January WIPocalypse

I will get the January WIPocalypse blog in before February, I will, I will.
The topic of the month: Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!

Well my name is Nancy, but online you are just as likely to find me under the pseudonym Katjakay for reasons that are unimportant. Since I did this last year  much has changed and much hasn’t I still live in the interior of B.C. Canada overlooking Shuswap Lake, honestly, this is the view from my balcony.

I am still working on Theresa Wentzler’s Stroke of Midnight, thought I am ALMOST finished,

 which means that I will be starting a new BAP or two this year, I’m seriously considering working on Make it Pink’s Mulan and the Fractal at the same time, also I need to finish Magical’s ornaments,

Mulan floss toss

I have January, February and March finished, I did that through curling season last year.  And have got the stitching done  on April and May , but I haven’t finished finished them yet, and have just started June, and curling season is almost here again so lots shall get done on them.

May ornament 

I also want to make a mini pillow from Sheena Rogers book that I bought a couple years ago and haven’t done anything from yet. And there are a lot of other fun things that will distract me from all of these, such as two pregnant nieces, I’m okay with that.
The biggest change from last year was my job, I’m still baking, but no longer with Safeway, I now work for Askews, a locally owned grocery store, it’s such a difference, I took a cut in salary when Safeway closed, but everything else is so much better, and I’m finally full time something I never managed to get at Safeway. So that’s my story.




As for what I watched.

Critical Role - Here there be dragons: A new story arc begins

 No Survivors: Paranoia - I watch this one occasionally but this last Mondays was fantastic, and hilarious and and and, well just watch it. if you are into that kind of thing.

414

My life the last couple weeks, work, snow, work, stitch repeat.

So on to stitching, I finally finished DMC #414 so all the masonry is done, and the plants are nearly finished as well,

As I get closer and closer to the end of Cindy I'm starting to think about what's next,  If I follow THE LIST like the good girl I should be, the Fractal would be next,  but...... I'm seriously considering having two BAP's on the go for a bit,  I really really really want to start Mulan, so maybe, Mulan while watching the movie project, the fractal in the better lit computer room as it's on black and then my usual small Jeopardy project which is Magical's ornaments for the foreseeable future. It means not starting the Sea Monster right away which hurts a bit, but there is only so much time for everything. Of course that means I'll need beads for Mulan and fabric for the fractal so shopping is in my near future.

As for what I watched
Critical Role - Still rewatching, but almost done, may move back to Table Top after this, or get back to the neglected Netflix

Supernatural - Still trying to catch up, but failing, the light is so much better in the computer room that’s I’m not watching the TV much while doing the miles of backstitching.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Finally got to this, I won’t have to turn in my nerd cred after all.

Dave - When the President has a stroke and is in a coma, the corrupt chief of staff hires a body double to take the presidents place.  Kevin Kline is wonderful in the role.

Quick Update

It’s snowy but only sort of cold, typical winter really. I have not much of a blog this week, but Carla demanded a Cindy update so I must abide. Been working on all the background backstitiching with #414, there is a lot of it.

The only news I have its that I am officially full time at work now.  Eight years of part time at Safeway begging for hours and I never got to full time status. Less than three months at Askew’s and I’m already there, So with minor exceptions I will now be off on Friday and Saturdays perfect for the Thursday night watching of Critical roll and lots of time to chat with the stitching gang on Saturdays

As for what I watched.
Critical Role - Back to the Briarwoods on rewatch and the start of Season 2

Supernatural - I’ve fallen behind, it’s time to catch up.

Duets - A fun little indy movie about six people going to a karaoke competition, nothing spectacular, but enjoyable.

White House Down - One of the two “bad guys take over the white house”movies that came out in 2013.  This one liked to use the standard cliches more than Olympus Has Fallen, but still a good solid action movie, and Channing Tatum is always enjoyable for me.

Dante’s Peak - So disaster movie which should mean an automatic yay from me, but this one drives me more than a little nuts, I don’t even own it. Mom does. I watch it because it’s a really well done higher budget than usual disaster movie, But a good half of it’s plot revolves around a person that won’t leave the area using the mindset “ I’ve lived all my life here, the mountain won’t hurt me” well guess what lady, the  mountain couldn’t care less about you.  I hate this character  and yes I am aware this is a common thing in real life, they annoy me too. However the movie itself is pretty, things blow up decently and it stars Peirce Brosnon, so it’s worth a watch, when it’s borrowed.

Daylight - On the surface this is a really typical disaster movie, an accident causes the distruction of the tunnel between Manhattan and New Jersey and Sylvester Stallone has to go in and rescue the survivors. Standard disaster movie situations occur, and as always, the dog survives.  Because dogs always survive in disaster movies.  This one stands out to me for two reasons. First, this is the first movie I saw Viggo Mortensen in, and though he plays a deliberately annoying character, he still stands out.. Second and more important, the music is amazing, I own this soundtrack. Randy Edelman is a master at scoring movies. I LOVE his work.

The Dark Crystal - Wonderful classic fantasy movie from the minds of Jim Henson and Brian Froud, If you haven’t seen it, do so, if you have, then you already know the brilliance of this show.

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.

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

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.

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