CJC 2013 Days 14-15

Here are my final two Crazy January Challenge 2013 starts!

#14: A Mario bookmark. Not sure where I got the free PDF, it was months ago. It's sooooo cute! :)

#15: "Sing," by Ezia Gladstone. This is going to be for my aunt, Rose. She has the best voice ever, and sings opera like a boss. Wish I had some of her genes, haha.

Happy stitching!

CJC 2013 Days 12-13

I finished the Shell Chrismon on January 12th - kind of.

Notice anything a bit off? Yep, a water droplet is one block off. Oopsies. I am not excited about fixing that, so I've thrown Shell aside for the time being.

On January 12th, I also started Everything is Possible, a little Dimensions kit. Not much of a start, but a start nonetheless.

Yesterday, I started Dream, another bookmark from the Stoney Creek book, X Marks the Spot. It's so pretty already. :) I'm making it for one of my best friends. Her birthday is February 2nd, so I'll try to give her this for her birthday. :)

Happy stitching!

CJC 2013 Days 8-11 and TUSAL

The craziness continues, with days 8 through 11 of the Crazy January Challenge.

Favorite Pony
January 8, 2013

I am loving stitching Favorite Pony! The effect of the black Aida is so different, I love it.

Shell Collection
January 9, 2013

 I know, a bit of a pitiful start on Shell Collection. I was feeling particularly poorly that day.

Celtic Cross
January 10, 2013

I think I'm enjoying these Chrismons too much, I just keep going back to them. They're so simply and pretty and quick and I'm still in the Christmas spirit, I guess. :)

Crown of Thorns and Nails
January 10, 2013 - January 11, 2013

And another one!

Shell
January 11, 2013

Last one, I promise. I'm out of 14 ct. Aida and have no money. I'll probably have this one finished by later this evening, but I wanted to go ahead and do an update. :) I finished Crown of Thorns and Nails and began this one while rewatching A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Wonderful movie, especially interesting after taking (most of) a course on Roman Comedy last fall. I see a lot of Andria and Casina in the movie, which is fun. :)

And now a TUSAL update, the first one of the year! Lots of stitching has been done already. Mostly Chrismons - all that gold thread. :) I put my little cut up Dasani water bottle beside my journal. I have written in this journal every day for seven weeks - my medical leave thus far. It's a wonderful habit by this point. The cover has a lovely reminder, too, especially when lots of things aren't going according to plan.

CJC 2013 Days 6-7

On the sixth day of January, I started and finished stitching two cross stitch pieces while watching the Seattle/Washington football game. These are two more little Chrismons, "Ark and Rainbow" and "Cross and Crown." Loving these. :)

Ark and Rainbow

Cross and Crown

And today I began Woodland Winter, a Dimensions Gold Collection kit from my grandparents. This piece is going to be huge! 18 inches by 10 inches on 18 ct. Aida. Bring it on. :)

Woodland Winter

CJC 2013 Days 2-5

First, here's some more progress on my January 1st start, Sanctuary Shells. I've been having ill luck with cross stitch lately, including breaking this needle! Apparently I don't know my own strength, haha. :)

 Here's a bit more ill luck, on "Blast Off!" This is my January 2nd start, and I have not yet gathered the will to deal with the one green stitch that is out of place and must be fixed. The farthest green stitch down, next to the newly worked blue stitching, should shift right one block. Oops.

Here's my January 3rd start, "Fabulous Feather," from the January 2013 issue of the Cross Stitch and Needlework Magazine.

Here's my January 4th start, "Blushing Rose," from the October 2012 issue of Cross Stitch Collection. Alas, more ill fortune! Apparently this ought to be stitched three over two, not two over two. I need to do some frogging on this piece, too.

But my ill fortune lifted! On January 5th, I started this Chrismon, the "Lamp." (You know, Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, and all.) I started and finished stitching this piece during the Cincinnati vs. Houston game yesterday. It was delightful! My mom had supplies and such for tons of Chrismons given to her by her mom, which she let me use. :)

Happy stitching!

CJC 2013 Day 1

Happy New Year, everyone! I love new years so much. And new months. And new weeks. And new days... There's just something so thrilling about a fresh start! New plans and outlooks are so invigorating! Let's make 2013 amazing! :)

I had a new start today, as part of the Crazy January Challenge 2013. This is Sanctuary Shells, a Christmas present that my mom picked out for me. :)

And I couldn't resist working a bit more on Flowers in Purple Vase:

Happy stitching!

TUSAL and other updates!

I went home for the weekend, and it was lovely! I think my family is trying to fatten me up by Thanksgiving though, haha. :) Although I disappeared from teh interwebz for the weekend, I did get some stitching done. And my mom and I bought cross stitch supplies on Sunday! I have a frame for Darth Vader now, and I shall embark on that adventure come Thanksgiving. And so much thread! I wish I had a picture, but I left most of it at home, since it's for the Crazy January Challenge. Which I am decidedly completing. :D Here are several of the pieces I shall be stitching, come January:

"Folk Art Deer"

"Blushing Rose"

"Shell Collection" for my Mommy

"Favorite Pony" for my Ashlyn

"Everything Is Possible"

Several bookmarks from this,
for lots of wonderful people. :D

"Spring Sampler"

Lots of fun plans! More short-term, I'm hoping to finish all of my current projects by the end of the year (fingers crossed!). I'll also be stitching some really simple ornaments for my mom and this for my brother. Ambitious, I know, especially with college and my health. But it shall be fun! :) And now for this week's progress! :D

"Live Simply"

Look at that! I am nearly done with the cross stitching, and then I'll just have some back stitching and such. :) This piece is so lovely! It gives me such joy. :)

 "Snowman and Friends"

And look at that! Gettin' crazy, I know. I branched out and worked on one of my other WIPs! :D It's fun to stitch some detail when you've been working on a simple piece like Live Simply. And it's getting cold outside, getting me in the mood for winter!

It is so gorgeous here at Davidson!! Here are some pictures, as proof. :)

Aaaaaand here's a TUSAL update! I'm not officially on the list (working on that), but I've been keeping my ORTs since last new moon, so here they are! And I don't actually have a glass jar... but plastic is close enough, I hope. :) I used an old contact lens thingy as my glass jar. I love this so much, it's such a fun thing to do with little thread tails! :D

And now I shall finally wrap this post up. Lots and lots of updates today! Hope you're all having a great Tuesday! :)

Long time no see!

I know, I disappeared. It's been a tough week. But I did get a bit of stitching done, cross stitching being one of my coping mechanisms.

"Live Simply"

Isn't it lovely? I adore this pretty shading and all these bright, lovely colors. In other news, I'm quite excited about my stitching plans! I definitely plan on stitching Country Cottage's Santa's Village series, as soon as I can get my hands on the first pattern and some supplies (read: as soon as I go home for a weekend or a break). I also have several planned starts for 2013, and I am going to try the Crazy January Challenge 2013. I'm working out my list of fifteen new starts that are both doable in a year and (more importantly) not too pricey. I see a lot of bookmarks and ornaments in my future... :)

Yay, it's a new month! I hope you're all enjoying November as much I'm going to be! :)