Give-away & wip!

I;ve stitched quite a bit on Stitchy Witch  the past few days.  As you will see from the picture in my last up-date I ripped out the green and cream border as it just wasn't floating my boat..lol.  Even though I am so enjoying stitching this chart my fingers are itching to start something else. But I don;t really like having too many projects on the go at once so I will just have to be patient and hopefully this will be finished by the week-end.

To celebrate reaching my 100 followers I am having a surprise package give-away.   To enter all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me more about you, your stitching likes, dislikes, other hobbies, interests etc. I will announce the winner on Saturday 1st May. Hugs!

My Saturday with picture overload!

We decided at the last minute today to have a day out.  This was our first stop off at Dunure Castle just outside Ayr.  I am lucky enough to only live just over an hour from here.

       

We then drove on to visit Culzean Castle. Right next to the car park was a Deer park. This little sweetie was very friendly and stood right by the fence letting everyone and anyone pet it.

There were very few flowers blooming in the walled garden but the colours on the ones you could see were just beautiful.

In another part of the walled garden there was a large range of palm plants and this little hut.

The gardens and grounds are so extensive that we got lost at one point and accidently came across this wild garden area containing these sculptures. I just loved the tree with the bird , squirrel and butterfly.

These last pictures are of the beautiful castle and its grounds.  We didn;t have time today to go inside but will go back sometime over the summer to do this.  But I do know that there is a flat on the top floor that in 1945 General D Eisenhower was invited to accept a lifetime tenancy as a gesture of Scottish thanks for Americas support during World War II.

Before going home we decided to travel further up the coast where we sat at the harbour and had something to eat and then we sat at the seashore where I did a little stitching on Stitch Witch and Ian went off with his tripod to take more of his photographs.  So, if anyone out there was looking for me yesterday you now know where I was..lol. 

I will try and come back later today with an update on my stitching piece.  I'm hoping to get at least a few hours stitching in the afternoon.  Hugs!

Gift/WIP/No Email

I am so delighted and relieved that Corinna has received the above package I sent her. Corinna recently sent me my first ever BBD chart and few other pretty charts that I had admired on her blog.  Touched by her kindness I just had to make her a little thank you in return. The spring tulips were a treat to do as this was the first use of my new dyed threads. I found the little birdie ornament in a local craft store and knowing that Corinna loves to stitch birds I thought she might like this too. I get so much enjoyment making up these little packages but I nearly created a disaster with this one.  After mailing it off another friend  then mentioned to me that I shouldn't have included packs of garden seeds as the customs may be suspicious open it and destroy everything.  I was so mad at myself for being so stupid as I had visions of my pillow being thrown away and my little birdie broken to bits and poor Corinna receiving a box with empty chocolate wrappers..lol.  Thankfully though it all arrived safe and sound.  Dear Corinna was delighted with her gifts and she has planted the seeds in her garden already. 

Sorry about the quality of the picture.  I;ve only managed a few hours on my Witchy Stitch in the past few days so this is my progress so far. I should have mentioned in my last post that the chart is by Homespun Elegance.  I am just enjoying stitching this way too much as I really don;t want to put it down and do something else.   But I have a piece that I do need to finish before Saturday.  The stitched part was done weeks and weeks ago but I just keep putting off the next bit as it is something I have never attempted to make before and as regular readers will know it will be another chapter for my book How not finish off your stitching..lol.  Get those prayer mats out ladies, I will need all the help I can get.

Apologies to anyone who has contacted me by email in the past few days and are wondering why I haven;t got back to them.  My email has gone kaput.  Hubby has spent quite a few hours trying to fix it but no luck so far.  Elaine, Erna, Corinna, Siobhan,Shari,Catherine,Cath,Lisa,Debbie  I will be in touch as soon as its fixed. Hugs!

The coming of three - a finish, a wip, a new start!

This is my finished Spring has Sprung SAL piece for April.  Still have no idea how I am going to finish this one and it is my turn to choose the chart for May.  I;m not quite sure what kind of chart I associate with May, maybe if they don;t get the flights back up and running I better look for one with a plane and volcano..lol.

I picked up my Happy Mood wip at the week-end and as you can see got a bit more into it than before.  My little moo cow is looking kinda sweet now.  I just wish blogger would show the colour of the fabric properley as it really is a nice yellow colour.

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to visit my blog and leave me comments.  I was so amazed to see so many people have visited on my last few posts.  I really do appreciate it.  I am also delighted to see that in the short time I have come back to blogging so many people have signed up to follow my blog.  I might just have a giveaway if I reach the hundred mark.

I have recently just re-opened my facebook account.  I am not really a big fan but one of my dear stitchy friends has gotten lost in their and even though I have done everything to entice her back to blogging the only way I know that I can find her now is by going to facebook.  So if there is anyone who wants to add me to their facebook please do.

A few people have commented or asked me to see pictures of Heathers prom dress but I won;t be able to get any until we go for a fitting sometime in mid May.  We are now entering the next phase of our challenge, buying the shoes.  We do have the colour down to silver but no sparkly bits, no showing of feet or toes.  We don;t mind a little heel but not too high.  Oh joy I just can't wait for this next shopping trip..lol.

Oops I nearly forgot to show you my new start today. My son took one look at it and said What an appropriate chart for you to stitch Mum and yes I do get my broomstick out occasionally..lol.

I have had this gorgeous piece of hand-dyed fabric in my stash for a few years now and when I came across it last night I knew it would just be perfect for this.  Using this fabric and also not having the weeks, gast,cc the chart recommends I am using my Dye is Cast threads. 

I just started this afternoon and I am just loving it, this is a lot of progress for a slow stitcher like me. I so wish I didn;t have to work tomorrow so I could just stitch, stitch, stitch. Take Care. Hugs!

A gift with a rescued bunny!

I can post a picture of this little rascal now that he has arrived safely in The Netherlands.  I so enjoyed stitching him but as I mentioned in a previous post when I cut the fabric to finish him off I got a bit too excited with my scissors and cut close to the edge.  I was nearly in tears as I thought I was going to have to bin him. Thankfully I was able to rescue him.

 

I had a great time making up this gift package for my dear friend Erna.  As you can see it has a bit of a Scottish theme.

Erna has been to Scotland many times and is just mad about everything Scottish. Her stitching is just beautiful and she stitches the most stunning Samplers.  She has recently mentioned to me that she is not very happy with her finishing skills so I couldn't resist putting a little challenge in her package.  I reckoned if I have to suffer with my finishing woes then so does she..lol. Along with all the items needed to make up a pillow, I enclosed this little rhyme inside the tartan fabric.

Tartan Jimmy is my name

Making me a pillow

Is your aim

Make me square or make me round

Stuff my fabric, sew me down

Add my trim, stitch my heart

Glue us together, never to part

Oh so Bonny I will be

Thank you Erna for making me

Thankfully Erna gets my scottish humour and thought it funny and has told me that she will take up the challenge.  I am also very excited as Erna is hoping to visit Scotland later this year. How amazing will it be that we will get to meet in person.

Thank you so much to everyone who left all those lovely comments on my daughter Heathers stitching and the birthday wishes for my Mum.  They were both delighted when I told them about my post.  I have asked Heather what will she be stitching next.. but as I thought she just looked at me and said Oh Mum I knew you were going to say that..lol.

I have been stitching quite a bit the past few days but I have no photos as my camera needs charged.  I finished stitching my Spring SAL piece and I have been working on my Happy Moo Cow.

Hope everyone is having a good week-end. Hugs!

Happy Birthday Mum & Daughters Stitching!

My dear Mum celebrated her 73rd Birthday today.   I wish I could say I made the cake myself but it was bought from M&S.  My Dad also made a Clootie dumpling (a traditional scottish recipe that granny would make on birthdays or special occasions ) sadly I forgot to take a photo but you can see one here along with a recipe.  http://www.scotlands-enchanting-kingdom.com/grandma-wrights-clootie-dumpling.html 

Proud Mum moment as my 17 year old daughter Heather made this lovely pillow for her Grans birthday.  Heather hasn;t quite caught the stitching bug yet , as she generally only stitches about once a year..lol.  My Mum was delighted with it and couldn;t help but laugh as she owns about 50 pairs of shoes and while out shopping today, guess what, she bought another pair.

I know I mentioned in my last post that I was itching to get started on one of my new charts but I forgot that I hadn't even started on my SAL piece for April. So, here is my start on Spring has Sprung by the Rainbow Gallery.  I should have had this finished by now as it was stitching up real quick but I have been so busy the past few days I haven;t stitched at all.  Fingers crossed my needle will be smoking tomorrow.  Catch you later. Hugs!

A Finish & New Stash!

Thanks to everyone for the get well wishes,  I still have a sore throat and a cough but I am feeling much better than the beginning of the week.  I will just have to let it run its course.  As you can see I have been stitching the past few days.  This is Spring House by the Trilogy.  I looks nothing like the original of course as I chose my own colours using my yummy new threads.

I took my daughter Heather prom dress shopping on Friday, thankfully we did find the perfect dress but don;t anyone ask me about the colour.  It is called Berry Metal but is very hard to describe.  I will try and take some photographs when we go for a fitting in May.  Not far from the dress shop there is a patchwork store which I just had to visit.  I bought these lovely fat quarters and while browsing I found a large basket of ribbons on sale,  so pretty I just had to have a few.

Thanks to Siobhan who gave me a lovely gift certificate  in exchange for a magazine I sent her I was able to get these wonderful charts from the States.  I am in such a tizzy I just can;t decide which one to start first...lol.  Hugs!

Grumpy lady/Stash clearout!

Well I am having a pity party ladies, I feel dark and moody just like one of my favourite images above.  I've had a really nasty cold and sore throat the past few days and it just won;t go away. I had such great plans for my holiday this week and one of them was definately not to be sick.  I didn't even stitch yesterday, my poor needle must think I have abandoned it.  I have kitted up a little chart by the Trilogy that I am keen to start so I will just have to medicate myself and hope I don't produce to many wonky stitches..lol.

I had a major clearout of my stash at the week-end and spent quite a few hours Sunday and Monday trying to set up a new blog to sell/trade my items.  For some reason no matter what I do I can;t post the link on the sidebar of this blog and it also won;t work in google, yahoo etc.  So I will try posting the link on this post, can someone please leave me a comment to let me know if it works, thanks. Laineys Stash Room

Happy Stitching & Stashing. Hugs!

THREAD HEAVEN & TINY START!

I am in thread heaven today as I received all these gorgeous threads from the postman this morning. These yummy threads are more of the Dye is Cast threads that I purchased a few weeks ago.  The owner of the store very kindly offered to give me another discount on top of the one I already had as she is now discontinuing these threads.  I just couldn't resist ordering a few more.  I can;t wait to start stitching with them.

This little blog is the tiny start I have made on my Happy Moood.   I just couldn't get into it last night so I'm afraid it may find itself in the ufo pile soon as I am itching to find something else to start.

I had a major stash clearout yesterday and I spent a lot of time yesterday and this morning setting up a new Stash trade/sale blog.  I am sooooo frustrated as no matter what I try I just cannot get the link to the new blog to work.  Hopefully it will fix itself soon.  Hugs!

HAPPY EASTER!

I hope everyone is have a lovely Easter Sunday and is not indulging in too many easter eggs.  My Mum has been knitting lots of these cute little bunnies for the children and elderly residents at the care home my gran lives in.  Each one contains a cadburys creme egg and the kids can also use them as puppets. She has also made some larger ones that they are going to raffle for funds but sadly I don;t have any photos of them.  I have no idea why the bunnies have no noses or whiskers but my Mum is 72 so maybe she just forgot..lol.

I finished off my little Easter piece into a small pillow this morning.  I had been hoping to use some fluffy edging but when I went to my box I of course had every colour but the one I needed.  I changed a few of the orginal colours on this design and I used some cotton wool for the bunny tail.  For once I am happy with how this one turned out....lol!    

I was looking back my blog posts a few weeks ago and I see that I have said quite a few times that I am going to make a start on Barbara Ana's Wake me up in a happy moood so I now have it kitted up and ready to get stitching this afternoon. Happy Easter Stitching Everyone!

                                                                                                     

Egg heads & stitching!

My hubby Ian was having an Easter buffet lunch in the office on Thursday and they asked if people would bring in decorated eggs.  My daughter Heather decorated these as Dad at work and Dad with his camera.  Everyone thought they were very funny.   

My fabulous spring picture at the head of my blog was done by my little mindee Oscar who is four.  I have to take photographs as evidence for my annual inspections and keepsake albums for the children.  Oscar loves having his picture taken and can;'t wait to see his photograph.  It is also a lovely reminder for the children and parents to look back and see all the friends they made, fun and games they enjoyed and arts and crafts they made.  

I don;t know what blogger does to do my photos but when I upload them on to my laptop they are lovely and clear and then as soon as I post them on my blog they are all grainy.  Anyway, this is an up-date on my Easter stitch. I just need to finish my headless chicken and give my bunny a tail and this piece will be done.  I will  then start on my April SAL design that Elaine (shutterbuglady) chose this month.   It is another cute chart called Spring has sprung by the Rainbow Gallery. 

Happy Easter!