2005 A Year in Review

I saw this post on Thermagal's Temperate Mumblings who saw it on Whiz's Blog.....

Instructions: take the first post from each month of 2005 and post a line or two.

January: Armed for 2005 (referring to the Mirabilia Cherub).

This was my first happy dance of the year.

February: What Planet are You From? You are from Neptune.

I always knew that Neptune would have it's own ring of particulate matter too, just like the other 3 gas giants in the solar system.

March: I posted some pictures today of what I've been stitching lately (Paradise Island and Venice).

Venice was a happy dance this year.

April: Traffic Cones - From an episode of Red Dwarf -The Last Day (proceeded by a snipet of script)

Another piss up story.

May: Bagpuss Goes Nightclubbing

Yes, this is the bag I wore in the nightclub. One way to get attention. Everyone kept tweaking and squeezing him.

June: I am going on a Summer Holiday...

I'm pleased as punch because after a wasted weekend of trying, I managed to book a holiday to Lanzarote this afternoon, flying out from Gatwick next Thursday.

July: Blog Update

Today I've done virtually little stitching. I've been on the computer all day, first of all doing some lessons in Fireworks MX (I've used Fireworks 3 previously, but it's well different) after the lessons I played around and made a really nice logo with Jade's face on it.

August: Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Stitching Quirks?

What is your most unique/interesting stitching quirk? (This could be something concerning the way you stitch, how you organize your stash, etc.)

September: August Stitching Goals - roundup

At the beginning of the month I posted my stitching goals for the month.

October: The sorting hat says: Ravenclaw

This was a Harry Potter meme. Glad I didn't make Griffindor.

November: Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Colour by Numbers.

Just about DMC colours and how you get to know them.

December: Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Stitching Rules.

How do you stitch?

Christmas Meme

1. What is your favorite Christmas carol/song?
Pop song - I guess it's got to be Wizard's I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday. I guess my favourite carol at the moment has got to be the bawderised santacon version of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

2. White lights or multicolored?
Multicoloured. Actually I like the little red ball lights.

3. Do you have a cut tree, live tree, or an artificial one?
I own an artificial tree, but haven't put it up this year again - no room!

4. Eggnog, mulled cider, or hot chocolate?
Haven't tried the first two, and I'm not a chocolate fan either. Had some very nice Mulled Wine today though.

5. Do you decorate your house with lights?
No. Don't have my own house anymore - when I did I hung lantern lights outside.

6. Do you write a Christmas letter?
Nope.

7. Do you like receiving Christmas letters/photos?
Yes, it always seems a good time to catch up on old friends.

8. What is your favorite Christmas story/movie?
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

9. Have you ever made a gingerbread house?
No.

10. Poinsettias or holly?
Poinsettias, but if I can keep them alive to the new year it's a miracle.

11. Do you display a nativity scene?
Nope. Athesist.

12. Do you bake Christmas cookies?
No, I don't have a sweet tooth.

13. Ham or turkey?
Turkey. I remember the time when my aunt bought a ham to cook. When she got it home she discovered she didn't have a pot big enough to boil it in so she had to go out and buy a new stainless steel pan which then resulted in an entire kitchen utensil upgrade as she discovered that she liked the shiny look.

14. In what languages can you wish someone a Merry Christmas (without cheating)?
One - english

15. Do you know all the words to “Jingle Bells?”
Yes, I can even play it on an electronic keyboard. GGG GGG GCBAG....

16. Do you put presents under the tree?
If I had a tree up, I would.

17. How do you eat a candy cane?
I don't. But it's like a stick of rock and I suck them.

18. What is your biggest holiday pet peeve?
The whole commercialisation of Christmas and people assuming that I'm going to go back to Kent to spend it with my non-existant family, which starts off a very awkward explanation that they're all dead.

19. What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
Watching Home Alone 1 and 2. Which I'm not doing this year as I left all my videos back in Kent.

20. What was the best present you ever got for Christmas?
You know, I can't think of one. I really hate opening presents because once that's done it's always a let down and there's nothing left to look forward to apart from the Christmas dinner. I used to put off opening the presents as long as possible to avoid that disappointed feeling. It's so different when you are a child.

Went to see King Kong this afternoon. The dinosaurs are fab but the film is way too long!

he he & Ho ho ho

Elf Name

Your Elf Name Is...

Flakey Twinkle Wink

What's" Your Elf Name?

How Do Men See You?

Men See You As Choosy

Men notice you light years before you notice them You take a selective approach to dating, and you can afford to be picky You aren't looking for a quick flirt - but a memorable encounter It may take men a while to ask you out, but it's worth the wait

How Do Men See You?

What Famous Leader Are You?

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

I can live with that one...

What Kind of Alcoholic Beverage are you?

You're a Pint of Guinness!


What Type of Alcoholic Beverage Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Never would have guessed that one! In fact I've only drunken Guinness once, and that was on St Patrick's Day this year when I only downed the stuff to earn enough tokens to get a stupid Guinness hat. Which I've still got! lol

As far as stitching goes, I've completed about a quarter of the Mirabilia Cherub, done a few bushes on Paradise Island and today I did a couple of hours stitching on Carnivorous Cat while watching Lethal Weapon 1. I picked up the box set in Smiths today for £15.99, unbelievably cheap.

I actually had a little bit of a spending fest today, I also bought the box set of the Back to the Future films, (good old Marty Mcfly), Mission Impossible 1, Torque, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow starring Jude Law and White Guys - a comedy with Damon Waynes dressed up as a white woman cop with another fellow.

Last night I spent the entire evening working on a new blog layout for the New Year, here's a preview.

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Charity Stitching?

Have you done any charity stitching, been in one, or would like to organize one?

Easy to answer this one. No.

I remember being tempted to do a Pam Kellogg design bookmark entitled Support Our Troops during the Iraq War, but I was just tempted.

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Stitching Rules?

Do you have rules in the way you stitch? (i.e., Do you start in the middle? Do you determine which blocks to stitch first? Do you always start from the top or the bottom? Do you have special paths to prevent wasting thread?)

I usually start in the middle of the fabric on most projects that I begin. I generally like to start with a big block of colour and then do the odd confetti stitches afterwards. Sometimes I weave the thread through the back of the design to get to a new stitching area rather than fastening it off and beginning again, providing it is not too far. I find this tends to save me a bit of thread that is lost when I cut the loose end off.

Which Flower are You?

You are an Iris:

You are logical, analytical, dignified, and wise.
You are studious by nature and may prefer books
to people. You tend to be a serious person but
are capable of making others laugh with your
dry sense of humor. Friends always benefit from
your advice.

Symbolism: Over the centuries the iris has come to
symbolize faith, wisdom, hope, and promise in
love.


Which Flower are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Coming Through the Floor....!

A small earthquake hit Penzance today. It wasn't a seizmic movement however, it was my boss the twat skipping in his office at the encouragement of his personal trainer who he's employed to get him into shape to win a bet but honestly, skipping in your office? My desk is based two floors below his office, but it still sounded like a herd of elephants were stampeding past. The twat didn't keep it up long however, after about 15-20 jumps he came down the stairs to get a cup of water from the cooler, he was knackered already! No wonder he needs that blonde, petite, lady trainer to keep his enthusiasm up.

And now for the Stitching Blogger's Question:

Do you always sign your projects? If not, why? If so, do you use your first name, initials or what?

I only usually sign work if I am giving it away or taking part in a round robin. I always sign "Vash" rather than my real name, but as everyone knows me as Vash anyway I can't see that it matters. I will also put my Country, or location, i.e. UK or Cornwall. On the Cattitudes RR we even stitched our country flags. I sometimes put the year too.

What Kind of Love are You in?

Tragic Love
There is a lot of pain here. A lot of bitter and
bruised feelings. You love this person, but
it's hurting you. Sure, the good times can be
really good, but the bad times crop up more
frequently. Are you sure that it's worth it?

What Kind of Love are You in? (Beautiful Romantic Pics!)
brought to you by Quizilla

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Frogging Mistakes?

How do you feel about staying totally true to a pattern? Do you feel that you have to rip out stitches to fix a mistake or do you feel it's acceptable to incorporate a mistake into the design?

The answer to that is how much work is going to be involved to frog the Mistake?

If I know I've made an error I generally go back and take it out maybe undoing a few hours stitching in the process, but if I don't notice the error until much later than that I will try to adapt around it.

I actually get a secret thrill about stitching a piece and knowing that I've done it stitch perfect and not made a mistake at all. But once I know there's an error there anyway I have less incentive to go back and fix another one, I tend to sort of leave it. I can remember pieces that I've balls up early on, didn't fix, and then got very creative when it came to finishing them off!

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

You Should Get a PhD in Science (like chemistry, math, or engineering)

You're both smart and innovative when it comes to ideas. Maybe you'll find a cure for cancer - or develop the latest underground drug.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week:Large or Small Finishes?

When comparing large projects versus small projects, which do you get more excited about finishing?

Without a doubt, stitching that last couple of per cent of a large project is one of the most addictive things in stitching.

Who's the Chicken?

Do you cluck or do you roar?
this quiz was made by Empty Dot

My weekend was like this chicken. I took on Psycho Bitches, Ex-Wives, Obese Children and still managed to go to an all night rave on Saturday evening which managed to escape being busted by the cops.

Back at work today, I feel pretty drained and of course: my boss the twat has now got me ringing around cleaning companies to clean up the aftermath of the rave......

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Colour by Number?

If you have stitched for a while, can you usually pick out the DMC colors you need from memory when you go to your LNS? (For example, you know that 610 is a brown.)

Some colours always seem to stick in your head, like 326 Christmas Red, sky blue 799 and 907 lime green. If I only need one or two threads I can usually remember what colours I need and their numbers. If I need more than a couple I usually take a list to the LNS if I need them in a hurry or order them online more cheaply.

I remember when I lived back in Gillingham, there was a little local needlework and wool store, "Singer's Sewing Centre" it was called. They used to mainly service Singer Sewing Machines and sell wool to little old ladies, but they had a wall section set aside with a full DMC collection. This was my only source of DMC within walking distance so I used to go there a lot. There used to be a little old man who ran the place, despite his age, if you wanted any threads you would give him a list and he'd get up on a chair and fetch them all down for you. He was usually very efficient at doing this and could find the threads a lot faster than you as he knew where they all were on the pegs. Sadly, "Mr Singer" as I used to call him (I never knew his real name) sold the business to some Asian women as his wife was sick.

When the Asians took over the shop, the stitching section was being run into the ground and it was turning into "Saris R US". I remember having an arguement with the women in there one day when she claimed that DMC 3799 a dark grey thread didn't exist and I was making it up!

Which Sci Fi/Fantasy Character Are You?

Kosh

A reclusive seer shrouded in riddles, you reveal very little and only what is deemed congruent with your plans.

Understanding is a three edged sword. Your side, their side, and the truth.

Kosh is a character in the Babylon 5 universe. You can read a few tidbits about his race at The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5.

================

This is cool. I love Kosh. Still re-watching B5 on DVD I'm up to season 5 now, Kosh must have rubbed off!

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Grateful for Gifts?

Have you ever stitched something as a gift and later realized that receiver doesn't respect your stitched gift a bit (for example it's never on show, or you have other reason to suspect that it may even be nonexistent or at least placed in some dark storage room corner)? If so, what have you done? If you've been lucky enough to avoid such people what would you do if it'd happen to you?

I've not given away many stitched pieces, in fact, I think I've only given away presents and cards to other stitchers who appreciate them because they understand the amount of work that goes into them.

Many, many years ago though, I did see this happen to a friend's daughter. This was many years before I started stitching. When my friend, (who was my mother's friend really) passed away her daughters were going through her house and sorting things out and one of the things that she found was some towels that she had stitched for her mother many years ago. They had never been used. Jane felt a bit put out at this and took the towels back to her own house. I don't know how I would feel if this was me. At least Pam hadn't thrown them out and had kept them as treasured possessions. Maybe she thought the towels were too good to use and spoil?

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Chart Marking

Do you mark or hi-lite your patterns or can you follow them without any markings? Do you make copies to mark up, or do you mark originals?

I've only recently begun marking charts. I only do it with black and white ones which are particularly difficult to read. At the moment I'm marking an enlarged copy of "Above the Clouds". I'm doing this because this design is quite difficult because of all the blended threads.

I never marked coloured charts.

Yet another quiz...

Your Japanese name should be

'Moriko'

which means "forest child".

You
love being in nature and see beauty in almost
everything; the trees, the flowers, the sky,
the sun. You're at your best surrounded by
nature. You love animals and they love you!


Which Japanese name fits you best? [females, 9 results + absolutely stunning ANIME pictures!]
brought to you by Quizilla

You must be getting bored of them by now?