Stitching, Cats and Big Red!

Hi all! I had intended to post an update on Monday, but it didn't get done! I have a real good excuse this time! Honest!

My internet provider was down for part of day. So, you see it really wasn't my fault! Then the power went out for a few minutes. I waited all day for the internet provider to get things worked out. I called them a couple of times to see when the problem would be resolved, and waited very patiently and politely. (With my old provider, I was snarly and miserable, because we always had so many problems, dial-up, phone lines, it was endless misery!) Then Hubby came home after picking up his load, and for supper before taking off for California. My internet was still down, so Hubby called for me to try and see what the issue was. He spoke to a really nice girl and they were trying all kinds of trouble-shooting, only to realize that I had forgotten to push the reset button on the huge surge protector!! (see above mention of power outage!) Now again, in my defense, I wasn't here when the wireless router was installed (Hubby did that!) and don't remember if he mentioned that fact. Well, now I know! The look on his face was a combination of resignation and exapiration. I am used to that. Technology and all its accompanying cords defeat me.

On to the updates, and better late than never, right? Here is the second side of The Victorian Sampler Gingerbread Stitching House. I am LOVING working with silks!! But I have to make sure that my hands aren't rough! The silks really catch on every little thing!

This is the very first biscornu that I ever stitched, but I never finished it! I couldn't figure out why it was so hard to sew together! I had a tutorial up and was following the instructions, but it still was very hard to do! I put it away to work on at a later date, and promptly forgot about it. I was between projects, and starting to go thru my stash and found it again. So I decided it was time to put it together. As I looked at it I realized that I had only used one strand of floss for the backstitched border around the design. No wonder I was having trouble whipstitching! Trying to get the needle under one strand was a exercise in frustration! After I removed the one strand and replaced it with 2 stands of floss, things went much better. As a matter of fact, I finished it that night! A UFO done!

Here is my first ornament for an ornament SAL, going for the whole year. We do one a month, and at the end of the year, we should have 12 ornaments finished! I have the stitching done, but not the actual finishing. I think I need to chat with the finisher, aka Mom! LOL!

I had a picture of my Spring Carousel Horse, but it was blurry when I looked at the photo on my computer, so that will have to wait! I only finished a few leaves, so there wasn't really that much to report anyways.

Here are some pictures of my kitties!

Chloe is very playful and likes to get into michief!! The only plant that I have and haven't managed to kill, she tries to eat!! It is my gardenia plant!

Here is Princess Periwinkle who is not at all happy with the new one! She is my baby!

Here is Hubby's buddy, Copper! This is the usual scene! All he does is sleep and eat! And snore!! Typical male!!

Now for my GRAND FINALE!! My Dad and I love to watch the birds, and he has taken special delight in telling me that he has a woodpecker at his place that I don't! He has named him "Big Red"! Everytime I was over there, I'd ask where this woodpecker was, and Dad would inform me that he had already been there! I accused Dad that he was lying! LOL! Well, I now have my own "Big Red"!! I have been trying for two weeks to get a shot of this shy giant, and Monday managed to shoot him!! Here he is!! The red-bellied woodpecker! (I'm not sure where his red belly is, but m bird book informs me that this is his name!) He actually looks like he was spray-painted with flourescent paint!

I have come to the end of the update. I am working on Part 18 of Castles in the Air, and hope to be done today. Then I would like to start Brooke's Books Winter House Challange, until February 1, when I need to work on another ornament and EMS 2010 Flower SAL afghan. Hope all is well with everyone, and the weather is good where you are! Till next time!

New Year, New SAL

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I know we did here, but we were very busy! Went up to Peterborough to spend Christmas with my sister and her hubby! We all got spoiled rotten! Chloe even came with us. She was just a little too young to be left home!

And, yes, I am one of those that likes to dress up the pets! Just a photo of my DD and Chloe in their Santa hats! Doesn't Chloe look thrilled?

This is the ornament I made for the new little one, Korbin, son of my Baby Sis! Again, thanks Mom, aka my finisher! LOL!

And the back!

I got some new stash just before Christmas! DD and I headed off to the big city to finish up some last minute gift card shopping, and stopped in the LNS! Had a gift certificate to use up, and it must be used in one visit, sooo, I chose this one! I have a real collection going of gingerbread themed projects! My family LOVES gingerbread cookies! And I would love to make a few for display in my kitchen!

I got a new pair of scissors for Christmas from Hubby and DD! I love these! The Sonia pattern from Ginger!!

Here is the progress on my Spring Carousel Horse. The bottom left portion of the trellis! I just started the other day, after a couple months of being put down trying to catch up on others!

Here is the latest installment of Papillon Creations' SAL Castles in the Air.

A close-up of the mermaid! Now just waiting for the next installment.

I have started a new SAL! I asked for and received for Christmas two afghans to cross stitch on! Thanks Mom! This is last years EMS Flower SAL. I had collected them all every month faithfully, and was going to save up my money to purchase the afghans, but my Mom told me to wait for Christmas! Here is January's Carnation. An alphabet was included, but I'm not too fussy about it, so I am looking for something cursive, a little more flowery, if you will! If I can't find anything, I will attempt to come up with my own.

In my stocking this year, I got a gift card for Chapter's book store! I went in to Chapter's up in Peterborough, but couldn't find any books that I wanted. But online, they have way more in stock, and at much cheaper prices! So I bought myself some reference books! I have wanted to branch out with my stitching, and these come highly recommended!

I have the first PageMap's book, so the second was a must have!

I don't have any new bird pictures this month! But I hope to soon! We have new binoculars and I got a bird reference book for Christmas from my sister and her hubby! I have no excuse for not knowing the names of birds! LOL!
I hope everyone has a good day, and I will try to be better about updating more often!