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,

It's all about Alice ...

Dear all,

Be warned this post is not about cross stitch (much) ... it is all about Alice.

You know how I bought that kit recently of 'Alice and Dodo' ... then there is my 'Alice Enchanted' by Jasmine Becket-Griffith (HAED) which I am planning to start this year and another 'Alice and Snow White' by the same artist/company which is somewhere listed on my stash list along with 4 charts by Mizogucki 'Alice Series' (Tilton Crafts). Phew what a mouthful. Well do you think I am a little obsessed.

Justine pointed out to me that it is 150 anniversary for Alice. Sometimes I'm so clueless what goes on around me.

Etsy announced a competition run in conjunction with or rather by British Library - redesigning Alice, and entry to be based on the original book 'Alice's Adventures Under Ground'.

Well we have decided to enter (you know as I am a little obsessed with this old little lady). Our entry could be found HERE. And here are the pictures ...

I always thought Alice was not a blonde ... and there is an entire school of thought that seems would agree with me.

 

As always I was in charge of needle sculpting face and hands, hand drawing the face and hair ...

The rest is pretty much my very skilled mum with some help from my sister (who is also the talented photographer behind these wonderful photos).

Her arms and legs are connected by buttons and are adjustable into various sitting positions.

And look how cute she looks from the back:

You don't want to know what I went through to get her hair so perfect! I know we are unlikely to win... but somebody did say it is taking part that matters. And we had so much fun designing and creating her. We are looking into making the rabbit next.

Do go over and check out the listing ... even if just to be that extra number on my stats feed.

CLICK HERE

Till soon with actual cross stitch ...

 

Art Dolls and other things

Dear all,

I am still here. Some of you might have noticed I had fallen behind in my emails, and blogging. Well here is the reason... We have been pretty busy in the last few weeks. There was a craft fair (as per usual I spent more than I have earned ... oh well) last Saturday which coincided with my sister's visit. She came for a week. So we were very busy crafting and creating. Very little cross stitch on my part, sadly. But in other words the two dolls we have been working on are now finished!

Some photos:

What do you think? 

I was in such a buzz after the fair that even our Etsy store got some love ... and is updated with more stock. Check the link on the right hand side bar.

The third doll that is still under construction has most of her body parts attached, and I am ready to start the long labour on the hair ... the only component that is missing is the thread. The hair is bright red and we do not have anything that is colour matching. Today, I returned some library books, went to the post office to post something I sold on eBay (probably another 11p profit!), and got on the wrong bus! It took twice as long to get to town and then it was too late and the shop was closed. Never mind, I will cross stitch tonight instead. I have started a new project from stash! (more on it soon).

Will try to post a belated (yet again) TUSAL update tomorrow... and see what I have been missing in the world of correspondence.

Till soon,