Life Updates, again!

Life is a time consuming bitch.

Every time I start thinking things will settle down and I'll feel less stressed, and have some more time to do stuff, the opposite happens.

After 9 weeks with crappy internet, and having to step away from raiding with my guild in WoW, we finally decided to switch providers.

And dear god, I can play!

Without lag!

And at night!

Have I had much time to do so? Well, no, but still, I can!

Sadly the install was supposed to be a Friday install but because of Murphy's law with the Optus tech's that day, it got pushed to Saturday.

I had to cancel a bunch of my plans Saturday (upside was I finished my friend's birthday gift) to wait for the tech.

A 7.30 am to 12 noon window for them to show up, and just my luck, they showed right near 12.

The install itself didn't take long.

The tech said 20 minutes until we could set it up and be internet filled.

An hour and a half on the phone later, get told it won't be up until late Sunday.

Then get told it won't be until Monday.

This totally messed up my Sunday plans of sitting and doing a bunch of my TAFE assessments.

But in the end it didn't matter, because I got a damned cold.

Spent all of Sunday and a good chunk of Monday in bed, with hankies and a bucket.

Missed my Monday class too.

The TAFE assessment was a group project, and it didn't come together until the very last minute because life!

TAFE itself is going pretty well.

A couple weeks in, already have assessments all over the place. 

Next week I have a presentation to give, but that will be on cross stitching, so easy enough. But to satisfy the visual component of the marking scheme, I'm making up some little kits for the people in the class. 

So I need to make up 30 little cross stitch kits. 

Trip to Spotlight this weekend I think!

Apart from that I finally got a new phone.

My little HTC Desire HD has been a great phone for the last 5-6 years, but the touch screen doesn't respond as well, the apps I use are starting to not work on the outdated Android platform it runs and the speakers were going.

And the battery, 5 hours until it was almost drained.

I'm still waiting for my number to be ported over, but the battery on my new phone is amazing!

I went with a Samsung Galaxy s5.

My biggest happy about it? 

Hearthstone on mobile works, and I can get the cat selfie app.

So be prepared for cat selfies!

Apart from that, I'm still in a reading slump.

I'm days behind in Stitch Maynia (until tomorrow anyway)

I haven't done much stitching at all (though being able to stitch in class will be a godsend)

But now photos!

Only in Australia can we have a storm when it's mostly sunny, with rainbows and lightning crashing over the top of it....

Finished Birthday gift, I didn't take many photos of this before we left.

We only just made it in time for the party after all the mucking around with internet.

Cupcakes I made for my friends party, with  pink and purple icing!

I want to cross stitch this Spiderman art xD

And now I can selfie!

Updates! Life keeps taking over!

Life, huh.

Still crazy.

Still super busy.

My last post I mentioned working on a second birthday present. I have 7 days to finish and frame it.

I started my course this week as well.

4 days a week, starting at 9.30am for 5 hours each day.

Doesn't seem like a huge deal, but I'm having issues with my insomnia and sleep habits.

So it's been pretty full on.

Not to mention we're playing classroom roulette, because the classrooms and staffroom for the communities sector are closed off.

Thanks to all those crazy storms, we have sections of roof that have collapsed.

So we don't have actual classrooms, we end up having to find out when we get there in the morning.

Other downsides include the lifts being out of order as well.

Looking like a 3-6 week wait for them to be repaired, and that's only if we don't have anymore storms.

The course itself is looking to be interesting, and a little fun at the moment.

I know it won't always be, I know there are going to be some things that pop up that will be a little uncomfortable, a little emotional.

But it's all part of learning to help people.

As for stitching, I've not done much. 

All my TAFE teachers have given me permission to stitch in classes, so I will get more done that way :)

But then I decided to take part in Stitch Maynia.

The crazy creation of Coffee Stitcher and A.Stitch.In.Time

15 new starts.

1 for each of the first 15 days in May.

I've picked my projects, picked out fabrics. 

I haven't photocopied working copies or floss picked, but I can do that each day.

The plan is to take pictures of each one, then I'm going to do blog posts and videos for them.

Just got to get used to studying again and settle into a routine.

So back to sporadic posts and videos :P

Some photos!

Terry Pratchett shirt <3 RIP Sir Pratchett

The storms hit here with sunlight, hail, winds and rain. 

Later there was rainbows, hail and lightning.

The floodway behind my house rose up really quickly. 

Thankfully it didn't get much higher than this.

Spider's don't like wet weather, they come indoors and eat other bugs.

This is a Spider Bro.

They typically don't bother humans, just other spiders and bugs.

Got this sharpener from TYPO.

Gotta use the butt :p

HAED Sale, of course I did :p

Cute little glass jars I can use as ORT jars

Andrew has finished the outline on his first project

Stitch Maynia plans

Best. cup. Ever.

I'm thinking of giving the ort jar away with the present because it looks pretty cool.

First project for Stitch Maynia

Second project for Stitch Maynia

How awesome would this be to cross stitch?

I'd just settle for the Spiderman part :p

Recent Finish - WOCS Sampler SAL

This was a Stitch A Long by The World of Cross Stitching Magazine from last year.

By the time I had started quite a few people had finished so I just stitched at my own pace.

I challenged myself with this project as well by not making a working copy.

I wish I had of, because Illidan (Mr kitty who hasn't learnt not to jump on my desk yet) knocked over a small drink and then clawed some the pages when he freaked and jumped off.

So the pattern isn't quite usable anymore.

I made a few mistakes in this, mostly with miscounting or mixing colours up, but there is only one that is outwardly noticeable.

But I did enjoy this project, it was fun to stitch, and this big, tough goth girl loves the flowers :p

This was stitched on 14 count hand dyed fabric.

The fabric is 'Silver Springs' by Colour Cascades :)

Cross Stitching Update

Life seems to always get in the way when I want to film. I will hopefully get around to filming my January book wrap up tomorrow before the Rental Inspection happens.

And a cross stitch update video later this week as well. 

First up I have two small finishes for the year.

The first is a stitchable notebook kit that came with Cross Stitcher magazine that had been sitting in my stash for a long time. I switched out the colours for Sea Dragon by Fiberlicious.

I stitched this with 3 strands for better coverage.

 Then we have this little Bernard Black - Black Books pattern from Plastic Little Covers on Etsy.

I ended up doing this one for the Mellisously Hopeless SAL

I had bought some red wine to stain the fabric with, but it dried grey.

I couldn't get the grey out, so I went over it with red dye,

It doesn't have the effect I wanted, but it's sort of red wine-ish.

So this one was a new start for January's Quote SAL. I haven't done much yet.

This one is being stitched with Fiberlicious hand dyed cottons.

And a new start for Feb, the Valentines SAL.

Also being stitched with hand dyed cotton from Fiberlicious.

This one is Poison Rose.

The fabric is from Stitches and Spice.

And we have the Frosted Pumpkin Storytime SAL.

The first frame is now finished, and I have yet to make a start on the second.

I regret not changing the frame colours to some of the hand dyed cottons I have.

Some of the Dinky Dyes ones are sort of pastel-y and would have looked nice.

This one is Almost Time by Victoria Frances charted by Tilton Crafts.

Not a lot happening here....

Mini Raven Kin by Selina Fenech, charted by Heaven and Earth Designs.

I've been working on this one a little today and am getting closer to a page finish.

It's only a half page granted, but hey, a page is a page :)

Also, Tom Hiddleston needle minder appreciation.

The amount of times I find myself looking at the needle minder and not stitching....

And here's my progress for the Mirabilia SAL

Again, not a whole lot going on here, but every stitch counts.

This is another project I've done some work on since taking photos, I'm almost finished the first square.

Still pretty far behind...

And last, but not least, Arthas!

I am thinking I might skip the Gloria and Pat SAL, and start a different project.

I received an Arthas chart for a shoutout on my blog/Youtube, which will also be coming in the next few days.

I want to start it. 

Like, now.

I need more Arthas in my life :p