Dragon Con 2011 part 2

Since Blogger won't allow more than 5 pictures, here's the rest of them. Here I am with the lovely Sylvestor McCoy of Doctor Who fame. He portrayed the Doctor's 7th incarnation and was the last that is now labeled under Classic Who. Got a copy of this autographed. ♥
Ghost Hunters Taps team with members: Steve Gonsalves, Amy Bruni, Dave Tango and Bruce Tango.



What I'm listening to: Murderer Mine by Autumn Cannibals

What I'm reading: Catharsis by Jonathan Face

What I'm working on: Nothing crafty at the moment. Got burnt out on Cross-stitchin while going through a funk last year. Been spending most of my time trying to get my health back in order and get the doctors off my back. This years results have been the best in over 5 years. Big improvements, but not quite there yet. Maintaining will be the worst for me. Especially in the winter. I usually try and hibernate with the bears....can't let myself do that any more. Here's hoping....

Dragon Con 2011

I didn't take hardly any pictures from Dragon Con this year as I have in the past. Actually, the number is dismal. But the Highlights of the weekend was having my yearly picture taken with Voltaire (this year may end up being two, since he's coming to my home town on tour in two weeks!) This was taken after the Pirates, Time Travelers ball. Thanks to the kindness of other fans I was able to get a full photo of us instead of Voltaire taking the photo himself.


Finally got to hear Sapphire Solace live. This is a side project of Velvet Shadow and Rick Joyce (The Last Dance) ConCourse shows can be entertaining, both in concert form and the interplay between the members while they set up. But as with every year I've been, there's no such thing as a show on time at the ConCourse. But as to the ones I went to this year there wasn't one threat of the Fire Marshal....
Loved this band (and lead) for quite awhile now and finally got to see them live (Just missed their previous Dragon Con year) This is Jeff Diehm lead singer of The Last Dance and has a side project called Autumn Cannibals. The rest of the photos I tried to take from the concert didn't come out too well if at all. The flashing lights and the rapid movements of certain band members didn't help. Though I do have one that sorta looks like Jeff was playing Peek a Boo. (One eye and those parts attached located at the bottom right of photo.) Cute, but not something one would normally post on line.....though it probably wouldn't be the first or the last.
Major highlight of the weekend for me was getting my picture taken with Jeff Diehm. Hugs are always welcome! ♥♥ Later on I was able to find a place to get a copy of this and got a last minute signing of it. The signed copy has a prominent position in my front room.
Took this at one of the panels. "Is Goth the new Goth" Only picture I was able to get of any of the members of Bella Morte. Probably could've gotten one after the panel, but since I didn't have anyone with me I was a bit intimidated in asking, so I left quickly after. I really wanted to get a photo from the panel "Gigs from Hell" But I was too far back and reeling from all the "Poo" stories. I work as a hotel housekeeper, I seen just about all, but Andy Deane (Lead for Bella Morte, second from right) had some real doozies. But getting to see Angelina Dupont being toted along with her parents was a treat. (daughter of Cruxshadows lead and founder Rogue and Dancer Jessica)


Spent most of my time at the concerts and the band tables, just couldn't quite time it right to get full band photos, but with some nice merch minders and some patience I was able to get all of The Last Dance's band members to sign my cd. Instead of waiting beside the table for my errant signature, I was invited to sit behind the table with her and chat a bit. Probably minor to some people, but this wasn't my usual luck, grab slight perks when you can.

Summer Archway Complete

Connie by Victoria Sampler

Joy Tree by M Designs

Rose Pattern. don't know who designed it but it was orginally a crochet pattern

Partridge in a Pear tree

Summer Archway by John Clayton is complete!




Wow! Alot can happen between being busy at work, then over extending my wrist, I've not been keeping up with any type of blogging unless you count facebook. Now that I have full use of both hands and now a bit of time on my hands...maybe I can get caught up again. Though I did have some trouble getting back into this account. So please bear with me.

Right now this isn't a good time for this family. In 7 days it will be the anniversary of when the truths about my MIL's condition came to light with a disturbing phone call. Then we'll just have to live through the horrors of January and the anniversary of her passing.



What I'm reading: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austin
What I'm Listening to: Sonik Foundry
What I'm working on: A beginners pattern for Hardanger

Summer Arch update

Summer Archway is coming along quite nicely. Slowly..but nicely. A bit harder than I thought. Glad I started with this one and not the larger Big Ben piece!

And now a wonderful update for Celtic Christmas. I've finished the borderwork for the left hand side and have almost gotten back to the top. Will be putting an order in for beads within the next few days. I've found a few things that I wished I'd known about evenweave before I started her. But then I've been working on her for a couple of years now. I've done a couple of smaller pieces as well, I'll add them next time. I do have more Dragon Con photos, but my camera didn't like most of the lighting, so they didn't exactly come out. More like shadow people but with more substance.


If you've watched Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International you will recognize people in this photo and the one below.

Not a whole lot going on, just the normal day in day out type stuff. Work has really picked up. A couple of weeks ago I finished training the last of the Polish help for the summer. Not used to training two at a time. It was nice to see some nice days, not only for myself but for the 3 polish. Being stuck in a small effientcy can't be easy. And we're not exactly near anything much of interest. (hotel wise) They're looking into buying or renting bikes for the summer.

What I'm Reading: The Short Victorious War by David Webber
What I'm Listening to: Blutengel
What I'm working on: Summer Archway, Celtic Christmas, Triple Irish Chain squares (quilt)

Summer Arch update

I've found that this Summer Archway from a British Mag is part of a larger piece by John Clayton, called Spanish Archway. This piece looks better in this picture than it does when I'm stitching it. This piece is almost half done, I've found both top and bottom of the pattern and of course the left side as well.

The ever famous Celtic Christmas....Her ladyship is almost complete. Just the top of her head a bit of ribbon then on to the border.

More Dragon Con 2008

Here was one of the various Jack Sparrow's running about.

And who could ever forget....as if he'd let us....Pennywise...Anyone want a balloon? We all float down here....

Here is one of my favorite entertainers.... Voltaire! If you're easily offended I wouldn't suggest that you look him up. DH classifies him as a Dark Satirist with a very warped and perverted sense of humour.

The lovely Jessica and Sarah dancers and back up vocals for Cruxshadows,

in one of their many costume changes.

And here is the founder and lead singer/writer of Cruxshadows...Rogue.

Lili! Nice to hear from you again. Thanks so much for the hugs and concern.

Barbara! I too can't believe I've returned. (not in a negative way mind you) With everything going on, I'm surprised I remembered how to get here. Most of the stitching I did last year was supposed to be for a craft fair, but only me and one other Rolling Thunder member even did handcrafting and she did alot better than I did. (she made jewelery, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, sets etc) And the person I had framing some items didn't get them back to me in time, and still hasn't gotten them done. Makes me wish I was more easy in the idea of attempting it myself. As for the Cookie Monster slayer....DH and I followed her around for awhile before we were able to get a photo of her. She got alot of attention.

Yesterday evening Rolling Thunder had another one of it's now famous Buffet dinners. Went well as usual. Spent last weekend training a new girl and hope that she lasted this weekend. I'll find out tomorrow when I go back. (I'm crossing my fingers that no one has scared her off. She's proved to be a good worker so far. And we haven't had much luck in that department lately)

What I'm working on: Summer Arch, Celtic Christmas

What I'm Reading: In Honor of the Queen by David Webber

What I'm Listening to: Emilie Autumn

Summer Arch

Here is John Clayton's Summer Arch from World of Cross Stitching July 2006. I have his Big Ben pattern, but got a bit nervous when I saw a different type of half stitch. So when I finally noticed this pattern, I got excited.


Now some pictures from Dragon Con 2008!

Remember this guy?
Doctor Who fans will never look at stone angels the same way again.....

Who said that the Wicked Witch was dead?

The cookie monster became a vegetarian, fans went rabid

More pictures for another day.

What I'm Stitching: Celtic Christmas, Summer Archway

What I'm Reading: Asylum by Sage Sinclair

What I'm Listening To: Ego Likeness

Celtic Christmas Update

Haven't worked on Celtic Christmas in quite some time. I'm quite happy with the progress I've made since deciding to finish the Lady first before worrying over the border.

So far this year I have finished the following in no particular order (all of these were patterns I got from British Cross-Stitch mags):

Tatty Teddy builds a snowman. My first Tatty Teddy project. Doing the backstitching on this one darn near drove me bonkers.

Somebunny To Love. This guy was a cutie but a nerve wracking, piece. Probably was all me.

Tuscany. By all that's holy and unholy! I thought this piece was going to be easy....wrong! It's pretty straight forward, but all those endless lines of one colour! There is a companion piece to this one, but I am NOT going to stitch it. I don't have much sanity left and I'm just about sure that the companion piece would just about drain me of what's left. It got done, eventually, but it got done.

Oriental Cranes. I loved working on this piece and am quite proud of the outcome.

A quick stitch compared to the others and boy did I deserve an easier piece. And it's also a Companion piece to Oriental Cranes.

I know I haven't been on blogger for a long time. It all started with getting a new computer and realizing that I had relied to much on the computer remembering all my info for me. Then the proverbial S**T hit the fan and there was going to be nothing but horrid news from there on in. That being said. The major sad factors since I've been away are: my female cat Angel passed away 25 May 2008 after a brief illness. My MIL passed away 31 January 2009 of basically heart failure. There is alot more to her story from Christmas Eve till her passing, but since I didn't post as it was happening I'm not going to now. It was horrible, messy, trying, exhausting etc. The worst of it being that she was the first person I was there with as they passed. I've only recently gotten over most of it.

Good news: Went to a major Multi cultural convention this past september and had a blast. Went climbing all over battleships in Battleship Cove. One of my godsons took up the violin this year at school. (he has to give it back at the end of the year, since it's only a lender). Another godson sold the most items for his school's fundraiser and won the prize he wanted. But since none of the people he lives with or uncles knows anything about mp3 players, guess who has to make time to go down and show them? (this wouldn't have been a problem if they had let me know at the time he recieved it, it would've been done already) Even with the economy the way it is, I still have a job and still trying to play out guess the gm when I can.

I'll see if I can remember to do a few posts with some pictures from the last year or so. But don't count on regular posts. My days have been quite hectic.

What I'm Reading: Wicked By Gregory Maguire

What I'm Listening to: Blutengel

What I'm working on: Summer Archway by John Clayton

Last post before 2008

The much disliked Penguin stocking update. (only disliked because of issues with penguins (inside family joke)). I've almost completed the top half, basically only the spots on the hat and the rest of the sky and the snowflakes. (which look like snowballs to me)
I've found this amongst my WIPs, can't remember when I started it, sometime within the last two years I think. Almost positive I didn't post anything about it, I've put it in my webshots album as well in the hopes that it'll help me get this piece finished.
And last but not least...Grape Gatherer. I've found the right hand side of the piece and the white curving stitches that ends roughly about halfway down the page. Can we say that I'm getting a little tired of all this green? Haven't given up on her yet.

Okay, I'm going to make this somewhat brief since I'm heading out in a little bit for New Year's Eve, not sure where we're going (out with a friend) but I'm sure it'll be fun. I just wanted to try and get some last minute updates posted before the new year. Yes I know I have no new finishes to date, but I did this on purpose. I spent the last week or so working on the the stocking and GG in the small hopes of a major WIP post. I've also spent time sewing up the last seams of quilt blocks both for future quilts and for pillows, stuffing and fighting with little cherub dolls.

Thank-you to all that left comments about the holidays. The feeling and sentiments go back out to all of you. This year has been so hectic that I never ended up sending out my wishes via email, to those who usually get them...I'm so sorry.

Of course I love hearing how much people like my finishes, kudos to those who mentioned.

Wawanna, I'm owned by two cats and one is named Angel, and she's more of one than her brother (who is a big bully) Angelic happens more when their sleeping than awake, they're about senior citizens give or take a year so they sleep alot. Wouldn't give them up for anything.

What I'm reading: Pandora by Anne Rice
What I'm listening to: Sapphire Solace