1st Blogoversary

Well this is the end of my 1st year of writing a blog I have enjoyed sharing with people what I have been stitching and showing all the exchanges I have received from other people. thank you to all the people who have left comments I enjoy reading them, I do spend alot of time reading other blogs there is alot of inspiration out there you get so many idea's from seeing what other people are doing.

The other weekend I attended a workshop by Jane Greenoff of The Cross Stitch Guild with my mother, it was actually a weekend workshop but as it was only in Leeds which is 20 miles away we just attended for the day.

Jane is above(in red) showing a Lady what to do.

Since it was so close to Christmas it had a Christmas Theme, there was two projects which we were given I decided to do the Christmas Biscornu decoration which is above.

Here is my Mum she snipping her threads on the Hardanger part.

Here are some of the other ladies and off course there was a shop to add to our stash, I was very good I didn't buy anything but my Mum did.

Jayne

On holiday

Here we are again I usually always have this week off in November as there is a large Knitting and Stitching show on here in Harrogate which I will be visiting for a few days, I was quite fortunate in that I was able to visit this show in October when it was in London, you tend to find that exhibitors are different in the south and do not travel up North!! I have also booked some workshops to do which will break the day up, Saturday I will be going with my Mum and meeting some other friends there.

We have started the week at the caravan, we have been here since Thursday, hoping the weather was going to be kind to us but as usual it hasn't, we have had gales and rain so the site is very wet one of the other owner has put out duckboards as the ground is so wet he doesn't have a path to his caravan. We are here to close it down for the season which we will do on Monday before we go home at the moment we are sat on North Bay in Scarborough watching the world go by, I have my stitching and we have just had some great bacon sandwiches from a road side cafe here.

Jayne

Halloween Exchange

This is what I stitched for the basket of Biscornu challenge for October it is in Hardanger from the New stitches magazine I stitched it on cream evenweave and variegated Caron threads.

Here is the HOE Halloween exchange I received from Lisa V she has done a tin finish for me which is my first. she also enclosed some other goodies.

Jayne

Exchanges

I have been busy with exchanges I have some to share with you. Boo Moon designed by Val's Stuff was stitched for Terry for the Fall exchange in the All season Ornament Exchange, it was from the Just Cross-stitch Magazine Halloween issue 2009. The Ornament she stitched for me was double sided with the Witch and the Jack-o-lantern, stitched on my favorite colour purple she finished the sides with beads.

The Halloween ornament I stitched for Sadie in the HOE Halloween exchange, this was also taken from the Just Cross-stitch Halloween issue it was designed by La-D-Da.

I also received an exchange fro Australia from Lisa but I have forgotten to take a picture she put her stitching on top of a tin so watch this space for the Picture.

We are having problems with our Internet connection and I am unable to use our Desktop computer at the moment so I am having to use my Husbands Laptop which is not ideal as I hate it.

Jayne

Finished Tudor Rose

I have finished the Tudor Rose Necklace I did on the Jill Devon Masterclass in June, I am off to the Knitting and Stitching Show in London on Friday so I wanted to finish the necklace to show her I am very pleased with the end result my Hubby even said it had a Tudor influence not knowing the name of the necklace.
We are off to London tomorrow for 3 days, I have booked some theatre tickets as well, we are off to see Sister Act and Oliver, I enjoy going to the Theatre when we are in London, my feet are aching already in anticipation of all the walking we will do.

Jayne

Bead Treat at the Bay.

I have just returned from the Coast, I spent a fantastic day at a  Bead Workshop with Diane Fitzgerald an American Bead Teacher, the day was arranged by Jenny Boyle who's classes I attend through out the year. Jenny had also arranged for some of us to go out for a meal the night before in Robin Hoods Bay we had a great evening at the Victoria Hotel which over looks the bay so we had a beautiful view to watch while we were eating.

As you can see from the picture below we were all  working hard. Diane was a good teacher we learn alot of good tips, using a double thread and melting the knot with a cigarette lighter just had to go out and buy one, this was alot easier than having to stitch you ends in.

Here is her latest book which I bought on amazon as it was cheaper and of course I had it signed by her.

This is what we spent the day doing we started with the pointed oval to get the technique then we did the Celtic Trefoil, these were done doing peyote stitch.

Jayne

Been beading

While I was away at the weekend I attended a bead workshop at Robinhoods Bay with Jenny Boyle, we made a Scarab Pendant,the bead in the center of the pendent is a Scarab beetle, for the Egyptians the scarab beetle was the most popular amulet providing protection. They were associated with the creator god Khepri who pushed the sun across the sky. The Scarab is a symbol of re-birth into the afterlife. As you can see I have not used the usual strong Egyptian colours but my favorite colour purple as guess what I have loads of purple beads.

I have done quite a bit of beading this week I have also been working on the Tudor Rose Necklace from the workshop I did in June with Jill Devon of The Bead Merchant, I will hopefully start to put it together soon as I would like to have it finished by the time I go to the Knitting and stitching show in London in October so I can show it to her as she hadn't actually worked this necklace as a full sample.

Here is Penny my Jack Russell she is usually to be found on my lap when I am trying to do any stitching or beading I was sat on the bed beading and watching TV she just had to come and join in.

Jayne