Needlecraft Haven Monthly Challenge

Sunday was reveal day for the monthly challenge at Needlcraft Haven.  Each month a complimentary design that can be found online is chosen to stitch, using fabric, floss and making up into a finish of our own choice.  It's been a long time since I've taken part, but when I saw that the design for March was Souvenir de France by Blackbird Designs I just had to join along as it's one I've wanted to stitch for a long time. 

My choice of finish is a needlebook, so I've stitched the design one over one using Crescent Colours Milady's Teal on 28ct cream Cashel linen.  The fabric for the cover and the needle page is from French General's La Petite Ecole.  The little piece of lace was purchased from France, which I've used before and love so wanted to use it again to pretty up the front, and the shell button came from a pair of old pyjamas that I had thrown away - so glad I saved them, as this one was perfect!  The closure is a little twisted cord made from DMC 712 pearl no. 12.

I also made the beaded scissor fob.  I bought the sterling silver Eiffel Tower charm some time ago to make a beaded fob for when I eventually got around to stitching Souvenir de France or Jardin Prive's Eiffel Quaker, which ever came first.  The beads are sterling silver, Swarovski crystal, pearl and Mill Hill seed beads.  It's really pretty and sparkly in real life!

Hope you all enjoyed your Easter weekend.  Hope to be back soon.  :o)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!  I'm a little late, but still wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year for 2011!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too!  Mine was more then a little different this year and very quiet with just myself and my youngest Matthew.  This was the first year that my eldest Jason wasn't home for Christmas.  At the beginning of December Jase and his lovely girlfriend Nic became engaged and spent Christmas on Holiday in India.  This was also the first time in nine years that Colin had to work away for Christmas too.  He had a flight booked to leave for work on the 20th, but due to snow and flight cancellations at Heathrow he didn't get away until the 23rd.  He was on standby for a seat on one of the next flights out and secretly I hoped he wouldn't get one, but sadly it wasn't to be! :o(  Matthew arrived home late that night on the 23rd and we did have 3 lovely days of Mum and Matthew time together!

I can't believe how long I've let it go again since my last post, I think my New Year's resolution should be to post more regularly don't you, as well as getting a lot more stitching and finishing done!  I've not done a stitch since October, when I started but didn't manage to finish a little something for Halloween.  Although it's not stitchy I do have something I can show, which was a beaded fob I made for Halloween.  It's pictured below with the Halloween stitching I didn't quite finish, a design by C Mon Monde.

Thank you for popping by!  :o)

Pink Beaded Scissors Fob

This time last year I had a blog giveaway with my first try at making a beaded scissors fob.  I was going to make another for myself last year too, but never did, so this one is for me!  It's delicate with a little bit of bling and I think it's just perfect for these gorgeous Wasa Scroll Embroidery Scissors that my sister Sarah bought me for my birthday last year!

It's very similar to the one I made last year, using Swarovski crystal, silver plated and Spiral Rose Murano Glass Beads. I've threaded it a little different this time using bicone Swarovski beads and Swarovski spacers. The breast cancer awareness ribbon charm is different too. I didn't use the tutorial I used last year either, this time I threaded the beads on to 49 stranded Beadalon silver plated beading wire and used crimp beads, which I attached with my Magical Crimp Tool which you can see in the picture below. I was really pleased with the result using the beading wire and will definitely use it again for any future beaded fobs I make.

Thank you for visiting my blog! :o)

My First Blog Giveaway

My very first blog giveaway! It's only a little something, but I hope you will like it enough to want to join in! It's another first! My first try at making a beaded scissors fob, following the tutorial on the Focus on Finishing blog. I am really happy with how it turned out and will definitely be making more!

As October is breast cancer awareness month, and also with me earlier this month attending my first breast cancer screening, I have made a breast cancer awareness fob. The beads are silver plated and Swarovski crystal, and Spiral Rose Silver Murano Glass Beads. The awareness ribbon is sterling silver with the words breast cancer stamped on the back. Anyone, anywhere is welcome to join in, whether you are a regular visitor or new to my blog. If you would like to be entered into the draw please leave a comment to this post only. I will also need an email address so that I can contact you if you should win. If it is on your blog, that's fine I will be able to find it, or you could leave a note of it with your post. I will draw a winner one week from today, on Thursday, 29th October and will annouce the winner soon after.






Thank you for taking part and good luck! :o)