Anyone interested in some Carriage House Samplings charts?

As you are probably aware, Carriage House Samplings is no more! As from today she will not taking any more orders. In my haste to get some of these lovelies I made a huge booboo and ordered the following charts from two suppliers. I phoned Thread Bear first and they said they would order them in but weren't sure if they could get them in for me and maybe i should look at another supllier. I did that and ordered them from Wyndham in US. Now I forgot to phone Thread bear back and tell them :( . They managed to get the charts and now are worried they will not sell them. So I am giving you the heads up that Thread Bear have the following charts in but you need to be quick as there will be no more after this. Here are the ones I ordered:

Shores of Hawk Run Hollow


Merry Christmas


Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow


2000 Christmas sampler


Thread Bear are very reasonably priced and very friendly to deal with. Anyway if you're interested phone Kate on 020 8657 5050 and mention me - Hazel.

Hey if anyone does get them perhaps we could do a SAL next year???

Thanks peeps. I will be back with a progress post soon. In the meantime I am still waiting for my CHS charts from the US!

Beautiful Wales and A Lesson Learned..

Just got back from a week away in Abersoch in Wales. Stunning place. Gorgeous beaches and we were blessed with lovely weather. Funny how when you have kids, holidays don't really feel like relaxation anymore!







So I have a few bits to update you with. I actually have a finish! The first finish of my Pledge! I finished this before I went away but didn't get time to post. So here is the SAL I did with Sally, Tracy and Lesleyanne. It is At Home with Jane Austen from The Sampler Girl.







Stitched on 28ct antique ivory cashel linen

Now there was a lesson to be learned with this piece but I am not sure which lesson it was. You see, as usual, I was so eager to start this piece that I didn't check to see if I had all the correct threads so things got a little mixed up. I didn't have all the right colours so I decided to use what was in my stash for some of the numbers at the bottom. One colour I had started in I ran out of and so did another colour there. You get the picture. So is the lesson, "Make sure you have all threads to begin with," or is the lesson, "Use stash you have and get creative"??? Hmmmmm... I am quite happy with the way it has turned out even if it isn't using the exact suggested threads.

Anyway, look at these gorgeous Sweet Peas from my mum's garden I brought home with me today.



They smell amazing!

Okay and before I left I also got this gorgeous gift from Heidi through the post but I didn't get chance to post. Whenever Heidi finishes something and posts it on her blog, she apparently collects all the comments from that finish and draws one out for a gift and I won it! Well, I didn't even know I was entering in for a draw so it was even more a surprise. I just love it and it is on my scissors I am using at the moment.

Well I think that's enough for now. Hang on for me whilst I try and catch up with you all.

xx

Exchange with Lynn - oh my!

Yesterday it was my birthday woot!! I had a lovely day and got my hair cut quite short and received some lovely gifts. One thing I got which was not particularly for my birthday, was an exchange I did with Lynn B from Happiness is Cross Stitching blog. She set the date as she wanted me to have it for my birthday. It cam ethe day before and I was itching to open it but I waited patiently so I would have something stitchy to open. What she made had my mouth gaping open for a long while. It is the most beautiful box and I adore it. I keep opening it and looking inside. Here are some pics.











Lynn made this entire package by herself! She included some polymer clay roses and buttons and the last rose has a little jewel in the centre. I absolutely love it Lynn. Thanks for a brilliant exchange.

And I suppose you were wondering what I made for Lynn...

Here is my effort. It is a design from Midsummer Nights designs from The Gift of Stitching magazine. I finished it slightly differently from how it suggested. It was one of my first times on my little sewing machine and I was worried as my machine stitching wasn't so straight but not bad for a first attempt I don't think.













Stitching bag, Needlebook and Fob
Midsummer Nights Designs
Antique white Cashel linen
DMC stranded cotton

Well, that's it from me folks. I am only a few days into my pledge and I am already finding it difficult. Tracy bought me my choice of 50 DMCs for my birthday as well as some gorgeous linen. So I have kitted up projects in preparation ;). Thanks for all your support. I am going to continue and resist new starts. So far we have two people saying they will join us:

Tracy (another Tracy;))
Syd

Why don't you pop by their blogs and encourage them if you get a minute. The rest of you "Serial Starters"..... just watch and see lol. I already have one finish just round the corner hahahahahaha!!!

Have a good weekend everyone. xx

Start of the Pledge

Hi peeps. I had a wonderful weekend with Tracy. We got lots of stitching done and watched lots of dvds and ate lots and lots of food!!!! We got our nails manicured and polished and went out for a lovely meal. It was just the break that I needed. Lie ins and fizzy pink drink - woot!!

It was Tracy's birthday a couple of weeks ago so along with some other gifties I also made her this:



It's a Primitive Betty freebie and was stitched as part of the May challenge on Stitch and Stash bb.




I was also able to make some progress on my Just Nan SAL and completed another band. The pictures really don't do this piece justice as the beads really dazzle and sparkle. It is lovely to work on. Only five bands to go!



I worked on some other projects too but am really pleased I managed to complete the first page of the Jane Austen sampler I am working on as part of an SAL with Sally, Tracy and Lesleyanne. Tanya's designs are just such a pleasure to work on. I was so pleased she had a recent sale and was just able to grab a couple of bargains before it finished.



Tomorrow I am sending out an exchange I am doing with Lynn from Happiness is Cross Stitching. This is such an honour as Lynn stitches the most beautiful things. I only hope my work will live up to the standard! I will show pics once it arrives at its destination.

Well today is officially the first day of our pledge (that is - Tracy and I). We pledged that for the next six months we will have no new starts and only work on the wips we already have. If anyone would like to join us in this journey then feel free to hop on board. The final two hours of last night had me itching to sneak in a new start but in the end I refrained. So this means, in effect, no exchanges, no sneaky smalls, no baps, no socks, nothing.

Hmmmmm.... I wonder how long I'll last.