SAL's will be my downfall....

I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that

~ Lauren Bacall ~

I have a confession to make....

I think I am addicted to SAL's.... that's assuming you can be addicted to SAL's! Or am I just a serial starter?  Of course that one goes without saying.... which means I now have 2 confessions to make.... I am addicted to SAL's and I am a serial starter!!

As you know from previous posts, I am already involved in a number of SAL's this year... some more active than others on my part!!

The Lizzie Kate "Jingles" SAL is still happening and I will have an update in the next couple of days for that one.  My other semi-active SAL is the "Hallowe'en Ornie 2014 Blog" SAL.  I am behind in that one, but I have actually started stitching a larger design that covers off 2 or 3 months so that sort gets me back on target with that one.  Again an update is due for that SAL in the next couple of days - so stay tuned!

My poor old Margaret Sherry SAL's have fallen a bit by the wayside recently.... but hopefully I will resurrect them again soon as I do miss the MS kitty!

So, shall I show you what SAL I have joined and started stitching now??  My latest SAL is a Facebook SAL group, and is one of many FB SAL groups that I follow and aspire to eventually start stitching!  (Notice I said "eventually"....)

The weekend just gone was a SAL challenge within a SAL challenge for the group, and it was a good reason/excuse for me to start stitching on this new mystery SAL!  Not that I really need an excuse to start something new....

Let me introduce to you my new start:

This is a mystery SAL, so as yet we don't know what the final piece will look like... but each of the boxes will have a face designed by Joan Elliott.  I just adore Joan's designs so I couldn't resist starting this one....

Faces of Joan Elliott Mystery SAL
Designer: Joan Elliott

The Faces of Joan Elliott Mystery SAL

Joan has released 3 faces so far.... but I am behind most of the other stitchers, so I can only show you the beginning of the borders.  The next post will have the borders finished and the flowers added, and then I will be able to start on the 3 faces!  Who knows I may be able to catch up before the next face gets released in another month or so!

So until I have more of my "Faces of JE" to show you, I will say bye for now.... see you again soon when I come back with more SAL updates!

Til next time, happy stitching!
Hugs xx

Stitching Noni

TUSAL September 2014

I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering

~ Steven Wright ~

The quote above quite accurately describes my state of mind lately.... no clear focus on anything!  I keep thinking of all these things that I need to do, but still nothing gets done!!  Oh well, at least the new moon appears every month without any help from me!

September's TUSAL report does actually have some colours to show.... I have been stitching on "Jingles" and my Hallowe'en Ornie 2014 Blog piece, so there is a mixture of Christmas and Halloween colours on top of the jar this month.

TUSAL September 2014

I must admit I was struggling to think of something exciting for my TUSAL photo this month.... see told you I have no focus... my mind keeps wandering!  While looking around for the perfect companion to my ORT's, I spotted the Wandering Buddha sitting on our shelf of reflection!  Maybe he will help me focus on my stitching for the rest of the year and the next few TUSAL photos will be overflowing with ORT's!

That's it for yet another short ORT report.  As we are nearing the end of the year, it may be a little late to sign up for the 2014 event.... but if you would like to sign up anyway and join in the fun for what is left of the year, then pop on over to Daffycat's blog and start collecting your ORT's!  And if you don't want to join in with the ORT collecting, you will still find links to some great blogs that you can read to while away the hours!!

The next 2014 ORT report will be ready for publication on or around 23rd October 2014.

New Moons - 2014
23rd October
22nd November
21st December

Til next time happy stitching!

"Bee" happy and keep stitching!

Hugs, Stitching Noni xx

Lizzie Kate "Jingles" SAL August update

We all need empty hours in our lives or we will have no time to create or dream

~ Robert Coles ~

Lizzie Kate "Jingles Flip-It"

Lizzie Kate "Jingles" SAL update - stitching with Rita, Annette and Nia

I suppose you thought I had forgotten all about my "Jingles" SAL with the girls.... well, I am here today to let you know that "Jingles" is on the move again.

The last time I posted this is what "Jingles" looked like:

Lizzie Kate "Jingles" as at 2 June 2014

and this is what "Jingles" looks like  now:

Lizzie Kate "Jingles" as at 28 August 2014

I haven't quite managed to catch up to where I should be at this stage of the game, but I am getting there!  I love stitching on this design - it is so much fun and I am really looking forward to picking it up again in September.

Don't forget to pop over and check out Nia, Rita and Annette's SAL updates for the month.  Til the end of September when I have some more "Jingles" to show you....

happy stitching and jingling!!

Stitching Noni xx

Honeybees and Lavender

The pedigree of honey does not concern the bee, 

a clover, anytime, to him, is aristocracy

~ Emily Dickinson ~

My own Lavender and Bees

Bees and Lavender would have to be two of my favourites things.  When I started typing this post I was going to include a web image of some bees and lavender.... but then I realised that all I had to do was go outside and take a photo!  But as with all great plans, the wind and bees decided not to co-operate.  But I did manage to get a photo of a bee on my pink ruffled lavender eventually!

Now why do I post about bees and lavender do I hear you ask?  Well, this post was inspired by my musings as to what to stitch for the exchange that Heather (Heather's Stitching Story) had arranged.  As previously mentioned, I was late sending the exchange package to CJ.  Partly this was because I was very time poor when trying to get organised for this exchange, but the other issue was that I couldn't think of what to stitch! Until I decided upon a theme of "Bees and Lavender".

Then everything fell into place.....

Firstly I went straight to the Snowflower Diaries Blog and downloaded the "Lavender Girl" design that I had had my eye on to stitch for quite some time.  Once stitched I turned the lavender girl into a pretty little hanger.

"Lavender Girl"
Designer: Maja, Snowflower Diaries
Stitched July 2014

So that was the Lavender stitch.... now for the bee stitch!  I remembered that I had downloaded a freebie sometime ago which had a beehive and bees as the design, and from memory I thought that it should be a quick stitch.  The other great thing about this design was that it had some different types of stitches instead of just cross stitch, so a great way to spread my stitching wings and try something different.

Honey Pin Cushion
Designer: Keepsake Stitches
Stitched July 2014

The "Honey Pin Cushion" is a freebie from the Keepsake Stitches website.  I loved this design and it was so simple to put together as a little cushion.  Of course it was only after I have put it together that I realised that I had stuffed up my bee on the back.... it should have been yellow and black... not yellow and blue! Goodness know what I was thinking when I stitched that!  But hey, every masterpiece has to have a deliberate mistake, doesn't it!!!

So that was the stitching side done, now all I had to do was find some extras....

Exchange gift sent to CJ
July 2014

As you can see from the photo above, I also sent CJ some lavender inspired gifts - a lavender scented candle in a tin, 2015 diary with lavender fields on the front cover, lavender coloured beads, pen, notebook and sticky notes that are sort of lavender coloured!  I hope that she liked the gift... and more importantly that it arrived safe and sound!

I did find a third design to stitch but, as I was almost three weeks late sending my package off, I decided not to include this one in the package... which meant that I didn't have to rush and I could take my time and really enjoy the stitching of the cupcake.... I just fell in love with this cupcake as soon as I saw it - it was one of those "I have to stitch this now" moments!!

"Honeybees Cupcake"
Designer: Durene Jones

This sweet little design was published in the World of Cross Stitching magazine issue 216.  They have a regular feature called "Cupcake of the Month" designed by Durene Jones.  Some of the cupcakes are really sweet but this is the first one that I just had to stitch right there and then!  Not sure yet how I will finally "finish" this sweet cupcake but I will certainly show you when it is finally all done.

So that's it for Honeybees and Lavender - two of my favourite things!!  It's now time for me to buzz off and leave you in peace to smell the lavender....

Til next time, happy stitching
Stitching Noni xx

TUSAL August 2014

The young moon has fed

Her exhausted horn

With the sunset's fire.

~ Percy Bysshe Shelley ~

Wow, can you believe it.... a TUSAL post from me!!! The last one was way back in May....  although I did take a photo for July but just didn't get around to posting anything!  So does this mean that I have been stitching if I have some ORT's to show... Oh yeah!

So here she is - my TUSAL jar with some very pretty ORT's and a very happy little gardening "Daffodil Day" teddy.  "Daffodil Day" is the Cancer Council of Australia's big country-wide fundraising event.  It is held every year and besides selling Daffodils to raise funds for cancer research and support for cancer patients, each year there are all sorts of other merchandise to buy.  This year they had some gardening teddies and I just could not resist the charms of this little fellow!

TUSAL August 2014

In the ORT's jar this month (and previous months since my last post) are the colours of my exchange gifts, a pretty little Durene Jones cupcake from WOCS that I just had to stitch, Jingles and on top of the jar, my latest Halloween stitch - photos of all to follow in future posts.... after all I have to keep you wanting more!! LOL!

That's it for this very short ORT report.  If you would like to sign up and join in the fun for what is left of this year, then pop on over to Daffycat's blog and leave a comment saying that you're in and start collecting your ORT's!  And if you don't want to join in with the ORT collecting, you will still find links to some great blogs that you can read to while away the hours!!

The next 2014 ORT report will be ready for publication on or around 23rd September 2014.  Hopefully I will now be back on track with more regular posts and stitching!

New Moons - 2014
23rd September
23rd October
22nd November
21st December

Til next time happy stitching!

"Bee" happy and keep stitching!

Hugs, Stitching Noni xx