As promised

A few pictures of our holiday in Lanzarote, my photography skills on an evening aren't as good as they should be, probably due to the fact I've imbibed a few too many cocktails LOL!! - Make mine a mudslinger - I had a real passion for those whilst we were there and for Mai Tais - LOL!! Any way this is the view from our apartment balcony - Wonderful isn't it

Whilst we were in Costa Teguise it was leading up to carnival week, of course we didn't realise that when we booked because if we had we would have booked to be there this weekend when the big carnival is on, but every evening last week there was a parade and a small drum band on, they just got better and better, so we were sorry to miss the big night tonight.
Our weather was good most of the time we were there, we had we reckoned about 3 1/2 days of really warm sunshine the rest was overcast and very very windy, and we even had rain on Sunday - now that was a cold day!! We visited Teguise which I understand is the old capitol, the streets were narrow and winding and there was a huge market on which filled the streets, and in the little squares there was music and dancing, unfortunately there were so many people it was very hard to get close to watch or take photos.
We had to wear jackets on an evening as it was a bit chilly, but it is Lanzarote winter and it was a million times better than the winter here in the UK. On one of the very windy but bright days we decided to have a walk around the shore line and the waves were spectacular to say the least but again my photography skills aren't showing them as great as they were, but they were amazingly high and the colour of the sea was a brilliant turquoise and the sound of the surf crashing against the rocks was lovely.
We never really sunbathed this time we were away we wandered around the streets and took in the views, found a lot of lovely little cafe/bars which sold Tapas and coffee and sangria and beer, it was fun to sit outside and people watch. We had a couple of favourite bars we went to on a night, they were fun places and one of the big things that impressed us was everywhere was so clean, no rubbish lying around and the toilets - those who know me I have a thing about toilets, well every bar we went to had incredibly spotless toilets it didn't seem to matter how many people were using them they were sooooo clean and smelt clean too, tiles shined, sinks gleamed, I was most impressed, better than anywhere else we have ever been before for public loos.
We have come back regretful that it was so soon, but with a lot of anticipation to go back again, next time I am hoping we go for longer and visit a few more places, but if we only stay in Costa Teguise I know I won't be disappointed.
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I'm back

We had such a brilliant holiday, I will tell more tomorrow, I'm still at the unpacking, washing and ironing stage and so will have some more time tomorrow, I have a few pictures to show, its leading up to the big carnival in Costa Teguise and we are really sorry to have missed it. The weather was a bit iffy some days but we have both managed to come back with a tan so it wasn't that bad. I could really see us living there, it was such a beautiful clean place and everyone was so friendly. I did manage to get a wee bit of stitching done, again I can show more of that tomorrow or Sunday for the stitching.

We both feel very rested and suitably chilled, I wish we were still there though.....
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A quick Cheerio

An I'll 'see' you all next week with holidsay photos(maybe) and any stitching progress I have made. We should be back around the 7th, just checked the weather temperature in Lanzarote for tomorrow and its 21 C, here is about -2 C - BIG difference. Those who I owe emails too - Gels, Angie, Annemarie, Barbara and anyone else I'v forgotten I will mail on my return. I'll leave you with a finish I did this time last year for a wee surprise gift for my niece Amy - she loved it and has it hanging in her bedroom. Its by Stitchy Kitty and was a freebie called Spring paw.

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Phew - By the skin of my teeth.........

I managed to get finished before my holidays. This is the centre of my neighbourhood,
its a stitching shop (couldn't fit needlework on the sign), I feel I should put something in the sky, but I'll wait I think til it comes home in 18months. Tasha is sitting there waiting to greet everyone, tho' I should have added some black on her, but I know its her. The garden is full of flowers, the shop is ALWAYS open. The shop is an adaption of Brightneedles Needlework shop, the tree on the left of the shop is an adaption of a Homespun Elegance tree and fence. The other tree with the swing hnging from it is by DT, the swing was my own thoughts, as I'm still a big kid and love swings (Mum you must have deprived me as a child as we never had a tree that could take a swing in the garden - LOL!!). This time the path is straight and paved in granite as granite never wears out and there should be a lot of walking in and out of the shop LOL!! - Do you want to visit my shop? - I hope so!
Here is a picture of my 2 finished squares, hopefully I have them blended together OK, I'm quite pleased with the result.

I have stitched yesterday the new PS - Spring freebie, though I haven't had time to make it up into an ornament or pin cushion, can't decide yet which to do with it, I will post a picture of it when I get back from my holidays next week. Holiday stitching had me in a quandry, I have finally decided to take 2 pieces with me, and then decide when I get there which to stitch or if I stitch at all, though usually I try and do some, my first choice is by Homespun Elegance - Olde Shaker Tune, the other is by Lori Markovic - Polly Wolly Doodle.

Did I mention I was going on holiday LOL!! - We are going to Lanzarote, the temperature will be around 20 C maybe warmer (hopefully), which is a darn site warmer than the UK will be if the snow arrives. We haven't been to this particular Canary Island before, though some of the lads at work have been with there spouses/partners and have said its really nice, Mark and I will just be chilling.
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How to be annoying

Well, I've managed to annoy everyone at work since Thursday, all my friends this weekend - haven't started yet on the family apart from MIL, - WHY?? you might ask - well let me tell you 'Did you know I'm going on holiday' ? We have only now got 3 and a half sleeps to go then we will be flying.
You know the snow I've been wanting and wanting? - Well, guess what, its coming next week when I go on my holiday - sods law that one, kneeeew that would happen, when you want something that much its bound to happen when you aren't going to be here, now as long as it doesn't prevent 1. Our journey down to Manchester Airport or 2. The plane taking off, then I really don't care.

Have I managed to annoy you yet - bet I will before Wednesday LOL!!!!
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Nothing New

I'm afraid I have nothing new to add today, I have been really busy stitching my 9th square on my NRR and its almost finihed and then I can share it, I needed to have it finished before next Tuesday and by the looks of it I'll have it done by the end of the weekend. Why next Tuesday you might ask, its cos we are going on holiday YIPPEEEEE!! Just for a week but for once we are going on our own, as wonderful as it is that our friends always want to come away with us, its come to the time when we need our time - if you know what I mean and so we have dumped the friends (in the nicest possible way of course) and its just Mark and I. - Oooh Sun, pool, novels, stitching and cocktails - BLISS total Chill!!!

So I will be posting again by this weekend and hopefully I will have some bits to share, now its decision time what to take with me next week in the way of stitching.
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Warm and Fuzzy

My friend Maria sent me this today, its so great I just had to share, it reminds me of my cat Tasha.


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Lovely surprise

I got stitchy mail this week which was a lovely surprise. Maria a friend in Canada sent me some beautiful 28ct Quaker cloth in a soft violet colour and some lovely bundles of thread. It was a really nice surprise and a lovely thing for her to do, it quite made my day when it arrived. As you know I haven't been feeling 100% lately and that really perked me up - THANKYOU Maria.
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Ribbon Trim instructions

Gosh its not as easy as it looks to photograph what you do, so I apologise if the photos aren't brilliant, I will write step by step as we go along though and hopefully that will make it a bit clearer, if not I'm sorry and you'll just have to ask me instead.



To begin with you need 3 lengths of ribbon, usually I estimate about 2 metre lengths for a small hanging pillow so in total it would be 6 metres if you were doing it in all the same colour ribbon, make sure they are all seperate lengths.Next fasten the 3 lengths of ribbon to the bottom point (in this case is the heart point), I usually slip stitch this together.


Now here I catch the ribbons with the needle and cotton pushing the needle through all the ribbon thickness


Then pull the thread towards you so that the ribbon ruches


Then catch the fabric through the seams with you needle this is about 1/4 inch intervals as I go along, then catch the ribbon again, this is usually about 1 inch intervals along the ribbon or however far or close you prefer the size of the ruches,



You do this all the way around your pillow until you get back to where you started I then catch the ribbons altogether and make a slight knot with them and fasten off, then trim the ribbons to length and you have the finished project.



This particular project is for my MIL for Mothers Day, the heart is a freebie by Anne Les Petites Croix and the thread I used is Lasting Friendship by Dragonfloss, its a lovely varigated thread in soft lilacs and mauves, the fabric is 32ct Lively Lilac hand dyed by Kates Kloths

Ribbon trim

From this to This..........

As you all know I took some stitching with me to Durham at the weekend -quick reminder of what it was well now its Finished and sewn up.

My finished Wabbit
is going over to Durham to my SIL Dawn, when we were there she expressed a real liking for it, and as she passed her fitness instructor training exam on Saturday - WEY HEY WAY TO GO DAWN!!!!!
I think she deserves it as she has worked so hard for this, even though she wouldn't let me do the class on Saturday, but I understand her reasons 100% due to the fact it was her exam and me collapsing in the middle of the class would have done no good for anyone - not that I intended to do that, but Dawn wanted to be safe and careful and if I'd done the class I wouldn't have been able to have the lovely afternoon I had with my sister Helen.

So I still haven't managed to do a Wabbbit for myself, now a few of you have asked how I put the ribbon on like I have on the Wabbits, if you can bear with me til the weekend I will do a photo shoot (sounds very high brow LOL!!) and do a step by step, its really really easy honestly, you just need soft ribbon to do it.

My weekend

As my blog is a little about me but mostly stitching, I thought I would just pop in a few pics of our weekend we have just had over at Durham. I didn't take any actual pictures of Durham just of us lot. My 2 nephews Ryan and Kier, who I must thank for letting me spend 10mins on the computer on Friday night, which was really generous of them, as boys and their computers are not easily parted especially when Uncle Mark tells them 'Oh she says she won't be long, but its at least 90mins' which did of course cause a wee panic from Kier
We had a brilliant night and the red wine flowed rather to well as you can see by the state of colouration on Marks face and my BIL's eyes - LOL!!
Saturday day I spent with my wee sister Helen - sorry no photos, I forgot to take the camera, what a lovely time I had, I don't get to spend many hours with Helen on my own so I quite cherish the ones I do and although we often have a wee sisterly spat now and then we didn't fall out once (I know we sound like 15yr olds, but I'm bossy and she can be condescending, which we do laugh about it LOL!!) We wandered the streets of Durham in search of the perfect outfit and visited some lovely shops on the way, I love The Renovation shop it has some wonderful things for the home in there, we came out with some beautifully smelling rose soaps, but we could have spent an absolute fortune
Saturday night was a rather good night as we went out to a restaurant for dinner, but again the alcohol flowed rather too well and we had to visit 'Brown Sugar' to end the evening with cocktails, so here are just a couple of photos from there.




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Some progress

As we are going away for the weekend tomorrow I thought it might be a good time this afternoon to update my blog as I won't have time tomorrow morning. I thought I would show you progress with Woodland Walk, I am stitching it on 32ct Douglas Fir hand-dyed Sugar Maple Fabrics Belfast linen, the bit you can see that I've started is the fox cubs head.
I also have been stitching my next house on my NRR due to the fact I have 9 squares on mine and there are only 8 of us in it, I am stitching a needlework shop, seeing as the love of the needle is what brought all of us together, and no I'm not showing progress on that one yet.

The fabric and chart and thread which is the next picture is what I am taking with me for our weekend away visiting the family, I have to take stitching with me just in case..... I am in the Wabbit mood and haven't done one of these for ages, so this one I am going to stitch on 32ct Spring Green hand-dyed linen by Kates Kolours and the threads I am using are those by Heavenly Hues - of course as usual I have totally changed all the colours, the wabbits tail I will do in Whisper thread. Hopefully I will get it finished as they are so quick to stitch.

Here is a finished picture of one I did a few years ago, this one is called Wabbits Wonder and I stitched it for a dear friends wife.


The other I did as a birthday gift for a work colleague, they look very different although they are the same design.


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No Bees No Honey completed

I have, whilst I have been off, finished No Bees, No Honey. I'm really pleased with the way its turned out, now to frame it!!

I have now started the picture Mark has asked and asked me for which is Woodland Walk, I will post progress on this one too, there are a lot of colour changes in it, so I am including this on my kinda rotation as I must do more to Mermaid Heaven, she is sitting looking half done, and of course Les Dentelles, so I will try and discipline myself - not a hope!!
I also have decided to do the needlework shop in the middle square of my NRR before I send it off next Month to Carol, but I think I will sort of design my own with elements of other designs in it.
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My First House is complete!!

Well I think I have finished my first house, so here it is for all to see.The design of the house is Mill Hill Spring village. I have now got a clematis growing over the fence as this is one of my favourite flowers and I have at least 30 of them in my own real life garden. The small tree on the right of the fence is from DT as are the birds. I have placed Floozi sitting in the garden as that is where he loves to be, I haven't put Tasha there but I might as yet. The birds are suposed to be blackbirds - common in my area, the softer gray one is a female with 2 male birds chasing after her - must be something psychological haha!! I added what I would call a band stand as I have always fancied one in real life but no room to have one, there are roses on the bushes and an apple tree, I'd love a conservetory in real life so my make-believe house has one. I would have added more flowers and some bees and butterflies, but felt if I put much more in it would look really cluttered. The path is winding as nothing in life is straight I find it always has a slight bend and turn. The wishing well is there, cos we all have wishes don't we?
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Massive Headache

Sorry I haven't replied to emails or posted for the past few days, but I have had a massive headache, something in my head went pop and then terrible pain, so I was rushed off into hospital on Friday afternoon when it happened as it was thought I had had a bleed on my brain, as all the symptoms I displayed were of that. So, I had a scan of my brain - I think to see if I had one LOL!! then later that evening I had to have a Lumber Puncture - not very pleasant I can tell you, even if the doctor was quite dishy, anyway I'm glad to say that they found my brain and the LP came back OK, its been decided that I had a massive migraine attack.

I can't sit for long at the computer at the moment as it irritates my eyes and my back is pretty sore too when I sit still for too long. But I have done some stitching for an hour or so yesterday and again first thing this morning and I have almost finished my house for the NRR, so I'll post that maybe later this afternoon. I will also email folks then that I owe emails too.

I am OK , so don't worry about me.


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A Gift for a special Birthday

Today is my mums birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mum xxx. So its a special birthday. Shes going to hate me for showing this photo as since then she's lost about 3stone, but I love this one, it has such happy memories of a wonderful time we had on one of the times when her and dad came to visit this was May 2002, mum and I were in our bedroom, looking at stash, and we were teasing each other and having such a laugh, I think this picture shows what a happy lady my mum is - Love you!!
This is what I made mum for her birthday, its a hanging pillow which I stitched on lavender checked evenweave (28ct), I stitched it with the DMC linen thread, I quite liked the thread, though it does tend to make your stitches uneven which was a bit of a draw back, but I think the overall result was quite good, I know mum received it in the post yesterday but when I rang this morning to wish her Happy Birthday she hadn't opened her gifts as she was waiting for tonight when she was going to go to my sisters for a birthday party tea with my nephew and niece as they like to help open gifts.

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MailArt

I posted out my U.K. mailart yesterday as part of the stitch & stash mailart exchange, the theme was to be snowmen, so I feel safe in posting up my pictures of the front and back today. The design was taken from Erica Micheals January 2004 freebies, I changed the colour of the scarf and shortened it a bit to fit the envelope as it was a tadge too long, I also had to use my own choice of threads - whats new I hear you say!! So its all done with DMC in bright clours. The back are just my own design of snowflakes with a couple of buttons added, I fastened it up using whip stitch so that it was safe to send in the UK mail..... And Oooh its on 28ct mid blue linen


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Stash Attack

I've been bad, bad, bad at the weekend and had a stash attack!!!LOL!! I have ordered myself from Elegant Stitch Fingerworks by Designing Ladies (Elizabeth Tolledo) and I also treated myself to the finishing works book for 2006 so I know how to put it together when I've stitched it. I also joined the Esmereldas friends automatic programme (which is good so it makes up for the bad).
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No Bees No honey progress

I thought I would show you my progress on No Bees, No Honey,by Birds of a Feather I am currently stitching this, and started during last week I have chosen to stitch it 1/1 on 32ct evenweave, I am using the piece I received from the WFC exchange and its called Highland, - its lovely to work on. I have changed a few of the colours as I didn't have them in my stash, but I do think my colour choices are OK, maybe the hive isn't as bright as it should be, but I prefer the colour I used. All the threads are hand-dyes a mixture of GAST, WDW, Heavenly Hues & Ozark Sampler and finally a DMC. Progress is a little slower on an evening as I don't use a magnifier, - no wonder I wear glasses LOL!! But I have been wanting to do this for so long and the urge took over, hopefully I'll have it finished by next weekend and then I will start back on my Neighbourhood RR.

EDIT NOTE: I have been requested to list what changes I made for the threads so here goes.

Leaves: Substituted with Celery - GAST and kept Advocado
Flowers - substitured with Heavenly Hues Carnation Kept Burnt orange
Hive - Substituted with Schneckley - WDW & Old Gold - Ozark Sampler
Writing - Schneckley -WDW and Kept Maple Syrup
Substituted Tropical Ocean with a similar colour I had in my stash but haven't a clue what its called and who its by.
Alphabet substituted some letters with WDW - Beige

What kind of cat are you????

You are a Ragdoll! You are known for your laid

back attitude. You are the ultimate in

low-maintenance. You'd rather hang out

around the house all day than seek adventure.


What breed of cat are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


Funny this, this is my favourite cat and I have always wanted one, who'da known it, but I had one all along LOL!!, better not let Mark see this one as I have been working on him for the last 5 years to get one LOL!!!

Quiet week

I seem to be having a quiet week this week, I have no new work to show you as yet, my neighbourhood RR hasn't been touched since the 15th, but plan to stitch it over the weekend, Barbara has finished hers and it looks great. I have been stitching a project I have wanted to do for so long now and you know when you really get the urge to start it, well that was me, so I'm currently stitching 'No honey' by Birds of a feather, I have chosen to do it 1/1 on 32ct evenweave, I will post a picture of my progress on Friday, I know I should have a rotation, but I tend to be one of those stitchers that when I REALLY want to stitch something, I can't stop til its finished, though believe it or not I'm like that with the RR, but my mind has gone blank a bit at the moment and I have frogged the tree out that was growing in the bottom right corner as I hated it.


The picture I have to show you is Tap and Blackberries, this is a design by Oehlenschlager (sp) with this I won 1st in the linen section of our local show this year and I was really happy about it, its a real favourite of Marks, I have the companion piece to stitch as yet, called spade and berries, I loved doing this one very much, it was stitched 1/2, 2/2 and 3/2 so it has depth and texture to it.

Finishing

I have been busy over the last week and have neglected my blog somewhat, but I have got things to show you because of it. The first is a small ABC sampler freebie by Anne Les Petites Croix which I stitched last year sometime (I think it was then), its been lying in the drawer waiting to be finished, I finished it as a small door hanging, its stitched on 32ct evenweave which is hand-dyed, I thought this was a nice spring coloured design..


The second is another by Anne Les Petites Croix, this is one of the 4 seasonal hearts she has in her freebies, they are beautiful, this one is Spring, again its been sat in the drawer waiting to be finished. I have stitched this one on 32ct hand-dyed linen by Kates Specials Kolours Klub, I thought it was a really nice spring coloured fabric, I loved doing this one and hopefully will complete all 4 when I have the time. I have made it into a small cushion and it is now hanging off the bedstead.



My 3rd finish I have had done for ever, but just not finished it, so I decided I would make a small pillow out of it and place it in the pillow basket. Its by Lizzie*Kate and its self explanatory, I stitched in on Aida, I always feel L*K designs suit Aida better, I changed the colours somewhat and used my own, its more muted than it should be

Now, I have a fourth, which I started stitching on Tuesday and finished on Thursday night, I have done all the finishing on it too yesterday and it looks lovely, but I can't show you yet as its a gift for someone, and I know she comes to my blog, so as I don't want to spoil the surprise you'll have to wait for that one.
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TAGGED!!

Barbara from Mainely stitching tagged me, so here are my answers to the questions:

4 Jobs you've had
1. Nurse
2. School Matron
3. Garden Centre assistant
4. Barmaid
None of the above are in particular order.

4 films you'd watch over and over
1. Breakfast at Tiffanys
2. Under the Tuscan Sun
3. Calender Girls
4. Ghost Ship

4 T.V. shows you love to watch
1. Lost
2. CSI Miami or Vegas
3. Gilmore Girls
4. Property Ladder
I actually could add more to this as there are a few others I really love to watch

4 Places you've been on holiday
1. Feurtaventura - been here over and over and over LOL!!!
2. Zante
3. Bruge
4. Devon

4 of your favourite foods
1. My curry
2. Lasagne
3. Chocolate Fudge Cake
4. Prawns

4 Places you'd rather be right now
1. Feurtaventura
2. Feurtaventura
3. Mauritus
4. Feurtaventura

4 sites you visit daily
1. Sanman Chat board - really nice people on there
2. Cyberstitches
3. Veroniques blog
4. Our neighbourhood of Makebelieve blog - Its in my links

4 Bloggers you are tagging
1. Jennys stitching
2. Shell a stitcher from Nottingham (To Knit or to Stitch)
3. & 4. Now here I would have put Annemarie but she's been tagged by Barbara already, so then I thought of Dianne but I think she was tagged by Barbara too.
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RR Update

I have taken a picture of my house progress, as you can see I have done some more to it, the brown block in the bottom right corner will be a tree that sweeps over the house, but I haven't got any further with it than the few stitches that are there. This is as 15/01/06, still a lot to do in the garden yet too.
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I have a picture

of some work for you to see, Annemarie asked to see my Fingerlakes Sampler by Brightneedle, as she is going to stitch one sometime this year. I finished this piece a couple of years ago now and Mum made it into a cushion for me, as I never seemed to have the time to do the finishing, it was a nice piece to stitch, I did it on 28ct evenweave in a soft faded peach colour and did it 2/2.
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Isn't it exciting...

our neighbourhood of Makebelieve is off with a whoosh!! The link to our blog is in my links. I am so excited about it all, thanks to Barbara for setting up the blog.

We are a group of likeminded stitchers who after discussion amongst ourselves and inspired by the neighourhood sampler that we found by another group of ladies decided to do our own, its a RR and our first posting date is 15 March, there are 7 of us in it, Annemarie, Barbara, Novia, Rachael, Dianne, Veronica and myself, it should last about 18 months as we have a 3 monthly rotation.

Unfortunately I have no photos today of any finishes, stitching or the like, I have been busy stitching and blogging (well reading loads of blogs) and unfortunately feel YUK!! (I know AGAIN), I seem to have got a cold, must have been from all the kissing at New Year LOL!!

I would like to thank everyone that visits my blog and I love comments thankyou for those, I haven't quite figured out how to answer some of the questions so that the question er, can have an answer so if you know please can you tell me how to do it and then I can answer them or do I just post an answer on my blog???
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Stash, Exchange and a Finish

It may be Friday 13th, but I have had a wonderful day, I received an amazing Exchange parcel, some lovely stash and I have a finish.
My mittens are complete, the picture I apologise for, as its not brilliant.
I loved doing these, they are so dinky, I stitched them on 14ct Aida and used DMC thread. The design (Thanks to Maria who knew I would love them), is by Mill Hill, I omitted all beads and changed the thread colours and I hung them together with dk green ribbon. They will hang this Christmas on my miniature tree.
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This is my lovely exchange parcel I received today, I joined an exchange on the Sanman board called Winter Friends, and we had secret partners, Marion sent me mine and its really wonderful, I have never been so spoiled in an exchange before. I received Jingle Bells Xmas Tree Farm by VS - I have lusted after this design for ages. Holly Berry Whimzi ornaments by JN, 2 pieces of hand-dyed 32ct fabric one in Shadow (linen) and one in Highland (evenweave) and finally to top it off, 2 packets of my favourite gold needles. - Talk about spoilt!!! I hope that my partner (Suzieq) enjoyed her surprises as much as I have.
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My stash parcel today was from The Natural Dye Studio, and its 18 hand-dyed silk floss skeins, in rainbow colours, there is 10m on each skein, Barbara from Mainely Stitching (Thanks girlfriend) - enabled me with this lovely company when she got a lot of threads and fabrics from them and was so enthusiastic - I can see why now and as they had some on their ebay shop I chanced a bid and got these, the colours are really beautiful and I can't wait to use them. I think they are really lovely and I love the smell of silk and these are BEAUTIFUL.


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Minor stash day

Had a minor S.E.X. (Stash Enhanced Experience) day today, As part of the Stitch and Stash monthly ornament SAL for this year, its the new L*K Flippits and my first 3 have arrived, I think they are really cute and won't take long to do, my first one I am going to stitch (as I like to be different and not do as I'm told, or in the right order), will be Hope (No 48), next month I will do Love (No 46) and March I shall do Friends (No 48), only cos I think they match the months better, New year -Hope, Love - Valentines, Friends cos they are there!!
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