Totally Useless SAL - New Moon 22 March 2012 update

Oh my ears and whiskars - I'm late!

Finally I have managed to get my TUSAL update posted.  Better late than never as they say!

This month I have actually been very busy stitching and unfortunately frogging!  I made a mistake in counting on my Spring Exchange so had to remove about 20 stitches.  Just goes to show you shouldn't stitch when you're tired!  At least I noticed before too much damage was done and it was a very easy fix!

During the month I did manage to finish my Autumn cat for the MS Lovers Blog SAL #3, a kitty card and the MS Lovers Blog Spring Exchange piece, as well as start another Margaret Sherry design.  So quite a good stitching month for March.

TUSAL March 2012
Dragon, ORT's, Frog and harvest of apples from one of our apple trees
An Autumn Harvest!

This month's photo is taken with some apples from one of our two apples trees.  If I remember rightly these apples are the Lady Williams apples, the Jonathons are still very green.  Although that is not stopping the parrots from eating them!  Maybe my dragon should sit outside near the apple trees as he might manage to scare away the birds... not!!  Never mind, they don't eat much!

You may have noticed that I have a frog sitting on the lid of my ORT's jar.  The other day I was in the Red Dot store (type of $2 shop) and I spotted a key ring with a frog on it for $2!  So I bought it.... once I had removed the hook from his head I attached him to the ORT's lid with velcro and now I have a guardian of the "frogs" in the ORT's jar.

While I have finished stitching the "Autumn" kitty for the MS Lovers Blog SAL #3, I am still thinking about the final "finish".  I have decided to turn him into a cushion and have the material sitting there waiting - but so far the brain just hasn't quite got around to designing the final cushion.  But that will come I am sure in the next couple of weeks.

"Autumn" kitty - Cool Cats SAL #3
Margaret Sherry design

The start is another Margaret Sherry design - cat #3 from MS Lovers Blog SAL #1 Culinary Cats.  I am very pleased with my progress on this kitty.  I started it earlier this week and have managed to do about half of him already.  He is just so cute with his wedding cake!  Once I finish this little kitty chef I am thinking of finishing the whole 3 into a table runner or hanger.


SAL #1 - Culinary Cats - Cat #3
Margaret Sherry design

Well dear readers, that's it for another ORT report.  See you all again same time next month.... or maybe a couple of days later than the new moon!  It all depends on whether the White Rabbit is in charge again!

Pop on over to Daffycat's blog if you are interested in signing up for the 2012 TUSAL.

Til the next new moon on 21 April 2012, happy stitching and may your collection of ORT's keep growing!

New Moons - 2012

21 April

20 May

19 June

19 July

17 August

16 September

15 October

13 November

13 December

The IHSW that wasn't.....

Hello again!  Yes, it is little old me back again.  I have been a little bit MIA lately, haven't I?  See how life just seems to get in the way of all the fun things like blogging and stitching!?!

It has been over 2 weeks since my last blog.... and the only way I am actually getting time to blog today is because I am at home from work as I am not feeling very well.  Nothing too bad wrong with me, just a general overall tiredness, headache and yicky tummy.   But it does mean that I can get on to the laptop and do some blogging.... after I have attended to my work emails of course!

So here I am typing a much belated stitching update while watching "He Knew He Was Right" and getting itchy fingers to finish my little Autumn kitty.

So without further ado here is my stitching update!

Last weekend was the IHSW but unfortunately I forgot to sign up for it... which probably doesn't really matter anyway given that I didn't get an awful lot of stitching done over the weekend!  But I did manage to "finish" my piece for the Margaret Sherry Lovers Blog Spring Exchange.

Sorry you're not allowed to see it yet.... but I can show you the box that is currently winging it's way over to Italy.

Package on it's way to Italy

Once the package arrives at it's destination I will post a pic of what I made and sent....

But I can show you a picture of the finished kitty card that I sent over to the UK last week for the Craftbubble "Crazy for Kitties" Birthday Exchange.

Kitty Card for Craftbubble "Crazy for Kitties" Birthday Exchange
Designed by Lesley Teare, Cross Stitch Crazy Issue 137, May 2010

As regular followers will know this is the second kitty from the series that I have stitched for the Craftbubble Birthday Exchange.  They are such delightful designs to stitch and I may very well stitch the other 2 for the upcoming birthdays in May and June.  The papers that I used to make the card were in my stash but I can't remember which magazine exactly they came from.  The paper had brown flowers on it which I thought would frame the stitching nicely.  I then added some shiny bling to the centre of the flowers to give them a wee bit of shine!

Now I was going to give you an update on the MS Lovers Blog SAL #3, but as I am nearly finished the backstitch on Autumn Kitty I think I will wait until the next post to show you the finished product.  Gives me a reason to do another post this week!!

On Saturday Hubby and I decided to go craft shopping.... and that of course means spending $$ on more stash!  I was looking for some material for my Autumn Kitty and for something that can't be mentioned just yet.... but I also found some other bits and pieces which I will show you shortly.

Hubby was on a mission to get some backing fabric for the two quilts that he has been doing over the last couple of months.  So on Saturday morning we packed up the car and grabbed a water bottle and a cut lunch... well not exactly!  But from where we live and where we were going it is about an hour's drive... but the shops are well worth the trip! 

The first place we went to was Carol's of Midland.  The fabric selection was fantastic and I could have spent all day in there playing with the fabric and notions!  Hubby found a wonderful range of William Morris fabrics which are on the stash wish list!  I found the perfect fabric for my not to be mentioned Spring Exchange!

The second fabric shop that we went to was Handcrafters House.  This shop also has a wonderful range of fabrics and bits and pieces.  This was where I found the perfect piece of fabric for my Autumn Kitty.  Hubby also found the backing fabric that he was after so both of us had ticks in boxes!

Now after all that spending it was time for morning tea.  We found a lovely tea shop in Guildford called "Maddison Cottage".  This delightful tea shop is set up in a little cottage and is also a shabby chic gift shop.  All the sweet treats are made in store and they even have gluten free options.  Hubby and I shared a piece of the scrummy apricot and sour cream tart.  We so should have had a piece each!!!

So after being re-energised we then made our way over to Armadale and went to visit Colours Down Under.  Now this is a shop that I can truly get lost in.... all the charts, the threads, the notions.... oh heaven!  So what did I buy to add to my stash?

Cute little pins, thread winder and Thread Heaven



Fat Quarters of fabric to add to the stash.... my stash not Hubby's!
Although I am quite happy to share.. ;o)

 The Halloween pins and the thread winder are from Just Nan.  Aren't they just gorgeous.  The "Colours Down Under" beaded needles are just the thing to use to count stitches on big projects or just to have sitting in a pin cushion!  I also bought a little tiny box of wonder - Thread Heaven.  Now I have read about this marvel but never seen it to buy until now.... Will have to give it a go soon and see just what all the fuss is about!

So that was Saturday!  Sunday was spent finishing my Spring Exchange piece with the help of my wonderful husband.... his machine sewing skills are way better than mine.

I guess that's about it for now!  Time to say good bye and to leave you with an Oscar and Felix update!  Felix loves anything that is in a plastic bag... including threads.  Oscar loves getting on the cupboard lying on tea towels or anything else that may be on the cupboard!

Felix the Thread Snatcher

Oscar the veggie gardener
Home grown apples and zucchini

My next post will hopefully be just in time for the March TUSAL update on 22 March (or thereabouts!).  My ORT's jar is filling up nicely so at least there will be something in the jar to show this time!!

Till next time, happy stitching

Giveaway Thank You's

Hello again!

Just a quick drive by to say hi and also to say a very big Thank You to Nancy and Mary Joan for their great giveaways that I won.  Both parcels arrived in the mail on Friday.

Now lets have a look-see at what sweet stash additions I won...

1. Nancy at The Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe has these amazing giveaways and I was lucky enough to win one of them.  The giveaway prize was some gorgeous hand dyed flosses.  Stunning colours!  I love the oranges and purples, well love them all really!  I now have to try and find just the right design to stitch so that I can use these lovely threads.  Thank you Nancy!

Floss giveaway from Nancy - Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

 2. Mary Joan at Mary Joan Stitching recently had a giveaway of some of her charts.  These lovely charts also arrived on Friday in the mail.  Wonderful addition to my stash of charts!  I'm sure that I will find just the occasion to stitch from these - especially the cute Christmas ones!  Mary Joan also stitched a lovely hardanger card as well.  It is just lovely!  Thank you Mary Joan!

Chart giveway from Mary Joan and the lovely hardanger card she stitched and included in the parcel

Thank you ladies - both giveaway prizes are fantastic and I feel very lucky to have been the lucky recipient of them both.

Before I go a bit of blog maintenance...

There has been lots of chatter on blogs lately about the new word verifications and how hard they are to read.  I have to agree with that especially when I am reading blogs on my iPhone.  I often give up trying to leave comments as the words are just too hard to decipher!  I have now taken word verification off my blog as well - at least I hope I have!!  I did start to have a play with Bloggers new interface format but as I couldn't find the setting to turn off word verification I have now gone back to the original interface format.  I think I will stay using the old interface format now.... it is much better and I can find my way around so much easier!!

Welcome to my new Followers!  It is lovely to meet you and I look forward to catching up with your news as I wander around the Blogosphere!

I have also been reading that Google followers is possibly going to disappear at some point as well....  Most of the time it doesn't seem to work on my blog and at the moment the only place I can see my Followers is on the laptop - any other computer that I use just won't show them!  I have now found another "Followers" widget called "Linky Followers" which I have decided to give a go.  It is a free "Follower" system and hopefully it will work and stay around!!  I have seen a couple of bloggers already using the system for their followers... now I just have to go back to their blogs and follow them through Linky!  If you get a moment and would like to also follow my blog through "Linky" please do so.  I will leave both systems in place until Google Followers disappears.... which may yet be a long way off!

Blog maintenance issues over and put away til next time!  I will leave you with a lovely comment from my 6 year nephew!

6 year old to his Father: "Dad, when I grow up I want to be just like Poppy."
Father to 6 yo: "Why's that son?"
6 year old to his Father: "Because I want to be able to take my teeth out and hold them in my hand while I clean them!"

Out of the mouths of babes!

Til next time, happy stitching

Leap Year 2012

Hello!  Just a very quick post today just so I can say that I managed to do a post on the 29th February 2012! 

It's a Leap Year!  Having one extra day in the year doesn't really mean that I have one whole extra day to stitch, but I would like to think so!  Unfortunately work does tend to get in the way of my stitching and blogging!

And does this mean that 2012 will not go as quick as last year?  Nope, don't think that's going to be case at all do you!!

Apparently one of the traditions of a Leap Year is that us girlies can ask our men folk to marry us.  Well seeing as Hubby and I are already married I can't do that - but if we weren't already married I would most certainly be waiting for him when he comes home from work with a bottle of the sparkling French stuff and popping the question!

I managed to do a little bit more stitching this week on my Autumn MS Lovers Blog kitty and now there is some lovely orange and browny coloured leaves to see.  Unfortunately an hour a day is not getting me very far with him, but every stitch is another stitch towards the end! 

But we do have a long weekend this weekend which for me means 4 days off... as I don't work on Friday's.  Can't wait!  So fingers crossed there will be a lot more to show you next week.

MS Lover's Blog SAL #3
Cool Cats (Autumn) - designed by Margaret Sherry

So my dear readers, that is it for today.  Hubby will be walking through the door any minute now after a long day at work and he will be wanting a nice hot cup of tea!  No sparkling French stuff tonight - maybe on the weekend as a nice treat!

See you all again soon!  Til next time, happy stitching

Giveaways Wins!

Hello again!  What's this I hear you say, 2 posts in as many days!  (Well, truth be known it is really 2 posts in 1 day... I have just cheated and used the post options to schedule this post to pop up in your readers at 9am Saturday morning!  I do so love that feature :o)

Ok dear readers, so what's this title about - more Giveaway Wins for me!  Yep, that's right this lucky little doer has won not one but two giveaways this week!!

Firstly, I had an email from Nancy at The Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.  Nancy has had a number of giveaways running which I have been entering in an attempt to win some of her gorgeous hand-dyed threads, kits, etc.  Well, guess what - I won!!  So what did I win - I won part of Nancy's Valentine's Day giveaway - 10 skeins of lovely hand-dyed floss.  Ooh, I so can't wait to see this turn up in the post box.  I will have to put my thinking cap on and try and find the perfect projects to stitch with these special threads.  Thank you Nancy.

So after doing a happy dance about the lovely floss from Nancy, I then had an email from Mary Joan at Mary Joan Stitching.  Mary Joan had a giveaway to celebrate her 4th Blogoversary.  The giveaway was a selection of 7 lovely charts/booklets from her stash.  And yes!  I won this one too....  Oh my goodness, double happy dance!  There are some lovely Christmas charts in the stash additions she is sending which I can't wait to get my hands on!  Thank you so much Mary Joan.

How excited am I this week - two giveaway wins and two delightful packages on their way to my little post box.  February has been a good month :o)

I have been thinking about a giveaway myself but so far I haven't come up with a cunning plan.... but in the stew and fog that is supposed to be my brain an egg of a plan is beginning to hatch!  So as they say in all the good editorials - watch this space.  I just can't guarantee how long you will have to watch for?!?!!?

Now speaking of giveaways, I have been updating my sidebar with giveaways as I see them, but I am a bit behind with my blog maintenance this month so I think I have missed one or two... sorry.  But hopefully I can get back to regular maintenance plan soon!  I know that there are some great giveaways out there at the moment - Nancy at The Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe has regular giveaways and currently has a couple of different ones going on as we speak.

Remember I mentioned that Kaye from Kitten Stitching did a post where she asked everyone what she was dressed up like and I had guessed correctly that she looked like a Gondolier.  Well, the little gift arrived from Kay this week.  She sent me a lovely Laura Ashley shopping bag, a Lizzie Kate chart, and 2 momento's from her trip to Hawaii.  So sweet - thank you so much Kay.  I will enjoy using them all and think of you often :o)

Lovely gift from Kay (Kitten Stitching)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Hubby and I recently treated ourselves to an iPhone.  It was a toss up between an iPhone or an iPad and as I wanted one too.... it ended up being 2 iPhones!!  Which now means that I have the means to read blogs on my way to and from work.  Which I have been doing through this wonderful app called "Byline'.  I found out about this app from another blog and it is so good.....  Now the reason I mention this is because on a couple of blogs there was mention of a competition to show photos of funny places that your pets have been found sleeping.  For the life of me though I can't remember who's blog I read it on... so I will do some research over the weekend and find out and then update this post...

But... while at the moment I don't have a photo to hand of some strange places I have found the cats asleep - like Oscar curled up in the bathroom sink in the middle of the night! - I do have a couple of photos that I took of Felix on Friday.  I had the feather duster out as I was doing some dusting - now please don't fall off your chairs - yes I did do some dusting!  Housework and I don't agree with each other but occasionally we do have to live and work together!!

I had finished wrapping the duster around the venetian blinds a few times and came into the kitchen to make a much needed cup of tea and left the duster on the kitchen bench.  Next time I saw it, the duster was on the floor with the tea towel and Felix was playing with it..... and subsequently sneezing!

I so need to brush my cat!

I have no idea what he thought the duster was but it was fun watching him for the 10 mins or so that he played with it.  But after that the dust got too much for him and he ignored the duster while he sneezed and sneezed and kept on sneezing!  Poor thing - last time he cuddles a feather duster!

Well that's it for another post!  Hopefully March will be a month of more regular posts and blog maintenance and lots more stitching!

Til next time, happy stitching