Tasty Exchange & The Seaside

This beautiful long cushion from Michele for the Lizzie Kate Exchange blog arrived for me whilst I was on my holidays…Michele has captured me perfectly…I adore these colours together too.

Well we are back from our break by the seaside…the weather was half way kind to us, not beach weather but not woolly jumper weather. We spent a lot of time walking and eating…lol…that’s the thing about the seaside…too many tempting foods..fish & chips, waffles, ice-cream, seafood, candy floss…I succumbed to all bar one!

We did have a bit of a panic on Wednesday when a wasp decided to sting Martha…poor little mite was screaming so badly, he finger swelled up to 3 times the size and her hand was all red. We drove to the nearest pharmacy and the lovely man gave (sold) us some Piriton for her, she was still hysterically crying…I also gave her Calpol and baby Ibuprofen and after 2 hours of screaming she finally zonked out for 2 hours and woke up perfectly fine and back to her old self.

We took her to a lovely play farm on Thursday where she could feed and pet the animals, she loved the donkey, goats and sheep but the pigs were ever so smelly…lol!!

The farm also had an indoor and outdoor play area with sandpit, climbing frames, ride on tractors..

One of the evenings we went to Scarborough to do a bit of retail therapy…just as we arrived the heavens opened…we sat under the covered seating area and I got a great picture of the rainbow over the harbour..

Isaac also had a great time with Grandma & Grandpa, he did miss his Mummy and little sister a bit…he did admit!!

I will be back later in the week with a knitting finish and the photos of my Mum’s birthday gift…

Hugs & Stitches

Elisa x

Morning all....

I hate posting without a picture, so here is a scan of a postcard of the resort where we stayed in Ibiza, if you look to the very right of the picture, there is a line of 3 white buildings in the trees then there is a little building behind that, the last one on the right...that was where we stayed...lol. Postcards often make the place look nicer than it is in real life, but being honest this is how it really looks. All the dark areas in the sea were seagrass, there was loads of it, but it wasn't slimey at all.

Yes some of you very observant readers of my blog will notice I have changed my blog title, the name Paperfaerie is the one I use for my card and papercraft designs, which really for my mainly stitching blog is not apt....therefore I decided on "My Wacky Workbox" mainly beacause my workbox is wacky!! have such an array of started projects, half done's, almost complete's and all in no particular order...lol!!

I am pleased that I managed to half finish my Monthly Challenge peice for the Stitch & Stash forum, I am working for a couple of hours later today but I should be home by 8pm, so I should get that completed tonight...finger's crossed!!

I decided to treat myself this morning...I actually needed some fabbie for a project on one of my groups for a food themed stitched napkin, so I went onto Sew and So as they have the fabbie I wanted and also a napkin ring with plastic canvas inside...well £54 later I checked out...lol, 3 types of fabbie, a selection of Caron threads, buttons, 2 LHN charts and the Crescent Threads for them too.

On that note almost time to collect the boss of the house from school...have a good Thursday!!
Happy Stitching
Hugs

We've been to Ibiza

Daddy and Isaac enjoying the sunshine

View of the sea from our apartment
A fisherman's cove in the next bay

Mummy and Isaac enjoying the sunshine

Es Cana beach from our favourite beachside restaurant

Well we are back after a fabulous week of sun, sea and sand (and Sangria for Jeff...lol) in Es Cana in Ibiza. I feel refreshed and relaxed ready for the busy summer months getting the house ready for baby bump!

The resort was geared to couples and families...not a stag group in sight (apart from the numerous groups on the flights there and back!!) With lots of restaurants and shops, a beautiful sandy beach and clear electric blue sea. We ate out everyday; breakfast, lunch and dinner and sampled the local cuisine, paella, spanish omelette, aliolli, fish and chorizo...delicious!

We visited the famous "hippie market", where I was in my element...lots of jewellery, leather bags, batik style goods, furnishings etc. I also treated myself to some lovely perfumes which were quite a lot cheaper than in the UK.

I was pleased that I almost managed to complete the stitching on my peice for the Stitch & Stash June Monthly Challenge. I managed an hour or so most afternoons whilst Isaac had his siesta and late evening as we returned to the apartment most evenings by 9.30pm as the little man was shattered.

I am now in the middle of a mammoth task of washing and ironing...good job I seem to have started "nesting", which is quite early but I was like this last time. I have spent the morning sorting out and cleaning all the kitchen cupboards, fridge and freezer, in between loading the washer and hanging out the washing :) I the sky keeps coming over all overcast I am praying that it stays fine until teatime, I can't be doing with the airer up.

On the baby front I had my 17 week check up with the community midwife yesterday and all is well, it took along time to find the heartbeat but she perservered and there it was beating fast and strong. My next scan is 15th July and we hope to be able to find out the sex of the baby. I have a very short shortlist of names too!!

I received some nice stash today in the post, my monthly peice of hand dyed fabbie from Jayne and also 5 skeins of Carrie's Plymouth Red as I have an urge to do some redwork peices, possibly in Asissi style. I seem to be happy doing smalls at the moment, WIPs have taken a back seat whilst I am having the smalls urge...lol. I may try and sort myself out a proper working rota so that things don't get shelved.

Well all this chatting will not get my ironing done so I better be good and go and do an hour of it at least, before preparing the dinner, I fancied a roast dinner with all the trimmings, so that is what we are having.

Happy stitching

Hugs

Blossoms and Blackbirds....

.....and the winner is.......

DIANA

Diana please message me with your snail mail address and I will get the chart in the post to you.

A big thank you to everyone for coming back and reading my blog and leaving your comments, I really appreciate it.

I am on my Holidays from tomorrow so see you all in a week :)

Hugs

A Very Soggy Sunday.....

....here today, it has rained most of the day and daylight has hardly opened it's eyes...but it has been a very busy day. I firstly can show you the Needleroll which I stitched for Tracey on the JA Stitch & Stash Forum, it was a secret exchange and the partners were revealed last night. I know that Tracey liked what I stitched for her. It was stitched on 28c lilac evenweave, in DMC threads and the design was a Dragonfly freebie design. Also a BIG thank you to Julie who stitched the exquisite needleroll which I received, which I showed in a previous post.

I decided to make a couple of cards this afternoon as it was cool in the conservatory so perfect for card making. The card above is for my monthly exchange on the Groovycrafters group, the theme this month was a card using ribbon. I used some of my supplies from ScrapaGoGo and I am pleased with the result, I hope that Margit will also be pleased to receive it.



The card below is for my Gran's birthday, I decided on something a little more traditional and had this lovely pink rose decoupage sheet so decided to use it for her card. She enjoys making cards so I have bought her some card making kits and papers.

This is the Biscornu that I have stitched for my Gran for her birthday, I showed this in a previous post but I thought I would show it again for you.

Jeff asked me if we were going to have a holiday this year at 7.30am this morning, to which I replied that since I fell pregnant I hadn't really thought about it. He said that seen as we had a week off next week, then why not try to book something, as it is fine for me to fly until the end of June. Anyhow 3 hours of searching on the net, I managed to find a last minute week in Ibiza, in a quiet family friendly resort for the grand total of £500...for the 3 of us!! It is going to be a busy week this week, with washing & ironing to do, currency to organise and the rest, I usually have months to do this not 5 days...lol. But I am sure it will be worth it.

Well it is stitching time, I have my monthly exchange card to complete for XSP and the design is very apt!! All will be revealed soon.

Have a good evening

Hugs

Normandy Stitching Weekend

ABOVE - My stitching stash purchased in the local craft shop in Gavray.
BELOW - My lucky dip prize & a tuck pillow gift from Christine :)

The beautiful farmhouse where we stayed near Gavray, Normandy. It is traditional French style with beautiful gardens, set in the French countryside.
The beautiful hallway, there was often a sleepy cat asleep on the chair....purrrrrr!!

The beautifully kept garden, in it's splendour.

Britain's MOST WANTED....!!

Needleroll Exchange

Here is the exquisite Needleroll which I have received from my secret partner on the Jayne's Attic forum. It is so beautiful and the pictures do it no justice, there are lots of beads on the Needleroll and a pretty "Made with Love" brass charm too. Along with the Needleroll arrived some pretty aida banding & some Dragon Floss "New Arrival" which my partner felt was very apt!!

There will be a few posts from me in the next few days, with photos of my Stitching Trip to France & stash purchases from both sides of the channel!!

Keep reading...
Hugs

Off......

on my stitching break to Normandy...see you in a few days.

Hugs

First Pictures of Baby

Here are the first pictures of my little Bean, which are really clear. They confirmed I am 12 weeks today and just the one...thank goodness. I feel much more relaxed now and ready for my hols.

Hugs

Spring Flowers Finish

As promised here is the picture of my completed biscornu, stitched with the Freebie Spring Themed Kit I received from Jane on the Stitch & Stash Forum. It is the Debbie Draper Spring Flowers Design, stitched on Cream 28c evenweave in Dinky Dyes Silk Purple Haze, Jane included pearl buttons and some beads, which I have used too. Thanks Jane it was a great kit and I have enjoyed stitching it. I am going to give this to my Gran as part of her birthday gift :) It is also my reveal on the Monthly Finishing Challenge Blog which I have just joined.

I am slightly concerned as my mini biscornu scissor fob stitched for Pat, has not yet reached her and it was send a week ago, alas I feel it has gone wayward, so I will stitch something else for Pat. Blooming Royal Mail, this is not the first time this has happened, if I had a fiver for each time something has gone missing, which I have sent or someone has sent to me...I would be relatively well off!! I want to know why they never lose bills....I think there are some stitching & stash addicts in the sorting offices somewhere...with a rather large collection!!

I has a busy day at work yesterday, I don't usually work on a Saturday, but it was the annual Coeliac Food Fayre which we host so it is an all hands on deck day, as a pregnant lady I did get the easy tasks, no lifting and sat on the till in the cafe most of the day. I had a nice relaxing evening though knitting my second hat for the Save the Children hat appeal, OH went and bought us a takeaway so no cooking either :0)

This time next weekend I will be sat in the garden of a traditional farmhouse in Normandy with some of my online stitching friends, There are 4 of us heading over to Normandy for a long weekend for a girls only stitching break, hosted by Iris and her daughter Fleur. With some time to visit the LNS and chocolate shop, a quilting demonstration from a local lady and a stitching workshop, lots of homecooked food & vino (not for me though unfortunately) it promising to be an enjoyable few days :0)

It is going to be a hot one again today, I intend to cut the lawn and do the washing , then spend the afternoon sat in the garden stitching, I have a childfree afternoon as Grandma & Grandpa are taking all the grand-kids off for the afternoon and over night too!

Happy sunbathing & stitching to all...

Hugs

Finally a couple of finishes...

....one I can show and one I can't. The reason for this is one of the finishes is the Needleroll for the Secret Needleroll Exchange on the JA Stitch & Stash Forum. The reveal date for this is 31st May so you will have to be patient. It was my first needleroll finish and being honest I am delighted how well it has come out, I am not sure if the hemming stitch is exactly as it should be but it doesn't look daft so I am happy with it.


My other finish is shown below it is for XStitchPals, monthly exchange, which this month is a small stitched item, I decided to stitch Pat this mini biscornu scissor fob, it is a freebie design which I have had in my stash so long I honestly can't remember where it is from. It is stitched on Antique White 28c Jobelan evenweave, over one with House of Embroidery "Desert Sands", finished with 2 mini cream buttons and a pale green ribbon. I hope that Pat likes it :)



I received some stash this week too from Jayne, firstly the final 2 Lizzie*Kate Double Flips 2008, which has given me a nudge as I really need to make some more progress on this. My other stash "pinkies" contained some of Jayne's hand dyed fabbies; "Enchanted" a subtle lilac/pink marbled shade and "Pretty" a creamy buttercup colour, also my 2 thread clubs firstly my Carries threads, which I only need about 20 more to complete the set and the other new club I have started for Dragon Floss which I just love.


I have just joined the Monthly Finishing Challenge Blog, which I am really pleased about, this month is a biscornu, which is great as I am about half way through the Debbie Draper Spring Flowers Kit which I received from Jane as part of the JA Stitch & Stash Spring Kit Exchange. So I intend to stitch this up and fill it with some lavender and give it to my Gran as a birthday present for 7th June and reveal it on the blog as my monthly finish.

As the Stitch & Stash Forum is currently down I am not sure what is happening about the Monthly Challenge, I must email Karen and find out what is going on with it.

I am pleased to tell you I have had 5 days sickness free and am feeling a little more energetic now. I have an appointment to see the consultant tomorrow and have my first dating scan a week today (which hopefully will confirm my dates are correct 12 weeks). So look out for photos next week!! My stitch mojo is coming back now that my sickness is disappearing and my energy is coming back, which is a good job, seen as I am heading off to France for my girls stitching holiday in less that 2 weeks, I have a new LHN design all kitted up and ready to take along with me.

Well enough of my waffling for today, time for lunch, then some stitching, my OH has been to the shop and bought me a toblerone for a treat:)

Happy Stitching

Mother's Day & A Weekend Finish

Mother's Day was a different day to what I had originally planned. Isaac spoilt me with a beautiful handmade card with hyacinths finger painted onto it and some beautiful purple & pink tulips and a toblerone...yummy:) I did have a pedicure booked for the lunchtime, but the salon called me to say that the new podiatrist hadn't turned into work so they had to re-arrange the appointment until this coming Saturday. I wasn't that bothered as it means I have an excuse to go into town on my own and then I can head off to my LNS for a bit of stash therapy...lol. My parents came for dinner and we had pizza, salad and garlic bread followed by Lemon Drizzle Cake....yummy:). My mum loved the stitched bellpull band sampler I stitched for her, along with some little notelets and fridge magnet and a posy of flowers from Isaac.

Here is my Mother's Day gift to myself, I decided to order the back catalogue of the Gift of

Stitching. I saw this in the June 2007 edition and just fell in love with it. It is a design by The Sweetheart Tree called Opalescent Heart, I stitched it on 32c Wichelt Lambswool Linen, with the recommended DMC threads and used some opal, pink & pearl beads from my bead box. I started it on Friday evening and completed it on Sunday evening, I am really pleased how it has turned out :) On the back I have just cross-stitched my initials, I haven't decided where to put it yet, it is too nice for a pinkeep, it may go on the shelf in my bedroom for me to admire.

Now onto some really exciting news, I have booked to go on a girlie stitching holiday in Normandy in May, with some of the girls from one of my stitching groups, we are heading off to a farmhouse for a long weekend of stitching, chat, good food and wine...and best of all...NO MEN or CHILDREN!! I am already deciding on what I should take with me to stitch....lol...the countdown has now started.

The March Challenge was revealed on the Jayne's Attic forum and this months design is a retired one from Blue Ribbon Designs called Alphabet Tree, I haven't decided on my colours and fabbie yet, but I have decided how I intend to finish the peice this month...so you will need to wait until 29th to see it!!

I hope to finish a little exchange peice this afternoon, it is for an exchange on the XSP group, I have decided to do the Prairie Schooler freebie of the month, so hopefully I will have a picture to post of this tomorrow or Thursday.

I am awaiting the postman today as I have some pink enveloped stash on it's way, those of you who are members of the Jayne's Attic forum, know exactly what I mean!!

Well enough of my waffling, but before I go I want to send a HUGE THANK YOU!! to all the readers of my blog and the fantastic comments they leave, it does mean so much to me.

Happy Stitching

Hugs