IHSW and Gifted Gorgeousness - MAY

Hi Stunners

I finally have something to blog about!! 

For the last few months I was always working on the IHSW weekend so never managed to stitch enough that was worthy of a progress pic, but this time I was free of work. 

I finished a page on my Diamond Painting - Vanity. This is page 5 and 6 completed so only 4 more to go for the page finish. Ideally would love to finish the entire thing this year as it is one of the Deadly Sins and there are 6 more! The chart was a RAK from my lovely friend Jayne from NZ.

Before

After

Just for comparison this is where I am at with the cross stitch of Vanity. The DP is a max colours version and the stitched one is just regular colours. Vanity is my favourite out of all the sins in this collection and I had already started stitching it before there was any such thing as Diamond Painting or max colours charts released by HAED. So it will be the only one that I will be stitching.

I also made a bit of headway on Mini Sisters. I have joined a FB group that focuses on diagonal stitching.  And there is currently a 10,000 stitch challenge and Mini Sisters is my chosen wip for it. I am determined to beat this challenge. I really need to get a motor on if this is going to be finished this year as a gift for my sister. 

Before

After

Now for the self gifts! HAED had a 50% off sale and I scored a few beauties that I have had my eye on for a while. 

And I couldn't pass on Jareth The Goblin King, especially when it was a Limited Edition from Tilton Crafts.  He is soooo gorgeous!!

One of my favourite bands of all time are Snow Patrol. And after 7 years they finally released an album and are touring Australia in August. I managed to get tickets for both their shows. And to add to the excitement of seeing them live for the first time I asked Lisa from "No more Lost Needles" to make Snow Patrol needle minders. So now they are always on my mind whilst doing my very favourite thing. No not drinking Chardonnay...well...Stitching (and drinking Chardonnay - lets face it)!!!

That's all for now my lovelies. I hope you are all well and that life is being magical for you!

XOX Alicia

Gifted Gorgeousness - October

Hi Stunners! 

This is my 100th post!!!

And of course I'm a little tardy on this post. I have had family arrive from all parts of the world for our Nanna's birthday. As much as I love them, it's been a little hectic as there are so many of them and they all want to hang out. (I mean who can blame them? LOL) It has left absolutely no time for stitching or anything outside of work. So I have a small window to get this post out. 

To start with this is HAED Vanity max colours. I have decided to do all the 7 Deadly sins as a diamond painting in a bid to the get them all done in my lifetime. 3 are already in Max colour mode on the website and as I get to them I will request the others. Just hoping someone beats me to it to save the moolah heee heee.  This chart was RAKd by the lovely Jayne from NZ. 

Page 6 completed and page 5 half done.  I can't wait to get to the lady.

Update on Rose Zircon which I am stitching for my sister. I found duplicate symbols a little too late. Which is why the border looks very off.  I sent them an email to advise and it's been 2 weeks and no reply. Not happy!!!  

I was going to abandon the whole project. But being a glutton for punishment and as I couldn't let this chart go, I found that Imaginarium has now released these charts with extra colours. So now I'm doing the 231 colours instead of 150 and 5 of which are sparkly thread.  However, there is no way I'm going to get this done in a year. So made this her gift for 5 years time. 

In the meantime I'm going to do a diamond painting of Mini Sisters max colours by HAED so that I will def get that done in a year. 

Now for a gift received!!

Amanda our stunning Stitching Angel made me this beautiful cushion. It's so cute.  Thanks Amanda for this beautiful gift. 

That's all stunners. Thanks for your patience (esp Amanda lol)

Take care and may life be magical !!

Winter Stitching Wrap up!

Hi stunners!!

Apologies for the long hiatus. 

This post is dedicated to the lovely Amanda our stunning Cross Stitch Angel. Amanda has been scolding encouraging me to put out a post. So here it is. Thanks for pushing me Amanda I really need it as you can see. Thanks so much for the support too stunner.

We have just finished Winter down Under and this is what I got up to.

Three appears to be my lucky number lately. I have two page three finishes. Firstly I have completed 3 pages on Alisha. So happy to see the end of all that blue and lookie that's her foot, well the bottom of her shoe anyway, so she has technically made an appearance. The next page is going to be so cool as it's Alisha's head. And I am really enjoying diagonal stitching.

Next is Carnival Moon, another HAED.  

I haven't worked on this since 2016 and I remembered how much I love it, so have made it a focus piece. I completed page 3 as well on this beauty. I love the colours, such a fun stitch. 

Also still getting some love is Theatre of the Absurd and I pray to the cross stitching Goddesses to help me get a September finish.  Just a partial page to go and some ninja stitches on the second last page. I've forgotten what it's like to actually finish something. So it would be wicked cool to get one under my belt to spur me on. 

I was cleaning out the craft room and let me tell you that was no mean feat. I found my old old old wip of Vanity, which I started in 2010!!!! My beautiful friend Jayne from NZ RAK'd me the Max Colours version of this which I am working on as a diamond painting so I actually had no intention of finishing this as a cross stitch. But when I picked it up to throw out I just couldn't do it. All those lush purples and the bright blue in the circles that just pops against them. My cross stitching soul just wept at the thought of  abandoning her. So I have decided to keep going and gift it or maybe just keep it as a solo feature in my bedroom...you know when I finish it. Ha ha. This is where I left her and as you can see I'm working across the entire row. 

So that's where I am at. I'm currently doing the Mini Million Marathon on the Ultimate cross stitching FB challenge so I will be a busy Princess over the rest of September as it's a team effort to get a Million stitches in 3 weeks. So can't let the team down. 

That's all for now stunners. Thanks for visiting and I promise on all my stash to be a better blogger and blogger friend. I have set aside Thursday for blog reading so I will catch up with you all and your adventures. 

Take care stunners and may life be magical. 

xoxo Alicia

And the results are in...Pic heavy post stunnners!!

 Hi STUNNERS!!!

Well here it is finally the results of my January Extravaganza of no work all cross stitching and gyming.

Firstly though welcome to my lastest victims, I mean followers Tazzy, Chris, qtknits and Simona. Enjoy stunners and thank you for taking an interest in my stitching!

Well as usual life plays a hand in every plan no matter how well laid and the extravaganza technically didn't commence until the 12th January and finished on 13th February.  As for the gym, well that hardly got off the ground at all. So no more on that story!

So without further ado here are the before and after pics of all the wips on the stitching schedule. 

Passione Ricamo Mystery Faery SAL

Rose Cerise - (the hand dyed threads only arrived in the last week so this is only 4 hours worth of progress)

Golden Wood

QS Theatre of the Absurd Haed Freebie SAL 2013

QS Fragile Heart HAED Freebie SAL 2011

Managed to finish the first 3 pages, so only the bottom row to go! YAY!

And now for the BAPS!!


Vanity

 Faery 2

Faery Ball

Where is my Valentine?

A Coign Of Vantage (Golden Kite)

And I FINISHED QS Spring to Life!!!!

And what is a post from the Crafty Princess without a bit o stash enhancement pics...

Stash

Heaven and Earth Designs

Spider Queen

I loved her so much that I was in Spotlight the day after I bought her, buying all the supplies. When I got home I wound all the threads on bobbins, quaffed a glass of chardonnay and started her. I'll post a pic when I complete the first page! She's so much fun to stitch so far.

Tuscan Serenade

                         Tilton Crafts

Promise to Heart

Buttercup

So there you go stunners, a few page finishes and one complete finish. I'd thought I would get more done but I found there were days in there where I just didn't want to stitch. And instead of making it a chore and forcing myself I went and played games on the Xbox360.  

I've got a few new starts that I've commenced since the end of the extravaganza but I don't want to overload you all with wip's so until next time.

Take care stunners and find happiness in every minute of every day no matter where you are, and no matter what you're doing!!!!

Love 

Alicia xoxo