Gifted Gorgeousness SAL April

Hi Stunners!!!

Sorry for the hiatus from the blog world. I've been on holiday for a month and as my job entails spending 12 hours a shift in front of 4 computer screens, I just had to get away from it all. Now that I've been back at work for a couple weeks I still can't handle staring at screens, man I can't win ha ha. 

To Annie and Els you are no_reply bloggers so unfortunately I couldn't reply to your emails. But thank you both for visiting and for your lovely comments.  And Els in answer to your question the final stitched size on Bookshelf by Gecko Rouge for me will be 44.33 x 28.33 inches (for the Aussies - 110.83 cm x  70.83 cm) as I'm stitching it on 18ct white Aida. Big right!?! It's going to be like a lifesize bookshelf. You guys should see the next Gecko I'm starting in May for the Gold Club, holy guacamole it's overwhelming even for my level of lunacy. 

Anyhoo my lovelies, I have a miracle to share with you! I have managed to achieve that elusive thing (for me anyway) known as a finished and framed cross stitch. Whilst it wasn't a BAP it was an F and it has given me the taste of the greatness of a finish so now I'm more inspired than ever to achieve more of these.

This is a baby sampler for my cousin Hugo who just turned 1 on the 10th of March. I stitched for a whole week until my fingers bled LOL so that it went from: 

This

to THIS!

I didn't use the kit threads, instead I changed it up and incorporated the new colours DMC have released, well in 2013 but still they are the first new colours DMC have released in 15 years. What have they been doin??? The variegated threads are hand dyed from Fiberlicoius Yummy Fibers. The balls and the flag are stitched in "Princess Alicia". You know you've made it in the cross stitch world when you have hand dyed thread named after you :)  I'm so honoured thank you Nguyen. If you're interested these are the colours I used.

Fiberlicous Yummy Fibers - cotton

Sail of the yacht                      - Vampire Raspberry

Spin thingy the bear is holding - Rio

Clown ruffles and Hat              - Clown - perfect right??

The Unicorn mane                   - Spring Blossoms

Balls, flag and flower (on the box) - Princess Alicia

DMC

Hat and top of the Bear 3890 3891 (Light Blue, Med Blue)

Rabbit's clothes - 3892 ( Bright Orange)

Fabric is called "Confetti Hearts" on 14ct Designer printed Aida from the lovely boys at Sew it All.

That's it for me.  I will be back at the end of the month with all my April Achievements. 

Take care my beautiful stunning talented friends. Enjoy the rest of April and hope your needles are smoking and may life be magical.

Off to check out the other GG SaL posts.

Lots of Love 

xo Alicia

The Organised Princess

Hi Stunners!!!

I have been a busy little Crafty Princess Beaver over the last 2 months. Yes with stitching but more with organising my stitching. I have updated my Wip's menu (see the tabs above) and added my Supersized Babies. So now you and I can see at a glance how I'm working through my myriad of wip's. I have made a promise to myself and the Craft Gods that I won't deviate from this rotation. So these are the only wips I'm allowed to work on. 

From the advice of my good friend Sharine I tried to whittle it down and have focus projects. So I have developed a rotation that ensures that a few of them are deemed as such and are worked on more often than the others. Plus I have engineered the rotation so that finishes are the goal. It's too long and boring to explain the plan, you're just going to have to trust me on this....please please xo

Anyway to the stitching!!!  I managed quite a few page finishes over the last couple of months.

Lady Hatter - Sandra Vargas - Gecko Rouge.  

This was one of the projects that has been culled from the current rotation. But don't worry once I finish King Tut and Frank the Frog she will be back in play. Those 2 charts are the SAL charts and Frank is only 4 partial pages and Tut is 6 even smaller partial pages. 

Pages 6 & 7 Completed

So Many Books So Little Time - Randal Spangler - HAED

This is another one that got the chop. I had 8 HAED Bap's on the go and I had to halve this number to be reasonable. It killed me to do it but he'll be back one day!!

Page 1 completed

Nancy Goodaim _ Space Ranger - Aly Fell - Eclectic Blokes Design

I finished off page 2 and managed to complete the whole of page 3. Not a great deal of confetti so that was a nice change. 

Pages 1,2 and 3 completed

Carnival Moon - Aimee Stewart - HAED

This is one of my focus pieces and I'm aiming for the row finish by the end of the year (at least anyway) I love the way this is stitching up. The next page is full of blocks of colour so should be a bit quicker than all that confetti in the flowers on the first 2 pages.

Page 1 and 2 completed

Bookshelf - Colin Thompson - Gecko Rouge

I have joined the Gecko Rouge Gold Club plus and this was my Gold Kit choice. As soon as it arrived, wild tornado's and half naked firemen could not hold me back from starting this. It's massive!! The below wip pic is Page 1 completed so you can see how much I have to go. But it's so cool, if you look closely amongst the shelves you find some quirky characters and weird little objects or ordinary objects doing strange things. It's alot of fun. 

Page 1 Completed

I have added 3 new starts to my rotation. They are all tribute charts so I can be forgiven. My world fell apart at the news of David Bowie and Alan Rickman's death. I have loved Bowie since forever and I only got a chance to see him once in concert. So I was devastated. 

This chart was on my Gecko Roughe WL and I bought it on the day of his death. (*Sob*)  It arrived today so I will be making an immediate start. R.I.P Bowie. Forever a legend and forever missed!! The artist is Sara Bowersock.

David Bowie

Another tribute chart to Bowie, it's about one of my favourite movies of all time "Labyrinth" It's another Gecko Rouge and I already had it in my stash including the hand dyed fabric I had bought for it, so what better time than to bring it out. I'm going to watch Labyrinth over and over whilst stitching this one.  It's only Forever by Medusa Dollmaker

It's Only Forever

And for the late great Alan Rickman a tribute to him by Daniel Kordek and charted by Shelley Lee of Tilton Crafts. Snape! I've ordered the fabric from the lovely boys at Sew it All and as soon as I gather the floss I will be inserting this awesome chart into my rotation. 

Snape 

Thank you for all your lovely comments and encouragement on my previous post. I will be posting at least twice a month. Once midway on the 15th for the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL run by Jo from Serendipitous Stitching and once at the end with the monthly progress. 

I know this will be a good year for me stitching wise as it's the first time I'm actually organised. I've even started a journal to record hours worked on each chart, recorded goals that are achievable unlike all those previous years and most importantly - CLEANED the CRAFT ROOM!!!!! Oh man that was a week long job.

So thank you for joining me in this journey stunners. I promise there will be more to see this year.

Love you lots and thanks for making my life the rainbow filled playground that it is. 

I'm going to spend the next day reading blogs and replying to all my emails. And then it's down to some serious DVD watching and hard core
stitching!!

Take care stunners and I hope life is magical and enchanting for you all!


xoxo Alicia

P.S. Just noticed that this is my 69th post which is also the age both David Bowie and Alan Rickman were at their time of passing. 

Gifted Gorgeousness

HELLO STUNNERS!!! 

I've said in the past that one day I would start my blog post without an apology about lateness. Definitely not going to happen today, my last post was in July and this post is 5 days late for December Gifted Gorgeousness SAL. FAIL!!! 

Sorry sorry sorry for the total AWOL from blogworld. No excuses really but I will blame facebook. Joining (well technically being added) to new groups has led me to overindulge in SABLE and be so spoilt by my amazing and too generous Crafty brothers and sisters, as it has led to way too many new starts and new start SAL's. Something had to give and blogging paid the price eeek.

So I have decreed that in 2016 I'm going to be returning to my roots and also the place I met most of my stitching friends and that is blogging. I've missed reading blogs and keeping up with everyone that way. FB is very instantaneous, yes, but it also is just a quick pow of updates and it's a little hard to keep up with everyone. 

Whereas blogging feels more like a long journey and adventure with friends. So I will be spending more time here than on fb type of social media. 

So let's get to it stunners.

Firstly is the update for my sisters gift. Mystic Stitch - October Rose Zircon by Maxine Gadd. Not much progress I'm afraid but I've changed my way of stitching this. 

If anyone has stitched a MS you will know the pain of their symbols. They are so so so hard to read and the confetti is incredible. I've decided to do it using cross country page by page. I think it's faster for this particular project, and the only way that I can do it without going insane. So unfortunately I've had to abandon my beloved parking technique. 

Notice the beautiful Tardis Qsnap cover and fabric keepers. They were a gift from my lovely friend Kim Howe. Aren't they amazeballs?  The fabric keepers are the best they just keep all that excess fabric outta the way.  

Here is the second one Kim gifted me. I love love love them both but this is my favourite one. Look how regal King Tut looks amongst all the Tardii (is that the plural of Tardis LOL). Thank you so much Kim, I'm truly grateful.

And now for more Gifted Gorgeousness - my Christmas package from the McDougall family. Head McDougall being Sharine. I'll have to post another pic with the Qsnaps in action they look amazing and the horsey one doesn't really show up. And check out the Magical Unicorn that grows in water. I'll have to post a pic when that magic happens too!!! 

And thank you to the littlest McDougall, Hannah for choosing the butt crack Santa card. That kid cracks me up...oooh pun there. Thank you so much Sharine and the McDougall clan you guys are rock stars. 

Now to a bit of stitching. I almost got to the end of page 2 of Carnival Moon. Why is it that the last 1000 stitches always seem to take the longest. Or is that just me? 

The next page is the building and the tower bit. And there are big chunks of colour so hopefully it won't take too long. But once I finish page 2 I'm going to be concentrating on my 2 gift projects.

Ewa's wedding anniversary project which was due in October (hangs head in massive massive shame) and my cousin's baby sampler which I haven't touched since I first started it. See below...head still in shame hang mode. 

So this

Has to become this

I'm determined to make 2016 a year of finishes. As I never managed ONE not even a tiny finish in 2015. It's been a year of new starts, re-starts and total abandonment. Not a good year for the Crafty Princess. I may even have to abdicate the title!!

Nah.

I have plans for a rotation that will help ensure this, but I think I've rambled on enough for one post. Check you later and now I'm off to reaquaint myself with all of your blogs. Sorry if you get comments on blogs that are months old but I want to see all that I've missed. 

To all that celebrate Christmas. I wish you a very very Merry one and may it be magical, special and full of laughter and love. I hope you all had a fantastic 2015 but I wish you an even better 2016.  See you next year stunners. Love you heaps and muchly.

Gotta go Santa is calling me! 

xoxoxo Princess Alicia

The most amazing Gifted Gorgeousness!

Hi Stunners!

I know I am really really late with this even for me, so sorry sorry sorry! But if it's any consolation there is alot of piccies and alot of pretties, and even a few page finishes so stay tuned. I'll try to make it worth your while :D

GIFTED GORGEOUSNESS

Straight on to stitching - I FINALLY FINISHED THE FIRST PAGE OF OCTOBER -ROSE ZIRCON!!! Apologies for screaming but this page was doing my head in and now it's done and I managed to make a wee start on Page 2. This is my GG piece as it's for my sister who is an October baby.

Before

AFTER!!

MORE STITCHING!

I also whipped off (pun intended) another page on Harry with the help of the boys from Supernatural. It took me Seasons 1 -5 to finish this page. I was happy to finish in July as it's the 1 year anniversary of Eclectic Blokes Design this month. So this one's for Neil Bray, who most of you know passed away in March and never got to see his baby turn 1. 

Also managed to finish Page 1 on So Many Books SO Little Time. My first Spangler!

MY BEAUTIFUL FRIENDS

Now this is the part of the post that refers to the title - The most AMAZING Gifted Gorgeousness. It was my birthday at the end of June and my friends were just so generous it reduced me to tears! I had alot of lovely wishes on fb and to add to that I was totally spoilt. Please don't get too jealous LOL.

I was RAKd this chart by the very talented and very generous Nikki Northup from Charting Creations. The magnificent Celestial.

From the lovely lady who also loves the dark side as much as me - Jayne Walton - I was RAKd Mesmer from Eclectic Blokes Design

This one is called The Collector from HAED - and I think all crafters can relate to this, hee hee. Thank you to gorgeous generous Kim of Cross stitching with Kim fame for this intriguing chart. Love it! 

And from another amazing Kim from the famous Sense and Stitchability - Supersized Faery Tales - HAED. 

My good friend Nina of Pistot-Stitches fame went a little crazy and completely spoilt me with her kindness and RAK'd 2 Supersized HAED's. The Butterfly Ball by Aimee Stewart and Sanctuary of Knowledge by Randal Spangler!

But that's not all!!

Nina was lucky enough to travel to London recently and the lovely girl that she is, didn't forget about me and bought me a few gifts. Check out the Dr. Who torch light key ring. It's so cool from the Dr. Who shop. Wahh I wish we had a Dr.Who shop in Oz!  And I've always wanted a needle threader from HAED but the postage to Australia was too ridiculous so I never bought one. And without ever mentioning it to Nina, her sixth sense kicked in and she bought one for me. It's beautiful! 

Oh there were 2 bars of chocolates and a packet of lollies but....um they were gone by the time I took this photo - too yummy! 

Our favourite Crafty Spice girl, the amazing Nguyen from Spice up your life and the owner/operator of Fiberlicious Threads AND little sweetheart Angie from Miamina's Musings  each sent me a Gecko Rouge voucher. Ladies you were so generous that I can buy a kit with them. 

I'm either going to buy Ice Queen by Medusa Dollmaker

or 

Hatter by Omri Koresh

I also was gifted a gift certificate for Colour Cascade fabrics from the lovely Carmel Clark - Woo hoo. Which is just what I need after all those chart RAK's

And finally from the wickedly devilish but deep down softie Sharine of Charbella Stitching I received a very cute chimpanzee birthday card picked by her youngest daughter (whom I am convinced was my child in another lifetime) and was so lucky to be given a very generous voucher for Tragic Beautiful! This is an awesome shop that Sharine first introduced me to a while back. It's clothing and accessories that are generally not found in contemporary stores. It's got a bit of goth, witchey stuff, creatures of the night, steampunk and some of the darker fairytale type stuff. Here are a few things on my wish list: 

Dorothy Slippers

Nevermore dress! 

Steam punk boots

Vampiria Dress

  

Or something to wear down to the shops!!! 

As you can see I was very very pampered by my very very generous and thoughtful friends. I am so humbled by all and also all the beautiful wishes I received. You guys rock! Love you stunners!

I'm almost up to date with catching up with blogs. Got a few more to read. I've been so bad with blogging but I endeavour to be more proficient with blogs. Both posting and reading.

Take care beautiful people. I hope life is magical for you. If not just close your eyes and believe!

xoxo Alicia 

TOTA YOTA GG SAL #6

How's that for a total Acronym title! 

Hi Stunners!!! I'm so sorry for the hiatus, but as I was sooo late with my May updates that it was almost June so I decided to wait for the June posting.

And now I'm late with the June one *sigh*

But I got a lot of stitching done so that's good, right? 

First up my YOTA pieces 

YOTA

TOTA - still haven't quite managed that blasted page finish...I'm determined to have it done by July as I really really want to finish this one this year. Just 2 partial pages after this. Thank the gods!

Before

 

PRINCE RUPERT of  RUPPITSWOOD

Gecko Rouge SAL 2015

 

 





Before



After

I also love how Gecko Rouge are now offering needleminders that match the kit. It's great to have that inspiration right on the fabric as you stitch. Look at that little cute Froggie Prince

GIFTED GORGEOUSNESS SAL

Rose Zircon was chosen for both May and June's GG SAL. I would dearly love to get at least the top row completed by the end of the year. I'm really not enjoying this one at all, which is why it's taking so long to get any progress.

I'm glad it's a gift for my sister because once it's finished I never want to see her again. I know that sounds harsh but there are alot of problems with it.

The Mystic chart symbols are so hard to follow on this. I've never liked the use of letters as symbols on cross stitch charts. MS use all 26 letters in capitals and then another 26 in lower case and if the chart calls for more than 52 colours, then they use symbols. I'm sure there are stitchers that don't mind or prefer this but I'm not one of them. I kept mistaking the "c" for  "e" so many times ergggh! 

Plus the fabric is an ice dye hand dye and on the 20ct it has swelled the fabric so much that it's almost like working on a 25ct using 2 threads over 1, so it's very tight and makes the confetti so much harder to handle. I was thinking of re-starting on another fabby but I just couldn't bring myself to do Page 1 again. So I will struggle through. My sister saw the chart and the fabric that was dyed specifically for this chart and loved it so I don't have the heart to scrap it. 

Before

I don't know what's going on with me and page finishes lately...just can't quite get there LOL!

And speaking of Gifted Gorgeousness...my beautiful friend Helvi, RAK'd this stunning chart to me! It's a whopping 999 x 775. It's going to look breathtaking stitched with all that detail coming through. Thank you so much Helvi, you're so generous honey. 

Supersized - Past Present Future - Aimee Stewart

That's all for now stunners. My next post I have at least 3 page finishes on my wips...possibly even 4 with any luck and no distractions! Ha ha not likely. 

I've been reading blogs for the last 2 days and I've almost caught up. I still have a few to go though. There has been some amazing stitching going on out there stunners. 

I will post again next week or so. 

Take care lovely stunners - I'll leave you with the meme that was sent to me and made me smile! 

xxoxx Alicia