Christmas Card Crazy

Can't say as I'm overly sure how Blogger has done this to my pics but at least it's different! Despite all the new stash I haven't picked up a needle for a couple of days - this is what I've been doing instead.

The three cards to the right are Friday night's makes and the three above are today's makes, with the left one being made earlier in the week...... I decided to keep going as I seem to be on a roll with the cardmaking at the moment.

The flower ones and Santa are my favourites and the Santa one is for my nephew Finlay.

I've got a few more Christmas cards to make, as well as a couple of birthday cards, so am hoping that the inspiration keeps going over the next few days so I can get them all done........ that'll be another job out of the way then. :0) I won't have chance to do them tomorrow though, as we're going to my DSis's for the day: not sure what the plan is (going out somewhere or staying in) but I know she has a wardrobe door hanging off its hinges that's in urgent need of my DH's attention.

Today has been relatively quiet as we've stayed in all day: neither of us fancied tackling the pre-Christmas shopping crowds in town or the bitterly cold weather. I got on with the cardmaking and a few other things (like joining the Amanda SAL Yahoo group) while DH popped out to the local shops for a couple of bits he needed, then tackled some small DIY jobs. DS shot off first thing to the Farmers Market in Brigg: not just to stock us up on more local goodies but to also order the duck and other meats for Christmas, which he'll pick up at the market next month. Another job done. :0)

I plan on getting my big supermarket shop ordered tonight and delivered next week (I love hassle-free online shopping!) to stock up my cupboards and freezers, so that'll not only cross another job off the list but will take us one step closer to being ready for the festive season. Am I usually this organised? Nah........ I really don't know what's happening, especially as I usually belong firmly in the MOF Brigade (that's Miserable Old Farts, for the uninitiated) LOL. I guess it all acts as a distraction from recent events, so I'm not complaining.

Well I've got a curry about to turn up so I'd better go for now. Whatever you are all doing this weekend I hope you are having a good time...... and if it involves Christmas shopping, hope it's hassle-free. :0)

Wagons Roll!

No I haven't been watching one of those shonky cowboy films...... after another stash splurge earlier this week and signing up for Carol Tinson's Amanda SAL today, plus buying the chart and goodie pack for it, I think I'd better get me on that there stash wagon for a while, don't you?
Well I'd better enjoy these last goodies for a while and part of that enjoyment is in sharing, so......

First off: some Zweigart 28ct Flax Cashel Linen; JBW Designs French Country Pumpkin chart and the WDW Terra Cotta thread to stitch it.
Then three more JBW Designs Christmas charts. I ordered the WDW Garnet thread to stitch the Stocking and Reindeer but it's out of stock and is to follow. (Bummer: I wanted to start these now LOL).
I already have plenty of various WDW green threads, so will delve in my stash for something appropriate for the top three designs. There were more charts than this on the Sew and So site and I loved most of them, so thought I was being really good when only ordering these four! ;0)
Finally, being a big fan of the Valerie Pfeiffer birds (got quite a collection in my stash), how could I resist this little beauty?

Anyone like to take a guess at what my new start will be? No, I don't know yet either so maybe I should toss a coin....... LOL

Thanks for the responses re: the new Yahoo group. You've confirmed what I was thinking, so I won't be signing up. The email has now been despatched into cyberspace heaven (OK, I hit the delete button but it sounds so much nicer the other way).

Just for you Karen (LittleCat): this is what Egyptian Tablet should look like when it's completed: I am so looking forward to the backstitch highlighting in the DMC gold metallic thread....... NOT! I think Mr Stick may get plenty of bashing in when I reach that bit and Julie's arm is going to look like half of her has been on steroids. LOL

DH is popping home soon, so I'd better go and do something - can't have him thinking I've been sitting in front of the computer all day, can I? ;0) He'll be taking a batch of parcels, including the Christmas Card exchange one, to the PO for me, so it'll be good to have them on their way and hopefully beating the Christmas rush. Am I really this organised so soon? You can bet I've gone and forgotten something!

UFO Update

Thought I'd better show the latest progress pic of Egyptian Tablet. I stitched a little on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, as I'm doing little and often - my concentration levels are all over the place at the moment.

I've completed the Christmas Exchange card and got everything parcelled up today, ready to go off to my partner. I shall reveal all once I know it's been received. :0)

While I'd got the gift wrap etc out I also wrapped and parcelled the hand knitted cravat/scarves I bought from Jenny, as they've got to travel up to DH's nieces in Glasgow.

I made the mistake of browsing the Sew and So site on Tuesday. Initially it was just as a distraction, as I was feeling pretty low, but it turned into a shop when I spotted some gorgeous JBW Designs charts. The French Country range are so sweet, resistance was low and I was unable to resist them. Hopefully they'll get here tomorrow. Don't think I'd better do any more browsing of any sites for a while or it might get really expensive.

Sorry Julie, I will have to disappoint you: DS tells me that no one took a camera out with them last Saturday night, so there aren't any pics of him dressed as a pimp. The outfit was: black shoes, black Thai silk shirt, a black cane with silver handle (plastic) , a wide brimmed velvety hat, velvety trousers and a long coat as well - the hat trousers and coat being bright orange with zebra trim. Think of some of the Gangsta Rap "singers" and you'll get the general idea. He took all the gear and got ready at his mates house, so I didn't get to see him all dressed up..... unfortunately. ;0)

BTW, I've had an invite to join a Yahoo group called xstitchfreebiefinder which says it's taking over from where Sue's group left off. Does anyone know anything about this group? I wasn't ever a member of the other group, so don't know how they've got my email address or who the invite is from, so - erring on the side of caution - would appreciate any further information before I contemplate joining. Thanks. :0)

Thank You

Thank You for the kind comments over Norma's passing, they mean a lot.
The funeral is next Thursday.

Blessed Release

My DSis phoned around 8am to let me know that Norma passed away early this morning, in Doncaster Royal Infirmary as the hospice were unable to take her in. She slipped away peacefully, in her sleep, with my cousin and their son by her side.
She was 42 years old on Sunday - no age at all.
Rest in Peace Norma. xxx

Monday Again

Where are the days going to? They seem to be flying past at the moment.

Friday was a day of jobs and stitching.

Saturday was my DH's birthday and he said he didn't mind taking me over to the new stitching show at Doncaster Racecourse Exhibition Centre but I didn't think it was fair to drag him round that, so decided not to bother. He put my new wall pot up on the front wall of the house instead and I told him it was a strange way to spend a birthday but he said he'd rather get on and do something. I think the fact he's on the downhill slope after 50 may be why he wasn't so keen on any fuss or celebrations. We had a quiet night in with an Indian takeaway while DS was out on the razzle round town on his belated birthday bash - a fancy dress night and he went dressed as a Pimp, of all things (where did I go wrong with that child? ;0) ). If I can get my hands on some photos I shall post a pic. :0)

Sunday I took one look at the wild, wet and windy weather and decided I couldn't face going out, not even to a stitch show. DH wasn't feeling too great and kept sneezing, so we stayed in the warm: the boiler just needed a tweak of the water tap to bring it back up to pressure the other day, so it's working fine now. We did a few jobs and I had another stitching session - not only did I complete the design for the card exchange but also finished it into a card. Yay! Unfortunately I can't post a pic until after the exchange has been completed, so here are pics of the two papercraft Christmas cards I made yesterday instead:
Hopefully that will help put me in the right mood to make the rest but..........

I got a phone call from my DSis Sunday evening: my cousin's wife had been rushed into hospital a little earlier. She was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and a brain tumour secondary (and further patches in her bones and neck and who knows where else) just two weeks after my Dad's funeral service: up until then she was being treated for vertigo!!! It's suspected that the brain tumour secondary burst last night. When the paramedics arrived they resuscitated her. OK, I know that's their job but come on, for goodness sake: the poor woman is riddled with cancer and has already gone through hell and they bring her back to brain damage and further pain and suffering....... I feel it would have been so much kinder to leave her be and let her cross over to the Otherworld. My cousin and two of his brothers went to the hospital with her. I haven't heard anything else since. I lit a candle for them all last night and would be grateful for prayers and blessings for Norma and her family, thank you.

Today is another wet and miserable day and I'm doing my regular jobs, as Alex is due for a visit later. What a lifeline her visit will be today.

I've got behind with Blog visits but hope to catch up in the next day or so. Sally: I've bought from HollieStitch on several occasions and have always found them to give a fast and efficient service, so am happy to recommend them. :0)

Hope you all had a good weekend and the weather is better where you are.

On A Cold And Frosty Morning

It seems our central heating boiler lost pressure some time during the early hours, due to the hard frost we've had, and didn't come on to warm up the house before we got up this morning. It was definitely a tad nipply, as my DS calls it (charming child) . :0)
The frost had also claimed a victim outside: a poor cyclist seems to have come a cropper on the crossroads and had to be taken off in the back of an ambulance, all before 8a.m. Hope he/she is OK. What a way to start the day!

Anyway, as promised here's the latest UFO Tuesday and Wednesday night progress on EgyptianTablet:
As you can see I've been stitching on the opposite side to last time and that's not the edge of the border on the left corner either, there's some more to stitch there yet. Not complaining though, as I'm quite enjoying this at the moment. I actually fancied carrying on with it tonight but decided I'd better concentrate on my Christmas card for the exchange instead - I suddenly realised that the posting date is fast approaching and I'd better extract my digit if it's to be finished in time.

That Christmas card is turning into a bit of a saga. The sparkly fabric, although Christmassy enough, just wasn't working with the design so this afternoon I went for a root round in my stash for a more suitable fabric. As it was all piled together in a crate this led to me finally sorting through it all and arranging it into the 4-drawer plastic storage unit I bought some weeks ago: top drawer is all 28ct; next down is for 32ct and miscellaneous linens; next down is all different aida, hardanger fabrics and banding and the bottom drawer is for cloth items that can be stitched on. By the end of that I was a little surprised, as it made me realise I'd got way more fabric than I thought........... but don't tell anybody I said that, especially not DH. ;0)

The upshot of all that was that (as well as getting nicely organised fabrics and backache) I came away with a lovely piece of Jayne's Count On Me fabric that I reckon will look much better and restarted the design on that tonight. It's certainly helping my eyes working on a darker, non-sparkly fabric, it's definitely standing out more and I'm much happier with the result. It's my first exchange so I want it to be just right.

So that's no new start for me yet, no matter how much Tanglewood, Rosemarkie and that empty scroll frame calls to me. (BTW, Karen: have emailed you, hope you got it OK.)

I also got busy on the HollieStitch site today as well. I started by ordering some goodies intended as pressies but somehow three charts just fell in the basket as well........... isn't it weird how that just happens? ;0) I couldn't resist Pelin Tezer's Labyrinth and Romance and the Wal d' Champs Arabesque designs. I have plans to make Arabesque into a 25th Wedding Anniversary piece for DH and I - we've got two years to go, so there should be plenty of time to plan and stitch it (she says, tongue in cheek). As for the PT charts - I just love her monochrome pieces and had to add these to my collection.

As for that stash wagon, well all I can say is: what wagon? ROFL.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering: the Chocolate Button cake is very nice. LOL :0)