Showtime!!

Yes, I've got a lot to show. A stitch-out I did for Joan, a Crazy Exchange returngift, a Christmas ornie I sent and a great progress on Celtic Mystery.
To start with the stitch-out, Joan, designer of Sapphire Stitching, asked for stitchers for a Walking in a Winter Wonderland-biscornu some time ago. I thought it was fun, doing something like that, so I volunteered. Surprisingly, Joan added my name on the website (wow, so officially, proud feelings!!) and my recommendings too!
The picture is taken in my own garden, lovely detail :) , and here it is on my own table.

Taija sent me a lovely returngift. She made me a blue bag in different fabrics, and she added some lovely goodies. Some chocolates (two are already eaten .... eehhh correction, three actually LOL), a cute pink kitty, which I believe is a glow-in-the-dark you can wear on your cloths.
She also stitched me a cute little santa, finished in a frame, so it is a Christmas ornament.

Margaret let me know she received the Christmas Ornament I stitched for her in the HoE Christmas Ornament Exchange. I am so happy it arrives safely, and she likes it! I stitched a design of JCS 2008 Special, but I changed some details, like the floss I used, and the beading I did. It is a really tiny biscornu, I sure want to stitch it for me too, so one of these days...

I also want to show some progress on my Celtic Mystery. Yesterday evening I joined the SAT again, and it's a good reason to stitch, stitch and stitch. So no computer, no mail, no chatting, just my needle, me and a good detective on television. I think I need more SATs LOL

Exchange received and sent

Today I received this wonderful small biscornu. Najma sent it to me, we both joined a 'Winter Biscornu Swap'. No goodies in this swap, just the biscornu. And it is so dellicate, with some beads on it, and on the end a little heart and a star. The backside is different from the front, I will add a picture when the weather lets me to take some good ones.


Lisa let me know she received the Christmas Ornament I stitched for her, an exchange of the Crazy Exchange Group. We agreed not to send any goodies, so just the ornament.
I chose a design of Prairie Schooler, from the book A Cranberry Christmas. I stitched it with Belle Soie, Rose of Sharon, and DMC 3815. I used a matching backing fabric, but I've no picture. Forgot to take them, and Lisa was so kind to send me a picture of the front.



My winter Biscornu left my home today, I hope it likes its future home LOL

A Mystery and a stupidity

Thanks to Becky's SAT I can show a good progress on my Celtic Mystery. I stitched six hours fridaynight, so I could really see the difference! I hope to catch up this way, so I can start my MMIRR in January.

Saturdaymorning when I got up, the first snow was there! It wasn't that much, but yet, it is the first snow of this winter. Today in other parts of the country, there seems to be heavy snowfall.

The afternoon I spent shopping. It is soon Sinterklaas, so I need to get some presents for the children and DH.
As for today I finished the Christmas Ornie, the one my children kept me from sending on an exchange. It is almost perfect! I used the backing fabric Edgar sent me, and it matched perfectly. So I was so satisfied with myself.... until I saw what I had done. How could I be so stupid, me, a librarian, reading upside down?
There 's only one advantage: if I put it somewhere against the wall, like I did on the first picture, you don't notice my mistake, but then, you don't notice the perfect backing fabric either ....

One of the groups I'm in organized a 'wishmarket', and one of my wishes was to receive pins. And I got them! One of the girls sent me homemade pins, so lovely!

And another girl sent me these. I can sure use them!

Christmas Ornie, HoE

From last Saturday on I have a bad sinus infection, so Mondaymorning I went to the medical centre to get some antibiotics. This morning I was home, feeling not too well, as the postman brought in two packages! First there was a package from Edgar. When I saw the sender's name I was thrilled. I have been following Edgar's blog, and adore the stitching and finishing he does!
The ornie was wrapped up so nice, so I teased myself, taking a picture before unwrapping.

Then, finally, I allowed myself to unwrap, and it turned out to be a gorgeous Chrismas Ornament. Edgar stitched an Old Santa, from the Prairie Schooler and finished it perfectly!

Also there were some lovely goodies, like DMC, backing fabric, a magnet with a reproduction of a Californian Landscape, from the collection of Wendy Willrich at de Young - Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. I remember I envied Edgar to live in a place with such a great museum!
And a box of fine mint chocolate, of which Im going to taste one .... now! Yummie, tastes great, I bet they will all been gone at the end of the week LOL.

The second package was the DMC I ordered from J&J, having their annual sale. Now I have all the supplies needed for making a start on a new HAED, Vibrant Vista. It is pulling my attention ever since I bought it, but now I decided to really make a start, as somebody is working on this too. That way it becomes a BAP SAL, isn't it?

Rose Cottage Finished

Today I was able to finish Rose Cottage completely. I had a prefab pillow, so it was kind of easy, but nevertheless I am quite proud of me! I made the buttons of a piece of fabric that matches perfectly, I succeeded in making holes for the buttons, so here it is, a happy dance.

Show & share

Yes, I've quite some things to show and share. Let's begin with some random things I want to share with you. I got tagged by Mare , so here we go!
(One day later I've also been tagged by Penny and Ellen (thank you both!) so I decided to add two extra things about myself, marked by ## )

1 This is really a confession, so please read well and do not judge! I've become a lazy, spoilt housewife since I became a stitcher. My mother used to tell me I would never, never be a 'goode huswife' (I have to stitch one of those sometime!) and for years I have been trying to convince her I was. I cleaned up, did the windows, washed the curtains, kept the house clean and tidy. You might never know, maybe mum showed up LOL. Nowadays, DH does the most, I have my job, take care of the children, do the washing and that's it! And I am quite happy that way, won't you?

2 I'm a reader. I read everything I see, every letter of the alphabet is spotted by me, it might be in a book, or on the street, it can be hidden in a chart, or even in the security words you have to fill in when you add a comment somewhere, I read it!

3 I spent way too much money, without DH knowing it, on stitching charts, fibers, fabrics. Okay, I also earn the greatest part of the family income, but nevertheless, I also spent it.

4 I secretly dream of another life. No, not without DH or my children, but a life away from citynoise, traffic and without a job. I love my job, but I keep dreaming of a cottage in the countryside, with roses in the garden, and me walking there with a basket on my arm, picking some of those roses to decorate the house. And a cosy bench in the garden, DH and I sitting there, reading and stitching.

5 I am a very good schoollibrarian and I am aware of that. I love my job, and I love the young pupils I am working with. But I make way too much noise! I keep telling pupils to be quiet, shhh.....shhh....it's a library! And every time one of them tells me something funny, I burst out laughing and they do shhhh....shhhh.... you're in the library LOL

6 I love Chinese literature and opera. I've been reading many Chinese authors, and I've been listening to Chinese opera a lot. Sometimes I think I must have been a Chinese woman in a former life, it's quite strange, being a Western woman enjoying chinese opera, isn't it? Anyone of you ever listened to it?

##7 Given the fact I am married, have three children, a rabbit and two parrakeets, I love to be on my own. For that purpose I spend part of the evening in my own room, surrounded by my own things, doing what I like to do: stitching, reading, chatting on the internet, listening to my music (no, not always Chinese opera LOL)

##8 I also am very possessive about things of myself. I mean, I have my own books (don't dare reading it without asking permission), my own cd's and so on. Just name it, when it is mine, no one dares to take it without my permission, not even my DH. If done so, I notice myself nagging about it.



Fulfilled my job, here are the rules.
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

I've tagged:
Marne
Janaina
Edda
Anna
Jacq
Iris

And about showing, I have a finish, only have to do the finishing. How finished is it, then?I stitched an ornament, planning to send it away for a Christmas Ornament Exchange. But then DD and DS laid their eyes on it, and they begged me: please mum, keep it for yourself, we like it sooooo much! And of course, being a good mum, I listened to their prayers LOL. So I am stichting like crazy to do another ornament, and send it on time.

Besides that I want to show the progress on Rose Cottage. I love it, and I hope to finish the stitching part this weekend.

Annemiek let me know she received the floss tag (HoE board) I stitched for her. Funny, she lives in the same town as I do, and she owns the best LNS I know. So I had quite some difficulties sending her something she didn't have already, as a lot of my supplies come from her shop! I stitched her a Quaker motif that I found in the Gift of Stitching and added some backing fabric and skeins of DMC.

And the whole exchange (I borrowed Annemiek's picture, I'm sure she doesn't mind)

Youngest DD's drawings

My youngest is 14 years old, and she is having a lot of fun drawing horses. Until now mostly their heads, but she is also drawing on the computer with her tablet. She adjusts picures, using a computer program, and this way she is creating lovely pictures. At least, I, being a proud mum, think so LOL. So now, a special item for Tonia, here are some of DD's drawings. The second one is drawn while she was at school I think, using her notebloc. The third one is her WIP, you can still see the grid of the computerprogram she uses.

Stash shopping and stitching

You already know I did some stash shopping yesterday, and I promised pictures. Well here they are, trying not to brag about how much I bought, and hoping DH never pays a visit at my blog LOL

I also bought some fabric, but no need to show that, it's just fabric, no special colour.

Another thing I have to show is the progress on some works. At first the progress on Rose Cottage, CCN. It is not much, but of course I have been busy with exchanges too, and I do a stitchout for Sapphire Stitching on something new. Before the 15th I have to finish one Christmas ornament also, so no time to blog for the next weeks LOL

And another progress is the one on Call of the Raven. Still stitching on it, and I think I will for the next year or so LOL

Workshop and exchange news

Boy, did I have a day today. Since I am a member of the Dutch sampler society MERKWAARDIG, I went to Nijkerk today, to take part in a workshop to learn some new stitches and to meet the other members. Maybe, I thought, also buy some new stash.
The workshop started at 10.30 a.m., so I had to catch the train at 07.50, to be in time.
Guess what? I didn't hear the alarm to wake me up, but, lucky me, I woke up just in time, I thought... Leaving the house I remembered promising DH to put the alarm clock at his side of the bed, because he had to go to work this morning. So I ran into the house again, upstairs, did what I promised, left the house for the second time and ran off to the railwaystation to see.... the train leaving.
Lucky me, there is a busstop at the other side of the road. I quickly walked there, to catch the bus to Central Station. Arriving there, I jumped out of the bus, ran off again to see.... the train leaving the railwaystation, just in front of me. Aaarghhh!
I always like to be dressed like a lady, and leaving the train a nice young woman told me my nylon stockings were damaged. From top to bottom of my right leg there was a railway, so to say. (Don't know the right word, but I'm sure all you girls know what I mean). Of course I didn't have a spare pair with me, so there I was, a not-so-perfectly dressed woman, arriving too late at the workshop, finding out I had to learn a new stitch I already knew. I only didn't know the Dutch name for it, 'stersteek' I only know it as an Algerian Eye Stitch.
Being I at home again, I feel I had a pefect day. I enjoyed myself, showed my lovely stitching piece Mystery XI to some fellow-stitchers, bought some wonderful stuff (show pictures tomorrow) and had some nice chats with some other members of the society.

Coming home I found out Taija received the Crazy Exchange I sent to her. So here are the pictures. I stitched her A Sampler garden, by Elegant Designs, used DMC (as charted) and finished it as a flatfold.