Heaven/ I'm in Heaven

In stashy heaven, to be precise.

One of those bazillion stitchy groups I belong to in Facebook is strictly Stitch-A-Long group and those evil people scheduled a "Cirque de Coeurs" SAL starting from coming Valentine's Day and... My reasoning ended at that point where I found pretty and cheap floss perfect for it. *grin*

Said floss is Anchor's variegated 1206.

And naturally I justified postages while at it and got these from 1-2-3 Stitch!'s Clearance section.

Tiny loved the caterpillar design when he saw it so I guess I must stitch it for him. Though I'll modify the fairy child's skin and hair colour a bit.

I have also managed to kit DMC part of all of my "Crazy January Challenge" projects (and I was told that it was originally a Finnish idea so I kind of have another excuse here). Luckily floss is cheaper in Tallinn as there's 40 skeins for CJC projects (and four skeins of Variations).

I also found this 40% off.

If I am not completely mistaken the design has all St. Petersburg's famous churches pictured.

And my friend Niina came to visit couple of days ago and brought me lovely housewarming gifts!

But now I must (oh yes, dreadful) start stitching! I managed to misplace my almost finished ornament exchange piece during the move and have to stitch new one. And of course as I am in a hurry (mail-out was yesterday) I chose to stitch it over one...

Medication through mail

It is too bad you are not sitting here on the sofa with me. If you were you could smell the divine smell of Echinacea Mixed Herbal Tea I am drinking and fondle the beauty of a Silkweaver Lugana.

But you are not here and it is all mine, MINE! *insane giggling*

Quite some time ago kill_the_onions sent me some "fun mail" inspired by our little conversation in the comment section of one of my FB status updates, and finally, after taking scenic route from Turkey to Finland the fun has arrived!

Teas are Turkish, but the card is from China, but beautiful nevertheless.

kill_the_onions is a tea afecionado, and I am becoming one, again (after few years of not being able to drink tea at all - it's odd how Mr. Wonderful affects my body) so what is better than be able to taste some tea from country far away? (It is even better because I have never been to Turkey.)

But lo and behold, there was more great mail waiting for me... Belinda asked some time ago at FB would someone like to have Mirabilia's "Madonna of the Garden" and I was first one to say yes!

I had been over the Moon just to have the design itself, but Belinda added her leftover beads, metallics and delicas and piece of 19'' x 26'' 32 count hand-dyed Lugana from Silkweaver!

Now I just need to win the lottery and quit working... well, I have great reason to start this design soon, right? I have beads, design and fabric... I just can't let them gather dust, right?
Actually my fingers itch to stitch it already, but it is half past five in the morning and I haven't slept in last... 18 hours - which is quite a lot when you have laryngitis and bronchitis and you should be resting (though it's difficult to sleep when you are coughing sticky mucus...).

(Though I have been surprisingly productive stitching wise while sick: I have very small projects I have been working on when I have felt like it.)

I was RAKed!

While Mr. Wonderful was here I received an email from Bea, who I know through EMS Cross Stitch Forum, that she has a Lesley Anne Ivory kit of a cat and she'd like to find it a new home.
I replied to her and few days later this lovely cat was waiting in my mailbox!

I offered to pay the postages as this is a full kit (excluding aida as she knows I don't like aida), but she said that she just wanted to give the kitty a good home and I shouldn't worry about that.

Wasn't that just SO sweet of her?!

Mr. Mailman, bring me a dream... (Picture heavy)

Firstly, EMS Staff Stitch N'Stash Exchange for Laura:

The idea was to stitch and finish something stitchy which could be hung and send some nice stash with it.

I stitched Laura a scissor pocket with shades of dusky rose (and got to hear from her that it's one of her favourite colours ) and added a ribbon so it can be hung on neck or somewhere else.

Tidbits:

• Design: Mother's Love Grows, complimentary design by Periphaeria Designs.
• Floss: Atalie's Pivoine.
• Fabric: 25 count linen band.
• Other:
  1. It is lined with fabric to make sure that scissors won't come through.
  2. Ribbon is ~3mm wide pink polyester ribbon I have received from an exchange and it is sewn to the lining.
  3. Design is stitched over one with two strands.

In addition to this I sent two of my designs (Protection and Echoes of a Squared Lotus), two skeins on Painters Thread silks and two pieces of 32 count plainweave (linen and jobelan).
See how cunningly the threads and fabrics are matched. *grin*

Based on the feedback she loved everything so I think I can say that this exchange is now finished.

OMGWTFBBQBMW!

That was my first reaction when I opened the little box in Linda's envelope. In addition of sending that "one pattern from your wishlist" she sent me the mini bourse she was making for me (and I should finish hers and mail it... *ahem*).

But, pictures don't do justice to this bourse. It is just amazing.

Did I tell you that this is Linda's design?! Don't you think too that it's simply amazingly beautiful? I am in love.

In addition to this gorgeous one she sent me, not only one pattern from my wishlist, but four other patterns too - and one of the is a design I have been adoring from distance for a while!

Simple Thank You! isn't enough, but still... Thank you Linda!

And some pattern p0rn

The mysterious big envelope was what I thought it was... so, now it's time to do some simple calculus. These plus this lot:

...equals:

As previously mentioned I have some duplicates, but they, plus few other extras I have, will find a loving home from Linda's house.

I think that it might have been a very good idea to mae the bedroom my craft room... my pattern stash is already taking half a shelf (1 meter shelf).

Happy unbirthday to me!

I haven't checked my mailbox in few days (or rather over a week), but it was worth it...
I had already forgot that was one of the lucky ones who got on Barbara's unbirthday list a while ago and look what I received!

I can't keep my hands off of it, it's so darling! Thank you Barbara! ^^

And, to make one's day even better I had received some stashy mail from One Star's Light and Violarium:

The fabrics are from Violarium and the needleminder, floss and needles are from One Star's Light.

The Ultimate Kawaii Corp.

Ornament has landed!

I just got a word (while I was trying to write a coherent blog entry about something completely different) from Terri that her ornament has arrived! (Her partner eventually sent the ornament, but I still wanted to cheer her up.)

Info:

• Design: Christmas 2007 complimentary design
• Designer: Christine Wilkins from Alchemy Stitchcraft
• Fabric: 32 count Victorian Red Jubilee(?)
• Floss: Misc. GASTs

I packed the ornament to same zip-lock bag with one of my biscornu designs, just to enable her a bit. *evil laughter*
The ornament came out beautifully and I like this finishing method as it is easy and effective. (I was actually thinking of how Ia! Ia! would look like finished like this when I was finishing Terri's ornament...)

Incoming!

Better late than never, right? The biscornu, and the buttons, I received from Alexia:

And, I received belated Valentine's gift from Leena in Friday!

She stitched the ornament on a very familiar fabric... it's one of those 40 count linens I dyed last summer!

Thank you both!

Another Happy Dance - and some gorgeous mail!

I was kindly enabled by a co-staff member at EMS Cross Stitch Forum and I just had to participate the January Biscornu Exchange (you can't miss a chance to stitch a biscornu, can you?) with a theme of blue.
I am happy to announce that it's now stitched, and will be assembled when I get these bandaids off (within few fays, I think). The design is one of my own and I chose blue linen for it, but that's all I am going to tell before it arrives to its new home.
But, here's a tiny teaser...

Surprise Stash Attack!

Stash fairy surprised me and sent some lovely stashy mail!

Thank you! secret stash fairy!

And the next project...

...is Valentine's Exchange item, which is also a model for the forthcoming launch.
I had to tweak the colours I originally designed for the design, but I am very pleased how it's coming out. I can reveal that it is stitched on black linen with lovely springy colours and it does have hearts to justify becoming the Valentine's Exchange item.

It's actually odd that I have stitched quite much during last few days, noticing that I have spent most of my time sleeping...