How Does Your Garden Grow? Quite Well, Actually!

Finished one SAL!! Yeah! I loved how Papillon Creations How Does Your Garden Grow came together! I must confess, though, that went on ahead with this one! I stitched it thru my LNS, http://www.threadneye.com/ , where I just got Part 11, but I have had this one saved to my computer for over a year. When I saw the end in sight, I just went for it! Here it is!

Part 11

Part 12

And here it is in its entirety!

I even finished the bullion knots! Not bad for my first try! This SAL has been claimed by my DD, Samantha. It was her idea to use the purples and greens on the blue. It was stitched on 25 ct Wedgewood Blue Lugana using GAST Purple Iris, Hyacinth, Jasmine, Baby Spinach, and Crescent Colours Purple Aster and Spinach, with Mill Hill Seed Beads in white (#00479). Thanks again to Thread'N'Eye for hosting this SAL!

I joined a new group, and I have to say that they are WAY more talented then me! But I try my best. We have a group project, a TW bookmark to complete by June 1. I started it last night, but am having difficulty with it because it is not on a grid completely. I am really struggling with this one. Here are the colours I have chosen.

This one is being stitched on Antique White 28 ct evenweave using Caron Waterlilies #207 Bermuda Reef, GAST Huckleberry and Tutti Fruitti. Now, I am not normally into blues, but I love the turquoise range of blues. It is one of my favourite colours, along with pinks and reds. Please wish me luck as I navigate this one!

That's all for now, but I hope to have an update on my other SAL's and projects in the near future. I also have to make a baby album and assorted scrapping projects in the coming months. More on that later! ( I am under a gag order, but had to give a small hint! And no, it's not me! Hubby might have a few questions for me if that's the case! LOL!)

Obsess Much? And a scare!

Yes, I do obsess! About many things, but this blog is about my creative endeavors. So, we will discuss my current stitching obsession, Spring Carousel Horse by TW Design Works. I am loving how this one is coming together. My Mom gave me an early birthday present, a needle organizer by pako! It is much easier to stitch larger pieces with all your needles already threaded! I had to put it down to work on my SAL's, or else I would be so far behind. I finished the mane and head last night, and am now reluctantly putting it down again to work on the SAL's.

Now I just have to work on the border around it and then the backstitch. It is really weird, but I am not that fond of real horses, but I have always loved the carousel! I went horse-back riding once, and it kind of scared me! They are huge, especially when sitting on one. But my DD loves riding horses and has taken lessons for about 8 years. And watching her canter scares the daylights out of me! But she loves it, and is really gaining confidence. She walks, trots, canters and jumps the horses she rides. She has even fallen off a few times. After a few tears, she gets right back up on the horse and continues on. I envy her persistence! And I applaud it!

Here is Part 10 of Papillon Creations 2009 SAL Castles in the Air. This one is lovely and I am learning so many new stitches. Her diagrams are wonderful.

Here is the left side.

And here is the right side.

1 Now, I had set down my How Does Your Garden Grow by Papillon Creations, 2008 SAL, because of the bullion knots and I had a counting mistake and the right side top corner was off in Part 6. I set it down so I could breathe and regain my composure!! Kept putting it off, then out came Part 10! I hunkered down and got caught up. Now I took pictures of all the parts after I finished each section, but I won't bore you with all of them. Here it is up to Part 10.

I took this photo a couple weeks ago, and a beautiful, sunny, warm, windless day in SW Ontario.

I went out on the porch to go for a walk to end of the driveway to go get the mail and this is what I found about 10 feet away on the driveway! A foot and half long eastern hog nose snake!! Now I walked right back into the house, then grabbed my camera and snapped a photo of this little treat!! And ran right back into the house like the girl I am!! I don't like snakes! I hate snakes! I loath snakes! I understand that I live out in the country in a rural area, and animals will sometimes roam close, but why can't it be deer or fluffy bunnies? I emailed the picture to a couple people, my Hubby and sister. Thank heavens, my BIL knew what kind of snake it was, because I panic and over-react! (He asked me that the next time I photograph it, could I make sure I get a photo of its face! I think the next time I see him, I will punch him in the nose!!) My first thought was "is this thing poisonous?" I freaked out and shuddered for about 2 hours! I was useless! I watched it slither away into the grass. When it came time for my DD to get home, I drove down the driveway to get her off the bus and grab the mail. Now I will leave you with this visual. It was warm, so I have on shorts and a sweatshirt, and as I don't own rubber boots, I put on my puffy blue winter boots, and scurried to the SUV. Needless to say, my DD laughed at me when I explained why I drove down to get her off the bus on a cloudless day! Thanks for looking!