Easter Sunday Finish

I hope everyone had a great weekend. DH and I had a wonderful weekend. Saturday was spent running some errands and going to the book store. Saturday night was spent with family having a birthday month dinner. Everything was fabulous and a good time was had by all.

Yesterday was spent with the The Easter Fairy. I had wanted to get her finished by the end of May as she has sat for some time. I took my time, but I managed to get the The Easter Fairy finished late last night. I had to wait until this morning in order to take pictures, naturally. I decided to leave the wings off and I like her the way she is. I am waffling on obtaining the rest in the series. I know I want to get the New Year's fairy, but I am not sure on the other ones. 

Well, at any rate, here she is. My latest finish and the number 6 finish for 2016 from the Bin O'Shame projects. 

Design: The Easter Fairy (Limited Edition kit)

Designer: Nora Corbett 

Fabric Used: 28 count linen in Spring by Picture This Plus from their Crystal (opalescent) line

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours  cotton floss in Baby Chick, Bella Rosa, Betty Bluebell, Blue Beatrice, Blueberry Tart, Bramble Bush, Fool's Gold, Sassy Brass, St. Bernard, Tufted Yellow, Wasabi, and Zach Black. 

Bling Used: Mill Hill glass seed beads in size 11/0 #02010 Ice. Mill Hill glass Sitting Bunny in Matte Brown #12192. 

Stitcher's Notes: Substituted kit fabric for the 28 count linen in Spring by Picture This Plus from their Crystal (opalescent) line. Substituted stitched blue egg for Mill Hill glass Sitting Bunny in Matte Brown #12192. Declined to stitch wings. Number 6 finish for 2016 from the Bin O'Shame projects. 

Last update as of Wednesday, May 28, 2014:

Finished Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016:

Well, I had best be off. Have a great week, everyone! :)

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Respectfully submitted.

C.

Pre-Game For Easter Weekend March 2016

Easter is early this year, on this Sunday as a matter of fact. I have rested my hands and arms a good deal and have taken all of the precautions that one normally does during these times. They feel well enough to get cracking on something else. 

I have chosen The Easter Fairy (Limited Edition kit) by Nora Corbett,  as the next item up for bid. I have not touched her since May 28, 2014, so it is past time that I finished her up. She is, as you can imagine, a resident of the Bin O'Shame . When she is finished, she will be number six from the Bin O'Shame. which is nice. This will also mean that within the first three months of 2016, I will have hit the halfway mark on the Bin O'Shame goal of twelve projects completed from that bin this year. Yay! As I am leaving off the wings on this piece, it *should* go fairly quickly. If I do decide to stitch them, I think they should be done in all metallics. The question is, do I even go there with myself, as metallics are notoriously difficult to deal with ? Time will tell, I suppose. 

Well, at any rate, here is the last update. I have not stitched hardly anything else on her, so I am hoping that I get some time in this weekend to finish the stitching on this piece. 

Design: The Easter Fairy (Limited Edition kit)

Designer: Nora Corbett 

Fabric Used: 28 count linen in Spring by Picture This Plus from their Crystal (opalescent) line

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours  cotton floss in Baby Chick, Bella Rosa, Betty Bluebell, Blue Beatrice, Blueberry Tart, Bramble Bush, Fool's Gold, Sassy Brass, St. Bernard, Tufted Yellow, Wasabi, and Zach Black. Kreinik (#4) Braid in #3223 Ametrine

Bling Used: Mill Hill glass seed beads in size 11/0 #02010 Ice 

Last update as of Wednesday, May 28, 2014:

I had best be off. I hope everyone has a great Easter weekend!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Turn The Page

There I go
Turn the page

Happy New Year to you all. It's a fresh new start to the year, and I know it is going to be absolutely amazing this year. I have chosen to start this year off by picking out a piece from Kit Mountain to begin the New Year. This is another one that DH has picked out. He even chose the fabric for this piece, after I was waffling on a few. I think this one is really going to pop on this fabric and I cannot wait to get started. 

Design: Lady Of The Flag (retired) MD-62

Designer: Nora Corbett for Mirabilia 

Fabric: 28 count Cashel linen from Picture This Plus  in Phantom

Fibers Used: DMC Embroidery Floss Art. 117 as called for in the chart. Kreinik metallic threads in #4 Very Fine Braid in #025 Grey and #002HL Gold. 

Beads Used: Mill Hill beads in #02001 seed beads Pearl, #02019 Crystal Honey, #02022 Silver, #03015 Snow White Antique Glass seed beads, and #03050 Champagne Ice Antique Glass seed beads. 

Stitcher's Notes: Began Friday, January 1, 2016. Chart is now out of print and very hard to find. Please note that this chart is not for sale or trade. Stitched in commemoration of the Tuesday, September 11, 2001 attacks. 

Lady Liberty Lore: Frederic Bartholdi has trumped any Mother’s Day gift you could ever come up with: He used his mother, Charlotte, as the model for the most recognized statue in the world. This was first discovered in 1876, when Bartholdi invited French Senator Jules Bozerian to his box at the opera. When Bozerian pulled back the curtain to step into the box, he was shocked to find a real-life version of the Statue of Liberty sitting there in the box. When he said so to Bartholdi, the sculptor smiled: “But do you know who this lady is? She’s my mother,” he told the senator.

Well, I had best be off. The Lady will not stitch herself. I hope everyone has a great New Year's Day and the best year ever!

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Respectfully submitted, 

C. 

Christmas Goodies

I had to get up at Oh, my God-thirty this morning in order to be at work today. DH and I are working the holidays this year, so that we can take time off when the rest of the world goes back to work. :)

We opened up presents as soon as it was light out and I am so excited about mine. DH received a map of the US National Parks, a camping pillow, and a solid t-shirt to hike in. I had him open his first because I just could not contain myself. He loved everything and was very pleased with my choices. 

Then I opened mine. This is the box that was presented to me:

I immediately had this spring to mind from The Nightmare Before Christmas:

What's this?

In here they've got a little tree, how queer

And who would ever think

And why?

They're covering it with tiny little things

They've got electric lights on strings

And there's a smile on everyone

So, now, correct me if I'm wrong

This looks like fun

This looks like fun

Oh, could it be I got my wish?

What's this?

I managed to preserve the bow, as it is just too pretty to throw out. I am certain that I can find a use for it. 

And then came the unveiling:

:O

Yes, folks, that is the semi kit Arezzo 2014 from Casa Cenina! It is only available from this shop. DH, Lord love him, even managed to snag this on sale so the final price with shipping was not *too* bad. I will be playing around with The Viewer today to see which fabrics will show her off the best. So exciting!

Well, I had best be off. I hope everyone is having a great Christmas and getting the stitchy stuff of their dreams!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

500th Post

I can't believe I finally made it to 500 posts. I suppose I should have a contest of sorts to celebrate. I will have to think on it some and see what I come up with. :)


This past weekend I was not feeling so hot, so I decided to take a minute and actually sit down and look at each project from the Bin O'Shame 
to see what I had, instead of just counting what was there. What I found actually surprised me. I found quite a number of projects that were barely started. And in some cases, not started at ALL! So, I did what any sane person in my position would do. I promptly removed them and put them in the kitted pile. After all that is said and done, a further 12 projects got removed, so I am now down to 40 projects left over from the Bin O'Shame! This includes ALL of the HAEDs, of which there are 5 started, and Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House Samplings. Woohoo! There are quite a number of small finishes so I will definitely be able to make my goal of 10 projects completed from this bin next year. 

With this post, I am getting a head start on that. I've had this since it first came out in 2006, however, I never really worked on it that much. I left the wings off as I hated the two colors that were chosen for them. The skeins of floss did not look well together and combined with the beading it just served to annoy me to no end. So, they got left off. Oh, well. I think she looks lovely without them! 

Well, here she is. I forgot to take a before picture. whoops! :)

Design: 2006 Christmas Elf Fairy (full kit)

Designer: Nora Corbett for Mirabilia 

Fabric Used: 32 count Natural linen from Zwiegart

Fibers Used: Crescent Colours cotton thread in Bella Rosa, Bing Cherry, Black Coffee, Bramble Bush, Cupid, Pink Champagne, Sassy Brass, Spinach, Zach Black. Rainbow Gallery Wisper thread in #88 White. Kreinik metallic thread #4 VFB in 015 HL Chartreuse. 

Bling Used: Mill Hill petite beads in #42010 Ice. SJ Designs beads in #59 Plated silver. 

Stitcher's Notes: Left off wings as I could not get either the stitching nor the beads to sit correctly. I will either be restitching this with the wings or I will find a pair of small opalescent wings to attach to her. 

Finished as of Monday, August 24, 2015

Well, I best be off. Tons to do today. I hope everyone is having a fantastic week! 

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Crossroads And Borders

As I had this weekend off, I took the opportunity to get Sea Flora back out and work on her some more. I managed to get to a stopping point where I now have to decided if I am going to leave her as is, put in a border or do something else. 

Well, here she is after many hours of  Poirot  and Sherlock:

Design: Sea Flora #NC194

Designer: Nora Corbett for Wichelt Imports

Fabric: 28 count Caribbean Blue jobelan by Wichelt Imports

Fibers: DMC Six Strand Embroidery Floss Art. 117  in B5200, 154, 156, 211, 333, 747, 754, 838,  951, 959, 964, 3371, 3746, 3807 and 3847. 

Bling Used: Mill Hill beads 00216, 00252, 02008, 02085, 03044, 40020, and 18829


As of Thursday, June 11, 2015:

As of Monday, June 15, 2015:

Closeup of beading:

Top of Sea Flora:

Bottom of Sea Flora:

There is *maybe* two inches at the very top of the piece, so not much room for maneuvering. The bottom, however, has plenty, although, since I am leaving the tail off, I suppose I could place a shell there. I will have to give it some thought before I finally make up my mind. ;)

Well, I had best be off. Work is calling. Hope everyone has a fantastic week!

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Sea Flora Update And A Zone Out Finish

Hope everyone is having a great week. This week has been a bit stressful at work, so last night I picked out a a quick to do project that I could just zone out on. I was not up for stitching anything that required a great deal of concentration and this fit the bill. And I just LOVE this color. I am going to have to purchase a great deal more of this vibrant shade of teal blue. 

At any rate, here is my finish:

Design: Teal Butterfly Tuck

Designer: Sandra Dering of SanMan Originals

Fabric: 28 count white Monaco

Floss Used: The Gentle Art Sampler Threads in Tutti Frutti 

Stitcher's Notes: This was a SanMan Originals Secret Shop exclusive. Bling that is used was included in the purchase of the chart. I will update notes if I ever manage to locate the manufacturer. The tuck was handmade by Sandra Dering of SanMan Originals and was included with the chart and buttons. 

Am I allowed to say that Sea Flora has been going swimmingly so far? After the initial hair pulling stages, stitching has been going a lot easier for some reason. I am still having to take my time with this one and I can't just rip through it, like I have been here lately. Perhaps she is telling me that I need to slow down and just enjoy the summer and the progress I am making. Food for thought at least :). 

Well, here she is:

Design: Sea Flora #NC194

Designer: Nora Corbett for Wichelt Imports

Fabric: 28 count Caribbean Blue jobelan by Wichelt Imports

Fibers: DMC Six Strand Embroidery Floss Art. 117  in B5200, 154, 156, 211, 333, 747, 754, 838,  951, 959, 964, 3371, 3746, 3807 and 3847. 

Bling Used: Mill Hill beads 00216, 00252, 02008, 02085, 03044, 40020, and 18829

                                            As of Sunday, May 31, 2015:

As of Thursday, June 11, 2015:

Closeup of the beading:

Well, I had best be off. Tons to do today. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C. 

Takedown Twenty And A Compromise

I got Sea Flora back out and ran into another wee snag. Two of the purples are a shade and a half off of one another. And me being me, I have managed to lose my place. So, it's time to drop 20 and punt. I decided to start at the very top and then work my way down. I am also treating the project very much like Mermaid Azure  from last year, and I am beading as I go in order to stay on track. Sea Flora will be a weekend only project, methinks. This way, I can concentrate and not have to worry about being pulled away elsewhere. 

I have some grand plans for this one, as the stitch count is horribly off of the actual chart and the fabric is way short. In the end, I think it will be worth it as she will truly be one of a kind! :)

Well, here is where she is at the present moment:

Design: Sea Flora #NC194

Designer: Nora Corbett for Wichelt Imports

Fabric: 28 count Caribbean Blue jobelan by Wichelt Imports

Fibers: DMC Six Strand Embroidery Floss Art. 117  in B5200, 154, 156, 211, 333, 747, 754, 838,  951, 959, 964, 3371, 3746, 3807 and 3847. 

Bling Used: Mill Hill beads 00252, 02008, 03044, 40020, and 18829

As of Sunday, May 10, 2015:

As of Sunday, May 31, 2015:

I have a second project picked out to work on during the week. It's another one from the Bin O'Shame. Once completed, that will mean I have finished 20 out of said Bin O'Shame for the year. That will surpass my previous record and get me within shouting distance of the official goal of 25 for the year. I will probably do another statistical post at that point, just to see where things are. I am so happy that these projects are getting worked up. I will be even happier when I get down to just the HAEDs! :) 

Well, here is the work week project, #20 from the Bin O'Shame:

Design: Japanese Anemones

Designer: Sheila Hudson 

Fabric: 14 count summer yellow aida by Wichelt 

Fibers Used: As provided in the kit. There are no DMC or Anchor numbers on the floss, so I will have to do a match at some point, as I want to stitch this one again as it's so bright and cheery. This is the cover kit from issue 187, June 2007 UK Cross Stitcher magazine. 

Front Cover Of The Magazine:

When picked back up on Friday, May 29, 2015:

As of Sunday, May 31, 2015:

What it will eventually look like:

Sheila Hudson passed away in 2008 after a period of illness. I miss her and her designs so much. She has wonderful shading techniques and her work looks gorgeous on either aida or evenweaves, plain fabric or hand/over dyed fabric. She created pieces with depth and color, with nary a quarter stitch nor backstitch in sight. I have stitched others in her body of work and I have her Fairy Tale Castle from the February 2004 issue 101 of Cross Stitch Collection magazine that is in my 'Rare, OOP and HTF' pile to do:

A wonderful lady from the UK bought this for me and sent it to me years ago. I am hoping that next year's stitching theme will be the 'Rare, OOP and HTF' year and I can finally get to stitch this beauty. I think keeping up with the projects from the Bin O'Shame and interspersing the year with the Rare, OOP and HTF charts would be a good stitching year indeed. 

Well, I have rambled on long enough. It's time to get some things put away and the desk cleaned out. With all of these projects I have managed to finish up, it's gotten frightfully unorganized. I hope everyone is having a great weekend and I wish you all a happy and prosperous week ahead! :)

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Respectfully submitted,

C.