Sheep #5.5 and Stitch from Stash October 2015 ...

Month: October 2015
Spent: £0
Earned: £0

Dear all,

Yet another boring post for buying stash ... or rather lack of ... yay! Essentially you take one move, lack of cash, no internet or time ... and you have a frustrating inability to buy much.

Also further 400 stitches on my sheep (technically I am now behind by a week - sigh). 

But hopefully there is still a chance to catch up ... and Sarah won't give up on me just yet.

I have now managed to unpack, with an exception of a few misplaced objects that I need to find a home for.

...I also can't believe that I have just over a month to get ready for my next set of exams! Two this time ... and by the lack of revision in this house I am seriously worried. There is still time I keep telling myself.

Sheep #5.3 and Stitch from Stash September 2015

Month: September 2015
Spent: £0
Earned: £0

Hello all,

I am sorry for my long absence. I have now moved houses (lets hope this won't become an annual exercise) and it took until yesterday for the internet to be transferred and fixed.

My cross stitch is all over the place ... some projects are already unpacked, others still in boxes. Sadly to admit I am using one of my massive bed drawers for all the projects/fabrics/stash that is yet unstarted for the time being ... and it is a mess. I miss my organised drawers and shelves. Incidentally I had no time or money to spend on any new stash.

Sarah and I started on the next sheep and due to the whole internet/moving house I have fell behind in posting.

So ignoring my missed 2 posts I am up to:

600 stitches

I have also fallen behind on my other sheep. Hopefully I can get that one done soonish as well.

Till soon (I better go and continue unpacking),

Stitch from Stash - August 2015 ...

Month: August 2015
Spent: £3.20
Earned: £0


Dear all,

I have been having quite a stressful time recently, so I am very sorry for disappearing for 3 weeks. I will try to be better ... even if it is just a quick update.

My family has decided to follow me and relocate down South ... so I went to visit them for 5 days to help pack up ... and let me tell you it was a task not for the light hearted. For the past month I have been trying to find a van(s) to transport everything across the country and it has been proving to be quite a task. I almost had a meltdown today after all the issues I so far had with quotes etc (too many to mention) I finally booked 2 vans and after paying a deposit and emailing the company got an automated response that they are on holiday until the 29th (the move is meant to happen on the 26th) ... but hold your fingers crossed for me.

What I actually bought recently:

Thread pack for the following HAED (+ 2 magazines) ... I already have the 2 magazines (world of cross stitching), but by accident I found an eBay listing for further 2 copies and all the threads needed. £3.20 it cost me (+£3.80 for postage and packaging) ... in the magazine they estimate that cost of threads and fabric would be around £100, so a great bargain. I wanted to stitch this picture for some time ... so perfect. The seller is charity orientated and 100% of sale proceeds go to Midlands Air Ambulance. Money well spent.

Some progress on a few stitchy things:

Venice

I am now a third way through page 4 of 6. So pretty good progress although backstitching will be a pain.

My new start (I only took my sheep when I went up North, but it was too dark to stitch it in the evening so I started a new project instead):

This is 'Iris' by John Clayton (Connections series). I have already completed 'Calla Lily' in the same style back in 2012 (click here). There are 8 flowers in total and one day I might be able to complete them all. I have kits for 2 further ones, and charts for the remainder 4. Charts are unfortunately for the blue background. 

Last night after all the stress of van hire I was planning on cross stitching. I thought I might start something new ... maybe the one above, or my Alice and Dodo ... but then the first has no fabric and in general I could not find my blue marker for gridding. 

Anyhow till soon ... I am off to go wash dolls hair (I brushed it all out 2 weekends ago and now its lying in a puff and needs a conditioning bath to make it smooth). It is bright red in colour, so quite something! Before I go do you want to see the last doll head I have bee working on? Well here it is:

hair colour - Merlot

The best one so far, even if I say so myself! She needs her hair slightly trimmed at the bottom which will be done once she gets a head!

Hopefully hair won't take too long and I can put a few hours of woking into my sheep. 

Till soon,

Stitch from Stash + Wipocalypse - July 2015 ... something didn't quite go well ...

Month: July 2015
Spent: £0
Earned: £0

Dear all,

I am sorry but it seems I have disappeared again. Not sure what happened. I do need to get a bit of grip on my planning.

Nothing actually went on here since I last posted. I am back in college now, studying business planning tax, and financial management. I had some lessons for BPT already, but not for FM. Tax is fascinating and getting more complex every day. I am still struggling to work my head around various VAT issues. But as the next set of exams is not until December still some time to go.

My mum dyed quite a number of cross stitch threads, which I am slowly trying to add to our Etsy page:

They can be found HERE.




We have decided to put them at a bargain price of £1.80 per skein (10m). For further information check out the listing. I have started with pinks, but some other colours should follow shortly ... I just wonder where does all the time go?





What about my cross stitch endeavours you ask ...

Well I am slowly progressing with my sheep. I think I am going to set myself a task to complete it by next weekend ... that way I won't get distracted with all that other cross stitch trying to tempt me astray ... Sarah is so far ahead it is unbelievable.

Still quite a bit to go on my little 'Faith'. But we will see.

I have finally stitched a tiny bit more on 'Good Heavens' by Margaret Sherry ... (an achievement as this constantly becomes a UFO for me).

And a bit more done on 'Venice' by Michael Powell ... almost half of the first triptych. Then another two to go ... imagine quite a bit of the blanc space on the right being filled with stitching.

Till soon,

Stitch from Stash - June 2015 and I am back

Month: June 2015
Spent: £0
Earned: £0

Dear all,

This is short and sweet post just to stay I have spent £0 and earned the same.

I have now finished my exams, and managed to somewhat recuperate so will be back to blogging shortly. I am in the process of catching up on my sheep and everything else.

Till soon (with something longer),

Stitch from Stash - May 2015 and me going MIA ...

Month: May 2015
Spent: £17.42
Earned: £8.00

Dear all,

Well I really wanted to make it to deadline for this post so hopefully it is on time.

Sew and So had a 10% discount ... with which I had a massive problem ... it put discount through then reduced the amount further when going through the payment (I was going aaaaa has it removed items due to unavailability or something)... and then the system deducted the full amount without the discount from my bank. It was an interesting sort of glitch. I emailed the company and regardless of it being the bank holiday Monday (the 1st one of May) had a lovely girl named Lisa email me back and apologise for inconvenience etc etc ... she unfortunately couldn't refund me the 10% straight away (bank holiday issue) but we got there in the end.

I bought three charts and corresponding buttons (for the Little Sheep Virtues SAL I am doing with Sarah):
Peace
Friendship
Patience

and that's it ... I am officially banning me from buying (or so I hope).

Earned:

I did have a finish (that I am allowed to count the earnings for anyway ... my Winter Friends was not officially 'stash' as it was bought and stitched straight away):

click HERE for the original post

It was 61 x 61 ... so £8 earned.

And finally just to let you know I am going MIA for a wee bit. Just till my exams are done. Which will be a week on Tuesday! I am yet to reach the passing stage (55% on average) judging from practice questions ... but all is not lost ... or so I hope. And then I can catch up with everything stitchy.

Till soon,

Stitch from Stash - April 2015 and sheep #3.6

Month: April 2015
Spent: £85.52
Earned: £18.00

Dear all,

I am very sorry for disappearing yet again. I find the more you have to share the harder it is to sit down and write ... I personally begin dreading all those photos and the uploading part. And where to start and where to finish.

Well I finally did it! I went on a spree (+some photos that I emitted back in February due to an exchange). I am yet to decide the following:

a) do I deserve it

b) can I actually afford this

Well to start with HAED had a 45% discount (sob) ... you know how I have a collection of these charts I will never ever have time to stitch ... well I couldn't resist two additions:

The Little Match Girl

Doesn't she look sad? I absolutely loved Hans Christian Andersen as a kid. Well with a pinch of sadness. After all the little girl dies ... well actually from what I remember everybody dies ... the Christmas tree ... the little mermaid. These three were my most memorable.

My second chart:

Tree of Life Ruby

I am already dreading the confetti (if I ever stitch this one). 

And you know what ... I finally did it ... I bought 'Alice and Dodo' by Tanya Bond (kit on 18 count).

Alice Dodo

See what I mean? First month that I am beginning to recover from credit card bills, utility bills and nobody knows what else. And what do I go and do? I get more pointless cross stitch that I will never complete (maybe I am being a little harsh on myself).

Very appalling! On the subject of appalling ... remember back in February I mentioned the order that I have been trying to order since November (it was allowed to be uncounted - as if it went through when it should have it would have been within the set budget for last year) ... well I now have some pictures.

Theodora chart

It is by the Snowblower Diaries and a thing of beauty! As it uses the threads by the Gentle Art I just got the chart. Then there was ...

Autumn Glory - chart, fabric, threads

Maja always packs her kits so well!

And the final order was Angela:

Angela - chart, fabric, threads

The only addition I made once the order went through is the following chart (it was included in my February report):

Winter Friends

I felt it was perfect for an exchange I was doing at the time. And what more Maja sent me the following chart extra (free of charge!) She is one generous lady.

The Rose Bush

And the other thing I bought back in February if you remember were some threads (which I can now share the picture of):

Some thread that I needed for the charts you just saw
(these were included in my spending budget back in February)

A note on earnings etc:

I have 'earned' from my recent finish of Ember II as follows:

Click HERE for the relevant post

220 x 220 fits 210 x 210 to 240 x 240 range which gives me £22. But as I had about a sixth done before January this then is reduced to about £18.

I had £64.39 carried forward (due to my lack of spending in previous months) + £25 for this month + £18 earned ... so I even have £21.87 to go to next month. For next half a year (starting from July) I might go a little stricter and decrease the allowance.

Sheep #3.6

I thought if would be nice to finish on a belated update of my sheep. It is almost complete. And I should have a finish for you soon.

1200 stitches

Hmm I am getting some very funky colour photography here (the project is not actually a shade of pink).

Till soon (I still haven't told you about the exchange Sarah and I had ... what did I say the more you have to share the harder it becomes to actually share),
 

Stitch from Stash - March 2015 & the Sheep #3.2

Month: March 2015
Spent: £0
Earned: £0

Dear all,

This is a bit of a sad post ... remember I mentioned my hope to get Ember II done ... well it is still in the works. I did not manage to complete it before I left mum's. (No purchases either!)

Furthermore I have difficulty picking it up to stitch. I feel slightly stitched out on that project. After stitching pretty much non stop since beginning of January I feel a slight tug towards other projects. Even those that I had no desire to stitch for awhile. I'll update you in my Wipocalypse post (hopefully tomorrow). I might have even earned a little on one of them, but will put that into the next Stitch from Stash update.

I also somehow found myself stitching on 14 count for most of this week ... after a day at work my eyes could not see the little holes.

Sadly, Alice and Dodo have been put off for another month due to the lack of monies in my bank ... I had to lend some money, so even with the pay will have a somewhat tight month. But surely the more I delay the gratification of a purchase the better I will feel getting the project.

Sheep #3.2

The next two hundred stitches:

400 stitches

I know, I am really behind but should be catching up soon. I absolutely loving stitching it! (as long as it is daylight) This time I somewhat started from the centre going out ... rather than picking up from the border.

 

P.S. I spent this morning repotting orchids, so slightly exhausted.

Stitch from Stash - February 2015

Month: February 2015
Spent: £16.61
Earned: £6

The above spending should have not happened! I am meant to be saving after all. But I just had to stock up on some threads (for a few projects). The order I have tried to place back last November finally got processed! I added a last minute chart to the list (so the chart is also included in the cost above), and then I thought it is the perfect time to stash up on some threads, sorry already mentioned.  See how illogical the entire process was. Anyhow, you will have to wait for the photos till next Stitch from Stash post, since I'm very cruel.

But per previous month's request I will show you what I am saving for ...

It is 'Alice and Dodo' byTanya Bond (Gecko Rouge). But as it is £70.64 ... and I only have £39.39 to carry forward to next month, unless I am going to have some more finishes soon this might have to be put off until April or May.

Earned:

I do have a finish to count towards my budget allowance:

It is 61 x 61. And I had about 25% of this stitched before January. 

Click HERE for the relevant post

The bracket of 60 x 60 to 120 x 120 gives £8 or £6 (75%). I feel a little guilty that it just fit into the bracket, especially as the LHN ornaments were given as an example for the previous bracket ... but this is part of the sheep range rather than ornaments, so hopefully it is okay to account for as I have. 

Also, apologies for not posting in a while, I have been in college for most of February and we had some progress tests to panic about. I had not managed to see much of my family during their visit South as I was with my head down in books. I have picked up the needles again though, and working on an exchange piece, Ember II, and Harmony.

I will also be belatedly announcing the winner tomorrow for the Grow your Blog party giveaway tomorrow, so stay tuned. 

Till soon,

 

Stitch from Stash - January 2015

Month: January 2015
Spent: £0
Earned: £0


Dear all,

If you are looking for the Grow Your Blog party post CLICK HERE. Or scroll down.

Sorry for a very boring/quick update ... just to say 4 days to go to the January deadline!

Thank you so much for those who have managed to visit me so far on my blog party, I will reply + return visit this weekend or rather next month! For those of you who came via SFS I am having a giveaway so scroll down for more info on the grow your blog post.

I know, I know a boring month for spending ... not for the lack of trying. I am still trying to get an order through that I started ordering last November! Then there is a kit I am craving but it is very very very expensive. So will require saving/earning spending money. Otherwise no time to shop. I had some progress on my wips, but no time to update you on it. You might have to wait till next month to potentially see some finishes (!) I hope anyhow.

I will be using £25 as my currency/budget. If you look at prices of threads in the USA you'd know why I have chosen to do so. And even though I do buy some charts (not threads) from USA I am trying to avoid it now as much as possible due to the import tax + £8 Royal Mail charge. Plus its sooooo much easier.

Till soon,

 

Sheep #1.14 and #2.1, and final post for Stitch from Stash...

Dear all,

Sorry for disappearing. It has been quite hectic at work. And updates are in general rather difficult with the whole of photograph taking. When I leave for work it is dark. When I come back from work it is dark. So taking photos with my phone is a little problematic. My camera takes pictures but as I have upgraded to a new computer (with the old one slowly dying my memory stick for the card does not work. I need to get the cable for the camera ... anyhow so what I have so far. (sorry for awful photos).

Complete!

Complete!

And the next sheep we have started stitching is 'Joyfulness':

200 stitches on 'Joyfulness'

200 stitches

We decided to up the stitches to 200 per week. Hopefully we will have the next beauty done soon. For those of you counting ... yes I have another update that should have been done today to make 400 stitches. Unfortunately as I said I have struggled with my phone and light. As you can see the last two pictures are worse quality than the first two. That is because my sister photographed the first two.

I will try and photograph/post Tuesday. Also rounding up all my various stitch alongs (the annual ones) I need to update you on Wipocalypse and TUSAL. Get excited I have completed a page on my HAED ... 'Christmas Candle'. And started on the next. Another month or two and hopefully I will move onto the next row!

With £/$65.15 carried forward and £/$25 for this month I have easily managed to fall in the budget. 

I went to the craft shop recently and spent £67.64! As we are not carrying anything forward to next year ... lets just say I fitted into budget. Some of the items are exempt, but as I said as I fell into budget I won't subtract them. What I bought ...

1m of fabric 32count even weave (white) and the remainder of 27count they had (about 30 cm ... also white), 4 ribbons/trims and 4 ropes/trims (1m each),   a marker for fabric (to do grid ding), a cross stitch kit for a pillow cover (with oranges design on it), 4 pieces of felt for finishes, and a little box that would have a cross stitch decor on top (the circular sort one would keep a ring in). All of them ended up a bit blurry on the phone ... so you will have to wait for better photos. 

The worst part is that for instance today was so gloomy that I couldn't even take photos day time! dark and grey. I think it is the season. My sister is back on Tuesday ... so I will be batting my eyelashes asking for some photo taking.

Till soon ... with my today's sheep, Christmas candle update, a finish (tantanta), some major progress on 'Venice' and generic summary.

Before I go ... there is still time to enter a few of Nancy's giveaways (I have not managed to enter many so far).

On the 22nd day of Christmas there was Christmas or a Quaker chart (remember I am stitching one of these)

Click here.

On the 23rd day you pick your own present.

Click here.

On the 24th day there was a $25 gift certificate or a surprise from Nancy.

Click here.

And on the 25th there will be a $100 gift certificate.

Click here.

Till Tuesday (I hope).

Sheep #1.12 and #1.13, Stitch from Stash - November, and another great giveaway by Nancy ...

Dear all,

Sorry for being off the grid for a bit. I had a craft fair last weekend. It went okay. Made some sales ... spent about 3 times what we made. It was nice, though I am starting to notice that more and more the sellers are quite depressed and upset. Surely that shouldn't happen. But hey ho, with people not buying, and it being your livelihood I am not surprised. I guess I am lucky that I did not pick art or craft as my job. There are those lucky few ... but in most cases you need a cool head for business that would outshine the love of your craft.

Anyhow ... I will need to post two weeks worth of stitching (again ... sigh).

Okay 1,200 stitches:

And 1,300 stitches:

I have a feeling it will be finished soon.

Stitch from stash update ... I think this is about 2 days late.

This is going to be trying as I have not properly counted ...  £/$ 45.03 was the carry forward at the close of September ... I spent a total of £2 in October on charts from a charity shop. Sorry need to upload some pictures of those. They quite old/vintage looking. And that months allowance gets me to £/$ 68.03 as at the beginning of this month (November) ... and with this months a total of £/ $ 93.03.

What I actually bought this month ... of course more exciting than actually saying how much I am allowed to spend:

£19.48

I can't believe I actually bought it!!! It is 'Miserable Old Twit-Too' by Judy Rossouw. I have been trying to find this pattern/kit for some time ... as you know I am getting quite a collection of charts by this artist. And this definitely a one that I was missing. 

I also bought some charts from Love thy Thread ... only till tomorrow left to buy (I think) or was the latest email saying Friday. I think it is tomorrow. My purchases (some will be exempt as per official exemption in the email ... on account of shop closure).

Winter Geisha £6.00

Scaredy Cat £2.40

Alley by the Lake - exempt

Quiet Town - exempt

3 Little Witches - exempt

Autumn Leaves - exempt

I had some issues with Autumn Leaves as I was unable to download it ... I have emailed and got the chart in an email (only issue it is black and white) ... I hope I get it in colour instead ... I don't see myself stitching many many many pages just in black. 

So that makes it £/$ 65.15 allowed for a carry over. 

And a giveaway by Nancy next week ... I am cutting it short (I blame the lack of posting!!!).

Click here for the 3rd Day of Christmas giveaway of hand dyed threads ... Entry by 3rd of December!!!

And I will leave you with another Christmassy item just added to my easy shop ...

Ain't he a cute little fella ... available to buy HERE.

Till soon,