Stock Taking

warning: a very long post

So another year is taking leave of us... It is time to appraise what has happened in the year past... This being a stitchy blog, i will obviously write about the year wrt to my hobbies, my favorite pastimes, my oddities:)

Not sure if i can pack them in a neat stack, all that i write will be peeling out of my memory ... and then i might nudge them into a bit of primness.

First of course on the stitchy front - the main course of this blog: I have completed 9 projects this year, some of which were carried forward from '09. I had worked on smalls this year, which is why my number is looking respectable (when i say respectable, i mean to me). I had made the heart humbug for my husband - this was to be hanging behind the rearview mirror, but it has not reached there yet. For days (and months) the humbug rested on his shirts in his closet. And then when it looked to be a permanent fixture there, i decided to 'move' it along with the biscornu (i made for him in '09), so they are both now lying in my closet. The humbug was a February gift to him when he (we?) got our second car. So when July came, i decided a non-stitchy thing will be apt for a birthday gift... Only stitchy gifts might not be a good idea, or so i thought.

So minutes after i went upstairs, to prop up the gift on our bed, he was right behind me. Now something in me said, he was anticipating a stitchy gift (oops). So 2011, i need to think of a stitchy gift for him. My thinking caps are on. I need to go into my skin and his skin to understand what will be most appropriate.

Till about half-way this year, i was able to use Paypal, so stash enhancement happened and my stash piled up more and some more. But then the Reserve Bank of India disallowed the use of Paypal, so any kind of online stash buying came to a halt. Strangely, it did not frustrate me much. I have stopped going to eBay and any 'For Sale' posts in any message boards are sadly not given much attention. I can only hope that Paypal and eBay meet the guidelines or whatever rules stipulated by RBI.

While there were a couple of biggies completed this year, most of my projects were smalls that i did thanks to Sticklounge, and thanks to bloggers who enabled me to join small SALs. I also took my first exchange project this year. My first bookmark, it was to go to Canada. Another first was my first shipping outside of India. The 'bad' part of the entire project was the delay the bookmark took in reaching Canada. Phew... As it so happens in exchanges, my partner might have imagined (and rightly so as these things do happen) me to be 'one of those' who promise but do not deliver... So as we were deciding on how long we will wait till i start working on the second bookmark for her, she received a mail from Customs from Canada. What a relief that was... It took close to six weeks for the bookmark to reach her. But it reached her, thank God otherwise it would have left a bitter taste for me. After this episode, i have sent 3 parcels to international destinations, two of which i have been updated to have been received. The third, i am presuming has reached the destination, but i am putting the stakes on the fact that the recepient has misplaced my email id, or has still(!!) no idea or cannot place who the sender is! The idea was to surprise them, so i had not contacted them to anticipate a little something in their mail box!

One of the things that bother me so much is the fact that there is not much stitchy glitter in my neck of the woods. So while i do particpate in giveaways, i am not able to hold giveaways with such aplomb. Which is why i have tried knick-knacks to pair up with Anchor floss. Knick-knacks sadly for me, make the customs guys a little too suspicious, and more often than not delay in the parcel reaching the destination is imminent. God, grant me the serenity to accept things that i cannot change...

Oh yeah, talking about giveaways, i won and received my first giveaway from Meari... I received my first pair of scissors as gift from Meari, floss, charts, a magazine, dyed fabric... Meari treated me with love, and i am so happy to have received the same. I also got a huge parcel from my sister - a real real surprise with breath-taking kits, and i am grateful for that! From Melanie (US) i received the Country Friends Calendar chart - a set of Margaret Sherry designs. From Nicki (UK), i received the Popcorn alphabet T. Both i received after registering my wish in the wishlist that comes up every week in the 123MB. I rarely put my wishes there, but there is always some one responding to your wish. Amazing bunch of ladies always so earnest to help. I love this world of stitchers, i feel so good! I am also happy to see my blog is being read, and i receive comments from various corners of the world. I like being made a part of this world. I have to thank you all for that!

Here are pics (received from Melanie and Nicki) I had not blogged about, but i picked them out yesterday to take a snap of:

I am losing continuity here... I just skimmed through whatever i have written. That is quite a lot for you to read... Kind of i am keen to know how many are still reading beyond this point. The only other stitchy comment i think i have missed adding here is that i will have one stitchy project that i will do for my son this year. He is now 2years and close to 9 months old. He has started going to pre-school, and loves it. Adores his Ma'm. He talks about his friends too... The other day as i was cleaning the closet (imagine a Sunday afteroon, a cold Sunday afternoon, where my husband and my in-laws are having their afternoon naps, so Tanishk and i go upstairs to do coloring - so it is quiet downstairs, and i shut the door upstairs so no noise disturbs the nappers. As for my son and me, we are enjoying our time together. Him coloring Winnie, Tigger and Piglet. I do some coloring here and there too. So we give each other company. Then 'we' have our attention diverted - for some time we work on the Alphabet blocks, for sometime the crayons are counted and re-counted. So on and so forth. Oh yes, we also change the bedcover and the pillow covers. Which is what brought me to the closet cleaning. First my husband's. All his Tshirts were neatly arranged, my son gave me company. He brought his coloring book and a couple of crayons and was busy there, i neatly stacked the tshirts. Once that was done, the cleaning obsession kind of hit me (the only time it hit me this year, sheesh) so i approached my closet which had an appearance far worse than what his closet looked like. And it took me longer too. Obviously.

My son - his regular pranky self!

This is where i found 4 table mats - these i had done before the stitching bug hit me:) I still admire how my son 'picked' these out from the mess, and announced they were his. He is going to call his friends home. When? Sunday. 3 Friends. Somehow in his baby boy brain, he and his friend would sit on the table mat. Never mind that. What i hug close to myself is - that he found these special. These special items were his, so he said. I liked that. We even sat together and made cards to decide who sits where. Yes we did! We even pondered if he will invite his Ma'm. His spontaneous answer was no. In response to my, 'Ma'm may feel bad', he did reconsider and decided after all he will invite his Ma'm too.

I have mentioned here about Sunday December 5th. This must give you an idea of how Tanishk and his Mamma spent their time together this year. The Saturdays and the Sundays are our favorite days of spending time together and enjoying every moment.The weekdays of course create their own path, we spend time together once i get back from work - till it is bed time.. so there is play time, dinner and then bed time... At times i carry him as i go through the chores in the kitchen, sometimes he is happy on his own with his Mamma visible in the kitchen.

I love spending time with my son as much as he. I look for ways to do my work around my son.

Well, I now did another round of skimming through this... What i missed saying is the severe back-ache problem that i had in early January. The negative was i had to put off stitching on Lilies for close to two month. The positive was i could read a LOT of books when i was resting. Books were indeed my best performance of the year:) If i continue this way for the remainder of December, i can easily say on an average i have read 3 books each month this year. I read books during my commute only, apart from the January windfall I got for reading. I also cherish the way i which i was able to go to bookstores and buy books. I equally cherish the way my list of books to be read built up this year, and the books i surprised myself with when in a bookstore. While there are over 20 books awaiting to be read, there are close to 30 books in my current list of books to buy!

One of my 3 bookracks

There is hardly any mention of friends here. If that is sounding weird, here is something: Since my work has not got any space here yet, so have my friends not appeared here. There however have been a whole lot of lunch out, amazing amount of gupshups, almost daily phone calls to my parents - my mother especially. Being an introvert, i have had the drawback of being considered snobbish. With my son, that changed. I am now talking to other mothers in the apartments. I have still not been able to enter gossip mode, but there is a good amount of talk that happens!

What i am really happy i did this year is this: For my fathers birthday (he completed 75 years this November), i had a collage of photos made of all of us siblings in our childhood days, and now with our own families. This was professionally done, and was on the expensive side with the frame and all that. This was a surprise to my parents, and they loved it so much. I am happy i was able to give them such a priceless, timeless gift. It also opened a new avenue to them: to talk about this treasure, to decide where to put it, and in fact to do up their drawing room:)

Life really has become like a set of 10 by 10 grids:) with varying cards to deal with: some easy flowing tasks, some tough to manage, some given up to come back to later. That is how therapeutic stiching can get:) Thank you for your patience with me!!

A quick post

Current pic of my Debbie Draper SAL in Sticklounge group... Halfway through now, and the outer border to be done too... I was thinking i will be able to take up some BOINK work - but did not get till there, LOL.

Lilies is going on smoothly, very close to the half-way mark on the current page...

Here is a kit i got via 123MB, from a lady who decided she has far too much stash to handle in this lifetime. I am not sure when i will start facing that, i hope to clear out my stash regularly ONCE i finish working on my Lilies. Another two years later, that is... Which basically puts me in 'accumulation' mode, LOL. Nothing to worry about;-) yet. Let us look at the bright side instead!! Look at the pic, arent they cute mice??

Have a great week!!

Stumped by Stash!

I have been a tardy person when it comes to putting pics of my newly acquired stash. I know i have got to bring in a process to sort that out. May be when i get the armoire (like the one Meari has and that i dream of at times, LOL) and i pull out my stash and put them all in the order they deserve, i will put in pics of the stuff not yet shared...

Currently i have some treat for your eyes... Not the best of pics, but you nevertheless know what is happening on the stash front!

The first pic is the giveaway (my first won giveaway) from Meari. Thanks to you again Meari for this wonderful stuff you sent me. I am liking all the charts... I think i have a soft corner for the SweetHeart Tree NeedleRoll!! And i am going to treasure the hand-dyed linen(my first again, thanks). It will be used for something really really special!! And oh the dear scissors fob (my first again *giggle*). You have sent me a treat dear, thank you!

Here is the magazine i won from Meari. My Mother was ga ga over this magzine, and prolly hoping i will leave that magazine with her, LOL

Next up is the stuff i got from my sister. I had mentioned about this here. Wonderful kits both - exactly my taste!! and two Jane Austen books too. Happy Happy Dance, indeed!!

Talking of books, here are the two books i got via my husband. Well, he left his motel before these books reached him. So someone else collected this for him/me, and i got the books just yesterday.  I have been trying to get hold of the Guernsey book since November last, and finally 8 months later i now own a copy. Both these books are from abebooks, and they are as they were described!

And finally the stash i received from Riona. I had to pay for postage only, and am so happy to receive this set of trims and ric-racs - they were in three ziploc bags!!. Riona had put in a list of items she was sending me - wow - how organised is that!! I was so impressed. Unfortunately, there were some that were listed but were not there in the (cords bag) box. My parents had told me the box looked tampered, now we dont know where and how it all happened, but looks like some mysterious hand has played mischief. Anyway, i am still happy with what i have with me!! Now i cannot complain on the lack of finishing material, LOL.

So that's all for now ladies!! Hope you enjoyed my stash!!

Almost there!!!

Aha, it was half past midnight last night and i had another 24 stitches to be done to consider Page 8 done. Well 24 stitches should take around 10 to 15 minutes - typically. But 24 confetti stitches can take an hour or so. Not only that, 24 confetti stitches, with my way of threads dangling all over the place can take easily over an hour. So i decided to carry forward those 24 stitches for tonight.

In the frenzy of completing this page, i have hardly looked at other projects! Thankfully, I have been able to work on the bookmark, which is more than half-way done. I plan to complete stitching this over the weekend, and mail it first thing the coming week!!

We have this sudden plan of visiting my parents this weekend. The last time we visited was October, so there is going to be lots of fun and entertaining and visiting and what not!!! - we probably are leaving on Friday morning and back on Monday evening to Bangalore. My husband has to be back on Tuesday to office, so the only way to have a day more with my parents was by advancing our visit by a day. Which means there will be a delay in my Lilies post. Which also means, i take my BOINK, my Solo Brode and my bookmark with me or probably only the Solo Brode and the bookmark with me. Since i have three nights with me, i hope to move some stitchy mountains.

I will also finally see the pile of stash that is waiting for me at my parents address!! Meari -  i will finally see and hold all that you sent me:) I also have stuff my sister has sent me, and Riona's stash of trims and ric-rac. So apart from the happiness and shared moments my parents will have with Toto, there will also be some fun they can have watching me going through this stash, LOL

I am halfway through the book The Forgotten Garden, and absolutely love this book. If you are one for family saga/connecting disjoint pieces, do not miss this book

And, i have found an absolutely heavenly blog that has the best ever tutorial on your first quilt. I have become a follower of this blog and have now bookmarked the tutorial. I read the instructions, and should admit this is the first time i understood exactly what is being instructed, what is important probably is I could understand all that was being instructed. I loved it, so among other things i have told Mother she has got to allow me work / practise on her sewing machine.

Wishing you all a great weekend, see i have already made up my mind about Friday;-) Thanks for all my visitors and specially those of you who leave me comments.

Next part...

Here are the SALs i am into at the moment. Part 2 of Solo Brode SAL. This is taking a round shape, isnt it!! I love the back stitching in this. I wonder when the next part comes. Time between the first two parts was 10 days i think... Whenever it comes, i am ready to lap it up, LOL. Now, there is some miscounting that has happened, i have left it as is for the time being

Here's Quakerchen part 5. I was hoping the final part would come Friday, so i could have the page printed and ready for the weekend; it so happened this time it came on Sunday, which means i stitch tonight on this wonderful little Quaker, my German Quakerchen. Now, i have got to change the color of the tulip so that it blends well, let us see what i come up with!

I did some Boink as well last night, but not enough to show. And with Lilies i am about 43% completed on the current page. My Mother is going to send me some of the parcels i recieved. (blinking??!! My shipping address for all the precious stuff i receive from abroad is my Mother's place, so she sends them 'over' from time to time) I do plan to visit her sometime next month, so she will send to me the ones i need for the bookmark exchange. Talking of precious, when it comes to 'me' things, i love my stash more than say jewelry (definitely), and clothes (come a close second) and footwear (comes a close third!!). Books and stash are giving a neck to neck competition, so to speak.

The Anne Tyler book i am reading currently is going on fine, it is a bit too sad to read, but then bittersweet is how family life is, right? I am also tuning myself to what to read next...

Thanks all for your wonderful comments! Thanks for liking my work, it feels good and wonderful!! Have a great week, every one!

Jumping with Joy!!!

Typically an afternoon is 'touched-upon' with after-lunch drowsiness. Well typically... But when my regular afternoon-call to my Mother begins with her telling me that the parcel (from my Sister) has arrived, i am all jubilation and in my giggly-girl behaviour.

I knew my Sister had sent me 'stuff' (books and kits) for my birthday, but when i knew the books were Jane Austen, i did not know anything more about the kits other than they being 'cross stitch kits'!!

So without further ado, here are the two books from the Barnes and Noble Series:

Now being an ardent Austen fan, i have all her books excepting her early memorabilia. Nevertheless, these will be treasured - who knows prolly i will have a 'special books' book shelf, right??!!

My Mother and I then move to the 'longer' and hyper-interactive part of our discussion!!

Mother: This one is titled, Terrace Arch by Sung Kim, S U N G and KIM

Me: (I google for this and see there are two images ) Does it have 3 pillars OR one pillar

Mother: One pillar

Me: Do you see the sky??? What else do you see?

Mother: there is a lamp, at some distance you can see houses, and a bit of sky

Well, so yes we nail it down to this.

And i tell her it is simply beautiful. However did my Sister know of my kind of stuff??

(Greedy me, now my Sister had told me two kits)

Me: But... dont you have... i mean S was talking of two kits

Mother: (laughs) yes, yes, there is another!! This is called Garden Gate

Me: Haan???!!! Paradise Garden Gate??

Mother: No just Garden Gate

Me: And the designer??

Mother: Sandy Bergeron

Me: I cant believe this!!! This is something i was almost buying in my most recent activity.

Mother: What!!?? You bought something?

Me: Yes, there is another online shop, no not ebay. And i have given your address

Mother: You should stop this buying. When will you stitch all these things??

Me: Dont you worry, all these will get stitched someday
Mother: I could probably help you with Terrace Arch, (laughs)

This is true - while buying the Tour chart, i almost bought the Creative Accents Garden Gate kit. Then i backed out at the last minute because of guilt pangs, for one . Also if the seller had given a decent (IMO) shipping quote, i would have taken the plunge placating the guilty me with 'you get your birthday only once a year'. But somehow after being experienced with ebay shopping, i 'felt'(i might be wrong) there culd have been a better discount. 2 negatives (guilty me and high shipping), and so no buy. I however went into ebay and there currently is an auction up there to be over in 3d 17h or so (a US only auction) which was in my 'Watch list', LOL, till 2 hours ago!! I had even spoken to this seller and asked if i could give a US shipping address, naughty me again!! How many have i enabled here, LOL!!

It all turned out in my favour anyway, eh!! and how!! Amongst a zillion cross stitch kits available, how does it happen that i am getting special interest for one particular kit and then my sister has exactly that kit, the very same kit in mind for me?? When no one but me knew about me liking this kit - i had not mentioned this to anyone or written in my blog!! Miracle right?? Blood connection proved?? Angel being present??

A very alert younger sister, i have emailed my elder Sister giving her my thanks and all this background info - so she will know how special all this has been!! I am now all geared up to handle what the weekend has to give. Each of you is wished an angel who will visit you, cheer you and make your weekend!!

Month-end Update

Here is my Lilies as of last night, 31st March. I am now 57% done with this page... I am currently working on blobs of the same color(s) which is why my progress is good. BTW, I really had to push move the dangling threads away so the stitched part could be seen better!

I finally am going to buy this chart!! Thanks to Dani for the enabling:8)

Probably there is some more buying, i am finding stuff that i like, it is only a matter of how guilty i feel spending, LOL

This and that...

I will not bore you with pics, last night i completed Page 8. What with 4 more nights of February still to go, i am in a comfortable position to finish AT as hoped, eh!! Thanks for all your comments - i appreciate, enjoy and cherish every one of them:)

Now, just some this and that... if you have the time!

A. Have received fabric from a board member @123. Since i only get 14-count white aida here, i grabbed the opportunity of buying an assortment of fabric @ the board. So that is some stash addition. It is weird that all my stash is accumulating at my parents' place. I have told my Mother that she will not send them to me. I am so scared, i will lose the parcel mid-way. So whatever fabric, floss, kits accumulate at her place will be mine when we meet face-to-face!! Although it really is weird, as i cannot see / touch / feel my 'new' stash:)

B. The other day there was one of those ADMIN emails from a yahoo group that kind of got me to reality - i had stopped visiting some of the yahoo groups. I know life and work do get in the way, but i had no answer to myself as to why i had stopped visiting. Probably i do belong to too many groups??? You see what happens is only those groups that appear in Page 1 are accessed, and then by the time i am done there, i tell myself i have spent far too much time, and move on to work. Hmm. Got to do something abt that..

C. Now some cleaning up required in my blog: If you look at my left frame you will see the amount of blogs i visit. I do visit MOST of them, I enjoy these visits. There are those rare occurences where i have been seeing posts but no pics; pics being links off flickr/webshots/photobucket - now these pics i cannot see. I can read the details, but i cannot see the pics.

Are you still with me? Thanks for your patience:) I do promise a pic of AT in my next post

Presenting...

Alla Turca 6 of 9 pages completed as of 14th Febuary. I had a long weekend, but was not considering it a great stitchy weekend as my Brother was to visit me for two days. I am really really happy and contented to have reached this stage by mid-month - i have done pages 3, 4 and 5 in these two weeks. This and your precious comments give me the boost. Now, it all depends on how much time i will really get to stitch for the rest of the month!! And yes, isnt that a wonderful blue?!! If you closely observe the [blank] diamonds, in the piccie - i have left most of them blank. I will take a call at the end about which blank ones to fill.

I am like a li'l school girl waiting to see what the day has ushered in for her in the form of comments. So this is a thank you note to all you wonderful bloggers who stop by, and leave a comment.

Why this pic??!! Well it does depict how much love my Brother brought for me. Though he was here only for two days, we had a great time just being together. Toto also had fun time, and within minutes was playing with his Uncle! We chatted and chatted for God knows how long:) And when he took his afternoon nap (day 1), i even stitched some sitting by his bed-side. Among the goodies he got for us - the kiddie variety have become precious playtime material by my precious - there were some stitchy stuff too, LOL. The Retro Kitchen Aprons cross stitch kit which my Brother got for me ( you will remember the eBay item that was on sale as US only that i without as much as blinking an eye [hopefully is the last such behaviour from me] begged him to buy for me), and the Hummel charts (my first purchase from Etsy, so i now can stitch the Hummel Postman for my shweetypie) that i gave my parents' address for. I have now confirmed to myself that some one is playing pranks and parcels rarely reach my doorstep anymore, which is why my parents' address is my current shipping address.

And right this moment, i got a call from my mother. The letter T popcorn alphabet stitch kit has arrived. Hurrah, just a small jig from where i am sitting, LOL. You see, I had lost one of the ebay parcels somewere between being shipped in the UK and reaching Bangalore, India. More likely some problem at my end. So i had put this up as a wish list on 123 MB. One of the members (thanks dear Nicki!!) granted my wish early this month, and it is now waiting to be in my possesson, and is with my Mother at the moment. Oh yes, the stitchy community is a very generous community!!

It has not been an as-dreaded bad week for me. I had been very unhappy being unable to meet my brother's family. Then God did bring ways to make me happy, eh?!!

Have Been Charmed!!!...

Saturday turned out to be a lucky day. I recieved the Lizzie Kate Living With Charm charts, along with the charms. This came from South Africa from a 123 MB member, and was a great deal considering the deals on eBay. I felt so good, so good looking at this parcel.

Since one or two much awaited parcels have not reached me, i have been worried about the Postal System. Not for long, coz i got these 6 sweetest charts:) Oh, and i also got to add couple of South Africa stamps to my kitty!!

Now, i really hope i also get the Popcorn Alphabet series Letter T cross stitch kit, especially since i wanted this for my son. Please God....

*And* my paypal problem seems solved. Ta Da... I had been having a LOT of email discussions with Paypal over this, and lastly i was asking them to let me test my credit card payment before i try buying from eBay et al. Obviously i did not want to ask for help again from friends, in case the payment got stuck and i had had another ebay item purchased. But when the answer was not satisfactory, i thought i will try 123 GC;-) If it fails, i thought i will have to hound Paypal some more. You see, for the rest of you probably you have other options like money orders, or even payments through credit cards. In my case, sadly there was only the Paypal option.

So i put in 1 USD GC, and after one single email interaction, dear Nancy checked it out for me. It works, it works, it works.

There is another good news, that i will share with you later on:)

This and That!

On stitchy news, i have not completed the November month yet, i have a wee bit of one pumpkin and the text 'November' to stitch. Apart from that I am going crazy with the confetti stitches in the Lilies - am doing about 70-80 each night.

I received my eBay US parcel - after the payment hassle that my friend helped me clear. This was the kit that i won - the Dimensions Flowery Verse Stamped Cross Stitch kit.

I am yet to receive an eBay UK kit. I had bought this before my October vacation, and had requested the seller to delay the shipping for a week:( It so happened that there was a postal strike in the UK from 21st(I think) October till 5th November. So even with 15 plus days after the strike, the parcel still remains elusive. But this is what i am supposed to get, and i hope and hope and pray and pray that i recv it in my mail box. Pls wish me luck.

With this, i complete my eBay shopping for a WHILE now, of course there is another deal i was discussing with (which again the very same firend is helping me pay) an 123 MB member.

On the local shopping front;-), I am busy going through some mobile handsets. My current one (a Nokia old model i dont recall the number and the handset does not have it written on it) wants a break it says - at least the batter life is close to nil. I was almost 'locking' onSony Ericcson W595(for the camera and 3G features), but understand it cannot stand my son's treatment!! So now, i am looking at sturdy Nokia. When i am going for 3G, i might as well go for QWERTY keyboard right? That narrows down my search to 5?! models and the only handset that appeals to my eye is Nokia E71. I will have to live with lesser multimedia features (in E71) or take Nokia N79 which has good camera as well as 3G, but without QWERTY. Decisions, decisions!!

The good God made them all!!

I have been blessed - the stitchy way, of course. And you know me, I love to share these happy moments. Makes me so happy, and so like a child.

Those of you who have been with me from the start of my blogourney (i just made that word, ha) know about my preparation for Monopoly. Then came a day when i was all ready except for 4 colors of floss. Mid-August i got 2 Anchor codes here in India (thanks to my Mother). I was posting my mid-month Monopoly roll call where i mentioned about having to order via ebay the other two colors.

Mary-Anne, one of the group members offered to send them to me as she has spare floss. Isnt that very sweet ladies!! I cannot tell how happy i am!! Thanks Mary-Anne!

On a different wish-list item, aka the Majestic Heron in the Cross Stitch Gold June 2008 issue - early August i lost to a fellow-ebay buyer this lovely magazine being auctioned. And this was not the first time, nor the second time, urgh. So, i thought it's time i did search outside of ebay. I posted in couple of forums to check if someone is willing to sell the same. I also found this website - Getstitchin.com which had listed this magazine for sale. I did find the shipping costs on the higher side, but we stitchy folks have a time-limit for keeping any chart/kit on the wish list, dont you agree with me? Know you do, LOL.
Yes now this will be mine, and i even got a discount on the shipping. Thanks Lyn for the discount. You have made me a happy gal - this has been on my wish list for a year now, and am waiting to hold the magazine in my hands, and deep-breathe with the book close to me. (I do this for almost all my books, a habit - picked up when a child - i have not been able to let go)

I should also mention Becca whom i first came to know in LiveJournal. We participated in an MSAL in 2008 which, ladies, was my very first mystery stitch-a-long!!! Becca is giving me the sweetest gift of 2 of charts from her stash!

All these goodies are on their way and they have brightened my little world here:) Thanks Mary-Anne, Lyn, Becca for adding beauty and happiness to my world. Thank you God for giving me these friends who have made me feel special.

Chiloe - your words are encouragement to me. This is the biggest project (and probably will be the biggest i will ever do!) and it is so nice to have you with me in my journey.

Debra - it just happened that i took up all big and bigger projects this year. I should take up some smalls too to have a balanced palette!!

The good God made you all:)

Pics and getting Crafty

So here we go - I have so much to tell you. First of all here is Crafty Cat - going to be all mine in a week or so. It was an ebay purchase (UK). I was thinking i will get some Liliput Lane cottage from the same seller, but decided will do some more research on the kind of cottage that will fit very well with a 'gate' chart i have and the Perfect Patio kit. As for Crafty, i was wanting her presence in my stitchy area so much. I could probably have waited for a better deal(?), but this was good enough for me, LOL. This will be my very first Margaret Sherry design.

Then here is the Oak Haven Design - June and July of the January SAL. I started this SAL in end February-early March, and am so happy i have completed more than half:) Once i finish December, there is *lot* more stuff to do on this baby blue coverlet. That is under wraps yet, and you will see the gradual unveiling, after December is completed, LOL. Tonia, the cheerful lady behind OHD group was operated for a bypass surgery last week. Hope she gets well soon.

Tomorrow is the end of July. There were 7 nights that i was unable to stitch in July:( 2 owing to Toto my sweet - he was too energetic to sleep!!, 2 owing to the gift preparation!! and 3 owing to fatigue). For some weeks now I have been going through a rough patch at home - that in turn affected my health, my appetite - sadly i am a worry wort. The good news however is that in spite of stitching some 22-24ish days, I am currently at the half page milestone. So cheer up lady, eh! Hopefully you will get a good pace in August.

Now coming to the gift for my husband's birthday:) The doggie face is from a freebie i found here - i used only the face part, the checks i have put are my own idea. This doggie face is my husband's favorite doodle pastime!! so i thought he will find that thoughtful, LOL.

Methinks he liked it - for the first half of his birthday, it was lying on his office bag. That is enough returns for me ladies!! And then i wanted my son to contribute too. So if you see this you will know. The left side is his contribution and so is the card base.

Here is a version with sun light pouring, nature's contribution:)

It is his very first ABC Book, which he liked/loved paging turns of - so much that the pages are separate from the book cover!! So his book cover became our card base.

I am also getting Lizzie Kate crazy. I do umpteen searches a day for the Living with Charm series. I have searched enough groups / forums / sale lists to see if they have this set of charts at a price i find affordable. There are some more of the LK ones i like (ABC Lessons for example), and this *TOPS* the list.

I have finally found two shops relatively close to where i live, where i can get fusible interlinings. I hope me and applique are two sisters separated at birth, who will hug each other when they meet. Let us see. Well more like triplets, LOL. Cross stitch, applique and me.

Here is a quote from Pearl S. Buck that i am loving and plan to pin it on my blog some where. There is a magnetic pull towards this:

"I love people. I love my family, my children . . . but inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up. "

Progress Pics

This weekend went good for stitching after a long time!! And that felt good:)

It was Alla Turca time, and the outcome on the previous sitting had been poor. I love the richness of the color as it takes shape on the white Aida. I got considerably more time this weekend than i thought, and at least have finished close to half of the Page 1. I keep helping myself by the fact that the centre page is by far the most 'filled' page, LOL. I am loving the MSAL, and am happy to have taken this up!!

Here is the BOINK from last weekend. I have decided i will stitch the orange color instead of the yellow for this block. The yellow i am thinking, i will only use for the borders and not inside any block. As i said in my previous post, i would have completed this block but for the frogs visiting me.

And then some special things for my stash!! Here are pics of what i received, one from Cheryl in SMO - tapestry needles *and* needles for beads, floss and a cute card. Thanks Cheryl for all these! Extremely sweet of you. Stash i received from Shellie - Beatrix Potter sampler, i am loving this and is a perfect addition for my 'stitch' theme. Isnt that nice?!!!

After the dismal photo i clicked, i gave this another shot in bright daylight. Here is what i received from Janet in a contest in SMO. You have given me a great beauty Janet. Thank you so much:) Yet another one for my 'stitch' theme, and i am sure will be the first i will stitch for that theme.

That's it for now ladies! Thanks for taking a look

Busy, and Happy!!

Looks like i have been away from blogging for a loooong time. The last couple of weeks have been way too hectic for me, which means very little stitching done. It will be so for some more weeks, it looks like.

The good part!!, however, is the week has brought me stitching fun on its own, here's how:

I received this last week from Janet (no blog) in her giveaway contest in one of the forums. Isnt this a great stash addition!! I am so happy as this suits my stitch theme so well:)) And i also got some other goodies from sweet Janet. Thanks Janet:) Sorry about the bad lighting in the pic. I was trying to 'handle' the shine of the paper, but have been utterly unsuccessful

I also received yesterday some more stash from Shellie via her swapsies blog, and from ebay, hey ho!! and a much-needed 'Needle' gift from Cheryl (no blog). Thank you ladies!! I do not have pics for them yet though as i recd them all just yday after a looong day at work.

I also completed OHD's April Month, and need to request Tonia for the next month. Here's how the 4 months look together:)

And finally here is how my Water Lilies look. This was taken after the May 15th night-time stitching . I am currently on Page 3. This weekend (cant believe it is Friday tomm!!) i cheerfully go to Boink land!!

Thanks very much for your suggestions on my earlier post, as well as the links. Deb, i will email you by this weekend, so sorry about the delay. I am eagerly waiting to know how i can enhance my stash, lol!!!

Bird Theme

My Birdies now have a home!!! I won the Lofty Living kit in ebay for what i consider a very GOOD deal. I won this after a wait and search of almost a year. I admit, all the birdies are still lying in 'stash' mode. But i will bring them out of their cages some time or the other. Hopefully from 2010 onwards, i will target one bird chart/kit every year.

I have in mind to have all my birds on the wall along the stairs. For my bird theme, i was interested in collecting charts where birds are doing some thing - you know, active birds not just posing!!. So far i have these:

1. four Leisure Arts charts titled Backyard Visitors,
2. one with several birds perched on a clothesline (dont remember the designer),
3. bluejays kit i think from Dimensions,
4. Spring Flowers nest chart (dont remember the designer),
5. a Bucilla Birdbath kit, and
6. i even have a secluded nest chart (dont remember the designer)

All purhcased via ebay (UK, US, Canada) of course. Now all these birdies have a place to call home!!