Beck's Oriental Landscape Update

Hi all! I forgot to send my picture in on Oriental Landscape on Thursday but am just loving it. Purple is my favourite colour anyway so this is a dream. I'm working on the cascading clouds now and soon will be onto the sky to the right and then back underneath to the tree that comes off of the cliff on the page that follows. I have some large sections today to work on but then it's back to confetti stitching, lol...but it's all good!

I know we almost all say it but I do love seeing everyone's updates and getting to hear what is going on in our lives. It's been a quiet week here but that's good too! What with a SIL being deployed soon and then our son getting married Dec 2010, there's enough going on all around us - we're just the island of calm!

We're doing trick-or-treating here tonight for the first time. My DH doesn't usually like to do that but it will be a first for him and it was his idea - you just never know!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend and much happy stitching! Hugs, Beck in SC

Beck's Oriental Landscape

Yippee! I'm back stitching again on HAED - this time it's Oriental Landscape and it's really going well. I'm happy with purple of any shade and there have only been 4 colour changes this time. It doesn't look like many actual stitches but it's a huge achievement for me. I'm looking forward to having more progress pics in the weeks ahead...it will keep me from being stressed - my son and his long-time girlfriend just got engaged and this will be a BIG wedding - makes me glad I'm mother of the groom this time! I'm also working away on the weight loss and that's steady progress...I'm getting stronger muscles all the time and that's worth it overall too.

Hope everyone has as much fun this week as I'm having - I am one of the most fortunate women around! Life is great and friends like you all here - it's wonderful.

Hugs, Beck

Beck has her gorgeous floss!!!

and is about to make her big start:)

Cindy, here's my picture of the threads and the Qsnaps for the Oriental Landscape. Is there a way you can add it to my blog post or make me a new one please? I am SO excited to have started on this one...you were so wise to advise me to wait - I'm not overwhelmed now at all!

Have an awesome weekend and thank you for all you do for all of us, hugs,

Beck

Beck's Summer in Bavaria

Picture finally! I have conquered the art of putting photos on my phone and then sending them to my online album so I have progress pic!! I met some frogs this week so haven't got as much to show as much progress as I would have liked but also am glad there weren't more frogs to impede my progress. I debated leaving the wrong stitches in there but I didn't think it would look too good to have the top of the oval be somewhere besides center!!

That said, page 3 is coming along now very well - lots of confetti stitching but more quiet time too now that I've convinced DH that the tv needs to be off when I'm counting, at least at first! He's a big supporter of stitching as art, especially HAED and he said I was making it look so easy, he just didn't realize it was tricky (boy, do I have him fooled!)

I am progressing nicely along with the healthy lifestyle too - it's all about thinking that I deserve to be healthy and I sure am happier learning how to take care of myself and in turn am inspiring others at the gym. THAT is something I never thought I would do - going to a YMCA or inspiring anyone. I can't wait to see what else is on the journey for me - I am learning how to be me, just not a wannabe person. I have learned one thing especially - I love Oriental things so am going to be de-cluttering this weekend while I stitch - for every hour of stitching, there's a half hour of organizing!

Again, I love looking at everyone's progress pictures - you all are just too inspirational and talented for words - thank you for sending your pictures and for being patient with me while I learn all of the techno things I need to learn!

Have a most wonderful week and happy stitching!
Hugs, Beck

Beck's Update

Cindy, still no success on getting the question answered (from blogger) or being able to make my own comment (maybe that means I talk too much, rofl!) - now, just for "kicks" my camera phone won't cooperate either...so no update picture this week.

I have been working a little bit each day on this wonderful piece and drooling over the choices for the future (as well as everyone else's projects!). What a wonderful, delightful place this blog is all because of you all! I am inspired and so much happier every time I visit.

This week I had some good, fast blocks of just 3 different blues and now will be back to some confetti stitches but it's ok...I love watching the picture spring up out of the material. I will never be able to decide which one of those on my wish list I will choose for my birthday club next month but that is ok!

I wanted to share with all of you that this stitching with all of you is helping me get healthier, be more focused and eat less...I am training at the gym and have lost 82 pounds as of today...with another 65 more to go - but it is so much easier knowing that I can put my energy into creating something pretty, not something to eat that will make me not healthy and doesn't really satisfy like being creative really does. Thank you for all you do to make this blog so special!

Blessings to you all and may you have a marvelous week! Beck

Summer in Bavaria Update from Beck

Hi everyone! Thanks to Cindy for posting this for me - dang browser, lol...but here's the progress I've made even with the hot weather, lots of hours in the gym and work...I really, really love these designs! I can't wait for my birthday so I can get a birthday chart...like I'll be finished with this one next month!

I think of all of us stitching together as I stitch, no matter when it is...and am so fortunate to be in company with such inspiring, talented stitchers...enjoy all of your photos and visit every day, even though for obvious reasons I don't always post my updates right now.

Have a wonderful week! Beck in SC/Summer in Bavaria

Beck Summer in Bavaria - my first updates

I'm so glad to have started, lol! I had to get a new frame/stand and really like it now that I've gotten brave enough to add the material to it. Then I had to overcome my fear of stitching that first stitch - I didn't know I could count so many times! I am happy to report that I AM off of the first page and onto the second page - this one isn't a full page either but a lot larger than the last one. I like the design even better than I thought I would and am excited to stitch every day.

BIG thanks to Cindy F for helping me set up to post (again) and to all of you for your inspirational pictures. I don't think I have ever enjoyed stitching so much.

Looking forward to posting another progress pic next week...happy stitching everyone!

Beck's Summer in Bavaria - DMC and potential fabric

I hope this ends up in the right place...thanks, Cindy for the help with the posting of pics...off I go to stitch on something smaller for today but boy, I can't wait to start on this...I'm with y'all on the SAL until May 26 in spirit!

New to HAED

Hi all! I'm so glad to be here...I'm Beck, from South Carolina,a professional genealogist and in the middle of a 140 pound weight loss (exactly 70 lost to date - started 8/08) and have just taken up spinning - always thought the kind of spinning I would do would have been with a wheel - but not anymore, lol!

I have been stitching 28+ years (counted, pulled thread, needlepoint) but NEVER an HAED until now...what a treat this is going to be! I have chosen Christmas Animals for my first project...will be starting after I get back from my daughter's wedding in Charleston on May 23.

I am going to be signing up for the birthday club but the hard part is going to be choosing which chart I want to stitch after I finish this one!

Have been looking at everyone's work and y'all are so inspirational! Thank you all for having me here, Beck