Secret project & HAED BB SAL 2013

2,5 half months since my last post... uups. *blush* Sorry again for the lack of updates.

But I was busy working on my secret project.
I've spent the last 1,5 half years working on this (with most of it being stitched during the last 5 months) and finished it on January 21st.
And here it is:

This is a picture of Kian Egan that I took during the Westlife Gravity tour in Cardiff 2011. One of "my girls" is a big fan of him so I converted this picture into a chart to surprise her. After finishing it I've sewed the finished cross stitch work into a pillow case and my friend received it last wednesday.
I couldn't give it to her personally but judging by her posts online, I've made someone very happy. :D

After finishing this, I was very happy to get away from all the different greys, so I started this years chart from the Heaven and earth designs Stitch-A-Long: "QS Mystic garden".
It's quite confetti heavy so it took me almost 2 weeks to finish the first page but today I've put in the last stitches of page 1 :D

It is stitched on 28ct white lugana, 2 over 1, continental stitch and was started on January 23rd.
I love the white tiger and can't wait for page 2 to arrive so I can start his "brother".


At the start of January there was also a big surprise waiting for me over on the HAED forum.
You can set yearly and half year goals for your HAED projects over there and everyone who reaches their goals gets the chance to win HAED charts.
I still can't believe it but my name was chosen for the first prize which means I was allowed to add 6 new charts to my stash.
And these are the ones I choose:
- I know I can do this - Sharon Hurst 
- Winter rose - Rachel Anderson
- Panthera Leo Lion - Steven Paul Carlson *retired*
- Faces of Faery 185
- Faces of Faery 187
- Mini Melinda and Moohoo 

And these are my goals for 2013:
- Finish the Kian Egan pillow case (done)
- Finish pages 19 - 30 on "Rose" by Rachel Anderson
- Start and finish SAL piece "QS Mystic garden" by Ciro Marchetti (started)
- Start and finish "QS Lady bug" by Ching-Chou Kuik (only the lady bug without the flowers)
- Start and finish "Sailorboy" by Melissa Dawn (only the lighthouse as a SK for now, will stitch the whole piece at a later point) (done)

Now I'll be off to get "Rose" back on the frame. :D

Have a great day everyone.