Ylva's crafty corner

Ok, I know the picture of merry yule is not the best quality...I will see if I can change pic tomorrow...but I am not gonna mess about putting the memory card back in the camera, taking a pic and putting it back in the poter at 20 past midnight...lol I am really pleased with both of them:) I had to cut the little pompom for the santa hat before attaching it as it was just MASSIVE in its original size...it would have looked way too silly. Also, the text "merry yule" was supposed to be a blue color, instead of the blue/purple I've done it, but I did not have the sampler thread the design was asking for...the thread I used is one of the DMC variegated threads from ages ago...I think it is quite bright and pretty:)

So, got up just after 7am this morning...saw the sunrise and had to go out and take a pic or two...just look at this:)  Orkney sure is a beautiful place to be. It was nice and warm this morning, but the weather is a bit restless. Sunny and nice early morning, on the way back from Kirkwall after dropping hubby off it started raining, then sunny and warm as you can see below, and now it is drizzling again and it is only 1pm...sigh... Tara loves this particular spot as she can see everything that goes on...  Darwin and Pearl checking out the pond...the good thing is that they never go far from the house, and particularly Pearl hardly ever go outside unless I am outside with her.  Now, how adorable can you be? Just look at that face:) This is her next to me ALWAYS...if I try to walk anywhere in the house she is right in front of me crying...as if she thinks I am gonna step on her...although it is quite likely I am gonna step on her as she is always right nex...

 But...I had to start by showing my baby girl Tara...completely zonged off in the sun just outside the door. She had a nice long walk this morning, and I managed to get her in for 10 minutes waiting for the postman...and then again about 6.20pm...and now she is zonged off next to the sofa.  And of course little Pearl who has been walking right in front of me wherever I've gone today...and she screams at me as soon as I move as she prefers it if I sit still so she can guard my foot...or one door way or another, making sure Darwin and Tara cannot get past her. She is evil...lol  Well, here it is...actually this is the second little pillow I made, and I am really pleased with it:) Below is the back...slightly off center with the lines, but that will sort itself when it is full of wadding (but I don't have any).  Here is the first one I made...with the latest little design I finished. the lace is from Sweden, and I have been waiting for a chance to use it. ...

As any woman who's got pain and discomfort at a certain time of the month knows, you don't really function normally during those days. Now...imagine if you have terrible cramps for 2 weeks (!!!) leading up to those days of pain and discomfort...including upset stomach for most of those 2weeks as well... that is how I've had it for the last year or so...and these last few days before relief came were so bad the normal painkillers did not work and I had to use another sort AS WELL just to take the edge off, plus curling up in a ball...NOT FUN!!! Anywho...I am finally getting to the end of that time, and am feeling like myself again...YEY!!! :) So...I have cleared up the kitchen table (but left it in the kitchen as it is just too much hassle dragging it into the livingroom), put the computer there and am getting ready to do some finishing of projects. I was just about to go get the sewing machine and iron when I realised it was 1.30pm and I might as well have lunch before I ...

Hubby had a day off today, so I got a lie in. Most of the time I get disturbed in the morning and cannot sleep long, but today I was pretty much unconscious until 10am, eventually getting up 10.15. I know that meant I really needed the sleep, and I feel really good now. The rest of the day was mostly spent working on my folksy reindeer, and I finished it just before dinner:) I will be making him into an ornament of some sort, but am not yet sure what kind...either a standing one, or a hanging one...or, possibly one of those adorable small pillow ornaments I've seen on blogs but never made myself. Wondering if I should be doing a poll, but am not sure enough people are actually interested enough to read my little blog...lol So, tomorrow I will try to focus on finishing a few of my little projects. Of course that means I will have to move hubby's laptop and paperwork from the kitchen table so I have somewhere to put the sewing machine, but that should be doable:) Tonig...

Our first "meeting" was last night, and it was lovely. The whole room was full of ladies doing everything from knitting to embroidery. One of the ladies had done a yummy sticky toffee pudding cake, and another one brought brownies and Victoria sponge. We did a lot of chatting, a bit less of crafting, and I am looking forward to next week:) I started on a folksy reindeer ornament from Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament from 2006, but have promised to bring Vicki's (India Grace Designs) calender partwork so they can see how hardanger looks and works:) Today I am tired, so I am gonna watch telly and do stitching...hubby is working long shift so I am on stand by for tonight as he may need to be picked up...oh...and I need to give Tara a walk this afternoon, but that is IT!!! I don't want to do anything else...

So, me and hubby were very cultural today...we went to the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm and then to the Fossil Museum just up from where we live. Then we picked up Tara and tried to drive to the other end of Burray island, but realised yet again that Orkney is not an easy place to look around on. Most smaller roads lead to farms...some have designated paths in between paddocks filled of cows or sheep, where you can walk to the cliffs or beaches, but they are far between. We ended up on the beach in between Burray and South Ronaldsay islands. A beach that is only 10-15 years old. It used to be a barrier between the islands, but now it is a massive beach where half of the width has grass and plants growing. The tide was coming in, and as it is quite a steep beach, the waves were quite high and were really thrashing the sand. Tara was having a blast running around, even found some deserted crab pots she was sniffing...we could not throw stones into the water to get her in as it is so steep...

Ok, so started the day with a lie in and then a nice breakfast of fruit and yogurt...decided to once and for all go through the stuff that has been spreading like fungus in the livingroom...deciding on and preparing the next project. So, I started by sitting down on the floor with everything around me. did transfer two projects onto fabric, put them back in the magazines, put all magazines with the projects I am interested in together in a pile, on top of the magazines with the Christmas projects I MAY have time for...then I decided to re-organize my threads as they have been spreading everywhere...wishing I had a big enough box to fit ALL threads...as it is I have three boxes and one bag full of threads. Sigh... One of the bags I've had things in broke, so I emptied the bag on the floor and organised all the things in it...and I found one thing I've been looking for...the CD for the printer...unfortunately not the thread I've been looking for... So...I finished organiz...

So...what do you think? Not the best photos, but I am still pleased with the finished product:) love the colors and had fun doing it:) On another note...we've had a lot of wind today...rain on and off, but in the afternoon we had almost a clear sky, so I took Tara down to the beach. It was low tide, so we had a bit of sand. I had to play with her a bit. The only way to get her into the water is by throwing something in. The easiest is a little stone. Anything with a splash and she'll run. So, i had to take some pictures. The last one is the best...just see her fur...looks like she's got gel in it...it is only water and wind though...she's adorable:) Just look at this bum...fluffy like a sheepskin:)

So...I have done the actual stitching of what is called "Heaven Scent". On the central square there is supposed to be a bullion lavender twig, but I am not sure that is suitable with the colors I chose, so I am going to go through the charms and buttons I have, and see if I can find something more suitable. I may do a bullion rose instead (first time I try that) as I think that can be more suitable...see for yourself what you think...any ideas? I was a bit silly when I started, so I wasted threads by going across the back for each and every bit of the stitch, so the smallest square of smyrna stitches are made with a variegated DMC thread from AGES ago (I used three different variegated threads from that DMC range which I won about 8years ago), but the 3 outer squares are done with Dinky Dyes Opal and Weeks Dye Works Spumoni. The central square of cross stitches are done with Anchor 158 as I felt it was suitable with the variegated and the lavender I was gonna do... ...