Snowman Wisdom update #20

Today I stitched the whole blue scarf and then I started on the blue hat.

Snowman Wisdom update #19

Not much stitching tonight, but I'm almost finished the pink hat.  I still have a few white back stitches to do on the pompom at the top of the hat.

Animal Crossing Video Games

Animal Crossing is the only video game that I play because I can not die.  I play it on my Nintendo 3DS hand held machine.  You go fishing, catch bugs, go swimming, and decorate your house.

A screen shot I found online.

Tonight my son Jordyn, his girlfriend Sarah & I played Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival. Jordyn gave me the game for Christmas.  It is a board game that you play on your TV with the Nintendo Wii U game pad (white controller on the left) and you use Amiibo characters are 3D with a memory chip in them for saving data on the Wii U.

Here is a screen shot from the Amiibo Festival board game I found online.

Frogging

I would have been finished the pink hat , but I had to frog some of the dark pink I stitched on Tuesday night.  I will add the dark pink on the left side after I finish the white edge at the bottom.

First Aid/CPR A Training

Today and tomorrow I am attending First Aid / CPR A Training at St. John Ambulance.  I bought a Family First Aid Kit for our house the last time I took the course 3 years ago.    

Snowman Wisdom update #18

Tonight at the Tuesday Night Stitcher's Club (LNS Stitcher's Place) I worked on the pink hat and while it was off the floor stand I got a photo of the whole project so far.  I love the fabric it kind of looks like snow.

Snowman Wisdom update #17

I finished the broom, then I started and finished the corn cob pipe.

I think I will take this tomorrow night to the Stitcher's Club, I'm getting close to finishing and don't really want to work on anything else.  :)

Outdoor kitchen

I didn't get time to stitch today, we spent the day cleaning the house.  I thought I'd show everyone how the table looks outside.  This is the table Dave & I built at the beginning of the month.  We added 3 coats of varnish, and then had to wait for it to dry completely before taking it outside in the cold.  We designed it to be long enough for sitting the Mini Max on and to have space between the two eggs.  We have a large Big Green Egg and now a Mini Max.

Snowman Wisdom update #16

I just need to finish the handle, and the broom will be completed.

No stitching Tonight

This weekend I want to tidy up my cross stitch supplies.  I have some of my DMC floss (from completed projects) that I have to put away properly.  I should also take inventory on floss and fabric for Paradise.  I still have time to order fabric if I need it.

Snowman Wisdom update #15

Tonight I stitched the snowflakes around the words.  I love how the snowflakes stand out on this fabric.

Colouring Calendar Jan 20

I had fun colouring my calendar today during lunch.  I only have 5 highlight markers to use.  No stitching tonight.

Snowman Wisdom update #14

Tonight I was able to finish the words in this section.  I still have the snowflakes around the words.

Snowman Wisdom update #13

I only stitched for about an hour tonight.

Snowman Wisdom update #12

I think I'm finished the front yard scene.  I will double check tomorrow night to see if I'm really done.

Looks like I missed the snowman's mouth.  

Colouring and Varnishing

Today has been a busy day at home.  Dave made pizza dough and sauce, he will cook the pizzas for supper on the egg.  He also made bbq sauce.  I made molasses cookie dough (it is resting in the fridge) and will bake the cookies tonight.  

Dave & I also put the second coat of varnish on the Mini Max Big Green Egg table we built a few weeks ago.  Third (final) coat is tomorrow and then a week of drying in the house before putting it outside to live in the harsh Canadian winter weather.  I'll show a photo when it is completely finished.

Today I spent time colouring in my Harry Potter colouring book.  So far I think I will colour the pages in order in the book.  That might change when I get to a page I'm not crazy about.

The Martian

Dave & I both read the book tonight we are watching the Blu ray The Martian.

No stitching tonight ... Just planning

I didn't get any stitching done tonight.  I have always been 99% a One-at-a-time stitcher.  Having too many projects on the go stresses me out.

Here are my big projects to work on at home using my floor stand.

1. Finish Snowman Wisdom.

2. Decide what to do with I Shall Wear Plaid Trousers (UFO started 3+ years ago).

This is my progress ... but I'm not happy with the chart (letters/words are not always the same).  Do I continue or frog and rechart the words.

3. Paradise - start and maybe finish.

I will bring small Just Nan projects to my Tuesday Night Stitcher's Club.  These are not in any particular order.

1. Miss Witchy Mouse 

2. Witchy's Sister Mouse

3. Juliet Mouse

4. Gingerbread Reindeer Mouse

5. Gingerbread Angel Mouse

6. Emma & Eliza's Christmas Tree

7. Romeo Mouse (not released yet)

8. Fifteen Floral (15 sided Biscornu)

Snowman Wisdom update #11

Tonight I started the pine tree on the right side of the front yard and the lamp post.

Snowman Wisdom update #10

I continued stitching the fence boards.

I thought maybe you might like to see what it will look like when it is finished.

Snowman Wisdom update

I continued working on Snowman Wisdom.  I finished the carrot nose and did 2 more fence boards.

Also Sarah (my son Jordyn's girlfriend) finished the last spiritual stone and I helped her frame it.  She started another Zelda project, it is a birthday gift for one of her younger her sisters.

Happy Dance

This is my first Happy Dance of 2016,  I finished the back stitching on Just Nan's Strawberry Bunny.  Sorry for the terrible photo.

I also worked on Snowman Wisdom by Sue Hillis, my snowman still needs a carrot.

Home made pasta (lasagna noodles)

For Christmas, Dave & I bought ourselves a pasta machine.  Today we tried making lasagna noodles.

Lasagna noodles drying.

Dave baked the lasagna in his Big Green Egg, so it had a smokey flavour.

I cannot believe how delicious fresh pasta tastes.  It sure makes a difference, and it cooks faster. 

There was so much pasta left, I made fresh spaghetti for tomorrow.

What if? 1000 piece puzzles

I have always enjoyed doing puzzles.  A few years ago while shopping with my sons at their favourite hobby store (J & J Collectibles  http://www.jjcards.com/shop/). I was looking at their huge selection of puzzles.  I was looking for something at least with 1000 pieces and came across this series.  They are made by Ravensburger, which means very good quality pieces.  What you see on the box is not what the puzzle will look like inside.  It usually has the same characters, but in different poses, could be a different background.  I love them because it is always a surprise.  I won't spoil the surprise by showing  my progress.  If you want to see it finished google images of What If Puzzles No 7.  There are 11 in the series so far.  I think I'm missing 3 or 4 of them.

I'm a Harry Potter Fan

I was at Costco tonight and couldn't resist buying the new Harry Potter Colouring Book.  I'm a huge fan of the books (read them several times) and it has scenes from all the movies.  Maybe this weekend I will have time to do some crafts.

Teaching the Art of Cross Stitch

I LOVE introducing people to the art of Cross Stitch.

Sarah (my youngest son Jordyn's girlfriend) LOVES the video game Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time.  I found a free chart on line of the 3 Spiritual Stones (part of a huge design).  I asked if she wanted to try cross stitching it or if she wanted me to do it for her.  She decided to try stitching it herself.  She is stitching the 3 small parts first to practice before stitching the large project.  

Here are the 3 projects so far.  She completed the Goron's Ruby in 1 1/2 days (first time ever stitching).  She surprised me by backstitching (with no lessons).  I am very proud of her.

Second one took a week.

Third one also about a week and counting ... She would stitch more but is job searching.

Tonight she asked me to help her design a smaller Zelda project for her sister's birthday January 20th. I think she is "hooked" on cross stitch... She also knits and crochets.  I told my son, she is definitely a "keeper"!!

Strawberry Bunny update #2

During the Tuesday Night Stitchers Club at my LNS (Stitcher's Place) I added the beads to Just Nan's Strawberry Bunny.  I just have the backstitching around the outside of the bunny and then I can sew it together.  Here is my updated photo.  I'm stitching mine on 28ct white evenweave.

Calendar for my desk

I found a colouring calendar for my desk at work.  I work as a dispatcher/customer service for a photocopy company.  It is stressful dealing with customers.  I thought this type of calendar would be helpful dealing with difficult customers.  :)

This is my first page I used my highlighter markers.  

Being creative every day

2016 you will see other hobbies on my blog.  I don't have time to cross stitch every day/night because I have lots of other creative things I like to do.  This will give me more things to blog about.

Adult Colouring Books

I didn't jump on the colouring bandwagon.  I have always loved colouring... As a child, then as a teen with my younger sisters and kids I babysat, later as a mom when my sons were young.  I bought myself 2 new colouring books for Christmas from the artist Johanna Basford.

In the Lost Ocean the artist has drawn items for you to look & find amongst the pages.

I will choose random pages to colour in this book.  I decided to colour the turtle page first because we have a pet turtle.

The Secret Garden, the pages are larger.  I decided that I will colour the pages in order in this book. 

I have started the first page (there are 20 drawings in this book).

Woodworking project

My husband got a Mini Max Big Green Egg for Christmas from our sons.  Today we built a cedar BBQ table to put it on.  We bought a clear satin finish to put on it, but that will be another day.

2016 Goals & 2015 Reviews

Review 2015 ... Happy Dances!

I had 10 Happy Dances for 2015, it wasn't as good as the year before.

Friendship Exchange 

Ribbon Candy Ornament

Shamrock Ornament

Summer Exchange 

Snowman Alphabet - JBW

Bluebird Tweet Ornament - Just Nan

Stitcher's Place - Tiny Modernist

Gingerbread Jingle Mouse - Just Nan

Witchy Pumpkin Cottage - Just Nan

Jack Skellington Ornament

I didn't finish my large project Snowman Wisdom, but plan to finish it as soon as possible this year.  I have been stitching on it all afternoon and evening.  Here is where I left off November 2015.

Here is what I got done today.

Goals for 2016 - it looks like it will be a Just Nan year!

Finish Snowman Wisdom - Sue Hillis

Start Paradise Banner - Stoney Creek

Floral Fifteen (15 sided Biscornu) - Just Nan

Just Nan Mice - Gingerbread Angel Mouse, Miss Witchy Mouse, Miss Witchy Sister Mouse, Gingerbread Reindeer Mouse, Juliet Mouse

Emma & Eliza's Christmas Hat - Just Nan

Amethyst Snowflake - Just Nan

Feathers & Flowers (Tiny Biscornu) - Just Nan