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Sunday, January 29, 2012

A time of Introspection (Plus an Update, of course!)

Hi all!  I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and had time to spend with loved ones, eating, drinking and laughing!  And stitching of course!
I have spent the last month thinking about my stitching and my blog, trying to come to grips with what I wanted to accomplish this year.(which is why it has taken me so long to update!)  I seriously considered a rotation of stitching projects (of which there are many, lol), but then I realized that over the last year I had finished quite a bit!  I finished 12 ornaments and 8 other stitching projects, including a new type of stitching, Hardanger!  One of those projects was a two year commitment, Castles In The Air, which I kept up on, to my surprise!  I like routines, but I also like the freedom to choose, and lets be honest, this is my hobby.  Why should I make it stressful for myself?  So I am going to continue on the way I am going with my stitching, and update when the mood hits me!
On to the stitching!  I bought this one a while ago because I fell in love with it on someone else's blog (sorry, can't remember who's!)  It's from Jardin Prive, called Christmas Sampler!  Started it December 23 and finished it January 27!
 Not sure if I'll frame it or make it into a pillow!
My Mom and Dad spoiled all of us for Christmas, and in my stocking was a gift card to Chapters, a book store.  Their online store has way more selection, so I placed an order and these were the books I chose!


 All of them are types of stitching I would like to try!  But seriously, aren't those birds the cutest things ever?!?!  They are soooo fluffy!!  lol
Here is my DD's latest finish!  She is becoming quite accomplished with her stitching!  Metallic threads and all!
 Dragon Dreams-A Spot of Tea.
During the Christmas break, the weekend before DD started back to school, we took a small drive up to Hubby's aunt and uncle's place to visit with them and spend the night before they went back to Florida, and to exchange gifts!  Aunt Bev and I also used the time to get a little scrapbooking in!  I was the one that got her started on her scrapbooking journey!  I took a couple page kits that I made up to work on, and this is what I came up with!  Plus she showed me some really great paper techniques, which I will get into in another post!

This picture was take a few years ago.  I had came outside to see what everyone was up to, and found DD all set up, with her father's pop/soda, relaxing in her lawnchair with sunglasses on playing her little video game!  What's a mother to do?  Take photos of course!  I laughed myself silly when I saw this!!
Now here are my wildlife photos!  I had a whole bunch of birds that like to eat the seed I put out!  That bird feeder fell after the wire broke from where I had hung it on my porch, but it still holds seed, and my birds love it!
 And here is my lovely Red-Tailed hawk!  I took this photo from my craftroom window!  Isn't he a beauty?
 On the other hand, this one is not so pretty!  I have a possum that comes to visit my porch every once in a while!  I guess those are the joys of living in the country!  The variety of animal life!
I have a couple more pictures that I want to show, but as they are for exchanges, I can't show them yet!  I have a Birthday Thread exchange that is winging its way to South Africa to Theoria for The Stitch Specialists Yahoo group.  The other one is a Spring Biscornu exchange with Sarah for The Friendly Stitchers Yahoo group.  I have finished the one side and am almost finished the second, and hope to finish it today or tomorrow, so I can get it mailed off to Ireland on Tuesday!  I can't wait to see what Sarah thinks of it, as I used the most fun threads!  Silks and perle cotton, lovely varigated shades with tons of specialty stitches!  Chat soon!

20 comments:

blueladie said...

Love your Jardin Prive sampler. It's beautiful. And thanks for sharing your animal pics. I love looking at them too. :) Cathryn

Linda M said...

I just love your Christmas Sampler. I may have to add that to the stash! I think that the whole point of stitching as a hobby is to enjoy it. So all that matters is if you find it relaxing and enjoyable - the number of finishes is probably not that important.

Joyce Clark Frank said...

What a pretty Christmas Sampler. You are doing a great job of stitching it. Love the books.

Deb said...

Hi Melissa
Your christmas sampler is the pretties I have seen! Wonderful stitching. It is great your daughter is growing up in your stitching steps. She did a wonderful job on her dragon. Wold love to have such a beautiful bird to veiw! My mon would love your bird feeder. She love them and have oh, a dozen, I think! Deb

tiffstitch said...

Very pretty stitching on Christmas Sampler, such lovely colours. Great photos too!

Mouse said...

oooo love that Christmas sampler not seen that one before ....I've got the drawn thread book .. just love it :)
well done to DD love the wee dragon ... that is just me with a spot of tea :)
love your scrapping too and the wildlife you have there as well :) love mouse xxxx

Denise SA said...

Lovely stitching by yourself and you daughter. Thanks for sharing

Annie Bee said...

Your CHristmas Sampler is just stunning luv it. I totally agree our hobbies should not be stressful

Val said...

Lovely work Melissa .... I have the chart for theat xmas sampler and I was going to make it into a cushion - will get a start on it one of these days ! Love all the birds visiting you - we don't get many here because there are sooo many folks with cats ! But we do get a couple of blue tits coming for a feed ...
Val x

Emily in NC said...

Just love your new books, looks like you will have tons of fun learning some new techniques. Both you and DD stitching looks great.

Carolyn NC said...

Lovely finishes and stitching! Great pics of the life, too!

Milly~ said...

Jardin Prive is beautiful!!!!!

Thoeria said...

Just found your blog :) Beautiful finishes and that drawn thread book looks very interesting indeed!
Your lovely parcel has arrived and I absolutely love all of it! Will be thinking of what to stitch on that fabric :) THANKS!

COUSON said...

what lovely stitches!!

mdgtjulie said...

Lovely work, Melissa, and grats to you on the new purchases. I love the festive Christmas colors in your sampler. Grats on the finish. And I really love that DD project your dd did. A Spot of Tea turned out beautifully. Tell your dd grats on her finish as well. If you like the cross stitched birds, you should check out Heritage Stitchcraft. They have a whole series of fuzzy bird charts. I don't know if they have their own site or not. I actually got a catalog when I ordered one of their products from another ONS. Lovely charts, although their idea of half stitches is pretty weird. In their version, you do a regular cross two over two. A half cross is two over... Well, IDK how to say it, lol. You come up at point a, and then, you move up two holes and over one hole, and go down through b. Or you go over two holes and up one. So the half stitch is a cross, it just takes up half the space of a full cross stitch. They're very easy to do though. Not nearly as frustrating as quarter and three quarter stitches!!! Okay, now I have to find you a link. BRB. Okay, here are the little birds I was speaking about. They're darling. http://www.hcrafts.com/valeriepfeiffercrossstitch.html Sorry to enable you like this, but they're too cute for you not to see them!!

mdgtjulie said...

Also, your Red Tailed Hawk and Possum are too cute. I love the possums when their babies are all climbed up on their backs. They're so cute!!!

Janine said...

Love the Jardin design. How old is your daughter? What a lovely design she did. I always reading your blog as it is so interesting.

Hugs Janine
http://makingatreechange-janine.blogspot.com.au/

Lynn said...

Hi Melissa, I'm a little late with my blog reading but so glad that I caught up with you. I finished off that Jardin Prive last year and proudly displayed it on my wall this Christmas. It's such a pretty stitch and you've done a marvelous job on your finish.
I loved your photo of the Hawk. We spotted one in our tree last year but haven't seen another since.
My youngest son lives in Toronto and there are several possums that frequent his neighbourhood. He says they can be a bit of a nuisance. I think they must come out of the ravines.

Jo said...

Love the Dragon Dreams Spot of Tea, so cute. Wonderful Christmas Sampler, your needle was smoking that week!

telaagujadedal.blogspot.com said...

Es muy bonito,muestra de navidad es precioso. felicidades.

Is very nice, shows Christmas is beautiful, congratulations. Ana Julia.