New Year Resolution

I have been away from my blog for far too long and I have started to miss it.

So I am determined to try and blog more again in 2012.

Since my last post in July I have stitching only small things, a few of which are below. I don't seem to have as much time as I did as in October I increased my hours at work. I have also lost some motivation to stitch.. I hope I can get back into the swing of things more agin in 2012.

The girls have kept me busy too, especially Becki. We have been down to London (and Leeds)several times to view Dance schools and in December she has had 2 auditions. Sadly she had a straight rejection from the one school but the other has put her on a reserve list... which is a little more promising. In January she has 2 more auditions, so lets hope one of them is a "yes".

Laura has had offers from both Nottingham and Birmingham University to study Ancient History and Archeology in Sept '12. She wants to go to Nottingham as long as she gets the grades.

So here are a few of my pieces from the last couple of months. Firstly these are the cards I made the girls this year for Christmas. Becki's is London... in the hope she ends up at a Dance School there and Laura's is Rome as she hopes to visit Rome when she is studying Ancient History. They were stitched with metallic thread !

This is a Forever Friends one I just fancied stitching for myself. I haven't actually done anything with it yet.


Lastly this is my Christmas Angel, she is very pretty. I have just made her into an ornament but haven't taken a new photo yet.



Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and see you in 2012.

Ginnie xx

Henry is finally finished

I don't know where time has gone too, I didn't think it was that long since I blogged but it was the end of May.... oh dear. Must admit my stitchy bug has had it's ups and downs, there used to be rarely a day that I didn't stitch but I know recently I can go for days without picking my needle up.

Never the less I have 2 finishes to show, one of which is Henry VIII and his wives. I finally put the last stitch in it this morning making it around a 19 month project. So pleased to see it all finished at last, it looks great, and here it is -

The photo is a little dark but it has been a dull day here ! Now to save up to get it framed.

I also finished the Ballerina for Becki recently. I really enjoyed this even with all the similar colours. She loves it too...... and other one to frame !!

Been a busy few weeks for us as a family too. We have visited a few universities now and have another few to visit in September. But at the moment Laura especially loved Nottingham Uni.... which is set in lovely park like grounds and they are having a brand new Humanities building this year where she would then be based. Becki still wants to get into a Dance School in London, but if that doesn't work out she visited Bedford Uni (still to do Dance) and liked that as a second choice. They have to start applying around the middle of September. I really hope they get what they want but I am going to miss them so much next year when they leave home... all part of growing up I suppose.

Talking of growing up we have also had a "first" boyfriend on the scene. Becki started seeing this lad called George..... but it lasted less than 2 weeks when she realised they had little in common etc etc...... was an emotional time for all of us, I never realised how involved I would get with all this....... and I suppose I have more to come. Now the 2 of them are spending most of their summer over at friends houses !

Good job I have new stitching lined up for the lonely times ahead !! I am about to start one for my mum and dad called Pension Day which was in a magazine a few years ago and also fancy doing another Forever Friends one for me. Will update you on these next time.

Until then Happy Stitching

Ginnie xx

Ballerina grows

Hope everyone is having a good weekend, or extended weekend if you are in the UK. The weather is a bit dreary here still, I wish it would warm up. I have both Monday and Tuesday off work so nice to think it is not the end of my weekend this evening!

I still haven't been stitching a huge amount, but I am slowly getting my mojo back...... Here is my progress on the ballerina, I thought I may get fed up with the similar colours but I am actually enjoying working on it. I think Becki will love it when I'm done.

I suddenly realised last week that of all the Lizzie Kate month stamps I have stitched I was missing June. So yesterday I started it, I doubt I'll get it finished for Wednesday but hopefully sometime during June it'll be complete! Here is the small progress so far.

Finally I got around to doing another charity square, this one is for a "Toys" theme quilt. Very cute!!

Laura has just 2 AS exams left to go, so far the others have gone ok I think..... although her normal reaction is "it was awful!"

Becki is working on her show dances for the end of June, she is pleased that she is choreographing some as well this time and her dance teacher has said how good they are looking.

Stuart got another job last week, although he only moved schools last September he has found it hard to settle there. This new school seems a bit of a challenge as they have had a lot of problems but he was used to this at his last school so feels happy that he'll get on better here.

Happy stitching.......

Ginnie xxx

Some new things

I knew I hadn't blogged for a while but I can't believe it has been over a month, whoops. Time flies ..... I have also had lots of problems with my PC at work so haven't had much chance to get on here and download photos.

I have continued on my Henry VIII a little but the border is so repetative... that I am struggling to keep motivated..... but I will get there.

Otherwise I have a few new ones to show you.

I have started a ballerina one for Becki, it is all in sepia type colours so will be lovely eventually just takes a while to take shape. I have run out of DMC0739 though and hope Stuart is popping to the shop later to get me some.

I actually started this Angel one just after Christmas but forgot about it. It is a Joan Elliot one and will have lots of little beads on too. She is progressing well and is very pretty.

Last week I finished this little Flower Fairy one that was free with one of my magazines. When the girls were really "into" Flower Fairies this was one of their favourites. I think Becki had a costume made to be this fairy at school once. So I had to stitch it. I just need a nice square frame now.

Last Wednesday my two lovely girls turned 17..... I have no idea where those 17 years have gone. We had a little family get together with a take away pizza on the Monday then on the actual night of their birthday they went to Wetherspoons for a meal with lots of their friends. This photo was taken then.

Laura starts her AS level exams next week, this first college year has flown by. Becki doesn't do exams on her course but has lots of assessments and dance shows coming up. Next we have to start looking at Universities etc.... that is a scary thought !

Well I will try not to leave it so long to update next time.... happy stitching

Ginnie xxx

A happy Henry

Henry VIII now has all his wives! All stitched and showing their lovely dresses! I also completed all of the bottom part, the Tudor Rose with the crown on top.

Here is the photo, sorry while it is still on the frame I had to wind up some of the bottom part so you could see all of the people!

And here is a closer photo of the last 2 wives who have been the recent finishes. I was struggling with the brown in the centre of Catherine Howard's dress I ended up having to mark off the chart as I kept losing my place. I know many people do that anyway but I usually don't.

Now just the rest of the border to do. I will get some more done at Stitch Club tomorrow but I also need to finish as Easter Card and start a card for Becki's friend Hannah. So it'll be a few more weeks until my "Happy Dance" finish.... but not long now!

I also made my mum this for Mother's Day. It was a freebie in a recent World of Cross Stitching magazine. I left it right until the last minute and only finished it a few days before. She really liked it though.

Nearly Easter Holidays here, Laura and Stuart break up on Friday but poor Becki has another week to go.... her college had to be awkward!

I will have a few days off over Easter, so that's something to look forward too.

Happy Stitching

Ginnie xx

I can see progress!

Here's the next update of Henry and you can certainly see the progress made since my last post! All of Catherine Parr's dress is now complete. I decided to just stitch the purples, reds and black until her dress was done.

Only the middle of Catherine Howard's dress and the border now.... I will get there soon !

I also finished Safehaven the week before, this has stitched up really quickly and I am very pleased with it. It is hard to tell from the photo the 3D effect from the different thread numbers. I have another one of these charts from an old magazine, I think I will add it to my "to do" list.

I am now going to start the Ballerina one for Becki which is all in sepia colours.

Becki has another college dance show this week, in this one she is performing a solo. They had to choreograph a solo for assessment and then perform it in this show. She choose Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights as her music. Today she will get her grade for the piece, she hopes she has done well as on the day of the assessment she was unwell and didn't feel she'd performed it as well as she could.

Laura is doing really well at college too, she took the first part of her Psychology AS exam back in January and heard last week that she got an A. Her teacher had already said her marks were one of the top ones in the 3 classes she taught! This Sixth Form college has proved great for Laura, she has really excelled. She has to work really hard but they have predicted A/Bs for her grades.

Hope you all have a good week

Ginnie x

Another bit of Henry.

It seems like I have been plodding on with the same bits of Henry for ages without a huge amount of progress. There are still lots to finish on these 2 wives dresses! Will I ever get there??

I had a great birthday, lots of nice cards and some presents. I went out with my mom and friend for a nice girly shop and then lunch.

On Wednesday evening it is my Stitch Club's birthday! The club has been going 11 years (we've only been going just over 3 yrs) so we are having a little party and the local paper are coming to take our photos! We are all bringing something to show on the photo so I am taking Henry!

Happy stitching
Ginnie x

Golden Wedding Anniversary

It was my parent's Golden Wedding Anniversary on Friday and we had a wonderful night out. 19 of us (all family) went out for a lovely meal, Stuart made a cake and it was great to see everyone.

Here is the card I made them, they really liked it.

And here is a photo of me with Mum and Dad, I love this photo and am going to get a copy printed to be framed.

As I have had a few days off work I have been able to spend time stitching. I have worked on Henry quite a bit but when I look back at my last post with the last photo of him I'm sure I can't see a huge amount of difference. I will post another photo next week.

I thought instead I would share with you "Safe Haven" I am doing this as a SAL but feel it is really coming along now. It has lots of blended colours and the central part is in 2 threads whereas the outer edge is in 1 thread!

It is my birthday tomorrow so I booked another day off work. I am having a girly day out at the shops then lunch out! Then back to work Tuesday !

Happy Stitching

Ginnie xx

Henry again

So sorry I have taken so long to update my blog. I had a busy few weekends and have been unwell for over a week.... arhhh ! Started with a sore throat, moved onto a rotten cold.... then today the sore throat came back. Laura has it too and is off college tucked up in bed.

Anyway I decided enough was enough and Henry has to be finished! I have been taking him to my Wednesday stitch club and have tried to work on him at home..... but with being ill and still doing several cards he isn't progressing very fast. But I am determined to not put him away again. All other big projects are on hold until he is done !!!!

Still working on the last 2 dresses... and lots of border still to do. I know it will be lovely when it is done, the last bits just seem to be taking forever!

My friend loved her card, I am now working on my parent's Golden Wedding Anniversary card. They are having a big family meal at the end of the month, which we are all really looking forward too. I'll show the card next time, I should have it finished over the weekend.

Until next time.....

Happy Stitching
Ginnie xx

More cards

I have the card making bug at the moment. Which is good because I love making cards, but bad because all my larger cross stitch pieces are being ignored! I did get Henry out briefly last week and stitched 2 threads worth! I have also been working on Safe Haven a little... but not much else.

But these are the cards I have completed -

This is Stuart's Valentine card, it was the freebie in the latest World of Cross Stitching magazine. There was a lot of discussion on their Facebbok page about people running out of thread stitching it.... but I just managed.

This is for my Valentine Exchange partner on the Cross Stitching forum. I hope they like it when they receive it!

Lastly I hope my friend isn't reading my blog, I don't think she does so I'll chance it! This is her 40th Birthday Card. I am so pleased with this the card just matched the stitching so well. She is having a party in a couple of weeks which we are all looking forward to.

Have a good week everyone

Ginnie xx

Some you may not have seen for a while !

I thought I would post a couple of photos of WIPs that I haven't posted on here for a while. Both of which I worked on over Christmas.

This one is my Christmas Window, slow but sure progress here. New aim to finish for Christmas 2011. There is still a lot of brown to do on this one..... but I am loving how it looks.

Then "My Needle's Work", I had forgotten all about this one until I sorted some bags of stitching out. I would like to get this finished soon also!

Lastly a small finish, a little baby Eeyore, a freebie from a magazine. Eeyore is my favourite Pooh charactor.... so I couldn't resist! Not sure what I am going to do with him now.

I have started making my friend's 40th birthday card which I'll show you next week. I am also taking part in a Valentine Card exchange on a Cross Stitch forum..... I have picked which design I want to do so must start it soon, as well as doing Stuart a card too !

Until next time
Ginnie x

Happy New Year

So first I decided to brighten up my blog for 2011 and went pink !

I have also changed the girls photo to one taken over Christmas.

Now to stitching...... lots of cards to show so far for this year. I am really happy with how they have all turned out.

This one is for Becki's friend Amy, she is at college with Becki doing dance. The A on the chart had different shoes while the D had ballet shoes... so I swopped them over!

This one is from the same alphabet charts, this time for a friend of both girls who they have kept in touch with from school. E for Emily !

The latest issue of The World of Cross Stitching popped through my door last week and I choose one of the cute bears to stitch for my friend who is about to start cancer treatment. The charts were aimed at being for Valentine's Day but I thought this one would suit a "thinking of you.." card. I actually stitched it in just 2 evenings !

Then today I made a quick decoupage card as I suddenly remembered another friend's birthday which is next week. I got the paper and design from papercraft inspirations magazine, they were free to download. Pretty cute.

So what's next? Still a few more cards..... but I have also started my Poppy Pixie but not much to show yet. I am also taking part in a 2011 SAL and have chosen SafeHaven by Derwentwater Designs. I will try to post updates on these when they begin to resemble something!

Anyway as I am back at work I better get myself off to bed !

Happy Stitching

Ginnie xx