It's been a while, I know.

Ok so it's been a while since I last updated my blog. I had really meant to keep up with it more. I have gotten more done on the Courage SK. And my friend Julia wants it and the Strength one which goes with it when I'm done. As she says, she needs both courage and strength (while she's going thru this difficult time). I found a piece of platinum 20-ct lugana I can use for that, the Forbidden Doorway SK, and will maybe be able to get another SK out of it! Sweeeeeet! Maybe Logan? That might be a bit tight width wise, but if I don't do a 3" border for the height of the other 2, I might could squeeze him into the excess . . . waiiiiit . . . what about QS Queen of Swords Owl? I'm guessing it'd be 10 by 3.15 . . . that might just fit . . . oh well, I don't know. Oh back to Courage, sorry, I have gotten a bit further, but not enough to take a pic. I think I'll wait until I get the middle page done. I so want to get Courage done by the reward program on HAED.

I got some more done on Night Shade II, but I sort of lost steam on her. But here is the latest on her.


I had joined the HAED Bulletin Board several years ago, maybe 2008 or 2009? I had heard they did SALs on there, but I never seemed to know about them until too late to join. And I would have loved to be in the 2011 one - they did Ice Wind 1 as a SK. I have a particular fondness for that one, as she is who I picked for Corsira, Tannith & Corsaire's daughter. Ah well, I've got the actual picture. So . . . this year, I actually, finally heard when they were taking signups! Yay!
Basically, I have to post 4 pics (not the same pic) of my work on the SK (or if I'd picked a QS, 6) on the bulletin board sometime during the year and I'll get the other 5 charts for free. Aaand if I finish it, I'll be in a drawing for a free chart. Yes, please? I decided to not do any of the QSs, tho if I were to have picked one of those, I'd have picked Lovers.

The most popular of all the SAL charts is this SK - Blue Moon:


Here is the one I picked to participate in! It's called Forbidden Doorway and has the fewest participants stitching this one:


The floss lists were sent out, last week, I think. And people are picking their fabric and getting ready. I'll be using part of that nifty platinum 20-ct lugana I found. I think once I get it, I'll grid it up and get my flosses all ready to go. We won't get the first page (there are 3 dates they're being released - there's 4 pages but not much on pg 4) until January 6th, but I can get as much ready as possible ahead of time.

I thought Yarn Explosion was going to be ordering me some 20-count black lugana. Evidently, I was wrong. I never got a phone call either telling me that. I called and left them a message last night and they finally called me back today. :( You'd think they'd want to help their customers. Evidently not. I can get my sparkly threads and beads and such elsewhere online, I just liked supporting a local business. I think I might go make friends with that place in Lynchburg I heard about, called Backstitches.

I finally got pics of the pieces I made for my dad over the years. He told me "you're the only one who gives me cross stitch".
I made this for when he got married (which didn't last). He was asking if I'd mind it if he had it re-framed. He said he wouldn't bother if he didn't like the picture. I told him if he wanted to, sure. The background boxes are all blackwork - and yes, they do look almost identical to the front. I want to restitch it on black with grey floss and silver thread, so this is a day scene and that will be a night scene. lol I've been saying that for years!



There is a nice thing on the HAED website called the Birthday Club. Basically, you pay $10 and then on the person's birthday, they pick a chart and get it on their birthday. I asked Michelle from HAED - who btw, sent me a fb friend request [squeal!] - and she said yup more than 1 person could do this. So these are the ones I definitely want for my birthday:
Fright Night:


and Judith:

I love Fright Night, it's the only Halloween piece I've found that's not cutesy or nasty/gory. It sort of reminds me of the Addams Family, yet whimsical at the same time. I know I'll eventually get it, even if I don't get it for my birthday, and it'll be my annual piece to go up in October.
Judith was just released last week. And yes, that is a head in the corner. Yes, I know it has nudity, but its biblical nudity, so it's ok. Evidently there is much confetti, but she will be worth it. It's based on Judith from the bible.
This is what wiki says:
The Book of Judith has a tragic setting that appealed to Jewish patriots and it warned of the urgency of adhering to Mosaic law, generally speaking, but what accounted for its enduring appeal was the drama of its narrative. The story revolves around Judith, a daring and beautiful widow, who is upset with her Jewish countrymen for not trusting God to deliver them from their foreign conquerors. She goes with her loyal maid to the camp of the enemy general, Holofernes, with whom she slowly ingratiates herself, promising him information on the Israelites. Gaining his trust, she is allowed access to his tent one night as he lies in a drunken stupor. She decapitates him, then takes his head back to her fearful countrymen. The Assyrians, having lost their leader, disperse, and Israel is saved. Though she is courted by many, she remains unmarried for the rest of her life.

I do think I'll use the Mystic Stitch pattern I got called Belladonna as what my Star Wars character will look like. I like her enough she'll also be my fighter/warlord Bella (Bellasaria) and my paladin, Gwennie (Brangwen).