I'm sooooooooo tired...

It's been a busy few weeks so I've been a little lax with blog entries, however I've got a spare few minutes so I thought I'd better catch up!

First things first, I'm on target for the next release. The Beehive Trinket Box chart pack is currently being proofed & having last-minute decisions made on it ready for Monday 31st Jan, so remember to send payments ASAP to take advantage of the 10% advance order discount!

The next design is going to be an introduction to the Water Garden. It's a small design but there's a lot packed into a tiny space! It will feature some different techniques and textures which will be expanded upon later in the year. There is a large Water Garden piece to follow which I have been contemplating releasing in installments however on further reflection this could create prohibitive printing costs, so there may well just be a longer break between releases...

I had some very good news from the US the other day - I've been invited to do a workshop in Pennsylvania in March 2007! I don't have any more details at the moment, and a lot can happen in two years, but I was delighted to accept and look forward to receiving further details. Now I need to work out exactly how much linen, DMC floss, silk floss and ribbon I can fit into one suitcase - I think my mother's going to stowaway in the other, but I might have to leave her behind when I start shopping. I don't think she'd mind too much as long as she had her pillow, bobbins and silks!

L&L's Angel of Love is working up steadily and has been a good break between my own pieces. My needle organiser has come into its own with this project - the skirt of the Angel is designed as a series of small Klimt-style geometric shapes, each one requiring a small amount of different coloured floss to the next. I have used nearly my entire collection of needles in the organiser to make sure the trailing threads are kept to a minimum! I will have reached her face soon and am currently trying to decide whether to stitch it as charted (over 2 threads) or whether to go with the over-one option.....decisions....decisions......

As for the social life, well, I have found out that I can no longer go out on a Monday night & expect to function normally for the rest of the week. Especially not when I work behind the bar at a golf club on Wednesday night, catch up on the housework on Thursday, have a friend to visit till the early hours on Friday night and work at the golf club again on Saturday! I could sleep for a week at the moment, but I'll settle for a couple of early nights!! Luckily things are a little quieter this week so I should be able to catch up before visiting my parents at the weekend.

My friends seem to be determined to keep me occupied and are currently in the throes of frenzied match-making with any suitable single men. I have been invited to become a cricket-groupie (or whatever the correct term may be - possibly Pavillion Crumpet?) as one of the guys at work plays for a local team, and he has single teammates. The season starts in April and I have been reliably informed that it is an ideal sport at which to stitch - so I can combine a pleasant day's stitching in the sun with a view of toned, male bodies in crisp whites. A few of the other girls at work may well be joining me...

Add to that a visit from one of my old girl-friends in February, a couple of girls nights out, another friend visiting over Easter, more weekend working at the golf club, a Sampler Guild stitching retreat in April, more weekend visits to friends & family, and my social diary's looking pretty full. In fact, I'm surprised I've time for a relationship over the past few years!

Somewhere in there I need to fit in stitching, and funds are pretty low at the moment, so I'm desperately trying to spread social occasions out! As of yesterday, I have officially closed my diary to all future social occasions until June. Well, maybe. I might be too busy for Brad Pitt (never been keen on those cheeks) but if Sean Connery invited me out for dinner I think I could squeeze him in. As long as he paid.

Heigh ho, back to the grindstone. Don't forget to e-mail those orders to me by 31st Jan!!

Happy New Year!

Well thankfully, 2005 is finally here. Christmas had its ups and downs, and certainly didn't go quite as planned.

My sister and her boyfriend are currently in India and we had an anxious time waiting for news of them following the disastrous earthquake and tsunami. Luckily they escaped unscathed, despite their hotel room being flooded, and they seem to have been very much on the edge of the affected area. Apparently their only losses were a few pairs of shoes & a bikini - they were unbelievably fortunate and only realised the scale of the destruction days later. If you haven't already, please, please donate to the appeal - contact The Disasters Emergency Committee for further information. Also see the BBC website for additional information.

OH and I split up on Boxing Day after over 9 years together so things are a little strange at home without him. It's all very amicable but we both need some space at the moment - and while I hope we can sort things out & get back together, I'm determined not to mope about it. Luckily my friends and family have been incredibly supportive, keeping me focussed on the positive sides and in the case of my parents, totally pampering me!

I went back to my parents for a few days over the holiday for a bit of breathing space and am so pleased I did. It was a really good opportunity to recharge my batteries and take a step back from all the pressure whilst being kept very busy - even fitting in a day-trip to France! We went on a glorious day - it was so clear that the famous White Cliffs of Dover could be seen in incredible detail from the coastal road between Calais and Boulogne - had far too much to eat for lunch (snails, duck & sorbet - I was still full the next morning!) and returned home with lots of goodies from Carrefour.

The friend I recently visited in London was also back visiting parents and so came round to offer sympathy and a large slice of a gorgeous cheesecake - he claimed all the credit should go to Nigella Lawson, but I think he was just being modest! Apparently blood was nearly spilled when my friend reserved the last piece of cake for me, so I must also thank his father - I would never knowingly have deprived him of his second (or would it have been third?) piece, but rest assured it went to a very good home... ;-)

Despite all the upheaval, I managed to finish the long-awaited Beehive Trinket Box and am currently working on the chart pack. Barring any more incidents, the pack will be ready for release on 31st January 2005. If you would like to place a direct advance order, please let me know - you will receive a 10% discount as long as your e-mail/letter/phone call reaches me by 31st Jan!

"Beehive Trinket Box"
Release Date: 31st January 2005
Chart Pack: £9.50 (less 10% discount if ordered by 31st Jan!)
UK: All postage costs included in price
International: Price of postage available upon request
Copyright 2004 Bethany Woods. All rights reserved.
No reproduction without consent from the author.

Now the Trinket Box is finished, it's back to the birth sampler which is coming along very nicely. I've also put a few stitches into L&L's Angel of Love as my first new start for 2005 - I already have a space reserved for it on the living room wall! As with Greek Steps, this is my "downtime" piece, when I feel the need to be stitching but haven't got the brain left to work on one of my own pieces, so it's going to take a while to finish...

Hmm....I think that's it for the moment. Hopefully the next few weeks will be rather less dramatic!

Have a good weekend!!