A February Birthday card

Today is my Mother-In-Law’s 78th Birthday.  I made a birthday card for her a few weeks ago and mailed it to her in New Brunswick.  Here are photos of the card and envelope.  Her favourite colour is purple so of course the flowers had to be purple.  We also had real flowers delivered to her, so she could enjoy some spring since she has 8 feet of snow and getting more tonight.

Smalls SAL 2019 - February

I want to thank Mary for hosting the Small SAL 2019.  Here is my Floral SAL 2019 February block all finished including the backstitching.  The photo shows January & February blocks.  You can see where I pulled out the grid line between the first 2 blocks.  I love the colours of the flowers, not sure if I will frame the project at the end or make it into a pillow or wall hanging.  I’ll decide when it is all finished.

 

Fully Finished Gallery 2019 SAL #1

I finally finished 4 of my Just Nan limited edition miniatures.  Here are photos of them before and after.

Just Nan’s Romeo the Groom Mouse, I finished stitching him on May 13, 2017

Assembled on Saturday, February 16, 2019.

Just Nan’s Juliet the Bride Mouse, I finished stitching her on April 16, 2017

Assembled on Saturday, February 16, 2019.

Just Nan’s Strawberry Bunny, I finished stitching her on January 10, 2016

Assembled on Saturday, February 16, 2019.  I didn’t attached the metal strawberry to her mouth or the ribbon to hang  it up.  I need to iron the ribbon and I didn’t like the look of the strawberry in her mouth.  

Just Nan’s Little Hedgie, I finished stitching him on September 18, 2016

Assembled on Saturday, February 16, 2019.

Floral 2019 SAL - February block - update #1

The February block was available yesterday Feb 15 on Lesley Teare’s blog.  I started stitching it, but had to frog one section.  Here is my progress photo from last night.  I finished the leaf coming from January’s flower and another small dark yellow flower.  I’m working on the bigger yellow flower and the butterfly.  I will continue to stitch on this over the long weekend.  In Canada, we have a holiday called Family Day on Monday February 18th.

These are images from Lesley’s blog, showing January and February’s blocks.   

If you are interested in joining the SAL, this image shows blocks from January to April.

Lesley also has a blackwork project I might try at sometime.  I have been downloading it for a later date.  This is what the project looks like and it is broken up over 12 weeks.  If you are interested, she has the center purple area and 2 petals so far for downloading along with the colour key.

Cross Stitching on a water bottle

I didn’t get any stitching done yesterday because I went to visit my sisters and my dad.  My sister Denise has a Cricut Explorer Air 2.  I asked her to use the Cricut to cut out my name (Ann) so I could iron it on my fluorescent yellow vest for work.  I work as a Logistics Customer Service Representative in a Shipping office located inside a warehouse, so I need to wear a safety vest so the forklift drivers can see me walking around.  If my name is on my vest other people won’t borrow/steal the vest.  

My sisters Pam & Denise were showing me all the stuff they created with the Cricut.  They do a lot of water bottles, cups/mugs, wine glasses and t-shirts.  My husband Dave and I decided we should personalize our water bottles.  Dave likes cows (he has a cow calendar in our home office), so he asked Denise to find a cow for his water bottle.

I’m a little more creative and wanted something more personal.  Denise and I recreated part of my logo (white grid, gold needle, and purple thread and stitches to form a letter A) from my blog.  As you can see in the 3 photos below, it wraps around my bottle.

  

To Continue Blogging?

Thanks so much to Bette at http://azstitcher.blogspot.com/ and Rachel at http://tenhourstitcher.blogspot.com/ for the clarification on Blogger and my Google account.  It seems only the Google+ accounts are being deleted.  I happen to have both a Google account and a Google+ account.  I sort of remember creating a Google+ account, I think it was to comment on someone’s blog.  Either way, I won’t worry, my blog is safe because it is linked to my Google account.  

So I guess there is no more excuse to not blog each day.  Other than I need to produce some stitching to show on my blog.  I started the year job searching which meant no stitching.  Then after I got a job it has been a change is schedule getting up earlier for work (4:30am).  We are short staffed on the afternoon shift (still hiring), so I work my day shift (7-3) and stay late helping out (until 4 or 5pm)  this gives me more training/practice, so by the time I get home I’m tired.  I have plans to stitch every weekend, but life gets in the way.  I spend my weekends doing errands, visiting friends & family and no stitching.  I can’t wait to retire so I have more time for me and my hobbies!!

Google account & Blogger being shut down??

Hi everyone.  I got an email about my Google account being shut down as of April 2, 2019.  My blog is through Blogger which is attached to my Google account, so if I’m understanding the email, I will no longer have a blog as of April.  I noticed that 99% of the blogs in my list that I follow are through Blogger.  Does that mean that everyone else uses a Google account as well?  What is everyone else planning to do?  Open a new blog through another provider (WordPress)?  I’m looking into WordPress myself or is this the time to stop blogging all together.  I’d like to hear what other cross stitchers are planning on doing. 

February Goals

January Review

Blog more - YES, I posted 13 times last month compared to 5 times in 2018

Floral January block - YES, I completed the grid lines for the whole project and stitched the January flower

2019 Smalls SAL - NO, I didn’t get anything finished in time for January

February Goals

Floral February block (Feb 18)

Assemble something from my FFG pile (Feb 10)

Stitch a small Just Nan project for the 2019 Smalls SAL (Feb 25)

Find time to stitch more

Blog more this month

Other Goals

Finish and mail birthday card for my Mother-In-Law (birthday Feb. 24).

Decide on birthday card themes for family members that have birthdays in March & April.

Watch some artist tutorials on how to blend and colour using colouring pencils on YouTube or find colouring blogs.