Biscuit anyone?

Today I made the perfect cookies. I got the recipe from the fabulous lady of Attic24. They were so easy to make and didn't take long. The longest part was waiting for them to cool. Now if you have ever had Millies Cookies then these are just like them. No kidding. Nice and chewy on the inside and a bit of a crunch on the top. The little peeps really couldn't wait to get their hands on them:



Now I started a new blanket until I can get more white wool to finish my granny square afghan off. I am just loving these hippy dippy stripes. They make me so happy. They are just so bright and colourful. This in no way is a breaking on my Pledge as it's a different craft so it doesn't count (cough cough).

This is the very tricky start. I had to chain 240 stitches and I had fortunately made a small practice piece first which I had undone twice before I got it right. So 240 stitches and hoping it would work out and that I had counted it right. I had!



It quickly worked up and then there were three colours:



Then this:



I am so loving this! It is very addictive. Sorry to the stitching which has been set aside for just a little while. This is just so very satisfying.

On a not so positive note we have one of these:


Wasp Nest. Which resulted in this:


Nice man reckons there are approx 5000 wasps in that nest. Nice! So then they all went bezerk and we shut the door!



Can you see all those blighters?? Most of them are queens as they have started reproducing queen wasps. They were huge!!! All is calm now and the nice man is coming back next Thurday to remove it. I might get a pic of the inside.

Okay that's me. Thanks for all your sweet comments on my face painting skills or lack of them and the granny blanket! I appreciate all your comments so much. It's good to be in blogland. xx

Hooky time

School holidays.... I remember them well. Not quite the same as an adult! So dh takes little one off to nursery which left me and dd with some time on our own together. Mum and daughter stuff. We started our day with dd wanting to start a new stitchy project. Very good. It gave me a bit of time to work on my crochet blanket. Here is where it is up to now:



73 squares up to now.



and a few more squares to add...



I am going to do one more row of granny squares then figure out how to edge it. I quite like the squares without the white edge to it actually. Funny, when I got the wool it was a big improvement on the last blanket made with all odds and ends and scraps. However, I have seen some amazing blankets out there and so now I'm fed up of these garish looking colours. But my ds loves it so all well and good. I have just ordered some yarn to do the granny stripe blanket from Attic24's blog. I have ordered the same colours and hope they come soon so I can make a start.

So Back to me and dd and our day. We motivated ourselves to do an exercise dvd. My lazy butt badly needs a kick in this direction. I was surprised she sat out sooner than I did.

Time to go get ds and once home we entertained ourselves doing some face painting:

Ocean Fairy & Dog



It has been a couple of years since I last had this stuff out and wasn't sure I could still do it. Not too bad an effort hey? I need more clients to practice on.

So all is left to do is baking I guess then I can be the perfect Mother Earth figure! Yeah right. Happy holidays xxx

I'm still here!!!

I am so sorry for the major absence! Life has just been too hectic and busy. Hubby goes away again today but only for a couple of nights so not long and to be honest we could both do with the break away from each other I think. Today is dd's last day of term and I am dreading the upcoming holidays. I am really going to have to put my thinking cap on and get out there and do something with them. I am thinking, picnics in the park, trips to sealife places, Chester Zoo. Lots of museums and of course, the odd ball pool place thrown in for good measure.

Sooo what have I been up to?? Well I broke two rules in one go. I did. I really broke two of my own rules. So, my rules for the Pledge was to have no new starts right? For six months, yes? Well I boo boo-ed on this one. It wasn't intentional. No. You see I blame the HAED forum and that enabler Fudgey. She had a Storykeep SAL earlier in the year and I missed it. Well, basically all you have to do is post up two progress pictures in six months and then you get all the charts offered as part of the SAL. So it means I get three more charts just for posting two pics! So I had to you see. I really did. But wait, it also meant I broke my second rule:

"I will only ever stitch on one HAED at a time."

Yes, that's my very own quote and I broke it. :(

So here are some progress pics:

HAED Rose Storykeep



I know it doesn't look much yet but it is a unicorn and a girl. Or will be...

HAED QS Breaking Dawn



This is lovely to work on. The colours are amazing. You can see her hair forming now.

And just so you know that I really have been sticking to my Pledge, here is my progress on the dreaded CdC. I have finished page 3 so I am half way there. Sorry the photo isn't great.

CdC Ink Circles



Here's a fabulous finish by my dd. Thi sis her third finish and it only took her a couple of days so she is definitely improving. I am so proud of my stitching girl:



I went to visit my parent's not too long ago. Their garden is just gorgeous! Here are some pictures.















While I was there, I snapped a quick pic of "I am Half Sick of Shadows" which my dad is working on for me:

I am Half Sick of Shadows



Unwashed, unironed, but you get the picture.

Well, I have been busy hooking away on my next crochet blanket but I have forgot to take it out of my ds's bag and he has gone off to nursery with it so next time I'll show you that.

Next month, I am hoping to get my Just Nan finished off and make some more progress on CDC.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving me comments. You make my day! x

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