Easter Blessings & Blog Hop

Happy Easter to you and all your family :)

I am taking part in Jo's Treasure Hunt Blog Hop this Easter - pop along to her blog to start hunting and hopping.

My Easter photo is April in the Drawn Thread calendar series

My letter is .......   O

Hop hop to now visit http://refreshedintent.blogspot.co.uk/ 

So my Easter news - it's a mixed day today as it's two years since Dad passed away - I've had a difficult two weeks both with my health and losing a close friend, but hopefully Easter weekend will be a turning point. We always took Dad away at Easter, when the children were younger to various parts of the UK and in later years to the caravan.



Easter Sunday outside the pub inn Wales
with a glass of whisky



I have been stitching but not much - I made a small ornament for Barb who looks after the Parlour at Needlecraft Haven. She kindly forwarded some charts to me so this was a little thank you gift by return (and yes I did keep to Stitch from Stash)

The parlour for Barb

And I have a HD - it's been a while but my Round Robin from 2012 is finally finished - thanks to Julie and Mr Stick for the weekend encouragement and to Dusty, Lynn, Tina, Jaclyn and Julie for your stitching on my RR.

Angle blessings
(a quick photo - it needs an iron and maybe a wash)

I have put together our Easter mantle, although I know there will be more to add. The branch from my Nan's tree is still ok from a year in the shed and we've already had three lovely cards.

Easter Mantle

The garden is also starting to bloom - the pixie clematis always flowers for Easter no matter when it falls. My herb pot is coming back to life so long a Ruby stops pinching the herbs :)

Pixie clematis

Herbs

I used some rosemary in our lamb dinner last night -  lamb for Passover and to accompany it the lovely Trivento Malbec as yesterday was World Malbec Day

Lamb dinner with Trivento Wine

I have started a new forum for wine lovers - similar to Needlecraft Haven but it's all about wine :) Cuvée Reserve is free to join - you just need a Yuku account :)

Have a great Easter - don't overdo the chocolate - thank you for hopping by !!


Two gifts

I can final share a couple of gifts I recently stitched. The first was for Marsha as a small thank you for John Foster.

I used a free online chart and all items were in my stash so still no spend on Stitch from Stash !!

Thank You gift for Marsha

My other gift was for a friend who I see regularly for coffee - last time she said 'you know you forgot my birthday' - I was mortified but as it wasn't in my diary I couldn't really be accused of forgetting, just not knowing.

To  make amends I quickly stitched this scissor keep - another freebie from The Drawn Thread and yes all the items were from my stash. The design was just perfect :)

Birthday gift for Gill

So far this month I have done very little stitching as my time has been organising and then blogging about our weekend in Oxford - you can read all about it in my other blog Aimetu's

Unfortunately my MS symptoms have reappeared. I did hope the double visit to my chiropractor would be the answer and although they really helped the numbness has not improved so Monday I started a short strong course of steroids. I really dislike taking them as they confuse my head, disrupt my sleep and general make me feel unwell; however they do work on my arms and legs. Hopefully by Easter I will be back to being me.

I picked this bunch up from our local Coop on Monday - reduced to £2.50 - what a bargain. They will last at least until the weekend if not longer as the lilies have plenty of buds still.

Just a short blog from me - thanks for reading my news :)

An exchange, a reveal, a treat and a WINNER !!

The weather here at the moment is beautiful - sunny days with the occasional shower (usually when I'm walking Ruby) but the garden is springing into life.

It was Opening Day yesterday for the first part of the Four Season's Exchange on Needlecraft Haven. This exchange happens for each season and members can sign up for as many as they like; all seasons, just one, or any two. There is no set finish but the design must be based on spring.

Alison was my partner, my parcel had arrived a few days ago so I had it hidden out of temptation until yesterday. Had I known the beautiful gift inside I would have had it open days ago - Alison stitched a beautiful blackwork pin cushion with beading - it's so intricate.

Blackwork pin cushion from Alison

My partner was Ursh who lives next door so my postie was Hubby early one morning on his way to work. I stitched a needleroll based on a Sweetheart Tree design. I changed the rose colours to yellow for spring.

Needleroll for Ursh

I like doing season themes; the summer exchange is now open for sign ups so that will be my next exchange - after the Easter one of course, but that is stitched ready to post.

The March Christmas Ornament Challenge has been revealed - this month Christine chose a snowman by Jura Point de Croix. It was a larger design and some stitchers chose to do it over one but I used 28 count. It is large but I didn't intend it to hang on the tree. The snowman gave me a little trouble for no reason but now he's done I love him.

March Christmas Challenge

Sunday was Mother's Day and we had quite a weekend. Philly came home from Uni on Friday night and Saturday we took both my Mum and stepdad and Hubby's Mum and partner out for lunch. Luckily Michael was off shift for the afternoon so we were a table of 8 - all the family together.

Sunday I was spoilt with Hubby buying me some beautiful tulips and a bottle of my favourite wine 'Sancerre'. Michael also bought me wine - a bottle of Wishbone sauvignon blanc - a new wine to me so that will be a great experience. Philippa bought me a beautiful engraved mirror for my handbag - it reads

When we're apart you're still in my heart. I love you always Mum x x x x

 

We popped into town and of course called into The Abbey as Michael was working - I insisted on a few selfies:

My gorgeous girl

Best bartender ever !!

 

My lovely Hubby Nick

My tulips from Hubby

 Back home Hubby made a lovely buffet which although it was a sunny day we decided to eat indoors. But not before we enjoyed the sun to taste and review a bottle of champagne I was sent by Tesco. I often get chosen to be one of their tasters - I must be getting it right, and it's quite an enjoyable task.

Michel Gonet Champagne

Stitching wise I am back on track with my rotation although I do have a small gift to get finished by Friday and another one to do as soon as possible. I have started September (The Drawn Thread) and tomorrow night is Santa's village. We are away this weekend but I will take my UFO Angel Blessings as there is not much to do - I might not do any as we're going to a wine tasting (bit of a recurring theme going on) but I'll be very annoyed if I get time and have not taken anything.

AND so to my Blogoversary giveaway - thank you to everyone who asked to be included - 14 bloggers in total, some well known acquaintances, some new friends who I hope will visit again.

All 14 went into the hat and the lucky lady is ...........

Bev C of Kainga Happenings out in Australia

I have yet to chose the items as they will be from my stash so I keep my no spend on Stitch from Stash but I'll be drawer, box and cupboard hunting in the next few days and sending a parcel to the other side of the world.

Thank you for calling by and sharing my news - happy stitching x x x
 

Stitch from Stash for March

I did think I'd had a slow month but actually I have achieved quite a few finishes - but they are mainly surprises or exchanges.

Here's my list

Charts

• The Drawn Thread August - previously purchased
• Monthly challenge - snowman Jura Point de Croix
• Spring Exchange
• Gift
• Santa's House - previously purchased
• Easter Exchange

Fabric

• 28 count ecru (spring exchange and easter exchange)
• 14 ct aida (gift)
• 28 count beige - monthly challenge

Thread

• DMC colours as required for charts

Finishing

• ecru and green ribbon (spring exchange)
• needlework fabric
• snowman fabric
• cream & pink cording
• silver & gold cording 

 Additions to Stash 

•  John Foster with fabric & threads - giveaway from Marsha 
• Mini Rose kit - goody bag exchange from meet up
• Dragon Floss thread - goody bag from meet up

These are some photos I can share - I can reveal much of my work in April as the spring and Easter exchanges are revealed then and my gift should have arrived.

Finishing items for my gift and monthly challenge

August - The Drawn Thread

Giveaway from Marsha

It's not long now until my Blogiversary - if you'd like to be in the draw just comment on this post (or my previous three) and include 'me please'

My overall spend for March was ....... ZERO ...... another no cost month !!

Meet Up and Giveaway

Yesterday was the spring meet up for Needlecraft Haven - we met here in Nuneaton in The Abbey pub where my son works. The new owner has changed the room slightly and repainted, it was so light an airy - perfect for stitching.

I arrived just after nine and set up the room before walking just across the road to the station to meet Julie, Angi and Gill. Lindsay, Tina and Lisa passed me on the way and when we arrived back at the pub my Mum, Angie and Lynn has also arrived making us a lovely group of 10.

All of us together
 (apart from the photographer hee hee)

Tina, Julie, Lynn, Lindsay and Lisa
 (along the back first)

Lynn, Lindsay, Angie, Gill, Angi and my Mum
 (going left around the table)

The meet up days are always so lovely - chatting, stitching, looking at each others work, goody bag exchange, book exchange and of course eating and drinking. It was great to meet Angi and Gill for the first time.

The Goody Bag theme this year was Nursery Rhymes - causing much brain power but the goody bags were all great fun. I made everyone a gingerbread man/woman with name tags and ribbon to fit the theme. Each man/woman had a raffle ticket and the corresponding ticket was placed on a goody bag. Whichever ticket your man/woman had you had that bag.

Goody bags and gingerbread people

Unwrapped people for the pub staff

Wrapped and tagged people for the goody bag exchange

My Gingerbread Man

 My goody bag was book heavy based on the nursey rhyme Mary Mary quite contrary. These are my interpreted goodies:

Mary Mary (two books by Mary Stewart) quite contrary (Marmite fridge magnets)

How does your garden grow (Jardin Prive chart with thread, fabric and backing fabric)

With silver bells (five silver bells) and cockle shells (a selection collected from our beach last weekend)

And pretty maids all in a row (a cross stitch book of maids and boys, a little like AOY)

Mary Mary goody bag - won by Tina

 Tina won my bag and I won Angi's which was on the theme of ring a ring a roses - it had a beautiful roses mug, roses tissues, roses kit, roses chocolates, Dragon Floss thread, roses notebook and a lovely card.

Roses Goody Bag from Angi

The book exchange is always fun as the books are wrapped so no-one knows what they are going to pick. I put in Delilah by Eleanor de Jong which I found so intriguing as I knew the Delilah/Samson story from the bible so really knew how the story would end. All the way through I was waiting and it was so well written it certainly kept me in suspense - Gill picked my wrapped book and hopefully she'll enjoy it  too. I picked Angie's book - 'To The Nines' by Janet Enanovich - an author I have not heard of,  it is always nice to read something new.

 Needlecraft Haven is a Yuku based forum and unless members pay contributions it does have adverts. At the meet ups we have a raffle and the money raised pays the contributions to keep the forum advert free. Everyone brought gifts for the raffle. Julie knitted a gorgeous Easter bunny and Lindsay made a chick bookmark. The raffle raised enough to keep the forum advert free until the autumn when we'll meet again and have another raffle :)

All the lovely raffle prizes

I managed to get quite a lot of work done on my Drawn Thread for August - I stitched the two tree trunks, flower stems and the daisy stitch flowers.

Drawn Thread - August

And in the last half and hour I did a very small amount on my Santa's Village tablecloth - just one window frame and the porch roof

Santa's House

We do have some stitching to do from the Meet Up as we have arranged another exchange. Everyone who wanted to join in wrote a few things about themselves in a card; three things they like about summer; favourite colour; favourite sweets and favourite smell. Those taking part then randomly chose a card and now need to stitch a coaster for that person using the ideas in the card. The coasters need to be with everyone by 30th June - I already thinking hard about my partners :)


The Meet Up was another lovely day with lovely people - thank you to everyone who came, most people travelling by train (Lindsay, Gill and Angi from quite a distance), and Lynn who drove down staying locally overnight. I'm looking forward to meeting again in the autumn

If you missed my last blog I am having a blogiversary giveaway at the end of March - to be entered just add 'Me Please' to your comment.

Gift and a Giveaway

March has so far been an odd month for me - quite emotional both up and down. At the moment I have quite a few friends whose other halves are suffering, my very good friend Dusty being one.

Please say a prayer for those who are unwell and for those who are caring for them with worried hearts.

On a positive note I was the very lucky winner of Marsha's giveaway for John Foster. My parcel was here when we arrived home form a weekend at our caravan (more later) and it's gorgeous.

Giveaway from Marsha

Marsha included the chart - which looks amazing - all the beautiful hand dyed threads, Fabric Flair HD brown 32ct fabric and a beautiful hand made card with a stunning magnetic needlekeeper - thank you so much Marsha

I am going to have to review my rotation as I need to add in a few projects and maybe change my days around - although I will not be missing Barb's Wednesdays in the Parlour at Needlecraft Haven.

Last week in the Parlour I stitched Santa and some of his tree - it takes me ages as it is over one but it's growing slowly

Santa's House

My other stitching has been for the monthly challenge which is a gorgeous snowman design but for some reason I have struggled with it. It is finally stitched and I'm hoping to finish it later this week.

It's all busy with posting too as the Welcome RR is changing stitchers so I should soon have Lynn's to work on and it's Spring exchange posting. My parcel has been sent and I have received so I need to keep it safe until 30th March which is opening day.

As yesterday was St Patrick's Day my cooking skills were tested again. Hubby does not like stew so we had:

mussels in bacon and cider

potato cakes

Irish soda bread

mini Guinness cakes

black velvet cocktails

mussels and potato cakes

mini Guinness cakes

black velvet cocktail

We had a lovely weekend at the caravan - it did need quite a bit of cleaning as the sand had blown in due to the severe storms we'd had. Everywhere had a light layer of grit and all the mirrors/windows had a salty coating. It doesn't take long and it was a sunny day which helps. Afterwards we took Ruby along the beach to look at the ancient peat beds that the storms had uncovered - they are amazing.

Ruby loved the pools

I'm hoping to have a few more stitching photos next blog but it's hard when many of my items are gifts or exchange pieces. It's the spring meet up for Needlecraft Haven on Saturday which is always a great day.

The end of March is my Blogiversary and to mark my 8 years of blogging I'm having a little giveaway - the prize will be an assortment of stitching goodies from my stash as I am trying hard to stick to Stitch From Stash budget and I do need to decrease my stash pile.

Please add 'Me please' to your comment if you would like to be included in my giveaway.

Thanks for visiting - see you again soon :)

Exciting news

Yesterday was a very exciting day for us - Philly was selected to be a Queen's Baton Bearer.

I have blogged about the day and all it's events on my other blog Aimetu's  please pop by and leave a comment as it will a great start to Philippa scrapbooking for the whole event.

Beth and Philippa