I don't have fireflies in my garden - which is a shame... only cats, bees, a dog and the odd dragonfly!! So please settle down with a cuppa, put your feet up and enjoy!

Friday, August 5, 2016

Christmas Festoon

web image
Woo Hoo!! It's Friday.... 

Not only am I doing the Friday Happy Dance... but I also have a finish to show you :o) So today is a double happy dance day!!

Finish # 27
Christmas Festoon
Designer: Patricia Ann Designs
Started: 31 July 2016
Finished: 3 August 2016

Design published in Just Cross Stitch Christmas 2015
This was a really quick stitch - I think it probably only took about 8 hours all up to stitch.  The red flowers are Kreinik braid and the rest of the stitching is in regular DMC 666 and 500.  Gold delicia beads are the final touch.

Another Christmas ornie stitched and waiting to be finally finished!!

Have a great weekend... hope you all get heaps of stitching done and no visits from the frog!


Til next time, happy stitching
Hugs xx

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Nancy's Birthday Giveaway!


Nancy from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe is having a birthday... and that means she is also having a birthday giveaway!

If you want to enter in Nancy's Birthday Giveaway there are a couple of simple rules to follow -

Nancy's Giveaway Rules: You MUST be a follower of Nancy's blog and you must post a comment on her birthday blog post (link here).
If you post about the giveaway on your blog (which I am doing right now!), Facebook or stitching group you get 50 more entries! (Yippee!)

The drawing will be on Nancy's birthday - 14th August.  If you enter the giveaway (and why wouldn't you!) don't forget to check back on Nancy's blog to see if you are a winner.

Good luck.....


Til next time, happy stitching!
Hugs xx

TUSAL August 2016

Hello.... surprise, surprise!! I am on time for this month's ORTs report!


This month's ORTs are sitting with my latest WIP.  This is my wild card entry for the JCS SAL July piece (not quite finished.... just needs beads now which I will do tonight).  The design is called "Christmas Festoon" designed by Patricia Ann Designs.  It was published in the Just Cross Stitch Christmas 2015 edition.

What made up the ORT's this month?

Besides the red and green from the Christmas Festoon piece, I also worked on some other WIP's - pictures below:

Free Gift - Snowman and Penguin Christmas Card
Last stitched on in May for Stitch Maynia
May 2016
Now looks like this:
July 2016
Free Gift - Kate Knight Peacock
Last stitched on in January 2016
January 2016
Now looks like this:
July 2016
Nora Corbett's Christmas Eve Couriers - Comet
16th July 2016
31st July 2016
Halloween Sneak Peek"" - The Trilogy
Last stitched on in October 2015
October 2015
July 2016
I do have one more WIP but I am saving that one for the GG post later this month as it is one of my 2015 GG pieces...

So that's it for this ORT report and WIP update!


Til next time, happy stitching
Hugs xx




What is a TUSAL and an ORT Report??
Essentially TUSAL posts are all about stitching and saving our ORT's (Old Raggety Threads) and every New Moon those of us participating in the TUSAL post a picture of our ORT's, and then leave little msgs for Daffycat on her blog to show that we have been stitching and have posted our wonderful pics. 
Next New Moon - 1 September 2016

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

July SAL Updates.... August Stitching Goals....

web image
Hello! Another month has flown by and now we are into August, so it's time to do a SAL update post.

July SAL Update:

**JCS SAL (FB Group)"Pure Love" (Designer: Snowflower Diaries) 
Fail.... I just couldn't get myself going to stitch this one for some reason (I think it is because it is not very Christmassy...) so on Sunday (I know last day of the month!) I decided to use my wild card and stitch something else from the magazine... pics to come in a day or so

**Christmas Ornie SAL Blog Theme: Free Choice - Joyful Santa, Tartan Stocking, Punched Needlepoint Card, Noel decoration 

**Halloween Ornie SAL Blog Theme: Witches Accessories - "Stitching Witch" (Designer: The Stitcherhood)  

**Lainey's Christmas Ornie SAL: posted 
**Smalls SAL: posted 

**Stitch Maynia (FB group)
Monthly SAL's:
It's a Sunshine Day (month long) - stitch on any piece that has a summery, sunshine, or tropical theme) 
Stitched on the "Moutons de Saisons été" by Collection Tralala

"Colour-A-Day SAL" - "Back in Black" - stitch the black sections of a design on 24th July 
Stitched on "Halloween Sneak Peak" by the Trilogy

"Winter Holidays / Christmas in July" - 25th July 
Stitched on "penguin and snowman" Christmas Card

Year Long SAL's:
Year of Starts! (at least 1 start/finish each month): 
I had 2 starts and finishes in July (counting all the circles of Lakeside SAL as a start and finish)

Brooke's Books Year Long SAL: no progress on the Advent Animals....
2016 Chatelaine Shenanigans SAL: no progress....

**Cross Stitch Finish Line (FB group) 
"Monthly "Month" SAL - July " - stitch on something with July in it and/or something that has to do with July 
"Mill Hill SAL" - stitch on any Mill Hill kit/design 
"Christmas in July" - get a head start on Christmas cards and/or ornies 
"Now I know my ABC's" 26th July - "B" 
"Summer Solstice" - (June to Sept): stitch any summer piece you want through to Autumn Solstice (Northern Hemisphere Solstice) 

**Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January Challenge 2016 (DUCJC2016):
Modified to 31 starts & finishes 2016: as at the end of July I have 26 finishes for 2016 of which 21 are new starts for 2016 


**Lakeside Needlecraft / Durene Jones Fantasy SAL 
As I have previously mentioned I joined another monthly SAL.... this one is being hosted by Lakeside Needlecraft in the UK and is designed by Durene Jones.  It is a monthly fantasy SAL starting in July with the border release.  For July my goal was to complete all the circles - which I did!

August SAL Plans:

**JCS SAL (FB Group): "Dear Santa" (Designer: The Little Stitcher)

**Christmas Ornie SAL Blog August Theme: Christmas Clothing
**Halloween Ornie SAL Blog August Theme: Spooky Words

**Stitch Maynia (FB group) 
"All that Glitters (month long) - stitch on any piece that has beads or metallics in it)
"Colour-A-Day SAL" - "Mellow Yellow" - work only on the yellow sections of a design on 24th August
"Olympics" - daily stitching themes to celebrate the Olympics (5th - 20th Aug)

**Cross Stitch Finish Line (FB group) 
"Monthly "Month" SAL - August" - stitch on something with August in it
"Mill Hill SAL" - stitch on any Mill Hill kit/design
"Now I know my ABC's" 26th Aug - "C"
"Beat the Heat" 15th - 31st Aug
"Summer Solstice" - (June to Sept): stitch any summer piece through to Autumn Solstice (Northern Hemisphere Solstice)

**Miribilia, Nora Corbett Designs SAL: (Nora Corbett Passions FB group) 

**Remember to post for:
Lainey's Christmas Ornie SAL
Smalls SAL

**Lakeside Needlecraft / Durene Jones Fantasy SAL (FB Group)
August design released 1 Aug

**Joyful World SAL - Snowflower Diaires (FB Group)
September design released 10 Aug

So that's it... a bit of a mixed bag this month - just as many crosses as ticks! Oh well there is always August to look forward to!

Til next time...


Take care and happy stitching
Hugs xx

Smalls SAL July 2016

Hosted by Stitching Lotus
And of course I am late... and sadder still I don't really have a lot to show you for July (well no new finishes anyway!) as most of my stitching time in July was devoted to getting the circles finished off for the Lakeside / Durene Jones SAL.  So here's a recap of July's small finish and FFO's :o)



And that as they say is it.... all finishes have been previously shown in an update post so no surprises this month.  I do have some WIP updates to come once I get myself organised to take the photos!

See you again real soon -  I hope!


Til then, happy Smalls stitching...


Hugs xx