Flower Bride

Here is my progress on Flower Bride. You can't see it but there is actually quite a bit of gorgeous sparkles, due to some white kreinik I stitched in this go around. I hate working with that stuff but it sure is pretty!! That big dark brown splotch that stretches to the right goes all the way to the far edge of this page, so you can see just how wide this page is. It doesn't look too big, but there are a lot of stitches in that not so wide looking area. 

The next 5 days I will be working on another new start. It is a Kustom Krafts design called "Day Surrendering to Night". Another big one! It's been in my stash for quite a few years now. All kitted up and ready, I just never got to it. I'm excited to get started on it and see how far I can get with it!

First update of Sea of Roses

Well, I started my second Heaven and Earth Design piece this go around. Man! These huge pieces are addicting!! I think I did pretty well on it this go around. Lots of Red and pink. These stitch up quicker than you would think. I love it!! 

Next in my rotation is yet another HAED piece. Flower Bride. I'm looking forward to getting some work in on it!! Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Stitching Real Estate!

Well, this past weekend was my SAL with Jules. So, I went digging and dragged this ole' one out, dusted it off and was able to get about an hours worth of work in on it.  I worked on the never ending roof. 

 

 And these past 5 days was my round to work on The Abbey.  It is coming along! I was gonna work on the back stitching page by page, but have just decided to do it by color. I added more of the dark red to the windows and started the black iron work at the top of the tower. It is still just slow going.

 

I don't think it's the project that is causing it to be so slow....it's me.  Since my husband has deployed, I have seemed to become nocturnal. I can't go to sleep at night! And when I do, my daughter wakes me up in the middle of the night. I think I may have gotten a handful of good nights sleep since he left, and that was only with the help of a Benadryl. You'd thing that I would pull out my stitching once she goes to bed. But, by the end of the day after dealing with her ALL day I'm frazzled, and just feel like sitting in front of the TV and zoning out. I just want to turn my head off, and not even think!  I'm just in this funk, and I hate it!  So, this week I am going to try to take a Benadryl the minute she goes to sleep, watch one episode on the TV, allowing the med to kick in, then as soon as it's over head to bed. Hopefully then I will be awake and ready to go nice and early, and able to stitch before she wakes up. Early morning is my favorite time of the day. I am awake and fresh and just love the quiet. I get my best work done in the mornings. So, we will see if that helps me be a bit more productive. (fingers crossed, lets hope!)

 

Well I am super excited!! As these next 5 days I'm gonna start working on a new project! "Sea of Roses" a HAED piece. I will probably use today to kit it up and then hopefully get some good work in on it. We will see. I want to try to finish pages 1-3 on this project this year as I would like to give it to my Sister in law maybe by her birthday in August of 2015, we will see. That gives me more than a year and a half to get it done. It's a nine page pattern but only 4 of those pages are full pages, the other pages only have around 600 stitches on them.  So we will see.  Wish me luck!

Web of Life-First update of the new year!

I worked on Web of life the past 5 days. I was trying to finish the stitching in the peace pipe, and while I didn't quite accomplish it, I am satisfied with the amount of work I did get done on it.

Well, I know not all my readers are on Facebook, but I am friends with quite a few of you, and I wanted to let you know, that I have deactivated my Facebook accounts, for now. So if we were friends on there, and you notice I'm gone, no I have not unfriended YOU, as much as I "unfriended" Facebook itself.  I just decided it was time. I have had a love-hate relationship with this page for a long time, and this year I have decided I want to spend my time on more (to me) worthwhile things, like my stitching, my family, my reading and my writing. Facebook has just lost my interest. Really? Do I need to know that "great aunt Gertta made pot roast for dinner, and boy was it good"? LOL....come on, you know what I mean! There are those people who think they need to put every daily detail down on their status, and oh then those poeple who like to air their dirty laundry all over their page!  It's just distracting and not very productive. I have a life to live, and I came to the conclusion, do I want to get off the page and  go LIVE my life or do I want to keep scrolling through and reading about everyone elses?  I just don't see the point anymore. And then don't even get me started on the invasion of privacy issue!

So, you won't see me there anymore. Although...I must admit to having thoughts of making a "A Joyful Stitcher" page that only pertains to stitching, because there were quite a few great stitchy groups and people I loved interacting with there, but for now, I am just gonna stick to the blog thing.
So, that's where I'm at with that. I want to spend the majority of my time with my hobbies, and the small amount of time I spend online, I would like it to pertain to my hobbies, and encourage me in them, like stitchy blogs and goodreads, pages like that where I can enjoy other peoples thoughts on the things I love, and who share my love of those things.

This weekend is my SAL with Jules on Coming Home for the Holidays! I'm so excited to be picking that one up again and to stitch with my sweet friend again!!  That is if I can stay off my new.....laptop!!!! Yup! For Christmas my wonderful hubby bought me a new one! My old one was definitely on it's last legs, and so I'm excited about that!  It just came in the mail today, so still gotta get it set up.

Anyway, I hope you are all enjoying lots of stitching! I am enjoying reading all your blogs, boy you have all been very busy!!! My reader has been blowing up with posts!! I can't keep up!!

First update of Mystic for 2014

Well, I just got home from my trip to the west coast 2 days ago. So, didn't get much done stitchy wise on this project this go around. I wanted to work on it yesterday, but was battling some sort of stomach bug, never actually got sick, but was nauseaus and just icky-feeling most the day, so lazed around reading and watching TV.

I worked on the pink area on the left hand side. that is the dragons neck.  I only got about 1 1/2 hours work in on it, but it seems to be stitching up pretty quickly. I am really enjoying this project.

Well, this year, I have decided to make some changes to this blog, and my stitching. Last year I usually just rotated between three projects, 5 days each twice a month. This time, I am going to be working a 7 project rotation. Each getting 5 days worth of work on them. Throughout the year, I am anticipating some finishes, and as I finish a project I will be adding a new one to the rotation. Like The Abbey, which I think will be finished by summer, I will rotate it out and add a new one in it's place. By years end I am hoping to be working on ALL Big @$$ Projects, with the exception being my ornaments. So, this year is truly gonna be the year of the BAP for me!! I am super excited to see what I can accomplish!!

Well, I hope everyone's 2014 is starting off great with tons of stitching!

Happy stitching!

A finish for the end of 2013

Well I had a small finish on New Year's Eve. This is # 6 of this series. The next day I started # 7

Sorry if this post is funky I finally figured out that blogger has an app, when I posted my last entry, I posted it from the web on my phone! This makes things soooo much easier!! 

Well I hope you all have a wonderful new year filled to the brim with smiles and stitching! 

Oh yeah, I posted my goals in my last entry, but I have one more to add: I would like to comment more on all the lovely blogs I enjoy and love!! I thank you all for all the wonderful comments you leave, so I need to also do the same!! 

Joyful Stitching to you all!!

Oops... I accidentally erased my last post, where I wish you all a lovely new year and post goals for 2014. Technology.... Ugh!

A new year- new goals...

Last year my only true goal was to finish Snow Valley express by the time I got back to the states, so I could give it to my dad. CHECK! I got it done a full month ahead of time!

This year, my goals list is a bit more...daunting? Longer? sure, we'll go with longer...

Stitching-
-Finish The Abbey
-Finish Mystic Dragon
-Finish Web of Life
-Finish the last 6 ornaments of the Winter Fun Series
-Finish the next 2 series of 12 ornies in the book (Snowmen and santas)
-Finish Page 1-2 of "Flower Bride"
-Finish Pages 1-3 of "Sea of Roses"
-Finish Page 1 of "Day Surrenduring to Night.

Reading-
-Read 75 books

Writing-
- Write 200 letters
-Start three books (100 pages each)
- Comment more on blogs
-Work on book blog more, OR combine books and stitching (still deciding!)

Then my last goal is to lose 50 pounds.  This one has been on my list for the past 2 years, it hasn't happened yet, here's hoping this year is the year!

I have enjoyed seeing everyones goals and finishes posts here in Blogland!

Here's to a wonderful and stitchy 2014!!!