Around the World Blog Tour And Another

Hi everyone. Welcome to Ireland!

  A while ago  I was asked to take part in the Around the World Blog Tour, and then I missed my slot because I had to rush over to the Uk to be with my son and daughter.

Thankfully I was asked again to take part, this time by Maggee.

As part of the blog tour, we have to answer three questions.

1. What am I working on?

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

4. How does my writing/creating process work?


1.  So, what am I working on?

Hmmmm well, I suspect I am working on the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and a surprise Christmas package for my wonderful friend Angela.  Remember I am writing this before you are actually reading it so I'm trying to guess!

Angela and I were going to do an exchange last year but real life got in the way for both of us so we are doing it now.  And it will be all the more special because we have both had to wait for it!  (And even more special if I remember to post it rofl).

Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come has been charted and I'll start stitching it today.
Here are the ones I already have in the series.

I am also working on a new chart in the Maid for all Seasons Series - Winter and a Christmas free SAL.

I have Spring and Summer all stitched up!

Autumn has been designed but not stitched yet;

Fergus and Holmsey have photo cross-stitch bombed!

I'm a bit torn regarding winter and the sort of thing I want to do with Miss Winter.  She has lots of ideas above her station and maybe above my ability rofl.

2. How does my work differ from that of others?

Errrrrr, tough one.  Well it is all mine.  I design everything I stitch these days and because they are my designs, they come from the deepest, darkest recesses of my mind. So all the rhymes I use (unless referenced differently e.g. John Donne's Autumnal) are mine.  You are seeing my imagination in little teeny weeny crosses and believe me, you haven't lived until you have had to think of a Halloween word beginning with K, and then when you have it, you def. haven't lived until you have designed a kraken in 12 squares or less!

3.  Why do I create what I do?

 No idea.  I guess when I was teaching, I taught either students that nobody else wanted or courses that were dying e.g. Environmental Science, now dumbed down to Envirionmental studies simply because they couldn't get the teachers for it.  I had to be creative to keep hormone-filled teenagers interested and to find ways to help those with educational needs so they had the same chances in life as the more academic students.  So all my creativity went into teaching.

 When I stopped teaching and got ill, I designed a few charts to raise money for cancer research....and then I found I really enjoyed it.   I'd missed the buzz I got from teaching, and this replaced it and I really love my new creative outlet.

4.  How does my creative/writing process work?

Errrrrr I don't know..it just does.  I can be doing something quite random: cooking the tea, reading a book and suddenly a character will appear in my mind, or a poem, so I quickly grab my notebook (which I often lose so I have around ten of them all scattered around the house) and jot it down...and while I write it down, colours start swirling, and so then I rush to get to my computer and before we know it there's a chart.

 If you have watched Dumbo when the Elephant's Parade starts, thats a bit like how it is in my mind.  Except rather than sing, my characters chat away to me and tell me how they want to come out.
I know.
We all know the drug references involved in the Elephant's Parade, but I can assure you, no drugs at all are involved in my work.  My mind is  mystery!

So..that's me.  I hope you weren't too bored.  I would like to point you in the direction of my wonderful friend Cath who is next on the tour (though I think she has to post a week from today)  and Angela xxx

Enjoy your world wide tour!  I have loved reading all your World Tour posts: its so nice to get to know you all a little better.

Now for the second winner in the prize draw.

Remember, each day I will pull one number using a random number generator and post the number on the blog. You will have 24 hours to get back to me with your choice of prize and details. I am not charging for postage but if you feel you would like to donate a little to my postage costs, via paypal it would be very greatfully recieved. My paypal address is stitcheranon@yahoo.co.uk You must check my blog each day to see if your a winner.  I will send the prizes out once they have all been drawn incase anyone wins more than one.  

The Random Number Drawn is.....Congratulations 332.  Please pm me within 24 hours for your choice of prize xxx

Enter a lower limit:	1
Enter an upper limit:	502
Random Number:	332