dn angel || can you see in the darkness of my heart?

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Received word frm AusColeQuilts that my square arrived in Australia on 22.06.2006. I don't think they've gotten all the squares yet. I just can't wait for them to start wrking on the quilt and post a pic the finished product online!! ^-^ It'll be great if they can have pics of the boy with the quilt too. My next square? Not so soon I think.

Anyway, the Scorpio kit is doing fine. Didn't stitch much the past few days but am still positive that it should finish on time. Have managed to get the "shape" of the scorpion alredi. Heehee I can't help saying this once again - these Pinn kits are really easy to do! If I don't remember wrongly, it was only about $5. Not a bad deal. They always leave me with excess thread that come in handy when I work on small cards. Yeah I don't use the exact color stated on the chart - I just adapt with anything I happen to have spare.

Well... I dropped by Golden Dragon store @ Chinatown on Mon. Hmmm they do offer photo conversion to sepia chart too. The prices are kinda steep though. Gotta surf around online a little more to compare rates before I set a budget for myself. As usual, I browsed the avaliable kits even though I've got no $$ to purchase them. LoLx. They do carry a significant no. of stuff - only problem is, their designs are more "chinese" and cute. There are no kits frm Dimensions and all... for that I might have to turn to Spotlight.

Ah well... I'd betta spend at least 2 hrs on stitching tonite!

Shady noted 10:42 AM

* * *

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Dad received the Father's Day card in the mail yesterday! He SMSed me to let me know ^-^ It just gives me further motivation to work on my stitching. Can't wait to embark on the eagle design thatz for my lil' bro. I know it'll turn out beautiful - with all the shades and tones. Progress of the Scorpio kit is slow but steady... think I should be able to get it on time. Ugh, am so tempted to get a photograph converted to cross stitch done. LoL tried using DMC cross stitch pattern convertor and managed to do a nice trial of Lacky - the dumb JRT. Failed when I tried the cat's photo though - might have to leave that to the professionals or take a better pic! Krazy wouldn't be an easy one... with all his fur and color tones!

Shady noted 10:29 AM

* * *

Friday, June 23, 2006

The finished product. Yeah the mounting isn't perfect, but it will suffice. Will be out in the post tomorrow & hopefully it'll reach my dad by Monday. Betta late than never ehx?

Was working on the Scorpio kit for awhile and managed to complete a tiny part of it. A stitch a day keeps depression away ^-^ Anyway, placed a request for the cat afghan charts on yet another cross stitch forum - but it was deleted due to some infringment of the copyright law. *sigh* Interesting that those requests are permitted for posting on magazines but not on forums. Will I ever get my hands on those charts? Am missing the ones frm issue 106 & 107. Ughhh then there's the puppy afghan as well... Zzz.

Shady noted 12:14 AM

* * *

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Was surfing Yahoo! Auctions earlier to check out the cross stitch kits avaliable. The more I see, the more tempted I get (just look at my wishlist). I can probably afford to get one kit per mth - sacrificing some other stuff... but itz impossible to complete them! They'll probably end up in the UFO plastic bag along with all the other kits that I'm aiming to complete, as mentioned in my previous post. Jeez ~ how I wish I can get a job that allows me to wrk on my cross stitch at the same time. Like the job I used to do - some retail sales assistant in an ulufied shop @ Tanglin Mall... selling dinosaur excavation kits. I was so bored back then, counting down the hours, not knowing what exactly to do. Now? I'll kill for a simillar opportunity! It doesn't pay too bad either - $6/hr.

Shady noted 4:32 PM

* * *

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

- Before mounting -

After a couple of days downtime, managed to steel myself and finally complete the backstitching for the Father's Day card today!! Now to get it mounted on a card & out in the post. Poor dad. He'll be receiving his gift one week late... but ah well, betta late than never, eh? I hope he likes it enuff to place it up for display. Mum apparently stashed the card I gave her somewhere - she couldn't even remember which box. *disappointed*

Thatz the problem with giving stitching as gifts to others. You'll never know what they do with it... or whether they even appreciate it in the 1st place!! *sigh* That ain't gonna stop me though. Those tiny kits that come with magazines. I'll run outta space if I were to keep all of them at home - not that I have sufficient drawers in the 1st place! Plus... keeping it all away - for? Self-admiration? LoL kinda crazy ~

Next project to embark on tomorrow - the Scorpio kit from Pinn. *nod nod* Despite having the perched eagle on a deadline, think I should work on (and complete) yet another piece to place to decorate the walls of my home 1st. Those empty frames really look kinda retarded hanging on the wall. Hmm my ultimate goal is actually to finish all of those horroscope kits by the end of the year. 4 down, 8 to go. 2 per mth will be a good estimate! Afterwhich I've gotta move on to the Pinn chinese zodiac kits before anything else. 2 down for that, 10 more to go. The walls will really look fab after it all!!~!

Shady noted 11:46 PM

* * *

Monday, June 19, 2006

Check this out...

The pic that caught my eye while I was reading issue 140 of Q&E (June) was actually a Suzuki GSX-R1000 but after checking out the website, phew! Just look at this R1!! Crafts Unlimited offers a couple of bike kits up for sale, and some of the designs are really stunning! kk, I admit that the back stitch is kinda crappy... but with exception of that... wow! Take a look at the Kawasaki ZX9R if you don't believe me. LoL itz a shame though, that there isn't one of a Honda NSR150SP or a Honda CBR400R Fireblade.

Hmm... I did spend a significant amount of time surfing the web earlier though, checking out websites that provide photo to chart conversion services. I'm never gonna have the patience (+ artistic cells) to do one myself, but this really really got me tempted. I wonder how my cat Krazy will look as a stitched picture. If the chart is done as professionally as the folks claimed, itz gonna be one fab piece of stitchwork hanging on the wall @ my parents place! *grinx* Plus I wonder how my own bike will look stitched ^-^

Ah well, I've got loads of things on queue, so I'd betta take my mind off purchasing other kits or patterns till I've completed all that I intended to do. It does help that I'm on an uber tight budget. If it was me in the past, I wouldn't have thought twice splurging on items that I would love to own - even if it will probably take another decade before I get down to working on it. The prices are still not too astronomical though. Just that I can't possibly afford that rite now! Perhaps when I find a betta job =)

Anyway, these few days have been wonderful when it comes to increasing my stash of stuff. Q&E was delivered to my parents place and I picked it up earlier today - plus I finally found the June issues of Q&E and Cross Stitcher, which my mum ended up paying for. After such a long wait! The kits that came with the June issues were great too! Lickle Ted & Popcorn. July's Q&E came with some weird flower thingy... think I'm gonna just put that aside. Hmmm I really do have to think of someway to store those magazines b4 they totally cover my floor. Not to mention, would love to keep them in a usable state even 20 years frm now. Lette me think... a shelf? A box? Book stands?

Ooooh I wish I am rich.

Shady noted 7:12 PM

* * *

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Woot! Was at Carrefour earlier, just browsing around when I came across the perfect thingy to store my floss - a "cabinet" with 25 drawers!! LoL I chose the cheaper & uglier looking one, but it'll suit just fine. All it needs is a couple of small stitch motifs to brighten it up ^-^ Hmm... itz actually supposed to be for holding DIY stuff like screws, nuts... etc. One more item on my wishlist obtained =) Hopefully am gonna get my hands on a frame next. The kits will have to wait till I complete all the projects I'm wrking on rite now. Yeah yeah it does hurt my pocket, but it'll be great in the long run! July's issue of Q&E hath reached Bugis... wheeeeeee!! Now all I've gotta do is wait for the June issues to come out in the stores. Gee this is really one expensive hobby!! If I've got sufficient time and $, I'll send one of my cat's pics to be charted. That'll definitely look great on the wall. Thing is... I don't think I'll ever finish stitching everything I wanna stitch in my entire lifetime. Hahahah ~

Shady noted 11:39 PM

* * *

Friday, June 16, 2006

Woops! The calendar might be wrong after all. Father's Day is this weekend, according to a couple of stuff I've seen in mags and all. But it doesn't matter. The card wouldn't be done in time. LoL - am way past my deadline now, and itz nt even half done yet! Ah well... am gonna just take it easy. Finish it when I finish it and get it posted when I do.

Anyway, Jackson's square should be on its way to Australia nw. Am keeping my fingers crossed that this charity organisation ain't a hoax or something. I can't wait to see the finished project. My square put together with squares frm different states & countries... to form a quilt! I hope that Jackson will like it. Kids like him do need hope. Jeez ~ I wonder if this is more for my own benefit than anything else though... coz it does make me feel good, somehow. To do things for someone whom I don't even, and will never know.

Well. I received issue 175 of Cross Stitcher in the mail yesterday. Boy was that quick! 174 (June) ain't even out in the stores yet! The mag came neatly packed & in wonderful condition. Guess I made the right decision by subscribing to it! Am certainly gonna continue my subscription after it runs out nxt yet. By then... hopefully I'll be able to pay for it myself. Am kinda guilty that my dad had to use his credit card for it, and he didn't want any cash back. All I can do right now, to make up for that is, to stitch more for the family. Ain't gonna let all that stuff go to waste.

Well, in a moment of weakness, I succumbed to temptation and purcahsed 173 when I dropped by Kinokuniya. There's a chart I want. So I wouldn't say that itz a total waste of $. Am gonna upload a pic of it, and place it in queue. That'll come after my brother's bday prezzie, of course. Hmm... now am eagerly awaiting the arrival of issue 174 and June's issue of Q&E. There are gonna be free card kits!!

*grinx* It doesn't cease to amaze me though, that cross-stitching can be this addictive. To think I used to detest it when I was forced to do it in primary school. I still have a couple of old works with me though. Perhaps should take a pic and get it posted when I have the chance. There are some embriodery works too. LoL am pretty sure that though cross-stitching is gonna be a lifelong hobby for me, I'm never ever gonna do embroidery again. Those chain stitches and satin stitches drove me mad :P

Shady noted 10:22 PM

* * *

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Done. Completed 11.06.2006. Now to get the square in the mail.

Shady noted 1:53 PM

* * *

Friday, June 09, 2006

Major booboo! I realised yesterday that Father's Day is actually THIS Sunday, and not next Sunday. Which means... my deadlines are totally outta order & I probably wouldn't be able to get it done in time! Made much progress on Gary the past 2 days. Almost done now. All that'z lacking is the remaining few stitches of the "floor" & the outline in backstitch - I have to get it done by this Sun coz I'll be passing the square to my parents for posting (no post office near my wrk place). Would love to post a pic, but my PC is down, so there's no way I can do it.

*sigh* With loads of luck, and determination, I just might be able to complete the Father's Day card on time!! LoL but for a less flamboyant estimate, I'll do it by the original due date of 14.06.2006 and get it posted to him as a "belated" gift then. Don't think he would mind that bad coz itz the thought that counts at the end of the day, isn't it?

Heehee, anyway Kinokuniya responded to my query email and mentioned they do carry the Cross Stitcher mag, despite my mum claiming otherwise. Am gonna give them a phonecall to reserve a copy and perhaps ask mum to help pick it up these few days, so I don't have to make a detour on the way ^-^ I just hope Q&E is out too. Getting 2 at a time - a more eifficient usage of time. Good luck to me and my mags!

Shady noted 11:40 AM

* * *

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

I finally managed to get the entire shell done tonite. Will dedicate at least 2hrs to stitching later today - considering that I'm on medical leave... might as well use the time constructively. Hopefully will manage to get the entire Gary done by today (with exception of the backstitch outline of coz). Am still eagerly awaiting the nxt issue of Q&E. Popular didn't carry it yesterday. Emailed Kinokuniya. Wonder when will I get a response frm them. June's issue comes with a free kit ^-^ Hope itz an easy one to work on!

Shady noted 9:59 AM

* * *

Monday, June 05, 2006

Was working on Gary yesterday when I hit a brickwall. I just realised that the chart & threads conversion doesn't tally! Some symbols were totally not in the chart. Just by looking @ the picture didn't help much though -.-" Am gonna send an email to Karen to ask her further. Wouldn't wanna make any obvious mistakes on this coz itz really gonna be a waste of time should I do unpicking. Not to mention, a waste of floss! With luck, I'll get a response by tonite. But if I don't, the entire nite will be dedicated to gaming and I wouldn't turn on the computer after that till I finish up the square. *self control* !!

Shady noted 1:48 PM

* * *

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Tsk tsk... lazy lazy me. The weekend is here but still I ain't stitching as much as I told myself I should. Aargghh, caught sight of the deadline on the yahoo group database yesterday - 23rd June 2006. Which means I've gotta get it posted out by 13th June if I want it to reach in time. I haven't even finished with the shell yet!! Another 8 days I've left (inclusive of tonite). Gah! Progress would be much faster if it ain't for those fractional stitches. LoL to think that initially I had thought of stitching a border as well. Looking at things they way they are rite now, I'd say... I'll be thankful to get it out in time.

Shady noted 5:53 PM

* * *

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Noooooooooooo itz bad! Itz bad! Am lagging really really horrible. Till now, I've yet to even complete Gary's shell!! I'm only halfway thru' the mauve part. Damn. At this rate, it'll be impossible to complete the Father's Day card on time! Perhaps I do need a change of strategy - work on dad's card b4 Jackson's square. Gah! That doesn't seem like a good idea either coz Jackson's square is due this mth, which means I gotta get it in the mail, latest by 19.06.2006 in order for it to reach Aussie by the 30th! Ooooh this is gonna be one major rush for me! Blame it on my weak will - am too easily tempted by the PC.

Shady noted 9:33 AM

* * *