April Challenge and a day out

Today is reveal day for the April Challenge at Jayne's Attic. This time we stitched the Caron Collection's "Caron Keeper". Mine is stitched on 32ct raw linen using Vicki Clayton silks in Verdigris, Dark Mauve, Grasses, and Colonial Blue, with Kreinik Silk Mori in 7054 for the birds' legs and beaks. I finished mine as a bookmark. This one was an absolute joy to stitch, and there are lots of great finishes in the album so it is well worth a look.

It is beginning to feel a lot like spring round here, and yesterday we went to Newquay Zoo for the day (we won a family ticket in a raffle at Christmas). Isn't this little chap splendid? I absolutely love penguins. "Cute and cuddly boys, cute and cuddly". The other picture is of two of the rather more ferocious animals ;)

Calorie-free cakes, Carnival Queens and the return of spring!

The weather has obviously been reading this blog and has decided to behave itself! Today is a glorius spring day. Here are some miniature tulips in my "seaside garden", and the blackthorn in my hedge.

As for Carnival Queens, as of July, Naomi will "retire" as Fairy Queen for the village, but Eloise has been chosen as the in-coming Senior Queen. Another Summer of Carnivals looms! (I love it really). Photos to follow shortly.

And what of the calorie free cakes I hear you ask! I made some of these for my friend in the village who runs a cake shop, she put them on display and I have started getting orders! Here is a plate of them that I made at the weekend.

Of buttons, bonnets and bad weather

I can't share my most recent stitching finish as it is for publication, but I've been busy this weekend making lots of other things. Here are some button necklaces and bracelets (I love buttons, I can't walk past a charity shop without going in to see if they have any), the Spring Pastel set is mine and I made the purple and black one for Naomi, purple and black is VERY "her".

The bonnets in the title are more hats really, but that didn't sound so snappy ;) I've been knitting these for Save The Children, (thanks to Clare for telling me about it). They knit up really quickly and don't use too much wool. I did these ones whilst watching the telly last night.

As to the bad weather, look at this! The spring flowers are out, the birds are nesting, the pond is full of big fat tadpoles, someone has stolen all the fat sheep from the field next door and replaced them with an equal number of skinny sheep and some lambs, and its snowing.

In Cornwall.

In.

Bloody.

April.

March Challenge!

It is "reveal day" for the March Monthly Challenge at Jayne's Attic. This month our design was Alphabet Tree, by Blue Ribbon Designs, (a huge Thank you to Belinda for letting us use this retired design).

I made mine into a needleroll using an orphan piece of unlabelled pale blue evenweave and Carries Creations in Irish Kiss, which is lovely mix of fresh springlike greens and looks quite at home in my primroses, don't you think?

There are huge number of finishes in this months challenge, and the album is well worth a look (link in the Group Activities section of the forum at Jayne's Attic).

Can't wait to see what we get for April!

Happy Easter!

No new stitching to show so this is my Easter table decoration.

Hope you all have a lovely Easter, even if the weather isn't supposed to be up to much! I plan to stitch and eat chocolate

Oh Mr Darcy!

I finished "Mr Darcy" a wonderful design by Tanya (The Sampler Girl) yesterday. I stitched it in WDW threads (Pecan, Chestnut, Onyx, and Lancaster Red) on Vintage Cashel.

I altered the portrait a little, stitching it over 1 to give more detail. It still doesn't look too much like the gorgeous Colin Firth, but never mind.

Here are two pictures, one of the sampler, and one of the aforementioned Mr Firth for your delectation and delight ;)

I missed my Blogiversay!

OK, I'm pretty sure thats not how you spell it, but my blog was 1yr old last Sunday and I completely missed it!

Happy Birthday Bloggy!

And Happy Mothers day too!

Also last weekend was reveal time for the monthly challenge at Jayne's Attic. The chart this month was Valentine Heart from Dragonfly Stitches. I stitched mine on 28ct pearlescent white fabric using House of Embroidery shade Fuchsia, and finished it as a "lolipop". Looking forward to finding out what the March challenge will be.