TUSAL.. Bling... Stash...

As they say a picture paints a thousand words.... so who wants to see lots of pictures?

I have a rather boring TUSAL photo... then some bling... and then some stash acquisitions!

TUSAL
Well here they are... my ORT's for the last month.  Lots of gorgeous colours in that tin!

Essentially TUSAL posts are all about stitching and saving our ORT's (Old Raggety Threads) and every New Moon those of us participating in the TUSAL post a picture of our ORT's, and then leave little msgs for Daffycat on her blog to show that we have been stitching and have posted our wonderful pics. 
Next New Moon - 4 June 2016

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As my credit card will reliably inform you I have been on a bit of stash/bling buying frenzy!  And slowly all my purchases are landing in the the mail box!

First up I have Bling...

Gina (Gina's Unique Boutique) was having a moving sale so I just had to indulge... to be honest I do not know what I will do with them all (except have them in the craft room collecting dust) as I tend to only use them when I am stitching on large projects!  But they were so pretty.... :o)

I have a couple more coming from Julie (Nifty Needle Nannies) and once they get here I will show you a pic...

Next up I have some new pretty Stash Acquisitions.....

I am the first to admit that I am normally very boring when it comes to threads... DMC all the way! Occasionally I will branch out to Weeks Dye Works or NPI Silks or Caron Waterlillies as required by a specific chart but I haven't ventured very far into the world of hand-dyed variegated threads before! Until now that is!

Have a look at these stunning threads that I ordered from Jodryi Designs in the UK.  I also bought the April Limited Edition Fabric (Cairn's Birdwing Butterfly) and the matching thread (thread is the one on it's own on the right).  It helps that she was having a sale which meant that I could order twice as many as I might have normally ordered!

Next up we have a Mira added to my stash....

One of the many Mira groups that I am in on Facebook is having a "Queen of Peace" SAL and I have always wanted to stitch that gorgeous design.... but as it is an Out of Print chart I was not able to find it in Australia.... so I when I did find someone (Hawkins Hobbies in the UK) who had it for sale I just had to buy it (along with the Krienik, beads and treasures).  The kit also came with the fabric but that went into my stash as I am doing this on something else.... as you will see very shortly!

I am hoping to have this stitched and ready to take with me to the Mira Retreat next May (yes I did say next May - 2017!) in Katoomba.... after all I don't want to be the only one without a Mira lady to show at the retreat!! :o(

So that's it... my credit card has melted now from overwork!

So til my next post, happy stitching
Hugs xx

Happy Boxing Day

Well the rush and panic leading up to Christmas Day is now all over.... today is the day to relax... unless you are like us and now have round 2 of Christmas happening today!  We have Hubby's son and son's girlfriend coming over for lunch today as they spent Christmas with the girlfriend's parents, so as soon as I finish this post it will be time to start preparing Christmas Lunch part 2!!

I hope that everyone enjoyed their Christmas Day... and that the Christmas Stitching Fairy was kind!

Last time I posted I promised that I would show you my new needle minders...

First up we have some new ones that I ordered from Gina (Gina's Unique Needleminders).

Then I found another lady on FB who does some amazing needle minders and she has having a sale.... so.... I went a wee bit silly!

These beauties are from Nifty Needle Nannies... Julie has some very different ones to what I have seen on other FB pages and I just could not resist!

I have no idea what I will do with this many minders as to be honest I don't really use them for my needle as I have a magnetic strip that sits on the top of my needle box and I tend to put the needle on that with the needer threader.... but they look pretty and they are actually useful for holding the chart when I am stitching on my larger pieces :o)

Remember I mentioned a couple of times that I was waiting for a package from Russia and I thought it must have been lost in the mail as it hadn't arrived... well guess what?  It must have been on a very slow boat from Russia to Australia as 4 1/2 months after posting it finally arrived in my post box!

Lots of lovely goodies from Lena... just in time for Christmas!  Thanks Lena - it is great to get the package especially as I had given it up as lost some time ago :o)

Well that's it for today... I am going to try and spend some time over the last days of 2015 planning what my stitching will be for 2016 especially seeing as I am planning to do the January Challenge again!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a nice quiet and calmer Boxing Day.

Til next time, happy stitching

Overflowing Mailbox!

Hello!  I am back again :o)

Just a quick post today to show you what my mailbox has been receiving the last couple of days....

Firstly I received this lovely bookmark from Vickie (A Stitcher's Story).  Vickie stitched this lovely bookmark as a thank you for the pink fabric I sent her for her pink charm quilt.  A link to Vickie's post about receiving the fabric is here.

Isn't this just gorgeous?  One side has a picture of a King Charles Cavalier just like Mitzi and the other side Vickie has stitched two sweet grey kitties just like Oscar and Felix!  So sweet - thank you Vickie - I love it! ♥

My second gift in the mailbox came from Jo (Serendipitous Stitching).  Jo recently had a blogaversary giveaway and I was lucky enough to win one of the charts that Jo was giving away.

This chart could very well be added to my Gifted Gorgeousness List one day!  Thanks Jo - love the chart ♥

I also recently attacked the credit card and received my new stash additions in the mail this week as well.

A couple of rather cute needle minders and a new scissor fob from Gina's Unique Needleminders also arrived in the mailbox.

Don't you just love Tigger and Eeyore, and I just couldn't go past the Tardis x 2!!

I also purchased a couple of new Mira's over the last few weeks.... and they finally arrived....

Both of these are just beautiful especially Florentina with her kitty companion.

And finally, one more thing to show you!  I received this most wonderful surprise in the mail on Friday.  Valérie (Fée le point) sent me this absolutely gorgeous stitched box full of beautiful things...

Isn't this just gorgeous?  I love the sweet little birdies and the box is just so delightfully cute!  And then when I opened the box it was filled with this gorgeous crafty stuff

Valérie, thank you so much for this amazing surprise!  It really made my day and week getting this beautiful gift in the mail :o) It is going to take pride of place in the craft room where I can see it every time I go in there and then I will think of you! ♥

That's it for this post of surprises..... the mailman was a deliverer of wonderful mail this week!

Til next time, happy stitching
Hugs xx

TUSAL February 2015

I know, I'm late... again!  The New Moon was actually 18th February... but I just didn't seem to get around to taking a photo and posting in time!

So here we go with February's ORT report.... and since it's February, what do you think the ORT's have been doing?  Why celebrating Valentine's Day of course!

TUSAL February 2015

Hubby gave me the cute Forever Friend a few years ago and he normally sits on the dressing table in our bedroom... but I thought he deserved an outing and he is so very much a Valentine's Bear!

The ORT's jar is filling up already this year.  All that Crazy January stitching and follow on stitching in February has certainly helped fill the jar!

You may also be able to notice in the picture that I have received some more pretties from Gina's Fobs and Froggers!  As you can see from the pic below, Gina has excelled again with these gorgeous needle minders.  I just so love the pink frog and the sunflower..... think they are my favourites from this order....

New needle minders added to the growing collection!

There is one more order in transit.... and then I think I had better stay away from the FB page and stop looking as looking leads to buying!!  And with the exchange rate being so bad at the moment my credit card is looking very sad!!

So that's it for this post.... I will be back again tomorrow to show you what I have been stitching on over the last week... so stay tuned!

Til then, happy stitching!

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If you don't know (or haven't heard) about the 2015 TUSAL, Daffycat is again hosting the fun Totally Useless SAL (TUSAL).  Essentially we stitch and save our ORT's (Old Raggety Threads) and every New Moon those of us participating in the TUSAL post a picture of our ORT's jar, and then leave little msgs for Daffycat on her blog to show that we have been stitching and have posted our wonderful pics.  Please head over to her sign up page and join in the fun!

New Moons - 2015
20th March
18th April
18th May
16th June
16th July
14th August
13th September
13th October
11th November
11th December

Oops, I did it again....

Yep.... I have been spending some of my hard earned folding stuff again.... anyone would think that I am rolling in greenbacks, but I can assure I am certainly not doing that.... I just can't seem to stay away from pretty fabric sales and bling lately!

So what have I bought this time??

More fabric from Colour Cascade Fabrics!  Tammy had an Birthday sale and I just had to participate in that one to help her celebrate - it would have been rude not to after all!

The colours are from top left to right and then down left to right and so forth...

Oceans (32ct Belfast Opal); Pink Champagne  (32ct Belfast Opal); Hole in the Sky (28ct Laguna Opal); Silver Springs (32ct Belfast Opal); Gold Digger (32st Jobelan); Golden Touch (32ct Belfast)

Gold Digger and Silver Sands I had ear-marked for "At the Met" by Nora Corbett (not sure which one I will use yet)... but after seeing Golden Touch I might be changing my mind.... again!!

I also bought some more DMC thread so that I can finally get started on another SAL that I signed up for.... but more on that SAL in another post :o)

Now for the bling..... Gina's Fobs and Froggers will be my downfall I think.... I have received another order from Gina and have 2 more to come.... (hiding my head in shame as I think I have developed another addiction!......)  I have to stay off her FB page on a Sunday morning!

Gee, how cathartic is it to bare your stitching stash soul?  It's just as well I don't do the Stitching from Stash challenge... I would be failing left, right and centre on that one!!

That's it for this very quick stash baring post.... I will be back again in a day or so with my ORT report.

Til then, happy stashing!!
Hugs xx

Day 1 / Crazy Start #1: Winter Witch

Happy New Year!

Yesterday was the first day of my Crazy January Challenge!  If you remember I posted a list of new starts relating to a couple of January crazy challenges a few days ago.... if you didn't see that post the link is here.

I listed 20 projects - 15 new starts for the FB CrosstitchCrazy Event and 5 x WIP's that I will also be working on for January.  I still have to come up with some more to complete the 31 projects for Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge 2015 (DUCJC2015)  but I am reasonably sure that won't be a problem!!

I also signed up for the 15 Miras 15 Days but that one won't be 15 Mira's in 15 days for me that will be closer to 15 Mira's in 2015, if I'm lucky!

Seeing as yesterday was Day 1 of January 2015, I had a new start.....

"Winter Witch" - The Snowflower Diaries

My first new start is "Winter Witch" from The Snowflower Diaries.  This is a freebie chart from Maja and I had planned to stitch this one last year but never got around to it.  For those that might like to know... the fabric is "Hocus Pocus" 32ct Belfast from Stitches and Spice, and I am using only DMC threads rather than any speciality threads as mentioned in the design.

You may remember that I stitched the "Spring Witch" for my Witch design for the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL Blog last year.

And speaking of the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL Blog, this little darling witch is my choice for this year's January theme - Witches!!  I just need to now find the time to finish her before the end of the month.  I wonder.... does a new start become a WIP for the 31 designs?? No, probably not - don't think that double entry stitching would work for this challenge!!

So I am off to a good start so far..... Day 1 - 1 Start!  Can I keep up the pace? You will have to come back tomorrow and see what Day 2 will bring.....

Before I go, can I show you some bling?

Bling from Gina's Fobs and Froggers

Aren't they just gorgeous?  These little beauties (4 x needle minders, scissor fob and stitch counter) are from Gina's Fobs and Froggers.  Gina is on FB and Etsy, so they are very easy to purchase.  I have been stalking Gina's FB page for ages and drooling over her beautiful creations, and finally took the plunge and bought some.   But now I may have to feed my habit regularly - after all they may have magic powers and make my needle go faster and keep the frogs away!!

That's it for today.... I am off to start my Day 2 stitching - will it be a Mira design or a Lizzie Kate design, or something completely different?  Decisions, decisions.....

Til next time, happy stitching
Hugs xx