Browsings

I've been on day shifts recently, so cannot do much more than dream, browse and sketchlings in my notebook. My notebook is filled with ideas and drawings, designs and planning for future projects then covered in more notelets on improving those ideas and changing my mind. The book is a normal lined one, but has graph paper stuck into it all over and I wouldn't ever hesitate to stick anything else I find pretty or inspiring. I love to look back and remember the pictures that flashed through my head when I first thought of them :)

As for browsing, I've got a folder in my favourites labelled 'Crafts' then a sub folder 'Current Browsing Bookmark' which usually holds several pages, of where I've got to on a particular blog / crafts site. I usually browse a few at once, letting one page load while I read through the others loaded page :) Whenever I get inspired I note or draw in the notebook :)

I've found loads of sites I love and still even more sites I'd like to look at as they've been recommended by others. But I'm going to list a few here and keep track of what I've loved and why. I'm not going to try to create a proper list, because others have before me and I don't want to add any possible stress to my life ;)

Excuse the non-organised list, these are in no order or category!

The African Fabric Shop - UK based shop where I've seen some buttons and fabric I'll have to buy one day.
Threads Magazine, Clone yourself a fitting assistant - Shows how to make yourself a mannequin without the cost - would be wonderful for exploring more clothes making, as at the moment I only inflict that upon myself!
Lines and Colours - Inspiration with educational twist. My university mind appreciates all the examination and searching.
My Country Cottage Garden - I really love this because its a sneak peek into a very crafty lady's home (and garden of course). Though I could never have such a pretty-girly-shabby-chic decor, I'd still love to have a place like this to be girly in!
The Worlds largest collection of smalls - I loved this when I wanted to find a nice biscornu pattern, so searched for 'biscornu' then found a designer I liked so typed that in... and so on, a great way to browse for lots of examples along a theme, all in smalls of course!
In a minute ago - This lady is amazing! I love her never-ending sampler and it has inspired me (along with The Floss Box) to have a go as soon as I get back. Not on a never-ending sampler, but on doing my own samplers, I'll have to explain this in another post but I love this site, mainly her blog Pin Tangle.
The Floss Box - This lady is brilliant! Interspersed with prolific embroidery, beautiful photographs and pointers to loads and loads of amazing other sites, I've seen a crazy craft-madness and just-have-a-go take on life that has inspired me muchly. I love that she stitches and sews everything and anything she wants whether it might be conventionally 'beautiful' or not - I love all her science embroideries because of this!

On the stitching front, I've found out who my partner in the H.O.E biscornu exchange is and I decided I'd design something rather than try others patterns. Hopefully it will all work out or else I'll just have to start over with someone else's ready tried design! I stitched a 'sample' though and it looks OK so far :)

Photos!!!

I found a computer to add photos with :D

So heres Rose Lady before I went away on R&R...

Heres the stash I bought on R&R, from the LNS in Burford, UK. I bought joblein 28count evenweave in white, off-white and pale blue, some goodies that can be used in exchanging and 365 Alphabets by Kooler Design Studio. It is a gem - full of inspiration and lots of motifs if you just 'extract' them from the letters!

and.... heres Rose Lady!!! Finished apart from a wash, beads and finish-finishing, all of which I'll do once I'm home :) Loving the background of my forest wallpaper, my ironed uniform and the christmas pegs (yes, I'm going to keep them up well into the new year, they actually come in handy)!

up close...

and again...

And here is my new project, Rani, one of the fairies from the Anchor/Disney series :)

New Years and A Finish, but no photos :(

Happy New Year!

Those of us not working nights were allowed a few alcoholic beverages on new years eve, so that was all very fun :)

Shortly after I went back to the UK on a weeks R&R (Rest and Recuperation) and spent a wonderful week with my DB and his family. We spent two nights in a WONDERFUL little hotel Burford House Hotel in the Sherborne Suite/Room. It was very plush and we were spoiling ourselves! We visited the gardens at Blenheim Palace and the Cotswold Wildlife Park (I've been around 4 times in the last year, I love it!) and the model village at Bourton-on-the-Water. All the lakes and water features were frozen over and there was gentle sprinklings of snow everywhere - SO pretty :)

When I got back to Basrah I finished Rose Lady within two night shifts!! She needs a wash and an iron before I add the beads so she's not 'finish' finished, but as close as she'll get for another few months. I DO have photos, but the computers have all changed round with security measures so I'm going to have to do some emailing to myself from another computer before I can show!!

I did lots of organising as I bought some stash on R&R, I've kitted up kits and organised supplies. I've been kindly accepted into Hooked on Exchanging (too) so I bought some bits for my first exchange - the biscornu exchange starting soon! I don't know who I'll be stitching for yet, so I bought a few things so I can cater for favourite colours/themes ...left over stash for me being absolutely NO incentive :)

After finishing Rose Lady I jumped straight into starting Rani. I love the colours! I've already stitched the wings and all the left hand side of her hair! Very quick!

Finally... I'm sure those of you who have blogs remember that time when you first started - Does anyone ever read this? Do they take one look and think 'boring' and go?!! Chiloe from Chiloe's Corner actually added my blog to follow!!! Hi Chiloe, thank you so much! I already added her blog to follow a few weeks ago, and I find all her stuff so interesting to read and look at :) And I read with interest about her little ones, poor kids are sick right now :( get well soon! I'll have to go leave a thousand and one comments soon :D