Sunday 31 August 2014

Sorry its a too secret to show!





I wish I had something to show you all!  This has got to be a first for me!! I have been really busy all day preparing 'surprise' things for people.. I  cannot show you any of them as I do not want to spoil the fun! Ssshhhhhhh!!


All will be revealed soon.....

ha ha you can make some guesses if you like?  It will be fun reading what you all think!

OK... ha ha ha going now!

Smiles to you all!

xx :) xx

Saturday 30 August 2014

I have such lovely friends.....

I thought today was going to be one of those days... you know where everything is a blur and passes by so quickly.

I could not of been so wrong....

It all started when the postman knocked on the door, now this is unusual as letters go through the letter box so he hardly knocks... unless there are packages.  Yes!! A package!!  And wait... it was for me!!! eeeeeeekkk!!! 

So yes you guessed it... off I went jumping up and down up the corridor doing my happy dance!  I am so pleased we have nets up!  ha ha 

I love post... as if you did not guess!  This was special post ... the post mark was USA!! Eeeekkkk!!!  How wonderful I thought :)

I have a wonderful stitching/blogging friend ... Frances from A Symphony Of Stitches.

I have been following Frances's blog from nearly the start and I was lucky enough to win her first ever giveaway too... Frances is such a lovely person.. I comment regular on her blog and we have become good friends.  She pops in here regular too and I love her comments! :)  Oooh yes go visit her blog as she has just adopted the most cutest cat from her local shelter... its adorable.

Here is the lovely package Frances sent me...



I could not believe it!!! The bee fabric is something I really loved on her blog!  Its adorable.  A little note book with my initial.. I popped straight into my hand bag!  Some cute purple buttons and 2 lovely Prairie Schooler charts I simply adore.



Look!!! And the most cutest Prairie Schooler bee chart too....



The postman dropped it off and I loved it all so much I started to create something.... Look I stitched the bee!



A close up...



So then I had some lunch and thought what to make it into... came up with this...
Front...



Back...



I had so much fun making this.. Thank You so much Frances!  Han loved it and has now claimed it!!


I just wanted to mention that I have seen the very sad news that Debbie Faris Bryant has died... my heart goes out to her family at this time.  

She popped in on my blog and we chatted a few times and were friends on Facebook too... many people knew and liked her.... she will be missed.

Such a sad day.

Thank You all for stopping by to see me..

Smiles xx

Friday 29 August 2014

Happy Birthday to my dad :)



Yes it was my dad's birthday today.... we met for coffee and a chat then later I went over for coffee and cake in the afternoon with Han... Jon was not up to it so we just brought cake back for him :)

My dad is Welsh... and incidentally so in Jon.. so a bit of Welsh for my dad :)


A while back Jon bought me this Welsh kit.... so I think I will stitch it for my dad's Christmas gift.  He can put it on the wall in his study to remind him of Wales.


So what have I been doing today??  That is apart from eating yummy cake?  Hmmm I know but its good healthy cake... as my dad is diabetic!  And I had just one slice!

I have been experimenting with things again... it all started when I visited Frances blog and saw she was stitching Christmas things!  So inspired I set about to create something myself!

Its quirky and not perfect but it was a lot of fun to make :)



I made it with a scrap piece of fabric and I think it turned out ok.  And funnily enough the chart and the tinsel trimming was part of a gift that was sent to me originally by Frances for winning one of her giveaways... oooh a little while back now.  

Its also the first attempt at a circle ornament ... I padded it on the snow man side too... all experimental!  I like to experiment... its ok that is quirky too as its for me, family and friends!  Its not like I am selling it... oh that is something I 100% admire.  Designers and stitchers that finish people's stitching for a living are incredible.  The skills they have and have learned ... so inspiring.  I try!

Jon surprised me today with a little happiness... see been a little down... just me trying to hide it and carry one.  But Jon must of sensed it and thought he would cheer me up!  Look what arrived for me... you all know I love sheep!


And this one... 


And not sure if your all aware but I am slowly collecting the Little Sheep Virtues.. I now have 1 to 9... 


These are taking a while to collect.. but that is OK as I want to stitch them all together as one design...  They are just so cute... you think?

And then I had another surprise!  Just turned into one happy surprise day!  A while ago .. hmmm well over a month ago now I won 2 competitions on Facebook.. charts from the designers!  Marvelous!  And to be honest I had forgotten all about them... they turned up today...


I feel so lucky to have these things .... and such a lovely husband too.

Ooh yes!! I wanted to re-introduce you all to Trevor... Trevor the tredmill!!  My 'friend' to help me make my left knee stronger and hopefully me fitter too.  I am going to make more of an effort to exercise ... yes been slacking :(  I have to get back into the right mind set again.... I CAN and WILL do this.


So tomorrow I will be stitching more... ha ha of course I will be!  I think back onto my cute sheep design that Kim sent me :) 

Oooh yes and Catherine, my next Round Robin partner..... I have finished your stitch and I really like it, just hope you do!  Putting some bits together to go with it then I will post it tracking international .. this way I know where it is as I have found I worry!

Talking of the Round Robin... its wonderful... I am really enjoying it... I have a tab at the top of my blog and in there is all the things I have sent and received.  If you want to take a look :)

Well happy stitching to you all...

Smiles :)

xx

Wednesday 27 August 2014

Happy Post Day :)


Hello friends... 

Today was going to be a 'normal' day.. until the postman arrived... as per usual he got here just after midday.. we must be last on the list.

So yes... the postman arrived and I got a parcel!! A parcel!!! 

cue the happy dance... and yes I did dance around my house!! lol

It was from Chris and Always Smiling Blog....

So a little while ago I entered a giveaway... fingers crossed on winning the wonderful stitched project for a 6th Blogaversary I thought.  The design was really pretty and the words that were stitched were lovely.. actually something I thought I would say to Han, I thought.  The design was called... "Dandy Dreams" by Silver Creek Sampler.

Here is the original one taken from Chris's blog.... 


Its stunning... really pretty I thought having never seen it before or anything by this designer.  I really love the words and the whole look of it too.

The lovely Chris then made it into a wonderful pillow for me.... oooh yes and sent some goodies with it too :)

I just could not stop smiling...



Just the cutest scissors ever!


Ooooh and a Lizzie Kate chart... my fist one I might add!  Its lovely :)


WOW!! Its wonderful.... even more pretty close up... I LOVE it.


Here is the contents of my happy post parcel... look even a lovely card too :)  Thank You ever so much Chris :)







OK so now I have this massive smile on my face.....

should show you how my sheep are coming along, they are just so cute.

Started...




So this is where I am so far....

I had to stop work just for a little while on these adorable sheep... just a little while as I have been given my next Round Robin partner :)  yippppppeeeee!!  

My next partner is Catherine from I Love To Stitch blog... I pretty much have free reign over this next one... just not to use orange!  Sorry I cannot show you what I am stitching...oh no.... see its a secret! sssshhhh!!  But I will show you all one it has been receive :)  If you want to see what other Round Robin things I have been stitching and what has been sent to me.. here is the quick link to where I am keeping hem all... HERE





So that is it really....

Take care everyone...

Remember to smile :)

xx

Monday 25 August 2014

Happy Bank Holiday Monday :)



Hello friends..

Thought I would share my most favorite photo to you all... yes its Han and me!  It was taken during our little jaunt to Amsterdam at the start of the year.  It just makes me smile every time I look at it so this is why I am sharing it with you all.... it makes me happy :)

So continuing on with the sharing theme, thought I would share some more things with you all....

Well my parents are away in their caravan for a few days... I received an email from my dad... all that was in it was this photo!!


My mum then phoned me and said that dad bought this for her for dinner!! EEEEEkkk I have never seen such a massive crab!  It is sitting on a large dinner plate!  Huge!!  

Han and I yesterday went to a Chinese supermarket called Wing Yip... its about an hour away from us, it was a nice drive.  Han being Han took some random photo's so thought I would share them too....

Sticking with the 'fish' theme!  Ha ha... yes its alive, but look at the size of it..


And this one... I am no way brave enough to try this!!


Looks interesting though... you think?


Sharing my diner today!  I made a lovely vegetable spicy stir fry with noodles.... mmmm 


And now sharing what I have stitched today...

Its thanks to Kim for sending me these rather cute sheep designs :)

I started earlier today, I am stitching a word as the cute sheep are part of an alphabet... any ideas on the word yet??!


A bit closer...


And one letter and sheep finished....


Any idea on the word?  I will give you all a clue this letter is I and its the middle letter of a 5 letter word.

The fabric I am stitching on is a bit of dyed fabric I found I ordered ages ago from Polstitches.. its lovely.  

Onto stitching the next letter....

I hope you are all well and happy :)

Smiles :)

xx  :) xx

Sunday 24 August 2014

So proud :)


Oh my gosh!! 

I am so so excited to tell you all that I have finished the Blue Ribbon Design "Garden Sampler".... yippppeeee!! 

I would like to show you my journey stitching this wonderful design... I loved it.  Sure I stitched other little things in between.. but I got there in the end!  I feel so proud to of actually finished it.

Start... to finish hope you like it :)













Not very good light I am afraid... 

I hope you liked my journey with this design... I did!

Jon thinks I should make this into a project bag... hmmm not sure I could, its too nice!  And I think I would prefer it on my wall... seeing as I do not have any on my wall yet!  Yes!! This will be the first! :)

Tomorrow is a new day and Bank Holiday Monday here... I may just crack on with another design tomorrow and try to finish that too!

Ooooh got this stitching thing bad now.... its because I have finished one I think, its such a lovely happy feeling.

Until tomorrow.... happy stitching!

Smiles to you all :)