Look what I got in the mail...

This year (2010) has been a very different year for me in regards to my stitching. 

In January 2010 I joined an online Forum called "Craftbubble" or "CB" for short.  Upon joining CB a whole new world opened up!  I have never been one for online doings but now I have discovered that having online friends that have the same interests as I do is just so good!  It is really nice to be able to talk cross stitch and not have the other person's eyes glaze over!  (not that I can see my virtual friends when I "talk" to them - but I know their eyes aren't glazing over - their eyes will be sparkling with anticipation and love for our craft!!!).  Along with joining CB I also joined an Aussie crafting forum called "Chatterfox" which is managed by the Fox Collection.

So what has this got to do with the title of this blog do I hear you say.. well, since joining the online forums I have heard about Round Robins and stitching exchanges, and I have drooled over some of the beautiful pieces of stitching that have been swapped between these very talented people.

And I have now done both!!! 

I took part in the Chatterfox Christmas RR and have posted photos of what I stitched in a previous blog.  That was great fun and I so want to do another one!  I would like to participate in a CB RR, but with CB being a UK based forum I was concerned that postage to and from the UK could be a problem, but with Chatterfox being based in Australia sending to and from each member of the RR was so much easier - especially as nearly half of us were WA based!!! :-)  (All those abbeviations and acronyms in this paragragh...)

Oops, gone off the beaten track again.....

Anyway, back to what I received in the mail!  I did finally join a stitching exchange on CB - it was the Crazy for Kitty's Christmas Exchange.  I stitched the little white cat - picture in previous blog for Catdragon (Alison) in the UK and sent that off a couple of weeks ago with a surfing Koala bear christmas tree ornament.  Catdragon stitched and sent her package to me and it arrived safe and sound a week ago.  Then I just had to wait unil the unveiling day on Monday 13th December, and...

this is what I received in the mail

Crazy for Kittys Christmas Exchange
parcel received from Catdragon (Alison)

 Alison stitched and crafted a gorgeous card, a kitty key ring and a sweet kitty saying (which is hanging up in the kitchen as I write!)

Royal "Kitty" Seal of Approval from Oscar!

Thank you Catdragon (Alison) for your lovely parcel - it was a real delight opening up my package this week.

Yep, joining the online forums this year has certainly changed my stitching habits.  It has made me stitch to a deadline and finish something.  But more importantly it has given me my stitching mo-jo back which had started to wither away slightly - mainly because I was only doing big projects and when I was struggling I would put them away and not do anything else until I found them again!  I hadn't realised that I needed a bit variety in my stitching - after all "variety is the spice of life"!!!

So until next time,