yay, Holidays

Saturday 22nd December 2012


Yesterday was my last day at the OOSH (Out of school hours care - remember that term, I'll use it from now on as it's quicker). It was an interesting day with one horendously behaved 5 year old and another one causing a panic by choking on a boiled lolly. We had to call 000, but because he was breathing they didn't need to come out and just advised us over the phone. He coughed it up after about 15 minutes, but it was a VERY tense quarter of an hour as he was in quite a bit of ditress. Then, when it was out he ran around as if nothing had happened while we staff were still shaking from the adrenalin!!!!


Anyway, it's holidays now and i'm enjoying finishing a completely frivilous reindeer stitch from 'Simple Stitch' kits. Here's my progress so far.

 I'll post again on Sunday evening to show you how far I've gotten and then when it's finished.

See you then,
Jennidee

School Holidays

Firstly a big hello to all my new followers who have come to me through Leibster awards. Thanks for joining. I think that award is a fantastic idea. It's a good way to see more blogs. I'm always surprised that there isn't a way to search for blogs in a certain theme at blogger. We all seem to find one another by following blog trails. Luckily that's fun too.

It's school holidays here in NSW Australia for two weeks. This means I have to to fight for the computer more often than not. I'm typing this at 7:40am when no one else is up .... one of the few times I can be assured of getting any computer time.

Today I'm scrapbooking with a friend who is a high school teacher. So this is one of the few times we can get together all day to indulge in our shared hobby. I don't know if any of you scrapbook as well as beading or stitching, but it takes a lot of time and money and space. So you have to organise a get together when you have plenty of all those things. This particular friend bought me a voucher for my birthday recently and I spent it yesterday on new papers.

As for my beading and stitching; I've made good progress on Viva Las Vegas, even though the Easter break meant lots of distractions. I'm so far into it now that I'm starting to think about the next design. If anyone has any suggestions or preferences, speak now!!! LOL I'm thinking of a pretty witch for Halloween ... or maybe a sexy devil. There are so many ideas to choose from.

I'm still trying to get into the UK magazine market. No luck yet. I'm having to alter my design ideas as I can't compete with Joan Eliott's fairies and lovely ladies. She is in every magazine now. Now I'm trying different themes. The last effort was a beautiful flamingo. Next I think I'll try some flowers in an art nouveau style or some exotic animals like a Lima or a red panda. I try to keep the design in my style (with a bit of a fantasy flair) as that is what I like, and that is what I'd like to be known for. Now that I think about it, I think I remember suggesting to one of my internet friends that I might try a unicorn ... but Joan Elliot has just done one fo those too.

A few weeks ago I thought I'd do a lovely butterfly with a kind of art nouveau flair. And then I picked up the latest issue of Cross Stitching and saw it had a butterfly on the front with a lace border. That's a bit too close to waht I had in mind. Damn! Beaten to the punch again.

Never mind. I'll keep working at it, and doing my fantasy ladies for the Australian mag, who seem more than happy to have them.

I have a beaded piece coming out in this months edition of Beads to Inspire (Express Publications). It's a wired candle collar. I'll post a picture tomorrow.

If you've read this far, you are a wonderful friend and I thank you for your support.
Jennidee.

October Sneak Peak

While 'sun' is still on hold (I'm just not sure it's right for the target audience yet), I've started work on another large project ... Butterfly Princess. I know she is the sort of thing the editors want.

This is just a quick peek at the design in progress. I'll probably stitch her on a green toned hand dyed fabric from stitches and spice that I bought for something special years ago. She has bead work and the fabric has a sparkle to it, so I think she will be lovely.

I think she may take up to 3 months to stitch (though I'm hoping only two), with my current teaching schedule. And I know I will be spending way too much time on her comapred to the amount I will be paid for publication ... however I figured this is a good time to do it, while I have another income and I can still consider my designing as a side line. Next year I won't have the time to indulge myself with this kind of project unless I can sell the pattern online as well as publishing. So I might as well enjoy the process of this one.

Hard At it

Hi all,
sorry I've been a bit lax posting lately ... I've been too busy stitching you see!
Here is the last progress shot I took of my latest work. I won't be able to post a finished pic for about 6 months when it's published in ECS though.

It's all finished now apart from the backstitching on the rose and the saying reads 'Be your own best Friend'.

There is a little sotry behind that saying.
I tend to beat myself up a lot with destructive thoughts. And someone told me 'you wouldn't talk to a friend like that, so why do you let yourself say those things to yourself? You should be your own best friend and be kind to yourself.'

I liked what he said so much that I've taken this part as a sort of motto. And now when I start thinking 'Oh I'm so fat' or 'I'm no good' I remember this saying and think about what a friend would tell me if I said those things and I make those comments aloud to myself. Like; 'Well, you are quite curvy, but you have really nice legs' ... or something similar.

So, next time you are beating yourself up - Be your own best friend and say something nice to yourself.