For the super gamers !!:)

Thanks for your encouraging comments on my last post!! :)

Anshita's exams are over today and this is what she does the rest of the day ----play games on my laptop and then iPad . Once done , she pounces on my phone and when Raj comes home , she takes his phone too . Just to depict her voracious hunger for playing games after few weeks of internet restriction during exams , I stitched this design -- both cute and apt . I completed today and she loved it . She said she is going to stick it on her room's door .

This design is from the Magazine, The world of cross stitching , March 2013 issue . There are many small charts related to hobbies designed by Debra Page .

I stitched it on jute canvas . Earlier I planned to stitch on plastic canvas but then there were quarter stitches so I chose hard jute canvas because I was going to make it as tag . Later I found that the stitched design was a bit big because of the count of the canvas and so I just used a small foam sheet and glued on it . Added ribbon and brads .  It was very hard to glue anything on foam sheets . I used fabric glue . How do you work with foam sheets ?

I added the Harry Potter symbol on the laptop and wrote 'HP' on the cap which were something else in the original design . She is a Harry Potter fan these days . She is done with Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Divergent and The Hunger Games series and now she found interest in Harry Potter books .

Hope you liked this little piece :)
Have a crafty week!
Preeti

I am crafting too :)

This year I have not been blogging much and when I see my old posts, I haven't been showing much either . I guess I am becoming lazy to show my progress pictures and I wait until I am done with my WIP . Anyways , just wanted to let you know that I am not just shopping but crafting too :)

Here is something I made a little while ago .

These bracelet kind of things are called Rakhis. We have this brother-sister festival named Rakshabandhan where a sister ties a Rakhi on her brother's wrist and asks for lot of gifts in return....just kidding ;) The brothers are supposed to be taking care of their sister's safety in return for this bonding . It is related to a historical story where a Hindu Queen sends a bracelet to a Muslim ruler to save her from another Muslim ruler who was planning to invade her kingdom . Touched by the gesture , he sent his army to save her . There are other stories too. Since then it is celebrated as a brother-sister bonding festival . We sure do get gifts from brothers on this day .

Most of these I send to my brothers and Anshita's too through post so they need to be light weight . I made crocheted ones this time . Anshita made the doodle drawings on the back side of printed card stocks . I folded them half and tied these Rakhis inside making holes for the ends .

Can you see the holes ? I made those with a hand shaped puncher . Anyways , my brothers don't have observant eyes to notice , I just enjoyed the process of making :) 

I also made this drawer hanging for the small temple corner at home . For some reasons, the top drawer would not stay close even after repairing and would slide open . This hanging acts as a stopper between the two drawers . The back side , which is inside the drawer , is a plain thick crochet band .

On the stitching front , I have been stitching only on one piece for past few busy weeks and I am glad that I made substantial progress . I completed the Tiger and some green on the left . That must be few thousand stitches . Last I had shown you was the Koala on the top. I have not done the back stitching yet so the Tiger is having pink cheeks but is on the wait for his grand mustaches :) This is a design - 'Height chart ' - by Durene Jones from the magazine, Cross Stitch Gold, February 2013 issue .

Some Zinnia flowers in my garden, they are doing great !! :)

This one is still growing layers

We had a religious festival 'Ganesh Chaturthi' starting on Thursday and for many people it continues for 10 days . But we observe it for 5 days and everyday we need to cook something sweet to offer to God . Anshita's 1st term exams also started from today . Busy times again but I am glad that I am able to find some time for crafting in between :) 

Have a great weekend!!

Preeti :)

Shopping and Margaret Sherry exchange !! :)

Hello all,
Hope you are having a crafty time . I was away from the blogland for a while attending six guests at home and cooking and cleaning and the day after they left, Raj went to U.S. for a week . So I was busy working at home alone and was very tired to read and write any posts . Hopefully, I will catch up soon with your posts as many as I can :)

Few weeks ago, I had ordered some items for me and Anshita from JoAnn's and 123stitch at a family friend's address in U.S.  I got those today when Raj came back . I have taken pics for only my items .

Specialty yarns. Does anyone know how to use glitterspun yarn (on the card bobbin) ?

Novelty fabrics and felt sheets

DMC Impressions printed fabric for cross stitch. 

Just need to find the right designs to stitch . Suggestions are welcome :)

Craft glove because I feel pain while crocheting . 

I will share the feedback once I start using it.

Mill Hill beads and Kreinik threads for Cross Stitch Joan Elliot fairies that I am stitching.

I also ordered few crafty items from itsybitsy store in India

Glass straw pipes and silk covered beads 

Chenille yarn and quilling items

Buttons !!:) - Shoes, birds, barn animals, dinos, owls...... I love buttons !!

I also received my Margaret Sherry 'Send a smile' exchange  parcel from Olimpia in Mexico and I was delighted to see the items she sent for me :)

She made this lovely coaster for me with my name on it and I loved the letter she wrote to me :) You can see my detailed post on the group blog here .

I guess I have collected lot of stash and I have already reduced the frequency of purchases . I am waiting for the holiday season when the prices of digital cross stitch magazines(back issues) are reduced to the lowest . I had earlier purchased new issues or at 50% discount rates but I found that I don't start stitching immediately. Then why not make maximum saving buying at the lowest rates :)

Have a crafty week ahead !!

Preeti :)