December - My month of SAL's.

Hello stunners!!!

Welcome Rai Rai to my followship. Thank you for joining us on my cross stitch adventures, I hope you find it entertaining and stay for a while!!

Okay down to biz, this post will probably, (okay let's be realist Ms. Crafty Princess) this will be my last post for 2012.

So when you see my first post in 2013, it will mean 2 things:

1) The world didn't have an apocalyptic ending as predicted by the Mayan calendar. YAY!!

2) I made enough progress on my SAL's to show progress pics, Double YAY!!!

I have decided to dedicate the month of December to my SALs.  I truly need to get a massive shove along for my SAL's as I will be starting the HAED freebie SAL on January 1st and I still haven't finished the one from 2011 - Fragile Heart. Also I joined the Passione Ricamo Fairy Mystery one 4 months late and now we have had 2 more pages sent out since and I'm hopelessly behind.

I started a new SAL with the stunning Kim from Scully's Cross Stitching. We are working on Rose Cerise by Karen Middleton charted by Heaven and Earth Designs. Kim has made a start from the top on a lovely pale lilac sparkly fabby and I will attack from the other end. My Rose is being worked on 32ct Seaworld bling (of course) 2 over 2 full crosses. We bought our fabric from those lovely boys at Sew it all. And let me tell you I love the way the fabric feels. This is my first time working on such a high count fabric from them and it's just so billowy and silky. LOVE IT!! (that last bit was sung in a high pitched note)

Peter was a little worried when I told him the fabric I wanted for mine. But in the end he gave in and said that he trusted me.  So a bit of presh there but I think so far so good~

As a treat I splurged and bought silk threads from Victoria Clayton's hand dyed fibres for this one too.  Which is awesome except they haven't arrived as yet....(c'mon Vic it's been 3 weeks!)

But luckily I had some black premium floss so at least I could make a start with that and the sparkly thread.

So here are the before pics for projects for December:

Rose Cerise

She is going to be a big beautiful girl!

Passione Ricamo Fairy Mystery SAL (sigh)

Fragile Heart

I will be ecstatic if I can at least get the first row of pages completed on Fragile. Which is approximately 20 more rows or so.

I will still be around though as I will be stalking/supporting/reading all your blogs but I really want to have something substantial to show you in 3 weeks time on my next post.

SO TO ALL MY AMAZING, AWESOME, AND STUNNING FOLLOWERS AND GUEST STARS - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS, ADVICE, CHEERS AND BRILLIANT FRIENDSHIP THROUGHOUT THE YEAR/S!!!

YOU COMPLETE ME!!! HEE HEE.

Here are some Christmas funnies so that the last thing I see before you leave my blog is a smile on your face. Have an Awesome, Fantastical and Merry Christmas. Give everyone in your family a kiss from me!

See you next year xoxo Alicia

I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.  ~Bernard Manning

 

Note: This applies to heterosexual singles as well - LOL!!

Has yet to happen to me!!!

IHSW - It's all over for the Lovers!!

Hello my stunning stunners!!

Welcome aboard Johanna, Mountain Ash, LesleyAnne Smith and Emma and thank you for joining me and my other followers on this cross stitch adventure. You're just in time to witness a miracle! 2 not 1 but TWO finishes!!!

The star crossed lovers have met their end WooHOO!

QS Lovers

They are my first yearly goal to be completed (and more than likely my last). I still have 2 more finishes and 6 (large charted) pages on Golden Wood to truly realise my cross stitch dreams for 2012.

Sorry the photo is really yucky but I just couldn't get the light right no matter how many location changes I had. So this is the for now photo and I will post a better one in the gallery when I can figure it out!   

And I also completed my first of four charts that I have in the Bothy Threads Gorjuss range.

So here is I found my family in a book.

She is stitched on 14ct Aida from the hand dyed range from the lovely boys at Sew it all. Next will be "Puddles of Love"

As most of you know HAED had a brilliant 50% sale recently. I could have bought a whole load of charts but the ones I picked were just a different variation of charts I already had. So I decided to only get ones that are truly different to what I own.  Weirdly I could only find one.

BOOTSTRAP BETSY - JASMINE BECKET-GRIFFITH

I just loved the bright red parrot and I was curious about how the tatts  would turn out.

I so so so so want to start her but I'm still on a high about my 2 finishes that I kinda want to stick to my rotation and score a few more finishes under my belt. 

I have already planned 6 new starts as my rotation goes. These include QS Salvatore to replace Lovers in the rotation and I will be starting a SAL with the very stunning Kim from Scully's cross stitching fame with Rose Cerise in December. Just waiting on fabric and thread to arrive on that baby!

So Betsy is gonna have to wait her turn I'm afraid but she is right up the top of the list!

IHSW

With the advice of the Lovely Nina I started on the Passione Ricamo Fairy Mystery SAL for the IHSW.

It started in July and we get sent a page every month for a year. I joined late and had to catch up on 5 pages. They aren't huge but I have been waiting for ages for the sparkly threads that I ordered to arrive. So I thought I would stitch on what I could which is just the normal threads and some beading. It's my first time beading and I found it really really difficult. If anyone has any tips I would welcome any advice as there is a tonne of it in this chart!!

So I made a start on page 1 and 5.

She is being stitched on 40ct sparkly peachy coloured linen 2 over 2. It's pretty cool not knowing what the final picture looks like - when you receive the email the first page is what the final pic looks like up to that page. So I just close my eyes and keep clicking till I get to the chart so I don't peek at what it looks like so far. I know I'm an idiot. But you were forewarned LOL!!!


Moving on!!

HAED have released the 2013 Freebie SAL. Sign ups are still open and the charts are fabulous! I vowed I wouldn't join in next year as I have alot going already, (Yeah yeah I know you've all heard that from me before --- and guess what you'll probably hear it from me again in the future hee hee) but when I saw them there were actually 3 that I really wanted to do. They changed the rules a bit which I think was a pretty cool change as it gives you more incentive to actually continue the SAL all year.


So my choice was Ciro Marchetti's

QS Theatre of the Absurd

Theatre of the Absurd could actually be the title of my autobiography. That's the stage my life is played out on. Truly!!! LOL. Well it makes sense due to being a lunatic in all facets of life especially cross stitch.



I loved the full version when it was released but decided I had enough Marchetti's in my stash so I didn't get it. But I couldn't pass this one up. Isn't it just dreamy, I love how the purples and gold look together. Also the tally as of this date is only 19 stitchers signed up for it with a whopping 106 doing Spanglers Literate Dragon. So I had to go for the underdog!

My second choice was Mystic Garden (another Marchetti).

The full version is actually called "Peacocks Garden"

Although the Peacock's are lovely it was really the white tigers that I adored in this chart. So it was serendipity that HAED released the QS with only the tigers...OMG the universe is friendly!

Anyhoo I already have "Peacocks Lagoon" in my stash which is very similar and the Peacocks are nicer in this one. So it was completely win win for me. I plan on keeping up with this SAL so I will be sent the rest of the charts in the end.

Man that was a real plug for Ciro Marchetti huh? Well he deserves it for producing such beautiful art!

That's all stunners. Talk soon and may your world be filled with sunshine and rainbows..now I'm going to check out every one's progress on IHSW mwah mwah!

xoxo Alicia

IHSW October - I'm still here!!!

Helllooooo Stunners!!!

Wow this has been the longest I've been MIA. Have been absolutely flat out with life, love, friends, work and of course STITCHING!!!! But somehow couldn't manage the time to blog. I've tried to keep up with everyone though and I've witnessed some very impressive work. Good going stunners!

Firstly welcome to my new followers Agi, Inga, Little Miss Stitchy Stitch, Mii Stitch and Alina. Thank you for taking an interest in my little corner of the blog world. I hope I keep it interesting for you.

Ok I'm just going to launch straight into my progress since my last blog which was a back in August (OMG!!)

QS Lovers

I worked on this one for the IHSW and managed to finish page 3. Only 1 partial page left to go. Hopefully the lovers will be finished by the end of the day. YAY!! My lovers will be my second HAED finish. (Only 200 charts to go, fist pump!) 

Golden Wood

This is the first column completed which equals 3 pages. I'm pretty stoked that I have finished my first lady. Will need to complete 6 more pages to reach the halfway point and also fulfill my end of year goal. Hmmm will give it a go!

QS Fragile Heart 

Awesome she can almost see!

I've also being working on Vanity, Faery Ball and Faery2 but will wait till there is substantial progress on them before posting a pic. As I'm working across the entire rows for these even though I've put in thousands of stitches it just looks like a minute difference. I will post every 20 or so row completions.

Now for the STASH!!!! 

The first 3 were bought during the HAED appreciation week. I also bought 2 charts for 2 friends so they could appreciate HAED addiction hee hee!!

Lee Anne Seed Lights Collection2007 - Catch the stars

Hannah Lynn - Mini Little Miss Deelilsh and Sweet Treats Trixie

Linda Ravenscroft - Waiting for Neptune

These babies were purchased during the Halloween sale (which is still on - go for it stunners bwah hah hah HAH!)

Jacek Yerka is a relatively new artist to HAED and I love his quirky and imaginative work. The four seasons (when finished of course) will be hung in accordance of the season I'm experiencing at the time, it will be like 4 pics in one. Pretty cool!

As for Boudoir - I love, love, love it. It reminds me of me.  Just like my mind it's all over the place, upside down, things defying gravity (like my boobies hee hee) but somehow it all makes sense, well perhaps only to me but it works! I'm thinking of making a start on it in November. 

Four Seasons - Jacek Yerka

Boudoir - Jacek Yerka

and for the creme de la creme of stash enhancement

Mrs Dibble bought this lovely chart for me. 

Squeal Screech Eek

It's like all my favourite things in one - pink, shoes and flowers

all it needs is a bit of Singapore Chilli Crab for taste and voila a veritable Princess masterpiece!!!!

QS Salvatore - Michel Tcherevkoff

Michele Sayetta has advised in the HAED newsletter that she is going to release a new Tcherevkoff and it's basically the companion shoe flower of this one, so I'll be getting that one too. I hope it's released during the sale - hint hint there Ms. Sayetta! LOL!

This one's for Jo who can't think of a clever nickname fame. Months ago Jo nominated me for answering 11 questions, which I piked out on. But she asked me so very nicely to answer at least one of them as she had an answer in mind.

The question: Which actress would play you in the movie about you?

Answer: I've pondered for ages on this - it's actually a hard question. But after some thought and help from my friends I've narrowed it down to 3.

It would be either:

1) Zooey Deschanel (for her quirky, zany, awkward and dry sense of humour.

2) Sofia Vergara (Gloria from Modern Family) - because she is very beautiful (just like me) but mostly because she is so very fiery and cracks it whenever someone crosses her.

3) Krysten Ritter - mostly due to her role as Patty in the movie "She's out of my league. She has my sense of humour, with her dry sarcastic retorts. 

Plus we all have dark hair!

So Jo let me know which actress you had in mind. I'm very intrigued.

Ok my lovely gorgeous stunners that's for now.

As a tribute to Jo - I would love to hear your answers to that question too. 

Who would be cast to play you in a movie???

Can't wait to hear your answers!!

Take care everyone, I hope you all had a good IHSW and have a fantabulous stitchylicious week. xoxo Alicia

August WIPocalypse - Part 1

Hi stunners!!!

Sorry for the major hiatus from moi but life in the past month was such that every time I made plans to blog, something else popped up.

But I still managed to stitch so that's all good.

Welcome to my new followers Chelle Newton,Beverly Robinson and Karen Hughes. Thanx for joining me girls and welcome to my journey of cross stitch lunacy.

TAPESTRY MOON - FREE FAIRY CHART

On my previous post I posted a new chart I received by Jenni DMills who is an Aussie designer who has recently taken the big step of designing full time. 

Jenni was so happy that I mentioned her work that she kindly offered my followers a free fairy pdf chart if they popped over to her blog Tapestry Moon and mentioned that you found out about her through The Crafty Princess.  How sweet and generous is that!!! We've had a few email exchanges and she is really lovely, down to earth and very talented.  Thanx Jenni that is so cool of you!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

A big huge thank you to Kim Howe from Scully's Cross Stitching fame. She is very naughty but so very kind. I was having the worst day at work and just couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. I was walking through the car park and my phone beepity beeped me. So I opened the mail to find I had received a very unexpected surprise - a gift chart!!!

It was exactly the same one I was drooling over during my lunch break, and now thanks to the generosity of Kim, I am the proud owner of Rose Cerise by Karen Middleton. You're so sweet, thanx Kim. You absolutely positively were the rainbow in my life that day. I couldn't wait to get home even more after that so that I could download the chart and drool up close!!

We both own this chart now and we are thinking of doing a SAL of her (but not till the New Year due to all our other stitchy commitments for this year)

Isn't she beautiful, I can't stop admiring her and I so so so can't wait to stitch her!!!

STASH ENHANCEMENT
 WHOO HOO!!!

 As most of you know Heaven and Earth Designs had a recent 50% off stash enhancement sale. I know you guys know as I've been admiring all the stash everyone's purchased and displayed proudly on their blogs. Great work stunners. So here are my no more charts deal breaker purchases!

Kuik Montage - Ching Chou Kuik

I'll be starting this one very soon when I get the fabric on Thursday at the craft show. I've decided to do all the black frame bits first and then fill in the fairies and mermaids in whatever order I feel like. It will be like little windows with the ladies slowly peeking out. Also it won't be so daunting. This is a very very very large chart!!!

House Divided - Nene Thomas

I love the cute little owl but what got me was her beautiful dress. I just love it!!

So many books so little time - Randal Spangler

This is a stunning companion for "Curl up with a good book" and will go in the library (you know - when it's finished hee hee). We all know about having too much to do with such limited time...perfect!

QS Clara - Hannah Lynn

I love the pink teamed with those beautiful green eyes, plus I love her stable table boobies!!!

Weeping Angel - Katarina Koukiotis

This picture absolutely captivates me. I just find it so beguiling.  I can feel her despair when I look at her and it makes me feel so emotional. I just want to put my arms around her and comfort her. I'm not sure whether I will stitch the rainy background, I may just buy fabby that resembles a stormy sky. 

Mia - Myka Jelina

What can I say, she's purply, in pigtails and she looks very naughty but sweet! I just love all the brilliant purples in this chart!

Thanks to the Crafty Pixie I was led to a site called Soda Pattern Mall. The charts are so vibrant and cute and mega cheap. It's a South Korean site and I absolutely love their English translations to some of their chart names. They are just as cute as the charts!! The Crafty Pixie just finished Cafe Love and it looks really cool stitched up. 

Song of the Moonlight

Two Hearts, One Love

Beginning Lover

In the brilliant Days

     

WIPOCALYPSE PROGRESS

Okay now I need to justify all the chart purchasing with some actual stitching. Here is what I have been up to in the last month.

New start - Vanity - Nene Thomas

My first sin : Stitched 2 over 1 on 22ct White Hardanger. I am stitching it row by row in it's entirety.  I have completed the first 10 rows and all of page 6, which was just so tiny that it was more of a pain to keep getting it out and stitching 30 stitches and then going back to page 1. So I just got it out of the way and stitched it all. So yay Page Finish!! ha ha.

Golden Wood

Before

After
Page 1 complete

Faery 2

Before

After

I have finally developed an awesome rotation. I won't bore you with the details. I've only used it for a week or so but I'm loving the variety and I seem to be progressing so much better. You will be able to see the results in Part 2 August Wipocalypse. 

That's it for me I'm off to the Newcastle Craft Show tomorrow. I will be staying 2 nights in a one bedroom terrace apartment. The show doesn't start till Thursday but I plan on spending Wednesday afternoon on the terrace with a mud pack on my face, a glass of chardonnay, my latest audio book plugged into my earholes and my stitching. Uninterrupted stitching - bliss bomb baby I can hardly wait!!!!


Take care everyone.

Keep up all the amazing work I have seen on all your blogs. You guys inspire me. Thank you!

Lots of luv and kisses

Alicia xo

Wipocalypse - And the winners are....!!!

Hi Stunners!!!!

Thank you to everyone that entered my 100th followers celebration giveaway. I loved loved loved all your comments. I read and re-read then over and over again because they all made me smile. Thank you so much for taking the time  to choose your favourites and all the little stories as to why they were your favs.

Of course I love all my stash but it was really interesting and very insightful to see what everyone's favourite's were. It would appear that Midnight Masquerade by J.Galbreth was very popular. In honour of all your choices I have decided to bump all the chosen pieces to my rotation.

So you will soon be seeing the following charts being stitched -  Moonlight Masquerade, QS Sapphire, Gorjuss Puddles of Love, Superstition, Peacock's Lagoon, Oracle of visions, Winged Companions, Ravene, Home is where the Magic is, Alicia Aliana (yay - thanx Sharine for picking her I was hoping someone would), Curl up with a good book, Forsaken (Sessler choice), Scarlet Wizard, Gaia and of course all the sins by Dahlig! But you must understand, my view of soon welll it may differ slighty to yours but don't despair it will be sooner rather than later. LOL!!

Lija thanx for the amazing list of choices you sent me, you will be happy to know that I have already started Vanity and will be posting my first progress pic in my next blog post!

Welcome to my 2 new followers Kittyperfection and Rachelle, welcome welcome and thanx for choosing to join me on this merry go round world of cross stitch.

STASH STASH BABY!!!

Happy 4th of July to all my American followers and thanx to Michele from Heaven and Earth designs for holding a sale in honour of Indepenence Day because I bought another chart...hee hee!!

Faery Ball by Maxine Gadd

                                             

I just couldn't resist. There is approx 20,000 kreinik stitches, AWESOME it's going to be so sparkly!!!! I will be starting her in about 6 weeks or so where I've slotted her into the rotation. I've decided to start her when I finish Spring to Life so that should give me enough time. Plus I'm running out of Qsnaps and stretcher frames, not to mention storage boxes for the bobbins.

And also a big thank you to Jo (of Jo who can't think of a clever nickname fame - LOL I love that name by the way) for picking some Mystic stitches. You inspired me to go to that website which I haven't for so long and of course there was a summer special on so I have lovingly added 3 new charts to my stash.

Couldn't go past a new Maxine Gadd mermaid!!!



I saw this in the finished gallery on the website and it looks absolutely magical stitched up.


Another Stephen Read...too cute to pass up!

The Craft and Quilt Fair and the Lovely Boys

The Craft and Quilt Fair that was held in Darling Harbour was tres cool!! I bought quite a bit of stash which I have added to the stash page. I spent 2 days there, the first was spent shopping and the second I helped out the lovely boys from Sew it all at their stall. It was loads of fun hanging with them, they are so so so funny even though it was hard on the feet, I had a ball. It was also really good to talk to other girls about cross stitch. I learnt about other peoples quirky ways when it comes to their craft which was very insightful. As much as I helped people pick out fabrics, they in turn taught me a few little things that I would never have thought of. 

I bought 2 frames from their stall too. So I will be framing Faces of Faery 88 and Gorjuss I found my family in a book, soon. This will involve a bit of painting and decorating so pretty excited about getting on to that project!! I'll post pics of this working project just to show you how easy it is to do your own framing using their frames. 

I bought more fabric - these are 16 count from their hand dyed range, Stormy Sky and Blue Cloud.

As a thank you gift they generously gave me a chart. This is Butterfly Princess and it's by a new Aussie designer Jennidee Mills from Tapestrymoon. The sample is stitched on 16 count Blue Cloud which is the one I also purchased and will be stitching it on. Of course it's all sparkly!! Thanx boys that was very very kind of you. Isn't it dreamy??? I love it and can't wait to stitch on the sparkly fabric. It will be my first time using 16 count so I'm pretty keen to try it.  

And my lovely  friend and sister in all things stitchy Eleanor, bought me this beautiful Alessandra Adelaide chart, PLUS 32ct linen and varigated pink DMC thread to stitch it with.  So how can I not start this beauty too??? Oh thanx Elle you're so sweet and very cool!

Nice huh!! So my total is 232 this includes all stash and Wip's. And I love each and every one of them and I endeavour to complete all of them and refuse to hear otherwise. Yes I will live forever!!!

WINNERS!!

Ok now for the moment you've all been waiting for the winners of the giveaway.   Drum roll - Da da da DAHHHHHHH!!!!

1. Mrs Dibble

2. Delphyne

3. Kim

4. Hailine

Congratulations girls!!!

Mrs. Dibble was contacted and advised that she only wanted the Mother of Pearl chart by Mystic stitch so I thought I would have another name pulled from the hat as someone else may like the remaining charts!!

The names were drawn from a Pink Police hat by Sergeant Richardson of Penrith Police Radio Operations Group. Sergeant Richardson does not do anything craft related and has never seen my blog, so she was the most unbiased person to draw the names. Thank you Sarge for helping out.

I will contact Delphyne next and then Kim and Hailine.

I so wanted to give everyone something that entered because it was evident that alot of thought was put behind your comments so I hope that by doing the charts that you all loved the most is some small consolation. Thanx again stunners you truly are awesome people!

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all my amazing followers who have shown me such inspiring and unconditional support over the last year or so. You all make my life magical through our love for craft and your friendship. Plus I love stalking you on your blogs!!!

Thank you Thank you Thank you so much stunners!!!

xoxo Alicia