A Little Alchemy Going On In The Alchymyst's Study

A few weeks ago I was working in the local Secondary School, invigilating exams, and the exam they'd done was Chemistry. Afterwards there was a heaping great pile of periodic tables left over and the school were going to bin them, so I offered to "re-home them"

After distressing a handful of them with cold tea and ink, I combined them with a few vintage book pages, some mediaeval alchemical illustrations I found online, and a couple of used envelopes and made this little junk journal.

It was a steep learning curve, and I'll be doing one or two stages differently with the next one, but for a first attempt I'm quite pleased with it.

In other news, we've been busy in the garden constructing a second patio, as the main one loses the sun mid-afternoon. Naomi decided "second patio" wasn't a very good name for it, and has re-christened it and wood-burned us a sign for it.

Presenting the "Gin Patio"

Every garden should have one

Happy Christmas and a gift for you

Wishing You All a Very Happy Christmas

Here is a little Christmas Rose chart for you. Left Click to save/print.
Enjoy!

A gift, my garden, and a new release

I had a lovely package in amongst all the bills in the post last week. Heidi had run a surprise giveaway on her blog and I won this gorgeous scissor fob. Look at the little tape measure charm, isn't it adorable?

The lovely warm weather we've been having has had quite an effect on my garden, which is now chock full of weeds, or a haven for wildflowers depending on your point of view. Here are some campion, buttercups and foxgloves which I have cunningly prevented from seeding all over the place, by bringing them into the kitchen (and my Jamie Oliver jug).

And finally ...

(wait for it)...

My new release. Presenting "Adventures" a sampler and matching needlework accessories based on a quote from Jane Austen "If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village she must seek them abroad".


Sampler and Accessories












Inside of sewing pocket

















Back of sewing pocket and fob
















(list of stockists available on website)

May Challenge, a Gift, and Some Bags

Its reveal day for the May Challenge at Stitch and Stash, and this time we stitched "Tulip Time" from Primitive Betty's.
I made mine into a large pinkeep with a band of vintage braid at the bottom to hold a pair of scissors.

Check out the other finishes in the album here. As usual there are some beauties

I've heard from Sally that she has recieved the blogoversary gift I sent her, so I can show that now, a tiny sewing pocket and scissor fob. (Keep your eye out for more pictures and the charts for these as part of a new design coming soon)

And finally, both my girls are of the " you can never have too many bags or shoes" school of thought, (can't imagine where they get it from) so I tend to make a lot of bags, and since I was inspired to new baggy ideas by a beautiful cushion I saw on Su's blog this morning, Su asked if I could post a picture of some of the bags I've made in the past. I'll be sure and post a picture of the new ones when they're done.

Mothers Day, More Stash and a Sneak Preview

Happy Mother's Day! Hope all the Mums out there are being spoiled rotten. The girls got me these lovely flowers. The slighly odd looking one is a bath ballistic from Lush, it smells all delicious and citrussy and the paper label tied to it is impregnated with wildflower seeds so I can plant it in the garden, and use the stick to mark where I put them. How perfect is that? Got to love Lush (and the girls).

The halo slipped a bit last week and I shamelessly bought this new stash (I have precisely NO will power, its official), left to right: Blackbird Designs - Snow Garden, With thy Needle and Thread - Miss Lapin and Just Nan - Needle Tweets. Well, I can call the rabbit and bird ones my Easter Egg...

And finally a little preview of a new design I just finished stitching. This is one corner of the sampler, now I need to come up with some "smalls" to go with it

This and that and Christmas ;)

I saw the recipe for these "French Breakfast Puffs" on Paulette's blog, and decided they had to be tried, so Naomi baked them yesterday morning. They were gooood, although she pronounced them fiddly to make. That might be because she isn't used to American recipes with cup measures though.

A few of you asked about the design of the stag ornaments I showed you in my last post. Its a part of a design of my own based on the carol "The Holly and The Ivy", the chorus goes:-

O the rising of the sun

And the running of the deer

The playing of the merry organ, Sweet singing of the choir

I didn't get it finished in time to release for this Christmas but watch this space ;D

Speaking of designs, I hope this works, it's just a little Christmas flower from me to you, Hopefully you can right-click and save itI'll leave you with a picture of the Nativity Scene by my front door, and my best wishes for a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all

Back home...

Got back from the Trade Show yesterday. This was my stand :-and here, as promised, are pictures of the new designs :-
Little Empress (a thimble nanny), made origami-style from a folded square of stitched fabric (fan charm is included with chart) and Twilight Rose, which is shown here worked in two different colour schemes, but which could be done in almost any colour combination you cared to think of as it only uses three shades of thread

Sneak preview

Of a new release. This is just a little bit of "Twilight Rose" (If you read my Yahoo group as well, the picture on there is a different part of the same design, worked in a different colour scheme)

Off to the trade show tommorrow, will update when I get back next week.

Autumn, an Austen moment, and a Competition reminder

Funny old year isn't it? Autumn has obviously heard that "purple is the new black" or whatever else it is that the fashion world is telling us now and decided to jump on the bandwagon and become the new summer this year.

We've spent the weekend out and about enjoying the weather. This first picture was taken up on Bodmin Moor.

The next ones were taken at Pencarrow House. It has the most beautiful gardens, and can't you just imagine Mr Darcy walking towards you up that path? No? Just me then...

Finally, don't forget the Competition at Jaynes Attic to win six months free membership to my collectors club, the first part being Mr RolyPoly here. (I've put up another picture because this one shows the red colourway better, though its not so good of the white one)

RolyPoly update...

RolyPoly is now available from Jaynes Attic. He is the first part of a new, and as yet un-named, Bi-monthly Collector's Club of "smalls".

For a chance to win six months free membership of the collectors club visit the Competition Page at the Attic and suggest a name for our club. Competition runs until 1st November.

Good Luck!

Introducing RolyPoly!

Here is the 2008 Father Christmas from Alchemy Stitchcraft. He is called "RolyPoly" and can be stitched in any colours (white one is DMC 115 & 3072, red one is plain old white stranded cotton with Rainbow Gallery Wisper for his beard, pinkeep version is Gloriana Poinsettia, again with Wisper). Stitch count is 75 x 85 (flat) for the 3D version or a teensy 15 x 31 for the pinkeep, so he is a nice quick stitch in time for Christmas. He should be available from Jaynes Attic very shortly, where he will form the first part of a "collectors club" of differently finished small items.

New Designs!

Here are the full photos of my new designs that I teased you with a couple of weeks ago:-

They are, from the top, French Brocade, Knot Garden, Mariner's compass and Waterlily Welcome.

And yet another peek................

Another Happy Dance, another finish and another sneaky peek at a forthcoming release.

All the new designs will be available from 20th February

More sneaky peeks.......

OK Clever Clogs ;D

(Yes Helen and Julie I mean you), here are a couple more peaks at forthcoming releases. Watch this space as they say..............

Busy, busy, busy!

I'm onto my 4th finish for 2008 and I can't show you any of them ;(

The first is for the "Monthly Challenge" at Jaynes Attic so I can't reveal that until later in the month, and the others are all forthcoming Alchemy designs for release in February.

Oh go on then, heres a sneaky peak at a tiny bit of one of them..........

Christmas Decorations 3

I'm excelling myself with original titles for my posts here ;)

Anyway here is my third piece of floral art. I'm really quite proud of this one. The strap like piece arching over the top is a phormium leaf, torn into narrow strips and woven together.

I finished a new sampler today (big happy dance!) but I'm afraid I can't share it yet as it is for a magazine. Watch this space ;)

Introducing Humbug!

He's here! This is Humbug! He can also be finished flat as a pinkeep (see 2nd picture).