Busy, Busy!

Hi everyone!
I hope you are all well and busy stitching and sewing and making amazing things.  I've had such a busy week that I've come to a decision.  I have to get organised! I keep trying to do everything and am not achieving very much so I'll have to work out a rota where things are completed and I don't feel I'm chasing my own tail all the time!

On a stitching front I have a new finish: stitched by the lovely Elaine and finished as a flat ornament which will stand on a mini easel on the mantlepiece at Christmas.

I couldn't get a really nice photo..no sunshine again here in Ireland...makes a change right?

The green is greener and it is stitched on Belfast Linen Summer Khaki.

I'm stitching on something which I hope to release next week.

And I can't work out how come I keep wanting to bake gingerbread???  A real mystery right?  And one that's really bad for my diet!  I've resisted the charms of lovely, warm, sweet, spicy gingerbread so far: not too sure how long I can hold out though!  The sooner I finish stitching this the better!

Now, I like to stitch (or get stitched) all my humble designs because it is so hard to work out what colours work just by using a programme.  The colours on the screen are never anything like the actual threads those little pixels represent so I'm not sure how other designers manage to release things with just a picture of the programmed finish.  I'm sure they must have their own techniques but I haven't worked it out.  I won't be issuing any designs without stitched models apart from these ones. 

Remember I was asked to stitch a 'God Bless This Home/House' chart? Well the customer wanted it in the same colours as the Maid for All Seasons Spring so I know how this is going to turn out.  She wasn't sure what she wanted so I covered all the bases and made the large one and two smaller ones. I've already shown you the larger one and don't want to bore you too much but here are the two smaller ones.

The purple is more vibrant so you can see what I mean about the programmes.  I love the stitchy colours, they are really fresh and spring like.  Boy do we need spring right now!
I've also put these in my shop but really they are for this lovely lady whose sister had BC.

And of course, I guess you can get away with using the programmes to show monochrome work.  Over 50 people asked for the valentine's butterfly!  I gave it away free for the competition knowing that for many of these people it will sit quite happily until the stitchers are in a butterfly mood...and that's fine by me.  I have some entries so that's good...but wow, so many people asked me for it! I was really flattered.

It inspired me and I decided to see what else I could do with butterflies.  So here is the Valentine's butterfly and with her is my Symphony butterfly.

I'm really pleased with her: I wanted the bottom wings to look like music notes and piano keys...I think I got there!  I will def. be stitching this one! sigh....as soon as I get organised!  I have put both into the shop but I remind myself daily, this isn't work: just design what you like and what you would like to stitch!

Well: that's it for now.  I have to finish my cookies and cakes otherwise I will end up making gingerbread which is just too nice to limit yourself too!  If you make it you have to eat it right?  Best if I avoid a messy and high calory situation, so needles to the ready!

Have a good week everyone xx  I will be popping by your blogs and if I get organised, will even be posting a comment!  Promise!