Better get a cuppa..

Sorry for myself cakes

...it's going to be a long post.

I have so much to share but recently been in such a blogging slump, I just couldn't get my head around posting. I have been visiting mind you and getting lots and lots of inspiration.

So, SNOW! You want snow? I'll give you snow! And tons of it. Why we chose to live here I just don't know. We live in the Peak District of England. It is beautiful, hilly, rural and very cold come the winter. As we're quite high up and also in a valley, we kind of get the brunt of the bad weather. We were warned. We knew Northumberland and Newcastle had had it bad and that it was heading our way. You just never realise how much until you wake up seeing this:





Oh yeah it is magical, and Christmassy and silent. Have you ever noticed the silence when it has snowed like this? It's like no-one comes out. It's a still, still world for a time. But it is also a pain in the behind especially when the school doesn't close. But it did, today. Thankfully. DD was up at two in the morning throwing up till dawn. Bug. Yuk. So today has been a stay at home day. I ventured out and got my car going just to keep it ticking over and then proceded with two other neighbours to clear our road of snow so at least we can get in and out. It is still snowing though so may get covered over in no time.

So... last week I got a wonderful surprise in the mail. Cathy had a giveaway for some beautiful tatted things her mum had made and no... for once .. I didn't actually win. But I did mention in the comment how I would love a tatted bookmark for my bible and last week, these arrived in the post with a rather special note. I can't tell you how much they cheered me up Cathy. Send my thanks and appreciation to your mum. I absolutely love them.



Today brought another special gift from Berit. Can you believe that Berit was giving away this??



She had almost finished the design but decided not to keep it! So I got the nearly finished (and rather well stitched) design, the chart and the threads and beads! Wow. I love it and am going to finish it off as soon as I get the time. Love it. Thank you Berit. Really needed that little boost today.

What else? What else? Oh yeah... I have two TWO finishes!!! I told you I would. I told you!!

Right, here's the alphabet sampler by La D Da. Loved stitching this and it worked up so quickly. I don't know why I left it for so long in the wip pile.




Stitched on 32 Sassy's Creamy Cocoa with NPI silks.

Next and here's the big one!! Here is, finally, a major TA DA!! Cirque des Cirque. I had a love hate relationship with this one. I started and restarted it several times. First I started it with beads and that wasn't right. Then I had a go with metallic threads, that wasn't right either so by the time I just got round to plain old stitching it, I'd had enough of it. And so I struggled and struggled. Then Rachael set up and Ink Circles SAL this year and I took up the challenge and finished it within the year. No more lingering in the wip pile for you matey. Done. These photos are very accurate of the colour of fabric and threads. I have had a job all year getting the thing to photograph right but it never came out well. These are pretty accurate. You have all been so great with the encouragement to finish this and keep on with it so THANK YOU all for that. It worked. ;-)






Stitched on 32 ct Mulberry linen with Thread Gatherers Silk n Colors silk in Spring Frocks.


I have also had a new start today although it doesn't look much right now. I am doing an SAL with Lisa on Winter Whites by LHN. Tracy bought me this chart last year for Christmas so it seems rather appropriate to do it now the opportunity has arrived. There are some others doing the SAL too with other LHN winter designs and I look forward to seeing their progress.


LHN Winter Whites Stitched on 32ct Wichelt Star Sapphire

It was dd's 8th birthday the other day and we had a little celebration for her. We decide to have a simple pizza and film night for her and some of her friends. I made the cake! Smartie flowers. I saw this on Adamento's blog and shamelessly copied it :( Looks okay though hey? Tasted pretty nice too. And you can see the beginnings of my red room but its still not finished yet but you get the warmness of it though.





Lily is pulling a face in this one! What great friends. They all had a good time.

Now, is there anything left? Well, I am doing my first ever RR starting in January bu tI think I will leave it till then to post about it. There are only four of us doing it and we all know each other so hopefully it should run really smoothly. No, I think that is about all I can manage. Thank so much for your kind comments from yesterday. I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. Happy stitching this December! xxx