Ten Things for a Tenth Blogaversary

It's my Tenth Blogaversary!  How the time flies.  Unfortunately I couldn't find a photo of me aged 10.  I was still in Primary School and had a very nice teacher but apparently we didn't do any Summer trips.  Or if we did, there is no photographic evidence.  So we have a Happy Frog instead.  He is a Lord a'Leaping from Just Nan's 12 Days of Christmas sampler.

So, here are the stats:

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10 years

1082 posts

674 followers

21,157 comments

1,326,785 pageviews

WOW

I thought it would be fun to do a Ten Things Tag for my Tenth Blogaversary.  I'll type the list out at the end and include a Mr. Linky if you want to join in on your Blog.

1.    The tenth project you completed:

Flowers by Sue Cook.

From Cross Stitch Collection June 1994

Stitched on 14 count aida.

This was a series of four designed by Sue Cook.  I stitched all four of them and display them together in Spring or Summer.

2.    The tenth blog post you made - Dark Alphabet Progress

Dark Alphabet by A Note of Friendship

stitched over 1 on 28 count evenweave

I was working on my Dark Alphabet, which I did complete and display every Halloween.

3.    The tenth blog in your blog roll (or your reader or however you follow blogs)

The tenth blog in my sidebar is currently The Spinster Stitcher.  Dear Coni, never fails to make me smile although I miss little Stewie and his smoking jacket.  Warning - the blog can be quite hard-hitting as she waits for her kidney transplant.

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The tenth blog is my Feedly Reader is currently Life Outside the Washing Basket.  Roni (hey that rhymes with Coni!) is a newer blog for me but I'm enjoying her Lockdown SAL and her entries for my various SALs and Hops.

4.    A designer you have stitched more than ten designs

I was hoping to find one that I had stitched exactly ten designs from and I did.  If you include Round Robin excerpts.  I do like the style of this designer, it's quite distinctive and they make beautiful ornaments.  One day I will stitch an entire sampler from The Sweetheart Tree!

5.    A project that took/is taking more than ten years to complete

I've been gradually adding my older WIPs to my WIPocalypse list and this year it's the turn of my Ernie Bishop NOEL letters.  I only have the hardanger to do now.  These are actually over 20 years in the making - 2 x 10

6.    A design on the theme of "ten"

JBW - Ten Lords A-Leaping
12 Days of Christmas

It has to be the Tenth Day of Christmas from my favourite Christmas theme - the 12 Days of Christmas

7.    The tenth colour on your current project.  Do you use this colour a lot?

My current project is Bothy Thread's 12 Days of Christmas (told you that I enjoy that theme!) and the tenth colour on my shade card is White.  Yes, I use White quite a lot, almost every project has some white in it.  Black is probably the only colour I have used more than White.  In my People's Choice post for April, you can see a project which is almost completely stitched in White.

Here's my Bothy Thread's design at the moment:

stitched on 32 count blue-grey linen

The plan is to finish that block this month as it was called for WIPGO.

8.    Your tenth WIP for WIPocalypse, WIPGO or whatever list you make

My tenth WIPcalypse project is the Stoney Creek 12 Days of Christmas designs.  I am stitching one per month.

My tenth WIPGO project is Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow, I completed one block last month and have another to do at some point this year.  I would love to have three or four blocks stitched by the end of the year.

stitched over 1 on 25 count Cassia Rose from Chromatic Alchemy

9.    Your tenth finish this year (or last year if you haven't finished ten so far this year)

Miss Witchy Mouse was my tenth finish, she is on the left with the bat motif on her side.

10.    How has your stitching style changed in the last ten years?

Looking back to 2011, I completed 77 things!  Many of them smalls.  I made a lot of cards and small gifts for other people.  Now I tend to stitch for myself and focus on much larger projects.  My big finish for 2011 was this one:

Mirabilia - Bluebeard's Mermaid

And I'm currently stitching a Mirabilia, so I guess my tastes haven't changed that much at all!

Fairy Idyll - stitched on 32 count Vineyard Murano from Crafty Kitten

Here are the questions so you can copy and paste if you want to join in:

1.    The tenth project you completed

2.    The tenth blog post you made

3.    The tenth blog in your blog roll (or your reader or however you follow blogs)

4.    A designer you have stitched more than ten designs

5.    A project that took/is taking more than ten years to complete

6.    A design on the theme of "ten"

7.    The tenth colour on your current project.  Do you use this colour a lot?
8.    Your tenth WIP for WIPocalypse, WIPGO or whatever list you make

9.    Your tenth finish this year (or last year if you haven't finished ten so far this year)

10.    How has your stitching style changed in the last ten years?

And here is the Linky so we can all come and visit:

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Finally, a very Happy Birthday to my Blogaversary Twin - Susan Yellow Flower Meadow!  Hope you had a happy, stitchy day.

10 Things you might like to know about me

Idea courtesy of Jan's Thread Garden

1. What was the last film that really moved/disturbed/thrilled you and why?
Not sure about the last, but the first was High Wind in Jamaica about a group of children who get kidnapped by pirates.  At the end the girl has to give evidence against the pirate chief in court.  I was in floods!  Silkwood also moved me.

2.If you could be given ANY gift what would it be?
The ability to swap places with people and influence their actions (for good of course!)

3.What's your favourite way to wake up and what's the first thing you do?
The large boy comes in for a cuddle every school day, great way to start the day.

4. What crafts have you done?
Cross stitch (obvs), needlework, hardanger, latchhook rug making, cutting and sticking with toddlers, clay (at school).

5.  What were you doing before you started this?
Having tea, will do the washing up when I've finished this.

6. When was the last time you cried laughing?
How sad, I actually can't remember.  One time at work I was trying to tell someone about our nickname for an unpopular member of the team and had hysterics!  It's usually when I'm with a group of friends and we're just exchanging banter.

7.What did you want to be when you were little?
I still have the school book with this in - a teacher, an astronaut or a police officer.  I certainly didn't want to be an insurance broker which is what I was for 17 years!

8. What is your current favourite TV programme?
LA Ink with Kat von D, also like Miami Ink, London Ink and New York Ink - spot the connection.
Tonight I'll be watching Mary Queen of Shops and tomorrow Grand Designs.  Love both those too.

9. What would you name yourself?
Something more interesting than "Jo" but I don't know what, hence my commenting name - Jo who can't think of a clever nickname.  I would love a clever nickname.  One friend used to call me Josephine instead of Jo which was fine from her.  I loathe Joey, it's a budgie's name.

10. What characteristics do you hate about yourself?
I cannot motivate myself to do housework and I don't earn enough to pay someone else to do it!

If you enjoyed this post and want to join in then copy and paste to your blog, let me know in the comments section.  If you're too busy then pick one question and answer it in my comments section.

Happy Thinking!

ooo, can't have a post without a picture, don't think I've shared this one - it's an Emily Peacock tattoo swallow for my little cousin.  Kind of relates to Q8