You would think frogs would be afraid of dragons...

Apparently not.
I've had more frogs in this project than I care to think about, but it is finally finished.
Here is the Year of the Dragon "Dragon Ball Ornament"  (pattern from Yasuko at Y's Small Gallery.)

The tassel is from a box of chocolates

Recently both Debbie and Katherine have been kind enough to award me the Leibster Blog award.
Liebster is a German word meaning favorite, dearest, or beloved and the Liebster is awarded to new bloggers with less than 200 followers.
The award asks that you pass it on to five further bloggers. I am flattered and overwhelmed that anyone would think my blog was worthy of an award, but I hope neither Debbie or Katherine will be offended if I don't pass the award on in the traditional sense, as I never know who to choose or, more to the point, who to miss out. If I read or comment on your blog then I think you are a winner, so consider yourselves all nominated.
The award also asks you to reveal 5 random things people might not know about you which is a bit easier to do so here goes:-
1) I have tiny feet (size 3) and sometimes buy children's shoes to avoid the VAT
2) I adore football (soccer, not that strange rugby-like game they play in the US), I used to have a season ticket at Roker Park when I lived nearer, and I've been to matches at most of the major cities in England, plus a couple of places abroad
3) I've got a PhD in Physical Chemistry (specifically NMR Studies on Biological Macromolecules)
4) My favourite TV comedy is The Big Bang Theory. It is frighteningly accurate (see item 4 above)
5) I share a birthday with my husband. Someone once asked, on discovering that fact, "Gosh, what are the odds of that?" Ermm, 1 in 365. (Well assuming it isn't 29th Feb)
In other crafting news the girls have been busy this week making these. They call them ear cuffs. I call them Bajoran earrings because I am a geek trekkie discerning science fiction afficionado (see item 4 above again).
Whatever.
I'm making myself one.
Just call me Ensign Ro.

Happy Easter and a Treasure Hunt

A very Happy Easter to you all!


Jo at Serendipitous Stitching is running a blog Easter Treasure Hunt.
The participating bloggers will be showing a picture of an Easter themed stitched project, and revealing a mystery letter, which, when read in order will give an Easter related message.
 I don't have any Easter themed stiching that I haven't already shown, but I do have some little wire and bead bird's nest pendants I made. I hope Jo will forgive my slight deviation from the theme.
So, without further ado:-
Your letter is

Please visit Anna at The Stitch Bitch for your next clue.

Daffodils, bunnies and chicks

Spring continues apace. My orchid flowering daffodils have opened and the blackthorn hedge is in flower.

Yesterday was opening day in the Needlecraft Haven Spring Exchange. Here is the beautiful pillow I received from Gillie. It is a Brightneedle design. Thank you Gillie, I just love it.

Here are the needlebook and ornament I made for Rachael. The ornament is a  complimentary design from Sub Rosa here, stitched on hand dyed linen in Vireo from Sparklies using GAST in Poppy, Avocado and Maple Syrup, and finished with some hairy string for a rustic look ("Are you a rustic hanger?" "No, I'm a frayed knot")

I used my rinky-dinky Cuttlebug to die-cut the felt pieces for the needlebook.

I've also stitched up a few of these fun little applique chick ornaments using a design from Shiny Happy World.

A little sad news as well, we came home yesterday to find our cat, Spike, had died while we were out. He was only 11 and hadn't been ill at all, so we wonder if he had managed to get into something poisonous in someone's shed. RIP Spike, we'll miss you.

Beach, Birdhouse and Blooms

We've had a few days of glorious spring weather here. Here are a couple of pictures I took at Trebarwith earlier.

Meanwhile in the back garden the oxslips are in flower

the first dwarf tulips are opening

and we have made the birds a shiny new bird table

Speaking of birds, I made this Mockingjay hairclip for Eloise to wear when we went to see The Hunger Games on Friday (excellent movie by the way, very close to the book). It was going to be a pin, but I'd run out of brooch backs so I stitched it to a barrette clip. I found the pattern here after seeing a post on Pinterest.

And here is a corsage pin I've made for a friend's birthday.
I have, however, completely failed to complete the Monthly Challenge. Oh the shame! Off to crawl under a rock and promise to do better next month...

It feels like spring...

...and to celebrate I have been busy making a Spring wreath for the front door following this excellent tutorial from Flamingo Toes, always a great source of crafty inspiration.
Yes. I know the front door needs painting...
I changed my wreath from the original slightly by adding in some jumbo pearl beads from a vintage necklace (well I have to include something upcycled don't I?), and I used rubber stamps to make my mini-bunting rather than printing it, but other than that I pretty much slavishly followed the tutorial.
Those flowers are so much fun to make, I can see me adding them to a lot of things.
Hear that sound? That is the girls rushing to hide their things before they get a shabby flower makeover
I've got some other finishes too, but they are for exchanges and gifts so I can't show them yet.

As I was going to St Ives

I met a cormorant. He might have had seven wives, I didn't ask him, but he posed very nicely for his photo. The rock was a little way out to sea, so this was taken with quite a long zoom.

We went to a craft fair last Friday, not terribly successful in terms of numbers of people through the door, but I did spend a very pleasant time with my friend Karen, of Just Bunting, making lavender hearts like this one from recycled fabric. The fabric is from a vintage 60s dress. Looks a bit Liberty to me.

But you didn't come here to hear me rambling on about seabirds and pomanders. You want to know who won the giveaway.

I  put the comment numbers into the random number generator at random.org (still haven't figured out how to make that appear on here), and it came up with comment number five, which was



wait for it



ooh, the suspense...



Julie!
I'm off now to have a little ponder about what I'm going to make for you Julie.

Spring, things and a Blogoversary Giveaway

It has felt a lot like spring this last week, I even managed to find a few wind blown daffodils and some pussy willow in the garden, and I couldn't resist buying the campanula and white muscari at the florist's.


This display just makes me happy every time I walk into the kitchen.

Not much stitching to show this week, I've been working on an exchange piece and can't show it yet, but I did knock up this bit of daftness for Eloise, a cuddly toy Shroedinger's Cat.
Ah, Geek boards on Pinterest,
you have so much to answer for...

Naomi has been Pinteresting (is that a verb?) too, and made this wonderful picture from wax crayons.

She also made this attractive abstract art installation on the conservatory floor. I suppose I should be glad it wasn't the lounge carpet.

Anyway, a week ago was my 5th Blogoversary, (which I managed to miss, oops!), so I think that calls for a giveaway.  No pictures of the prize as I shall make something specifically for whoever wins, I promise it won't be a dead/alive toy cat (unless that is what you want of course).
If you want to take part, please be a follower and make a comment on this post. If there is something I've stitched or crafted recently that particularly appeals to you, let me know in your post and I'll try and make something like it, or you can be more Karmic about the whole thing and I'll surprise you. Either way I'll take sign ups until next Sunday (11th March). Good Luck!