Happy Dance! Tanglewood Completed! Great IHSW Weedkend!

The epic journey of Tanglewood has been completed as of today.  With the IHSW weekend, I managed to finish the clouds off and think about what to do with the stain.  So today, I added my name and year to the bottom, and stitched a butterfly to cover the stain.  I tinkered with my initials over it but the stain would not have been covered very well, hence why I chose the wee lil' butterfly to float into my Tangelwood! The stain will be a fond reminder of my darling Lucy and not at all a blemish to the piece.  I remember all the trials and tribulations I had whilst stitching Tanglewood, and I can hardly wait to find the perfect frame for my first major project!

HAPPY DANCE!!

Started February 2011, Finished August 22, 2011

Stitched on 32 Sandstone Linen with Carrie's Threads

Not only did I complete Tanglewood on Sunday, but I also worked on the Queen's Sampler.  The Queen is nearly complete and I only have a few more motifs to add and it too will be finished!

My brain is already over flowing with ideas for new smalls for this autumn and winter.  Along with Chatelaine's Tiny Rose Mandala, HAED's Tea Bath Fairy, I think I will start on a cute autumn pumpkin and crow pattern that is a freebie (from where I don't know and if you do let me know!), and start on Shepherd's Bush Tiny Garden. With a massive finish like I had today, I feel the need to tackle more!!

Take care!

Anne

Back from Camping: Two Part Post

Part 1: Good News Post

My view

Hello everyone! It has been awhile since I have been in blogland.  Trying to catch up on everyone's posts, but blogger is being stupid and not updating my blog roll! So I have to go to my dashboard and individually click on people's blogs to see if there are updates! Anywho, technical blogger issues aside, I have come back from a week camping and cycling in Porpoise Bay, BC.  My husband and I visited Porpoise Bay last year for our anniversary and loved it so much, we just had to return! This time, we had a whole week to relax and camp and cycle back and forth into Sechelt (which is about a 10-15km ride everyday). When we weren't in town, I relaxed on the beach and enjoyed the beautiful weather and the quiet peace you can't get in the city.  Wow could I breathe better!! No stuffed nose!

My Man boy flying kite

I have to say this: My husband is an AMAZING camper!! He is like the MacGuyver of camping!! Not only did he pitch the tent and set up everything, but he cooked everyday, started the fire, fixed bikes with his tools, made a cover for our tent in case it rained with fishing wire and electrical tape, carried massive amounts of weight on his bike (mainly beer and ice), set up a washing line, cleaned the dishes (although I helped) and made sure I was comfortable.  Who could ask for a better man?!!!!

Hwaja chilling at the beach

Our friends joined us the following weekend, as well as my Uncle Peter.  We had a blast exploring the forests and the salmon spawning grounds.  Our friends brought their little Chihuahua named Hwaja and he got his camp on!! He loved every minute of it and was such a good little doggie!
The only thing he didn't like was being told not to wander off to the other cyclists camps.  He wanted free range!!

Here are some more photos of my trip.

Witches hazel growing on trees, means the air is fresh here

Salmon spawning grounds

Beautiful boats lined up by the shore at Davis Bay

Hubby riding up epic hill

It was a lovely trip and I am quite proud of myself for cycling all the way there and back.  My legs were like jelly when I arrived home, but it felt amazing.

When we arrived home, I had the best mail ever! First, Teresa, from Teresa's Heartfelt Stitches, sent me her Shepherd's Bush chart Tiny Gardens!! How generous of her and I can't wait to start this adorable little pattern! I'm thinking that once I'm finished with the chart, I can send it off to the next person who would love to stitch it too! Make it a traveling pattern?! The next RAK, is from my good friend Joyce, from Random Ramblings.  We have developed a lovely friendship and she has been so kind as to send me some of her 25 count lugana for stitch HAED patterns with! I couldn't believe how kind both these ladies are and I hope to use their charts and fabric really soon!! Hugs to you both!!! 

Fabrics and chart from Teresa and Joyce!

Also I need to add that Joyce is hosting this month's ISHW!! So hop over to her blog and join in the fun! I won't be able to hermit until Sunday but I can't wait to hunker down and do some stitching.


Okay, onto Part Two: Bad News

After a wonderful camping trip, our beloved cat, Lucy aka Luchia, passed away at my Nana's home.  We left her with my Nana, knowing that when we came back, we would have to make the tough decision to put her down.  She was 17 years old at least.  She could have been much older.  I think she waited until we came home to go to sleep.  It was Wednesday early afternoon, when she took her last breath.  My darling Lucy, you were loved so much and we can't believe you are gone.  My precious orange creamcycle kitty, I will miss your purrs, head butts, little paws, your meows, your love and affection. 
We are beside ourselves with grief and it is surreal for us to have her gone.  Today I have stopped crying because I need to be happy for my friend who is getting married tomorrow.  It will be good to distract myself and think of something else. 
She is buried under a tree and her little spirit will live in that tree.  Here she is a few years ago.  I can't post recent pictures of her, because she was so thin and it hurts me to see her like that.  I want to remember her like this:

Take care, love your family and animals because we never know when they can go.

Anne

Wedding Heart Framed, Sunshine Coast Here I Come!!!!!

I arrived back in Vancouver on Thursday and spent the day holding my hubby close to me.  We missed each other so much after twelve days, we didn't want to be parted again. After a day and night of snuggling, I spent my Friday traveling on stinky transit :( I really didn't like being back in the city, especially on the skytrain.  It made me tense again, trying to jostle in and out of the skytrain, buses, and stores.  Because I am so small, people tend to bump into me and actually run me over!! With my shoulders tender, I found my way to Michael's so I could find the perfect frame for my friend's wedding heart that I finished in Prince George.  With a lot of humming and hawing for 15 minutes over one so-so frame, I glanced up and saw a gorgeous hanging frame on the side!!! I grabbed it with glee, placed my piece inside to see the effect, and was overjoyed to find that it fight PERFECTLY!!! YAY!  With my frame in hand I also decided to pick up the 30 + DMC threads for an HAED pattern that my mother bought for me!!! It will be my first HAED piece ever! I can see the addiction to those patterns and I have already made a wishlist with beautiful pieces that I dream of completing. Anywho, HAED obsession aside, when I arrived at the counter to pay for my purchases, they had a 15% teacher discount flier! Whoohoo!!!

Ashley's Wedding Heart

I added the little heart charms to the pattern for a personal touch. I think they look gorgeous, even though I couldn't manage to lay them perfect, they are charming!

In other stitching news, I did actually throw some stitches into Tanglewood's sky.  I'm nearly finished so I will wait til it is all completed to reveal the finished piece.  But that won't be until later on this month.  I won't be able to keep up with anyone's blog or my own until after August 21st.  I have tried to comment on everyone's blog, but I am very far behind! Thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post.  Your comments encourage me to stitch more and to finish my pieces!! So again thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Tea Bath Fairy, isn't she darling?!

Tiny Rose Mandala by Chatelaine, Freebie

Oh, and I also started another Chatelaine freebie, Tiny Rose Mandala, stitched on 32 ct Opalescent Lugana.  I find this fabric very hard to work with because it is so stiff, but I really like the sparkles!!!!

My morning sun on the side of my parents' house, PG, BC

Take care and happy stitching!!!

Vacation, Bec's Giveaway, Mad Stash

Hello everyone! Welcome to my new followers! Thank you for reading my blog and deciding its somewhat interesting enough to follow. 

Bec from Bec's Cross Stitch Creations is having an amazing giveaway! She is very talented and her blog is always a lot of fun to read, so you should head over there and congratulate her and join in her giveaway!!

So here I am in Prince George, on my parent's computer, which is taking some time to get used to, wondering what happened to the sun? We get a bit of sun, then suddenly RAIN.  Like torrential RAIN!! The rain that falls is the kind that comes and goes in a split second.  I kind of like it though because it reminds me of my broody teenage years listening to Ani DiFranco or The Cure looking out my window and being all wispy about life.  It leaves a wonderful scent on the grass and pavement and is the kind of rain you want to run around in (which I've yet to do but will if it comes again!).  Anywho, I am enjoying my visit here but it would be nice to get some more Vitamin D! I wish I could ask the clouds to go visit the rest of Canada and the USA to let all of you cool down a bit.  Hopefully soon the heat wave will let up.

Misty chewing on a bone

Now, my mother pulled out loads of old stitching and stash.  Some of it was mine, but mostly hers.  It was like shopping in my room!!! So much fun going through all her bits of fabric, buttons, trim, threads, patterns and scissors!! I am taking quite a bit back with me and  thinking of saving some of the aida and patterns for a future giveaway because neither she nor I will use it and it should go to a good home.  I have worked a teeny tiny bit on my projects, but my visit has not allowed me a lot of stitching time.

One of the many Precious Moments I stitched when a teen

Made this for a girl in Uganda who passed away. Very sad.

Red aida and some kind of evenweave

Kreinik, sharp scissors and a box of buttons

A pattern I bought but would like to giveaway, I'll set that up another time

My mom started this, I think I'll finish it as a pin pillow

Nearly done.  Contemplating how to do initials and the date

Leaves almost done.  Not sure how to cover the stain

Take care and happy stitching!!!



Carving on a tree

An Award, Lace, Lavender, Tiny Progress

So first up I must give a big thank you to Teresa from Teresa's Heartfelt Stitches for awarding me the most stylish blogger award.  I was pleasantly surprised to be awarded anything!! Now since I have been busy like a bee, and blogging takes time which cuts into my minimal stitching time, therefore I have been remiss with following the rules.  At the end of this post I will award a few blogs that I enjoy reading because so many of the ones I read have already been awarded! Thanks again Teresa!!!

I also have to give a BIG HUG to Denise from Riverside Stitching for sending me an inordinate amount of lace!!! Look at them all!!!

 Now I have to make a lot more smalls and other projects to use all those lovely trims!!

Onto stitching news.  Not much to report. Sigh.  But I have done some stitching! I started stitching my friend's wedding heart, but frogged out the bit I did because I didn't like the Anchor White that I had in my stash since I was a teen.  The floss was really fluffy and didn't lay properly.  So I used Gentle Arts Sampler Thread Oatmeal which is pretty much the same as the white.  Luckily I had this thread because I only have four choices of specialty threads!! I like it much better because it isn't fluffy and it stitches nicely.  

I won't bother with pictures of the 3 or 4 leaves I stitched onto Tanglewood.  Not worth showing.  I managed to fill up the queen's skirt a bit more than before.

Here's a picture of my TUSAL threads.  I decided to follow that SAL along even though it was too late to enter.  I kind of like how the threads look in my pretty white porcelain cup.

Everything else

Tanglewood TUSAL

Some lavender that I collected.  Lavender is one of my favourite flowers and I can't get enough of it!

I would love to pass the Stylish Blog Award to these blogs.
1. Joyce from Random Ramblings
2. Rhona from Tangled Threads
3. Bec from Bec's Cross Stitch Creations
4. Sana from Tussie Mussie
5. Lesleyanne from Lesleyanne's Life of Stitches
6. Lissanne from Lissanne Creations and Stitching
7. Jo from Serendipitous Stitching

The rules are very simple:

1. Thank the person who has awarded you.
2. List seven things about yourself.
3. Pass  the award to 15 other stylish bloggers.

What I really like about the award is learning a bit about everyone.  Here are my seven things about myself:

1. Born in city of Vancouver, raised in the countryside of Prince George (got the best of both worlds)
2. Can play piano, guitar but never took lessons
3. Danced Ukrainian dancing from age 8-16
4. I can speak French somewhat and some Russian
5. I started stitching at age 8 or 9 and was obsessed with stitching Precious Moments designs...gave them all away to family
6. I'm addicted to french fries and would take them over chocolate
7. Have read almost every book by a Russian author, War and Peace is still remaining.

There you have it!! Happy Stitching and until next time, I will be up in Prince George visiting my family!! Pray for sunshine!!