I am shocked as I have been actually nominated by two three creative ladies o.O: Jenna, Edda and Renée (ETA: I heard about this nomination after posting this)!

1. The winner may put the logo on her blog.
2. Put a link to the person you got the award from.
3. Nominate 5 blogs
4. Put links to the blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

I would like to give this award to following creative bloggers:

• Linda
• Leena
• Susan
• Renée
• Svenja

I got a comment in my comment section ages ago that Angela has awarded me with the "You Make My Day" award. I should award her again for that. *grin*

The Rules:

"Give the award to up to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel so happy about blogland! Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so that they can pass it on. Beware! You may get the award several times!"

1. Leena, a gifted stitcher, wonderful finisher, great friend and inspirating blogger who blogs in three languages. Her posts are always a joy to read.

2. Jenna: tremendously gifted stitcher and crafter. What Jenna doesn't know how to do is not worth knowing. Wonderful, deep-thinking person and one of the first friends I made in Blogosphere.

3. Barbara: who manages to run a household with four kids (one of the a small baby) and still has time to stitch! Her posts are always a reading and usually have instant lift-up effect.

4. Renée, a stitcher and a crazy cat lady who has a good, opinionated head on her shoulders.

5. Ternezia, TW enabler of the worst/ best kind. Analytic stitcher who strives to improve herself continuously.

6. Teresa Wentzler: doens't blog often, but I enjoy tremendously her posts as she talks quite often about creativity.

7. Punctuality Rules: my anal retentive self enjoys the posts regarding grammar and manners as a positive force in the Universe.

8. Svenja: Châtelaine enabler and a talented quilter who's always up to something beautiful.
9. chanda_m, whose blog updates Bloglines hasn't noticed in last year or so. Talented, thinking, stitching person who also has some yummy sounding recipes in her blog now and then.
10. The rest of you! Cross stitching addicted stash-a-holics who share your stitching, and maybe life, through your blog and let the rest of us to see a bit of life in somewhere else.

(As you can see, Freddy already found a friend. ^^)

Deb and I had a little swap: Deb had finished the kit and offered the chart and left-overs to a good home. I merrily messaged her and we agreed upon an exchange, though our plan changed a bit, but in the end I went and ordered something nice for her from Sewandso (a design I have drooled after since... long time ago and which I probably have to buy for myself after Deb starts her project *grin*)... but I can't tell what as she hasn't received it yet.

I also learnt my lesson: I should get to bed ten latest during the weekdays if I don't want to be zombified in the end of the day. (/me very tired is.)

I stumbled upon this link at Deb's blog and if you, as I, do love Indian food (though I have broadened it a bit to male individuals of Indian origin, but edable as edable *grin*) check One Hot Stove. Yummy recipes and as yummy pictures.

Odd accomplishments

Noticing how nonexcitent my stitching mojo has been few months I have to say that I am rather proud of myself: 38 finishes in 39 weeks. This includes four knitted and 34 stitched items.

Because I'd love to have 39 items/ 39 weeks I think it's better that I will stitch some more before hitting the sack.
Ta-ta.

Health

Salbutamol has been good for me: I haven't felt this energetic in ages - but I am apparently becoming allergic to it (which is absolutely wonderful... not).
When it comes to the results... I had the call time today, the doctor had called me when it begun (it was between 12 and 13), but I didn't hear it for some reason, and when I tried to return the call (four times) he was not there (during his calling hour, does this sound odd to you?)... You could think that it wouldn't be so difficult to call again if the person you try to call to doesn't answer at the first time? (And of course I forgot to call and book new call for another day...

1. One piece from start to finish. (I have promised to send it out in Monday because it's needed asap.)
2. One knitted surprise gift (I'm *SO* late with it).
3. Bunny Baby's flower pot and the hyacinth.

The Announcement

Stitch-A-Thon blog is officially open and our first SAT will be 17th-19th of August.
If you are one of those in need of some peer pressure and monthly dose of marathon stitching pop by at Stitch-A-Thons for details!

My other blogs:

• Tales from Periphaeria
• To Be...
• Testing... testing...

Blogs I follow:

My Bloglines

<-£ Stitching Bloggers Blogring &+>

Comics

• Catharsis
• Ghastly's Ghastly Comic
• Gorgeous Princess Creamy Beamy
• Surreal Kins
• Triquetra Cats

You can find me from...

• EMS Cross Stitch Board
• Friends Gather
• Linabear Message Board
• Stitching Bloggers Exchanges
• Solarium Sublime
• Stitch and Stash
• The Robin's Nest

Misc. Stitchy Links

• Cross Stitch Magazine Database
• My 'waste linen' tutorial
• Stitchy links in my blog

My lists

Design stash (*.xls files)
• 'Unwanted' patterns: I don't need these, so if you want to give a good home...
• More floss for me!; Fibers I will need in future.
• My pattern stash

Wishes

• My Cross Stitch Wish List
• My Froogle Wish List
• wishlist_additions tag

Stitchy shops I recommend

• Jayne's Attic
• One Star's Light
• Sewandso
• Silkweaver.com
• The Crafty Needle
• Violarium
• Wyndham Needleworks

I received my Mystery Exchange from Dawn today! (Mine was received few days ago, but I will blog about it in 1st of May - you know why. *grin*)
She stitched me one of Britty kitties and finished it as a cute wall hanging, and added some great goodies: Teresa Wentzler's Castles by the sea and one skein of yummy V. Clayton silk.

Thank you Dawn!

Speaking of Wentzlers... I decided that I won't work on Egyptian Sampler before I get my printer as those working copies I have are not good enough quality and I just end up with migraine if I try to work from them.
Lesson learnt: never ask someone who doesn't cross stitch to take working copies for you - at least if you are working on a TW.

But, I did stitch a bit of the corner flower!

Cats

To fill your pictorial needs, brothers (they have same father) Furry (ie. Seiichi and Neko):

My little one (Neko) is getting old (his eight birthday is soon)... He seems to have occasional problems with his right back leg. It seems to be partially related to his moods (it has been dark and rainy lately and Neko gets depressed - he has always been my sensitive little one, but he seems to be getting more sensitive with age) and I think that rest of it is due his past overweight and how it affected his joints - but he is still fit enough to get on their scratching pole. ^^

It is evident: my little boys are old geezers even it was about last week when they came to my life as little kittens.

Just for you to know: For some reason I can't comment on any blog in Spaces for the time being. So, even I don't comment, I do read you...

Periphaeria

If there is one person who is, if possible, even more thrilled than I am about PD and those positive comments my designs have got and that is my mother (she has seen the entries (and she says she doesn't speak English... curious, don't you think? (Yeah, she doesn't speak it, she reads it. *grin*))). From what I have heard she has even showed pictures to her co-workers.
She is a real sweetheart, you know.

And... due to certain thing, which may be purely my own homegrown paranoia, but also may not be (and I hate that), I have decided to keep all the models under the rock before their publishing date.
I'll give teasers and material tosses when I feel like it, but that is all. In other words about 1/2 of my happy dances will be blogged about bi-monthly (first of every uneven month - mark your calendars!).

I hate to make this decision, but I really feel I have to...

I know you understand.

Admittedly I knew who my partner was in TRN's Biscornu Exchange (one of the joys of moderating an exchange), but still it was as great to find a parcel from Renée waiting me in my letter box.
Firstly, she stitched me a gorgeous biscornu over one (one side if green and represents me, and other side is red for Renée), finished it as a fob and attached it to pair of scissors! (One can never have too many of those.) And... then she sent me some delicious Needle Necessities and little design by Blackbird Designs.

Thank you Renée!

Another exchange...

Leslie sent our partner infos for Mystery Exchange (at TRN) out last night and I have to admit that my plans changed. $NAME seems to have quite many $STITCHY_TOOLs on her wishlist so I decided to go with that and stitch one of my newer designs for her.
I have already found beautiful hand-dyed 32 count Lugana and matching floss from DMC's range... Pictures to follow... in the end of April.

Found from taelle's blog:

( My Interests Collage )

This post was meant to be worrying over my fob, but I just got email from Veronica that it has finally arrived and she loves it!
I'm over the moon because that fob was my first over one project (first started, second one to finish as I stitched Jenna's biscornu meanwhile) and, even I say so myself, it turned out beautiful! I let you to judge (last picture includes goodies I sent to her, as you noticed):

Technical details:

• Design: a freebie by Ellen Maurer-Stroh. Actually it's a pincushion, but I though it'd do lovely fob when stitched over one.
• Fabric: 28 count Pewter Lugana.
• Floss: DMC Variations 4210.
• Cord: DMC Variations 4210 and DMC Antique Effects E3685.
• Other:
  • over one with one strand of floss.
  • contains one baht (I brought some coins from Thailand just for fob making *cough*...), for weight.
  • Design is slightly altered.
  • Its size is, if I recall correctly, about 5x5 cm.

I saw this in Zalita's blog, and as I left her comment I'm to blog about this and pay it forward.

It's simple as this:

The first five people to respond to this post (via the comments section) will get some form of "art" made by me. Be sure that I can email you to get your snail mail address. Think of it as something to look forward to getting in the mail. It will be original, made by me, but it may not be immediate, as I haven't made them yet. I am not sure what it will be.

There is a catch, of course, the way this works is that if you sign up, you have to blog this as well and continue sharing.

ETA

In "serving order":

1. chanda_m
2. stitchertigger
3. Christine
4. Selina
5. Leena

I received my SFE item today from Mylene. Actually not an item, but two! She told in her letter that she remembered only cats from my likes and stitched a kitty fob on aida. Then she read my likes again and decided to stitch another for on me on evenweave.
Am I spoiled? Oh yes!

In addition to pampering me with two fobs she sent me two skeins of SSS and a card of her hometown. Thank you Mylene for making my day!

I've new project which should be finished before 24th of December, but according to receiver of the gift she won't mind if it's a bit late...

My mother is a frantic knitter and since I first saw Margaret Sherry's 12 days of Christmas design I knew that one of the patterns would do magnificent knitting bag for my mother. Let me introduce you: Turtle Dove. (No matter how silly it sounds it actually reminds our mother...)
I was thinking of using that red fabric I used bits_2_whole's Hello Kitty apron as there should be enough of it left, and as it's already in my stash it'd actually mean that whole bag wouldn't cost a cent to me. (Btw, I intended to fill that bag up with yarn. I've about one kilo of yarn which I won't use to anything and it's great for socks and mittens - which our mother knits like crazy.)

Now I just need to decide which project wants to have a short holiday in WIP drawer...

( Pictures )

I bought my first knitting pattern online: Scarlet Woman Sleeveless Tank.
It was way too gorgeous to miss, and what's best, it has sizes to 54'' which is nice for someone whose bust is *cough* ~50''.

And when it comes to knitting how about some pumpkins? Cute, don't you think?

In bad news: I have to make something to protect my left palm not to be exposed to staples in my frame while stitching. That darned nickel allergy reminds me of itself again.... try to hold a frame when your hand is itching like h**l.
And no pictures of our furry, little friend as I've no batteries in my camera (once again).

But on more brighter note: I see forecoming stash. Got an email from Violarium that my order has been shipped, so, with some luck it's in here tomorrow! (And if not tomorrow, it should arrive in Friday, as it's coming only from other side of Finland.)
This means that I'll order again from there (good service equals one happy /me)(actually I have a reason to do it... Check Leena's latest entry, there's La Maison Douce to which, even it's not "my style", I got fond of. This means that I've ("have") to buy certain issue of De fil en aiguille... some day).

Did someone say gore?

I have to do this... I [heart] zombies! How can I defend myself? I love zombies, I am gore (Just call me Tipper) and I love to play with words.
If I could just remember did I order any crimson red floss today...

Gah, never read stitching blogs, they have enabling effect on you.
Since HAED had 24 hour freebie (Dragon Soul QS (by selinafenech)) I've itched to stitch it as soon as I get some room to my rotation (though Ezzy goes in it first) and now I saw WIP of it in Arthemise's blog.

Repeat after me: That is one beautiful piece! (Have you noticed that I love Comino's emoticons?)

That will also mean one thing: I'll have two big(gish) over one projects in my rotation soon.

In other news

I seem to need my queen size blanket (just call me Linus (that makes you wonder why Linus Torvalds' parents decided to call him Linus...)) to be able to get to bed early. Yesterday I finally decided that it's getting too cold to sleep with any other blanket, put it in blanket cover and threw it on my bed. In the evening I hit the sack at 21:00 (9 pm to twelve hour clockers) and woke up today at 7. And I wasn't even that tired when I went to bed.
So, big, scary /me needs her security blanket... and excessive amounts of warmth (says one who slept under even thicker queen size blanket when she was in Bangkok).

And now big, scary $BLOGGER needs her morning coffee.