An ENORMOUS surprise!

Look what I found out about today!  I had no idea until a text came from Glenis telling me that I was mentioned as the Blogger of the Month in the current issue of 'World of Cross Stitching'.

I'd seen a spike in blog traffic over the last week, but couldn't fathom where it had come from.  Now I know.

WOCS is a great magazine that I've had a few dozen issues of over the years.  In fact, my current cross stitch WIP, the Paradise Island, comes from issue 60 from back in July 2002.  It's the third large design I've worked from this issue and the poor magazine itself is getting very much worse for wear.  The cover's fallen off and the pages are getting very 'yonderly', as Mum would say. =)

For those of you who've been kind enough to visit me here after seeing this feature: Hi!  Thank you for taking the time to type in the URL and pay me a call.  To be honest, the description of me and my work is a little on the flattering side as, not only did I quit formal teaching (I used to conduct some classes in beginners' Mandarin Chinese (yes, really!!) at the University of Leeds for over 7 years), over 6 years ago, but the 'awards' are nothing more than winning placements in the local horticultural show where the competition is anything but fierce.  It does sound good though, "she's won awards for her work", doesn't it?!!  Must try and win some more now (Leeds Flower Show??) to try and earn my reputation....LOL!

So, many thanks to the WOCS team for selecting and featuring me and/or anyone who may have nominated this blog (I don't know how it works, but I suppose it may be a combination of editor/journalist's blog rolls and reader suggestions), and I hope I don't disappoint in the future.  As per my last post, things are a little quiet at the as we prepare for our home move on 10 Feb, but I hope to get back into both blogging and having something interesting to blog about within the next month or so.  In the meantime, here are the pieces I've worked from WOCS issue 60, both the two completed ones and the current WIP.

If I remember correctly, this piece which I adapted with a little lettering to be a wedding souvenir, also came from WOCS:

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2016

I haven't been posting recently because....

.....we're in the middle of getting ready to move to our new home.  These are some of the things we cleared out today!  Funnily enough, I saw a lady in the charity (goodwill) shop we gave most of this stuff to buying a whole pile of 'Stitch' magazines.  I almost envied her.  Well, maybe I did, just a little!!!

Things should be back up and running here in the next month or so.  Stay tuned!  In the meantime, here's a snap of Dr Sir and I from his recent PhD graduation day. =)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2016

Stitching plans for the year ahead - 2016

I've shied off making goals lists on this blog for a few years now, but I thought I'd brave it out and have another go at it for the year ahead.  What have I got planned?  Well, the biggest project of the year is definitely moving home, which we hope will be in mid-February.  We're flat/apartment-hunting at the moment, and hoping something suitable will come up soon.

Onto stitching things now.  First, of course, is to finish up the projects I current have in progress.  Here they all are as they stand today:

* The Paradise Island cross stitch, which is the largest cross stitch piece I've ever done.  I actually measured it against the other two larger designs I did a few years ago, and it comes out as the winner.

Sir just said that he wonders if I will finish this piece this year... =)

* I also want to get this little needle painting of a violet from Trish Burr's "Fresh Ideas for Beginners' book completed ASAP and mounted in a card for a friend's new home momento.

* Lastly in the current WIP section are these small hardanger designs which I need to finish and get mounted in some tiny cards.  I'm considering selling these on Etsy (with *a few more like them - another project).  Do you think they'll sell?  I'll need to make sure I'm not going to come up against copyright problems before listing them for sale somewhere.  I'll have made enough changes to the original in both materials and actual pattern to avoid it, I should think.  Besides, there's really only so much you can do with designs this small, no?

After those are done, I hope to crack on with the following, although I must say at the outset that this is partly a 'list to choose projects from' and very much subject to change as, normally, as soon as I post something that I plan to do, I want to to do something else as well/instead/etc!!  Some of these regular readers may recognise from previous posts.

* Some more needle paintings from the Trish Burr 'Beginners' book, esp. this lovely dog rose piece.

* This freestyle piece from Sue Newhouse's book that I showed you a few weeks ago.  This has quite a bit in common with the recent Rowandean finish, so I think that I should be able to pull it off OK.

To be honest, I've been feeling quite stressed out recently, so have backed off from any really fancy or challenging pieces, (which is probably why I'm dragging my heels and struggling to get on with my current Trish Burr piece), and all I really want to do is some nice, easy counted work.  Here are some ideas that I have kits and/or materials for and would like to crack on with this year:

* I longed for this luscious 'Embroideress' blackwork kit for a while before Sir presented me with it as part of an anniversary present a good few years ago.  It's time I got on with it!  I plan to work it using stuff from my stash and then sell the kit on complete or semi-complete, depending on whether or not I use the 18ct Aida provided, or some of my own evenweave- if I have any 36ct, which I don't think I do.

* Most of the above can be repeated for this 'Farewell' blackwork pic.  I have another super-duper blackwork design too, but I need more experience and confidence with blackwork before tackling that, methinks.

* It's been a while since I did a decent sized hardanger piece and, as I have fabric and threads enough for two or three white on white pieces, how about one of these Mary Hickmott design runners to start with?  I love her hardanger stuff as long-term readers will no doubt have noticed. =)

* If you remember the 'Tudor Lady' cross stitch, you might be interested in a companion piece I'd like to stitch by the same designer, Sue Page - the 'Medieval Lady', which I forgot to take a photo of and can't find one on Google!!

I also have these few more kits in stock that I may pick up and work.

And there'll no doubt be some cards and perhaps some small gifts along the way too.

On top of the above, and maybe selecting something from them, there are also any Show entries to consider and plan for.  As I mentioned yesterday, I may not be able to join in the Sheffield Show this year, but there'll be the big Leeds Flower Show - a far bigger pond to swim in than the Sheffield one and correspondingly far harder to win anything in - and maybe also the Otley Show, which is in May and local enough to consider entering.  May see what the Ilkley Flower Show does in the way of craft categories too.  (Please let me know if you have any ideas regarding shows etc.)

So, which projects of all the above do you like best and you would most like to see me work and blog about?  Reader interest is always a great motivation and I'm sure I'm far from being the only creative blogger who gets a lot of impetus to do projects from the reactions and encouragement of their blog readership.

Wishing a very successful and productive year to us all!

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2016