Funky Flowers and a SAL

I shouldn't have bragged about the chestiness being more of an inconvenience than anything: yesterday my chest decided it wanted company and dragged my sinus into it. Result: every time I cough it feels like they're going to explode. So the best mate list, as it stands at the moment, is: Lemsip Max; Nurofen; Meltus; Olbas Oil and fleecy blanket. LOL

As I wasn't feeling up to much of anything yesterday I sat and watched Dawn Bibby's two-hour slot on QVC in the afternoon. I admit to being a bad lass, as I ordered two items: a set of jewel highlights, great for highlighting cards/scrapbook pages, and a kit with brass stencils, metallic threads, printed pics and instruction booklet for combining dry embossing, paper pricking and embroidery on cards. I've had my eye on that kit for a while and decided to give in yesterday - well, I needed cheering up! ;0)
Seeing all the lovely card examples was good too. One particular card gave me an idea and I finally set-to and made this funky flowers birthday card for DH's eldest niece. It's always awkward to decide what to make for his nieces as I really don't know what young girls of their age are in to these days.
The example I saw used papers as a background but I didn't have anything like them, so used my chalks instead. I have a "thing" with triangle cards - I can't leave the other two sides bare, as the cards just don't look finished to me that way, so here it is opened out so you can see all of them:

I love using chalks, as you get some really nice effects without having to try too hard....... and it meant this was a very quick and easy make.

It was Tuesday UFO Night last night but I had to beg off, as I just didn't have the concentration or stamina needed to tackle that backstitching on ET - hope Mr Stick doesn't mind! I carried on with Part 2 of the For Amanda SAL piece instead, as the stitches were all ones I've done before and they didn't need much thinking about. Here's where I left off:

Over the two nights of stitching I added the cross stitch design in the inner corners, the satin stitch bands in between, a rhodes stitch band across the top and made a start on the cross stitch letters and numbers band. Still to come is a row of herringbone stitch under that, then a band under that which consists of three different stitches.......... but you'll have to wait and see what they're like 'cos I'm not saying any more. LOL

I haven't started making up the Christmas ornie yet. The red fabric goes great with it but the beaded trim is the wrong red: this is more of a Christmas red but it needs a deeper, more burgundy colour - or maybe an old gold colour instead. The local sewing shop hasn't got any of either colour, so I've put it on hold until I can find some elsewhere. I've stopped looking for the reindeer ornies........ got fed-up of finding other forgotten pieces that need finishing (guilt trips galore!) and lurking killer dust bunnies (obviously hadn't been in those corners for a while - oops!). ;0)

Have now checked in my stash for fabric for the Challenge and none are quite what I had in mind, they're either too dark or too light - now trying pieces against the trim I want to use to come up with the next best option. Am going to get threads out in a bit, in an effort to make my final choices - all of this is the bit that takes the longest and is the hardest part for me, as I'm not good with colours. You should see some of the interesting combinations I wear on occasion! LOL

I may yet end up putting the trim back in my stash and starting again with another colour scheme that's totally different...... watch this space.

The windy weather is continuing here - everything seems to be staying in place on the house so far, fingers crossed. Hope it settles down soon as I really don't like it. So hope everyone else is faring OK with it, especially those living on the coast. Karen: hope the killer hounds aren't making you take them for beach walks at the minute! Sally: Glad to hear you're OK and not been blown out to sea either. :0)

Well DH has just phoned: he's leaving work early to go pick up a bit of shopping, then coming home to cook tea for us all! Flippin' heck: I must be sicker than I think! ROFLMAO. Guess I'd best go and make it look like I've done more than sit at me computer today then. ;0)

Thanks again for all the well wishes and for the kind comments on my cards and stitching - you all help make the world a brighter and happier place. :0)