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 

Goals

December Goals

Continue working on Sue Hillis' Snowman Wisdom

Start & Finish Just Nan's Strawberry Bunny

November Review

Finish stitching Just Nan's Witchy Pumpkin Cottage (cube) - YES, stitched and assembled

Decide on Christmas ornaments for family & friends - YES, I found a few patterns

Work on Snowman Wisdom - YES, a little bit of the tree and white fence

Tonight I started Just Nan's Limited Edition Strawberry Bunny.  Here is my progress so far.

This is what she will look like when finished.

A Few Finishes (assembled)

I started November trying to blog every day ... but life got in the way.  I finally assembled Just Nan's Hagatha's Hat.  I am very happy with the results, after sewing the bottom at least 4 times before I was happy and left it.  It was hard to get the bottom flat and stuff it with a cardboard circle.  The ghost is on the front.

Here it is showing the side.

I thought I should stitch something for Christmas.  This ornament is for my youngest sister Denise.  She LOVES The Nightmare Before Christmas, so I stitched Jack Skellington for her.  I still need to finish it into an ornament.

This past weekend I assembled Just Nan's Witchy Pumplkin Cottage.  I wanted the cottage to open so I could put a mouse inside.  The inside isn't perfect, but it is only for me.  Here are a few photos.

Happy Dance

I finished attaching the beads tonight to the Witchy Pumpkin Cottage.  Photos are not the greatest (night time) but you can see the detail and the beads.  Not sure if II will have time this weekend to assemble it.  I want to line the insde with fabric and have the side with the door open and close.  I never do anything the easy way.  :)

Witchy Pumpkin Cottage update #12

I had to frog the left side border twice before I got it right.  I have completed all the cross stitching on the cube.  I still need to do the beads.

Here is a photo of all 6 sides completed.