Spring is in the air.

It’s so long since I visited my friends who congregate over at The Stamping Ground for   What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday,    two  months in fact, so I thought it was about time I dropped by to say hello and see what you’re all up to.

I’ve been keeping myself busy with knitting (got the bug again after knitting baby bits for my God Daughter’s little girl) and my cross stitch of course, so at last I have something to share with you.

 I spotted this pattern in Hobbycraft and decided it was perfect for what I wanted.

 I got the wool in there too, Sirdar Freya, which is a brushed cotton that knits up chunky and warm, while remaining light weight. 

The finished article looks enormous and it is because I’m a rather large lady, but it fits perfectly and was just perfect.

In fact it was so perfect a fit that I brought the wool and knitted two more, using the pattern for the number of stitches and shaping but doing my own thing pattern wise.

 

I also have my next knitting project lined up, this edge to edge jacket. 

It’s done in a Mega Chunky mix of cotton and wool, which  I’m hoping will be perfect for Spring.  All I need to get are the 10mm which I’m lacking.  Don’t recall ever knitting on such large needles. I’ve chosen and deep shade of Aubergine for mine.

On to my cross stitch and Celtic Autumn is coming along nicely. 

All the actual cross stitch is finished and I’m in the process of stitching on the beads…..it’s so time consuming and tedious but so worth all the effort when it’s finished.

So that’s about it from me I think. 

I really should stop by more often I know,  but now that I’m not making cards and things I have very little to share each week and seeing the same piece of stitching week after week must get boring, but having said that, it doesn’t mean I don’t drop by to snoop in between my visits to Julia.

 I have just two more pictures to share with you before I go.

The first is of a Black Bird who was busily gorging himself on my Pyracantha (Firethorn).

 And the second is bird related too.

With Spring just around the corner and the birds busy building their nests, I decided to put out all my off cuts of wool in an olds feeder together with  all the fur that comes from BoJangles when I brush him.   Hopefully they will end up with soft, warm and pretty nests this year.

Happy Crafting!

Sue

x

 

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to pop in on this wet and very windy New Year’s Day and wish Julia, over at the  The Stamping Ground    and  all my friends who congregate there for What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday, a very Happy New Year.

I have to say, I’m glad to see the back of the old one because due to a few health issues it wasn’t that good.  It culminated in me giving up card making and finishing up my self-employed business and that’s the reason that my usually messy work desk that you’re used to seeing now looks like this.

 My cross stitch work in progress is sitting in the basket but most of the drawers that were on the table and the two spice racks that were full of brads and buttons have long gone.

I still intend to get back to scrapping the heritage album at some point, as far as cards go, it's being restricted to the ones  for the  LillyBo Quilt Project.

 
I haven’t been completely craftless since I went AWOL though, because I was stitching some things for Christmas

First I stitched this Joan Elliott chart called Wings of Heaven.

 She was originally stitched on Red with Gold threads but I think I like my combination better.

Next I finished off the Advent wall hanging that I started in 2012. All the cross stitch was done but I wasn’t brave enough to make the quilted backing for all the little pillows to hang from. 
Anyway, I finally took the bull by the horns and finished it off and although it wasn’t perfect, Haven House Children’s Hospice were more than happy with it when I gave it to them.

The final thing I made was a felt Christmas Stocking for my God Daughter Nichola’s little girl Ava, who’s almost five months old.

 
This is the fourth one of these I’ve hand stitched. 

The first two ( one for each of my God Daughters) were purchased when I was on holiday in Florida back in 1982 I think.
This was the first one I stitched. ( still not looking bad after 31 years)

I stitched Nichola's one the same year, then in 2009 I stitched one of Paul, Nichola’s then fiancé, so he wouldn’t feel left out.
And then along came Ava. 
 

Needless to say I’m hoping Nichola and Paul don’t have a large family!

   

Anyway, fingers crossed that I get back into the scrapbooking at some point during 2014 but at least I know my stitching will keep me occupied. 

Once again, a Happy, Healthy and very Crafty New Year to you all.

Sue

x

WOYWW 219 - Did you miss me?

Boy, have I had a fraught couple of weeks.

Getting on for three weeks ago, my poor 81 year old neighbour ( and BoJangles sitter)  Pat, tripped in her bedroom and managed to fracture her hip and her shoulder, resulting in a partial hip replacement, and since then myself and another of her friends have been back and forward to the hospital visiting because her two sons can't manage to visit until the weekends.  I would hate to think of her sitting there all week with no visitors.
Anyway, I'm pleased to say she's well on the mend and as of last Thursday she was supposed to be coming home...........then she wasn't.........then she was........then she wasn't again, but  not because she’s not ok.  It's all because they can’t sort out a care package for her….….apparently the London and Essex health authorities don’t communicate with each other.....it's so frustrating.

 

So with all that going on time for crafting has had to be snatched here and there when I’ve had half hour to spare and up until now there’s been nothing much to share with you, which is why I've not visited The Stamping Ground for    What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday  for a while.

But grabbing a little crafting time here and there can prove productive in the end and on my desk this week is the fruits of my labours….....….more cards for the   LillyBo Quilt Project . 

There are 33 this time round, bringing my grand total up to 101 cards in all and I think we are up to quilt 59 on the blog, which is just amazing,  so there should be enough cards to keep us going for a little while longer.

Here’s some close ups of the latest batch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve also managed to do some stitching in the evenings, mostly Disney squares for  Stitches Of Love And Kindness  and also I’ve done a bit more to my Celtic Autumn Lady. 

You can check out all of my stitching progress over at   I’d Rather Be Stitchin’   but here’s a quick peek at just one of the squares to wet your appetite.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and

 Happy Crafting!

Sue

x

 

 

 

 

WOYWW 215 –

Once again   Julia   is presiding over the weekly blog hop over at The Stamping Ground, so if you love a good old nosy around peoples work spaces as I do, then pop across and join in the fun.

This week my desk is all about cross stitch but before I show you what’s on there I really need to apologies to those that visited me last week and didn’t receive a return call from me. 

My usual strategy is to visit those who’s number ends the same as mine and those who call in on me, with a few ‘special’ friends thrown in for good measure but last week didn’t go to plan.  I started off ok but as the days passed things just seemed to get in the way of computer time and I failed miserably, so my promise to those I didn’t get to last week is that they will be the first I go to this week and I hope they forgive me.

So as I was saying, it’s cross stitch all the way this week.

 

With baby ‘Pip’s’ arrival still imminent I’ve still not been able to finish off the sampler, so I’ve been having a sort out of some threads and have stated a ‘Dumbo’ square for a SOLAK quilt

 

I plan to move on the August calendar panel that you can see at the back next, to finish that off before TUSAL (Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long) on August 5^th and then make a start on the cute Eeyore for the SOLAK quilt after that, so lots to keep me quiet.

That’s all I have to share with you this week, apart from some pictures of the latest batch of nineteen  cards for the  LillyBo Quilt cards   which are winging there way to JO as we speak.

 

Happy Crafting!

Sue

x

 

WOYWW 213 – 2 For 1

So here we are at Wednesday again and as you all know by now, it’s the day we share what’s on our work desks. 

You’re getting two for the price of one from me this morning because I have two work spaces to share with you.

The first is my usual desk in my craft room.

It’s not been used for crafting on very much recently but this morning I’ve made a start on some more cards for Jo’s   LillyBo Quilt Project

I’m thrilled for Jo, and amazed at how will her project has taken off and the generosity of everyone who has made quilts, more than one in many cases. 

My contribution has been the little gift cards that Jo is sending out with the quilts and having just received a case full of eleven quilts from Spain which you can read all about  Here , I thought I’d best make some more, otherwise she’ll run out and we can’t have that, can we.

 

The picture of my second work space was taken at 7.30 this morning when I was baking tiny cupcakes for my Goddaughter’s baby shower that’s being held on Saturday.

Ideally, I would have liked to make all the mini cakes for her afternoon tea on the day but with scones, cupcakes, chocolate éclairs and fruit tarts to make and two dozen of each, it would be too much of a rush for the 1pm start.  So this morning I decided  bake and put them in the freezer for a couple of days, that way I can get them out the night before and  just do the finishing off on the morning.

 

The picture shows the first batch of Vanilla cupcakes and the tiny Pink flowers that I’ve just cut from some coloured Pink Fondant Icing. The second dozen will be Lemon and Poppy Seed and have Blue Flowers because she doesn’t know what she’s having.

 

So there you have it!

I have to get back in the kitchen right now but as soon as I’m done I’ll be hopping across to Julia and The Stamping Ground  to see what’s on your desk this week.

 

Happy Crafting!

Sue

x

WOYWW 211 – Hola!

Yes, I'm just back from sunny Spain after a wonderfully relaxing week in Moraira and I’m here to share my desk with you and what a stark contrast it is to the ‘desk’ I was working at last week.

This is the photo taken last Wednesday.

And here’s my desk at home this morning………..not much difference, err?

So as you can see, last week I was sat by the pool, a large glass of Pimms to hand, and cross stitching with that beautiful view over the valley to the coast of Moraira with temps of around 26 to 28 degrees to deal with and this week I have an enormous pile of ironing to tackle.

 

C'est La vie.................a small price to pay for the wonderful week I spent with my very good friends Susan & Edd, my two Goddaughters, Kelly & Nichola and 'Pip'. (Nichola is expecting)

 

 

 

 

There are still seems to be a lot of beautiful ATC arriving on peoples desks for the WOYWW Anniversary, so I’m off to   The Stamping Ground  to do a spot of desk hopping and then I don’t think I can put off the ironing for much longer.

 

See you later and …………

Happy Crafting!

Sue

x