SALE, sheep #7.7 and Wipocalypse ...

Dear all,

I can't believe it has been almost a month since my last post.

It is also very hard to believe how much has changed since then. United Kingdom has voted to leave EU. Lets say since the result came out it has been a turbulent fall into the abyss for us.

Pound sterling is failing. The earrings I was planning on buying for £9 have magically increased overnight to £11! (and I am dreading to think how much other purchases I have planned cost). On a positive side for those of you outside of the UK you can now grab a bargain from our island. In addition (just to be a bit more tempting) we are having an up to 50% SALE over on our Etsy store (click).

We are trying to clear out some of our older stock ... so how about a birdhouse that you can stick your needles in while you stitch ...

50% Sale - now £6

or a linen bag to stash bits and bobs ...

50% Sale - now £6.50

and another idea for your needles, pins, buttons  ...

50% Sale - now £5

Talking about all the various changes in my life... I am finally no longer a trainee ... as of 1 July I have been promoted to a Tax Semi Senior. So after a week long depression following the referendum something good finally happened.

And now onto the stitching ...

Sheep SAL # 7.7

The next 100 stitches ...

700 stitches

Wipocalypse update ...

I haven't done one of these updates in a while, so in addition to Alice and Dodo by Tanya Bond (that you seen in the last post).

June 2016

Since then I have done some late night stitching on Christmas Candle.

July 2016

I am yet to finish page 5 and 6 ... and now page 7 it seems. I have started the additional page for a challenge I was participating in on Heaven and Earth Designs forum. Unfortunately I have not met it. The challenge was to stitch a full page in cross country method.

Half a year has gone by and I only met one out of my sixteen goals. Not a very inspiring progress, but on the other hand a few of the goals are getting quite close to being met.

Until soon,

Lija

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,

TUSAL #6 ... late ... and some orchid photos

Dear all,

I have an extremely belated TUSAL post (don't ask by how much it is late ... dreadful). Note in the background my mum's orchid that has been moved into my room so it can get encouraged by other orchids to bloom. It now has 6 flowers (so the plan worked), and is one of 5 flowering orchids at the moment (2 of which were bought so probably should not be counted). 

#1-#5 and #6 in front

2014 so far!

The purple one I mentioned in earlier posts has had an extra flower and still going strong after 2 months of flowering. I own an orchid in a similar colouring to mum's and it has now 2 flowers (almost 3). The baby has now a spike too! It would be very exciting to see its flowers (I don't even remember what colour that particular orchid is). So fingers crossed that the process goes well all the way. The parent looks a little worse for wear, but its roots keep coming out in all wrong spots (it likes to grow them into the plastic support), so I think its getting better.

Two of my other flowing orchids (yellow/peach is my relatively recent half price purchase from tesco and purple was bought about a year ago and has only just been nursed into flowering state again):

Orchids posing with bird houses for Etsy

I can't believe that two months ago I cut off a spike from the only blooming orchid I had (still no spike but a new leaf beginning to form), and now three other ones have blossomed (+ 2 new flowering additions).

Speaking of bird houses and Etsy. I want one for my room. Need to find perfect fabric. It will be so handy. The yellow/peach orchid is right in front of me on the desk and if I had the bird house in it I could put the pins there any time I needed to instead of attempting to find the pin box.

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,

Wipocalypse - post #1 and my new Etsy shop ...

Dear all,

Before I get into the whole Wipocalypse update I would like to mention my new Etsy shop opening:

Click here

Here you can find some of the handcrafted (including cross stitched) items that mum, my sister and I make and sell through craft fairs and display cases here in the North East of England. I thought it is time to expand to a new market.

The selling info on the few items you have seen me create last year (they are not the only items on Etsy): 

Makeup bag. £9.99. Coming soon to Etsy.

Makeup bag. £9.99. Sold.

Makeup bag. £9.99. Available on Etsy.

Makeup bag. £9.99. Available on Etsy.

Biscornu. £5.00. Available on Etsy.

Biscornu. £5.00. Available on Etsy.

Biscornu. £8.00. Available on Etsy.

Biscornu. £8.00. Sold.

Hope you check my new shop out, and let me know what you think of it. There are also some handmade little angels, teaspoon ladies, and birds that I haven't shared the photos of here that my mum made. I am also working on adding more and more items. 

ILiNidesigns Etsy shop

Onto Wipocalypse ...

If you want to join in this SAL in 2014 click on:

This month I am meant to introduce myself, my projects, and any goals that I have for this year.

I think I might skip the intro and refer you back to the last years post:

Welcome to Stitching in Crosses and More ...

it was for the blog party and is still pretty accurate. Although I am now a member of 2 reading groups, rather than one, participated in another 2 exhibitions, graduated from Newcastle University, and now opened an Etsy shop (as can be seen from the start of the post).

Speaking of which if you would like to know more about it (although unfortunately the deadline for sign up has passed this year) click on:

Projects/Goals

Ongoing:

1) Good Heavens by Margaret Sherry [Goal: Complete]

This used to be a UFO till recently, so I am very proud for working on it in December.

December 2013

2) Christmas Candle - HAED [Goal: Complete another 5 3 pages]

So far 0/5 3 (goal) and 3/36 (total)

I decided to keep the same goal that I did not manage to meet last year. Lets hope I will be better this year.

December 2013

January 2014

January 2014 - closeup

3) Yiota's Xstitch: Field of Poppies [Goal: Complete]
Based on Van Gogh's painting

December 2013

January 2014

4) 'Picture of elegance'. [Goal: Complete]

Sara Moon from The World of Cross Stitching issue 181. This is my mum's birthday present from almost a year ago ... oh dear I am very late.

December 2013

5) Literate Dragon - HAED [Goal: complete the full SAL]

So far 0/4. 

December 2013

UFOs:

6) Xmas Chums [Goal: Complete by next Christmas ... as if]

I have begun it as a present for christmas 2 3 4 summers ago ... managed to stitch the entire face before realising I have stitched it 10 squares lower than the centre. How silly! I then started unpicking and got up to:

June 2012

7)  'Tending the Flock' [Goal: Pick up and work on even if just a little]

from Cherished Teddies and Friends. A matching pillow hopefully to one in my earlier  prehistoric posts.

Before 2012

8) Making Lickle Wishes [Goal: turn to a WIP]

April 2012

9) Cabin Fever by Dimensions (Gold Collection) [Goal: turn into a WIP]

September 2012

10) John Clayton: Venice [Goal: complete]

December 2012

New Starts:

As part of the Stitch from Stash initiative I will be starting from my huge stash list and the first up is 'Lean on Me'. My january start. 

11) JR01 Lean on Me by Judy Rossouw (anchor) [Goal: complete]

January 2014

Obviously I will be starting some more wips including another HAED (after all I have a new frame - a Christmas gift). 

And some giveaways to check out:

• Blogoversary Giveaway @ Sarah in Stitches:

Click here to enter.

• A Chart Giveaway of your choice @ Stitchers Anon

Click here to enter.

Until soon,