Update: Ocean Unicorns Week 1, an almost finish, and New Stash

Happy Monday! Hope you had a beautiful weekend! It was a busy one around here. Saturday was a really fun day! It started Friday night when I baked 4 dozen Cherry Blossoms for Katelyn's Rummage/Bake Sale. For the holiday's it's my tradition and a way to remember my father who passed away when I was in my early twenties, that we would enjoy a box of Queen Anne's Choclate covered cherries, and this recipe didn't disappoint. It was almost as if  I was biting into one of those chocolate delights.

After the rummage sale, Lindsay and I went to go see the 'Peanuts' movie. Love Snoopy, and Charlie Brown and the Whole gang. It was wonderful to see a cartoon I grew up with continuing on for the next generation. 

In the afternoon, I spent several hours at my first Rose Convention at the Pacific Southwest Rose District, which included  Southern California, Arizona, parts of Nevada, New Mexico, and 

West Texas. I found myself surrounded by the most gorgeous blooms I have every seen.
One rose, that I found particularly beautiful, especially for this time of year, is named
'Hot Cocoa'. It is the loveliest shade of brown, that looks just like a cup of hot cocoa.

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'Hot Cocoa' is a  floribunda rose, with a burnt orange. The rose I saw was more on the light brown side with smoky edges. 

I worked everyday on 'Ocean Unicorns', and here is the first week completed. I am loving the gorgeous blues and aquas so far. There was a little white, I stitched, and am wondering how I am going to like stitching white on white. Hopefully with all the blue, it won't be as bad as I imagine.

Last night I tried to finish CCNs, 'Be Joyful', but I couldn't keep my eyes open. It will be finished today! I just have two of the flowers to finish and the last half of the border flowers.

Also Saturday, I picked up CCNs, 'Gingerbread Train', for Stitch Maynia '16. When I am finished with 'Be Joyful', this will take it's place, and a couple of Weeks Dye Works the chart calls for, Pecan and Hazelnut!

Isn't this Extremely Blingy Sea Horse Needleminder gorgeous?

I found it at Cassie's NeedleMinderz etsy shop!

You can also find her Facebook page,

Cassie's NeedleMinderz FaceBook

Wishing you all a fun stitching week!

Until Next time,

New Project Start: 'Ocean Unicorns' by Kustom Krafts

Happy Tuesday! How is your stitching day going? The last couple of days have been very chilly and rainy here in Arizona! Today's project, I wanted to start in January, but these gorgeous aqua colors of the ocean were calling to me, and I figured why not! It's 'Ocean Unicorns' from Kustom Krafts, artwork by Sharlene Lindskog-Osorio.

This was stitchy mail therapy for me, one of my first charts I ordered a very long time ago, back in early 2000. I started it, but became intimadated by the confetti stitching I had no idea how to stitch patterns like this. 

Until I watched this 'How to Park Technique' by Carolyn Mazzeo, it made more sense to me!

It's also a new first for me, starting in a corner, as I have always been a 'center' stitcher!

The chart has aprroximately 36,500 stitches. My goal is to stitch one square every day for a year! I'll have weekly updates with my progress.

Day 1: Started 10/15/15

Rose Cottage by Country Cottage Needleworks

Happy day before Friday! We're still enjoying rather curious weather here in Arizona. Up North, where my family lives, and even further North in Flagstaff have been graced with beautiful snow. Here, one day it's a Sunny day, the next day rainy, and then we get a combo of both, but rather windy. 



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Today, I wanted to share with you one of my finished projects, "Rose Cottage" by Country Cottage Needleworks, that I am actually keeping for myself. As I enjoy growing roses and admiring their beauty, it's quite appropriate that this will be my first finally finished object! It's stitched on 28ct. Antique White evenweave with Crescent Colors floss. 

Also, tomorrow, I finally finished my To Do list for the Stitch Maynia's 15 in 2015. I just have a couple of charts that I am deciding back and forth on and am having a hard time deciding which one I really want to stitch.

Wishing you all a fun stitching weekend!
Until Next time,
Christine

2015 Ornament Exchange

Happy Weekend! It been a beautiful and gorgeous weekend here in AZ!

Today I wanted to share with you, an ornament I finished for an exchange I am in!



It was luck that I found this pattern, I wasn't even looking for a deer pattern, but as

it happened I've been obsessing with white deer busts, I just had to stitch one for Keala {and one for me}! I've been cross stitching for about 25 years now, and this is the first time I've ever stitched on linen. 

For a complementing back fabric, I went with small red buffalo check with mini white Christmas trees.

For finishing the ornament I chose this Tutorial on how to make a Flat Ornament!

You can find the Free chart HERE!

Wishing you all a fun stitching weekend!
Until Next time,
Christine