Happy Birthday Lily

My darling daughter is 9 today! Wowza! How did that happen? Where did the last 9 years go. I don't feel I have very much to show for them except the sweet addition of a darling son! She celebrated it at the weekend and had her bff come stay over which turned out to be a lot of fun and no bother at all. She is growing up so fast. Lily had said she wanted a dolphin notebook for her birthday and seeing as dolphins are her new obsession, I decided to make her birthday dolphin themed. Dolphin earrings, a book on dolphins, a personalised dolphin pencil case and a dolphin cake! I hunted around everywhere for a dolphin notebook but could only find a small one and she had specifically asked for a large one to write all her stories in. So... you remember the secret "aida" stitching I was doing a few weeks ago?? Well this was it! Did anyone guess??

Stitching on aida is not my cup of tea but I needed a quick result and fast! I found an old dolphin design in one of my old Cross Stitcher magazines and changed all the background to half stitches and Voila! A quick fray of the edges and some glue to stick it down and there you have it - a large, dolphin notebook! Not my colours, or my kind of design but is just perfect for my dolphin loving girl. It just goes to show, you never know when those old magazines will come in handy. I don't think I am quite ready to throw them out just yet.

A dolphin cake was in order so I asked my good friend if she would make one for me and she did a grand job!

Nine candles to blow out....

...and got them all in one blow!

Happy birthday sweetie. I love you lots and lots.

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Helloooo....

Hello everyone. How are you all? I am doing just fine. I think I always fare better in the winter time than in the sweating heat of summer. Loving the cosying up and staying in weather and that fog we had yesterday - wow!

I made a good effort at the weekend for IHSW. I firstly finished off the istitch mystery which has been a pleasure to stitch up. Now I want to find a small box for it to finish it off.

Designer: Istitch

Fabric: 25 count Lugana

Threads: DMC variations - not sure which one 41something

I also stitched this up for my DD's yearly Christmas ornie. I have yet to turn it into an ornie but I will find some suitable fabric this week at some point and do that. Excuse the creases!

Designer: The Sampler Girl

Fabric: Kiwi Illusions 28 lugana "woodland glow"

Threads: DMC 718 3818 304

I adore Tanya's charts and have several of them stitched up waiting to be framed. They are all on different shades of linen - quite pastel colours actually and I am unsure of whether to get them framed in the same style of frames or do each one differently. Any clues?

I have also started a Blooming Flower cushion in the remnants of the autumnal wool I had left over from the Autumn Blanket and it is looking quite good I think. It sticks out a little in the middle but apart from that I think it looks good. Problem is, I am running out of wool and don't really want to have to go buy extra so not quite sure of what to do. It may end up beign a small cushion! Anyway, that said, it is a darling pattern and works up a treat. I may well find myself doing another one soon.

Blooming Flower cushion. Pattern from here.

I have finished my secret stitching but can't show you untill after next weekend then all will be revealed!

We have had some bad news in our family. Do you remember in July/August time when I made the blanket for my brother who is severely handicapped/disabled? Well, due to a heck of a lot of neglect at his care home, he has been rushed into hospital with severe dehydration and a chest infection. He had MRSA before he went to the hospital and also a throat full of thrush. Poor boy. They said he may not survive so we all rushed up to see him - it is a bit of a way and he seemed improved. He has been a bit up and down since then but seems on the mend but my mum and dad have decided they want him back at home and do not trust to put him in a care home again. It has been a long and agonising time for my mum who never wanted him to go in in the first place but I do worry about how they will cope as they are both in their 70s now. They have been promised lots of help and support so hopefully it will all turn out okay.

Well, I wish you a good week with lots of stitching and crocheting or whatever you like to do. It's going to get verrrryyyy busy for me now as I have birthdays and Christmas and then more birthdays but I will try and get on as much as I can.

Lots of love,

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International hermit stitch weekend

I'll be cosying up with my stitching this weekend before the hustle and bustle starts next month. I'll be hoping to work on ornies - I have several to do. Some I may be able to show but some are for exchanges so you'll have to wait to see those. So no matter what the weather this weekend, I'll be indoors with my fire on and maybe with a little cakey treat and a cuppa and stitching to hand. It'll be dvds and colouring in for the kiddos. Have a nice weekend whatever you decide to do.

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A scramble of bits and bobs..

I haven't that much to show by way of handiwork but I do have some bits and pieces that I want to blog about so there might be a few pictures in this post but bear with me. I seem to have sooo much to do with dd's birthday coming up and Christmas and then my ds' birthday too and lots and lots of ornies to do in between. I just haven't had time to sit down and blog about the good things that have been happening in my life and I do want to blog about the good bits. I do I do. Things have been lots and lots better in regarding my home situation. There has been a definite turn around and things are on the up. So I want to make a bt of space in blogland for some good stuff - even if it's mediocre.

First up is this gorgeous parcel that fell through my door today and look at how beautifully wrapped it is. Now I knew who had sent this as I recently won one of Andrea's yearly ornaments on her giveaway on her blog and I knew this was it. I ummed and ahhed about waiting till Christmas day to tear the wrapping off but no I couldn't bear it. I had to see which one she had sent me and woweeee look at this:

It is so exquisitely finished. Perfect in every way. I will treasure it always. I have tried for the past couple of years to win one of Andrea's ornies and I am so happy to finally be the proud owner of one. Love, love, love it. Thank you so much Andrea.

I am stitching a secret project for somebody very special but I cannot reveal it yet so here's a sneak peak.

Yes, it is on aida!!! All will be revealed soon.

The weather is getting cooler and it is definitely time to snuggle up and light the candles and have some woolly projects on the needles I think.

I made a quick scarf for my little man. Just knitted in plain garter stitch with a blanket stitch border. I wasn't sure about it after I made it but it looks okay on ds and he loves it! So I am happy.

I also had a go at doing my own candle votives after seeing them on Anaboo's blog. Here are the results. They look really pretty and I am just rubbish at taking good pictures! They were much more "glowy" in real life.

It was bonfire night at the weekend here in the UK and as is our usual custom we traipsed off to the local bonfire and firework display. I didn't get any good pictures but I think my husband did so I need to pester him a bit to send me some of the pictures. I decided to try my hand at making cinder toffee and after dipping it in chocolate it turned out fab. I piled it into little sweet bags and we took it with us to the bonfire. It was really easy to make and you can find many recipes online. Mine was just a simple recipe with only a couple of ingredients - butter, golden syrup and sugar and then added a splash of vinegar and bicarb of soda.

From this:

To this:

And staying on the food that is bad for you theme, I couldn't resist making this:

Chocolate Nutella mug cake:

Nom nom. You can find the recipe here

What else???..... Oh yes! My neighbour has started stitching! She came round for a look at my stash haul and ordered a few bits and pieces for herself and then came round for a stitchy night! Boy, I think she has it bad. Look how much she has done already and this only in a few days!

I have another friend who has also started stitching and she is going to come along to join us too. Woot! Our own little stitchy group. It's going to be fun fun fun.

Well, I told you it would be a bit of a mish mash of stuff and there is probably more to add but that is enough for now and I feel a little more on top of things. Hope you all have a cosy week if you are feeling the cold. Things are going to get a little hectic for me now for the next few weeks but I will try to keep things updated. Hugs to all.

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