Giveaway winner - very belatedly!!!

The winner of the 'A Place we call home' as chosen by Rachael (who actually lifted her head out of her revision long enough to choose!) is....

KIM M

So Kim, if you could send me your address and I will pop it in the post to you ASAP.

I'm sorry for the delay, but I have been so busy with archery competitions, work, kids and sorting things out round here that I haven't been stitching, blogging or doing much more than checking facebook.

Happy Dance Giveaway

I have finally had my 5th finish of the year and it is one that I have mixed feelings about.  I loved this design when I first saw it and felt that it summarised my marriage to Colin.  Clearly, he didn't and so that is why we are where we are today!  If you are a regular reader, you know what I mean, if not it doesn't matter!

So, that is the reason that I have decided to give away the finished stitching.  I am not going to finish it into anything, you win it as it is. If you would like to have it, please leave a comment telling me why and I will do a random.org thing on 21st April.

Good luck!!!

Stitching progress, giveaway and flowers

I'm afraid the title of this post is a 'does what it says on the tine' type title.  I couldn't think of what else to call it!

This is where I have got to now with Gardens of London.  I am absolutely loving it and don't really want to put it down.  It really isn't conducive to writing an essay.

I was also lucky enough to win a chart in a giveaway too.  Nancy at Pickle Barrel Designs had one recently and gave a choice of three charts to win.  I loved 2 of them in particular and said she could choose to send whichever she preferred of them.  Nancy picked the one below.  It's a cute design and great sentiments to live by!  Thank you Nancy :)

Lastly, I thought I would share a few photos of our garden with you.  Well, more a few photos of my favourite tulips at the moment!  They probably all have names but in our house they are just known by their distinguishing features.  So you have the pink, tatty one, the blushing yellow, the pointy one, the white one and the pink and orange one - no marks for originality in naming them!

Blogoversary givesaway winner

Better late than never!

There were 40 comments on the giveaway and only a few people definitely said they didn't want to be entered.  That meant that 35 people either did want an entry or didn't tell me either way.  Therefore, if they didn't say, I entered them anyway.  I worked on the theory that if they didn't want to, they will tell me when I notify them and I can redraw it.

Do without further ado....

drumroll please....

The bowl of dooooooooooooom...

...the child of doom...(joking Rachael xx)...

...I choose...

...this one!!!!!!

(Yeah, you look a bit TOO excited there Rachie!)

Unrolling the lucky (unlucky?) piece of paper...

...there you go...it's...erm...er...bit closer please Rachael.

...for crying out loud girl, I still can't read it.

That's better! I can see it now.  (BTW, you need to take your nail polish off properly.  It looks like your fingernails are bleeding.)

******Congratulations Rhona ******

Last call for giveaway

Just a final call for the giveaway.  If you would like to enter please click on my giveaway post and leave your comment.  I have got a few nice (well I think they are anyway) bits and bobs to send the winner already but am struggling to decide what sweeties/candies to send that are typically British.  Hmm...thinking cap on methinks.

Blogoversary approaches

6 years?  Seriously?  WOW!

All I can say is a big thank you to EVERYONE who reads my blog, takes the time to comment, supports me through life's trials and tribulations and doesn't laugh at my stitching...or lack thereof :)
Of course as is traditional, this calls for a little something to be given away.  Hmmm...well last year someone (Jo, was it you?) that I do a wooden giveaway as that was the gift for a 5th anniversary.

After looking at what it would be this year, I discovered this year's gift is iron. So leave your name below if you want to win a new iron. Haha...anyone mad enough to do that can come round my house to use it ;)

Ok...so hopefully we all agree that is NOT what we want from a giveaway!  Further examination found that Americans also give candy for the 6th anniversary...this is definitely sounding better now!

Therefore, I will do a giveaway which is iron/candy themed for my blogoversary celebration and if you are really unlucky, I might make you something too!  Rules are:  be a follower, tell people if you want to but I won't be doing the extra chance thing, make sure I have some way to contact you if you win (I have loads of no reply commenters at the moment...do you think I am a mad stalker or something?) and wish me a happy blogoversary!

I will leave comments open until 26th March which I think is my official date and then get a child to pull a name out of the 'Bowl of Doom'.

2000 comment giveaway

Justine has received her little gifts for having her comment drawn out of the hat so to speak when I had received 2000 comments recently.  I sent her a couple of Lizzie Kate designs that she liked and made her a little scissor fob.  As she didn't say "Eurrrghhh, what on earth is that?" I think she may have liked what I made her!!  And this is what I sent her, wit a couple of closeups of the scissor fob.  I am pretty sure this is the first time I have made a beaded edging on a design and like how it turned out.

The charts were freebies from here and here. Designed by Sharon Manspeaker.  Her blog is well worth a good read as she has designed many lovely (and quick to stitch) charts.

Great giveaway!

Fab giveaway...just click on the button to go straight there...

Really cute giveaway

Caitlin is having a really cute giveaway on her blog.  It closes on Sunday so go and have a look!

http://mangogirl-naughtscrossstitches.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/carolers-and-giveaway.html

I always enjoy reading her blog despite the fact I am miles behind on blog reading and desperately trying to catch up with all of you.  I'm now down to my last 400 posts to read!!

 I got a lovely surprise package from Jo today.  Well actually it wasn't a total surprise as she had kindly offered to send me a piece of light blue aida that was about big enough to use for a table cloth.  What I wasn't expecting were the other lovely things that fell out too.  Some cute little snowflake charts (not shown in case the copyright thieves are out and about!), some more fabric to stitch some of them on and a gorgeous little bag with a rather yummy bar of chocolate in it.  Thorntons turkish delight to be precise...oh no...I've just realised...I forgot to offer my son some...whoops!  As you can see, the photo features an empty wrapper, but I did wait until after my tea to eat it ;)  I also got my first Christmas card of the year.  This one is designed by Jo's 'Small Boy' and is SO cute.  When we had these at school one year, only very special people got them, not just any Tom, Dick or Harry.  I have added a close up of the bag as it is so pretty, the backing fabric is gorgeous.   Thank you Jo for such a lovely gift.  Jo had a giveaway for reaching 400 followers (and Jo sadly you are right, I had forgotten but what a lovely surprise!!!!).

Thank you Jo, for such a lovely surprise (well most of it was) package.  It's all gorgeous!  

I think Penguin Parade will now have to become a January start (because it's not like I have anything else on the go).

Giveaway again

Katie had been in touch so I will be getting her prize in the post on Monday.  Thanks to those who put out messages for her :)

My 'wooden' giveaway

I have still not heard from Katie despite repeatedly emailing her.  I have also left a comment on her last blog post for her to contact me.  If anyone knows her in real life could you please let her know that she won and I'm trying to get in touch with her.  I will redraw the names if I don't hear from Katie by 17th April.

(Jo, I wanted to send yours and Katie's at the same time so I haven't forgotten you :)

Sort of a WIPocalypse/Theme-a-licious update

There hasn't been an awful lot of stitching this month.  My course is really intense and taking up nearly all of my spare time.  Rachael and Luke didn't even know they had a mum for the first week of the Easter holiday as all my time was spent at the kitchen table writing an assignment.  Still we can have a fun week this week.

I am still waiting on Katie getting back to me about winning - I wonder if she is on holiday somewhere hot and sunny?

So this is my progress on Cut Thru Stable which I am doing as a Monday night SAL with Linda and Debbie.  There is now 8 of us stitching various Cut Thru designs.  If anyone wants to join in with us just let one of us know.

This is my progress on Chatelaine's Roses of Paris so far.  I have ordered the rest of the silks and will be hopefully getting them in the next couple of weeks.  I am really enjoying stitching it and have only got a little bit to do before I can move onto the next area.  Do I go up and do the Eiffel Tower or down and do the metro station?  I think I might leave the Eiffel Tower until last actually.

I am slowly moving all the blog links over to bloglovin' which I am finding easy to use so far.

I'm sure I have some other news to share but can't for the life of me think what it is...oh well!

Belatedly...and the winner is...

Well let's face it, you would probably faint if I did something on time, wouldn't you?  So follow the photos and find out the winner.

The bowl of destiny, aka my cereal bowl...

...the boy of fortune (aka Luke)

hmmmm.....I wonder....which one shall I choose?

I think I like the look of that one...

Can you read it?

No?  How about now?

Still a bit blurry?  Well how about now then? 

***** Congratulations Katie *****

Can you email me your address please and I will get your 'woody' prize in the post to you.

There was one comment that really made me chuckle so Jo, for being so 'wooden' and giving me the idea in the first place, I'm going to send you a little something too.  I'm pretty sure I have your address but will shout if I have filed it somewhere I can't find it!!

And the winner is...

The names were put into a hat...well actually a bowl and the husband decreed that

Nicola

is the winner of the giveaway.  Congratulations Nicola, could you send me your address please?

Thank you to everyone who entered and for the support you ALL give me!!

(Edited to put the link in that I thought I had to start with...sorry!)

Cats, Tryllacraft and Canada post

First off I want to say a bit thank you to everyone who comments.  I don't always get round to replying, which I am sorry for but sometimes I write a reply and then realise the address is noreply.  So if you are a no reply blogger, I am sorry that I can't respond to you.

I haven't done any stitching the last couple of days...that's a great start to my rotation isn't it?  Still never mind, the WIP's will still be there tomorrow :)

Below is a a photo of our 2 cats (Biskey is on the left, Smudge is on the right).  I think Colin was cooking something that they were desperately hoping was going to fall on the floor!  Sadly it didn't - well sadly for them anyway!!

Adrienne over at Tryllacraft was offering some of her WIP's that she was no longer in love with to a new home and I was fortunate that she let me provide a new home for 2 of them.  Both of them are Mill Hill kits and are lovely.  Adrienne also included all the threads etc and even a few skeins of DMC variegated for me. I absolutely love the red in particular.  Thank you Adrienne for your generosity.

What's really amazing though is that Adrienne posted them on 29th October and I received them on 2nd November...from Canada...to UK.  That's amazing!  Royal Mail are lucky if they can deliver a second class letter inland in that time.

Don't forget there is a giveaway a couple of posts previously.  Please leave a comment and be entered for it. On the subject of the giveaway, the votes on the poll have all mysteriously turned up again.  Very strange!!!

Very belated WIPocalypse post

Well I have been stitching away through WIPocalypse even though I keep forgetting to update for it.  First up is Confetti of Hardanger by Abi Gurden.  I had so many problems with part 3 that I left that and did part 4 instead.  I went back to Part 3 a few days ago and managed to work out where I was going wrong and correct it.  I am also trying a new technique for the eyelets where instead of a controlled pull I just give a sharp tug.  This has really helped to open up the hole in the centre and I really like the look of them.  There is a close up of the eyelets and then a view of the piece as a whole. 

I know I only posted this a few days ago and strictly speaking it wasn't a WIP but it's cute so you can see it again...lol.

And then is a giraffe that I started about 3 1/2 years ago.  I am going to try to stitch one or two lengths of thread on this each day.  I really hate the fabric.  It's a very stiff aida and splitting the fabric for quarter stitches requires a pneumatic drill not a needle.

I did a little bit more on the Flip It's series but have run out some of the threads or didn't buy them to start with so it will have to wait.  I might move onto February whilst I wait for them.

The final project to get some love was Sunflower Fairy.  I have no idea why but I just had an urge to work on her one night and in that time stitched everything except the green.

At the moment I am working on a RR and I have a Christmas Exchange to decide on too.  I am thinking of doing a rotation to try and stop my butterfly tendencies which show no sign of abating at the moment.  I have roughed out a plan and posted it on a separate page.  Have a look if you like.

And finally....don't forget to enter the giveaway on the previous post if you would like to.

150 followers

....well actually it's 153 followers.  So time for a giveaway...YAY!!!

I don't know what on earth has gone on with the poll in my sidebar.  It really is playing up and now I apparently I have no votes at all...not even the one I did myself to try it out to see if it was actually working.

Anyway the most popular idea seemed to be something made by me...honestly has nobody seen my finishing??? Therefore I will make a winner a little stitched 'something'.  I'm not going to say what because I need you to tell me what you like.

So if you would like to 'win' a 'something' from me, please answer the following questions.

1. favourite designer
2. favourite colour(s)
3. favourite season
4. favourite themes
5. stitchy likes and dislikes - anything at all (apart from frogging - we all hate that!!)

I'm going to ask that you don't post about this giveaway on your blog as I would like it to be open to the people who actually read my blog, support me, comment, inspire me, force me to stitch lovely designs that they put on their blog (mentioning no names, Jo!) etc etc.

To enter just leave a comment on this post before Sunday 11th November.  I will choose a winner on Monday 12th to allow for time differences affecting when people read.

Now obviously as I am going to tailor the 'something' especially to your likes/dislikes it won't be with you on Tuesday!  Please give me time to make it!!!  Oh and if there are any finishes you really don't like or perhaps would like to own, let me know!

I have been very lucky recently with winning 3 giveaways.  First up was Cath at The stitchin' chicken and below are the lovely goodies she sent me.  I love the scissors - they are compact and cut well.  I have been having a nightmare lately and have had to chop great chunks out of my Confetti of Hardanger.  I love these JBW designs so was fantastic.  The scissor fob is SO pretty and goes well with the new scissors.  And of course it is impossible to have too much fabric or too many threads...hehehe.  I was thrilled to bits with everything.  THANK YOU CATH!!!

The lovely goodies from Cath (The Stitchin' Chicken)

Then only a few days later I was fortunate enough to win again.  This time it was from Gaynor Stitchers Anon.  Below is the picture of all the gorgeous goodies she chose for me.  There were some gorgeous threads both metallics and variegated.  A gorgeous piece of fabric which is called Sage and looks absolutely nothing like how I have photographed it.  She also sent me one of the charts from my wish list - it's the 2012 LK Santa.  There is a beautiful, beautiful little pillow which has lovely stitching and amazing finishing, I wish mine was so neat. And finally...so rick rack in 4 fab colours.  Thank you SO much Gaynor!!

The lovely goodies I received from Gaynor

The third one was just the other day and was from Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  I have been lucky enough to win her giveaway for Home of a Needleworker.  I think she took pity on me and my dust!!!

Anyway enough of my good fortune and on to the stitching progress.

First up is the absolute bane of my life at the moment.  Confetti of Hardanger by Abi Gurden is gorgeous...well it is to look at.  I am having real problems in placing each part.  I had to give up on the flowers as they were just too hard for me.  So I thought I would move onto the next part which is a simple kloster block 'border'.  How easy can it be?  Hahahaha...wrong.  I have restitched the entire border 4....yes...4 times.  It was frustrating to be polite!!!  I am really hoping that the outer kloster block border won't give me so many problems.  Fingers crossed.....

Confetti of Hardanger - Abi Gurden

 Henry VIII caught my attention one night and had a little more stitched on his coat.  I am really enjoying this one and should give him more time.

Henry VIII and his 6 wives 

 When I was sorting through my stash during a stitchy slump a few weeks ago.  I found this from years and years ago.  I did the over one stitching for 'scissors' and put it away again!

LK scissor case

 I really like stitching this one!  It's Horse Racing by John Clayton and the grass is a lovely big block of mind numbing green!  I can stitch away for ages without looking at the chart or rummaging for a new colour.  The darker green is the start of a shadow for one of the horses.  Once the green is done, I will have stitched around 25% of the design, maybe slightly more.

Horse Racing by John Clayton

 I have worked on ATW a little too. Part 3 was finished and part 4 is now half done.  I am enjoying it but can only stitch it when I can really concentrate or I make mistakes!

Papillon Creations - Around the World in 80 stitches

 I worked on Two Little Love Birds by Love Thy Threads as well but ran out of a thread colour and need to go and get some more.  It is a lovely design and would make a cute wedding or anniversary design for a young couple.

Love Thy Threads - Two Little Love Birds

 And finally....we have Cinderella.  I love, love, love this.  I love the fabric, the thread colours, the design....how am I ever going to give it up?

Cinderella - Joan Elliott

And that's it.  Not much to report really and not much stitching for how long it is since I blogged last.  Thank you if you are still reading!!

I am way behind on reading blogs so I am sorry that I haven't been visiting.  I will get caught up again - honest!!

...and the winner is....

Well actually that should be winners are!

So here is everyone's names all written out (best writing of course) ready for the pot of destiny.

And here is the pot!  Actually it's an old candle but the pot was too nice to throw out when it was finished with.

I had Colin draw the first name which is for the Mouseloft kits.  The name he drew out was......

Mangogirl

Next was 2 cards/bobbins of Stranded by the sea floss.  Luke drew......

Amanda

Third  was Cross Stitch Crazy April 2012 issue.  This one was drawn out by Rachael.  She picked......

Linda

Finally was the Silkweaver's piece.  After arguing over who would draw it we decided that Colin would.  Well the kids were arguing, not me and Colin.  The name he drew out this time was.....

Jo, who can't think of a clever nickname (sorry Jo!)

                                                                                                                

Please email me your snail mail addresses and I will get these in the post to you ASAP.  Thank you to everyone who entered - all 13 of you!  Unlucky for some I suppose!

Big, big news in our house, but I will share it tomorrow.