PIF anyone?

well i cant show you anything that i have been stitching, as they are all for exchanges , which it had been hard to do anything what with work and the kids latley but i am getting there and hoping to find a way to finish them off.

I have also been look at doing a HAED QS but when i came to find one out i remembered they where in the fire, DOH!! But i may have to see if i can get one of these storykeeps instead (without hubby knowing of course lol)

AND... i was picked out by Ronel for a PIF, my first!! so now its my turn.

The rules for this is:

 If you would like to be entered into the draw to receive a piece of my hand stitched work within the next 12 months  from the 1st November then please leave a comment on this post, I will then enter all the names in a draw( if i have more than 3 comments that is )on 1st November and reveal the 3 winners.

If you are chosen as you must offer the same on your blog to keep the kindness going( and give something nice to someone that isnt a bleeding bill!)

and finally speaking off something nice in the post today i got my ATC from Lynn today, so three weeks today i will be opening it on my birthday, and to be honest i have had to put it away so i dont open it, but it will be nice to open it on my birthday as i dont normally get owt as 'its too near christmas'  hence me going to treat myself and buy a ipod touch, sod the miserable gits lol

So thank you Ronel and Lynn, and hoping i can post some piccies next time

The Witches Are A Brewing (Finished in other words)

Finally finished Brig & Doon, cant believe it took so long doing it Vonnas way, that i actually went back to the old way of using the needle and much quicker, but yes the threads were getting tangled and twisted again, pah! i give up, either slow and neater or faster but not as neat, will have to see how the mood takes me.But i did enjoy stitching it why didnt i start stitching for halloween before there are so many designs that i want to stitch.
I bought some glow in the dark thread by DMC so i want to stitch something for halloween with that.

I am also struggling which LK desgin to chose for the LK exchange, i have narrowed it down now so i will let me duaghter chose, so hopefully i will get it sent off by next week.
And i have finally done some more work on the gypsy wagon, i finshed all the red on page 3. I have decided that there are that many colour changes per page that i am going to do each colour then move onto the next,i just hope that i havent gone wrong along the line, else i will be pulling my hair out!!,

T'old Witches Are Growing

Well I after reading Tammy's blog, who has  the most amazing blogger header i have come across ( i love old fashioned glamour pin ups) i came across Vonna's way off getting her stitching to lay flat. Now i know that i am not the neatest stitcher, but i will give anything a go, and honestly it is working, although it is slower than normal( hopefully until i get used to get) i did try splitting, but god i was at it for ages ans i was so sloowwwww so i packed that it, i would be lucky to do one LK in a year never mind a month( yes i am that slow), So Brig & Doon, is coming along, slowly but very neat for me!

and i can show you the  atc i did for Lynn, i have just got to have a look for a birthday card to stitch for some one at work who has really helped me out since the fire, which knowing me may well take some time, hoping to crack on with t'old witches by next weekend

Finally Finished!

Well after bloody frogging on this thing all week, i can finally say thank god its finished, such a simple design and it was awful to stitch, i dont think my head was in the right place. I mean i love christmas and halloween- its a shame is not as big over here than it is in the US but I am so slack, i have loads that i wanted to stitch for halloween, but i do a xmas sampler, doh! yes thats a bright idea. So rushing this ( and no i wasn't going to stop it half way through, nope i was going to be good and finish the bloody thing) was a BAD idea!

Then to top it off i spilt all my beads all over the place, so now well as you can see i will have a fun weekend sorting them all out ( well maybe not this weekend, Halloween stitching to do)

So this weekend i am starting this 'Brig & Doon' I come across the pattern the bottom of a box in a second hand shop, its folded into little bits, and got marks all over it, but i am hoping i can make it out ok, besides it only cost me 10p, Bargain, i have dyed some Joblean today, was supposed to be clouds effect but hubby butted his nose in and now it looks nothing like dark clouds, just a dark piece of Joblean MEN!

And yes better late than never, my monthly TUSAL, yes its still in the little jam jar, and the cottons are getting pushed down even more, but hey its stopping the thread being stuck to all the clothes,settee and all over the floor.

And whats happened to blogger, and wheres spell checker !?!

Men Have No Idea About A Woman's Needs

Well i have fallen in love with this little clutch bag, how cute is it, you can find it here. I asked hubby if i could get it, but alas he is a tight ******* he just doesn't understand that i just dont want it i NEED it, but hence he is only a man and what do they know, so i guess not then, ( better not tell him i want a ipod touch then)

I have also decided what to stitch for the LK Exchange, now if only i could get off here and do some stitching. I am going to sulk now lol

I Have Finally Done A French Knot

I am doing a happy dance and no i haven't finished anything major, but i have mastered the art of FRENCH KNOTS!!!, yes i can actually do the now, OK they are not perfect but there are getting better as i am getting on. For years i would avoid them using beads instead, but yesterday i decided that i would do them and i did one, then another and hey presto, i did thirty!!, so yes they look a bit crap some of them but now i want to do more!!!

So this is the progress that i have made on the Silent Night Sampler, you wouldnt believe that the green leaves took me two days to do, i was visited by kermit, so many times that i nearly chucked the thing in the bin, but now its slowly coming on, hoping to have it finished by the weekend, as i have the Lizzie Kate exchange to stitch up.

Anne has got her card now so i can show you this and what i pig it was to stitch on, took me a hell of a lot longer to stitch than i thought it would do, black was a lot easier to stitch on than this, but it turned out ok.

Now im back on broadband i can finally read and comment on other peoples blogs again, no more dial up, oh bliss!

How Soon Is Xmas?!? (pictures now added)

Well I did get some stitching done on holiday, but i am starting to regret starting it, as i was listening to the radio and there is only 16 weeks to Christmas, 16 WEEKS!!!! argh i need to get stitching for xmas and i started this thing , think it may be a case that it gets done at weekends. Why the bloody hell did i start this gypsy wagon!! I am also stitching a card for someone,not saying who in case they see, but its a bloody nightmare stitching it on the blue evenweave, the black aida i used with Marilyn was not as bad as this, so instead of being a quickie stitch it aint turning out that way.

I have also done another ATC, but its flying its way over the Atlantic so cant show that just yet. now i need to try and get this card done sharpish else it will be very late.

I have also dyed some opalescent evenweave that i had a pale blue, for my christmas project that i am going to stitch first. I haven't stitched a traditional piece before, i must be growing up !

And finally i have framed marilyn and she is now on the wall in the room, my mum saw it and wanted me to stitch her one, for her birthday next week, well she can nelly!!

Happy Dances, New Starts and a Winner ( oh and plenty of pictures)

Yes I am late posting but bloody dial up is a nightmare, anyway I have been stitching all night and every morning to get Marilyn finsihed beofre i go on my hols tomorrow, camping in Cornwall, lovely if its sunny, shite if its raining all day.

Now I have started on Bothy Threads Cut-Thru Gypsy wagon, I am taking this on holiday so i might have a bit more done when i get back.I also got this adorable pinkeep from Becky, I love the fabric she chose for the back, I really enjoyed this exchange, so i have signed up for round two

And I can finally reveal the first pin keep i stitched for the Lizzie Kate exchange, think i got carried away with the pins though., and i hope its the case of practise makes perfect.!!!!


And here is another ATC i stitched for Marie way over in Australia.


And finally the winner of the goodies from my 100th post giveaway is......... LORI!!!!, so email me your address ( email address is in my profile) and i will post them off to you as soon as i get back from my hols!!!

Would you believe it has took me nearly two hours to load all the pictures on here today, and i should be packing not surfing, oh well.

100th post giveaway

Well its my 100th post today, and its took a while to get here, so to celebrate this i am having a little giveaway. So i have Margaret Sherrys Little Fairy Kit, and 3 The Drawn Thread Halloween Charts to pass to the person picked out.
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and put a link to it on your blog, and thats it. I will post the winner on the 1st August ( already!! you now when your getting old when the months fly past quicker each year)

Here is the update of my TUSAL, not bad for two months i think, but its only a jam jar, so its not that big, think i will have to move up to a bigger glass container soon, Hubby thinks its a great idea, as there isnt thread over everything in the house lol.


And Finally i have finished the Lizzie Kate exchange and it will be in the post this morning, its the first time that i have finished a design this way, and i think it is a case of practise makes perfect with this, but you will see what i mean when the other person recieves it, hopefully they will like it. I was stuck in what way i could finish it, then i have looked on the web site this morning and I saw links to different ways to finish off, figures! lol
I also did Maries ATC and that will be flying over to Oz this morning too, so tonight i can make a start on MM, as I have to clean the kitchen cupboards today oh what fun.

Back Seat for MM

Been busy stitching cards for my hubby to give his bosses since they treated him last week and to the headteacher that has left the school that i work at,so Marilyn has been put to one side for the past week while i finish off the Lizzie kate Exchange and stitch another ATC

The first card is Chickadee Fisherman

This one has been adpated from Margaret Sherry's 12 days of Christmas(to be honest i think it looks crap, not happy with this one)

And the flower card was out of issue 124 of the CrossStitcher magazine

Kate finally got her Butterfly ATC for her birthday, was a few days late, sorry.

and finally this is what i have done on Marilyn, still not finished page two yet, will i ever get there!!

still not able to read most peoples blogs yet as it takes too long to load the page when they have the back grounds on, i cant even see mine, i can post and thats about itAnd it took just over an hour grrr,lol so will have to catch up when broadband is finally on again, maybe next month the way its going.

Can I Buy Another Pc Stitch Darling, pleaseeeee?

I have been busy stitching for exchanges so no pictures to show, besides I'm on dial up at the moment so i don't have the time to sit and wait for them to upload, i just have to somehow finish off my piece from the Lizzie Kate Exchange, but the ideas are slow coming.
i also am a bit pissed off today, as yes i know i am slow sometimes, but i thought i would have a go at designing a pattern to stitch a wedding card for someone so i thought i would use PC Stitch that I treated myself to last year, it wasn't till i had hunted for it everywhere for 2 hours AND been down to my dads in case i had left it there, that i remembered that i had lost it in the house fire,oh Bloody Hell!, just mentioned it in passing to my hubby that its gone, and he said
'Your not buying it again we cant afford!'
GRRRRR wait till he wants to buy some cigs from his brother, what do you want to bet he says he can get them, what an Arse!!!
Rant over now, will try and catch up on the blogs after nearly a month away, when hopefully i am back on broadband and i can bury the dial up back in the stone age- how did we manage before broadband? now I'm off to see if i can see a cheap disc of PC stitch on eBay ( that's if the page loads some time tonight)

Marilyn, ATC and TUSAL

just a quickie post today, i have been stitching on Marilyn on a night, as i am getting bitten to death by the bleeding midgies outside after 7 so i cant do much in the garden, so she is coming along faster than normal. I wanted to get her face done asap to see if you can see the line, depending which side i look i can still see a bit.

This is also a pic of my first ATC that I did for Janet, I have took the picture from the Exchange blog, as i took the picture of it on my phone, and i cant find the lead to put it on the pc.

And finally I joined the Totally Useless SAL, which to be honest is not all my scrap ends from this month from what i have stitched, most of it is from the bleeding threads that went up in the vac, which i still haven't re-threaded. It's only a small jam jar, so there's not that many in. Right got to get back to the pile of ironing that has been left to grow as i have been stitching every spare minute.

I Think I Have Made A Cock Up On Marilyn!!

How hard is it to find batteries for my camera, VERY!! in this house. Every time i come to get it they are gone, so i have to search the remote controls and see which one has the new batteries in, but now i have homed it down to sons xbox controllers or one of Nicole's toys. Anyway.....

Not done any stitching this week as i still felt really low, I haven't even done the stock and month end reports that i was supposed to do for work, sod it i will be late for once i thought, so on Friday night i picked it up and did a bit each night. Only thing is i think you can see where page one ends and page two begins, or is it just me. I am hoping that when shes finished you wont be able to tell. SO hopefully I will have her face finished this week.

Updates and Excuses

Yes blogging and stitching has been very slow latley ( reason is on my other blog, cant be arse to go into all on t his one) but here is a up date of marilyn from two weeks ago theres no point showing my update for this week as i have done 10 stitches all week and thats it pathetic i know need to get a kick up the arse to get me going. I have got loads of blogs to catch up on, sod the hosuework today i feel

What Not To Do

I am not a happy bunny this morning. First day back at work, so i got up early and started vacumning house through and was in my bedroom shouting at kids to get up when the vac did a funny noise and started throwing bits out.
I look down and saw my needle organiser empty, not one bleeding thread was in it. Oh s**t! I have only gone and forgot i put it under my bed last night and vacced up all the threads, all 49 of them, Do you know how long it takes to thread all them, bloody ages!
So i spent the last half hour pulling the threads out, finding all the broken needles out of the carpet and cursing while still shouting at the kids to get up lovely.
I know it doesnt look a lot when you see pic, put argh there is a right pile of threads now all rolled into a ball, oh and how dusty is my vac, shame on you girl .

Marilyn's Back!

OK I have to admit it, but i am a serial starter, and i really want to get my big projects done as well as the little ones in between so i have joined the stitchalong blog to get my butt into gear, as my pile of UFO's are going to grow as there are so many i want to stitch!!! I think that them designers are so cruel putting all these charts out there are once, don't they know that there are some people who find it really hard to resist?

Anyway the first project that i am going to do is Marilyn, I love her and i think she was one hell of a sexy woman ( speaking from a woman's prospective) and i have a nicely decorated hall and the perfect place for here to go, but she was sat in a plastic wallet on a shelf at the bottom of the wardrobe. So here is a piccie to show how much i did last time, and hopefully by next week there will be some more progress on her. i would love to finish page one of her. On the ATC front i have just a bit more to do, but it doesn't need to be posted off for a couple of weeks yet so there is no rush to get it done yet. I am supposed to be varnishing the staircase that i nagged hubby to put in but still haven't varnished it ( i will start just an hour of stitching honest lol)

No Pictures To Show, Bit I Am Stitching

well my first ATC is flying its way over to Malaysia, well it will be when the postman gets it out of the box, until then its sat there, so now i am starting my next ATC to send out to Kate, although i wasn't happy with it,so i have scraped that and i wasn't going to unpick it when i had done so much so that went in the bin, and i am going to start again, so still no pictures to show you. I have also chose the Lizzie Kate design that i am stitching for the Lizzie Kate Exchange, but i haven't started it yet, as i have no idea how i am going to finish it off.

Do You Think It Is Rude?

Well i just need to get one thing for Janet's ATC IE glue then i can get it sent off. I REALLY loved doing this and i am already onto my next one, and i cant wait to show them (but not yet), so you lot can tell me if its the right thing or is there a wrong thing with these- apart from the size- is it a case of anything goes?
The only problem i have is really knowing what to do, i worry and think, will they like it, what does the person like?
So i seen other people with a wishlist, which has really helped me with The ATC i am doing now, so i have decided to do one too, to give a general idea about me. I have put the link in my sidebar.
So really (and i don't mind the honest, your a cheeky cow comments- just dont be too harsh lol)
do you think its cheeky of me to do one, or is it a good idea hmmm i have no idea but i think it may lead me to wanting to buy more stash as i see things to put on there, oh dear we can't have that now can we lol

Finshed my first ATC

I finished my first ATC, well nearly i have to put it all together but it looks really good, if i so say so myself, i cant show a picture of it yet until Janet gets it for her birthday in June, but i really need t get t in the post as its going to Malaysia and it takes a week for a first class postcard to get from Edinburgh to Yorkshire!
Now I am going to try and design my next ATC that i have to do for Kate, that is if it doesn't look crap, if it does i will just find a chart, i also need to find a chart to stitch for the Lizzie Kate exchange, but it s so hard stitching for somebody when you don't know what they like, then i have to figure out how to finish it!, not something i am good at to be honest

OMG I Know I Will Get Hooked On These

OK , thanks to everyone who told me what to do. Now i know what I am doing, only things is i know i will get hooked on doing them!!!!!

Exchanges To Start

I think the cross stitch pattern that Kath sent me on the tight is my life to a T!, which is why

the blogging and stitching has been very slow, in fact no existent as i have been having a hectic time on the work/home front. But today my fingers are itching to get started again, so i have been looking for something to stitch for the two exchanges i have joined up on, Lizzie Kate Exchange and the ATC Stitching Bloggers Birthday Exchange. The first one I have to do is a ATC ( which to be honest i have no idea what one is so i really need to find out what one is before i start looking at a design) for Janet, and its got to get to Malaysia by the 22nd June and knowing our postal service i need to get it in the post ASAP, now to look for a design to stitch

Happy Dance, Surprises and The Winner Is....

Had a lovely surprise in the post when i got home yesterday, as i won a giveaway on Sharon's blog, and its perfect. i have also got my very first hand dyed thread, so I am itching to start using it, i may have to incorporate it into the LK Friendship chart, Thank You Sharon!!


I have also done my very first project on the sewing machine that i had to follow using a pattern. I bought the fabric on a whim as i loved the colours and to be honest i don't know about it now, but i still love the finished product. I used Amy Butlers swing bag pattern and it was really easy to follow. i haven't put a bow on it, i think its fussy enough, but this is the start of the bag making for me, so i won't have the hubby moaning on about wanting another handbag.

My hubby was surprised i chose a easy pattern to start with, as he says i always jump straight in. When i first started cross stitching, my very first thing i stitched was this Country Companion's design, i had never stitched a thing and it was a challenge but i soon got into it, i think i will have to go a little slower on the sewing machine though, there's all these terms that i have to keep looking up what they mean, so no dear hubby i wont be making you a jacket for fishing, not just yet! lol

Oh i forgot to mention Kim I need you adress to post off the LK easter Samplers to you as your name was picked out!

Doing The Dance!!

Yes its sunday morning and I am doing the dance!

I have very proudly done my first zip, and it looks ace!! Yes I am blowing my own trumpet, and it took me an hour to make, but WOOOOOO HOOOO lol

Its a pencil case for my youngset who starts a new school tomorrow so i thought i would surprise her, as she has been dieing to get her hands on this fabric, how cute does it look lol

Patchwork Bags and Many Faults

While looking at other peoples blogs, ( yes my list is growing but i love to see what people are on creating) i came across Pink Penguin with a tutorial for a patchwork draw string bag, and since i am still crap with the sewing machine i thought this would be perfect as its the easiest bag to make.

i went and got some scraps from the local fabric shop cut them up and made them into bags, the first smallest one is for Nic's indoor shoes and the larger one for her P.E kit, yes there is thins wrong with them, and i made mistakes but i have to make my eldest one, so this one will be better. Nic picked what fabric she wanted, but i didn't have enough cord for the drawstring, so i have tied it slightly different than the tutorial shows, but even with all the flaws i am pretty chuffed with them, at least they haven't fallen to bits yet ( maybe in a week when they have been thrown around the schools cloak room)

Easter Flip It Finished

I managed to Finish the LK Ester Flip it, and yes i know Easter Monday is a bit late, but it will do for next year. This is the first time in a while that i havent another project lined up so i will carry on with one of my WIP's until i know what to do next.

Easter Finishes and Giveaway

Happy Easter to everyone and hope your all getting time to stitch. I have finished Lizzie Kate's Easter Sampler and nearly finished the Lizzie Kate Easter Flip-it. So I don't know if anyone will be interested in this giveaway as they are both Easter samplers, but with it being Easter I am going to give both of this charts to one person. Just leave a comment on this post and i will enter you, i will draw a name out on Thursday. Happy Easter!

And The Winner Is......

LISA!
Congratulations! please email me your address at pho3nlx at yahoo dot co dot uk and i will get it posted to you in the morning!

The Trilogys Dancing Along.

The Trilogy's Easter Line Up
Stitched on 32ct Belfast Linen, Summer Khaki

Time to get my dancing shoes on as i have finished, The Trilogys Easter Line Up.

I have now to find a frame that will fit, so eventually i can change them all around as i have decided to do the entire range, so I have now moved on to Lizzie Kates Easter Sampler.

I will be drawing the winning name out for this chart tomorrow when i get home at 5, so you still have time to leave a comment on the previous post if you would like to enter. I was surprised how easy and quick it was to stitch, and its the first time i have stitched on 32ct and i thought it would be harder to stitch but it was a doddle, but i really need to invest in a daylight light or even a bulb.