Monthly Archives: January 2009

A mon seul desir cross stitch week 3

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A Mon Seul Desir - Januari 12th 2009 (Week 3)After such a massive week of stitching (see the update of week 2), I couldn’t manage that many hours again, what with work and real life and all that. I stitched for 8 hours this week, making the total 70 hours.

I finished the confeti below the rabbit, reaching the bottom of page 1. Then I continued in the upper right corner, where I am just doing the three main red colors. The confetti reaches to the right edge of the page, so I now have a feel of how big each page is.

PS, this update is a bit late, it actually concerns the first full week of january. However, I have had some trouble with my wrist, and I couldn’t stitch for a while. I put my piece away because I couldn’t stand not being able to stitch (and having a perfect three day weekend with nothing to do but stitch). The wrist trouble isn’t over yet, but I tried stitching again and I can manage. I am picking up a smaller frame later today, so I can reach the back from the right side, instead of reaching over the top. That should make it better too.

NGamer mass update

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After a long absence of NGamer update posts I have finally caught up my backlog last weekend. This post will contain the games that grabbed my attention in the last four issues (December, Christmas, Januari and Februari). A more in depth update will be done starting with the next issue (March). The brackets at a game posting contain the issue and page number where information can be found. I know the lists are long, not only because they span four issues, but also because the last issue (februari) featured a look into all the great games that will/might be released in the coming year.

Nintendo DS:

  • Mystery Case Files: Millionheir – A search and find game as offered by the MacGameStore in various forms. It has been out in the US for a while now, and I am looking forward to an European release in the coming months. [dec 66].
  • Pipemania – A very old school game where you have to connect the pipes (or tracks, or cables, or whatever). Still sounds like a fun puzzle game. Out now. [dec 68].
  • GTA: Chinatown Wars – Even though I am not one for violent games (no FPS or fighters for me), the sandbox aspect of the game appeals to me. At least, when I watch H. or my brother play the GTA games they look like fun. I might just try this one. Out in April 2009. [christmas 22-25/feb 32].
  • Colour Cross – A small and cheap nonogram/picross game, but since I love those puzzles, this game is a must have for me. Out now (though unavailable) [christmas 72].
  • Time Hollow – Sounds like a good point ‘n’ click adventure game, where a pen can open a window to a time in the past, so you can solve problems before they happen. Out in november (?) [christmas 74].
  • Zubo – The reviews for this game are not so good, with the biggest complaint that it is a children’s game (too simple). Still sounds like fun to me, so when it is a bit cheaper I will probably get it. Out now. [christmas 75].
  • Unsolved Crimes - Another point ‘n’ click game, in the style of Hotel Dusk. I can never get enough of point ‘n’ click, so this is on my wishlist. Out now. [christmas 76].
  • Boing! Docomodake DS – A puzzle game featuring a mushroom. Sounds like fun! ;) Out now. [christmas 81].
  • Blue Dragon Plus – The Xbox game looked and sounded great, so I am keeping my eye on this one. I do hope it will be more RPG than RTS, I am not a big fan of RTS… [jan 28-29/feb 33].
  • Chrono Trigger – A remake of a great classic RPG. Sounds very good to me, and I would love to get into this one. [jan 30-31].
  • Riz-zoawd – RPG game based on the Wizard of Oz. Very original. [jan 30-31].
  • Ninjatown – The ninja’s by Shawnimals are very funny and cute, and this game, a “tower defence” game, sounds like the right mix of fun and games. Out now. [jan 72].
  • Pokémon Platinum – The revamped version of Diamond/Pearl, but since it’s been such a long time since I played that game, I want this one. Release date is set at summer of 2009. [feb 26].
  • Final Fantasy Chrystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time – A new Final Fantasy is always welcome, and this one promisses interaction between the DS and Wii versions of the game. Release date is spring 2009. [feb 27.]
  • Eledees: The Adventures of Kai and Zero – I loved Eledees/Elebits on the Wii, and with all this talk going around that the puzzles in this game are similar to Zelda… I want it! Release in spring 2009. [feb 30].
  • Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure – Sounds like Professor Layton. I know it isn’t, but it still seems a cool game. Release in spring 2009. [feb 30]
  • Neopets Puzzle Adventure – A puzzlequest like combination of Othelo/Go and Neopets… Simple but fun I think. Release date set at februari 2009. [feb 35].
  • Professor Layton: Pandora’s Box – Maybe, someday, we’ll have an English version of this game, which has been released already in Japan. TBC. [feb 36].
  • Professor Layton: Last Time Travel – See above. TBC. [feb 36].
  • Dragon Quest IX – Good, old school like RPG. Winter 2009. [feb 39].
  • Mario & Luigi 3 – The threequel to Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. I love the GBA and DS games, so I can’t wait for this RPG! TBC. [feb 40].

Nintendo Wii:

  • MySims Kingdom – I already have the DS version, but I want the Wii version too. The game is featured in two issues (preview and review) and sounds like fun. Out now. [dec 22-23/christmas 50-51].
  • Kororinpa 2 – I enjoyed the first Kororinpa game, and the integration of the balance board sounds like fun. Release date is set for the summer of 2009. [dec 33/feb 36].
  • Safecracker - Featured on a two page spread about point ‘n’ click adventures, this game features mostly puzzles to crack safes. Sounds like a fun and cheap game. Release date was set for November 2008, though I haven’t found it in stores yet. [dec 38].
  • A new beginning – Another point ‘n’ click adventure, also with a release date of November 2008, and even more unfindable (it doesn’t help that it shares its title with the latest Spyro game…). [dec 39].
  • Escape the museum – Like Millionheir, a ‘find the object’ game, but this time for the Wii. Out at Christmas 2008 (but I haven’t found it yet…). [dec 39].
  • De Blob – I have read much about this game, and I really wish I could try a demo or something… it sounds like fun, but I am still not sure if it’s for me. Maybe one to find a in a bargain bin someday. Out now. [dec 58-59].
  • Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party – This is just a silly fun game to play with friends. When the price comes down a bit this will be a fun game to have. I especially like the balance board integration. Released back in November. [christmas 44-47].
  • Shaun White Snowboarding – The only reason I am even looking at this game (I am no fan of sports games) is that I used to love 1080 on the N64, and that memory, combined with the balance board integration makes this game sounds like fun. Out now (?). [christmas 52-55].
  • Animal Crossing – Even though this game is almost exactly like the DS version (which I played so much I can dream it), and even though I know I’ll never play the Wii daily… I still wanted. The power of Nintendo! Out now. [jan 48-51].
  • Tomb Raider: Underworld – I played the anniversary Tomb Raider on Wii before, and they say this is even more puzzle and less fighting. That’s good, because the fighting killed me everytime. Out now. [jan 54-55].
  • Endless Ocean 2 – Mentioned in a list of rumors about this years releases. This is one game I am looking forward to, especially if, like the writers in NGamer want, the game contains more of a story, and more diving sites like ships. I loved the original game, and wish I could discover everything all over again. TBC. [feb 22].
  • Klonoa, Door to Phantomville – A nice looking platformer. TBC. [feb 23].
  • Another Code: R - A Wii sequel to the Another Code game for the DS. I loved that game, so I am looking forward to this one. TBC [feb 23].
  • Final Fantasy Chrystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time – A new Final Fantasy is always welcome, and this one promisses interaction between the DS and Wii versions of the game. Release date is spring 2009. [feb 27.]
  • Sam & Max Season Two – This reminds me, I need to buy and play season one… TBC. [feb 29].
  • Little King’s Story – Sounds like a fun RPG style game. Release set at march 2009 [feb 33].
  • Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the new world – A full length RPG on the Wii… I’m looking forward to it! TBC [feb 62-63].

Review: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

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After seeing “The Golden Compass” movie I just had to read the books that were the source for this wonderful movie. A friend had said to me a couple of years ago, when they started filming the movie, that these were her favorite books, and now I really had to read them. Another thing that attracted me to this trilogy (consisting of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) is the contrast between C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia (which feature a heavy pro-Christian imagery) and this trilogy (which is pretty anti-religion/church).

As said before, this book contains all three books in one hefty volume. The first book, The Golden Compass, features Lyra Belacqua’s journey to the north to save her friend. She lives in a paralel universe, whose world reminds us of our own (she lives in Oxford for example) but is very different too. The most important difference is the fact that people in her world have a daemon, a companion animal that is part of that person. With children the animals can change (from bird to dog to cat to moth), with adults the animals are settled in a form that gives away the character of the person (dogs belong to servants for example). Anyway, the big issue is Dust, a form of energy that according to the ‘church’ has to do with original sin.

Not to give to much of the story away, but Lyra has many adventures in many strange lands where she meets nice and nasty people. One of the paralel worlds she visits is ours, and Pullman explains many mysteries of our own world in this story. The descriptions of the worlds, people and objects are very detailled and fantastic. The ideas in the book might be a bit far fetched, but hey, that’s why it’s fantasy. It is pretty anti-church, but then again, it is mostly anti-church in the way the church is handled, faith in and of itself isn’t condemned.

I loved the book and the stories, even though sometimes I did have the feeling that too many bad things were happening to Lyra and her friend Will. It does have a semi-happy ending, and for all the fantastic lands and ideas I give the book thumbs up!

LibraryThing Link

Our first house

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DSCF0826.JPG H. and I build our own house a couple of nights ago :D. It was a gingerbread house, but still. I had given H. the kit for Sinterklaas, and it was meant as a present for him as much as for me.

We have seen gingerbread houses on TV, in American movies and TV shows, but since it is a really American (or at least non-Dutch) tradition we had never seen one in real life, let alone made one. So, when I saw the kit in a cooking shop in The Hague in the days before Sinterklaas, I couldn’t resist, and bought the kit.

It was a lot of fun to make the house. The icing was sticky and messy, and it took great force to get it on the house, but it did work. The entire table, floor and H. were covered, but the result looks great. We have decided against actually eating the house (we don’t even know if we’re supposed to eat it) because the candies were not really edible (they nearly broke my teeth!) and the gingerbread smelled a bit like cardboard.

Even though Christmas was a while ago, the house now decorates our livingroom table, where it will stay for a little while :D

And then… no more stitching

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I was on a roll… I stitched so much these past weeks, and now I have had to stop. Last weekend I developed, what I have seen coming for a couple of weeks now, a ganglion cyst on my right wrist. Basically it is a balloon of joint fluid that sits on top of the joint and may or may not cause pain. For me it does, a lot of pain.
I went to the doctor this week, and will have pictures taken of it in two weeks. When they know for sure it is a ganglion (I am just saying it is because I have had it before), they will discuss what to do next. Last time I had a ganglion on my left wrist and I had an operation, and even though I hate needles, the operation went great and all my pain was gone.
But, for now, I can hardly use my right hand without being punished by sharp stabbing pain… So, no more stitching, no more gaming, hardly any internet… I’m bored already…

BTW, if you google Ganglion cyst, remember that with me it is a new one, small and not nearly as bad as all those horror pictures…

Publicity for Epic Mario

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crafsterNow that the Epic Mario Cross Stitch is (finally) finished , I started showing it of (virtually at least). I posted it on several crafty communities and one gaming website I work at. It was well received everywhere. One thing that surprised me the most was that everybody finds the piece so large, while I found it a good size, not too big, not too small. It is only because I am working on a huge piece now that I am not doing another big gaming piece.  Anyway, posts can be found here:

- Crafster
- Craftbubble
- Stitchers showcase
- Budgetgaming (dutch)

Also, I was honored with a post on Sprite Stitch, where I got the pattern and inspiration: Large Super Mario Sampler Finished!

It is very nice to hear such positive remarks :D

A nice week in London

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DSCF0699.JPG The week before Christmas (15 to 21 december) Henk and I went to London for a small vacation. We had been to London together before, but that was a school trip so we didn’t get to do what we really wanted to.

We spent the week visiting museums (The British Museum, Natural History Museum, V&A, Museum of London), special exhibits (Babylon in the British Museum and Byzantium in the Royal Academy of Arts), historical sites (the Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London) and of course we did a lot of shopping.

The pound was low (almost 1:1 with the euro) and there were Christmas sales going on. We bought lots of books (I love medieval history, and so do the English), DVD boxes, CDs, clothing, etc.

All in all a wonderful week :D

A mon seul desir cross stitch week 2

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A Mon Seul Desir - January 4th 2009 (Week 2)After two weeks of no stitching due to our trip to London and Christmas, I more than made up for it in this past week, by stitching a total of 38 hours. I have worked my way to the right, but mostly downwards the page, where I discovered more flowers and a rabbit. This corner of the tapestry is dark (due to dirt I think), so this is the reason the flowers and the rabbit are green… The brighter red is coming! :)

I won’t have this much stitching time in the coming weeks, but I have good hope of finishing the first page of the pattern this month :D

In between Stitch – Tudor Rose Bookmark

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Tudor Rose Bookmark On our recent trip to London (more about that later), I bought a Tudor Rose bookmark kit at the Tower of London. Like I said before, I love the middle ages, and this was the most beautiful medieval cross stitch kit I could find.

The kit itself was very complete. It had extensive instructions, more than enough thread, a needle, fabric (for stitching and the back) and a tassel. I stitched it in about 15 hours (I estimate) and finished it with the included red felt backing and the tassel.

Very old WIP – The Dogs Cross Stitch

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Dogs Now that I have picked up cross stitching again, I dug up one of my old works in progress. I bought this kit back in 2002 in the US, and started work on it back in The Netherlands. I worked on it for a while, but a combination of hot weather, an error, and getting a Great Dane pup that was a bit too enthousiastic made me put the piece away. I haven’t touched it since. The funny thing is, I can remember being frustrated because of a big error (one of the dogs is one or two crosses off I think), but I can’t find the error anymore.

Anyway, I was looking for an “away project”, a project that I can take with me when I am away in the weekend (A mon seul desir is really too big for that), and this will be it. Maybe I’ll finish it finally! ;)