Tuesday 29 December 2015

Final WIPocalypse of the year

Time for the final WIPapoclypse of the year:

Question of the Month

Recap your accomplishments for the year! (Your finishes, your final before/after photos, etc).

I have my 2015 Finishes tab up to date so go there for the full list of things I did, it’s not a huge list this year, as Cindy took up a good portion of my time.
As years go this was a bit of a different one, I lost my job, got a new job, and the resulting crossover definitely took away from stitching time. My nephew also stayed for 3 months this year instead of his usual two weeks, another drain on stitching time as we had periodic game nights. So while I had less actual stitching time, the reasons for it were awesome.
Goals for the coming year are as usual few, I’m not really a goal type person, I will continue on the movie project, and WILL finish Cindy this year, which means on new start on a BAP, Fractal is technically next in line, but Pinky’s Mulan is calling my name, I also want to finish Magical’s ornaments, which do need to be updated, here is the complete April and half done May.
   I will have to make baby samplers this year as I have two pregnant nieces, just have to decide on patterns, but as the last one was nearly a year late, I’m not going to worry about when they get started.
As for SALs, I will continue with WIPapcolypse as it’s fun and not to structured which is good for my haphazard blogging style. The TW SAL will continue, always and forever. I will try to do something small of hers as well this year, maybe the 12 days of Christmas. Unfortunately my favourite Stitch from Stash is no longer going, I actually remembered to read other blogs when doing it, so my friends will just have to remind me to do so without this incentive.

And finally, here is a before and after shot of Cindy, from the beginning of the year, to the end,.
January 2nd 2015
December 29th 2015

As for what I watched.

Critical Role  - This pretty much took over my life in the summer, Still is for that matter, The good thing is it's great to stitch to

The Mockingjay Part 2 - This was a really well done series, and now that it’s done I have a yen to reread the books

The Polar Express - Another must on the Christmas watching list







Scrooge - Alastair Sim version, best of the lot, always to be watched Christmas Eve

Dance With Me - A decent romantic dance movie, I forgot I owned this, but once I put it in I remembered seeing it before, nothing about it stands out from the crowd, but it’s an enjoyable way to waste a couple hours.





Detonator 2: Nightwatch -  A really good espionage./ thriller starring Peirce Brosnan, based on an Alastair McLean novel, there are a lot of his movies out there and they are all good solid action movies. This is a sequal. I know I saw the first years ago, but I also liked the second one better.

Disturbing Behaviour - A low budget horror from 1998 starring the popular actors from the CW network as they like to do. This time it’s Katie Holmes.  Basically a new teen comes to town (James Marsden) and discovers the popular jock kids are all mind controlled Stepford types,  it’s typical and not all that great. This one goes into the Do Not Keep pile.

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Almost Christmas Update

Merry Christmas to you all. This is a unique year for me, the store is closed on boxing day which means for the first time in many years I won’t have to work that day, or New Year’s day, I’m really looking forward to that one, I can toast in the new year (with scotch) at midnight instead of the 10pm of the last 8 years.,
I may not have been blogging, but I have been stitching, I have the backstitching done on the ridiculously pretty shawl and am now working on the walls, which will keep me busy for some time to come.
My new store also has a secret Santa so I signed up and made an ornament. Found it in the last Cross stitch Gold magazine and it came out so pretty.
Will do a round up of this years projects sometime next week
Also my SIL had her Gingerbread night last night, and this year I made a train, so much fun.
Oh and my Critical Role banner did make it in time for Critmas and it was so worth doing, Taliesin loved it, here is the video, if the link doesn’t synch up to the correct spot, my gift shows up at around 1:18:30
Critmas

As for what I watched.
Critical Role and some Table Top and Game the Game - I’m so in love with Geek and Sundry lately

Arthur Christmas - This was the movie for works family staff party, typical Christmas fare, but cute and enjoyable nonetheless







Santa Clause 2 - My favorite of the three

Santa Clause 3 - My least favorite of the three, but it still has some
good stuff, misses seeing 1 as Mom and Dad watched it while I was at work



White Christmas - It isn’t Christmas until this movie has been watched

Friday 4 December 2015

Two years in.

It is two years now since I started this blog and therefore two years working on Cindy,  which is about six months longer than I thought it would be, but the distractions that caused the delay are all worth it.

WIPocalypse for Novermber: Which designer has inspired you to stitch the greatest number of designs and why do you think that is?
Teresa Wentzler would be it for me,  I may have stitched more by other designers, but she’s who I have spent the most time with. I love fantasy and her attention to detail is amazing.
I’ve settled into the new job well, my hours are all over the place, but plentiful so no complaints there.  I’ve taken my obsession with Critical Role to the next level and sent out the first fan letter I’ve ever written, as well as some fan art.   One of the player drew up this design for his characters family crest and I took one look and thought I could quilt that.
Which is strange in itself as I have only every quilted once before over 20 years ago.  But the show has this thing called Critmas where they open all the gifts sent to them and it’s so much fun to watch so I made it and have sent it off, hopefully it will make it for this months Critmas, but if not, he shall get it in January.
The wallhanging 

Taliesin Jaffe's original design







I’ve also made progress on the backstitching of Cindy, so much detail but I do love backstitching .





As for what I watched.

Critical Role - Both new and rewatch

Game the Game & No Survivors - Two more Geek and Sundry Twitch shows

Dralion - Cirque Du Soliel  - one that I haven’t seen live, based
more around the Chinese circus traditions.





Dallos - Anime from the early 80’s I think it’s the pilot for a series as there is no ending, but it’s a good Sci-fi story about a rebellion on the moon.

Sunday 15 November 2015

Quick WIPacolypse

I haven't been very good about keeping up this blog lately, so a quick overview.  The old job is now officially done and gone though I do have one more paycheck left.  The new job is turning out great, I like the work and the people, so the pain of taking a pay cut is fairly nullified but the ease of transition.
The October WIPapocolypse is very late but here nonetheless. The question is
Are there any fibers or materials used in stitching that you’re nervous to try? I was nervous about trying linen to begin with, turns out I love it so not nervous anymore.
And now for the big news.  I FINISHED THE CROSS STITCH OF CINDY, now on to the backstitching and beading, she's so gorgeous, and I still love that ridiculous pretty shawl

As for what I watched, not much other than a lot of
Critical Role - Cause I needed to rewatch it immediately










Doctor Dolittle - the original accept no s


ubstitutions

Friday 23 October 2015

SFS October

I had very good spendy habits this month

Spent $0
Earned $ 14.00

I’ve worked a couple days at my new job now, the first day was essentially an extended interview to see what I knew, and apparently for me to see if I enjoyed it and fit in, which I did. I’m really happy about this turn of events, and it’s made loosing my Safeway job so stress-less. Down side of course is as figured, starting this Saturday I work 11 days in a row between the two jobs, but so much better to have the overlap that to be wondering where the next pay check will come from

Cindy seems to be moving along so slowly these days, partly because of working on the Halloween thing, partly because that one over one is so freaking small. But gorgeous .

The finish I had this month was the adorable Halloween Sampler from Frosted Pumpkin, this was the SAL and I were working on, they all are brilliant.  Most of  the rest of the NCCIH gals also did Halloween related stitching this month to keep us company.

As for What I watched

Critical Role -  Still ---And because of this awesomeness I discovered...



Game the Game - People playing board games, kind of like Table top, but live

Darby O’Gill and the Little People - An old man spends his time chasing leprechauns, it’s an old Disney movie that’s fun and charming and one of my favourites.  Also it starts a young and incredibly gorgeous Sean Connery

Friday 9 October 2015

Work News

There’s good news and very minor bad news this week. The good - it looks like I have a new job, still in a bakery this time at a locally owned grocery store. The store that was my first choice to apply, but they beat me to it and asked me to come in for an interview. I start Wednesday very part time as I’m not quitting Safeway until it closes. One of the best parts of this is the store is less than 5 minutes drive from home, I will be taking a cut in salary, but the only way to avoid that was to get into the Vernon Safeway (which was really unlikely) and then I would have a 60km drive each way.  So the gas saved should make up for everything anyway. The bad news - for rest of the month I will be working two jobs, in other words, less stitching time, Cindy will probably go past the two year mark without being finished.

Getting really close to finishing the Halloween Sampler, just two weeks left and I have completely completed the border. Still deciding if I should make the witches face in next weeks square neon, or the subtler green called for.
Also I think I made the Ninja into a Jedi oops

As for what I watched.
Critical Role - The obsession continues

Supernatural - And thus begins season 11

The Martian - This one was truly excellent, the thing I like about disaster movies is there is a problem and they have to find a solution that usually causes another problem and repeat. I love watching people solve problem and this one did it fantastically, Also Sean Bean is in it,…. And he lives.





The Day of the Triffids - Watching a freak meteor shower leaves most of the world blind.  And carnivorous walking plants are finding the them  to be easy prey.. Less corny that you would think, a really decent horrorish movie from the ‘60s

Friday 2 October 2015

WIPapoclypse September

I’ve been very antisocial this last week.  No reason why, just wanted to be alone I guess, even online aloneness was needed. All I have been doing is working, stitching, and watching Critical Role. That’s pretty much it. My one non alone thing was watching the Blood moon at my brother’s place while toasting marshmallows at his fire pit, such fun, and I got a couple good shots of the moon.
I forgot last months WIPopocolypse so here’s two questions answered

August - Pick one of the WIP pieces you’ve stitched on this month, and tell us about your stitching journey with the piece.
My piece is, of course Cindy. She’s nearing the two year mark which is about half a year longer than I figured she would take, but other projects interrupted and sometimes I just wanted a small break from her, and needed to look at something new.  I’m in the final stretch now and she will be finished by Christmas





September - Where do you buy most of your stitching supplies?
I buy my floss at the local craft store unless I have reason to be in a town with a Michaels. But fabric I scout around for, there is a shop in William’s Lake that has a nice selection for when I’m visiting my sister, and I recently discovered one in Kelowna as well.  But the majority of fabric comes from my Fabric of the month club with Silkweavers, any specific sized fabric and notions I order online, usually from 123 Stitch and patterns I get from all over the place.
I also finished this weeks square on the Halloween Sampler

As for what I watched.
Fanart by Mataujall

Critical Role, that’s all. That’s it, My nephew has left and I can once again get to my VHS and DVD’s but I haven’t because I’m still so obsessed at the moment, but as I’m just watching the last episode now I’ll probably get back to the movie project this week

Saturday 26 September 2015

SFS September

SFS September
$0 all round
I bought nothing, and finished nothing this month, so that is easy to add

I have been working a lot, found out nothing important about what happens when the store closes. I switch between hoping I get transferred , or starting over and have decided to embrace whichever happens to me.
Either way I’m really going to miss seeing everyone at the store.
I haven’t been stitching quite as much as planned the last couple weeks as my nephew will be leaving on the weekend and we are getting determined to beat Arkham Horror. (note; we finally beat it last night)  I’m enjoying having a game night so much.
Here’s two weeks worth of the Halloween Sampler and last weeks progress on Cindy, got nothing done on her this week due to game nights.







As for what I watched.


Critical Role - D&D with voice actors.  I am so obsessed with this, take everything I said about Titan’s Grave and double it. If you like old time radio shows and fantasy this is perfect for you. I have been watching every chance I get. It’s first 12 are on you tube, and up to 24 episodes on Geek and Sundry website and at the shortest, they are 3 hours long. They are live on Thursdays nights, but I haven’t caught up enough to do that yet.

The Scorch Trials - I really enjoy this series and will read the rest of the books when the last movie comes out, it’s full of twist and turns, though when I think about it all the one was about was  the protagonists finding a group of people and trying to decided if they were trustworthy, NOPE and then repeat.