TUSAL, and class

Well my TUSAL is late again.  Why?  Well I had almost no stitching due to a very busy work schedule.  And I just couldn't bear to show my near empty jar.  I knew I had to have a stitched piece done and I knew it would be done by the end of the week so I waited for that.  If you want to know more about TUSAL just go here.   The picture on the left is what I managed to finish for the month with my little stitching and then with the piece that I needed to get done this week.  That piece is in the background.  The pic below is my orts for
year.  Slowly getting something in there.

Now I guess I should show what it was that I stitched on.  Early in the month I got just a bit done on my Stitchers 12 Days of Christmas.  But I didn't get done what is needed for the month.  So no update on that.  I didn't get to my Namaste, so now I will have to try to get two of them done in May.  Shouldn't be too hard as it will be going with me on my trip back east for my nephew's graduation and a visit to my best friend from high school. 

But I had to finish a piece this week that I am using for a box finishing class that is being run by Meari - one of our moderators at the I-Love-Cross-Stitch Yahoo Group and of Meari's Musings.  I am making the box for my Brother in Law who wanted playing cards from some of the casinos here in Las Vegas.  Well he needs a box to put them in.  So, I found a design by Dobi Bullock  of the Las Vegas Welcome Sign.  I made a few floss changes and stitched it on 28 count Crystal Gothic Linen as I wanted it to have a night time effect.  So, here is a picture of the stitched piece before ironing again.  And a picture of the stitched piece, the box and the fabric that I will be using to line the box.  I will show more pictures as the box is finished.

To end this post, I leave you with a picture of my Lil Bit.  She had been playing with the pieces of paper that I throw for her but as she got nearby to this cigar, she ended up just flopping over and grabbing it and licking it and chewing on it.  That is some potent catnip.   

I couldn't get any other crafty pictures with the kitties as I knew they would move before I could get back with the camera.  But Tony decided that I was working in his sunbeam and it wasn't going to stop him from soaking it up.  So, he laid down right on my pattern and needlecase and threader.  He did leave me just enough room to work and did not lay directly on the part of the pattern that I needed.  All I could do was laugh.  Our fur babies bring such joy to our lives!!   Until next time........ Don't forget to check back from time to time to see if I have added any giveaways to the sidebar.  I sometimes will add them even if I haven't had an update.  

Late TUSAL, Updates and an Award

Hi all!!!   What a busy month March was.  With celebrating my birthday and alot of work I didn't have much time to do anything.  

First off I want to share this blog posting http://northernexpressions.blogspot.com/2012/03/sad-commentary.html with everyone.  If you have seen it before then you understand my wanting to share it.  Please read it and be reminded that copyright infringement takes away jobs  and we don't want our designers giving up.

So since I still don't have much time and want to stitch sometime today, let's get on with the pictures and such!  Shall we? 

Here is my TUSAL for March.   The first picture is only my Orts from March.  The second picture is all of my Orts for the year so far.

As you can see, it really doesn't look like I have gotten much stitching done this year.  But I have 2 projects that I am working on each month and if I get those finished to a certain point, I will work on something else for the rest of the month.  Nothing extra this month.

I only managed to get my section done for the Stitchers 12 Days of Christmas by Sue Hillis  that I am working on as a SAL with Debbie of Debbie's Corner.  Here is my progress.    I didn't need to move the scrolls so I only took the picture of my progress from last month.  And of course I had already mapped out where to start this month when I remembered that I hadn't taken the picture for this update.













And I worked on the third chakra on Namaste by Ink Circles.  I am loving working on this one.  The colors are so vibrant but still the design is so comforting to work on.  I would love to just work on this one specifically until it is finished but I am limiting myself to one chakra a month.  Once it is stitched, it will be finished into a bell pull.  Tell me what you think of it so far.











Now for the award.  Last week, Cleejoow in Belgium awarded me the Liebster Award.  Thank you!!   She said that she loves reading my blog but thinks I need a little encouragement for blogging more often.  I appreciate her concern and hope that if someone can award me some more time in the day, that would be one award that I would appreciate above all others. Life is getting in the way of my stitching and my blogging.  So I will give you a little info on this award. 

 Some background: Liebster is a German word, meaning favourite, dearest or beloved and the Liebster is awarded by bloggers to other, newer bloggers, who have fewer than 200 followers, to spread the word and help the new(er)bies gain wider recognition. The award comes with four conditions that each recipient must satisfy when accepting:

1. Choose five up-and-coming blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) to award the Liebster to.

Debbie of Debbie's Corner - I love reading her blog when she has time to blog also.  She is busy as it is tax season but it should soon slow down and hopefully she will be able to blog more.  Shall we give her some encouragement also.  She hasn't blogged her progress on Stitchers 12 Days of Christmas lately.

Shelley - She has a wonderful blog but has been going through a rough patch lately and could probably use some encouragement also.  She does beautiful stitching.

Lisa -  I love reading Lisa's blog as it is not only on cross stitching progress but also of her travels since she has been in Cambodia.  She has been traveling to many places and it is wonderful to see pictures and hear of these places through her eyes.

Taffy - Taffy's blog is great.  She stitches so fast and always has great progress pics.  She sometimes shows beautiful scenery pics taken around her home area.

Linda - Linda doesn't blog as often as some people but her blog is a fun read.  She has lovely stitching updates.

I hope you will all visit their blogs and become followers also.


2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
Thank you Cleejoow  For those of you that have not visited her blog, please do so.  Her blog is a fun read and most times has pictures of pretty things.


3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their sites. Leave comments on their blogs so they know about the award.
Ok, I did that part under section 1.  I will send them emails and possibly leave a comment on their blogs to let them know of the award after I finish this post.


4. Share 5 random facts about yourself that people don't know about you.

Now 5 random facts about me.  Hmmmm....what to pick, what to pick.

     1. Three career jobs that I have had over the years are.....data entry for an insurance company,  emergency services dispatcher and massage therapist.  How is that for different spectrums of the career fields.  

     2.  I grew up in the country where it was 10 miles to the nearest grocery store or even the nearest McDonald's when they finally got one.  

    3.  It took 15 years from my divorce to actually find my true soul mate.  So, never lose hope.  As the Moody Blues have sung.....I know you are out there somewhere.  It's true.  

   4.  I used to be an Emergency Medical Technician and a Volunteer Firefighter.

   5.  I have trouble with all of the estrogen mimic chemicals found in so many of our food and personal care products.  With more exposure to these chemicals, I will actually exhibit an artificial PMS which is worse then any natural PMS I have ever had.  I have actually gone off on someone verbally and felt like I was standing beside myself watching it and yet couldn't stop it.  It is scary that these chemicals are allowed in all of these products.  So, I am working toward minimizing the exposure to these chemicals a bit at a time.  Anyone that has recipes for natural lotions, cleaning products, etc or especially a completely natural cosmetics company, please share your information.  

So, there you have it.  

A few days after my birthday, I received a package in the mail.   Debbie of Debbie's Corner.  sent me a wonderful package filled with surprises.  Take a look at this!   She sent me a cute pattern called A Tail of Two Kitties.  A kit to make a necklace, bracelet and 2 pair of earrings., a large notepad, 3 beaded bracelets, some kitty buttons and some evenweave.  She even sent me some instructions on how to dye fabric using natural products.  Now I just need the time to try it out.  It will be such fun!!  Thank you again so much, Debbie!!  

Both kitties have been a bit under the weather.  Tony recently had dental surgery and had 3 teeth removed.  And now this week I had to take Lil Bit to the Vet for a mouth infection also.  She is now on 3 medications.  She must be feeling somewhat better already as she has been having the bazoons today and also has been harassing Tony all morning.    So with this I will leave you until next time with a picture of Lil Bit.  I hope you all stay well and Happy Stitching!!