Been busy, actually no, been slack/unmotivated

I aim to fix this, but must have the lulls which then boost the productive time. I'm not one who can go along at a steady pace all the time - so you get what your given.

I did have a birthday this week & my Mum got this amazing card made just for me :)

Made by a lady in Timaru I believe... what is super amazing is the inside:

Yep, I can definitely see how this is made, but seriously awesome & I Can't even imagine what this lady's spare room must look like!!

In the meantime I have decided to take my new car (did I tell you I bought a new car? & I mean NEW car) to Auckland & back to see The Twits on stage with the Auckland Theatre company (www.atc.co.nz) in December a week before I drive south.
Before I go I have one challenge for myself - to complete a previously failed attempt at House. I started last night:

but why oh why when I have so many threads already that the two main ones are the ones missing???
Apparently I am a fast stitcher, so lets put that to the test over the next 3 weeks!

It isn't easy being Green

this is what I have been working on for the last wee while, amongst other things as well.

This is a collection of the different stitches I have worked with this year & so as I am new to the guild I consider myself "Green"

 I think I am particularly pleased with the butterfly.

Shoes to Hit the Streets with

sorry no stitching today, but I have been thinking about these for a little while, since I saw these although I'm not really into cartoons/comics... but for a few years I have had a collection of maps from National Geographic magazines which used to belong to my Grandparents (I have been told that my Mum & Aunts used to use these magazines for school projects - copying only)

I like Maps & I LOVE shoes - my daughter claims I have too many pairs, there is no such thing.
I have these shoes:

Good shoes, but they are navy & I always feel weird wearing navy shoes with black pants, so as comfortable as they are, they barely get worn.... that's all about to change.
Next step choose the map, here are some pics of some of the maps I have:

But I chose New York, mostly because if I went on the shoe shopping trip of my dreams, NY would be one of the top 5 places to go.

 

& Mod Podge is the substance to do this - I found this at Pete's Emporium - If you are near Porirua & at all crafty, you have to check out this shop, it is massive & has so much stuff!
Just so you know, this Mod Podge if kind of like PVA, but stickier & dries pretty fast.

Now I need to let them dry & then trim the edges.

Dont worry, I'm still stitching, just in the middle of a few things right now & really need to start on my 'Challenge' project for Guild, which is due November - I have a few ideas - lucky!

An update on the Sampler

hahaha. I did it, now was that so hard - please don't leave letters out of our alphabet - that is mean.

And here is the whole alphabet now:

right, only 8 more pages to go.

If there is a reason, can someone tell me why

A few months ago, Wellington put together "Hands Up for Christchurch" where a collection of Christchurch shops brought their wares to Wellington & local shop owners donated funds to get their goods here & staff to help them. Some of these store owners like 'Follow the White Rabbit' were lucky (due to a back door) to be able to get their goods out & unfortunately may not open again. This was a really cool little shop in Poplar lane, which I had only discovered on my trip to Chch the weekend before the Feb quake. 'She Chocolat' delicious noms who have gone bus!
My main draw card was 'Broomfields' who firstly turned their garage into their shop & have now managed to reopen in a new location. Here I spent much time browsing (so long my daughter wandered off in search of her own treasures) & bought two patterns. The first I have recently started. It will be a sampler book:

it's a lot smaller than I initially thought & finer - 32count, one stitch over cross stitches with one thread.
Now I am working on the second page and was looking at the pattern... something was off...

There is no 'N' arrrrgggggg why??? that's just silly - unless there is a legitimate reason, so I'm working my way up, & unless someone has a good reason as to why there is no 'N' I'm going to try to put one in on the top line.

Sorry, did I say a week?

obviously i forgot about 'Stitching Sundays'. also known (by my daughter as 'Cupcake Day')

And so the Thimble Pod is complete. Here is the Fushia side:

& The Strawberry:

There are some things which aren't perfect, but given that it was my first time doing any Stumpwork, & needle lacing, I am fairly pleased with the result.

When you press the two tassel ends together, it pops open as such:

(yes I played with some photo effects - I really need to work out some photography skills at some point)

Week of Awesome!

although it has been two weeks really.

Last weekend I was off to our work annual conference where our team won "Dealer of the Year" this was a huge surprise & amazing feeling to be told you are part of the best team in NZ.
This has slowly sunk in with help from two of the most delicious cakes supplied by our suppliers :)

Then on Monday my best crafty friend arrived from Chch & I took Wednesday& half of Thursday off work to Craft shop with her & do general craftiness. We scoured Wellington's crafty shops & this was a real treat for me as I dont get a chance to get out to many of these places. I think the two best places we went to were 'Thimbles & Threads' in Upper Hutt & the new & improved 'Pete's Emporium' in Porirua. Although Petone's 'Villagebeads' deserves a mention for having the very best fudge I have ever tasted (& they have free tastings). I have to go back there soon, as I am already out.

Wednesday I made this:

it is a scarf, it did look like a ball of wool when I started. This is for my final FB handmade gift - yah! mission complete :)

Today I went to my Thimble Pod class, & so now need to finish that... here is part of what I have so far:

& a close up of the Strawberry:

I'm quite please so far, although some of this is brain scratching, after today I feel quite confident at finishing it - hopefully within the next week.