Quick Post & Giveaway #3

Up till last night we have had lots of rain this week. The sun is now shining! I'd better get outside for a sunshine fix so this will be a quick post.


First, I want to show a photo of my birthday exchange received from Marie. Thank you Marie for all the goodies! You can see more details at this FTT post.  

Next is a cross stitch kit I received from Yiota for review. You have probably seen some reviews on other blogs and I was lucky enough to receive one too. 


This one is "Flower Pot" by William Morris. 

Here is the kit in its entirety. 

The chart is large size and therefore easy to read. The floss, as you can see, are all well organized and marked. It comes with aida cloth and I suggested to Yiota that she may want to offer an option for linen as well in the future. I can see myself stitching this one one day!

The package arrived quickly from the UK as well. You may want to check out their other cross stitch kits. Thanks, Yiota!


Finally, here is the last giveaway in April - #3. 


If you would like a chance to win this, please:

1. Leave a comment indicating that you would like to be included in Giveaway #3.
2. Make sure I can contact you either through your blog profile, or leave me an email contact please.
3. I've been wracking my brain about what question to ask you this time. OK, easy peasy since you are all stitchers - what is your favourite piece of stitching tool that makes your life easier? 

For me, it's a floor stand scroll frame. I got that after I had a broken collarbone on my stitching side. Even after it healed, stitching using a hoop gave me pains in my shoulder and the scroll frame makes my stitching so much easier! 

By the way, I loved the answers to the "volunteering" question last time. They were very thoughtful and thought provoking!  I will definitely let you know when I decide on what to do and when. 


Time to go, the sun waits for no one! Thank you for your visit and your wonderful comments! Have a lovely weekend! 

Pink is the colour! and Giveaway #2

The city is dressed in pink as our cherry (and  plum) trees have started to bloom. Here is a tree in front of our house.  

Gorious, isn't it? It's a pale pink. I'm waiting for the vibrant pink ones to match the pink in this framed piece that I picked up today.  


The colours of the stitched piece is very fuschia pink. I had previously picked up this weird greeny-brown frame (pre-made) on the cheap wondering what I would ever use with it. Even my framer was surprised at how well the two pieces worked together. It's too bad the photo just doesn't do it justice. And this will be hard to let go, but it will be a present for a very good friend who has always admired my stitching but is not a stitcher herself. 

The next piece is also from a pre-made cheapie frame. It's from Carriage House Samplings but I forget its name at the moment. I just love how it suited the distressed frame. I am very happy with how both pieces turned out! 

Now, here comes Giveaway #2 which is for those who would like to a "Prim" stitch. I will probably include a piece of linen too!


If you are interested in this giveaway, please:

1. Leave me a comment stating that you would like to be included in giveaway #2. 
2. Make sure I have a way of contacting you by leaving me your email if this is not already in your blog's profile.
3. Here's the make-you-work-for-it bit - please tell me (if this isn't too personal) what volunteer work you do, or would like to do one day. 

I am not currently involved with volunteering but have been thinking more about it. However, I have been wondering "what?" You know I love books and reading. I would love to help kids with literacy but don't know how I can help.  There, I've said it. Let's see when this will happen! 

I will draw a winner at the end of the month. Please go to the previous post to see Giveaway #1. 

Thank you for stopping by. It was fun to read your comments on my last post.  May you be kissed with sunshine every day this week!

Sunshine! and Giveaway #1

Hello from a sun-splashed Vancouver! I can't believe it but we've finally got a stretch of sunshine, on a long weekend no less! I feel so much better! I've been out in the garden doing spring cleaning - the garden is "behind schedule" this year, probably by a month. 

I will show you a few flowery photos and of course the Giveaway mentioned in the title, but first some stitching! Here is "Girl's Best Friend" by Birds of a Feather.

I love the smile on this little girl! 

I so love this design and I don't even have a dog (but one might be in my 'far' future)!


I participated in a swap at Samplermakers and here is what I received from Marjorie. I asked for trim and I got lots! I love the old postcards too!

Here are some flowers from my garden. The first two are Hellebore or Christmas Rose. I bought the first one but I have no idea where the second one came from! The third photo is the first flower to bloom on my camellia bush.

So, I've decided to have multiple giveaways this month, probably three. Three to represent 300 followers (or thereabouts)! This is also my birthday month, and since I had missed a Blogoversary giveaway last fall...I've made up THREE reasons! 

You will have to watch this space for subsequent giveaways. I will do drawings for all three at the end of April.

Here's what you need to do if you want to be included in this giveaway. #1 being the latest booklet from Blackbird Designs - For my Friend:

1.  Leave a comment on this post only for Giveaway #1.
2.  Make sure to include your name and contact info if it is not included in your blogger profile. Otherwise I won't be able to easily contact you.
3. To add a little fun - please tell me one "unusual" thing you want to accomplish this year. It could be big or small.

OK. I'll tell you my "unusual" or out-of-the-ordinary thing I want to do this year and that is to take Art classes! Yup, that's it.  Not "climb a mountain" or anything like that but it's unusual for me. 
 

Thank you for stopping by!  I'm back out to the garden this afternoon. Who knew there could be so much joy in WEEDING?!!! ;-)  

Have a great week!

Stitching to keep the Wolves at Bay

That inner howling, the blues, the blahs, what have you - they've been knocking at my door. The weather does not help neither. It is cold. Yes, the daffs are out, the cheery cherry blossoms starting to blossom, but it's C-O-L-D when the sun is hiding and it's hiding a lot! 

Anyway, thank goodness for my stitching and my books. I am happy to welcome in April too, hoping that warmer weather will come and stay for awhile. I was very happy when I turned over my calendar to April to find this picture! A big gush of COLOUR!

Here comes some stitching...First, Gathering Basket, by Blackbird Designs. 

Next, Naughty or Nice by Blackbird Designs, from the Christmas Garden leaflet. 

They are such pretty designs with beautiful colours! 

Now I want to show you a neat little bookshelf I bought from a charity shop. It was a bit beaten up but had this lovely flower design on each end. I just love it!  

When I saw that bookshelf it just took me back to childhood and going to the school library every week. If I ever saw those old fashion card catalog drawers I will probably have to haul them home too! 

Lastly here are my birthday buddies. Our birthdays are within days of each other but they come first. They will be a mature 6 years old! My DH said it's like they are going into their twenties in human age. They seem well versed in the Art of Napping!

Thank you for stopping by! Now I will go and "stick a needle in it" as my DH likes to say! ;-)

Enjoy the week. Hope you are having better spring weather!