Anne S

Cross Stitch, Finishes, Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Final finish for the weekend

24 March, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

I managed to take a photo of the finished needleroll that I stitched for Karen at The Stitching Post as a model for display – here it is all finished up as an actual needleroll, before I drove it over to Karen on Saturday.

“Shepherd’s Roll” by Shepherd’s Bush (kit)

I had a good time visiting with my best friend yesterday … although I have to admit those kids are enough to make you want to get your tubes tied! If I was living with that day in/day out, I’d need to be admitted to a lunatic asylum after a week!! To say they’re a handful is a true understatement … even my Mum, who has the patience of a saint where kids are concerned, would be ready to throttle Orion by the end of the night! Brenda and Nigel are already at breaking point after Athena managed to slam the sliding door shut while in ‘locked’ mode and broke the lock, meaning they now have to replace the entire door and doorframe, as it’s an older model and the new locks don’t fit. Can everyone say “not happy, Jan!!!”? – that’s a much politer version of what actually was being said and thought last night haha.

Anyway, even with the stresses of the night, it was still nice to see them again, especially wee Jayden the youngest fella, he stole my heart with his big cheesy grin every time he saw me -then he came running up to me at full speed and flung his arms around my legs for a cuddle before heading off to bed. He’s a real sweetie! I must admit, though, it was nice to have some ‘adult time’ after 8pm as we settled down to relax in front of a DVD … which means I managed to get a reasonable amount of stitching done too! I also gave Vicki her stitched gift (you may remember the Calico Crossroads quilted wallhanging I finished before Christmas), and she really liked it a lot. I also got a belated birthday gift of some scrummy Nelson ice wine and local Extra Virgin olive oil from Nelson as well … all I need now is some Dukkah and I’m set! 😉

Here’s a very poor photo of the whole family as we were settling down to a yummy pork roast dinner – I couldn’t get a decent photo of everyone in the twilight, so I gave up and this was the best of a bad bunch!

As for the stitching, in the end I opted to take a project already started instead of starting yet another new one – I took Lanarte’s Seahorse Collage with me, and got quite a bit done. Then I sat in front of the goggle box again this morning while watching Series 3 of Black Adder followed by Dante’s Peak, and managed to put the final stitches into this piece.

“Seahorse Collage” by Lanarte (from Sea Life booklet)
Stitched on 32ct white Belfast linen
with DMC threads

That might be the last finish for the month, although yesterday I also managed to finish the hemstitching on my Snow Fall needleroll, so there will be a photo of that showing very very soon – just need to whizz up the seam and stuff it! 🙂

Before I forget … I have to say I saw the largest spider I’ve ever seen in my entire life when I got home at midnight last night! No word of a lie, the leg span would have gone from the tips of my middle finger down the entire length to the base of my palm … I nearly died on the spot!! As I parked my car I started walking over the grass to the path, and it was sitting on the grass in all its ugly glory – it had a big sac body as well, and its legs could have been half the width of my little finger. I opted to turn around and move my car quick smart! But it was so big, I was too scared to get up close to spray it … instead I ran for the safety of my little flat very quickly!!! I just hope I don’t run into it again any time soon … either that or I hope like hell it’s a fake rubber one that the obnoxious kids downstairs left outside, and it’s not real at all – they’re always leaving bikes etc in the driveway where we’re supposed to be parking our cars 😦

Rightio, on that note, time to toddle off again and go food shopping ready for the upcoming week … time to get back into normal eating habits again! 🙂

Cross Stitch, Stash

Stashing instead of stitching

23 March, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

My needles were given a rest, aside from putting a handful of stitches into Lanarte’s Sea Life WIP from quite some time ago (which means I’m now approx halfway through finishing the first design) – it’s hardly worth taking a photo, so instead I’ll share the stash bounty I came home with from a visit to Karen at The Stitching Post … as always, it was a wonderful flying visit (but not so ‘flying’ that I couldn’t come home with a bag full of goodies haha). Here are my spoils (I can’t be bothered laying them out to take a photo, so here are some from my wishlist album etc):

Chatelaine – Mini Mandalas II; Nantucket Violet Basket & Stitcher’s Toys
Country Cottage Needleworks – Cherry Hill
Little House Needleworks – Schoolgirl Lessons; Blossoms & Blackbirds; Home of a Needleworker (too!)
Just Nan – When Barnabee Met Bella (biscornu)

I also have the pleasure of having the wee Bella bee on loan while I do the stitching and finishing as a shop model for Karen – it is really cute in real life, and it will be lovely to see it all finished.

The other stash hasn’t arrived yet, and that is a computer download chart direct from Martina at Chatelaine – Mermaid Box and treasures … I couldn’t wait for this one to come out as a printed chart, and I’ve been in love with this ever since I first lay eyes on it, so soon it will be mine, all mine 🙂

Lucky last, Mum asked me to order some Flossaway bags etc for her from the US, so I placed a small ‘extra’ order at the same time from Needlecraft Corner for the following (the Christmas ones are for both Mum and I to enjoy) with my birthday discount:

The Cat’s Whiskers – Happy Holidays
The Sweetheart Tree – Queens Strawberry fob; Rhodes Butterfly fob; Blackberry fob
The Trilogy – Ornamentology
CCN – Sunflower Sampler
JBW Designs – Christmas Keepsakes II

Rightio, time to race, as I need to do a quick spot of tidying up before heading to the other side of Sydney to see my best friend – I didn’t make it out there yesterday as the drive to the Stitching Post tired me out (the final stages of my bugs, I think, is that I tire really quickly still, and I could hardly keep my eyes open when I got home). Then I need to kit up something relatively easy to stitch to take with me … I’m tossing up between the following (oh decisions, decisions!):

Just Nan – Beach Roses
LHN – Blossoms & Blackbirds
LHN – Melon threadpack
Drawn Thread – Sunflower Sampler

PhotoHunt

Photo Hunt – Metal

22 March, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

PhotoHunt | PhotoHunt

This week’s theme is Metal and my choice for the theme is part of a ship’s bow and anchor from the harbour at Docklands, Melbourne.

Cross Stitch, Finishes

On a roll … another finish under my belt!!

21 March, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

I think my needles are possessed!! I can’t believe that I have yet another finish this week – I’ve been superglued to my stitching chair the last two days, and I’ve loved every single minute of it! I had a hair appointment today to get my hair cut and coloured by a work colleague’s sister-in-law, and I almost cancelled due to feeling unwell during the week, but I’m glad I didn’t as I felt a fair bit better today … and I’m now sporting a new hairdo just past shoulder length – after not cutting my hair for almost 6 months, it was really ratty so we had a radical chop done, and I love it! Just what the doctor ordered for cheering me up! 🙂

It also means by feeling better I should be able to drive over to Brenda and Nigel’s over the next two days to see my very best friend and her three children (one of whom I haven’t met yet), plus her Mum, as they’re over visiting from New Zealand. It will be really wonderful to see her again, as I haven’t seen her for about 3 years now.

Rightio, on to my latest finish – this has taken me a full two days to stitch, which really surprised me … thanks mainly to all the many colour changes and over-one stitched faces I think (my heart sank when I saw all the over-one stitching to be done, ho-hum). I’ve taken a couple of close-ups of the little frogs sitting in the cauldron, as well as the wacky hairdo in Kreinik braid – the colours literally pop right off the fabric, I just love the brightness of it!

“Another Girls Night Out” by Just Nan
Stitched on 32ct Vintage linen by Wichelt
using recommended threads

As for what’s up next for stitching, I really don’t know … I’ve been eyeing another couple of LHN designs up over the last 24 hours, either that or Drawn Thread’s Autumn Arbor that I’m really keen to start … I’m just really really loving stitching from my stash right now, and don’t want to stop the rhythm! 🙂

Cross Stitch

Bent Creek Summer Snapperland – Help!!

20 March, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

Just wondering if anyone has a copy of the border chart for Summer Snapperland?

I’ve tried contacting Bent Creek via email a couple of times, and given up on a reply, where I’m trying to find a copy of the border chart. I really want to stitch Summer Snapperland quite soon, which will be a bit of a reminder of my move to “the beach” here in Sydney, but don’t want to start stitching until I know how the border will fit on the fabric etc.

If anyone has a copy, I’m happy to do a trade for it – just leave me a comment here, or drop me an email … it would be so much appreciated 🙂

Cross Stitch, Finishes, Stitching Smalls

A whole lotta stitching going on

20 March, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

I went back to the local GP today, and was MUCH more impressed with the doctor I saw today. I woke up feeling a bit dizzy this morning, a new symptom to add to the rest ho-hum … anyway after sitting for 1 1/2 hours in the waiting room at the medical centre everything got the better of me, and I was surprised to find a few tears escaping while sitting there. I think I’m just feeling generally ‘over it’ while struggling to get over these bugs. I felt more embarrassed than anything else by the time I saw the GP, but he definitely had a much better bedside manner than the woman GP I saw earlier in the week. As a new patient I was surprised she didn’t take a family history in general or take my blood pressure etc – I told her I had a small list of things to discuss with her, and her answer was “that’s not the way we do things here, we can only deal with the most important thing” hmmm.

Anyway, at least I have a medical certificate for these last two days, and the male GP has told me to come back to see him if I find I’m still having problems after Easter. I’ve picked up some herbal teas to help me to get fluids down me (at the GP’s suggestion), so fingers crossed my energy levels will pick up soon, and I can stop feeling sorry for myself!

The one great thing that being sick has done, is that it’s given me plenty of time for stitching – I’ve been stitching like a madwoman, and have finished another project – this is Bees scissors fob by Shepherd’s Bush … I replaced the WDW thread for the “Bees” word with a Stef Francis thread called Bluebell that KarenV gifted me with a while ago – I totally ADORE this colour thread, and it is soooooo pretty in real life! (Sorry about the blurry photo, but my hand kept shaking – I really need a tripod!!)

“Bees” scissors fob by Shepherd’s Bush
stitched on 32ct cream/antique white Belfast linen (can’t remember which!)
with DMC threads and Stef Francis “Bluebell” over-dyed floss

I actually should be stitching my CA Wells project pieces, but the terrible thing is that I have no desire whatsoever to stitch either of them – the projects don’t thrill me entirely, but also I need to concentrate on them both and I haven’t had the mental energy to do that for a while. Never mind, I guess I could still attend the class even if I don’t have any stitching done and learn how to put everything together … or fingers crossed, by the end of this weekend I’ll get my mental energy back and can make a start on the Cottage Etui.

In the meantime, it’s time to choose another fun stitching project for me to work on from my existing stash … I’ve been totally LOVING stitching this week and seeing all these finishes … I can’t get enough of it! Without my stitching I think I would have been in tears days ago haha 😀

Christmas Ornaments, Finishes, Stitch-alongs

Small ornie finish

19 March, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

Still feeling like cr*p, so I took another day off work today to blob out … and managed to start and finish this ornie for this month’s SAL challenge on the XSers Yahoo group.

Poinsettia by Brittercup Designs
from 2007 JCS Christmas Ornament magazine
Stitched on 28ct mystery linen
Substituted threads with those in my stash – used GAST Gold Leaf, Crescent Colours Cupid and Weeping Willow

The Nurofen I’ve been chewing every day has been doing wonders for my foot, if nothing else! Probably helped by the fact I’ve been sat on my fat backside all day on my bed … 😉

Blogging Memes

A Meme

19 March, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

This has been drafted up for a while now … time to let it see daylight (although I had to change my birth year to add on a number, it’s been sitting as a draft for so long!).

As seen on numerous blogs – you just have to answer the questions and type your answer into Google Images search. Then post a photo from the first results page. Here are my answers:

Age you will be on your next birthday

Place you would like to visit

One of your favourite places

Your favourite object

Your favourite food

Your favourite animal

Your favourite colour

Name of a past pet

Where you live

1st grade teacher’s last name

Can’t answer as I don’t have any memory of my childhood prior to the age of 10!

Middle name

Bad habit of yours

Favourite flower

Favourite holiday

Cross Stitch, Finishes, Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Works in Progress

Piccies of finishes … and a Frangipani plant

18 March, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

As promised a few days ago, here are my photos of recent finishes:

Winter Wonderland by Little House Needleworks
Stitched on 32ct Golden Harvest linen by Silkweaver
with recommended threads

Blueberries by Little House Needleworks & Crescent Colours
Stitched on 32ct cream Belfast linen
with recommended threads

Also, here is LHN’s Sampler Lady in all her topless work-in-progress glory … she’s still waiting for her blouse to be finished, the poor love – it’s a good job the weather’s still warm down here in Sydney!!! 😉

Next up is a photo for Mum of my wee $9.95 Frangipani tree in its pot on the balcony – as you can see it has some company in the form of fresh herbs … I just adore those blue pots!! No flowers on the frangipani yet, but a new leaf has grown, plus it’s a wee bit taller than when we first arrived. My other (first) Frangipani plant isn’t doing too well since having its top knocked off by Nigel and Brenda’s dog, but I live in hope it might perk up a bit more by next summer before I replace it with something else.

Lucky last is my ‘new’ smalls display in the new flat – complete with my Wessex sampler on the wall – this place is fantastic for all the wall hooks!!

And I’ll finish my post there. Since being sick I haven’t had chance to do housework for two weeks, but once caught up I’ll take piccies of the new abode now we’re almost 100% unpacked (aside from the boxes in my bedroom of ‘unimportant stuff’).

Talking of which, I ended up leaving work early yesterday ‘cos I felt grotty (I survived an entire 1 1/2 hours!), and am now on antibiotics for about 13 days compliments of a local GP … fingers crossed it does the trick! 🙂

The other thing I haven’t spoken about is the excruciating heel pain I’ve been having over the last few months – it’s good to know my self-diagnosis was correct, and I have likely got plantar fascitis (spelling?). I’ve been applying ice packs and anti-inflammatories when it’s been really bad, and have since bought some orthotics for padding the heel that’ve been working a treat. Fingers crossed that my heel pains will soon be a thing of the past (or at least I won’t be woken up in the middle of the night from the throbbing pain!!).

Rightio, time to go chill out again … I’m doing my online things in short bursts …

Gifts TO BE FIXED

Awesome mail days

17 March, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

As mentioned previously, I received some stunning birthday gifts from my stitching friends … unfortunately the thank you emails seem to have disappeared into the ether, so I will write some more again shortly. That will teach me for trying to use Iinet’s mail gateway while at work … every other time I’d tried to use it I’d get an error message, except that day, but obviously the work firewall or something didn’t like it!). I’ve had most of this post drafted since 28 February, but was having uploading problems so I gave up … then haven’t touched my laptop for 2 weeks … hmmm.

Anyway, without further do, I’ll show you my birthday gifts from my very special friends – and they can be put out of their misery wondering whether they arrived. I will write full thank you emails tomorrow, as the screen is giving me a headache (am now on antibiotics from the doctor as from today, yay!!).

First up is Sharon’ H‘s gift – this arrived the earliest, but I kept forgetting to bring it home from work to take a photo!! Isn’t this the cutest book you’ve ever seen? And so perfect for a duck lover like myself … I just love it, and laughed and laughed when I first opened it! Thanks Sharon, you’re the best!! 😀

Then next came Nicki L with a real bundle of joy in the mail! (Thanks also for bringing it to my attention at work that my emails had not got through!) Not only did Nicki send a couple of gorgeous LHN charts (which I adore), but also some threads off my wishlist and some exquisite blue quilting fabrics … my head is already thinking of projects to use these in, including the possibility of a scrap quilt or bag – the hardest decision will be deciding! I have to admit, KarenV had sent me the chart Winter Wonderland last year, but it was high on my list for stitching, and receiving it from Nicki too was the final spur to get those needles cracking. Thanks again Nicki for your very generous gifts, I adore everything! 🙂

Then last, but not least, is Carol S‘s gift … the envelope was brimming to the top with exquisite goodies – my eyes got wider and wider as everything was being pulled out of the parcel! Carol sent the most beautiful biscornu with a design by Just Nan … I can’t believe Carol used to be scared of finishing smalls, but now she is the Queen of finishing!!! The biscornu is absolutely exquisite! That would have been plenty enough, but she also sent an issue of JCS with part 1 of a NZ sampler in it, some choccies which arrived with perfect timing, as since then I’ve signed up for Weight Watchers again haha … some chocolate-covered Altoid mints (which are to die for!), and some lovely hand cream and quilting fabric. Talk about being spoiled rotten!!! Thank you so much Carol for everything – you rock!!! 😀

* * * * * * * * * *

Since the above was drafted, more gifts were also received from Barbara and Katrina … I have to apologise to Katrina J, as I can’t find the photo I thought I’d taken, and I’ve since put the threads away, but she sent some gorgeous blue variegated threads … just perfect for this blue girl! You have awesome taste, my friend, that’s for sure!! 🙂

From Barbara CL I received a beautiful friendship card, as well as some scrummy blue thread with matching silk ribbon, plus the most awesome duck ribbon for embellishing … thanks so much Barbara for your thoughtful gifts! Once again, I love everything!! Thankfully the guys at Customs didn’t like it quite as much as I did and they decided not to keep anything after they opened the envelope for inspection!!

In fact, thanks to all my wonderful online friends for their generous gifts – you helped to make my birthday extra special, and I absolutely adore each and every gift!! 😀

Now it’s time to go take some more Nurofen and get into bed – I’ll get back online again tomorrow for my thank you emails and a stitching update.