I meant to post this the other day but I kept getting distracted before I got around to it. My first finish of 2007 (should have been finished in 2006) and number six for the challenge. It is a free chart from Ink Circles adn stitched up wonderfully. The fabric is 32ct crystal Sterling from Picture this Plus and it is stitched in VC silks. Dragons blood for the main varigated knot and Diane’s Rouge for the darker shaded outline. Stitched over 1, completely forgot what I was doing when I chose 32ct fabric but it was a lot easier than I expected on the 32ct. The colours are a lot richer than they appear in this picture, hopefully if I take another picture once it is finished up into a bookmark the colours will show more accurately.

And one more thing I forgot to post. Here is my progress on lost from the Wed QS SAL. I got home late wed so didn’t have much time to stitch but I was determined to get a few stitches in. Silly me could’t find the page of the chart I had been working on though so I moved onto page two briefly. This coming week I am hoping to strt seeing the little dragon. ( I eventually found the page I was missing).

I meant to do a few other posts yesterday but family social gatherings got in the way… and well I got distracted taking my hair back to its preferred bright purple colour

Firstly a few pics of things I made for christmas, they can be shown now as they have all reached thier destinations safely. I put together some scissor fobs and matching scissors for a few special friends using pendants from Selina Fenech. All in all I think the effect worked quite well, hopefully they won’t be too big or heavy to use. I have never really seen / owned a scissor fob so I was somewhat in the dark when putting them together as to whether they would suit the purpose intended.

There’s stitchy stuff too! This is the Friendship token needlebook from the 2006 JCS ornament issue

(forgotten the designer and I don’t have the magazine handy to check). Stitched in Ice Dragon silk from Vicki Clayton on chasescape 32ct lugana from silkweavers. The inside was lined with a blue silk duponi with blue wool felt for the needle pages. The cording was made from DMC (a blue in the 800 range) and a DMC metallic that I picked up (can’t remember which number).

The finishing for this was a bit of a challenge and for the top section I probably should have used a lighter weight backing board as the overall product ended up quite thick. I wasn’t overly happy with the finishing I did on the hinges but you can’t see that in the picture :p Sue seems happy with her pressie though so all is good. I ticked this off as a project for the challenge too.. one step closer to being done.

The original plan was to do more stitched gifts this year but I just ran out of time with the Santas of Doom demanding most of my attention. There are still a few little projects I wanted to do that I intend to get done and send out anyway as little surprises. I must admit to being somewhat addicted to playing with silks and like any excuse I can to start another little project with them. lol

There are some HAED progress pics to show too but they will have to wait for another post… work calls.

Oh the images should all be clickable .. think I finally have that worked out so they go to the right image fianlly

Pictures to come tomorrow once it is daylight and I have sewn on the backing (need to hide the back of my stitching).
I am so happy I got those evil evil santas finished in time to go live with all the other santas this christmas at my friends place.

Now I just have to choose what I want to stitch on for me for the next few days

Oh and becasue Nic said I had to take a picture of Sue trying to kill us with yummy stuff I give you a photo of what kept the screaming banshee company on her trip from the US of A
I go to dance about the house a bit more.. They’re done!

If for no other reason that you can stitch so many of thier designs in a day I love dragon dreams
As a little break from the Santas I stitched the latest dragon dreams ornament yesterday during flights whilst playing World of Warcraft. I finished it off during breaks at work today There are a few little changes.. A black mug (seemed more appropriate for the person who it is going to) adn I used red kreinik in place of DMC 321. It is stitched on 32ct opalecent antique white lugana from silkweavers. I just need to do the finishing on this little guy and send him off.
That makes 3 projects now for the challenge 7 more and I can buy an ink circles chart to join in on the SAL, at least that gives me time still to plan out a colour scheme.

My other break from the santas this weekend was to restart Dragon Dreams Blackwork dragon. I started this back in June initially but the wildflowers thread I used was just too thick for the fabric count and the fine black work. I ordered the same colour: “emerald” in waterlillies and just got around to restarting it. The fabris is wandering Ivy linen in 32ct belfast from silkweavers. I am much happier with how it is looking this time round, not to mention how quickly it stitches up.

2006 seems to have been a Dragon Dreams year for me.. maybe I should choose a theme for 2007. this is of course in addition to my ever growing pile of HAED wips.

Well I finished my little lost dragon sampler. Squee!

He is just so adorably cute, I had to take a picture even though the lighting is really cruddy. He is so much richer and sparklier in real life. I am going to show him off to Nicole at work tomorrow. *gush*

I finished my first project for my 10 project challenge!

It’s the Evening Dragon freebie from Dragon Dreams. I got it in my last order from Stitching Bits and Bobs. He is so adorable and stitched up in two nights :D. It is stitched on 32ct opalescent lugana in this gorgeous soft prurple colour. I doesn’t have a name it just says limited edition. I got it as part of a fabric of the month package from silkweaver some time ago.
I made a couple of changes becasue I was missing some threads. Firstly the yellow areas of the dragon I subbed Kreinik 028 #4 Braid in instead of DMC 743 and the Knights shiny bits were stitched in Kreinik #4 102 not the called for 001V vintage silver. The words were stitched in Kreinik 060 #4 braid midnight (love that colour) and to avoid doing french knots the knights eyes and dragons nostrils are mill hill petite beads #42014. You can’t see the sparkle much in the picture but it’s there I am thinking I might try turning him into one of those cute little flat fold thingys I have seen about on peoples blogs and send him to my nephew for Christmas. (well 2nd cousin actually but he calls me auntie)

I have three packages full of stash I’m waiting for that were ordered before I signed up for the project challenge. One is all the specialty threads for the lost dragon smapler which will be my next start. It should be another quick stitch.

Ok so anyone who reads stitching blogs must of come across this by now. On the 1st iof september over at the wagon BB (links to come later) a challenge was started that basically boils down to stitching 50 projects from your stash before you can buy new stash. This has been adapted to 10, 25 and 50 project challenges to allow for those of us who stitch somewhat larger pieces and 50 projects is likely to take more years than we have life expectency.

I toyed with this idea for the past week or so… I haev a lot of stash especially for someone who hasn’t really been stitching that long. But more over I have a lot of projects that I would love to see completed… and yes Fudgey that does also include that evil bookmark. So I have decided to give it a go… really what harm can it do. I have a number of gifts I need to get finished and I am sure I can squeeze in few smaller projects here and there along the way.

So I have signed up for the 10 project challenge (wish me luck) there are a couple of exceptions to stash acquisition these being my FOTM from silkweaver, the JCS ornament issue if I decide to buy it, a couple of M designs trees I want to get for gifts and any materials / Charts I need to get for the HAED RR. The only other expceptions are beads/ threads I need to complete an already started project. I figure all in all this shouldn’t prove too difficult as I have fabric under control for the RR (thank you nancy) and my kit and fabric ordered for Japanese garden. I may even find I am inspired to increasee my challenge to 25 projects but we’ll see. I really do enjoy impulse shopping way to much.

I will post the complete rules etc and the BB link later ( I am jsut too lazy to do links etc right now). Tomorrow I am off to Nics to comapre our new silk hauls and possibly even get some stitching in. I was going to participate in the UFO SAL this weekend but I don’t think it is likely at this point.. oh well, not to worry there is no way I will be missing the new start SAL in october it seems I may recieve my threads (courtesy of Mr floss fairy) for Return of Spring before then *bounce*

Tomorrow I will also be sure to post about my trip to melbourne