Card Making and Christmas Trees

Once again it feels like ages since I've posted anything - I always forget how busy the run-up to Christmas can be! I've been working on a couple of small projects that are to be Christmas presents, so I can't post pictures of those yet - but I just wanted to show you all what I've done with the pastel coloured tree I stitched last month:


If you look closely it's at the bottom right of the tree - I backed it onto some glittery felt and attached some thick silver lace thread to hang it with. It didn't quite work the way I wanted, but I'll have another go with some of the others and see what I can work out for next year. I have to admit that I also wanted to post a cheeky pic of my tree as this is the first year I've had enough space to put one up - I'm pretty chuffed with it - even if I did buy too many lights and had to drape them over the top of my bookcase!!

I've also had an attempt at making a 'hat voucher' for my Mum as a Christmas present. She wants a new hat and it's not really the kind of thing you can just go and 'buy' without having the recipient present (you always know you're going to get it wrong, right?!).

So.... I had a go at making my own voucher for her as a promise to take her shopping for one. The first pic below is the front of the card, and the second pic is the inside:




I know it's really simple, and I would have put a hat sticker on there if I could, but Hobbycraft just didn't have any hat stickers at all!!!!!! I hope she'll be really chuffed with it, and it's a great excuse for some Mum-Daughter shopping time!!!


Anyway, I doubt I'll be posting again before Christmas so I'll wish everyone a lovely Christmas and a happy and safe New Year!

Pretty Christmas Tree

I've just finished the christmas tree that I started a week or so ago. It's stitched on 16 count white aida, as I wanted it to be small enough to back it with felt and attach a ribbon to the top and use it as a decoration somehow. There are a couple of others in the series that I'd like to do to make a matching set. The chart was from Cross Stitch Favourites special Christmas issue:



I have to admit that I got a bit bored with the pink border - but I'm pleased I perservered. I've definately got my stitching bug back now and I've got a couple of ideas for quick-stitch Christmas pressies (which I can't talk about obviously!). I hope I can get the motivation back to start working on my bigger projects sometime soon, as I'd really like to get them finished so that I can start some others!!

Quick update...

The last month has been crazy, what with moving house, the start of the university term and being ill (yet again!!), so apologies for the lack of posting. I'm now finally in my new flat and beginning to settle in - the first things that got unpacked were my books and my cross stitch supplies!! (The kitchen can wait, can't it?).

Needless to say I haven't managed to get much stitching done, but I have made a decision relating to Raggetty Ann - instead of rushing to try and get her finished for Christmas, I'm going to take it slowly and get it done for my Grandparents' wedding anniversary next year. There's no way I could have done her justice if I tried to rush it. The problem with making this decision has been that I've now started a new mini-project!! A pastel coloured Christmas Tree from the latest Cross Stitch Favourites - will post a pic soon, when it looks more like a tree!

I'm also planning to update the blog a bit over the next couple of weeks and refresh the pictures on the right-hand side, because I have made some progress on my major WIPs! I doubt the blog will change much, but I just feel it needs a bit of tlc before Christmas!

Where did the last month and a half go??

Crikey. I've just realised that I haven't posted anything since the beginning of August. Blimey. To be honest I haven't actually done much stitching lately, a tiny bit on my Snow Hunter, and a few stitches on Raggetty Ann so there's not much to share. It's been a strange couple of months, with throat infections, flu, a sprained wrist and various other things I think stitching has been the last thing on my mind!!

I did manage to get to the lace fair in Rugby a couple of weeks ago though, so here's a picture of my new stash. My favourite items are the duck and elephant divider pins - I've been looking for something like these for ages!!







I doubt I will be doing much stitching over the next few weeks as I'll be moving house, where hopefully, once I'm settled, I'll be able to stitch whilst watching narrowboats and ducks on the local canal!!! I'm sure the end result will be well worth the interim stress!!!

.

Snow hunter - scary eyes...!

Since I finished the tulips recently my stitching bug seems to have returned, but instead of working on what I should have been (Raggetty Ann) I've picked up my Snow Hunter again. I'm sure Raggetty Ann will get done before Christmas, but at the moment it just seems too far away!

Here's a picture of the Snow Hunter back in April (sorry for the rubbish photo!!):






And here's where I've got to now:



As soon as I put the black stitches in for the eyes, the whole project started really coming to life. They're almost demanding me to keep going and finish the project!!!

I hope everyone else has had a good July, and that our stitching motivation carries on throughout August!

.

Tulips - Finished!

After a concerted effort yesterday afternoon I finally (finally!) finished the tulips I started back in June. Here's a picture of them with the matching pansies. I admit, I prefer the tulips close-up without the black - but they do look very effective from far away. I'll be doing one more from this series, probably the daffodils as I think the yellow, orange and black will set each other off really well.





My next goals are to get going again on Raggetty Ann, which I haven't touched in ages, and to stitch myself a couple of keyrings for my new car keys - I can't believe how hard it is to find nice keyrings on the high street!!! A really good excuse to look through all my old copies of World of Cross Stitch and Cross Stitch Crazy!

I'm hoping that this finish will help me get the stitching bug again!

Lace Close-Up

Here is a close-up of the lace bookmark (without the pins!!) ;-) as requested by Jenny in the comments in the last post:





I couldn't get the whole bookmark in the picture (which is just as well really as my plait at the end was really awful!). It's honeycomb in the centre, with my version of a fan at the edge (whole stitch with a twist on the outer edge ( I cannot remember if this is an 'official' stitch or not - but it looks ok!).


I've got another week off work this week, so hopefully I can get cracking on some stitching again - it looks as though the weather is going to be right for it!!!

.

Lace finish - finally!!!

Hi everyone - I don't seem to have been in a very crafty mood lately so finishing my lace bookmark finally seems like a major achievement!! I seemed to get myself in a right mess when I was trying to do the plait at the end so pretty much said 'stuff it!' and hoped it turned out alright! ;-)

Here's a pic of the finished lace:
I have also managed to finish all of the coloured stitching on the stained glass tulips I started whilst on holiday. I still think it looks very effective with just the white gaps!! I will fill in all of the black stitches though, as they will probably bring the design to life.




I hope everyone else is in a more creative mood than me at the moment! Happy stitching!!!!