Christmas cards started

I made up my christmas card list today, I couldn't believe it, 11o names! I am still sure I have forgotton some!

I really want to post cards to all my forum buddies this year too, but it has really increased the size of my list!

Still, I made a start on making the cards a few days ago, and made more today

Somebunny to love

I stitched this somebunny for Poppy's rr, it is the last one in the rr I need to stitch, so I am really pleased with myself for finishing it so quickly, as i was due to post it in December.
Time to get on with mums ducks and Lochlans subaru!!!!
I will definately need to find myself another one of these to stitch as it was such a pleasure to stitch, I think it was in one of my mags at one point, so will add that to my todo list. (which gets longer and longer each day!!!

Mums Birthday present

I finished this a while ago for Mums birthday, although I still haven't framed it. This is the third out of a set of four, if I can I will finish the last one for Christmas, although time is clicking on now!

They were in an issue of Quick and Easy, so they don't take long to stitch up, but time is something in short supply in this house! I will do my best though.

Hope she likes it! (Her birthday is on the 19th of November)

Is there life before Coffee?

I love this fridge magnet, and I stitched it for me!!!!!!

I counted the kits in my box, I had 36 kits and 20 cover kits, all waiting to be stitched, I was a little horrified by this, so decided I should really make a move to stitch them.

I went to visit Anne for the weekend (we were going to the craft show at the SECC) so took this with me, as it was the smallest kit in the box!

I finished the cross stitch at Annes, then did the backstitch when I got home. I now have 35 kits still to stitch so that total has gone down, which is great. Unfortunately, Anne gave me another 10 cover kits, so that total has increased!!!!

I will aim to reduce the total some more in 2008, perhaps I should look back in a years time and see if I managed it?

Lochlan's subaru WIP

This is Lochlan's subaru, initially it was to be a surprise for him, but I got so little time to work on it, as his bedtime is so late, that I had to let him see it, or it would never be finished!

I really wanted it done by Christmas, but that is looking unlikely now, as I have other things which have taken priority, I will keep trying though, and will try to post updates on here too.

Before I get back to stitching it, I need to finish Poppys rr, as that needs to be posted, I also have a Christmas card to stitch for the exchange I am in so it will be another couple of weeks before I get back to it.

I had thought about putting it back on the frame and putting one thread into it each evening before bed, at least then it would continue to grow, albeit slowly, and one thread is not too much. Perhaps I should do that with the Christmas card too!

Runaway carrot

Just look at this carrot which we pulled out of the ground!

We didn't have much luck with the carrots this year, they were mostly as short as this one, although one or two were longer. next year we intend planting a lot more as we enjoyed eating them.

I have great plans for the garden next year, but there is so much prep work to do before the winter sets in, I am not sure I will manage it all, especially with the darker evenings now, I only have time to work on it during the weekends, and I seem to have so much else to do then too!

Peaches for Arnie

I really enjoyed stitching Peaches, I put the eye on him as soon as I finished cross stitching the head and it really brought him alive.

This one is for Paulas piece for the rr, this one is ahead of time now, the post date for Arnies one to go on is the 1st of December, but I have Poppy's (Paula Swainsons) one here too, so hoping to get them both finished to allow them to be posted before the Christmas rush.

Poppy's is the last in the cycle, so looking forward to getting mine through the door

Another AOY for the rr

This time it is for Sam's rr, another AOY girl, I have really enjoyed stitching them, and must get round the the AOY kits in my box for me!

This picture was finished a little while ago, but I lost the camera cable, so nothing got uploaded for a while, hence the posts getting bunged on now!

The evenings are really drawing in now, so feel quite comfortable sitting in all evening stitching, though it does mean I have no time for the garden, as it is dark very soon after getting in from work now.

Finished AOY girl for alittlesewandsew's rr

Here is the AOY girl, I really enjoyed stitching her, though it did take a little longer than I anticipated. I must get started on one of the AOY kits that I have, as I really like them a lot. Finished this early, so it is on it's way to Poppy, have gone back to Tom Mouse now, as I have the colours I need now, so hoping to get him finished in just a few days. After that I have the Christmas card to stitch for the card exchange I am in, and Mum's birthday present to finish, No rest for the wicked!!!

progress on Tom mouse

This is as far as the threads (and some from Angie, my lifesaver) will allow me to go for now on Tom mouse.

The rr is underway now, I am starting on Sarahs (alittlesewandsew) tonight, it is an AOY kit, stitched in one strand, (so hopefully the threads will last.)

Tom Mouse

I have joined Arnies Cover kits rr, there are five of us in it, this is my progress on Tom Mouse, it is the first in the link, and will remain mine. Must admit that I am not enjoying it at all as there are not enough of most of the colours to finish it, so I have had to ask Angie if she can send me any, but will have to buy some threads too as I can't possibly ask Angie to send me them all, and it is stitched in DMC, whereas I have only anchor threads. Very frustrating to have to keep stopping and moving to a different area when I run out of threads, and of course, today was a bank holiday, so the threads won't hit the post until tomorrow, not arriving until Wednesday or Thursday. Not a great help when it has to be in the post on Saturday, September 1st.

keyring for the sale at Moffat show

Managed this for a keyring in just one evening, will add it to the stock for the sale, but not worried if it doesn't sell as will give it to Eilidh for one of her advent calendar presents instead!!!

Bluebell bookmark 16.08.07

Managed this book mark in a couple of hours after I finished stitching the prayer, I put it in the Johnstonebridge show and it won 2nd prize!!!!

Really pleased as it was a free kit on the front of an old magazine, so used up another kit too.

very nice to win something when you have put the effort in.

Dear Lord 18th August 2007

I finally finished putting this together last night at midnight, and today it won second prize in the Johnstonebridge show!!!

A bell pull was not my first choice for it as I was going to frame it, but with just a day to go, we couldn't find a frame the right size and there was no time to get a frame made. We bought the bell pull in Stirling whilst I was up with Anne, then I had to hand stitch it together to make it up.

Now it has been in the show I need to get Alex to put a hook up in the bedroom for it.

I am really pleased with it, it was well worth all the late nights working on it!

Dear Lord, WIP Monday 13th August 2007

Today is Monday, and I have decided to include my prayer in Johnstonebridge show, which is on Saturday this week!!!

I still have a bit to do, as you can see, despite working hard on it all day!

I am out during the day tomorrow, and thursday, and Friday. Going to be some late nights stitching I think!!!!

(Not to mention all the other things I need to make, and get the kids to make, for the show too!!!)

Wip update, prayer 8.8.07

This janlynn prayer has been on the go for ages now, as it has been picked up and put down so often.

Whilst we were away in Bisley, I took it with me and spent a little while stitching on it and it has renewed my enthusiasm to get it finished.

It's not far off now, just the last bear at the bottom to do. I hope to finish it before I go back to school on the 20th, if I can I will work on it each evening.

Unfortunately I also have other things to do!!!

Baby card for Heather

Heather has finally had the twins, Cameron and Connor. Made this card to go with the blankets I have knitted, hopefully will see her on Thursday and give them to her then

WIP Ducks and Duckling

Found the set of four duck pictures I was stitching for Mum a couple of years ago today.

Framed the two I had finished, and gave them to her, then decided to make a start on number 3. Been surprised at how quickly it has grown, as this picture is of it after only one day stitching.

Hoping to finish it, and the fourth one in time for her birthday and Christmas. (Will get them framed a bit quicker too)

New addition to the garden!

Here are our 2 chickens which we got from Lou on 29.6.07. We have called them Cocky (the tan one, we think he is a cockeral) and Blacks (think you can guess!) they are around 6 weeks old in this photo, so still have a lot of growing to do, but they enjoy all the scraps we have fed them, and their chicken food too. Just have to wait until next spring for the eggs now!

Keyring for Miss Poohs

I entered the keyring exchange on Institches, I made this one for Janice (Miss Poohs), it took a while to stitch, but was well worth the effort, and she loved it!

Fraser's Birthday card

Eilidh's friend Fraser who is football mad had his birthday party last week, this was the card I made for him

Eilidh's Birthday card from us

Of course, we also gave her a card, here is the Snow White card from Alex, Lochlan and I. She is such a Disney Princess fan it seemed the only one to do!

Eilidhs birthday cards

27.5.07

Wednesday was Eilidh's 6th birthday, she had a fabulous time at Dalscone with her friends, this is the card I made for her Granny and Grandad, very appropriate for Eilidh as she loves her Disney Princesses!

First baby blanket finished!!!

27.5.07
Finally I have finished the first of the two blankets for Heather, put in the last 3 rows this morning and cast off, just to sew in the threads, and wash it and that one is finished. Must admit, I am dreading washing it after putting all that work in, but it should be fine as it is machine washable.
Must admit I am pleased with the way it has turned out, it is quite big, but will be nice to wrap the babies in, and also to lay on the floor for them to play on too, so hopefully she will get lots of use out of it

Blanket continues to grow

16.5.07
The blanket is growing, but it is slow moving, I have had to unpick a few rows too, so there isn't much growth to see, hence no photograph!
I will take a new photo at the weekend, to show the new size.

7.5.07

Here is a photo of the baby blanket I am working on for my friend Heather, she needs two of them as she is expecting twins!! this is the first one, I have nearly finished the second block, each blanket is 6.5 blocks long (Or 13 squares long) so trying to knit some each night. Can't take it out and about with me though as needs a bit of concentration with all the different stitches.

I really enjoy making the bobbles on it

Happy birthday Debbie

6.5.07

Yet another last minute card! This time for my sister Debbie, she seemed to like it so that was ok, used decoupage on this one, and it was quite effective. Will have her card for next year made a bit earlier than this one!

Delivered it today at the car boot sale.

Made Drew's birthday card

I don't know why I leave these things to the last minute, I had known for 2 weeks that Drew's birthday was coming up. Drew went to nursery with Eilidh, we were quite surprised to get an invite as he has moved school now, but it was nice to see him and his baby brother too, (it was a joint birthday, Alfie was 1) Nice for me as I was his nursery teacher, I like to keep in touch and see how they are all getting on

It's another sideways photo I am afraid! I will figure this out soon!

Red squirrel returned!

This morning at 8.10am the red squirrel returned to the bird feeder in the front garden, this time he feasted for 25 minutes on the peanuts from the bird feeder, wish he would figure out the squirrel feeder, it would be so much easier for him!
Had a greater spotted woodpecker too, he seems to be becoming a regular visitor now, but oddly, prefers the fat balls to anything else on offer!

Sorry about the photo, can't get it to turn round!