Yuko's Anniversary Giveaway!

Yuko is having a 3rd blog anniversary giveaway at her blog for delightful pinkeeps. Please drop by and have a look:) especially if you have never seen her blog before. She does the most beautiful stitching and finishing.

And please don't forget to have a look at my for sale blog ( link in the sidebar). Anything that does not sell in the next month will go on Ebay.

Just To Say..

Just thought I'd let you know that I've updated my for sale list. I've added new things and reduced others that have been there a while ( link in my side bar). If you're interested in anything please email me ( email in my profile). I am also happy to trade for charts off my wish list.

Because of increasing postage costs postage will be extra. I can accept payment by postal order ( UK only) and Pay Pal.

Thanks for looking:)

New Start and A UFO Appears!

Wow it's over a week since I last blogged. I haven't had much to show plus I have to admit a new addiction. Two words. Facebook! Hatchlings! I am addicted to trying to find the limited edition eggs! Not good! Eats into stitching and blogging time. Plus PC does not want to behave! Virus scan shows nothing. Windows Onecare clears stuff out and sorts out the registry but still no better. I've come to the conclusion that PC is getting tired but we've just had a new UPVC back door fitted so not enough pennies for a new PC yet! So I'll just have to carry on cursing it!

Anyway thank you so much to all of you who commented on my finishes last week:) QS Girly Gothic is at the framers and I think DT My Favourite Things will get framed next month! I've never had 48 comments before so I'm really pleased:)

So seen as GG is finished I had a new HAED start last Wednesday. I decided to be totally selfish and start one for me seen as the last two have been for Jess and Abi:) I decided on Tiny Treasures Purple Dragon and as the HAED monthly SAL this month was for TTs, QS and SKs not only did I stitch on her Wednesday and Thursday I also stitched on Friday though Monday for the SAL. So this is where I'm at now. I love this. The colours are so pretty.
Unfortunately I haven't made as much progress as I'd have liked on Bea this month but every little stitch is one less to do so I'm quite happy. I must admit I've lost my enthusiasm on this piece and although I will finish it it may take me a lot longer than a year! I do have the Needleprint Companion to Beatrix Potter Sampler chart but there's no way I would stitch it now so that is up for sale.

I have been picking up Just Nan When Barnabee Met Bella biscornu now and again and have almost got one side stitched. Just a little bit of backstitch to add and it'll be done.

I've definitely failed again on the Christmas ornament for this month ( as I did last month) so I may give up on that. I have started my needleroll and hope to have it finished for the end of the month. This time I chose Garden Roll which is stitching up quite quickly. I stitched this while watching Holby City and CSI last night.
Finally do you remember this rather nice chappy??? I don't remember the last time I stitched on him but I do know that all the metallic put me off so I'm stitching over all that with DMC 3865 and will continue to use that instead. I've also added a few stitches to page two which is what I was stitching on when it got put away. I'm going to rethink my rotation a bit so that I get more stitched on this.
HAED had a sale for Memorial Day and I decided a treat was in order for finishing HAED QS Girly Gothic. I wasn't planning on buying another HAED but I couldn't make up my mind what to buy from my wish list then HAED released Cico Marchetti's Spirit of Winter. I thought about it for a couple of days as it's another biggie but I just love it and know I will stitch it one day. My DH saw it and said get it ( what?????!!!!!!!!!!) so I did! I also got QS Season of Missing You ( Ching- Chou Kuik) as my free chart for the HAED Reward Program for finishing GG.

I think that's all my news for now. The girls are on half term at the moment. We're just having a quiet week as Jess has revising to do as she starts her exams on Monday. She finishes on 18th June. I can't believe my eldest baby is leaving school! She did have time off from revising yesterday to go see Angels and Demons with some friends. I've read the book but can't quite remember what happens but I seem to think they've changed things for the film. Abi went to her friend's yesterday and her friend is here today:)

I am steadily working my way through your blogs. Love seeing what you're all stitching. Only problem is my wish list gets longer! LOL! I am going to have to sort through my stash and be quite brutal I think!

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Happy Dance With Me x 2!

But very gently as I'm feeling a little delicate today! No it's not a hangover! Lol! Anyway the reason for my happy dance is....... are you ready for this?............. I have finally finished HAED QS Girly Gothic!!! Round of applause please! LOL! This wee girly was started way back in 2007, was put away on 2008 where she kicked and screamed and was finally let out again a few months back!

Heaven and Earth Designs QS Girly Gothic

Artwork by Caron Vinson

Stitched on 25 count Dragon Shades Stormy Skies

DMC & Madeira Glissen Gloss.

Started 25th August 2007

Finished 17th May 2009

24,600 stitches

For Abi.

My next HAED start is going to be TT Purple Dragon which is mine all mine! I'm also hoping to take part in the SK SAL which is starting on the HAED forum June/ July.

So you may be wondering what my happy dance no.2 is??? Yes it is Drawn Thread My Favourite Things:) I put the last stitches into it last night and added the charm and heart treasures to it. I'm not sure yet whether I'll have this framed or finish it with a bell pull. I loved stitching this although it was a bit of a challenge with some of the speciality stitches but it was well worth it:)

I must apologise for not getting round to all the blogs I read and comment on. This PC is a major headache these days. I use Firefox for most of my browsing but have to use Internet Explorer to comment on some blogs and it's so slow and locks up and I have to wait for it to sort itself out before I can carry on. Sometimes I get so fed-up of it I just shut the PC down and walk away! I promise I will get around to all of them eventually!

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my Love Letters finish.

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Second Finish for May!

Here we go with my second finish for May! It's Country Stitches Love Letters which Barb ( no blog) kindly sent me when she had finished with it. I loved stitching this although I have made a few mistakes here and there in my counting and I'm not happy with my finishing as it looks more like a rabbit's head than a heart but never mind!!! Since taking this photo I have added random cross stitches around the edge as it said in the chart. The chart is now on it's way to Su:)

Country Stitches Love Letters

28 count Vintage Country Cream linen ( one over one)

DMC threads

Started May 3rd 2009

Finished May 9th 2009.

I think Drawn Thread My Favourite Things might just get finished next Sunday if I put my mind to it! This has been such a wonderful piece to stitch and I don't think it'll be my last DT this year as I have the seasonal spots, The Sanctuary and Generosity in my stash. This is my progress from last Sunday.
Finally I managed a teeny bit on Bea on Monday evening. It's very difficult to concentrate on stitching while the season finale of Heroes is on so this is what I got done!
Last night and tonight are my HAED nights so QS Girly Gothic is out and I have to say that I might just stitch on her now until she is finished. I am so excited to be so close to finishing and also excited to be starting my first Jasmine Beckett Griffith piece next:) So look out for QS GG finished over the next few days ( I hope!!!).

Well this is short but sweet today! Lol! Thanks to everyone who visits and also comments:) ( thank you for all your lovely ones on my BBD finish in my last post) I appreciate it very much as it's nice to know that you're visiting:)

Take care everyone.

Hugs

My Petites Lettres Rouges

Here's my first finish for May! I was one of many who caved and started the Blackbird Designs free chart Petites Lettres Rouges when it was offered on Alma's blog. I have seen so many beautiful finishes of this design and without further ado here's mine.

Blackbird Designs Petites Lettres Rouges

40 count white linen

Victorian Motto Threads in Faded Cranberry, Faded Berries & Mixed Berries.

Started 25th April 2009

Finished 1st May 2009.

Mine is dedicated to my paternal grandma Ethel who was born in 1898. She was my favourite grandma and I loved her to bits. I visited her most days on my way home from school ( in those days you walked to and from school on your own at an early age- no worries about being taken etc) then one day when I arrived my Mum was there. She had gone as something was unsettling her and she found my grandma seriously ill. She'd had a brain hemorrhage and she passed away several days later. I was only 7 but I have never forgotten her. She was such a sweet, gentle person. I'm not sure how I will finish this but I am thinking about stitching it again with my paternal grandad's name on and making it a double sided pinkeep. I may age it too.

I stitched on Drawn Thread My Favourite Things and I was so tempted to carry on with it on Monday evening but decided not to or I'll never get BP stitched! I am really enjoying stitching MFT as I love all the different stitches.
Monday evening Bea came out for all I wasn't sure I wanted to stitch on her. I don't know what it is about this piece as I was so excited about stitching it but now the enthusiasm seems to have gone. Anyway after Monday's session I got a motif stitched and I felt better about it. I certainly don't want it to end up a UFO. As you can see I haven't added any initials in the motif I did. I need to think carefully about what I'm going to put where so these will be added once the whole design is done:)

We had a quiet day Sunday so I decided to have a new start in the afternoon. It's just a small one and it's Country Stitches Love Letters which Barb ( no blog) passed on to me when she'd finished with it. I'm stitching this on 28 count Vintage Country Cream linen and I didn't read the instructions first so started stitching two over two then I realised that I should be stitching it one over one! Thankfully I'd only got a couple of stitches in!

I think that's all for now. Tonight and tomorrow night are my evenings on HAED QS Girly Gothic which I'm looking forward to. I'd really like to get this finished by the end of May:)

Hope everyone had a nice bank holiday weekend. It was very dull and chilly here and it remains so. Well it is British weather!! Lol! Take care everyone!

Hugs

Friday Catch-Up

It's Friday ( again) and I have just a few stitchy updates for you including a small finish.

In my last post I mentioned the BBD free design which Barb and Alma had put up on the BBD blog. Ruth asked if I'd actually caved and started it and I'm afraid I did! It isn't finished yet but I did get a lot of it done at the weekend. I chose to stitch it on white 40 count linen using Victorian Motto threads. Here it is so far.
Sunday evening was my evening to stitch on Drawn Thread My Favourite Things and although I did not get a lot done I'm happy with what I did and it looks really nice:)
I am ashamed to say that I have only stitched two evenings on Needleprint Beatrix Potter Sampler for the SAL. I don't seem to have much enthusiasm to pick this piece up at the moment so I have done a measly three motifs two of which are very small! Still it's better than nothing:)
I managed to get my needleroll finished for the SAL with Chris. This was a lovely one to stitch but my mood was not good when I picked it up on Tuesday evening and I nearly threw it!

Shepherd's Bush Folk Heart Roll.

SAL with Chris

Wednesday and last night I stitched on HAED QS Girly Gothic. Again not a lot of progress made but you can just see the start of her shoulder:) I am aiming to finish her this month.


I forgot to show you the Victoria Sampler December needleroll I won in Deb's contest. As you can see she also sent me one of the learning kits. This one is to learn how to do Colonnial Knots so I'm looking forward to trying it. Thank you so much Deb:)

I had another lovely piece of post this week. Lynda contacted me as she'd looked at my wish list and noticed that I had BBD Small Tokens on it and as she had two she said I could have one if I would like it. It arrived yesterday and I think it a must stitch for this month. Thank you so much Lynda:)
Well I think that's all for now. I haven't had a very good week this week, although Tuesday was my worst day as I just kept crying. I was going to get caught up on blogs but I'm not feeling too good so I think I'll get my head down. I've got some antibiotics and I don't know if it's those or not as I've had them before with no problems. I will leave you with the flowers my DH bought me for our wedding anniversary:)

Hugs