Double Bubble! TUSAL & IHSW Update June 2012

Hello again!  Long time no post....  I do seem to be a bit behind in everything this month for some reason.  Not sure if it's the weather or just getting over the stress of losing Miss Dinky Dog....

Things are getting back on track now... so July should be a better month for stitching and blogging (I hope).

This post is a bit of a double bubble for you - a TUSAL update as well as an update on the IHSW that was last weekend... or wasn't as is the case for me.

My ORT's jar is full of lovely thread this month but as all my stitching was secret stuff I can't show you any pretty pictures.  Sorry.... pictures will come once the packages arrive at their destinations around the world.

ORT's and Dragon - June 2012

Now for my IHSW report - well there is not a lot to report here.  All I managed to do was a bit of stitching on Sunday as we were out most of Saturday.  My little bit of stitching is to be turned into a card for the Craftbubble Crazy for Kitties birthday exchange... a card that is late!!

Cat Alphabet - Designer Maria Diaz
Cross Stitch Crazy

I can't remember the issue of Cross Stitch Crazy this design came from but the designer of the kitty alphabet is Maria Diaz.  Such cute kitties!  I should get this made into a card over the weekend and then in the mail on Monday to the UK.

If you want to see what everyone else has done over the weekend, drop in on Joyce's post for this month's IHSW and click on the list of links!  There is lots of visiting to be had and no doubt a lot more stitching to see than I have to show you this month!!


Before I go I have to show you the gorgeous package that arrived for me last week on a day of rain and fog and cold winter winds!  Nia from Caixinha de Pirlimpimpim sent me a lovely box that she painted and then added this delightful Margaret Sherry hedgehog to the top.  And look what is inside!  Nia made these gorgeous flowers and filled the box!!  Thank you Nia :o)

Cute little hedgehog

A box of sunshine from Nia

This lovely little gift from Nia was a replacement gift from when the Spring Exchange didn't work for me..... I think I have been well and truly spoilt by the ladies on the MS Lovers Blog!  Thank you all so much :o)

Well dear readers, that's it for another ORT report and an update on last weekend dismal stitching weekend.  See you all again same time next month.... Pop on over to Daffycat's blog if you are interested in signing up or keeping in touch with what is going on with the 2012 TUSAL.

Til the next new moon on 19 July 2012, happy stitching and may your collection of ORT's keep growing!

New Moons - 2012

19 July

17 August

16 September

15 October

13 November

13 December

Giveaways and Candy for all

Hello again!  I have been meaning to do a giveaway post for ages and just haven't got my butt moving... now I find that all the lovely giveaways that I wanted to tell you about have all been done and won.... so as usual I am little behind in the news department!  I do have a very bad habit of reading a post on my iPhone, saving it there to come back to when I'm on the laptop, and then forgetting all about checking my iPhone when I am using the laptop.... needless to say time waits for no one and certainly not for me!!

But, I do have a saving grace - there are some lovely giveaways happening right now so lets get them out there and shouted about!

Kitten Stitching - Lovely Kaye is having a giveaway to celebrate her 1st Blogoversary.  She is also hoping to get to 200 followers before her giveaway closes on 18th June 2012.  If Kaye gets to 200 followers before the closing date then there will be a second winner... and for every 10 new followers over 200 another winner/s!  So pop on over and say hi to Kaye and become a new follower.

http://kittenstitching.blogspot.com/2012/06/nearly-my-first-blogoversary-must-be.html

Doll's Musings - Sweet Anne is having a giveaway to celebrate 200 followers.  To join in with this giveaway pop on over and say hi to Anne, but be prepared because you will also need to tell Anne what your very first cross stitch finish was and/or what your first blog post was.  Anne's giveaway closes on 22nd June 2012.

http://dollsmusings.blogspot.com/2012/06/200-follower-giveaway.html

Bizzi Hands - Me ole' work mate Sally is having bit of a card making / stamping candy surprise candy giveaway to celebrate her birthday.  This birthday candy giveaway is going to run for 48 days (from 25 May) - not sure why she chose such a strange length of time for a giveaway!! :o)  Now Sally has said that for every 5 people we get to join in the fun she will keep adding to the goodies.  So why not pop on over, sign up and let Sal know I sent you.  By my reckoning this giveaway should close around mid July, but I never said I was good at maths!!

http://bizzihands.blogspot.com/2012/05/birthday-candy.html

I know that there are some more out there, but for the life of me I can't remember where I saw them!  If and when I see them again I will update my sidebar and do another post - if I'm not too late that is!!

Til next time, happy stitching and keep those frogs under control!

Thank you...

Mental note to self - don't let the cat step on the laptop keyboard while typing a post..... whole posts can just disappear!!!  And to make matters worse the auto-save happened at the same time so I couldn't even salvage what I had sitting in my drafts from earlier today when I started typing!!  So let's try again....

Today's post is one big Thank You!  Thank you to everyone who has commented on my last post about the passing of our beautiful Daisy dog.  I have tried to personally reply to you all, however a couple of you had "no-reply" on your comments and I haven't been able to locate an email address for you.  Both Hubby and I thank you all for your lovely heartfelt comments, thoughts and hugs.

It has been a very sad week but we managed to survive the first week without Daisy.  Each day gets easier.. although coming home and not having a big bouncing puppy waiting for you is still heart wrenching and can be a struggle.  Daisy's ashes were returned to us on Friday - while it's not the same as having her here with us we both feel that her spirit is still here in house.  I am sure that I have felt her here many times over the last week and I felt her presence very strongly just before the door bell rang on Friday when Lawnswood returned her ashes... Very strange I know....

Now I also have some other Thank You's as well.  Remember I mentioned in a previous post about the exchange that went a bit awry?  Well, since receiving my replacement exchange pressie from the lovely Valerie a couple of weeks ago I have since received another 3!  Lovely pressies have arrived from Claire in Belgium and Francesca and Laura in Italy.  I wonder what my mail man thinks with all these international parcels arriving for me?!?

Pressie from Claire - Dulcinella's Chaos

Pressie from Laura - con le mie manine

Pressie from Francesca - Violetta: a cross stitch lover

I have such lovely friends on the MS Lovers Blog and I thank you all so very much for being so generous.  The gifts are all lovely and have certainly put a smile on my face.... especially this last week.  Thank you :o)

Before I go, I just remembered that I haven't mentioned the postcard exchange that I recently did with Shannon from A Bit of This and That.  Shannon sent me this lovely postcard from your home state of Michigan.  Doing a postcard exchange was great fun.

Thank you Shannon

Now for a quick stitching update.... I haven't done a lot of stitching this week but what stitching I have done is all very secret squirrel stuff for the MS Lovers Blog summer exchange, so unfortunately I can't share this with you just yet!  Once it is finished, mailed and has arrived at it's destination then I will share.  I am hoping that what is in my imagination for the final finish actually works.... otherwise I will be in trouble!!

Well dear readers, that is it for this week.  Hope you all have a wonderful week and for those of you in the UK, enjoy all the wonderful celebrations that are taking place for the Diamond Jubilee for our fabulous Queen.  An amazing achievement for a great lady!

Til next time, happy stitching