A Very Excited Little Boy

I have just had some news that I have to share with you.

Recently Barratt Homes launched a competition for schools. The children had to draw a Christmas card and the prize was to be £500 worth of art and craft things for the school.

Tonight my very excited little grandson Oscar has phoned me to tell me that out of all the schools in Derbyshire he has won first prize for his school. The school phoned his parents to ask permission for the local paper to visit the school tomorrow to take pictures and have told them that there will also be a prize for Oscar though they dont know at the moment what that is to be.

A proud granny will be scanning and posting the article when it is in the paper so watch for more lol.

Update on Queen

Here is a picture of this weeks progress on Queen on the Needle. I cheated a bit as tonight I couldnt be bothered to sort anything else out and this was still on the chair so I have done the little urn tonight (sorry Sally) .
The colours really do look lovely.

Took Mum shopping today and then went to have a look at the Christmas display at one of the local garden centres but it was really disappointing this year. They hardly had anything there and what they had was overpriced rubbish. We are going to the rival garden centre on Thursday so I am hoping that will be a bit better.

Tomorrow I have to go to the bank - with my passport - would you believe that when I went in to put a cheque in yesterday they said that my account was now "out of date" and they would transfer it to a new account for me. OK I thought thats OK but the stupid rules wont let them just do that I have to go in with proof of who I am to do it. What is more annoying as that account is no longer running they had to confiscate my book so I have no choice but to do as they wish if I want to get hold of MY MONEY. I felt like saying well just close the ****** account and I will go elsewhere but they are all the same and I would have had as much if not more palaver.

Not long back we wanted to open a new bond for Oscar and we had to get his birth certificate from my son and dil. As I pointed out to the dear lady who did this for us - any man (or woman) in the country can walk into a register office and say he wants to register the birth of a child they ask for the date of birth, the name and where the child was born, they ask for no proof whatsoever, so how the hell is a birth certificate proof on anything.

Oh dear I think I am turning into a Grumpy Old Lady lol but these people do seem to have a real knack for bringing out the worst in folks.

On that I am going back to stitch - another christmas card lol so that will cheer me up again.

Hardanger Angel

This is what I have been working on for the last couple of weeks. I had to adapt the chart a bit as it is designed for one of these dolls heads but I couldnt find one here in the UK and it would have cost about £12 / £14 to send to the USA for one which was more than I was willing to pay - especially as I want to make one for me too. This one is for my Mum. A few weeks back she had been having a sort out and remarked that she had loads of cards I had stitched but although she didnt want to part with them she really didnt know what to do with them so I thought I would stitch her an ornament this year instead of a card, that way she can hang it on her tree every year.
The chart was Emie Bishop's 2001 Angel. The dress should be stitched as one piece with a small hole where the head fits but I stitched the back and the front seperately altered the hole to make a neckline and then stitched it across the shoulders. Also although the wing were very pretty hardanger I had to back them with some "iron on" stiffner stuff which has spoilt the effect a little. The little doll cost me £2 from Asda. Overall however, I am quite pleased with the effect and will take her with me when I go to Mums tomorrow.

Today was SAL Monday but I wanted to make a start on a couple of special cards I have to stitch (I know I'm a bit late but better late than never lol). Anyway I got one done this afternoon and I have made a start on Queen of the Needle tonight. It is lovely to be using some colour on it at last. I havent got a lot done but I am pleased with what I have and will try and take a picture tomorrow. I wonder if Sally has carried on with the colour or done the 2nd Corner. It is lovely to have someone to stitch with and fun to compare what we have done each week so BIG THANK YOU SALLY.

Terri and I have decided that next year we are going to make an early start on stitched cards and on the first Sunday of each month we are going to stitch one in our own little SAL - if anyone fancies joining then please do.

Its been a horrid day today the rain has hammered down and its been so cold. By three o'clock I needed to put the lights on it was like night time. Then some silly woman on the weather said its quite mild at the moment - where do these people get there forcasts, I sometimes wonder if they are in the same country.

Oh well thats my little moan for the day lol so on that note I will say goodnight and wend my weary way to bed.

Thanks for all your comments they really are so much appreciated.

MONDAY SAL

Though it wasnt done on Monday this week lol. I made a start on Wednesday and then we had an unexpected visitor so I resumed it on Thursday and got the 2nd corner done which I am really pleased about. The effect is lovely but I found stitching cross stitch on 28 count with Perle #8 was really heavy going. I am really looking forward to stitching on next weeks with normal floss and in colour. Sally has done one corner and is working in colour now and it looks so lovely but I knew I just had to get those corners out of the way first or I would not want to go back to them. The fabric looks white on the scan but it is Polstitches Pearl and is rather a creamy/beigey colour in real life.
Another new thing for me is I scanned the stitching rather than take a picture. I remarked to Sally that hers showed up better than mine and though I had tried I could not get a clear photo. She told me that she nearly always scans hers so I had a go and I must admit I am pleased with the results, so thanks for the tip Sally.

I am now back to my Christmas stitching which is not a secret as its for my Mum and she doesnt read my blog. It is a hardanger angel ornament which I am really enjoying. The only problem at the moment is having enough time to stitch as with trying to organise Christmas shopping etc.

I have already received two cards and gifts and I havent even thought that far ahead yet lol. Maybe we will get the Christmas things out the loft this weekend and then i will feel more in the Christmas mood.

I just have to pass on a recommendation. You remember I was waiting for a new 17" Q Snap frame from Lekker threads. Well after 3 months and without so much as an email to tell me anything my account was recredited with the money. So one afternoon I placed an order with a firm I found called Stitchdirect. About half an hour after the confirmation email I got another saying the order was despatched and imagine my amazement when it was through the door first thing the next morning. I was really pleased to at last get my big Q Snap frame. At the moment I have Ink Circles on it but it is really for Taj.

Speaking of Lekker I was told that the shop was closing and now I hear its reopening - did she not do that last Christmas too. Well here is one person who will not be using her again whether she reopens or not.

Just a quick note on health. I am fine again now I just seem to have odd days when things play up but I have wonderful and strong medication to get me out of pain fairly quickly so it doesnt last. But a big thank you to all the wonderful people who either posted comments on here or emailed me sending good wishes and hugs, you are all wonderful.

No New Pictures

I have no new pictures to show this week as I have been busy Christmas Stitching and yesterday I was in bed all day (the gall bladder playing up ugghh) so didnt even get my Monday SAL done but will do that tomorrow as I dont want to fall behind.

I know there is no way I am going to get Heirloom Christmas done in time so rather than try rushing it and spoiling it I have put it on one side and will have another go after Christmas (sorry Jane).

I was going to make up for no pictures by showing you one of those that just come out at Christmas but I am on Keiths computer and my pictures are on mine so I cant even do that.

Will hopefully post again either Wednesday night or Thursday morning with an update on my Queen of the Needle SAL, but I am looking forward to seeing how Sally got on with hers this week.

I'm Back

Have been back a couple of days but this is the first chance I have got to update my blog. We had a wonderful holiday and I shall post some pics in a day or two.

For now here is my holiday stitching, not quite finished on holiday but I sat on Sunday evening and did the last wee bit.

Its Classic Embroideries, Amber.

On Monday I started Queen Of The Needle as a SAL with Sally. I started it on a Dusky Pink Linen which was a lovely colour but stitching with a perle #8 thread on an uneven fabric was hell so I unpicked it and chose another fabric from my stock - Polstitches Pearl. This is a little lighter than I would have liked but I was so eager to get on I did not want to wait to order something else and I think it will be fine. I had almost completed the first corner when I realised I had made a mistake and had to frog quite a bit. At that point I decided to give up for this week, I dont know what it was (maybe the jet lag) but I just could not seem to concentrate so best to put it away and I shall look forward to getting it finished next week. Im looking forward to hearing how Sally got on.

Not a very clear picture but best I seemed able to get.

The last thing I have to share with you is something I stitched before the holidays and it was a little pinkeep and fob I did for Edda for her belated birthday gift as I was in hospital and missed her birthday completely. I am sure I took a picture of this but cant find it anywhere so I have pinched the picture that Edda put on her blog (I'm sure she won't mind).

I really enjoyed stitching this one. The pinkeep is from Elizabeth Designs and the fob was just one of my designs I made to match the pinkeep.

Last Post and IC Updated

Here as promised is update on Ink Circles as of last night. I have been asked what colours I am using on this and they are as follow (so far).

The blue outline is Kaalund threads Wisteria and the infill is Kaalund Waterlily. The browny outline is Kallund Tarpan and the infill is Dinky-Dyes Hawthorne. I got a little bored with doing the infills so made a start on the blackwork and so far I have used Dinky-Dyes Emerald and Dinky-Dyes Red Rust.

I did the last line on Heirloom Christmas (apart from the ribbon knots which I havent done before so need to practice) and I have done a few of the kloister blocks on the hardanger at the bottom but not enough progress to show any pictures yet. I have also been stitching a couple of gifts, which I am sure you will see all in good time lol.

Yesterday I retired at long last so I am now a lady of leisure - or pleasure, as I hope to have lots of time to do my stitching and my garden and all the other things which go to make my life a pleasure.

I will be of to Vietnam in the early hours of the morning tomorrow and thought I had better let you know as I would hate anyone to be worrying where I was.

Thanks you all the lovely, lovely people who are kind enough to leave comments they are so much appreciated.