Friday, January 21, 2011

Stash and stuff and continuing Christmas adventures

Hello Gentle Reader. How are you this crisp morning? Fine you say? Well I'm glad to hear it. I am a miserable loon.

We'll leave aside the miserable... that comes with working in the Fortune 500 aparently, and skip straight to the loon part. This weekend (aka tomorrow) I propose to start work on a new needlepoint. And not just any needlepoint. I'm probably putting on stretchers this lovely:
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Beautiful, isn't he? I think he's beautiful. I pulled a bunch of Very Velvets, Ftyre Works, Neon Rays+, and Silk Lame for him last week. I'm sure some more fun stuff like Sprinkles and fur will join the party. But really, Gentle Reader, what am I thinking. I didn't finish the dreaded stocking for my sister all that monay months ago. Have I forgotten what a pin in the assets it is to stitch on a giant canvas? Do I not already have enough things on needles? Shouldn't I finish a few things before I forget what stitches I was using in them before I tackle roughly an acre of blank canvas? Apparently not. Sigh. When you see my right mind, please give it directions home.

Also on the needlpoint front, last weekend was the first weekend of my LNS' annual post-TNNA sale. I picked up this gem--
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A Sandy Gilmore Santa which I love. The argument I used with myself was that I had no canzases for standing-weighted Christmas decorations, and I certainly had not Santa pieces. Obviously said argument was successful since now he lives in the hovel with me and 7 million other to-be-done projects. To continue the loon theme with this piece, please remember I had just come back from TNNA. Sure, no problem, you say. You have faith that I exercised discretion and restraint while surrounded by all the best needlepoint opportunities in Christendom. Well, you would be wrong. I was bad, Gentle Reader. Baaaaad. As they come in I shall happily share pictures of my haul, but suffice it to say there is a lot of canvas and a fair bit of linen coming my way.

For those of you looking for a detailed TNNA report, you may be disappointed. There was little in the xs realm there. Usually the xs people seem to stick to the TNNA events later in the year. I can say I saw a lot of really cool yarns-- enough to make me want to pick up my hooks and needles again. Shoot me now. There were certainly some lovey canvases out for needlepointers everywhere. Sew Much Fun has released a 3-D parrot who's too cute for words; Canvas Candy has a great line of canvases and matching blown glass ornaments (I succomb to a cardinal and what I call the "gold bird circle"-- you'll have to wait and see); Kirk and Hamilton had this really great gingham and floral flag which I must have; Labors of Love was there with its awesome bird tree clamps (if you flip through Needlepoint Now they were featured a few months back) and a line of Christmas Carol themed pieces; Little Shoppe has a totally adorable line of dimensional tea cups.

One thing I can show you is the tree topper I got from Whimsey and Grace--
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Yes, that stunning gold and white beauty will be mine! heee heeee. Now I just need a decent paying job and an apartment bigger than a closet. Those will allow me to have a Chrismtas tree which will allow me to place this stunning topper. Sigh.
Oh I also got this darling from Associated Talents--
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I think he'll sparkle a treat on said wishful thinking tree.

As for Christmas, I think we left of with traditions and number 23...

23. Here's to new traditions! This year I, with great trepidation, approached the 9-year-old great nephew with a plan to make ornaments for his grandma. As I explained the plan and my thinking behind it (ie. while his mommy isn't hot on non-standard ornies, his grandma loves them and cherishes all the differences and especially honors the ones his daddy made for her when he was little) he just looked at me blankly. But when I stopped (thinking I was going to get shot down in favor of computer games) he grinned from ear to ear, said excitedly "cool," and began a laundry list of things he thought would be cool to make. Whew! So we spent about 5 hours one day secreted on the ground floor of my sister's house (on a plastic tarp becaues my BIL is a former Boy Scout leder and knows what crafting with small children can be like) making these gems:
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Pertty cool, huh? There's also a tree, but somehow it missed its photo op.

24. We went up to the Mormon temple for their great light display-- what can I say, I'm a sucker for Christmas lights.
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For all the traffic the show draws I can imagine the neighbors are sometimes annoyed, but they do get one seasonal break -- they definitley don't have to put out their own light displays.
They also do a series of Christmas trees in their main lobby. and right there I got a nice chuckle:
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Yup, that would be a lovely pair of Israeli dolls decoating a Christmas tree.

25. will wait for another day....

Here's wishing you all a beautiful rest of your day!

6 comments:

Cindy's Stitching said...

The stocking is pretty. I adore the star box. I also work for a fortune 500 company, it amazes me how horrible they treat there employees, I could write a book. I am grateful for having a job. Sometimes we just have to forget the bad, and just look at the positive.

Unknown said...

All your future endeavors are great! Watching them develope will be fun.

I really liked the ornaments you made with your grand nephew! Lily and I made some sticky felt Rudolph's for her to give as gifts. I can't wait until she can do some more crafties!!

Karen said...

you are one crazy girl doing that stocking! whew! but, i did pick up my first piece of canvas and pattern to work on. I went with a pattern adn blank canvas and they put my canvas on stretcher bars and i have already started it. very simple and smallish but that's ok.

Cindy said...

LOVE the tree topper. I just did a search and found a silver one I might just have to have. Here I go...only 3 weeks into the year, and thinking about buying stuff already :)

Margaret said...

Oh I love your needlepoint projects for the future! So pretty! That Santa canvas is my favorite. I love your xmas pics too!

Meari said...

The stocking project is gorgeous. Really pretty Christmas lights and decorations, too!