March 2020 WIPocalypse

Hello everyone! WIPocalypse is the monthly check-in SAL hosted by Measi on her blog, and via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers! Click on the icon to the right to learn more. If you’re a crafter, please join up either on your blog or via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers!

March Goals were:

  • Finish the third panel in 12 Days – NAH
  • Start a Chatelaine – OH YEAH

I barely stitched any on 12 Days – we went into lockdown early (Mase is asthmatic & Grandma was seriously ill, as regular readers know, and then she passed very early on in official lockdown week). I didn’t get a photocopy of the chart prior to going into lockdown, doh, and my head simply didn’t follow the design very well, especially as I have made so many conversions.

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Instead I worked on Mermaid of Atlantis as my one-a-day piece. It was much easier as it was a simple random number generator, and I was only filling in the gaps with beads. There’s still a few errors, especially in the last week, but she’s finished.

In April, I intend to be very simple and just work on something every day. I would like a finish on Antique Celtic Sampler (this is very close. I stitched a dog butt yesterday, not often you get to say that!) and maybe some progress on Shakespeare’s Fairies or Nantucket Rose.

Obviously I didn’t get to attend my first Guild meeting but there was work on the Chatelaine. I stopped as I couldn’t focus even with a copy of the chart, but now that my brain is getting back online with work mode (damn internet) I’m sure I will be able to pick that up too.

Have you ever adopted a piece from someone else or gave up a piece to someone else? Which piece and why? I have inherited a few pieces when stitchers’ family members have passed them onto me but not really passed anything along. It’s rare that I will start something and not finish it (quiet over there in the cheap seats please!) but I am seriously considering passing along Mirabillia’s Raven Queen. I am not enjoying her much at all, and she’s been in virtual quarantine for close on a year now, more if you consider that I only pulled her out once I think for Magical Stitches.

Stitch From Stash oh boy, do we have to go there?

Bernina DMC 80C sale -52.00
Ribbon Rose -28.40
Stitch NZ -46.30
Sassy Pouch -98.12
Mermaid of Atlantis 40.22
Rollover + Budget $78.28
Total Available Budget -$106.32

October 2019 WIPocalypse

Hello everyone! I hope you’re well. WIPocalypse is the monthly check-in SAL hosted by Measi on her blog, and via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers! Click on the icon to the right to learn more.

I didn’t set any real goals for October – just to keep up with the weekly prompts in #magicalstitches and try to stay sane. Achieved the first, will debate on the second!

I managed an increase in stitching with 7841 stitches overall. 1520 in Fairy Tales, 1242 in Fairy Idyll and an FO in the Marauder’s Map (985 to finish) which is now framed and ready to go in Baby Bailey’s nursery. Three of my Saturday’s were spent with Mum, as she can’t be left alone, and as she naps more and more there’s more time to kill.

SFS – despite having four FO’s I spent well more than I earned, and I’m now $76.72 in the red. If I get a couple of finishes in – or maybe 6 of the Clouds Factory people I’m doing for Aurora – I’ll finish the year in the black, even if I don’t finish the six months. I look at 2017 & 2018 and I can see the same pattern. I think as home and work pressures build, I go off and spend, altho this year I’ve been a lot cleaner than others. Or I was tighter earlier in the year, or Nora didn’t release Mira’s that I really liked earlier in the year. It’s probably a combination of all those things.

November Goals:

  • Keep up with weekly #magicalstitches homework
  • Finish some CF or Mill Hill pieces

October Question – Do you prefer to stitch on a rotation or one project at a time? Well, until this year and #magicalstitches I thought I was more a one project girl. But I quite like the rotation thing, so while I’m not going to re-join the group for 2020, I thought I would do a slower rotation (weekly rather than almost daily) and get some FO’s done. I am still toying with Stuart’s clever CYOA version of the Harry Potter books and might also start that.

WIPocalypse June 2019

Hello everyone! I hope you’re well. WIPocalypse is the monthly check-in SAL hosted by Measi on her blog, and via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers! Click on the icon to the right to learn more.

In June, I’ve completed the following stitch numbers – which would be a lot more, if it wasn’t for the Toy Car project taking up a lot of evenings:

  • Coffee Quaker 106
  • Celtic Winter 519
  • The Guardian 1291
  • Mermaid of Atlantis 3773 (two more Ultimate #magicalstitches completed & I am well into the bottom half of the design)
  • Shakespeare’s Fairies 1064 (that’s the half way mark appearing!)
  • Labyrinth 113 (Sir Didymus is about to appear)

Wowzers, this is 6886 stitches for the month. That’s more than last month, how did I fit that in?

I also have an FFO – my Cloudsfactory We’re All Mad Here biscornu! My first attempt, and it’s a bit lumpy & in retrospect, understuffed, but if I ever make one again, I know what to do.

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June Goals:

  • WIPocalypse One-A-Day with Coffee Quaker (also one of my remaining EC tasks of 500 stitches on a geometric) FAIL – I picked it up 3 times. Just did not have the feels for this piece at all.
  • Hello May & Hello June FAIL
  • Celtic Winter (the last EC task of 500 stitches) FAIL – got half way tho, so at least I did pick it up!
  • Don’t spend! ACHIEVED!

July Goals:

  • WIPocalypse One-A-Day with a twist – just stitch every day
  • Hello May
  • Don’t spend!

Question of the Month: How are you doing with your goals so far this year?

Goals for 2019:

  • Finish SFS in the black – HALFWAY MARK ACHIEVED
  • Complete & FFO the remaining monthly Hello There pieces (Mar-Nov) HMMM
  • Re-start Shakespeare’s Fairies & complete one fairy ACHIEVED
  • Work on Tapestry Cat, Fairy Idyll, Arezzo, Four Seasons of NZ ACHIEVED WITH A FINISH

Overall, I’m pretty happy with my progress for this year. My stress levels are well below where they could be, thanks mostly to Si’s understanding, help & affection; a bit of medication & a daily bit of “me” time. I’ve worked on every WIP that I had started, have got several finishes including Arezzo and some framing.

SFS: The one monthly goal I did achieve! No spend, no finishes but I am $17.80 in the black. Woot!

WIP Wednesday #240

20190202_195150.jpgHello everyone! I’ve been super busy this last fortnight, stitching, walking, reading, cleaning, running around after family members & I can’t wait to take a break! One highlight was a repeat dinner with the Harpur family, who brought Aurora with them. Two weeks ago she was the length of Simon’s forearm/hand – now look at her! She’s 5 weeks here.

I didn’t post last week as my pieces were all over the show as I worked away at the various #schoolofmagicalstitchesandliterature tasks. All up, this last fortnight has seen the start & finish of Hello March (500 for words), 200+ more stitches on Nantucket Rose (enabled), 600+ on Shakespeare’s Fairies (various challenges) and 700+ on Tapestry Cat (two challenges). I have just stitched more on TC in a week than I did in all of 2018. He nearly has a tail! This is a lot of stitching but with our national holiday, Waitangi Day, I got extra walking and stitching in. And market shopping. Nom nom on the Whitestone cheeses and Selash cured meats. And perfection at the Franked stall – imported, handcrafted items from Cambodia where there is a story behind the item, & it’s helping differently abled people.

I also finished my January Project Life pages. I’m choosing to do these in a 6*8 album as it’s more personal to me, not for the family. There’s some stuff that involves others (I asked Mase to fill in the Back to School card) but they won’t get this until I’m passed. Mase does look at it, but he knows if it’s hidden journaling, it’s private to me & he’s not to read it yet.

And on Sunday, Louise & I got up early and walked around the harbour on Tamaki Drive. We started at St Helliers, went up to Achilles Point & watched the sunrise and a cruise ship come into the harbour, picked up coffee at Mission Bay and eventually got collected at Royal Akarana Yacht Club. 7.2km in all of super-quality time with my girl.

Hope you all have a lovely week!

2017 WIPocalypse In Review

When I look back at my January post, I think “you plonker”. I was far too ambitious!

The rotation plans were loosely worked around the following:

  • StitchMaynia’s monthly SAL e.g. Feb is “fandom” SOMETIMES
  • StitchMaynia’s colour SAL (this is only on the 15th of each month). SOMETIMES
  • The Never Ending Band Sampler. NOPE
  • The Magazine SAL. NOPE
  • The Round Robin piece, whatever it is and whenever it arrives. YEP
  • Focus on a Finish – whatever needs completing from the above or a current WIP that is nearly there. Mermaids of the Deep will be high on that list. UH HUH, REALLY? FOCUS?

Going into 2017, I had the following starts (listed in age!!):

  • TW Tapestry Cat (Dec 2006!) WORKED ON IN 2017
  • Semco Toy Story Sampler (October 2013) STILL RESTING
  • Nora Corbett Arezzo (March 2014) WORKED ON, FROGGED, WORKED SOME MORE, IN TIME OUT
  • Mirabilia Persephone (May 2015) BARELY WORKED ON – JUST A COLOUR DAY
  • Nora Corbett Blitzen (as part of my reindeer parade, Rudolph started in July 2015) FINISHED Blitzen, started Prancer
  • Mirabilia Mermaids of the Deep Blue (December 2015) FINISHED
  • Mirabilia Raven Queen (January 2016) NOPE, RESTED ALL YEAR
  • Tamara Blackwork (September 2016) I THINK I WANT TO FROG THIS ENTIRELY
  • Never Ending Band Sampler NOPE
  • Lavender & Lace Celtic Winter (December 2016) A FEW STITCHES ONLY

While I got some new starts & finishes in 2017, most excitedly the Mirabilia Andromeda, I think that I will work on focus pieces for 2018, and dribble in the odd new start that I have kitted. I’ll ignore the SM & SFS themed SALs except where my focus piece matches the theme e.g. in the FB Teresa Wentzler group (also run by Mel!) January is animals, April is nature & both of those would match Tapestry Cat. I’m taking the two-monthly Jane Austen SAL and I’m going to mix & match different pieces to make a unique sampler of quotes & icons. More on this in the next update!

So my focus pieces for 2018 (given that I want to end in the black for SFS also) are in order of attention:

  • Mirabilia Ashley’s Roses RR section (Dec 2018)
  • Semco Toy Story Sampler (October 2013) – Zac will be 15 soon, & this needs to be done before then! But first I have to hunt it down…
  • Mirabilia Fairy Idyll (September 2017) – Gail has loaned me the chart, & I want to return it in 2018
  • TW Tapestry Cat (Dec 2006!) – because it deserves progress
  • Mirabilia Persephone (May 2015) –because I want to get thru that skirt!
  • Jane Austen SAL (December 2017) –because I want to keep up with the readings

I’m going to throw in a few Small & Medium pieces, along with the Mill Hill Santa kits that I already have (Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Barbados, Trinidad, Venice & Genoa, remembering that I do two of each of these)

  • Lizzie*Kate Don’t Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle
  • Lizzie*Kate Wise Men Still Seek Him
  • Lizzie*Kate Coffee Time – Today’s Good Mood (already started)
  • Fancy letter P (I forget the designer)
  • Little House Needlework’s Bethlehem
  • Plum St Sampler’s Patriotic Freebie

I’m going to try to limit my purchases also. Any planned stuff must come from a local supplier, no more overseas blitzes! I’m also pulling out of an international sales group (most participants wouldn’t post to NZ in any case) & removing myself from mailing lists. Wish me luck!

WIP Wednesday #205, WIPocalypse & SFS

IMG_20170927_082813Well – I *might*have blown Stitch From Stash. If I spend nothing more & have no finishes, I will end up at $16.03 at December, which is a very small amount indeed (if we are calculating the whole year, which thankfully we’re not, I’d be at -$88.49 & not in credit until April 2018!!). But it is OK, as I am happy, & unlikely to spend heaps between now and January except on the odd skein or two. Gail so very kindly loaned me Fairy Idyll!!! I have been wanting to stitch this 1996 chart for ages, & couldn’t find it for love or money. So I brought a piece of Applemint Lugana from Catherine at Countrystitch especially for it. This needs to be my focus piece until I complete her. Luckily there is plenty to hold my interest & keep me going!

 Monthly Allowance $25.00
Hospice – MLI Shepherd -1.00
Hospice – JCS pile -2.00
RR Spend -91.00
Fox Collec. Mill Hills -53.84
Countrystitch Applemint -42.60
SELL MLI Blueberry 5.00
Mia Mermaid 15.35
Hawaii Santa Conversion 10.00
Florence Santa x2 20.00
Rollover $56.12
Total Available Budget -$58.97

And this month I finished two of the Florence version of the Mill Hill Renaissance Santa’s, & then found that the Fox Collection sold them MUCH cheaper than the LNS. I’m talking ten bucks cheaper per item, people. Now, I work retail so I understand margin & if it had been only a couple of dollars, I wouldn’t have brought from the online. But overall twenty dollars is substantial.

And I also spent $91 at the LNS, on fabric, Thread Heaven (before it disappears entirely), speciality threads (Waterlillies are ten dollars each here), beads etc. Thank goodness for the finishes I had!

This month, in addition to finishing Mia Mermaid, Hawaii Santa, Florence Santa x2, I also started the Jamaica Santa for International Talk Like a Pirate Day, worked on Nantucket Rose’s tree canopy, finished Blitzen (except the ribbons) is done on my Reindeer Parade & I started Prancer. And of course I managed to work out the start point and did four threads of Fairy Idyll last night (Simon has discovered Taskmaster, & it’s hard to do a new start when you are watching something interesting and laughing you’re a$$ off). So far this month I’ve only had one day where I didn’t stitch at all.

Topic of the Month: Which floss (or colour of floss) do you absolutely adore and want to stash constantly? I’m really only buying thread as I need it. It’s too expensive to stash, but I have recently started using and loving GAST, so if I had a few extra dollars, I’d be buying that, & probably in blues. I really need to finish that Persephone in blue…

Note: SFS is a closed facebook group hosted by Stephanie (Ms Oh Sew Crafty). Registrations for the first part of 2018 will be opening up later this year. WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi over on her blog and in facebook. Click on the link to the right to be taken to the blog.

WIP Wednesday #201 + WIPocalypse

whoa – some lovely comments from post #200 & my give-away! This is still running; please click and comment on that post.

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WIPocalypse is hosted by the lovely Measi over on her blog. Please click on the icon to the right; it will take you to her blog. You can check out years worth of submissions! It’s fun (for me) to see the progress fellow stitchers make, & get haul ideas.

Stitching-wise, I am definitely in line with this month’s question:

Question of the Month – How do you get yourself out of a stitching drought?

Yeah. I’m there. I have ALL THE THINGS but ouch! wrist movement since that big BBM morning. I wear a brace to drive & stitching is so minimal. I have too many options too, which is making me pause.

On Nantucket Rose, I am maybe 8-10 thread lengths past where I was last week. It’s so minimal I can’t even be bothered to take a photo.

IMG_20170824_211656_040.jpgAll I have finished (& by finished, I mean up to the “cut out the backing & glue magnets on) are two pairs of Lucie Heaton Designs Chucks from the September Cross Stitcher magazine. Red for Louise, purple for Aliese. At least they will qualify for a Smalls SAL entry!

So stitch-from-stash, I’m still in the black & intend to be there, all going well & if Nora doesn’t release anything amazing between now and when I can legitimately ask for Christmas presents! YTD I am now -$48.40 but will be in the black by October, without any additional spend or finishes. I must look at the group & see if Stephanie (Ms Oh Sew Crafty, check out her blog for some serious stitchy progress!) has the check-in post up.

Stitch From Stash Aug-17
Budget $25.00
Expenses Lynne- Mira Mermaid -30.00
(Sunset Laguna + beads)
Finishes Plastic Canvas Chucks * 2 4.00
Rollover Rollover $57.12
Total Available Budget Total Available Budget $56.12

So August is a bit of a wash really. I spent, but only one piece. Even if I had full movement of my wrist, no way would I get to complete the top leafy portion, but at least I was close to monogamous for the month.

September Plans are to be in-line with Stitch MAYnia SALs, the Mira month & Return to Hogwarts. I plan to pull out either Mia Mermaid, or my Reindeer Parade; and the Clouds Factory Hogwarts banners to start (I have abandoned the initial 36ct start!). There’s also the 19th Pirate day, & I’ll pull out the Mill Hill Jamaica (mon) Santa for that one.

So, if you’re a regular reader, thanks for getting this far! And if you’re a WIPocalypse check-in-er, I look forward to seeing your progress too. Have a lovely month!

WIP Wednesday #200 #passthestash #sprinklestitchykindness CLOSED

Okay then! Let’s get into this.

So the number is very, very arbitrary & we won’t get into my dodgy calculations to work out how many WIP Wednesday posts I’ve done since moving to WordPress. There are a few, so let’s leave it at that & get to the exciting stuff.

20170823_054202.jpgAfter 10 days or so not stitching, I am back working on Nantucket Rose, altho only 2-3 thread lengths per session. Anything more still hurts! I am about a quarter towards my goal of completing the top canopy. I don’t know if I will continue on her past the end of August or swap to my planned Mira month or Return to Hogwarts which are the Stitch Maynia SALs. If I have the fabric I might just start the Clouds Factory Hogwarts House banner pattern.

So. The Good Stuff. I want to #passthestash and #sprinklestitchykindness on you all in chart form. SO, in the comments, please indicate which piece(s) you would like to go in the draw to win. I will post worldwide, but you will only be eligible to win ONE chart. I will be drawing the charts in the order below, so as an example, if you win #1, and have asked to enter #4, you’ll be automatically ruled out of the later draw. You must also be over the age of 18, and entries prior to midnight NZ time on 09/09 will be considered. Winners announced in the WIP Wednesday scheduled for 13/09. Google random generator will be used to pick the winners 🙂

I’ve chosen my favourite designers or themes here. Hopefully there is something to entice everyone!

  1. Ross Designs White Tiger
  2. Teresa Wentzler’s Summer Carousel Horse
  3. DMC Poppy Field (this one does include the threads)
  4. Country Cottage Needleworks Joy
  5. Nora Corbett Inkberry (kindly donated by Lynne)
  6. Little House Needleworks Gourmet Garden

20170822_052919.jpgRight. Have fun, share this around, do whatever. TTYL!

June WIPocalypse

WIPocalypse is a monthly DIY SAL hosted by Melissa over at measi.net This is my third year of formal participation & it’s something I definitely high-light in my planner. Click on the icon on the right to join up, or see links to other participants.

Let’s review June’s goals:

  • Finish Emi, my portion of Julie’s round robin (Stitch From Stash “Finish it Up” SAL) – COMPLETED
  • Finish Andromeda – or at least get the conversion nutted out & rock completed – ACHIEVED! COMPLETED THE CONVERSION DETAIL & ROCK. And as of last night, Baby Got Back.
  • Work at least one day on MH Believe (Stitch Maynia Whine & WIPs SAL) – ACHIEVED

It’s just as well that I didn’t list “stay in budget” for Stitch From Stash as I’ve blown it. In the last month, too, of Part A, but I should be golden for the whole year. I was out at our Panmure store and just oops! Ribbon Rose was open. All I actually needed was a $3.90 pack of beads for Andromeda (03035, they might not work but they are pretty so I’ll use them somewhere), but I browsed. I never hardly ever get the chance to browse with no-one breathing down my neck or whining that I am spending too long or that they are hungry/thirsty/bored. So I took advantage of that to kit out the Mia Mermaid, the (yucky shop) freebie from the recent Mira meet-up. I had a fairly specific idea about the dyed threads that I wanted to use for the tail, but once I started laying things out I moved from the suggested to other Waterlillies, and then I turned around. A wall of Gentle Arts Sampler Threads (often abbreviated to GAST). Heaven could be a needlework store, right?

Mia-Mermaid-MirabiliaSo here’s my current thought process. Of course I’ll use Kreinik silver instead of the suggested DMC metallic, which goes without saying!

For her hair, sub from the dark DMC 3031 to GAST Dark Chocolate (1170). For the lighter portion, sub from CWL 137 Copper to GAST Toffee (7078).

For her tail, moving from the darker shades to the light:

  • CWL 083 Pine Forrest to GAST Pine (0120)
  • CWL 207 Bermuda Reef to GAST Mistletoe (0113)
  • DMC 958 to GAST Silver Fern (0114)
  • DMC 964 to GAST Evergreen (0150).

I like the subtleness of the dye difference compared to the wilder variations in the Waterlillies. I also won’t be stitching the lettering, but I’m thinking about keeping the year.

I also picked up the Mill Hill/Sandra Cozzolino Renaissance Santa (Florence) with his gorgeous painting but it was $27.90NZD which is a hideous price. At least there are the materials to stitch him at least twice – once for Lou and once for me.

MD151_40284On top of that spend, I purchased some things thru Down Sunshine Lane (www.downsunshinelane.com) who are amazing. They had the 3 new Mill Hill/Sandra Cozzolino Santas for 2017 at a reduced pre-sell, so I ordered those, and a Lizzie Kate Coffee design, and after everything was confirmed, the new Nora mermaid was released so I emailed the team, and they added that one to my package! I am in love with the Renaissance Mermaid. And with the top-notch service. It was so much better than 123, who charged me freight TWICE cause they split an order. I would have preferred an option to cancel as $12USD for a $7USD kit is not really worth it!

So onto July’s goals.

  • No stitchy spend (even framing).
  • Start & complete MH Christmas Island Santa (as that chart & leftovers are going to Michelle #sprinklestitchykindness Garrette, & she’s sending me Hawaii)
  • Finish Andromeda. Before I start Renaissance.
  • Kit up & grid for August start, Nantucket Rose, with Dena (half stitch) & Emily C (eclectic possessions) on Flosstube/IG. Which really means – decide on fabric. Hint of Autumn (mine is lighter than the sample) or blue? Dawn or full daylight?

 

Question of the month: Show us your Stitchy Spot!

So – not a question but the reason I’ve delayed posting this by a week. Si decided that he wanted a new chair, so we went looking. Two weekend’s searching narrowed me down to this: the modern Wingback from Freedom Furniture. High back, short-ish seat (I don’t have long legs and don’t want my feet hanging over!), decent padding and nice feet (that I can change out later if I want). All the frames in the lounge are black so the material will do for now. I’ll likely change it out in a few years tho. Mase helped me put the base on – he’s a natural!

WIPocalypse begins!

lk-hnyHAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

WIPocalypse is hosted by Mel at her blog http://measi.net/measiblog/ 2016 was the sixth year of the SAL, and my second year participating; let’s go for a trilogy.

 

January first is all about setting goals for the year, so that in early December I can go “oh crap!” LOL This year I intend to be multi-platform again, with the daily focus being on Instagram but at least the WIP Wednesday, Smalls and WIPocalypse posts here on the blog, and a monthly Flosstube. I have weekly rotation plans written in my diary to take me thru to the end of March & I will review then.

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The rotation plans are loosely worked around the following:

  • StitchMaynia’s monthly SAL e.g. Feb is “fandom” (I am thinking Cloudsfactory Labyrinth), March is Teresa Wentzler (Tapestry Cat). December/January has the 12 Days of Christmas, starting on Christmas day and finishing on the 6th – I will be taking my Hands On Design Christmas Chalk away with me. Mostly because I paid for the fabric (32ct!!) and I need to use it, so if it’s all I have with me I should see some progress.
  • StitchMaynia’s colour SAL (this is only on the 15th of each month).
  • The Never Ending Band Sampler (as my learning piece of the month).
  • The Magazine SAL (as hosted by Heather; click the image to the right for more info). This piece will double as my Smalls (click on that image for more info) post as I intend to use the JCS Christmas magazines all year, especially now that I have the CD with the past issues!
  • The Round Robin piece, whatever it is and whenever it arrives.
  • Focus on a Finish – whatever needs completing from the above or a current WIP that is nearly there. Mermaids of the Deep will be high on that list.

I am not going to start a New Year New Mira – mostly because I am away from home and I really do have enough started. Going into 2017, I have the following starts (listed in age!!):

  • TW Tapestry Cat (Dec 2006!)
  • Semco Toy Story Sampler (October 2013)
  • Nora Corbett Arezzo (March 2014)
  • Mirabilia Persephone (May 2015)
  • Nora Corbett Blitzen (as part of my reindeer parade, Rudolph started in July 2015)
  • Mirabilia Mermaids of the Deep Blue (December 2015)
  • Mirabilia Raven Queen (January 2016)
  • Tamara Blackwork (September 2016)
  • Never Ending Band Sampler
  • Lavender & Lace Celtic Winter (December 2016)

Ten’s not so bad, really!