The Chocolate Shoppe SAL

I made a start on Little House Needleworks The Chocolate Shoppe yesterday afternoon but I didn't get much done! I must say though this cake looks good enough to eat! Yummy! I am stitching this using 35 count fabric over 2 as I want it to fit in a frame I bought especially for it so I hope it'll be OK when I've finished it! I wonder how Claire and Nicola got on?

I had another good night on Chatelaine Summer Afternoon so I think I might stitch some of the beads on this afternoon then do more actual stitching tonight. It's nice to see plenty of progress on something rather than not a lot when I stitch on a HAED for five evenings! LOL!

I decided this morning to go for a walk along on the seafront and then into town to get a birthday card and post that and another one. Well it was very bracing along the seafront as the wind is off the sea but it was nice. I don't mind walking when it's like this as long as I get wrapped up well. I am disappointed that the snow hasn't reached us and the weathermen don't seem to be able to decide if it will or not! It's looking very black outside at the moment and looks as though something is coming but I bet it'll be rain. I'm so sick of the dull, rainy days we've had this Winter so the gorgeous frosty mornings we've had all week have been a welcome sight. It looks like it's going to be rain all weekend and next week too. Typical when it's half term!

ETA What is it with Google Reader today? Everytime I open it up and click on one of the blog links it freezes up. Anybody else had this problem?

Secret Finish Revealed!

I can finally share my secret finish! It's two weeks since I posted it with a card to my friend, Judy, in the USA and she has just got it, just over a week since her birthday! Next year I will post two weeks before her birthday and then she just might get it in time! This is a Brightneedle freebie called Dearest Friend, stitched over 1 on 32 count fabric using the called for DMC. I made it up into a fob. The picture is not brilliant I'm afraid. I am relieved it has finally arrived as I had a nasty feeling it had gone missing.

Today is the start of the LHN Chocolate Shoppe SAL that Claire and Nicola have organised and I'm going to settle down in a while and make a start. I only intend to stitch on it on a Wednesday afternoon and see how I get on. It looks relatively quick to stitch but I might not get any done next Wednesday with it being half term.

Chatelaine Summer Afternoon is coming along nicely this week. I'm onto page 2 of the stitching but have the beads to sew on yet. I'm not sure whether to sew them on as I go along or leave them until the end. I don't think I can wait to sew loads on at the end so may well do it as I finish each page.

I hope everyone in the UK is staying warm now we've finally got a nice cold snap and lots of snow forecastt!

At Last!

At long last I have finished page 1 of Heaven and Earth Designs Winter; artwork by Sara Butcher. I started it back in November for the New Start SAL on the HAED ezboard and this page seems have taken forever! Having said that I was working on getting QS Blossom finished as it was for a Christmas present so I haven't really had that much time to stitch on it. Hopefully I will get on better now but my aim at one page a month is not going to see the light of day so there's no hope of me finishing it in 3 years! ( one page a month, 36 pages = 3 years! LOL!) So here it is! I love the way this stitches up. Sara's art converts really well to cross stitch and Michele of HAED does an excellant job charting it.

When I'd finished page 1 I moved onto Chatelaine Summer Afternoon and managed to get quite a bit of that stitched. I decided to work on one page at a time ( 6 pages of chart) so that I know where I am ( hmmm!) and am getting on well with the first page. That is what I'll be working on Monday- Friday this week.

I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who comment on my blog and also those who drop by and read. It means a lot to me. Also thank you for voting in my poll! I'm leaving it there for the rest of the week as the slot in my rotation doesn't start until Saturday so I'll see what the winner is then! LOL! At the moment the clear leader is Heirloom Embroideries Peachy Biscornu!

Please Vote!

I have a free slot in my rotation so have added a poll! Please feel free to vote and help me decide! LOL!

I have made a huge decision today. Yesterday I mentioned HAEDs and how I wasn't going to start another one until I'd finished both the quick stitches I'm doing. I want to have just one full size and one quick stitch on the go at once.( although I am itching to start the other two full sized ones I have!). I should be able to get on much quicker with them that way. Well ( deep breath) today I have decided that my HAED chart buying obsession has come to an end . Don't get me wrong I love them and I wouldn't part with the charts I have but I have more than I can probably stitch in this lifetime, although I will have a damn good try, and I don't see the point in buying more that are just going to sit there. It's a waste of money and money I could be spending on something else! I fully intend to keep on stitching them but as for buying them it's the end of an era! LOL!


I finished putting the beads on Chatelaine Christmas Mystery IV earlier this afternoon so here it is at last! I am just showing the inner frame rather than the whole as this bit fit in the scanner so it's a slightly clearer piccie. I'm hoping the next part will have something different in it rather than a frame or something. Just as long as there are no nutcracker soldiers or anything like that! LOL!

I am all set for the SAL I'm joining in with on LHN The Chocolate Shoppe. I have my fabric ready ( and I didn't need to buy any) so I just need to sort the threads. I even have a frame that should work for it when it's finished. I think the SAL starts on Wednesday ( Am I right Claire?) so I shall stitch on it probably just on Wednesday afternoons.

I am getting a little jittery on the stash wagon but am still hoping I can make it until 1st April. I think I got a bit of a shock when I realised how far away 1st April was when I did my ticker. January seems to have been a long hard month somehow with not much nice post and nothing to look forward to stash wise. The longest I have lasted in recent times has been 6 weeks so I need to go longer than that! LOL! Help me out please!!!!!!!!!!

It's Friday!

Hi everybody! I thought it was time I came in and updated my blog seen as it's a week since I did! I've been intent on updating it but just couldn't be bothered to be honest. Anyway I am here now! LOL!

First off I was excited and somewhat nervous to be able to meet Chris yesterday. She doesn't live all that far away from me so we decided to meet up at a cafe in the town where I live. We had a lovely day chatting and we both brought along some of our stitching to show each other. I must say that the finishes and WIP that Chris brought had me drooling and made me realise how much I miss all my normal stitching with working on three HAEDs. So I have decided that I want to finish both the quick stitches that I'm doing BEFORE I start another HAED, so that I will only have one QS and one full size one on the go and I can concentrate more on other things I enjoy stitching. Plus no more buying HAEDs either no matter how much I like them. I have loads in my stash so it's not as though I need anymore or have none to stitch. Anyway Chris and I will be meeting up again in the future and I'm looking forward to that.

I have been quite down again and was having trouble lifting myself out of it. I have a close friend who thinks I could have depression ( you know who you are {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}) but I can't face seeing the doctor and going on anti-depressants again. They give them out whilly nilly these days like it's anything for a quiet life. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and don't like the side effects. LOL! However I don't like the way I am so need to boost myself up somehow. A lot of the time it depends on circumstances as to how I feel plus how I am feeling physically. I know things with my Dad don't help plus I am so tired because I'm not sleeping properly.

Jessica has got a mock GCSE results day today and she texted me earlier to say she'd got 4 A's, 6 B's and a C in Art! I am so pleased for her and so proud. I know it isn't her actual GCSEs but it shows what she can do and will give her a boost for her actual exams. I have no idea which subjetcs she got what in until she gets home but I know she'll be pleased especially as she was expecting C's in English Lit and Language and she must have higher. She has a leadership group meeting as well as 6th Form taster lessons as well today so she was trying Maths, Biology and Chemistry as she wants to do those as well as Physics. She's determined to do something scientific as a career.

Last Sunday we finally got out for Sunday lunch! As you may remember we were going out the Sunday after DH's birthday but he was ill. We went The Nags Head at Routh and it was lovely. We used to go there many years ago ( pre-kids!) so since we were last there they have totally gutted it and have refurbished it. We have decided to go out for Sunday every so often and try different places in the area.

Right to my stitching! Last week was the turn of HAED QS Dragonette in my rotation and I didn't do too badly with it. I got to the part where there was bigger areas of one colour so it was a bit easier and quicker to stitch. It is quite a dull piece really but Jess loves it so far. You can see the dragon's wings, a tree and the start of it's horns as well as a bit of it's body. As you can see I only have about 20 rows of page 1 to do so I might just get that page finished when I get it out again in a few weeks. If you would like to have a look you can see what it will be like here

I made a start on the second part of Chatelaine Christmas Mystery IV ( yep the frogs Chris! LOL!) and have completed all the stitching but haven't attached all the beads yet so will post that when I have. I daren't sit on the settee and stitch them on incase I lose the beads down the settee so only stitch them on if I can sit at the dining table! I might just get a few on this afternoon when I'm done on here!

What else do I have to share? Oh yes I started this last week and finished up this week. It's San Man Originals By the Sea which is from one of last year's secret shops. I used DMC for it apart from GAST Deep Sea which I used for the sea and the word Sea. I cannot take credit for the lovely tuck as it came with it. Not sure where I'm going to hang it yet but I do have another one to hang also with a sea theme so will find somewhere for them together.

Thank you to Carol (cc45) from the SMO message board who granted my January wish for a coaster to mount the robin in. Not only did she send me one coaster she sent me two as well as two Dragon Floss so thank you so much Carol {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}. Robin is now in his new home.

This week HAED Winter is my rotation piece and I am almost through with page 1. I would probably have got it done by now but I didn't stitch on Monday due to a neuralgia type headache ( thought I was getting another ear infection!) then last night we had a 6th Form meeting at school so by the time we'd picked Abi up from FIL's and got home and sorted I didn't sit down to stitch until 8pm. I am hoping I can get a good bit done tonight then, providing I have all the beads on the Christmas mystery, I can go back to Chatelaine Summer Afternoon.

Off to catch up on the blogs in my list. I haven't looked for days!

Tagged!

I have been tagged by Irene and Michele to reveal 6 WEIRD things about myself! Hmmmmm! This is going to take some thinking about!

• I have to listen to my MP3 player when I go out walking on my own.
• If I have chips with gravy I still put vinegar on them ( well my DH thinks that is weird!)
• I hate touching raw meat
• When I used to eat any kind of chocolate bar I had to eat all the chocolate off it first then eat the insides ( yep rather messy sometimes!)
• I am convinced that when I see a robin when I'm out it's a reincarnation of my Mum.( Never told anyone that before)
• I rarely start Christmas shopping before November!

Now I am tagging the following 6 people:

• Claire
• Lisa
• Karen
• Heather
• Paula
• Nancy

And Another!

Time for another finish. I needed a quick fix seen as I've been stitching on HAEDs and stuff so here is Mouseloft Robin. DH's auntie bought me the kit several years ago and I had kind of forgotten about him and found him when I was tidying my stash drawers. Isn't he cute?! He was really quick to stitch and I love just love robins. The only problem with small stuff is how to finish him off! I think he'll be going in the pile of finishing off to do for a while! Actually he'd look good in a coaster! Wow brainwave! Where did that come from?! LOL! Next small start will be San Man Originals By The Sea- yes one from my goals list at last! I thought it would be relatively quick to stitch plus there's a tuck with it so it's an instant finish for me!

Speaking of San Man Originals Sandy has put out a new Secret Shop newsletter and there's a couple of charts that I would love! So typical when I'm on the stash wagon and my first temptation only a few weeks in! Anyway I've decided I'm not going to give in and just hope they are still available come April and I will allow myself to order again. Neither of them are limited supplies so finger's crossed!

Part 2 of Chatelaine Christmas Mystery is out and I have just printed it out, again in four pieces so that I can see the symbols etc! This time it's an inner frame stitched using cross stitches, backstitch and diamond eyelets. It's going to require good concentration and careful counting to get it positioned right! That'll be my project for the coming weekend!

HAED Quick Stitch Dragonette is going quite well. I can't say I'm enjoying it as I'm not keen on stitching it! I want to stitch it, as it's for Jessica, but I don't if you get what I mean! It might go better now that I have some bigger blocks of colour on the next 10 rows. It does look good though as you can clearly see the dragon's wings.

I had a walk into the town centre this morning ( only about a 15 min walk) and took CCN Forest Snowfall in to be framed. I don't think I've had so much stuff framed in such a short amount of time so John, the framer, will be wondering what is happening! LOL! My back held up pretty well so I was pleased. I need to get my head down this afternoon as I have a headache coming on so it might not like me being laid on the settee!

I was going to download a few songs earlier. The girls make a list of stuff they like and I add to it too. I wanted to try and find the song from the latest Kleenex advert, the one where the bloke who used to be in The Bill asks people to sit and have a chat, so I did a search to see if I could find out what it was. Turns out it's Starrfadu ( anybody heard of them?) and the song is called Let It Out. The only place in the UK you can download it is ITunes and I don't use them so guess I'll have to wait and see if MSN get it on their download list. I might even email them and see if there's any chance of it! LOL! It's worth a try!

Right off to get my head down for an hour I think!

Fourth Finish

OK I know I said fourth finish and I've only shown two so far this year but the third one is a secret until it reaches the recipient and it'll be on it's way as soon as I manage to get to the post office! Anyway my fourth finish is just a teeny one. Ages ago I won a pink tuck in a contest on the San Man Originals message board which was held for breast cancer awareness month ( hence it being pink). I hadn't come across anything that I wanted to stitch for it in all the time I've had it and suddenly I had the idea of stitching one of the planters from LHN's Where There is Life and putting that in the tuck so this afternoon that's what I did and here it is. What do you think? I stitched it on Polstitches Dragon Shades Cuddles using Crescent Colours.

My third finish is tiny too as it was stitched over one on 32 count fabric! Never again!!! But it does look sweet and I'm pleased with the way I made it up.

I really need to get some of the finishes I have made up into ornaments, wallhangings etc but as I'm on the stash wagon the only things I can buy are threads if I run out of what I need so it'll have to wait. I'm determined to do this until 1st April then the only things I need to buy will be materials to make tucks and such with and maybe some fabric for stitching on.

We woke up to a slight covering of snow this morning. DH went off to work but was home just before lunch as there was nothing doing so he thought he'd take some of the TOIL he has. We haven't had much more snow and what we have had has melted but I reckon we're in for a hard frost tonight. The forecast says rain for tomorrow so we'll see. Looks like we aren't going to get much snow this time so here's hoping for more before long!

My back is a bit easier today but I'm having to be very careful. I really don't want it to go again as it's so uncomfortable and I really need to get out of the house to the shops tomorrow, if only to get some milk and pay my Dad's paper bill and get his lottery ticket.

Severe Weather Warnings, Stitching & British Gas!

The Met Office have issued severe weather warnings for much of the UK today. They say there is a possibilty of rain, snow, sleet, hail and ice! LOL! So in other words they really have no idea just what we are going to get! The high winds are back so when the girls went to school I moved my wheelie bins back behind the shed as I wasn't in any fit state to be picking rubbish up if they blew over. Next door's had already blown over at that point and rubbish was blowing about all over in her garden. Anyway so far today we have had hail so let's see if we get the rest of it and we might hit the jackpot! Last Friday when I looked at the local weather it said we'd have heavy snow today but that has now moved to Wednesday and, no doubt by the time Wednesday comes we won't be getting it at all! Having said that that was on the BBC website and the ITV one says we'll get snow today! Honestly you'd think with all the technology thay have they'd be able to predict the weather much better than they do!

Anyway I have decided not to venture out today. I was going to take CCN Forest Snowfall into the framers but my back has gone again so I'm not going anywhere! All I did was bend over to put my socks on and that was it. So I am moving about very gingerly, have managed to iron and put the clothes away and vaccuum up but that it is for me today. Thankfully I had some heat pads in the cupboard so have one of those on and, hopefully, that will sort it. It's nowhere near as bad as it was last time as I could hardly walk then but I really don't want to risk any further damage and end up as bad again.

Last night I did a bit more on Chatelaine Summer Afternoon and am quite pleased with the progress I made just over a couple of hours each evening. I did have to frog a bit last night ( I don't think my concentration is very good at the moment!) but soon restitched the bit I frogged and moved onto another bit. So far I have used DMC, Caron Waterlilies and Rainbow Gallery Petite Braid. I wasn't going to use the silks on this and was going to sub with DMC but I'm not very good at subbing these so I ordered the silks from Needlecraft Corner a while ago. I'm pleased I did as they do look nice and they are lovely to stitch with.

Just wanted to say thank you to everybody who commented on my finish of CCN Forest Snowfall. Wonder how long it'll be before I have my next finish! LOL! Paula the fabric is Polstitches Dragon Shades Stormy Skies opalescent.

I am still not back to posting on all the groups I belong to as I'm just not in the mood much. Still a bit down and when I feel that way I just don't bother much. I'm keeping up more or less with one but that's about it for now. Also I appear to be having email problems so if you have emailed me over the past few weeks and not had a reply do let me know. I know the one I sent Paula went missing but the second one I sent reached her OK! In the last few days I have replied to Maxine, Chris and Rita in WI so I hope they have reached you!

That's me for today! Going to catch up on the blogs I like to read. I thought Blogrolling was working again but it looks as though they're just messing about with it so I'm sticking with Google Reader for now for updates!

Just had to add a bit of an update. I've not mentioned this before but in November 2005 we moved over to British Gas for both gas and electric as N Power were getting more and more expensive. Anyway we signed up for British Gas Price Protection until 2010. We didn't take much notice each time the bills came in until we got the October electricity bill and thought it was considerably steap. When we looked closer they'd put our electricity up so DH rang them and it turned out they had us on price protection for gas but NOT for electric! They told us to photocopy our contract and send it to them as proof and they'd sort it out. Towards the end of October we received a letter back saying they'd cancel the bills from the start and send us a new bill shortly. Well here we are mid-January and we receive the latest eletricity bill and still no price protection and we owe them £106!! ( We pay monthly direct debit). So I got all the paperwork out and letters etc and rings the complaints department. I explained everything, told the lady about the letters etc and she said it was coming up that we were on price protection and she had two electricity bills on her PC screen. One was the bill we had recieved and the other is the replacement bill we have been waiting for! I said that if it wasn't sorted I was going to take my complaint further. Anyway she is sending the replacement bill out to us again. This morning I decided to look on the British Gas as I'd signed up last year. I had to activate the accounts but by the looks of it we are now £20 odd in credit on our electricity bill! It's such a relief as it was getting absolutely ridiculous. I just don't know how they expect people to pay the high energy prices they are charging now and it's not only British Gas it's virtually every single energy supplier in the country! As per usual people in the UK pay through the nose for everything and the government don't do anything about it! Obviously I am not happy with the amount of time British Gas have taken to sort this plus I know of at least two other people they've done this to with electricity bills so how many others have they done it too! Maybe that's why it's taking them so long! OK Rant over now! Back to catching up with blogs!

Second Finish!

I did it!! Here's my second finish for 2007! Yesterday I finally mastered the snow at the bottom of the house, although the frog that visited on Thursday during the high winds seemed to not want to leave me and rather than keep unpicking I just kept on going! Not what I would usually do but having made a small mistake already due to the fabric ( it's opalesecent) I decided it proably wasn't to go exactly right anyway! Nevertheless I am very happy with my second finish of the year. Here's to many more! LOL!I can't quite understand why I had a problem with the opalescent as I've used it several times before but I doubt it will put me off! I like the effect of it on snowy pieces like this.

When I'd finished this I decided to make a start on a birthday present. I'm not going to say what it is as I'm not sure if the person it's for reads my blog so you'll have to wait until I know she has received it! All I will say is it's tiny!

I also made a small start on Chatelaine Summer Afternoon and it's looking lovely already, for all I haven't done much. After the opalescent the plain antique white evenweave was lovely! LOL! I think I might carry on with it tonight then tomorrow it's back to HAED; this time Quick Stitch Dragonette!