Long Time... No Blog...

I guess I fell off of the blogisphere after my last post in... November I believe?  Not only did I not blog again but I've also not visited any blogs for months!  There's no one real reason why I stopped for awhile.  Life was busy, I'm trying to get my weight back under control (which can be quite time consuming!).  For most of December I was plagued by a headache that never really went away so many things suffered like working out, eating right, stitching, and so much.  I think also when I found time I just wanted to be stitching!  Though I was off of work for two weeks over the holidays I found we were just so busy!  Either we had company or we were company, there were also parties, get togethers and prepping for Christmas too!  On top of feeling like shit most of the time with that headache which persisted despite being off of work.

So lets get away from all of that boring and mundane stuff and get onto what this blog is all about, stitching!

I have been working away on The Accolade, but I'll save that for WIP Wednesday (yes I still want to at least do a once a week entry for you folks)!

December ended up being a flurry of stitching and finishing ornaments!  My fingers were just flying and the hot glue gun didn't get much of a chance to cool down!

 The masterpiece Todd and I collaborated on - our first ever!

My first Christmas party was a gingerbread house building party (it was a riot!) hosted by my good friend Marline and her new husband!  I love giving ornaments as hostess gifts instead of chocolate or a bottle of wine.

I decided barely a week before the party that I had to stitch Lizzie Kate's 1st Christmas for their tree!  A flurry of stitching and heartache over heart-shaped finishing here's what I produced and not only I but Marline was so happy to put it right onto her tree!  This is customized with their last name thus I covered it up when I took this picture.

1st Christmas by Lizzie Kate for Landon, Lucy, and Zach, Carter's did not get photographed

 The back of all of my 1st Christmas ornaments

Stitching the ornament for Marline started a crazy avalanche!  I decided most of the new babies I knew out there should have one!  Actually first it started with my favorite little man Zach who I stitched TW's Birth Announcement for back in the first half of 2014.  Then it just snowballed into one for the son of the little girl I used to babysit (I recently reconnected with the family on Facebook), one for the Chaplain's little girl at work , and one for my good friend Tracey's Nephew (which I stupidly forgot to photograph... I never do that!).  In all I stitched 1st Christmas 5 times!!!!

Roaming Reindeer

Blue Ribbon Designs

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

Stitched on 40ct tanzanite linen

I had also stitched up this lovely Blue Ribbon designs ornament since my last blog entry and did the finishing on it. I liked this one so much I kept it for my own tree.

I've done a lot of finishing since my last entry as well, in no particular order:

 A Merry Little Christmas

Lizzie Kate

Flat fold

 Merry Cats'mas

Freebie - unknown

 Peace Button

Jeannette Douglas Designs

Just Cross Stitch Preview Issue

 Ribbon Reindeer

Freebie - Daffycat Designs

Wreath Reindeer

Freebie - Daffycat Designs

In November/December I took part in an ornament exchange organized by Angela at Hooked on Stitches.  This exchange renewed my faith in exchanges as the last one I took part in did not go well, at all.

Bell Ornament

Jeannette Douglas Designs

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Preview Issue 2008

This is the ornament I sent out to my partner in the UK, and I was shocked that it arrived in under a week!

In return I got this fantastic ornament that I was just so pleased with and I want to learn how to do the ribbon trim!!!

Over the holidays there was one day the living room was off limits while Todd put together a new entertainment unit.  Its best to just stay away when he's putting something together.  So I de-cluttered my stash room and put together this little display area of smalls I've received, and my scissors in their scissor frogs.  Just love it!

Red Threads

Rosewood Manor

Stitched on: mystery fabric

At some point I also had a small stitching finish... I can't remember when.  This will be finished into a bead edged ornament at some point when my finishative comes out to play!

Now finally onto this year, 2015!

January 1st saw the annual emptying of the ort jar!

I've also had two small finishes so far in January, I admit both of these had been started in December but they are my first finishes of 2015!

Red Threads

Rosewood Manor

Stitched on: mystery fabric

 Fa la la la!

Freebie - Plum Pudding Needleworks

Stitched on: 40ct Natural Linen using DMC

Well, that's it!  I've been busy that's for sure!

Ornament SAL - January Report

Silverlotous is hosting an Ornament SAL this year and if you're a regular reader you know for years now I've stitched at least one ornament a month, so this SAL is a cinch for me!  I couldn't not join in.

Instead of stitching one ornament this month... I've stitched quite a few!  All of these were part of my Crazy January Challenge.  I have a couple of more I haven't finished yet.  They'll be shown off for next month's SAL.

 Peace Pin Button by Jeannette Douglas

from the 2012 JCS Ornament Issue

 Merry Little Chirstmas Ornament by The Drawn thread

 Love Dove by JBW Designs

Flowers and Vines Dove by JBW Designs

First WIPocalypse for 2013

Last night as I got home from stitching with Tracey and Leslie, I realized oh its a full moon!  I double checked my calendar and yes, its time for the first WIPocalypse Report of 2013.  This year there are themes involved but I'd like to stick with last year's format.  Its neat to see how much I can accomplish from one full moon to the next.

First of all I'd like to start with my non-Crazy Challenge pieces.

There is The Accolade, which I've gotten a lot done on recently, and yesterday I just finished a 4-day rotation on it.

December progress

Progress as of yesterday

Kathy's ABC Christmas Sampler

 December WIPocalypse

 January progress

In late December I started to put in a few lengths on The Big Red by The Sliver Lining, it was the one 2012 Crazy Challenge pieces I didn't finish... for obvious reasons I think!

The Big Red, barely started

Now onto my Crazy Challenge pieces for 2013

January 1st start... finished!  Maple Leaf by Alessandra Adelaide Needlework

January 2nd start... finished!  Cross Stitcher In Residence by Lizzie Kate

January 3rd start Winter Cottage by Michael Powell

January 4th start Tartan Thistle Scissorkeep

January 5th start ... finished (just finished this on Thursday) Love Dove by JBW Designs

January 6th start ... finished Flowers and Vines Dove by JBW Designs

January 7th start Dove of Birds by JWB (difficult to get a good picture)

January 8th start Merry Cats-Mas by The Chocolate Cat

January 9th start ... finished Peace Pin Button by Jeannette Douglas

January 10th start T'is Read by La-D-Da

January 11th start ... finished Merry Little Christmas Ornament by The Drawn Thread

January 12th start The Cat's Meyow by The Drawn Thread

January 13th start ... finished just today!  Heartstruck Quakers by Midnight Stitching

January 14th start Heartsturck Quakers by Midnight Stitching

January 15th start Tartan Thistle Needlecase

Wow!  I've done a lot since the last full moon!!!!

PhotoHunt "Celebrate" and Crazy Challenge Day 9 Start

Its Friday!  PhotoHunt Day!  This week's theme is "Celebrate"

I know this picture is a little out of season... but I didn't feel like digging through a lot of my pictures for today's post.  At the Chateau Laurier here in Ottawa they celebrate Christmas by decorating all of the public areas with Christmas trees that are sponsored by local businesses.  Each one decorated in its own unique theme.

Peace Pin Button

Just Cross Stitch 2012 Ornament Issue

Jeannette Douglas Designs

Stitched on 28ct Ametrine Cashel Linen from Silkweavers

Stitched with DMC

Day 9's start on Thursday was also a Happy Dance!  That evening I was contemplating just giving up on the Crazy Challenge, I wasn't feeling a new start.  I popped into my craft room and started poking through my pile of ornament working copies.  I came across this little beauty!  It only stitched up in under three hours!

WIPocalypse For October

The full Moon has come and in a month and a half the world is ending!  So I've been stitching my little heart out.  How about you?  As usual there's too much stash and not enough time!!!  Here's my progress since the last full moon.

Good Things

cLizzie*Kate

Stitched on mystery 32ct evenweave from a Silkweaver grab bag

Stitched using recommended DMC

First of all, I had a Happy Dance!  On Monday night!  This is a travelling pattern though one of my groups on FB.  I needed to finish by Tuesday so I could pass it onto Kathy in person on Tuesday.  Kathy is heading South real soon, and it has become tradition that we get together for dinner at our favorite restaurant, The Lone Star.  This time she also joined me at my stitching group, so it was more than a meal together but a few hours of stitching too!  I think I'll finish this piece to hang on the wall near my stitching chair next to my "Don't Bug Me I'm Stitching" piece.

I had a couple of other finishes I've already shown you such as:

Delightful Dragon Fob front & back Teresa Wentzler

Sun Dragon - Teresa Wentzler

I have two ornaments and one larger piece I still can't share with you yet as they're for exchanges in the near future!  I'm also working on another ornament exchange, again can't share!

I've also been very busy finishing!  I've finished:

 Pomegranates & Pears Needlebook - Jeannette Douglas

Count Your Blessings - Shakespeare's Peddler finished as a flat fold

French Country Scardey Cats - JBW Designs finished as a pillow

And I've picked up a few things I've recently had done for me:

My Friendship Quilt

Enchantment of Winter - Dimples Designs Framed

Finally my current WIPs (that I can share!):

Kathy's ABC Sampler 

 Cirque des Circles, finished my first "Cirque"

The Accolade ... almost finished page 3!