's. I can then keep four designs per wallet (two at the front and two at the back).

#17 I have done housework top to bottom, but would like to do it more thoroughly before I cross it off. At least if I keep up with it when I do a 'spring clean' it will be easier.

#18 I am using a different perfume each day and I am giving away any that I am not keen on or just don't suit me. I used to belong to a perfume club so have lots of mini bottles to get through.

#22 I have a couple of frames and mounts ordered and should have them in a week or so. My dad is helping me to do the framing. We are going to do a couple at a time until they are all done.

#24 and 25 I have A6 clear plastic boxes ready to sort the cards into. I haven't decided how to keep cards larger than A6 yet.

#26 I managed get my inbox clear near the start of begining this list and now I need to keep it that way until 19th June.

#48 I have done a facial in April, so only five more months to go.

#52 I have been searching for a mobile beauty therapist in this area but so far haven't managed to find one.

#56 I am watching an episode of Star Trek Enterprise with Richard every evening. We are onto the final series so this will be crossed off the list soon.

#61 I am listening to the Janet Evanovich 'Stephanie Plum' series (unabridged version) every evening as I stitch. I am currently in the middle of book five 'High Five'.

#62 I have stitched one 'Spring' coaster and chosen a chart for a 'Summer' one.

#64 I am currently stitching the Pinn Japanese lady.

#69 I have started stitching the 'birthday' design for my quilt.

#70 I have got the fabric ready for the quilt.

#80 I have done a couple 'random acts of kindness'.

#81 I have done a basic search to find a suitable charity job.

#80 I am reading a bit of the bible each evening. I am following a breakdown that I found online which takes exactly a year to complete the bible.

#100 I have asked to borrow a kite, which needs to be fixed before I can complete this one.

I am pleased with my progress so far especially as I have been busy work-wise. I am enjoying working through things. I am glad I started this and do recommend it!

A Favourite Quote:
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
Albert Einstein

Birthday Flip-it

2006-04-25T18:39:00.000+01:00

I charted a 'birthday' square to go with the Lizzie*Kate monthly and holiday Flip-its for the quilt I am making.

I used the Lizzie*Kate 'birthday' wording and 'cake' picture from the Snippet chart S26 'Birthday Blessings'. I removed one of the layers of cake and made the candle smaller so it would fit the space of a Flip-it. I am pleased with how it looks on the chart - hopefully it will stitch up OK! I am going to start it sometime this week and will post a picture when completed.

I was going to design a 'New Year' square instead but all the other Flip-its were just a single word such as 'Easter' so it wouldn't have matched. It was also easier as I already had the 'Birthday Blessings' chart.

This completes #68 on my 101 Tasks in 1001 Days list.

A Favourite Quote:
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak,
but their echoes are truly endless."
Mother Teresa

Progress

2006-04-24T21:01:00.000+01:00

I managed to finish page two of HAED - Tomboy at the weekend:

I also managed to finish the Lizzie*Kate 'Hello Spring' freebie for myself and turned it into a coaster (part of #62 on my 101 in 1001 list):

I stitched it onto some hand-dyed aida and changed the colour of the petals to make it a daisy (my favourite flower). It was charted as orange which would have clashed with my fabric. I am really pleased with how it turned out.

I have got to book five 'High Five' of the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series and are still enjoying them.

I spent ages this evening trying to get a countdown timer to work on my 101 Tasks in 1001 Days post but have given up and put it in my sidebar. It is Javascript and I think they don't work on the main blog page, as it works fine in the sidebar.

I am now going to do a bit of stitching before watching an episode of Star Trek Enterprise with Richard. My current stitching project is a 'Pinn' kit of a Japanese lady reading a book.

A Favourite Quote:
"Never think that you're not good enough yourself.
A man should never think that.
People will take you very much at your own reckoning."
Anthony Trollope

101 Tasks in 1001 Days

2006-04-20T17:43:00.000+01:00

Click here to see my Up-To-Date List

As seen on triplux.com

Start Date: 15th April 2006
Deadline: 09th January 2009
Tasks completed: 4
Tasks Left: 97

Organising/Home

Get filing up to date
Clear out old files
Put Anchor threads into inventory (like DMC)
Remove charts I like from stitching magazines - enough to be able to keep them neatly on the bookcase
Catalogue DVD's
Catalogue Books
Sort A5 card
Sort card blanks
Sort out peel off's
Back up PC
Organise my wardrobe
Get cards made for year ahead
Find homes for all my hobby bits
Find 12 new recipes
Organise my recipe file
Sort out plan so can get and keep up-to-date with things
Thoroughly clean house
Sort through perfumes and give away ones not keen on now
Defrost freezer
Do inventory of food in freezer
Get bath fixed
Frame all completed cross stitch
Put wedding photos into memory album - Get advice
Organise handmade cards given to me
Organise handmade cards made by me until time to give out
Keep inbox clear for 2 straight months
Sort out organised 'home' for manicure things
Put my videos onto DVD's
Get accounts up to date
Do candle inventory with comments about fragrance
Do new up-to-date address book
Organise my rubber stamps
Sort out storage for seasonal bits
Do inventory of my collections
Do inventory of my jewellery
Use or loose cleaning supplies
Use or loose toiletries
Get pictures hung on wall
Design new look to lounge
Plan garden
Business
Get all stock entered up-to-date
Write book
Write my CV
Personal Care
Loose weight - 1 stone
Do Tae Bo once a week for 2 straight months
Learn all the 'Total Fitness' exercises
Do the 'Total Fitness' exercises 3 times a week for 2 straight months
Do a facial once a month for 6 straight months
Do a manicure once a week for 2 straight months
Sort out airbrush nails kit and try out
Have professional photo taken
Find mobile beauty therapist
Have a beauty treatment with above
Have a week off
Get pair of smart comfortable shoes
Hobbies
Watch every episode of Star Trek Enterprise
Watch every episode of Star Trek Voyager
Watch every episode of Alias
Watch every episode of Quantum Leap
Listen to complete Diana Gabaldon 'Outlander' series (unabridged version)
Listen to complete Janet Evanovich 'Stephanie Plum' series (unabridged version)
Stitch 4 coasters for each season
~~Finish stitching baby lion~~
Finish stitching Japanese lady
Finish stitching Celtic Autumn
Finish stitching giraffe
Finish stitching Winter boxer
~~Design 'Birthday' chart for quilt~~
~~Stitch 'Birthday' chart~~
Make quilt of Lizzie*Kate Flip-it's
Make some 'summer' bits for wooden tree
Stitch/decorate 8 tops
Make some candles - seasonal colour theme
Dye some Aida
Take some decent photos
Get up-to-date photos of every family member
Put above in album
Make paper
Get a healthy Aloe Vera plant and keep alive for duration of this exercise
Charity
Do 10 random acts of kindness
Get volunteer charity job
~~Buy a meal for a homeless person~~
Improving Mind
Learn basics for all main religions
Learn how to make Blinkies
Study fashion through the ages
Read 4 self-improvement books and try out ideas
Read bible right through
Learn how to meditate
Work through home marketing course
Other
Try some food I've never eaten before
Release a message in a bottle (or balloon)
Go to garden centre
Do something different than normal
List cross stitch kits not going to stitch on personal website
Make buttons for blog and set up with links
Set up Blinkie web page
Get a hot tub
Dance in the rain
Have a carpet picnic
Fly a kite
Swing on a swing

I am going to put a countdown timer in my side bar, I tried adding it to this post but it didn't show up. I will cross items off this list when I have completed something. I am also going to post my progress as I work through items.

A Favourite Quote:
"Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are."
Malcolm S. Forbes

Visit My Current Entry!

Another SBQ

2006-04-19T18:11:00.000+01:00

My answer to the SBQ:

Do you do obligation or deadline-based stitching? Why or why not? If you do, do you tend to get in over your head and why?

I sometimes stitch quilt squares for special projects which have deadlines. I prefer not to sign up for things with deadlines though as I don't like the pressure. I do sometimes set myself goals but if anything crops up and I don't make the deadline I am not letting anyone down. Cross stitch is stress relief for me. After a hectic day I love just switching off and stitching, if it were deadline-based stitching it wouldn't be as relaxing for me.

A Favourite Quote:
"How come there’s always so much month left at the end of the money?"

Lion Finished

2006-04-18T17:33:00.000+01:00

I had a great Easter weekend! I didn't realise how much I needed the break; I feel so much better because of it.

I managed to finish the Kustom Krafts baby lion!

I didn't manage to finish page two of HAED Tomboy, but all being well should be able to this week.

I am currently up to the middle of book three 'Three to Get Deadly' of the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series. I am going to continue through the rest of the series. I didn't think I would enjoy them as much this time but I am.

A Favourite Quote:
"I wish I were a teddy bear - the older they get,
the more they’re worth…"

Long Weekend

2006-04-13T18:08:00.000+01:00

I am planning to have a stitching marathon from tonight until Monday evening. I have set some goals although I don't know how realistic they are; I will have to wait and see. They are to finish the Kustom Krafts baby lion and page two of HAED Tomboy; a lot of stitching. I am also going to have a Janet Evanovich 'Stephanie Plum' unabridged audio book marathon starting at book one 'One For The Money' while I am stitching. I wonder which book I will get to by Monday bedtime?

I will post progress photos of my stitching after the weekend.

My very short answer to the SBQ:

For those of you that stitch while riding in the car or on the train, how do you cope with the bumps and the motion? Do you have any tips for others?

I have never stitched outside of the house so don't have any tips. Really interesting answer - not!

A Favourite Quote:
"The only true gift is a portion of thyself…"
Emerson

Bit of History

2006-04-11T16:52:00.000+01:00

As I was sorting through my stitching magazines I came across an article about DMC and thought it was interesting.

History of The DMC Coporation
DMC was founded in Mulhouse, France, in 1746 by Jean Dollfus. When his son, Daniel, married Anne-Marie Mieg and added her name to his, the company adopted the name Dollfus-Mieg et Compagnie to recognize Daniel's contributions. DMC began producing sewing and needlework threads in the mid-1800s and first manufactured embroidery floss in 1897. The first manufacturer ever to mercerize thread, DMC still double mercerizes its threads, which accounts for their strength, colorfastness and brilliance.

The article was in the USA magazine 'Just Cross Stitch'.

It is just a shame the threads cost so much in the UK - something I have never understood. It seems crazy that the trade price in the UK is dearer than the retail price in the USA.

A Favourite Quote:
"Chocolate: Proof that God loves me, and wants me to be happy!"

Another Cross Stitch Update and Meme

2006-04-10T17:47:00.000+01:00

As promised yesterday here is a picture of last week's progress on HAED "Tomboy":

I am now half-way through page 2. I hope to be able to finish page 2 next week. It would be good to be able to stitch a page in two weeks rather than the three weeks it took for page 1. I don't think I can keep this up though, but I should be able to save a week here and there bringing the completion date closer.

Here is what it should look like when finished:

To give an idea of size the sky is six pages of cross stitch chart and I have done the width of two pages. It should keep me out of trouble for a while!

Today's stitching meme:

1. Do you stitch every day?

I usually manage to stitch every day, only the odd day I can't.

2. How many hours can you get in on a weekday? A weekend day?

Normally I stitch for between one and two hours on an evening and maybe an extra hour on a weekend day.

3. What do you do while stitching?

I listen to my iRiver (similar to an iPod) - usually unabridged audio books but sometimes music.

4. Do you ever stay up late stitching?

I used to, but recently I have changed my routine so don't.

5. What is the latest you have ever stayed up to stitch?

I think the latest I have stayed up stitching was 6am. I was tired the next day!

A Favourite Quote:
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Show Your Backs

2006-04-09T13:35:00.000+01:00

Todays stitching meme:

1. Are your backs neat or messy?

I used to keep my backs really neat, taking ages to get them right, then I came to the conclusion that it was taking time on something that is never shown (until now). With so much to stitch and so little stitching time it wasn't worth it. I still make sure there are no knots and ends are finished off properly. Also I use the loop start which helps with neatness. Now though I do take the thread from one stitch to another when it is a block away instead of finishing off and restarting, unless it is going behind an area that is going to be left unstitched.

2. Post a picture or two of your projects backsides.

How embarrasing! Do I really want to do this - oh well, this is a picture of the back of my current project HAED Tomboy:

I will be posting a picture of the front tomorrow - the excitement, can you wait?

A Favourite Quote:
"When life gives you crumbs… make cookies"

Fruitful Day

2006-04-06T18:03:00.000+01:00

I managed to finish some jobs today so feel happier than yesterday. I also think I will be able to finish earlier so will hopefully get a bit more stitching done than I have been able to do so far this week. I am on an easy bit of Tomboy so should see good results tonight.

Todays stitching meme:

1. How many WIP's do you have?

I have started five projects, although I am focussing on two for now, HAED "Tomboy" (color) and Kustom Krafts "Baby Lion". I am also about to start a small project - Lizzie*Kate "Hello Spring" as I would like a spring coaster and think this will be ideal.

2. How many UFO's?

None - I made a point of finishing them all last year before starting anything new.

3. Do you prefer small, medium or large projects?

I like to do a mixture of sizes from napkin rings through to the Heaven and Earth Designs. I find doing smaller designs helps to keep me motivated for the large (and in the case of HAED extra large) projects.

4. Do you consider yourself a rotator or a OOAT'er?

I am a rotator, but at the moment I am concentrating on the two mentioned above (still rotating them every week). I used to stitch on one project at a time but find I need the change to keep motivated.

5. If all your projects were completed (magically) right now, what project(s) would you start next?

I would probably start another L&L (I am trying to stitch all the celtic ladies) and another HAED - not sure which one.

A Favourite Quote:
"The quality of life you experience will be directly related to the quality of the questions you ask."
... Dorothy Leeds

SBQ and Ramblings

2006-04-05T17:14:00.000+01:00

First Today's SBQ:

Do you stitch "on the go?" (On the commute to and from work, during your lunch break, waiting for the kids, etc.) If so, do you have a specific "travel" project or do you just grab whatever you happen to be working on and take it with you?

I work from home so don't commute. I don't have a specific "travel" project as I rarely leave the house, but I usually have a small project set up to stitch so if I did need a project to take out I would grab that one. At the moment I have got Lizzie*Kate "Hello Spring" ready to stitch. My other WIP's would be too large to take out. Having my own business means I don't have regular hours, so my lunch break is just long enough to get something and eat it then back to work, no time for stitching.

Today has been a frustrating day. Everytime I went to do something I didn't have the one thing I needed to complete the task! Parcels didn't arrive that were supposed to, I was expecting some emails that never materialised etc. I have so many part-completed projects but nothing finished, at least when I do receive everything I should get a lot of things finished much quicker. There has also been a problem with WorldPay (who provide the payment option for the business), not having statements ready for customer payments.

I am going to get our evening meal (tea, dinner or whatever you call it) and then stitch and boy am I looking forward to it! Tomorrow is another day and hopefully everything will sort it self out then.

A Favourite Quote:
"Adversity causes some men to break, others to break records"
William A. Ward

100 Things About Me

2006-04-04T19:59:00.000+01:00

Here is my attempt:
(in no particular order)

I got married 6th June 2000
I don't have any children
I don't want children
I am Godmother to three nephews
I love my nephews as if they were my children
My youngest nephew died from cancer at age 15
I miss him
I have one sister
My sister is five years older than me
My husband and sister are the same age
I come from a close family
I have a form of agoraphobia
I am sensitive
I lack confidence
I am an Aquarian
I have my own way of doing things
I speak my own language
I am not a morning person
I am a night owl
I wake up when it's time to go to bed
I have trouble sleeping
I suffer with depression
I am addicted to cross stitch
It keeps me (sort of) sane
I love laughing
I don't take myself too seriously
I'm into Garfield (the comic strip)
I think Tigger is cool
I love unabridged audio books
which I listen to while I stitch
My favourite flower is a daisy
My favourite colours are blue, red and yellow
This does change depending on my mood
I love Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate
I am not keen on other chocolates
My favourite films are romantic comedies
I have trouble remembering things
generally because I have a lot on my mind
I love snowflakes
I collect anything to do with snowflakes
I am a Christian
I am loyal
I have never betrayed a trust
I am very squeamish
I hate all rodents
I like things with happy endings
I was born in the UK
I have always lived in the UK
I am easy going
I love lions
and tigers
I am trying to lose weight
I hate exercise
I work hard
I try to fit too much into a day
I have my own business
I used to teach beauty therapy
I love Yankee candles
I love Christmas
I like things to be organised
Spring is my favourite season
I eat mainly vegetarian food
occasionally I eat chicken
I like helping others
I believe in looking forward not back
I am honest
I enjoy watching Star Trek,
Highlander
and Quantum Leap
I don't like watching much TV
I like Scott Bakula
and Adrian Paul
I am female
I don't like confrontation
I love takeaways
I do all the cooking
I love planning
I enjoy reading
I prefer books in a series
My favourite books are the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich,
the Outlander (or Cross Stitch as it is in the UK) series by Diana Gabaldon
and the Benni Harper series by Earlene Fowler
I love trying new things
I am blonde
I like to smile
Sapphires are my favourite jewel
I do like amethysts (my birthstone) as well
I love learning new things
I am shy
I have never smoked
I would love to live near a beach
I love weekends
I have broken my nose once
I haven't broken any other bones so far
I hate giving up on things I have started
I follow through on promises
I love receiving presents
I love giving presents
I have a hormonal imbalance
I enjoy learning about history

I was struggling to complete the 100, but made it!

A Favourite Quote:
"I have not failed.
I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
Thomas Edison
(The inventor of the light bulb)

Cross Stitch Progress

2006-04-03T17:18:00.000+01:00

I managed to finish page eight of the baby lion, only one page to go! This is what it looks like now:

I am now back onto HAED "Tomboy" for this week. I am enjoying stitching this one.

Here is another stitching meme. I thought I would start at the beginning as I missed them and I think they are good ones.

1. How old were you when you started stitching?
I think I was 35 when I started stitching.

2. How many years have you been at it?
Around 6 years.

3. Self-taught or did someone teach you?
I taught myself the basics from a magazine and then gradually learnt more from the internet, books and magazines as well as experience. Also thinking things through and working out solutions.

4. What was your first project?
The first thing I stitched was a matching pair of napkin rings which can be seen here in my gallery

A Favourite Quote:
"Dear Lord, so far today I'm doing OK.
I haven't lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or self-indulgent.
I haven't whined, complained, cursed or eaten any chocolate.
But I'll be getting out of bed in a minute,
I think I'll really need your help then!"

Snowdrops and Memes

2006-04-01T15:05:00.000+01:00

I managed to finish the snowdrop coaster for my mum in time for her to collect yesterday. Here is a scan:

She was very pleased and I have been told it has been put to use already. Snowdrops remind mum of her dad and bring back happy memories for her, so when I saw the chart I had to stitch it for her.

It was also my first attempt at "couching". I was anxious when I first realised it needed a different stitch than I have tried as I usually don't enjoy doing any stitching except cross stitch; but it turned out to be really easy and I enjoyed doing it. It was an effective stitch for the stem.

I have just come across Memes and thought I would start to answer some in my blog. Here is a stitching one:

1. Have you ever tried dying your fabrics for stitching?
Not yet.

2. If so, how did it go, if not would you like to someday?
It is something I would love to try, I have loads of white aida all ready waiting. I am currently trying to find the right type of dye as the one that was recommended to me "RIT" doesn't seem available in the UK. If someone has any suggestions please get in touch.

A Favourite Quote:
"I will honour Christmas in My Heart
and keep it there all year long"
by Charles Dickens

Withdrawal Symptoms

2006-03-31T18:34:00.000+01:00

I finished the latest Diana Gabaldon book "A Breathe of Snow and Ashes". I listened to the audio unabridged version read by Davina Porter which was on 48 discs while I stitched on an evening. I have been listening to it for so long it seems strange not having it on when I stitch.

I enjoyed this book much more than the last one "The Fiery Cross", even though there were parts, especially towards the end, where it seemed like it had been edited to shorten it. Where Diana Gabaldon normally explains things in minute detail, this seemed to jump from one part to another missing out chunks which I personally would have preferred to be left in. I am happy however long a book is as long as it is entertaining and hasn't just been padded out to fill space. I think Davina Porter is an excellent narrator and really makes the book come alive.

A Favourite Quote:
"If today were a fish
I would throw it back"

Yesterday's Fun

2006-03-30T17:15:00.000+01:00

My sister and one of my nephews, Marcus, came here yesterday evening. It was lovely seeing them both as it has been ages since we have spent any time together. My husband took Marcus to play snooker and they both seemed to enjoy themselves. My sister and I stayed home and chatted and chatted... Well you get the idea. She has just started to cross stitch and it was lovely having someone to talk to about it. We also made a couple of cards (not cross stitched), although it was a bit of a rush at the end as it got so late. I really hope it isn't long and we can get together again!

We also started to plan out a quilt I would like made. I have never attempted anything like this before but have stitched the monthly Lizzie*Kate flip-its and five of the holiday flip-its and thought they would make a great quilt. We decided it really needed another holiday flip-it to even out so I am trying to think what to do. I don't want to stitch the 4th of July as I am not from the USA nor the St. Patrick's Day as I have no Irish connections, so I will need to design or alter another chart to fit. So far I have thought of either doing a birthday one (even though that isn't classed as a holiday) or New Year. Am I missing a UK holiday here? If you have any suggestions please let me know.

A Favourite Quote:
"Sometimes I wake up grumpy
and sometimes I let him sleep in!"

Wish List

2006-03-28T18:01:00.000+01:00

At last I have got around to setting up a wish list on my personal website. I have been wanting to sort it out since Christmas as I thought it would be good to have an ongoing list available. So if I am asked "what would you like?" I don't have to spend ages trying to remember what it was I saw months ago. I thought it would be easier to have pictures to view instead of just a list, OK so that is mainly so I can drool.

I am also planning to sort out charts and kits I will probably never get around to doing and adding them to my "for sale" page. Having my "wish list" set up will make it easier if anyone wants to do a swap. I just need to remember to keep them both updated!

A Favourite Quote:
"Take my advice ...
I'm not using it!"

Weekly Update

2006-03-27T17:23:00.000+01:00

I have finished page one of HAED - "Tomboy"

This is sky with one row of the wall. I do prefer the PB10 Petite Treasure Braid to the Kreinik. As well as being easier to stitch with it gave better coverage. The Petite Treasure Braid didn't scan properly so it doesn't show in the picture unfortunately. I also managed to grid the second page ready for next week.

I am now stitching on the Kustom Krafts baby lion. I am hoping to finish page 8 this week, but there is still a lot to do and I have one evening less to stitch so I'll see if I can manage.

Also I have started stitching a snowdrop coaster for my mum and I am aiming to finish that this week. I will post a scan when complete.

A Favourite Quote:
Curiosity killed the cat,
I'm glad I’m not a cat!

Protection of an Angel

2006-03-24T20:08:00.000Z

This is my latest finished cross stitch. I stitched it for my sister who is going through a difficult patch. I have made it into a coaster for her.

It is stitched onto gold fleck fabric which has a lovely sparkle although this doesn't show up in the scan. The halo and the edges of the wings are stitched with PB03 gold Petite Treasure Braid and the cloud is edged with silver Cristallina thread; again the effect doesn't really show in the scan.

A Favourite Quote:
"Good Morning is a contradiction in terms"

Long Day

2006-03-23T19:05:00.000Z

I am working late tonight as I am about to send a newsletter out for HandsOnHobbies (it can be viewed here). It is going to be a long day; it is a good thing I enjoy my work! Today I managed to get some new products entered into the shop and got more sample cards into the gallery. So I am pleased with my progress.

I don't know what time I will get finished this evening but I am hoping to be able to get some stitching in. I am on the last column of page 1 of HAED "Tomboy" and would like to complete it today.

A Favourite Quote:
"Everyone brings joy to this house…
Some when they enter,
Others when they leave."

Slice of Lemon

2006-03-22T17:09:00.000Z

When I was going through some "Beautiful Stitches" magazines yesterday evening I came across this interesting fact about lemons:

"No one really knows where the first lemon tree flowered, but they were growing in Spain and North Africa by the year 1200. Quite foreign to our shores for many years, a lemon was produced as a delicacy at Anne Boleyn’s coronation. It cost six silver pennies!"

It is interesting to me as we have a lemon theme in our kitchen, well if you call three cross stitched pictures of lemons and some coasters shaped as lemons a "theme".

Here are photos of the three pictures I have cross stitched:

I have tried a couple of times to grow a lemon tree but haven't been successful yet; I hope one day to manage though.

A Favourite Quote:
"Humankind has not woven the web of life; we are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves."
Chief Seattle

Moving Forward

2006-03-21T19:07:00.000Z

I managed to get so much done today; more than I thought I could. So although tired I am pleased with what has been achieved.

Workwise I managed to get a number of the new products entered as well as improving the descriptions for the Francoise Read Clear Magic Stamps. I also sorted out images for some sample cards made with the clear stamps and set up a gallery online for them. I have also written a newsletter ready to be sent out later this week. All of that was as well as my usual day-to-day work.

Personally I managed to get some tidying and some much needed housework done - the dust bunnies were getting so large I could probably dress them up for Easter. I am now ready to sit and stitch for an hour or so - I am so looking forward to it!

A Favourite Quote:
"To err is human - and to blame it on a computer is even more so."
... Robert Orben

Cross Stitch Update

2006-03-20T17:40:00.000Z

This is my progress on the Kustom Krafts "Baby Lion" as of 19th March, when I packed it away to rotate to my next project.

I rotated to HAED "Tomboy" yesterday evening. I am on an easy patch and after all the isolated stitches with the "Baby Lion" it was a welcome relief.

The one thing I didn't enjoy with "Tomboy" yesterday was stitching with the Kreinik thread. This design seems to use a lot of it so I have decided to use PB10 Petite Treasure Braid instead. I will have to re-do some but it should be easier to stitch with and I think it will look better.

A Favourite Quote:
"If I stitch fast does it count as an aerobic exercise?"

Joy Of Cross Stitch

2006-03-19T13:27:00.000Z

As I was sat quietly stitching I started thinking of the thrill of seeing a picture develop before my eyes; one created by me. Each stitch one more piece in the jigsaw, on its own just a coloured blob but together with all the other stitches a picture.

Cross stitch means so much to me. I have always wanted to be able to create something but not having artistic capabilities didn't think I could, well except a mess and that doesn't count. With cross stitch it is easy to create something good enough to adorn a wall in your home. If you can count and see (which certainly helps) you can cross stitch. I have even heard of a lady stitching who is blind, I am not sure how she does it but she does (with a bit of help) which I think of in awe. Cross stitch is like anything else if you have the interest and willingness to learn something new you can do it!

A Favourite Quote:
"I can do anything I think I can"

Pat On The Back

2006-03-18T17:13:00.000Z

Today I received an email from a customer giving me high praise; it made my day. It's lovely receiving feedback like this and makes all the hard work even more worthwhile.

One evening left on the "baby lion" cross stitch before rotating back to "Tomboy". I had hoped to get half of page 8 stitched this week, but it doesn't look like I will be able to; having so many isolated stitches really slowed me down. I am feeling very tired today so am not sure how much I will end up getting done, but I will be doing some. I will take a progress picture after today.

A Favourite Quote:
"I'd like mornings better if they started later"

To Do or Not To Do

2006-03-17T18:01:00.000Z

Various time management books advise writing out a 'to do' list and prioritising it. So this is what I did and was raring to get started this morning. It worked for about five minutes before going out the window! What are you supposed to do when your shop has a run on certain items and sells out, and you know people are waiting for things? Also what happens when a number of deliveries are made that arrive quicker than usual - so are not planned for and then need checking? Well I am not sure what the 'experts' say you should do (haven't got to that bit in the book yet), but I sorted out an order (of course I had to look into ordering some new products at the same time) and then checked through each parcel which took longer than it should as there were so many new items that just had to be looked at. I can't wait to have a play with everything - or should that be doing 'consumer research', as it all looks brilliant!

Well I did get some things done from my original 'to do' list so that was good, right?

I think next week's 'to do' list has written itself: get new stock entered into the online shop!

A Favourite Quote:
"My Get Up and Go Has Got Up and Gone!"

The Joy of Computers!

2006-03-16T17:15:00.000Z

I love my computer I really do. They are a brilliant invention and I don't know how I managed before getting one, but why do they decide to close down (and with no warning) when you are in the middle of some important work? I know I didn't ask it to shut! Also I print loads of addresses on envelopes, but why when I am using a special envelope that is the correct size for the card and I only have the one, does it jam in the printer? I have printed similar envelopes with no problem so why did it single out the particular envelope that was important to look good? I think I need to go stitch!

A Favourite Quote:
"There is only one satisfying way to boot a computer."
... J. H. Goldfuss

Duplicate Charts

2006-03-15T17:17:00.000Z

I realised last night as I started going through a different title of magazine how many charts are duplicated in the various stitching magazines. At first I thought it was déjà vu! I am sure I am going to end up with multiple copies of designs that I like, though I suppose as long as I don't end up stitching them twice it is OK.

I am making slow progress with the Kustom Krafts Baby Lion this week. I am stitching a patch with a lot of isolated stitches, although I think tonight I will be getting on to a bit with a larger patch of colour which I am looking forward to. I prefer it when I can see progress in a short time. I find it frustrating when I have been stitching an hour and can't see any difference.

A Favourite Quote:
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Just take one step at a time"

Changed Thoughts

2006-03-14T17:11:00.000Z

I was getting stressed out by my growing 'To Do' list when I remembered something I had read awhile back. It was simply to change the way you think about things. It is your thoughts that govern how you feel about something not the thing itself. I tried it and it worked. I immediately felt better, the stress just slipped away and I started to get excited about the jobs ahead.

A Favourite Quote:
"I Know All About Stressed…
It’s Desserts Spelled Backwards!"

"Tomboy" Update

2006-03-13T18:37:00.000Z

I have uploaded a progress picture of "Tomboy" to my gallery. It is just a blob of sky at the moment and as stated yesterday will be the same but larger for the next six pages. I should be able to finish this first page next week when I rotate back to it and then will remove the grid lines. I am gridding page by page so it isn't so overwhelming or time consuming.

I am so glad I started gridding my fabric as it makes it much easier to stitch and it helps to stop mistakes. I use Coats Cristallina Metallic Thread in purple to outline each page and pink to grid each 10 x 10 block. The method I use is over 5 holes and then under 5 as I like the half way point of each block marked. Metallic thread is best for gridding as it can be left in while stitching as it resists the needle piercing it. It is very easy to remove once the stitching is complete. I tried gridding with regular sewing thread and got into such a mess I almost gave up all together.

A Favourite Quote:
"The Dress Is By Ralph Lauren…
The Body by Chocolate Chip!"

Cross Stitch Plan

2006-03-12T15:38:00.000Z

I decided as part of my ongoing 'get organised' campaign to work out a five year cross stitch plan. I decided on five years when I worked out that the Heaven and Earth 'Tomboy' chart I am stitching is going to take four years and two months if I continue at the same speed and working on it every other week. I can vary my rotation without going off my plan if I get bored of only stitching on two pieces at a time. I put the plan in the sidebar of this blog to monitor my progress.

I am enjoying stitching on 'Tomboy' but it is going to be difficult to keep myself motivated as there are ten pages of background before I get to the main section and that is only the top of her head! It is page 15 before really focussing on her. In fact the first six pages are all sky! I will have to keep telling myself how stunning it will look when eventually finished.

Today I am going to spend around an hour finishing a block of 'Tomboy', filling in the gaps where I have gone cross-country - or whatever the saying is. Then I am rotating to a week stitching on the Kustom Krafts baby lion.

A Favourite Quote:
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves,
for they shall never cease to be amused."

Determined Daffodil

2006-03-11T15:56:00.000Z

Looking out the window at our garden today it got me thinking. Nature teaches us lessons if only we take notice. There was one mini (technical term there - as you can tell I am not a gardener) daffodil that has pushed its way through everything to bloom. Although it is small, all the cold weather and snow that we have experienced hasn't defeated it; instead it stands straight and as tall as it can spreading its own cheerfulness for all to see.

I didn’t do any stitching yesterday and ended up not being able to sleep. OK one instance isn’t enough to make it a scientific fact, but as far as I’m concerned I think they are linked. So to be able to sleep I have to stitch, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. The fact I stayed up till 2am finishing off a card gallery for HandsOnHobbies and my brain was buzzing doesn’t come into it. If you want to check out my handiwork go to http://www.handsonhobbies.com/gallery/gallery.htm
It still needs more cards (loads more), but it is set up ready.

A Favourite Quote:
"Life is a cycle always in motion.
If good times have moved on,
So will times of trouble."
(Indian Proverb)

Rolling Snowball

2006-03-10T19:27:00.000Z

This has been a crazy week! It started off busy on Monday and gradually day by day has been building steam. By this evening I am ready to curl in a ball and hibernate. It has been like a snowball starting small getting larger until it is too big to push any further. I just need to turn it into a snowman and have some fun.

When I was going through magazines yesterday evening I came across an interesting article on Mrs Beeton, most remembered for the 'Book of Household Management' - yes, if I stopped reading the magazines I would actually get through a lot more. I always thought she was an older lady and as the article suggested a 'matronly figure'. It turns out this is completely wrong as she tragically died at only 28 years old, only eight years after getting married. She was apparently a 'handsome young woman with boundless energy and great talent'. She only started her writing career after she got married. It was her husband who published her books as he had his own publishing company until it faced disaster during the collapse of a bank in 1866. He died young as well and only lived 12 years longer than his wife.

A Favourite Quote:
From a Garfield cartoon
"If 11 donuts stick together it counts as one, right?"

Good Progress

2006-03-09T18:28:00.000Z

I made good progress with the stitching magazines last night; I am planning to continue a bit more this evening. At first it was difficult to decide if I should keep certain charts or not (what if my tastes changed in the years to come) but in the end it was getting easier (there are not enough hours in a day for me to ever be able to stitch them all).

It seemed strange ripping pages out as I have always been taught that it is wrong to ruin books. Then again magazines are not books even if I have treated them as such.

I hope to get another hour stitching on "Tomboy" tonight and finish column four of page one.

A Favourite Quote:
"I’m Doing the Laundry Today…
What Colour Do You Want Your Underwear To Be?"

Time to Organise

2006-03-08T19:51:00.000Z

I collect stitching magazines and have for a few years. It has got to the point where there isn't enough space to store them properly. Also when I want to stitch something I can never find the magazine that I saw the chart in so I end up stitching something else instead. So I have made the decision to go through each magazine and take out any chart that I am or could be interested in stitching at some point. The pages are going to be stored in clear plastic wallets in presentation binders. To save space I am putting all the pages relating to two charts in one wallet with the colour picture of each showing front and back. I am putting the magazine name, issue number and date as well as the page numbers that have been removed on a slip at the front of the wallet. Eventually I will make a list of all the designs so I can find them easily when wanted. Time allowing I will scan each colour picture and make an album of designs to make it easier still. That is the theory anyway! Considering the number of magazines I have and the limited time I am going to be spending on the task (well I have to stitch everyday don't I?) it is going to take years. I want to keep it fun as that is really the point of stitching so I am not going to put a time limit on it, well only to keep ahead of new magazines that arrive so I don't have to store them in a pile on the floor.

Tonight I am aiming to spend an hour or so stitching on "Tomboy" and listening to "A Breathe of Snow and Ashes" audio book, watching an episode of Star Trek Enterprise with my husband and then going through a few more magazines. Bliss! It has been a long busy day and I am looking forward to the time relaxing, if I can keep awake long enough that is.

A Favourite Quote:
Our Family is Like Fudge:
Very Sweet... with a few nuts."

Then there was light!

2006-03-07T18:24:00.000Z

I have been struggling with the light in the lounge where I stitch for quite awhile. It became more of a problem when I started stitching the Heaven and Earth designs as they are so large and the light from my usual lamp didn't shine in the right place. Problem solved, I am now a proud owner of an 'Ultimate Daylight Lamp'. It is fantastic as I can wheel it to where I need, it has a strong clamp and a very good magnifier attached and the most important thing is the light is brilliant. It looks good in the lounge as well and the attachments come off if we need it to look like a regular lamp. My husband likes it as well, so I am one happy bunny!

A Favourite Quote:
A House is built of Walls and Beams
A Home is built of Love and Dreams

Busy Day

2006-03-06T17:48:00.000Z

I have been struggling today as I have been busy work wise and have come down with a bug. It is just a cold but it is making me feel rough with streaming eyes, runny nose and a bad headache. I still managed to get through a lot of work but I could have got through a lot more if I didn't have this cold. I am determind not to give into it though and will continue working and stitching in the evening, if I can see the holes in the fabric that is.

I made good progress on HAED - Tomboy last night and finished the third column of page one. Listening to an audio book really helped me as I was so engrossed in it that my stitching seemed to speed up. Luckily mistakes weren't made.

I'm listening to the audio book "A Breathe of Snow and Ashes" by Diana Gabaldon. It is the full unabridged version with Davina Porter as narrator. I am really enjoying it (so far). Her last book "The Fiery Cross" was a disappointment to me and I wondered if the series had run its course. Maybe I just needed to have a break as I had listened straight through from book one, but I had been hooked on them. Addicted to them and cross stitch is there any hope for me!

A Favourite Quote:
"I Consolidated All My Bills…
I Put Them Altogether In A Drawer!"

First Day!

2006-03-05T14:31:00.000Z

This is my first attempt at blogging. I loved the idea and hope I have enough things to say!

I am spending a bit of time trying to figure out how it all works and get my blog set up and then I am going to stitch.

My current stitching project is Heaven and Earth's Tomboy (Color), I have only spent one week on it so far. My husband bought the chart for my birthday and this is his favourite picture as well. I love the idea that I am stitching something he will enjoy looking at. Although I don't know how long it will take to finish as it has 36 pages. This is largest picture I have attempted so far.

The other picture I am stitching at the moment is Kustom Krafts Baby Lion. I finished page 7 last night. This chart has 9 pages.

I decided to rotate just two cross stitch projects for now and will see how I get on with that.

My progress so far on both these projects as well as my completed cross stitch pictures can be seen at:http://www.jthanson.co.uk/gallery.htm

A Favourite Quote:
"I've got enough money to last me the rest of my life...
Unless I want to buy something."