BAUBLE AND BEADS

Quick pic update. This one's full.... I went bead shopping and now I needs to get myself another one. Unfortunately, the store where I found this only had 2...this was one. Fortunately, I had their number in my phone so I was able to reserve the 2nd one. Woohoo!! Will go get it soon. I needs it. As I have 20 colors more to organize. These are beads from China and Japan (5 colors are mill hill). Locals substitute these in the place for mill mills. Heck, these are cheaper. And I compared. Some of these are identical to mill hills. Also got myself 2 strings of tiny swarovski beads... will use those on my fairy idyll. Couldn't resist. They were so nice and shiny! I'm like a crow that way--- if it's shiny, I get mesmerized. 

I basically got all the colors 'usable' for the mirabilias. Heck, knowing me... I'll change colors away from the pattern. I like the idea that my project will be unique. But I do love the fairies Nora Corbett designs.

I'm just wondering why she went from nice flowy girls to... something that look like can labels. Golden Girl and Silver Tea... they looks like something on tin cans. I prefer the ladies with wings, gowns, or tails. Or maybe that's just me...

Anyway, I've been busy organizing and collecting Mirabilias. Sooner or later, I'll find a way to get all of them. Yippee!! Enough shopping for me now... will concentrate on stitching. No more surfing HAED or the mirabilia site or ebay... I. MUST. HAVE. WILLPOWER. I. MUST. STITCH.  

Gloating over Patterns and Beads

Some of you might not know that I live in the Philippines. And here, it is UBER hard to find patterns. So hard that as soon as I hear a whisper of a possible stash place, I'm off! Heck, it's so hard I shop online or in Singapore. Do you have any idea how expensive that is???

(example: a pattern that is worth $10 is already around 450pesos... and that is more than the minimum daily wage here).

And now... I heard a whisper...someone was selling Mirabilias and L&Ls. Budget be damned. I wanted those. So I put money in my bag. Grabbed my dad and we went. Basically out of town. Following sketchy directions taken from small posts on the internet. I was like a tourist, turning this way and that in the car. Pointing out buildings I've never seen before.

We were treasure hunting.

And I got 'em. I got my treasure. :) Think scrooge over his gold. That's how I feel over these now.

Thank God for a Dad who supports my crazy whims. He drove me out of town just so I can go treasure hunt. Think one and half hour driving...one way. Thanks Daddy!!

And... I just want to share my latest stitchy find. A BEADS ORGANIZER. I basically cut out the number on the mill hills package and stuck it on the butt of the containers. I prefer it on the butt instead of the top. Who knows if I'd get absent minded enough to switch covers by accident. This way, since it's on the body... I know that the numbers have the right beads attached to it.

Happy sigh. My Panda just asked me "what are you doing?" I answered "Gloating".

And I am. Wheeeeeeeeeee!!! Happy butt dance of joy. uh-huh! uh-huh! Yeah!

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!

Being OC.

I filled up my binder of Mirabilias and L&L's already AND with the help of my Panda, placed a pretty "spine" cover. Heads of some of the fairies and ladies. Just so, when my binder is standing or resting on my shelves, I know exactly what's inside. (instead of the usual text label saying "MIRABILIA / L&L".

And on the cover of the binder (which has a clear pocket), I slipped in a list of the patterns inside. The doc is saved in my laptop so all I have to is add to it when I get more, print a new sheet out and insert here. Updating as I go along.

MY EBAY FIND

A picture story of my ebay treasure find.

A few months ago, I won a blind bid. 2 binders were up for auction on ebay. Patterns inside unseen. All it said was that it had 100++original patterns inside and some unused kits.

I bid and won. And these are some of my finds. 

These I don't really know what to do with. Manually making my own pattern? Gasp... not within my powers. LOL!

There are a bunch of Lavender & Lace (and here I thought they were Mirabilias) and Haeds, some Christmas patterns and kits. And a lot of pages from magazines.

I scored big time. Woohoo!

Now to figure something out... I don't like those haed patterns. I'm not into wicca or goth. Would anyone want to do some kind of exchange I wonder? Either buy them off me or trade me with RAKS from my wishlist or original Mirabilia patterns?

MIRABILIA MADNESS

I'm mad. MAD I tell you! Mad for mirabilia. At least for the moment.
I think I'm setting aside my collecting HAEDs (for the moment) and taking up collecting Mirabilia patterns... since I'm handing my Fairy Idyll (which is a Mirabilia) and because of the Mermaid SAL I'm in (and most of them are stitching up Mirabilia mermaids), I suddenly want to make a collection of mermaids and fairies and ladies in poofy gowns. (How else will you describe Mirabilias?)

So... as my usual practice of "if I want something, I get it", I dove head first in searching for patterns. Now, I live in Manila. Where the scarcity of patterns is sickening. (Downright appalling). But my handy-dandy lappie and the omniprescent internet didn't disappoint me.

As of right now... I am awaiting the arrival of the following Mirabilia patterns:
THE FEATHER FAIRY, ENCHANTED MERMAID, MERMAIDS OF THE DEEP BLUE SEA, SHAKESPEARE'S FAIRIES, SABRINA, JANUARY GARNET FAIRY, THE COTTAGE GARDEN FAIRY, CHARLOTTE, SEPTEMBER SAPPHIRE FAIRY, PIXIE COUTURE: FERN, VIOLET, LADY OF THE MIST, THE STAR GAZER, LILY OF THE WOODS, CHRISTMAS WISHES, JULY'S AMETHYST FAIRY, THE SCENT OF OLD ROSES, ENCHANTED DREAMER, DEEPEST LOVE, ASHLEY'S ROSES, SAVANNAH'S CURTSY, MIDSUMMER NIGHTS FAIRY, SANTA'S MAGIC AND FAIRY MOON.

And for the heck of it, I'm also waiting for these Lavender & Lace patterns:
ANGEL OF LIGHT, ANGEL OF FREEDOM, ANGEL OF HOPE, ANGEL OF AUTUMN, FAIRY DREAMS, IN THE ARMS OF AN ANGEL, FIREFLY FAIRIES, ANGEL OF MERCY 1 & 2, ANGEL OF DREAMS, SWEET DREAMS AND ANGEL OF GRACE.

There goes my budget. POOF!

Oh well, I figured, I might as well get all these now. Sometime in the future, I might find myself in an even harder market for cross stitching AND more expensive too!! I figured, if I get these all in nice binders and keep them... it'll lessen my shopping expenses in the future.

Or at least that's how I'm rationalizing this crazy shopping spree I just did.

I'm still on the lookout for someone to give/sell me their Pixie Couture: Lily of the Valley, Holly Pixie, Bluebell, Sweet Pea and Elizabeth at a cheap price. I'm way ok with 2nd hand patterns-- so long as they're clear and without marks.

Sigh... oh well. It'll come.  I have to believe in the power of the threads.  The patterns will find their way to me. NOW to shop for a nice binder to house the incoming patterns.  (yes, I TOLD you I'm OC. I want my stitching collection looking nice and organized...and pretty!!!)

Anyway, here's an update on my QS MERMAID's TREASURE.

Taken March 8, 2012. There's no mermaid to be seen yet...but it's getting there.

Not-so-idle Fairy Idyll. WIP

Latest update: October 2011. So far....that's about it.. I haven't moved since then.