Chardonnay - A new start

This is my new start, I started this last night. It's a canvas work project from West End Embroidery, which I bought at Harrogate last weekend. I have admired and resisted their projects for a long time, but I fell in love with this one, as it's nice and Christmassy. it's stitched with DMC#8, Kreinik braid, Threadworx in Candy Cane, and Rainbow Gallery Neon Rays. It's stitching up pretty fast too, but I'm not sure on what I will do with it when it's finished. Any ideas apart from framing, or a cushion? It won't be made into a cushion, as there are lots of long stitches, and a cushion would not be practical for this. So, please share your ideas with me. Thanks for reading.

I'm planning on a few new starts, so keep watching. My next one will be tomorrow, when I start a SAL with Sally.

Beading

If you've been one of my regular readers for a long time, you'll know I love beads. I just love beads, although I've not added beads to so many things this year. Now last week at the NEC I saw this bracelet kit, and couldn't resist buying it. It's basically knitted using very fine wire and the beads are incorporated. I thought knitting with wire would be a little tricky, but found it really easy, and this was whizzed up in about an hour. I don't think that I'll wear it very much, but that's not the point is it?

I had a great time at the Knitting and Stitching show on Saturday. I met up with Colette, and then met up with Lisa, it's so nice to put a face to a blog. LOL

And what did I buy, well that would be telling, you'll have to wait.

A needleroll finish

I made this needleroll last month for Hannah in the HOE needleroll exchange. I didn't actually join in the exchange, but Hannah's partner disappeared, so I offered to send her an exchange. This needleroll is partly from Carol Tinson's needleroll, which appeared in the Gift of Stitching in the summer. I missed a couple of the bands off, and then in the centre I used part of a JN design. I used DMC variations and B5200. The variations were chosen by my DD, and I was really pleased with the result.

Well, I hope everyone is doing well, in our cold snap. I've just come home in snow! My PC tells me it's 4C outside. Brrr!

Last Saturday whilst I was at the NEC, it turns out there were other bloggers there, namely Clare, Lindsay, Andrea and I can't remember who else! How about we all meet up,if we go again next year? Although I did hope to meet up with Clare, but I just didn't have enough time because of the delay in getting there.

Tomorrow, I will be going to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Harrogate, so I'm looking forward to that. I already have plans to buy fabric and scissors, and who knows what else. I've arranged to meet the lovely Colette from Col's Creations

Christmas Ornament received

Look at the wonderful exchange package I received from Carol. I love all of it, and the ornament is exquisite, so delicate, which is what I like. Carol put a bell inside so that it jingles-wasn't that a great idea. Carol included a wonderful handmade beaded scissor keep, and marker pens. And look I've got some of those thread drops with my name on, I've drooled over those when I've seen them on blogs. There was also finishing fabric, stitching fabric and thread, and also a reel of red velvet ribbon, which somehow escaped being photographed. Please visit Carol's blog to see better photographs. Unfortunately I'm only home when it's dark.

Thank you Carol.

And a big sorry to my secret partner, as I haven't posted mine yet, but the organiser is aware.

I've got a Bourse

I made a wish on the Make A Wish board (where else) for a bourse, and Amy granted my wish. I received this lovely bourse, but I don't think my photo's do it justice, it's a pretty lilac colour, and the outside fabric has little hearts on it. When I saw the inside it put a big smile on my face. I love it.

On the stitching front, nothing to show, and no stitching done! I went to the Crafts for Christmas show yesterday at the NEC and really enjoyed it, even though it took 4 hours to get there on the coach, due to the heavy traffic. There was a raffle on the coach and I was lucky enough to be a winner. I won a great big bag full of card making stuff, I do make cards occasionally so I'm sure we'll (dd and I) will be making some soon. I didn't buy a real lot there, one stitching chart, some magazines, 6 strings of beads for beadmaking, but I may be adding some to ornaments if I get the chance. I also bought a bracelet kit, a pork pie, some nuts, and some danish pastries.

Next weekend I'll be going the Knitting & Stitching show at Harrogate, so another day out, I plan on buying some fabric.

Christmas Ornament received.

I made a wish for a Christmas Ornament on the 'Make A Wish' board, and Shelleen chose to grant me my wish. Shelleen discovered I liked snowmen, and stitched this cute ornament from this years Just Cross Stitch Ornament magazine. It's so cute. This was the ornament my dd chose out of the magazine for me to stitch, and Shelleen has saved me a job. Thank you very much. I love it.

For a long time I have been unable to upload my stitching photo's to Webshots, it was just not compatible with Linux, it was also difficult to view other peoples photo's, I could usually see the album, but when you click on a photo to look in more detail, the photo was blank. Recently I noticed this problem seemed to have gone away. Anyway, yesterday I thought I'd try to upload photo's, and low and behold it works now. Yay. So now, I need to get all my pics found and added, not that I really have time for this, but it is nice to have all your photo's in one place. I've now added the link back to my sidebar. And when I get organised I hope to add a wish/trade/sell page too.

Thank you all for your comments on My treasure workstation, I've never had so many comments. I really appreciate your comments, and if you visit without leaving a comment, I appreciate you too. I don't leave comments much myself due to time restraints-I'd never get any stitching done, but I do look at all your wonderful pictures.

Biscornu gift

I made a small biscornu as a gift for Carol and it arrived the other day. The fabric was some left over from a recent exchange that I made Carol, and the thread is Dragon Floss. I found two large pearls which I stitched on either side. The Pattern is a free one, and is different on the other side. I forgot to take photo's, so I stole this from Carol's blog, I hope she doesn't mind.

It's finished

My Treasure Workstation
by Judy Odell
Stitched on 32ct Cameo Rose Linen
with DMC threads

This is the result of my online finishing class. I really enjoyed putting this together. Unfortunately I had to take the photo's under electric light. On my pictures the colours do not look right, but as I can't see what it looks like to you, I can't really say if they look right for you. LOL This project was over 7 months, 6 monthly installments of stitching, and then the final finishing class. I did not start stitching mine at the beginning, as I couldn't make my mind up on colours. My original colour choices, were nothing like this. Think pinks and lilacs, these were my original choices, with baby blue linen, or baby pink linen, but this was what I ended up with. I am pleased with my final colour choice, and although it looks Christmassy, it is not red, but deep rust in colour.

I now must think about finishing my Garden casket and accessories. And I can't wait for the next Designing Ladies. I'm sure I'll be joining in.

Weekend plans

This is the plan for the weekend, to make this up. It's the online finishing class today and tomorrow. Wish me luck, and no mess.