WOYWW 608 - and January comes to a close...

Good morning my fellow lovely WOYWWers!  Welcome back to the Mad Ramblings blog, and to another Wednesday's post.  For all the details head over to The Stamping Ground here where our lovely Julia will have all the deets....

So!  This week, progress on many fronts.

If you remember from a couple of weeks back, I mentioned Rudolph Day.  Well, that was two days ago and...ta-dah!  Two Christmas cards.

Second one is a more modern style...

Might not seem like much, but it's kind of a big deal here. Now to keep it going.

So, the desk itself is showing signs of a creativity aftermath - or craftermath as I've seen it referred to elsewhere.  LOL

Stitching wise, we have a lot of progress.  The spoon has gone home to the memorial maker.  Finished off the rose, added a few twisty vines and some freehand embroidery to look like handwriting at the bottom.

(If you're really interested, I have a Flosstube here where you can watch me being an idiot on YouTube)

Christmas Moose has moved on a little....

And we have started a Mill Hill charmed ornament, Dracula.   Hehehehehe.

The big movement is on the HAED (Heaven and Earth Designs) project, Siren's Lament.

I really disliked how untidy it looked, doing full cross stitches on such tiny fabric.  So, I swapped out to doing just tent stitch (half crosses) and am much happier with the result.  And as you can see, major progress.  I should get it completed in double time as well!

So the next couple of weeks will be about getting down to stitching and other creativity, see if I can't shift some of the lurking projects that are around.

Oh - and Morti Jr sent me a photo of her in her jumper, for me to share with you ladies...

Happy Hopping!

WOYWW 606 - another Wednesday

Good morning my fellow lovely WOYWWers!  Welcome back to my blog and to another Wednesday's post.  For all the details head over to The Stamping Ground here where our lovely Julia will tell all....

So, first things first, a correction from last week.  As per Julia's comment, the movie canvas was indeed made up of the average colour from each scene, not each movie.  That was me being an idiot with a typo.  I've corrected the post now but thanks for pointing it out, Julia - much appreciated.

Therefore, without further ado, the movie was....

Drumroll please.....

BLADERUNNER

There weren't many guesses but Caro suggested Star Wars which was probably closest!

Yes, Mr Morti's favourite film is Bladerunner.  I'm not sure if he's amused or irked by the fact that it's the film most likely to send me to sleep watching it.  I've assured him that it's not because the film is boring, but Vangelis' music is so soothing... zzzzz

A fairly quick post from me this week as there's not actually much to share, same as last week - a little bit of movement on the stitching front and nothing else.

The desk is not looking any different - the cards have been split front from back, and the back recycled.  I've cut a couple of bits out, but am thinking about breaking out the die cutter and using proper shapes.

The HAED has had a further 100 stitches added.  I've worked out that if I managed 100 stitches every evening - and I mean EVERY evening - it will take me 5.5 years to complete.  Oh dear.  A 10-year project it is, then.  :(

The moose has also moved on with a further 200 stitches...

The numbers, by the way, are to do with Myth & Magic Stitch Wars, where we count our stitches and "buy" ingredients to make spells and attacks.

The most movement has been on the "wooden spoon".  I've started stitching bullion knots in the centre to make a rose but I'm not happy with the placement of the first two leaves, so may have to change it.

and that is that, for this week.  Back to normality, such as it is!

Keep well and happy hopping!

WOYWW 605 - Twelfth Night

Good morning and welcome back to the blog, and another week of WOYWW.  All the details can be found on the glamorous Ms Dunnit's blog here.  Do go and check it out if you're new here, and join in if you can!

This week has been a quiet one.  The decorations came down on Sunday, and whilst the house looks bare, we seem to have much more room again!  LOL.

For Christmas I bought Mr Morti a canvas from Frome - these are made using a piece of software that plays the film and takes the average colour from each movie (correction, scene), and puts a line of colour on a canvas to make a picture.  Can you guess which film this is?

In return, Mr Morti bought me an all singing, all dancing record player.  He has some notion that he can connect it to our old cinema surround sound system, so has bought an amp and we'll see how that goes!

 

The saga of our dodgy builders continues.  We had discovered that our new guttering was leaking, and we needed to fix it ASAP so prevent a repeat of the problem in the bedroom, where years of water pouring down the wall had destroyed the plaster indoors.  So, outside, he climbed up the ladder and took a look at the offending join. He discovered that not only had they cut the guttering an inch too short, the seal at that joint was missing.  A quick trip to B&Q and £2 later, a new joining piece was purchased to enable the seal to be taken out and put into the section.  The picture below also shows how wonky they put up the downspout!

The desk has seen no action other than to have all the Christmas cards we received dumped on it.  The bog standard printed ones will be turned into gift tags for next year, the handmade ones put into a box to be stroked at a later date, or used for inspiration, and the personal family ones kept.  

I always keep the ones we've sent each other, out of sentimentality.  Also, with my memorial jewellery making I am all too aware of one day it being the last card we receive from certain people, and having an example of their handwriting may come in useful.  The necklaces I showcased on last week's blog are a case in point - the Nannie in question went from fit and relatively healthy on a Monday, to no longer with the family by the Friday of the same week, one of the earliest Coronavirus victims. Not only could the family not see her, nor visit, nor be with her when she passed, they were unable to obtain a fingerprint impression which meant I had to be sent her handwriting from greetings cards in order to make the pendants.  Having known the lady since I was 11, it hit home rather hard, and I must confess to them being some of the emotionally hardest pieces I've had to make.

Anyway, onto lighter news.

The 2020 SAL was finally finished! Here it is in all its glory...

The fabric for the 2021 SAL finally showed up yesterday, and it's rather stiff and unyielding so will need a wash and press before it goes on the frame.

The moose hasn't moved on at all, but with good reason.  I have at long last framed up the fabric for my giant Heaven & Earth Design (HAED from now on), Siren's Lament by Anne Stokes.  This piece is being worked on 25 count (the number of holes per inch) evenweave fabric, and the grey gridwork on it identifies it as what is called "easy count".  (Finger in picture for scale!)   

I'm working full crosses in two strands over one thread (we'd say 2 x 1)  - so that will be 24 stitches per inch, or about 9 per cm.  I have made a start on the stitching for it, and at the moment I'm not overly happy with the way it's coming out as the stitching is looking a little bumpy and uneven.

However, I've taken some advice from my fellow Vampire clan members and they've said that I need to increase my tension and it will sort itself out.  So, I'm sticking with it.  It'll be interesting to see how long it takes me to do as this is two evening's work - although I hasten to add that I don't work on it for more than a couple of hours at a time, I'd go blind!  

I've also decided what I'm going to do with my Medicine Spoon Memorial piece, but I really need to get onto that!

That's it for the moment.  I'm also trying to figure out my YouTube channel.  We Geminis are mercurial butterflies who like to try all sorts of things, and have so many interests, and my channel kind of reflects that.  It's (going to be) a mixture of home renovation, hobbies, travel and being a Goth, which I know isn't a recipe for success (you should really do a consistent single thing) but it's me all over....

Speaking of YouTube channels, if you fancy a bit of escapism I can really recommend watching NickiPositano - her vlogs are about life as an expat living in Positano and are actually really rather good. A gentle, simple life with amazing scenery and some fabulous characters.  She's been vlogging for the last 10 years, but has really ramped up her vlogs and posting over the last year and is now looking incredibly professional.  I can see big things in this lady's future - she'd make an excellent travel TV presenter.

So on with the hop!  I'm terrible at getting round to everyone but I will endeavour to make more of an effort in the future.... so much to do, so little time.

Happy hopping!

WOYWW 604 - Betwixtmas again...

Good morning, Lovely WOYWWers!  Welcome to the Wednesday blog hop, hosted by our equally lovely Julia.  You can find all the deets and other desks here.  Do join in if you haven't done so previously!

This week my desk is dull, much like the weather down here in Cornwall.  Nothing to report as being "in action" on it so to speak.

This year I will be re-instigating "Rudolph Day".  I'm painfully aware that some folks didn't get a card from me at all (hangs head in shame) let alone a handmade one (hangs whole of body in shame) and this is partly due to the year we had and the state the office/craftroom has been in.  Equally of importance is the complete lack of inspo and simply being out of practice!  I did manage to make a whole four cards for my Vampires (my Myth & Magic Stitch Wars team mates) and I think most of them have arrived by now but as two were going to the States, and they are having terrible postal trouble out there, I've a feeling at least one is still in transit.

I did two different designs...

Sorry, I digress.  Rudolph Day.  What this basically means, for those that haven't heard of it before, is that on the 25th of each month in 2021 (December excluded) I will sit and make a handful of Christmas cards, ready for Xmas 2021.  I know.  Terribly organised of me!  I do however feel that it's the only way to be organised enough as I can get far too easily sidetracked.  My patronus is a Sloth, you know.

I've even started a Christmas journal - not for diary keeping but to keep a record of to whom I've sent cards, who I've received from, what presents I bought for people.  Oh, and what we ate.  That way, next year I've got a record to look back on and to help ensure I don't double up on gifts.  And that at the very least, everyone who sent us a card gets one back.  Especially if they didn't get a card this year! oops.  I know that's not necessarily the spirit of the whole thing - no-one expects a card in return for sending one, and I certainly don't, but that's just how I roll.

I was going to say that I didn't receive a single item of craft related goodness this year, but I've just realised that is a lie.  Kat, one of my Vampires, sent a skein of Caron Wildflowers thread as a little gift.  It's rather poignant though - it came from her Grandmother's stash which Kat inherited, and she's said that she'll never use it all and thinks her Grandmother would approve of it being passed to another stitcher.  I've decided I'm going to make some simple blackwork Christmas ornaments with it.

Speaking of blackwork - the 2020 sampler is almost done.  I'm just finishing off the border which is now more than half complete, and then it can be washed and framed.  Peppermint Purple are doing a companion SAL for 2021 and I ummed and ahhed over whether or not to do it but have been duly enabled by Mr Morti to join in.  I'm just waiting for my fabric to arrive, and can then start it.  I'm going with purple thread for 2021.  There's a surprise.... hehehehe.

The Barn Owl was finally framed....

.... but I was unable to deliver as anticipated on the 20th December.  Essex was one of the areas that was placed into Tier 4 on that day, and our Round Robin trip to Essex and other areas in the south east for drop offs and pickups had to be very much truncated to just Exeter and Bournemouth for dropping off presents. It did mean that we didn't have to leave until about 9:30am, instead for 5am, and we were home by 10pm rather than 2am!  Rather civilised.  However, we still need to do the run as aside from the Barn Owl, I completed the silver memorial jewellery and that also needs dropping off, and we have a large oak overmantle to collect and pickled onions to deliver.  Santa ain't done yet...

The jewellery I made.....

There were 5 in total - the other four said "Nannie", and each had the deceased's birthstone alongside the recipient's birthstone, as a Swarovski crystal.

Morti Jr also got an Arctic fox charm, handmade by yours truly...

I did start another cross stitch in the run up to Christmas - A Christmas Moose, by Panna.  Haven't got very far but I will continue working on him so he's framed and up next year.  

What it’ll look like when done...

I also finally finished Morti Jnr's jumper.  It's taken me a good couple of years, but it's done.  It's also waaaaay too big, but she has professed that she likes a big slouchy jumper.  

I think the wool I used was more stretchy than that in the original, and I've never much been one for a tension test.  LOL.  I have different wool to crochet one the same for me, but I think I'm going to wait awhile on that.  Too many other projects on the go!  However, I will be doing a tension square with that wool...

So, that's that for now.  I think this is plenty long enough without boring you on all the current plans for the next year.  Watch this space for more crafting loveliness!  Also, I wish you all a most excellent 2021, although the dreaded C***d isn't going away so please do all take care of yourselves...

Happy hopping!

WOYWW 600 - The Big Anniversary Edition

Welcome back to What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - the weekly blog hop hosted by our lovely Julia here.  Do go and have a look at the other busy desks and workstations being presented as part of the hop!

And what a hop it is today!  600 editions.  SIX HUNDRED.  A quick review of my blogging history and I'm embarrassed to admit that I've only been present for 165 of those 600, scattered across time, with my first WOYWW post being made on 12 August 2010 - WOYWW #62!  for those weeks I didn't join in, the WOYWW clan were never far from my thoughts though, I have to admit.  Time between posts sometimes flew, and I never realised how much time had passed until I sat down to blog again.

In that time I've remarried, and moved house 4 times too. Hopefully settled in my latest dwelling and looking forward to the next 600 WOYWWs (hehehehehe).

So a huge congrats to the great Mrs D and her wonderful hop, which has inspired and encouraged me, and given me some friendships which will last a lifetime and cross countries and continents!  Love you, lady.

On with the hop...

Today's desk is back to normal.  A mess.  Miss B has been staying for a few days as it's the only chance she'll have before Yule/the holidays to visit.  Some much needed R&R for her and a chance to catch a beat before the Xmas rush at work.  And get floof therapy.  So 'stuff' from around the house has been deposited in what is deemed the only free space... huh.

We also put the Christmas tree up, so that's another reason for my office/playroom becoming a dumping ground.

The blackwork is nearly caught up - I'm only a couple of weeks behind (three as of this morning) and I'm about ready to start on the border as well.  The Christmas Moose is also on the frame but not photographed.

On another frame is a spoon - this is from the Medicine Spoon Memorial - a planned art installation to memorialise the women persecuted and killed as part of the witch hunts. Do go and visit here for more info. I’m not yet decided on how I’m decorating my spoon but I’m sure it’ll involve needlework. 

And that's it for the moment!  Short but sweet.  I'm working on some memorial jewellery for a friend - 5 pendants.  Sadly my friend lost her mother very early on in the first wave of Coronavirus, like so many people, and she wants some handwriting jewellery for herself, her two daughters and her nieces.  Must crack on with it and get them done before Christmas.

I am determined to get round everybody today, and hopefully we'll see a few familiar faces pop up and join in from back in the day - a reunion of sorts.  A virtual gathering is indeed planned - and when we can eventually meet up in person, t'will be a joyous occasion.

Happy WOYWW, Happy Hopping, and...

See you on the hop!

WOYWW 597 - Remembrance Day

Welcome back to What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - the weekly blog hop hosted by our lovely Julia here.  Do go and have a look at the other busy desks and workstations being presented as part of the hop!

This week has been quiet on the crafting front, but busy on the tidying front.

Mr B even got in on the act, working hard to clean up the shed after we discovered rats living in there.  A moment's lack of judgment in placing a bag of unwanted dog food (it upsets the dogs' tummies too much) and the rats thought it was fiesta time.... oops.  So now starts the hard slog to rid ourselves of the wee beasties.  Not that we dislike rats, with Miss B having kept pet ones as a child, but the vermin variety as opposed to the domesticated variety are far more problematic and can cause some very nasty diseases.  The trouble is, the in house rat catcher is not allowed out, with us living on a very busy main road.  Sigh.  Otherwise it would be problem solved.  So down go the traps and bait and we wait.

Indoors, I dealt with the desk spaces that need a tidy up although looking around me now I can see a degree of slippage.  Must remember to read books when I buy them, not six years later.  And dispose of packaging!  Tut!

On the desk are multiple projects awaiting completion.  Including sourcing a new home for our pet rock, Iggy.  His broke in transit and you can see his home in a bag on the desk.

I stitched the edges of the two cross-stitches that are on the desk - they're just awaiting stretching and framing now.  It's quite fiddly getting it right, to ensure that pictures are straight, especially when they have straight lines on, so I can't do more than one in a week or I end up thoroughly depressed and a bit slapdash by the time I get to the last one.

The cactus has also progressed a little - back-stitching makes such a difference but it's quite tedious on this design as there's lots of jumping about for odd stitches.  I don't mind it as a general rule but I did so much stitching the last couple of months, I'm enjoying taking a break. Back to it this week though, as those other projects won't get done otherwise!

Enjoy the hop - I hope to get round to as many of you as I can today...

Toodlepip!

WOYWW 596 - Calm Before The Storm

Hello again and welcome back to my desk for WOYWW - What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday. Hosted as ever by the lovely Julia. 

Not much to see or report this week.  The whole room is a bit of a mess - in the corner you can see my actual “office” area. I’m waiting for Miss B to move out properly, that is, finish Uni and decide if she’s staying in Exeter, or if she needs to come home for a bit first. The plan is to move the office into her bedroom, move the desks around a bit, and put a sofa bed in so that I can stitch upstairs, or we can have guests. This year has been really tough for Uni students, and the part of her Drama course she loves most (practicals) is on hold, thanks to Covid-19, which is making her feel very down. 

On the right you can see a sheet hanging up. This is my dreadful attempt to screen the Kallax unit when I have to do a Zoom call for work. Teams is good because I can change the background but because work won’t pay for a pro subscription to Zoom, I can’t change the background or blur it and it’s just too busy and interesting. 

The other side of the room is just as bad, but improving. I’ve bought a tripod and ring light because the plan (er-herm) is to start doing Flosstube videos. I’ve also started working on a video showing the Barn Owl progress from start to finish. I’ll post a link when it’s uploaded. The poor Halloween wall hanging is still waiting for attention!

I’ve also had a trolley from IKEA waiting for me to decide what goes in it, and a moment of inspiration prompted me to make it my sewing trolley. When not in use the machine has sat on the floor, occasionally getting kicked. Oops... this means that the desk it’s usually sat on can be alternated for other purposes - scrapbooking, laptop work... now to clear the rest of the mess on it and put the theory to test. 

And lastly the cactus picture. A little bit of progress from last week - I’ve not worked on it since last Friday - but with lockdown starting tomorrow, the wedding it was intended for has been postponed and it won’t be finished now until the week before the new wedding date - once the bride and groom have picked it. 

The original chart called for satin stitch in the ring, but I didn’t like how it looked (messy!), so picked two of the colours they used and cross-stitched it instead. Much neater!

So that’s it for this week. Posting this has given me a push to pick the stitching back up and get it as finished as possible, before putting it away, and then to work on the next thing. 

Adios - catch you on the blog-hop!

WOYWW 595 - the Spooktober edition

Eh-up!

Or should that be "BOO!"?

Welcome to another edition of What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, the linky and loads of other desks can be found here, courtesy of the rather lovely Mrs Dunnit.

I don't have a very interesting reason for having skipped a few weeks.  Seems I'm usually quite forgetful and then by the time I remember it's Thursday and it kind of negates the whole point.  However, today I have managed to get here relatively on time.

The desk itself looks little different.  I'm gradually compiling components for a Halloween bell jar project.  Might need to get a shift on with that, as Halloween itself is only a couple of days away!

The world at present mostly revolves around needlework - the joy of joining an online gaming....thing.... that vaguely resembles a book you used to roll dice to read.  Adventure books.  Except not much adventuring goes on - you join a clan, you all stitch, and create enough stitches to buy ingredients to build spells which you then throw at another clan until only one remains.... In it's most base form it sounds dull, but it certainly drives you to get big projects done and dusted!  I'm not the fasted of stitchers, but have managed to complete a couple of projects, as you well know.

The barn owl is finally complete, washed and awaiting framing...

The Peppermint Purple SAL is almost complete, we're in the final quarter of the year and although I'm a little behind (fnar fnar) by a couple of weeks, it won't take long to catch up!

I've been working on another project which I won't say too much about as I'm not sure the recipient ever lands on my blog, if she even knows it exists but suffice to say I'm working on this baby and it's close to done.  Just got to finish off the ring and add the back-stitch.

I also managed to make a couple more masks for me...

Next up to be worked on is this Halloween Hanging - I bought it at the Harrogate Knit & Stitch show back in 2017, and it's been lurking in my pile of "I'll get round to it someday" projects.  It’s a printed panel that you machine quilt and I’m looking forward to whipping it up. Somewhere I have all the bits for a Lily Bo quilt I promised.  It will still get done and sent... 

Once that's done, it'll be a few other stitching projects, as well as finishing off a half done jumper for Lil Miss B.  Back and front are done, need to stitch/crochet them together, do the sleeves and neckline, and it'll be done.  I have a couple of other knit/crochet projects to do after that one.

Oh - the knee is a lot better, by the way.  Going to have some doozy scars!  It's Mr B's turn now though - he managed to badly scald his left foot on Saturday 17 October and has been off work since, but hopefully will be fit enough to return to work on Monday.  Fingers crossed!

Anyway - off to do some work now (bah, hiss, curses!), so happy hopping folks!