More Cards for Charity

I managed to finish a big assignment for school this morning, and so I treated myself to a small shopping spree for card-making goodies. Then I spent a good chunk of the afternoon and evening putting together a few more cards.

Hope you like them (I can't tell if I'm getting better at this or not):

Suddenly Its All About Cards

This blog is really supposed to be about stitching, or at least mostly about stitching. Lately my time to stitch has been severely limited and what little stitching I have done hasn't really resulted in progress worthy of taking pictures. This is very frustrating to me. I like progress, I like finishes, and I love stitching, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards for me right now (no pun intended). Instead I take an hour here and there to unwind by making cards.

A lady on crossstitchforum.com had asked if people would donate stitched pieces for a craft table at a Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser in England (a cause close to my heart). While I had every intention of stitching up a few bookmarks for her, my school schedule and workload have made that impossible. Fortunately she's happy to accept non-stitchy donations as well.

This is the first batch of cards.

HSH - March Update

I really had hoped for more progress than this, but a quarter of a page is better than nothing. I really do like working on this piece, I just wish I didn't have so many other projects stealing what little stitching time I have available.

And a few more cards (it's nice to have a hobby where every time you sit down to work on it you have at least one finish).

Can't say I'm a huge fan of the second card, but it's always good to try new things and new ideas.

Time for a Change

I've been blogging about my cross stitch projects, stash buying, and the occasional stitchy gift for almost a year now. Several months ago I expanded my crafty repertoire to include stitchy card-making. Well, thanks to the influence of several friends, I am now up to my eyeballs in card-making paraphernalia (okay actually it's my own fault, they offered the use of their own stash, but I just had to have my own). I LOVE stamps and embossing and all the pretty, pretty paper ... I'm addicted.

And so, I have changed the name of my blog to reflect my divergence into a wider variety of crafts. One day (who knows when though) I would love to learn to tat, and I would eventually love to learn how to crochet as well. But for now I will only venture into the worlds of cross stitch and card making.

Below are a few of my beginner attempts at cards:

After a second card-making lesson:

I bought myself a card-making magazine and worked off a few of the ideas in there:

I did not abandon my stitchy roots, it's just that stitchy cards take a lot more forethought!

My Easter present from my Mom was an embossing heat tool, so this is my first try with it on my own:

I love making cards. It's stupid, I know, but the joy and sense of accomplishment I get out of it is awesome. Plus, I love providing random reasons that make people smile. :)

It's nice to be Home Sweet Home!!

I have too many projects on the go -- plain and simple.

For the last 6 or 7 weeks I have been trying to put time into my smaller projects to see if I could finish any of them. I'm now down to just 5 WIPs (works in progress). The downside to this has been that I haven't touched my big beautiful HAED project in far too long.

And so ... last night I started page 3.

I know it doesn't look like much, but it was the most enjoyable stitching I've done in weeks. I LOVE this project.

Stashmas - better late than never

On the cross stitch forum I frequent, they hold an event called Stashmas. It's on December 1st, and it's similar to a secret santa, but it's just about cross stitching. My original present either was lost in the mail or never sent (I don't know which), but another member stepped up and sent me a replacement gift and it arrived yesterday!!

I received a very pretty celtic kit, a cute butterfly kit, some skeins of DMC, a few bobbins of satin, and some hand made cards (pictures and all!). Such a lovely and thoughtful present. Thanks so much Talenaya!!

Walk in for one thing, walk out with something else entirely

I popped by my LNS today, not really for any reason in particular, just to poke around and look at the new things that had come in and ask about some beads I'd ordered.

After checking out the latest patterns, I headed straight for the hand-dyed fabrics and accidently found a great light brown 28 ct linen. Now I don't really like working with linen, but the colouring on this piece just called to me. So I picked it up (along with another piece that I liked, but not as much) and wandered over to the wall of thread. Specifically, I headed to the varigated HDF silks. Oh man I love silks ... they are beyond lovely! Next thing I know I was tossing silks onto my fabric and ideas for a project flooded my brain.

This is what I ended up with ...

If you recall, a few months ago I stitched an Alessandra Adelaide Needleworks design of a tree for my brother. Well, ever since I've wanted to stitch it again but in autumn colours. I think this might become another family heirloom. This time I'll give it to my mom, as those colours will suit her house perfectly. I plan to stitch it over 1 as well; it'll be a tiny tree!

How much can one person stitch in a lifetime?

I don't know why I keep buying charts. I don't think it is possible to stitch all that I already own in my lifetime. (Unless of course I win the lottery and do nothing but stitch for the next 40 years. Sadly that is not likely to happen.)

But I do love owning such pretty things. There is something reassuring about having a chart in your possession, and not in the land of "I'll buy it when I have time to stitch it." I always worry that a chart I adore will be discontinued or retired before I'm ready to stitch it.

And so ... I bought Ice Blossoms by Just Nan. I even got the embellishment pack with it. (More incentive to stitch it soon!)