Stash!

I got new stash from Sewandso and Chouett'alors ages ago, but just haven't had inspiration to blog about it - even I have had the pics in my temp image folder for ages.
But, once again, it is my thyroid's fault: even though my thyroxine dosage has been upped few weeks ago to winter setting it has taken time before it started to affect on cellular level. In addition to that December was crazily busy month which really didn't help.

Regardless, stash!

 

The designs are from Chouett'alors: "Arbre à chouettes" and "Le chaudron de la sorcière".
Owl tree was a limited time SAL project, but because my thyroid hormone levels are not completely in balance I missed the last parts because I simply forgot... But it was SO cute that I just needed to get it!

Fabric is 32 count red Belfast for my Holiday Sampler model and some of the floss in the bag is for that and for "Star Sampler" SAL I am organizing at PD.
Others were just bought because they were pretty.

Stitchy Progress!

My first plan was to star "Star Sampler" with other stitchers, but then, I wanted to see how it looks like when stitched and also wanted to provide stitchers realistic picture of the sampler before they start part one.
This is first half of the part one, there's few stitches of part two just because I wanted to stitch all the floss I had on my needle because in the end it saves floss (you know how easily short bits get lost).

I have also stitched replacement for my first Halloween Ornament Exchange ornament (almost done), Holiday Sampler model and started a cute Valentine's Day freebie for PD - because I have had time, my ankle has tendon issues again and I've been on sick leave almost two weeks, and Husband is traveling again.

Life, cross stitching and everything

Actually I am still alive, even though I haven't blogged in whole month. It all started with a cold, which, even after I "got better" continued keeping my energy levels somewhere (way) down below and... then I caught bacterial infection (IIRC the latter sick leave paper I got says something about laryngitis and sinus (sinus sphenoidalis was doctor's guess as it wasn't visible in the sonar thing they use) infection)... you know how it goes.

But on a brighter note my last course of antibiotics was almost six months ago! Houston, we seem to have improvement!

Somebody stop me!

I was updating my badly outdated freebie library at Be Courtadet's blog, saw a beautiful house at the sidebar, stumbled upon the album page and found these (charts can be found here - and the rest are in here).
And after seeing this and this (small world, I think she's one of my FB friends) I was sold (that's how Finns would say it, being "sold" over something absolutely wonderful) and now I am trying to remind myself of those two drawers etc. full of WIPs. (If someone suggests SAL promise to stab you with tapestry needles as you know how *weak* I am! (Please do, I need an excuse to increase my stash! *slaps herself*)

And signs of improvement

After being a zombie for few weeks and sleeping most of the weekend after the illness got me I have actually had energy to design new winter freebie and start to stitch it (when I have actually been awake... which is not much *grin*)!
Of course I can't share it with you yet, but here are the supplies (I am thinking one with beads and one without) for you to drool:

Fabrics in question are 32 count Belfast linen - for once I was able to find two different colours suitable for the theme, and I still have that Millenium Blue which I might want to use too...

I saw the employement counsellor (not the one I usually meet) and my GP today.

For the first time in 1½ years I hated the session with the counsellor... My regular one is very encouraging and doesn't treat you as a piece of $*it. I was very, very discouraged when I left her room and I felt like lowest little creature - just because I dare to be chronically ill and financially less well-to-do. (I try to change the situation, but... sometimes it takes time, right?)

Fortunately my GP always saves the day, he even adviced me to contact employement service center, just in case if not for any other reason, because they have the knowledge of both employement and education, but also of the health related side (and they have access to health records).
Surprisingly he didn't freak out after he found out that I have cats. He just asked do I get symptoms and could I try to live in cat-free environment for a while just to prove my point (of not getting any).

And I wonder what the innocent bystanders thought about our little conversation over the corridor - flirting with handsome men is always refreshing, even if they were your doctor.
(I get to see him again in next month: He wanted one more week of peak flow metering with cortisone and bronchodilator to be able to write the "B- statement".)

Designers and designs

I seem to have become my favourite designer: out of those ten finishes I have managed this year only one is designed by someone else.

When it comes to loving my designs.... I may have mentioned I have got some of my creativity back and in addition of sketching/ designing new designs I have imported few old designs to new format: I am already madly in love with one old design of mine - I am certain it will be a good seller when it's published - because of the colour scheme and how versatile the design itself is.

More free Indian....

• Malkit Singh.
• Pardesi
• Shaktee
• Shazia Manzoor (Pakistani?)
• Ravi Bal
• Ajuba
• Partners in Rhyme

Happy Dance for the Cross Stitchers' Lottery

Beautiful, isn't it?!
This is my entry for Cross Stitchers' Lottery.

Tidbits:

• Design: Autumn
• Designer: Linda Chacewater
• Fabric: 36 count Summer Khaki Newcastle linen
• Other: The colour scheme is by me

This gorgeous design is designed by a dear friend, Linda, who has a talent for designing, but is not (yet!) a selling designer, though I am one of those persons who try to encourage her to take the plunge as she surely could give so much to the stitching community with her designs.

Autumn has been real fun to stitch and I am already thinking of different colour schemes for it...
I think I sense another addictive design.

(Cross posted to Cross Stitchers' Lottery blog.)

Pamela Kellogg did it AGAIN!

She designed the most gorgeous biscornu for her Christmas Mystery SAL participants and at the moment I saw it finished as a biscornu I knew that I have to have it if she ever releases the design for sale... and, today she did it!
And off to Etsy I went... and ended up with a good haul, just to justify the postages, you know...

• 2 Old Fashioned Lazy Daisy Biscornu Designs
• Christmas Biscornu
• 2003 Autumn Mystery (That kitty looks just like my Masa! ^^)
• Garden Jewels (I have been eyeing it for a while, but I couldn't resist that yummy looking watermelon a moment longer!)

Behold, I have stitched!

I started Linda's bourse Friday when I got home in the evening (as you may have deduced from stitching over one on 36 count), and it is about 70% stitched, but as it will also be a model (I think I probably stitch a "normal" sized version of it too) there will be no pictures of it, but as I also started my Cross Stitchers' Lottery piece (even I had scheduled it for next month), which is one of Linda's recent designs (all her designs are officially unobtainable at this moment, but I live in hope that she gets into the business soon too as she has good ideas and lovely designs (like these)) called Autumn I can give you a WIP picture. (Shock and awe!)

(The picture is not very good due the poor lighting - blame the winter.)

I saw the design in shades of burgundy with hint of gold on natural(ish) linen at the moment I saw it for the first time and now I am making the colour scheme true - and even I say so this will be beautiful when finished<!--- with 902, 815, Kreinik's #4 002HL and Crescent Colours' hand-dyed cotton called Apple Fritter-->.
I will change the supposed solid colour (when symbol X equals with floss ID Y I will make it equal with floss ID Z) of certain motifs to over-dyed floss to give the solid vs. over-dyed setting some more balance (this step would be unnecessary if I would use only solids).

But, still, Linda has become one of my favourite designers and I truely hope that her designs will be attainable for everyone soon (as I love to enable people and as I really believe in her).

I also dyed the first shade for the Flashes of Gold, but as I don't have any more salt (as seasalt is out of question (its minerals bind the dye differently and the fabric becomes spotty)) I have to wait until tomorrow or so before I add the navy blue.

I finally found the ornament design for my mother... as you may know she loves joulupukki and joulutontut (Santa (the Yule Goat) and his little elves (actually yule gnomes)) and I have always some difficulties to find suitable designs for her (she loves the Finnish Santa (The Real Thing™) and most Santa designs out there are way too American to her, or my, taste), but UniversBroderie solved everything: très joli, ne?

I'm going to stitch this over one, to make it small enough to be an ornament, on Graziano's 28 count Riviera with burgundy stripes, because that fabric came directly to my mind when I saw the design.

Speaking of things to stitch...

My Wentzlers came in Monday. ^^
Therefore I also have to make a drooling list list of designs which are absolutely in my to-do list:

1. Woodland Fairie

As usual with TWs the model pictures I have seen in the internet don't do justice to this piece. Very detailed piece with beautiful colours.

2. The Storyteller

I didn't "get" this design before late and what I fell in love with this design is the thought of harmonious life between dragons and humans... the peace, learning from each other. Or at least hope of it.

3. Castle Sampler:

I have always been fascinated by the court life of certain eras and this design falls into that area in my odd fascinations.
(Oh, the times when men wore tights... )

4. Stroke of Midnight:

I have never been much of a princess fan nor I like to stitch humans, but this design is the exception which makes the rule: the way TW presents the light within the ballroom and the details of her gown are simply stunning.

5. The Castle:

When I first saw this I wasn't fond of this at all, but since I followed Ternezia's process this grew in me - and after I saw all the colour conversions made for this design I was in love. (This one is to die for!)
It may look like the dragon were attacking, but what if the dragon is protecting the castle?

6. The Guardian:

When I first saw this I knew that I have to have this some day, for several reasons. One of them is the colour scheme of the dragon, as, even though I am not fond of yellow, the colours are really made for this dragon and the warmth of yellow brings balance to the design's otherwise rather cold scheme.
Another reason is that when I was at school our teacher read us a book which was located in Cornwall and the scenery I imagined looked exactly like this.

7. The Enchanter:

This was a real jaw dropper when I first opened the The Best of Teresa Wentzler Fantasy Collection II.
I have never been into wizards, but once again TW's style makes the theme attractive. I love the colours and details in this design: the velvety look of his robe, the silky look of his cloak, that little dragon on top of the little tree...

There were several could-dos which I left unmentioned, and maybe they will some day become must-dos as sometimes designs grow in slowly.
In general, I wouldn't stitch ANY of these designs on white as the models have been stitched. The white background "bleaches" these gorgeous designs, takes the life out of them.

*faints*

Certain things seem to make you go OMGWTFBBQBMW! no matter how much of a designer you are yourself:

The Dragon Lady commented on Fang!

That's all folks, I'm off to have some more coffee and stitch!

I think I am addicted...

...to Pamela Kellogg's designs.
After considering for a while I went and purchased Winter Into Spring (scroll down) series because it was so cheap (4 x $4 = $16 = ~11.12 €) and I just had to get it.

They just spoke to me...(Words of a truly insane person.)

And the stitchy post...

Firstly, Lady got new stash from Violarium today. (I'm She's quite happy that I she have has found Finnish ONS with good customer service. It's always nice to place an order and get your things next day (in this case mailing notification came three hours after placing order). )

Two skeins of Atalie's silks (Djerba (blue) and Lhassa (yellow/orange)) and piece of 40 count linen. You may meet these beauties later in some models of mine hers...

Secondly... it's a small world, and cyber space is even smaller it seems: Tracy, lady behind Ink Circles, who has also designed design I used for Linda's mini biscornu, had found my blog accidentally. How I know this? She left a note in my guest map. (And allow me to say that it still feels good when a designer whose style I like finds me accidentally. I think it is one of those things which never lose their glamour.)
By the way, while you are at it, check her new design 'I Still Do'.
/me likes. Now I just need to get married and stay married... Any volunteers around?

I have to admit that even most wedding samplers do not strike my fancy, that is something I could do - even it is outside "my style" in certain sense. Maybe it's just my mushy side revealing... (but then, I think I have said that I am marrying type in the end.)

Must resist temptation...

...must stay in rotation...

But Kristine (Herber) did it again! She designed few blackwork ornaments as complimentary designs for stitchers in her Yahoo group.
I had got to bed, but got up to have a cup of tea, checked my email and... well, after I saw the design I had to kit up "a bit"...

            

Now I just need time to stitch! (I think I can tweak little holes into my rotation... *grin*)

Ah, designer blogs

I've been reading Pamela Kellogg's blog since I found it trough Angela's blog, and even I'm not fish person myself I saw something absolutely stunning today... Go and see it yourself. Makes you want to try crazy quilting, doesn't it?
And btw, her 100 Details In 100 Days project ('fillers' for crazy quilting) is still going on, and series in question has some beautiful cross stitch and blackwork designs. For free. O_o

When it comes to blogs...

It seems to me that 800th entry will be written during coming weekend, and not in September. I've been bit chatty lately, haven't I?
Though, I think it has to do with coming autumn, and of course to the fact that there has been few things I've needed to clear up with myself.

At the moment I feel fabulous, though a bit tired, and my sleeping rhythm has normalized from from 3am to noon to from midnight(ish) to 8-9am (Actually I seem to be in such a good shape that my heart keeps its mouth shut even if I drink coffee a bit more than I should (as I can't find completely decaffeinated in reasonable price I use brand which has about half of the caffeine compared to normal coffee). I am not complaining.) and that means I can't be very messed up as insomnia and/or other problems with sleeping are the first things which refer to problems with my psyche (though I wouldn't call heartaches and scarred soul problem of a psyche in that sense, but my aspect of psyche may be a bit different..).

When it comes to autumn...

It smells like autumn outside, evenings are getting chilly (it's still over 20&#186C in daytime) and I drink tea in the evenings. All these factors equal autumn.

I don't drink tea during summer, see. Or I do, but it's rare occasion if I do.
Anyway, I've noticed that I apparently may become tea enthusiast as I dug my teapot out from the wilderness of cupboards and I use it for braising my tea. Something I've never done before as I've always thought it's too troublesome to clean...
And I'm planning to make a tea cozy for myself (and one for my mother, but that has nothing to do with autumn. She'd use one), and that's an idea which came completely out of the blue.

Now I just need few good brands of tea so I can enjoy coming darkness in an orthodox way (which is: candles, good tea, good music, sleeping cats).