August 23/06

Well, it is that time of year when the cross stitch magazines start coming out with the Christmas projects to remind us of the upcoming December insanity. I started some of my cross stitch cards recently to send out as cards/gifts to a select few. The current batch are from Design Works Crafts which I picked up on sale at Lewiscraft in the past year. These small projects are most enjoyable in between bigger projects because the cards take less than a week to complete.

Before starting the cards, though, I made sure that I was done stitching the Marks and Kattens table runner so as to not violate my rule of only having one project on the go at a time. One thing that I have noticed in reading the blogs of other stitchers is that most people seem to have multiple projects on the go. My craft room would be more out of control if I did that and I would lose my focus on the different projects if I bounced back and forth. Oh well, different stitches for different folks!

My stitching time has been greatly curtailed these days because of training for the local 8km run called the Hampton 5-miler and the flooring renovation that is underway in my basement. There are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done and sleep, too!

August 7/06

Scanning through the various cross-stitch blogs that I have tagged up in my favourites has reminded me of some new-to-me patterns that I have acquired recently. It will be a few weeks before I can seriously think about starting them because I am finishing up a hydrangea table runner that I bought in Sweden, a Marks & Kattens design. Their website seems to be down for updating, but I will add it to my links for when it does come back up. Once the table runner is completed, I have 2 bibs to do for friends who are preggers and due in the next few months.

THEN, it will be on to the Fairy Tale Sampler by Jennifer Aikman-Smith of Dragon Dreams. The saying on it is perfect for a friend who is going through a divorce from a moron. I also recently purchased a book about Christmas stockings called "Christmas Stockings" from the David & Charles Cross Stitch Collection. The family stockings are a tattered mess after many years so I am considering making a new set of cross stitched ones. That is an ambitious project so I may just end up doing one for my nephew instead! Last, but not least, I found a beautiful design of maple leafs in autumn by Foxberry Cottage Crafts of Nova Scotia. I am always thrilled when I find beautiful Canadian designs because they are hard to find.

August 2/06

Okeydokey, tomorrow is my birthday. It is hard to believe that I will be 35 years old tomorrow. Jeepers! Where does the time go?

I am looking forward to a nice, quiet day tomorrow. My big plans are to have a bunch of building suplies delivered from Kent's to finish the flooring in this place and to visit my dog's grave. Jessie went to puppy heaven last week and I am missing him more than I thought possible. He was so sick towards the end and I spent so much time fussing over him that I was at a loss for a few days because that had been my life for so long. My two big consolations are that I got to say goodbye to him the way that suited the both of us and he is no longer sick.....And here I thought that I would not cry again......For a 14 year old dog with arthritis, a heart murmur, cataracts and an itchy skin infection, he never once moped or whimpered about how crappy he was feeling.

Some things I am looking forward to: the QA convention in Toronto and a trip to Halifax to visit with my sister. Good times.