Miss Mini Valentine, my roses, a tutorial, and winner of my scarf giveaway!

Santa's Village is finished and I have just posted a mattress pincushion tutorial on my finishing blog here.

Stitching, designing and planning my garden in France.

The weather is beautiful today, the sun is shining and I am sat looking out into my garden planning where my roses are going to go, I can't wait to get them planted and watch them  bloom over the summer. I had quite a lot of roses in my english garden but here I have lots of space to make a beautiful rose garden with a real selection of my favourite roses.

Here are just a few of the roses I grew in England, I am hoping these varieties will flourish in France as they really are my favourite.

   

I have  been doing some cross stitch designing this week, a Valentine freebie and a new chalk board design called Time For Tea, apparently chalkboard cross stitch is the new craze at the moment, it is basically cross stitch on black fabric so I decided to put a little design together, more of that later.  

Here is my latest freebie to stitch in time for Valentine's Day, Mini Cat meets Miss Mini and falls in love! Lol....

I thought I would make two versions to celebrate my move to France, one in English and the other in French,  you can get both patterns from my freebie page here 

Annemarie

This is the comment Annemarie made on my blog.

  

This is such a beautiful scarf. I am not a knitter and for this reason I would love to win a hand knit item. I have tried knitting but get no further than the basic knit and purl stitches. Crocheting is my passion but knitting scares me. My mother was a beautiful knitter - sure wish I would have taken lessons from her. I purchased a book several years ago - Teach Yourself to Knit - unfortunately it has not been used much - maybe one of these days I will overcome my knitting phobia!

17 January 2016 at 12:04 

Until next time, happy stitching!

It's a giveaway!

Hi everyone, I thought it was about time I put together a small giveaway, included is this little pillow hand made by me together with some cute matching gift tags designed by me in Photoshop Elements. Now closed!

My giveaway gift has arrived!

Hi everyone, here is the giveaway gift that I sent to Terri from Chocolates4breakfast blog here, it took a while to reach its destination, I sent it a couple of weeks ago but it has now arrived safely.

Small Marie Antoinette giveaway, work in progress and gifts from my sister.

Hi everyone, apologies for the delay since my last post, I have been very busy helping my husband landscape the front garden, I have found muscles I did not know I had! We decided to remove a small picket fence and replace it with a pretty hedge, it looks much nicer now but obviously I had no time to spend in my craft room.

Winner of afternoon tea giveaway and Valentine gift arrived.

My Valentine Love pillow giveaway has arrived at Kathy's house, I made a couple of extra gifts to

include in the package.

Glad you liked it Kathy!

It is now time to announce the winner of my Afternoon Tea giveaway in the previous post.................. 

Gem from Gem's Country Life Dream

Gem please email me so that I can send your gift.

Thankyou for all of your lovely comments and welcome to all of my new followers!

Happy stitching.

Afternoon tea from Jewel and a giveaway!

I decided to do a little giveaway to celebrate that I now have over 2000 followers, it is similar to the swap I sent Jewel.

This giveaway is now closed, I decided to end it this week instead of next week.  

All you need to do is leave a message on this post for one entry to the giveaway, but you must be a follower to enter (new followers welcome) and if you want to gain another entry post the picture of my giveaway on your blog and tell your friends! 

Giveaway closes on Sunday 11th March 2012 at 6pm GMTime, the winner will be announced within a few days of the closing date. 

What will you win?   

The pink cross stitch necklace

A Teatime Cross Stitch Pattern from me or another cross stitch pattern of your choice. 

Two teabag covers

Pretty Thankyou cards with beautiful pale pink ribbon attached.

Please note:  I am unable to answer any comments on this giveaway because I am going to be quite busy over the next few weeks, but please be assured your name will go into the draw. 

Here are the gifts all wrapped in a pretty package ready to be posted

 

Gifts from Jewel to me

Here are the lovely afternoon tea gifts that I received  (you can see the gifts I sent Jewel in the previous post), the gifts I received are just so lovely,  inside the package was a Tea Pot necklace, a cup and saucer, some home made jam, pretty recipe cards, some stickers and of course, tea!

Thankyou Jewel, I really enjoyed this swap.

I looooove this teapot necklace, great minds think alike! lol

Pretty recipe cards

Pretty little stickers

Until next time, happy stitching!

Afternoon tea cross stitch gifts posted

Nothing much to show this week as I have been preparing gifts for an exchange that I signed up for over on Jewels blog here, I simply could not resist joining as the theme is afternoon tea, which of course is my favourite! Jewel is my partner, we all had to put 6 gifts in the swap, one was a crafty gift, another was edible and one gift had to be handmade, they were all being sent out to coincide with Jewels birthday, I think this was such a lovely idea.

I thoroughly enjoyed this swap, I sent it on Saturday so it should arrive on Monday or Tuesday, as soon as I know it has arrived I will be posting pictures on my blog.    

I also sent Kathy's Valentine giveaway gift, that should arrive within the next week or two.

Thankyou for all of your lovely comments and welcome to all of my new followers. 

Happy stitching!

Cross stitch pillow winner!

Hi everyone, just a quick post to announce the winner of my Valentine cross stitch pillow giveaway,

the winner is .........................

Kathy A from Kathy's Sit and Stitch blog here

Congratulations Kathy, please email me in my profile with your contact details and I will post the gift to you within the next 7 days. 

Thankyou so much for all of your kind comments and welcome to all of my new followers. I will be having another giveaway over the next few months to celebrate that I have over 2000 followers on my blog! Yay!   I can't promise when the giveaway will be, but rest assured there will be another before my big annual giveaway in July when I will celebrate 4 years of blogging!

Thanks everyone for your visits to my little piece of blogland!

Happy stitching. 



Cross stitch work in progress, Valentine giveaway and stash bought in Paris!

Hi everyone, we returned from the Paris stitching show, L'aiguille en fete, on Saturday evening, it was -8 in Paris and I was very relieved to get home to my nice warm house, we had a lovely time!

In this post I will show my recent cross stitch work in progress, my cross stitch stash from Paris and show you my latest giveaway for Valentines day and give details of how to enter.

I started  to stitch this Home Sweet Home cross stitch of mine whilst I was on the train to Paris, I just love the colours in this and it is a very easy pattern too!  I am stitching the cross stitch design on 18 count aida fabric with DMC stranded cotton threads.

Here is a close up of the design.

Next up is the stash I bought at the show, 2 patterns, a bobbin, handmade pins and little wooden extras, I am looking forward to playing around with these.   

I love these pins - yummy!!!!!

It was quite busy but we got there just half an hour after the doors opened, we got around pretty quickly before the crowds appeared!

And now for my giveaway, all you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this valentine pillow is:

Giveaway now closed

Become or already be a follower and leave a  comment on this post, thats it!

The giveaway will close at 6pm (GMT) next Sunday evening on the 19 February 2012 and then I will draw and announce the one winner either on Sunday or within  a few days of the closing date.     

Good luck!

Now closed

I appreciate all of your comments and welcome to all of my new followers......

Happy stitching!

My Memories Suite Giveaway!

Hi everyone, I have been asked by My Memories Suite to host a giveaway on my blog, it is not cross stitch but it is something I think you will find interesting!
Have you ever wondered how some blogs have lovely photographs with floral trimmings and ribbons etc and you never understood how they did that? Well I certainly did not understand it, until now that is!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED 

I designed this picture using the 'digital software programme' from My Memories Suite Version 2 and I think it is kind of cute, don't you?  It was very easy to do, I am looking forward to getting more creative with this, I think my next project will be to design a new blog header for my blog, so watch this space!

This software is a digital software programme that allows you to make lots of pretty papers and decorate your blog with the kits that can be purchased from My Memories Suite (Click link to take you to the page)

I would advise you to check out this video here   as it shows you what you can do with My Memories Suite in a little more detail, and there are lots of other videos on the same page to give you lots of ideas to use this 'digital software package'. 

I am offering one reader this 'digital scrapbooking softaware' for free, yes free, for you to make your blog look beautiful, as well as making the most beautiful scrapbook pages. Don't be too upset if you don't win first prize because everyone is a winner in this giveaway, all readers of my blog can use the code below to get $10 off the $39.97 price of My Memories Suite software.

Just enter the code below when you add your software package to the basket on their website and you will get $10 deducted off the price.

   STMMMS44238

What do you need to do to enter?

Visit My Memories Suite website here and choose your favourite digital package, return to my blog and leave a comment stating which one you have chosen, thats all there is to it! 

The giveaway closes on Sunday 2nd October 2011 and I will announce the winner shortly afterwards.   

I absolutely love this software package, it is so easy to use and I am looking forward to making my blog look so much prettier! I will be back Sunday evening with another cross stitch pattern and another cute picture using this software.  

Good luck everyone! 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Winner of my giveaway is..............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone, thankyou for the 171 comments on my brooch giveaway, I really appreciated every single one! I could not respond to everyone because some of your emails are set as no reply, I know I am always saying this but I don't want you to think I was ignoring you!

And now for the moment you have been waiting for ............

the winner is  Julie from Julies Knit and sew corner - blog click here

Congratulations Julie you chose the blue one!

It will be in the post as soon as you let me know your address, please email me from my profile! 

Please don't be too disappointed if you did not win this time, I have another giveaway ready for my third anniversary of blogging,  which was last week sometime, I will put that up, hopefully, tomorrow.

Stitching news

Pretty emery filled strawberry with a matching strawberry polymer clay pin, I just so love making these pins!

My latest collection - some of these are included in the next giveaway!

I made this pretty box too for the packaging!

I hope you enjoyed your visit and,  as always,

happy stitching!  

Pop back tomorrow evening for my next giveaway!

   

I have been published and Lee's beautiful giveaway has arrived!

Hi everyone, thankyou for all of your lovely comments on my recent giveaway, it seems that you like my felt brooches! I have tried to reply to all comments but some emails are set as 'no reply' which makes it difficult, but just to let you all know I really appreciate your comments. Welcome to all of my new followers!

I have some exciting news, I have been published in The World Of Cross Stitching Magazine for the first time, I was so excited when my monthly magazine dropped through the letterbox! I have known for quite a few months but I wanted to keep it secret until I was published. I am quite shy at showing my photograph but the magazine preferred me to publish a photo of me, so for the first time you all get to know what I  look like, lol!!!!!
They have shown photos of some of my recent creations and they very kindly published my blog addresses.

Here is the front cover

and here is the article I contributed to: 

The Do's and Dont's of cross stitch. 

That's me on the right!

My sister nearly fainted when she saw a photo of me in the magazine, she thought I would not be able to keep it to myself, but this proved I could! lol I did not tell my Mother or my sister as  I wanted to surprise them!

Another exciting gift arrived in the post, it was Lee's giveaway, and oh my did this take my breath away, Lee is one very talented lady, thankyou Lee I love it, and I am sure everyone who see's the photo's will too!

These will be treasured always.

Check out Lees blog at 

Notes From Under the Mountain Blog here  

Beautiful notebook, embroidered bag, beautifully beaded pomegranate and

embroidered heart!

A close up for the detail!

Told you all it was worth the wait!

Stitching news

A cute pin cushion

I attached a swarovski crystal bead

and a sweet 'made with love' tag on the reverse 

I am also planning another giveaway which will be posted within a few days of announcing the winner of this one, so there is still another chance to be a winner soon!

Thankyou for your comments and happy stitching!

One felt brooch giveaway!

Hi everyone, I have been playing around with felt again and I have created these pretty little brooches and a small hanging pillow. They are embroidered with spider web roses, seed beads with pretty ribbon bows and blanket stitched around the edge.

I will be making some scissor fobs in the same design too.

The small embroidered love heart brooches measure just under 4cm at the widest part.

My giveaway

I am  giving away one of the small loveheart brooches to celebrate that I have over 1300 followers. I was intending to do this in September but changed my mind, so, if you would like to win one of the small love heart shaped embroidered brooches in a choice of pink, blue or purple then please follow the rules below:

The draw will close on 31st July 2011 and the winner will be announced a few days later.

1) Please leave a comment on this post on or before the 31st July and your name will be entered into the giveaway to win one of the small embroidered loveheart brooches. Please state which colour is your preference. 

2) If you are a follower or become a follower you will be entered twice, please tell me you are a follower.

3)If you post the top photo on your blog and create a link to this post you will be entered again, but please say you have done this.

There you have it, three chances to win! 

More photos below.

My stitching news

I have received the most beautiful giveaway gift from Lee over at Notes from under the Mountain blog, I will be putting that in my next post. When you see it you will be amazed at how absolutely gorgeous Lee's gift  is, it is so beautiful that I need to dedicate a post just to Lee's gift. I am currently taking photo's and they will take your breath away!

Thankyou so much Lee for this very special gift, I shall treasure it always! 

More photo's of my little brooches and pillows.

Close up detail of spider web roses and seed beads.

Happy stitching until next time!