It's Me, I'm Back!!

I can't believe it's been over two months since I last blogged! I'm afraid I have no finishes to share just yet! I have done a little stitching while I've been gone but haven't finished making anything up! :o(

I really must say a very big thank you to Elisa, Jessie, Jurga, Jeanne and Sherry for the blog awards they've given me while I've been away. I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to get around to thanking you all, I really do appreciate them though! I hope it's ok but I shall be passing these awards on to all the blogs I visit, as I think you all deserve them and I would find it so hard to choose just a few of you!




Due to the slump in the property market DH Colin and I have had to make some big decisions regarding our self-build at Spire Hill. Still nothing definite decided on yet as we do have a few options still to think about, but for the time being we have decided to stop the build. For the last few years Colin has been working locally, part-time for just two days a week so that he could project manage and contribute as much of his own time with both our self-builds. With the build also being at a stage now where he doesn't need to be spending so many hours there, he's now ready to go back offshore, overseas to work, which looks as though it could be as early as next Saturday! My youngest Matthew is also off at the end of September to study English at Brighton University, so there's going to be lots of big changes! It's going to be soooo quiet here on my own - what will I do with all my extra spare time...lol!

Before I go I must just share this photo I took recently of my two boys outside the O2 Arena. Jason my eldest is on the right and Matthew is on the left. Even when Jase comes home to visit it's not often I get them both together long enough to take a decent photo. Matthew and I caught the train to London earlier in the month to spend the day with Jase. I had a wonderful time - just me with my boys looking after me! We had a lovely lunch before going on to the Tutankhamun Exhibition at the O2.


Will hopefully be back again soon with a finish or two to share. :o)

Acorns and Owls

Yesterday was reveal day for the monthly challenge on Jayne's Attic. We had a choice of several complimentary designs this month and I chose 'Acorns and Owls' by Blue Ribbons Designs. This one has been on my 'to do pile' for a while and I already had the perfect fabric for finishing - you can't see much of it from the photo but it has a little acorn print on it. I used 40ct Light Espresso R & R Linen with the listed Gentle Art Sampler Threads. The little trinket tray/bon bon dish finish is another first for me that I've been wanting to try. I really enjoy these monthly challenges and can't wait to find out what we'll be up to next month!

This morning I received my JCS Christmas Ornaments preview issue. I've been really looking forward to this one arriving and was going to start on the Country Cottage Needleworks 'Silver and Blue' ornament first but now that I've seen 'Joyful Blessings' from Blue Ribbon Designs I just can't make up my mind which to start first! Will definitely be doing them both though!

Look what came in the mail today...

...I absolutely love it! If you've seen my Madeira jelly roll tin I think you'll know why, because it's made from the same blue Blackbird Designs Madeira Sampler print! I must thank Jeanne for my new Scrap/ORT bag. I contacted Jeanne after seeing a picture she had posted on her blog and Jeanne kindly sent me the details I needed so that I could get my own. Thank you Jeanne! :o)

Another Tiny Pinkeep

This one is for my sister Sarah...a extra little something to give her with her pressie for her birthday today. With Mum and Sarah's birthdays being just two weeks apart, I decided that this year I would make them both a little pinkeep. This is 'Corbeilles', another French design by Miniatures D' Alphabets. I've finished it just like Mum's (see previous post), same fabric, thread and ruched ribbon trim. The only difference is the fabric for backing, the print is the same but with a different background colour.

A Tiny Pinkeep for Mum

Yesterday was my Mum's birthday and if I have time I always like to try to stitch a little something I can give her with either her present or money. This year I've made her a tiny pinkeep. This is a little French design, 'Coeur D'Ange' by Miniatures D' Alphabets. The fabric is 32ct Belfast Vintage Antique White Linen and was stitched 1 over 1 with DMC 815. I thought I would have a try at doing a ruched ribbon trim around the pinkeep and was really pleased with how it turned out. Mum really loved it too!

A Friend Is A Gift...

...and this little gift was stitched for a dear friend who has safely received it today so I can now share a picture. I really should have finished it and sent it on it's way well before now. I had completed the stitching in January, finished it into a little pillow and made the cord trim in March, which I finally got around to attaching in April...JUST...lol! The design is The Prairie Schooler's complimentary design, A Friend Is a Gift. Stitched on 32ct Bay Rum Jobelan using the listed DMC.

Today is reveal day...

...on the Jayne's Attic forum and my finish for this month is a floss ring tag. I've been wanting to make one of these since seeing them on other blogs...finished with either an eyelet or ribbon to hold the floss ring. I was going to use the eyelet finish following Staci's tutorial but then last minute when I came to make it up I decided to use ribbon instead of the eyelet to hold the floss ring. I must make one with an eyelet soon though, because I really like these too!

The design chosen this month is The Caron Keeper a complimentary design by The Drawn Thread which you can find here. I used the same 40ct Light Espresso R & R Linen that I used for the March challenge, stitching 1 over 2 with GAST Highland Heather, Mountain Mist, Ohio Lemon Pie, Tin Bucket and a WDW in Whiskey (not using the DMC you see in the photos).




After my previous post on the Madeira Jelly Roll tin, I thought I would contact Jane Timmer's to ask if she would one day be releasing the designs for the Madeira Tin Project. It's going to be a while but yes she is...WOO HOO! She has a couple more classes to teach, the last one being September next year so it's not going to be until after that! Looking at the photos Jane has on her blog there were a couple of the Madeira fabrics I still needed for finishing the accessories. I've at last managed to track them down here in the UK and have received confirmation that they are in the mail. Will have to wait patiently now for the release date! :o)

I have another finish but can't show you that just yet. It's a little gift for a friend but I still need to get to a post office to mail it. Hopefully I'll pass by one this week and will post a picture once I know she has received it.

Blackbird Designs - Madeira Jelly Roll Tin

Look what came in the post this morning...the Blackbird Designs Madeira Jelly Roll Tin! As you can see from the photos I already have some of the Madeira fabrics, so when I found the empty tin on Ebay for 'Buy It Now' I just had to snap it up immediately...lol! Have you seen the pictures of Jane Timmer's (Fancy Work) Madeira Tin Project that she has on her Blog? Isn't it lovely! I would love to be able to make these accessories for my tin too! :o)

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