Christmas SAL

Well, it's not quite the weekend yet, but I got a little disgusted with one of the texts I am reading for my thesis so I started this SAL last night. I gathered all of my materials: 14 x 15 piece of 18ct Regency Aida cloth in Oatmeal, DMC floss in various colors, scissors, chart - check! I began stitching at 8pm during "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and finished by 11:30pm near the end of the local news broadcast. Here are a few pics:

HalloSAL Part 1

I have almost completed the first part of the HalloSAL I am participating in. Here is a snap of what I have done so far:


I also decided to participate in a Christmas SAL. I will show my progress once I have actually done something on it; I only just signed up today and it started on the 1st. I intend to work on that one over the weekend.

Zanesville update and a WIP

I was hoping to show a picture of Zane receiving his birthday gift from me, but out of the 100+ pictures I took at the party on the 7th, wouldn't you know it, that was the only one that didn't turn out! Ugh!!! I will have to ask my cousin to ask around and see if anyone else who took pictures has one of that and if they will email me a copy. I will keep you posted...

In other news, I picked up Makin' New Friends and am determined to finish it off before Christmas this year! There really is not a lot left to do on it. Just a little bit of the border and those dreaded french knots. I am seriously considering using beads instead as I find the knots difficult to do. And I really don't have the patience to keep messing with the thread to get the knots just right. Maybe something I can practice doing after the holidays! I will post a picture when it is completed.

Chapbook Challenge

Well, those of you involved in that challenge may have noticed I "disappeared". I have decided to not do this challenge as my studies in graduate school are becoming more demanding. I had to give up something, and this was the obvious choice. As I feel the need to be creative with words, I will definitely post the poems here.

Christmas Cards

I have completed 3 Christmas cards (minus the inside saying) so far. I am enjoying making these; more than I thought I would. Here are a few pics (information beneath them):

Tinsel Cat
14ct. White Aida
Stitch Count 37h x 24w
Cross Stitch Cards ~ Joanne Sanderson

The next two are from Cross Stitch Crazy magazine's add-on 126 Xmas Designs:

Snowman, p19
14ct. White Aida
Stitch Count 40h x 48w (max)

Three Kings, p16
14ct. White Aida

Stitch Count 40h x 48w (max)

I used scraps from my scrapbooking supplies to accent the designs and Staples brand Card Stock in beige. I have a couple of more that I want to make and then we'll see how the time is from there (as to whether or not I make more).

New Stash!

Well, I went to Kissimmee, FL today to visit NeedleCraft World. It is a wonderful little store with lots of neat stuff! I mainly went to get some fabric that I need for a couple of projects, and since it is the closest stitchy store near me (about an hour East), I gave myself a little spending limit. I managed to pick up a few patterns and a kit. Below are some pics:

The top fabric is "Peoria Purple" by Week's Dye Works. This photo does not do justice to the actual color, but it is the closest I could get to showing you. The bottom fabric is a 28ct Linen (can't remember the color), which it turns out is not long enough, so I will have to reorder in the correct length. Such is life, I guess! lol...it also means I can get the rest of the floss I need to begin the HalloSAL.

Starting from the top left: Rosewood Manor's Medallions by Karen Kluba (2008), The Cricket Collection's The Great Pumpkin Conspiracy by Vicki Hastings (2009), Ink Circles' Cirque des Carreaux by Tracy Horner (2008), Stoney Creek's Hanging Around for Christmas (2009), and Dimensions Gold Collection's Coming Home for the Holidays by Nicky Boehme (2004). Since I have enough going on right now and don't want to get behind in my Master's program, I will put these in the future WIPs section. I may not actually start any of them until mid-2010, but just having the pattern is enough for now.

2009 PAD Chapbook Challenge has begun

Here are the first two poems I have written for the challenge:

November 1, 2009

Entering Something New

A new universe

A new sound

A new smell

We enter something new

A new sight

A new feeling

A new world

We enter something new

The old is long

but forgotten

The old is nowhere

to be found

As we enter something new...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

November 2, 2009

The Canon’s End

Standing on top of the hill

the canon points forward

Aimed for the enemy at hand

I stand there and wait for the order

And when the order is called

I light the fuse and look on

The canon points toward the advance

As I stare down its barrel and watch

And then the fuse hits her mark

and "Boom!" the ball is shot out

Soaring away from us all

Yet, I stare down the barrel and stall.