stitching secret pal exchange and my recent kit haul

I received a lovely package from Joanna (Maja71) in Poland. Thank you so much Joanna! I absolutely love everything you sent to me and the box is so beautiful too.

The magazine has lovely Christmas designs.  I’m going to try some ornaments on plastic canvas, they are so cute and would make lovely decorations for our tree next year. We won’t have a tree this year because our younger dog is just 7 months and he would be all over it. Here’ s a pic from the magazine:

I like the Christmas tree and the snowman. I’ve never stitched on plastic canvas before so it should be interesting. Here’s another lovely design I’d like to start soon, I have a dark blue fabric which I think would be perfect for this:

I haven’t sent my exchange package yet, I have finished stitching the small stitching, LOL but I still need to finish it into what it’ s going to be… sorry, no details.

I have been buying some cross stitch kits from ebay and from a finnish online auction site. Many of these are discontinued.

Yes, you can see my cat’s paws on the second pic.. I have one more kit on it’s way. I have started the cat, I had a piece of white 32 ct  linen which I’m using instead of the aida. The kit was made in 1991! It was unopened too. I love the things you can find on ebay, but was also shocked buy the amount of cheap chinese copies etc.

I have also started an owl design from a book by Jayne Netley Mayhew. I love the design but the chart is coloured and it’ s a bit difficult to follow, I usually make a working copy and mark off my stitches but this one doesn’t have symbols for all the colours so I can’t make a working copy. The first page of Running with the Wind by HAED is also done so I guess I did do some stitching while I was ill even though I thought I got nothing done.

I had to quit the hormonal medication, it was unsuitable for me and now I’m off to some blood tests on Monday. Hopefully things will improve soon.