A Photo A Day: June 3

June 3 A Photo A Day:  "ON YOUR PLATE"

Today's A Photo A Day theme reminded me of what I wished was on my plate - cherries. Wrong time of year darn it.

But I stitched a cherry for a lolly jar instead and filled it with raspberry and black berry lollies and had them on my plate. Quite yummy if I don't say so myself. They are fruit right?

The cherry cross stitch pattern is of course from Sweet Treats stitched in DMC threads.

Thanks for having a cuppa in my teahouse...

                                                                      Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 2

June 2 A Photo A Day: EMPTY

You can tell when the local dancing Eisteddfod is on as my kitchen cupboards are EMPTY!!! Only a cross stitch cupcake to eat.

This cupcake is stitched from the delicious craft book Sweet Treats.

You can check out my "morning themed" June 1 A Photo A Day here.

Thanks for sitting under the umbrella in my garden...

                                                                                  Jan x

March Madness Theme-alicious update...

How did Heather (the organiser of Theme-alicious) know March is Mad? I seem to have been running pillar to post with organising this and that. I will be relieved to get on the plane very soon and have a family holiday. Escape the madness!

Saying that though I have done multiple "Mad" projects in accordance with Theme-alicious due mostly to sewing for a school fair (the Aussie term for "fete").  So here we go...

March 1st:

March 2nd:

March 4th:

March 7th

March 11th: mobile phone covers

March 13th:

March 14th:

March 17th :

March 23rd: new purchase - budgie cushion cover

March 25th:

March 29th: my HAED "Love":

March 31st: a snood knit along

Theme-alicious' Amazon April will be easy - MB design and my HAED! Bring it on!!!

Thank you for strolling through my garden...  Jan x

Secret Stitching Sweetheart found!

What great vibes came from Secret Stitching Sweetheart game. Thanks Jo for organising and creating it!

The picture of my stitching was published by Nicola from Stitching by the Cornish Sea.

Here is what I made for the challenge.  Two pin cushions.  The patterns are found here and here. I desperately need a new pin cushion so now I have two!

The gorgeous tag was made by Heather from It's Geek to Me.  She explained how she did the pretty stitch in the comments section of the previous post.

Thank you for your beautiful comments.  I am having trouble replying to emails at the moment so please accept this as my thank you...

                Jan x

Secret Stitching Sweetheart...

Are you my Secret Stitching Sweetheart?????  Is this your stitching featured here????? If so, I am waiting for you...

Isn't this tag cute? I don't know the identity of the stitcher of this tag yet. What delicate stitching and beautiful threads it is stitched in! I would love to know what the stitch is called.  If you are my Secret Stitching Sweetheart that will be one question for you.

Happy Valentine's Day all!  I am busy hunting for my Secret Stitching Sweetheart.  I stitched special items especially for this special blog post.  Look out for this and this. I will reveal my projects once I find my which blog they are featured on.

My DH and I acknowledge Valentine's Day to each other but that's it...just a kiss alone. A kiss is enough for me. It's a symbol of our past, present and future. 

In Australia we usually only give Valentine's Day treats to our partners and not to our children. I changed it up this year and popped a paper heart with a message in Mary's lunch box. I treated my Jack to a special smile as he caught me looking proudly across at him.  I gave Tom the biggest sleepy cuddle as I carried him to his cot. 

Mary, Jack and Tom you keep me centred. You give me purpose. You make my life worth waking up for. You make me smile.  I hope they know the pride I have in them. I believe this photo oozes my Mummy love.
 
Thank you dear readers for your visits and beautiful messages...

                          Jan x

Tiaras and Star Stacks...

I stitched little crowns and tiaras onto a bookmark.  The designs came from the Cross Stitcher magazine.

Having a toddler again means.......play doh. Tom is obsessed by it.  He is constantly getting it out of the cupboard, using his teeth to open the lids (where did he learn this from?) and spending ages poking and prodding it.  Luckily he doens't eat it which surprises me as he tries to eat sand, suncream and the list goes on (you don't want to know)! The two of us made these "star stacks" together which I think are very pretty.

Just when I find an online photo editing program I love (Picnik) I find out it's closing. No!!! Can you recommend any websites I should explore now so I can make my photos prettier?

Thanks for stopping by my garden...

                                                            Jan x

Stitchy bracelet...

It's just Toddler Tom and Moi pottering at home this weekend.The house is so quiet...except for the pitter patter of Tom's feet as he runs into his big brother and sister's bedrooms that he is not allowed in.  Plenty of stitching time I say rubbing my hands together (in between nappies and picking up toddler toys). My husband has taken my camera and my usual laptop is not working so there are reduced piccies today sorry.

My lovely, no-blog friend Rachael (waving madly), introduced me to the cross stitch book Sweet Treats.  Both she and I have drooled over this little bracelet design the last few times we have shared morning tea. And now I have stitched it! You definately have to whip this one up Rachael. I think I will turn it into a lid cover for a jewellery box.

Although enjoying the quiet I am acutely aware of how lucky I am to have such a warm, loving husband and three healthy and happy children.  I went to bed with tears in my eyes while reading a blog written by a local mother, Lisa who has just lost her husband. This is on top of losing a child four months ago.  My heart is bleeding for her. You are in my thoughts Lisa xxx.

Thanks to my lovely blogging friends who enrich my life so much...

                                                                                                      Jan x

Weekend retreat...

I am doing a happy dance here as I have had so many finishes in the last 2 weeks. The shabby linen quilt, Tom's Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking, Sophie's Rose cross stitch, and the feather cross stitch. I am also about to sew the binding onto a Leanne Beasley quilt so it should be done by the end of the weekend too. Woo hoo! Doesn't it make me feel good! And I am going away tonight on a craft weekend with 3x friends. I cannot wait to stitch with a glass of wine and nibbles on hand. I will also have a bed to myself and no toddler to wake me at night (or kitten) so I sure will sleep well!

Feather and bird...

My bedroom wall feather cross stitch is coming along nicely. This pattern is from a charming book a Rainbow of Stitches. It is stitched on a gorgeous 32 ct linen with white silk. When finished (hopefully tonight) I will frame it in an embroidery hoop and put it in a cluster with several prints.

A sparrow is born. I have been busily working on the "Marjolein Bastin design" Lanarte cross stitch in the evenings while watching shows like Country House Rescue and Masterchef.