IHSW May 2012 Update

Hello!  Here we are again for the IHSW update.  Isn't it great that TUSAL and IHSW both ended up on the same weekend again :o)  Unfortunately though I don't really have much to tell you.....

This weekend was busy but not for stitching!  We were out on Saturday wandering around the garden centre and spending money on lovely new plants for the garden.  We also had lunch at the garden centre with my brother and his very new wife!  Such a nice way to spend a Saturday. Sunday afternoon was spent out in the garden planting all the lovely new plants after all the chores were done of course!!

On Friday I spent the afternoon making up the kitty card that I showed you in my last post.  But I did manage to get some stitching done here and there over the weekend and guess what - I finished the Tiny Rose Garden Mandala!  Well actually I finished the last bit of beading last night.  But near enough is close enough!

Tiny Rose Garden Mandala completed 21 May 2012
Chatelaine Designs - Martina Rosenberg

So that's it for my stitching update this IHSW!  Told you there wasn't much to say.....

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!!

Now while I might not have too much stitching to show you this month, I do have something else to show you.

My very lovely friend from France, Valerie from Fele le point, went to Paris a couple of weeks ago and while there she purchased a Paris snow globe and sent it all the way over here so that I could add it my very small collection.  I have been a bit slow adding a pic to my blog so you can all see my lovely new snow globe!

Paris snow globe from Valerie

But the surprises don't stop there.  Last week Valerie sent me a lovely surprise to make up for me not getting a package in the Spring Exchange.  For some reason my partner in the MS Lovers Blog Spring Exchange has been out of contact so we are not sure what has happened and why she hasn't sent anything but never mind!  The lovely Valerie wanted to put a smile on my face, and she certainly did that...  Look what she made me!

Gift from Valerie - Spring Exchange replacement

I had seen the pin cushion on Valerie's blog when she made one for a friend and I absolutely loved the fabric - so Valerie made me one too, as well as stitching the cute fishing cat and turning that into a little bag.  I am going to use both in my stitching basket so that they can bring a smile to my face each time I see them!

It is very disappointing when an exchange doesn't quite go to plan, but the ladies on the MS Lovers Blog are so lovely.  A number of them offered to send me something to replace my missing package!  Aren't stitchers and bloggers just the most generous people around?

Thank you Valerie for your lovely gifts - they are wonderful and I really appreciate you taking the time to stitch them and sending them to me.

Ok dear readers, I think that is about for tonight!  It is getting way past my bedtime and the carriages are about to turn back into pumpkins!  Daisy and the boys are already in bed so looks like Mum and Dad had better follow them!!

Til next time, happy stitching.

Rose Garden Mandala Update

Hello again!

Now this really is a fly-by post..... I am being a wee bit naughty and taking 10 mins out at work while I scoff a sandwich and a cup of soup to put up a pic of where my Rose Garden is at as of 9.30pm last night (Sunday)

I am so pleased with this mandala.  I seriously can not believe how quick and easy it has been to stitch so far.  And, I am loving the colours!!

Tiny Rose Garden - Freebie
Chatelaine Designs - Martina Rosenberg
as at 9pm Sunday 29th April 2012

The picture is probably not the best - it was a quick iPhone pic as I was packing up for the night but I just wanted to show you how much I have done this last week.....

That is it for this very quick fly-by post.... see you all again soon when I will hopefully have a finished Rose Garden to show you!

Til next time, happy stitching.

IHSW April 2012 Update

Hello again!  Amazingly I actually have something to show for my IHSW update this month!

As I mentioned in my last post I started a new project on Friday.  This is a bit of break with what I have recently been stitching.  For the last year or so I have stitched cards and quilt squares with the odd pillow thrown in the mix, but generally all the designs have been cute, cats, or cute cats, or kids designs...

Now for something a bit different to the norm - dare I say a bit more grown up!!

Since I have started blog stalking I have been drooling over all of the beautiful designs that other very talented people stitch, especially those that stitch the Chatelaines.  These designs seem to sing to me when I see them and I have so often thought "one day".  I even went so far as to buy 2 mini's last year at the Craft Show, but still haven't got the courage up to start one....  What if I stuff it up - another UFO I do not want - that drawer is almost bursting as it is!

Well, that was up until last week!

Last Tuesday I was blog stalking and eventually wandered over to Martina Rosenberg's Chateleaine website - as you do - to see what was there.  You see I had remembered that she has small sized freebies on her website so went sticky beaking...  I have looked at these before but this time I thought - "what I am waiting for.... just pick one and do it!"  So I picked one, printed it off and immediately placed a web order with Colours Down Under for the speciality thread and beads that I knew I didn't have, and the rest they say is history!  The speciality thread and beads (along with other things I just had to buy - $1 charts!!!) arrived in the mail on Friday morning (fantastic service from Jo at Colours Down Under), I then went through my DMC threads and raided the fabric stash to see what evenweave fabric was lurking in there.... normally evenweave doesn't get much of a chance to come out and see the light with me, but I think it was very happy to come out and play as so far it is behaving very nicely!  I have no idea what it is except that it is 28 count... but it is cream and that was good enough for me!

Friday afternoon was spent kitting this little lovely up and luckily I was only missing 4 threads which I was able to pick up from Handcrafters House on Friday night.  Isn't it always the way - it doesn't matter how many threads you have there is almost always one that you have to buy for the next project!

The first couple of tentative stitches were done before I rushed out to meet Hubby for the Colour Workshop in Midland, and then it was full steam ahead on Saturday and Sunday afternoons - or when Oscar kitty let me stitch that is!

And this is the result - my first attempt at a Chatelaine!

Tiny Rose Garden - Freebie
Chatelaine Designs - Martina Rosenberg

This is an idea of what it should look like when finished...
Small but perfectly pretty in every way!

I know it's only little but I feel so grown up!  I think that this little design is a good stepping stone for me to come out of my comfort zone and try something different.  The speciality stitch in this design I can do and there is only a small amount of beading.  So if I can keep the momentum up and finish this I believe I will have gained the confidence to try one of the designs that I bought last year!

Don't worry I will still be doing all my other stitching.... after all I have cards to stitch for the Craftbubble Crazy for Kitties birthday exchange due in May and June; I have my next Cool Cats (Winter) to stitch and I have also signed up for the Summer Exchange for the MS Lovers Blog; and I have just signed up for the Christmas Card exchange on the Margaret Sherry Yahoo group.... so lots of stitching on the horizon - just as well because as we all know "Winter is Coming".

Sorry, this has turned out too be a bit long winded.... but that is my update for the April IHSW.  Yeah, a successful weekend of stitching.  If you want to see what everyone else has done over the weekend, drop in on Joyce's post on this month's IHSW and click on the list of links!  There is lots of visiting to be had!!

Til next time, happy stitching.