Thursday, October 31, 2013

Hallowe'en Blog Hop and Giveaway...

Boo!!!  Now I have your attention, welcome into the cemetery of thread garden, especially if you are visiting as part of the Hallowe'en Blog Hop. The fabulous Jo is hosting this from Serendipitous Stitching. Please start at Jo's Blog from the beginning and you will have a spooky trail to follow, secretly unmasking the mysterious code from within this Blog Hop. 

Sharing my Hallowe'en Stitches
The front creepy project is from the Just Cross Stitch Sep/Oct 2013 magazine which featured many Hallowe'en ornament designs.  I stitched the Spooky Eye Chart for my very own Jack (13yo DS).  It is stitched on linen with DMC black. I chose not to add the border or lines as I didn't feel they added to it.  The cross stitch in the background is The Hallow Sampler by The Primitive Needle.  I stitched this in 2009.



A Small Giveaway
If you dare on this day please enter a small giveaway. Be a follower and leave a comment on this post and I will draw a winner for a mystery prize on November 4th.

A Ghost Story
On Hallowe'en in Australia, ghost stories are shared preferably at night in the dark.  I have a true story to share at this auspicous time. I was travelling through England with my young family, near the Welsh Border at a Youth Hostel called Welsh Bricknor.  The rambling stone manor was positioned at the bottom of a lonely steep gravel driveway with no passing traffic.  The hostel was spooky with its abandoned ivy-covered church surrounded by gravestone ruins within metres of it.  I woke at 2am and visited the bathroom. The bathroom had a window onto the driveway. I heard a distant noise from outside. It grew closer and closer. It wasn't just one noise but now a group. The noise became gallops which echoed through the room. Horses thundered past.  My heart matched the gallops as I ran back to bed and pulled the cover over my ears. There was no explanation in the morning why horses would be going past, let alone at 2am. Since returning over home I have googled Welsh Bricknor and relieved to read I am not the only one who has had a spooky experience. There is a legend about a young girl  many hundreds of years ago, running away from her family castle to be with her lover. The lovers fled together on horses.  They drowned trying to cross a river.  Maybe just maybe...

I know you are after the illusive and magical letter that  will spell a Hallowe'en message, so here it is:

F

You will now make your way to this spooky corner of the web, at "This and That" blog by  EvalinaMaria  if you dare. 

Don't forget about entering my giveaway!!!

Thanks for walking with a lamp through my graveyard...
                                                                           Jan x

32 comments:

Linda said...

Oh what a great story Jan. I would love to be entered in your surprise giveaway.

Linda

Zeb said...

Eeep! Scary! I loved living in England for the time that I did, so much wonderful history :)

Love your stitching too fellow blog hopper!

cucki said...

Aww I love this story :)
Sweet stitches..and please count me in your surprise giveaway
Thank you
Hugs x

zenuwpees said...

Magnifique broderie bravo bonne journee Marie-Claire

Chris said...

Ooh Jan! That is a great ghost story. I love your Halloween stitching.
Please put my name in the cauldron for the giveaway.

Annie said...

Great ghost story! Please count me in for your giveaway. Thanks, and Happy Halloween!

Bruna Aguiar Melo said...

Great story!
And the "Spooky" work is just amazing! So simple yet so gorgeous.
xoxo

Kevin said...

Love your Halloween display with that skull, spooky eye chart, and "The Hallow Sampler." Need to remember to hunt for that chart for "The Hallow Sampler!" Happy Halloween!

Anonymous said...

thanks for the spooky story!
have a grea day and many xxx!
chiara

Julie said...

Great story.
Happy Halloween!

Shebafudge said...

Ooooh, spooky story! I would love to be entered in your surprise giveaway - so long as it isn't what Jo's letters are spelling out on her blog hop!

Happy Halloween to you xx

Melissa said...

Hi Jan, I'm a new follower :) Found you when you commented on my blog!

Loved your spooky ghost story!!! Just right seeing as today is Halloween.

I'd love to be entered in your giveaway!

Happy Halloween.

Melissa
stjohnsstitcher.blogspot.ca

Unknown said...

Hello, a new follower. Your story is great.

Please can I be entered for your giveaway.

Happy HALLOWEEN.
Lesleyanne
http://myfrozensunshine.blogspot.co.uk/

Natasha said...

I have had fun blog hopping I have all the letters not to figure out what it spells.

I would love to be entered in your giveaway, I love surprises :)

EvalinaMaria said...

Thanks for the story, I'm your new follower. Have a lovely Halloween!

Sarah in Stitches said...

Happy Halloween, Jan! :D I'd love to enter your mystery giveaway.

gracie said...

What a wonderful display and stitching too. Would love to enter your give away.

Anonymous said...

Hello Jan,
I am now a follower of your blog and yet I was already following you through bloglovin. ;)

I love both of your Halloween finishes. Your stitching is beautiful.

Please enter me into your giveaway.

What a story and I believe it to be true as I got goosebumps from reading your story!

When you posted your letter I was thinking I must have written down the letter all ready. I went back to the blog before you and they had the same letter. I was spooked at first. LOL.

I love your blog and adding it to my reading list so I can return again.

Thank you for the letter.

Happy Halloween!

Astrids dragon said...

Love both the samplers AND your story! My Dad has a few scary stories of growing up in Wales, what a beautiful place.

SoCal Debbie said...

You are a great spooky ghost story teller! I'd love to be entered in your little surprise giveaway!

Christine said...

Lovely stitching!

Miss Lilly said...

Lovely stitching! I loved the spooky story too :)

Justine said...

Hi Jan. I love the spooky eye test chart. Maybe the ghosts wear glasses?!

Your story was so spooky!

Thanks for the letter and the giveaway.

Annette-California said...

LOL I was hooked reading your scary story. How spooky! I have just found your blog thru this blog hop:) I'm following your blog thru Bloglovin.
Great Halloween stitches! I would love to be entered for your surprise giveaway. Happy Halloween!
love Annette

Kaisievic said...

That is spooky! What a great idea to have a surprise giveaway! Count me in!

lynda said...

I'd love a chance in your giveaway....thanks!

~*~MaeMae~*~ said...

Would love to be entered in your give away!! Your story is spooky!

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Thanks for taking part, and the spooky story too!

Love the Eye Test and the alphabet behind, two for the price of one.

I'm a follower and I'm leaving a comment! I agree with Shebafudge about the prize though!

cheryl said...

Lovely stitching. I love the Halloween sampler. I found you through the blog hop. Happy Halloween! and thanks for hosting a giveaway!

Aurelia Eglantine said...

Great finishes, and very spooky photo staging :) Not entering your lovely giveaway, just Hopping by and wanted to say Hi ;)

Catherine said...

Ooohhh....loved your spooky experience! Thanks for the chance!

Queen Of The Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries said...

Now that's spooky Jan especially as others had heard it too! Please count me in your giveaway...I'm already a follower!