Theme-a-licious mid month update

Ha! Late again!  Nothing new there, is there?

I have been really good and worked exclusively on Helen and Kev's wedding sampler...apart from yesterday when I really wanted to work on Around the World in 80 stitches.  So I did!  The first heart is finished apart from the beads.  I have done the backstitch outline of the second heart but that is all.  I'm really annoyed because I have misplaced one of my Q Sanps.  I have my small one but can't find the other one anywhere...grrrr.

This is my pathetic attempt at some arty type shots.  Maybe I should read Colin's camera manual properly!

Apart from stitching there is very little news other than Rachael finally got her music exam result from 28th March.  She passed her Grade 1 with distinction.  WELL DONE RACHAEL :)

Jo's giveaway

Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching is hosting a sponsored giveaway.  She has some cross stitch kits from yiota to giveaway.  Hop over and see!

Oh dear...who forgot their WIPocalypse update?

Yes that would be me!

I have only stitched on Cotswold Village this month as a WIP and as a photo of that was posted for my Theme-a-licious update, I won't bore you with another.  I am going to focus on my wedding sampler for Colin's sister and hubby this month.

My blog heading

Jo (Serendipitous Stitching) asked me about one of the designs in my blog header.  So rather than just tell her what she wants to know, I thought I would tell everyone!

So vertically down the middle is Papillon's How does your garden grow?
Across the top is a butterfly freebie from yiota which I changed all the colours of.  Under that is a close up of the apples in Cut Thru Garden Shed.
Next to these two is part of Roots and Wings by Waxing Moon.  The top right and bottom left are 2 designs from a series that I sent out for a RR, probably in around 2003/2004 ish.  They were in Cross Stitcher magazine I think and there were pansies, sweet peas and 2 others.
Going to the bottom right is a part of Waxing Moon's 'If I stitch fast', a butterfly from a recent issue of Cross Stitch Crazy and the Welcome is from a Hobb Nobb design but I can't remember which off the top of my head.

(Bet you wish you had never asked now Jo?)

Theme-a-licious roundup for Amazon April

Crikey, I'm getting later and later with these.  I haven't been near my blog or stitched hardly at all in the last week.  I am currently writing the last assignment for my OU module and then mid June is exam time (eek).  Therefore life at the minute is dedicated to study, revise, study, revise, sleep!

Below are pics of what I have done this month.

So first up is Cotswold Village scene.  This is huge but I really enjoyed stitching on it.  Maybe it shouldn't go back in the UFO box.

This is 'Two Little love birds' which is a Love Thy Threads design that I am guinea pigging.  It is a gorgeous design and the colours are so pretty together. 

Above is my progress so far on Around The World in 80 Stitches (ATW80S) for short. It is really pretty but I haven't come across most of the stitches before so it is challenging me a little...ok a lot. It will be done though!

And this is the pathetic progress on 6 Fat Snowmen.  

I got some fantastic post today.  Jo (Serendipitous Stitching) saw this card and thought of me, can't think why...lol.  It is absolutely amazing and I have had a smile on my face all day and keep going to look at it.  Luke went and compared it to the 'real' one and found loads of differences.  He particularly liked the frog in the demi john bottle at the bottom.  Concensus seems to be that I should frame the card and hang below the cross stitch when it's framed.

The other great bit of news is that I have rediscovered an old friend.  Once upon a time, I became friends with a lovely lady in America although actually I can't remember how we met...hmmm....  Anyway as she loved the British cross stitch mags as much as I did, she had a subscription sent to my house and every now and again I would put them in a box and post them off to her.  She made my two kids the most beautiful quilts for their beds which they still use today - despite the fact their feet stick out the bottom of them.  When I wash them it has to be on a day where I can get them washed and dried and back on the bed the same day....or else!  They love those quilts more than anything they own!

Bizarrely I have been following this person for quite a while and it never ever clicked that this was my old friend.  After discovering who she was I re-read all of her blog and basically thought what an idiot I was as it should have been so blatantly obvious.  Short of putting up neon signs telling me who she was....honestly...I really am dumb!

We never fell out as friends it was just a case of relationship troubles on my part and we gradually lost touch over a period of time.  I would guess the last time we corresponded would have been possibly around 2004/2005 ish maybe.  I am so excited to have found her again.  

Oh I suppose you want to know who it is, do you?  It's...

Shirlee