Hoop Stitchery GIVEAWAY!

I am thrilled to announce that I am planning a special giveaway!! The main idea is to gain interest via Facebook and worm my way up to 300 likes (apologies to those who don't have Facebook and therefore have no idea what I am talking about!!) as I am currently on 247, but I couldn't leave you lovely people out!!
So I will be designing and making a small, hand embroidered hoop stitch. The hoop will be finished nicely and sent to one lucky winner anywhere in the world!! But only once I reach 300 likes on Facebook.

As I haven't yet designed the giveaway, there is also a side competition for the phrase, song lyric, word etc that I will use, so do comment below to give any suggestions for that, and to enter the giveaway all you have to do is comment below, or pop along to my Facebook page and follow the directions pinned to the top of the page.

Good luck!! xx

Out of Season

It has been slightly surreal for me in the last few days as I have started designing some Christmas themed hoop embroideries. Sitting around in the baking hot sun, with a garden overflowing with life, colour and flowers is not a time I would usually consider starting to make the Christmas decorations!!

And I mean, there is just so MUCH colour in the garden!

I have found it really simple to transfer my sketchbook designs onto fabric recently with the purchase of a very clever pen!

It vanishes from the fabric within a few days, and I have had to occasionally quickly go over lines just hours after drawing them on initially as they start to fade. Brilliant really as if you make a mistake you just leave it and the mistake will go away, no one need know!

The lines haven't all completely faded from my latest (very un-seasonal) embroidery, if you look really closely you might see some faint purple in the gaps.

Do you like my little robin?

As usual everything is hand stitched, and the stitches used were: whip stitch, back stitch, french knots, satin stitch, running stitch, star stitch, and some kind of open whip stitch (the name of which I can't remember- its the one inside the baubles). Oh and of course, stitching down the buttons!

Let It Be

We had a lazy afternoon, myself, the caterpillars and the cats. Apparently these hairy beauties are going to turn into the White Butterflies (are they the cabbage ones?) when they have finished eating all of the Nasturtiums.

Ziggy was a zonked out, melted puddle for most of the day. I think even he is too hot at times as he just collapses in the shade and lays there looking at you pitifully.

I have been working on a few more designs for hoops in my sketchbook, including two for (whispers) c.h.r.i.s.t.m.a.s... I haven't started stitching them up yet, instead my attention was caught by an earlier design I did which was really simple and quick to do.

It has some nice interesting stitches as well as old favourites. Whip stitch letters, blanket stitch flowers, back stitch stems, chain stitch leaves...

Running stitch border with a fly stitch leafy top and french knot yellow centres.

It looks really lovely in it's hoop so I think I will just frame it in one- possibly wrapping some nice fabric around the wood first to decorate.

Beside The Sea

Some more seaside stitchery for you lovely readers. I thoroughly enjoyed making these ATCs, raiding my fabric stash for the rows of colour and combining with couched threads, french knots, beads and a cute little boat. Not to mention my seagulls! Golly, I can hear them squawking from here!

Seaside Stitchery

Afternoon All!! How's it going? It is super sUpEr hot here in the UK, nearly 30 °C!!! Even in the shade- phew! It is too hot for anything strenuous so I have been catching up on my ATCs. The top one is a seaside themed postcard for Wendy, I just love the little fishies!

These are for the sequin ATC swap. I wasn't sure about the bead chain on either side of the top card, so I didn't put it on the other two. What do you think?
It is a little disappointing with the MixedMediaGroup_UK group at the moment, there aren't very many people participating in the swaps, probably a core four or five people trying to keep things going. When I first joined there were over 80 members with a lot of activity and multiple swaps a month, recently the numbers have dwindled to 35, and most of those are inactive. We still get a few people joining every now and then, although they seem to prefer to watch what's happening rather than joining in. So please, if you love making little things, and receiving little packages of handmade goodies from like minded, talented people, please please join our group and start swapping today!! It would be so lovely to see you there. It would be such a shame if the group were to stop swapping, there are lots of really fantastic people creating things together, I have even met one of them in person (Hi Paula!). Haha, sales pitch over!

Birthday Mosaic

It was my birthday at the weekend (22!!), and one of my presents was this fab mosaic tray kit. I couldn't wait to get started and began almost as soon as I got it home!!

You had to draw out the template using carbon paper onto the tray, and then again onto a double sided sticky sheet, before cutting up the individual sections and matching them with the tray.

Then you can work section by section, cool huh. I used the sharp bit in a pair of little long nosed pliers to cut the squares into shape. I would have used proper snips except I couldn't find them!

Oo, time for a snack I think. Birthday cake anyone?

End of the first day mosaic-ing, and the first evening in a while that we haven't had any storms!!! As I was shutting up for bed I noticed this really lovely spiders web, all lit up by the outside lights. Isn't it pretty?

So anyway, day two of mosaic making and it's getting exciting!! I've finished all of the 'arms' and have started on the blue bits!

It takes a long time and a lot of concentration to make a mosaic I have found, and it was very quickly evening again when I finally finished putting all of the bits in.

Adding the grout...

And after a quick polish this morning, I have finished!!

I am planning on painting the wood as some of the carbon paper rubbed off on it and there are bits of grout on the sides. What colour do you think I should paint it? Keep it clean and white, or go a bit more adventurous with one of the tile colours?
I will probably have to work around the cat again, who's favourite place to sit is currently the kitchen table, regardless of who else is using it or how much is on there!

Pretty Postcards

Ahhh, I just couldn't resist in the supermarket yesterday, and ended up bringing home this lovely bunch of happiness!! Sunflowers are good for the soul I think, you can't look at them and be sad.
Did any of you have a storm last night? We had an absolute corker!! It was fantastic, the flashes of lightening were incredibly bright and just encompassed the entire sky, and the claps of thunder were setting off alarms in my street!! One of the best storms I have ever seen I think, even if it did wake me up at ridiculous o'clock at night.

I had a happy few minutes this morning organising my postcards from the MixedMediaGroups_UK ladies. I am rearranging my wall where a lot of these were tacked up and have decided that it would be more practical to have them in a nice book where I can take them out and examine, rather than just getting used to them being on the wall and not paying attention.

I purchased a photo album from Wilkos whilst in Leicester last weekend, and have plans to cover it in something pretty, and so far it is looking good! My first postcards were made in 2011! A long time ago now.

Would you like to see all of my postcards? They are very lovely! Oh go on then. 

 ('Leaves' by Annie in 2011)

  ('Leaves' by Jean in 2011)

  ('Leaves' by Sue in 2011)

 ('White & Cream' by Annie in 2012)

 ('White & Cream' by Becky in 2012)

 ('White & Cream' by Paula in 2012)

 ('Green' by Becky in 2012)

  ('Green' by Mary in 2012)

  ('Green' by Wendy in 2012)

 ('Vintage' by Sam in 2012)

 ('The Beach' by Wendy in 2012)

('Scrim Fabric' by Annie in 2013)

 ('Celebration' by Judah in 2013. Part of The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap)

 ('Crazy Patchwork' by Wendy in 2014)

 ('Flowers' by Wendy in 2014)

('Winter Scene' by Wendy in 2014)

And the current working postcard is another beachy themed one. Looking forwards to adding my return to my collection!!